Monica Hawk, CEO of Philadelphia鈥檚 One Bright Ray Community High School, understood the aim. But in her role running six accelerated high schools, she also had concerns. Some of her students were months or years behind in school before returning to get their diplomas. Few could pass state tests.

In addition, the new requirements would mean a new bureaucratic headache. And she wouldn鈥檛 have more money, staff, or resources earmarked to help.

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Eighty people from 20 organizations under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition met via Zoom Wednesday to push for state policies that will improve student outcomes in reading. These include $100 million to make sure that all districts have access to training in 鈥渆vidence-based strategies,鈥� including the science of reading, which represents the consensus on the best methods for literacy instruction like a focus on phonics and vocabulary-building.

The coalition is also calling for dedicated resources to support the early screening of struggling students.

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While the plan, which also calls for $300 million for building repairs and millions of dollars more for mental health, school safety and security, and free feminine hygiene products in schools, was broadly endorsed, some GOP lawmakers questioned whether it would force districts already meeting performance goals to spend more and rural districts to merge.

Rep. Thomas Kutz (R-Cumberland) noted that Cumberland Valley School District in his legislative district is one of the 75 state school districts identified as meeting the state鈥檚 metrics for a successful school district. It achieves that while spending less than the $13,704 average for those 75 districts.

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Pennsylvania鈥檚 Educational Investment Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs provide more than $400 million that students in poorly performing public school districts can use to pay tuition at private and religious schools.

The program was designed to create alternatives for families who believe the public education system is not adequately serving their children.

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