Education Improvements Enacted By The General Assembly

HARRISBURG – When the General Assembly passed the 2022-23 state budget last month, they enacted several provisions to improve education in Pennsylvania. They addressed the potential teacher shortage faced by schools by streamlining the process for out-of-state teachers to receive certification in Pennsylvania. This critical provision will help get teachers who move to Pennsylvania into the classrooms quicker without any unnecessary delays due to red tape. Additionally, they extended continuing education requirements to ensure good educators aren’t taken out of the classroom when we need them most. The reforms also included a provision to create an alternative graduation pathway for students impacted by COVID-19 and expanded dual enrollment. Supporting education also means encouraging new learning options, no matter where the instruction takes place. Another improvement was new funding for the state’s popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) scholarship program will ensure more kids can learn in an environment that suits their unique educational needs, including both public and private schools. Finally, the General Assembly acted to eliminate onerous regulations that would have shuttered many quality charter schools.