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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 13, 2023 11:19 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Jesse Topper |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Parents Added to the PA State Board of Education |
| Pennsylvania parents deserve a voice in the decisions made about their children's education. One of the most influential and important entities in our state education system is the Pennsylvania State Board of Education (“Board”). The Board was created by the General Assembly in 1963 and reestablished in 1988. It has the power and duty to review and adopt regulations that govern educational policies and principles and establish standards governing the educational programs of the Commonwealth, upon recommendation of its Councils of Basic Education and Higher Education. The Board, which currently has no parental representation, is comprised of 21 members, ten of whom serve as the Board’s Council of Basic Education and ten of whom serve as the Board’s Council of Higher Education. Seventeen members are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Four members of the Board are members of the General Assembly who serve as long as they hold majority and minority chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees. The 21 members of the board also serve as the State Board of Career and Technical Education. This bill will allow the Governor of Pennsylvania to appoint parents to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education—two parents will serve on the Council of Basic Education (one of which must be a parent of a child enrolled in a charter or cyber charter school); and two parents will serve on the Council of Higher Education. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB896