Regular Session 2021-2022 Senate Resolution 0144 P.N. 0926

PRINTER'S NO. 926

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

144

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY AUMENT, HUGHES, MARTIN, FONTANA, YUDICHAK,

PITTMAN, COMITTA, BAKER AND STEFANO, JUNE 21, 2021

REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JUNE 21, 2021

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Establishing the 2030 Commission on Education and Economic

Competitiveness.

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has made numerous incremental changes

and revisions to the Commonwealth's education system in the last

20 years that have been directed by both the General Assembly as

well as the United States Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, Changes to curriculum and standards have been

aligned with partisan swings at both the national and state

level; and

WHEREAS, The pandemic has highlighted weaknesses and

disparities in our current education system that cannot be

appropriately addressed through a piece-meal approach; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has not employed a long-term

strategy for educational goals or a vision of what education in

Pennsylvania will look like in the next decade and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's current education system has many

governing bodies, including the Department of Education, State

Board of Education and 500 school districts that are

simultaneously making decisions regarding curriculum, standards

and achievement without a clearly articulated and agreed-to

predominant goal; and

WHEREAS, Leading research on the world's strongest education

systems has shown that a systemic approach to education redesign

is what separates high-performing education systems from the

those that struggle; and

WHEREAS, Shared goals articulated in long-term planning

create buy in and feeling of investment from teachers,

administrators, parents and taxpayers all working toward common

education objectives; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's future depends on becoming a stronger

economic competitor to its neighboring states and other

countries in a global economy; and

WHEREAS, Automation presents both a challenge and an

opportunity as expected declines in office support and clerical,

sales, manufacturing and production pose a looming problem for

Pennsylvania as they are the largest providers of jobs in this

Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Automation is also expected to create jobs with

expected growth in data analytics, machine learning and process

automation and an opportunity for workers who are displaced to

be reskilled to fill these new positions; and

WHEREAS, Intentionally redesigned education systems provide

stable incomes and lifelong careers, and improvement to

education outcomes are associated with declining costs on

prisons and health care, a decreased reliance on social safety

nets and improved civic engagement; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly desires the creation of an

education vision for this Commonwealth that provides a

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successful learning environment for all students; therefore be

RESOLVED, (the House of Representatives concurring), That the

General Assembly establish the 2030 Commission on Education and

Economic Competitiveness consisting of the following members:

(1) the chair and minority chair of the Education

Committee of the Senate and the chair and minority chair of

the Education Committee of the House of Representatives;

(2) the chair and minority chair of the Labor and

Industry Committee of the Senate and the chair and minority

chair of the Labor and Industry Committee of the House of

Representatives;

(3) two legislators from each of the four caucuses to be

appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate and the

Speaker of the House of Representatives in consultation with

the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the Senate and

the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the House of

Representatives;

(4) the Secretary of Education;

(5) the Secretary of Labor and Industry; and

(6) an individual from an administrative agency

appointed by the Governor;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the 2030 Commission on Education and Economic

Competitiveness consult with the Subcommittee on Education

Planning for advisement on the long-term education goals of the

Commonwealth, including interim goals, and whose membership

shall consist of the following members representing the

following organizations:

(1) two members of the 2030 Commission on Education and

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Economic Competitiveness;

(2) the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Child

Development and Early Learning;

(3) the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Elementary and

Secondary Education;

(4) the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Postsecondary

and Higher Education;

(5) the Pennsylvania School Boards Association;

(6) the Pennsylvania State Education Association;

(7) the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Federation

of Teachers;

(8) the Pennsylvania Association of School Business

Officials;

(9) the Pennsylvania Association of School

Administrators;

(10) the Pennsylvania Principals Association;

(11) the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units;

(12) the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and

Teacher Educators;

(13) the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small

Schools;

(14) the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter

Schools;

(15) the African American Charter School Coalition;

(16) the Pennsylvania Association of Career and

Technical Administrators;

(17) the Pennsylvania Association of Independent

Schools;

(18) the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education;

(19) the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges;

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(20) the Association of Independent Colleges and

Universities of Pennsylvania;

(21) The Pennsylvania State University;

(22) the University of Pittsburgh;

(23) Temple University;

(24) Lincoln University;

(25) Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology;

(26) the Pennsylvania College of Technology;

(27) the Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development;

(28) the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry;

(29) the Pennsylvania American Federation of Labor and

Congress of Industrial Organizations;

(30) the Manufacturers Association;

(31) the National Federation of Independent Business

Pennsylvania;

(32) the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau;

(33) the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of

Pennsylvania;

(34) the Service Employees International Union

Pennsylvania State Council;

(35) the Secretary of Community and Economic Development

or a designee;

(36) the Arc of Pennsylvania;

(37) the National Association for the Advancement of

Colored People Pennsylvania State Conference; and

(38) the Spanish-American Civic Association;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the 2030 Commission on Education and Economic

Competitiveness has the authority to add additional membership

to the Subcommittee on Education Planning and create subgroups

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within the Subcommittee on Education Planning as it sees fit;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the 2030 Commission on Education and Economic

Competitiveness hold its first meeting within 45 days of the

adoption of this concurrent resolution and meet no less than

quarterly; and be it further

RESOLVED, That in their first meeting, the 2030 Commission on

Education and Economic Competitiveness designate two members who

will serve as Chairs of the Subcommittee on Education Planning;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Subcommittee on Education Planning hold

its first meeting within 60 days of the adoption of this

concurrent resolution and hold monthly meetings to make

recommendations regarding long-term educational goals for the

following:

(1) early childhood education and necessary supports;

(2) an aligned instructional system with special

attention to curriculum, assessment, pedagogical approach and

standards that span early childhood education through career

and technical education and higher education;

(3) education environments that are conducive for all

students to learn, including school infrastructure;

(4) equitable access to education and educational

resources to ensure students of unique needs are successful;

(5) a holistic approach to education that includes a

focus on development of well-rounded individuals through

research-based competencies and dispositions associated with

postsecondary education, career and life-readiness;

(6) professional work environments for educators,

support staff and school employees in K-12 schools;

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(7) creation of a leadership development system for K-12

schools;

(8) recruitment and attainment of high-performing

educators;

(9) community partnerships in the education system;

(10) meeting the employment needs of the Commonwealth;

(11) creation of a system that effectively re-tools

displaced workers;

(12) addressing the impact of the Commonwealth's

changing demographics; and

(13) effective governance and accountability;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Subcommittee on Education Planning

include in its report recommendations on parent and community

participation in the education system as well as the challenges

and opportunities Pennsylvania's changing demographics present

to the Commonwealth's education system; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Subcommittee on Education Planning hold a

series of hearings throughout this Commonwealth to gather

feedback on stated topics from representatives of this

Commonwealth's major industries, including agriculture,

healthcare, banking, steel, industrial machinery and publishing;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That nothing precludes the 2030 Commission on

Education and Economic Competitiveness and Subcommittee on

Education Planning from utilizing the expertise of a nonprofit

entity that has experience in the creation of long-term

education planning efforts; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Subcommittee on Education Planning make

regular reports to the commission and issue a final report with

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legislative recommendations within 12 months of its creation;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That, upon receipt of the report from the

Subcommittee on Education Planning, the 2030 Commission on

Education and Economic Competitiveness seek public comment on

the proposed long-term vision for a period that is no less than

three months and issue a final report with legislative

recommendations to the General Assembly within 18 months of its

creation.

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