Calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject House Bills 412, 1332, 1642 and any other legislative initiatives that decrease funding for public schools and further inequities in our educational systems.

WHEREAS, Providing an equitable educational environment for all Pennsylvania children is crucial to ensuring the long term sustainability and success of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Legislation currently being considered by the General Assembly would further harm our young people and school communities; and

WHEREAS, There has been a years-long crisis in substitute teaching vacancies, which requires a thoughtful, strategic, and equitable solution; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 412 which addresses the substitute teaching crisis by allowing individuals with 60 college credits or paraprofessionals to serve as substitutes is a slapdash attempt to plug holes created by systemic disinvestment and further removes the critical supports currently offered to students by paraprofessionals; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has been inequitably funding its schools for decades, leading to severe systemic inequities for districts like Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 1642 and any other legislation that increases funding to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, the largest tax credit in the commonwealth, or the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit should be rejected, as these programs already overall revenues for public schools and redirect the funds toward private schools expanding inequities in our educational system; and

WHEREAS, Education is meant to broaden the mind, create opportunities for discussion and change, and challenge us all to think critically about ourselves, our communities, and the systems that color our experiences; and

WHEREAS, Attempts to limit the teaching and critical thinking around race and racism in America will only further the systemic inequities experienced by people of color; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 1332, which calls to empower parents with curriculum transparency, should be outrightly rejected for its attempt to codify the silencing of the voices and experiences of people of color; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby call on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject House Bills 412, 1332, 1642

and any other legislative initiatives that decrease funding for public schools and further inequities in our educational systems.

End