Earlier this week, Harrisburg insider Mike Turzai announced that he is running for governor of Pennsylvania and yesterday he defended his role in cutting $1 billion from Pennsylvania schools, but he’s not alone. Every Republican running for governor supports gutting our schools.
“Harrisburg insider Mike Turzai, an architect of Tom Corbett’s billion-dollar education cut, doubled down on his support for slashing school funding that led to teacher layoffs, cuts to programs like kindergarten, and larger class sizes,” said Beth Melena, Pennsylvania Democratic Party Communications Director. “Turzai’s not alone. Scott Wagner, Paul Mango, and Corbett education appointee Laura Ellsworth, all support gutting our schools and jeopardizing our children’s future. Pennsylvania’s children and economy cannot afford going back to the days of the Corbett education cuts.”
PA GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ON EDUCATION
TURZAI
“As majority leader for all four years under then-Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, Turzai backed deep, budget-balancing cuts in education aid…” [Associated Press, 11/14/17]
Mike Turzai Calls Billion Dollar Cut to Education A Lie. “And here’s the thing, the lie that we cut state funding for education – which is a lie – and which Governor Corbett did not address, the fact is that we maintained an increase in state funding but we lost the federal stimulus dollars for education so we made tough decisions.” [PennLive Interview with Turzai, 11/16/17, 12:02]
WAGNER
“INTERVIEWER: Well, they say the Governor runs the largest corporation in the state. He is the chief executive officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He’s come out with some pretty dramatic changes for the budget in this coming season,but we still have ⅔ of Pennsylvanians are opposed to the cuts in education. If you were to give him advice, would you tell him to stick to his guns on these dramatic cuts that he’s making across the board. Education’s hit the worst, but everybody’s getting hit.
WAGNER: Yes, I believe that Governor Corbett needs to stick to his plan.” [Behind the Headlines, 5/23/11]
MANGO
Paul Mango’s School Choice Plan Would Strip Hundreds of Millions Of Dollars From Pennsylvania Public Schools.“We must encourage the development of alternatives when the local school option is failing….We need to encourage more competition and choice by broadening the pace at which alternatives to the current public-school education system get approved.” [Mango’s Restore the Dream Plan, Page 15]
ELLSWORTH
Corbett Appointed Ellsworth To Serve On PASSHE Board Of Governors From October 2012 To January 2015. “… Laura E. Ellsworth provided distinguished service to the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education during her tenure on the Board from October 2012 through January 2015 …” [PASSHE Board of Governors’ Quarterly Meeting Agenda, 4/2015]