From Pennsylvania Pressroom

Harrisburg, PA– Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos outlining the impact that President Trump’s proposed education budget cuts would have on the students of the commonwealth and urging support for investments in public education.

“Here in Pennsylvania we have seen first-hand the consequences of budgets that indiscriminately reduce or eliminate education programs. Our schools are still recovering from the state-level cuts made under the previous gubernatorial administration,” said Rivera in the letter. “The Pennsylvania Department of Education remains focused on improving education equity across the state and is committed to ensuring every student has access to the tools and resources they need to thrive and are prepared to succeed when they graduate.”

In the letter, Rivera urged DeVos to consider how the proposed cuts would impact students and schools, citing the need to protect Pennsylvania’s investment in its schools and students. Since taking office, Gov. Wolf has demonstrated a commitment to public education, securing an historic $640 million in additional funding and enacting a bipartisan fair funding formula to drive resources equitably to all schools.

“As a former principal and superintendent and now as the Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania, I know all too well how these proposed cuts would undermine our most vulnerable students and communities, eliminating afterschool programs, creating crowded classrooms, and removing access to evidence-based literacy programs,” Rivera said. “I join with Governor Wolf in asking you to do everything in your power to put Pennsylvania’s students first, and reverse course on the proposed cuts to these vital programs.”