PathWays PA Policy Blog

Governor Wolf presented his sixth budget today with a focus on education, supporting workers and the workforce, and reducing gun violence. Overall, the budget increases spending to $36 billion compared to last year. Governor Wolf also proposed a higher minimum wage (as he did last year), raising the current rate of $7.25/hour to $12/hour by July and then increasing the wage over time until it reaches $15 in 2026. The last time the minimum wage increased in Pennsylvania was when the federal government increased the wage in 2009. Here are some of the articles we've been reading on the budget: Highlights of the proposed 2020-21 Pennsylvania budget Pa. Governor’s Budget Pushes for Addressing Asbestos in Schools, College Debt Aid Pa. budget: Another year of flat funding for public libraries lands them in ‘Loser’ list Governor Wolf Urges Legislature to Tackle Gun Violence, Student Debt, Toxic Schools Click here for large version Click here to view larger version

There were few surprises in this year's Pennsylvania budget (other than the fact that it finished up early). We've compiled our usual list below of line items affecting low-income families and the people we serve. To see the full budget, visit the PA Office of the Budget . As you can see below, most line items that we follow stayed level or increased in funding. While the Governor's budget "zeroed out" (removed funding) from a few, all programs that we watch regained their funding in the legislature.

Click here to enlarge This afternoon, Governor Wolf announced the 2018-2019 budget, along with some of his policy initiatives for the year. In his budget speech , he proposed an additional $125 million for K-12 education and a new program, called Community Health Choices, designed to help seniors receive care in their communities instead of in facilities. The budget summary  also calls for an increase in the minimum wage, modernization of the Equal Pay law, and the passage of a statewide paid sick days bill. The chart pictured here shows selected line items from the Governor's budget. Basic Education, Pre-K Counts, and the Children's Health Insurance Program are among the programs set to get an increase, while Adult and Family Literacy and County Assistance Offices see a slight decrease in funding. A number of programs, including Mobile Science and Math Education, Job Training and Special Education, Regional Cancer Institutes, ALS Support Services, and the New Choices/Ne...

They're still dotting the eyes and crossing the t's, but it looks like we will have a PA budget that is close to on time. After a Senate vote earlier, the House must also approve the budget legislation before it heads to Governor Wolf. The Governor has indicated he will sign the bill, but probably not until early next week when other pieces of the budget are ready for his signature too. Below is our chart on the final budget proposal. Most (but not all) of the programs we track received flat or increased funding. Click here to enlarge

The Assets & Opportunity Scorecard enables states to compare their performance to other states and the District of Columbia on measures of financial security and household wealth. When it comes to many measures, Pennsylvania ranks right in the middle - some states are better than us, some states are worse. So what's wrong with status quo? Well, here is the impact if Pennsylvania performed as well as the best state (with thanks to the Assets & Opportunity Initiative  for putting this together):

How much do you know about the homeless of Philadelphia? You are probably aware of the fact that there are people living on the streets of the city, but the statistics may shock you. Shelters all around Philly are filled to capacity. However, 48% of families are turned away just because there is no room for them. That means if we double the number of shelters in Philadelphia, then we may just barely be able to accommodate those seeking help. These numbers only include those who are seeking shelter. Many young people refuse to go into emergency housing because of the conditions. The need for Coordinated Assessment is increasing. This is where a person’s or families’ specific needs are evaluated and measured in order to decide what type of program they should enter. For the most part, the choices are transitional housing or emergency housing. Transitional housing offers services that can teach occupants a trade or some type of skill. In addition, participants would learn about bill...

DCLC Graduates: Suwah Davies, Michael Ernst, Onnica Gaglio, Denise King, Youssuf Kromah, LawShawna Wiley PathWays PA Graduates: Sandra Cerminaro, Anthony Freeman (not pictured - Abiodun Olawiyi) On July 29, 2015, adult education students from the PathWays PA and the Delaware County Literacy Council (DCLC) celebrated earning their GEDs at a joint ceremony. The moving ceremony began with Laila Hill, an accomplished singer and a PathWays PA employee, sharing her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Brenda Dawson, president and CEO of PathWays PA, gave the welcome and introduction. The GED test gives students of all ages the chance to move ahead with their educational attainment. In Delaware County, 6% of adults ages 25-64 do not have a high school education . Earning the GED is much more than a certificate. The difference in earnings for Pennsylvanians with high school diplomas versus those who have not graduated is stark -  workers who graduated from high school o...

President Obama recently introduced a new White House initiative that brings communities, the private sector, and the federal government together to expand high-speed Internet access to more families across the country. The new program, ConnectHome , it is piloting in 28 different communities (27 cities and one tribal nation): Albany, GA; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Baton Rouge, LA; Boston, MA; Camden, NJ; Choctaw Nation, OK; Cleveland, OH; Denver, CO; Durham, NC; Fresno, CA; Kansas City, MO; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; Macon, GA; Memphis, TN; Meriden, CT; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Rockford, IL; San Antonio, TX; Seattle, WA; Springfield, MA; Tampa, FL; and Washington, DC. ConnectHome will bring high-speed Internet access to some quarter-million families living in government-assisted housing by partnering with regional broadband groups such as EveryoneOn, Internet service providers such as Google Fiber and CenturyLink, and pri...

On April 30th, 2014, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) introduced the Getting into Researching, Learning and Studying of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (GIRLS STEM) Act, a bill that would establish a program at the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that more female students have access to and participate in STEM education and training. This program would provide grants to local educational agencies that develop plans to encourage young women to study STEM, educate parents about STEM opportunities for their children, provide training and mentoring opportunities for students, and prepare secondary students for college STEM programs. "When women succeed, we all succeed. With more women in STEM jobs, we'll help grow our economy and make sure we're competitive with the rest of the world," said Congressman McNerney, who is a mathematician and wind energy engineer himself. Women hold less than a quarter of STEM related jobs despite the fact that...

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has released the 2015 edition of their guide , "The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap." Since the 1970s, when women's annual earnings were only 57% of men's annual earnings for full-time workers, the gender pay gap has narrowed, due in part to women's advances in education and workforce participation. Still, in 2013 women were only making 78% of men's earnings and, in the past decade, the pay gap has barely budged. After accounting for college major, occupation, economic sector, hours worked, months unemployed since graduation, GPA, type of undergraduate institution, institution selectivity, age, geographical region, and marital status, AAUW found that only one year after graduation there was a 7% difference in the earnings of male and female college graduates that could not be explained . This gap only increases with time and age. Women also experience other barriers in the workforce, such as the...

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Friends of the Delaware County Women’s Commission and the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Commission, women college students are invited to apply for the organizations’ Rising Star scholarship award of $1,500.  The scholarship is open to a full or part-time undergraduate student either attending a two or four year college in Delaware County or residing in the county. The application requires candidates to provide a college transcript, a resume which includes work, community service and leadership experience, letter of reference from a faculty member or employer, and a personal essay of 500 words or less. The topic is Pay Equity and the opportunities available to her that might not have existed in the past. The awardee will be recognized at the annual dinner of the Friends on June 4th at the Springfield Country Club, and the scholarship funds will be sent directly to her college or university account.  Applications should be sen...

PathWays PA invites you to join a statewide coalition focused on addressing the needs of low-income Pennsylvanians and the policies that can help them build assets and resources. This coalition will be part of the nationwide Assets and Opportunities Network, a movement-oriented group of advocates, practitioners, policymakers, and others nationwide working to expand the reach and deepen the impact of asset-based strategies. Network members are on the frontlines of state and local policy advocacy, coalition-building and service delivery. RSVP to join us or to learn more during our interactive webinar December 2! As you may know, PathWays PA is an active, known presence in the areas of policy and advocacy in Pennsylvania. We welcome the opportunity to work with your organization to build a strong, vibrant coalition that will play a key role in creating asset opportunities for your clients and for families throughout the state. The goal is to create a statewide effort, encompassing ...

From our Friends at PCCY The General Assembly and governor have less than two months to agree on a budget by the June 30 deadline. It is critical we make our voices heard to protect and increase investments in early care and education. It is important for state legislators to hear from you now in support of increased early learning investments.  Click here to send a message to your state legislators in support of additional funding for early learning programs in the state budget. PathWays PA works closely with PCCY on early childhood education initiatives and policies.

From our friends at the National Skills Coalition If you support workforce development, please have your organization sign onto the letter asking Appropriations subcommittees to restore federal workforce programs to finally end the sequestration funding. Funding has been partially restored, but your help is still needed to help the programs receive the largest possible allocation. Time is of the essence. The more funding that is able to be allocated to the various departments that oversee workforce programs, that better chance the programs will see needed funding for programs across the country. Please sign on by March 7! Sign Here

From our friends at CLASP Out of 24 countries, the U.S. ranked 16th in literacy, 21st in numeracy, and 14th in problem solving using technology (or "technology-rich environments," according to the survey). The study found that adults that come from socioeconomically-disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g. low-income or poor educational attainment) are more likely to have lower skills. This relationship was stronger in the U.S. than in all other survey countries. Existing research tells us that workers with low basic skills are more likely to be unemployed, earn lower than average wages, have poor health outcomes, and most importantly-pass these traits along to their children. This new data from OECD should act as a wake-up call to policymakers, demonstrating the importance of redesigning our skills development system to improve the skills of our workers and the lives of low-income families, while making America competitive in the global economy. - See more at: http://www.clasp...

KIDS COUNT®, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation , is a national and state-by-state effort to track the well-being of children in the United States. By providing high-quality data and trend analysis, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children - and to raise the visibility of children's issues through a nonpartisan, evidence-based lens. The data shows that Pennsylvania still struggles with education and economic well-being of children compared to other states and the overall health ranking for children and families in PA fell from 8th best in the country to 22nd for 2013. The Data Book tracks 16 indicators of children's well-being in the U.S. You can order a copy or download the PDF .

Come January 1, 2014, an overhaul of the nation's leading high school equivalency program will make the test more difficult and will nearly double the cost to test takers in most states .  The changes will include eliminating the paper-and-pencil version of the test and moving to a computer-based exam. The new test will cost about $120 in most states, assuming students pass all four parts in their first attempt. That's about a 70% price hike from the current paper-and-pencil test, which costs about $70 on average, according to a survey of 36 state agencies. In responding to the new costs, Marcie Foster, a workforce development policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy, said: While $120 may not seem like a lot to some of us, it represents a significant portion of student wages who are in this population. We're talking about students who don't have secondary school credentials. Some states are moving away from the GED program entirely in favor of new o...

As you know, pregnant and parenting students face a lot of challenges in school. Educational barriers and discrimination often make it hard for teen moms to succeed in school. But this week, things are looking up. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights just released guidance for schools on Title IX and pregnant and parenting students , for the first time in 22 years. To get the word out, the Department is sending pamphlets explaining the guidance to thousands of school districts as well as colleges and universities across the country. The pamphlets help clarify what the law says when it comes to pregnant and parenting students - and that's great news for teen girls. Please thank Secretary Duncan and remind him of the next important step for pregnant and parenting students - enforcement.

As you know, pregnant and parenting students face a lot of challenges in school. Educational barriers and discrimination often make it hard for teen moms to succeed in school. But this week, things are looking up. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights just released guidance for schools on Title IX and pregnant and parenting students, for the first time in 22 years. To get the word out, the Department is sending pamphlets explaining the guidance to thousands of school districts as well as colleges and universities across the country. The pamphlets help clarify what the law says when it comes to pregnant and parenting students - and that's great news for teen girls. Please thank Secretary Duncan and remind him of the next important step for pregnant and parenting students - enforcement.

Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) will rally at the Harrisburg Capitol tomorrow at 1PM to ask the Legislature to fund public schools. PCCY is asking for an additional $120 million for Philadelphia public schools in order to avoid enacting the "doomsday budget" that the School Reform Commission (SRC) passed earlier this month. Click here to get on the bus or call Shanee Garner at PCCY 215-563-5848 x36 ( shaneeg@pccy.org ) for more information. If you can't make it tomorrow, contact your elected officials and ask for their support!