Education Revolution In Pa? — Tea Party activist Bob Guzzardi reports that the Pennsylvania State Senate Education Committee is preparing to consider, tomorrow, a revolutionary education reform package that could very well make the recent shrieking in Wisconsin by the special-interest child haters sound like whispers.
Among the reforms that Bob says will be addressed in a series of bills will be:
–Empowering school districts to furlough teachers if the economic conditions should warrant it
— Allowing districts to suspend non-essential reports to the state Department of Education in years state education funding declines
— Requiring a two-thirds vote by school boards to raise property taxes
–Allowing districts to hire registered nurses rather than school certified nurses
–Changing public advertising requirements to allow the use of the internet
–Allowing school districts to bid single prime on construction projects. (It has been estimated that this will cut construction costs by 10 percent)
–Allowing districts to hire those who have graduate degrees in business or finance as superintendents ending the incestuous education certification requirement.
–Ending the state mandate for 10 paid sick days and paid sabbatical leave for teachers.
The big one not on the table is once again empowering school boards to replace striking teachers but if the report is accurate tomorrow will be the start of something good.