Scarnati Calls Hearing To Improve Education

HARRISBURG –As Chairman of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, State Senator Joe Scarnati held a hearing Monday to allow for further discussion of Senate Bill 910. The bill, introduced by Senate Democratic Leader Bob Mellow has sparked significant attention.

"This bill is a subject of considerable debate," said Scarnati. "More than 30,000 students across the Commonwealth have been affected by strikes so far this year. There are 57 districts facing potential strikes which would potentially affect more than 180,000 students. Two schools in my district alone were on strike this past fall, one lasting 16 days and another lasting 14 days. Striking leads to longer school years, interfering with seniors set to start college, as well as possible summer employment for underclassmen. Whether it is this bill or another bill, the bottom line is we must come to an agreement so that our children are not penalized."

As Senate Bill 910 is currently written, if teachers and school boards do not reach an agreement by April 30th of the year in which the current collective bargaining system was set to expire, they would be forced to enter into "last-best-offer" arbitration.

Therefore, on May 7 a panel of three members will be chosen; one representing the teachers, one representing the school board and an impartial third member.

Each party must submit a final proposal to the panel by June 5. Between June 5 and June 30 the members will work to come to a consensus. By August 1, the panel will present one of the offers to the President Judge of the local Court of Common Pleas. If the judge does not choose their recommendation by August 10, then the "last best offer" examined by the panel will become adopted and followed.

The hearing itself presented an opportunity for residents across the Commonwealth to rally their personal thoughts before the committee. A crowd of more than 100 filled the Capitol's hearing room. Parents, former students, and members of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) were among those in attendance.

"I was quite pleased by the turn-out and the progress we made," said Scarnati. "The sole intention of the meeting was to debate obstacles and come closer to ending teacher strikes. We want to keep students where they belong, in the classroom. Today is evidence that we are moving in the right direction toward improving the quality of Pennsylvania education."