Lehigh Times

Sen. Katie Muth issued a public statement in which she expressed solidarity with and faith in teachers, staff and public schools. 

In recent years, public school have come under fire for a number of reasons. The most common being the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools across the nation have implemented remote learning and other measures to slow the spread of the virus and protect students and staff – measures that some might call excessive or counterproductive. 

Another common reason for the target on the back of public schools and teachers is what many believe to be a curriculum that favors one political theory over others. Critical race theory has become a popular culture war topic, with Republicans focusing heavily on eliminating it from public schools. 

“Over the past two years, educators and support staff have gone above and beyond to navigate the difficult circumstances associated with the pandemic,” Muth tweeted.

The American Federation of Teachers released a study that says 79% of parents are satisfied with the role public schools have in their child's education.

Another survey found that 48% feel that the school struck a good balance between safety and learning when dealing with the pandemic.

Muth's colleague, Sen. Tim Kearney, with other House Democrats and education advocates, announced a school budget plan that would represent the largest investment in public education in Pennsylvania history.

While one segment of the political spectrum says that public schools have far too much power, the other end of it claims that the real problem is that public schools are improperly funded and that more financial resources should be diverted toward schools to allow them to more adequately serve the public. 

It appears that Pennsylvania is poised to increase funding for public schools as part of Gov. Tim Wolf's initiative.