Common Sense Solutions

 In response to a Commonwealth Court ruling deeming the state's public school funding unconstitutionally inequitable, lawmakers established a new adequacy formula last year to target money toward the least funded districts. The core formula, which uses metrics like district poverty levels and ESL student populations, is consistent this year, but it will distribute an additional $500 million. Much of this increase represents a planned step in a nine-year commitment to boost spending through the formula, eventually reaching $4.5 billion. Notably, the recently passed budget exceeded the funding levels requested by Governor Josh Shapiro in February, despite pushback from some Republicans regarding rising spending amidst declining student enrollment. I will advocate that the incremental increases meet the goal of $4.5 billion. Also, I know teachers need more help in the classrooms, and paraprofessionals are an asset. Could we add additional paraprofessionals for more immediate help while teacher recruitment and retention efforts progress?  Additionally, my doctoral dissertation in practice concluded with stress, anxiety, and burnout as reasons why teachers are leaving their careers, and many in the first five years. Therefore, recruitment is only the beginning. I want to explore a solution that helps address the need to decrease teacher burnout.  

The final Pennsylvania budget for 2025-26 includes $100 million for school mental health and safety, an increase for special education, and investments in the childcare workforce, though it does not provide for free school breakfast and lunch programs. I  advocate for universal access to free healthy school meals, supported by strong farm-school partnerships. These relationships are dual-purpose: they subsidise local family farms and supply students with fresh, nutritious food and essential education on healthy eating. 

If the federal Medicaid and ACA subsidy cuts proceed as scheduled in January 2026, Pennsylvania legislators will serve as the final safeguard for our neighbors’ health and safety. As a healthcare expert, I will be a strong partner in working across the aisle to develop fiscally responsible solutions that help mitigate anticipated premium hikes and the loss of Medicaid coverage.

These cuts also threaten nurses and many other professionals, already strained by workforce shortages. Pennsylvania is already grappling with too few nurses, mental health providers, counselors, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists. Losing more essential healthcare workers would not only jeopardize the well-being of our communities but also create serious economic consequences. Now more than ever, we need an expert prepared to take decisive action.

I am the strongest candidate to champion workers’ right to organize and to advocate for safety in private sector jobs. I won’t abandon my union roots; instead, I will draw on those relationships to address real labor needs, pressing issues, and ongoing challenges. This includes advocating for legislation that establishes a $15 minimum wage with incremental cost-of-living increases.