PA Partnerships for Children CEO Kari King

Dave Patti, Chairman of Berks Business Education Coalition, hosts a discussion following the BBEC Education & Workforce Summit with Kari King, CEO of PA Partnerships for Children.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Hi, I'm Dave Patty with Customers Bank and the chairman of the Burks Business Education Coalition. Today the Business Education Coalition held its annual summit, and we're lucky enough to have with us in studio one of our keynote speakers, Kerry King, the president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. Kerry, thanks for being with us.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Thanks so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

You you came down to talk came down from Harrisburg to talk to us about mostly public policy, what's going on in education policy, in education funding, the impact of the state and federal budget impasses, and then really, you know, d dive into our main focus, which was was career technology, education, career awareness, uh, career development, uh, workforce development. I want to get into workforce development, but but let's start with sort of the basics. First, for everybody listening, can you tell us a little bit about Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children?

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Sure. Uh Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children or PPC, um, as we refer to it, is the statewide child advocacy organization in Harrisburg. Um we really look at centering our public policy priorities on data. We look at different indicators on child well-being, family well-being, and really try to educate policymakers at the state and federal level, so in Harrisburg and in Washington, DC, to try and improve the well-being of children across the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania has about 2.6 million children under the age of 18, and we think it's a really important constituency to lift up for policymakers. I think everybody can agree in a bipartisan way that you know the more that we invest in kids, it kind of reaps benefits down the road in terms of return on investment. So we're a little bit unique in the advocacy space in that we're not offering direct services to those kids and families, just again focused on the advocacy, and we're not a membership association. We also don't receive any government funding, we're completely privately funded, but we think it's important to have that independent voice really advocating for kids in our state capital and in our nation's capital. We were founded back in 1992. Really neat story just about how our organization came to be. Pennsylvania, one of kind of our crowning public policy achievements over time, has been the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, might sound familiar to a lot of listeners, but Pennsylvania served as the national model for the CHIP program. It was enacted in 1992 in Pennsylvania and in 1997 federally. And so in Pennsylvania, back at that time, as folks were gathering around the table and you know, really talking about the importance of healthcare coverage for kids. As I understand it, folks kind of looked at the, you know, across the table at each other and said, where's kind of the independent child advocate voice? Um and at that point there wasn't one. So we were fortunate enough to kind of come about through that process. A lot of our public policy work is still really centered in children's health. We've expanded to and also include maternal health, just knowing the important linkage there between healthy mom, healthy baby. Um, but then um branch out into other policy areas like you had mentioned K-12 education, um specifically career and technical education the past few years, um early care and education, so looking at things like pre-K, child care, um, and then also child welfare.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

And you and you talk about uh investments and in investments in education. And interestingly, um uh I don't know if coincidentally or not, but but the Burks Business Education Coalition also was formally created in 1992. So I think it was a time when the business community and others were looking at how do you solve a problem like health care and health insurance availability for children, uh, but also very much how do we make sure that children are ready to do the work we expect in school, to read, write, do the arithmetic, um, and be prepared. And so the business community sat down and and and I think one of the early things for Pennsylvania Partnerships for children was pre-K education before kindergarten, uh quality daycares, and educational opportunities for children who were three, four, five years old. What why was that so important? Why did people want to, you know, literally buy into that and invest in that?

SPEAKER_01 4:22

Yeah, I think it's again another area that Pennsylvania has led the way in some uh policy respects. Um, and I think it it is just that businesses and others at the time, um, you know, the research is there. I think we've done a really good job at making sure we're um pushing out the benefits of early childhood education. Um the younger years of a child's life are the time when brain development is occurring the most rapidly. And so um, as much as we can expose them to different environments, um, learning, um, you're really going to see that benefit down the road in terms of not just things like school readiness, but even into adulthood. There's a lot of longitudinal studies at this point that show those benefits that are received in the early years of life. Sure, it helps as you're transitioning into kindergarten, looking at things like third grade reading, graduation rates, but even moving into adulthood, making sure that folks are able to enter the workforce. They're not entering our correction system, things like that. So it was, I think, really fortuitous at that time back in the 90s, early 2000s. Governor Ridge at the time pulled a lot of folks together going into Governor Schweiker. But then kind of fast forward a few years, in 2007, our state was able to enact what we refer to as the pre-K count statute. Um, and is really kind of the first time that state funds were allocated for pre-K education in Pennsylvania. I think it's important to note too though that pre-K in our Commonwealth is 100% state funded. We receive no federal funds, so it is really incumbent on the state discretionary spending. So I think it shows that both Republicans and Democrats across the years do value and see the value early education and see the positive outcomes associated with it. Um since that enactment in 2007, we are now at a point between pre-K and Head Start, which folks might be familiar with, and also offer pre-K programs. We've now invested over $400 million in Pennsylvania in those early education programs, which is so laudable. Um and I think, you know, in a time that we're seeing kind of increased polarization at the state and federal levels, I think pre-K continues to be one of those areas that, regardless of party registration, um, again, folks see the benefits to kids. Interestingly, too, you know, a lot of um the focus at today's summit and the resulting conversations from that are around workforce. We're also really lifting up early education as a means to employment for families. Yes, it benefits the kid, but it's also an economic driver. If a child is in a pre-K program or, you know, more broadly a high-quality childcare program, that means parents get to be able to work. So, you know, time and time again, childcare is um identified as a barrier to workforce, um, especially for kind of you know parent age um workers. So um I think them the as much as we can continue to invest, build that bipartisan support in Pennsylvania, um, we're all the better for it.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

Right. And you and you say bipartisan, I mean certainly you know, as you noted, started with Governor Ridge, but continued with Governor Rendell, pretty much unabated, no major changes. And I think of people like Jim Rohr, then chairman and CEO of PNC Bank, and others from the Pennsylvania Business Roundtable, you know, CEOs of large companies, helping and standing next, literally standing next to governors, you know, on stages and on the steps of the Capitol to say, no, this is important, we have to do this.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Yeah, yeah. A lot of those names, a lot of those business leaders or you know, kind of founders, and some are still active participants. We're fortunate to have an early learning investment commission in Pennsylvania, which is just that, you know, bringing those business leaders together, um, working with the administration, the governor's office, and advocates like Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, really, again, from a policymaker perspective, um, increasing awareness and support there, but also from the public too, just on the benefits. And I should note too, you know, as I said, we've made a lot of progress in the state with the the level of investment of investment that has been made. Um, but there's still 56% of eligible children that are unserved in the state. So we are very much we're taking that incremental approach, you know, keep building the support. Um, so we are chipping away, but certainly, you know, still quite a ways to go. And in Berks County, we're actually kind of trending above the statewide average where 61% of eligible three and four-year-olds in the county um are not are not able to be served by high quality pre-K. So again, we've made a lot of headway, but still some room to grow.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

So when when you say we're we're ahead or higher in Berks County, not in the good way. Correct, yes, yes, yes. So so so you know, higher is not better. Correct. Yes, yes, we still need to provide early childhood opportunities. Exactly. And and and frankly, and affordable ones. And I mean it really gets to be the rub, and it's one of the one of the things that policymakers are talking about. If we acknowledge that we need good daycares and pre-K opportunities and and daycares that provide educational opportunities, not just care, right? We also want to find talented, qualified people to do that, and they need a living wage. But the higher that wage goes, the more difficult it is for parents to be able to pay that. And and we have you know people who are struggling to make ends meet because childcare can can cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars a week.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Yeah, no, this has um been a discussion point, um, certainly for PPC being the kids' advocacy group, um, but we're a part of several campaigns um with various stakeholders. Um, Start Strong PA is the child care campaign in Pennsylvania. So we have the Child Care Association, the United Ways are part of that, other organizations, but again, we're kind of bringing that child access voice. And so I think since the pandemic, but it perhaps even before that, there's been kind of a shift to, you know, and we see it at every table. We see workforce challenges no matter what issue we're focused on. It is very um prominent in childcare. What we really elevate there is that child care is the workforce behind the workforce. So my earlier point about parents needing to be able to get to work, um, you need to have um, again, well-compensated, um, you know, still credentialed, qualified workers. And it's certainly been a challenge, like I said, since COVID, but um even before that. That was a theme that we, you know, again, with today's conversation around workforce, it is really important to highlight that that as a kids' group, it's it's still important to stand up and talk about workforce needs, um, particularly in early care and education. The average pre-K teacher right now makes about just over $36,000 a year. When you're looking at kindergarten teachers, they're making on average in Pennsylvania just about $68,000 a year. And we're having a trouble recruiting teachers in K-12. So, to my point about, you know, we hear it at every table, we hear it in K-12, we hear it in childcare, um, you know, it's it's certainly across the board, but um there's certainly a lot of um work that's needed on recruitment and retention. But yes, there you have to balance that then too with things like affordability, what is eligibility for the program. So um, you know, I think things kind of move in a pendulum over time, and there's been this needed emphasis on the workforce that will continue, but um certainly those other policy considerations are important.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

In in Barracks County, we're blessed with with five institutions of higher education that all help to varying degrees to provide people for education opportunities and jobs, you know. So so um, you know, it's very much obviously with Cootstown being a Pashew school, you know, it's heart being it's a my great-grandmother graduated from from there when it was Cootstown Normal School. Um I'm not sure that I uh turned out to be normal, but but but but she had a degree from a normal school and um and and went on to be a teacher. Albright, Alvernia, Penn State also offering education, and and Reading Area Community College doing a fabulous job with two-year uh degrees in in for that that supply people for the childcare industry for for early childhood. Um you know, really great program. So we can prov we can create the people, but if we haven't created that desire to be in that field or be able to afford to be in that field, um, you know, the opportunity we we you know just creating the or be having the having the capacity to train doesn't give us the the workers we need.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Right. And I think that's really kind of a good um segue or an overlap into uh the focus that we've really started to make in career and technical education. So I was just talking about, you know, being the kids' group and being the kids' voice at all of these tables and kind of the emphasis on workforce issues and balancing that with access and affordability. We really see a very nice kind of intersection, if you will, um, in our advocacy around career and technical education. As you noted, you know, I think it's important to educate students on the different opportunities that exist, whether it's a four-year degree, um, a community college, um, going into the armed services, going directly into the workforce, you know, whatever it might be. Um and your point too, just about, you know, the evolution over time, it's it's it's changed. Um, you know, from when I was in school, um, you know, I remember feeling like you need to go and get that four-year degree, and maybe that's not even enough. You know, you're going into higher education or um graduate education beyond that. And I think again, we've um kind of readjusted in part, you know, getting to that conversation around affordability, but also meeting the needs of the workforce. So we've been really engaged in career and technical education advocacy in Harrisburg for the past several years, working with some really important stakeholders in that area, like the career and technical centers, and that includes the Burks Career and Technology Center, working with the local workforce investment boards. Um, kind of the initial push has been on state investment in career and technical education. There's been a lot of focus on K-12 over the past few years, um, you know, with the lawsuit and basic education funding, um, certainly created a lot of attention around adequacy and equity and education funding. But what we what we notice with CTE is you have a lot of, again, that bipartisan support. A lot of Republicans and Democrats agree this makes sense, you know, and setting kids up to a successful future on career pathways. So you have a lot of that bipartisan buy-in, but kind of the scale, I guess, if you will, is not quite matched what we've seen in basic education funding. So um we've had a lot of success in um funding around career and technical education. There's been a about a hundred and thirty percent increase in state funds and career and technical education over the past several years. But again, kind of like with pre-K, there's still a lot of room to grow. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Right. And and a lot of and and a lot of demand for capacity. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

We we hear all of the time that um, you know, school districts, unfortunately, there's um there's just so much demand that not necessarily all the kids that would be interested in a particular program at a particular center have access. And again, that's where increased state investment is so key. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

There was there was probably a time when tech was looked at as a dumping ground and and and wasn't the you know the best and brightest students. That's not the case anymore. It's an opportunity for some of your best and brightest. Frankly, sometimes the reading skills, the math skills are higher and and and need to be higher for jobs that you would get a career technology education than for liberal arts type of education.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Yeah, absolutely. I think kind of that perception of um, you know, yeah, what we refer to as VOTEC, um, we now refer to as DTE, I think it has evolved over time where um it yes, you still get into kind of those mechanics, um, transportation, you know, those type of manufacturing, those types of sectors, but it's also a great option if you're looking to get into things like healthcare, which we know is always in demand. Um we were talking earlier today at the summit, things like education, like agriculture. So I think just the breadth of career opportunities that are provided through those career and technical centers has grown over time and attracted a variety of students. And yes, it can certainly set you on a pathway to enter the workforce after graduation, but it also is we've been to different career and tech centers where um one student in particular was saying, I'm, you know, I'm here to um start kind of the pathway from uh you know becoming an RM, but I want to work toward, you know, to at the end of the day, um getting to that certified registered nurse practitioner. So getting pretty advanced degrees, but that's kind of that first step that can be.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

You can certainly leave a career technology education opportunity uh in the venue and move on to a traditional four-year school. Those are not mutually exclusive anymore if they were, they certainly are not now. Um but but the you know, the other thing I think about is is with our career technology schools. Um they have evolved to, as you said, to to provide, you know, there's here in Berks County, the studio for for uh uh broadcast and production looks a lot like the studio we're in. You know, amazing equipment and everything else, and those students can learn those skills. The medical students are are are are in labs that look like the nursing school here at Alvernia.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

Yeah. We were just talking about child care. A lot of um these the CTE centers um have early childhood education programs, and there is an actual child care center on the grounds that are on the the grounds there that are.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

But at the same time, um uh I I know I think uh I think I was told that the Burke's uh career technology education grew by five or six percent last year, just in one year.

SPEAKER_01 17:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

And that the demand, the unmet demand is huge. Yeah so so both the Mueller Redding Botech or Career Technology Education School and and Burke Center are telling me they they can they have more students, they don't have capacity.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Yeah, and we've been able to get data from the Department of Education over the past few years that really kind of back up um those anecdotes that you hear. Um we talked earlier today, uh we just released our our first data brief on career and technical education. Um as I mentioned, you know, PPC is really rooted in objective data, but CTE, you know, we're just kind of getting up to capacity in terms of um requesting that information from the Department of Education and really having it drive our advocacy efforts. Um your comment there about the the growth in CTE is exactly what we've been seeing in the data we're getting from the state. Um it is just under 6% that we're seeing that growth. Um, about 72,000 kids statewide are enrolled in CTE programs at this point, and I think we're just going to continue to see it grow, um, which again I think kind of circles back to we need the state to kind of step up and see the need for an investment here. Otherwise, it is very much pushed back on local school districts, and that's where I think you feel that pinch in terms of the ability to have access.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

There are some people who bristle when you talk about investment, they're like, oh, that's just a euphemism for a tax increase. What you want is just more government spending. But for career technology education, I'll say for all education, but career technology, we see a real return on investment. But also, if we're gonna teach you on a milling machine, we need a modern milling machine. Exactly. You know, teaching you on a piece of equipment from the 70s isn't gonna cut it. That's not what you're gonna see when you leave.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Um so so there are some hard costs associated with a technical education.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Right. And that gets back to, I think, both Republicans and Democrats see that and agree with that. We've been seeing that in budgets as you know, kind of protracted some of the budget battles have been lately. Um, you do see agreement in that uh state investment in CTE, um, both from Republicans and Democrats. And I think it's exactly as you pointed to, they see that return on investment. Um, they see that that there's you know legitimate cross uh cost drivers there. Um it's a very technology-intensive, equipment-intensive um education delivery model. So um again, I think you have that level of support and it it feeds directly into making sure we have a workforce-ready economy.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

And and tell me what we're doing uh about filling the needs there for the teachers, because I mean we have a tough time of even filling, I don't want to denigrate any particular subject, but social science teacher, an English teacher. And I'm not saying those are easy, but but you know, finding somebody who runs a milling machine and can teach how to run a milling machine is probably even more daunting.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

More auto technology or you know, the broadcast course or or whatever, the the horticulture course. Um so what do we do to find those people and what have we done to recognize the skills that someone who's been employed in that industry brings to the table?

SPEAKER_01 20:19

Yeah, absolutely. Again, you know, it goes back to we see this at every table we're at, and it includes um educators in career and technical centers. Um there's some are there's some pieces of policy that are moving through Harrisburg right now, addressing that, getting to things like certification, flexibility really, just in terms of who is able to kind of teach in the career and technical centers that will help address that. But I think it is part of that bigger conversation of how are we recruiting and retaining educators. Um I think looking at, you know, you had mentioned earlier, yes, it's about salary, making sure that it's family sustaining, looking at things like benefits with healthcare and retirement. But it is, in some ways, it's tough because um folks today really like kind of that um, you know, hybrid working environment, perhaps, or kind of that flexibility. Um, but you know, when you're um an educator in a whether it's a high school or an elementary school or a career and technical center, there's a certain level of, you know, you're going to be there in person. So um, but I think uh that there are ways to still incentivize um really qualified individuals to come into the field and pass on their passion to that next generation in the workforce.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

So Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children has a study that's about to come out or did come out?

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Yes, um it came out a about a month or so ago on um the data specific to Pennsylvania for career and technical education. It covers everything, like I said, looking at how is enrollment trending, which you know we talked about is going up, how is it funded, um, what are the you know, how is it delivered in Pennsylvania? Um we have a really diverse delivery system, which I think um suits our state well in terms of how geographically diverse we are. Um, but then also gets into things like what are the um the credentials that are being um issued to kids that are um really in demand. Like I said, things like in manufacturing. And transportation, but also healthcare. So it really is doing that first deep dive into the data, but tying it back to the need to, again, policymakers awareness for support for these issues.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Okay. But we're over 100, we're here we are mid mid-October of 2025. We are more than 100 days past the deadline for a state budget, and we have often gone a couple of days. That doesn't really matter. Right. 100 days starts to hurt. Right. And we're now a couple of weeks into a federal budget impasse.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

So what's going on what what's that impact on education?

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Yeah, no, you you're right. You know, Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon that we slip past that June 30th budget deadline. Um, it is confusing too, just what's going on at the federal level and the state level. Um, I think it's important for folks to be aware at the state level we have to have a balanced budget. Um so there's a little bit of that kind of extra pressure each year for policymakers in Harrisburg. Um, yes, June 30th is the deadline. We often go past that now that we're into our it's our 15th week of the impasse, um, definitely feeling a pinch. Um I certainly can't read the tea leaves or the crystal ball or whatever you want to point to, but um I don't know that there's um you know any expectation that that's going to break necessarily anytime soon. Um what I can say though is we're definitely hearing from a lot of folks that we work with that are really unfortunately being negatively impacted by the impasse. So um a lot of county service delivery, um, so things like early intervention, county child welfare, we were talking earlier about child care. So a lot of those types of folks are not receiving their payment from the state. Um, and there's a direct economic impact to that. When you know those programs aren't being paid, it often means furloughs or layoffs. Um, their folks aren't getting their paychecks. So there's a direct linkage to um the impact to the economy that unfortunately kind of the uncertainty at the federal level is is not helping with right now.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

And and some of those programs, you know, I'm largely we always expect that they will get their money later. That doesn't mean that they have the the the ability to keep going without shutting down during that time period. You know, they they they frankly often are just living kind of you know in reimbursement or or or or s or or investment to investment from from the revenues that they get. So they can't frankly walk into a bank and just say, hey, give me a loan.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

Yeah. And I think it's a little bit different now, too. Um, you know, the the last time we were in this prolonged of a state um budget impasse was in 2015. Um that went into December that year. So hopefully we won't set a record there. But a lot of folks are pointing to, yes, you can go get a line of credit, take out a loan. Interest rates were much, much different in 2015 than they are in 2025. So looking at um, you know, looking to nonprofits, small, a lot of small nonprofits, community um driven nonprofits, and saying to them, hey, you're not going to get your state funds, but go take out this loan, go get this line of credit. Um, it is a tougher pill to swallow now than it was 10 years ago. Um, the uh treasurer did come out a few weeks ago and announced a loan program that hopefully will help some of these programs. Hopefully, too. There's um legislation that would get the interest um waived for these loans. But um unfortunately a lot of these programs had already gone to different financial institutions and asked for um that assistance. But it's going to be a tough hole to climb out of even when the budget is passed and they do receive those payments, it's gonna be tough to bounce around.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

And if you're paying interest, that now that that's that stretches and exacerbates next year's budget.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:31

So now you're in trouble. But but also at the family level, you know, if the daycare provider has to close because they're not getting their payments, you know, there are people who sometimes now that's they have to give up their job or they they are struggling or trying to deal with their employer, and the employer is up at the tough place, like, you know, what do I do, what do I not do, how am I fair to everybody? Um I mean, it has ripple effects as well.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, to your average listener, it might seem a little bit obtuse what's happening in Harrisburg and you know, budget deadlines, but it does go back to that point of yes, there are direct economic impacts with what is happening, especially at this point in the calendar year and how past due we are with the budget. So um I think unfortunately, too, as we head into 2026, you know, I'll try and maybe have some positivity here that, you know, folks will um, you know, get together in a bipartisan spirit, we won't see this repeated next year. But we're in such a an era of kind of that political uncertainty. There's a lot of polarization. Um we're heading into a very important election year in in Pennsylvania next year with the gubernatorial elections. So I I'm not entirely confident we won't be in the same position again next year. Um, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Yeah, it does it does uh uh seem the repetition of going years without a budget. You know, the frequency is increasing. Yeah, yes, it's from from you know 80s, 90s where it was very rare to to to to now. I think four times in the last twenty years we've gone 45 days or more or something like that. Um so it's not just a few days, it's you know, it's it's it's having a toll. And then, you know, in in Washington, we also are having conversations about you know, maybe this is an opportunity to eliminate some of those programs, cut some of those programs. So increasing and fueling uncertainty and fear, um, and sometimes those dollars leverage for state dollars or vice versa. You know, there's there's there's interaction between the funding streams. Um so it it puts parents and providers, you know, in a place of of of you know, just again to use the words fear and uncertainty, I feel redundant, but but I think that's where we are, you know.

SPEAKER_01 27:37

Yeah, and it is an important um kind of layer there that you added in in terms of yes, we have the federal budget impasse, um, but at the federal level, um, you know, some of the proposed elements of the current administration have suggested complete elimination. Um so things like Head Start, which again historically has been pretty you know bipartisan supported, um, you know, kind of the dismantling of the Department of Education. So these are things we're all really closely watching. Um but yeah, it does kind of sow that uncertainty. I think if anything though, you know, we're we're committed at PPC, we have these conversations internally all the time. Um I think it just kind of reinforces the importance of being data-driven, um really looking at objective data, and making sure that again, we're we're getting that information out there to policymakers and the public.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

So you know, just kind of as we as we wrap up, we still care about K-12 at PPC. Anything exciting, new, dynamic going on, things that people should know about in Reading and Berks?

SPEAKER_01 28:35

Yeah, I mean, as I referenced earlier, um, you know, the the landscape has really changed in maybe the past uh you know two, three, four years. Um we had a pretty historic uh lawsuit in Pennsylvania that was uh handed down by the state Supreme Court a couple of years ago at this point that pretty much said the the legislative branch um needs to do more to adequately and equitably fund public schools. So pretty much the way how much we're funding them and how we're funding them. Um there was a legislative branch and an executive branch commission that was convened after that lawsuit was handed down. Um and so really, you know, kind of going back to 2024, and I think with that still continues into this year, you're seeing significant investments in K-12 education, but also looking at how we can drive funds to the school districts that are most in need. Um, so I think we've made a lot of progress. I think the legislature, the governor has um, you know, can really be lauded for the attention they've paid to basic education funding. You know, I think it's kind of a theme, like I've said, whether it's pre-K or career in technical education, you can always do more. But I think that lawsuit kind of did a, I don't want to say a course correct, but almost a level set, if you will, of, you know, this is going to be kind of the expectation in terms of state support for basic education moving forward. Um and so I think you'll continue to see that support. We see it, you know, as we're listening and following the state budget impasse. It's one of the biggest cost drivers in the state budget. Um, but I think folks understand that, you know, yes, you have to invest in education. What's really kind of come up as part of this and which we're we're typically neutral in are some of the things like cyber charter costs, vouchers, you know, kind of related policy issues that I think you're seeing a little bit more division in between the House and the Senate.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Well, um yes, I mean cyber funding and other things like that, notwithstanding. I think one of the areas, and I will say, you know, I was in this in when I was with uh some business associations and everything, is is the okay, we're willing to entertain the additional spending, the the investment. What are the outcomes? What's the accountability? What do we get for that? So how is the state doing in K-12 in terms of performance, students being career and post-secondary ready? Um are we there? Are we meeting the marks? Are we getting to the numbers we want to get to there?

SPEAKER_01 30:50

Yeah, and it that's been, I think, a good balance where you're seeing the increased investment and some policy changes, but you're right, that's always kind of been the point of what are the PSSAs or our you know, our assessments in Pennsylvania. Um, what are they showing in terms of you know, typically looking at um uh reading levels at the elementary um grades, and then as you get into kind of the middle school grades, your math levels. Um, one really important thing to flag, I think, with the influx of state funding is um something called the science of reading. Um, and so this is uh really a way that um you know has taken hold in a lot of other states, but um really kind of the way that you're teaching phonetics, reading kind of those early literacy pieces to students in the early grades, um, that has really had remarkable impact on reading scores. Um, so there was a piece of legislation that passed um about a year or two ago that really is looking to school districts to start to adopt this method of teaching early early literacy to students. And again, I think we're going to start to see those numbers change. I get you can certainly have more state investment to support that, but um I think we are again, it's it's prudent to look at kind of needed policy changes to to promote that change as well as um the state investments too.

unknown 32:02

Great.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

Well, I appreciate understanding that a little bit better. We we've covered a lot of ground, but are there things we haven't talked about that you'd like to share with the audience?

SPEAKER_01 32:10

No, I think you know, again, it's really kind of getting back to that theme of being so important um in today's uh day with the you know the politics um that we see in front of us, um, just making sure that we're looking at those objective um data points around child well-being and making sure we have you know kind of those identified objective sources of information. And so um just invite um all the listeners to uh visit Pennsylvania Partnerships uh for children, our website. So it's PAPartnerships.org. Um but it's a great resource to learn more about all of the policy areas I noted that we cover. Um, you know, feel free to dig in deeper to the data. Um we're really cautious too, you know, going back to kind of what's happening at the federal level, what is data availability going to look like moving forward? So um, you know, really pushing that, um, you know, everything down to the importance of the census, um, which is coming up, you know. Well, we're in 2025, it'll be here before we know it. So um I think it's just really critical to understand how how much it drives our policy, and folks are welcome to uh visit the website.

SPEAKER_00 33:12

That's that's that's a that's a great point to be thinking about also data integrity and everything. So thank you. Yeah. All right. So so again, visit Pennsylvania Partnership, PA partnerships.org. And you can see that CTE report, other content.

SPEAKER_01 33:26

Yeah, we get data statewide, um, county, all the way down to legislative district, school district level. Um, so if you really like to get into you know a particular policy area, you can you know take it very localized and see what it looks like in your community.

SPEAKER_00 33:39

And follow follow on uh social media as well. Yep. Great. Well thank you. We've been with uh Carrie King, who's the president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. She was a speaker today at the Burks Business Education Coalition Annual Summit. We appreciate her being at the summit and also being in studio. I'm Dave Patty, Chairman of the Burks Business Education Coalition with Customers Bank. Thank you for joining us.