Mumin confirmed as Pennsylvania education secretary despite criticism from both sides

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Governor Josh Shapiros, appointed to head the state’s Department of Education, was confirmed Monday by the Pennsylvania Senate despite criticism from both right and left, with the latter pointing to what would be a budget negotiation in course which includes school vouchers.

Kahlid Mumin was confirmed as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education by a vote of 49 to 3, with all opponents being Republicans.

During Mumins’ confirmation hearing before a Senate committee earlier Monday, however, the strongest criticism came from Democrats, who, despite the final vote in favor of Mumin, expressed concern about the apparent willingness of Shapiros to include a school voucher system in the 2023-2024 state budget.

Am I voting against an otherwise exemplary candidate and I mean this, an exemplary candidate for education secretary because he promotes the governors agenda of embezzling public taxpayers money essential towards non-responsible private schools? mused Sen. Lindsay Williams, D-Allegheny, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, during Monday morning’s committee hearing to examine Mumin.

How far do you go in a proxy battle? asked Sen. Tim Kearney, D-Delaware, after Monday’s committee session. [Mumins] the qualifications are excellent in many ways that would make an excellent secretary of education, and disputed the governor’s decision to seriously consider a voucher program.

Acting Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin answered various questions from members of the House Appropriations Committee on Monday as he defended Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed education budget. March 20, 2023 Screenshot of Pennsylvania House of Representatives website

Shapiro, a Democrat, did not directly comment on what he might expect in negotiations with Republicans, who hold a majority in the state Senate but not the House.

But Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, said Monday that negotiations with Shapiro about including a voucher program in the budget were very serious.

We’re committed to doing that, Ward told PennLive after Monday’s session.

Last week, several education advocacy groups as well as the state teachers union began circulating letters and statements warning that Shapiro was putting a voucher program on the table in budget negotiations and expressing their opposition. .

Shapiro himself reiterated his support for a voucher program in an interview with Fox News last Friday, but also said: I have also made it clear that I will not take a dollar out of our public schools to achieve this, a position which Mumin also pointed out on Monday. .

The issue is further complicated by the court ruling earlier this year finding that the state is violating its own constitution by not funding the equity of school districts, whose finances depend largely on the wealth of the tax base. local land. Using money for vouchers instead of bolstering state support for underfunded districts would be a moral failing and a constitutional violation, Williams warned.

Voucher programs generally refer to a system in which students have the option of receiving a fixed amount of public funding, a voucher to be applied towards education in a private school, usually in cases where the student comes from a struggling district.

In Pennsylvania, Republicans have proposed bills creating life-saving scholarships in which students from the bottom 15% of schools—determined by standardized test scores—would be eligible for vouchers worth between $2,500 and $15,000 per year, depending on student grade and special education requirements.

This money would be drawn from individualized accounts with the state treasury and could be used for tuition and related costs at any private school that meets the standards of the state’s compulsory attendance law, including religious institutions.

The idea has also been endorsed by some Democrats, with the idea being that students in rapidly declining districts need an immediate way out as the state continues to struggle with its funding model.

The house is now on fire, and what’s a parent supposed to do? Waiting for us to debate funding for another 20 years while their children continue to become illiterate, graduate and go to prison? Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, posed during Monday’s committee hearing.

Opponents argue that creating vouchers that would be first-come, first-served based on available funding would make the situation worse for students who remained in public schools, because state funding spent on vouchers has the effect of further atrophy public schools.

There’s no way to create so-called lifesaving scholarships without hurting public school district funding, Lindsay Williams said. Every public tax dollar that is sent to a private or religious school is one dollar less than can be sent to our public schools.

Pennsylvania already has programs such as the Education Improvement Tax Credit and the Scholarship Tax Credit that serve a similar purpose. The programs provide tax credits to companies that donate money to K-12 scholarship programs, thereby foregoing the state’s corporate tax revenue to subsidize private school tuition. These appropriations are estimated at 340 million dollars for the current budget year.

The EITC in particular has been criticized for its opacity, given that the state collects very little data on how scholarships are distributed. As Kearney pointed out during Monday’s hearing, lawmakers aren’t sure whether the scholarships are going to families who would otherwise be unable to pay for a private education.

I think it’s imperative that we understand the impact of our current programs on our children before deciding to create an additional program with new dollars for private education, Kearney said, pointing to studies from other states. with good programs showing that they had little or even negative effects on success.

R-Dauphin County Sen. John DiSanto was one of three senators who voted no, noting that Khalid Mumin “has been part of this system for 25 years, and I don’t believe he’s capable or interested. through the necessary reforms”. March 15, 2023. Dan Gleiter | [email protected]

Mumin emphasized to senators on Monday that if the Lifeline scholarship or any other voucher program were to be enacted, it would involve a lot of collaboration and we would be sitting around the table looking at a proposal or a plan that can satisfy what our students don’t. need without the fiduciary impact on our school districts.

The three senators who voted against confirming Mumins on Monday were Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh, Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin and John DiSanto, R-Dauphin.

Coleman, like several other Republicans, raised concerns at Monday’s committee meeting about states reporting proficiency scores in reading and math; Mumin pointed to departments’ efforts to work with districts to help boost them while noting that standardized assessments can be problematic.

Right now, they’re too many, they’re too long, and they’re not necessarily aligned with what’s going on in the classroom, Mumin said.

In a statement emailed to PennLive, DiSanto also expressed concern that accomplishments were not keeping pace with spending.

The focus is always on more money, when we need fundamental changes in the system, DiSanto wrote, adding that Mumin has been part of this system for 25 years, and I don’t believe he is capable or interested in the necessary reforms.

Said Mumin said in a statement after his confirmation: I strongly believe that students learn in different ways and that highly effective educators are leaders who ignite learner interest and passion and focus on meeting high expectations. in all educational contexts.

Mumin began his career in 1997 as an English teacher, eventually rising to the administrative ranks and serving as superintendent of the school system in Reading, one of the poorest states, and then Lower Merion, one of the poorest states. richer.

As Education Secretary, I will remain committed to supporting education systems with resources and information to deliver high-quality, engaging education aligned with the needs of tomorrow’s workforce, Mumin continued. .

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