Top Issues
- Parental Exclusion Twenty-nine school districts in Pennsylvania have policies that say a parent may be kept in the dark if their child requests to use another name and pronouns at school
- Divisive Race Ideology Lower Merion School District uses race-based affinity groups for students as young as fourth grade, claims 7 month olds ‘descern race and show preferences’
- Consultants Radnor Township School District pays equity consultant nearly $12,000 for a one-day training
State Board of Education
Who's on your state board of education?
“The Board is comprised of 21 members. Seventeen members are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for overlapping terms of six years. Four members of the Board are members of the General Assembly who serve as long as they hold majority and minority chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees.”
When's the next election/appointment?
17 members are appointed by the governor. Pennsylvania elected Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2022. The next gubernatorial race is in 2026.
When's the next curriculum update?
In Pennsylvania, curriculum is reviewed by each school district. Refer to your school district’s website for more information.
The Pennsylvania
Department of Education
“The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) oversees 500 public school districts, more than 170 public charter schools, public cyber charter schools, Career and Technology Centers/Vocational Technical schools, public Intermediate Units, the education of youth in State Juvenile Correctional Institutions, Head Starts and publicly funded preschools, and community colleges.
PDE also oversees policies related to public, academic, and school libraries, and the State Library of Pennsylvania.”
How did your district perform in 2022? Check your district’s report card.
The Pennsylvania
Legislature
Find your state legislator here.
Similar to Congress, the Pennsylvania General Assembly is divided into the House of Representatives and Senate. Your Senate Education Committee Members can be found here, and your House Education Committee Members can be found here.
These committees conduct hearings, review, and amend bills proposed by a member of their legislative chamber. They also review bills after they have been passed by the other chamber of legislature. Remember, both chambers must pass a bill before it goes to the governor’s desk for a signature or a veto.
Recent Education Bills Introduced in State Legislature
School Boards
Pittsburgh Public Schools will hold a school board election in 2023. Ballotpedia tracks school board races in the largest 200 cities in the United States. You can read more about Pennsylvania’s 2023 school board races on this Ballotpedia page.
You can find out more about your school district’s school board, and when their next election will occur, on the school district’s website or on your county website.