Letters: Pa. schools have shown dramatic improvement

Normally I don't respond to letters sent to The Inquirer, but I feel compelled to do so because of a letter sent by Abhilash Samuel of the Commonwealth Foundation. In his letter, Samuel complained about the increase in public school per-pupil spending, while he said "academic performance has remained stagnant."

That is simply incorrect. Since increasing funds for our schools since 2003, the number of students at grade level in reading and math has increased by 30 percent.

Our investments in proven academic programs are also making a huge difference for the students who are the furthest behind. The school districts where we have increased state funding by at least $2,000 per pupil have together taken more than 17,500 students in grades 5, 8, and 11 out of the lowest achievement rating. That represents 43 percent of all of the students who were "below basic" in those grades in 2002.

National experts also refute Samuel's assertions. The Center for Educational Policy in Washington recently released a report stating that Pennsylvania was the only state in the union to have made significant gains at every level - elementary, middle, and high school - and in every subject over the past six years.

So it is clear that our increases in spending to targeted programs have worked dramatically to increase student achievement. The Commonwealth Foundation should do its research far more carefully.

Gov. Edward G. Rendell

Harrisburg