A Civil Right for Pennsylvania's Children

The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC) has begun a series of hearings titled "A Civil Right for Pennsylvania's Children: High Quality Universal Education" to improve access to education and eliminating the achievement gap.

The first was Friday in Philadelphia; the second is scheduled for today in Harrisburg; and a third is set for Friday, April 15th in Pittsburgh. Three issues being discussed are: Governor Tom Corbett's proposed state budget, school climate and its effect on student performance, and student support services.

Caucus Chairman and State Representative Ronald Waters, says that the overall goal of the hearings is to give all students, or future leaders, a chance for success.

"Hopefully we'll be able to communicate and it will be real and open enough so that we can really learn how to address the ongoing problems that are negatively impacting he quality of education, or the educational climate and environment where our children of this Commonwealth attend school."

Waters says that a specific issue they are going to discuss in Allegheny County is the inability to get a class under control in a sufficient amount of time.

The hearing will take place at the University of Pittsburgh on the Lower Lounge of the William Pitt Union Building. It begins at 10:00 a.m.