Jul. 11, 2024
HARRISBURG — Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) issued the following statement regarding to his negative vote on the Fiscal Year 2024-25 state budget:
“Despite calls from educators, parents and students and an almost $1.2 billion increase in education spending, no money in this state budget is allocated to help make sure our children can read. As I have been advocating for several years, we need to help schools implement a strong, evidence-based reading program for children from kindergarten through third grade. Teaching children how to read is one of the most important things we can do. It impacts so many different aspects of life, including mental health and academic success.
“Over the last decade our Commonwealth’s literacy rates have continued to decline. In 2019, 60% of fourth-grade Pennsylvania students were not proficient in reading. The number grew to 66% in 2022. This is not something of which we should be proud. We had a real opportunity this year, and now another class of students will be left behind.
“As Albert Einstein said, ‘insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ How we are teaching our students to read is not working, and leaders in surrounding states realize that and have taken action. Governors and legislatures in Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virginia all included science of reading initiatives in their state budgets for 2024-25. Gov. Josh Shapiro says he ‘gets stuff done,’ but apparently that doesn’t apply to our youngest learners who continue to be left behind. Instead, he believes throwing large amounts of money at a problem will fix it. The facts prove otherwise. Since 2009, state funding for education has increased by 56% while reading proficiency has decreased by 23%. It’s time to use evidence-based processes that have been proven to work, like the science of reading.
“While I am extremely disappointed, I will continue to advocate on this important issue and hope the governor and more of my colleagues jump on board to see this as a priority. Schools that have chosen to adopt evidence-based reading programs have seen success. States that have invested in and adopted evidence-based reading programs are seeing results, while Pennsylvania continues to fall behind. This mission will continue until all can read.”
For more information on the 2024-25 budget, visit
pahousegop.com/budget2024.
The 46th Legislative District includes South Fayette Township and McDonald and Oakdale boroughs in Allegheny County. It also encompasses Cecil, Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant and North Strabane (Districts 6,7,8 and 9) townships and Canonsburg, Houston and McDonald boroughs in Washington County.
Representative Jason Ortitay
46th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tracy Polovick
717.260.6358
tpolovick@pahousegop.com
RepOrtitay.com / Facebook.com/RepOrtitay