Rendell pushes his education initiative during visit to Steelton Elementary School

Saturday, May 17,
2008BY January MURPHY

Of The Patriot-News

Gov. Erectile Dysfunction Rendell left no instruction enterprise behind Friday
in his pitch to beat up support for his projected $9.8 billion
K-12 instruction budget during a visit to Steelton.

He spoke of the $291 million further support he wants
for districts' basic operations, his pushing for
pre-kindergarten, and his desire for more than double enrollment
opportunities for high school pupils to take social classes for
college credit.

But of all the subjects he touched on during his hourlong
visit to Steelton Elementary School, the 1 resonating the
most with the high school pupils in attending was his
plan to purchase computing machines for schools.

"Our computing machines are really old and slow and
broken," senior Kyi Simmons said.

She have a computing machine at home, but others sitting at a nearby
table did not. They said that brands having entree to
computers at school a dainty as well as a necessity to
prepare for life beyond high school.

Rendell said that is why he is pushing the Legislature to
provide $90 million for the final-year of his three-year,
$200 million Classrooms for the Future engineering initiative
launched in 2006.

"If you cognize how to utilize a computer, you'll happen a
job," Rendell said.

Most of his visit was spent merchandising his projected education
funding expression that grew out of the determinations of a study
released last year. The survey suggested $4.6 billion more
should be spent to educate pupils to state standards.

Rendell have proposed the state choice up $2.6 billion of that
bill through a new school support expression to be phased in
over six years.

"It is a bold initiative," he said. "I'm not satisfied with being 10th best out of 50
states. I desire to be the best. The best because our kids
deserve that. The best because ... it will assist us grow
economically."

align="right">
CONTINUED 1 |