By Senator Vincent Hughes and Sharif El-Mekki
A decade ago, Pennsylvania certified 20,000 new teachers. Last year, that number was down to 6,000. Chronic understaffing, along with underfunding, is driving increased burnout and shorter teaching careers.
That loss of teachers is particularly concerning among communities of color which make up 37 percent of the student body, but only 7 percent of teachers.
Depression. Anxiety. Mood disorders. Dementia.
We hear about these and other mental health afflictions in our regular conversations, on television shows and even in our music, but it remains a consistent public health crisis in the black community because of the stigma surrounding topic.
Op-ed by state Sen. John T. Yudichak, Sen. Vincent J. Hughes, Sen. Jim Brewster
October 23, 2017 − National Manufacturing Day is the first Friday in October. While noting the importance of manufacturing on this one day is important, the focus on rebuilding our manufacturing base should be a priority for the governor and the General Assembly each day.