Being both a first-generation college student and a longtime supporter of higher education, it is both a privilege and an honor to be appointed to serve in this capacity as a member of PHEAA’s board of directors. As student loan balances continue to rise, causing significant financial impacts on thousands of Pennsylvania students, I am looking forward to collaborating with my fellow board members to find solutions and policies to provide more affordable access to higher education. Read more
Several members of the Lehigh Valley’s state House delegation, including Rep. Schweyer and Rep. Schlossberg, were in attendance, and some didn’t hold back. Read more
On Tuesday, the House finally passed the legislation, which Representative Peter Schweyer, the Chair of the House Education Committee, said is months overdue. Read more
I thoroughly enjoyed reading in high school. I related to Holden Caufield’s teenage disillusionment in the Catcher in the Rye . My early political views were shaped in large part through novels like Animal Farm and The Lord of the Flies ; and my healthy cynicism, and randomly, the embrace of my Irish heritage began when I read A Modest Proposal . My senior year English teacher, Ms. Barbara Psathas , knew that I gained much through reading (she taught me as a sophomore as well) and gave me an assignment to write a report on another important piece of American literature. This time, I wasn’t going to read about someone like me, but rather about a little black girl growing up post Great Depression. Toni Morrison’s seminal work, The Bluest Eye , is not something I would have picked up at the Allentown Public Library or at my local Waldenbooks (yes, I am willfully dating myself with that reference). But being exposed to something that was so far outside of my comfort zone helped me developed a sense of empathy and humanity. This was 1996 – nearly thirty years ago while attending a conservative, mostly white religious high school (Allentown Central Catholic High School), in a blue-collar town (Allentown, PA). If I attended high school today, the odds are that I Read more
On Monday, Oct. 30, the House Education Committee held an informational meeting to discuss the impacts of school bus driver shortages and other transportation issues affecting school districts. Read more
SHIPPENSBURG, Oct. 19 – The PA House Education Committee convened an informational meeting Thursday morning to highlight the impacts of dual enrollment programs and ensuring college affordability for Pennsylvania students. “As a first generation college student, I know how having affordable college costs was essential for my path to success,” said state Rep. Peter Schweyer, Majority Chairman of the PA House Education Committee. “By keeping tuition and costs low for families and by encouraging educational programs like dual enrollment, we can help students achieve their academic goals and have the same opportunities for success I had.” The meeting, hosted at Shippensburg University, featured testimony regarding the benefits for students who participated in dual enrollment programs from Dr. Ann Bieber, President of Lehigh Carbon Community College. “The educational benefit of dual enrollment begins in high school, as students enrolled in dual enrollment programs are more likely to graduate high school,” said Bieber. “The rigor of the coursework provided by community colleges in turn improves college readiness, which results in higher postsecondary completion rates for dual enrollment program students as compared to their peers.” The hearing also featured testimony on ongoing efforts to make college more affordable for Pennsylvania students and families from Dr. Kara Lakowski, Chair of the Department of Communication Read more
The House Education Committee held an informational meeting at Shippesnburg University to discuss dual enrollment programs and college affordability. Read more
Pa. House Representative Peter Schweyer addressed the crowd speaking about his support for Career Technical Education schools. He also spoke about his support for legislation to improve facilities and remove cost barriers to teacher certification. Read more
The PA House Education Committee held an informational meeting and voting meeting to provide school districts with better opportunities to provide dental screenings for students. Read more
ALLENTOWN, Oct. 6 – State Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh, is alerting local veterans that his monthly support program will be held on Friday, Oct. 20 at his district office in Allentown. A representative from the American Legion will be available for appointments at Schweyer’s district office, 1501 Lehigh St., Suite 206. Appointments are available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service officer will be available to assist veterans and their families with benefits and services available to them. The representative also will be available to discuss pensions and other compensation, as well as education, health care and death benefits. Legion membership is not required; however, anyone interested in speaking with the adviser should schedule appointments by contacting Schweyer’s office at 610-791-6270. Read more
Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Allentown, said the new formula must recognize “the fundamental understanding that all kids are not exactly the same.” Read more
“We need to ensure that the next generation of students have opportunities to advance themselves,” said Schweyer. “They could achieve great things if we just invest in them.” Read more
House Education Committee Chairman Peter Schweyer, (D-Lehigh), told the Capital-Star that he would be open to discussing with Republicans some of their genuine and long held concerns about making the universities more accountable through performance-based budgeting and requiring them to disclose certain metrics. Read more
“What we learned was, what – candidly – advocates like me have been saying for a long time, is that we have been short-changing our families, we’ve been short-changing our kids,” Rep. Schweyer said. Read more
"What we've done over the years is immoral, ineffective and unconstitutional," Rep. Peter Schweyer, chair of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, said. "We have the chance to start turning that ship around." Read more
“Before we continue down this conversation of ‘historic funding, historic funding, historic funding’ let’s look at history just a little bit closer and understand we’re playing catch-up on a decade-plus, if not longer, of education cuts,” Rep. Schweyer said Read more
Pa. House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Peter Schweyer joined colleagues from both the state House and Senate to hear testimony from education advocates and experts in the first of a series of Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) hearings. The BEFC conducts these hearings every 5 years to hear the needs of our schools and what they can do to improve our education system. Read more
ALLENTOWN, Sept. 12 – Testifiers detailed the critical importance of adequate funding for school districts to address building repairs, upgrades and maintenance to keep students and faculty safe during a Basic Education Funding Commission hearing today. “Mother Nature helped prove the need is right now for school building funding with the oppressive heat wave last week,” said Schweyer, Majority Chairman of the PA House Education Committee (D-Lehigh). “Many school districts across PA closed or adjusted to virtual learning during the extreme heat because there was no air conditioning or means to protect students and staff from the excessive temperatures. Our children have waited long enough and should not have to continue to learn in substandard conditions.” The hearing was hosted by Schweyer and state Sen. Nick Miller at the Allentown School District Administration Building and included testimony from the superintendents of the Allentown, Bethlehem and Salisbury school districts as well as other education advocates to discuss the impacts of classroom environments on students’ abilities to learn. "I am glad the BEFC began the hearings right here in Allentown. As a former school board member, education has long been a passion of mine. My district includes 10 school districts, ranging from rural to suburban to urban, across the Lehigh Valley, all with unique needs we are addressing,” said Miller, D-Lehigh. “Listening to Read more
“I actually think the basic education formula needs to include a consideration for the age and deficiencies of buildings,” Schweyer said. “School districts that have old, beat-up buildings should get additional funding in the basic education formula.” Read more
State House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh, pointed to Parkland School District’s wealthier tax base, which includes warehouses and Dorney Park. He said the district is also the fourth-largest district statewide. Read more
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