The Republican candidate for House District 44 is incumbent Rep. Valerie Gaydos. Rep. Gaydos proposed legislation that would provide schools with “gifted children” more funding. She also announced grants that would enhance security efforts at schools, stating “no parent should have to worry about their children’s safety when they send them off to school.” 

However, Rep. Gaydos voted for HB 2169, a school voucher bill that would take over $140 million away from public school districts. According to the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the bill is “one of the worst tuition voucher bills we’ve ever seen” and would force schools to “cut programs, services, and staffing and raise property taxes to fill the gap.” 

Gaydos also voted against HB 2370, which would have been a $6 billion plan to reform public schools in Pennsylvania. The bill would “put into law the recommendations of a bipartisan commission that found Pennsylvania must spend an additional $5.1 billion to erase school funding disparities that a state court ruled unconstitutional.” 

Rep. Gaydos is running against Democrat Hadley Haas. On her campaign website, Haas says that one of her key priorities is “investing in our schools.” According to Haas, “Good public schools are the key to socioeconomic mobility and opportunity. If we invest in our young people, we will curb the cycle of poverty, violence and ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

Haas has been endorsed by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and the Pennsylvania State Education Association-Political Action Committee for Education (PSEA-PACE). After receiving the endorsements, Haas wrote in a Facebook post, “I will always advocate for the investment in our teachers, both current and retired. I am grateful to have the endorsement of both PSEA-PACE and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.”