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State Rep. Kirk Hastings previews education priorities ahead of 2026 session
Summary
State Representative Kirk Hastings outlined education priorities to the Chester County School Board including pilots for hours‑based high school calendars, testing reforms to speed TCAP results, proposals to weigh ACT/WorkKeys alongside EOC in achievement measures, and a two‑year pathway into teaching.
State Representative Kirk Hastings visited the Chester County School Board to outline education proposals he plans to take into the General Assembly next session and to invite local input.
Hastings said one priority is giving districts flexibility in schedules by piloting an hours‑based calendar at the high school level, allowing schools to design four‑day schedules or move instruction to different weekdays for career‑tech and dual‑enrollment opportunities. "Hours and days flexibility for school districts, to be able to not have a days based calendar, but an hours based calendar," he said, describing a pilot limited to high schools rather than an immediate statewide change.
Hastings also described testing and accountability proposals aimed at faster results and more flexibility in how achievement is measured. He said the legislature is working to get TCAP results out more quickly and to release sample questions more often. Hastings argued that state tests are not federally required and that college admissions commonly rely on the ACT. "The federal government does not require us to have, you know, a state test," he said, adding that the state is exploring ways to put ACT and certain career‑readiness measures on a parallel footing with EOC/TCAP results so districts with strong CTE programs can have that reflected in public achievement metrics.
Other topics Hastings raised included a potential two‑year associate‑degree pathway into teaching to create additional entry points into the profession, and efforts to address disparities in employer benefit contributions that he said contribute to teacher recruitment differences across counties.
Hastings encouraged local stakeholders to share feedback as bills are drafted. He noted the General Assembly session opens in January 2026 and invited board members and residents to contact his office for assistance on constituency matters.
The board did not take formal action on Hastings's proposals; members asked clarifying questions and discussed possible local impacts, and Hastings said many proposals would begin as pilots or committee items before any statewide change.
