Corbett's budget cuts promote the message that education is not valued in Pennsylvania; and by cutting funding for public education, his administration is failing to end the vicious cycle of poverty that is rampant in our country. In 2010/2011, Corbett increased funding for the prison system in PA and cut educational funding, almost in preparation for the results of public education budget cuts. The decision to take money away from our schools leads to larger class sizes, creating more difficulty in providing students with individualized instruction to meet their needs. The lack of funding hinders the country’s advancements in medical science, space exploration, and environmental preservation. Because of politicians’ poor decisions, America’s education ranking in reading, math, and science falls on a global scale. The education system is not failing our students; the government is failing our students. The most recent PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) reveals the United States ranks 14th in performance in Reading, Math, and Science out of 36 industrialized countries (2009). These results are directly connected to our society’s failure to prioritize education, and the educational urgency begins with our government – a government that is making it fiscally impossible for our schools to be successful. Education is the vessel in which our children use to make future advances in our country and the universal forum in which to reach every child.  No matter your political affiliation, the issue of educational funding impacts all of our futures.