Dwight Evans Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Democratic Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans, was born and raised in Philadelphia and educated in its public school system. He was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in November 1980. Since his first day in the state Capitol, Evans has provided vibrant visionary leadership that has marked his professional career and community-related endeavors.

As Appropriations Chairman, Evans broadened the committee’s work to include comprehensive looks at how to make government perform better to build a strong Pennsylvania. His legislative endeavors have been many and varied during his two decades of service to Pennsylvania. Evans has focused most of his legislative energy on his two passions – improving public education and rebuilding communities. Evans is a thoughtful policymaker who has traveled the country meeting with educational leaders and visiting some of America’s most innovative schools trying to find solutions to the current public education crisis. Evans has become an education pundit. He has spoken before diverse national audiences at the Brookings Institution, Tennessee Charter School Resource Center, Education Commission of the States, National Conference of State Legislators, Teacher for America and the National Press Club.

Evans championed the state’s charter school law and has been the number one volunteer of the West Oak Lane Charter School in Philadelphia since it opened in 1998. He also supported the Education Empowerment Act designed to help students in failing school districts and the School District of Philadelphia’s public-private partnership with Community Education Partners to create an alternative school for disruptive students. He is currently focusing his efforts on education reform, teacher recruitment and retention, and increasing educational alternatives for families. He was recently lauded by the Philadelphia Daily News as a member of its "Dream Team for the Philly Schools."

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