Thursday, June 16, 2011

New Voucher Bill to be introduced in the PA House

HB 1326, which would remove all Act 1 exceptions, remains at the top of the House calendar as they are scheduled to reconvene at 11:00 a.m. this morning.

The House Education Committee is now scheduled to meet on Monday June 20th at 12:00 p.m. to consider SB 612, which would allow furloughs for economic reasons (FYI, the House also has its own version of a furlough bill, HB 855).  It is our understanding that more than 30 amendments have been filed for bill.

New Voucher Bill to be introduced in the PA House
WITF.org Written by  Scott Detrow Wednesday, 15 June 2011 16:00
There's new movement on school vouchers – but this time, it's coming from the House, not the Senate.  Republican Jim Christiana has distributed a co-sponsorship memo for legislation creating a more targeted version of Senate Bill 1, which, until now, has been the only vouchers bill in front of the General Assembly.
Rep. Christiana's Cosponsorship Memo


Christiana unveils vouchers bill

Early Returns at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 15 JUNE 2011 17:26, WRITTEN BY LAURA OLSON
With state lawmakers have kicked budget negotiations into high-gear (now that both chambers are run by the GOP, like the gov's office, the only word on those talks is "they're going fine"), there may be another issue beyond a shale tax/fee aiming to get shoehorned into that budget package.

School districts are scrambling to pare budgets in response to the proposed billion-dollar cut in state funding
Thursday, June 16, 2011 By Mary Niederberger, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
There will be larger class sizes and fewer middle and elementary school foreign language classes, high school business and consumer science courses and elementary music programs throughout the region if the preliminary budgets approved by school boards in the wake of proposed state budget cuts become final.

EDITORIAL: Will Kirkland's theatrics pay off for ailing schools?

You have to admire Thaddeus Kirkland's flair.
The Democratic state rep who represents the city of Chester and the towns that make up the Chester Upland School District decided to hold a press conference to bemoan the $20 million state funding cut the district is facing.
Only he didn't hold it in Chester. Or Upland. Or Chester Township.  He held it outside Springfield High School. Touche, Representative.
Kirkland vowed that if the draconian cuts in the state budget hold up, and the bulk of the money is not restored, he will head into court to sue the state and shut down the district's three high schools.  Oh, and those 2,700 students suddenly without school? They would be free to attend another high school in the county.

SPENCER: Thad and Gil's high school adventure

Dear Thaddeus:
It's been a while since we talked, but after reading about your performance in front of Springfield High School I just had to drop you a line.
I must say your threat to unleash the entire school-age population of Chester on neighboring communities was a brilliant bit of political theater. It certainly got people's attention.
Restore at least $15 million of the $20 million in proposed state cuts to the Chester Upland school district ... or else.
  

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