Daily postings
from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1500
Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators,
legislators, members of the press and a broad array of education advocacy
organizations via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.
These daily
emails are archived at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us
on Twitter at @lfeinberg
PA House and Senate are
in recess until April 30th
Close Delaware
Published:
Sunday, April 01,
2012 , 1:50 AM
Sam Denisco makes a compelling
case (“Tax burden hurts business,” March 20) that Pennsylvania Pennsylvania ’s failure to close the Delaware
http://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2012/04/close_delaware_loophole_and_us.html
House GOP lawmakers
prepare to file lawsuit over state distribution of school funding
Published: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 ,
6:02
A group of nearly a
dozen House Republican lawmakers plan to file a lawsuit over the state's
hold harmless provision in the funding formula violates the constitution’s
equal protection clause.
That provision
guarantees no school district will receive less than the year before even if a
district’s student enrollment declines, and allocates funds based on the 1990
census.
Rep. Mario Scavello,
R-Monroe, said at a Capitol
news conference that
funding guarantee has shortchanged growing school districts. And because
legislators representing school districts with slow-growing or declining
enrollments outnumber those representing growing areas, they have no chance of
convincing the General Assembly to change the formula to make it fairer to
growing districts.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/04/house_gop_lawmakers_prepare_to.html
Capitolwire.com Under The Dome™ Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Delozier says GOP
leaders will push to restore $100 million in K-12 education block grants.
Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, told
constituents the House and Senate are pushing to restore $100 million in K-12
public education block grants as part of an overall effort “to keep the level
of funding where it is this year.” Delozier spoke at the New Cumberland
Republican Women’s breakfast, and was asked a question about how to help the West Shore
School District
Abolish School Property
Taxes in Pennsylvania
Community Matters Blog Posted on April 4th,
2012 10:06 AM by Pattye
Benson
Are you tired of paying school property taxes in Pennsylvania
Would you support legislation that would abolish
your school property tax bill by raising the state sales tax to 7 percent? If
so, State Rep Jim Cox (R-Berks) has a solution that would replace school
property tax funding with new state revenues — House Bill 1776, Property Tax
Independence Act.
The proposed Property Tax Independence Act would
still provide the same level of funding to the school districts but would
eliminate school property taxes by using state revenues. Cox proposes funding the new state revenues
using three sources. First, he suggests
raising the state’s personal income tax to 4 percent (from the current 3.07
percent). Secondly, Cox has specific
sales tax loopholes that would close and finally, HB 1776 increase state sales
tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.
http://pattyebenson.org/2012/04/04/abolish-school-property-taxes-in-pennsylvania-by-increasing-state-sales-tax-to-7/
ALEC - American Legislative Exchange Council and
School Privatization
NPR ran a story this morning on ALEC. Here’s a link to that and additional info on
ALEC and its influence on Pennsylvania
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2012/04/alec-american-legislative-exchange.html
More than 100 positions could be on
chopping block at Easton Area SD
Two
years ago, 72 teaching positions were cut. District may face similar
circumstance.
By Adam Clark,
Of The Morning Call 11:04 p.m.
EDT, April 4, 2012
The Easton
Area School
District
Facing a deficit of more than $8 million —
excluding a tax increase or dipping into savings — the administration on
Wednesday unveiled potential cuts that would accompany tax increases of 2.2
percent or 1.7 percent, or no increase. All of the budget plans rely on using
$1.5 million from the district's $13 million in assigned reserves.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-easton-school-budget-options-20120404,0,2495016.story
Monessen district in 'dire straits'
If the Monessen School District
"We are in serious, dire straits,"
said Marcolini, who replaced longtime Superintendent Cynthia Chelen on Jan. 1.
"I just learned three weeks ago just how bad our finances here are."
Read more: Monessen district in 'dire straits' - Pittsburgh
Tribune-Reviewhttp://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_789739.html#ixzz1r4pP5Mi7
Shenandoah Valley joins other school
districts in asking for more state education funding
BY JOHN E. USALIS
(STAFF WRITERJUSALIS@REPUBLICANHERALD.COM)
Published: April 4, 2012
SHENANDOAH - The Shenandoah Valley school board approved a resolution last
week to ask for increased state funding in the upcoming school year.
The resolution has been
adopted by school boards throughout the state asking the General Assembly to
increase public school funding above Gov. Tom Corbett's 2012-13 budget proposal
that includes cuts of $100 million.
http://republicanherald.com/news/shenandoah-valley-joins-other-school-districts-in-asking-for-more-state-education-funding-1.1294637
Media NAACP recognizes foot soldiers for justice
PhillyTrib.com
Written by Louis Bolling Wednesday, 04
April 2012 12:08
The
Media Area Unit chapter of the NAACP recently honored its “Foot Soldiers for
Justice” during the organization’s Annual Freedom Fund Luncheon at The Oaks
Ballroom in Glenolden.
Hosted
by Chester
http://www.phillytrib.com/delawaremetroarticles/item/3512-media-naacp-recognizes-foot-soldiers-for-justice.html
Court affirms that
Phila. School District illegally capped
charter's enrollment
By Martha Woodall Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Thu,
Apr. 5, 2012 ,
3:01 AM
Tax ruling may
cost city, schools $41M
In a ruling that could have financial ramifications
for school districts across the state, Commonwealth Court School District of Philadelphia
The court upheld Secretary Ronald J. Tomalis'
finding that the Walter
D. Palmer
Leadership Learning
Partners Charter
School
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20120405_Court_affirms_that_Phila__School_District_illegally_capped_charter_s_enrollment.html
"We envision schools where all children succeed, feel
safe and their curiosity is cultivated. We see schools that foster a sense of
belonging and community and that inspire collaboration. We see learning
standards that challenge, and intentionally designed experiences that delight
students, develop their confidence and competence, and cause every child to
value tasks that result in learning. Ultimately, we see schools and related
venues that prepare all children for many choices and that give them the tools
and attitudes to contribute to our democratic way of life and live successfully
in a rapidly changing world."
Stalking the Vampire in Texas
Dear Deborah,
As the national debate about school reform continues, new voices, new evidence, and new ideas are emerging to shape the debate.
Something wonderful has started inTexas Texas , so it is fitting that the
nation's most significant rebellion against high-stakes testing is growing in Texas Texas
As the national debate about school reform continues, new voices, new evidence, and new ideas are emerging to shape the debate.
Something wonderful has started in
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2012/04/stalking_the_vampire_in_texas.html
Stand Up for Public Education!
East Penn Education Forum on April 25th
7:00 – 9:00 pm
What’s at Stake? Discover how high-stakes testing and funding
cuts are impacting our kids and schools.
Hosted by: East Penn Invested Citizens (EPIC), Salisbury Parent Advisory,
Allentown Parent Groups and a coalition of Lehigh Valley Parents
Where: East Penn Administration Building School Board Meeting Room, 800 Pine Street
UPDATED DAILY – STATEWIDE PRESS COVERAGE
OF SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS
The PA House Democratic Caucus has been tracking daily press coverage on
school district budgets statewide:
http://www.pahouse.com/school_funding_2011cuts.asp?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pahouse.com%2fschool_funding_2011cuts.asp&utm_campaign=Crisis+in+Public+Education
Stand Up for Public Education!
Wed., April 11, 2012 7:00 pm Town Hall Meeting on Education at Bucknell University
Meeting with legislators from Columbia
Where:
The Forum, Room 272, Elaine
Langone Center
Bucknell University Moore Avenue Lewisburg , PA 17837
7
p.m. – School directors and administrators meet with legislators (PSBA
Legislative Meeting)
7:30
p.m. – Town Hall Meeting on Education – Please invite your PTO/PTA and other
parent/ community groups to join us! The
purpose of the 7 p.m. meeting is for school directors and administrators to
discuss the impact of the governor’s 2011-12 budget proposal on their school
districts. At 7:30 p.m., the meeting will be open to all interested parents and
other members of the community who would like to come out in support of their
public schools and ask their legislators to take their message back to Harrisburg
Please
RSVP By April 4, to Kathy Swope, PSBA Region 6 director, at (570)
523-3336 or email swope@ptd.net
Stand Up for Public Education!
Thursday April 12th,
7:00 pm Allegheny County
WHERE: North Hills Senior High School 53 Rochester
Road Pittsburgh, PA 15229
WHEN: Thursday, April
12, 2012 @ 7:00pm
REGISTER for this event: NorthernAreaLegislativeForum.eventbrite.com
All public
education stakeholders are invited to this special event, which will be
moderated by the League of Women Voters.
Join us on Thursday, April 12th at North
Hills Senior
High School at 7PM
for an evening with several key state legislators from Allegheny County
Has your board considered this draft resolution yet?
PSBA Sample Board
Resolution regarding the budget
Please consider bringing this sample resolution to
the members of your board.
http://www.psba.org/issues-advocacy/issues-research/state-budget/Budget_resolution-02212012.doc
PA Partnerships for
Children – Take action on the Governor’s Budget
The governor’s budget plan cuts funding for proven
programs like Child Care Works, Keystone STARS and the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship
program, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance
Program. These are among the most cost-effective
investments we can make in education. Gov. Corbett’s budget plan also runs counter
to a pledge he made when he ran for governor in 2010. He acknowledged the
benefits of early childhood education and promised to increase funding to
double the number of children who would benefit from early learning
opportunities.
We need your help to tell lawmakers: if you cut
these programs – you close the door to early learning! Click here to tell your state legislators to fund early childhood education programs
at the same level they approved for this year’s budget.
Education Voters PA –
Take action on the Governor’s Budget
The Governor’s proposal starts the process,
but it isn’t all decided: our legislators can play an important role in
standing up for our priorities. Last year, public outcry helped prevent
nearly $300 million in additional cuts. We heard from the Governor, and
we know where he stands. Now,
we need to ask our legislators: what is your position on supporting our
schools?
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