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
“The people of Upper Darby, Chester Upland and York
Delco Times Editorial: State needs to fight education’s fiscal
abyss
Published: Thursday, May 10, 2012
Upper Darby, meet
Chester Upland. And Philadelphia
And it’s not just here
in the suburbs and Philadelphia in southeastern Pennsylvania York , out in central Pennsylvania York
City School
District
Kind of makes Upper Darby and its $4 million in red ink look like small
potatoes.
Just don’t try selling
that to parents and concerned citizens here. They packed a meeting of the Upper
Darby School Board Tuesday night to voice their opposition to a proposal to cut
curriculum and a slew of teaching jobs.
PA GOP Senate sends its budget to the state House.
Morning Call Capitol Ideas
Blog by John Micek, May
9, 2012
Gov. Tom Corbett
weighed in Wednesday on the $27.6 billion budget backed by fellow Republicans
in the state Senate, warning that even
though the state has some extra money in its pocket, it’s still going to finish
the fiscal year about $300 million in the red.
The
Republican-controlled Senate voted 39-8 to approve its version of the state
budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. It restores Corbett’s proposed
cuts to state colleges and universities and provides additional money for
public schools and social welfare programs.
Majority Leader Senator Pileggi Comments on FY 2012-13 State
Budget
Pennsylvania Senate
Republicans website May 9,2012
Last year, the General
Assembly faced the challenge of assembling a state budget during
extraordinarily difficult economic times. Working together with Governor
Corbett and the House of Representatives, we made the tough choices that were
necessary to craft a budget that reflected those times, spending only what the
state could afford.
PBPC: PA Senate Approves State Budget Plan
The Pennsylvania
Budget and Policy
Center May 9, 2012
The Pennsylvania Senate approved a $27.6 billion
budget plan today by a vote of 39-8. The plan improves upon the budget proposed
by Governor Corbett, but deep cuts to education and health services
remain. On Tuesday, the Senate
Appropriations Committee, in a rare display of bipartisanship, adopted two
Democratic amendments and unanimously approved the spending plan.
The plan reduces the allocation to the public
school retirement system by $60 million and restores funding for a number of
programs. The plan does not include the
Governor’s proposed student achievement block grant, maintaining the original
line items for basic education, pupil transportation, employee Social Security
and services to non-public schools.
Highlights:
- Adds $50 million for
Accountability Block Grants;
- Adds $50 million to the Basic
Education line for "distressed schools," although the allocation
formula was not discussed. Basic Ed would increase to $5.405 billion;
- Restores $4.1 million to Pre-k
Counts;
- Restores $1.9 million to Head
Start;
- Maintains special education
funding at $1.026 billion;
- Restores $2.7 million to the
Public Library Subsidy; and
- Increases pupil transportation
by $4.3 million.
Published: Wednesday, May 09, 2012
By Alan Thomas athomas@mainlinemedianews.com
They came back again,
students, teachers and parents, mostly, as they had been there for the regular
Tredyffrin Easttown School Directors meeting on April 23, filling the meeting
room, many sitting on the floor. The issue was the same one – teacher demotion
as a budget strategy.
Philly: Enon meeting draws upwards of 2,000 people
The Notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa on May
09 2012
After a long day at
City Council, Pedro Ramos, Thomas Knudsen, and Penny Nixon sped to Northwest
Philadelphia on Tuesday night to face about 2,500 people at the city's largest
African American religious congregation, Enon Tabernacle
Baptist Church
In the vast sanctuary,
their faces projected on TV screens, the three officials faced dozens of
pointed questions regarding plans for the future of education in Philadelphia
------------------------------- Begin Commentary -------------------------------
Who needs
SB1?
Happy
Birthday to Pennsylvania’s Education Improvement Tax Credit; this “Super
Voucher” program diverted $75 million in tax dollars to private and religious
schools last year, including some of the state’s most elite private schools,
with virtually no accountability for how that money is spent or for student
performance.
That’s $75 million that is not available for consideration in this year’s budget. Keep that in mind if you are in Upper Darby,
Chester Upland, York, Pittsburgh or Philadelphia and “school choice” means
choosing between cutting kindergarten, guidance, art, music, gym, sports, band,
choir, foreign language, safety officers, nurses, social workers……LAF
-------------------------------- End Commentary -------------------------------
On school tax credit's birthday, lawmakers and advocates renew call for
school choice.
Morning Call Capitol
Ideas Blog by Intern Mike Macagnone
State legislators have the chance now to save
themselves from the judgement of history — on the subject of school choice, at least
— according toRep. Jim
Christiana, R-Beaver.
Christiana, like the other half-
dozen legislators who spoke at the 11th birthday rally for the Education
Improvement Tax Credit, made the event a showcase of rhetoric
and calls to action.
MSNBC’s The Ed Show: Teachers under fire
Video Runtime 6:00
The Republican assault
on public education continues in Pennsylvania
“Common Core could take another
hit Friday when the 23-member board of the American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC), a group of more than 2,000 state lawmakers and business members
who back limited government and free markets, among other conservative goals,
is set to vote on a resolution to formally oppose the standards.”
Updated May 8, 2012 ,
11:42 p.m. ET
School-Standards Pushback: Conservative Groups Oppose National
'Common Core' as an Intrusion on States
Wall Street Journal By
STEPHANIE BANCHERO
The Common Core
national math and reading standards, adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia
Supporters say the
Common Core standards better prepare students for college or the workforce, and
are important as the U.S.
….But conservative
lawmakers and governors in at least five states, including Utah
and Alabama
How My Child Skipped the State Tests
New York Times By
ROBERT KULESZ May
9, 2012 , 4:00 p.m.
As one of the parents
who decided to have their children “opt-out ” of this year’s standardized
high-stakes testing, I am most struck by the lack of empowerment that parents
have in the education of their own children. When we try to explain the reasons
behind our protest, we are met with bland bureaucratic platitudes, and even
attempts at subtle intimidation.
Obama and Romney Draw Battle
By ERIC PIANIN, The
Fiscal Times, May
7, 2012
On the surface at
least, President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney see eye to eye on
a number of key education issues:
Both politicians place
great store in standardized testing to evaluate teacher performance and student
progress, and both generally back former President George W. Bush’s No Child
Left Behind program. Both favor charter schools as an alternative to failing
public schools and merit pay to attract better teachers. And both have had
their run-ins with teachers unions.
Just recently, the
former Massachusetts
Yet on critical issues
of funding and government aide to colleges and local schools, the two rivals
couldn’t be further apart, and some experts say those are the most telling and
significant differences between the wo rivals.
Research for Action Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania
Clearinghouse for Education Research - or PACER - is designed to inform state
education policy discussions using rigorous, objective research. PACER briefs
will be decided upon through policy scans and stakeholder and policymaker
input. For each issue, PACER will review the current Pennsylvania
The Education Policy and Leadership
Center is pleased to invite you to
attend the PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM
Western Pennsylvania Breakfast
Series Thursday, May 17, 2012
Continental Breakfast - 8:00 a.m. Program -
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Holiday Inn Pittsburgh
University Center 100 Lytton Avenue , Pittsburgh , PA 15213
SUBJECT: College Completion Agenda
SPEAKERS:
SPEAKERS:
·
Gregg
Fleisher, National AP Training and Incentives Program Director, National Math+Science
Initiative
- Marcus S. Lingenfelter,
Director, State Government Relations, The College Board
- Dr. Peter H. Garland, Executive Vice
Chancellor,
The College Board's
College Completion Agenda Report is available at http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/reports_pdf/Progress_Report_2011.pdf
Please RSVP Today! Registration is free, but everyone must RSVP at http://www.eplc.org/events-calendar/western-pennsylvania-breakfast-series/.
Please RSVP Today! Registration is free, but everyone must RSVP at http://www.eplc.org/events-calendar/western-pennsylvania-breakfast-series/.
Please share this
invitation with your friends and colleagues.
STATEWIDE PRESS COVERAGE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS
Here are more than 400 articles since
January 23rd detailing budget cuts, program cuts, staffing cuts and
tax increases being discussed by local school districts
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
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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