Daily
postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1900
Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators,
legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, PTO/PTA officers, parent
advocates, teacher leaders, education professors, members of the press and a
broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education
advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.
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These daily
emails are archived at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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PA School Funding: Senate Dems, Ed Cmte
Chair Folmer, Sec’y Tomalis, PSFC, PBPC’s Sharon Ward, Yinzercation, Philly
doomsday budget….
“Democrats said that priority details include
a three-year phase in of new monies to restore education dollars and key
student-performance based initiatives that were cut by the Corbett
administration in the last two budgets.”
PA Senate Democrats Seek Job Creation,
Education, Safety Net Dollars in Budget Discussions
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa’s website April 17, 2013
Harrisburg, April 17, 2013 – Senate Democrats’ 2013-14 budget priorities
are heavily weighted toward job creation, education investments, strengthening
the social-services safety net, modernizing liquor sales and refocusing
Pennsylvania’s business tax menu to help small businesses, they announced today
at a Capitol news conference.
Senate
Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said that Senate Democrats will go
into this year’s budget negotiations with a clear purpose and “are resolved
that the state’s economy must be jump-started. New jobs must be created and we
have to reverse the negative course that the Corbett administration has plotted
for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's education debate must focus
on kids, parents
Senator Folmer is Majority Chairman of the
Senate Education Committee
Article
III, Section 14 of Pennsylvania's Constitution, "Public School
System" requires that: "The General Assembly shall provide for the
maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education
to serve the needs of the Commonwealth."
Through
the generosity of taxpayers, we spend nearly $27 billion in federal, state and
local tax dollars in pursuit of a "thorough and efficient" public
education system. This amount is more
than 70 other nations' Gross National Products, and spread out evenly among Pennsylvania
State education
secretary Tomalis discusses school funding
Gov. Tom Corbett did not
cut $1 billion in education funding, and instead, increased state funding, the
secretary of education said Wednesday.
During an editorial board meeting with The Times-Tribune, Secretary of Education
Ron Tomalis explained that districts statewide saw cuts in funding because
federal stimulus dollars ran out - not because the governor cut the funding.
Former Gov. Ed Rendell used the federal stimulus money to increase district
allocations.
Regardless of where the
dollars originated, the education budget saw a cut of about $1 billion in
2011-12, and those cuts were not restored for 2012-13. Under Mr. Corbett's
proposed 2013-14 budget, districts would receive a 1.7 percent increase in
state funding.
Superintendents, who
have lamented the cuts in total funding and say it has led to the elimination
of jobs and programs, should have known the funding would end, Mr. Tomalis
said.
During Wednesday's
meeting, Mr. Tomalis addressed many issues in education.
PA 1 of only 2 states in booze biz; 1 of
only 3 states without an education funding formula
Help
spread the message of the Pennsylvania School
Increase
state funding for basic education for academic programs and services to
students in 2013-2014 by $270 million (first installment of three-year plan to
restore nearly $900 million of 2011-2012 cuts).
Distribute
funds to districts with a formula that accounts for the number of students,
includes “weights” for the additional costs for educating students with special
needs (including students in poverty, gifted students, and English language
learners), and provides sustainable and predictable funding for districts.
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2013/03/help-spread-message-of-pennsylvania.html
Pa. school districts struggle with higher
costs, less funding
It's
not just the Schuylkill Haven Area and Blue Mountain
"Education
has not been a priority for this governor," Sharon Ward, director of the
Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center , Harrisburg
“Perhaps Rep. Metcalfe needs to actually talk
to the families he represents, where kids are now missing over $6 MILLION from
their schools. Here’s a breakdown of the cuts since 2010-2011 to the five
school districts in his 12th PA congressional district. [Data from Save
Pennsylvania Schools]”
|
|
$2,723,093
|
|
|
$728,596
|
|
|
$514,272
|
|
|
$1,270,871
|
|
|
$1,011,179
|
|
Total:
|
$6,248,011
|
Black Holes
Yinzercation Blog April 18, 2013
Could
someone fetch Rep. Daryl Metcalfe back from outer space? Earlier this week, the
Cranberry Republican co-sponsored a bill in the state house to send the
proceeds of liquor store privatization to infrastructure improvements, rather
than to education, as Gov. Corbett had initially proposed. [See “Kids or
Booze”] Pennsylvania certainly needs to support all of its public goods –
including infrastructure – but what is appalling about Rep. Metcalfe’s bill is
that it rests on a shameful disregard for public education.
At a
news conference with several other Republican legislators, Rep. Metcalfe
complained, “When you give the money to the education establishment like this,
it’s like throwing it into a black hole.” Wow. This man thinks our children’s
future is a black hole. He calls our schools “the education establishment” as
if our kids are somehow the problem. Of course, what he really means is that
our teachers are somehow the problem, as he makes clear in his next sentence:
“All it will be used for is to drive those salaries up that are continuing to
be one of the main drivers for our pension problem.” [Post-Gazette,
4-16-13]
Actually,
we do have a pension problem – but the blame for that lies heavily with Pennsylvania
Doomsday budget for Philly schools
Inquirer
Philly School Files Blog by Kristen Graham April 18, 2013
Prior
year's budgets have been tough, but the 2013-14 spending plan is shaping up to
be the worst anyone has seen. We had
already heard of a deficit of $304 million, unless the state came forward with
$120 million, the city with $60 million, and the district got $133 million in
labor concessions. But according to
multiple individuals briefed in the past week, the district has acknowledged it
can't build its budget around funds that are not guaranteed, and is ordering
everyone to brace for the worst.
What's
the worst? Layoffs - about 3,000, including teachers. Schools that
feature no counselors, librarians, aides, extracurriculars, sports (that's none
- no Public League, for instance), etc. Many of those things are required
either by contract or by state law, but leaders have said that without new
revenue, there just isn't money to pay for what's required.
Hite: Philly school budgets down 25 percent
without more funds
The
notebook by Dale Mezzacappa on Apr 18 2013 Posted in Latest news
Facing
a $300 million structural deficit and still uncertain whether it will get the
increased revenue and labor concessions it is seeking, the School District is
asking schools to prepare to operate next year with a principal and a
bare-bones allotment of teachers – and just about nothing else.
That
means the contractual maximum class size in every classroom – 33 students in
grades 4-12 and 30 in K-3. It means no dedicated money for guidance counselors,
interscholastic sports, extracurricular activities, librarians, art or music.
No
money, even, for secretaries.
DN Editorial: Please,
sir, more
Philly
Daily News Editorial POSTED: Friday,
April 19, 2013 ,
3:01 AM
Without
help, Superindent William Hite said Thursday, the district will have to adopt a
scorched-earth policy on remaining programs, including an end to all
extra-curricular activities - including sports - the end to all art and music
programs, laying off guidance counselors and virtually all support staff in the
schools. It's not unusual for Harrisburg Philadelphia
Chester Upland plans school closings, other
moves
Rita
Giordano, Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: Friday,
April 19, 2013 ,
3:01 AM
Two Chester Upland
School District buildings would be
closed, students would be transferred, and the Chester High School
Roebuck’s legislation withstands harsh
criticism
PhillyTrib.com
by Damon
C. Williams Thursday, 18 April 2013 14:11
State
Rep. James Roebuck, who recently submitted legislation aimed at reforming the
finances and accountability for charter and cyber-charter schools, has
withstood withering criticism from the charter school community — particularly
from longtime educator and charter school operator Veronica Joyner — for
submitting statutes that they say cripple charters while not addressing the
parallel issues in the traditional public school system.
While
Roebuck understands the criticism, and to some degree has come to expect and
welcome it, he will not tolerate misperceptions about his bill, particularly
the assertion that he is somehow trying to limit school choice for those that
need it most – the poor and minority families trapped in the cycle of school
closings and spiraling in-school violence permeating traditional public
schools.
“That
[assertion] is simply not true. My intent is to ensure that we develop good
educational opportunities for all students. The bill I offered is not aimed at
any way toward the charter school community,” Roebuck said, noting that nearly
ten similar charter school reform bills have been introduced and will be
considered by the House. “My intent is to try and identify problems where they
exist, be it in traditional, charter or cyber charters, and resolve them.
How to enrich public education
Philly.com Opinion By Gamal
Sherif and Larissa Pahomov Thursday, April 18, 2013 , 3:01 AM
Gamal Sherif is a member of Teachers Lead Philly. Larissa Pahomov is
with Teacher Action Group-Philly
We are delighted that the
Coalition for Effective Teaching (CET) in Philadelphia
Each student at Mars Area High
School will receive a laptop next year in hopes that the school eventually can
go paperless, placing all textbooks and writings online. The school board April 9 approved the One-to-One
Computer Initiative, including leasing the laptops through Lenova Financial
Services for three years at an annual cost not to exceed $280,000.
"We are taking a look at
how we are going to bring our district more into the 21st century as far as
technology is concerned," superintendent William Pettigrew said.
Capitol
Watch for Children April 2013
An update on state and federal
policies affecting Pennsylvania
“It’s time to replace our
high-stakes test-and-punish strategy with what the Finns call “intelligent
accountability.” We need new assessments that are designed to reflect
important skills, and we need to use them to improve teaching and learning,
rather than to dole out sanctions, in a system that provides equitable
opportunities to learn. Without major changes, we will, indeed, be testing our
nation to death.”
‘Test-and-punish’
sabotages quality of children’s education
MSNBC
by Linda Darling-Hammond 5:40
PM on 04/10/2013
There is a saying that American
students are the most tested, and the least examined, of any in the world. We
test students in the U.S.
Policymakers have tied more and
more decisions to test scores. They factor into whether students will be
promoted or graduated, how much teachers will be paid, and whether they will
remain employed, whether schools will receive rewards or sanctions–including,
with recent policies, whether their staffs will be fired or whether they will
be closed entirely. Recent cheating scandals, like those in Atlanta
and Washington DC
Rather than improving
education, the current desire to attach scores from a burgeoning battery of
tests to student, teacher, and school decisions actually undermines the quality
of education in at least three ways.
Common Core Standards attacked by Republicans
Republicans have launched an
attack on the Common Core State Standards, an initiative that more than 45
states and the District of Columbia
This new effort could undermine
what has largely been bipartisan cooperation on the Core and is coming even as
some states are already implementing the Common Core Standards in English Language
Arts and math, and giving students high-stakes Core-aligned standardized tests.
Sen. Charles Grassley, a
Republican from Iowa
Grassley’s Wednesday letter to
colleagues comes a few days after the Republican National Committee passed a resolution
bashing the standards, calling them an “inappropriate overreach to standardize
and control the education of our children” and saying that the RNC
“rejects this CCSS plan.” The resolution says:
Walton Family Foundation Supporting Mass School
Closings in Chicago
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianerav April
18, 2013 //
The Walton Family Foundation
has an overriding interest in school pro privatization. They commit about $160
million each year for charters, vouchers, Tech for America
Here is news from the Chicago
Teachers Union about the role of Walton in the proposed closing of 54 public
schools.
“According to the report, the United States has the second highest share
of children living under the relative poverty line, defined as 50 percent of
each country’s median income, and the second largest “child poverty gap” (the
distance between the poverty line and the median incomes of those below the
line).”
The Kids
Are (Not) All Right
By CHARLES M. BLOW Published:
April 17, 2013 55
Comments
The United States
According to a Unicef report issued
last week — “Child Well-Being in Rich Countries” — the United States Lithuania ,
Latvia and Romania
Top Ten List: Why “Choice” Demonstrates
That Money Matters
National
Education Policy Center/Cloaking Inequity Blog by Julian Vasquez
Heilig April
18, 2013
I recently had a conversation
with a conservative Harvard-trained attorney last Saturday in Houston Finland (I
blogged about Finland a few weeks ago) and her point was that the United States and Finland Finland was discussed
by school reformers because of their turnaround over the past few decades, but
you know what, you don’t have to go to Finland
Superintendents, Business Managers, School
Board Members, Union Leaders, Any Others interested in PSERS and wanting to
learn more about Pension Reform . . .
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Registration:
6:30 p.m. Presentation: 7:00 p.m.
Allegheny Intermediate Unit 475 East Waterfront Drive Homestead , PA 15120
Jeffery B. Clay, Executive
Director for the Pennsylvania Schools Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS)
will present on the topic of pension reform. Mr. Clay’s presentation will
review the increases in retirement contributions and the Governor’s proposal on
pension reform. As one concerned about public education, we are sure that
you will find this meeting enlightening and a valuable investment of your time.
In order to accommodate those
attending and prepare the necessary materials for the meeting, please
register using the following link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6252177431 by May 7, 2013 .
If you have any questions
regarding the registration process, please contact Janet Galaski at 412.394.5753 or janet.galaski@aiu3.net.
Sign Up
Today for PILCOP Special Ed CLE Trainings
Spots are filling up for the
final three trainings in our 2012-2013 Know Your Child’s Rights series with
seminars on ADAAA, Pro Se Parents and Settlement Agreements.
For seminar details and
registration: http://pilcop.org/sign-up-today-for-special-ed-cle-trainings/
NAACP 2013
Conference on the State of Education in Pennsylvania
A Call for Equitable and
Adequate Funding for Pennsylvania
Media Area Branch NAACP
Saturday, May
11, 2013 9:00 am
– 2:30 pm (8:30 am
registration)
Marcus Foster Student Union 2nd
floor, Cheyney University of PA, Delaware County Campus
Information and registration
at: http://www.naacpmediabranch.org/2013_conference.html
PA Charter Schools: $4 billion taxpayer dollars with no real
oversight
Charter schools - public funding without public scrutiny; Proposed
statewide authorization and direct payment would further diminish
accountability and oversight for public tax dollars
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