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IDEA: It’s the law, but nobody wants to fund it…….
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
Monday is
the deadline to register to vote in the May 21st primary election
By Deb Kiner | dkiner@pennlive.com
on April 19, 2013
at 8:16 AM
The deadline to register to
vote before the May primary election is Monday.
EPLC Education
Notebook – Friday, April
19, 2013
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Special Ed
Update (notes from EPLC)
House Bill 2 (Rep. Bernie O'Neill, R-29 was
passed unanimously in the Senate on April 9. It
has since been signed by both chambers and is awaiting Governor Corbett's
signature.
HB 2 would establish a Special
Education Funding Commission to develop a funding formula for
the distribution of any increase in special education funding above the
2010-2011 funding level. In identifying the factors used in the
formula, the Commission may determine the parameters for three cost categories
based on level of service needs, and determine how those categories are
weighted in the formula; consider a student count averaged for each of the
three most recent years for each category so that school districts do not
overidentify eligible students; and make adjustments for geographic price
differences and the three year averages of the market value/personal income aid
ratio and equalized millage rates for each district. Any formula
developed by the Commission would not go into effect unless enacted by the
General Assembly.
The Commission, a fifteen
member panel, must issue a report of its findings and recommendations
no later than September
30, 2013 . In addition, the Commission is charged with
receiving public input and gathering information on charter and cyber charter
school funding reimbursement related to special education students, and to
draft proposed regulations and legislation based on its findings.
HB 2 is identical to Senate Bill 470 (Sen. Patrick Browne,
R-6) which passed in the Senate on March 12 and was referred to the House
Education Committee on March 14.
Senate Resolution 71 (Sen. Mike Folmer, R-48)
would call upon the President and the Congress of the United States to fully
fund all federal special education mandates imposed upon
State, county, municipal or local providers of educational services to students
in Pennsylvania. Noted in the resolution is that costs for children with
disabilities have increased while federal appropriations have not, and that
appropriations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act would require a 130% increase before the mandates of the act are fully
funded. The resolution was reported as committed.
During the meeting: Minority
Chairman Andrew Dinniman (D-19) said that while he supports
this resolution, "we should also
understand the state has not paid its share as well", as special education
funding at the state level has been flat-funded for the last five years.
There is no additional special ed funding provided to PA
school districts under HB2. Not only has
Pennsylvania flat-funded special ed for the last five years, but the Governor’s
proposed budget would actually slightly reduce special ed funding for every
district in the state by shifting about $4.7 million from the basic
special education subsidy to bolster the state's special education contingency
fund.
In addition, the White House
projects that under sequestration Pennsylvania will lose approximately $21.4
million in IDEA funds for about 260 teachers, aides, and staff who help
children with disabilities.
GOP Senator Grassley: No More Federal Money
for Common Core
Education Week Politics K-12
Blog By Alyson Klein on April
19, 2013 10:20 AM
Congress wouldn't pump another
penny into encouraging states to adopt the common core standards, or overseeing
their implementation, at least if Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa
Grassley sent a letter April 18 to Sen. Tom
Harkin, a Democrat who also hails from the Hawkeye State, asking him to include
language in the bill that funds the U.S. Department of Education prohibiting
the education secretary from using any of the money in the measure to oversee
state implementation of the standards, develop tests to go along with the
standards, or give a leg up in any federal competition to states that adopt the
standards. Harkin, who will retire after this Congress, is the chairman of the
panels overseeing K-12 policy and spending—Grassley isn't a member of either of
them. The letter was also sent to Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas
Unprepared
The Economist Apr 16th 2013,
14:49 by S.M. | NEW YORK
EVERY child in the third
through eighth grade in New York’s public schools will be asked to sit this
week for three days of testing in the English Language Arts, to be followed by
another three days of mathematics assessment next week. This has been the
ritual in New York
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/04/standards-based-tests-and-public-schooling
New York Times By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ and AL BAKER Published: April 19, 2013
Students at the Hostos-Lincoln Academy in the Bronx blamed the English exams for making them anxious
and sick. Teachers at Public
School 152 in Manhattan East
Village New York
Complaints were plentiful: the
tests were too long; students were demoralized to the point of tears; teachers
were not adequately prepared. Some parents, long skeptical of the emphasis
on standardized testing, forbade their children from participating.
How Pearson Cheats on State Tests
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianerav April 18, 2013 //
A teacher in upstate New York
Moral of the story: if you want
your students to succeed on the state tests written by Pearson, be sure to buy
the Pearson textbooks.
Network
for Public Education News Volume 1, Issue #5
Welcome to the fifth edition of
the NPE News! We have a new Note from Diane, and some other news of upcoming
grassroots activities. Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can
build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to
make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like
us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!
Arne Duncan: Universal preschool is a sure
path to the middle class
Arne Duncan is secretary of
education. Source information about studies mentioned in this column has been
posted at www.ed.gov/early-learning/research.
President
Obama put forward a plan last week to make access
to high-quality early learning a reality for every 4-year-old in America
Parents, teachers and
principals nationwide agree that we need to do more to ensure that children
from disadvantaged families begin kindergarten at the same educational starting
line as do children from better-off families. The president’s plan includes a
cost-sharing arrangement with states, with the entire federal investment of $75
billion covered by anew
cigarette tax, and with incentives for states to make programs available
for even more middle-class families.
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/
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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