Daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 3250 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, 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
These daily emails are archived and
searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
The Keystone State Education Coalition
is pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public Education. Are you a member?
Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for June
23, 2014:
New PA evaluation tools for
principals, nonteaching professionals don't apply to charter schools
EPLC
Education Notebook
Waltons - save more, live better, dismantle
democratically-governed American public education. More than three quarters of a billion dollars
since 2009. Where do you shop?
Here are some "highlights" from the Walton Family
Foundation's annual report:
·
The foundation announced that it has invested
more than $330 million in public charter school grants since 1997. The
Walton Family Foundation has provided startup funding to one in every four
public charter schools nationally. That's 1,500 public charter schools
serving over 600,000 students.
·
A $20 million commitment was made to Teach
For America to support the recruitment, training and professional
development of nearly 4,000 first- and second-year teachers in nine
communities. The foundation is the largest supporter of Teach For America
and has invested more than $95 million in the organization since 1993.
By Karen Langley & Kate Giammarise / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau June 21, 2014 11:09 PM
"It's not a pretty
picture, and we certainly don't want that," Mr. Corbett said.
At the same time, the
Republican governor said he will not consider new or higher taxes until
legislators send him a bill designed to reduce the state's costs for the
pensions of future school and state workers.
In a cash-poor budget,
Corbett's tattered tax pledge could be shredded finally: John L. Micek
By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com on June 20, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Anyone remember Gov. Tom Corbett's famous no-tax hike
pledge?
It looks kind of quaint, now, doesn't it?
In case you've forgotten, the Republican ran, and won, the
state's highest elected office in 2010 with the catnip-for-conservatives
pledge authored by activist Grover Norquist. Back then, with the economy in the tank and
the state facing a $4.2 billion deficit,Corbett's pledge might have struck
some as a good idea. It's GOP bedrock, after all, that higher taxes are
anathema to economic growth. But this
year, with his approval numbers in the basement and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tom Wolf surging by
double-digits in early polls, Corbett will have to run from it as
fast and as hard as he can if he wants to hold onto his job.
And based on the chatter around the Capitol this week, that's
already well underway.
New taxes, big deficits and
some booze -- all you need to know about the Pa. budget in five Tweets: Friday
Morning Coffee
By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com on June 20, 2014 at 8:30 AM
Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Corbett administration Budget Czar Charles Zogby swung by PennLive World HQ yesterday for a little bit of quality time with the Editorial Board. And we have to say, it was a fairly enlightening discussion. Everything from pensions to liquor privatization and the state's ongoing revenue problems was fair game -- ditto for the likelihood of new taxes. For those of you who weren't able to attend, herewith, thanks to the miracle of the Internets, is everything you need to know about Budget 2014 in five, easy Tweets:
Corbett administration Budget Czar Charles Zogby swung by PennLive World HQ yesterday for a little bit of quality time with the Editorial Board. And we have to say, it was a fairly enlightening discussion. Everything from pensions to liquor privatization and the state's ongoing revenue problems was fair game -- ditto for the likelihood of new taxes. For those of you who weren't able to attend, herewith, thanks to the miracle of the Internets, is everything you need to know about Budget 2014 in five, easy Tweets:
Inquirer Editorial: State's
turn to do more
POSTED: Sunday, June 22, 2014, 1:09 AM
After a tortuous year of
unseemly power plays, City Council finally made an eleventh-hour promise last
week to give Philadelphia 's
beleaguered public schools an additional $30 million in bond funds to be
retired quickly by an increase in the local sales tax.
Now it's the duty of the
state legislature and Gov. Corbett to help this city's children, who this past
year have gone without books, supplies, counselors, teachers, nurses, aides,
and adequate security. This city's
public education system is neither thorough nor efficient, as required by the
state constitution, because the state has not met its responsibility to
adequately fund Pennsylvania 's
schools.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20140622_Inquirer_Editorial__State_s_turn_to_do_more.html#XG765t9BBJReFd8l.99
Could a broke actuary doom
pension overhaul?
WITF Written by Mary
Wilson, Capitol Bureau Chief | Jun 19, 2014 9:08 PM
As state House Republicans work to find votes for a bill to
overhaul public pension benefits, one opponent says there's another problem
down the road. Rep. Glen Grell
(R-Cumberland) said several necessary amendments to the proposal be analyzed by
the Pennsylvania Employee Retirement Commission (PERC). The agency is legally
required to provide actuarial analysis of any legislation's impact on public
pensions before the bills can receive a vote.
Problem is, PERC has run out of funding.
Special-ed charter funding
skews Pa.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Frazier School District business manager
Kevin Mildren compared the state’s formula for special-education funding
to taking a size 10 shoe and trying to force it on every foot in Pennsylvania. Charter schools, privately operated but
publicly funded, were set up to provide alternatives for parents who sought a
different approach to their children’s education.
When parents choose a charter school, districts must redirect taxpayer money -
known as tuition - for those children’s education to the new school. For special-education students, often the sum
is greater than the cost in the student’s home district because of a flawed
funding approach that does not reflect the services a student needs, critics
say.
to taking a size 10 shoe and trying to force it on every foot in Pennsylvania. Charter schools, privately operated but
publicly funded, were set up to provide alternatives for parents who sought a
different approach to their children’s education.
When parents choose a charter school, districts must redirect taxpayer money -
known as tuition - for those children’s education to the new school. For special-education students, often the sum
is greater than the cost in the student’s home district because of a flawed
funding approach that does not reflect the services a student needs, critics
say.
New evaluation tool required for principals
and administrators "won't take any more time", "won't cost
districts anything" and,… wait for it… doesn't apply to charter schools…….
New evaluation tools for
principals, nonteaching professionals effective July 1
PSBA website June 19, 2014
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) published its
rules and two separate evaluation rating tools for principals and nonteaching
professionals in the June 14 issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Established
under the Chapter 19 regulations created last year for the evaluation of
classroom teachers, the rules are effective July 1, 2014.
The new tools are applicable to principals and nonteaching
professionals of a Local Education Agency (LEA) defined as school district,
area vocational-technical school, career technology center or intermediate
unit. Charter schools are not included and are not required to use the
new system for their educators. A
"principal/school leader'" includes a building principal, an
assistant principal, a vice principal or a director of vocational education. A
"nonteaching professional employee" includes education specialists,
supervisors in positions not identified as principals/school leaders and
instructional staff who are not assigned classroom teacher or principal
positions.
Neumann University vice
president added to Pennsylvania State Charter School Appeal Board
Delco Times POSTED: 06/22/14, 12:23 AM EDT |
Neumann University Vice President Jonathan Peri was appointed
to the Pennsylvania State Charter School Appeal Board by Gov. Tom Corbett. The
appointment, announced by the university Monday, went into effect June 4. The board hears appeals brought forth by
charter school applicants whose proposals are rejected by local school
boards. Peri, of Thornbury, also sits on
the state board of education, having been appointed to a six-year term in 2010
by former Gov. Ed Rendell. He previously was appointed to the state’s Tuition
Account Program Advisory Board in 2009.
At Neumann, Peri serves as the university’s chief legal officer and as
the Center for Leadership program director. He also is the president of the
Delaware County Bar Association’s Board of Directors and the chairman of the
Board of Trustees of The Walden School in Media.
Philly Council panel votes
for referendum to abolish SRC
WHYY Newsworks BY TOM
MACDONALD JUNE 21, 2014
A Philadelphia City Council committee has approved without a
recommendation a petition request for a change in governance of the
Philadelphia Public Schools. The
nonbinding referendum would ask the state to abolish the School Reform
Commission and return the district to local control. Hillary Linardopoulos of the Philadelphia
Federation of Teachers union said a referendum is the way to send a message to
state officials. "The voices of
Philadelphians are often unheard in Harrisburg ,"
she said. "And when you have this public outcry, it will make it harder for
legislators there not to listen to our efforts."
About 40,000 residents signed petitions seeking the referendum.
Train teachers like doctors
Make teachers colleges
just as hard to get into and graduate from as medical school, suggests author
AMANDA RIPLEY
Post Gazette Opinion by Amanda Ripley June 22, 2014 12:00 AM
So far this month in education news, a California
court has decimated rigid job protections for teachers and Oklahoma ’s governor has abolished the most
rigorous learning standards that state has ever had. Back and forth we go in America ’s
exhausting tug-of-war over schools — local vs. federal control, union vs.
management, us vs. them. But something
else is happening, too. Something that hasn’t made many headlines but has the
potential to finally revolutionize education in ways these nasty feuds never
will.
“Supers” for Pre-K
To Pennsylvania Elected Leaders,
We, the below signed Pennsylvania Superintendents, are well
aware of the decades of respected research showing the benefits of quality
early education. Research shows: children who have had access to
high-quality pre-K arrive ready for school, do well in school, and exhibit
important skills for further in life. However, we also hold a more tangible
understanding of this issue. Every year, new children arrive to register for
Kindergarten with a divergent range of skills and readiness.
Perhaps due to the cost of quality pre-school, which is out of
reach for many families, too many children are enrolling in Kindergarten
unprepared for a classroom setting and in need of extra assistance.
Unfortunately, the preparation children need to be ready to enter Kindergarten
is difficult for school districts to provide prior to enrollment. Through no
fault of their own, child care centers, nursery schools, and pre-k programs
lack the capacity or resources to offer high quality pre-K programs to all
children in Pennsylvania.
Read more: http://www.prekforpa.org/supersforprek/
Join Supers for Pre-K
Pre-KforPA website
If you or your school board would like to sign an endorsement
in favor of pre-k, please contact our regional field offices.
With appeal pending, arts
charter school delays potential opening
It cannot operate
until a state board rules on whether to overturn its rejection by Allentown
School District.
By Adam Clark,
Of The Morning Call 9:14 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2014
Tom Lubben hasn't given up hope that his twice-rejected Arts
Academy Elementary Charter School will open. But he is delaying a potential
opening until the middle of next school year.
Lubben, the founder whose application was rejected by the
Allentown School Board for a second time in May, informed parents earlier this
month that the school won't open until January at the earliest, he said Friday. That is, of course, if the school opens at
all.
Following the school board's second rejection, the charter
application is moving to the state's Charter School Appeal Board. The appeal
board meets in late July but likely won't render a decision until its September
or October meeting, Lubben said.
School Board Blogger by David Hutchinson Wednesday, June 11,
2014
The concept of charter schools was first articulated back in
the 1970s by Albert Shanker, the head of the New York City teachers’ union. Charter
schools were conceived as an extension of the public school system –
“incubators of experimentation” – to be run by public school teachers, but
having the flexibility to try out new ideas, which, if successful, could be
templates for school improvement. This
is an appealing idea, and if fact, there are some pretty good local examples of
such experimentation. In State College , one of
our charter schools was built on the small learning community model; another
emphasizes project-based learning; yet another, the teaching of multiple
languages. These models have value to students and their parents, and provide
us with useful insight. But the
relationship we have with these schools is atypical, statewide, and state
policy actually makes it difficult to achieve. First, Pennsylvania law allows for almost no local
oversight of charter schools. In fact, there is almost no oversight of any kind
– and no mechanism for closing an ineffective school. There is neither
accountability nor transparency; it is next to impossible to find out how
charter schools spend their money. And while the local school district
technically has the authority to authorize or deny a charter school
application, the Dept. of Education has made it quite clear that it is willing
to overrule local decisions.
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review By Tory
N. Parrish Published: Sunday, June 22, 2014, 9:10 p.m.
SomeNorth
Allegheny school leaders say the district should again weigh the
potential costs of adding an International Baccalaureate program against
programs in the district. “I have not
seen anything yet that makes me think it would make our schools substantially
better, but if someone shows me evidence that it will, then I would
reconsider,” school board member Kevin Mahler said on Friday. IB World Schools are rigorous academic
programs built around inquiry-based learning. Two local public school districts
offer them — Pittsburgh Public Schools' Barack Obama Academy for International
Studies and three schools in the Upper St. Clair School District — along with
Vincentian Academy, a Catholic school in Ross.
Some
The North
Allegheny board discussed the topic last week while talking about
the 2013-14 strategic plan update. “We
shouldn't just sit on our laurels here saying that what we've achieved so far
is good enough,” board member Maureen M. Grosheider said.
“I am increasingly frustrated at how we are forced to make
gut-wrenching decisions instead of the legislators, the ones who hold the purse
strings, doing the ethical thing,” she said. “I feel like we’re being held
hostage.” Sparagana told the board that
he thinks the district should “take a leadership role in the state for
advocating for funding equity in Pennsylvania. Who better to lead the charge
than us, the ones who live it every day?”
Pottstown prepped to
approve $56M spending plan, hike taxes 2.9%
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 06/20/14,
9:42 AM EDT |
The $55,929,738 budget represents a 5.6 percent increase in
spending that is due largely to three things: a $1.4 million increase in
construction debt for the elementary school renovation projects; a $1.1 million
increase in pension costs and the anticipated $625,000 annual cost of roof
replacements, Business Manager Linda Adams told the school board Thursday
night.
For a residential property assessed at $73,670, the borough
average, the tax hike represents an increase of $81.49 per year on the property
tax bill.
The budget eliminates 11 positions, most of them classroom
aides.
Neshaminy passes final budget
for 2014-15; $172M package contains no tax hike, full-day Kindergarten and more
reading programs
Bucks Local News By D.E. Schlatter 21st Century Media
Published: Thursday, June 19, 2014
NESHAMINY - In a unanimous vote at the July 17meeting, the
school board approved the 2014-15 final budget which earmarks roughly $172
million for spending. As promised during
the budget process, the district's fiscal plan holds the line on taxes and
expands full-day Kindergarten to all of Neshaminy’s eight elementary schools. In addition, reading programs at the three
middle schools will now be doubled to keep them in line with surrounding school
districts, and the district's staffing levels will remain the same. “This budget is a great step forward for
Neshaminy,” declared Superintendent Robert Copeland in his budget summary at
the beginning of the board meeting, which lasted nearly three hours and played
to a packed house with a standing-room only crowd.
Hatboro-Horsham approves
budget, reviews plans for new school
At the last meeting of the current school year, Hatboro-Horsham
School Board of Directors approved its 2014-15 budget and reviewed plans for a
new elementary school. The board
unanimously voted in favor of 2.1 percent real estate tax increase for the
district homeowners June 16. The tax
increase falls within the state-allowed increase set at 2.1 percent this year
under the Act 1 index. The budget marks the eighth year in the row the district
stayed within the index without seeking exceptions. The projected budget expenditure will
increase by $3.6 million, or 4.14 percent from the current school year to total
$96 million, while the projections for the revenues show a $2.38 million, or
2.68 percent, increase.
Lower Merion School District
passes tax hike; McGinley says goodbye
By Richard Ilgenfritz Published: Thursday, June 19, 2014
Lower Merion and
Narberth residents will be seeing a 3.9 percent tax hike for the upcoming
school year, under the final budget that was approved by the board last
week. Under the new budget, property
owners in Lower Merion and Narberth will pay a mill rate of 25.3335. The new
rate is up from last year’s rate of 24.3817. One mill represents $1 for every
$1,000 of a property’s taxable value. The district’s budget runs from July 1,
2014 through June 30, 2015. Lower Merion
business manager Vic Orlando has said under the new tax rate, a property with
an average assessed value of $250,000 will see an increase of $239 in their tax
bill.
Penn-Delco School Board
passes budget with 2.5 percent tax increase
By LORETTA RODGERS, Delco Times Correspondent, @LorettaRodgers1
POSTED: 06/21/14, 12:53 AM EDT |
ASTON — The Penn-Delco School Board recently adopted a
2014-2015 operating budget totaling $54.812 million, reflecting a 2.5 percent
increase over the 2013-2014 budget.
Millage was set at 25.907 mills; an increase of .631 mills over last
year. A homeowner with a property assessed at the district median of $114,705
can expect to pay $2,971 in real estate tax next year, which amounts to a $5.67
monthly increase. District
Superintendent George Steinhoff, who offered a PowerPoint presentation of the
budget, said the largest expenditures include pension contributions and
healthcare costs, which alone count for $1.3 million in expenses.
PIAA overhauls rules on
gender
By Mike White /
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette June 19, 2014 11:48 PM
It has not been unusual
in recent years to see high school boys playing on girls field hockey teams in Pennsylvania or see a
few boys playing on girls volleyball teams.
But the PIAA passed a new "mixed-gender" rule Thursday that,
among other things, pretty much eliminates boys from playing on girls teams and
also curbs girls from playing on boys teams, except football. The PIAA also
voted to start sponsoring boys field hockey beginning in the 2014-15 school
year.
Pedro Noguera went to
the lions’ den, the Wall Street Journal, to explain why the corporate reformers’ crusade to eliminate teacher tenure is
wrong-headed (the article is unfortunately behind a paywall). The WSJ, owned by
Rupert Murdoch, is a bastion of anti-teacher, anti-public education thinking,
whose writers consistently support vouchers, Teach for America , and
anything else that disrupts public education and the teaching profession. Noguera, a professor at New York University
State of charter schools: How
Michigan
Detriot Free Press June 22, 2014
A yearlong Free Press investigation of Michigan ’s charter schools found wasteful
spending, conflicts of interest, poor performing schools and a failure to close
the worst of the worst. Among the findings:
In surprise move, key RI
legislator allows state testing moratorium to pass
This actually happened: A key legislator listened to his
constituents and changed his mind about an important piece of legislation,
which changed the fate of the bill.
It just happened in Rhode Island, where House Speaker
Nicholas Mattiello first opposed a three-year moratorium on using a
standardized test as a requirement for high school graduation, but then
learned about what was at stake for students and decided to support
it. Instead of tabling legislation calling for a moratorium, which
had already been approved by the state Senate, he allowed it to come up for a
vote on the last day of the legislative session and it passed 69-3. It would be
surprising if Gov. Lincoln Chaffee did not sign the legislation into law.
If he does, it means that a single high-stakes standardized
test cannot hold back a student from graduating from high school if all other
requirements are satisfied — at least for three more years.
Join the Notebook!
Become a Member!
The Notebook invites all of our readers
to join
us now, as members by signing up on our "Donate"
page. Our reporting depends on the continued generous support and
contributions from our growing Notebook membership. In
2013, we reached more than 500 memberships! Thanks to all of our
supporters. Don't forget to renew or join for this calendar year. Help us
reach 600+ members in 2014! We're
excited about this program as a way to recognize your support, give you some
extra perks, and support our work and sustainability. Learn more about our work here.
Membership starts at $40 for the 2014 calendar year. Learn
more about the membership
levels here. You can also give the gift of Notebook membership.
Come to Harrisburg to Speak
Up for Public Education
Monday, June 23, and Monday, June 30
Education Voters PA
Governor Corbett’s “election-year” budget is falling apart.
Revenue projections are down and Corbett and state legislators are looking to
make more than $1.2 billion in cuts to his proposed 2014-2015
budget. Lobbyists will be swarming the
Capitol in the month of June and we need to be there, too. Join Pennsylvanians from throughout the
commonwealth as we send a loud and clear message that after three years of
balancing the state budget on the backs of Pennsylvania’s public school
children, it is time for our state government to do what is right and pass a
fair budget that will provide students with the opportunities they need to meet
state standards and be successful after they graduate.
Details: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6041/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=7059
PA Basic Ed. Funding
Campaign: Building capacity to advocate for adequate, equitable school funding
PSBA website 6/10/2014
The Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Campaign seeks up to
ten (10) regional "circuit riders" statewide to work with and support
school system leaders to build capacity and advocate for an adequate and
equitable school funding system.
Regional Circuit Riders Contract Employment Announcement
The Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Campaign seeks up to
ten (10) regional "circuit riders" statewide to work with and support
school system leaders to build capacity and advocate for an adequate and
equitable school funding system. Circuit riders will support school system
leaders by providing education and training about past and current school
funding systems, principles and models of good school funding systems and
effective advocacy strategies using information and materials provided by the
Campaign. School system leaders include school directors, Intermediate Unit
executive directors, district superintendents, business managers and other key
school district leaders. Building
capacity among Pennsylvania school system leaders to advocate for an adequate
and equitable school funding system is one component of a broader multi-year
effort that involves more than 25 organizations across Pennsylvania. This
component is a collaborative effort of the PA Association of School Business
Officials (PASBO), PA Association of School Administrators (PASA), PA School
Boards Association (PSBA), PA Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS)
and PA Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU). PASBO serves as the fiscal
agent for the collaborative.
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=7943#sthash.rYZzUteD.dpuf
EPLC Education Issues
Workshop for Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff, and Interested Voters -
Harrisburg July 31
Register Now! EPLC will again be hosting
an Education Issues Workshop for Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff,
and Interested Voters. This nonpartisan, one-day program will take place
on Thursday, July 31 in Harrisburg. Space is limited. Click here to learn more about workshop and
to register.
PSBA opens nominations for
the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award
The nomination process is now open for the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award. This award may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. Applications will be accepted until July 16, 2014. The July 16 date was picked in honor of Timothy M. Allwein's birthday. The award will be presented during the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference in October. More details and application are available on PSBA's website.
The nomination process is now open for the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award. This award may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. Applications will be accepted until July 16, 2014. The July 16 date was picked in honor of Timothy M. Allwein's birthday. The award will be presented during the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference in October. More details and application are available on PSBA's website.
Education
Policy and Leadership Center
Click
here to read more about EPLC’s Education Policy Fellowship Program, including:
2014-15 Schedule 2014-15 Application Past Speakers Program Alumni And More
Information
2014 PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education
and Arts/Culture in PA
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Below is an alphabetical list of the 2014
Gubernatorial Candidates and links to information about their plans, if
elected, for education and arts/culture in Pennsylvania. This list will be updated, as more
information becomes available.
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