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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for July
28, 2014:
Cyber school's huge surplus
exemplifies problem
Cyber school's huge surplus
exemplifies problem
Mitch Yanyanin is president of the New Brighton Area
School Board, and John Ludwig is vice president.
We are writing in response to the article regarding PA Cyber
building a brick-and-mortar facility in the tune of $5.7 million to house
instructors. While this building may be important to PA Cyber, it exemplifies
the travesty that is occurring in public education. PA Cyber boasts a fund balance of $40.7
million, far in excess of the 8 percent recommended by the commonwealth, which
would be approximately $9.6 million for the business. This fund balance,
created over 14 years, shows that there is far more revenue collected than is
necessary for a cyber education. Additionally,
the fund balance was grown while, according to Times articles, questionable
business practices were occurring. This
excessive fund balance was grown at the expense of local school districts.
Please take into account the following;
1. Cyber school’s calculations are based on local school district’s
cost per pupil, so even those items that they do not provide — because they are
a cyber school and not a brick-and-mortar school — are paid to them.
2. Charter schools receive a pension reimbursement in the
per-pupil allocation and also as a reimbursement from the state. It is a double
dip for pension reimbursement.
3. The state eliminated the charter school reimbursement
approximately two years ago so districts cover 100 percent of the cost.
4. Local school districts are responsible for truancy filings.
Charter schools report truancy to the local school district, so although the
student is enrolled at the charter school, it remains the responsibility of the
local district to ensure they are attending.
5. A student enrolled in a cyber/charter school that is
enrolled as a special-education student costs approximately 50 percent more to
the local district. If the charter school enrolls a student into special
education, but the student was previously enrolled as regular education when
they left a specific district, the contributing district is not invited to
attend the IEP meetings, or have a voice in the analysis of the data.
6. The state Department of Education data show that most
cyber/charter schools have never made Adequate Yearly Progress and have the
lowest School Performance Profile scores in the state
The above are only a handful of injustices facing our local
taxpayers. While there are worthy charter schools, examples such as PA Cyber
magnify what is wrong with the system. Their excess is sickening when we
consider that our administration has been forced to produce a budget that
requires them to cut staff and programs.
The above arguments are stated without specific numbers, but those exist
in every surrounding community.
The average attendance at PA Cyber by New Brighton students is 23 individuals. The
total payment by New Brighton
for 2013-14 school year was $223,716.
The cost per pupil for regular education is $9,561.55, and the
cost per pupil for special education is $17,567.47. This is a huge financial
burden to a distressed local tax base.
Our administration and board of directors have to make serious
decisions regarding staff and programs to meet a balanced budget, a budget that
is being distressed by the financial burden placed on us by cyber schools that
have a $40 million surplus.
Related prior postings…..
Do your taxpayers know how much your
district is spending on cyber charter tuition and how your district's SPP
scores compare with Pennsylvania
PA Cyber Charter PSSA AYP 2005 - 2012 from PDE
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/11/pa-cyber-charter-pssa-ayp-2007-2011.html
Did you catch our weekend postings?
An
out-of-the-box solution to Pennsylvania
The HISTORY
OF SCHOOL FUNDING IN PENNSYLVANIA
The PENNSYLVANIA
WRITTEN BY JANICE BISSETT & ARNOLD
HILLMAN
Legislature to examine school
funding — again
By Laura Olson and Steve
Esack, Of The Morning Call 9:35 p.m. EDT, July 26, 2014
The state Legislature is set to take another crack at fixing
its public school funding formula via the newly created Basic Education Funding
Commission. But if recent history is a
guide, whatever the commission comes up with will be virtually worthless
because various special interests will fight its recommendations. The commission was set up Thursday and will
be co-chaired by Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, and Rep. Mike Vereb, R-Montgomery. It was established under a bill sponsored by
Rep. Bernie O'Neill, R-Bucks, that Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law. O'Neill based the
legislation, known as Act 51 of 2014, on the Special Education Funding
Commission that he and Browne created last year.
Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-pa-politics-as-usual-0727-20140726,0,640302.story#ixzz38fUahA1S
State panel to explore school
funding formula
PhillyTrib Written by Wilford
Shamlin III July 26, 2014
A panel has been commissioned to study the idea of implementing
a new formula for distributing state funding more fairly between Pennsylvania ’s 500
public school districts. Republican
state Sen. Pat Browne and Republican state Rep. Mike Vereb were elected
co-chairs of the 15-member Basic Education Funding Commission at its inaugural
meeting on Thursday.
The commission will hear testimony for the first time at its
next meeting, scheduled Aug. 20 in the State Capitol in Harrisburg .
The new formula will take into account relative wealth, local
tax effort, geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support as
well as other factors, Vereb said in a news release. “In a single word, this commission is about
fairness,” the state representative stated. “I want to work to establish
fairness so that students in every area of Pennsylvania have access to a quality
education.” Browne added, “We are
looking to develop realistic parameters that will ensure that every school
district receives the funding required to properly provide a high-quality
education to its students.”
WHYY Newsworks BY MARY
WILSON JULY 26, 2014
A recently established panel to devise a new way of
distributing state funding to Pennsylvania
public schools is about ready to get to work.
At a brief organizational meeting, members hastened to call the
commission historical. In a way, it is.
Advocates have been calling for more education money since
2011, when schools saw cuts to overall spending. That was also the same year lawmakers
scrapped a 3-year-old formula of divvying up money among schools. For those reasons, the commission comes at a
critical point for public schools,said Rep. James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia. "What perhaps suggests historical
importance is that it seems to me that we're at crisis point in education in Pennsylvania and we've
got to make some fairly basic, fundamental decisions on where we go," he
said. "So that, perhaps, gives this commission potentially a more
important role going forward."
Wolf: Wealthy should pay more
to cut school taxes
WHYYY Newsworks BY PETER
JACKSON AND MARC LEVY, ASSOCIATED PRESS JULY 27, 2014
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf says he'd look to
increase income taxes on Pennsylvania 's
higher earners to expand the state's share of public education funding.
In an interview with a panel of Associated Press reporters and
editors Friday afternoon, Wolf says he'd tie the increase to a
dollar-for-dollar reduction in local property taxes levied by school boards. Wolf's goal would be to raise the state's
share of public school costs to 50 percent. That's a shift of several billion
dollars a year. It currently pays about one-third, while property taxes
shoulder more than 40 percent.
"Touring
Delaware County ,
he pointed to the Rose
Tree Media
School District
West Chester Daily
Local By EVAN BRANDT, ebrandt@21st-centurymedia.com
POSTED: 07/26/14, 7:58 PM EDT | UPDATED: 3 HRS AGO
Gov. Tom Corbett said he is open to using a task force to find
the best way out of the ever-deepening public pension hole in which Pennsylvania finds
itself. His comment, which came during a
Thursday conference call with Digital First Media journalists, comes just three
days after Moody’s Investor Service downgraded the Commonwealth’s bond rating
citing, in part, Pennsylvania ’s
“growing pension liabilities.”
Corbett attempted without success to force the Legislature to
return to Harrisburg
and address the growing pension crisis by delaying signing of the $29.1 billion
budget and using a line-item veto to cut 20 percent of the Legislature’s
operating budget. Since signing the
budget, he has been touring the state campaign-style, linking the pension issue
to rising school property taxes. On Thursday, he was in southeastern Pennsylvania . “Each school district in Pennsylvania is facing a significant issue
with pension costs,” Corbett said.
While Pa. dallies, other
states embrace pension reform: The Sunday Brunch
By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com on July 27, 2014 at 8:54 AM, updated July 27,
2014 at 9:19 AM
Good Sunday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
If you've been paying attention to the headlines this summer, you might have noticed Republican Gov. Tom Corbett has been Energizer Bunny-ing his way across the state -- both to win re-election and to employ what's left of his bully pulpit to get state lawmakers to do something about the state's $50 billion or so pension mess. Lawmakers, you also might have noticed, have not exactly been in a rush to return toHarrisburg . This, we assume, has something to do with
their pressing interest in making sure they tan evenly on both sides and can
make it all the way through that new ScarJo movie about the lady who
uses more of her brain than they do on an avarage day. But, other states, facing similarly ginormous
pension bubbles, other states have actually,y'know, passed legislation and stuff to address rising pension costs. And,
to the amazement of all concerned, they've actually worked.
If you've been paying attention to the headlines this summer, you might have noticed Republican Gov. Tom Corbett has been Energizer Bunny-ing his way across the state -- both to win re-election and to employ what's left of his bully pulpit to get state lawmakers to do something about the state's $50 billion or so pension mess. Lawmakers, you also might have noticed, have not exactly been in a rush to return to
Pew Charitable Trusts pension
project has advice for Pa.
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 07/25/14,
4:46 PM EDT | UPDATED: 12 SECS AGO
According to the Public
Sector Retirement Systems project of the Pew Charitable Trusts, nationwide,
total debt facing state pension plans is $915 billion.
“Only 15 states have consistently made at least 95 percent of
the full actuarially required contributions for their pension plans from 2010
through 2012; the remaining 35 states (including Pennsylvania) fell short in at
least one year,” according to the project website.
And since last fall, the director of that project, Greg Mennis,
has been trying to help Pennsylvania
solve its pension problems.
"The records produced included a work
calendar showing weeks with little or no activity (explore it below or click here), phone logs averaging barely over a phone call
a day over 12 months and a total of five emails produced by Mr. Tomalis. The
state was not able to provide any reimbursement records suggesting Mr. Tomalis
traveled the state in support of his work."
Role remains ambiguous for
Tom Corbett's higher education adviser, Ron Tomalis
By Bill Schackner and Mary Niederberger / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 27, 2014 12:00
AM
When Ron Tomalis stepped aside as state education secretary 14
months ago, he landed what seemed like a full-time assignment in a state
struggling to boost college access and curb ever-rising tuition prices. As special adviser to Gov. Tom Corbett for
higher education, Mr. Tomalis was tasked with "overseeing, implementing
and reviewing" the recommendations made by the Governor's Advisory
Commission on Postsecondary Education.
Despite the state's fiscal crisis, the former secretary was
allowed to keep his Cabinet-level salary of $139,542 plus benefits and --
initially, at least -- work from home. At the time, state Department of
Education spokesman Tim Eller explained that the newly created job did not
require an office, and Mr. Tomalis "is a professional and doesn't need to
'check in' each day."
Now, more than a year later, records obtained by the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette through requests under the state Right-to-Know Law raise questions
about how much time the governor's office required Mr. Tomalis to spend on
those duties.
By Rudy Miller
| The Express-Times on July 27, 2014 at 12:30 PM, updated July
27, 2014 at 5:18 PM
The Strong
Foundations Charter
School
Inquirer Editorial: Teachers
drop out, too
POSTED: Sunday, July 27, 2014, 1:09 AM
Teaching is hard. No wonder 13 percent of the nation's 3.4
million public school teachers either change schools or quit the profession
every year. Understanding the difficulties urban teachers face, many believe
those educators in particular aren't paid enough for all they do. That sympathy
has helped dampen criticism of Philadelphia
teachers' refusal to agree to contract concessions.
The estimated teacher attrition rate in U.S. schools
has doubled in 15 years. In some urban districts, teacher and student dropout
rates are almost identical. Both new and veteran teachers are leaving - among
them Maria Ciancetta, who quit in June after seven years as a Philadelphia teacher.
Reading program hopes to help
Philly kids give 'summer slide' the slip
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN
MCCORRY JULY 28, 2014
Education experts have long advocated for parents to keep their
kids engaged in learning over the summer – when skills picked up during the
school year can get rusty.
That "summer slide" can be especially tough on
students from families who can't afford quality summer programs. To combat this
loss, state Sen. Vincent Hughes has organized the Save Our Skills summer
reading program – a free, four week summer literacy program where students
receive a free breakfast and lunch while sharpening their reading skills with
certified teachers.
Program sponsors include the Philadelphia Eagles, the Free
Library of Philadelphia, the Children's Literacy Group, Treehouse Books, and
the Philadelphia School District
EPLC Education Issues
Workshop for Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff, and Interested Voters - Harrisburg
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.
Bucks Lehigh
EduSummit Monday Aug 11th and Tuesday Aug 12th
Location: Southern Lehigh High School5800 Main Street , Center Valley , PA
18034
Time: 8 AM - 3 PM Each Day(Registration starts at 7:30 AM. Keynote starts at 8:00 AM.)
Location: Southern Lehigh High School
Time: 8 AM - 3 PM Each Day(Registration starts at 7:30 AM. Keynote starts at 8:00 AM.)
The Bucks Lehigh EduSummit is a
collaboratively organized and facilitated two day professional learning
experience coordinated by educators in the Quakertown Community School District , Palisades School District, Salisbury
Township School District, Southern Lehigh School District, Bucks County IU, and Carbon Lehigh IU, which are all located in
northern Bucks county and southern Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Teachers in
other neighboring districts are welcome to attend as well! The purpose of the
EduSummit is to collaborate, connect, share, and learn together for the benefit
of our kids. Focus areas include: Educational Technology, PA Core, Social
Media, Best Practices, etc.
http://buckslehighedusummit2014.wikispaces.com/Home
http://buckslehighedusummit2014.wikispaces.com/Home
Educational Collaborators
Pennsylvania Summit Aug. 13-14
The Educational Collaborators, in partnership with the Wilson School
District
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