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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for
September 9, 2014:
Gov. Corbett : "Common Core
...nothing more than Obamacare for education"
BASIC EDUCATION FUNDING COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 10:00 AM
(public hearing on education economics and basic education funding)
Parkland School District Administrative Bldg. 1210 Springhouse Rd.
Allentown, PA
Concerned with adequate, equitable,
predictable, sustainable #paedfunding? Follow
new @PACircuitRider and @CircuitRiderSE accounts on
twitter
BASIC EDUCATION
FUNDING COMMISSION TO HOLD LEHIGH VALLEY HEARING
Senator Pat Browne's website September
8, 2014
WHAT:
The Basic Education Funding Commission will hold its
second hearing to discuss state education funding.
WHO:
The 15-member Basic Education Funding Commission, led by co-chairs Senator Pat
Browne and Representative Mike Vereb.
Those scheduled to testify include:
·
Marguerite Roza,
Director of Edunomics Lab and Research Associate Professor at Georgetown University
·
Dr. Mary Anne
Wright, Superintendent of Northwestern Lehigh School District
·
Dr. Russ Mayo,
Superintendent of Allentown
School District
·
Mr. Michael
Faccinetto, School Board President for Bethlehem Area
School District
·
Mrs. Roberta Marcus,
School Board President for Parkland
School District
WHEN:
September 9, 2014 at 10 a.m.
WHERE:
Parkland School District
Administration Building 1210
Springhouse Road , Allentown , PA
Note: We invite the media
to attend and cover this event.
Contact:
Vicki Wilken (Senator Browne) vwilken@pasen.gov – 717-787-1349
Dan Massing (Representative
Vereb) dmassing@pahousegop.com –
717-772-9845
Tim Eller (Secretary
Dumaresq) tieller@pa.gov –
717-783-9802
"The Pennsylvania School Lehigh Valley
The association is hosting several of these
sessions and plans to submit the information gathered as testimony to the
commission."
By Sara K.
Satullo | The Express-Times on September 08, 2014 at 9:15 PM
The state's Basic Education Funding
Commission is coming to the Lehigh
Valley Pennsylvania
Ahead of the 10 a.m. public hearing
at the Parkland
School District, Lehigh Valley educators gathered at Broughal
Middle School today to discuss the issues facing them….Today, school
leaders discussed the unique challenges facing the region's urban, suburban and
rural districts.
School
districts struggle as pension, charter school costs drain resources
The numbers tell a story.
Pensions and charter schools will
cost Conestoga Valley
In its 2004-05 budget, CV spent
about $850,000 on contributions to employee pension plans. In its 2014-15
budget, that number has grown to more than $5.9 million.
In its 2004-05 budget, the district
spent close to $183,000 on charter school costs. In its 2014-15 budget, that
amount has bloated to more than $900,000.
But the expenses are unavoidable,
and it’s happening at every school district in the state.
Business managers, administrators
and school board members have struggled to piece together balanced budgets the
past few years. The result in many cases has been program cuts, staff layoffs,
larger classrooms and a lot of cash-strapped taxpayers.
District budget meetings have
become somewhat contentious during that time, often drawing large crowds filled
with residents eager to offer feedback. And one popular message is that
districts need to tighten their belts and live within their means.
The response from school officials
is usually the same. They say that most big spending increases are beyond their
control. An examination of those budget
items over the past 10 years at several school districts in Lancaster County
"State funds cover only about 35
percent of school costs, according
to the Pennsylvania Association of School Boards, while the average in
other states is about 44 percent. Back in the mid-1970s, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
schools are desperate for pension relief: Editorial
By PennLive Editorial
Board on September 08, 2014 at 11:07 AM, updated September 08,
2014 at 12:45 PM
Just how desperate are Pennsylvania Central
Dauphin School
District Susquehanna
River reversing course and flowing north. But the call for such an unlikely source of
relief speaks to the enormous financial pressures facing Pennsylvania
By Marijon Shearer |
Special to PennLive on September 08, 2014 at 8:45 AM,
At its regular meeting tonight --
Monday, September 9 -- Central Dauphin School Board will consider a new tax
proposal presented to the board in August by a member of the Carlisle Area
School Board. Carlisle board member Tim
Potts told the Central Dauphin School Board Aug. 4 that a state tax on
financial transactions such as stock purchases offers a powerful alternative to
property taxes for school districts facing pension funding crises. As proposed, the tax would be temporary and
dedicated exclusively to solving school districts' pension shortfalls.
Potts urged the Central Dauphin
board to pass a resolution asking state legislators to call for a study of the
proposal by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.
PA Supreme Court
to hear arguments that city school district broke Pa.
MARTHA
WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER MARTHA.WOODALL@PHILLYNEWS.COM September 8, 2014, 5:18 PM
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is
set to hear oral arguments Tuesday in a charter school case that has raised
grave concerns among Philadelphia
School District
The West Philadelphia
Achievement Charter
Elementary School
"Common Core has become nothing more
than a top-down takeover of the education system. It is nothing more than
Obamacare for education," said Corbett, a Republican facing a tough re-election
battle."
Is Corbett
doing an about-face on state's Common Core?
By Steve
Esack,Call Harrisburg
“Though Common Core began as a state-led
initiative to ensure our public schools met the educational standards needed in
the 21st century economy, the process has been overly influenced by the
federal government,” Gov. Corbett said. “Common Core has become nothing
more than a top-down takeover of the education system. It is nothing more
than Obamacare for education.”
Governor Corbett Calls on State Board of Education to Conduct a Public Review of Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards
Governor Corbett Calls on State Board of Education to Conduct a Public Review of Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards
PDE Press Release September 08,
2014
Harrisburg – Gov. Corbett today announced that he has asked for a continued public review of Pennsylvania-specific academic content in English language arts and mathematics standards from Kindergarten through 12th grade. This is the final phase in his nearly three year effort to permanently roll back the national Common Core plan implemented by his predecessor, Gov. Ed Rendell. “Though Common Core began as a state-led initiative to ensure our public schools met the educational standards needed in the 21st century economy, the process has been overly influenced by the federal government,” Gov. Corbett said. “Common Core has become nothing more than a top-down takeover of the education system. It is nothing more than Obamacare for education.” Under Corbett’s leadership, the State Board has been working toward the repeal of the national Common Core State Standards that were adopted in July 2010 under Gov. Rendell, and replace them with standards that are specific toPennsylvania
Harrisburg – Gov. Corbett today announced that he has asked for a continued public review of Pennsylvania-specific academic content in English language arts and mathematics standards from Kindergarten through 12th grade. This is the final phase in his nearly three year effort to permanently roll back the national Common Core plan implemented by his predecessor, Gov. Ed Rendell. “Though Common Core began as a state-led initiative to ensure our public schools met the educational standards needed in the 21st century economy, the process has been overly influenced by the federal government,” Gov. Corbett said. “Common Core has become nothing more than a top-down takeover of the education system. It is nothing more than Obamacare for education.” Under Corbett’s leadership, the State Board has been working toward the repeal of the national Common Core State Standards that were adopted in July 2010 under Gov. Rendell, and replace them with standards that are specific to
Reps. Aument, Grove Puzzled by Governor’s Decision to Muddle
Implementation of His Own State-Specific Education Standards
Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus website 9/8/2014
HARRISBURG – As strong advocates for the state-developed
Pennsylvania Academic Standards, state Reps. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) and Seth
Grove (R-York) today issued the following statement in response to Gov. Tom
Corbett’s call for public review of state academic standards: “We are frustrated and confused by Governor Corbett’s incongruous
decision to conduct a public review of Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards, which
were developed by his administration to remove Pennsylvania from the grasp of
the national Common Core Standards and supported by the General Assembly. We
are extremely disappointed the Corbett administration is considering reversing
its own policy and opting to further convolute public understanding of our
statewide academic standards. As a result, we have lost total confidence in
this administration’s ability to manage implementation of these state-specific
academic standards.
Corbett's
school hearings draw fire
In a statement Monday, state Rep.
Seth Grove, R-Dover
Township R-Lancaster County ,
came after the governor called for public hearings about the state's newly
implemented core standards in public schools, which set up common academic
standards for all Pennsylvania
Aument puzzled
by Corbett's decision 'to muddle' implementation of Common Core
Ryan Aument says he’s confused by
Gov. Tom Corbett’s decision to review Common Core and has lost total confidence
in this administration’s ability to implement these state-specific academic
standards. The Landisville lawmaker
authored a letter Monday with the help of his colleague Seth Grove, a York
County Republican, responding to the governor’s request earlier in the day that
the State Board of Education hold immediate statewide hearings to review
content in language arts and mathematics.
Philly
education advocates, kids press for more Pa.
WHYY Newsworks BY HOLLY OTTERBEIN SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
As Philadelphia
students returned to school Monday, children's advocates rebuked Gov. Tom
Corbett for not spending more on education at a rally outside his Center City
The city's public schools are
opening with a scarcity of guidance counselors, nurses and funding for
supplies. The students themselves
couldn't attend the protest, of course, but that doesn't mean their voices
weren't heard. Activists and elected officials read excerpts from letters that
students wrote to Corbett. "Dear
Gov. Corbett," read Patricia West of the nonprofit Public Citizens for
Children and Youth, "it's horrible that because of these budget cuts, our
counselors and secretaries will be put out of a job. Please reconsider the
budget. By taking away our art and music, you are taking away what makes us
special."
Casey, nurses
stress need for health professionals in schools
WHYY Newsworks BY TAUNYA ENGLISH SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
With the deaths of two Philadelphia Philadelphia School District
Casey gathered health workers at 30th Street Pennsylvania
DN Editorial:
GOOD SCHOOL NEWS. REALLY: Violence is down, innovation up. And there is such a
thing as a free lunch.
POSTED: Tuesday, September 9,
2014, 3:01 AM
WITH Philadelphia
No Philadelphia
"Pittsburgh Public Schools in February
denied Provident's application to open a school in the city. Organizers on
Monday said they are challenging the decision with the State Charter
School
Charter school
planned for former North Catholic building seeks state OK
Trib Live By Tory
N. Parrish Monday, Sept. 8, 2014, 1:39 p.m.
Curtis Kossman sends his daughter, 16, to Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel for $28,300 a year to get support for her dyslexia. His son, 13, also has dyslexia and attends The Gow School, a boarding school nearBuffalo , N.Y.
Curtis Kossman sends his daughter, 16, to Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel for $28,300 a year to get support for her dyslexia. His son, 13, also has dyslexia and attends The Gow School, a boarding school near
“So, yes, I count myself lucky to
be able to afford to send my son to a dedicated school, as well as my
daughter,” said Kossman, who has the learning disorder that affects reading
ability. He's leading a group trying to bring the first dedicated public school
for dyslexic children to Western Pennsylvania . Kossman and other organizers want the
proposed Provident Charter School
for Children with Dyslexia to open in the former North Catholic
High School
"Consumed by the urgency to raise
students’ reading scores, policy makers and school officials have forgotten
that children learn to read by reading. Acquiring the habit of turning to books
for pleasure or to find out what you want to know does more for reading
development than working on decoding words or trying to speed up fluency.
Although, ideally, a fondness for books starts at home, reading can become a
habit through opportunities to read self-chosen books at school."
Why kids should
choose their own books to read in school
At one time many public schools
gave students time to read books of their own choosing, an activity based on
the common-sense theory that kids will read what interests them, and that kids
who can choose what they read will learn to enjoying reading, and, hence, read
more. Unfortunately, many schools no longer let students choose any of the
materials that they read. Why this is a problem is explained in this post by Joanne
Yatvin, a one time Principal of the Year in Wisconsin
Legal Feud Over
K-12 Aid Continues in Washington
State
Education Week By Andrew
Ujifusa Published Online: September 8, 2014
Tensions continue in Washington
Neither side disputes that state
lawmakers have failed to live up to the demands made by the Washington Supreme
Court in its McCleary v. State
of Washington ruling, which found the state has failed to meet its
constitutional obligation to "make ample provision" to fund schools.
But it remains unclear whether any
subsequent contempt finding by the court—or the threat of court-imposed
budgetary penalties—would speed or hinder legislative action when the 2015
session gets underway. At a
contempt-of-court hearing last week, it appeared that the justices might have
run out of patience with the state and were mulling specific sanctions over
lawmakers' inability to present a long-term plan to boost education spending to
the court's satisfaction.
Anti-testing
movement growing, finding success around country
A new report on growing resistance
to high-stakes standardized testing around the country finds that the movement
is growing and meeting some success in numerous states where officials have
decided to cut back on the numbers of tests students must take and/or the
consequences for students and educators.
The report, titled “Testing Reform Victories: The First Wave,” was done
by the National Center for Fair &
Open Testing (FairTest), a non-profit which has for many years worked
to end the overuse and abuse of standardized tests. The author, Lisa Guisbond,
took a national look at how states are responding to growing resistance from
students, teachers, parents, principals, superintendents and others. She found,
among other things:
Save Camden
Schools files legal challenge over charters
WHYY Newsworks BY JOHN MOONEY, NJ SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER
8, 2014
Unlike their compatriots in Newark , Jersey City , and
Paterson, Camden
But that relatively peaceful state
of affairs may be changing.
A fledgling group of parents and
activists -- with the assistance of prominent statewide groups -- has filed the
first legal challenge since the takeover. Its target: state approval of two
charter networks that plan to open 11 new schools in the district over the next
decade.
Education
at a Glance 2014 OECD Indicators
The Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development
This annual publication is the
authoritative source for accurate and relevant information on the state of
education around the world. Featuring
more than 150 charts, 300 tables, and over 100 000 figures, it provides data on
the structure, finances, and performance of education systems in the OECD’s 34
member countries, as well as a number of partner countries.
It results from a long-standing,
collaborative effort between OECD governments, the experts and institutions
working within the framework of the OECD Indicators of
Education Systems (INES) programme and the OECD Secretariat.
Please join us for a symposium
on:
“Funding
Pennsylvania's Public Schools: A Look Ahead”
This event is co-sponsored by the
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics and the Temple University
Center
When: Friday, October 3, 2014, 8:30 am to 12 pm
Where: Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh in Green Tree, PA
Session I:
"Forecasting the Fiscal Future of Pennsylvania's Public
Schools"
A panel of legislators and public
officials will respond to a presentation by Penn State Professor William Hartman
and Tim Shrom projecting the fiscal trajectory of Pennsylvania’s 500 school
districts over the next five years and by University of Pittsburgh Professor
Maureen McClure discussing the implications for school finance of an aging tax
base.
Session II: "Why Smart
Investments in Public Schools Are Critical to Pennsylvania's Economic
Future"
Following an address by Eva Tansky
Blum, Chairwoman and President of the PNC Foundation, a panel of business
and labor leaders will discuss the importance of public school funding
reform to the competitiveness of regional and state economies.
We look forward to your
participation!
Back to School
Special Education Boot Camp Saturday, September 20, 2014 8:30 A.M.- 3:00 P.M.
Public Interest Law Center of
Philadelphia
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin
Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103
Join presenters from: Temple University · McAndrews Law
Offices · ARC
PA Education for All Coalition · Delaware
Valley Friends School
PA Dyslexia and Literacy Coalition
Attend workshops on: Early
Intervention · Dyslexia · Discipline · Charter
Schools
Inclusion · Transition
Services
Details and Registration: http://bit.ly/1nSstB7
Education Law
Center Celebrating Education Champions 2014
On September 17, 2014 the Education
Law Center will hold its annual event at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker
Building to celebrate Pennsylvania’s Education Champions. This year, the event
will honor William P. Fedullo, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association;
Dr. Joan Duvall-Flynn, Education Committee Chair for the Pennsylvania State
Conference of NAACP Branches; and the Stoneleigh Foundation, a Philadelphia
regional leader on at-risk youth issues.
Pennsylvania Arts Education
Network 2014 Arts and Education Symposium
The 2014 Arts and Education Symposium will be
held on Thursday, October 2 at the State Museum
of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA. Join us for a daylong convening of
arts education policy leaders and practitioners for lively discussions about
the latest news from the field.
The Symposium registration fee is $45 per person.
To register, click
here or follow the prompts at the bottom of the page. The Symposium will include the following:
Register Now – 2014 PAESSP
State Conference – October 19-21, 2014
Please join us for the 2014 PAESSP State Conference, “PRINCIPAL
EFFECTIVENESS: Leading Schools in a New Age of Accountability,” to be
held October 19-21 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Pittsburgh,
Pa. Featuring Keynote Speakers: Alan
November, Michael Fullan & Dr. Ray Jorgensen. This year’s conference will provided PIL
Act 45 hours, numerous workshops, exhibits, multiple resources and an
opportunity to network with fellow principals from across the state.
PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference (Oct. 21-24) registration forms now available online
PSBA Website
PSBA Website
Make plans today to attend the most talked about education
conference of the year. This year's PASA-PSBA
School Leadership Conference promises to be one of the best with new
ideas, innovations, networking opportunities and dynamic speakers. More details
are being added every day. Online registration will be available in the
next few weeks. If you just can't wait, registration
forms are available online now. Other important links are available
with more details on:
·
Hotel
registration (reservation deadline extended to Sept. 26)
·
Educational
Publications Contest (deadline Aug. 6)
·
Student
Celebration Showcase (deadline Sept. 19)
·
Poster
and Essay Contest (deadline Sept. 19)
Voting for PSBA officers
and at-large representatives opens Sept. 9
PSBA Website 9/8/2014
The slate of candidates for 2015 PSBA officer and at-large
representatives is available online. Photos, bios and
videos also have been posted for candidates. According to recent PSBA
Bylaws changes, each member school entity casts one vote per office. Voting
will again take place online through a secure, third-party website -- Simply
Voting. Voting will open Sept. 9 and closes Oct. 6. One person from the school
entity (usually the board secretary) is authorized to register the vote on
behalf of the member school entity and each board will need to put on its
agenda discussion and voting at one of its meetings in September. Each person
authorized to cast the school entity's votes received an email on Aug. 13 and a
test ballot was sent to them on Aug. 28. In addition, a memo from PSBA
President Richard Frerichs will be mailed in the coming days to all board
secretaries and copied to school board presidents and chief school
administrators.
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