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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for December
3, 2014:
While 11 other states provide a hold
harmless guarantee to school districts, no other state in the nation also
guarantees districts with declining enrollment a share of new education
revenues, as is the practice in the Commonwealth
Upcoming PA Basic Education Funding Commission Public
Hearings
Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 10 AM East Stroudsburg; Carl T. Secor
Administration Bldg., 50 Vine Street, East Stroudsburg Area School District
Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 10 AM - 12:00 PM Lancaster; location TBA
* meeting times and locations subject to change
* meeting times and locations subject to change
Today in the
Capitol by PLS Reporter
Press Conference 2:00 p.m., Capitol Media Center
Budget Secretary Zogby to Give
Mid-Year Budget Briefing
BEFC: Education leaders to
speak on school tax hearing in East Stroudsburg
on Thursday
Pocono Record Posted Dec. 2, 2014 @ 2:01 am
Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-189, will host a hearing with the Basic Education Funding Commission to discussPennsylvania ’s
basic education funding formula. Members of the community are invited to join
the commission and panel of area educators 10 a.m. to noon on Dec. 4 at the
Carl T. Secor Administrative Center, located at 50 Vine St., East Stroudsburg. “The funding formula that dictates the
dollars we receive from the state is an integral piece of our school tax
issue,” Brown explained. “Having the commission here to understand how this
formula has negatively impacted us, and how we must have it corrected, is truly
significant in working toward fixing our tax problem.” The commission has agreed to hold a hearing
with area educators to gather testimony and information from local advocates
and experts in the field before making its recommendations to the legislature.
The panel will include:
Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-189, will host a hearing with the Basic Education Funding Commission to discuss
"This brief looks at the policies
toward hold harmless education funding in the 50 states finding that while 11
other states provide a hold harmless guarantee to school districts, no other
state in the nation also guarantees districts with declining enrollment a share
of new education revenues, as is the practice in the Commonwealth. In
other words, whatever new money is put into the basic education subsidy, even
if a district is losing student population, that district is guaranteed a
portion of those new dollars."
As part of the University Consortium to Improve Public School Finance and Promote
Economic Growth, CORP released a Policy Brief on “Hold Harmless Education Finance Policies in the U.S.:
A Survey.” This brief looks at the policies toward hold
harmless education funding in the 50 states finding that while 11 other states
provide a hold harmless guarantee to school districts, no other state in the
nation also guarantees districts with declining enrollment a share of new
education revenues, as is the practice in the Commonwealth. In other
words, whatever new money is put into the basic education subsidy, even if a
district is losing student population, that district is guaranteed a portion of
those new dollars.
Waiting for details about
Wolf’s plan for education
the notebook print edition December 2014 By Dale
Mezzacappa
During the governor's race, then-candidate Tom Wolf discussed
education issues at WHYY.
A new governor will take office Jan. 20, with significant, but
as yet unknown, implications for education policy in Philadelphia
and around Pennsylvania . On Nov. 4, Democrat Tom Wolf swept into
office, unseating Republican incumbent Gov. Corbett on a tide of anger about
state and federal aid reductions that forced school districts to slash spending
statewide. It was the first time in more than 40 years that a sitting governor
in Pennsylvania
lost a second term.
In the campaign, Wolf promised to raise income taxes on the
wealthy and impose a levy on natural gas extraction so he could increase state
education spending, reduce the burden on local property taxes, and improve
schools. He also came out in favor of abolishing Philadelphia ’s School Reform Commission and
returning the District to local control.
But as of mid-November, he had said little about what he intends to do
as governor about education, and certainly nothing about Philadelphia and the SRC, even as key
constituencies that supported him – most prominently the teachers’ union –
continue to press for an elected Board of Education.
PA-Gov: Tom Wolf Transition
Team Announces Budget Sticking Points
PoliticsPA Written by
Lora Strum, Contributing Writer December 2, 2014
Governor-Elect Tom Wolf’s team is laying the groundwork for a
strategy to blame their predecessor for the state’s financial condition. Tomorrow Charles Zogby, Budget Secretary for
the Corbett Administration, will deliver the mid-year budget outline and the
incoming Governor wants to set the terms of the debate beforehand. For example, Wolf’s transition team points to
a statement Secretary Zogby made last summer.
“I would never have guessed that our Year Four budget would be more
difficult than what we faced in Year One,” he said. “But that’s where we are
today.” Additionally, Governor-elect Tom
Wolf and the chair and vice-chair of his Transition Team’s budgetary task
force, Mary Soderberg and Jason Shapiro respectively, identified four key areas
that they feel “illustrate the depth of the fiscal hole” the Wolf
Administration will inherit.
Delco Times Editorial: Wolf
faces daunting task in Harrisburg
Delco Times POSTED: 12/02/14, 10:13 PM EST |
They’re not exactly putting out the welcome wagon for Tom Wolf
in Harrisburg .
You might remember that while Democrats were celebrating
victory in the governor’s race, in the process making a little history by
turning out incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, it was a decidedly rare
breed. Democrats statewide did not fare
well on election day. In fact, Republicans expanded their margins in both the
House and Senate. The election of Republican Tom McGarrigle in Delco’s hotly
contested 26th state Senate district was part of the GOP tsunami that took
place in both Pennsylvania
and across the nation. Instead of Dems gaining ground in the Senate, they
actually lost three seats, with Republicans now holding a 30-20 margin. It was
the same story in the House, where Republicans also expanded their majority.
After his convincing victory, Wolf talked about reaching across
the aisle and working with Republicans. He’s about to learn just what that
means. Not only did the Legislature get more Republican, it also took a turn
toward the more conservative side.
"Orr said she's been talking to
district solicitors since the petition was filed. Orr said she couldn't go into
detail about the discussion, but she said she's hoping there is an opportunity
to oppose the state in court. "We're
not just taking this lying down," Orr said.
A decision to approve receivership would
make York City
the third district in the state to have receivers, joining Duquesne City
and Chester Upland
York City, however, is the only district
facing a full conversion to charter schools, Eller confirmed Tuesday."
Hearing on fate of York City
ERIN JAMES / The York Dispatch 505-5439 / @ydcity 12/02/2014 03:47:28 PM EST
A York County judge will oversee a hearing Thursday on the
fate of the York City School District
The 2:30 p.m. hearing will address a petition filed Monday by
the state, which is seeking the court's approval to appoint a receiver for the
district. If the judge agrees, the
receiver would assume all responsibilities currently held by the local school
board - except the ability to set the property-tax rate. Attorneys for the district are also scheduled
to appear, according to President Judge Stephen Linebaugh's order. State law requires the judge to issue a
decision within 10 days of the hearing. State
Department of Education spokesman Tim Eller said the hearing "will not be
a review of the merits of the petition, nor will testimony be taken."
"It's my understanding that it's just for procedural
issues," Eller wrote in an email.
State needs a rational fix
for its method of funding charter students with disabilities
the notebook print edition December 2014 By David
Lapp
Rather than basing charter tuition on what the charter spends
or needs, the calculation is based on what the charter’s authorizing district
spends on its own students with disabilities. That total expenditure is then
divided by 16 percent of the district’s student population. The assumption is
that since 16 percent is roughly the average percentage of students with
disabilities in the commonwealth, it is a close enough estimation to use in the
calculation for all districts.
When school districts serve more than 16 percent, such as
Chester Upland, which serves approximately 24 percent, the total expenditure is
still divided by only 16 percent of the student population rather than 24
percent of students. The resulting quotient leads to a “per-pupil” tuition rate
that is inaccurately high.
40 Philly charter applicants
ready for Round 1
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY
NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5903 POSTED: Wednesday,
December 3, 2014, 3:01 AM
PUBLIC HEARINGS on 40 new charter-school applications will
begin Monday, the Philadelphia
School District
The double standard charter
supporters apply when judging school quality
the notebook By Susan DeJarnatt on Dec 2, 2014 02:41 PM
Charter school supporter Janine Yass, a founder of Boys Latin
Charter School
Yass and Gleason say they’re for “school choice,” but when you
dig deeper, it seems they only support the choices they agree with. They’re for
choice when parents choose charters, but never when parents choose traditional
public schools.
The Philadelphia
School District Philadelphia School District Philadelphia
parents, especially those in the most disadvantaged circumstances.
For those of you who may be playing along
at home, Joe Watkins, the receiver at Chester Upland, was previously the
Executive Director at the Students FIrst PAC (no, not Michelle Rhee's Students
First) a pro voucher advocacy group funded by the principles at the Susquehanna
International Group in Bala Cynwyd, Jeffrey Yass, Arthur Dantchick and Joel
Greenberg. They gave Senator Anthony
Williams a few million bucks to run for governor four years ago and pitched in
$750K to support school privatization candidates in Pennsylvania
Janine Yass, mentioned in the lead of the
prior posting, is Jeff's spouse.
Thursday hearing scheduled to
consider Watkins’ future with Chester Upland School District
By Vince Sullivan, Delaware
County Daily
MEDIA COURTHOUSE >> A hearing to consider the state
Secretary of Education’s request to remove the receiver of the Chester Upland
School District is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. County President Judge Chad
Kenney will preside over the hearing, as he has for previous proceedings
related to the district’s financial distress.
Joseph Watkins was appointed first as the Chief Recovery
Officer for the unstable district in August 2012 at the behest of
then-Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis. After the elected members of the
Chester Upland School Board declined to approve Watkins’ financial recovery
plan, Tomalis placed the district in receivership and Kenney affirmed Watkins’
appointment as the district receiver in December 2012.
WHYY Newsworks DAVE DAVIES OFF MIC A BLOG BY DAVE DAVIES DECEMBER 2, 2014
Just seven weeks before he leaves office, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
Corbett's education department is asking a judge to remove the man it appointed
two years ago to fix the troubled Chester
Upland School
District Delaware
County
At Chester
KATHY BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, December 3,
2014, 1:08 AM POSTED: Tuesday, December 2, 2014, 8:56 PM
The lesson for the day was about rhythm, but first-grade
teacher Mindy Nguyen wasn't using music alone to impart the concept. Nguyen read a poem and showed a painting
depicting life in a city, then fired probing questions at the 21 youngsters
sitting on the floor around her.
Can you hear how the city sounds? What feeling does it give
you? What does the color red in the painting tell you about the city? If they didn't quite get the connections she
was trying to make about rhythm, they were learning a slew of new vocabulary
words and an important educational lesson: Art is more than just pretty
pictures.
A public school in Chestnut
Hill courts the locals
KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Wednesday, December 3, 2014, 1:07 AM
he school formerly known as J.S. Jenks Elementary may not have
a generous budget, a large staff, or a core of wealthy parents to help pay for
extras. But what Jenks, the neighborhood
public school high atop Germantown
Avenue in Chestnut Hill, does have is momentum.
Consider: Despite Philadelphia School District-wide budget
cuts, the school has managed to hang on to a robust program of art, music, and
after-school activities. It was recently renamed J.S. Jenks Academy
And the school of 455 kindergarten through eighth-grade
students also scored a major victory this month when it was named one of four
citywide winners of the district's School Redesign Initiative, a program that
gives seed money to help spur grassroots innovation.
Congrats to Tom Sumpter. This week 499 locally elected, volunteer
school boards (no salary, no benefits, no pensions) throughout the state are
holding their board reorganization meetings to elect board officers.
"The board also heard a presentation
urging the board to develop more “community schools,” which engage community
resources to work with schools to help address problems of hunger, homelessness
and other social issues that interfere with learning. The idea has the support of Great Public
Schools - Pittsburgh , and representatives of two
of its members -- Pittsburgh Federation of
Teachers and One Pittsburgh
Rachel Canning, director of internal and
community organizing for the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, said the
district already has some efforts, including a partnership with Homewood Children
Village and Pittsburgh
Lincoln
She noted the idea of more community
schools is supported by Great Public Schools - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Public Schools
board re-elects Sumpter as president
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette December 2, 2014 11:15 PM
The board of Pittsburgh Public Schools re-elected Thomas
Sumpter as its president and then moved on to the business of revising its
policies to reflect a stricter state law on background clearances for
employees, contractors and volunteers. Mr.
Sumpter, 64, is entering his 10th year on the board and his second as its
president. The vote was 8-0 in favor,
with member Mark Brentley abstaining. The vote was the same for re-electing
Bill Isler as first vice president and Carolyn Klug as second vice president. After the vote, the board began discussing
the policy changes to reflect a state law that takes effect Dec. 31 and governs
the reporting of suspected child abuse and criminal clearances for employees,
contractors and volunteers. Such changes are being made in other districts
throughout the state. The board may vote later this month.
Middle-Class
Pay Elusive for Teachers, Report Says
New York Times By MOTOKO RICH DEC.
3, 2014
Over the course of their careers, teachers in certain cities
earn far less than those in others and reach the top of the pay scale far
later, making it hard for them to live a basic middle-class life, according to
a new report being released Wednesday.
The report, by the National Council on
Teacher Quality, a nonprofit group that advocates tougher teacher
standards, finds that while teachers in places like Atlanta, Pittsburgh and
Columbus, Ohio, can reach a high salary benchmark relatively early in their
careers, teachers in New York City, San Francisco and Fairfax County, Va., must
work more than three decades to hit comparable salary levels, when adjusted for
the cost of living in the cities.
And over a career, teachers in Pittsburgh ,
Columbus and Atlanta
are the highest-earning educators while teachers in San
Francisco , Hawaii and New York City are the
lowest.
Discipline, Disabilities,
School to Prison, Disproportionality
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
Saturday, December 13, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
Philadelphia, 19103
Presenters include Sonja Kerr; Howard Jordan, ACLU; Dr.
Karolyn Tyson; Michael Raffaele, Frankel & Kershenbaum, LLC
This session is designed to assist participants to
understand the specifics of the federal IDEA disciplinary protections, 20
U.S.C. §1415(k) as they apply to children with disabilities. Topics will
include functional behavioral assessment, development of positive behavioral
support programs for children with disabilities, manifestation reviews and
avoiding juvenile court involvement.
Questions? Email cbenton@pilcop.org or call
267.546.1317.
Info and Registration: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/discipline-disabilities-school-to-prison-disproportionality-tickets-12930883621
January 23rd–25th, 2015 at The Science Leadership
Academy , Philadelphia
EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.
It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both
in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will
be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the
big dreams.
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