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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for March
2, 2015:
Wolf Budget
Previews/Green out, Neff in as SRC Chair
PCN to carry Governor Wolf's budget address live
starting at 11:00 am on Tuesday March 3rd.
"Wolf and our lawmakers in Harrisburg
The future of Pennsylvania
Editorial: Governor must
chart a bold path for Pa.
THE ISSUE: Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf will deliver his first
budget address Tuesday before a General Assembly in which Republicans have a
20-seat advantage in the Senate and a 35-seat edge in the House (both numbers
exclude vacancies). Pennsylvania Pennsylvania . Given all the issues facing our state,
problems kicked down the road that should have been addressed long ago, and the
deep-seated partisanship in Harrisburg, there is no way the new governor can
produce a spending plan that meets all the commonwealth's needs. But now is the time for Wolf to be bold and
jump-start the state down the path of prosperity and growth.
Wolf's budget looks to be
big, bold - and controversial
ANGELA COULOUMBIS AND AMY WORDEN, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU
LAST UPDATED: Sunday, March 1, 2015, 1:08 AM
For days now, there has been chatter in political circles in
the Capitol that Wolf's spending plan will propose aggressive increases in
public education even while facing a $2 billion structural deficit and more
than $1 billion in rising costs for pensions, corrections, and health care for
the poor. To pay for it all, the
Democratic governor is eyeing a package of tax increases and new taxes at
levels that haven't been seen in years, according to legislative and other
sources who have been able to glean some of the budget's details.
Income and sales tax rates,
education spending, property tax cuts all poised to grow in Wolf¹s first budget
Penn Live By Charles Thompson |
cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 28, 2015 at 11:09 AM, updated March 01, 2015 at 7:04 AM
Expectations - or, depending upon your political vantage point,
anxieties - are running high for what goodies might be included when Gov. Tom
Wolf unveils his first budget Tuesday.
It is expected to include double-digit increases in the state's
personal income tax and sales tax rates; large cuts in school property taxes
and a key business tax rate; and significant new boosts in state aid for
public schools and colleges. Add it all
up, and it's safe to say Pennsylvanians haven't seen a plan this bold in scope
for years - and certainly not since the 2007-08 recession.
Sales, income taxes increases
expected in Gov. Tom Wolf's budget
Trib Live By Brad
Bumsted Sunday, March 1, 2015, 10:40 p.m.
HARRISBURG — State lawmakers and political analysts predict Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday will propose slashing property taxes and paying for it with higher broad-based taxes, such as income or sales taxes. Republican leaders are ready to sharply contest what they believe will be an excessive proposal. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati ofJefferson County Centre
County
HARRISBURG — State lawmakers and political analysts predict Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday will propose slashing property taxes and paying for it with higher broad-based taxes, such as income or sales taxes. Republican leaders are ready to sharply contest what they believe will be an excessive proposal. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati of
Wolf's big ideas - a history
lesson
WHYY Newsworks DAVE DAVIES OFF MIC A BLOG BY DAVE DAVIES MARCH 2, 2015
Give Tom Wolf credit – he's not thinking small.
Undaunted by a yawning budget deficit and a legislature run by men ready to take him apart, Pennsylvania's new Democratic governor has apparently decided he'll be asking for big changes in his first budget address tomorrow.. If the early reporting is accurate, Wolf plans to try to do a lot of things at once: fund schools, make the tax system fairer, and give companies incentives to create more jobs. To do that, he reportedly wants to impose a new tax (on shale gas) and move the rates of a bunch of others – the corporate profits tax drops dramatically as loopholes disappear; state income and sales taxes rise; and local property taxes fall across the Commonwealth, except in Philadelphia, where wage tax relief is the game. If you're going to do something big and bold, he probably reasons, there's no better time than after you've just won a big election and before you start taking the bruises that come with holding executive office.
And in theory, if you've crafted a plan that solves a bunch of problems, you should have support from all the constituencies that stand to benefit.
Maybe. But I have to say I've seen it work exactly the opposite way before.
Undaunted by a yawning budget deficit and a legislature run by men ready to take him apart, Pennsylvania's new Democratic governor has apparently decided he'll be asking for big changes in his first budget address tomorrow.. If the early reporting is accurate, Wolf plans to try to do a lot of things at once: fund schools, make the tax system fairer, and give companies incentives to create more jobs. To do that, he reportedly wants to impose a new tax (on shale gas) and move the rates of a bunch of others – the corporate profits tax drops dramatically as loopholes disappear; state income and sales taxes rise; and local property taxes fall across the Commonwealth, except in Philadelphia, where wage tax relief is the game. If you're going to do something big and bold, he probably reasons, there's no better time than after you've just won a big election and before you start taking the bruises that come with holding executive office.
And in theory, if you've crafted a plan that solves a bunch of problems, you should have support from all the constituencies that stand to benefit.
Maybe. But I have to say I've seen it work exactly the opposite way before.
A look at the key things to
watch in Gov. Tom Wolf's budget
On Tuesday, Gov. Tom Wolf will unveil his spending plans for
the 2015-16 fiscal year that starts July 1. Wolf, a Democrat, is expected to
propose perhaps the biggest shake-up in the state tax system in over 40 years,
although little is known thus far about the precise details of his plans. All
of it would require approval by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Here is
a summary of what Wolf has revealed in the six weeks since he became governor,
as well as the positions he took during his campaign.
Green out, Neff in as SRC
chair
Inquirer Philly School Files Blog by Kristen Graham SUNDAY,
MARCH 1, 2015, 7:56 PM
Gov. Wolf, in a stunning move, is stripping Bill Green of his
chairmanship of the School Reform Commission, Green said on Sunday night. Marjorie Neff will be the new chairwoman of
the five-member governing body of the Philadelphia School
District
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/school_files/Green-out-as-SRC-chair.html#Sr2gUicS6M8OGQwR.99
PA-Gov: Wolf Officially Names
Neff SRC Chair
PoliticsPA Written by
Nick Field, Managing Editor March 1, 2015
Governor Wolf didn’t waste any time. Within an hour after Green
revealedhe was being replaced as SRC Chair, the Governor’s office announced
Marjorie Neff as his replacement. Wolf’s
statement solely concerned Neff’s qualifications and background and did not
address Green or his plans to contest his demotion in court.
Gov. Wolf names Marjorie Neff
chair of SRC; Green says he'll fight move in court
the notebook By Dale
Mezzacappa on Mar 1, 2015 08:23 PM
Gov. Wolf has asked Marjorie Neff to assume the Chair of the
School Reform Commission, ousting Bill Green. Green says he plans to fight the move in
court, saying that while he respects Neff, "There is no legal basis for another
Commissioner to be named Chair."
Green, who gave up his City Council seat when he was appointed
by former Gov. Tom Corbett, said he was "concerned by the Governor’s
belief that he can influence this body. The School Reform Commission is a
governing body that has taken hard decisions and is built to stand apart from
political influence." Neff, who was
appointed by Mayor Nutter, was the only one of the five commissioners to vote
against approving any new charter schools last week. With 39 applications, the
SRC approved five. The SRC was under pressure from Wolf on the one hand who
said that the District couldn't afford more charter schools, and Republican
legislative leaders on the other who wanted all "qualified"
applicants approved.
Neff,
a 38-year veteran of the District, retired last year as principal of Julia R.
Masterman Demonstration
School
http://thenotebook.org/blog/158277/gov-wolf-names-marjorie-neff-chair-src-green-says-hell-fight-move
Statement from SRC Chairman
Green (Video)
Equitable school funding
forum held in William
Penn School
District
By Kathleen Carey, Delaware
County Daily
YEADON >> As the date nears for Commonwealth Court to
begin hearing a case on equitable school funding, a forum took place Saturday
in one of the districts that brought the matter to the forefront. About two dozen community members attended
the “Workshop in Support of Fair Funding and Other Common Sense Reforms for
Public Education” at the Evans Elementary School as the William
Penn School
District prepares to present its suit against the Pennsylvania
Department of Education on March 11 in Harrisburg . The forum was hosted by the school district
and the Coalition for the Residents of Yeadon.
Filed last year, the suit’s plaintiffs have maintained that the state
abandoned its responsibility to provide and maintain a thorough and efficient
public education system when it reduced funding to districts by more than $860
million since 2011.
It also questions the equity in per-pupil spending in districts
with high property values at $28,400 per student compared to that in districts
with low property value at $9,800 per student.
Did you catch our weekend postings?
PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 28: Hey Pennsylvania
- Maine
"Currently, PSERS has projected data
out to the 2024-25 school year. The contribution rate is expected to rise from
25.84 percent of payroll for 2015-16 to roughly 32 percent in 2020-21, before
decreasing slightly."
No closer to a solution
School districts
forced to make tough decisions as pension costs, crisis grow
Observer-Reporter By Francesca Sacco Staff writer Published:
February 28, 2015 - Updated: March 1, 2015 9:42 pm
Another year, another real estate tax increase. Rapidly escalating pension costs are once
again causing concern and wreaking havoc on local school districts as they prepare
their 2015-16 budgets. Many, including Chartiers-Houston and Bentworth, have
increased taxes or slashed budget line items to keep their districts afloat. Debra Babirad, Bentworth business manager,
said the district eliminated items like new textbooks, supplies and technology
to combat the growing pension contribution costs.
Blogger's note: Reading this piece by Tim
Eller, formerly Governor Corbett's spokesperson, there seems to be tacit
acknowledgement that cyber charter schools are not providing high quality
educational programs. I would appreciate
hearing from anyone who might know who is providing funding for this new
charter advocacy organization.
Another View: High-quality
charter schools meet the needs of families
Delco Times Opinion By
Tim Eller, Times Guest Columnist POSTED: 03/01/15,
8:37 PM EST
Tim Eller is
executive director of the Harrisburg-based Keystone Alliance
Over the last several years, I have witnessed first-hand the
contentious debate regarding charter schools across Pennsylvania . Unfortunately, there remains a
complete lack of comprehensive and accurate information available to the public
about the great strides being made by brick-and-mortar charter schools across
the state. Created by state law in 1997,
the number of brick-and-mortar charter schools has grown to 160, which are
educating more than 92,000 students.
The growing movement of charter schools is a result of the
demand of parents who desire their child to attend a high-quality school that
will provide excellent educational programs. Oftentimes, parents feel that
their local school district has failed their child and search for alternatives
to provide their child with a quality education.
"According to a PennLive analysis of
donations on Follow The Money, a campaign donation database, charter school
advocates have donated more than $10 million to Pennsylvania Keystone State Pennsylvania State
But what perhaps makes the influx of money
from charter-school groups unique in Pennsylvania is the magnitude of spending
by only a handful of donors and, in recent years, some of their high-profile
successes in moving and blocking legislation."
Charter schools’ influence on
Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - It’s no secret that Harrisburg is a hive
of lobbyists, each representing industries and interests that spend millions to
persuade state lawmakers to bend laws in their favor. But perhaps what makes the charter-school
lobby unique among the pack, says State Rep. Bernie O’Neill, a Republican from Bucks County
In 2014, O’Neill experienced that first hand after proposing
changes to a funding formula that would affect charter schools. Parents and
children stormed his office and barraged him with calls and emails. “They were calling me the anti-Christ of
everything,” O’Neill said. “Everybody was coming after me.” In recent years, as charter schools have
proliferated - particularly those run by for-profit management companies - so
too has their influence on legislators. In few other places has that been more
true than Pennsylvania, which is one of only 11 states that has no limits on
campaign contributions from PACs or individuals.
Fighting for the rights of
the Allentown School District
By Edward
Sieger | The Express-Times Email the author on March 01, 2015 at
3:20 PM, updated March 01, 2015 at 3:25 PM
Russell Valentini is as much part-time detective as he is
champion for the Allentown
School District's homeless population. He often finds himself using
the network of resources he's developed over more than 20 years to track down a
homeless student. "I'll go to a
shelter checking on something else, and I'll say, 'By the way, have you seen or
heard from so-and-so,'" Valentini said.
Known simply as "Rooster," the nickname he shares with his
grandfather, Valentini has spent the last 25 years working to assure homeless
students remain in the classroom even while their home lives are in flux.
WHAT’S MISSING ?
Lucid Witness Blog SEPTEMBER 25, 2014 DAUN KAUFFMAN
Education Reform”
discussions often revolve around: 1) a “Common Core”, or “national
standards”, plus, 2) Standardized Testing and, 3) a
“Value Added Measurement” of teachers.
Clearly, something is missing in the “Reform”
discussions.
WHYY Newsworks BY LAURA
BENSHOFF MARCH 2, 2015
The George W. Childs Elementary School at 17th and Tasker in South Philadelphia once resonated with the sounds of more
than 500 students traipsing its halls and reciting their lessons.
The school relocated in 2010, leaving behind a century-old
building that's now slated to become a mixed-income housing complex. Childs is one of 12 former schools the
district has sold since 2013. Sales are pending for another 14 properties.
These empty buildings have been cast alternately as neighborhood eyesores,
reminders of upheaval in the city's education landscape and sources of revenue
for a cash-strapped district.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/79035-philadelphia-district-nets-42-million-from-selling-former-schools?linktype=hp_impact
Opt-out: Parents push back
against kids' many standardized tests (special project)
Penn Live By Candy Woodall |
cwoodall@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 28, 2015 at 7:45 AM, updated March 01, 2015 at 7:33 AM
on February 28, 2015 at 7:45 AM, updated March 01, 2015 at 7:33 AM
Millions of students across the country start taking more
rigorous exams aligned withCommon Core standards this spring. There's a good
reason for that, according to officials, who say the high-stakes assessments
are crucial to evaluating student progress and competitiveness.
But a growing number of parents disagree with the plan, and
they have displayed that unhappiness by opting
out, or deciding not to have their children take the tests. Rapidly, the
protest is spreading across the country and just beginning to roil parents in Pennsylvania .
Where to get information for
opting out of standardized tests in Pa.
Opt Out is a national
movement in which participating parents, students and teachers rally against a
federal education policy they say has distorted public education and corrupted
the examination process.
Penn Live By Candy Woodall |
cwoodall@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 26, 2015 at 11:45 AM, updated February 26, 2015 at 11:47 AM
To learn more about the Opt Out movement and the fight for
education equality, visit the following websites:
As
Common Core Testing Is Ushered In, Parents and Students Opt Out
New York Times By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS MARCH 1,
2015
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — On Monday morning, a few hundred students
will file into classrooms at Bloomfield
Middle School, open laptops and begin a new standardized test, one mandated
across New Jersey and several other states for the first time this year. About a dozen of their classmates, however,
will be elsewhere. They will sit in a nearby art room, where they will read
books, do a little drawing and maybe paint.
What they will not do is take the test, because they and their parents
have flatly refused. A new wave of
standardized exams, designed to assess whether students are learning in step
with the Common
Core standards, is sweeping the country, arriving in classrooms and
entering the cross hairs of various political movements. In New Jersey and elsewhere, the arrival has
been marked with well-organized opposition, a spate of television attack ads
and a cascade of parental anxiety.
Separating fact from fiction
in 21 claims about charter schools
On Aug. 13, 2012, math teacher Robert
Biemesderfer asks students questions during the opening of a BASIS charter
school in Washington D.C. Washington
Post)
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released
a report last year titled “Separating
Fact & Fiction: What You Need to Know About Charter Schools,” which
takes 21 statements that it calls “myths” about charters and attempts to debunk
them, one by one. Now three education researchers have completed a
fact-checking analysis of the charter report, coming to some difference
conclusions about each myth. Following is part of the new analysis, which
was published by the National Education Policy
Center at the University of Colorado
Boulder Western Michigan University Vermont superintendent. Welner is the
director of the NEPC as well as an attorney and a UC Boulder professor of
education policy. Here are the first two
parts of the seven-part
fact-checking analysis of the National Alliance for Public Charter
Schools report:
Bucks County
Forum on how to run for school board
March 2, 7 pm at Northampton
Courier Times By Chris English Staff Writer
Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 1:00 am | Updated: 7:17 am, Tue Feb 24, 2015.
How to run for school board and what to do if you get elected
are two issues that will be explored during a forum at 7 p.m. March 2 at the
Free Library of Northampton Township. The event is free and open to the public. "Anyone in Bucks County who is
interested in school board elections is encouraged to attend," said event
organizer and Newtown Township resident Amy McIntyre.
A panel of present and former school board members from
throughout the county will lead a discussion and answer questions about the
process and requirements of running for school board, the time commitment,
responsibilities of board members and the resources available to teach new
board members about the job. Centennial
school board member and Pennsylvania School Board Association Vice President
Mark Miller will moderate.
PSBA Members Only: Annual
Pennsylvania Education Budget Briefing
MAR 4, 2015 • 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Join us for a special complimentary members-only Annual
Pennsylvania Education Budget Briefing webinar, Wednesday, March 4 at noon. The webinar features Acting Secretary of
Education Pedro Rivera and PSBA Senior Director of Government Affairs, John
Callahan, who will discuss Gov. Wolf’s 2015-16 proposed budget. You will have
the option to attend live at PSBA’s Headquarters in Mechanicsburg or join us
online through your computer. Both options will allow you to ask questions
during the webinar.
Lawsuit asks the Court to ensure that all
students -- including those living in low-wealth districts -- have the basic
resources they need to meet state academic standards.
Meet Us in Court on March 11th
Education Law Center
On Wednesday, March 11th at 9:30 a.m., the
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania will hear oral arguments in our school
funding lawsuit which challenges the legislature's failure to adequately
support and maintain Pennsylvania's public school system. This historic case,
which the Education Law Center filed with the Public Interest Law Center of
Philadelphia and pro bono counsel O'Melveny & Meyers, asks the Court to
ensure that all students -- including those living in low-wealth districts --
have the basic resources they need to meet state academic standards. We ask the
court to hear this case and enforce the rights of our children to a
"thorough and efficient" system of public education as guaranteed to
them by our state constitution.
Please come and support us as we fight for vulnerable students and all public school students across the state. The hearing will be held at thePennsylvania Judicial
Center , 601 Commonwealth Avenue , Courtroom 5001
in Harrisburg , PA.
Please come and support us as we fight for vulnerable students and all public school students across the state. The hearing will be held at the
2015 Pennsylvania Budget
Summit
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Hilton Hotel, Harrisburg
Pennsylvania
PA Budget and Policy Center
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host its Annual
Budget Summit on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at the Hilton Harrisburg. Join us
for an in-depth look at the Governor's 2015-16 budget proposal, including what
it means for education, health and human services, and local communities. The
Summit will focus on the leading issues facing the commonwealth in 2015, with
workshops, lunch, a legislative panel discussion, and a keynote speech.
Space is limited, so fill out the form below to reserve your
spot at the Budget Summit.
The State of Public Education
Funding in Pennsylvania
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia Tuesday, March
17, 2015 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
United
Way Building, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-state-of-public-education-funding-in-pennsylvania-tickets-15816877707
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in Lancaster County Tuesday, March 17,
at 7:00 pm at Millersville University
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in York: Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30pm
to 8pm at the York Learning Center, 300 E. 7th Avenue, York.
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in Cumberland County: Wednesday, April
1, 7:00 pm at the Grace Milliman Pollock Performing Arts Center, 340 North 21st
Street, Camp Hill.
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
PSBA 2015 Advocacy Forum
APR 19, 2015 • 8:00
AM - APR 20, 2015 • 5:00 PM
Join PSBA for the second annual Advocacy Forum on April 19-20,
2015. Hear from legislative experts on hot topics and issues regarding public
education on Sunday, April 19, at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg. The next
day you and fellow advocates will meet with legislators at the state capitol.
This is your chance to learn how to successfully advocate on behalf of public
education and make your voice heard on the Hill.
Agenda/Speakers: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-forum-day-hill-2015/
Sign-up for weekly email updates from the
Campaign
The Campaign for Fair
Education Funding website
PA Basic Education Funding
Commission website
Thorough and Efficient: Pennsylvania
Education Funding Lawsuit website
Arguing that our state has failed to ensure that essential
resources are available for all of our public school students to meet state
academic standards.
Sign up for National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Network
Friends of
Public Education http://p2a.co/nsbac
Register
Now! EPLC 2015 Regional Workshops for School Board Candidates and Others
The Education Policy and Leadership Center, with the
Cooperation of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and
Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), will
conduct A Series of Regional Full-Day Workshops for 2015
Pennsylvania School Board Candidates. Incumbents,
non-incumbents, campaign supporters and all interested voters are invited to
participate in these workshops.
Harrisburg Region Saturday, March 7, 2015– 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Philadelphia Region Saturday, March 14, 2015 – 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401
NPE 2015 Annual Conference –
Chicago April 24 - 26 – Early Bird Special Registration Open!
January 4, 2015 NPE 2015 Annual Conference, NPE National Conference
Early-bird discounted Registration for the Network for
Public Education’s Second Annual Conference is now available at this address:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/network-for-public-education-2015-annual-conference-tickets-15118560020
These low rates will last for the month of January.
The event is being held at the Drake Hotel in downtown
Chicago, and there is a link on the registration page for special hotel
registration rates. Here are some of the event details.
There will be a welcoming social event 7 pm Friday night,
at or near the Drake Hotel — details coming soon. Featured speakers will be:
§
Jitu Brown, National Director – Journey
for Justice, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Network for Public
Education Board of Directors
§
Tanaisa Brown, High School Senior, with
the Newark Student Union
§
Yong Zhao, Author, “Who’s Afraid of
the Big Bad Dragon?“
§
Diane Ravitch in conversation with
§
Lily Eskelsen Garcia, NEA President and
§
Randi Weingarten, AFT President
§
Karen Lewis, President, Chicago Teachers
Union
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