Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3525 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, Superintendents, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, education professors, members of the press and a
broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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The Keystone State Education Coalition is an endorsing member of The Campaign for Fair Education Funding
Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy
Roundup for March 21, 2015:
Education Voters of PA will hold a forum
about public school funding in York: Wed., March 25th, 6:30pm to 8pm at York
Learning Center
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
Susan Gobreski is the
Director of Education Voters PA.
Not only does it not make sense, it's unfair. A ZIP code, or
the political winds of a particular budget season, should not determine if a
student has access to a quality education.
It is time for lawmakers to implement a funding formula that
ensures that every student in Pennsylvania
has access to a quality education, no matter where they live.
http://www.ydr.com/letters/ci_27751554/pennsylvania-lawmakers-must-fix-school-funding-formula-letter
WHYY Newsworks BY BILL
HANGLEY MARCH 20, 2015
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was in Philadelphia today to stump for Governor Tom
Wolf's education budget, which he says could turn around the prospects of a
state that ranks "dead last" when it comes to equitable school
funding. "Pennsylvania
can't be fiftieth anymore," said Duncan after a visit to the E.M. Stanton Elementary in South Philadelphia .
"If the legislature can come together in a bipartisan way, then the
children here in Stanton, and in Philly, and across the state would have access
to so much more than they have today. That's the hope, and that's the goal, and
that's why I keep coming back here."
Duncan praised Stanton for doing great things on a
shoestring. And local officials such as Mayor Michael Nutter, Superintendent
William Hite, and acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera
praised Duncan
in return.
U.S. Secretary of Education
visits South Philly school
LARA WITT, DAILY
NEWS STAFF WRITER WITTL@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5927
POSTED: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 3:01 AM
SEVENTH-GRADER Seandra Berry
crowded into the library at Edwin M. Stanton Elementary yesterday for a visit
with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Then, flanked by her peers and teachers, she told Duncan
that Stanton
students need more funding for basic supplies, technology, a full-time nurse
and a counselor. "All schools in
the country deserve to have equal opportunities," Berry said.
Duncan joined Superintendent William Hite
Jr., acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera and local community
and school leaders at Stanton , in South Philadelphia , for an open discussion at 11 a.m. on
the importance of public school funding.
"The funny thing is, both the governor
and the Legislature seem to have similar goals. They both want to see schools
funded adequately. They both want to do something to bring the state's taxation
system into the 21st century. They both want to reduce or eliminate property
taxes."
Editorial: Time to work
together for Pennsylvania
The Hanover Evening Sun POSTED:
03/20/2015 09:48:56 AM EDT
After Gov. Tom Wolf proposed increasing state funding for
school districts, Senate Republican leaders sent a letter to the state's school
superintendents telling them not to count on getting the additional money. The governor's office called it a political
stunt. A few days later, Gov. Wolf's acting education chief sent school
districts an email, asking superintendents to submit plans outlining how they
plan to spend the new cash. Senate
Republicans called it a political stunt. And, in a way, both were. As Gov. Wolf and the Legislature begin
cobbling together a state budget by the end of June, the political lines are
drawn. Gov. Wolf has proposed sweeping reform of the state's tax structure,
while looking to increase the state's share of funding for local schools --
something fiscally challenged urban districts desperately need. His proposals
were met with predictable opposition. At
issue is, well ... everything. And a lot of questions remain about, well ...
everything.
Editorial: Jackpot dreams:
Wolf should focus on a budget, not a wish list
Post Gazette By the Editorial Board March 20, 2015 12:00 AM
Imagine if all the people buying lottery tickets first had to
provide an itemized list stating how they’d spend their expected winnings. That’s akin to what Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered
the state’s 500 school districts to do. OK, the schools aren’t taking a chance
on the lottery. They’re waiting to find out how much state money they’re likely
to get for the 2015-16 school year. But at this stage, it’s still just a
gamble. Mr. Wolf has promised the
districts an extra $400 million for basic education and $100 million for
special education. In anticipation of that, acting Education Secretary Pedro
Rivera told the districts to submit spending plans by May 15 that demonstrate
what they’ll do with the extra money, spelling out how their intentions match
up with 14 options that will be permitted — primarily classroom initiatives
that include early childhood education, summer learning, music, art, foreign
languages, class size, educational materials and library services. There’s one big problem. Mr. Wolf first has
to persuade the state Legislature to go along with his proposed allocations,
and the odds of that happening are looking worse right now than the odds of
winning Powerball.
Editorial: Solving the
pension crisis
Observer-Reporter Editorial Published: March 19, 2015
Gov. Tom Wolf has a plan to lift Pennsylvania from the $50 billion hole that
is its public pension crisis. Unfortunately, even if the Republican-controlled
Legislature were to roll over on its back and approve the plan as it stands,
it’s not enough. The problems began
during those boom times of the 1990s. Under Gov. Tom Ridge, pension plans were
made more generous, and the state and most agencies and school districts
lowered or stopped making the required payments to the plans, which were rising
on their own along with the stock market. Then, the bottom dropped out in 2001,
and the economy took another devastating hit in 2008, and along with it, those
pension plans. It became apparent that soon not enough money would be in those
plans to pay the pensions because of the retired state workers and public
school employees. To save their pension
plans, school districts, for example, must now make huge contributions that
increase each year, and without some relief, the only way to afford the
payments will be to drastically cut programs and payroll and, at the same time,
levy enormous property-tax increases.
Wolf and advocates push for
big ticket high-quality preschool in Pa.
By Laura Benshoff for NewsWorks on Mar 20, 2015 07:47 PM
Early childhood advocates are asking families across Pennsylvania to scrounge
through their couch cushions on behalf of high-quality preschool programs. Advocates hope that Pennies 4 Pre-K, a new
initiative by advocacy group Pre-K for PA, will draw attention to a much larger
pot of funding that could be headed their way: $120 million in Gov. Wolf's
proposed education budget.
Appearing at the Delaware Valley Association for the Education
of Young Children (DVAEYC) this week, Wolf promoted his budget as a long-term
investment. "Children who
participate in high-quality preschool education perform better in school. They
graduate in higher rates," said Wolf. "If all those things happen,
our society works better and so does our economy."
On March 26, join us at Widener Law School
By PennLive Editorial
Board Email the author on March 20, 2015 at 10:24 AM,
updated March 20, 2015 at 10:38 AM
Public employee retirement costs. They're the $50 billion beast
threatening to swallow state government. And as Gov. Tom Wolf embarks
on his first budget, talk of reform is guaranteed to dominate debate this
spring and summer. Lawmakers, school
districts and business leaders are calling for comprehensive pension reform,
saying that it's the only way to protect our schools and communities from
greater tax increases. Others say that we need to give a 2010 law on pensions
more time to work. What would pension
reform mean to you? Do we really need it, and if so, what would it look like? On March 26, join PennLive/The
Patriot-News, The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation and
other sponsors as we play host to a panel of experts atWidener University Law
School
Olney
Charter staff seeks to unionize
A GROUP OF TEACHERS and staffers at Olney Charter
High School Pennsylvania .
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150322_Olney_staff_seeks_to_unionize.html#oSClW7wgoZiZRqf0.99
The Interview: Retiring
'Notebook' editor Paul Socolar
Daily News POSTED: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 3:01 AM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS watchdog Paul Socolar, 59, announced last month
that he's leaving his longtime post as editor/publisher of The Notebook.
But he's not yet test-driving rocking chairs or fishing lures.
By Jill Harkins / Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette March 17, 2015 12:05 AM
In a field where mothers often lead PTOs and female
teachers lead classrooms, the Male/Fatherhood Involvement Committee of
Pittsburgh Public Schools is encouraging men to believe that their involvement
in a child’s early education isn’t just a possibility, it’s also a privilege
and a duty. “Just because it’s a
female-dominated environment doesn’t mean that I can’t still be as impactful,”
said Dwayne Barker of Northview Heights , who chaired the committee for three years
beginning when his son was in preschool at the district’s Spring Garden
Early Childhood
Education Center
Trib Live By Liz
Hayes Saturday, March 21, 2015, 12:01 a.m. Updated 9 hours ago
Allegheny Valley Superintendent Cheryl Griffith used the term
“refreshing” to describe the letter she and superintendents statewide received
this week detailing Gov. Tom Wolf's education funding plans. “It's really forward-thinking criteria,”
Griffith said of the 14 areas listed by Pedro A. Rivera, Wolf's Acting
Secretary of Education, on which the proposed $400 million increase in basic
education funding could be spent. “All
school districts will be required to strategically use the portion of their
Basic Education Funding increase that exceeds the inflation-based index for
their choice of evidence-based programs as well as to restore cuts to programs
and personnel that school districts were forced to make as a result of (past)
state budget cuts,” Rivera wrote on Tuesday.
Proposed York-area art-based
charter school to hold informational meeting
A proposed arts-based charter school that would be located in
the Central York School District York
Learning Center
at 300 E. Seventh Ave.
in North York .
The meeting is an opportunity for interested individuals to
meet some of the trustees for the proposed school, which aims to open for the
start of the 2016-17 school year, said Jess Staub of Gavin Advertising, which
is handling the publicity for the school. She said the organization's founder,
Richard Caplan, will be the main presenter, and several other trustees will be
present.
Souderton Area School
District committee reviews budget, aims to keep taxes at Act 1 index
Montgomery News By Jarreau Freeman jfreeman@montgomerynews.com @JarreauFreeman
on Twitter Published: Friday, March 20, 2015
Franconia >> The aim is to not raise taxes above the 1.9
percent Act 1 index set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Souderton
Area School District Business Affairs Director William Stone said during March
11’s finance committee meeting. Although the district has a $3.3 million
deficit to contend with, administrators seem to be working toward that goal. During a budget update, Stone gave a rundown
of the 2015-16 expense and revenue budget.
The district is targeting a $115.8 million revenue and expense budget. If the district raised taxes to the 1.9 percent
index, it’s estimated to lower the shortfall by $1.8 million, according the
budget presentation. The Act 1 index is
set by PDE each year and determines how high a district can raise taxes.
Special Edition -Testing
Resistance & Reform News: March 18 - 20, 2015
FairtTest Submitted by fairtest on March 20, 2015 -
1:56pm
Normally, FairTest sends out these news clips summaries once a
week, early each Tuesday afternoon. With school standardized exam season now in
full gear, however, the flow of stories about testing resistance and reform
actions is accelerating rapidly. This special edition -- with updates
from more than half the 50 states over just three days -- reports on the first,
too-modest steps by policy makers across the U.S. to respond to the growing
grassroots pressure for assessment reform. As more students opt out, parents
demonstrate, school board members pass resolutions and polls show strong public
opposition to test misuse and overuse, we are confident that there will be many
more updates by next Tuesday and in the coming weeks.
Schools
Wait to See What Becomes of No Child Left Behind Law
New York Times By MOTOKO RICH and TAMAR LEWIN MARCH 20, 2015
CLEVELAND — Ginn Academy, the first and only public high
school in Ohio just for boys, was conceived to help at-risk students make it
through school — experimenting with small classes, a tough discipline code and
life coaches around the clock. Its
graduation rate was close to 88 percent last year, compared with 64 percent for
the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as
a whole. And it has enjoyed some other victories. There is the junior whose
test scores are weak but who regularly volunteers at a food bank. And the
senior proudly set to graduate this spring who used to attend school so
irregularly that he had to be collected at home each morning by a staff member. But under No Child Left Behind,
the signature education initiative of the George W. Bush administration, the
academy, which opened in 2007, was consistently labeled low performing because
it did not make the required “adequate yearly progress” in raising test scores.
Nicholas A. Petty, the principal, said, “I wouldn’t say stop
making us be judged by the tests at all, but get a better system that really
monitors students on more of an individual basis.”
Photo As Congress debates a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind law,
Mr. Petty may well see that happen.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/us/politics/schools-wait-to-see-what-becomes-of-no-child-left-behind-law.html?ref=education&_r=0
Register
Now for EPLC Forum on the State Education Budget – Philadelphia
Education Policy and Leadership Center Pennsylvania
Education Policy Forum
You are invited to attend one of EPLC’s Regional Education
Policy Forums on Governor Wolf’s Proposed Education Budget for
2015-2016 Space is limited. There is no cost, but an
RSVP is required. The program will
include a state budget overview presented by Ron Cowell of EPLC and a
representative of the PA Budget and Policy Center. The presentations are
followed by comments from panelists representing statewide and regional
education and advocacy organizations. Comments from those in the audience
and a question and answer session will conclude the forum. Wednesday, April 1, 2015– EPLC
Education Policy Forum on the Governor’s State Budget Proposal for
Education – 10 a.m.-12 Noon – Penn
Center for Educational Leadership, University of Pennsylvania
– Philadelphia , PA
For this event, sponsored by Public Citizens for Children and
Youth (PCCY), local dentists will provide free screenings and cleanings for
children. Give Kids a Smile Day is especially for children who do not
have health insurance or who have not had a dental exam in the last six months.
Appointments are necessary, so please call PCCY at 215-563-5848 x32 to schedule
one starting Monday, March 16th. Volunteers will be on hand to
answer calls. Smile Day information can also be found on the school district
website and on PCCY’s website - http://www.pccy.org/resource/give-kids-a-smile-day/.
Leaving Gifted Kids Behind Tuesday, March 24, 2015 1:00
-- 4:00 P.M.
In this session, participants will learn how Pennsylvania law affects and supports gifted children, as well as practical tips for ensuring gifted services. We will also discuss race and gifted services.
In this session, participants will learn how Pennsylvania law affects and supports gifted children, as well as practical tips for ensuring gifted services. We will also discuss race and gifted services.
This session is co-sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania
School of Policy and Practice, a Pre-approved Provider of Continuing Education
for Pennsylvania
licensed social workers.
Children with Emotional Problems: Avoiding the Juvenile Justice
System, and What Does Real Help Look Like? Friday, March 27, 2015 1:00
-- 4:00 P.M.
This session will focus on giving you the tools you need to
support children with emotional problems, including those in the foster care
system or those in the juvenile court system.
Note: This session was originally scheduled for February 17,
but had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather. Tickets purchased for the
original date still apply.
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
Philadelphia, 19103
Tickets: Attorneys $200
General Public $100 Webinar $50
Pay What You Can" tickets are also available
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.
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
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/
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