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, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education
professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies,
professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails,
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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 30, 2015:
The Haverford
School ($500,500), Episcopal Academy
($498,750), Baldwin ($448,250), Shipley
($273,000), Agnes Irwin ($192,000) among elite main-line private schools
receiving diverted tax $$$ under PA's OSTC tax credit program
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/
Basic principles of school
funding
The Sentinel by David W. Patti GUEST COLUMN March 29, 2015
David W. Patti is
president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Business Council, which works to define
policy strategies and solutions that it believes make the commonwealth more
competitive and elect candidates who offer the best capacity to create and
sustain a better Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Business Council believes the commonwealth’s
public schools must be provided with funding adequate to educate our students
to the level of proficiency required by our state academic standards and
graduation requirements. All Pennsylvania students
should graduate from high school prepared to be successful in post-secondary
education and careers. Adequate, fair, predictable state funding of basic
education is essential to Pennsylvania ’s
competitiveness. The Pennsylvania Business Council shares with many others
several basic principles of school funding:
"Basic education funding
is the top issue for policymakers in Harrisburg and it is an issue that affects
every single Pennsylvanian," said Susan Spicka of Education Voters of Pa.
and Education Matters in the Cumberland Valley, a co-sponsor of the forum.
"The bottom line is that we have an obligation as a commonwealth to make
sure that every student has access to a quality education no matter where they
live."
State education funding
focus of Wednesday community forum in Camp Hill
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on March
27, 2015 at 10:35 AM
Statewide education funding will be the
topic of a community forum set for Wednesday in Camp Hill. The forum begins at 7 p.m. at the Grace
Milliman Pollock Performing Arts Center at 340 N. 21st St . Panelists will address the need for a
student-driven, sustainable and predictable system for funding public schools
that the state has lacked for more than two decades. Pennsylvania is one of only three states in
the nation that lacks a formula, which some attribute to the reason school
property taxes have risen. In a Franklin &
Marshall College poll released this week, voters put increased
school funding and reforming the state's tax system to lower property taxes as
the top two priorities facing Pennsylvania .
In 1975, 41% of the PA budget was public
education compared to 33% today.
40 years of state budgets: How spending
priorities have shifted in Pennsylvania
Penn
Live By Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on March 03, 2015 at 12:30 PM, updated March 03, 2015 at 3:31 PM
on March 03, 2015 at 12:30 PM, updated March 03, 2015 at 3:31 PM
The following interactive graphic shows how Pennsylvania 's budget
priorities have shifted over the last 40 years. For desktop users, Click
and drag the bar at the top of the graphic to change the
year. For mobile users, click at
different points along
the bar to change the year.
Gov. Wolf’s chief of staff
touts tax relief package in upcoming budget proposal
By Vince Sullivan, Delaware
County Daily
UPPER DARBY >> Gov. Tom Wolf’s chief of staff visited the
Daily Times on Friday to tout the governor’s budget proposal, calling the plan
the largest tax relief package in many years.
Wolf introduced his first budget on March 3, more than three months
before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, and it includes reductions in
some taxes, but increases in others. “This
package as a whole proposes the biggest tax relief for both individuals and
businesses in a couple of generations,” Katie McGinty said. “It is absolutely
an urgent package for where Pennsylvania
finds itself.” Among the chief concerns
addressed by Wolf’s plan are the unfunded pension liabilities for state
employees and education funding. The governor’s proposal calls for a 5 percent
gas extraction tax that would provide upwards of $2 billion for basic education
funding over the next four years, including $1 billion in the 2015-2016 fiscal
year.
Weighing the Pennsylvania
Despite different
political perspectives, experts can agree on some solutions
York Daily Record By
Flint McColgan fmccolgan@ydr.com @flintmccolgan on Twitter UPDATED:
03/29/2015 10:48:41 PM EDT
Pension problems in Pennsylvania
transcend the municipal borders and crises covered locally. The two Pennsylvania
state pension programs — the State Employee Retirement System and the Public
School Employees' Retirement System — combined are now $53 billion short of
being funded. With such a large number, all political sides can agree there is
a problem. That huge number comes
straight from Mark Ryan, the deputy director of the state Legislature's Independent
Fiscal Office. He presented the information as background ahead of a public
forum at Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg .
The forum featured speakers representing different perspectives and
fixes for the issue, but each one agreed something needed to be done.
Here are some takeaways from the forum:
Did you catch our weekend postings?
Did you know that EITC/OSTC scholarship organizations get to
keep up to 20% of the money as administrative fees under PA's tax credit
programs?
PA Ed Policy Roundup March 29: PA HB752 would divert
additional $100 million in tax dollars to unaccountable private and religious
schools
The Haverford
School ($500,500), Episcopal Academy
($498,750), Baldwin ($448,250), Shipley
($273,000), Agnes Irwin ($192,000) among elite main-line private schools
receiving diverted tax $$$ under PA's OSTC tax credit program
PA Opportunity
Scholarship Tax Credit Scholarships Awarded Descending by Amount Received
Fiscal Year 2013-2014
Source: PA Dept of Community & Economic Development
Source: PA Dept of Community & Economic Development
A school choice victory:
Follow the child
Editorial By The
Tribune-Review Sunday, March 29, 2015, 9:00 p.m.
Overturning a lower court's ruling, Alabama's Supreme Court has upheld that state's tax-credit scholarship program, premised on the understanding that children shouldn't be stuck in failing schools — regardless of teacher unions' insistence.Alabama
teachers and their liberal allies filed a lawsuit against Alabama 's Accountability Act of 2013,
arguing that the scholarship program illegally used state money, which includes
scholarships to religious schools. Au
contraire, ruled Alabama 's
high court. The state's not picking the religious schools; funding recipients
select the private schools of their choice. The money “follows the children.”
Overturning a lower court's ruling, Alabama's Supreme Court has upheld that state's tax-credit scholarship program, premised on the understanding that children shouldn't be stuck in failing schools — regardless of teacher unions' insistence.
Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch March 29,
2015 //
In Pennsylvania ,
both Republicans and Democrats want to expand the
state’s “tax credit” (aka voucher) program, allowing public funds to pay for
private and religious tuition. The tax
credits drain funds from public school support, which is already inequitably
funded and suffered deep budget cuts. The state’s public schools are in
financial crisis, and the last thing they need is another stealth cut to their
funding. Why don’t the legislators put
vouchers to a vote of the people? Are they afraid to find out how the public
will respond?
Parents, teachers implore Allentown
By Kevin Duffy Special to The Morning Call March 29, 2015
Parents, teachers implore Allentown School Board to restore cut
programs
Included among the teachers and parents who pleaded Thursday to
the Allentown School Board to restore programs lost due to budget cuts, the
words of Gwen Mullen may have made the strongest case. "My mom always tells me, 'You won't know
until you try it!'" the second-grader from Ritter Elementary School said,
reading from a single sheet of paper while standing on tippy-toes at the
podium, the microphone curled downward, as close to her face as possible. She was talking about bringing back music, art and gym classes
and library time for elementary students, all of which have been cut
significantly since 2011. She asked for them back because participating in them
might someday make her "a music teacher, a singer, a gymnast, an art
teacher, a librarian, or any of these things."
“A
proposed reinstatement of the moratorium is not viewed as good news for our
member districts,” said Steve Robinson, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania
School Boards Association, which represents elected school board officials from
nearly every one of the state’s 500 school districts. “Right now there are 300
public school construction projects that were in the pipeline … so it’s
critical that the districts that have moved forward with those projects get
that reimbursement.”
Capitolwire: PlanCon
moratorium lift could be short-lived
PSBA's website By Christen Smith, Staff Reporter,
Capitolwire
HARRISBURG (March 27) — The Legislature’s lift on the PlanCon
moratorium last summer may continue only another few months if Gov. Tom Wolf
gets his way. It’s a step backwards for
lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who’ve struggled with reforming the
popular reimbursement program that, for decades, school districts have used to
draw down reimbursement payments from the state for construction and renovation
projects. The most recent PlanCon reform
bill, House Bill 210, authored by York County Rep. Seth Grove,
awaits a final vote in the House. Grove championed similar legislation last
session that twice passed in the chamber before dying on the Senate
floor..
Wolf has a vision for ending
Philly's SRC, not a blueprint
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN
MCCORRY MARCH 30, 2015
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission is here to stay, at
least for a little while longer.
Gov. Tom Wolf campaigned on the idea that he'd like to replace
the SRC with a locally elected body, but proponents of that plan shouldn't
hold their breath.
There are two ways the SRC can end: either the state
legislature would pass legislation to repeal the 2001 bill that created it in
the first place. Or the five-member body can vote to self destruct. Wolf would prefer Philadelphia 's
schools to be overseen by a democratically elected governing board, but he says
he's not going to put immediate pressure on either of those two options.
"There are five 55+ adult communities
in the school district (Fox Hill Farms, Belmont ,
Concord Riviera
Letter to the Editor: Wondering
what the teachers are really after
Delco Times LTE by Frank Kuders POSTED: 03/29/15, 2:04 PM
EDT |
To the Times: The Garnet Valley School Board and the Garnet
Galley Education Association have been in negotiations pertaining to a new
contract for the teachers. When
agreement couldn’t be reached, both parties agreed to enlist the aid of an
unbiased mediator. The mediator was given all the information and facts. After reviewing everything, the mediator
presented both parties with a resolution that was deemed fair and equitable to
all parties. The teachers rejected the resolution, saying they want more. As a resident of the Garnet Valley
School District
The Charter School
Education Writer's Association Educated Reporter Blog MARCH 30,
2015 EWA STAFF
Charter schools increasingly are being scrutinized for the
exact problem many advocates hoped they would help solve: poor student
outcomes. How exactly to deal with those schools that do not meet academic
expectations—or fail in other regards, such as employing questionable business
practices or not being equitable in welcoming all students—have become key
concerns. At a recent Education Writers Association seminar in Denver , experts discussed
steps needed to ensure that charters uphold the original bargain of getting
autonomy and flexibility in exchange for academic results. Many charter
advocates lament that too many low-performing charters are permitted to operate
year after year.
Report: Big education firms
spend millions lobbying for pro-testing policies
The four corporations that dominate the
U.S. standardized testing market spend millions of dollars lobbying state and
federal officials — as well as sometimes hiring them — to persuade them to
favor policies that include mandated student assessments, helping to fuel a
nearly $2 billion annual testing business, a new analysis shows. The analysis, done by the Center for Media
and Democracy, a nonprofit liberal watchdog and advocacy agency based in
Wisconsin that tracks corporate influence on public policy, says that four
companies — Pearson Education, ETS (Educational Testing Service), Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt, and McGraw-Hill— collectively spent more than $20
million lobbying in states and on Capitol Hill from 2009 to 2014.
Who will be at the PSBA Advocacy Forum April 19-20 in
Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg
- Acting
Ed Sec'y Pedro Rivera
- Senate
Ed Committee Majority Chairman Lloyd Smucker
- House
Ed Committee Majority Chairman Stan Saylor
- Senate
Appropriations Committee Chair Pat Browne
- Diane
Ravitch
- House
Majority Leader Dave Reed
- House
Minority Leader Frank Dermody
- 2014
PSBA Tim Allwein Advocacy Award winners Shauna D'Alessandro and Mark
Miller
How about You?
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.
Details and Registration for PSBA members (only $25.00) https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-forum-day-hill-2015/
INVITATION: Join next Twitter
chat on PA education March 31, 8:00 pm
PSBA's website March 23, 2015
The next monthly Twitter chat with Pennsylvania’s major
education leadership organizations is set for Tuesday, March 31 at 8
p.m. Use hashtag #FairFundingPA to participate and follow
the conversation.
Curmuducation Blog Saturday, March 21, 2015
I don't get out much. I'm a high school English teacher in a
small town, and kind of homebody by nature. When I leave town, it's for family
or work. But in just over a month, on the weekend of April 25-26, I am taking a
trip to Chicago for neither. The Network
for Public Education is the closest thing to an actual formal
organization of the many and varied people standing up for public education in
this modern era of privatizing test-driven corporate education reform. NPE held
a conference last year, and they're doing it again this year-- a gathering of
many of the strongest voices for public education in America today. Last year I followed along on line-- this year I will be there.
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 –RSVP
by clicking here.
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/.
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/
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