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PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 9, 2015:
Budget rhetoric heats up in Harrisburg
Save
the date: Wednesday April 29th 7:00 pm Springfield
Local school district leaders will discuss how state funding issues are
impacting our children's educational opportunities, our local taxes and our
communities.
Hosted by Delaware County School
Boards Legislative Council, Education Voters of PA and the Keystone State
Budget rhetoric heats up in Harrisburg
By Steve
Esack Morning Call Harrisburg Bureau April
8, 2015
The first
budget salvos have been launched in the state's annual verbal and ideological
spending wars of spring. Will summer and Christmas suffer as a result for the
governor, lawmakers and their employees?
On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf fired the first shot when he told
The Philadelphia Inquirer he does not expect a 2015-16 budget to be passed by
the June 30 close of the current fiscal year.
“I’m planning on spending the summer here, and the fall and the winter,”
Wolf told the newspaper. On Wednesday,
Republican legislative leaders returned fire.
In a conference call
with reporters, House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, said Wolf’s remarks
were premature and do not jell with his campaign promise to be a
"different" leader in Harrisburg. The administration and legislative
caucuses will not have their first joint meeting until next week, Reed said,
and a deal can get done by June 30.
In an interview with
The Morning Call, Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, Appropriations Committee chairman,
said Wolf’s new comments do not bode well for compromise among the
administration, the Senate and House. But he pledged to work to get a budget
done on time.
Sen. Jake Corman hopes to
work with Gov. Tom Wolf on Pennsylvania budget, pension reform
Centre Daily Times BY LORI FALCE lfalce@centredaily.com April
7, 2015
State Senate Majority
Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township , has nice things to say about Pennsylvania ’s new
governor. “He’s an affable man. He wants
to do the right thing,” he told the Centre Daily Times editorial board as he
sat down to talk about issues important to the state and his district. That doesn’t mean he agrees with Democrat Tom
Wolf’s plans, especially when it comes to money. Lately Corman has been doing a
lot of talking about the Republican-dominated Senate’s requirements to reach an
accord on spending in the coming year.
Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2015/04/07/4690521_sen-jake-corman-hopes-to-work.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
"This is my first
budget; this is new for me,'' Mr. Wolf said. "I'm doing everything I can
to bring this in on time.'' But in the
face of a barrage of Republican criticism of his plans, he acknowledged that an
overall agreement was still a long way off.
"That's what democracy
is all about,'' he said. "We're going to have a robust conversation.''
Wolf says work continues on state budget overhaul
By James P. O'Toole
/ Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette April 8, 2015 2:22 PM
Gov. Tom Wolf said
an on-time state budget remains his goal, although he acknowledged the
possibility that he and the Republican Legislature may not reach an agreement
by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
In a Tuesday interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mr.
Wolf said that recent experience suggests that Harrisburg may not meet that deadline. But in
an appearance today at Tech Shop in the East End ,
the Democrat said he remains optimistic on a budget proposal that would
increase education funding and cut business taxes while increasing personal
income and sales taxes. Mr. Wolf said he
has engaged in a round of formal and informal discussion with legislators
promoting his plan. He said he and the lawmakers had heard the same things from
taxpayers on the need to boost education funding and the concern that school
districts' property taxes are too high.
"“Maybe (Republicans)
are just thinking about some ways to improve what I proposed, but I think we
all want the same things, so that gives me some encouragement that we are
actually going to end up with a budget sooner rather than later,” Wolf
said. A group of about 30 House
Republicans have been working for months on a proposal that should be ready for
a legislative committee's consideration in the coming weeks, Reed said."
Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf
thinks budget approval may skirt, overshoot deadline
Trib Live By Tom
Fontaine Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 12:57 p.m.
Gov. Tom Wolf made no promises Wednesday that he'd be able to reach a budget deal with the GOP-controlled Legislature before the end of the fiscal year in June. “If the past is any guide, we'll skirt right up against the deadline or maybe go beyond it, but I'm doing everything I can to bring this in … on time, if not before,” Wolf said after touring the TechShop business incubator in East Liberty. Wolf said he thinks there is enough common ground with House and Senate leaders on issues such as property tax reform, boosting education funding and promoting job growth to help pave the way for a deal to be brokered by June 30. House Majority Leader Dave Reed said he is optimistic lawmakers would meet the deadline. But Wolf said privatizing the state liquor system is “not on the table,” and he would veto such legislation, and Reed said GOP lawmakers will soon roll out their own plan.
Gov. Tom Wolf made no promises Wednesday that he'd be able to reach a budget deal with the GOP-controlled Legislature before the end of the fiscal year in June. “If the past is any guide, we'll skirt right up against the deadline or maybe go beyond it, but I'm doing everything I can to bring this in … on time, if not before,” Wolf said after touring the TechShop business incubator in East Liberty. Wolf said he thinks there is enough common ground with House and Senate leaders on issues such as property tax reform, boosting education funding and promoting job growth to help pave the way for a deal to be brokered by June 30. House Majority Leader Dave Reed said he is optimistic lawmakers would meet the deadline. But Wolf said privatizing the state liquor system is “not on the table,” and he would veto such legislation, and Reed said GOP lawmakers will soon roll out their own plan.
GOP leader: Wolf's budget
prediction 'premature'
ANGELA
COULOUMBIS, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU LAST
UPDATED: Thursday, April 9, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Wednesday, April 8,
2015, 6:53 PM
Reed told Capitol
reporters he believed Wolf's prediction - which came in a Tuesday interview
with The Inquirer - reflected the neophyte status of a Democratic governor in
his first term. Reed said Republicans who control the legislature had yet to
hold their first budget meeting with the governor. That comes next week. "The
governor was the one who declared a new day had started in Harrisburg
with him taking office, that he was going to set a new tone, and that he did
not have any interest in turning Harrisburg into
Washington , D.C.
Reed says property tax
reform bill coming soon, provides budget update
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Wednesday, April
8, 2015
House Majority
Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) held a late afternoon conference call with
reporters to provide a budget update and give insight into the Spring/Summer
legislative schedule of the House. During
the call, Rep. Reed told reporters that a bill to bring dollar-for-dollar
reductions in school property taxes could be considered by the House in a
matter of weeks. “We have been
working with a group of about 30 of our members integrally for about three or
four months on a property tax proposal and hope to vet that through the
committee process here in the next couple of weeks and scheduling a floor vote
in the not too distant future after that,” he said. He explained the proposal will reduce school
property taxes by the exact proportion of increased revenue obtained through
the state through increases in sales and personal income taxes. “We will probably look at a starting point
that would use a sales tax and personal income tax for dollar-for-dollar
reduction in school property taxes,” Rep. Reed said. “This will be revenue
neutral for the taxpayers in the Commonwealth. We will not be using these
dollars for additional state spending.” He
added the proposal is being brought up now to see if those talking about
property tax reform will support the ultimate—but still fluid—proposal sooner
rather than later.
He said the goal is
to get property taxes reduced by 40-60 percent at the start of the discussion,
but he added leadership remains open to a complete elimination of the school
property tax.
Philly.com by MARK
SCOLFORO, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Wednesday,
April 8, 2015, 5:10 PM
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)
- Pennsylvania House Republican lawmakers will soon roll out a plan to raise
state taxes to make significant cuts in the local property taxes that fund
public schools, the chamber's GOP floor leader said Wednesday. Given Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's support for
a similar approach, the Republican bill could be a step toward historic changes
in how the state funds education, and relief from the much hated property
taxes. Majority Leader Dave Reed said in
a conference call with reporters that a group of about 30 House Republicans has
been working for months on a proposal that should be ready for a legislative
committee's consideration within weeks.
House Democrats hold local
hearing on education funding
Times Leader By Mark Guydish - mguydish@civitasmedia.com Last
updated: April 07. 2015 8:20PM - 586 Views
"The majority of Tuesday
evening’s School Board meeting was spent discussing the basic education funding
system for Pennsylvania schools with the help of Tina Viletto, Director of
Community and Government Relations at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit,
and Larry Feinberg, Circuit Rider for the Campaign for Fair Educational
Funding. The two guests spoke explained how school districts are funded in Pennsylvania
School funding system tops agenda at board work
session
TOWAMENCIN- North
Penn School District’s Board of School Directors began their meeting on April 7th,
2015 with student proclamations that recognized the continued efforts of staff
writers from the Knight Crier and sixth graders from Bridle Path and Montgomery
Elementary’s select string ensemble. Mr.
Kevin Manero, advisor of the Knight Crier, happily announced to the School
Board that Brooke McCoy, Scott Vogel, Dan Sardaro, Nafiul Hossain, and Tara
Sorman from NPHS’s online newspaper received recognition in the Keystone State
Press Awards. Manero explained how proud he is of the efforts from the staff at
the Knight Crier that have produced 1,852 articles in the four years since the
paper has gone digital.
Acting Secretary Rivera
Announces Finalists for 2016 Teacher of the Year
Press Release
04/08/2015 Harrisburg , PA - Acting Secretary Pedro Rivera announced today the 12
finalists for the 2016 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. “As a former educator, I am proud to call
these professionals my colleagues because they understand that the job of
educating our youth does not begin and end with a school bell,” Rivera said.
“To truly impact the life of a student requires a commitment and passion that
these educators demonstrate every day.”
The 2016
Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year finalists are:
- Jolene Barron,
- Kelly Dougherty,
- Rebecca Foxwell, Lickdale Elementary School, Northern
Lebanon School District, Lebanon County
- Pamela Gregg,
- Joe Harmon,
- Dina Howell,
- Sharon Knight,
- Jade Leung,
- Alison Monk,
- Kimberly Riviere,
- Ann Schmidt,
- Michele Shawver,
"This community is no
stranger to issues that have a profound effect on the city as a whole. During
and after the riots and civil unrest of the late 1960s, city leaders came
together to organize what was called a Charrette. The charrette was a
week-long, community-wide problem-solving effort led by local and outside
experts in several fields. The degree of success or failure of the 1970 and
1980 charrettes (which I chaired) can be debated, but what cannot be debated is
the fact that all factions saw the urgent need to work together to address and
resolve our issues."
Jeff Kirkland: We need an
education charrette to address York
Jeffrey Kirkland is a past president of the
Board of Directors School District of the City of York
This might be my
last post regarding the conditions that exist in the School District of the
City of York .
It has been over two months since the inauguration of a new, educationally
friendly governor and the thwarting of a charter school takeover. One of my
greatest concerns seems to be coming to fruition. We seem to be settling back
into a business-as-usual mode as the outside threats to the status quo subside. Maybe I am being too impatient, but I think
with fewer than 50 days left until the end of this school year, there needs to
be something done to motivate, inspire and energize the parents of this
district to take an active role in the transformation of the district. If this
school year closes without a community outreach and education session necessary
to engage our entire community, we can write off a successful beginning to a
new school year in the fall. The last
thing we need is another backroom agreement hammered out in secrecy by a group
of disengaged participants who often are pursuing their own agendas. Such was
the case with the recently failed plan championed by Dave Meckley and his
Community Foundation partners.
In the Philly 'burbs, York
Penn Live Wednesday Morning Coffee By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on April 08, 2015 at 9:04 AM, updated April 08, 2015 at 9:38 AM
Good Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Our new favorite state lawmaker, Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York, was down inDelaware County
Our new favorite state lawmaker, Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York, was down in
"But a key remaining
piece of the puzzle was how to pay for the STEAM programs. At a news conference
Wednesday at Schiller, the district announced foundations are donating nearly
$900,000 for the STEAM programs $480,000 from the Grable Foundation and
$391,000 from the Fund for Excellence, a consortium of foundations."
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
April 8, 2015 11:16 PM
What started as an
effort to save a tiny Pittsburgh
school has led to a new program emphasizing STEAM — science, technology,
engineering, arts and math — in several schools, with opportunities for
teachers throughout the district to develop innovative projects. The Pittsburgh Public Schools board was
considering closing the district’s smallest school, Pittsburgh Woolslair PreK-5
in Bloomfield ,
which had 110 students, for fall 2015, but a new board gave the school a
reprieve. Woolslair supporters developed a new plan for the school, a STEAM
magnet, which could attract students from throughout the city. In September, the board approved plans to
make Woolslair a partial STEAM magnet this fall and to use the program to
enhance Pittsburgh Lincoln PreK-5, Schiller 6-8 and the bio-technology program
at Perry High School
Letter to the Editor:
Don’t waste time with the Keystone Exam
Delco Times Letter
by Lisa Esler, Penn Delco School Board Director, Aston POSTED: 04/08/15,
10:59 PM EDT |
To the Times: There is strong opposition to the new
graduation requirement mandated by the Pennsylvania Board of Education.
Effective with the Class of 2017, every high school student must pass the
Keystone Exams in algebra, literature and biology in order to graduate. This gives a whole new meaning to what is
known as “teaching to the test.” Testing has turned teachers into technicians
who are forced to educate in a one-size-fits-all approach. That is the reason
so many talented, discouraged teachers have left and will continue to leave the
profession. Whatever happened to trusting the teacher to evaluate the child’s
progress? Furthermore, when students do not pass the Keystone Exams,
financially strapped school districts then have to bear the cost of hiring
remedial teachers and or providing alternative project-based assessments. Also,
students who might have had above average classroom achievement, but somehow
didn’t do well on the test, must take that course again the following year,
forgoing other electives or needed credits.
There must be push
back against the state Board of Education for declaring another unfunded
mandate that hurts the school districts financially and, even worse, undermines
the teachers and students by evaluating their success solely by a standardized
test score.
Federal Judge: Dorothy
Brown competent to stand trial
MARTHA
WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 4:04 PM
A federal judge has
ruled that charter school founder Dorothy June Brown is competent to be retried
on charges she defrauded the schools of $6.3 million. Judge R. Barclay Surrick, who presided over
Brown's first trial and a competency hearing in January, filed his decision
Wednesday. No new trial date has been
set.
Saucon Valley High School students to sing at Carnegie
Hall
The ensemble - which has 23 students - will
travel to Carnegie Hall to take part in the National Jazz Vocal Festival on
April 26th
By Christina
TatuOf The Morning Call
April 8, 2015
When Saucon Valley
High School Saucon Valley
School District New York City on April 24-26 to perform at
the National Jazz Vocal Festival, where the group will be a featured choir.
A smarter charter?
(Clarification:
About 5 percent of public school students attend public charter schools. The
word ‘charter’ was missing in an earlier version.)
Charter schools can
be confusing. Funded by the public, some people mistake them for private
schools because of the way they are funded and operate. That’s what
happened recently to
Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, the head of the Senate education
committee, who appeared at a Brookings Institution event and asked at one point
in the discussion, “There are some private charter schools, are there not?”
asked Alexander. Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst, then the director of the
Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings, replied, “Charter schools, I
guess as we define it, are public schools that operate under charters from the
state rather than private, so they’re subject to the same tests.” With all the attention that school reformers
and philanthropists shower on charter schools, it would not be unusual for
someone to be confused into thinking that these schools educate a big
percentage of U.S.
public school students. They don’t, at least not yet. Though estimates differ,
it is generally said that about 5 percent of the public school population in
the United States
attends public charter schools.
Register for the April 18 Education Voters Advocacy
Summit in Harrisburg
Education Voters of Pennsylvania
will be holding a half-day advocacy summit for public education advocates on
Saturday April 18 from 10:00-2:00 in Harrisburg ,
PA.
During the summit we
will:
Get an update on
Governor Wolf’s budget from John Hanger, secretary of planning and policy,
Develop successful advocacy techniques and strategies to maximize our impact on public policy,
Receive organizing and communications training,
Network with other advocates from throughout the state, and
Leave prepared to support fair and adequate state funding for schools this year!
Develop successful advocacy techniques and strategies to maximize our impact on public policy,
Receive organizing and communications training,
Network with other advocates from throughout the state, and
Leave prepared to support fair and adequate state funding for schools this year!
Event Location: Temple University
Harrisburg 234 Strawberry Square Harrisburg ,
PA 17101
Lunch will be
provided. Please register today! Space is limited.
EPLC "Focus on
Education" TV Program on PCN - Sunday, April 12 at 3:00
p.m.
Education Policy and
Leadership Center
Topic 1:
Reaction to Governor Wolf's 2015-2016 State Education Budget Proposal
Jim Buckheit, Executive Director, PA Association of
School Administrators
John Callahan, Senior Director of Government Affairs, PA School Boards Association
John Callahan, Senior Director of Government Affairs, PA School Boards Association
Topic 2:
Physical Education and Health Education Issues for Students
Dr. Cindy Allen, Professor, Health Science Department, Lock Haven
University
Todd Bedard, Chair, Health and Physical Education
Department, Cumberland
Valley School
District
Linda Woods Huber, Executive Director, PA State Association
for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
Jessica Peconi-Cook, Health and Physical Education Teacher, Mt. Lebanon School District
All EPLC "Focus on Education" TV shows are hosted by EPLC President Ron Cowell.
Jessica Peconi-Cook, Health and Physical Education Teacher, Mt. Lebanon School District
All EPLC "Focus on Education" TV shows are hosted by EPLC President Ron Cowell.
All are invited for a screening of the
documentary:
STANDARDIZED: Lies, Money
& Civil Rights—How Testing is Ruining Public Education Monday,
April 27, 7-9PM
The Saturday Club, 117 West Wayne Avenue , Wayne ,
PA
Standardized testing
has long been a part of public education. Over the last ten years however,
education reform has become an increasingly heated political issue and
seemingly a highly profitable target market for private enterprise resulting in
expanded and high-stakes testing. While some hold the view that testing is an
effective assessment of student ability and teacher and school effectiveness,
many feel these exams are instead undermining our students, teachers and
schools. Daniel Hornberger’s STANDARDIZED documentary raises issues
about this model of education reform and the standardized testing that goes
along with it. The film includes interviews with prominent educational experts
and government officials who take aim at the goal of standardization that is
being promoted and imposed by our federal and state governments. It sheds light
on the development, nature and use of these assessments, the consequences of
high-stakes testing, and the ostensible private enterprise and government
agendas behind them.
A Q&A session with a panel
of informed parents, teachers and experts will follow.
This screening is made possible
through a collaboration of Radnor, Tredyffrin/Easttown and Lower
Merion concerned parents and PTOs.
Your Right to a Fair Shot: Discrimination Claims,
Post-Secondary and the Professions
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia Tuesday,
April 21, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway , Philadelphia
Attendees will learn
about discrimination claims, post-secondary schools and the professions in this
session. You'll learn how federal law aids students with disabilities who
do not qualify for special education services, hear about recent cases, and
understand strategies for getting students 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.
Tickets: Attorneys
$200 General Public $100 Webinar $50
"Pay What You Can" tickets
are also available
Workshop: Fair Funding and other Commons
Sense Reforms for Public Education - Saturday April 11, 9:30 am
The William Penn
School District presents another
public workshop in its series on school funding in Pennsylvania . Topics to be covered include:
- A discussion with the Public Interest
Law Center of Philadelphia about the ABC's of public education funding and
school funding lawsuit filed by the
- An in-depth look at Governor Tom Wolf's
proposed budget and its impact on property taxes and developing a more
equitable funding formula.
LOCATION:
Evans Elementary School
Questions:
Please email rafi@thecavegroup.com
SCHOOL PLAY – It’s a tough
subject
PCCY website March 2015
A live theatre collaboration between playwrights Arden Kass and
Seth Bauer and Public Citizens for Children and Youth. Directed by Edward
Sobel.
School Play explores our attitudes toward public education
using the real voices of Pennsylvanians from across the Commonwealth.
Invited Dress Preview: April 8th @ 7:30pm
Philadelphia Premier: April 9th @ 7:30pm (only
a few seats left!)
More info: http://www.pccy.org/initiatives/school-play/
RSVP to schoolplay@pccy.org to reserve your seat - April 9th is
almost sold out and only a few seats remain for April 8th!
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/
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.
Beyond a New School Funding
Formula: Lifting Student Achievement to Grow PA's Economy
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM (EDT) Harrisburg , PA
7:30 am: Light breakfast fare and registration; 8:00 am:
Program
Opening Remarks by Neil D. Theobald, President, Temple University
SESSION I: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ACHIEVEMENT GAPS IN
PENNSYLVANIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS with introduction by Rob Wonderling,
President, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and Member, Center on
Regional Politics Executive Committee.
Presentation by Lynn A. Karoly, Senior Economist, RAND
Corporation
SESSION II: WHAT CAN PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania
State University College
of Education
Presentation by Marc S. Tucker, President and CEO, National Center
Sessions to be followed by a response panel moderated
by Francine Schertzer, Director of Programming, Pennsylvania Cable
Network
Program presented by the University Consortium to Improve
Public School Finance and Promote Economic Growth
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