Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
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leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for May 7, 2015:
$100 million more?
Why do PA scholarship organizations get to keep 20% of EITC/OSTC money
for administrative expenses; in Florida
SAVE The DATE: Northwestern
PA School Funding Forum
May 28, 2015 7:00 PM Jefferson Educational Society 3207 State St. Erie , PA 16508
Blogger's note: No PA cyber charter school has achieved a
passing SPP score for either 2013 or 2014.
No school district has authorized any PA cyber charter school. Every school district in the state is
required to send tax dollars to these underperforming schools.
In acknowledgement of Charter School
1-2-3: PA Cyber Charter Reform for Dummies
1. If a school district has an existing
cyber learning program available it is not required to pay for any student to
attend a state-authorized cyber charter school.
2. Any advertising by cyber charter
schools must clearly and prominently state "This advertisement paid for
with your local property tax dollars".
3. Any advertising by cyber charter
schools must clearly and prominently state the cyber charter's most recent PA
School Performance Profile score and that the PA Department of Education
considers a score of 70 to be a passing score.
Pension bill to move ahead despite Browne's absence
WITF Written
by Mary
Wilson, Capitol Bureau Chief | May 5, 2015 9:19 PM
Sen. Pat Browne
(R-Lehigh) is expected to make a full recovery after a motorcycle accident last
weekend landed him in the hospital -- and, potentially, in trouble with local
authorities.
Jennifer Kocher,
spokeswoman for the Senate GOP, said it's not clear if or when Browne could
return to his duties as chairman of the Appropriations Committee after
sustaining injuries to his lung, ribs, and foot. "We haven't heard any prognosis at this
point," said Kocher. Browne's
colleagues say his absence is significant, with just two months remaining until
the state budget deadline. Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) noted Browne is
one of the "more moderate" Republican leaders, and is known for
taking on heavy policy lifts. "He
gets involved in some meaty stuff, and I think he's developed a level of
respect for that by both sides," said Hughes. The Lehigh County
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda SB1: Pension Reform
Legislation
Posted: May 6, 2015 12:49 PM
From: Senator Jake Corman and Sen. Patrick Browne,
Sen. Joseph Scarnati, Sen. John Gordner, Sen. John Eichelberger
To: All
Senate members
Subject: Pension Reform Legislation
This week, we plan
to introduce Senate Bill 1, comprehensive legislation designed to modernize the
Commonwealth’s retirement systems in order to bring significant updates to the
funding, sustainability and fiscal responsibility of the two main pension
funds.
The pension reform
debate is not new to Pennsylvania
and has been discussed, researched and debated through many hearings in both
Chambers of the General Assembly over the last two years. Through these hearings and extensive
research, we have developed a plan that will move the Commonwealth to a more
stable future with regard to statewide pensions.
Senate Bill 1 is a
historic plan that reflects the seriousness of the situation the Commonwealth
faces with pensions. It’s a problem that demands aggressive actions. Restructuring the public pension system in
this manner will provide tangible, structural improvements for current and
future employees. This proposal does not reduce in any way or makes changes
whatsoever to benefits already earned by existing employees or retirees.]
GOP seeks end to Pennsylvania's traditional pension
plans, employee concessions
Daily Journal By
MARC LEVY Associated Press First Posted:
May 06, 2015 - 1:24 pm Last Updated: May 06, 2015 - 1:26 pm
HARRISBURG,
Pennsylvania — Republican senators want to end Pennsylvania's debt-ridden
pension plans for state and public school employees and require concessions
from many current workers to provide immediate taxpayer savings, according to
details provided Wednesday to The Associated Press. The plan is the Senate Republican majority's
top priority this legislative session and is designed to whittle down the
estimated $50 billion pension debt that Republicans call Pennsylvania state government's biggest
fiscal problem. Senate Republican
leaders have insisted that their plan be considered in the coming week's
wide-ranging negotiations with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf over fixing state
government's large projected operating deficit.
The affected would include rank-and-file state employees, teachers,
state troopers, lawmakers, judges, top executive branch officials and state
university staff members. Senate Republicans hope to introduce the long-awaited
legislation, receive an actuarial analysis of the plan and pass the bill by the
end of next week. Senate Majority Leader
Jake Corman, R-Centre, said Wednesday that the actuary's analysis will project
how much money the plan would save taxpayers.
PA Senate Republican
reform bill seeks to dial back costly 2001 public pension enhancements
Penn Live By Charles Thompson |
cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on May 06,
2015 at 8:36 PM, updated May 06, 2015 at 10:24 PM
A top Senate
Republican leader Wednesday pledged action next week on a new pension reform
plan that, in one major aspect, will attack one of Pennsylvania 's policy sacred cows. It would, as proposed, roll back lucrative
retirement benefit increases granted to all state workers and school teachers
who were on the job in 2001. The plan is
not an actual benefit cut per se: In
fact, as proposed by Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County
Senate GOP reform plan
would offer pension options to current workers
By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on May 06,
2015 at 2:44 PM, updated May 06, 2015 at 4:09 PM
The Senate's highly
anticipated pension reform proposal
to modernize the two public pension systems reflects a comprehensive approach
to addressing the rising pension costs and the state's $50 billion-plus
unfunded liability. A memo about the
plan, identified as Senate Bill 1, that began being circulated in the Senate on
Wednesday emphasizes it would do nothing to change the benefits already earned
by existing employees or retirees from the Public School Employees' Retirement
System and the State Employees' Retirement System. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County
Polls show overwhelming support for more state money,
new state funding formula for basic education
Campaign for Fair Education
Funding May 2015
Better understand how Lehigh Valley
By Sara K. Satullo | For
lehighvalleylive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 06, 2015 at 12:47 PM, updated May 06, 2015 at 2:11 PM
on May 06, 2015 at 12:47 PM, updated May 06, 2015 at 2:11 PM
There are many
things you can say about Pennsylvania 's
public education system but simple is not one of them. The funding of the state's 500 school
districts proved to be a major issue for voters in November's gubernatorial
election. New Gov. Tom Wolf wants to increase
funding for public education by $1 billion but his ambitious plans have been
met with resistance. While school funding
is a major issue, it isn't intuitive or easy for the average person to
understand. Keystone Crossroads is
trying to demystify public school funding in the state, delving into the
"history, complexities and controversies" with its new Multiple Choices podcast. The
podcast is a collaboration between Keystone Crossroads and the Public School
Notebook. In Wednesday's
installment, senior education reporter Kevin McCorry shares a very cool interactive map that
lets readers see which school districts get the highest percentage of state aid
as a share of their total revenue. McCorry notes that the analysis is only
looking at percentage of funding sources, not total dollars. If you guessed Allentown and Philadelphia top the
list, you guessed wrong. The answers underscores how wonky Pennsylvania 's funding system really is.
Letter: Bipartisan effort
could resolve school funding
Pocono Record LTE
by JANET K. WEIDENSAUL Posted May. 6, 2015 at 9:06 PM
I found it refreshing to read your article about our freshman representative, David Parker, and Gov. Wolf crossing the political lines to discuss the incredible challenges facingMonroe County Policy Center , all four Monroe County
I found it refreshing to read your article about our freshman representative, David Parker, and Gov. Wolf crossing the political lines to discuss the incredible challenges facing
"Their candidate,
Williams, is a longtime voucher and charter-school advocate. His record as a
legislator in Harrisburg
Letters: This election, let's not hedge our bets
Letters: This election, let's not hedge our bets
Philly Daily News
LTE by KIA HINTON & DAWN HAWKINS Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 12:16 AM
AS African-Americans
who advocate for students and parents in our communities, we find the notion
that billionaire hedge-fund managers who live on the Main Line should decide
who will be our next mayor and determine the shape of public education in our
city troubling, to say the least. The three partners
of the Susquehanna International Group - Joel Greenberg, Jeff Yass and Arthur
Dantchik - poured $6 million into the failed gubernatorial bid of Anthony Hardy
Williams and now are spending more millions to make him mayor. Portrayed in the media as disinterested
philanthropists, the three are more accurately seen as a local version of the
Koch brothers who not only favor charters and vouchers, but promote
market-based privatization across the board. This policy agenda hurts
working-class people generally and our communities especially.
Blogger's note: I am
"puzzled" why scholarship organizations get to keep 20% of the
EITC/OSTC money for administrative expenses with no fiscal transparency; in Florida
Who needs vouchers when you
EITC/OSTC diverted tax dollars flowing to private and religious schools that
have no fiscal accountability or academic performance accountability? Pennsylvania
Education tax-credit bill
sponsored by Christiana clears committee, but he's 'puzzled' by partisan vote
But the bill's sponsor, Rep.
Jim Christiana, R-15, Beaver, said he was puzzled by the 18-8 vote along party
lines by which the bill cleared the House Education Committee.
Even as Democratic Gov. Tom
Wolf settles into office and pushes for expanded education funding, the bill
was opposed by eight of 11 Democrats on the committee, with one member not
voting. "What was puzzling is all
this rhetoric wasn't met with reality," Christiana said. "These are
expanding programs that are in high demand." The proposal, House Bill 752, would increase
the amount of available tax credits for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit
and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs.
Property-tax debate looms
in Pa.
ANGELA
COULOUMBIS, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU LAST
UPDATED: Thursday, May 7, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Wednesday, May 6,
2015, 6:39 PM
GOP leader vows vote next
week on property tax reform
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on May 06,
2015 at 6:52 PM
After four decades
of tinkering around the edges of the issue, the state House is planning to vote
next week on legislation to
grant significant school property tax relief to
homeowners. House Majority Leader Dave
Reed, R-Indiana, told reporters on Wednesday that he wants to see this issue be
part of the upcoming budget negotiations. Moving a plan out of the House is a
way to get that conversation started with the Senate and Gov. Tom Wolf. While hopeful that a plan crafted by the
House Republicans passes, he said if it doesn't, he is willing
to put Wolf's property
tax relief plan up for a vote. Both plans, though different, call for
shifting the bulk of the school funding burden off the property tax and on to
an increased state personal income tax and sales tax rate.
Supreme Court to hear appeal on Bethlehem
By Peter Hall Of The Morning Call May 6, 2015
The state Supreme
Court will hear Bethlehem 's
appeal of a charter school expansion.
The state Supreme
Court has agreed to hear Bethlehem Area School District 's
arguments in a case that could determine how charter schools across Pennsylvania can expand. Lehigh
Valley Dual
Language Charter
School Commonwealth Court
ruling in July overturning a decision by the state Charter School Appeal Board
that blocked its expansion into a second building. In a two-page order
Wednesday, the Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the lower court's
decision is properly supported by prior court decisions and the language of the
charter school law. Bethlehem
Superintendent Joseph Roy said the court agreeing to hear the district's appeal
is a significant win. As Pennsylvania 's
highest court, the Supreme Court hears only a small number of the appeals that
come before it.
Blogger's note: It appears
that former Corbett Press Secretary Tim Eller, now director of the Keystone Alliance
By Evan
Grossman / May 5, 2015 Watchdog.org
School choice
advocates and charter school critics both want stronger laws for greater oversight
and accountability in the charter sector. So why is it so difficult to effect
any real change in Harrisburg ? It comes down to exactly what accountability
means. The varying definitions of that word held by education reformers on all
sides of the issue make overhauling Pennsylvania
charter school regulations a challenge in perpetuity. “Accountability is a word that everybody
says, ‘Yeah, that sounds good.’ Nobody can really disagree with that in
concept,” Bob Fayfich, director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter
Schools, told Watchdog. “But let’s look at what you mean when you say that.”
"It notes that these
figures only represent fraud and waste in the charter sector uncovered so far,
and that the total that federal, state and local governments “stand to lose” in
2015 is probably more than $1.4 billion. It says, “The vast majority of the
fraud perpetrated by charter officials will go undetected because the federal
government, the states, and local charter authorizers lack the oversight
necessary to detect the fraud.”
Report: Millions of dollars in fraud, waste found in
charter school sector
A
new report released on Tuesday details fraud and waste totaling more than $200
million of uncovered fraud and waste of taxpayer funds in the charter school
sector, but says the total is impossible to know because there is not
sufficient oversight over these schools. It calls on Congress to include
safeguards in legislation being considered to succeed the federal No Child Left
Behind law. The report, titled “The
Tip of the Iceberg: Charter School Vulnerabilities To Waste, Fraud, And Abuse,”
was released jointly by the nonprofit organizations Alliance to
Reclaim Our Schools and the Center for Popular
Democracy. It follows a similar report released a year ago by the same
groups that detailed $136 million in fraud and waste and mismanagement in 15 of
the 42 states that operate charter schools. The 2015 report cites $203 million,
including the 2014 total plus $23 million in new cases, and $44 million in
earlier cases not included in last year’s report.
Report: “The Tip of the Iceberg: Charter School
New standardized tests
bring technical challenges, concern
KIMBERLY
HEFLING, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wednesday,
May 6, 2015, 11:46 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -
Call this the year of the test. Or, at least the year of standardized test
mania. Standardized test season in K-12
classrooms has been dominated in some states by widespread technical problems
or by parents allowing their children to opt out. But testing officials say the
rollout this spring of new standardized tests taken by computer in many U.S. public
schools has been without major problems in much of the country. The next step? Seeing how students did - and
how parents and educators respond. Test scores don't just inform parents of
their child's progress; they are used to judge schools and teacher performance,
too. The new exams are expected to be harder in many states than the state
assessments they replaced, but they've been billed as a more accurate testing
of what students are actually learning.
"Mid Valley is also
expected to pay an additional $285,000 for cyber and charter schools, a fee
that comes straight from it’s state subsidy.
Director Donna Dixon, after looking up the state averages, estimated the
district pays around $9,300 for a regular education and $19,000 for a special
education student to attend cyber or charter schools.
Retirement obligations,
another state mandated fee, are expected to go up 25.84 percent, Mr. Melone
said.
He also removed an
anticipated $137,000 in PlanCon funds from the working budget. Districts were
able to apply for state reimbursements when they started a building project
through a process called PlanCon, an acronym for Planning and Construction
Workbook. Mr. Melone does not believe the district will see those funds in
2015-16."
Mid Valley board reviews revised
2015 -16 budget
THROOP — Mid Valley
School Board directors reviewed a revised edition of the working 2015-16 budget
Wednesday that included changes in state and local revenue. “The largest contrast is what we want to do
versus what we can do financially,” said Thomas Melone of Albert B. Melone Co.,
the district’s business office since 2013.
In the working budget presented to directors, the district is projected
to lose $38,534 in state funding; but will receive $291,197 in property taxes
with an increase past the Act 1 index, real estate taxes, delinquent tax
revenue and earned income tax, he said. Salaries
are anticipated to go up $43,949 because of increases for detention, coverage
and meetings; maintenance overtime and tax collectors fees; and benefits will
increase by $13,698.
By Margaret Smykla
May 7, 2015 12:37 AM
In a straw vote
at Wednesday night's Baldwin-Whitehall School Board meeting, the
board gave business manager Mark Cherpak direction to prepare a detailed
proposed final budget for the 2015-16 school year based on a tax increase
of .81 mills. The increase will generate
more than $1.5 million in revenue. Even with the tax hike, the district
faces a $2.5 million deficit. One option
presented at the meeting for balancing the budget is adopting the tax
increase and also cutting 28.25 positions, with the latter saving the
district $2.4 million.
Trib Live By Rick
Wills Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 7:36 p.m.
Despite months of protests and a campaign for school board filled with opponents of school consolidation,Butler
Area School Butler Area Senior High School
to close the Broad Street ,
Center Avenue , Clearfield Meridian
and Oakland
elementary schools. “This consolidation
has been discussed and debated for over two years. We have increased property
taxes 23 of past 25 years. We have to give the taxpayer consideration,” said
board member Jim Keffalas.
Despite months of protests and a campaign for school board filled with opponents of school consolidation,
EPLC "Focus on
Education" TV Program on PCN - Sunday, May 10 at 3:00 p.m.
Topic 1:
Sunshine, Ethics, Open Records, and School Districts
Nathaneal Byerly, Acting Executive
Director, Office of Open Records
Robert Caruso, Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission
Barry Kauffman, Executive Director, Common Cause Pennsylvania
Robert Caruso, Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission
Barry Kauffman, Executive Director, Common Cause Pennsylvania
Topic 2: The
Role of Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania
Thomas E. Gluck, Executive
Director, Pennsylvania
Association of Intermediate Units
SAVE The DATE: Northwestern PA School Funding Forum
May 28, 2015 7:00 PM Jefferson Educational
Society 3207 State St.
Erie , PA 16508
Panelists
Conneaut School
District
Mr. Jarrin
Sperry, Superintendent, Ms. Jody Sperry, Board President
Corry School
District
Mr. William Nichols,
Superintendent
Fort LeBoeuf
School District
Mr. Richard Emerick,
Assistant Superintendent
Girard School
District
Dr. James Tracy,
Superintendent
Harbor Creek
School District
Ms. Christine
Mitchell, Board President
Millcreek School
District
Mr. William Hall,
Superintendent Mr. Aaron O'Toole, Director of Finance and Accounting
Keynote Speaker
Mr. Jay Himes,
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials
CONFERENCE ON THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA
A CALL FOR ADEQUATE AND EQUITABLE SCHOOL FUNDING
Sponsored by Coatesville and Media Area
NAACPs
9:00 AM – 1:30 PM SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
MARCUS FOSTER STUDENT UNION 2ND
FLOOR
CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA DELAWARE
COUNTY CAMPUS, CHEYNEY, PA
Our children have to
pass the state mandated tests in order to move on with life. SO - it is time
for the PA Assembly to provide adequate and equitable funding to the public
schools of Pennsylvania.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC. SPACE IS LIMITED.
COME AND ASK YOUR
PERSONAL QUESTIONS AND SHARE YOUR OPINIONS WITH PRESENTERS WHO ARE EXPERTS AND
POLICY MAKERS.
Pre-Registration is
required for meals. Deadline for Pre-registration is May 12, 2015
PRE-REGISTER
ON-LINE: HTTPS://www.surveymonkey.com/S/JTZB9F8
Common Core Forum: A Closer Look at the PA Core
Standards
Thursday, May 7, 6:30 - 8:00 pm Radnor Middle
School
150 Louella Avenue,
Wayne, 3rd floor
Presented by the Leagues of
Women Voters of Chester County , Haverford,
Lower Merion , Narberth and Radnor. Supported by the Radnor School District
Panelists Include:
Fred Brown, K-12
Math Supervisor, School District of Haverford Township
Jon Cetel, Education
Reform Agent, PennCAN
Mary Beth Hegeman,
Middle School Teacher, Lower Merion School District
Cynthia Kruse,
Delaware County Intermediate Unit
Susan Newitt,
Retired Elementary Teacher, Lower Merion School District
Wendy Towle,
Supervisor of Language Arts & Staff Development, T/E School District
Larry Wittig,
Chairman of the State Board of Education
PHILLY DISTRICT TO HOLD
COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETINGS
Tuesday,
May 12
Thursday,
May 14
Congreso, 216 West Somerset St .
Wednesday,
May 20
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