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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for June 25, 2015:
PA Budget Clock Running; Moyers & Company: As the
School Year Ends, the Future of Public Education Is in Jeopardy
Just a heads-up that the PA Ed Policy Roundup may be intermittent
and/or late next week while some of us pretend we're on vacation
Charter founder's $6.3
million fraud trial delayed by competency test
MARTHA
WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: June 24, 2015, 1:29 PM
A federal judge has
delayed the start of the fraud retrial of charter school founder Dorothy June
Brown and ordered another competency exam for the veteran educator. U.S District Judge R. Barclay Surrick
directed the court's pretrial services office Wednesday to arrange for Pogos H.
Voskanian, a forensic psychiatrist, to reexamine Brown, 78, to determine
whether she is competent to stand trial on charges she defrauded the charters
she founded of $6.3 million. Brown's
defense attorneys last week filed new medical information with the court that
stated that physicians at the Cleveland Clinic examined Brown recently and
concluded she has Alzheimer's-like dementia.
PSBA SPECIAL REPORT: The Critical Need for Charter School
"Dinniman says once it
becomes law, the next step will be to make sure the formula actually has
funding."
New funding formula for Pa.
WITF Written by
Rachel McDevitt/Radio Pennsylvania
| Jun 25, 2015 5:10 AM
The Senate Education
Committee has crafted a bill around the recommendations made by the Basic Education Funding
Commission to more equally distribute resources to schools. Democratic Committee Chair Senator Andy
Dinniman says the legislation takes all different types of school districts
into consideration. "This is a
balance between rural, urban (and) suburban schools. Everyone's interest is
taken into account," he says. "We wanted to make sure that those
areas that are impovershished in the state that needed extra resources would
get those extra resources. I think we've accomplished that." The bill passed committee and awaits action
on the Senate floor.
Democrats urge education
funding restoration before new funding formula is used
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Wednesday, June
24, 2015
House Democrats
serving on the Basic Education Funding Commission took to the Capitol newsroom
Wednesday to call on House Republicans to put off implementing the new funding
formula recommended by the commission until funding is restored to those
schools that saw cuts over the last four years.
Rep. Mark Longietti (D-Mercer) said the date of implementation should be
done at the budget negotiating table. “We
believe there are three caucuses that are on the same page that it’s on the big
negotiating table to talk about when the funding formula should come into place,”
he said. A bill moved out of the Senate
Education Committee Tuesday implementing the recommended funding formula, but
not specifying a date for its implementation.
Education activists convene
in Harrisburg
the notebook By Samantha Weiss and MIchaela
Ward on Jun 24, 2015 09:05 PM
Hundreds of
educators, faith-based leaders, teachers, parents, and students convened in the
Rotunda of the Capitol Tuesday to show their support for a fair funding formula
for Pennsylvania ’s
schools. Supporters of all ages -- some as young as 2 years old -- and from
various school districts waved signs and chanted about the need to increase
education funding. Tuesday’s action was
organized by the Campaign for Fair Education Funding, a coalition of advocacy
groups from around the state. Approximately 70 people traveled from Philadelphia with Public
Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY). Other groups came from as far away as
Allegheny and Schuylkill counties. About 400
protesters filled the Rotunda stairs.
Protests were timed to follow the long-awaited recommendations from the
legislature’s Basic Education Funding Commission aimed at coming up with
formula to more equitably distribute the state money that goes out to the 500
school districts. The committee’s recommendation, which would “weight” aid
based on factors such as poverty, English language learners, and high number of
charters, must still be considered by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. While the protests went on, the Campaign also
met with legislators to press for more education dollars and a fair
distribution formula along the lines of the committee’s recommendations.
Faith groups launch 10-day
#MoralTakeover of Pa.
WHYY Newsworks COMMENTARY BY WALEED SHAHID JUNE 24, 2015 ESSAYWORKS
Starting Saturday,
June 20, the Capitol in Harrisburg was
transformed into a place of worship and protest for the largest interfaith
mobilization in Pennsylvania 's
history, led by congregations concerned about the
state's well-known crisis in public education funding. In the vein
of the "Moral Mondays" movement in North Carolina,
Pennsylvania-based congregations have planned a #MoralTakeover of
the state capitol, where they believe "legislators and the governor are
serving the interests of corporations and the super-wealthy at the expense of Pennsylvania 's families
and children." As Gov. Wolf and legislators begin negotiating the next
state budget, the #MoralTakeover seeks to call attention to the education
crisis by bringing a sunrise-to-sunset fast (happening
across the state since March) to the steps of the Capitol so
"legislative business cannot be conducted without lawmakers knowing that
people of faith are paying attention." Pennsylvania is one of only three states without a
funding formula to distribute funds to schools according to weighted factors
like poverty, and has one of the most regressive corporate and income tax
systems in the country. The majority of Pennsylvania 's
schools, across urban, suburban and rural lines, are underfunded, andPennsylvania
has the most inequitable school funding levels in the U.S.
Times-Tribune Editorial: Put
school cash where needed most
Like students,
school districts change over time. Districts try to accommodate changing
student needs with new approaches, new technology and new and upgraded
facilities. But in Pennsylvania ,
the state government does not accommodate the changing funding needs of districts
as their student populations rise, fall and change demographically, and their
tax bases grow or shrink. That’s why
it’s crucial that the Legislature pass a funding formula for schools
recommended by the Basic Education Funding Commission. The commission was created last year by the
Legislature and former Gov. Tom Corbett to help better distribute education
money. Even though taxpayers in Pennsylvania
spend about $15,000 a year per student in state and local funding — about
$3,000 more than the national average — the money is not spent per student.
There is vast disparity in how the money is distributed, partly due to an
over-reliance on local property taxes and partly due to a state funding formula
that ignores reality on the ground.
First lady Frances Wolf:
Investing in our public schools cannot wait (column)
Since he was sworn
in as governor in January, my husband and I have been crisscrossing the state,
visiting schools, meeting with teachers and administrators, and talking with
students in the classroom. We have seen the same thing in school after school
and classroom after classroom: motivated students and dedicated teachers who
simply don't have the resources they need to succeed. At King
Elementary School in Lancaster , I heard about how some textbooks
in the library are more than 30 years old because they don't have the funds
available to replace them with updated versions. At Paul Fly Elementary School
in Norristown , administrators shared how vital
support and program specialist positions have been cut, leaving fewer teachers
in classrooms with consistently increasing numbers of students.
Turzai: Senate and House
Republicans have a budget deal
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Wednesday, June
24, 2015
According to House
Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), House and Senate Republicans have agreed to
a budget and other component pieces that will begin moving within the next
several days to meet the June 30 budget deadline. “There will be a [budget] bill moving on
Saturday with the concurrence on Monday,” he said. “We’re ready to go.” At this point, he said he does not see
agreement with the governor likely based upon the governor’s insistence on tax
increases. “The governor has not moved
away from a single tax,” he said. “He has asked for a tax increase in the first
year of $5 billion in taxes and then it increases to $8 billion in the second
year. He hasn’t moved away from a single tax.”
Speaker Turzai added that if a deal is to be reached with the governor,
he ought to move quickly on moving away from some of his tax proposals.
GOP prepares a no-tax
budget for Pa.
WHYY Newsworks BY MARY WILSON JUNE 25, 2015
The centerpiece of
Governor Tom Wolf's Pennsylvania
budget plan died its umpteenth death around a negotiating table this week. Republican legislative leaders emerged from
closed-door negotiations with the Democratic Wolf administration to announce
that the governor's proposed severance tax on natural gas drillers is a
non-negotiable no-go. "Our
counterproposal was nothing," said Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati.
"Yeah, nothing." Wolf adviser
John Hanger said the administration offered major concessions on a Marcellus
Shale tax -- there would be no minimum price on gas, and drillers wouldn't have
someone looking over their shoulder to double-check how much they make off the
gas. The governor's team also offered to
guarantee that the state's existing impact fee levied on drillers would remain,
addressing a concern of communities that receive funding from the fee to
address the effects of gas extraction and the industry that has sprung up
around it. All proposals were rejected
by Republican leaders, said Hanger. Wolf had planned to use revenue from a
severance tax to fund a $400 million increase in funding for schools this year.
Penn Live By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on
June 24, 2015 at 1:35 PM, updated June 24, 2015 at 3:55 PM
Six days before the
deadline to pass the 2015-16 state budget, there's an emerging consensus that
we're in for an extended drama. The only
question is: What kind? Is it more
"Waiting for Godot," with the protagonists marking time with
endless small talk as they anticipate agreement on a budget plan that may never
come? Or is it something darker
and more apocalyptic? Like maybe a policy equivalent of "Julius Caesar,"
where everyone falls on each other with (rhetorical) daggers unsheathed? New Property Tax Plan Unveiled By Pa. Senate DemocratsNew
Property Tax Plan Unveiled By Pa. Senate
Democrats At the moment, however, budget
conversations seem to be "Much Ado
Legislators losing hope of reaching state budget
compromise
By Karen Langley &
Kate Giammarise / Post-Gazette Harrisburg
Bureau June 25, 2015 12:00 AM
No compromise:
Negotiations over taxing Pennsylvania
Penn Live By Christian Alexandersen |
calexandersen@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 24, 2015 at 5:28 PM,
updated June 24, 2015 at 7:13 PM
Gov. Tom Wolf wants to tax Pennsylvania's natural gas drillers and
have that money go to education. Republicans don't. Wednesday's negotiation
session didn't bring the two sides any closer.
Members of Wolf's Cabinet met with Democratic and Republican leaders to
discuss instituting a 5 percent severance tax plus
4.7 cents per thousand feet of volume on natural gas extraction. The Democratic
governor has made the severance tax a centerpiece of his budget
proposal. Wolf's Policy and Planning Sec. John Hanger said
the governor proposed compromising on three aspects of his proposal.
Wolf aide: 'Hope is
waning' in budget talks
ANGELA COULOUMBIS
AND MADISON RUSS, INQUIRER STAFF
WRITERS LAST UPDATED: Thursday, June 25, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Wednesday,
June 24, 2015, 9:14 PM
School property taxes
eliminated, reduced for homeowners under new proposed tax plan
Penn Live By Christian Alexandersen |
calexandersen@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 24, 2015 at 11:38 AM,
updated June 24, 2015 at 2:36 PM
A new property tax
relief plan that aims to eliminate or significantly reduce Pennsylvania school property taxes for 3.2
million homeowners was unveiled by Senate Democrats on Wednesday. The plan, dubbed the
"Pennsylvania Home Rebate Plan," calls for eliminating school
property taxes for 2 million taxpayers, significantly cutting the tax for
another 1.2 million residents and providing rent relief for more than 800,000
Pennsylvanians. The total tax cuts and
rent relief would total $4.4 billion and would aid approximately 4 million Pennsylvania residents. The tax cuts would be paid for by raising the
personal income tax 0.78, raising the sales and use tax 0.6 and adding new
taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products.
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY JUNE 24, 2015
The Pennsylvania
House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would partially undo the
state's seniority protections for teachers, while also allowing school
districts to make layoffs for financial reasons – a practice that is now
barred. The bill would allow school
districts to ignore seniority when deciding to lay off the small minority of
the state's teachers who have below proficient ratings. Districts would first lay off those with
"failing" ratings, then those designated as "needs
improvement." When deciding between
those with the best ratings, seniority would still win the day. Layoff decisions must be based on teacher
evaluations without considering salaries, according to the bill. And districts seeking to downsize must also
furlough an equal percentage of administrative staff, unless given a special
waiver from the state. The bill also
allows school districts to make layoffs for financial reasons. Now, layoffs are
allowed only when enrollment drops or by cutting programs wholesale.
"Rep. James
Roebuck Jr., D-Philadelphia, the ranking Democrat on the House Education
Committee, questioned why seniority should be phased out as the benchmark for Pennsylvania
House OKs bill to factor
in performance in teacher furloughs
Education Week by
Associated Press Published Online: June 24, 2015
PFT files unfair labor
practice charge about substitute outsourcing
the notebook By Dale
Mezzacappa on Jun 24, 2015 01:38 PM
UPDATED 10:45 p.m. with District comment
As it had vowed to
do, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers filed charges of unfair
labor practice Wednesday against the School
District for its decision to outsource substitute teaching. The PFT, which is
seeking an expedited hearing before the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board,
claims that, in two years of stalled contract negotiations, the District never
brought up the issue. "The
decision to outsource these services without negotiating with the PFT is a
blatant violation of our contract," said PFT president Jerry Jordan.
Of helicopters, baseball
bats and GOP thinking in Harrisburg
JOHN BAER, DAILY NEWS POLITICAL COLUMNIST Wednesday,
June 24, 2015, 12:16 AM
PHILLY, MEET Scott
Wagner.
He's a 59-year old
first-term Republican state senator from (Gov. Wolf's home) York County who's
loathed by unions, loved by conservatives and a growing force in the GOP
Legislature. He wants to cut government
costs, government pensions, taxes and regulations. He's a self-described rough-edged
"garbage man who never graduated college." But he's also a wealthy biz-guy - owns
trucking and trash firms - who made Pennsylvania
political history. Last year, he won a
special election as a write-in. No one in the state has done that before. He's a strong, often strident voice of the
right. And now, after helping increase GOP seats with donations to candidates,
he's chairman of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee.
Approved spending plan for
East Pennsboro schools boosts taxes
Penn Live By Elizabeth Gibson | Special to PennLive on
June 24, 2015 at 9:56 PM, updated June 24, 2015 at 9:57 PM
The East Pennsboro
Area School Board voted 7-2 to approve a $38.4 millionbudget that will boost taxes 3 percent. Members Nancy Otstot and Anne Alger voted
against the spending plan for 2015-16. Otstot said she couldn't support a plan
that was balanced on the backs of already burdened taxpayers. A homeowner with a property assessed at the
district average of $160,200, will pay an additional $54 next year for a total
of $1,854. The new 11.5749 mill rate
replaces the current 11.2378 rate.
NA school board OKs
technology plan, tax increase
Trib Live By Tory
N. Parrish Wednesday, June 24, 2015, 9:36 p.m.
TheNorth Allegheny School District
The
Plan
would add staff, programs, if funding comes through
York Daily Record By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1
on Twitter UPDATED:
06/24/2015 10:28:21 PM EDT
The York City School
Board approved a budget for 2015-16 on Wednesday that would increase staff and
expand programs, but it still hinges on what happens at the state level. The adopted budget does not increase taxes,
but adds staff — both teachers and other support positions. It also expands
programs, such as music, art and physical education at the K-8 level. The plan is based on Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed
state budget, which would direct nearly $6 million more in basic education
funding to the district. But Wolf and state legislators are still wrangling
over the final budget, due at the end of the month. Supt. Eric Holmes said that if the funding
doesn't come through, there are contingency plans to adjust the budget
accordingly. But "everything in that budget we need," he said.
"There's no fat in the budget."
PSBA posts video on importance of advocacy
PSBA website POSTED
ON JUN 24, 2015 IN PSBA
NEWS
As a school director
or administrator, you have a powerful voice when it comes to advocacy. In
PSBA’s latestvideo,
board members from various districts tell us the issues affecting their
districts most, what we need to do and how to get involved. Watch to see if the
stories sound familiar. More importantly, get involved. Visit the State
Advocacy Network page at www.psba.org/legislative-advocacy/state-advocacy-network/.
As the School Year Ends, the Future of Public
Education Is in Jeopardy
Moyers & Company
by Ruth Conniff June 24, 2015
This post first
appeared at The Progressive.
School is out for
the summer, and kids are overjoyed. But across the country, the future of
public education is in serious jeopardy. Where will
public schools be in a year?
Here is a quick
primer on some of the key issues that relate to the fundamental question: Will
America maintain or destroy that most basic democratic institution, the public
school?
Register Now – PAESSP
State Conference – Oct. 18-20 – State College, PA
Registration is now
open for PAESSP's State Conference to be held October 18-20 at The
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA! This year's
theme is @EVERYLEADER and features three nationally-known keynote
speakers (Dr. James Stronge, Justin Baeder and Dr. Mike Schmoker), professional
breakout sessions, a legal update, exhibits, Tech Learning Labs and many
opportunities to network with your colleagues (Monday evening event with Jay
Paterno). Once again, in conjunction
with its conference, PAESSP will offer two 30-hour Act 45 PIL-approved
programs, Linking Student Learning to Teacher Supervision and Evaluation
(pre-conference offering on 10/17/15); and Improving Student Learning
Through Research-Based Practices: The Power of an Effective Principal (held
during the conference, 10/18/15 -10/20/15). Register for either or both PIL
programs when you register for the Full Conference!
REGISTER TODAY for
the Conference and Act 45 PIL program/s at:
Apply
now for EPLC’s 2015-2016 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
Applications are
available now for the 2015-2016
Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).
The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The
Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC).
With more than 400 graduates in its first sixteen years, this
Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state
and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders. State Board of
Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants. Past participants include state policymakers,
district superintendents and principals, charter school leaders, school
business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide
association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education
and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer
or another organization. The Fellowship
Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 17-18, 2015 and
continues to graduation in June 2016.
Click here to read about the Education Policy
Fellowship Program.
Sign up here to receive a weekly
email update on the status of efforts to have Pennsylvania adopt an adequate,
equitable, predictable and sustainable Basic Education Funding Formula by 2016
Sign up to support fair funding »
Campaign for Fair
Education Funding website
Our goal is to
ensure that every student has access to a quality education no matter where
they live. To make that happen, we need to fundamentally change how public
schools are funded. The current system is not fair to students or taxpayers and
our campaign partners – more than 50 organizations from across Pennsylvania -
agree that it has to be changed now. Student performance is stagnating. School
districts are in crisis. Lawmakers have the ability to change this formula but
they need to hear from you. You
can make a difference »
Thanks
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