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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for August 14, 2015:
#PABudget: Wolf's budget
talks with lawmakers focus on school funding; Sen. Hughes: No state budget
without increased education funding
Interested in letting our elected leadership know your thoughts on
education funding, a severance tax, property taxes and the budget?
Governor Tom Wolf, (717) 787-2500
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Turzai, (717) 772-9943
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
"I want the state to
increase its support for public schools and I believe that schools with more
students who live in poverty and face other challenges should receive more
state funding. I also want to see the state implement a new funding formula,
like the one recommended by the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission,
so that we invest in the education of every child. Students in every school
district should have equal access to educational programs and opportunities
regardless of the wealth or poverty of the people who live in their district."
Our Readers Say: Police
chief encourages support for Campaign for Fair Education Funding
Norristown Times
Herald Opinion by Mark E. Talbot Sr., Chief of Police, Municipality
of Norristown
POSTED: 08/14/15, 2:00 AM EDT |
As a member of law
enforcement for nearly 25 years I feel compelled to add my voice to the growing
number of Pennsylvanians who want our state lawmakers to take steps to make
sure every student has a fair chance to graduate from school and become a productive
adult. I see firsthand what
happens to kids when resources dry up: they drop out of school and struggle as
adults because they don’t have the tools to enter the workforce and support
themselves or their families. Many turn to crime. That has a significant effect
on individuals, families, communities, and our entire state. Research shows
that a high school dropout is much more likely to end up incarcerated rather
than becoming a college graduate.
The challenges are
especially high for kids who are in foster care, living in poverty, homeless,
or learning English. These children require more support to overcome obstacles
and meet academic standards. But the current system does not fairly distribute
dollars to cover the costs of educating students with different needs and
additional barriers.
I think that it is
time to ensure that funding for education is distributed in a way that reduces
disparities in the academic outcomes that are apparent between are wealthiest
and our poorest schools. I believe that schools with more students who live in
poverty and face other challenges should receive more state funding.
Bears Repeating: Education
funding top issue
Times Tribune BY ROBERT SWIFT, HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF June
18, 2015
These findings
correspond to results in a Franklin and Marshall poll in March,
released shortly after Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s first budget address.
Wolf's budget talks with
lawmakers focus on school funding
Sharon Herald by AP Posted: Thursday,
August 13, 2015 7:00 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)
— Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders reported incremental progress after a
fresh budget session Wednesday, saying they planned to reassemble to continue
the discussion the next morning. "I'm
standing strong on education, and I just wanted to lay that out," Wolf, a
Democrat trying to get his first state budget through the Republican-controlled
General Assembly, told reporters afterward. "We had a good
conversation." The hour-long,
closed-door meeting focused on education funding and Republican proposals to
cut public-sector pensions. Participants said there was no talk of how large
the budget should be — the so-called "spend" — or what taxes might be
imposed.
"The senator, a top Wolf
surrogate, was firm. Giving school districts millions more in state aid to
reverse the cuts of the previous administration is paramount.
"Without full
restoration of the funding, and that has not been agreed to, at this point -
nor has the Marcellus Shale tax - then there is no deal, there is no
arrangment," Hughes said. "Everything else is sidebar until we’re
clear on that."
Sen. Hughes: No state
budget without increased education funding
KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER
STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Friday, August 14, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Thursday,
August 13, 2015, 4:57 PM
Laying down a
position from which top Democrats will not back away, State Sen. Vincent Hughes
said Thursday there would be no Pennsylvania
budget without a Marcellus Shale tax and millions of dollars in new education
spending. Heading into a second straight
day of budget talks with Gov. Wolf and leaders of the four legislative
caucuses, Hughes (D., Phila.) said falling state standardized test scores
demonstrated a need for greater funding for schools across the state. Lawmakers and the
governor are more than a month late in delivering a state spending plan. "I'm not going
to say that there's any significant progress," Hughes said of budget
talks, but "we're trying earnestly to figure out a way to move
forward." The senator, a top Wolf
surrogate, was firm: Giving school districts millions more in state aid to
reverse the cuts of the previous administration, he said, is paramount. "Without full restoration of the
funding, and that has not been agreed to at this point - nor has the Marcellus
Shale tax - then there is no deal, there is no arrangement," Hughes said.
"Everything else is sidebar until we're clear on that."
"Gov. Wolf and the
Republican-dominated Legislature are now deadlocked in budget negotiations
about the amount of funding this year's budget will provide for education and
the source of the money. The governor has proposed a $410 million increase in
basic education funding, while the Legislature has proposed $100 million. POWER
accepts the Campaign for Fair Education's findings that $3.6 billion in
additional funding for basic education is needed before all school children
have access to quality public education across the state. However, as a
positive first step in this process, we support the governor's proposal of an
additional $410 million for this fiscal year. We call upon Gov. Wolf and his
team to hold firm to their position, and upon House and Senate negotiators to
yield to the clear will of the citizenry and begin to restore the
education-funding cuts made under the previous administration."
Philly Daily News Letters:
Budget impasse hurting schools
Daily News Opinion by DERRICK BOYD, ANDREA MOSELLE & DAVID
MOSENKIS, POWER EDUCATION
STRATEGY TEAM, POSTED: Friday, August 14, 2015, 12:15 AM
GOV. TOM WOLF won
election by campaigning strongly on his commitment to significantly increase
education funding and to make fundamental changes in the way those funds are
distributed to the 500 school districts across Pennsylvania . Soon after taking office, he
proposed a comprehensive plan for increasing the percentage of education
funding which comes from the commonwealth, while shifting the source of funds
away from the heavy property-tax burden which many Pennsylvania communities currently shoulder.
For the past two and a half years, POWER, an interfaith network of churches,
synagogues, mosques and people of conscience in eastern Pennsylvania , has been working to bring
justice to the state's educational system. POWER worked with education advocacy
groups across the state to make funding for public education the most important
issue in the governor's race. Its members testified before the state's Basic
Education Funding Commission and called attention to the systematic way current
methods of distributing funding discriminate against school districts with
higher percentages of students of color. POWER helped the governor's budget
team and the Funding Commission develop a funding formula that eliminated those
racial disparities.
Latest Pennsylvania
Greenfield Reporter By
MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press Posted: August 13, 2015 - 1:05 pm
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — Gov. Tom Wolf and a key Republican budget negotiator emerged Thursday from the latest meeting on Pennsylvania's budget impasse to say they are still grappling with unresolved issues and plan to talk again next week. Wolf, a Democrat, and House Majority Leader Dave Reed said they worked on two major issues — how much to spend on education and proposals to cut public sector pensions. "I think we have a tentative agreement on the fact that pensions and education funding are going to have to be part of a final budget discussion, final budget agreement," Reed, R-Indiana, told reporters. "I don't think we necessarily have the framework in place. There are a lot of items to be worked out." Wolf used the terms "good conversation" and "good discussion" several times but did not describe progress on any of the issues that divide the sides. He has sought billions in new sales, income and gas-drilling taxes to close a budget gap and increase funding for public schools and human services. "There's a different tone in these conversations," Wolf said. "I think we're having good conversations, and I know I've always talked about progress in a very generalized sense. I think that there's some good conversations here, frank exchange of views, but I think we are moving in the right direction."
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — Gov. Tom Wolf and a key Republican budget negotiator emerged Thursday from the latest meeting on Pennsylvania's budget impasse to say they are still grappling with unresolved issues and plan to talk again next week. Wolf, a Democrat, and House Majority Leader Dave Reed said they worked on two major issues — how much to spend on education and proposals to cut public sector pensions. "I think we have a tentative agreement on the fact that pensions and education funding are going to have to be part of a final budget discussion, final budget agreement," Reed, R-Indiana, told reporters. "I don't think we necessarily have the framework in place. There are a lot of items to be worked out." Wolf used the terms "good conversation" and "good discussion" several times but did not describe progress on any of the issues that divide the sides. He has sought billions in new sales, income and gas-drilling taxes to close a budget gap and increase funding for public schools and human services. "There's a different tone in these conversations," Wolf said. "I think we're having good conversations, and I know I've always talked about progress in a very generalized sense. I think that there's some good conversations here, frank exchange of views, but I think we are moving in the right direction."
Amorphous progress
reported by budget negotiators after pension meeting
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Thursday, August
13, 2015
While it may just be
a feeling, legislative leaders and Gov. Tom Wolf again touted progress toward
reaching a pension deal following a Thursday negotiating session on the topic. “We had a good conversation, we’re making
some progress on two really important issues: the pensions and education,” said
Gov. Wolf. “We obviously have differences…but I think we had a good
conversation, good discussion.” House
Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) noted that while pension reform and
education funding are two items the negotiators have focused on over the last
two days as necessary components of the final budget, differences still exist
in those areas. “We’re still working
through those differences, we’re hoping to do so in a timely fashion because
there are a number of other issues that need to come to the table before we can
have a final budget agreement,” he told reporters. Neither side Thursday reported any
breakthroughs or tentative agreement on a framework for a pension reform or
education funding plan that could be considered by the General Assembly in the
near future. “I think we have a
tentative agreement on the fact that pensions and education funding are going
to have be part of a final budget agreement,” quipped Rep. Reed. “I don’t
necessarily think we have a framework in place, there are a lot of items to
work out.”
Governor, GOP leaders say
some progress made on pensions, education
By Madison Russ/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette August 13, 2015 12:39 PM
Wolf decries 'same old,
same old' in GOP budget, but talks so far have been pretty much that: Analysis
Penn Live By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on
August 13, 2015 at 4:46 PM
….Legislative Republicans and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf have now had 44
days to get out of each other's way and come to an agreement on a new state
budget. But they're rolling heedlessly
forward. And pretty soon someone - in this case, Pennsylvania taxpayers -- are gonna get
squashed by their inability (or outright refusal) to strike a deal. As you probably know, Wolf wants more money
for schools, property tax reform and a severance tax on natural gas drillers. Republicans want pension reform and booze privatization and have zero interest
in the$4 billlioonnnnnn (You just did the voice again, didn't you?)
in tax increases that would pay for Wold's programs. Encouragingly, the opposing factions met two
whole times this week, on Wednesday and Thursday, where Wolf rolled out what he
views as a middle ground on pension reform.
Pennsylvania budgeteers find
some common ground on pensions, school funding in spending plan discussions
Penn Live By Charles Thompson |
cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August
13, 2015 at 1:00 PM
Pension reform and
school funding are just two hurdles in a race that
has about eight of them. But six weeks into Pennsylvania 's summer
budget siege, negotiators for Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican majority legislators
seem to have used those issues to un-stick themselves a little bit from the
muck they've been stuck in most of the summer.
Immediate specifics were scarce. But Wolf, emerging
from a 90-minute closed door discussion with House Majority Leader David Reed,
R-Indiana County, and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers, pronounced
himself pleased with the tenor of Thursday's talks. "There's a different tone in these
conversations," Wolf, a first-year Democrat, said. "I think we're
having good conversations... Frank exchange of views. But we are, I think,
moving in the right direction." Reed
stopped short of saying there was even an agreement in principle on a new
package of reforms to the pension systems for state workers and school
teachers.
Savior or budget gimmick?
Bonds no silver bullet for Pa.
Penn Live By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on
August 13, 2015 at 8:34 AM, updated August 13, 2015 at 8:35 AM
THE MORNING
COFFEE
Good Thursday
Morning, Fellow Seekers.
If you've been paying attention to this year's ongoing debate over how to fixPennsylvania 's $50
billion public pension problem, then you probably know by now that Democratic
Gov. Tom Wolf wants to sell about $3 billion in bonds to pay down that debt. The bonds, which would essentially amount to
a refinancing of the pension debt, are opposed by Republicans who say it'd just
be a shift in the state's debt load. Instead of paying off pension debt, they'd
just be paying off debt someplace else. But
how big a risk are they, really?
If you've been paying attention to this year's ongoing debate over how to fix
Despite Risks, State and Local Governments Turn to Pension Obligation Bonds
Pew Charitable
Trusts Stateline By Sarah Breitenbach August 12, 2015
In Kansas Pennsylvania
"Among the issues: The
application included no curriculum and no professional development plan for
teachers, and did not fully describe how assessments would be used, Sennett
said. The budget for the school was also incomplete, he said. The application failed to show how the school
would offer a unique educational program not already offered by the Erie School
District
By Erica
Erwin 814-870-1846 Erie Times-News August
13, 2015 12:01 AM
ERIE,
Pa. -- An application to open a proposed charter high school inside the Boys
& Girls Club of Erie failed to show how the school would improve education
for students and serve as a model for other schools, among other problems. That was the verdict from an Erie School District
lawyer in recommending that the Erie School Board deny the application from the
founders of the proposed Huxley
Charter School
Education Department grant money aims to help
low-income students
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
August 12, 2015 1:48 PM
The U.S. Department
of Education today announced it has awarded $28.4 million -- including $673,738
in Pennsylvania
-- to help pay for low-income students to take exams that can lead to college
credit. The grant will help to pay the
fees for the Advance Placement tests offered by the College Board as well as
tests administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization and
Cambridge International Examinations. In
news release, John King, senior adviser delegated duties of deputy secretary of
education, said, "These grants are a smart investment in equity and a way
to eliminate barriers for low-income students, level the playing field and
allow more students to access the college-level critical thinking and reasoning
skills taught in AP courses."
The department
expects the money is enough to pay all but $12 of the cost of each test taken
by low-income students. It notes states may require students to pay some of the
costs.
Blogger's note: The Washington
"Court orders regarding
education financing are not new. Kansas New
Jersey and Ohio
New York Times By KIRK JOHNSON AUG. 13, 2015
SEATTLE — Washington
State’s highest court, which has threatened, cajoled and pleaded with the state
Legislature and governor for years to close the gap in spending between rich
and poor schools, said on Thursday that it had finally lost its patience. In a
unanimous decision, the nine-member Supreme Court imposed
a fine of $100,000 a day on the state until a plan to reduce the gap
was accepted, and in a written order “encouraged” Gov. Jay Inslee to call the
Legislature into a special session. The
financial sanctions, which started on Thursday with the filing of the order,
will be owed every 24 hours, seven days a week, with the money going into an
education fund. The court said that some of the fines might be returned — for
each day the House and Senate are back in session working on the problem — but
only if their work resulted in what the court called “full compliance.” “The State still has offered no plan,” the
justices said. “Accordingly, this court must take immediate action to enforce
its orders.”
The ruling was the latest
development in a long-running impasse between lawmakers and justices, who in
2012 ruled that the state is failing to meet its constitutional duty to pay for
the cost of basic education for its 1 million schoolchildren. Thomas Ahearne, an attorney for the
plaintiffs, said that the court's action "is long overdue."
Court fines Washington
Big Story AP By RACHEL LA CORTE Aug. 14,
2015 4:17 AM EDT
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP)
— Washington officials are considering a special legislative session after the
state Supreme Court issued daily fines a of $100,000 until lawmakers comply
with a court order to improve the way the state pays for its basic education
system. Thursday's order, signed by all
nine justices of the high court, ordered that the fine start immediately, and
be put into a dedicated education account.
The court encouraged Gov. Jay Inslee to call a special session, saying
that if the Legislature complies with the court's previous rulings for the
state to deliver a plan to fully fund education, the penalties accrued during a
special session would be refunded. Inslee and
legislative leaders are set to meet Monday in Seattle discuss what next steps the state
should take. "There is much that
needs to be done before a special session can be called," Inslee said in a
statement. "I will ask lawmakers to do that work as quickly as humanly
possible so that they can step up to our constitutional and moral obligations
to our children and lift the court sanctions."
Why ‘Community Schools’
Are Taking Root In Florida
NSBA Supports Reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the main federal law supporting public schools,
is intended to support accountability of states, school districts, and schools
for improving the academic performance of all. First enacted in 1965, ESEA was
scheduled for reauthorization in 2007. Instead, various provisions have been
extended through congressional appropriations legislation. Reauthorization of a
modernized law is needed to address areas of improvement for academic
achievement, local governance, intergovernmental support for students and
schools, and accountability, for example. The Current 114th Congress is passed
modernized bills out of both chambers. In the House, H.R. 5, the Student
Success Act of 2015, was reported by the Education and the Workforce Committee
and passed a final vote by the full House. In the Senate, S. 1177, the Every
Child Achieves Act of 2015, was passed unanimously by the Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and passed the Senate floor. Both
bills have similarities and differences. Please view this comparison
chart that provides further details. - See more at: https://www.nsba.org/advocacy/federal-legislative-priorities/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-reauthorization-esea#sthash.D5izUZMZ.dpuf
PCCY: Get on the Bus to Harrisburg
As parents, teachers
and advocates, you know first hand how difficult it is to get the resources
needed to support our students. Harrisburg continues to be mired in political
gridlock and has failed to pass a budget for Pennsylvania’s 500 school
districts.
Teachers,
parents and students have no idea what they will be walking into come September
for the start of school. We say enough is enough.
We are contacting
you because on August 25th the PA House is scheduled to return to the
Capitol—and we want to be there to meet them. Could you give us a few hours of
your day and help make it clear that we demand a budget?
- Join your neighbors and other concerned
citizens who believe that investing in our kids is non-negotiable
- We’ll provide: FREE Transportation to
and from the Capitol and lunch; a brief training on the bus, materials,
and day of schedule
- Scheduled visits with elected
officials
Kids are off from
school so bring them with you – after all, it concerns their future!
Details:
Details:
- Bus will depart from in front of the United
Way Building at 7:45am at 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
- We will return to Philly by
approximately 4:30pm. (Discounted parking ($8) available at the
Sheraton Hotel at 17th & Race)
- If you plan to drive yourself, we will
meet at the Capitol between 10am and 10:30am.
The John Stoops Lecture
Series: Dr. Pasi Sahlberg "Education Around the World: Past, Present &
Future" Lehigh University October 8, 2015 6:00 p.m.
Baker Hall |Zoellner Arts
Center | 420 E. Packer Avenue | Bethlehem , PA 18015
Baker Hall |
Free and open to the
public!
Ticketing is general
admission - no preseating will be assigned. Arrive early for the best seats.
Please plan to stay
post-lecture for an open reception where you will have an opportunity to meet
with students from all of our programs to learn about the latest innovations in
education and human services.
Register now for the
2015 PASCD 65th Annual Conference, Leading and Achieving in an Interconnected World, to be
held November 15-17, 2015 at Pittsburgh Monroeville Convention
Center.
The Conference
will Feature Keynote Speakers: Meenoo Rami – Teacher and Author
“Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching,” Mr. Pedro Rivera,
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Heidi Hayes-Jacobs – Founder and President
of Curriculum Design, Inc. and David Griffith – ASCD Senior Director of Public
Policy. This annual conference features small group sessions focused on:
Curriculum and Supervision, Personalized and Individualized Learning,
Innovation, and Blended and Online Learning. The PASCD Conference is
a great opportunity to stay connected to the latest approaches for innovative
change in your school or district. Join us forPASCD 2015!
Online registration is available by visiting www.pascd.org <http://www.pascd.org/>
Nominations for PSBA's
Allwein Advocacy Award now open
PSBA July 7, 2015
PSBA July 7, 2015
The Timothy M.
Allwein Advocacy Award was established in 2011 by the Pennsylvania School
Boards Association and may be presented annually to the individual school
director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in
legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that
are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. The
2015 Allwein Award nomination process will close on Aug. 28, 2015. The
2015 Allwein Award Nomination Form is available online. More details on the
award and nominations process can be found online.
Slate of
candidates for PSBA offices now available online
PSBA website July 31, 2015
PSBA website July 31, 2015
The
slate of candidates for 2016 PSBA officer and at-large representatives is now
available online, including bios, photos and videos. According to
recent PSBA Bylaws changes, each member school entity casts one vote per office.
Voting will again take place online through a secure, third-party website --
Simply Voting. Voting will openAug.
17 and closes Sept. 28. One person from the school entity
(usually the board secretary) is authorized to register the vote on behalf of
the member school entity and each board will need to put on its agenda
discussion and voting at one of its meetings in August or September. Each
person authorized to register the school entity's votes has received an email
on July 16 to verify the email address and confirm they are the person to
register the vote on behalf of their school entity.
Register Now for PASA-PSBA
School Leadership Conference Oct. 14-16, 2015 Hershey Lodge & Convention
Center
Save the date for the
professional development event of the year. Be inspired at more than four
exciting venues and invest in professional development for top administrators
and school board members. Online registration is live at:
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.
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