Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
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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 November 15, 2015:
PA will spend $210M the next
5 years on tests that tell us where poor kids who can't read live. How about spending it helping them learn to
read?
Note: PA Ed Policy Roundup may not publish tomorrow; going to Harrisburg
Blogger Question: PA will spend
$210M the next 5 years on tests that tell us where poor kids who can't read
live. How about spending it helping them
learn to read?
Data Recognition Corp.nets 5 1/2 year $210
million contract for PSSAs and Keystone Exams
Capitolwire.com
Under the Dome email November 13, 2015
And for the big item of the week, it looks like Data
Recognition Corp. will continue
the development, production and distribution of Pennsylvania
Under Hackney's leadership,
the high school has also put together one
of the most advanced efforts in the city to implement the
"community school" approach, which involves re-envisioning schools as
accessible, full-service community centers for students and their families. Kenney has touted community schools as a way
to revitalize the city's struggling neighborhood schools. He says he wants to
create 25 community schools citywide.
Community
Schools: South Philadelphia principal Hackney
to be chief education officer, Kenney says
the notebook By Paul
Socolar on Nov 13, 2015 10:09 AM
Mayor-elect
Jim Kenney has named Otis Hackney, the principal at South Philadelphia
High School
"Advocates for poorer
districts say applying (the formula) without first restoring cuts made by
Corbett might not be fair. Such a move
leaves "all the current unfairness preserved," said Susan Gobreski,
the executive director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania
Budget details
must address school funding, property taxes, pension
by Chris Palmer, Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau Updated on NOVEMBER 15, 2015 —
3:01 AM EST
At the
core of the $30 billion budget, first due in July, is money for schools.
"Wolf is billing the
deal as delivering a record increase in aid to public schools, which was his
biggest priority in budget talks, and the first substantial school property tax
reductions as part of his broader goal to narrow huge funding disparities
between Pennsylvania's wealthier and poorer school districts. It also would
help whittle down a long-term budget deficit that Wolf has criticized as
damaging to the state's credit rating and driving up its borrowing costs."
Wolf: Renters
may bear bigger burden in 'half a loaf' budget
By Marc Levy | The
Associated Press on November 13, 2015 at 10:22 AM,
updated November 13, 2015 at 3:21 PM
HARRISBURG,
Pa. (AP) — A proposed 21 percent increase in Pennsylvania's sales tax — part of
a plan to end a nearly five-month-old state government budget stalemate — will
fall more heavily on people who don't own a home, Gov. Tom Wolf acknowledged on
Friday. The first-term Democratic
governor suggested that the sales tax proposal was the result of concessions he
had to make to Republicans controlling the Legislature, telling interviewers
during a regular appearance on KDKA-AM radio in Pittsburgh that the budget deal
is a "half a loaf." Wolf
pointed out that his original budget plan in March sought to deliver $426
million in rent rebates to lower-income households, but Republicans opposed it.
Meanwhile, Wolf and Democratic lawmakers say they would have preferred an
increase in the personal income tax because they believe it does not fall as
heavily on the poor.
"There’s a lot not to
like about this budget plan. But there is one overriding factor in its favor. For one, it offers relief on property tax,
clearly one of the biggest issues in Delaware
County Pennsylvania
Editorial: Pennsylvania
Delco
Times POSTED: 11/14/15, 7:57 PM EST | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO
Welcome
to everyone’s favorite Harrisburg
game show: “Let’s Make A Deal.”
Gov. Tom
Wolf, come on down.
You were
the first to raise the white flag, abandoning your promise to seek a new tax on
the state’s Marcellus Shale natural gas operations. You basically were elected
on this promise, vowing to restore funding for education that was wiped out
during four years of the Corbett administration. Unfortunately, putting a Democrat in the
governor’s mansion had little or no effect on the state Legislature, where
Republicans actually increased their majorities.
They
informed the governor they had no intention of creating a new tax and slapping
it on natural gas, fearing a loss of jobs and exodus of a business that is
already showing some signs of growing pains.
But the GOP did not have the votes to override Wolf’s veto, nor to get a
stopgap spending measure passed to get critically needed funding to local
schools and social service agencies that had been on life support as the
state’s budget impasse stretched into month five. It was the
Republicans’ turn to step up to the game wheel, swapping everything behind Door
No. 1 — a new levy on Marcellus Shale — for what was behind Door No. 2 — an
increase in the state sales tax. That
will allow Wolf to save face when it comes to property-tax relief and increased
aid to education.
All that
waiting for a state budget and this is what we got from Wolf? Editorial
By PennLive Editorial
Board Email the author on November 13, 2015 at 4:55 PM
We waited
4 ½ months for this?
We've
been urging compromise in the state budget standoff for a long time. But what
Gov. Tom Wolf put
forth in the last week wasn't a compromise as much as a surrender.
Consider:
- There is no tax increase for the state's
Marcellus Shale natural gas industry (the so-called severance tax), which
was the cornerstone of Wolf's education spending increase.
- The income tax rate would remain the
same if the plan were to be approved, which is not what Wolf sought.
- The total tax increase would be be about
one-fourth of the size the governor wanted.
- We don't know specifically how the gnawing
pension problem will be addressed, other than to shift $600
million in gambling funds to pay those obligations. That's not a fix,
that's just throwing money into the never-ending pension hole. What will
the final plan look like?
It
doesn't take an economist to figure out that this plan is going to hurt Pennsylvanians
on the lower end of the pay scale. Wolf
said so Friday when he admitted that the proposals would fall heavier
on those who don't own a home.
6 ways the proposed state budget deal
could affect you
By John
Guerriero 814-870-1690 Erie Times-News November
15, 2015 06:05 AM
ERIE,
Pa. -- After nearly 140 days, Pennsylvania
still doesn't have a fiscal-year budget. But negotiators have the framework for
a deal that could be approved before Thanksgiving.
First-term
Gov. Tom Wolf didn't get everything he wanted, notably a tax on the Marcellus
Shale gas industry, at least for this year. And Republican leaders, usually allergic
to tax increases, have agreed to a state sales tax increase as a way to fund
property tax relief. "This is a
compromise budget," said Wolf's spokesman, Jeff Sheridan. Many details must be worked out before the
Republican-controlled House and Senate vote on the spending plan that was
supposed to take effect July 1. Staff-level meetings between the governor's
office and the Legislature to hammer out details will continue this week, and
lawmakers return to session on Monday and might stay through Saturday.
Letter to the
Editor: Pa.
Delco Times By Stephen Herzenberg, Times Guest
Columnist POSTED: 11/14/15,
7:58 PM EST
A new
plan to alter Pennsylvania ’s public pension
system is a bad deal for taxpayers, working people, and the integrity of Pennsylvania ’s pension
funds. Details are scarce because the
plan, which would negatively impact workers, the commonwealth and school
districts for years to come, is still being crafted behind closed doors as part
of the state budget negotiations between Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders. But here’s what we do know: The pension plan
would slash in half the traditional — and already modest — pension for new
Pennsylvania teachers, nurses, and state workers and force the rest of
retirement contributions into 401(k)-type defined contribution savings accounts
that are less efficient and more costly than the current pension system. As a result of high Wall Street fees and
lower investment returns, defined contribution savings accounts typically cost
a lot more to deliver any given benefit. They also carry huge risk for
employees, who can lose a quarter or more of their nest egg if they retire at
the wrong time. Contrary
to recent statements made by Harrisburg
“budgeteers” and in this newspaper, there are no savings from forcing younger
teachers, nurses, and state workers into inefficient savings accounts. The cost
to taxpayers of benefits for new employees will increase by nearly 50 percent
over the current defined benefit pension plan.
"In a Monday letter to
Wolf and top state lawmakers, the Campaign for Fair Education Funding said
further restrictions would worsen already large funding inequities between Pennsylvania
Property tax
debate takes the stage in Pennsylvania
Education
Week by AP Published Online: November 12, 2015
HARRISBURG,
Pa. (AP) — The debate over school property taxes in Pennsylvania is heating up as Democratic
Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican lawmakers look for ways to balance school boards'
authority to increase taxes at a time the state officials are considering raising
the state sales tax to finance reductions in the school taxes. School boards, teachers' unions and other
organizations that want an apolitical formula to distribute state aid to
schools are pressing state officials against further restricting school board
autonomy. In a Monday letter to Wolf and
top state lawmakers, the Campaign for Fair Education Funding said further
restrictions would worsen already large funding inequities between Pennsylvania 's richer
and poorer school districts.
"Why
would we lock in those inequities when we are just about to begin an
unprecedented long-term effort to finally solve them?" the coalition
questioned.
Southmoreland
opposes referendum bill
Trib
Live By Paul
Paterra Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, 1:26 a.m.
Southmoreland School Directors voted Thursday to send a letter to state legislators expressing their opposition to Senate Bill 909, which if passed would require school districts to place a referendum question on the ballot for any possible tax increase. The motion was approved by an 8-1 vote, with Director Ken Alt voting no. The proposed legislation would amend Act 1 of 2006 or — as it also is known — the Pennsylvania Taxpayer Relief Act. That legislation calls for the state to set the rate by which districts can raise property taxes every year. Each school district's tax increase limit is different and based on various economic factors. Director Gail Rhodes, who is the board's liaison to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said the bill is being discussed as part of the state budget negotiations. “PSBA has listed several reasons why this Senate bill is a bad idea,”Rhodes said. Those reasons include:
Southmoreland School Directors voted Thursday to send a letter to state legislators expressing their opposition to Senate Bill 909, which if passed would require school districts to place a referendum question on the ballot for any possible tax increase. The motion was approved by an 8-1 vote, with Director Ken Alt voting no. The proposed legislation would amend Act 1 of 2006 or — as it also is known — the Pennsylvania Taxpayer Relief Act. That legislation calls for the state to set the rate by which districts can raise property taxes every year. Each school district's tax increase limit is different and based on various economic factors. Director Gail Rhodes, who is the board's liaison to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said the bill is being discussed as part of the state budget negotiations. “PSBA has listed several reasons why this Senate bill is a bad idea,”
PSBA’s new
Closer Look publication explains referendum concerns
PSBA website Noivember 13, 2015
PSBA is sending to the governor and legislators the
newest piece in its Closer Look information series, “Referendum:
It’s Not Tax Reform.” The report examines the concerns with the faulty
concept of referendum on school districts as a tax reform solution. Referendum
treats the symptom of unpopular property taxes without treating the cause of
the problem — an inadequate education funding system and too many unfunded and
underfunded mandates. Rather than addressing these issues, proposals to
eliminate the index and require referendum strips elected school boards of the
ability to make tough financial decisions for their districts without any
changes to the statutory processes under Act 1.
The report explains that districts also have to be able to pay for
increasingly high mandated costs, including those for employer contributions to
the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), charter school tuition
for regular and special education, and special education programs and services
for district students. These are mandated costs that school boards cannot
control, and every year they consume larger portions of district budgets. Click here to read PSBA’s report: “Referendum:
It’s Not Tax Reform.”
PSBA files
amicus brief regarding PA supreme court decision involving charter school and
school district
PSBA website Noivember 13, 2015
In June 2015, PSBA filed an amicus curiae brief in
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, supporting the position of the Bethlehem Area
School District to overturn a Commonwealth Court
decision favoring Lehigh
Valley Dual
Language Charter
School determinations Commonwealth Court
made and PSBA’s arguments on appeal included:
Smucker chides
school district for dropping faith-based pregnancy organization; Board members
call the criticism a political move
On Sept. 10 the Lancaster County Community
Foundation posted a Facebook photo of Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services'
satellite location at School
District of Lancaster Lancaster
County and two in Lebanon County School District of Lancaster
Keystone exam
proposal wrapped up in budget talks
York Daily record by Angie Mason, amason@ydr.com5:43 p.m. EST November 13, 2015
An effort to delay the Keystone exams as a high
school graduation requirement is being discussed during state budget talks, and
some York County
Curmuducation
Blog by Peter Greene Saturday, November 14, 2015
No direct questions on K-12 education….
Pell Grants, Sandy Hook Highlight Brief Nods to Education in
Democratic Debate
Education Week Politics K-12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on November
15, 2015 12:09 AM
On a night when the terrorist attacks in Paris and
the economy dominated the debate featuring the three Democratic presidential
hopefuls, education only got a few passing mentions, just like in their previous debate. And when it did, none of the
candidates said anything that really broke new ground. During the Saturday debate, held at Drake University
in Iowa and
hosted by CBS, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley made a point of bragging
about his state's number one ranking in Education Week's Quality
Counts report. AndMaryland schools did achieve that distinction from
2009 to 2013.
Lawmakers
Announce Preliminary Agreement On ESEA Rewrite
Education Week Politics K-12 Blog By Alyson Klein on November
13, 2015 4:48 PM
UPDATED It's official: Sen. Lamar
Alexander, R-Tenn., Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Reps. John Kline,
R-Minn., and Bobby Scott, D-Va., on Friday announced that they have a
framework for moving forward on a long-stalled rewrite of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act. The
next step: a conference committee, which could kick off in coming
days. The goal is to pass a bill to revise the ESEA—the current version of
which is the No Child Left Behind Act—for the first time in 15 years, by the
end of 2015. Here is their
statement: "We believe we have a path forward that can
lead to a successful conference, and that is why we are recommending to our
leadership to appoint conferees to take the next step in replacing No
Child Left Behind. This is a law that everyone wants fixed, and teachers,
parents, and students are counting on us to succeed. Our efforts to improve
K-12 education will continue to reflect regular order, providing conference
members an opportunity to share their views and offer their ideas. Because of
the framework we've developed, we are optimistic that the members of the
conference committee can reach agreement on a final bill that Congress will
approve and the president will sign."
DAILY SABAH ISTANBUL
Published NOvember 13, 2015
Allegations of misusing state funds by controversial
Gülen Movement-affiliated charter schools have been questioned in an enquiry
sent by Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva to Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan. In a letter sent on Nov. 3,
Grijalva requested a status report from the secretary of education on the
department's involvement in theinvestigation of
19 public charter schools in Illinois , Indiana and Ohio
by the Gülenist Concept Charter Schools. "As a member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Secondary Education, I have a particular interest in charter school operations
that are funded with public taxpayer dollars. I believe that we have an
obligation to ensure that no federal funds are being misused in these
schools," Grijalva said in the letter sent to Arne Duncan.
INFOGRAPHIC:
Bill Gates’s 15 Years of Experimenting on Public Education
Network for Public Education November 14, 2015
NPE is proud to share this interactive infographic
detailing the last 15 years of Bill Gates’s public education experiments. It
contains links to 13 reports from 12 of the nation’s leading pro-public
education advocates (which you will also find in the “Around the States”
entries below.) Hover your cursor over the green, yellow, and red
entries to reveal links to the reports. You’ll also find a video of Gates
embedded in the center quote. Please share widely to let others know the full
extent of the destructive influence Bill and Melinda Gates have had, and
continue to have, on the democratic institution of public education.
"However, when looking at the total
number of charter school students, the list looks a bit different with Los Angeles , New York
City, Philadelphia , Chicago
Six Districts
Where 40 Percent or More of Students Attend Charter Schools
Education Week Charters & Choice Blog By Arianna
Prothero on November 10, 2015 9:57 AM
The number of students attending charter schools
continues to grow nationally, and now enrollment in charters has reached at
least 40 percent in six school districts, according to a report from the
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Kansas City , Mo. ,
and Gary , Ind. ,
have joined New Orleans , Detroit ,
the District of Columbia , and Flint , Mich. New
Orleans —which continues to have the largest market
share at 93 percent today—met that benchmark.
PSBA New School Director
Training
School boards who will welcome new directors after the election should
plan to attend PSBA training to help everyone feel more confident right from
the start. This one-day event is targeted to help members learn the basics of
their new roles and responsibilities. Meet the friendly, knowledgeable PSBA
team and bring everyone on your “team of 10” to get on the same page fast.
- $150 per
registrant (No charge if your district has a LEARN Pass. Note: All-Access
members also have LEARN Pass.)
- One-hour lunch
on your own — bring your lunch, go to lunch, or we’ll bring a box lunch to
you; coffee/tea provided all day
- Course
materials available online or we’ll bring a printed copy to you for an
additional $25
- Registrants
receive one month of 100-level online courses for each registrant, after
the live class
Nine locations
for your convenience:
- Philadelphia
area — Nov. 21 William Tennent HS, Warminster (note: location changed from
IU23 Norristown)
- Pittsburgh
area — Dec. 5 Allegheny IU3, Homestead
- South Central
PA and Erie areas (joint program)— Dec. 12 Northwest Tri-County IU5,
Edinboro and PSBA, Mechanicsburg
- Butler area —
Jan. 9 Midwestern IU 4, Grove City (note: location changed from Penn State
New Kensington)
- Allentown area
— Jan. 16 Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, Schnecksville
- Central PA —
Jan. 30 Nittany Lion Inn, State College
- Scranton area
— Feb. 6 Abington Heights SD, Clarks Summit
- North Central
area —Feb. 13 Mansfield University, Mansfield
Register here: https://www.psba.org/2015/09/new-school-director-training/
Register for PSBA Budget Action Day on Monday, Nov. 16
— Join us!
Capitol Building, Harrisburg NOV 16, 2015 • 9:00
AM - 1:00 PM
For more than four months Pennsylvanians have gone without a state
budget, and school districts are feeling the pain. As the budget stalemate continues, many
school districts across the state are depleting savings or borrowing to meet
expenses. In addition to loan interest payments and fees, schools are taking
many other steps to curtail spending and keep school doors open.
PSBA is asking you to join us at the Harrisburg Capitol on Monday, Nov.
16 to take action. Let our legislators know that a state budget is critical to
the education of our public school children in Pennsylvania. Budget Action Day, Capitol
Building , Harrisburg , PA
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/>
NSBA Advocacy
Institute 2016; January 24 - 26 in Washington ,
D.C.
Housing and meeting registration is open for Advocacy Institute 2016. The theme, “Election Year Politics & Public Schools,” celebrates the exciting year ahead for school board advocacy. Strong legislative programming will be paramount at this year’s conference in January. Visit www.nsba.org/advocacyinstitute for more information.
Housing and meeting registration is open for Advocacy Institute 2016. The theme, “Election Year Politics & Public Schools,” celebrates the exciting year ahead for school board advocacy. Strong legislative programming will be paramount at this year’s conference in January. Visit www.nsba.org/advocacyinstitute for more information.
PASBO 61st Annual
Conference and Exhibits March 8 - 11, 2016
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
The Network for Public Education 3rd
Annual National Conference April 16-17, 2016 Raleigh , North Carolina
The
Network for Public Education is thrilled to announce the location for our 3rd
Annual National Conference. On April 16 and 17, 2016 public education advocates
from across the country will gather in Raleigh, North Carolina. We chose Raleigh to highlight the tremendous
activist movement that is flourishing in North Carolina. No one exemplifies
that movement better than the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who will be the
conference keynote speaker. Rev. Barber is the current president of
the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the National NAACP chair of
the Legislative Political Action Committee, and the founder of Moral Mondays.
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
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