Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3800 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, Superintendents, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup November 9, 2015:
Should leased curriculum services for one PA cyber school
cost taxpayers $50 million per year?
Register for PSBA Budget Action Day on Monday, Nov. 16
— Join us!
Why do PA school districts need Act 1 special
education and pension increase exceptions?
Did you catch our weekend
postings?
PA Ed Policy
Roundup Nov 7: What Local Control? Voter Referendum for Any & All School
Tax Increases in the Mix with Budget Deal in the Works
"The Governor and
legislators are seriously discussing mandating referendum as part of a property
tax package. This concept is gaining traction and is being discussed as a
possible part of a budget agreement."
PSBA: As Budget Discussions Continue - Tax Referendum a Serious Consideration
Last month the Senate Finance Committee reported out Senate Bill 909 (Sen. White, R-Indiana) that requires school districts to place a referendum question on the ballot for any and all property tax increases. It amends Act 1 of 2006 to eliminate the index and the remaining allowed exceptions for pension obligations, special education and school construction. The Governor and legislators are seriously discussing mandating referendum as part of a property tax package. This concept is gaining traction and is being discussed as a possible part of a budget agreement. Referendum ties the hands of locally elected school boards by eliminating their ability to build a budget, pay for mandated costs and make tax decisions based on their financial needs. School districts, already struggling to maintain their financial operations in light of the budget impasse, will face critical, long-term fiscal distress. PSBA is asking you to take action and contact the Governor and legislators now ... tell them “NO” to a voter referendum requirement. Click here to take action. If you need further information on the impacts of this proposal review these documents developed by PASBO: Impact of Eliminating the Act 1 Index and Impact of Eliminating the Act 1 Exceptions
PSBA: As Budget Discussions Continue - Tax Referendum a Serious Consideration
Last month the Senate Finance Committee reported out Senate Bill 909 (Sen. White, R-Indiana) that requires school districts to place a referendum question on the ballot for any and all property tax increases. It amends Act 1 of 2006 to eliminate the index and the remaining allowed exceptions for pension obligations, special education and school construction. The Governor and legislators are seriously discussing mandating referendum as part of a property tax package. This concept is gaining traction and is being discussed as a possible part of a budget agreement. Referendum ties the hands of locally elected school boards by eliminating their ability to build a budget, pay for mandated costs and make tax decisions based on their financial needs. School districts, already struggling to maintain their financial operations in light of the budget impasse, will face critical, long-term fiscal distress. PSBA is asking you to take action and contact the Governor and legislators now ... tell them “NO” to a voter referendum requirement. Click here to take action. If you need further information on the impacts of this proposal review these documents developed by PASBO: Impact of Eliminating the Act 1 Index and Impact of Eliminating the Act 1 Exceptions
PSBA Webinar Update on the budget crisis and
membership discussion
Monday NOV 9,
2015 • 7:30 am, noon or 6:00 pm
PSBA will be hosting
a special complimentary members-only webinar on the budget crisis and discuss
how your advocacy efforts can help push back on referendum and other issues
that are affecting public education in Pennsylvania .
During the webinar we will offer a Q&A where you will have the opportunity
to voice your local school directors’ concerns and find out what you can do to
help public education in your district and across the state. This complimentary
webinar will be held Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. Register online for one of three times:
- 7:30 a.m.: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/902665331842139137
- Noon: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4324551126155483393
- 6 p.m.: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7301194084847413761
"One item that is of
significant concern is the fact that there are serious discussions at the
budget table about requiring a backend referendum for any and all property tax
increases. This issue is being discussed under the guise of ensuring
“accountability” when additional BEF dollars are driven out to school
districts. "
PA Association of School
Administrators Education Update November 2, 2015
State Budget Update – This week the Senate attempted a veto-override vote on SB 1000, the stopgap budget bill that was passed by the legislature and vetoed by the governor last month. The bill, brought up quickly and without much discussion, failed to get the 2/3 vote required to override the veto, with a 30-19 tally along party lines. Budget meetings between the House and Senate Republicans continue, as they work to get agreement within their caucus on a budget proposal. While there is a heightened push to attempt to finalize a budget by Thanksgiving, there is still a very long way to go, and only the most optimistic believe it can be done by the holiday. Discussions with the administration are set to resume as well.
http://www.pasa-net.org/currentupdate
State Budget Update – This week the Senate attempted a veto-override vote on SB 1000, the stopgap budget bill that was passed by the legislature and vetoed by the governor last month. The bill, brought up quickly and without much discussion, failed to get the 2/3 vote required to override the veto, with a 30-19 tally along party lines. Budget meetings between the House and Senate Republicans continue, as they work to get agreement within their caucus on a budget proposal. While there is a heightened push to attempt to finalize a budget by Thanksgiving, there is still a very long way to go, and only the most optimistic believe it can be done by the holiday. Discussions with the administration are set to resume as well.
http://www.pasa-net.org/currentupdate
"Needless to say,
education funding has been Gov. Wolf's top priority since day one and he will
continue to fight for that commitment. Without a historic increase in funding
for K through 12 education, there is no deal."
Budget framework agreement
coming soon?
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Sunday, November
8, 2015
According to an
email sent to House Republicans sent by Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana)
and obtained by The PLS Reporter, a budget framework agreement
could potentially be coming in the near future, possibly as early as
Thanksgiving. "Our hope is to have
this finished by Thanksgiving, but we still have many details to iron
out," read the letter. As part of
the framework, the communication noted members will be voting on major changes
to the way wine and spirits are bought and sold in Pennsylvania ,
reforms to Pennsylvania ’s
state-run pension plans, and a way to close the structural deficit for the
current and coming fiscal year while also promoting “fiscal restraint.” Members were told to expect an update in
caucus this week and the possibility of session days being added in the future
to allow for the votes. The language of
the email did not discuss any compromise with the administration as of yet.
State budget possible by Thanksgiving?
WITF Written by The
Associated Press | Nov 8, 2015 9:32 AM
(Harrisburg ) -- With Pennsylvania 's budget stalemate in its fifth
month, Democratic Governor Tom Wolf's office and leaders of the Legislature's
Republican majorities say the momentum of closed-door talks has picked up and
there's cause for optimism. Wolf
spokesman Jeff Sheridan said Saturday that there are serious negotiations and a
light at the end of the tunnel. On
Friday, House Majority Leader Dave Reed wrote in a note to rank-and-file
Republicans that there's progress toward a framework that could lead to a final
budget agreement, possibly by Thanksgiving.
However, numerous differences remain between Wolf and Republicans.
For one, negotiators report differences over how much aid public schools
should get. Sheridan
says Wolf won't sign a budget agreement without a historic increase.
Optimism returns to state
budget talks, despite differences
One key development is the identification of
a source of money to help prop up the budget: diverting slot-machine gambling
revenue into the state treasury.
Post Gazette By Marc Levy / Associated Press November 7, 2015 4:29 PM
HARRISBURG — With Pennsylvania’s budget stalemate in its fifth month,
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and leaders of the Legislature’s huge Republican
majorities say the momentum of closed-door talks has picked up and there is
cause for optimism. One key development
is the identification of a source of money to help prop up the budget:
diverting slot-machine gambling revenue into the state treasury. However, numerous differences remain between
Mr. Wolf and Republican lawmakers, and Republicans may have to confront their
own internal differences to pave the way to a broader agreement. Mr. Wolf’s press secretary, Jeff Sheridan,
said Saturday that there are serious negotiations and a light at the end of the
tunnel. That followed an upbeat note Friday by House Majority Leader Dave Reed,
R-Indiana, to rank-and-file Republicans saying progress in talks could lead to
the passage of a budget by Thanksgiving.
“We’re not there yet, but for the first time in a while, we seem to have
a direction that we’re heading in together,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman,
R-Centre, said Friday.
Gov. Wolf has compromised
on the #PaBudget - it's time for the GOP to do the same: Vincent J. Hughes
PennLive
Op-Ed By Vincent J. Hughes on November 08, 2015 at 10:00 AM,
updated November 08, 2015 at 10:07 AM
Elected officials must be driven by principles and core values. But it's
also vital to pay attention to the messages being sent by public. Pennsylvania voters
delivered a strong message to the Republican Party on Election Day, sweeping Democrats
into control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
This should send a clear message to Republicans in Harrisburg : It's time to compromise with
Democrats and pass a state budget that fully addresses the needs of the
Commonwealth. When Gov. Tom Wolf, a
Democrat, defeated former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett more than a year ago, it
marked the first time that a challenger unseated a sitting Pennsylvania
governor in modern Pennsylvania
history. This happened primarily because
the public was fed up with policies pushed by the Republicans in Harrisburg , especially
deep cuts to school funding and rising local property taxes. However, Republicans have refused to listen
to the voters and acknowledge their call for change. Nowhere is that more evident than in the
current budget impasse.
JOHN BAER, DAILY NEWS POLITICAL COLUMNIST November 9, 2015, 12:16 AM
YOU KNOW THE Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken," about two
roads diverged in a wood? Well, that's
exactly where Pennsylvania 's
needlessly long budget battle between Democratic Gov. Wolf and the Republican
Legislature stands - at a point of divergent paths.
One path leads to a budget resolution as early as Thanksgiving; the other
to political conflagration ending who knows when. "We are definitely getting closer,"
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Adolph tells me. House GOP Leader Dave Reed's memo to members
on Friday (a great example of pol-speak) says, "We are making progress
towards the framework of what could lead to a final budget compromise." A "framework" that "could lead
to" . . . sigh. Wolf spokesman Jeff
Sheridan says, "The governor is encouraged . . . there has been some
progress." And when I ask Senate
GOP Leader Jake Corman about serving something up for Thanksgiving, he says
it's doable: "At least I hope so."
State budget's latest
victim: literacy
KRISTEN A.
GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: Monday, November 9, 2015, 1:08 AM
Until the end of October, Adam Stewart took basic education classes at
the Center for Literacy, which for 47 years has equipped adults with tools to
rebuild their lives. The Philadelphia nonprofit
had to shut its doors because of the state budget impasse, and Stewart has a
message for the politicians. "I'm
almost 30, and I can't read," he said. "By not passing a budget,
they're pushing people who want to make a change back into the streets." Stewart was 12 when he started selling drugs,
and now wants nothing more than to put that chapter behind him. But a full 80 percent of the Center City
"Perhaps Pennsylvania
Pre-K programs should be
paid while Pa.
Rhea Starr, of Lancaster Township,
is a former child care director at YWCA of the USA
and advocacy consultant for early education for United Way Lancaster County
Many years ago when our children were students in the School District of
Lancaster, I regularly attended budget meetings, hearing retired citizens talk
about not increasing school taxes because they lived on a fixed income. I vowed
then that when I was retired and no longer had children in the schools, I would
speak in support of tax dollars for education.
Now I understand more clearly what it means to live on a fixed income.
However, I also thoroughly understand the importance of properly funding
education. What I don’t understand is spending tax dollars for interest on
loans because our elected officials can’t pass an equitable budget on time. Schools across the state are borrowing money
and many are in jeopardy of closing their doors. Pre-K programs have to turn
children away and members of their staff are being laid off. In the School District of Lancaster
"Midland-based PA Cyber will pay Lincoln Learning Solutions (LLS) in Rochester
PA Cyber CEO deflects
charges that curriculum is useless, welcomes state audit
"The Supreme Court's ruling on
Citizens United and other court rulings have opened the floodgates of money in
the past few years that affect everything from large national races to small
local ones, like Sanchez v. Morales. Consider: In 2012, two presidential
candidates raised about $2 billion. Spending for 2016's race could reach $10
billion. Local spending totaled $27 million during this year's primary season.
At the state level, the race for the Supreme Court, at $16 million, set a
national record for spending on a court race. Have the agencies overseeing and
enforcing campaign spending rules kept pace with the money? Of course not."
DN Editorial: DARK MONEY TALKS: In Citizen's United era, enforcing finance reports is crucial
DN Editorial: DARK MONEY TALKS: In Citizen's United era, enforcing finance reports is crucial
Philly Daily News Editorail POSTED: Monday, November 9, 2015, 12:16
AM
WHEN Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez and her staff made election-day
rounds of polling places in the 7th District on May 19, they saw squads of
workers for her opponent, Manny Morales, many of them sporting "Vote for
Manny" T-shirts. Yet Morales had
just filed a campaign-finance report that showed he had spent a mere $20,000 on
his campaign and had only $1,400 left in the days before the primary. Where did the money for all those workers
come from? That's the question Sanchez asked the city's Ethics Board to investigate
last week, in a complaint against "dark money" that went to help
Morales. Sanchez believes that most of the money was funneled through the wards
in her district. For the most part, no
one knows how much was raised and how it was spent because most of the wards
failed to file financial disclosure reports as required by state law. The
requirement has been on the books since 1978.
“The emotional health of incoming (college)
freshmen is at its lowest point in at least three decades.” What has happened
over the past “three decades” to bring us to this crisis? We have had three
decades of education with the emphasis upon quantitative measures of success.
Additionally, emotional and psychological well-being measures and outcomes have
not been on the radar screens of our education leaders and policymakers, and
parents have been led to believe that if children do well in school
academically then they will also be happy, healthy, flourishing children. In other
words, parents and teachers have bought into the myth that testing and academic
measures are the key to future success.
Better balance needed in
schools
Centre Daily Times Letter BY HENRY G. BRZYCKI November 6, 2015
Henry G. Brzycki is president of The Center for the Self in Schools based
in State College, whose mission is to impact the psychological, socioemotional,
and physical well-being of K–16 students.
There is a growing awareness that something is not right with our system
of education in the United States
where alternative views and voices are being heard here in Pennsylvania and nationally. In a column
( CDT, Tuesday), Pennsylvania State Education Association
President Gerald Oleksiak asserted: “Right now, our toxic standardized tests
miss that mark (of helping students learn) by a long shot ... to build kids’
natural curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.” Oleksiak, with his extensive and substantive
experiences in our public schools, is correct to describe the impact of today’s
school culture on children as being bad for their mental health, the very
definition of toxic. However, he does not call for more of a balance between
academics and well-being, unfortunately.
The issue that we should be paying closer attention to is not testing,
but rather that our schools are doing harm to children, and then how to
formulate a clearer vision for the future of education that actually heals and
empowers the full and unique potentials of each young person.
Ken Bernstein on the
Democratic Presidential Debate
Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch November 7, 2015
Ken Bernstein, veteran teacher and NBCT, listened
to the Democratic debate (his picture was kaput on his TV). He was
disappointed by how little was said about education, a familiar reaction. He writes: “I was disappointed on how
little there was on education. Yes, Bernie again mentioned free tuition at
public colleges and universities. And Hillary talked about the school resource
officer in SC (to which I will return beneath the fold), as well as the
increasing percentage of students receiving Free and reduced Meals (for
increasing numbers it is breakfast as well as lunch), but there was no
discussion of what this administration has done that has distorted and damaged
public education, and whether any of them would take a different approach….
Hillary Clinton: Most
charter schools ‘don’t take the hardest-to-teach kids, or, if they do, they
don’t keep them’
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who is
running for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, was campaigning
in South Carolina
this weekend and sat down with journalist Roland Martin for an interview in
which she talked about a number of topics, including one that has not featured
in any of the Republican and Democratic debates: charter schools.
Martin, host of “News One Now,” a one-hour weekday morning news show on
the TV One network, spoke with Clinton on Saturday just before a town
hall meeting hosted by the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus on the
campus of Claflin University in Orangeburg. Martin brought up the subject of
charters by saying that a poll in South
Carolina among black parents found that most of them
were interested in enrolling their children in charter schools because they
were not satisfied with traditional public schools. He then asked Clinton whether she
supported the expansion of charter schools and vouchers. Here was her response:
On the Issues
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On the Issues or OnTheIssues is
an American non-partisan, non-profit organization providing
information to voters about candidates, primarily via their web site.[1] The organization was
started in 1996, went non-profit in 2000, and is currently run primarily by
volunteers.[2] The owner and CEO of On the Issues is Dr. Naomi
Lichtenberg. The editor-in-chief and content manager is Jesse Gordon. The
organization is headquartered in Cambridge,
Massachusetts and Missoula, Montana.[3] The organization's stated mission is to help voters pick candidates
"based on issues rather than on personalities and popularity." They
obtain their information from newspapers, speeches, press releases, book
excerpts, House and Senate voting records, Congressional bill sponsorships,
political affiliations and ratings, and campaign websites from the Internet.[3]
On the Issues: All
Presidential Candidates Views on Education
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:
- South Central
PA and
- Central PA —
Jan. 30 Nittany Lion Inn,
- North Central
area —Feb. 13
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
WESA Public Forum:
Equitable Education Funding Nov. 9, 7 pm
Pittsburgh
WESA By EBAISLEY • October
27, 2015
Governor Tom Wolfe
has proposed spending 6.1 billion dollars on basic education, yet Pennsylvania is one of
just three states that does not use a formula to distribute funding to local
school districts. What is the best and most equitable way to allocate state
education funding? How can educators and lawmakers ensure a fair education for
all students?
90.5 WESA will convene a "Life of
Learning" community forum November 9 at the Community Broadcast Center on
the south side. to discuss the Basic Education Funding Commission’s
proposed funding formula as well as strategies used in the state’s
history. Doors open at 6:30; forum starts at 7. It will be recorded for later broadcast. The
event is free, but space is limited; registration is recommended.Register online to attend.
Panelists include State Senator Jay Costa, member of the Basic Education Funding
Commission; Ron Cowell, President of the Education Policy and Leadership
Center; Linda Croushore, Executive Director of the Consortium for Public
Education; and Eric Montarti, Senior Policy Analyst for the Allegheny
Institute for Public Policy; and Linda Lane, superintendent of Pittsburgh
Public Schools. 90.5 WESA’s Larkin Page-Jacobs will moderate.
WHAT: Community Forum on Equitable Education
Funding
WHEN: November 9, 2015, 7 PM
WHERE: Community Broadcast Center, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh PA 15203
COST: Free. Register to attend.
WHEN: November 9, 2015, 7 PM
WHERE: Community Broadcast Center, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh PA 15203
COST: Free. Register to attend.
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
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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