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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup March 24, 2016:
Still Up in the Air: Sustainable Revenue, Funding
Formula, BEF Distribution, $2.5B for Plancon, Interest Reimbursement, PSERS,
Structural Deficit. Have a Nice Day!
PSBA
Advocacy Forum & Day on the Hill APR
4, 2016 • 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Join PSBA and your fellow school directors for the third
annual Advocacy Forum on April 4, 2016, at the State Capitol in
Harrisburg.
Info and Registration: https://www.psba.org/event/psba-advocacy-forum-day-hill/
Campaign for Fair Education Funding - Rally for Public Education
Save the date: May 2nd at the Capitol
The #voterregistration
deadline for the #PaPrimary
is 3/28
Online PA Voter Registration
here:
Blogger commentary: Make no
mistake, this budget DOES include tax increases (PSERS increase alone is $565M)
– they’ll just be made by local
volunteer school board members instead of by our well paid legislative
officials in Harrisburg. Déjà vu.
“Because the fiscal code
acts as a roadmap for how education money is divided, Republicans say that if
Wolf follows through on that veto, he will effectively keep new spending in
limbo. "You can't spend that $150
million without a fiscal code," said Jenn Kocher, spokeswoman for Senate
Republicans. The Wolf administration
disputes that, saying that it will unilaterally distribute funding "in the
most appropriate manner possible."
“…Inside the fiscal code,
lawmakers had also included a plan to take on a $2.5 billion bond to reimburse
some districts for nearly $300 million in (Plancon) capital upgrades this year.”
Without fiscal
code, will budget deal be lifeline or loss for Pennsylvania schools?
WHYY
Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY
MARCH 24, 2016
Major
questions remain about the details of Gov. Tom Wolf's decision Wednesday to end
the state's historically protracted budget impasse — particularly when it comes
to funding for public schools. Almost
nine months beyond last year's budget deadline, Wolf has agreed to allow a $6
billion supplemental spending plan passed by the Republican-held General
Assembly to go into effect at the stroke of midnight Monday. The plan includes $150 million in new basic
education spending — far less than the governor had wished. At a press conference in the Capitol
Wednesday, with many districts set to soon run out of cash, Wolf reversed a
pledge he made last week to veto the latest budget bill approved by the House
and Senate. "This means that
schools will stay open through the end of the year, but unless Harrisburg
changes its ways, they won't have adequate funds for next year," he said.
“But if Wolf is right and nothing has
changed, we've essentially waited nine months for a budget that gave us no new
sustainable revenues. We've waited nine months to learn that Wolf's proposed
tax on natural gas drillers is not forthcoming. We've waited nine months to
find out that Pennsylvania taxpayers will have to repay millions in interest on
the loans that kept school districts afloat while state money was held up by
petty politics. We have, in essence, waited nine months to find out that we
could be in a bigger mess than we were in when we started.”
Wolf allows
GOP budget to become law, but the damage is already done
WHYY
Newsworks THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT A
BLOG BY SOLOMON JONES MARCH
23, 2016
While
school districts across the Commonwealth were forced to borrow about $1 billion
to survive the longest budget impasse in 60 years, Gov. Tom Wolf told
Pennsylvania taxpayers that he was holding out for a balanced budget. He couldn't hold out any longer. After a 266-day standoff with Republicans who
hold the majority in both the state House and state Senate, Wolf will allow a
$30 billion Republican-backed budget package to become law without his signature.
It's a budget that Wolf warned would be a "train wreck" just eight
days ago. And he says nothing has changed.
“One other complication
that arises out of Wolf's actions on Wednesday is the chance for the school
districts to have their borrowing costs for loans issued earlier in the school
year is lost. The budget includes no extra funding for that. State Auditor
General Eugene DePasquale estimated that combined tab to be about $45 million.”
Schools to
stay open under Wolf's budget decision but other problems arise
Penn
Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on
March 23, 2016 at 7:37 PM, updated March 23, 2016 at 10:09 PM
Gov. Tom
Wolf's decision to allow the $30 billion GOP-crafted budget bill to
become law without his signature keeps schools open for the
remainder of the school year. Schools
will begin to see some of the $3 billion included in that budget for basic
education arriving in their accounts within two weeks after it takes effect at
12:01 a.m. Monday, administration officials said. "We are not geared up as we were in
December to press the button to literally get the money out the door almost the
moment the governor signed" a $23 billion partial state budget that
included $2.6 billion for basic education, said state Budget Secretary Randy
Albright. "But we'll work as expeditiously as possible to get the money
out."
Wolf to Allow Republican Budget to Become
Law, Warns of Looming Crisis
Governor Wolf’s Website/Press Release March 23,
2016
Harrisburg,
PA – Today,
Governor Tom Wolf announced that he would let the Republican 2015-2016 budget
become law. Although the budget cuts expenditures by another $238 million, and
remains $290 million out of balance, in order to move forward and address a
looming 2016-2017 deficit of $2 billion, Governor Wolf is allowing the budget
to become law without his signature. “I am
going to allow the 2015-2016 budget to become law without my signature,” said
Governor Tom Wolf. “This will allow for funding to go out to schools and other
services in the short term, but we still face enormous problems that this budget
does not even pretend to address. “Let’s
be clear: the math in this budget does not work. Next fiscal year – that
already has a $2 billion deficit – will now begin with an extra $300 million
deficit. Ratings agencies and the Independent Fiscal Office have all agreed
that we face a massive structural deficit. Left unaddressed, the deficit will
force cuts to schools and human services, devastating credit downgrades that
will cost taxpayers millions, and increase property taxes for our senior
citizens. We must face this reality this year and balance our budget with real,
sustainable revenues.”
VIDEO:
Republican leaders give remarks on status of 2015-16 budget
The PLS Reporter Author: Alanna Koll/Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Video Runtime: 5:03
After Gov. Wolf announced that he will allow the
2015-16 budget to become law without his signature, House Majority Leader Dave
Reed and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman give their remarks.
VIDEO: Turzai:
"This is a very balanced, responsible budget"
The PLS
Reporter Author: Alanna Koll/Wednesday, March 23,
2016 Video Runtime: 3:00
House
Speaker Mike Turzai gives his remarks after Gov. Wolf announces that he will
allow the 2015-16 budget to become law without this signature.
Republicans
mostly get their way in Pa. budget resolution; Gov. Tom Wolf and Democrats get
to fight another day
Penn
Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Email the
author | Follow on Twitter on March 23, 2016 at 10:02 PM
Relief
spread through the state Capitol and beyond Wednesday with Gov. Tom Wolf's
decision to bring an abrupt and bloodless end to Pennsylvania's
nine-month state budget stand-off. There
were some wins for all sides in this truce. And - as with many temporary
cessations of hostility - there were plenty of unlit fuses left waiting for the next spark. By digging their heels in and balking at a
negotiated budget compromise in December, conservative Republicans managed - if
mostly by running out the clock after potential pension and liquor reform bills
collapsed in December - to help all Pennsylvanians avoid a tax increase this year.
“The spending plan to be
enacted boosts education funding by $200 million - about half the increase Wolf
wanted. It included none of the new or increased taxes he sought to permanently
plug what he says is a recurring structural budget deficit of more than $1
billion. Also missing is any action on Republicans' policy priorities: changes
to the state's pension and wine and liquor sales systems. Wolf also added a twist to his decision. He
said he does plan to veto the proposed Fiscal Code, the element of the budget
that dictates exactly how state revenue is to be spent. …Hughes said it was difficult to ignore the
advocacy from school districts, who rattled Republican and Democratic cages in
the Capitol after Wolf threatened his veto.
"They were much more publicly engaged than they have ever
been," Hughes said. "I think that activated more Republican and Democratic
legislators than I think the entire previous 81/2 months had."
Ending budget
impasse, Wolf says: 'We need to move on'
Inquirer
by Maria Panaritis & Kathy
Boccella, STAFF WRITERS MARCH
24, 2016 1:08 AM EDT
In an
unexpected and possibly unprecedented move, Gov. Wolf on Wednesday said he
would let the latest $30 billion Republican spending plan become law, ending
Pennsylvania's historic 266-day budget impasse.
At a news conference in Harrisburg, Wolf reversed course on a promised
veto by saying he would neither sign nor reject the proposal sent to him by
legislators. Without either, it automatically becomes law Monday morning. Wolf said the Republican budget math
"doesn't work" and he was loath "to put my name on something
that I don't believe is exactly what we ought to have." But he acknowledged the mounting financial
pressure on schools and agencies waiting for the rest of this year's state aid,
and said he would carry his priorities - including calls for tax increases -
into the looming debate over next year's budget.
“That seems to be of no
concern to the legislature's least reasonable Republicans, who can return to a
never-ending campaign trail to gleefully proclaim that this budget raises no
taxes. But the problem is that it does raise taxes. Local property taxes
throughout the state are bound to rise because the state is failing to properly
fund schools, leaving districts to make up the difference.”
Pa. budget
impasse ends with a whimper
Inquirer Opinion Updated: MARCH 24, 2016 — 3:01 AM
EDT
With no
resolution to Pennsylvania's record nine-month budget impasse in sight and with
public schools contemplating closure, Gov. Wolf has succumbed to Republican
obstruction and agreed to a plan that keeps the state in the fast lane toward
fiscal instability and educational decline. In the end, he was abandoned by
fellow Democrats in the legislature who pleaded with him to accept a fiscally
indefensible budget rather than keep trudging toward the end of the fiscal year
with no budget at all. Of the many
disappointments of this budget, the greatest is its failure to address the
state's structural deficit, the stark difference between the state's spending
and receipts. This deepening hole, expected to approach $2 billion next year,
is sapping the state's ability to function.
The threshold for a
successful school funding system should not be whether there is enough money
for schools to keep their doors open and the lights on. It is about whether
there are sufficient resources so that all students – no matter where they live
– can succeed in school and meet the state’s academic standards.
Press Release:
Campaign for Fair Education Funding statement on Gov. Wolf’s 2015-16 budget
announcement
March
23, 2016
HARRISBURG
– The Campaign for Fair Education Funding released the following statement in
response to Gov. Wolf’s 2015-16 budget announcement today:
“The
2015-16 budget that the governor is allowing to become law will permit schools
that have been pushed to the brink by the budget impasse to remain open and
their students to complete this academic year.
“But make no mistake: this budget does not solve the state’s long-term
school funding crisis. The threshold for a successful school funding system
should not be whether there is enough money for schools to keep their doors
open and the lights on. It is about whether there are sufficient resources so
that all students – no matter where they live – can succeed in school and meet
the state’s academic standards. “The
Governor and legislature must immediately turn their attention to the 2016-17
budget. They must work together to enact the fair school funding formula
recommended by the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission and pass an
on-time budget for 2016-17 that makes a significant investment in our public
schools next year of at least $400 million and provides adequate revenues to
support that investment.
“Every
school year counts for a student. We cannot allow Pennsylvania’s children to
endure another school year without solving the state’s education funding
crisis.”
Pennsylvania governor relents after
9-month budget impasse
AP State
Wire By MARK SCOLFORO and MARC LEVY
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's epic budget stalemate ended Wednesday as the Democratic governor backed off his latest veto threat, leaving slivers of his once-ambitious agenda intact after nine months of partisan gridlock that threatened to close schools, forced social-service agencies to lay off employees and resulted in millions in borrowing costs for county governments. First-term Gov. Tom Wolf's drive for a multibillion-dollar tax increase from a Republican-controlled Legislature to fund a record increase in public school aid ultimately failed- he got half the aid he wanted - and precipitated a budget fight unlike any seen in modern Pennsylvania history. A Republican-penned $6.6 billion no-new-taxes spending package will become law Monday, leaving Illinois as the only state still without a budget in place for the current fiscal year.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's epic budget stalemate ended Wednesday as the Democratic governor backed off his latest veto threat, leaving slivers of his once-ambitious agenda intact after nine months of partisan gridlock that threatened to close schools, forced social-service agencies to lay off employees and resulted in millions in borrowing costs for county governments. First-term Gov. Tom Wolf's drive for a multibillion-dollar tax increase from a Republican-controlled Legislature to fund a record increase in public school aid ultimately failed- he got half the aid he wanted - and precipitated a budget fight unlike any seen in modern Pennsylvania history. A Republican-penned $6.6 billion no-new-taxes spending package will become law Monday, leaving Illinois as the only state still without a budget in place for the current fiscal year.
Gov. Wolf to
allow supplemental budget to become law without his signature
The PLS
Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Wednesday, March
23, 2016
Gov. Tom
Wolf announced his decision Wednesday about what he will do with the $6
billion-plus budget supplemental the General Assembly put on his desk last
week, saying at an afternoon press conference that he will allow the bill to
become law without his signature. He
said he will also be allowing the non-preferred appropriations to become law. Article 4, section 15 of Pennsylvania's
constitution allows legislation to become law within ten days of the governor
being presented with it if he neither signs nor vetoes. The legislation will become effective
starting 12:01 a.m. Monday. “I
cannot in good conscience sign this bill,” he said. “I cannot in good
conscience attach my name to a budget that simply does not add up.” After a
promised veto of the supplemental spending plan last week, Gov. Wolf said he
changed his mind because it was “the right thing to do to move on” and “to
allow us to face the budget challenges of 2016-2017.”
For school districts, state budget
breakthrough brings relief, but uncertainty
Sarah M. Wojcik , Jacqueline Palochko and Andrew WagamanContact Reporters Of The Morning Call March 23, 2016
For school
districts, state budget breakthrough brings relief, but uncertainty
The
Allentown School District was literally in the process of seeking approval in
Lehigh County Court for a $45 million loan on Wednesday when word came from
Harrisburg that the nine-month budget impasse was over. Gov. Tom Wolf announced he was allowing the
2015-16 budget to become law without his signature, freeing up money the state
had been withholding from districts like Allentown that were staring at an
increasingly scary financial reality. While
school officials breathed a sigh of relief that the stalemate was over, there
were still more questions than answers from school districts. That's due in
large part to the fact that Wolf said he will veto the fiscal code bill ——
which enacts the budget and for the state's 500 school districts details how
the extra $200 million they will receive in 15-16 will be doled out. "The crisis has been averted for the
moment, but there's still a lot of issues and questions on the table that need
worked through," said Steve Robinson, spokesman for the Pennsylvania
School Board Association.
Pennsylvania's budget impasse comes to an
end: 'We need to move on'
Wolf says the final
budget is not balanced, but he will allow the measure to become law
By Karen
Langley / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau March 24, 2016 12:25 AM
HARRISBURG
— After nearly nine months, Pennsylvania’s state budget impasse ground to an
end Wednesday, with Gov. Tom Wolf saying he would allow a
Republican-crafted appropriations bill to become law without his signature. Mr. Wolf, a Democrat, said he would not sign
the bill because he believes the budget is not balanced, but that by releasing
the approximately $6 billion in state funding without his signature, schools
will be able to stay open through the end of the year. And he looked ahead,
saying: ”We need to move on (from 2015-16). We need to confront the real
challenge we have in the (2016-17) budget.”
The appropriations bill will become law at 12:01 a.m. Monday,
after Mr. Wolf refrains from acting on it through Sunday, his office said,
completing a budget of about $30 billion. The governor and legislative leaders
said work on the next state budget, for the year that begins July 1, will
start next week. But for all the relief
that will be felt by school districts — some of which sent representatives to
the Capitol earlier Wednesday to advocate for completion of the
budget — there was little evidence that the governor and legislators are closer
to resolving the differences that dragged this year’s state budget nearly
three-quarters of a year past its June 30 deadline.
State's budget battle ends, but verbal
sparring continues
Local lawmakers
react to Gov. Wolf's no-veto decision
TIM STUHLDREHER | Staff Writer Lancaster Online March 24,
2016
As one
might expect, Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement that he
would allow the remaining portion of the Republican-controlled legislature’s
2015-16 budget to become law without his signature prompted reactions by local
legislators that split along party lines.
State Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Landisville, said Wolf’s decision “avoids any
further funding disruptions to schools, human service providors, agriculture
programs” and so on. “Allowing these
important monies to flow is not a loss for Gov. Wolf, it is a win for the
people of Lancaster County and Pennsylvania,” Aument said in a statement. State Sen. Lloyd Smucker, R-West Lampeter
Twp., said the no-tax-increase budget “will force the government to live within
its means.” However, he’s concerned
about Wolf’s promise to veto the fiscal code, an accompanying bill that
gives detailed direction on state spending.
Local
educators say budget deal does nothing to solve long-term problems
Times
Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL AND KATHLEEN BOLUS Published: March 24, 2016
In the
last nine months, school districts borrowed millions, delayed buying textbooks
and warned that schools may be forced to close.
The spending plan that became law Wednesday alleviates those
short-term emergencies but does nothing to solve long-term problems, area
superintendents said. “They are going to
give us the money we should have had in the first place, but we’re not getting
anywhere for the future of our students in the district and across the
Commonwealth,” Carbondale Area Superintendent Joseph Gorham said. Under the budget which Gov. Tom Wolf let
become law without his signature, districts will receive a half-year’s worth of
the basic education funding under the same distribution formula used in the
previous fiscal year. Districts received the first half in January and February
after the state released emergency funds.
This bill provides an additional $200 million in state aid to school
districts — about half of what the governor originally sought. Districts do not
yet know the total amount they will receive.
Pennsylvania
Gov. Wolf relents after 9-month budget impasse
Trib
Live BY BRAD BUMSTED | Wednesday, March 23, 2016,
1:24 p.m.
HARRISBURG
— Ending an almost nine month budget impasse, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said
Wednesday he is letting a supplemental budget bill become law without his
signature. It was an about-face for
Wolf, who said last week he would again veto the $6 billion in funding that
completes a $30 billion budget for 2015-16 approved by lawmakers in December.
It was due, by law, July 1. The
first-term governor faced a potential veto override if he again vetoed funding
that including basic education money.
Education officials relieved over end to
budget crisis
By Molly
Born / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette March 24, 2016 12:10 AM
Education
advocates and school officials expressed relief Wednesday that Gov.
Tom Wolf’s pledge not to block a Republican-crafted appropriations bill will
ensure Pennsylvania schools remain open.
But they also acknowledged the challenges ahead for education in the
2016-17 state spending plan and the urgent need for a new basic education
funding formula.
“Gov.
Wolf did what was necessary to keep schools from closing, but it is only a
temporary reprieve from the disaster awaiting Pennsylvania’s public schools if
lawmakers continue to underfund public education,” the Pennsylvania School
Boards Association said in a statement. “The Legislature is going to have to
pass new and sustainable revenues for 2016-2017 to provide Pennsylvanians with
the public services they need and children with the education they deserve.”
“It remains to be seen how
the money will be pushed out to districts in the absence of a fiscal code bill
and other important legislative components. Unfortunately, the bill that will
become law does nothing for PlanCon construction reimbursements, pension reform
or put into place the much needed bipartisan Basic Education Funding formula.
As the governor decides to distribute the available funding, it’s important to
ensure that all school entities have enough funding and resources to remain
open through the end of the school year. PSBA will continue to work with its
members and policymakers to make all of these a reality.”
STATEMENT: PSBA encouraged that budget
will become law; concerned with future challenges
The
Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) is pleased that Gov. Tom Wolf has
stated he will not veto House Bill 1801 and will instead allow the bill to
become law on March 27 providing an education budget for fiscal year 2015-16.
This announcement and the $200 million increase for education in House Bill
1801 come at a critical time as more schools are nearing the end of their
financial rope. “We applaud PSBA members
and school district communities in all of their outreach to the legislature and
governor advocating for a budget to be enacted for this fiscal year. On behalf
of school entities across the state, we thank the General Assembly and governor
for bringing the current crisis to an end,” said PSBA Executive Director Nathan
Mains. “While we appreciate the governor’s persistence with pushing for
much-needed education funding increases, the $200 million in HB 1801 will keep
doors open and allow schools to focus on educating children. There are still challenges
ahead on the 2016-17 budget, which must be passed by June 30 to ensure that
schools can enter into the next academic year with confidence.”
Education
Voters of PA’s reaction to Governor Wolf’s decision to allow HB 1801 to become
law without his signature
Posted
on March 23, 2016 by EDVOPA
Education Voters of PA’s reaction
to Governor Wolf’s decision to allow HB 1801 to become law without his
signature
Susan Spicka, Director of
Education Voters of PA, issued the following statement regarding Governor
Wolf’s decision to allow HB 1801 to become law without his signature :
Today
Governor Wolf announced that he will allow HB 1801, the most recent budget
passed by the legislature, to become law without his signature. He stressed
that the math does not add up in the budget; it is not balanced and the money
it claims to have simply doesn’t exist. Nevertheless, Governor Wolf stated that
the right thing to do now is to move on and to focus on a responsible, balanced
budget for 2016-2017. We recognize the
fierce opposition that Governor Wolf and many lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans,
have faced as they have tirelessly fought to get school funding back on track
through a significant new investment of state dollars into Basic Education
Funding. Budgets are about priorities and it is an unfortunate reality
that providing adequate state funding to schools and ensuring that all children
in the Commonwealth receive a quality education is simply not a priority for
some lawmakers, including many who are in leadership positions in the
Republican Party.
Public Interest Law Center Statement on
Governor Wolf’s Budget Decision
Public
Interest Law Center Website March 23, 2016
The Governor today
decided to allow a Republican-backed budget for 2015-2016 become law.
This means the doors of our schools will stay open and the lights will stay on.
But as the Campaign for Fair Education Funding noted,
today’s action does nothing to ensure that our children have sufficient
resources so that all students – no matter where they live – can succeed in
school and meet the state’s academic standards. The Commonwealth’s
continued failure to provide children with the resources necessary for a
quality education shows why Pennsylvania courts must step in.
The important legal issue is whether the Legislature is violating
Pennsylvania’s constitutional mandate that it support an effective system of
public education. Whether the courts can even weigh in is the issue
presently before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in William Penn School District v.
Pennsylvania Department of Education, a
lawsuit filed by the Public Interest Law Center, along with the Education Law
Center.
- See
more at: http://www.pilcop.org/our-statement-on-governor-wolfs-budget-decision/#sthash.rvsvrNF9.dpuf
Education
Law Center-PA issues statement regarding today’s state budget announcement
The
Education Law Center Website Mar. 23, 2016
The
Education Law Center’s Executive Director Deborah Gordon Klehr issued the
following statement regarding today’s state budget announcement:
“We are
disappointed that the Commonwealth is proceeding with a budget that
appropriates a woefully inadequate level of funding for education. This budget
does not provide our children with the resources they need to succeed. The
General Assembly has once again failed to meet its constitutional
responsibility to maintain a system of thorough and efficient education that
serves our children. This is further evidence of the need for the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court to step in to protect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of
Pennsylvania’s school children. The statewide system of funding our
schools continues to be broken and the underlying problems remain
unaddressed. As the General Assembly turns to the 2016-2017 budget, we
urge our lawmakers to undertake their legal duty to invest in education to
ensure that all children have the resources to learn regardless of their ZIP
code.”
Report:
Philadelphia among most fiscally disadvantaged school districts
The notebook
by Dale Mezzacappa March 23, 2016 — 3:08pm
On the
day when Gov. Wolf said he would allow to become law
a Republican spending plan that significantly pares back what he
wants to invest in education around the state, a recent report
confirmed that Philadelphia and several other Pennsylvania districts are
among the most fiscally distressed in the country. The report, by the Education Law Center at Rutgers
University, compares education investment and relative poverty rates in a given
labor market to come up with an index of fiscal distress for school districts. Using this method, Philadelphia and Chicago
come out as most continuously disadvantaged among the 10 biggest
districts. Philadelphia has more than twice the average poverty rate, but just
80 percent of the average for per-pupil spending for its area. Two other Pennsylvania districts, Allentown
and Reading, show up as the most disadvantaged in the country. Each has more
than two-and-a-half times the average poverty rate and less than 80 percent of
the average revenue per student.
At 18, he's on
Pottstown school board - and just getting started
Emanuel Wilkerson,
18, is the youngest school board member in Pa.
Inquirer
by Kathy Boccella, Staff
Writer Updated: MARCH 23,
2016 — 5:54 AM EDT
With all
the angst over the 2016 presidential race, perhaps it is not too soon to look
to future elections and the prospects of Emanuel Wilkerson. The Pottstown school board member is sitting
in a booth at Ice House Steak & Pizza, where he conducts interviews and
important meetings. It's the same joint where he gobbles down cheese fries with
his Pottstown High School classmates. "I
love serving the people," says Wilkerson, who won't get his high school
diploma until June, but already has a master's in the political sound bite.
"I love my school. I love my family and my friends, and I'm ready to get
to work to serve my country." Elected
to a four-year term in November at age 18, he is believed to be the youngest
school board member presently serving in the state, said Steve Robinson, a
Pennsylvania School Boards Association spokesman.
Could you pass Pennsylvania's standardized
tests? Try these sample questions
Lancaster
Online by KARA NEWHOUSE | Staff Writer March 23, 2016
No Child Left Behind is no longer the law of the land,
but standardized tests continue to dominate schools and be a hot topic for
parents, teachers and students. PSSAs
— Pennsylvania's standardized tests for grades 3 to 8 — are coming up
in April. On Thursday night, LNP will host a live chat about the
exams. Local educators will answer your questions about
the tests, as well as the growing trend of parents opting their children out. How would you fare on PSSAs? Find out with
these sample questions from the state Department of Education.
America’s Bankrupt Schools
Pension plans could be the
culprit behind broke big-city schools
US News By
Lauren Camera March 18, 2016
Last
week, in Flint, Michigan, Democratic presidential candidates were asked what they'd do to
turn around financially flailing and academically failing school systems, like
that of nearby Detroit. Vermont
Sen. Bernie Sanders blamed congressional inaction and front-runner Hillary
Clinton said she would create a "SWAT team" at the Department of
Education and reinstate a federal program to assist states and districts with
funding to repair and modernize schools. The list
of big-city school districts around the country that are broke or well on their
way to being in the red is growing. But the real reasons behind their dire
financial straits weren't mentioned by either candidate. Detroit's school system, already $515 million
in debt, can't afford to pay its staff past April 8. In Chicago,
the city school district – the third-largest in the country – is a whopping $1.1 billion in debt. Already laying off staff and imposing
unpaid furlough days, it most recently told principals to stop spending money altogether. In Philadelphia, despite the school system
there ending the year with an $88 million surplus, the city has backed a
lawsuit against the state by other school districts over inadequate funding,
citing its own inability to maintain buildings and struggles to employ teachers
and school nurses. More than 2,000 public school students in Boston also walked out of their classrooms earlier this month in
opposition to proposed budget cuts. While
the financial woes are a result of a confluence of circumstances, analysts say
one culprit stands above the rest. "Pensions are one of the most untold stories of why
this is happening," says Chad Aldeman, an associate partner at Bellwether
Education Partners, an education policy organization in Washington. "These
are big dollar amounts at play that people haven't conceptualized."
Report
predicts $46B gap in funding for school buildings
Inquirer
by CAROLYN THOMPSON, The
Associated Press MARCH 23, 2016 3:41 PM EDT
The
nation is spending about $46 billion less than what it needs to keep up its
school buildings, according to a report Wednesday that pointed out disparities
in state support for infrastructure. The
report by a trio of school facilities groups said the country needs to keep
better track of the state of its schools and find new funding sources for their
upkeep so that local districts that now bear the heaviest funding burdens don't
have to divert money from instruction. "U.S.
public school infrastructure is funded through a system that is inequitably
affecting our nation's students and this has to change," said Rick
Fedrizzi, chief executive officer of the U.S. Green Buildings Council, which
released the report along with the 21st Century School Fund and National
Council on School Facilities.
College grads no longer so eager to Teach
for America
Marketplace
By Amy Scott March 22, 2016 | 2:09 PM
Teach
for America announced this week it’s cutting about 15 percent of its
national staff. The nonprofit teacher-training program will also beef up its
regional offices and change the way it recruits. For 25 years, Teach for America has recruited
new college graduates to teach for two years, mostly in disadvantaged urban
schools. And there has been no shortage of critics, who say the model
leaves the country’s neediest kids in the hands of unprepared teachers who
don't stick around. For the past two years applications have declined, and the
group has closed two of its summer training sites. The layoffs aren’t about money, said CEO
Elisa Villanueva Beard. “We are very fortunate to be in a strong financial
position,” she said. Rather, trimming
the central office will allow regional branches to hire more staff and be more
flexible, Beard said. While the organization is eliminating around 250
positions, including its chief diversity officer, the group plans to create
about 100 new posts.
Testing Resistance & Reform News:
March 16 - 22, 2016
FairTest
Submitted by fairtest on March 22, 2016 - 10:42am
With the
spring standardized exam season getting underway and the grassroots assessment
reform movement ramping up pressure through opt-out campaigns and other
strategies, FairTest has begun compiling a database of testing resistance
activities around the nation. Check out the state-by-state list and
supporting materials at: http://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance
To add your activities, send a message with date, location and a brief summary to fairtest@fairtest.org
To add your activities, send a message with date, location and a brief summary to fairtest@fairtest.org
PSBA
Advocacy Forum & Day on the Hill April 4th
APR 4, 2016 • 9:00
AM - 5:30 PM
Join
PSBA and your fellow school directors for the third annual Advocacy Forum on
April 4, 2016, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. This year’s event will have
a spotlight on public education highlighting school districts’ exemplary
student programs. Hear from legislators on how advocacy makes a difference in
the legislative process and the importance of public education advocacy.
Government Affairs will take a deeper dive into the legislative priorities and
will provide tips on how to be an effective public education advocate. There
will be dedicated time for you and your fellow advocates to hit the halls to
meet with your legislators on public education. This is your chance to share
the importance of policy supporting public education and make your voice heard
on the Hill. Online advanced registration will close on April 1, 4 p.m. On-site
registrants are welcome.
Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators
(PASA) 2016 Education Congress April
6-7, 2016
professional
development program for school administrators
Focus: "The
Myths of Creativity: The Truth about How Innovative Companies Generate Great
Ideas" Featured Presenter: Dr.
David Burkus
April 6-7, 2016 Radisson
Hotel Harrisburg in Camp Hill
The program will
focus on how school leaders can develop and utilize creativity in education
management, operations, curriculum and leadership goals. The second day will
allow participants to select from multiple discussion/work sessions focusing on
concepts presented by Dr. Burkus and facilitated by school leaders who have
demonstrated success in creative thinking and leadership in schools across the
commonwealth.
Deadline for
hotel accommodations: March 15
See the PASA website
for more information at: www.pasa-net.org/2016edcongress.
PenSPRA's Annual Symposium, Friday
April 8th in Shippensburg, PA
PenSPRA,
or the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association, has developed a
powerhouse line-up of speakers and topics for a captivating day of professional
development in Shippensburg on April 8th. Learn to master data to
defeat your critics, use stories to clarify your district's brand and take
your social media efforts to the next level with a better understanding of
metrics and the newest trends. Join us the evening before the
Symposium for a “Conversation with Colleagues” from 5 – 6
pm followed by a Networking Social Cocktail Hour from 6 – 8 pm.
Both the Symposium Friday and the social events on Thursday evening
will be held at the Shippensburg University Conference Center. Snacks at the
social hour, and Friday’s breakfast and lunch is included in your
registration cost. $125 for PenSPRA members and $150 for non-members. Learn
more about our speakers and topics and register today at this link:
Briefing:
Public Education Funding in Pennsylvania
TUE, APR 12 AT 8:30 AM, PHILADELPHIA,
PA
Join
attorneys Michael Churchill, Jennifer Clarke and Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg for a
briefing on:
- the current budget
impasse
- the basics of education
funding
- the school funding
lawsuit
- the 2016-2017
proposed budget
1.5
CLE credits available to PA licensed attorneys.
Light breakfast provided.
WHEN:
Tuesday, April
12, 2016 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM (EDT)
WHERE:
United Way of
Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey - 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
1st Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
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.
Join the Pennsylvania Principals Association at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, 2016, at The
Capitol in Harrisburg, PA, for its second annual Principals' Lobby Day.
Pennsylvania
Principals Association Monday, March 21, 2016 9:31 AM
To register, contact Dr. Joseph Clapper at clapper@paprincipals.org by Tuesday, June 14, 2016. If
you need assistance, we will provide information about how to contact your
legislators to schedule meetings.
Click here for the informational
flyer, which includes important issues to discuss with your legislators.
2016 PA Educational
Leadership Summit July 24-26 State College
Summit Sponsors:
PA Principals Association - PA Association of School Administrators
- PA Association of Middle Level Educators - PA Association of
Supervision and Curriculum Development
The 2016
Educational Leadership Summit, co-sponsored by four leading Pennsylvania education associations,
provides an excellent opportunity for school district administrative teams and
instructional leaders to learn, share and plan together at a quality venue in
"Happy Valley."
Featuring Grant
Lichtman, author of EdJourney: A Roadmap to the Future of Education,
Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera (invited), and Dana
Lightman, author of POWER Optimism: Enjoy the Life You Have...
Create the Success You Want, keynote speakers, high quality breakout
sessions, table talks on hot topics and district team planning and job alike
sessions provides practical ideas that can be immediately reviewed and
discussed at the summit before returning back to your district. Register and pay by April 30, 2016 for the
discounted "early bird" registration rate:
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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