PA Ed Policy Weekend Roundup June 20: Dramatic decrease in newly minted certified teachers in PA; from 16K in 2012-13 to just 6K in 2014-15

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Weekend Roundup June 20, 2016:

Dramatic decrease in newly minted certified teachers in PA; from 16K in 2012-13 to just 6K in 2014-15

PA Supreme Court sets Sept 13^th argument date for fair education funding lawsuit in Philly

https://edfundinglawsuit.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/pa-supreme-court-sets-argument-date-for-fair-education-funding-lawsuit/

Final Pa. budget stretch starts with major issues unresolved

Observer Reporter By Marc Levy Associated Press June 19, 2016

HARRISBURG – Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature are heading into the final stretch to approve an on-time budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year that begins July 1. But numerous issues remain outstanding, including how much to spend and whether taxes should go up to pay for it. The coming two weeks will put in sharp relief whether a spirit of cooperation that’s propelled major legislation forward in recent weeks will endure, or whether budget negotiators are avoiding tough decisions that have divided them.

A look at some major topics:

http://www.observer-reporter.com/20160619/final_pa_budget_stretch_starts_with_major_issues_unresolved

In turnabout, House Speaker Turzai says he's open to more gambling, report: Monday Morning Coffee

Penn Live By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 20, 2016 at 6:50 AM, updated June 20, 2016 at 6:52 AM

THE MORNING COFFEE

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers
With a scant 10 days remaining before the June 30 budget deadline, a Republican lobbying firm is leading the charge for a massive expansion of gambling and the top House Republican appears open to the idea.  House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, who opposed the 2004 law that brought slots to Pennsylvania and the 2009 law that legalized table games, says he might support a bill that allows online gambling, The Tribune-Review reported over the weekend.  The push is being led by GOP-leaning lobbying firm Maverick Strategies. Turzai's former chief of staff, Krystjan Callahan, is at the front of it. Turzai is a client of the firm run by longtime GOP strategist Ray Zaborney, The Trib reported.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2016/06/in_turnabout_house_speaker_tur.html

Did you catch our weekend postings?

PA Ed Policy Weekend Roundup June 19: Budget Status: "We're negotiating with them"

Sunday, June 19, 2016

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2016/06/pa-ed-policy-weekend-roundup-june-196.html

Odds are, Pennsylvania's going to see another gambling expansion debate this week

Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 20, 2016 at 6:45 AM, updated June 20, 2016 at 7:02 AM

After a quick tease last year, the expansion of legalized gambling in Pennsylvania is getting a major push as a revenue source for the state budget this spring.  A bipartisan coalition of state House members are finding common cause in plunging even deeper in the legalized gaming pond in hopes of finding tens of millions of dollars for... "insert-your-favorite-spending-priority here."  Why are we here? Several reasons.  Pennsylvania's casino operators are anxious to corner new markets in the face of ever-expanding competition in other Mid-Atlantic states. Bar owners and social club operators are still seeking a piece of the legal gambling pie. And lawmakers in both parties badly want to balance this 2016-17 budget in the face of a $1 billion-plus hole without an increase in the state income tax.  "Many of us are open to some level of expanded gambling as long as we know that it will be done in a responsible way," House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, said in a phone interview Thursday.

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/ready_for_expanded_gambling_in.html#incart_river_index

“The dearth of subs parallels a dramatic decrease in newly minted certified teachers in Pennsylvania, from 16,361 in 2012-13 to just 6,215 in 2014-15. State and school officials blame fear of layoffs, threats to retirement benefits, the increased stress of the standardized-testing regime, and poor discipline. In the past, more certified teachers has meant a larger pool of substitutes.”

Substitute teachers are the new endangered species

Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer Updated: JUNE 19, 2016 — 1:08 AM EDT

Those perfect spring Fridays - cerulean skies, temperatures in the 70s - are exactly the kind of days that Dan Nerelli has come to dread.  That's because Nerelli, assistant superintendent for personnel in the Upper Darby School District, knows he'll be scrambling to put substitutes in dozens of teacher-less classrooms. The Delaware County district's ability to cover faculty absences has plunged from 95 percent just a few years ago to roughly 60 percent.  Philadelphia-area school administrators such as Nerelli now struggle to find ways to cope with a shortage of substitutes unlike anything they have ever faced. They congregate multiple classes in the gym and put one teacher in charge. They pay regular faculty to give up prep time. They take over classrooms themselves.  Earlier this month, the Delaware County Intermediate Unit announced a new two-day program to train "guest teachers" for the sub-starved districts it serves. It is open to anyone with a bachelor's degree, in any subject.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160619_Substitute_teachers_are_the_new_endangered_species.html

Richard C. Dreyfuss: Without a speedy fix, Pennsylvania’s pension plans will sink us

Times Leader Opinion by Richard C. Dreyfuss - Guest columnist JUNE 19TH, 2016 - 7:21 PM

Richard C. Dreyfuss is a senior fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation, billed as “Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank.”

Ten years ago, I was one of several voices warning of the public pension iceberg that could sink our state’s financial stability, threaten government employees’ retirements, and leave hardworking Pennsylvanians drowning in billions of dollars of debt.  At the time, however, many people were dismissive of such risks and effectively chose to wish away the problem.  In 2006, David Fillman, president of AFSCME Council 13, the largest state workers’ union, declared, “Pennsylvania is not the Titanic, and there are no icebergs in our pension fund’s future.” The Pennsylvania State Education Associate similarly claimed in 2007, “There is no crisis in the Pennsylvania state pension plans.”  Today, those words – and the failure to enact comprehensive reforms in the years since – are hard to swallow. Of note, both unions have removed the statements from their websites. Pension debt, however, isn’t as easy to erase.  Since 2006, our combined state pension unfunded liability – today’s gap between what plan participants have been promised and what is actually in the respective pension trust funds – has skyrocketed from $7.6 billion to more than $63 billion. 

http://timesleader.com/opinion/columns/556063/richard-c-dreyfuss-without-a-speedy-fix-pennsylvanias-pension-plans-will-sink-us

“It's important to know that regardless of what "reform" becomes law, it will apply only to new hires. It will do nothing to decrease the $63 billion deficit because that figure is based on what is owed existing employees.  Pension debates are boring, so here's something to wake you up: Who is responsible for paying off that $63 billion deficit? Go the nearest mirror to find out. Or maybe take a selfie.”

DN editorial: Pa. must be honest about future with pension overhaul

Philly Daily News Editorial Updated: JUNE 20, 2016 — 3:01 AM EDT

BEWARE OF anything that has the word "reform" attached to it. A case in point are the bills being passed nearly every day in Harrisburg, now that the icy relationship between Gov. Wolf and the Republican-led legislature has thawed a bit.  One is a bill to reform the state's pensions systems for state and school employees. Both funds are suffering from long-range deficit - to the tune of nearly $63 billion. There has been a big push (among Republicans mostly) to do away with the state's current pension system - which bases pension on years served and final salary, multiplying the two to create what is called a defined-benefit pension. (Example: An employee who worked for 30 years at an average final salary of $70,000 can retire at $52,000 a year, based on a 2.5 percent multiplier set by law.)

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160620_DN_editorial_Pa__must_be_honest_about_future_with_pension_overhaul.html

The Problem of Funding Pensions: An Update

Temple University Center on Regional Politics (CORP) June 9, 2016

This Issue Memo is a compendium of actions taken or proposed in Pennsylvania and other states and cities in the last several years as they struggle to fund and reform public pensions.  It updates the report of a bipartisan public pension working group that identified options for funding and reforming public employee pensions in Pennsylvania.  A number of the ideas in that report have been reflected in public policy debates in the General Assembly and in local governing bodies over the last three years. These include:

·         developing stacked hybrid plans;

·         repurposing existing revenue streams, such as from the Philadelphia sales tax to pay down pension obligations;

·         ending the use of state aid to fund municipal pension administrative costs; and

·         consolidating municipal plans with low funding ratios into the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System (PMRS).

http://www.cla.temple.edu/corp/the-problem-of-funding-pensions-an-update/

Pennsylvania adopts a new formula to fund schools

Pottstown Mercury By Lucas Rodgers, lrodgers@21st-centurymedia.com, @LucasMRodgers on Twitter POSTED: 06/14/16, 3:01 PM EDT | UPDATED: 17 HRS AGO

Last year Pennsylvania had the highest public school funding gap in the country between rich school districts and poor school districts, according to data from the United States Department of Education.  The recent passage of House Bill 1552 is part of an effort toward closing that funding gap.  Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding Commission, a bipartisan group of state senators and representatives, recommended in June 2015 that the General Assembly adopt a new “fair funding formula,” known as the Basic Education Funding formula for distributing state funding to the 500 school districts in the commonwealth.  The General Assembly passed HB 1552 with overwhelming bipartisan support: the Senate voted 49-1 in favor of the bill on May 18, and the House voted 188-3 to pass the bill on May 25. The bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to establish “student-weighted basic education funding.” Gov. Tom Wolf signed HB 1552 — now Act 35 — into law on June 2, making BEF the official formula for distributing state funds to school districts. The new formula is intended to provide sufficient, predictable and equitable funding for all school districts across the state.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/social-affairs/20160614/a-new-way-to-fund-pennsylvania-schools

Here's what education advocates should expect from the soda tax money in Year One

WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT JUNE 20, 2016

Education advocates in Philadelphia have reason for good cheer this week. Actually, they have 27.5 million reasons.  That's the amount of money earmarked for the city's Office of Community Schools and Universal Pre-K in the fiscal year 2017 budget. As you've likely heard by now, that injection of cash comes via the sugary beverages tax approved Thursday by City Council.  So what should Philadelphians expect in the coming fiscal year from their tax dollars?  On the pre-K front, the city expects to add 2,000 new seats in January and another 1,000 in September 2017. But officials don't know for sure where those seats will be. The city will soon publish requests for quotations (RFQs), essentially calls to the city's pre-k providers asking them to apply for this new pile of money.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/94676-heres-what-education-advocates-should-expect-from-the-soda-tax-money-in-year-one?linktype=hp_impact

With money on the way, pre-K programs look ahead

Inquirer by Martha Woodall, Staff Writer Updated: JUNE 19, 2016 — 1:08 AM EDT

When Mayor Kenney and Councilman Kenyatta Johnson visited her small academy last week, Aiken-Woods opened the binder to show how she intends to boost its quality rating on the state's scale for early childhood programs from a 2 to a 4, the top of the scale.  And now that City Council has approved a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened and diet beverages to fund an expansion of quality pre-K seats, Aiken-Woods hopes the city will be able to help her center eventually qualify for some of those seats.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160619_With_money_on_the_way__pre-K_programs_look_ahead.html

Philadelphia mayor's soda tax expected to face court fight
Post Gazette By Tricia L. Nadolny / Philly.com June 20, 2016 12:00 AM

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney might have persuaded his city council to support a tax on sweetened beverages. But in the end, what could matter most is if his lawyers can persuade the courts.  Minutes after council passed the unprecedented per-ounce levy Thursday, the beverage industry vowed to continue a fight it has already poured more than $5 million into by filing suit.  Mr. Kenney wasn’t rattled. “We’re ready,” he said.  But a particularly qualified voice says Mr. Kenney shouldn’t be so confident. Ronald Castille, a former state Supreme Court chief justice, has called the tax unconstitutional.  “In my opinion, the proposed tax by the ounce is a thinly disguised sales tax,” Mr. Castille wrote in a commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer last week. “And the city knows as much.”  The tax, which will fund among other things an expansion of early childhood education, will add 1.5 cents per ounce to the cost of most sugary and diet beverages. Public policy and health advocates have been quick to call it a watershed move, saying other cities are sure to follow suit.  But that enthusiasm will wane if the tax doesn’t stick under legal scrutiny. Because of the high stakes, legal and political experts expect whichever side loses in the first round to appeal, potentially all the way to the state Supreme Court.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2016/06/20/Philadelphia-mayor-s-soda-tax-expected-to-face-court-fight/stories/201606200030

How Bethlehem kids can take the Internet home with them

By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 19, 2016 at 7:30 AM, updated June 19, 2016 at 8:59 AM

Soon, Bethlehem Area School District students will be able to check out more than books from their school libraries.  They'll be able to take the internet home with them.  "That is revolutionary," Superintendent Joseph Roy said. "That is huge."  The district is putting a dozen Google Chromebooks in every K-3 classroom as well as a handful in the school libraries. The district is using federal Title 1 money to buy the 1,100 Chromebooks. Bethlehem elementary schools currently have about 950 Chromebooks.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2016/06/how_bethlehem_kids_can_check_t.html#incart_river_index

West Chester school district offers Retiree Substitute Volunteer Program to local senior citizens

Daily Local By Staff Report POSTED: 06/19/16, 9:56 PM EDT | UPDATED: 4 HRS AGO

The West Chester Area School District coordinates a volunteer service program for senior citizens that helps reduce their real estate taxes.  Through the Retiree Substitute Volunteer Program (RSVP), participants can perform a variety of services in offices, libraries and classrooms throughout the school district, and in exchange may be eligible for a rebate in property taxes up to $560.  “I had the wonderful opportunity to support, interact, and benefit from working with staff and students in the WCASD,” said Mary Ellen Cook, an RSVP participant. “I loved the flexibility and the feeling of knowing I was making a difference, all while receiving a tax benefit in my retirement.”  Participants must be residents of the West Chester Area School District, at least 62 years of age by Dec. 31 of the year in which they volunteer and fulfill 70 hours of service.  The district’s Human Resources Department coordinates RSVP and a variety of service opportunities are available.

http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20160619/west-chester-school-district-offers-retiree-substitute-volunteer-program-to-local-seniors-citizens

Second graders imagine their dream school. It isn’t what you might think.

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss June 19 at 10:15 AM 
Lily Holland teaches second grade in the Boston Public Schools. She wrote the following post as part of a coordinated event last week sponsored by the Massachusetts Teachers Association in which educators, parents and others took actions to show support for traditional public schools and opposition to expanding charter schools in the state. Dozens of communities, for example, passed resolutions opposing lifting the cap that now exists on charters as part of the dedicated week. Holland wrote the following piece to give voice to a group rarely heard from: second graders. A version of this appeared on the blog of Defending the Early Years, which seeks to rally educators to take action on policies that affect the education of young children. I have permission to republish.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/19/second-graders-imagine-their-dream-school-it-isnt-what-you-might-think/

Apply Now! EPLC’s 2016-2017 Pennsylvania Education Policy Fellowship Program

http://www.eplc.org/2016/06/apply-now-eplcs-2016-2017-pennsylvania-education-policy-fellowship-program/

EPLC's 2016 Report:  High School Career and Technical Education: Serving Pennsylvania's Workforce and Student Needs
PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM Thursday, June 23, 2016 

Allegheny Intermediate Unit - 475 East Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120

Coffee and Networking - 9:30 a.m.  Program - 10:00 a.m. to Noon   

 RSVP by clicking here. There is no fee, but a RSVP is required. Please feel free to share this invitation with your staff and network. Similar forums will be held later in the Philadelphia area and Harrisburg. 

SPEAKERS:

An Overview of the EPLC Report on High School CTE will be presented by:

Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Statewide and Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By: 
Dr. Lee Burket, Director, Bureau of Career & Technical Education, PA Department of Education
Jackie Cullen, Executive Director, PA Association of Career & Technical Administrators
Dr. William Kerr, Superintendent, Norwin School District
Laura Fisher, Senior Vice President - Workforce & Special Projects, Allegheny Conference on Community Development
James Denova, Vice President, Benedum Foundation

Nominations now open for PSBA Allwein Awards (deadline July 16)

PSBA Website POSTED ON MAY 16, 2016 IN PSBA NEWS

The Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award was established in 2011 by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. The 2016 Allwein Award nominations will be accepted starting today and all applications are due by July 16, 2016. The nomination form can be downloaded from the website.

https://www.psba.org/2016/05/nominations-now-open-allwein-awards/

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.

http://www.paprincipals.org/news/2016-03-21/Join_the_PA_Principals_Association_in_June_for_Second_Annual_Principals_Lobby_Day?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

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:

https://s3.goeshow.com/seee/PAEdLeadershipSummit/ereg312499.cfm?clear

PA Supreme Court sets Sept. 13 argument date for fair education funding lawsuit in Philly

Thorough and Efficient Blog JUNE 16, 2016 BARBGRIMALDI LEAVE A COMMENT

https://edfundinglawsuit.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/pa-supreme-court-sets-argument-date-for-fair-education-funding-lawsuit/