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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Jan 12, 2017
From
2011-12 through 2015-16, taxpayers in Senator Scott Wagner’s 11 York County school
districts have had to pay over $55 million to chronically underperforming cyber
charters that they never authorized.
“When the Legislature prefers
appropriating what is convenient rather than what schools need, it pushes the
problem onto local taxpayers.”
Pa. schools need more revenue,
not cost myths (column)
Stop the myth that the solution to an unfair school property tax
system is to control education spending.
York
Daily Record Opinion by Michael Churchill1:06 p.m. ET Jan. 10, 2017
Michael Churchill is an attorney
at the Public Interest Law Center.
It is time for Pennsylvania
politicians to deal with real needs for revenue and stop peddling the myth that
the solution to our budget crisis is “controlling” spending. And stop the
myth that the solution to an unfair school property tax system is to control
education spending and eliminate property taxes. These myths ignore the
magnitude of the budget deficit for current services, and the actual needs of
our children’s schools. Pennsylvania
already has fewer government employees on a per capita basis than all but four
other states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Pennsylvania
Budget and Policy Center reports that state general fund spending has declined
as a proportion of the state’s economy and is lower now than it was in the
1990s. Even Gov. Corbett’s Secretary of the Budget Charles Zogby declared that
the budget could no longer be balanced on the basis of cuts. And while there
are undoubtedly savings from elimination of waste and inefficiencies, no
legislator has identified enough savings to close the $1.7 billion deficit
identified by the Independent Fiscal Office.
Wagner becomes first Republican to launch
bid against Wolf
Inquirer by Karen Langley, HARRISBURG BUREAU Updated: JANUARY 11, 2017 11:42
AM EST
MANCHESTER, Pa. - Standing in the
truck shop of the waste management company he founded, Republican state Sen.
Scott Wagner of York County on Wednesday declared his candidacy for governor in
the 2018 election. "Governor Wolf
is a failed governor," Wagner said. "That's why today I am officially
announcing my candidacy for governor of Pennsylvania." The state, he said, is at a crossroads. "Pennsylvania has a pension crisis.
Property owners across Pennsylvania are choking on ever-increasing school taxes
on their properties," Wagner said. "Unemployment is up.
Pennsylvania's economy is stalled."
As long as Republicans control the General Assembly but the state's
Democratic governor is in office, he said, "We're going nowhere." Wagner, 61, who took office after winning a
2014 special election as a write-in candidate, has become a prominent figure in
the state Capitol, where he has argued that public-sector unions have too much
influence.
From 2011-12 through 2015-16, taxpayers
in Senator Scott Wagner’s 11 York County school districts have had to pay over
$55 million to chronically underperforming cyber charters that they never
authorized. Not one cyber charter has
achieved a passing School Performance Profile score in any of the four years
that it has been in effect.
|
School District
|
total cyber spending 11-12
|
total cyber spending 12-13
|
total cyber spending 13-14
|
total cyber spending 14-15
|
total cyber spending 15-16
|
|
Central York SD
|
$833,949.05
|
$671,560.25
|
$686,858.55
|
$694,506.64
|
$668,975.75
|
|
Dallastown Area SD
|
$982,695.17
|
$984,578.32
|
$1,092,189.87
|
$962,783.72
|
$835,408.44
|
|
Eastern York SD
|
$462,923.60
|
$486,071.40
|
$498,941.57
|
$601,316.67
|
$677,647.25
|
|
Red Lion Area SD
|
$1,463,471.16
|
$1,479,570.48
|
$1,402,974.54
|
$1,401,638.15
|
$1,561,991.28
|
|
South Eastern SD
|
$1,089,286.95
|
$992,117.10
|
$1,104,542.28
|
$904,319.08
|
$813,686.90
|
|
South Western SD
|
$750,902.84
|
$931,885.68
|
$863,279.06
|
$648,283.89
|
$694,176.62
|
|
Southern York County SD
|
$377,743.05
|
$517,755.92
|
$670,935.66
|
$532,860.62
|
$433,795.38
|
|
Spring Grove Area SD
|
$764,022.70
|
$668,947.45
|
$713,666.23
|
$949,049.73
|
$732,003.74
|
|
West York Area SD
|
$925,084.65
|
$819,918.08
|
$861,958.97
|
$1,123,186.22
|
$1,117,304.08
|
|
York City SD
|
$2,159,762.64
|
$3,293,373.23
|
$3,021,939.08
|
$3,879,120.26
|
$3,728,026.89
|
|
York Suburban SD
|
$630,661.89
|
$602,256.42
|
$662,837.60
|
$613,130.40
|
$685,093.01
|
|
|
$10,440,503.70
|
$11,448,034.33
|
$11,580,123.41
|
$12,310,195.38
|
$11,948,109.34
|
Thanks to PCCY for compiling these
figures from data on the PDE website.
Chester Upland teachers reject contract
offer
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, STAFF WRITER Updated: JANUARY 11, 2017 — 4:28
PM EST
Chester Upland teachers have
overwhelmingly vetoed a contract offer from the school district that would have
given veteran educators smaller raises than less experienced staffers and, for
the first time, required union members to pay for health insurance. Michele Paulick, president of the 234-member
Chester Upland Education Association, said teachers voted 123-54 on Monday to
reject the three-year pact. She is surveying members "to see what needs to
be changed in order for them to accept it." Teachers in the Delaware County district, one
of the most distressed school systems in Pennsylvania, have worked without a
new contract for more than three years and have not gotten a raise in five. The
average salary is about $75,000, according to union officials. Chester Upland's offer would have increased
the number of steps - annual built-in pay hikes - from 13 to 15 to reach the
top of the salary scale. Most teachers would have gotten a $2,100 raise in each
of the next three years, but those at top-scale would have received a $1,000
bonus each year plus a smaller raise in years two and three, according to
someone familiar with the offer. Teachers
also would have to buy into the Delaware County Consortium health care plan;
for those with families, the annual cost could be as high as $1,300.
Editorial: A familiar face returns to
Chester Upland
Delco
Times POSTED: 01/11/17,
9:37 PM EST | UPDATED: 6 SECS AGO
The perennially struggling
Chester Upland School District found itself in a familiar dilemma recently. They were looking for a new leader. Instead they found an old one. They could have done a lot worse. Dr. Juan Baughn is back. The veteran educator was named interim
superintendent during a special meeting of the Chester Upland School Board
Monday night.
He will fill the considerable
void created by the departure of Dr. Gregory Shannon, who is leaving the
district to take a “chief of schools” position with an as yet unnamed
organization. Shannon is credited,
perhaps first and foremost, with stanching the hemorraghing of students from
the troubled district. Shannon literally went do to door along with then
state-appointed district receiver Joe Watkins.
Shannon should be noted for two other things: Under his leadership the
district showed some academic gains, and the buildings themselves became safer. But he leaves with the district facing the
same problem it has faced for decades. That, of course, would be facing a river
of red ink.
Unionville school director resigns, cites
bullying and intimidation in schools
Delco
Times By Fran Maye, fmaye@21st-centurymedia.com, @kennettpaper on Twitter POSTED: 01/11/17, 5:45 PM
EST | UPDATED: 8 HRS AGO
AST MARLBOROUGH >> Saying
administrators are not doing enough to prevent bullying and intimidation in
schools, Unionville-Chadds Ford School Director Michael Rock resigned abruptly
Monday night. “I fear our silence on
this issue will only breed more intolerance,” Rock said. “I urge the board and
the district to speak now and speak out forcefully to defend diversity and
tolerance before it is too late, but I have little to no faith that (the school
board) will do so.” Last month, Rock told the board
it is not doing enough to prevent intimidation of minority students since the
election of Donald Trump in November. Of the more than 4,000 students
in the district, 92.6 percent are white.
Rock said a minority parent approached him just after the election
telling him about bullying and intimidation. However, Rock never disclosed the
name of the parent, and it could not be otherwise verified.
York
daily Record Angie
Mason , amason@ydr.comPublished 11:43 a.m. ET Jan. 11, 2017
Do you want to be a school board
member? There's an event coming up for you. Read about that and more in this
week's education news roundup.
So you want to be a school board
member
The York Suburban School District
will hold a presentation Jan. 24 for community members interested in learning
about running for school board in York County.
The event will include a panel discussion with South Western School
District Supt. Barbara Rupp and school board members from two area districts,
according to a news release. The program
starts at 7 p.m. at Valley View Elementary School, 850 Southern Road, Spring
Garden Township.
“Statewide, 112,900 3- and 4-year-olds
who qualify for publicly funded, high-quality prekindergarten are not served.
That’s more than 64 percent of eligible children, according to “A Path Forward:
Publicly Funded High-Quality Pre-K in Pennsylvania,” from Pennsylvania
Partnerships for Children. In 11 out of the 16 school districts in York County,
fewer than 20 percent of qualifying prekindergarten children were served. In
Red Lion Area School District there is only one high-quality publicly funded
classroom – despite nearly 600 eligible children in the district. And while 245
children qualify in the Spring Grove Area School District, there are no
publicly funded high-quality pre-k providers.”
Make high-quality
prekindergarten a 2017 priority (column)
York
Daily Record Opinion by Chris Reilly12:19 p.m. ET Jan. 11, 2017
Christopher B. Reilly is a York
County commissioner
Movements gain their strength
when many people from differing walks of life unite for a single cause. Over
the past three years, I have supported an effort known as Pre-K for PA, which
is urging meaningful state investments in high-quality prekindergarten. Why high-quality pre-K? Because it works, and
because all children, especially those who start life at disadvantages due to
no fault of their own, deserve a chance to succeed. For these kids,
high-quality early learning helps to build the foundation for academics, proper
social behavior and emotional health. Neuroscientists have proved that
the human brain develops most rapidly from birth to 5, and most effectively
with the proper kind of enrichment. Those findings have influenced state
policy makers and resulted in high-quality, enriching prekindergarten being
available to thousands more eligible children. However, new data show
there’s much more work to be done.
Kenney creates advisory board to oversee
pre-K
Inquirer by Julia Terruso, Staff Writer @JuliaTerruso Updated: JANUARY 11, 2017 5:19
PM EST
Mayor Kenney signed an
executive order Wednesday creating a 13-member board to oversee the expansion
and finances of the newly created pre-K program. The board will include up to seven members,
including a chair, appointed by Kenney and up to six appointed by Council
President Darrell L. Clarke. All
the appointees have experience in early childhood education, philanthropy,
child welfare, childhood development, childhood behavioral health, medicine, or
higher education or represent critical stakeholder or community interests,
according to the city.
The members, who serve
2-year terms, are as follows:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
launches Pinterest page
WeAreCentralPA.com By Chelsea
Friedman | cfriedman@wtajtv.com Published 01/11 2017 08:44PMThe Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today announced that it has launched a new Pinterest page aimed at providing educational resources to students, teachers, and parents. “By engaging students, families, and educators digitally, the Department is using new and innovative ways to meet communities where they are,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “Pinterest is a powerful planning tool that provides significant value to users. The Department is proud to offer this new platform to residents of the commonwealth, and hopes that Pennsylvanians will engage with the helpful resources provided.” The Pinterest page, operating under the handle @PADeptOfEd, will include both original and shared content on boards including, STEM, Music, Art, Reading and Writing, Fitness, College & Career Readiness, Food and Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Educational Apps, Driver Safety, Classroom Ideas, Resources, Crafts, Summer Reading, Back to School, and Quotable Quotes.
Post Gazette By David G. Savage / Tribune News Service January 12, 2017 12:09 AM
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court
justices were seen as ready Wednesday to clarify and strengthen the rights of
the nation’s 6.7 million children with disabilities, perhaps by requiring
public schools to offer a special education program that will ensure they can
make significant progress. The case of a
Colorado boy with autism, Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, could
have a far-reaching impact on millions of children and their parents as well as
the budgets of school districts nationwide.
At issue is a long-standing federal law that says children with
disabilities have a right to a “free appropriate public education.” Schools,
courts and parents have been divided over what this promise means in practice. Does it mean, for example, that a school must
merely offer a minimal special program that may offer “some educational
benefit” to the child, as a federal appeals court in Denver ruled? Or instead,
do these children have a right to “make significant educational progress,” as
lawyers for the outgoing Obama administration contend?
Justices Face
‘Blizzard of Words’ in Special Education Case
New
York Times By ADAM LIPTAKJAN. 11, 2017
WASHINGTON — In a case that could
affect the education of 6.7 million children with disabilities, the Supreme Court on
Wednesday struggled
to decide whether it should require public schools to do more under a
federal law that calls for them to provide a free education that addresses the
children’s needs. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said
the court was being asked to choose among several finely shaded formulations.
“What is frustrating about this case and about this statute is that we have a
blizzard of words,” he said. The court
appeared uneasy with a standard used by many appeals courts, which have said
that providing a modest educational benefit was enough. But some of the
justices indicated that they were concerned about the costs that any changes
could impose.
DeVos Confirmation Will Shine a Spotlight
on Dark Money
Education Week By Charles
Taylor Kerchner on January 10, 2017 2:53 AM | No comments
Betsy DeVos is likely to be confirmed as U.S. Secretary
of Education. Those who call themselves educational "reformers"
are licking their chops. The Wall Street Journal applauded
her trench warfare fights for charters and vouchers, and editorialized that one
of her "tasks will be leveraging her bully pulpit and federal dollars to
extend this progress to the states, where most education money is spent." Money is the operative word. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican
presidential candidate, wrote that DeVos was a great candidate for secretary
because she already had a lot of money. Because DeVos is a successful
businesswoman she "doesn't need a job now, nor will she be looking for an
education job later." In
Romney-think, people who work in education are tainted because they are willing
to organize and express their economic as well as their professional interests.
Five Cabinet Nominees Who Could Affect Education
The U.S. Department of Education
is not the only office with power over student-related policy.
The Atlantic
by HAYLEY GLATTER JAN 11, 2017
Control of school-related issues
is spread across a number governmental agencies, and President-elect Donald
Trump’s nominee for U.S. education secretary, Betsy DeVos, won’t be the only
member of his cabinet to have a say in student-facing policy. The Michigan
philanthropist and billionaire will face her Senate confirmation hearing next
Tuesday, and many of her fellow nominees already have education records of
their own. We examined five of the potential cabinet members who could
influence America’s schools and what their past actions might mean for students
around the country.
Education Policy News, Analysis, and Commentary
Email By Ronald Cowell, President The Education Policy and Leadership Center January 10, 2017
Welcome to our new EPLC e-publication, Pennsylvania Education Letter, which will be sent to subscribers only in electronic format. The Letter will highlight significant education policy issues, events and personalities with a focus on Pennsylvania, but will include some coverage of national activities as well. The Letter will be published at least once a month and replaces the Education Notebook previously published by The Education Policy and Leadership Center. We want the Pennsylvania Education Letter to be without cost to our readers, but we will welcome donations and advertising support.
DeVos’s
hearing, originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday morning, has been
rescheduled for Jan. 17 at 5 p.m.
We had reports from western PA of a telephone
campaign by DeVos supporters asking voters to contact their senators to support
her nomination. If you have not already
done so, please consider calling Senators Toomey and Casey as noted below.
DeVos’s hearing has been
rescheduled for Jan. 17 at 5 p.m., according to a joint statement from the HELP
committee chairman, Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and ranking member, Patty Murray
(D-Wash).
Betsy DeVos' confirmation hearing is
officially set for Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. in 430 Dirksen
Over the past three weeks, I have
been unable to find any press coverage of her ever having visited a traditional
public school. She would be welcome to
come visit my school district.
In a constituent response letter regarding the nomination of
Betsy DeVos dated December 2, 2016, Senator Toomey stated: “I believe she is a
great pick.” His Washington, D.C. phone number is (202) 224-4254 You can find phone numbers for
his Pennsylvania offices here
Senator Casey is a member of the Senate Health, Education
Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee that will be holding the confirmation hearing. His Washington, D.C. phone number is (202)
224-6324 You can find phone numbers for his
Pennsylvania offices by clicking on the “Regions” link at the bottom of this “Contacts”
page
NPE
Pennsylvania alert: Betsy De Vos
Network for Public Education January
2, 2017 by Carol Burris
The confirmation hearings for
Betsy DeVos will happen shortly. Please call your senators this week and let
them know you oppose her appointment as Secretary of Education. If you called
already, please call again. It is most
effective to call a local office. Below is the list of local office locations
to drop off a letter, and local numbers to call your senators. If you want a script for your call, you can
find it here. Please pick up the phone and call.
You can share this alert with
friends and family in your state by posting this link: http://wp.me/p3bR9v-2aO
Blogger note: Have an opinion about the
appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education? Call these three senators today.
1. Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions CommitteeWashington, D.C. Phone:(202) 224-4944
2.
Senator Toomey's Offices
Washington, D.C. Phone: (202) 224-4254
Senator Casey is a member of the Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
3.
Senator Casey’s Offices
Washington, D.C. Phone: (202) 224-6324
Toll Free: (866) 802-2833
COMMUNITY TOWN HALL - SUPPORTING PHILLY IMMIGRANT STUDENTS
Tuesday, January 24, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Community College of Philadelphia 1700 Spring Garden Street 19130
Bonnell Building (Large Auditorium BG-20) Entrance Between Spring Garden and Callowhill on N. 17th
Hosted by:
Councilmembers Helen Gym, Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, Jannie Blackwell
Dr. William R. Hite, Superintendent, Philadelphia School District
Faculty and Staff Federation, Community College of Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC)
United Voices for Philadelphia
Juntos
For more info, or to reserve free childcare for ages 3 and up,
Contact: Office of Councilmember
Helen Gym 215-686-3420
Register
for the 2017 PASA Education
Congress, “Delving Deeper into
the Every Student Succeeds Act.” March 29-30
Offered in partnership with PASA
and the PA Department of Education March 29-30, 2017 at the Radisson
Hotel Harrisburg - Camp Hill, PA . Approved for 40 PIL/Act 48 (Act
45) hours for school administrators. Register online at http://www.pasa-net.org/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=3/29/2017&eventid=63
PSBA Website
Because no one ran for the open seat of At-Large Representative (Central) on the PSBA Governing Board during the 2016 elections, this position is currently vacant. According to PSBA Bylaws (Article III, Section 4), the Governing Board shall fill the vacancy. The Governing Board is currently seeking nominations for this position from individuals in the Central Section, including Regions 4, 5, 6, 9 and 12, (see map). The selected person will fill the position for 2017, and the seat will be open for election for the remaining two years (2018-19) of the three-year term, according to PSBA Bylaws (Article III, Section 4, Part B, 2). The selected person may run for election for the remaining two years.
https://www.psba.org/2017/01/nominations-at-large-central/
PSBA Third Annual Board Presidents Day
JAN 28, 2017 • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Nine Locations Statewide
Jan. 28, 2017 (Snow date: Feb. 11, 2017)
Calling all school board presidents, vice-presidents, and superintendents — Join us for the 3rd Annual PSBA Board Presidents Day held at nine convenient locations around the state.
This is a day of meeting fellow board members from your area and taking part in thought-provoking dialogue about the issues every board faces. PSBA Past President Kathy Swope will start things off with an engaging presentation based on her years as board president at the Lewistown Area School District. Bring your own scenarios to this event to gain perspective from other districts. Cost: $109 per person – includes registration, lunch and materials. All-Access Package applies. Register online by logging in to the Members Area (see the Store/Registration link to view open event registrations, https://www.psba.org/members-area/store-registration/)
NSBA Advocacy
Institute 2017 -- Jan. 29-31, Washington, D.C.
Join school directors around the country at the conference designed to give you the tools to advocate successfully on behalf of public education.
Join school directors around the country at the conference designed to give you the tools to advocate successfully on behalf of public education.
- NSBA will help you develop a winning
advocacy strategy to help you in Washington, D.C. and at home.
- Attend timely and topical breakout
sessions lead by NSBA’s knowledgeable staff and outside experts.
- Expand your advocacy network by swapping
best practices, challenges, and successes with other school board members
from across the country.
This
event is open to members of the Federal Relations
Network. To find
out how you can join, contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org. Learn more about the Advocacy
Institute at https://www.nsba.org/events/advocacy-institute.
Register now
for the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference
Plan to join public education leaders for networking and learning at the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference, March 25-27 in Denver, CO. General registration is now open at https://www.nsba.org/conference/registration. A conference schedule, including pre-conference workshops, is available on the NSBA website.
Plan to join public education leaders for networking and learning at the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference, March 25-27 in Denver, CO. General registration is now open at https://www.nsba.org/conference/registration. A conference schedule, including pre-conference workshops, is available on the NSBA website.
SAVE THE DATE LWVPA Convention 2017 June
1-4, 2017
Join the
League of Women Voters of PA for our 2017 Biennial Convention at the beautiful
Inn at Pocono Manor!
Save the Date 2017
PA Principals Association State Conference October 14. 15, 16, 2017
Doubletree
Hotel Cranberry Township, PA
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