PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 21: Senate rejects House revenue plan 43-7; S&P lowers PA bond rating

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 21, 2017:

Senate rejects House revenue plan 43-7; S&P lowers PA bond rating

Our Schools at Risk: How to Stop Funding Cuts, Bensalem HS, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM

Public Meeting Hosted by Education Voters PA Tuesday, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM

Bensalem HS, North Wing Audion, 4319 Hulmeville Rd., Bensalem 19020

Learn about the threats to our public schools and how YOUR advocacy efforts can make a difference. Join Education Voters of PA to learn about how state policies and school funding are impacting your local schools and how you can come together in your communities to stand up for public school students.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1735449410093965/

Editorial: Messy and messier: The state budget standoff is a debacle as usual
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette THE EDITORIAL BOARD 12:00 AM SEP 21, 2017
The initial impact of the state’s 2-month-old budget standoff landed Friday, when Gov. Tom Wolf froze about $1.2 billion in Medicaid payments to insurers who cover the state’s poor and vulnerable. Insurers said they wouldn’t shut off coverage, but there’s bound to be a ripple effect. If insurers have to borrow at some point to pay for health care services, doesn’t that mean less service or more costly care down the line? Pennsylvania doesn’t need either of those scenarios any more than it needs the Legislature’s annual budget tug of war. Year after year, or so it seems, squabbling over the budget goes into overtime, demonstrating lawmakers’ lack of regard for their constituents. Credit rating agencies are taking notice, too. On Wednesday, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the state’s credit rating, which means the state will pay more to borrow money. The slap came a day after Mr. Wolf said he was confident that if a deal is struck by Oct. 1, all is well, and that S&P would be “willing to let us work through this process.” So much for that. One might think that safeguarding Medicaid payments for the poor and elderly would be sufficient incentive to pass the budget on time. Nope, not in Pennsylvania.
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2017/09/21/Messy-and-messier-The-state-budget-standoff-is-a-debacle-as-usual/stories/201709300045

Pa. Senate rejects House revenue package; sets up next play in Pennsylvania budget drama
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated on September 20, 2017 at 5:14 PM Posted on September 20, 2017 at 1:39 PM
The Pennsylvania Senate officially stuck a fork in the state House Republicans' $2.3 billion revenue package Wednesday. The hope is, that action - in the ways of the Legislature - will actually give a shove forward to final resolution of a budget impasse that has begun leading to unpaid bills and, now, a credit downgrade for state government. But, also in the ways of the Legislature, nothing is guaranteed. The Senate voted 43-7 to reject the House GOP majority-crafted plan that its leaders claim would resolve the gap in the state's $32.0 billion general fund budget through a combination of borrowing and one-time accounting moves, but no new taxes. That plan passed in the House last week with zero Democratic votes. In the Senate, however, only a block of fiscally conservative Republicans led by Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York County, supported the House plan.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/09/senate_rejects_house_revenue_p.html#incart_2box_politics

Pennsylvania Senate rejects no-tax House budget bill, proposes conference
Trib Live by NATASHA LINDSTROM AND WES VENTEICHER | Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, 1:12 p.m.
HARRISBURG — The state Senate has declined to take up a no-tax proposal from the House to fund the state's budget, proposing instead that both chambers form a committee to hash out a deal. The House reconvenes Monday. If representatives agree to the Senate strategy, the committee would work to find a compromise between the no-tax House proposal — which drew money from off-budget accounts — and a bill the Senate approved this summer. Any deal reached by the committee would go before both chambers in up-or-down votes, with no opportunities for amendments. “It's a way to get done,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman told reporters shortly after the rules committee voted against the House proposal about noon Wednesday. “We don't agree with (the House GOP's) product; they obviously didn't agree with ours. Put it in a conference committee, negotiate a final package.”
http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/12755659-74/state-senate-rejects-no-tax-house-budget-bill-proposes-conference

Here’s the PA Senate Roll Call vote not to concur on the House Revenue Bill HB453:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/RC/Public/rc_view_action2.cfm?sess_yr=2017&sess_ind=0&rc_body=S&rc_nbr=272

Pa. Senate hits restart on budget negotiations
WHYY Newsorks BY KATIE MEYER, WITF SEPTEMBER 21, 2017
The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate has formally rejected a conservative budget plan passed by the House — essentially resetting negotiations nearly three months past the deadline. Now, Republicans in the House and Senate will attempt to work with Gov. Tom Wolf to figure out a compromise. Wolf has said he wants to get the budget finished by Oct. 1. But the general consensus from the House and Senate has been that that's a stretch. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, said inter-chamber negotiations are starting this week — and will probably last through next week. "It'll be hard, I'll be honest with you," he told reporters. "We're going to be here. We're going to go on recess with a six-hour call today, but I'll be here, and staff will be here, and hopefully we'll get a resolution. Whether it's by Oct. 1, I don't know." House GOP Spokesman Steve Miskin confirmed the chamber isn't expecting any votes next week, but he said lawmakers hope to have a plan put together the week after. What that plan will look like is unclear.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/107355-pa-senate-hits-restart-on-budget-negotiations?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+KeystoneCrossroads+%28Keystone+Crossroads%29

Pennsylvania takes credit ratings hit amid budget fight
Lancaster Online by By MARC LEVY Associated Press September 20, 2017
 HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's credit rating took its latest punch Wednesday, another black eye in a nearly three-month budget stalemate that has pitted Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Senate against the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The credit rating agency Standard and Poor's lowered its rating on Pennsylvania's debt, citing the state's stubborn post-recession deficit and its history of late budgets, as well as Standard and Poor's belief that the pattern could continue. The state's deficit is manageable, Standard and Poor's said. But, it said, the state's reliance on one-time cash infusions has put too much stress on its tax collections to pay its bills on time. The downgrade is the second by Standard and Poor's in three years — the previous one was under Wolf's Republican predecessor — as budget-makers have struggled to pull Pennsylvania out of a long-running deficit. The downgrade comes as lawmakers argue over how to resolve a roughly $2 billion deficit, stemming largely from Pennsylvania's biggest cash shortfall since the recession. The deficit is making itself felt: Wolf has had to delay big payments for lack of cash. With the lower rating, Pennsylvania is now among the bottom five states rated by Standard and Poor's.
http://lancasteronline.com/news/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-takes-credit-ratings-hit-amid-budget-fight/article_679fe2dd-f778-5902-9613-9c6446158a1c.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Pennsylvania takes credit ratings hit amid budget impasse
Post-Gazette by ANGELA COULOUMBIS AND LIZ NAVRATIL Harrisburg Bureau 10:43 AM SEP 20, 2017
HARRISBURG — As the budget deadlock in the Capitol drags on, a credit rating agency on Wednesday delivered a hard fiscal punch to Pennsylvania: a credit downgrade. Standard & Poor's lowered Pennsylvania's bond rating a notch, citing the state's out-of-balance budget, its more than $2 billion deficit and its reliance on one-time financial fixes in negotiating budgets over the last decade. The agency also noted that it believes the stalemate over how to fund the state's $32 billion budget could "extend considerably further." "The commonwealth's structural deficit remains manageable, but its reliance on one-time revenues has stressed its available cash, making internal resources insufficient to timely meet certain obligations," S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Carol Spain said in a written statement Wednesday morning.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2017/09/20/Pennsylvania-budget-impasse-leads-to-credit-rating-downgrade/stories/201709200149

Does S&P's credit downgrade of Pa.'s rating bring it to its lowest level?
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated on September 20, 2017 at 1:11 PM Posted on September 20, 2017 at 1:06 PM
Pennsylvania's downgrading of its credit rating on Wednesday by S&P's Global Ratings due to the ongoing budget stalemate brings its rating down to the lowest it has been in 39 years.
The downgrade from a AA- rating to an A+ rating means the state's ability to meet its financial commitments is "more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions,"  according to S&P. What that translates to for taxpayers is a higher cost for the state to borrow money. According to information provided by the state Treasury that comes from S&P, Pennsylvania's rating has bounced around over the past six decades. S&P issued its highest rating of AAA to Pennsylvania in March 1962. An AAA rating tells creditors the state has an extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. Pennsylvania held that high rating for seven years when it experienced its first downgrade.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/09/does_sps_credit_downgrade_brin.html#incart_2box_politics

So. What's a credit downgrade to your state government mean, anyway?
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated on September 20, 2017 at 8:53 PM Posted on September 20, 2017 at 7:06 PM
In some ways, the great Pennsylvania budget battle of 2017-18 has been the year of the credit downgrade. Almost from the beginning of Gov. Tom Wolf's budget unveiling last winter, we've been treated to regular predictions of a credit-downgrade, as a state, if we did this thing, or did not do that thing. And that, we've been warned, would be the worst of all things. Now it's happened. On Wednesday, S&P Global Ratings formally lowered its rating for Pennsylvania's future general obligation bonds to A+ (It's great for school; not so much for impressing Wall Street.) The sun still shone. So what should we really make of this news? PennLive is here to help:
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/09/so_whats_a_credit_downgrade_to.html#incart_river_index

With challengers circling, Wolf's approval ratings hang steady in new poll | Thursday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek jmicek@pennlive.com Updated on September 21, 2017 at 6:05 AM Posted on September 21, 2017 at 6:00 AM
HARRISBURG -- As he heads into what's likely to be a bruising 2018 general election campaign, more than half of Pennsylvania voters are giving Gov. Tom Wolf the thumbs-down on his job performance. But before his one of his would-be opponents start celebrating, they need to read the fine print. Though he's a household name in the Capitol, most Pennsylvanians have never heard of state Sen. Scott Wagner.  Fifty-four percent of respondents to the Franklin & Marshall poll say the York County Democrat is doing a fair or poor job of managing the state during his third year in office. That's compared to the 38 percent who say Wolf is doing a good or excellent job.  The poll, which was conducted from Sept. 13 to Sept. 18, comes as Wolf and Republicans who control the General Assembly, scramble to come up with a way to pay for a $32 billion spending plan that landed on Wolf's desk back on June 30. This week, the Senate rejected a House-approved revenue bill that seeks to close a $2.2 billion budget deficit, and dodge any tax increases, through borrowing and by raiding scores of accounts across state government. 
While the impasse has paralyzed the General Assembly and led to a credit downgrade for the state, it hasn't had any measurable effect on Wolf's approvals.
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2017/09/with_challengers_circling_wolf.html#incart_river_index

Franklin & Marshall PA Poll: Wolf 38%, Casey 37%, Trump 29%
PA Capitol Digest by Crisci Associates September 21, 2017
New Franklin & Marshall Poll Thursday finds Gov. Wolf’s job approval rating is 38 percent, similar to his rating in May and comparable to Gov. Rendell at this point in his administration and better than Gov. Corbett’s. Gov. Ridge’s approval rating was 65 percent. U.S. Senator Bob Casey had a 37 percent approval rating. About half those surveyed-- 48 percent-- felt the state was on the wrong track.  Asked which issue or problem was the most important, 30 percent said government and politicians, unemployment and the economy 16 percent, education 11 percent and taxes 11 percent. President Trump’s job performance rating dropped from 37 to 29 percent from the May Poll.  49 percent rated him the best at dealing with terrorism, 50 percent gave him an “F” for improving health care, 47 percent gave him an “F” on dealing with climate change and 47 percent gave him an “F” for protecting the environment.
http://pacapitoldigestcrisci.blogspot.com/2017/09/franklin-marshall-pa-poll-wolf-38-casey.html

Trump's job approval drops to 40% in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Franklin & Marshall poll shows
Trib Live by MATTHEW SANTONI  | Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, 4:30 p.m.
President Trump's job approval rating has dropped to 40 percent among his bedrock Southwestern Pennsylvanian supporters, while less than a third of voters statewide said he's been doing a good job overall, according to a new poll from Franklin & Marshall College. Trump had enjoyed strong support in Southwestern Pennsylvania counties, excluding Allegheny, with 60 percent of voters polled in May calling his job performance good or excellent . In the poll released Thursday, that had fallen to 40 percent, even as 61 percent of the respondents in the region still self-identified as “Trump supporters.”
http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/12756174-74/trumps-job-approval-drops-to-40-in-southwestern-pennsylvania-franklin-marshall

Strike ends at Methacton School District, classes to resume Friday
Inquirer by Allison Steele, Staff Writer  @AESteele |  asteele@phillynews.com Updated: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 — 7:08 PM EDT
Teachers with the Methacton School District in Montgomery County, who walked off the job Monday on strike, will go back to work Friday, officials said. A message posted on the district’s website Wednesday stated that the Methacton Education Association and the Board of Education have agreed to enter into nonbinding arbitration. The status of that process was not addressed in the statement, but the MEA posted on its Facebook page that the board offered the option at Tuesday’s board meeting. After being canceled since Monday morning, classes will resume Friday. Schools had already been scheduled to be closed Thursday in observance of Rosh Hashanah. The 403 union members, who have been bargaining since January, have been working under an expired contract since June. On the MEA’s Facebook page, the group thanked students and parents for their support during the strike, which by law could have lasted until Oct. 11.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/strike-ends-at-methacton-school-district-classes-to-resume-friday-20170920.html

PSBA reminds school directors of proposed constitutional amendment on November ballot, no actions by school boards needed
This November voters across Pennsylvania will be asked to consider a proposed amendment to the state Constitution regarding property taxes. What do school boards need to know and do if the amendment is approved by the electorate? The short answer is: Nothing at this time. If approved, the amendment by itself will not provide any immediate property tax relief or require school boards to take any specific actions until and unless the General Assembly would enact specific tax reform legislation at a future time. Joint Resolution 1 proposes to amend the constitution by authorizing the General Assembly to enact legislation allowing local taxing authorities (counties, municipalities and school districts) to exclude from property taxation up to the full assessed value of each homestead property within the taxing jurisdiction. Currently, the constitution caps homestead exclusions at 50% of the median assessed value of all homestead property within a local taxing jurisdiction. Voter approval of Joint Resolution 1 would simply give the General Assembly the expanded authority to adopt future legislation affecting homestead exemptions.
PSBA recently released a new issue of its Closer Look series to help school directors understand the impact of the proposed constitutional amendment and address questions that have been raised regarding the duties of school boards if it is approved by the electorate.
Click here to read PSBA's Closer Look piece on Joint Resolution 1.

Your One-Stop Shop for ESSA Info on Teachers, Testing, Money, and More
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on September 21, 2017 7:25 AM
For teachers, parents, principals, and others, the Every Student Succeeds Act is no longer on the horizon. Now it's in their schools. Yes, ESSA has officially taken effect this school year. All but four states have turned in their plans for the education law's implementation to the federal government—and some states' plans have already gotten approved by the U.S. Department of Education. But there's a decent chance you're still gathering information and learning about ESSA. To help you with that, we've compiled a big, fancy grab-bag stuffed with resources about the law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. Not everything is new: ESSA still requires those annual English/language arts and math tests once a year in grades 3-8 and once in high school. But what is new? Check it out below.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2017/09/essa_one_stop_shop_resources_for_teachers_testing_more.html

After decades of pushing bachelor’s degrees, U.S. needs more tradespeople
PBS Newshour BY MATT KRUPNICK, THE HECHINGER REPORT  August 29, 2017
FONTANA, Calif. — At a steel factory dwarfed by the adjacent Auto Club Speedway, Fernando Esparza is working toward his next promotion. Esparza is a 46-year-old mechanic for Evolution Fresh, a subsidiary of Starbucks that makes juices and smoothies. He’s taking a class in industrial computing taught by a community college at a local manufacturing plant in the hope it will bump up his wages. It’s a pretty safe bet. The skills being taught here are in high demand. That’s in part because so much effort has been put into encouraging high school graduates to go to college for academic degrees rather than for training in industrial and other trades that many fields like his face worker shortages. Now California is spending $6 million on a campaign to revive the reputation of vocational education, and $200 million to improve the delivery of it.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/decades-pushing-bachelors-degrees-u-s-needs-tradespeople/

Thorough and Efficient? A video short on Pennsylvania’s School Funding Lawsuit
The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia filed suit in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on November 10, 2014 on behalf of six school districts, seven parents, and two statewide associations against legislative leaders, state education officials, and the Governor for failing to uphold the General Assembly’s constitutional obligation to provide a “thorough and efficient” system of public education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS44fO_uyb4

PSBA publishes proposed bylaws changes
According to the PSBA Bylaws, Section 6, A, PSBA must publish at least 30 days before the annual meeting of the Delegate Assembly any proposed bylaws changes that have been submitted to the Bylaws Committee and approved by two-thirds of the members of the Governing Board. The proposed bylaws changes are included here. In addition, a hard copy of the proposed changes is being mailed to individuals who have been identified by their school board as a voting delegate on behalf of their school entity. The Delegate Assembly will take place this year on Oct. 20 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center at 1 p.m.

·         2017 Bylaws Amendments for Publication

·         Full text of the current Bylaws

https://www.psba.org/2017/09/notice-proposed-bylaws-amendments/

Testing Resistance & Reform News: September 13-19, 2017
FairTest Submitted by fairtest on September 19, 2017 - 1:09pm 
Praising FairTest as "an incredibly vibrant and important organization that provides an essential service" -- and specifically citing these weekly updates -- former PBS education correspondent John Merrow posts FairTest Is Not a Footnote and urges readers to provide more financial support around our upcoming "Heroes in Education" event.
http://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance-reform-news-september-1319-2017

Our Schools at Risk: How to Stop Funding Cuts, Bensalem HS, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM
Public Meeting Hosted by Education Voters PA Tuesday, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM
Bensalem HS, North Wing Audion, 4319 Hulmeville Rd., Bensalem 19020
Learn about the threats to our public schools and how YOUR advocacy efforts can make a difference. Join Education Voters of PA to learn about how state policies and school funding are impacting your local schools and how you can come together in your communities to stand up for public school students.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1735449410093965/

Seventh Annual Pennsylvania Arts and Education Symposium, November 2, 2017 Camp Hill
The 2017 Pennsylvania Arts and Education will be held on Thursday, November 2, 2017 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center in Camp Hill.  See the agenda here.
Early Bird Registration ends September 30.
https://www.eplc.org/pennsylvania-arts-education-network/

Gerrymandering: Fair Districts PA Statewide Calendar of Events

https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/events

Education Law Center’s 2017 Annual Celebration

ELC invites you to join us for our Annual Celebration on September 27 in Philadelphia.

Click here to purchase a ticket or sponsor the event.

The Annual Celebration will take place this year on September 27, 2017 at The Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. The event begins at 5:30 PM. We anticipate more than 300 legal, corporate, and community supporters joining us for a cocktail reception, silent auction, and dinner presentation.  Our annual celebrations honor outstanding champions of public education. This proud tradition continues at this year’s event, when together we will salute these deserving honorees:

·         PNC Bank: for the signature philanthropic cause of the PNC Foundation, PNC Grow Up Great, a bilingual $350 million, multi-year early education initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life; and its support of the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, which enables new lawyers to pursue careers in public interest law;

·         Joan Mazzotti: for her 16 years of outstanding leadership as the Executive Director of Philadelphia Futures, a college access and success program serving Philadelphia’s low-income, first-generation-to-college students;

·         Dr. Bruce Campbell Jr., PhD: for his invaluable service to ELC, as he rotates out of the chairman position on our Board of Directors. Dr. Campbell is an Arcadia University Associate Professor in the School of Education; and

·         ELC Pro Bono Awardee Richard Shephard of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP: for his exceptional work as pro bono counsel, making lasting contributions to the lives of many vulnerable families.Questions? Contact Tracy Callahan tcallahan@elc-pa.org or 215-238-6970 ext. 308.

http://www.elc-pa.org/about/event/

STAY WOKE: THE INAUGURAL NATIONAL BLACK MALE EDUCATORS CONVENING; Philadelphia Fri, Oct 13, 2017 4:00 pm Sun, Oct 15, 2017 7:00pm

TEACHER DIVERSITY WORKS. Increasing the number of Black male educators in our nation’s teacher corps will improve education for all our students, especially for African-American boys.  Today Black men represent only two percent of teachers nationwide. This is a national problem that demands a national response.  Come participate in the inaugural National Black Male Educators Convening to advance policy solutions, learn from one another, and fight for social justice. All are welcome.

https://1000x2025.org/events/nbmec

Save the Date 2017 PA Principals Association State Conference October 14. 15, 16, 2017 Doubletree Hotel Cranberry Township, PA

Save the Date: PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 18-20, Hershey PA

Registration now open for the 67th Annual PASCD Conference  Nov. 12-13 Harrisburg: Sparking Innovation: Personalized Learning, STEM, 4C's

This year's conference will begin on Sunday, November 12th and end on Monday, November 13th. There will also be a free pre-conference on Saturday, November 11th.  You can register for this year's conference online with a credit card payment or have an invoice sent to you.  Click here to register for the conference.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PASCD-Conference-Registration-is-Now-Open.html?soid=1101415141682&aid=5F-ceLtbZDs

Save the Date! NSBA 2018 Advocacy Institute February 4-6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017

http://www.nsba.org/events/advocacy-institute