Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Oct. 27, 2017:
3
months, 3 weeks, 5 days late, legislature borrows & bets it’s way to #pabudget
Multiple Charter School Organizations;
ESSA plan legislative review; distressed districts; lunch shaming; Keystone
Exams grad requirement delay; $10 million expansion of EITC….
HB178
School Code Bill: Gov. Wolf to consider bill that would weaken teacher
seniority, among other school policy shifts
WHYY By Kevin McCorry October 26, 2017
The Pennsylvania
Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would alter a wide range of state policies
related to public education — including the weakening of seniority
protections for teachers. The chamber agreed to the omnibus school code
bill, as passed last week by the House of Representatives, by a vote of 35
to 15. Now it will go before Gov. Tom Wolf, who
says he has “serious concerns” about some of its provisions. The legislation
would allow school districts to cite economic distress as a reason for making
teacher layoffs. Currently, state policy dictates that layoffs can only occur
when enrollment dips, when specific academic programs are slashed, or when
schools consolidate. School boards and administrators have felt hemmed in by
these regulations and laud the added flexibility the bill allows.
Pa.
legislature expands gambling, borrows $1.5 billion to balance budget. Will Gov.
Wolf sign?
Inquirer by Liz Navratil, HARRISBURG
BUREAU Updated: OCTOBER 26, 2017 7:01 PM
HARRISBURG — Three months, three weeks, and five
days past deadline, Gov. Wolf has a plan for a balanced budget. The question
now for the Democratic governor: To sign or not?
The revenue bills approved this week by the
Republican-controlled legislature in the hope of ending the state’s stubborn
budget impasse contain few of the big-ticket policy and tax changes Wolf
wanted, namely a new tax on natural-gas drilling companies. In the end,
the package that did pass — the
spending blueprint in June and the funding proposal this week — also
includes items he sought, such as $100 million more for public schools and $30
million more for early childhood education. Wolf will have 10 days from the
time the bills land on his desk to decide what to do. And on Thursday, the
governor signaled he would not rush a decision. Instead, he continued his
administration’s aggressive push for a natural-gas severance tax — something he
has advocated since his 2014 campaign, but some legislators have resisted.
Massive
gambling expansion passes state House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House has just
passed a massive gambling expansion package that, supporters hope, will
complete a financial patch on a $2.3 billion state budget deficit. the bill
goes to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk.
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated on October
26, 2017 at 4:09 PM Posted on October 26, 2017 at 11:01 AM
The state House of Representatives Thursday sent a major
gambling expansion bill to Gov. Tom Wolf. After a rare breakfast hour debate,
the House voted 109-72 to pass a bill that would make Pennsylvania the fourth
state in the nation to legalize Internet-based games, authorizes a
second-string of 10 smaller casinos around the state, and permits video-gaming
terminals at truck stops. Thursday's debate - in a stark contrast to
the Pennsylvania
Senate that passed the bill after days of closed-door negotiations but without one
word of public discussion - was thoughtful, and raised a lot of questions about
the bill that hit members' desk less than 24 hours before.
Lazy Pa.
legislators ready to bet, borrow, and spend | Editorial
Instead of coming up with a
sound fiscal plan, Pennsylvania legislators are placing their bets on gambling
and borrowing.by Inquirer Editorial Board Updated: OCTOBER 26, 2017 — 3:01 AM EDT
Video slot machines at truck stops, mini-casinos, a
firecracker tax, and piles of new debt: That’s all to be found in the thought
bubbles of the cartoon characters in the Pennsylvania legislature who have
failed to come up with a fiscally responsible plan to close a $2 billion
deficit and balance the state’s $32 billion budget. Why didn’t anyone
offer such an asinine array of ideas before they passed a spending plan without
a way to pay for it in June? Because the scheme won’t work. It is terrible
fiscal policy that doesn’t address the state’s long-term fiscal health. Many of
the lawmakers know that. But because they can no longer bear to sit in the same
room with each other, this is what they offer. Legislators have exhausted
themselves fighting over whether to cave in to video-gaming terminal lobbyists,
who wanted slot machines at truck stops, or casino lobbyists, who wanted to
keep their gaming monopolies. So, legislators conceded to both sides by coming
up with a 939-page gaming bill delivered during a marathon late-night session
earlier this week. They couldn’t possibly have had the time to read the mammoth
bill or weigh its implications.
“Here’s what’s in that package: More
gambling. More borrowing. Fantasy sports betting. Online access to both casino
and lottery games. That’s right, there’s even something for Gus, the state’s
second most famous spokesman and lottery huckster. The measure will set up
online sales of lottery tickets. There will be video gaming terminals in truck
stops, airports and online portals - but not your neighborhood tavern, as many
local bar owners had hoped. And there will be as many as 10 new mini-casino
locations scattered around the state. There will be a new tax on fireworks and
expansion of the state sales tax to cover more goods and also online purchases.
Local tavern owners who have been pushing for video gaming terminals are out of
luck. They’re not included in the package. One vocal critic of the plan, Rep.
Scott Petri, R-Bucks, who happens to be chair of the House Gaming Oversight
Committee, warned of an “explosion of gambling in Pennsylvania like you’ve
never seen before.” The plan also calls for borrowing $1.5 billion from the
state’s tobacco settlement fund.”
Editorial:
When all else fails, roll the dice in Pa. budget mess
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 10/26/17,
8:56 PM EDT | UPDATED: 5 HRS AGO
Gus the Groundhog would be so proud. When all else
fails, keep on scratching. And gambling. Slide over Gus, you’re about to get some new
competition in the Keystone State. With a four-month stalemate seemingly going
nowhere, Pennsylvania legislators are falling back on an old crutch. They’re
going to roll the dice - and pony up a massive increase in legal gaming in the
state. So while for the most part you still won’t be able to buy beer and wine
in a single super store, you likely will be able to gamble legally at a truck
stop. Or online. Or at the airport. Or on fantasy sports. Or at one of 10
mini-casinos that will get the green light in the state. Wednesday night the
Senate signed off on the latest version of a funding fix for the Pennsylvania
budget, something that has eluded them since July 1, when they met the
state-mandated deadline to have a new spending plan in place. The only problem
is that they could not agree on how to fund the $32 billion plan, in particular
a $2 billion gap between spending and revenue. You know, just like what happens
when you pay your household bills every month. Thursday morning the state House
followed suit, passing the funding measure on a 109-72 vote. It now goes to
Gov. Tom Wolf. He has not indicated if he will sign it, only that he would
review it.
“The bill, a couple years in the making,
emerged Wednesday night and won passage within 18 hours in both chambers of the
Legislature despite opponents’ protests that they barely had a chance to read
it, warnings that it carried unforeseen consequences and complaints that it was
packed with sweetheart deals.”
Major
gambling state Pennsylvania poised for big expansion
AP News by Marc Levy October 26, 2017
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Lawmakers in Pennsylvania,
which is second only to Nevada in commercial casino revenues, voted Thursday to
approve the biggest expansion of gambling in the state since casinos were
legalized more than a decade ago. Desperate to find ways to help plug a giant
budget hole, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved and
sent to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf a bill to extend casino-style gambling to
truck stops, online portals and airports, and to allow 10 new mini-casinos to
open in a state that already has a dozen casinos operating. The vote was
109-72, with support from both GOP and Democratic leaders. Wolf has expressed support for expanding gambling to
patch up the state budget. His office said he would decide in the next few days
whether to sign the gambling legislation. The measure would make Pennsylvania
the fourth state with internet gambling, and the first to allow both casino and
lottery games to be offered online, as Pennsylvania looks to make money off new
and younger players. It also would pave the way for the struggling Pennsylvania
Lottery — which funds programs for the elderly — to begin offering keno. Only
Nevada and Puerto Rico currently allow airport gambling.
Trib Live by WES VENTEICHER | Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, 6:51 p.m.
Gov. Tom Wolf is reviewing legislation from the
General Assembly that would allow gambling at airports, truck stops and on the
internet while giving casinos a chance to open as many as 10 satellite gaming
sites in Pennsylvania. Legislators said the bill could generate $239 million in
revenue this fiscal year and help close a budget gap that has fueled a
four-month standoff at the Capitol. Spokesman J.J. Abbott said Wolf would
evaluate the 939-page gaming bill and other pieces of the budget package over
the next few days. A package of House and Senate proposals includes borrowing
$1.5 billion against the state's Tobacco Settlement Fund, transferring $300
million from special-purpose funds and taxing fireworks sales and online
retailers to close a $2.2 billion gap between revenue and anticipated spending.
Pennsylvania
House joins Senate in expanding gambling
Morning Call Capitol Ideas by Steve
Esack and Jon
Harris Contact
Reporters Call Harrisburg Bureau October 26, 2017
From the Bible to mythology to popular culture, the
number 13 has been associated with treachery, betrayal or plain old bad luck. But
none of those superstitions held sway Thursday over the Pennsylvania
Legislature as it approved a massive overhaul of a 13-year-old gambling law
that legalized casino wagering and led to newfound state and local revenues. The
House voted 109-72 to approve one of the nation's largest expansions of
gambling options despite lawsuit threats and concern the changes will hurt the
state’s dozen casinos. It’s become a $3 billion industry since slot machines
started in 2004 and table games began shortly thereafter.
SB2: Area superintendents wary of school voucher
program proposal
Bradford Era By ALEX DAVIS Era Reporter a.davis@bradfordera.com Oct 25, 2017
What
teachers need to know about connecting with students in urban schools
WHYY By Jennifer Lynn October 26, 2017
If you’re an
educator, listen in. Christopher Emdin says it’s time to do things differently
in urban classrooms — to draw in students, to mesh with interests and
backgrounds, so students aren’t left thinking “You don’t get me.” Emdin’s a
professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, who specializes in math,
science, and technology. He’s written the New York Times bestseller “For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood … and
the Rest of Y’all Too,” as well as “Urban
Education and Urban Science Education For the Hip-Hop Generation.” Prior to an
appearance this week at Drexel University, I asked him about some of his
teaching tools — including his signature reality pedagogy.
THE
CHARTER EFFECT
Public Source Series
Traditionally, the 20th anniversary is celebrated
with china but we are marking the 20th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s charter
school law with transparency and depth. While other local media outlets have
reported on the sweeping change charter school choice has had on students and
traditional school districts, our series will expand on that by teasing out the
root of the tension between charters and other public schools: money and what
appears to be differing standards of accountability. This series will expose
and explain the data and records behind the charter schools operating in
Allegheny County.
Betsy DeVos’s Schedule Shows Focus on Religious and Nontraditional
Schools
New York Times By ERIC LIPTON OCT. 27, 2017
WASHINGTON — For years, Betsy DeVos traveled the
country — and opened her checkbook — as she worked as a conservative advocate
to promote the expansion of voucher programs that allow parents to use taxpayer
funds to send their children to private and religious schools. A detailed look
at the first six months of Ms. DeVos’s tenure as the secretary of education —
based on a 326-page calendar tracking her daily meetings — demonstrates that
she continues to focus on those programs as well as on charter schools. Her
calender is sprinkled with meetings with religious leaders, leading national
advocates of vouchers and charter schools, and players involved in challenging
state laws that limit the distribution of government funds to support religious
or alternative schools.
Webinar: Get the Facts on the Proposed Constitutional Amendment
OCT 31, 2017 • 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Registration Required
Recently passed through the General Assembly as House Bill 1285, 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/farmstead property within the taxing jurisdiction. If approved, what does this change mean for schools in PA? In this complimentary webinar, learn about the legislative history, facts and implications of the amendment so you can make the decision that is right for you on Nov. 7.
Presenters include:
·
Nathan Mains, PA School Boards Association;
·
Hannah Barrick, PA Association of School Business Officials
·
Jim Vaughan, PA State Education Association
·
Mark DiRocco, PA Association of School Administrators
None of the organizations sponsoring this webinar have a
position on the ballot question. The objective of the webinar is purely
information based and to separate fact from fiction.Register online here: GoToWebinar.com
https://www.psba.org/event/webinar-proposed-constitutional-amendment/
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/
Save the
Date: Pitt Johnstown to host Funding Lawsuit Panel at Murtha Center on campus
November 15th at 7:00 pm
November School
Leader Advocacy Training
PASA, PASBO, PSBA, the Pennsylvania
Principals Association, the PARSS and PAIU are offering five, full-day School Leader Advocacy Training sessions at the
following locations:
Monday, November 6 – Capital Area I.U. 15 (Summerdale)
Tuesday, November 7 – Luzerne I.U. 18 (Kingston)
Wednesday, November 15 – Berks County I.U. 14 (Reading)
Thursday, November 16 – Midwestern I.U. 4 (Grove City)
Friday, November 17 – Westmoreland I.U. 7 (Greensburg)
Take advantage of this great opportunity – at NO cost to you!
REGISTER TODAY at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolLeaderTraining.
Monday, November 6 – Capital Area I.U. 15 (Summerdale)
Tuesday, November 7 – Luzerne I.U. 18 (Kingston)
Wednesday, November 15 – Berks County I.U. 14 (Reading)
Thursday, November 16 – Midwestern I.U. 4 (Grove City)
Friday, November 17 – Westmoreland I.U. 7 (Greensburg)
Take advantage of this great opportunity – at NO cost to you!
REGISTER TODAY at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolLeaderTraining.
Cyber Charter School Application; Public Hearing November 20
Pennsylvania Bulletin Saturday, October 14, 2017 NOTICES - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Pennsylvania Bulletin Saturday, October 14, 2017 NOTICES - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The Department of
Education (Department) has scheduled one date for a public hearing regarding a
cyber charter school application that was received on or before October 2,
2017. The hearing will be held on November 20,
2017, in Heritage Room A on the lobby level of 333 Market Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17126 at 9 a.m. The hearing pertains to the applicant seeking to operate a
cyber charter school beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. The purpose of the
hearing is to gather information from the applicant about the proposed cyber
charter school as well as receive comments from interested individuals
regarding the application. The name of the applicant, copies of the application
and a listing of the date and time scheduled for the hearing on the application
can be viewed on the Department's web site at www.education.pa.gov. Individuals who wish to provide comments on the
application during the hearing must provide a copy of their written comments to
the Department and the applicant on or before November 6, 2017. Comments
provided by this deadline and presented at the hearing will become part of the
certified record. For questions regarding this hearing, contact the Division of
Charter Schools, (717) 787-9744, charterschools@pa.gov.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education
Cyber Charter School Application for Commonwealth Education Connections Cyber
Charter School 2017
Charter School
Application Submitted: September 27, 2017
Support the Notebook and see Springsteen on Broadway
The notebook October 2, 2017 — 10:57am
Donate $50 or more until Nov. 10, enter to win – and have your donation doubled!
"This music is forever for me. It's the stage thing, that rush moment that you live for. It never lasts, but that's what you live for." – Bruce Springsteen
You can be a part of a unique Bruce Springsteen show in his career – and support local, nonprofit education journalism! Donate $50 or more to the Notebook through Nov. 10, and your donation will be doubled, up to $1,000, through the Knight News Match. Plus, you will be automatically entered to win a pair of prime tickets to see Springsteen on Broadway! One winner will receive two tickets to the 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, show at the Walter Kerr Theatre. These are amazing orchestra section seats to this incredible sold-out solo performance. Don't miss out on your chance to see the Boss in his Broadway debut. Donate to the Notebook today online or by mail at 699 Ranstead St., 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/10/02/springsteen-on-broadway
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
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PASCD-Conference-Registration-is-Now-Open.html?soid=1101415141682&aid=5F-ceLtbZDs
Register
for New School Director Training in December and January
PSBA Website October 2017
You’ve started a challenging and
exciting new role as a school director. Let us help you narrow the learning
curve! PSBA’s New School Director Training provides school directors with
foundational knowledge about their role, responsibilities and ethical
obligations. At this live workshop, participants will learn about key laws,
policies, and processes that guide school board governance and leadership, and
develop skills for becoming strong advocates in their community. Get the tools you
need from experts during this visually engaging and interactive event.
Choose from any of these 10
locations and dates (note: all sessions are held 8 a.m.-4 p.m., unless
specified otherwise.):
·
Dec. 8, Bedford CTC
·
Dec. 8, Montoursville Area High School
·
Dec. 9, Upper St. Clair High School
·
Dec. 9, West Side CTC
·
Dec. 15, Crawford County CTC
·
Dec. 15, Upper Merion MS (8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m)
·
Dec. 16, PSBA Mechanicsburg
·
Dec. 16, Seneca Highlands IU 9
·
Jan. 13, A W Beattie Career Center
·
Jan. 13, Parkland HS
Fees: Complimentary to All-Access
members or $170 per person for standard membership. All registrations will be
billed to the listed district, IU or CTC. To request billing to
an individual, please contact Michelle Kunkel at michelle.kunkel@psba.org.
Registration also includes a box lunch on site and printed resources.
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017
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