Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, superintendents, school solicitors, principals, PTO/PTA officers,
parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations,
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 1, 2017:
Confused
about Nov. 7th Constitutional Amendment Referendum?
School Report Cards: For 5th
year in a row, not one PA cyber achieved a passing school performance score of
70. Do we need another one?
https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2017/10/pa-ed-policy-roundup-oct-30-school.html
Rep.
Madden hosts education funding talk
How can Monroe County effectively fund public
education without residents losing their homes to school property taxes?
By Andrew Scott Pocono Record
Writer Posted Oct 31, 2017 at 9:23 PM Updated
Oct 31, 2017 at 9:23 PM
STROUDSBURG — How can Monroe County effectively fund
public education without residents losing their homes to school property taxes?
For some time, this question has been on many lips. That’s even more so now,
with Pennsylvania residents about to vote on a ballot referendum which would
pave the way for school-property-tax-elimination measures if passed. This was
the topic of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee’s public
hearing hosted by committee member and state Rep. Maureen Madden on Tuesday at
the Eastern Monroe Public Library. Consisting of 11 state representatives from
various districts, the committee holds such public hearings across the state
and serves as the catalyst to enacting major policy initiatives put forth by
members of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus. “Pennsylvania spends more
per student than 43 other states, yet we are 46th in state funding for basic
education,” Madden told residents attending Tuesday’s discussion. “The state
provides only a third of basic education funding, with the other two thirds
coming from property owners. Pennsylvania is dead last in basic education
funding equity. “Since so much of the funding comes from property taxes, where
your school is located matters,” she said, referring to affluent school
districts getting too much state funding vs. financially struggling school
districts getting too little. “Money doesn’t equal success, but it helps if
your school doesn’t have rusty pipes, doesn’t have to scrape the bottom of the
barrel for teachers or doesn’t suffer from inadequate funding.”
Property Tax Reform, Get the Facts on the Proposed Constitutional Amendment
The PA Principals
Association, PSEA, PSBA, PASBO, PASA, PARSS and PAIU Tuesday, October 31, 2017
2:57 PM
The PA Principals
Association partnered with PSEA, PSBA, PASBO, PASA,
PARSS and PAIU on a PowerPoint presentation regarding Property Tax Reform, Get the Facts on the Proposed
Constitutional Amendment, which will be a ballot question in the upcoming
election, November 7, 2017. Click here for the
PowerPoint.
Main Line Public TV at Radnor Studio 21 Published on Oct 29, 2017 Runtime 33:35
Lawrence Feinberg, Co-Chairman, Keystone State Education Coalition; Roberta Winters, President League of Women Voters; Joel Sears, President, York County Tax Payers Council; Susan Spicka, Executive Director, Education Voters of PA
Referendum
forum sparks mixed emotions
By Howard Frank Pocono
Record Writer Posted Oct 31, 2017 at 2:49 PM Updated
Oct 31, 2017 at 2:49 PM
The referendum to enable property tax reform won’t
put a cent in your pocket any time soon. But it might someday, and it’s a step
in the right direction, according to a state official. The ballot item referred
to as the Homestead Property Tax Exemption is a bit of a legislative dance,
that, if passed, would allow the state assembly to allow local taxing
authorities to exclude all of your home property value from taxes. But it’s not
so simple. That’s where the dance comes in. Before property tax reduction or
eliminating property taxes becomes reality, several things must happen. The
residents of the state must pass the resolution to amend the Pennsylvania
constitution on Nov. 7. The constitution currently allows up to 50 percent
reduction in your assessed value of your home. Then the state must vote a bill
into law that allows the full property tax exclusion. That vote wouldn’t make the exclusion mandatory, but
presents an option to local taxing authorities, like school districts, counties
and municipalities. Next, the local authorities must adopt an exclusion, and
find other funding streams to replace the tax revenues used to pay for things
like the schools, roads and other municipal projects. Items like personal
income tax rates and sales taxes might come into play to replace the lost property
tax revenues. But passing the constitutional amendment is a necessary step in
the process to make school funding fairer across the state, according to State
Rep. Rosemary Brown, who held a forum Monday night at the Hughes Library in
Stroud Township to discuss the referendum. “Property tax reduction is my number
one priority,” Brown said. “It gives us another tool to go in another
direction.” The passing of the referendum would be, she said, first and
foremost to confirm to fellow Harrisburg legislators that residential property
tax elimination is indeed wanted by the people of Pennsylvania.
Referendum
on November ballot opens door to property tax elimination
A referendum that will appear
on the Nov. 7 ballot opens the door for the future possibility of eliminating
property taxes levied by local governments and school districts in
Pennsylvania. For those taxes to go away though will require future legislative
action.
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated on October
31, 2017 at 9:01 AM Posted on October 31, 2017 at 6:15 AM
Voters who show up at the polls on Nov. 7
will have an opportunity to vote on amending the state constitution to open the door to
provide for property tax elimination for Pennsylvania
homeowners. But here's the catch. If the majority of voters
vote yes on this referendum, it doesn't mean property taxes will suddenly go
away. What it would do is provide a mechanism to target greater property tax
relief to residential properties. But before that can happen, state laws need
to change to provide for replacement revenue sources to fund school districts,
municipalities and counties. "It is a confusing issue," said Hannah
Barrick, advocacy director for the Pennsylvania Association of School Business
Officials. "This is just step one in the process."WITF Written by Katie Meyer, Capitol Bureau Chief | Oct 31, 2017 7:07 PM
(Harrisburg) -- When Pennsylvanians go to the polls next Tuesday, they'll have a rare opportunity to vote to change the state constitution. They'll decide via ballot measure whether to make property tax elimination an option. However, it would only be the first step in a long process. Property tax rates largely depend on how much school districts and local governments decide to exempt from taxation. Right now, state law lets them exclude up to 50 percent of an area's median home value. The ballot measure would increase that cap to 100 percent--so jurisdictions could opt to totally eliminate property taxes. But it's not quite that simple. The elimination can't happen until there's a replacement source of revenue--either from the state or local level. Republican Representative David Maloney of Berks County, who sponsored the referendum measure, noted there's still no consensus in that area.
Capitol Digest by Crisci Associates Op-Ed By Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) & Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) October 31, 2017
On November 7 the citizens of Pennsylvania will have an opportunity to cast their vote for an important ballot question which could lead to real property tax reform. We are urging citizens to vote yes. Due to its legal language and structure, ballot questions are often written in confusing and hard-to-understand and this one is no different. However, the underlying issue is pretty straight forward. By voting yes, voters will approve a constitutional amendment to expand the homestead exclusion from one-half of the median assessed value of all homestead properties in a taxing district to up to 100 percent of the assessed value of each homestead property. Essentially, if approved, this would allow local taxing authorities – school districts, municipalities – to offer not only a reduction in a homeowner’s property tax, but also potentially the elimination of their local property tax.
Blogger note: SB76 is NOT on the ballot
for a public vote on November 7th.
Vote 'No'
To PA Constitutional Tax Amendment On Nov. 7, TESD Says
The question focuses on Senate Bill 76, which
seeks to eliminate property taxes and fund districts through income and sales
taxes.
Patch.com By Max Bennett (Patch Staff) -
Updated Oct 31, 2017 1:05 pm ET
WAYNE, PA – As the Nov. 7 election grows nearer,
many are looking at potential candidates to cast their votes for. But the
Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and other Pennsylvania districts are hoping
residents take notice of a state ballot question that they say could harm
school districts across the state. Senate Bill 76 is up for public vote on Nov.
7 and it has to do with how districts in the state handle property taxes and
ultimately how to fund their budgets. While some residents may see the question
and think it might be good to vote "yes" as it deals with potentially
lower property taxes, the TESD says it's impact could hit hard in ways unseen
and unexplained. The bill's primary sponsor, Republican Senator David
Argall who represents Pennsylvania's 29th District, says the bill would
"promote economic growth and completely eliminate the school district
property tax once and for all." Argall's bill, which he calls the Property
Tax Independence Act, proposes supplanting property taxes with funds from personal
income tax and the sales and use tax.
Pennsylvania's
property tax referendum has a long way to go if it passes
Trib Live BOB
BAUDER | Monday, Oct. 30, 2017,
5:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania voters can decide through a ballot referendum
next week if local governments and school districts should have the ability to
exempt them from paying property taxes on their homes. The question sounds like a no-brainer, but if it
passes and state lawmakers go along with it, municipalities and school
districts would have to make up the lost revenue through some other tax. “It
sounds good,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “We'd all love
to eliminate property taxes, but you can't eliminate it unless you have a
replacement.” The referendum on the Nov. 7 election ballot asks voters: “Shall
the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to permit the General Assembly to
enact legislation authorizing local taxing authorities to exclude from taxation
up to 100 percent of the assessed value of each homestead property within a
local taxing jurisdiction, rather than limit the exclusion to one-half of the
median assessed value of all homestead property, which is the existing law?” What
that means is state lawmakers would have the ability to create a law giving
counties, municipalities and school districts authority to eliminate property
taxes on a person's home, according to state Rep. David Maloney, D-Berks, who
sponsored legislation that led to the referendum. It would not exempt
commercial and industrial properties.
With SRC
on the brink, Philly charter schools in ‘wait-and-see’ mode
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent October 31, 2017
While some public
school observers cheer the potential dissolution of Philadelphia’s School
Reform Commission, charter advocates have taken a more muted tone. “We’re at a
‘wait-and-see’ point right now,” said Stephen DeMaura, executive director of
Philadelphia School Advocacy Partners, a pro-charter lobbying group. For the
first time since the SRC began 16 years ago, there seems real momentum toward
disbanding it and replacing the five-member body with a local school board.
Politically progressive organizations and politicians have spearheaded the push
against the SRC. Voices from the city’s large and growing charter sector have
been noticeably quieter. One could confuse that silence for opposition, but
charter advocates say they aren’t organizing against theoretical governance
changes. They just aren’t sure what to make of those changes. “Look, it’s gonna
happen,” said David Hardy, founder of Boys Latin Charter School and a vocal
charter proponent. “I’m not sure I don’t want it to happen.” If the SRC
dissolves, the board that replaces it would oversee the city’s 86 charter
schools, vet future applications, and parse expansion proposals. That means
there’s plenty at stake for the school choice community. Those stakes, however,
haven’t translated into strong opinions.
Kenney to
give major speech on future of Philly schools
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent October 31, 2017
Mayor Jim Kenney
will address the future of Philadelphia’s public schools — the latest sign that
the system’s governance structure could be in for a major shakeup — during a
major speech Thursday. The news was confirmed by Kenney spokeswoman Lauren
Hitt. She said the mayor will discuss the school district’s finances and its
governance structure, but she would not comment further on its content. Momentum
has been growing to replace the School Reform Commission, a five-member body
that has overseen the school district since a 2001 state takeover. The SRC is
made up of three gubernatorial appointees and two mayoral appointees. SRC
opponents want it replaced with a local school board. The SRC appears
increasingly likely to vote itself out of existence in the next few months.
Such a move would give Kenney more authority over the Philadelphia schools than
any mayor in recent history.
Trib Live JAMIE MARTINES | Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, 11:48 a.m.
Local teachers say it's possible for an 18-year-old in Pennsylvania to head to the polls next week without a sense of how their government works. “There is literally nothing that they know when I get them,” said Jeff Biros, who teaches American Government and Civics for 11th- and 12th-graders at Gateway High School in Monroeville. Biros, a former state legislative analyst who has been teaching social studies in the Gateway district for 13 years, said one of his goals is to help students understand that the Constitution is more than words on paper. “In the end, if you don't understand it, then that's all it becomes,” Biros said. “There's no life behind it. And if you don't know your rights, you'll surrender them.” A bill in the state Senate aims to help teachers like Biros prepare their students to understand and participate in government. “I often say, the unfortunate thing today is, if you ask someone to identify three members of the U.S. Supreme Court, it's probably easier for them to identify the judges on American Idol,” said Sen. John Rafferty (R-Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties), the bill's primary sponsor.
Phillys7thWard blog
BY SHARIF
EL-MEKKI OCTOBER 27, 2017
Human nature often finds us pointing the finger at
others, while absolving ourselves of blame. While we often tell students, “When
you point a finger at others, three fingers are pointed back at you,” adults,
at times, fail to heed their own advice. Nowhere is this more evident than in
the incessant battling between public charters and traditional school
districts. While middle-class White people often lament the loss of students in
traditional schools, these are the same hypocrites who fled during the White
flight or participated in oppressive gentrification and left traditional
neighborhood public schools long ago. In Philly, when you want to see a sizable
number of White students, you often have to go to the Northeast (a section of
the city that once actually tried to secede from Philadelphia) or you have to
go to a magnet school (or a gentrified one) that is inaccessible to most Black
children. Often, these charter critics belie the fact that the foundations of
many of America’s institutions were never made with the well-being of Black and
Brown people in mind. When they blindly defend the status quo, they are often
simply and emotionally siding with institutions that were designed to keep
Black and Brown folks subjugated. If you haven’t read Nate Bowling’s take on the
(mostly White middle class) diatribes against families who choose charters, you
should. Charter school operators are not blameless in the incessant friction.
Too often, they shirk responsibility and leadership and aren’t willing to
collaborate with district, city, and state leadership to address entrenched
issues that districts are struggling with.
“There’s
one more group responsible for online charter schools in Indiana — lawmakers. Virtual
schools got a slow start in Indiana but took off once voters put a majority of
Republican legislators in the General Assembly. Once there, they passed laws to
allow full-time online schools and slowly increased their funding.
A number of powerful
Indiana Republicans who supported those laws have received campaign
contributions from K12, one of the largest online school providers in the
country. That includes education committee chairs Rep. Bob Behning and Sen. Dennis Kruse,
former Senate Appropriations chair Luke Kenley, House Ways & Means chair Tim Brown, and House Speaker Brian Bosma.”
As
students signed up, online Indiana school hired barely any teachers — but
founder’s company charged it millions
Chalkbeat BY SHAINA CAVAZOS -
October 31, 2017
One of Indiana’s largest high schools ended this
past school year with almost 5,000 students, but no desks and no classrooms.
The school also had very few graduates — 61 out of more than 900 seniors
graduated last year. What Indiana Virtual School did have:
Tens of millions in state dollars due to come its way over the next two years,
and a founder whose for-profit company charged millions of dollars in
management fees and rent to the school. Thomas Stoughton founded the school in
2011, taking advantage of a new law allowing Indiana charter schools to serve
students exclusively over the internet, rather than in brick-and-mortar
buildings. In recent years, students have signed up in droves, responding to
social media advertising campaigns. The school they end up attending differs
widely from other online charter schools emerging across the country, with far
fewer teachers per student — 1 for every 222 students last school year,
according to state data — and fewer students taking and passing state exams. As
enrollment at Indiana Virtual School ballooned, so did the school’s state
funding, which is distributed on a per-student basis. Some of that money has
gone to AlphaCom Inc., a for-profit
company also founded and led until 2016 by Stoughton.
Since 2011, AlphaCom has held multiple contracts with Indiana Virtual School
totaling about $6 million to provide management services and office space. A
company run by Stoughton’s son also held a contract with the
school.
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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