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, charter school
leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders,
faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education professors, members
of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone
State Education Coalition
No, you
may not prepay Pennsylvania taxes to claim expiring deductions
Reading Eagle WRITTEN
BY JEFF MCGAW Wednesday December
27, 2017 12:01 AM
A funny thing happened on the way to federal tax
reform, but some Pennsylvanians may not be chuckling.The new tax reform bill,
signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump, removes some
personal exemptions and caps state and local tax deductions at $10,000. Even
before Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, some tax advisers and news
outlets suggested that taxpayers in Pennsylvania and beyond could save
thousands by prepaying their 2018 taxes before deductions disappear. A memo to
local tax collectors from the Pennsylvania State Tax Collectors' Association
Inc., however, told a different story. "Many of you have been receiving
phone calls from taxpayers asking if they can prepay their 2018 real estate
taxes," the memo said. "As a result of potential tax reform, national
and local news outlets have been promoting this possibility. In Pennsylvania,
however, that is expressly prohibited by statute and collectors may not collect
any taxes as prepayment for 2018."
http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/no-you-may-not-prepay-pennsylvania-taxes-to-claim-expiring-deductions&template=mobileart
“Sherry Labs, Plumstead tax collector
and president of the Pennsylvania State Tax Collector’s Association, said in an
email that tax collectors in the state have been inundated with calls asking if
prepayments were possible. “Many of you have been receiving phone calls from
taxpayers asking if they can prepay their 2018 real estate taxes,” a statement
from the association provided by Chalfont tax collector Barbara Klingerman
states. “That is expressly prohibited by statute and collectors may not collect
any taxes as prepayment for 2018.”
Prepaying
taxes not an option for Pennsylvania homeowners
Intelligencer By Chris Ullery Posted
Dec 27, 2017 at 8:43 PM Updated at 1:20 AM
As taxpayers in states such as New Jersey are
rushing to prepay 2018 taxes and avoid a new federal deduction cap,
Pennsylvania state law will keep Bucks County homeowners from paying taxes
until after federal law takes effect. As property owners in New Jersey and
other high-tax states rush to prepay property taxes before the new federal tax
law goes into effect Monday, Pennsylvanians have been told to hold off on
writing checks to pay their taxes early. The law in the Commonwealth prohibits
tax collectors from accepting any early payments. The rush to prepay property
taxes began in the days following President Donald Trump’s Dec. 22 signing
of the federal tax overhaul into law. For the first time, the tax code caps the
state and local tax deduction to $10,000. When the national income tax was
established in 1913, taxpayers were not limited on how much they could deduct. The
law does not go into effect until the new year, which has led to a surge of
prepayments from residents in other states as property owners try to maximize
their federal income tax deductions while they still can. While in nearby New
Jersey and New York, where the governors signed executive orders instructing
municipalities to accept early payments for 2018, Pennsylvania’s local tax
collection law prevents tax collectors from accepting early property tax
payments.
“Every dollar
granted in tax credits is a dollar fewer for other state priorities, including
public education. Even if the tax credits become more attractive, though,
they won’t immediately bleed the state dry. That’s because the budget caps the
total amount of education tax credits at $185 million. Dan Phillips, a tax
shareholder with the Downtown accounting firm Schneider Downs, said the federal
tax change could put upward pressure on the cap, as more donors seek to make
tax credit-backed gifts to private schools.”
EITC: Tax
changes could help parochial schools
RICH LORD Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rlord@post-gazette.com 6:59 PM DEC 22,
2017
A good deal for some big taxpayers and their favored
private schools is about to become better. That’s because a 16-year-old state program that
allows businesses to essentially reroute their levies to private schools just
got a subtle boost from the new federal tax rewrite. The resulting winners
could include private education organizations, including parochial schools, and
certain savvy donors. The losers? That depends on state politics. Republicans
have pushed to increase the amount of tax money rerouted to private schools,
while Democrats have tended to try to limit the cost to state coffers. At a
Wednesday visit to Hillel Academy, state House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Bradford
Woods, said he’d continue to try to expand the state’s indirect support for
private schools, including the Education Improvement Tax Credit -- and he
predicted continued opposition.
Blogger note: Here’s a reminder on the education provisions of the
Pennsylvania constitution:
PA
Constitution, Article 3, Section 14. Public school system.The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.
PA Constitution, Article 3, Section 15. Public school money not available to sectarian schools.
No money raised for the support of the public schools of the Commonwealth shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian school.
PA Constitution, Article 3, Section 29. Restrictions on Legislative Power.
No appropriation shall be made for charitable, educational or benevolent purposes to any person or community nor to any denominational and sectarian institution, corporation or association.
Governor
Wolf: School District of Philadelphia Will Return to Local Control
Governor Wolf’s
Website December 27, 2017
Harrisburg,
PA – Today, Governor Tom
Wolf announced that his administration has approved the return of Philadelphia
public schools to local control. In a letter to the School District of
Philadelphia, Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera approved of the
district’s recommendation to dissolve the School Reform Commission (SRC)
and rescind its designation as distressed. “Quality public schools are essential for our
economy and our future, and the improvements made by the district in recent
years have been significant,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “My administration has
made public education a top priority and local control with strong state
support will make the district stronger. Restoring district operations to
a locally-selected board of education will only allow those improvements to
continue, and will better serve the needs of the district’s students and
schools. I commend Mayor Kenney, Superintendent Hite, and the administrators,
teachers and parents of the Philadelphia school district for their commitment to
improving public education in our largest city. I also want to thank the
members of the SRC for their efforts and work over the years.”
State
gives formal approval to SRC dissolution
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa December 27, 2017 — 3:16pm
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro
Rivera has officially approved the demise of the School Reform Commission
and return of the School District of Philadelphia to local control, formally
ending 16 turbulent years of state governance. Gov. Tom Wolf made the
announcement after Rivera sent a letter to the SRC approving its
recommendation for self-destruction and recinding the District's
designation as "distressed." Rivera had until Dec. 31 to act on the
SRC's move; the dissolution takes effect on June 30, 2018. A nine member
Board of Education appointed by Mayor Kenney and vetted with City
Council will take control of the District on July 1. “Quality public schools are essential for our
economy and our future, and the improvements made by the district in recent
years have been significant,” said Wolf in a statement. “My administration
has made public education a top priority and local control with strong state
support will make the district stronger." Wolf, who is running for
re-election this year, said that local control will "allow those
improvements to continue, and will better serve the needs of the district’s
students and schools."
Philly
schools no longer distressed, top officials say: Harrisburg signs off on SRC
dissolution
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff
Writer @newskag | kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: DECEMBER
27, 2017 — 1:58 PM EST
It’s official: the School Reform
Commission will be no more as of June 30. Pennsylvania’s
top education official this week certified the dissolution of the SRC,
which voted last month to
abolish itself after 16 years of existence. Gov. Wolf
announced the move Wednesday, saying that the Philadelphia School District has
improved to the point where it is no longer distressed and that “local control
with strong state support will make the district stronger.” “Restoring district
operations to a locally selected board of education will only allow those
improvements to continue, and will better serve the needs of the district’s
students and schools,” Wolf said in a statement. “I commend Mayor Kenney,
Superintendent Hite, and the administrators, teachers and parents of the
Philadelphia school district for their commitment to improving public education
in our largest city. I also want to thank the members of the SRC for their
efforts and work over the years.” Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera signed off on the
move, citing the “financial and academic improvements
made during the tenure of the SRC.” He also said that he did not believe the
end of the SRC would negatively affect the district.
“I
think the #MeToo movement has opened up a broader conversation on the problems
that have always been here,” Krueger-Braneky told me this week. And No. 1 on
that list in Pennsylvania is the stunning lack of female elected
officials. We
are currently 49th of the 50 states in women holding political office, ahead of
only Mississippi. Globally, women get elected at a
higher rate in Afghanistan than they do here. Pennsylvania has never, in its
more than two centuries, had a female governor, U.S.
senator, or mayor of
its largest city, Philadelphia. In the current 18-person delegation in the U.S.
House, the rate of women is — hold on, let me take out my calculator … zero
percent.”
Will 2018
FINALLY be 'the Year of the Woman' in Pa. politics? Signs point to 'yes' | Will
Bunch
Philly Daily News by Will Bunch, STAFF
COLUMNIST @will_bunch | bunchw@phillynews.com Updated: DECEMBER
21, 2017 — 1:45 PM EST
You think you’ve had a busy holiday season? Try
being Delaware County Democratic State Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky, who — in
the spirit of Santa Claus, perhaps — has been flying all over the political map
in recent days, speaking up and taking a stand for a fast-spreading
revolution in female empowerment that must be gaining some traction if it’s
actually reached Pennsylvania, the state where women’s movements historically
go to die. While you were out hunting down Christmas bargains, Krueger-Braneky
has sponsored legislation in Harrisburg that would end the
boys-club rules that for decades have helped cover up sexual misconduct by male
legislators, stood with Gov. Wolf as he vetoed
GOP-passed legislation that would have imposed one of the nation’s strictest
antiabortion laws on Pennsylvania women, and this week called for the
resignation of two fellow Democratic lawmakers whose bad
conduct has been exposed in the growing tidal wave of #MeToo.
Philly
schools tormented by decision to reduce suspensions | Opinion
Inquirer by Max Eden, For City Journal Updated: DECEMBER
27, 2017 — 8:15 AM EST
Under an Obama-era directive and the threat of
federal civil rights investigation, thousands of American schools changed their
discipline policies in an attempt to reduce out-of-school suspensions. Last
year, education-policy researchers Matthew Steinberg and Joanna Lacoe reviewed the arguments
for and against discipline reform in Education Next and
concluded that little was known about the effects of the recent changes. But
this year, the picture is becoming ever clearer: Discipline reform has caused a
school-climate catastrophe and Philadelphia is the latest city to fall into
this crisis, according to a new study conducted by
Lacoe and Steinberg. The school district of Philadelphia serves 134,000
students, about 70 percent of whom are black or Latino. In the 2012–13 school
year, Philadelphia banned suspensions for non-violent classroom misbehavior.
Steinberg and Lacoe estimate that, compared to other districts, discipline
reform reduced academic achievement by 3 percent in math and nearly 7 percent
in reading by 2016. The authors do report that, among students with previous
suspensions, achievement increased by 0.2 percent. But this only demonstrates
that well-behaved students bore the brunt of the academic damage.
AASA I
Love Public Education Campaign
AASA Website
On behalf of the children that attend our nation’s
public schools, the I Love Public Education campaign is a year-long effort to
highlight why public schools are essential to developing the future generations
that will maintain our country’s status as a world leader. The campaign is
designed to facilitate deliberate conversations and strong, meaningful actions
on the efforts to bolster our schools to best support the students they serve.
We will work to reframe the current national dialogue on public education to
highlight the critical role public schools play as the bedrock of our civic
society and their work to prepare students to be successful, contributing
members of their local, national, and global communities. As the national
organization representing public school superintendents, we have long focused
on the importance of equity as a driver of and goal for educational opportunity
and achievement. Equity is at the center of our campaign, with the long-term
goal of ensuring all communities have access to a high-quality public school.
Our multi-pronged campaign will permeate all aspects of our work: Advocacy,
Children’s Programs, Leadership Development and Membership Services, as well as
the supports and services we provide members, including newsletters, social
media, webinars, cohort communities, and more.
Charter
School Discussion in Philly Jan 11, 2018 8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
PCCY Email December 26, 2017
Serious flaws in Pennsylvania’s charter
school law put the quality of charter schools on the back
burner. Join PCCY for a discussion of how other states’ laws are
doing a better job and explore what makes sense in Pennsylvania. January 11, 2018 from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m., at
the United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 19103Featured speakers include:
·
Representative
James Roebuck (D), PA
General Assembly, Democratic Chairman - Education Committee
·
Representative
Jordan Harris (D), PA
General Assembly
·
Veronica
Brooks-Uy, Policy Director,
National Association of Charter School Authorizers
·
Sharif
El-Mekki, Principal,
Mastery Charter Schools
·
Jeff
Sparagana, Ed.D, Former
Superintendent Pottstown School District
·
Doug
Carney, Former
Springfield School Board Member (24 years), SVP Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia
·
Donna
Cooper, Executive
Director, Public Citizens for Children and Youth
·
Tomea
Sippio-Smith, Education Policy
Director, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY)
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 remaining
locations and dates (note: all sessions are held 8 a.m.-4 p.m., unless
specified otherwise.):
·
Jan. 6, Haverford Middle School
·
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.
NSBA 2018
Advocacy Institute February 4 - 6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Register Now
Come a day early and attend the Equity
Symposium!
Join hundreds of public education advocates
on Capitol Hill and help shape the decisions made in Washington D.C. that
directly impact our students. At the 2018 Advocacy Institute, you’ll gain
insight into the most critical issues affecting public education, sharpen your
advocacy skills, and prepare for effective meetings with your representatives. Whether
you are an expert advocator or a novice, attend and experience inspirational
keynote speakers and education sessions featuring policymakers, legal experts
and policy influencers. All designed to help you advocate for your students and
communities.
Local School Board Members to Advocate on Capitol Hill in 2018
NSBA's Advocacy Institute 2018 entitled, "Elected. Engaged. Empowered: Representing the Voice in Public Education," will be held on February 4-6, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. This conference will convene Members of Congress, national thought-leaders, state association executives and well-known political pundits to provide local school board members with an update on key policy and legal issues impacting public education, and tactics and strategies to enhance their ability to influence the policy-making process and national education debate during their year-round advocacy efforts.
WHAT'S NEW - ADVOCACY INSTITUTE '18?
·
Confirmed
National Speaker: Cokie Roberts, Political Commentator for NPR and ABC News
·
NSBA
will convene first ever National School Board Town Hall on School Choice
·
Includes
General Sessions featuring national policy experts, Members of Congress,
"DC Insiders" and local school board members
·
Offers
conference attendees "Beginner" and "Advanced" Advocacy
breakout sessions
·
NSBA
will host a Hill Day Wrap-Up Reception
Click here to register for the Advocacy
Institute. The hotel block will close on Monday, January 15.
Registration is now open for the 2018 PASA Education Congress! State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018
Don't miss this marquee event for Pennsylvania school leaders at the Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018.
Learn more by visiting http://www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress
SAVE THE DATE for the 2018
PA Educational Leadership Summit - July 29-31 - State College, PA sponsored by
the PA Principals Association, PASA, PAMLE and PASCD.
This year's Summit will be held from July 29-31, 2018 at the Penn Stater
Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA.
Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization
that I may be affiliated with.
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