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
associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website,
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone
State Education Coalition
Senate
Bill 2 specifically allows private & religious schools that accept ESA voucher
dollars to discriminate against children on the basis of gender, religion, and
disability status. Students with disabilities, if they are permitted to enroll
in a private school, must give up their rights under Federal law to an
appropriate education.
“Coverage
beyond February is most at risk for approximately 1.7 million children in
21 of the 24 states with separate CHIP programs. These states, in order of size
of enrollment, are: NY, PA,
FL, GA, CA, VA, AL, CO, WA, NV, MO, KY, MT, UT, ID, CT, AZ, LA, SD, MN,
and DC.”
When Will
States Run Out of Federal CHIP Funds? (January 2018 Update)
Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
January 10, 2018 Tricia Brooks, Joan Alker
A new report by the Georgetown University Center for
Children and Families estimates that if Congress does not approve funding
for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in January, an
estimated 24 states (including D.C.) could face CHIP funding shortfalls.
Coverage beyond February is most at risk for approximately 1.7 million
children in 21 of the 24 states with separate CHIP programs. These states, in
order of size of enrollment, are: NY, PA, FL, GA, CA, VA, AL, CO, WA, NV,
MO, KY, MT, UT, ID, CT, AZ, LA, SD, MN, and DC. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
expired on September 30, 2017. States were able to continue to operate their
programs in the short term with leftover CHIP allotment funds from fiscal year
2017. If these funds ran out, they were supplemented by a proportional share of
unused funds from prior fiscal years reserved in a “redistribution” pool. Just
before the December recess, Congress approved $2.85 billion in CHIP funding in
a so-called “patch” as part of the Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires on
January 19. The CR also changed the way that redistribution funds are awarded
to states, no longer guaranteeing a specific share of these emergency shortfall
funds to any state.
“The report also examined how charters
and districts fare under the state’s school-performance tool. The “School
Performance Profile” uses test scores, graduation, and promotion rates and
attendance to grade schools. Schools that score 70 or above are considered
“good” schools. Statewide, 21 percent of Pennsylvania’s charters scored 70 or
above, while 54 percent of traditional district schools hit that mark. (The
state’s cyber charters performed especially poorly, with none scoring 70 or
above.) And while charter performance is uneven, charter costs keep
rising – in 2016, the state’s public districts spent $1.5 billion to run
charters. “
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff
Writer @newskag | kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: JANUARY
10, 2018 — 11:29 PM EST
Many Pennsylvania charter schools are lackluster,
and the law that governs them is among the nation’s worst. So says a report to
be released Thursday by Public Citizens for Children and Youth, the
Philadelphia-based child-advocacy organization. The analysis concluded that
despite often being seen by parents as having stronger schools than traditional
public schools, the charter sector typically underperforms when compared with
such schools. The Inquirer and Daily News reviewed “Expanding High Quality
Charter School Options: Strong Charter School Legislation Matters,” the report
scheduled to be discussed Thursday by a panel of local and national charter
experts in the city. “Charter school students are not outperforming their
traditional school peers; results are mixed at best and extremely subpar at
worst,” the report concludes. “Passing stronger legislation to link growth and
charter renewal to student performance will encourage schools to strive for
better student outcomes.”
Give every
child a good start for learning
Bucks County Courier
Times Opinion By Shawanna James-Coles Posted
Jan 9, 2018 at 6:00 AM
When I welcome kindergartners on the first day of
school, I don’t see them only as little ones eager to learn. I also picture
them 13 years later, attired in cap and gown, proudly accepting their
hard-earned and well-deserved high school diplomas. However, I worry that the road
ahead is rocky for some of our most vulnerable children. Through no fault of
their own, they have not been exposed to the tools they need to learn, and
that’s why I’m speaking up for high-quality prekindergarten that prepares all
children for academics even before they enter school. For two decades,
Pennsylvania leaders in government, business, law enforcement and the military
have supported public investments in high-quality pre-K. Now, elementary school
principals have joined the chorus. In a 2017 survey conducted by the
Pennsylvania Principals Association in conjunction with the Pre-K for PA
Campaign, nearly 99 percent of us agreed that publicly funded, high-quality
pre-K is an important tool in preparing at-risk children for kindergarten. This
nearly unanimous show of support is remarkable but hardly surprising. As a
principal, I see the difference that early learning makes. Children who have
had an opportunity to attend high-quality pre-K come ready for school. They
already know the basics of reading, mathematics, getting along with others,
building friendships and sharing. Unfortunately, some children who do not
attend high-quality pre-K programs do not have the readiness skills
Chambersburg Public Opinion Published 11:44 a.m. ET
Jan. 9, 2018
Who wants to pay higher school property taxes in
order to fund students’ private school tuition? It’s time to get on the phone and tell Senator
Richard Alloway to oppose Senate Bill 2, legislation that would bring a new
generation of school vouchers known as education savings accounts (ESAs)
to Pennsylvania. Just before the holidays, Sen. Alloway was appointed to the
Senate Education Committee. He replaced a lawmaker whose opposition to Senate
Bill 2 kept it from passing out of the committee. Corporate lobbyists and
anti-public education lawmakers in Harrisburg appear to be hoping that Alloway
will provide the single vote needed to pass Senate Bill 2 out of committee. Senate
Bill 2 would create a new and costly program that would remove state funding
from public schools and put these taxpayer dollars into separate accounts
(education savings accounts or ESAs) for families to spend on private school
tuition.
“The day before the judges’ ruling in
Philadelphia, a panel of federal judges in North Carolina ruled
that state’s congressional map unconstitutional and
ordered the legislature to redraw it this month. The judges said Republicans
had drawn it to their advantage. It was the first time federal judges had ruled
that a congressional map was unconstitutional because of gerrymandering. U.S.
Supreme Court justices have said they will render a decision in gerrymandering
cases out of Maryland and Wisconsin in the coming months. Also in Pennsylvania,
a group of 18
Democratic voters filed a state gerrymandering lawsuit against
state officials in June. That case is the one to watch, said Michael Li, a
gerrymandering expert at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.”
Federal
judges rule in favor of Pennsylvania Republicans in gerrymandering case
Inquirer by Michaelle Bond, Staff
Writer @MichaelleBond | mbond@phillynews.com Updated: JANUARY
10, 2018 — 4:45 PM EST
A panel of federal judges Wednesday effectively
upheld Pennsylvania’s
often-criticized congressional district map, declining to take
up a novel
challenge that sought to have it declared unconstitutional as
gerrymandered to favor the party in power. In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, the
judges said that specific challenge was not for them to decide. Plaintiffs
in Agre v. Wolf, led by a Democratic ward leader from Philadelphia,
had hoped to use the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution to argue that
any amount of partisanship in drawing the state’s congressional maps was
illegal. The congressional boundaries in question were drawn by the
Republican-controlled legislature in 2011 after the 2010 census. “Although
there may be a case in which a political gerrymandering claim may successfully
be brought under the Elections Clause, this is not such a case,” wrote Judge
Patty Shwartz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Pa. Senate
leader Scarnati applauds ruling in federal redistricting case
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Posted Jan
10, 7:43 PM
Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati on
Wednesday praised a federal three-judge panel's ruling upholding Pennsylvania's
current map of Congressional districts. Scarnati, a Republican from Jefferson
County, also said the latest decision only "serves to further strengthen
my view that the plaintiffs (in this and other remaining cases) should abandon
their costly legal actions and allow the legislature's examination of reforms
to move forward." Scarnati's comments came on the heels of a Senate GOP
leadership release earlier this week that noted taxpayer-funded legal costs
from a still-pending redistricting case pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court have crossed the $1 million mark. Proponents of redistricting reform have
said they don't place a lot of trust in pledges to take up reforms now, noting
no hearings have been held on any of the bills in this or prior legislative
sessions.
Redistricting
reform proponents make last ditch arguments ahead of Pa. Supreme Court
proceedings
By Emily Previti, WITF January 10, 2018
Next week, the
state Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit claiming Pennsylvania’s congressional
map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. Top state
Democrats chimed in Wednesday in an attempt to sway the court in favor of the
plaintiffs. In a press conference held in the capitol, Lt. Gov. Mike Stack
offered an alternative map he referred to as the “Stack map.” It wasn’t drawn
by Stack, though. Instead, it’s the first in a series of 1,000 prototypes
generated by Jowei Chen, a political scientist at the University
of Minnesota who testified earlier in the case, during proceedings in
Commonwealth Court nearly a month ago. “There were a
number of possible maps that could meet legitimate districting goals: creating
compact districts and respecting political subdivisions. One in particular
really highlighted what a better map could look like,” Stack said. Stack
believes this version is fairer than the current one because it divides fewer
communities.
If you're interested in serving on the new
Philly Board of Education, the application form is now open. You can learn
more, apply, or nominate someone here:
City of
Philadelphia Board of Education job description
January 10, 2018 Jim Kenney Mayor’s Office of Education, Office of the Mayor
Job
Description: The Board of Education will govern over all public
schools, district managed, and charter schools in Philadelphia. As part of the
Board of Education, each member will be expected to work collectively to
oversee all major policy, budgetary, and financial decisions for the School District.
The Board of Education will appoint and evaluate the Superintendent of Schools,
adopt the annual operating and capital budgets, authorize the receiving or
expending of funds, and authorize charter schools. In addition, Board of
Education members will be expected to attend regular monthly public meetings,
biannual meetings with members of City Council and the Mayor, hearings,
committee meetings, and regular visits to public schools. This is an unpaid
position which demands many hours of dedicated service each month, both at in
person meetings and in preparation for meetings.
Upper
Darby will not raise property taxes over state limit
Delco Times By Kevin
Tustin, ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com, @KevinTustin on Twitter
POSTED: 01/10/18, 8:57 PM EST | UPDATED:
34 SECS AGO
UPPER DARBY >> With no budget to be seen, the
Upper Darby School Board committed to not raise taxes higher than the
state-issued maximum rate. The board unanimously approved at its Jan. 9 meeting
a resolution that enters an accelerated budget process. It holds the district
to not raising its property taxes higher than the Act 1 index level of 3.4
percent for the 2018-19 school year. This “opt-out” option allows the district
to forego the preliminary budget process with certainty that it will not have
to raise taxes higher than 3.4 percent. The board has taken this accelerated
option for the past two years. Board members did not comment on the resolution
before voting, but Superintendent Dan Nerelli commented on the continued
financial woes of the district and its state funding. “As an administration, we
know that this community cannot sustain or afford continued tax increases,”
Nerelli said during his superintendent report. “Nonetheless, we will have to
develop a plan to maintain as many of our current programs as possible as we
strive to meet the needs of our students.”
Ridley
votes to stay within state tax hike guidelines
Delco Times By Barbara
Ormsby, Times Correspondent POSTED: 01/10/18,
8:56 PM EST
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP >> The Ridley School Board
approved a resolution at its January meeting stating that the district will not
increase local property taxes in excess of the Act 1 Index set by the state
Department of Education for the 2018-2019 school year. The index has been set at
3.1 percent. By taking this action, the district will not be eligible to apply
for Act 1 exceptions, for which the district qualifies and would allow it to
exceed the index. The Act 1 Index of 3.1 percent means the school board cannot
raise taxes above that percentage without voter approval. The current budget
was approved last June with no tax increase. A preliminary budget for 2018-2019
will be presented in May with final adoption in June.
York Dispatch by Junior Gonzalez,
505-5439/@EducationYD Published 8:53 a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2018 | Updated 10:14
a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2018
·
The
district is looking at $55 in revenue and $57.5 in expenditures.
·
The
$2.4 million budget gap can be closed by increasing taxes and dipping into
savings.
·
There
are no plans, as of yet, to increase taxes above its state-assigned tax cap of
2.8 percent.
An early budget for the York Suburban School
District indicates a budget gap of $2.4 million that, even with taxes raised to
its state-assigned limit, will still leave the district with a $1.3
million shortfall. District Director of Finance Corinne Mason updated the
school board at its Monday, Jan. 8, meeting about the preliminary
$57.5 million budget. She said while the current figures could give an
indication of what to expect, the budget consists of "moving numbers from
now until the board actually adopts the budget in May." The budget
anticipates revenues of about $55 million and expenditures of $57.5
million, leaving around a $2.4 million budget gap. Both figures are up
from the $54.7 million in revenue and $55 million in expenditures budgeted for
the 2017-18 school year.
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 now for PSBA Board Presidents Panel
PSBA Website January 2018
School board leaders, this one's for you! Join your colleagues at an evening of networking and learning in 10 convenient locations around the state at the end of January. Share your experience and leadership through a panel discussion moderated by PSBA Member Services team. Participate in roundtable conversations focused on the most pressing challenges and current issues affecting PA school districts. Bring your specific challenges and scenarios for small group discussion. Register online.
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. 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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