PA Ed Policy Roundup May 18: Pa. will soon have to provide more equitable funding for schools

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PA Ed Policy Roundup May 18, 2018

Pa. will soon have to provide more equitable funding for schools


G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young: Expect Pa. 2018 election to be referendum on Trump
Morning Call Opinion May 17, 2018
They call it a primary election for a reason — maybe a couple of reasons. One is its priority. It comes first, preceding the general election by about six months. More importantly, primaries separate the wannabes from the winners. Almost anyone can run in a primary but running in a general election means you won that primary. That's why the puny fraction that vote in most primaries have such an outsized influence on our politics. They decide whom we get to vote for in the fall election — and whom we don't. Here are five takeaways from Pennsylvania's 2018 primary:
• 1. Turnout was again abysmally low, ranging from the teens to 25 percent among the counties — and this with some of the most competitive and exciting races seen in years. The vast majority of eligible voters didn't vote; so their choices for the fall are choices made by the tiny minority that did vote Tuesday. Many believe there are some serious problems with American democracy. Not voting is one of them.
• 2. A Pennsylvania referendum on President Trump in November was guaranteed by the results of the Republican primary nominating Scott Wagner and Lou Barletta for governor and U.S. Senate , respectively. Wagner, a blunt, hard-charging conservative, has modeled himself after Trump and his policies, while Barletta is a longtime Trump supporter who made his reputation as an immigration hard-liner. Elections should be referendums and this year they will be.
• 3. Women candidates running in congressional races were enormously successful, bringing historic change to Pennsylvania, a state often loath to elect women. …….
http://www.mcall.com/opinion/yourview/mc-pennsylvania-primary-trump-referendum-madonna-young-0518-20180517-story.html

Pa. will soon have to provide more equitable funding for schools
York Daily Record Opinion by Charlie Bacas Published 10:38 a.m. ET May 17, 2018
Charlie Bacas, of York, held policy positions with the state House of Representatives and the governor’s office, and is a past member of Better York and the Redevelopment Authority.
On May 6, a few weeks after the now infamous act of racial discrimination on a York County golf course, a group of community leaders ran a full-page ad in the York Sunday News in which they called on citizens of conscience to come to grips with the root causes of racism and socio-economic inequality. One crucial issue the community leaders highlighted is the struggle with concentrated poverty in our schools — circumstances which significantly lessen students’ chances of achieving their full potential.  In 2016, nine of the County’s 16 school districts had more than 35% of their students eligible for free/reduced cost lunches; three districts were over 50% — York City at 100%, Hanover at 62% and West York at 51%. Of course, concentrated poverty and inequality in educational opportunity has not just been happening here in York County — it has been a worsening statewide problem since the mid-1980s.
https://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/05/17/pa-soon-have-provide-more-equitable-funding-schools/618859002/

G.O.P. nominee Wagner calls education his “cornerstone,” emphasizing fiscal accountability
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent May 17, 2018
During his run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, State Senator Scott Wagner did a telephone town hall on education. Midway through, a caller named Ann from Pittsburgh asked him why more Pennsylvania students aren’t going to trade schools. That may be a throw-away question for most politicians — ideologically distant from the larger education debates over funding and school choice — but Wagner got excited. “Ann, you are now in my wheelhouse,” he said. For the next five minutes, Wagner spoke about his own experience as a college dropout who went on to run a series of lucrative businesses. He talked about the need for schooling options that better prepare kids for the job markets. He wants teachers talking to kids as young as fourth grade about their career goals. And he thinks Pennsylvania schools should focus more on “industrial arts” and other career and technical training. “There’s nothing wrong with being a truck driver or mechanic or welder,” he told the caller. During the hour-long town hall, Wagner spent much of his time talking about education and its relationship to the economy. That includes what schools teach, but also the way school spending shapes the state’s financial picture.
https://whyy.org/articles/g-o-p-nominee-wagner-calls-education-his-cornerstone-emphasizing-fiscal-accountability/

Pa. House leaders move to strip Rep. Miccarelli of some of his duties
Inquirer by Brad Bumsted, Paula Knudsen & Angela Couloumbis, THE CAUCUS/HARRISBURG BUREAU Updated: MAY 17, 2018 — 11:50 AM EDT
HARRISBURG – Though House Republican leaders have not sanctioned Rep. Nick Miccarelli  despite accusations of physically or sexually abusing two women, the caucus leaders on Thursday said they will strip Miccarelli of his committee assignments and relocate his desk on the House floor so that he is farther from one of his accusers. GOP leaders announced the actions in a memo circulated Thursday morning to all House members, in which they said that an internal investigation had found that Miccarelli, a Delaware County Republican, had once again violated the chamber’s policy prohibiting retaliation against anyone who reports alleged sexual harassment. Miccarelli, it said, publicly shared the name of one his accusers on social media, despite her request to keep her name confidential. House lawyers who conducted the internal inquiry also said he shared suggestive emails and photographs of the accuser “without a valid purpose.” Thursday’s memo was the first move by House GOP leaders to punish the Delaware County Republican since calling for his resignation in March, after The Inquirer and The Caucus first detailed the allegations in late February. Miccarelli  has strongly denied the accusations and declined to step down, announcing instead that he is forgoing a reelection run but will remain in office until his term ends later this year.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/miccarelli-toohil-sexual-harassment-metoo519349-20180517.html

Downingtown, Phoenixville get school breakfast funds
Daily Local By Digital First Media POSTED: 05/17/18, 4:37 PM EDT
West Chester >> State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, announced that two schools in Chester County will receive more than $9,000 in total state grant funding for school breakfast programs. The funds, which come as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s School Breakfast Initiative, are as follows: $5,000 for East Ward Elementary School in the Downingtown Area School District; $4,381 for Barkley Elementary School in the Phoenixville Area School District. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that also goes for preparing young people for learning. Studies show that students can’t be educated to the top of their ability if they’re hungry, tired, or low on energy,” said Dinniman, who serves as minority chair of the Senate Education Committee. “These grants will ensure that more students will have access to the healthy and nutritious breakfast options they need to be ready to learn.”
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20180517/downingtown-phoenixville-get-school-breakfast-funds

North Penn School Board moves budget ahead with 3.4% tax increase
Mercury by By Dan Sokil, dsokil@21st-centurymedia.com, @dansokil on Twitter POSTED: 05/17/18, 10:43 PM EDT | UPDATED: 4 HRS AGO
Only one step now remains before the North Penn School Board finalizes a 2018-19 budget with a 3.4 percent tax increase. The board voted 5-3 Thursday night to adopt a proposed final budget with expenses of just over $260 million. Final adoption is scheduled for June 21. “No one likes to raise the taxes, but there is a structural deficit in the budget, and it’s something that we’d like to try to remedy,” said board President Tina Stoll. “Special ed(ucation) expenses have gone up exponentially, and so the money that we have from the exceptions would be applied to things like that.” The 2018-19 budget has been the board’s main topic of conversation since 2018 began, and last week the full board heard updated projections of the financial picture for next year, including a budget that started with a roughly $9 million gap between the $260.4 million in projected expenses and the projected $251.5 million in revenues before any tax increase. Staff and the school board discussed over a dozen different financial projections in a series of special finance committee meetings over the past month, with the debate coming down to whether the board would approve a tax increase of 2.4 percent, the limit set by Pennsylvania’s Act 1 of 2006, or a 3.4 percent increase using Act 1 exceptions approved by the state.
http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20180517/north-penn-school-board-moves-budget-ahead-with-34-tax-increase

There is money to fix our schools. Here is where to find it | Opinion
by Antione Little & Katrina Clark, For the Inquirer Updated: MAY 17, 2018 — 12:01 PM EDT
Antione Little is the chair of the Our City Our Schools coalition, a steering committee member of 215 People’s Alliance, and a parent of six Philadelphia schoolchildren. Katrina Clark is a member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ Caucus of Working Educators and a teacher at the Workshop School.
On Tuesday, residents voted to return Philadelphia schools to local control. In the final chapter of a 16-year drama, over 80 percent of Philadelphians voted to entrust Mayor Kenney and City Council to take bold leadership and change the fate of our city’s public school district. While there is a new sheriff in town, as last week’s thorough and impressive “Toxic City and Sick Schools” series from the Inquirer detailed, our city officials have their work cut out for them. The question now is, do the mayor and City Council have the political courage to step up for our kids? Sadly, if we look at recent budget deliberations, it is as clear as ever that our leaders are afraid to demand that the wealthy pay their fair share. Philadelphia faces an unprecedented crisis, a time bomb ticking away in our schools. After years of deferred maintenance in aging buildings, our children and school workers are being exposed to dangerous toxins like mold, lead, asbestos, and animal droppings. Without serious funding and strict oversight, these problems will only get worse. It is not an exaggeration to say we are sending Philadelphia children to school to be poisoned.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/there-is-money-to-fix-our-schools-here-is-where-to-find-it-commentary-20180517.html

Philly District seeks applicants for paid teacher residency program in science, math and special education
Deadline to apply is June 4.
the Notebook May 17 — 11:46 am, 2018
The Philadelphia School District is looking for teachers in special education, science and math to be part of the Teacher Residency Program for one year in a full-time teacher preparation initiative. Superintendent William Hite said the program helps recruit better teachers. “The Teacher Residency Program is an exciting way for us to reach diverse candidates and ensure we have dynamic, passionate teachers in front of our students,” Hite said in a press release. “This program plays a crucial role in working toward our anchor goal of filling our schools with the best possible educators and leaders.” Teachers in the program will earn a teaching certificate while taking the program and are required to then work for the District for three more years. “This program allows us recruit and retain teachers trained right here in Philadelphia, who understand our schools and the experiences of our students,” said Hite. The cost of the program, $7,500, will be covered by the District and participants in the program will receive $38,611. Teacher residents will also be eligible to receive full Philadelphia Federation of Teachers benefits.    Universities partnering with the program include Relay Graduate School of Education, Temple University and Drexel University, with more schools being announced at a later date.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/05/17/district-seeks-applicants-for-paid-teacher-residency-program-in-science-math-and-special-education/

Plum administrator outlines three different approaches the district could take with the 2018-2019 school year budget
Post-Gazette by ANNE CLOONAN MAY 17, 2018 3:27 PM
Administrators and board members in the Plum Borough School District are faced with some tough decisions to balance the district’s budget. “We know the decisions that are being made at the district level are very difficult decisions,” Superintendent Brendan Hyland said at a budget workshop meeting last week. “We know these decisions are impacting people.” Faced with a $5.2 million budget deficit. the board in March voted to close Regency Park Elementary School and to furlough 12 teachers. In April, the board voted to allow the furloughs of an additional 14 employees, including one administrator. At the workshop meeting, business manager John Zahorchak outlined three different approaches the district could take with the 2018-2019 school year budget. The first option discussed would not require a tax increase, Mr. Zahorchak said. School taxes would remain at 20.243 mills, the same rate as during the 2017-2018 school year.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/east/2018/05/17/Plum-outlines-three-different-approaches-district-2018-2019-school-year-budget/stories/201805170030


Column: How teachers can support students during Ramadan
PBS Newshour May 14, 2018 11:21 AM EDT
Ramadan is a month in the Islamic calendar when Muslims observe fasting from sunrise to sunset. And it can be a difficult month for many to get through, especially students who have to go through a normal school day without eating or drinking. This year, Ramadan will begin on Tuesday, May 15, when many schools have yet to finish for the summer. For schools, it’s important to provide an environment for students where they feel safe to practice their religion, but maybe more importantly, one that ensures their well-being during the school day.
Who fasts and why - Not everyone is expected to fast. Fasting is not obligatory for children, until they reach “of age.” There is scholarly debate on what that age might be, though most scholars do recommend that fasting start when one reaches adolescence, anywhere from 13 and up. There are some Muslims who start earlier, or later. For example, I started when I was 9, but I did “half-days,” meaning I fast from either morning until about lunchtime, or from lunchtime until evenings. Often Muslims are also exempt from fasting if they’re ill or have certain medical conditions, or traveling. Pregnant and breastfeeding moms are also exempt, as well as elderly folks. Ramadan is considered one of the holy months in the Islamic calendar. Kindness, forgiveness and charity are recommended and often pursued as good practice in faith. It is also a time to be more compassionate and show empathy to those who are in need.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/column-teachers-can-support-students-ramadan

Becoming A Community School District
Education Week By Urban Education Contributor on May 17, 2018 6:00 AM | No comments
In this post, Kendra Fehrer, Senior Research Associate from the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (Gardner Center, @gardnercenter) talks with Ali Metzler, Community School Leadership Coordinator, from the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD, @OUSDNews) about partnership work on OUSD's full service community schools initiative. Today's post is the practitioner perspective on Monday's post: Partnership for Equity: Learning from Oakland's Full Service Community Schools.
Gardner Center (GC): Why the partnership? Why did you feel like you needed a research partner? What did you want to learn? Why the Gardner Center?
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD):When we embarked on the community schools work, we knew we couldn't do it ourselves. We wanted someone who could be a long-term partner, who we could learn with together, who was an expert in the field of education and community schools, who could share best practices with us.   The Gardner Center is constantly sharing resources and links to the broader field and pushing us to lift out things that seem ordinary to us but, from your experience in the field, you know are unique. Our partnership helps us pause, reflect, do more analysis, which really helps with continuous learning. And lastly, the Gardner Center is so respected, having you as a neutral party really adds validity to what we're doing. It can help us get in the door, even with our own principals and staff!
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/urban_education_reform/2018/05/becoming_a_community_school_district.html?cmp=soc-twitter-shr

Trump Administration: Don't Rob Impact Aid Dollars for Military Choice
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on May 17, 2018 1:52 PM
The Trump administration does not support a proposal to use a portion of Impact Aid program funding to help expand school choice to military-connected children, an administration official told Education Week. Sources within the administration say they want to give military families more choices. But they don't think robbing Impact Aid is the way to do it.  The proposal, introduced by Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., in the House of Representatives, and GOP Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Tim Scott of South Carolina, in the Senate, faces stiff opposition from advocates for school districts and military families. And it is likely to stumble in Congress, where the $1.3 billion Impact Aid program enjoys bipartisan support. Impact aid is are used to help school districts make up for a federal presence, such as Native American reservation or military base. Under Banks' proposal, which is based on a paper written by the conservative Heritage Foundation, part of the funding would instead flow directly to families in the form of Education Savings Accounts or ESAs. These accounts can be used for a range of services, including private school tuition, dual enrollment courses, or tutoring.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/05/choice_trump_devos_impact_aid.html


Nominations for PSBA’s Allwein Advocacy Award
PSBA Website May 14, 2018
The Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award was established in 2011 by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. In addition to being a highly respected lobbyist, Timothy Allwein served to help our members be effective advocates in their own right. Many have said that Tim inspired them to become active in our Legislative Action Program and to develop personal working relationships with their legislators. The 2018 Allwein Award nomination process will begin on Monday, May 14, 2018. The application due date is July 16, 2018 in the honor of Tim’s birth date of July 16.
Download the Application
https://www.psba.org/2018/05/nominations-allwein-advocacy-award/

Electing PSBA Officers:  Applications Due by June 1st
Do you have strong communication and leadership skills and a vision for PSBA? Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to submit an Application for Nomination no later than June 1, 11:59 p.m., to PSBA's Leadership Development Committee (LDC). The nomination process
All persons seeking nomination for elected positions of the Association shall send applications to the attention of the chair of the Leadership Development Committee, during the months of April and May an Application for Nomination to be provided by the Association expressing interest in the office sought. “The Application for nomination shall be marked received at PSBA Headquarters or mailed first class and postmarked by June 1 to be considered and timely filed.” (PSBA Bylaws, Article IV, Section 5.E.).
Open positions are:

·         2019 President Elect (one-year term)

·         2019 Vice President (one-year term)

·         2019-21 Eastern At-Large Representative – includes Sections 4 and 8 (three-year term)

·         2019-20 Sectional Advisors (two-year term) – includes Sections 2, 4, 6 And 8

In addition to the application form, PSBA Governing Board Policy 302 asks that all candidates furnish with their application a recent, print quality photograph and letters of application. The application form specifies no less than three letters of recommendation and no more than four, and are specifically requested as follows:
https://www.psba.org/2018/03/electing-psba-officers/

the notebook Annual Celebration - June 5, 2018 - New Location!
Please join us on June 5, 2018, at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia! Please note the new location!
Buy your tickets today!
Every June, 400 public school supporters gather in celebration at the end of the school year. This festive event features awards for outstanding high school journalism, talented local musicians, a silent auction, and the opportunity to speak with the most influential voices in the local education community. This year, the Notebook staff and board of directors would like to honor public education advocates who are committed to our mission of advancing quality and equity in our city’s schools.
Our Honorees:
Debra Weiner - A longtime advocate for public education at a variety of nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions, and a member of the Notebook’s editorial advisory board
Mary Goldman - Former 27th Ward Leader and advocate for children and public schools
Our City Our Schools - A coalition of local grassroots organizations that campaigned to return the school board to local control
The event will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, at the National Museum of American Jewish History.
http://thenotebook.org/annual-fundraiser

BRIEFING: PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING IN PENNSYLVANIA
IN PHILLY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018, 8:30-10:00 A.M.
Join Law Center attorneys Michael Churchill, Jennifer Clarke, and Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg for a free briefing on the state of education funding in Pennsylvania. They’ll cover the basics of education funding, our fair school funding lawsuit, the property tax elimination bill, the 2018-2019 state budget, and more! RSVP online here. The briefing will be held on Wednesday, June 13th at 8:30 a.m. at 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Download a flyer for this event.
https://www.pubintlaw.org/events/briefing-public-education-funding-in-pennsylvania-2/

Gerrymandering: Fair Districts PA Statewide Calendar of Events

https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/events

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Join the PA Principals Association, the PA Association of School Administrators and the PA Association of Rural and Small Schools for PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA.  

A rally in support of public education and important education issues will be held on the Main Rotunda Steps from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Visits with legislators will be conducted earlier in the day. More information will be sent via email, shared in our publications and posted on our website closer to the event.

To register, send an email to Dr. Joseph Clapper at clapper@paprincipals.org before Friday, June 8, 2018.

Click here to view the PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day 2018 Save The Date Flyer (INCLUDES EVENT SCHEDULE AND IMPORTANT ISSUES.) 

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.

http://dlvr.it/Q5d0c8 

Save the Dates PASA/PSBA School Leadership Conference – Hershey, Oct. 17-19, 2018 

Mark your calendar! The Delegate Assembly will take place Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, at 2:30 p.m.
Housing now open!

Our Public Schools Our Democracy: Our Fight for the Future
NPE / NPE Action 5th Annual National Conference
October 20th - 21st, 2018 Indianapolis, Indiana
We are delighted to let you know that you can purchase your discounted Early Bird ticket to register for our annual conference starting today. Purchase your ticket here.
Early Bird tickets will be on sale until May 30 or until all are sold out, so don't wait.  These tickets are a great price--$135. Not only do they offer conference admission, they also include breakfast and lunch on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Please don't forget to register for your hotel room. We have secured discounted rates on a limited basis. You can find that link here. Finally, if you require additional financial support to attend, we do offer some scholarships based on need. Go here and fill in an application. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Please join us in Indianapolis as we fight for the public schools that our children and communities deserve. Don't forget to get your Early Bird ticket here. We can't wait to see you.

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.