Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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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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After years of stubborn deficits, PA's budget process looks easier
WITF Written by Katie Meyer, Capitol Bureau Chief | May 2, 2018 8:02 PM
(Harrisburg) -- It's almost time for lawmakers to start work on the state budget. But after several cycles of tortuous negotiations made more difficult by persistent revenue shortfalls, it looks like this year might be smoother sailing. Thanks to last year's weak revenue collections, lawmakers were faced with a nearly $1.5 billion hole. They finally filled it through--mostly--borrowing. But it took until late October, three months past the deadline. This year, the shortfall is much smaller. A recent report from the Independent Fiscal Office has spending coming in about $250 million over projected revenue--though a number of factors, including tax refunds, could shift that. IFO Director Matthew Knittel said it's great outlook--though he did offer one note of caution. "The main cause for concern is it has been so long since the last recession, and what happens if we hit one?" he asked. "It has been almost ten years now." The shortfall this year is mainly due to lawmakers trying to take $200 million from the Joint Underwriting Association--a state-created insurer that sued, claiming the state has no right to its funds.
http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2018/05/after-years-of-stubborn-deficits-pas-budget-process-looks-easier.php
Blogger note: according to spreadsheets from the Department of Community and Economic Development, which administers the EITC and OSTC tax credit programs, for the 2016-2017 fiscal year over $165 million in Pennsylvania tax dollars were diverted to pay for private and religious schools. There are virtually no public fiscal or student performance reporting requirements for these programs.
EITC/OSTC: Hundreds Rally in Harrisburg for Teach PA Lobbying Mission
Orthodox Union Staff May 3, 2018
Teach PA Advocacy Day in Harrisburg focused on Increased Funding for Nonpublic Schools
Harrisburg, PA— Two hundred Jewish Day School activists including parents, students, educators and community leaders rallied on the steps of the capitol yesterday, May 2, 2018, as part of Teach PA’s annual mission to Harrisburg. Teach PA is part of the Teach Advocacy Network, a project of the Orthodox Union. The focus of this year’s efforts includes strengthening the Education Investment Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship (OSTC) programs, as well as pushing for additional security and health funding for nonpublic schools. The EITC and OSTC programs provide over $135 million in aid to K-12 nonpublic schools in Pennsylvania. The two scholarship programs combined provide nearly 1,500 students in Pennsylvania with scholarships to attend Jewish day schools and yeshivas. “We are so proud to be in Harrisburg with a diverse group of schools from across this commonwealth,” said Arielle Frankston-Morris, Teach PA Director. “This is a demonstration of what our community can do when we work together. There is no question that the Pennsylvania Jewish community is united by this issue and we will continue to advocate for these critical programs that help our parents afford tuition and help our schools stay safe. We are extremely grateful to our elected officials and our partners here for their ongoing support of our schools.”
https://www.ou.org/news/hundreds-rally-in-harrisburg-for-teach-pa-lobbying-mission/
Across the country, measures to arm teachers in schools stall
Washington Post By Joe Heim May 3 at 5:28 PM Email the author
In the two months after the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead, Republican legislators across the country introduced 25 measures to arm teachers and staff members in schools. Despite support and encouragement for such laws from President Trump and the National Rifle Association, just one of those efforts has succeeded, and there are few indications the others will be enacted. Trump and the NRA called on states to arm teachers as a front-line defense against school shooters days after the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. Since then, Republicans have led the campaign for the measures in 14 states that would give teachers and staff members access to guns in schools or expand their ability to do so, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan nongovernmental organization. Nineteen of those bills were sponsored by Republican legislators, while the remainder were nonpartisan or sponsored by legislative committees. The only measure that has succeeded is in Florida. A school safety bill there stipulated that public school staff members, including counselors and coaches, could become “marshals” — but full-time teachers would not be eligible to be trained and armed.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/across-the-country-measures-to-arm-teachers-in-schools-stall/2018/05/03/7ef6193a-4193-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.30964b4d7453
McKeesport School Board eliminates two remaining librarian positions
Post-Gazette by DEANA CARPENTER MAY 3, 2018 12:39 PM
The McKeesport Area School Board has eliminated the two remaining librarian positions in the district. The vote on April 25 was 8-1, with board member David Donato voting against the cuts. The district had been utilizing two “itinerant” librarians for about a year. One librarian would split time between the high school and Founders Hall Middle School and the other splitting time between Twin Rivers and Francis McClure elementary schools. The cuts did not come without concern expressed by students who were worried they would not be able to access the library without their classroom teachers Before the vote, student Nicholas Kurta passed out a petition with more than 200 student signatures that favored retaining the librarians. He also distributed informational packet stating that 6,900 students use the library at Founders Hall and the high school without their classroom teacher present.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2018/05/03/McKeesport-School-Board-eliminates-two-remaining-librarian-positions/stories/201805030006
Great Valley places first in PA State Academic Competition
Daily Local By Digital First Media POSTED: 05/03/18, 1:53 PM EDT | UPDATED: 11 HRS AGO
HARRISBURG >> Great Valley High School placed first in the PA State Academic Championship last week competing against Pennsylvania’s top high school teams which gathered in the Pennsylvania State Capitol building to showcase their academic prowess. Great Valley High School proved to be the top competitor, after advancing through the semi-final rounds and clinching the championship win against Friends Select School and Trinity High School. During the 2018 Pennsylvania State Academic Competition on Friday, hosted by state Rep. John Lawrence, R-13, and sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), students answered a variety of challenging questions from categories including literature, science, American history, world history, potpourri and contemporary events.
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20180503/great-valley-places-first-in-pa-state-academic-competition
Marijuana is a potential solution for Pa. property tax relief
York Daily Record Opinion by Judith Higgins Published 3:59 p.m. ET May 3, 2018
Do you want relief from Property Tax? Of course, we all do! While marijuana sales are being touted as the “perfect answer” for tax relief, I want to be sure that Pennsylvania’s citizens are informed, so that good decisions can potentially lead to great results for homeowners.
School funding is an ongoing challenge for Pennsylvania. As a former school board director, for over 17 years, I am aware of the challenges that all schools in York County, as well as in the Commonwealth, are facing. For at least three decades, the legislature has done virtually nothing to address the escalating tax bills. For public education, in many cases, it is not a matter of over spending, but rather, a case of under taxation at the state level that has created most of these higher tax bills. As a resident of York County, and a Democratic candidate for the 28th Senate district, I would like to discuss the issues I have identified and propose a solution that I believe will benefit homeowners.
https://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/05/03/marijuana-potential-solution-pa-property-tax-relief/578501002/
Dick's Sporting Goods ramps up gun control push, hires lobbyist
Post-Gazette by POLLY MOSENDZ AND MATT TOWNSEND Bloomberg MAY 3, 2018 5:25 PM
Dick’s Sporting Goods is taking a further step to advocate for gun control, part of a rapid transition for the retailer that’s also a major vendor of firearms in the U.S. The company has retained Glover Park Group to lobby congress on the matter, according to a disclosure form filed in late April. The move is unusual in the retail sector, where few brands tackle such politically charged issues for fear it will turn off customers. Following a mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school in February, the Findlay-based company announced it would stop selling assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines. It also increased the firearms purchase age to 21. Dick’s, the biggest sporting-goods retailer in the U.S., was one of many brands to eschew the gun industry following the shooting. Walmart, Kroger, L.L. Bean and Orvis all made changes to their firearms offerings. Other companies severed ties with the National Rifle Association as a result of nationwide protests that followed the Parkland attack.
http://www.post-gazette.com/business/money/2018/05/03/Dick-s-Sporting-Goods-ramps-up-gun-control-push-hires-lobbyist/stories/201805040070
Arizona teachers end walkout after governor signs off on 20 percent raise
Morning Call by Anita Snow and Terry Tang Associated Press May 3, 2018
The Arizona governor signed a plan Thursday to give striking teachers a 20 percent pay raise, ending their six-day walkout after a dramatic all-night legislative session and sending a majority of the state's 1 million public school students back to the classroom. Gov. Doug Ducey's signature awarded teachers a 9 percent raise in the fall and 5 percent in each of the next two years. The 20 percent also includes a 1 percent raise granted last year. Teachers did not get everything they wanted, but they won substantial gains from reluctant lawmakers. "The educators have solved the education crisis! They've changed the course of Arizona" Noah Karvelis of Arizona Educators United shouted to several thousand cheering teachers. "The change happens with us!" The Arizona walkout is part of a simmering national rebellion over low teacher pay. The movement started in West Virginia, where a strike resulted in a raise, and spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky and, most recently, Colorado.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/ct-arizona-teacher-protests-20180503-story.html
Bill Gates pumps $158 million into push to combat US poverty
Inquirer by SALLY HO, The Associated Press Updated: MAY 3, 2018 — 2:08 PM EDT
SEATTLE (AP) - Bill Gates launched a new fight against systemic poverty in the U.S., with his private foundation on Thursday announcing millions of dollars toward initiatives ranging from data projects to funding for community activists. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it will spend $158 million combating American poverty over the next four years. It comes as the foundation moves deeper into U.S. issues after largely focusing on global health and development. Critics have long challenged Gates to do more to help the poor at home in the U.S. Specific programs and grants to combat poverty have not been identified but the foundation's work will be informed by the U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty, an ideas-oriented task force. The Gates Foundation, the world's largest philanthropic organization, funded the task force to kick-start its entry into American poverty issues. The partnership is housed within the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based liberal-leaning think tank, and said it has worked to create ideas over the past two years that philanthropic groups, businesses and government could carry into action.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20180503_ap_2c0c77506bc84cf191d8044b4b4981b9.html
The Bill Gates Disconnect
Deutsch29 Blog by Mercedes Schneider May 3, 2018
Billionaire Bill gates keeps trying to impose his ideas on American public education in hopes of scaling something. He has tried breaking larger schools into smaller ones smaller ones— a project that he abandoned. He has tried teacher effectiveness– and bailed on that one, too. He has tried funding Common Core— with the expectation that all else (curriculum, testing) would fall in line to “unleash powerful market forces” and create “a large base of customers eager to buy products that can help every kid learn and every teacher get better.” To Gates, K12 education is an experiment, as Gates makes clear in a 2008 interview about mayoral control of schools, or removing control from an elected board and placing it in the hands of a single individual, the mayor:
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2018/05/03/the-bill-gates-disconnect/
New Federal Data Detail the State of the States on Charter Schools
Education Week By Sarah D. Sparks on May 2, 2018 3:51 PM | No comments
States vary widely on how they govern charter schools, in everything from how many schools can operate in a state to how much leeway they have in meeting regulations that govern traditional district-run schools, according to new federal data. The federal Education Department's State Education Reforms website on Wednesday released a variety of new information on state approaches to charters, as well as accountability systems, college readiness, and other measures. The data show nearly all states lay out charter schools' responsibilities for special education, but fewer than half put a limit on how many total charters can operate. While more than half of states required charter schools to use certified teachers, they often differed in the specifics. For example, Illinois requires all of a school's teachers to be certified at some charter schools, but only some teachers to be certified at other charter schools. And in Idaho and Colorado, some charter school teachers can apply for waivers to certification.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/charterschoice/2018/05/new_federal_data_details_the_state_of_the_states_on_charter_schools.html
Oklahoma teacher of the year shocked Betsy DeVos 'redefines' private schools as part of public education system
Tulsa World By Moriah Balingit Washington Post May 3, 2018 Updated 5 hrs ago
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos met privately with the nation’s top teachers Monday and asked them to talk about the obstacles they face in doing their jobs. At least one of those teachers told DeVos that some of her policies are hurting public education. “We have a problem where public money is siphoned off from the public schools and given to children who are going to charter and private schools,” Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Jon Hazell said. DeVos’s response shocked him, he said. “She immediately answered that it was her goal to redefine what education is and that she wants to call all of it public education,” said Hazell, a Durant High School science teacher. Hazell was among 50 teachers who were in Washington representing their states as teachers of the year. The visit from DeVos was a surprise.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/education/oklahoma-teacher-of-the-year-to-betsy-devos-school-choice/article_5b163c02-1670-5479-b248-925170de4fe0.html
Tickets: PCCY Celebration of the 2018 Public Citizen of the Year
Elizabeth Murphy and Romona Riscoe Benson of PECO
Wednesday, May 16, 2018, The Franklin Institute, 6:00-8:30pm
On Wednesday, May 16, 2018, Elizabeth Murphy and Romona Riscoe Benson from PECO, will be honored by Public Citizens for Children and Youth as the2018 Public Citizens of the Year. Join us at the celebration to thank these two amazing women and PECO for their longstanding and visionary commitment to improving the quailty of life for children in our region.
Tickets are $150 per person. Event will be held at the Frankin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19103 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm.
Questions: contact Steven Fynes at 215-563-5848 x11 or email:stevenf@pccy.org.
Corporate Sponsorships: click here.
Thank you for your support!
https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51084/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=11643&_ga=2.220936472.1475321964.1522679885-268812658.1512147954
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.
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:
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/
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.
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.
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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