PA Ed Policy Roundup May 7, 2018 Flurry of bills would speed up fair school funding

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup May 7, 2018

Flurry of bills would speed up fair school funding


“In fact, according to information presented at a fair education rally in Pottstown Thursday, of the $5.5 billion in school funding in Gov. Wolf’s proposed budget, only $5.4 million would be distributed through the formula — less than 10 percent of the total education budget.”
Flurry of bills would speed up fair school funding
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 05/05/18, 2:24 PM EDT
POTTSTOWN >> As school and state budget deadlines loom, a number of factors are combining to show a glimmer of hope for relief for underfunded school districts like Pottstown. And that glimmer is coming from Harrisburg. Most significant are bills introduced in the House and Senate by Pottstown-area representatives to speed up the implementation of funding education through the “fair funding formula.” Adopted two years ago in recognition of the various factors — such as poverty and local tax effort — that skew education spending in favor of wealthy districts, the amount of money Harrisburg has provided through that formula has been meagre compared to the amount the state spends overall.
http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20180505/flurry-of-bills-would-speed-up-fair-school-funding

Inequities continues in education funding despite more money
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin, ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com, @KevinTustin on Twitter POSTED: 05/07/18, 4:57 AM EDT | UPDATED: 44 SECS AGO
The school year is drawing to an end, and that means district leaders are compiling their budgets for 2018-19 to scrutinize what their expenses will look like and how they’re going to pay for it. Perhaps the most certain thing every year is that real estate taxes will be the driving revenue source for districts, leaving most to raise taxes to fight off rising expenses like salaries, benefits, and education mandates as they settle for their state and federal appropriations. The Education Law Center declared in 2013 that the state’s share of school funding is 34 percent, an approximate figure reiterated by the Pennsylvania School Board Association and Public Citizens for Children and Youth. It may be a coincidence that two reports released last week address the commonwealth’s funding of primary education.
http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20180507/inequities-continues-in-education-funding-despite-more-money

“Above all, though, these accounts would contain public money that could be spent without the same kind of financial or academic accountability that public schools are required to provide. As the Pennsylvania School Boards Association points out, “Public schools are accountable on numerous levels for compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, and are held to strict standards that measure student achievement and academic progress. Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act and Right-to-Know laws apply to public schools who must make available information regarding finances, operations and academic performance.”
EDITORIAL Educational savings account proposal is another voucher scheme
Observer Reporter Editorial May 6,2018
Almost a decade ago, Australian economist John Quiggin formulated the notion of “zombie ideas.” In Quiggin’s estimation, these are propositions that have been proven to be wrong time and again, yet refuse to die. Trickle-down economics, to Quiggin, is a prime zombie idea. Economics is hardly the only field that has its share of zombie ideas. Here’s one that’s been knocking around among policymakers and some educators for years, with no tangible evidence that it benefits students: Vouchers. Mostly pushed by the right, vouchers have been peddled as a way to help students in low-achieving public schools be liberated from them and get a better education elsewhere. The thinking is that students can withdraw the annual per-pupil funding they receive, and spend it in other ways, such as enrolling in a private, parochial or charter school. But vouchers have largely taken on a bad odor, as critics have persuasively argued that they are a means to defund public education, and, crucially, defund schools that are already on the ropes, rather than substantially help students get a better education. The zombie idea of vouchers has been on the march lately in Pennsylvania, but it’s taken on a slightly different form. Bills that have been knocking around the state House and Senate would allow students to establish what have been described as educational savings accounts.
https://observer-reporter.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-educational-savings-account-proposal-is-another-voucher-scheme/article_ce430df4-4e2c-11e8-b95c-bb9210e9681e.html

Joseph J. Roy: 'Citizens' recognize importance of education to community
Morning Call Opinion by Joseph J. Roy May 6, 2018
Joseph J. Roy is superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District.
No one ever calls my office and asks to speak with me because they are a "citizen." Callers always ask to speak to me because they are "taxpayers." I have recently begun to wonder why. Pennsylvania is 47th out of 50 when it comes to the state's share of paying for the overall cost of public education. The state's failure to meet its responsibility to finance schools creates an undue burden on local property taxpayers to support our public schools. The unfortunate consequence is a narrow focus on property taxes (the revenue side of school budgets) without sufficient public awareness of the community benefit (the expenditure side of school budgets) gained through educational programs and initiatives. As a result, the use of the term "taxpayer" has crowded out the idea of "citizen." Headlines regarding school budgets nearly always feature property tax rates, overshadowing the fact that these budgets are an investment by citizens in the future of our communities. "Citizen" aligns more with the democratic notion of education for the common good. "Citizens" have individual rights AND collective responsibilities to each other. By meeting those responsibilities, our local taxes pay for police and fire protection, roads, bridges, safety regulations, public parks and public schools — all of which contribute to safe, healthy, educated communities.
http://www.mcall.com/opinion/yourview/mc-school-taxes-education-funding-roy-0506-20180505-story.html

Poll Shows Strong Support for More Education Aid
Fifty-six percent of Pennsylvanians say the state invests too little money in public education.
Public News Service May 4, 2018
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvanians from both sides of the political aisle support full funding of public education, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted for the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center by the polling firm TargetSmart, found that almost six in ten respondents favor making full funding of K-through-12 public education a top legislative priority. According to Ben Lazarus, director of research and analytics at TargetSmart, that includes 76 percent of liberal Democrats. "The numbers remain well above majority when we look at independents, moderate Republicans and even conservative Republicans, 57 percent of whom want the state Legislature to prioritize improving the public schools," says Lazarus. The poll found that 56 percent of all respondents feel the state invests too little money in public education, compared with just 12 percent who think the state spends too much. Mark DiRocco, head of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, says the poll results show a growing public awareness that even with recent increases, state public school subsidies are not keeping up with growing costs.
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2018-05-04/education/poll-shows-strong-support-for-more-education-aid/a62398-1

See the TargetSmart Poll Results Here:
https://www.pennbpc.org/sites/default/files/TSPolling_PA_Statewide_Education_2018.5.1.pdf

School Safety Survey for PA's K-12 families
Pennsylvania PTA and Education Voters PA May 2018
School safety is a top issue for families with children in Pennsylvania's K-12 schools. The Pennsylvania PTA and Education Voters of PA have teamed up to help ensure that families' voices are heard in the school safety discussion in Harrisburg. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. Responses will be compiled and shared with Pennsylvania's School Safety Task Force.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GdiWAnKErt3Kq5ldpGBrD5f-x7eoL_ESH7WO1zAgEQs/viewform?edit_requested=true

Schooled
Itunes podcasts By Keystone Crossroads
John Wister Elementary is a tiny school in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood. And it sparked a huge citywide debate. After months of bitter acrimony, district leaders pushed out the school's faculty and gave control of Wister to a charter organization. In Season two of Schooled, based on years of reporting, we ask three questions: did that change make a difference for kids? Why? At what cost? Throughout the season, we follow the story of Jovan Weaver, who attended Philly public schools and overcame a traumatic childhood to become Wister's new principal. His goal: create a school good enough for his own children to attend. Subscribe to the podcast today.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/schooled/id1257902569?mt=2&i=1000409804326

“PUBLIC SCHOOLS: All three support expanding taxpayer-funded options for public school alternatives, including legislation to create taxpayer-funded "education savings accounts" that divert state aid for public schools into accounts that parents can use for tuition at private or parochial schools. Mango and Wagner said they are not inclined to devote more money to public schools. Mango said he would invest more in education if there's proof it would improve student achievement or it would drive more students into skilled labor professions. Ellsworth said that Pennsylvania's school funding system is not fair or adequate, and that making public schools compete for money with public school alternatives is holding back achievement.”
Where Pennsylvania's GOP governor candidates stand on issues
BY MARC LEVY Associated Press May 05, 2018 07:00 AM Updated May 05, 2018 07:01 AM
HARRISBURG, PA. Three candidates are seeking the Republican nomination in the May 15 primary election to run for Pennsylvania governor — commercial litigation attorney Laura Ellsworth, former health care systems consultant Paul Mango and state Sen. Scott Wagner — and contest the re-election campaign of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. A look at where they stand on some key issues:
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/business/article210538074.html

Keep school boards nonpartisan: Oppose the proposed elimination of cross-filing
PSBA Website May 4, 2018
Legislation pending in the General Assembly (House Bill 638 sponsored by Rep. Simmons, R-Lehigh) would bring partisan party politics into public education by  prohibiting school board candidates from cross-filing nomination petitions. Cross-filing is the ability allowed under the state Election Code for school board candidates to seek the nomination of more than one political party on the ballot. PSBA is opposed to the proposed elimination of cross-filing under House Bill 638. Cross-filing avoids politicizing public education and ensures that voters can vote for the best qualified candidate regardless of the candidate’s political party status. The focus of your school board should always be on providing quality public education to the kids in your neighborhoods in a nonpartisan manner that best meets the needs of students and district residents.
https://www.psba.org/2018/05/keep-school-boards-nonpartisan/

Ways to make Philadelphia district schools healthier
Inquirer by James Neff Updated: MAY 3, 2018 — 5:00 AM EDT
For more than a year, the Philly Healthy Schools Initiative has been working on ways to make Philadelphia district schools safer and healthier for children. The coalition is made up of parents, council members, teachers and environmental advocates. Among them are Jerry Roseman, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ director of environmental health and safety, and David Masur, executive director of the nonprofit PennEnvironment. Here are some of their ideas:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/solutions-healthy-classroom-philadelphia-schools-20180503.html

LCCTC classes build, demonstrate gas and oil rig
By Debbie Wachter New Castle News  May 4, 2018
Some high school students are learning to make robots and three-dimensional items using laptop computers and other technology. At the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, members of one class are getting their hands dirty, learning to drill for oil and gas. A three-year course that started four years ago at the vocational-technical center is giving interested students new career avenues and allowing them to look beyond high school graduation, toward a field that is wide open in the job market. Two classes of 11 total students and their instructor, Jay Parsons, invited representatives of the oil and gas industry, state legislators and parents to the school Friday as they demonstrated drilling with a one-of-a-kind rig in a back parking lot off their shop.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/lcctc-classes-build-demonstrate-gas-and-oil-rig/article_4a5474da-4fe2-11e8-b4c2-bb633b2dd708.html


“The conference was put on by the American Federation for Children. The federation, which advocates for school choice, was founded and formerly chaired by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The poll was commissioned by AFC.”
Trump Has Hurt Support for School Choice, But It Remains Popular, Survey Finds
Education Week By Alyson Klein on May 4, 2018 7:44 AM
Washington Support for school choice dipped after President Donald Trump's first year in office, but remains strong in general, according to survey results discussed Thursday at a conference here. Overall, 63 percent of those surveyed by Beck Research LLC, a political research organization, said they support school choice in general, and 33 percent were opposed to it. That's a decline from a poll taken in 2016 before Trump embraced the policy, when school choice received support from 70 percent of those surveyed, with just 24 percent opposed.  
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/05/trump_hurt_school_choice_support_remains_popular_devos.html

NSBA letter calling for the prioritization of education funding
NSBA Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Federal Advocacy Resources
NSBA's letter urges Congress to prioritize education funding and provide the maximum funding in fiscal year 2019 for programs that include ESSA Title I-A, Title II-A, and Title IV; IDEA State Grants; and school safety infrastructure.
NSBA FY19 Appropriations Recommendations.pdf


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:

·         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/

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!

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.