Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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“Pennsylvania is ranked 46th in the nation in how big a share it contributes to the cost of education. Because the state contribution is so meager, the quality of a child’s education in Pennsylvania depends on the amount of local wealth. This point becomes clear when we compare William Penn with the Radnor School District. The local property tax rate for William Penn is more than twice as high as Radnor’s, but the higher rate yields only $7,826 per pupil, while Radnor’s yields $19,418 per pupil.”
Guest Column: How Pennsylvania is cheating families in William Penn
Delco Times By David Goodman Times Guest Columnist 4 hrs ago
David Goodman is an independent documentary filmmaker and resident of Lansdowne. He has worked as a researcher/writer for the American Friends Service Committee, a mail carrier and a truck driver. In 1986 his film, "Witness to War: Dr. Charlie Clements" received an Academy Award.
As a longtime resident of Lansdowne, I am encouraged to hear that the school funding lawsuit filed in 2014 by the William Penn School District has recently overcome a major legal hurdle, moving it one step closer to trial. I attended school in Lansdowne-Aldan, prior to the 1972 consolidation with Yeadon, Darby, and Colwyn, predominantly black communities. When I was a student, the schools, then predominantly white, were more fairly funded, as reflected by well-maintained facilities and a teaching environment conducive to a decent education. Sadly, since then, the district and its residents have been hurting. Fortunately, on August 21, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson issued a court order rejecting Senate President Joe Scarnati’s attempt to have the school funding case thrown out of court. Scarnati, a respondent in the lawsuit, had claimed that the case is moot because of a new funding formula established in 2016. In fact, Pennsylvania’s funding system is still broken, and this is an issue of deep public concern. The petitioners – the William Penn School District, along with six families, two statewide organizations, and five other districts across the state – should finally have their day in court. Pennsylvania legislators will then have to address the issue of inadequate and inequitable funding.
https://www.delcotimes.com/guest-column-how-pennsylvania-is-cheating-families-in-william-penn/article_a5766144-c7e1-11e8-b0e1-cf2430c00166.html
“Allentown School District's finances are a story of a state funding formula that favors wealthier districts, rising charter school costs and the high costs of educating 17,000 students, many of whom live in poverty, don’t speak English as their first language and have learning and emotional disabilities.”
SPECIAL REPORT: Why the Allentown School District is continuously in a financial hole
Jacqueline Palochko Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call
Thomas Parker needed to come up with $10 million, and he was almost out of time. It was June, and Parker, superintendent of the Allentown School District, had already erased $18 million of a staggering $28 million budget deficit through a combination of cuts, a planned tax hike and transfers from district reserves. The final $10 million would be the most painful and could involve furloughing teachers — hundreds of them. It was an option Parker did not want to take, considering the district had eliminated more than 400 positions since 2010. “Somebody said to me, ‘Oh my God, what are they going to do?’” Dave Zimmerman, a former school board president recalled. "And I said, ‘They’ll get the money. Somehow they always get the money.’” Sure enough, a week before the state law to pass a 2018-19 budget, state lawmakers, spurred in part by state Sen. Pat Browne, came through with an extra $10 million — no strings attached — bailing out the struggling urban district once again. It's a scene that plays out seemingly every budget season in Allentown. A gaping deficit. Millions in budget cuts. Warnings that teachers will lose their jobs and the region's most vulnerable students will be left behind. And then, somehow, someway, the district comes up with extra cash.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-allentown-school-district-finances-20181007-story.html
Philly school board members hear criticism of leveling process
District staff also presented updates on facilities, including hiring more cleaners with an increased salary
The notebook by Greg Windle October 4 — 6:20 pm, 2018
The school board’s Finance and Facilities Committee met with the public for the second time on Thursday, and got a mouthful of indignation from parents and teachers about the leveling process — where teachers and special education assistants are moved between schools based on enrollment needs at the beginning of October. In other words, staff in under-enrolled schools are forced to move to positions at over-enrolled schools. Teachers are notified a week in advance of their move. The meeting also featured an update on the District’s facilities plan, which includes raises for workers in janitorial services to help the District hire more cleaners in the coming months. The leveling process eliminated a potential 93 vacancies, leaving the District with roughly 100 vacancies instead of nearly 200. But it’s also used to save money, this year $11 million. That’s 0.4 percent of the District’s annual budget. Teachers and parents alike said this cost-savings was not worth the level of disruption leveling brought to schools and classrooms.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/10/04/school-board-members-hear-criticism-of-leveling-process/
"We brought back one student from a cyber-charter and just the savings of that tuition alone practically pays for the whole program," White said.
New program's individual approach helps Pottstown students overcome obstacles to graduation
Pottstown Mercury by Evan Brandt ebrandt@21st-centurymedia.com @PottstownNews on Twitter October 5, 2018
POTTSTOWN — Let's face it, not everyone sees the conventional classroom and the education it provides as their top priority. Setting aside preferences and personalities, there can be real world considerations — like child care, poverty, homelessness, or illness — which make it impossible to make it to class every day and to stay there through graduation. In underfunded school districts like Pottstown — which gets $13.8 million less in state aid than is called for in the state's own fair funding formula — the population of students facing such hardships can be even higher. That's why Pottstown needed a way to help those students overcome those individual hardships, and move forward with the education that provides them their best chance for success. Enter LaTanya White and the Beech Street Learning Studio. Located in the former gymnasium pf the former Washington Street School, now the district's administration building, the Beech Street Studio is designed to, as much as possible, be all things to all students who are struggling to complete their education. "Two years ago, Superintendent (Stephen) Rodriguez tasked me with finding a way to reduce our drop-out rate," said White, who is the district's director of student services.
https://www.pottsmerc.com/news/new-program-s-individual-approach-helps-pottstown-students-overcome-obstacles/article_fc135e02-c751-11e8-a7c1-e32f489f92d2.html
Western Pa. schools receive $154,000 in safety-related grant funding
Trib Live by PATRICK VARINE | Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, 6:24 p.m. Updated 12 hours ago
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny/Westmoreland, announced $154,000 in state grants on Thursday to improve safety and security in local schools. “This funding will help establish safety programs, hire additional security personnel and purchase security-related equipment,” said Brewster, of McKeesport. The statewide grants were announced today by the state Department of Education following a report issued by the recently-established Pennsylvania School Safety Task Force. Brewster was the first state lawmaker to call for such a statewide task force, which provides an encompassing review of school safety procedures and makes recommendations for improvements.
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14146522-74/western-pa-schools-receive-154000-in-safety-related-grant-funding
Madden secures school funds
Pocono Record Posted Oct 4, 2018 at 3:45 PM Updated Oct 4, 2018 at 3:45 PM
HARRISBURG — State Rep. Maureen Madden has secured $69,256 in Safe Schools Targeted Grant funds to protect students, teachers and staff in two Monroe County school districts. The amount breaks down to $39,256 for the East Stroudsburg School District and $30,000 for the Pocono Mountain School District. This stems from Madden co-chairing a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing September in Stroudsburg, attended by fellow state representatives from across Pennsylvania, about school safety. The funding prevents and reduces violent incidents in schools through the purchase of safety and security equipment and training and compensation for police school resource officers. Also discussed at the September hearing was increasing the number of mental health professionals to counsel troubled students at risk of turning to violence.
http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20181004/madden-secures-school-funds
Erie schools receive safe schools grant funding
By Times-News staff Posted Oct 4, 2018 at 3:20 PM Updated Oct 4, 2018 at 3:20 PM
The Erie School District, Erie County Technical School and Perseus House Charter School of Excellence were awarded a combined $122,000 in state funding Thursday. The funding comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s competitive Safe Schools Targeted Grant program, designed to help create a safer environment for students. The Erie School District received $12,000 for programs to prevent and reduce violence. Erie County Technical School received two grants totaling $70,000 for the training and compensation of school resource officers over separate fiscal years. Perseus House received $40,000 for the training and compensation of school police officers, who are directly employed by the school district. The grants were announced by state Reps. Pat Harkins, of Erie, D-1st Dist., and Ryan Bizzarro, of Millcreek Township, D-3rd Dist.
http://www.goerie.com/news/20181004/erie-schools-receive-safe-schools-grant-funding
Muhlenberg School District awarded safety grant
By: 69 News Posted: Oct 04, 2018 02:11 PM EDT Updated: Oct 04, 2018 02:27 PM EDT
READING, Pa. - Muhlenberg School District was awarded an $18,890 grant to improve school safety. Pennsylvania State Representative Mark Rozzi announced that Muhlenberg School District was awarded the state grant. The grant is through Pennsylvania Department of Education's Safe Schools Targeted grant program. “It’s become clear in recent years that we have to do more to protect our children, including while they are in school,” said Rozzi. “I’m glad to see Muhlenberg School District awarded this grant to help enhance the programs they have in place to ensure student safety. If our students feel safe, they can concentrate on learning.” The Education Department awarded $8.4 million in Safe Schools Targeted grants. The funding includes grants for schools to establish programs to prevent violence, equipment grants to help procure security equipment and funding for the training and compensation of school resource officers. At this time, Muhlenberg School District is unable to say what the grant will be used for.
http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/muhlenberg-school-district-awarded-safety-grant/803008004
EdPAC reception helps support election of pro-public education leaders
Do you want to help strengthen public education in the commonwealth? Join with EdPAC, a political action committee that supports the election of pro-public education leaders to the General Assembly. EdPAC will hold a fundraising reception at the 2018 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Cocoa 2-3. More details to come! Visit the conference website to register online.
PSBA Officer Elections: Slate of Candidates – Voting ends Oct. 11th
PSBA members seeking election to office for the association were required to submit a nomination form no later than June 1, 2018, to be considered. All candidates who properly completed applications by the deadline are included on the slate of candidates below. In addition, the Leadership Development Committee met on June 17 at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg to interview candidates. According to bylaws, the Leadership Development Committee may determine candidates highly qualified for the office they seek. This is noted next to each person's name with an asterisk (*). Voting procedure: Each school entity will have one vote for each officer. This will require boards of the various school entities to come to a consensus on each candidate and cast their vote electronically during the open voting period (Aug. 24-Oct. 11, 2018). Voting will be accomplished through a secure third-party, web-based voting site that will require a password login. One person from each member school entity will be authorized as the official person to register the vote on behalf of his or her school entity. In the case of school districts, it will be the board secretary who will cast votes on behalf of the school board. A full packet of instructions and a printed slate will be sent to authorized vote registrars the week of August 7. Special note: Boards should be sure to add discussion and voting on candidates to their agenda during one of their meetings in August, September or October before the open voting period ends.
https://www.psba.org/2018/07/psba-officer-elections-slate-candidates/
2nd Annual National Black Male Educators Convening, Oct. 12-14,
Philly
Teacher diversity works. Increasing the number of Black
male educators in our nation’s teacher corps will improve education for all our
students, especially for African-American boys.Today Black men represent only
two percent of teachers nationwide. This is a national problem that demands a
national response. Come participate in the 2nd National Black Male Educators
Convening to advance policy solutions, learn from one another, and fight for
social justice. All are welcome. Register to attend. Nominate a speaker.
Propose a workshop. Sponsor the event.
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!
Housing now open!
“Not only do we have a superstar lineup of keynote speakers including Diane Ravitch, Jesse Hagopian, Pasi Sahlberg, Derrick Johnson and Helen Gym, but there will be countless sessions to choose from on the issues you care about the most. We will cover all bases from testing, charters, vouchers and school funding, to issues of student privacy and social justice in schools.”
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.
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