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Thursday, November 15, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 15, 2018 Summary of PA Legislative Leadership Elections


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, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Summary of PA Legislative Leadership Elections



PA Schools Work Summit Meetings Saturday Nov. 17th 9 to noon
Hundreds of local school and community leaders will come together on Nov. 17, to lead the fight for greater state investment in public education. #TheSummit will be held in seven locations across Pennsylvania from 9-noon on Saturday Nov. 17.



PA Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera has been named president of the Council of Chief State School Officers
Tweet from PDE: PA Department of Education @PADeptofEd 13h13 hours ago
Secretary @pedroarivera2 was just named president of @CCSSO’s board of directors – he will represent PA + collaborate with education leaders from across the nation to advance public education + advocate for equitable educational opportunities + improve the conditions for learning

Union sues Tamaqua school district over armed teachers policy
Inquirer by Justine McDaniel, Posted: November 14, 2018- 1:01 PM
The teachers' union in a Schuylkill County town has filed a lawsuit against its school district over a recently passed policy to arm school employees, alleging that the provision violates state law and has asked a judge for an injunction against the district. The case could have statewide implications about whether school districts are authorized to enact armed-teacher policies. The Tamaqua Area School District is the first in Pennsylvania to attempt to implement a program of its kind. State law prohibits possessing weapons on school property except for a "lawful purpose," but does not define that term, according to the state Department of Education. The Tamaqua Education Association alleges that state law allows only police officers and school resource officers with specific training to carry weapons on campus and that the Tamaqua school employees, under the district's policy, would not have the training required by law. "The district's policy ignores state law and allows school employees who do not have state-required training or experience to carry and use firearms," said Frank Wenzel, president of the Tamaqua teachers' union, in a statement released by the Pennsylvania State Education Association on Wednesday.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/tamaqua-armed-teachers-sue-union-school-20181114.html

Tamaqua Area teachers file lawsuit to stop new policy that allows armed staff
Sarah M. Wojcik Of The Morning Call November 14, 2018
Teachers in the Tamaqua Area School District are mounting a legal challenge to a new policy that allows staff to carry guns in school, alleging the measure is a violation of the Pennsylvania School Code. The Tamaqua Area Education Association filed a lawsuit in Schuylkill County Court on Wednesday — a week after a special school board meeting where droves of teachers, parents, alumni and students who oppose the policy failed to convince the board to drop it. Tamaqua is the first district in the state to allow armed school staff as a way to defend schools against shooters. As such, Wednesday’s filing marks the first legal challenge to such a policy in the state. “As teachers, counselors and other education professionals, we are trained to provide a high-quality education to our students, not to carry or use firearms in dangerous situations,” union President Frank Wenzel said in a statement. “This is a bad policy for a lot of reasons, but we are challenging it in court because we believe it is illegal.”
https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-tamaqua-school-armed-teachers-lawsuit-20181114-story.html

In wake of Tree of Life shooting, Toomey calls for Senate to consider his gun background check bill
Beaver County Times By J.D. Prose Posted Nov 14, 2018 at 5:38 PM
After taking to the Senate floor on Wednesday to speak on the “horrific anti-Semitic attack” at the Tree of Life synagogue last month, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey called for a renewed effort on his and Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s bill to close loopholes on gun-purchasing background checks. Toomey, R-Lehigh County, called the bill, which has repeatedly failed to gain traction in the Senate, “a common-sense bipartisan measure to keep our communities a little bit safer.” The bill would cover commercial sales of guns over the internet and at gun shows. “This is just a common-sense measure that is entirely compatible with the Second Amendment,” said Toomey, who described himself as a “strong supporter of the Second Amendment.” Everyone, he said, agrees that violent criminals and the “dangerously mentally ill” should not have access to firearms, and the bill’s goal is to cut that access if someone fails a background check. Toomey said he was under no illusion that the bill would end mass shootings, but it could make a difference by keeping a gun out of the hands of someone who should not have it.
http://www.timesonline.com/news/20181114/in-wake-of-tree-of-life-shooting-toomey-calls-for-senate-to-consider-his-gun-background-check-bill

Just what the doctors ordered | Editorial Notebook
By PennLive Editorial Board  Posted November 14, 2018
(Editor’s Note: This editorial first appeared in Wednesday’s editions of The Washington Post. It contains language some readers may find objectionable)
We never thought we would see the National Rifle Association help advance the discussion of gun violence as a public-health crisis. But that is exactly what the organization unwittingly did when it essentially told doctors they had no business talking about guns and should just shut up. What followed instead was an indignant outpouring of heart-rending stories from professionals who see close up the horror and damage caused by guns. "Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane" was the tweet from the NRA on Nov. 7 in response to a position paper from the American College of Physicians recommending evidence-based policies to reduce gun-related injuries and deaths. If the NRA wanted attention, the tweet was a success. Doctors and other medical professionals began posting under the hashtags #thisisourlane and #thisismylane, which soon went viral. They told of desperate and too-often fruitless efforts to save people who had been shot, the lifelong struggles of victims wounded by guns and the pain of mothers and fathers informed of their child's death.
https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/11/just-what-the-doctors-ordered-editorial-notebook.html#incart_river_index

PA Senate Republicans, Democrats Elect Same Teams For 2019-20 Leadership, Except One
Crisci Associates Posted by PA Capitol Digest at 1:09 PM 
The Senate held leadership elections Wednesday with no changes in the Republican and Democratic line-ups, except one--
Senate Republicans--
-- President Pro Tempore: Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson), re-elected
-- Majority Leader: Jake Corman (R-Centre), re-elected
-- Majority Whip: John Gordner (R-Columbia), re-elected
-- Majority Appropriations Chair: Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), re-elected
-- Caucus Chair:  Robert Mensch (R-Montgomery), re-elected
-- Caucus Secretary: Richard Alloway (R-Adams), re-elected
-- Caucus Administrator: [ to be named ]
-- Policy Committee Chair: David Argall (R-Schuylkill), re-elected
Senate Democrats--
-- Minority Leader: Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), re-elected
-- Minority Whip: Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), re-elected
-- Minority Appropriations Chair: Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), re-elected
-- Caucus Chair: Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), re-elected
-- Caucus Secretary: Lawrence Farnese (D-Philadelphia), re-elected
-- Caucus Administrator: John Blake (D-Lackawanna), re-elected
-- Policy Committee Chair: Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh), re-elected
Related Stories:
House Republicans Elect Leadership Team
House Democrats Elect Leadership Team
https://pacapitoldigestcrisci.blogspot.com/2018/11/senate-republicans-democrats-elect-same.html

PA House Republicans Elect Members Of 2019-20 Leadership Team
House Republicans Tuesday elected members of their leadership team for the 2019-20 legislative session--
-- Speaker: Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), re-elected
-- Majority Leader: Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster), previously served as Whip
-- Majority Whip: Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre), previously served as Policy Chair
-- Majority Appropriations Chair: Stan Saylor (R-York), re-elected
-- Caucus Chair: Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery), re-elected
-- Policy Committee Chair: Donna Oberlander (R-Armstrong), served as Caucus Secretary
-- Caucus Administrator: Kurt Masser (R-Columbia), re-elected
-- Caucus Secretary: Mike Reese (R-Somerset)
https://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2018/11/house-republicans-elect-members-of-2019.html

PA House Democrats Elect 2019-20 Leadership Team
PA Environment Digest November 13, 2018 
House Democrats Tuesday elected members of their leadership team for the 2019-20 legislative session--
-- Majority Leader: Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny), re-elected
-- Majority Whip: Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia)
-- Majority Appropriations Chair: Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery)
-- Caucus Chair: Joanna McClinton (D-Delaware)
-- Policy Committee Chair: Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster), re-elected
-- Caucus Administrator: Neal Goodman (D-Schuylkill), re-elected
-- Caucus Secretary: Rosita Youngblood (D-Philadelphia) re-elected
https://pacapitoldigestcrisci.blogspot.com/2018/11/house-democrats-elect-2019-20.html

G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young: A split decision in midterm election
Pottstown Mercury By G. Terry Madonna and Michael L. Young Columnists November 14, 2018
Elections have consequences. But sometimes those consequences are neither clear nor obvious. Nov. 6 was such an election. As widely anticipated, Pennsylvania Democrats played a pivotal role in national results helping win control of the federal House of Representatives. Statewide Democrats picked up 3 seats, reversing the 12-6 Republican control to a 9-9 party split with the Democrats in the Pennsylvania delegation. The biggest gains came in the Philadelphia suburbs and the Lehigh Valley. The Democratic performance also dazzled in the so-called top of the ticket contests. Incumbent Sen. Bob Casey cruised to victory by a margin of 56 to 43 over Lou Barletta. Casey has now won six statewide elections, two as Auditor General, one as Treasurer, and now his third as a U.S. Senator. None of these elections were even close. Casey has emerged as one his party’s leading critics of President Trump, while supporting the president’s positions on trade and tariffs — support that translated into thousands of votes in those parts of the state with a large proportion of working men and women in the old mining and mill town counties.
https://www.pottsmerc.com/opinion/g-terry-madonna-michael-l-young-a-split-decision-in/article_3bd79bae-e85c-11e8-8c7c-07de37812588.html

Scanlon takes helm of 7th District in Congress
Delco Times by Alex Rose November 15, 2018
Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon was given little time for orientation after being sworn in as Congresswoman for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District Tuesday. “I had a vote last night after I was sworn in,” she said Wednesday. “It’s immediate.” Scanlon, of Swarthmore, described the experience of simultaneously being sworn in, receiving briefings and trying to get her office up and running as “absolutely like drinking from a fire hose.” Scanlon defeated Republican Pearl Kim for the post in a special election last week, as well as a regular election for the newly drawn 5th Congressional District. Both women had been selected as nominees by their respective parties for both positions in the spring Primary Election.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/scanlon-takes-helm-of-th-district-in-congress/article_dbc728cc-e85d-11e8-baea-2bdf5c0565b9.html

McClinton makes history of her own as Dem caucus chief
Delco Times by Alex Rose November 15, 2018
It was not just the halls of Congress where women were making history this week. State Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-191 of Philadelphia and Delaware County, made her own mark Tuesday when she was selected to serve as the first female African American chair of the House Democratic Caucus for the 2019-20 legislative session. “It is an honor to have the confidence and trust of my peers to help lead the House Democratic Caucus into the future, a future that includes better public education, fair wages for working people, a more equitable justice system, sustainable environmental policies and earnest and honest approaches to combat the opioid and gun-violence epidemics plaguing our state and nation,” said McClinton in a release. McClinton, who represents part of Philadelphia and five precincts in Yeadon, was first elected in a 2015 special election and has successfully run for the seat twice since, both times unopposed. A graduate of La Salle University, she also holds a juris doctorate from the Villanova School of Law and formerly served as chief counsel to state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, D-8, of Philadelphia.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/mcclinton-makes-history-of-her-own-as-dem-caucus-chief/article_a367daa8-e85d-11e8-b070-27cfd61f3dcc.html

Pa. Senate returns leadership teams for 2019-20 session
Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Nov 14, 2:07 PM; Posted Nov 14, 2:07 PM
The Republican and Democratic caucuses in the Pennsylvania Senate both voted to return their current leadership teams for the 2019-20 legislative session in closed-door votes Tuesday. The action means Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, will likely return as the President Pro Tempore of the Senate for the 13th straight year. Scarnati has led the majority caucus in tandem with Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, since 2015. Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, will continue as the Appropriations Committee Chair. Senate Democrats also returned their top leaders: Floor leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny County; Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, as minority whip. The full Senate will reconvene in January to kick off the new session with 28 Republicans and 21 Democrats, assuming unofficial vote totals from the Nov. 6 elections bear up. The seat held by Sen. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Allegheny County, will be vacant at the start of the session as he moves to the U.S. House of Representatives.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/11/pa-senate-returns-leadership-teams-for-2019-20-session.html#incart_river_index

Pa. House Democrats revamp leadership team with Philly tilt
Penn Live by Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Nov 14, 4:25 PM; Posted Nov 14, 4:10 PM
Pennsylvania’s House Democrats re-elected Pittsburgh Rep. Frank Dermody as their floor leader Tuesday, but otherwise dramatically revamped their 2019-20 leadership team in a reflection of the caucus membership’s dramatic eastward drift. Dermody ran unopposed after an election cycle that saw the caucus pick up 11 seats, for a total of 93 in the 203-seat House. But the rest of the Democrats’ leadership team took on a decidedly more Philadelphian flavor, as city and suburban lawmakers captured three top posts that were open at the start of the day, all previously held by lawmakers from central or western Pennsylvania. For starters, Rep. Matt Bradford from Montgomery County was elected by the caucus membership to succeed outgoing Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Allegheny County, as ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/11/pa-house-democrats-revamp-leadership-team-with-philly-tilt.html#incart_river_index

Who is Bryan Cutler, and why should you care?
Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Nov 13; Posted Nov 13
Has the revolution been institutionalized? Rep. Bryan Cutler, a Lancaster County Republican who came to the state legislature in 2006 on the crest of a uniquely Pennsylvanian voter revolt over legislative pay raises, has now become House Majority Leader, arguably one of the five or six most powerful positions at the Capitol. Cutler was voted overwhelmingly to the GOP’s floor leader post Tuesday in a closed-door meeting of 110 GOP members freshly elected to serve in the 2019-20 session. For Cutler, 43, it caps a long climb marked by perseverance that saw him work his way through college and law school as an X-ray technologist, and later run for office out of digust over a 2 a.m., double-digit percentage pay raise that lawmakers voted themselves in the summer of 2005. As House majority leader, he will replace Rep. David Reed from Indiana County, who opted against seeking a new term this year.
https://www.pennlive.com/politics/2018/11/who-is-bryan-cutler-and-why-should-you-care.html#incart_river_index

“Kevin Feeley, a spokesman for Educational Opportunities for Families, said the group is funded by Excellent Schools PA. A political action committee, Excellent Schools PA advocates for school choice and charter schools.”
District school? Charter? Private? Philly school-choice advocates want streamlined applications
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Posted: November 14, 2018- 5:39 PM
Multiple applications and deadlines. Confusion over the process and where to get information. Inconsistent support for families trying to navigate their choices. Choosing and applying for schools in Philadelphia can be a challenge, according to a report issued Wednesday by a pro-school-choice group. It recommends steps to streamline the application process across all schools — district, charter, or private. The report, by Educational Opportunities for Families, calls for a single application to be used for all schools in Philadelphia, and the same deadlines for submitting applications, issuing offers to families, and selecting schools. It stops short of calling for a system that matches each student to one school, a process adopted by several cities nationally. An earlier proposal to unify Philadelphia's enrollment process stalled after a 2014 hearing, where some voiced concerns that a single-best-offer system would narrow parents' choices. Unified enrollment proposals have also drawn criticism in some cities, including from opponents of charter-school expansion.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/education/philadelphia-school-choice-charter-applications-unified-enrollment-20181114.html

Blogger note: Who is funding Educational Opportunities for Families? If you’ve been following school choice issues in Philly and Harrisburg, you are probably familiar with these folks…
Excellent School PA “Who we are”
https://excellentschoolspa.org/who-we-are/

In 5th grade and learning to be a leader
Through Playworks Pennsylvania, junior coaches help organize games at recess. One student who fills that role at Chester A. Arthur Elementary is Nafis Johnson.
The notebook by Naomi Elegant November 14 — 5:14 pm, 2018
Nafis Johnson, 10, stood in front of his classmates and shouted: “Don’t push!” His classmates recited it back. “Don’t shove!” Johnson shouted. “Don’t shove!” they shouted back. Recess had just begun at Chester A. Arthur School, and Nafis, a 5th grader and a junior coach for Playworks Pennsylvania, was leading it. The students continued through their set of agreements, ending with “respect” and “have fun.” Then they dispersed into groups to play basketball, dodgeball, and hula-hoop tag. Nafis, who wore a bright purple Playworks T-shirt, joined a dodgeball game. Nafis is one of 12 students at Chester Arthur who are trained to be Playworks junior coaches and lead recess games. Playworks, a nonprofit focused on making school recess safe and inclusive, has been at Arthur for five years. It first came to Philadelphia schools in 2010.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/11/14/in-fifth-grade-and-learning-to-be-a-leader/

Voters Widely Support Public Schools. So Why Is It So Hard to Pay for Them?
New York Times By Dana Goldstein Nov. 14, 2018
If it were going to happen any year, it should have been this one. After a wave of teacher walkouts fired up people on both sides of the party line, the time seemed ripe for big investments in public schools. In reality, the results for school funding after the midterm elections last week were mixed, and illustrate a paradox in how Americans view education. Polls showed that the public supported the picketing teachers across the country who protested low pay and classroom funding. And a diverse group of candidates, Democratic and Republican, were elected after casting themselves as education champions. But many voters, particularly in conservative and swing states, were unwilling to open their wallets to send state tax dollars to educators and classrooms. And in some states where education funding is among the lowest nationwide, voters approved ballot measures that will make it even harder to direct money to schools in the future.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/us/education-midterms-school-funding.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Feducation&action=click&contentCollection=education&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront


Build on finance, policy, board culture skills at PSBA’s Applied School Director Training
Four convenient locations in December and January
Take the next step in your professional development with Applied School Director Training. Building upon topics broadly covered in New School Director Training, this new, interactive evening event asks district leaders to dive deeper into three areas of school governance: school finance, board policy and working collaboratively as a governance team. Prepare for future leadership positions and committee work in this workshop-style training led by experts and practitioners. Learn how to:
·         Evaluate key finance documents such as budget and audit materials
·         Review and analyze board policies and administrative regulations
·         Build positive board culture by developing strong collaboration skills
Locations and Dates:
Dec.11, 2018 — Seneca Valley SD
Dec. 12, 2018 — Selinsgrove, Selinsgrove Area Middle School
Jan. 10, 2019 — Bethlehem, Nitschmann Middle School
Jan. 17, 2019 — State College
Cost: This event is complimentary for All-Access members or $75 per person with standard membership and $150 per person for nonmembers. Register online by logging in to myPSBA.
https://www.psba.org/2018/11/applied-school-director-training-state-college/

NSBA 2019 Advocacy Institute January 27-29 Washington Hilton, Washington D.C.
Register now
The upcoming midterm elections will usher in the 116th Congress at a critical time in public education. Join us at the 2019 NSBA Advocacy Institute for insight into what the new Congress will mean for your school district. And, of course, learn about techniques and tools to sharpen your advocacy skills, and prepare for effective meetings with your representatives. Save the date to join school board members from across the country on Capitol Hill to influence the new legislative agenda and shape the decisions made inside the Beltway that directly impact our students. For more information contact federaladvocacy@nsba.org. 

2019 NSBA Annual Conference Philadelphia March 30 - April 1, 2019
Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
Registration Questions or Assistance: 1-800-950-6722
The NSBA Annual Conference & Exposition is the one national event that brings together education leaders at a time when domestic policies and global trends are combining to shape the future of the students. Join us in Philadelphia for a robust offering of over 250 educational programs, including three inspirational general sessions that will give you new ideas and tools to help drive your district forward.
https://www.nsba.org/conference

Save the Date:  PARSS Annual Conference May 1-3, 2019
Wyndham Garden Hotel, Mountainview Country Club
Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools
https://www.parss.org/Annual_Conference


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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