Started in November 2010, 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
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Rabb to host Policy Committee hearing on fair school funding Wednesday in Philadelphia
Policy Committee January 18, 2019 | 5:08 PM
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 18 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., will host a House Democratic Policy Committee public hearing to discuss the moral implications and practical solutions to addressing Pennsylvania’s ranking as the worse state in the U.S. on public education funding equity. The hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the Eleanor C. Emlen School, 6501 Chew Ave., Philadelphia. The media and public are invited to attend. He will be joined by state legislators from across the state, including Policy Committee Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, who previously served on the Basic Education Funding Commission, Representative James Roebuck, chairman of the House Democratic Education Committee and Representative Jason Dawkins, chairman of the Philadelphia County Delegation.
http://www.pahouse.com/Rabb/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=103901
Lehigh Valley for All is hosting Education Summit 6:30-8:30 Wednesday, January 23
WHO: Lehigh Valley for All is hosting Education Summit
WHAT: Education Summit, symposium and public discussion
WHEN: 6:30-8:30 Wednesday, January 23,
WHERE: Steelworkers Union Hall, 53 E. Lehigh St. Bethlehem, back parking lot and entrance
Lehigh Valley for All will be hosting an Education Summit to discuss many aspects of the educational system in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Topics will include school and neighborhood safety, charter schools, helping at risk students, education equality, strengthening staff and curriculum, current and future legislation to help improve our system. We will allow written questions from the audience, so other topics may be covered depending on audience participation.
https://mailchi.mp/lv4all.org/lv4a-education-summit
Register for PA Schools Work Delaware County Work Group Conference
Saturday, February 2, 2019 8:45 am – 12:00 pm at DCIU
Join the DCIU and the PA Schools Work coalition to work together to advocate for PA public schools, their students and the communities they serve.
At the event, you will:
Hear stories about how funding affects students and educators across Delaware County
Learn how to speak with your local legislators to advocate for the needs of our students
Connect on social media and grow your network to influence stakeholders in your community
https://www.facebook.com/events/1997562453659915/
In Pennsylvania, the majority of school funding comes from property taxes; how do other states fund education? [Ask the Eagle reports]
In this segment of Ask the Eagle, we examine how several states create revenue streams for education.
Reading Eagle by WRITTEN BY DAVID MEKEEL MONDAY JANUARY 21, 2019 03:36 PM
Last summer, Ed Adams went to visit his brother in Illinois. While there, the two got to chatting about their homes. Adams told his brother, William, that he was almost done paying off his mortgage but that he'd still have to pay about $500 a month for the rest of his life because of property taxes. “I told him it's like you never really pay it off,” Adams said, saying the bulk of his bill is from the Antietam School District, which has the highest school property taxes in Berks County. William, who was born and raised in Illinois, told Ed that he's crazy, explaining that he pays far less in property taxes. While Illinois has one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation — usually ranking only below New Jersey — it also has a generous exemption for an owner-occupied property. William gets a tax credit of about $6,000 through the homestead exemption. Ed Adams' son, Brian, who recently bought a condo in Wichita, Kan., also told Adams that his property taxes are miniscule compared to his dad's. Kansas relies more heavily on income and sales tax than on property taxes. The two incidents got Adams thinking, “How come we're paying so much?” Adams said he knows that the bulk of his property tax goes toward education but wonders if there isn't a better way. “In the 49 other states, someone has to be doing something different,” he said. That's why Adams contacted the Reading Eagle's Ask the Eagle reader-powered journalism project, posing the question “How do other states fund education?”
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/across-the-us-school-funding-systems-vary-widely
Did you catch our postings for the holiday yesterday?
EITC/OSTC diverted tax dollars for 2016-2017 totaled over $159 million
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 21, 2019
Blogger note: According to spreadsheets from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development which by law administers the tax credit programs, for the 2016-2017 school year $120 million was received by private and religious schools and organizations under the EITC program and an additional $39 million under the OSTC program. These are diverted tax dollars that are not available to the general fund when state lawmakers are formulating appropriations for basic ed, special ed and career/technical ed. Under the tax credit programs, there are no student performance or fiscal accountability requirements for those funds.
https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2019/01/pa-ed-policy-roundup-jan-21-eitcostc.html
Here’s a reminder of what school districts are spending on cyber charter tuition:
Total cyber charter tuition paid by PA taxpayers from 500 school districts for 2013, 2014 and 2015 was over $1.2 billion; $393.5 million, $398.8 million and $436.1 million respectively.
Not one of Pennsylvania’s cyber charters achieved a passing School Performance Profile score of 70 in any of the five years that the SPP was in effect.
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 16, 2019
https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2019/01/pa-ed-policy-roundup-jan-4-between-2008.html
“The campaign called for annual increases in each of the next four years of $400 million in basic education, $100 in special education and $10 million in career and technical education.”
PA Schools Work urges Governor Wolf to continue investing in Pennsylvania’s students in next state budget
Calls for $510 million state increase for basic, special, and career and technical education
HARRISBURG (December 6, 2018) – The statewide education advocacy campaign PA Schools Work today delivered a letter to Governor Tom Wolf urging him to increase state funding for public education in his 2019-20 budget proposal. While thanking Gov. Wolf for his continued commitment to Pennsylvania students, including his restoration of past state funding cuts, PA Schools Work noted that the “work has just begun” to achieve an adequate and equitable school funding system in the state. Even with recent increases under the Wolf Administration, Pennsylvania ranks 46th in the country in state share for K-12 education.
The campaign called for annual increases in each of the next four years of $400 million in basic education, $100 in special education and $10 million in career and technical education. These annual investments would enable students more opportunities for academic success and a smooth transition to college or a career. The letter also emphasized that consistent, additional state support will help school districts keep up with the inflationary increases of mandated costs, provide new resources for school districts that have been shortchanged in the past, allow districts to make long-term plans for new and improved educational programs, and alleviate pressures to increase property taxes. PA Schools Work PA is a coalition of organizations from across Pennsylvania representing teachers and other educators; urban, suburban and rural communities; and parents and other community members working together to advocate for PA public schools, their students and the communities they serve.
http://paschoolswork.org/pa-schools-work-urges-governor-wolf-to-continue-investing-in-pennsylvanias-students-in-next-state-budget/
PA12 special election: Could Tom Marino’s seat actually flip? | Tuesday Morning Coffee
John Micek’s Blog Posted on26 Minutes Ago by jlmicek
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
It’s no understatement to say that U.S. Tom Marino’s announcement that he’ll leave Congress this week to take an as-yet-unnamed job in the private sector shocked and angered his constituents. The northeastern Pennsylvania Republican, whose 12th District sprawls across more than a dozen counties, was freshly re-elected. And he’d just introduced legislation to allow members of Congress to serve four, rather than two-year terms. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, must call a special election to fill Marino’s seat. And in a district that’s overwhelmingly Republican, the seat seems to be a lock for Republicans. Or is it? It’s too soon to tell, says veteran political prognosticator Nathan Gonzales at Roll Call.
https://johnlmicekjournalist.wordpress.com/2019/01/22/pa12-special-election-could-tom-marinos-seat-actually-flip-tuesday-morning-coffee/
“Business Manager Lori Byron said Highlands will cite pension and special education costs as reasons for increasing the property tax rate by more than its limit.”
Highlands to seek exceptions to increase property taxes by more than state limit
Trib Live BRIAN C. RITTMEYER | Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, 9:15 p.m.
Property owners in the Highlands School District could be facing another increase in their school taxes. The school board on Monday approved advertising a preliminary budget, a step toward increasing the property tax beyond the district’s state-imposed limit. The board did not discuss specifics of the budget at the voting meeting Monday. The property tax was increased up to the limit last year for the $40.31 million 2018-19 budget. The tax rate was increased by 3.5 percent, from 23.8 mills to 24.63 mills. Under the state’s Act 1, Highlands is able to increase property taxes by up to 3.3 percent for the 2019-20 school year without voter approval or, as is more commonly done, by getting exceptions to avoid a referendum.
https://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/14529377-74/highlands-to-seek-exceptions-to-increase-property-taxes-by-more-than-state
MLK Day activities at Paul Robeson High School, everything from painting to spoken word
School once faced closure, but has since been recognized for academic progress.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa January 21 — 8:27 pm, 2019
Paul Robeson High School for Human Services was almost closed during the mass downsizing in 2013, but on Monday it was a hub of activity as hundreds of volunteers gathered as part of the Martin Luther King Day of Service. Principal Richard Gordon said while the object was to spruce up the building, the real goal was to instill in students the importance of community service and giving back. Students and other volunteers painted hallways and organized books in a storage area so they will be more accessible to teachers, among other tasks. “We believe in a great school environment,” he said. “And we want them to always pay it forward.” Just like Robeson — which stayed open, in part, after the Notebook pointed out that its graduation rate was higher than many similar schools not slated for closure — Roslyn Mayes has gotten a second chance.
Mayes, a senior, was among dozens of students who showed up to volunteer.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2019/01/21/mlk-day-activities-at-paul-robeson-high-school-everything-from-painting-to-spoken-word/
Guest Column: A voice speaking out in favor of music education
Delco Times By Joe Batory Times Guest Columnist January 22, 2019
Joseph Batory is a past superintendent of schools in the Upper Darby School District.
One of the best ways to involve students and enrich their school experiences is with music education. How do I know this? Well, for 16 years as Upper Darby’s superintendent of schools, music was my secret and very successful educational weapon. I was blessed with a group of great teachers in Upper Darby who used music to help engage and motivate many thousands of students to be artistic, academic and disciplined in and out of classrooms. Yet, when budget cutbacks are considered by school districts these days, music and art programs are often prime targets, as if these programs were somehow “frills.” But these attacks on music education are dead wrong. Every civilization of any worth throughout history has recognized that music education involves important learning experiences for young people. It fosters student creativity, promotes effective communication and coordination of skills, instills commitment and self-discipline, forces persistence, and results in self-confidence. Indeed, the scientific community has found an abundance of evidence suggesting favorable benefits of teaching music to students in the K-12 system. Multiple research studies have linked music education to overall academic achievement. Music creates pathways for students toward creative thinking and fosters other academic qualities: collaboration; the ability to concentrate and weave together disparate ideas; and, of course, diligence because instrumental and vocal prowess require hard work.
https://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/guest-column-a-voice-speaking-out-in-favor-of-music/article_2f7f6edc-1e2f-11e9-a109-2bd06ae967a6.html
Lawmaker: I'm quitting because I'm 'sick and tired' of Pa. politics
Lancaster Online by BRAD BUMSTED | The Caucus January 21, 2019
HARRISBURG — State Sen. Richard Alloway II, whose unexpected decision to resign midterm stunned the Capitol last week, says he’s stepping down to become a lobbyist and that “he’s sick and tired” of politics as usual in Harrisburg. “That's all it is, man,” Alloway, a Republican from Chambersburg, said in an interview with The Caucus, a publication of LNP Media Group. “I know everyone can’t fathom that.” The timing of Alloway’s announcement — he has two years remaining in his four-year term — has fueled rampant speculation in the Capitol since Friday. The lawmaker said there’s no scandal or hidden motives behind the move. Alloway said that among his frustrations was his inability to move into a higher-ranking leadership post in the Senate. He is the Republican caucus secretary and is paid $101,040; rank-and-file members are paid $88,600 a year. Alloway, 50, said the idea of lobbying in his own law firm was brewing for some time, and that his distaste for the politics of the coming session hastened his decision to resign. Under Pennsylvania law, exiting senators cannot lobby in the Senate for a year, but according to Drew Crompton, chief of staff to Senate President Joe Scarnati, lawyers are exempt from the lobbying provision, so Alloway could proceed without delay.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/lawmaker-i-m-quitting-because-i-m-sick-and-tired/article_1a4f780c-1da5-11e9-8049-734350def1b5.html
Schools districts join complaint filed against Sunoco pipeline
Pottstown Mercury by BILL RETTEW Jan 22, 2019 Updated 1 hr ago
DOWNINGTOWN—Two area school districts last week filed so-called “petitions to intervene” in a formal safety complaint against Sunoco/ETP. This complaint was filed in November 2018 by seven residents of Chester and Delaware counties and is currently pending before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Downingtown Area School District submitted its petition on Jan. 16. Rose Tree Media School District filed its own petition on Jan. 18. In its submission, RTMSD wrote, “The School District has a direct, substantial and immediate interest in this matter related to its obligation to educate its students and to protect the health, safety and welfare of its students, staff and users of the School District facilities, that is unique and not represented by any other party in the proceeding in which the Sunoco Mariner East Pipelines are physically located.” DASD explained in its petition, “The school district has at least five schools located in close proximity to the various pipelines identified above, all within the 'blast zone,' which might extend to more than 2,000 feet from the ME Pipelines. In addition to buildings and classrooms, these schools have playing fields, play grounds and other facilities which are places of public assembly and which are used and enjoyed by the community in general.
https://www.pottsmerc.com/news/local/schools-districts-join-complaint-filed-against-sunoco-pipeline/article_475921f7-ef76-51b4-abb8-654a2805c2c3.html
“The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, which is funded by pro-charter organizations, recently issued its report comparing the academic growth over a three-year period of students in Washington’s charter schools when compared with their true public school (TPS) counterparts. What it found was that charter school students did no better.”
It’s National School Choice Week. What is that? (Possibly not what you think.)
Washington Post Answer Sheet By Valerie Strauss January 21 at 1:33 PM
This is National School Choice Week, an annual occasion that features (literally) tens of thousands of independent events around the country that celebrate the “school choice” movement. Its website says this:
These celebratory events raise public awareness of the different K-12 education options available to children and families while also spotlighting the benefits of school choice.
NSCW recognizes all K-12 options, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.
Most, if not virtually all, of the events planned for the week are staged by schools and organizations and people who support alternatives to traditionally operated public school districts. Those include charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, sometimes by for-profit companies, and various programs that use public funds to pay for private and religious school. National School Choice Week is an organization as well as a week, and came into existence in 2011. School choice proponents say that alternatives to traditional districts are necessary to give families options, especially in places where traditional public schools have failed. School choice opponents say that school choice is aimed at privatizing the public education system and that many of the choices being offered are not well-regulated, sometimes discriminatory and siphon funding away from local school districts. (You can be sure that this week’s events won’t mention the many charter sectors around the country that are riddled with scandal.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/01/21/its-national-school-choice-week-what-is-that-possibly-not-what-you-think/?utm_term=.f3275f5b28ca
Hijacked by Billionaires: How the Super Rich Buy Elections to Undermine Public Schools
Network for Public Education Report
Read the Report
HERE’S HOW MUCH THE TOP TEN BILLIONAIRES SPENT ON RACES IN THIS REPORT
https://npeaction.org/2019/01/09/hijacked-by-billionaires-how-the-super-rich-buy-elections-to-undermine-public-schools/
“In 2019, after a year of teacher walkouts across the country, it is practically impossible for a national Democrat to profess anything short of full-throated support for picketing educators. But many of them this week steered clear of the most contentious underlying cause of the strike: the teacher union’s opposition to the growth of charter schools, and the union’s claim that district officials — who are largely Democrats — favor charter schools over traditional ones.”
Democrats Are United on Teacher Strikes. But They’re in a ‘Gladiator Fight’ Over Education.
New York Times By Dana Goldstein Jan. 18, 2019
When 30,000 Los Angeles teachers went on strike on Monday, prominent Democrats — and potential presidential candidates — lined up to give their blessings. Senator Kamala Harris of California said she was “standing in solidarity” with teachers, who are demanding higher pay, smaller classes and more support staff. “I’m with teachers all the way,” Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said on Twitter. Senators Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Kirsten Gillibrand and Bernie Sanders all shared similar sentiments about a strike that has drawn broad public support but disrupted the routines of half a million, mostly low-income children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/18/us/la-teacher-strike-lausd.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Feducation&action=click&contentCollection=education®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront
Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social and Political Issues
Among Republicans, Gen Z stands out in views on race, climate and the role of government
Pew Research Center BY KIM PARKER, NIKKI GRAF AND RUTH IGIELNIK JANUARY 17, 2019
No longer the new kids on the block, Millennials have moved firmly into their 20s and 30s, and a new generation is coming into focus. Generation Z – diverse and on track to be the most well-educated generation yet – is moving toward adulthood with a liberal set of attitudes and an openness to emerging social trends. On a range of issues, from Donald Trump’s presidency to the role of government to racial equality and climate change, the views of Gen Z – those ages 13 to 21 in 2018 – mirror those of Millennials.1 In each of these realms, the two younger generations hold views that differ significantly from those of their older counterparts. In most cases, members of the Silent Generation are at the opposite end, and Baby Boomers and Gen Xers fall in between.2
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-on-key-social-and-political-issues/
Open Board Positions
for 2019 PA Principals Association Election
Thursday,
January 10, 2019 9:05 AM
Margaret S.
(Peg) Foster, principal, academic affairs, in the Crestwood School District, has
been appointed by President Michael Allison to serve as the chairperson of
the 2019 PA Principals Association Nominations Committee to
oversee the 2019 election. Her committee consists of the following
members: Curtis Dimmick, principal in the Northampton Area School District;
Jacqueline Clark-Havrilla, principal in the Spring-Ford School District; and
Joseph Hanni, vice principal in the Scranton School District. If you are interested in running for one of
the open board positions (shown below) in the 2019 election,
please contact Stephanie Kinner at kinner@paprincipals.org or (717)
732-4999 for an application. Applications must be received in
the state office by Friday, February 22, 2019.
Join A Movement that Supports our Schools & Communities
PA Schools Work website
Our students are in classrooms that are underfunded and overcrowded. Teachers are paying out of pocket and picking up the slack. And public education is suffering. Each child in Pennsylvania has a right to an excellent public education. Every child, regardless of zip code, deserves access to a full curriculum, art and music classes, technical opportunities and a safe, clean, stable environment. All children must be provided a level chance to succeed. PA Schools Work is fighting for equitable, adequate funding necessary to support educational excellence. Investing in public education excellence is the path to thriving communities, a stable economy and successful students.
http://paschoolswork.org/
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.
PSBA Board Presidents’ Panel
Nine locations around the state running Jan 29, 30 and 31st.
Share your leadership experience and learn from others in your area at this event designed for board presidents, superintendents and board members with interest in pursuing leadership roles. Workshop real solutions to the specific challenges you face with a PSBA-moderated panel of school leaders. Discussion will address the most pressing challenges facing PA public schools.
https://www.psba.org/2018/11/board-presidents-panel-2/
Annual PenSPRA Symposium set for March 28-29, 2019
Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association Website
Once again, PenSPRA will hold its annual symposium with nationally-recognized speakers on hot topics for school communicators. The symposium, held at the Conference Center at Shippensburg University, promises to provide time for collegial sharing and networking opportunities. Mark you calendars now!
We hope you can join us. Plans are underway, so check back for more information.
http://www.penspra.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: PSBA Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg has been scheduled for Monday April 29, 2019
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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