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
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@PASchoolsWork: We'd love for you to join us
on your lunch hour this Friday for our 1st webinar of 2019!
Learn how
you can join in our fight for better schools through equitable & adequate
education funding! Register here:
“The urgency is what struck me. We can’t keep losing a generation of kids.”
Democratic legislators say fixing school funding is a moral imperative
The opportunity gaps in Pennsylvania between rich and poor, black and white, are among the highest in the nation.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa January 24 — 8:09 am, 2019
Using words like “urgency,” and “moral imperative,” the state House Democratic Policy Committee, convened by State Rep. Christopher Rabb, met in Mount Airy on Wednesday to emphasize the need to overhaul the state’s system for funding its schools. The legislators heard from several area school superintendents as well as advocates, including those behind a lawsuit charging that the current funding method violates the state constitutional guarantee that all children have access to a “thorough and efficient” education. The superintendents — from Pottstown, Upper Darby, Norristown and Lancaster — as well as Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan declared in no uncertain terms that their districts lack what they need to educate their students. Advocates presented evidence that the funding system is racially discriminatory. State funding for schools, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, is meant to make up for differences in wealth among local municipalities. Each state does this differently and with varying enthusiasm and success. About half the states have been forced by the courts to make their funding system more fair and adequate to their students’ needs. Pennsylvania, whose courts until now have declined to get involved, has repeatedly been rated at the bottom, with the largest inequities between its wealthier and lower income districts. While the nationwide average is for the state to pay about half of total education costs, Pennsylvania’s state share has dropped to about a third, meaning that an undue burden falls on local municipalities, which fund their schools primarily through property taxes.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2019/01/24/democratic-legislators-say-fixing-school-funding-is-a-moral-imperative/
Register for PSBA Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg Monday April 29, 2019
All PSBA-members are invited to attend Advocacy Day on Monday, April 29, 2019 at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. In addition, this year PSBA will be partnering with the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) to strengthen our advocacy impact. The focus for the day will be meetings with legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public education. There is no cost to attend, and PSBA will assist in scheduling appointments with legislators once your registration is received. The day will begin with a continental breakfast and issue briefings prior to the legislator visits. Registrants will receive talking points, materials and leave-behinds to use with their meetings. PSBA staff will be stationed at a table in the main Rotunda during the day to answer questions and provide assistance. Register now at http://www.mypsba.org/
School directors can register online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you need assistance logging in and registering contact Alysha Newingham, Member Data System Administrator at alysha.newingham@psba.org. The day’s agenda and other details will be available soon. If you have questions about Advocacy Day, legislative appointments or need additional information, contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org
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/
Report: Pa. districts need more state funding for technical schools
Lindsay C. VanAsdalan, York Dispatch Published 12:23 p.m. ET Jan. 22, 2019
The York County School of Technology played host to an important conversation: Should districts have to pay the majority of costs to send students to technical schools?
PA Schools Work and partner Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released a report, discussed at the school Thursday, Jan. 17, that highlighted the need for more state funding. State Representative Kate Klunk talks with York County School of Technology communication technology senior Charlie Zapata after a press conference at the school Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. In this year's state budget, the governor set aside $30 million for workforce development — and of that amount, $10 million went to career and technical education subsidies to allow students to attend schools such as York Tech. But some say more is needed, since approximately 55,000 students attend 74 CTE centers across the state, and districts foot about 90 percent of the bill. Despite being the first increase in state CTE funding in nearly a decade, the state's subsidy only covers about 8 percent of student costs, plus roughly 2 percent from federal, said PPC president and CEO Kari King. This burden, along with rising basic education costs, has caused some districts to reduce enrollments at CTE schools, said Jackie Cullen, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators. PA Schools Work and its partners are calling for an additional $10 million in the subsidy in next year's budget.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/education/2019/01/22/report-pa-districts-need-more-state-funding-technical-schools/2607050002/
Pa. school districts say later start times are boosting grades
WHYY By Sara Hoover January 24, 2019
Students in a Chester County school district could get more ZZZs beginning next year. The Phoenixville Area School District is the latest in Pennsylvania to vote in favor of later start times. High school and middle school classes in Phoenixville will start 45 minutes later. Elementary schools will open 35 minutes later. Officials took into account concerns about child care, transportation, and after-school activities, said Superintendent Alan Fegley. “I think that’s what we have to show folks: that we can make the move to a more timely start that is more in line with the circadian rhythms of the students and still allow them to be able to complete everything that they want to do,” he said. The change is partly based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to give students more time to sleep. After seeing a presentation on the topic by the Chester County Intermediate Unit, which provides services such as special education to the county’s school districts, Phoenixville commissioned a team that spent 18 months examining the issue and holding public forums.
https://whyy.org/articles/pa-school-districts-say-later-start-times-are-boosting-grades/
State College High Schooler Among Winners Of Redistricting Competition
WPSU By MADDIE BIERTEMPFEL • 16 HOURS AGO
State College High School sophomore Kyle Hynes' map won first in the central region's youth division.
Despite recent redistricting, some still think Pennsylvania’s 18 congressional districts are gerrymandered. But according to Draw the Lines PA Project Director Chris Satullo, ensuring the state has fairly drawn districts should be easy. “Redistricting is not rocket science," Satullo said. "Ordinary people who put in the time and are given the right tools can do it." Hundreds of Pennsylvanians drew their own maps outlining what the districts should look like as part of Draw the Lines PA’s first competition. More than 2,500 maps were drafted using a software called Districtbuilder. Of those, 318 were submitted along with essays explaining the mapping choices. Winners were announced this week.
http://radio.wpsu.org/post/state-college-high-schooler-among-winners-redistricting-competition
What if you can’t raise $90k for a library? In Philly schools, there are haves and have-nots.
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: January 24, 2019- 5:00 AM
Just seven Philadelphia public schools now have functioning libraries with certified school librarians, down from 200 decades ago. So it was a big deal this month when the community celebrated the reopening of the library at Bache-Martin Elementary at a ceremony where politicians made speeches and TV cameras rolled. The price tag for the library and a part-time staffer was $90,000, paid through the hard work and fund-raising prowess of a nonprofit organized by parents to support the school in Fairmount, a diverse and relatively affluent section of the city. The act felt familiar, with people pitching in to pay for what the Philadelphia School District no longer could or did. But to many, the library laid bare a truth in city schools — the divisions between the haves, often in whiter and wealthier neighborhoods, who can fundraise for new playgrounds and support staff salaries; and the have-nots in under-resourced schools mostly populated by kids of color, left to make do with whatever they can scrap together. Stephanie King, a parent at Kearny Elementary in Northern Liberties, heard the news of the Bache-Martin triumph and felt frustration, she said, in part because “the district is putting the work of funding on the shoulders of parents because they can’t or won’t fix things themselves.”
http://www.philly.com/news/philly-school-library-reopen-equity-20190124.html
Date set for special election to replace U.S. House member from Pa.
Penn Live By The Associated Press Updated 8:52 AM; Posted 8:52 AM
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Voters in heavily Republican northcentral Pennsylvania have a special election date set to elect a new representative to the U.S. House after the five-term incumbent resigned just three weeks into the new congressional term. Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday he scheduled the special election to coincide with Pennsylvania's primary election on May 21. Republican Tom Marino's last day in office was Wednesday. Marino was a strong ally of President Donald Trump's and easily won a fifth term in November, but the 66-year-old abruptly announced his resignation last week, saying only that he's taking a job outside government. The sprawling congressional district covers all or parts of 15 counties, and Republicans are heavily favored, with about 100,000 more registered voters than Democrats. Political party committee members or delegates will pick nominees.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/01/date-set-for-special-election-to-replace-us-house-member-from-pa.html
“It will take 11 years, not until 2030, for SERS and PSERS to become 70 percent funded and 21 years, not until 2040, for the respective pension programs to become 100 percent funded.”
Pa. pension reform effects will take a long time to see | Colin McNickle
Penn Live By Colin McNickle, guest editorial Updated Jan 23, 9:49 AM; Posted Jan 23, 10:33 AM
Pension reform at long last is being phased in for newly hired state workers in Pennsylvania. But it will be decades before those pension plans’ health is restored. And some taxpayers could see their taxes rise before relief comes, finds a review by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “Too bad it took this long to get public employees and school districts into pension plans that involve defined contribution,” says Eric Montarti, research director at the Pittsburgh think tank. series of misguided legislative actions left the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) a combined 58 percent funded at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year. “Laws passed in 2001 (Act 9), 2002 (Act 38) and 2003 (Act 40) that provided a substantial increase in pension benefits, lowered the vesting period, gave cost-of-living increases to retirees and capped employer contributions and spread out obligations are primarily pinpointed as a major cause of the current situation,” Montarti notes (in Policy Brief Vol. 19, No. 4). Neither did the Great Recession of 2008 help.
https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2019/01/tax-proponents-biting-the-carbon-that-feeds-them-opinion.html
Safe2Say Statewide reporting system for school threats receives hundreds of reports in first week
MATT MCKINNEY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mmckinney@post-gazette.com JAN 23, 2019
A new statewide system designed to collect reports of threats against schools has netted hundreds of tips in its first week, officials announced Wednesday. The program, Safe2Say, allows users to anonymously report emergencies and non-emergencies, including bullying, drug use, suicide threats and threats to schools. Officials say the reporting system has received 615 tips and calls from across Pennsylvania in the first week, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday. The program has forwarded several hundred of the reports to law enforcement and school officials. Safe2Say is modeled after a Colorado-based program created after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. At least five other states have created similar programs, lawmakers said last year. The program now includes 3,774 public and private schools across Pennsylvania.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2019/01/23/Pennsylvania-Safe2say-schools-education-reporting-system-threats-tips-Josh-Shapiro-school/stories/201901230124
Safe2Say received more than 600 tips statewide in first week, but not many were from Lancaster County
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer January 24, 2019
Safe2Say Something, Pennsylvania’s new school threat reporting system, received 615 tips in its first week, the attorney general’s office announced Wednesday. The program allows educators, students, parents and community members to submit anonymous tips through the Safe2Say Something PA app, online at Safe2SayPA.org or via a 24-hour hotline, 1-844-SAF2SAY. State Sen. Scott Martin, of Martic Township, was a cosponsor of the legislation, which included Safe2Say and other school safety measures. “I’m proud my office was entrusted by the legislature to run this new program focused on school safety,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement. “Working together with local law enforcement and school officials, we can make Pennsylvania safer for families, teachers and, most importantly, our students.” The attorney general’s office did not provide a county-by-county breakdown of data; however, a news release stated Safe2Say includes 3,774 public and private schools statewide, and, thanks to the national nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise, 178,283 students have been trained so far. Several Lancaster County school officials responding to a request from LNP said their districts have not received a tip yet, and many are still awaiting materials to teach students and staff how to use the system.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/safe-say-received-more-than-tips-statewide-in-first-week/article_f709a370-1f5e-11e9-b1ff-4b7faf48d635.html
Public charters can help a lagging education system | Opinion
Opinion by Ana Meyers, for the Inquirer Updated: January 23, 2019 - 2:42 PM
Ana Meyers is executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.
Only one key can unlock the future to a quality economy in Pennsylvania: education. While our Commonwealth stood as the proud home of the world’s first modern oil well and industrial giants such as Bethlehem Steel, our future in a 21st century economy based on global commerce will rise or fall on the technical skills of our workforce. This National School Choice Week, we should reflect on the ways in which school choice can train the next generation of Pennsylvania workers. Make no mistake: At present, the United States lags behind many of its foreign competitors when it comes to educational outcomes. The most recent international rankings, compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), placed the United States 19th among 35 developed nations in science, 20th in reading, and a dismal 31st — fourth from the bottom — in math. While Pennsylvania’s statewide test scores rank slightly above national averages, the OECD study demonstrates the achievement gap between students in the Commonwealth and students in countries such as Canada, our neighbor to the north.
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/school-choice-charter-schools-20190123.html
Expanding High Quality Charter School Options
PCCY Report
Since 2012, 23 states have amended their laws to improve the quality of charter schools. Pennsylvania is not one of those states. The legislature has not revised the charter school law to include best practices for access, autonomy or accountability since it was passed in 1997. This report by PCCY details why strong charter school legislation matters.
https://www.pccy.org/report/expanding-high-quality-charter-school-options/
School choice remains popular in Pennsylvania, but legislative setbacks and program limits leave many out
Delco Times Opinion By Dave Lemery | Watchdog.org Jan 24, 2019 Updated 45 min ago
After a major school-choice initiative quietly died with the expiration of Pennsylvania’s 2017-18 legislative session, lawmakers this session appear to be aiming for more incremental gains – at least for the time being. Last session’s Senate Bill 2 would have enabled the creation of education savings accounts for students who attend schools in the 15 percent of worst-performing schools in the state. The funds would have allowed parents to pay for private or charter school tuition, but they also would have gone toward other educational expenses like online courses, textbooks, music lessons and speech therapy. SB2 was advanced by the Education Committee but never got a vote in the Senate, and thus far no equivalent bill has been filed for the current legislative session.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/state/school-choice-remains-popular-in-pennsylvania-but-legislative-setbacks-and/article_0bd3d1f0-0b6d-5307-9a5c-1e52e15846f4.html
‘Crumbling’ Schools Spur Democrats to Renew Infrastructure Push
Bloomberg Government January 23, 2019 by Emily Wilkins
Students at Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre enter their school building through a shed, a safety precaution in case part of the school’s crumbling façade falls at the wrong moment. Two elementary schools closed in Arizona after the district found structural defects that could pose safety risks to students. And in Baltimore, students wore coats to class after heaters broke. Some schools didn’t bother to open. “It’s hard to educate people in schools that are crumbling,” said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who introduced a $100 billion school infrastructure bill in 2017 that was co-sponsored by 119 House Democrats but stalled in the GOP-run House. “In a lot of areas that’s unfortunately what’s happening.” With the new Democratic majority this year, Scott holds the gavel of the House Education and Labor Committee and plans hearings to show the need for better buildings and how many jobs can be created. Infrastructure is also a major priority for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). They’ll need to persuade Republicans who traditionally view school buildings as a state and local responsibility.
https://about.bgov.com/blog/crumbling-schools-spur-democrats-renew-infrastructure-push/
N.Y.S. Legislature passes bill scrapping use of student test scores in evaluating teachers
Daily News By KENNETH LOVETT | ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF |JAN 23, 2019 | 3:45 PM
ALBANY— How students perform on state standardized tests will no longer be a required factor in assessing the work of teachers. The state Legislature on Wednesday voted to eliminate a provision that required that a significant percentage of a teacher’s evaluation be based on student achievement test scores, a change the powerful teachers unions have pushed for years. The bill, which Gov. Cuomo is expected to sign, would make the use of test scores optional for local districts. Test scores were linked with evaluations in 2015, when Cuomo and the Legislature agreed to enact a statewide teacher evaluation system. The teachers unions and many parents quickly objected, with scores of kids opting out of taking the statewide assessment tests given to kids in third through eighth grade. The state Education Department had implemented a moratorium that had delayed the mandatory use of the student test scores in evaluating teachers until after the 2020 school year as lawmakers pushed to permanently scrap the provision.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-pol-teacher-test-scores-evaluation-20190123-story.html
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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