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
In 2016-17, taxpayers
in Senate Ed Committee member .@SenatorBrowne’s
districts had to send over $9.5 million to chronically underperforming cybers
that locally elected school boards never authorized. SB34 (Schwank) could
change that. Data source: PDE via @PSBA
“Cyber-charter
school tuition bills harm both taxpayers and students who remain in district
schools,” the group’s executive director, Susan Spicka, said in a statement.
“When a student and his tuition go to a cyber charter school, not all of the
student’s cost leaves the district school. For example, the school district
doesn’t pay less for heat or for maintaining buildings and grounds when some
students leave the district. When a handful of students in each grade leave,
the district can’t cut teachers to reduce costs without significantly raising
class sizes or eliminating courses. As a result, school districts are often
forced to raise property taxes, increase class sizes, or cut educational
programs in order to pay cyber school tuition bills.”
New report claims
$250M savings from cyber-charter funding reform
PA Capital Star By John L.
Micek February 18, 2019
A progressive advocacy group says fixing the way Pennsylvania funds
cyber-charter schools would save the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars
a year, cut down on waste at the schools, and improve student outcomes. The
group, Education Voters of Pa., says
it wants lawmakers to set a statewide tuition rate for the online schools at a
flat $5,000, per-student. Right
now, tuition payments to the cyber-charters can range from $7,300 to more
than $40,000/student each year, the report claims, at an annual cost of more
than $463 million. The $5,000, per-pupil rate could “be adjusted annually as
education costs rise over time. For a special education rate for cyber charter
schools, we recommend using the special education formula to create a weighted
average and applying that weighted average to the base rate. This yields a
tuition rate of $8,865,” the report recommends. Making the fix would save the
state more than $250 million a year, the report concludes.
Did
you catch our Presidents Day Holiday postings?
In 2018, PA Students
First PAC spent $4,838,500 on political contributions primarily in support of
school privatization candidates
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy
Roundup Feb. 18, 2019
Blogger
note: Three and half million of that $4.8 went to the Commonwealth Leaders Fund,
a conservative political action committee with ties to Pennsylvania’s
Commonwealth Foundation; historically pro-privatization. Here’s a piece
covering that PAC.
Dark
Money Group Drops $100,000 into Jeremy Shaffer’s Senate RaceRaging Chicken Press October 8, 2018 Sean Kitchen
The Commonwealth Leaders Fund, a conservative political action committee with ties to a web of dark money organizations, dropped $100,000 into Jeremy Shaffer’s campaign on August 8th. The donation to Shaffer’s campaign came at the same time when the Commonwealth Leaders Fund conducted a poll showing Scott Wagner and Lou Barletta within two to three points of Tom Wolf and Bob Casey. Campaign finance reporting shows that the organization first started accepting contributions in 2017. The first big contributions came from Howard Rich, a Philadelphia based real estate investor who founded U.S. Term Limits, and David Barnsfeld, the former chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation. Both of these men gave the organization $20,000. Earlier this year, Gerald Alexander, a professor at the University of Virginia and former scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, gave $50,000 to the Commonwealth Leaders Fund. Then over the summer, Commonwealth Leaders Fund received $2.75 million from Students First, a pro-charter school committee with ties to Philadelphia area hedge fund managers and Betsy DeVos’ American Federation of Children. Other notable contributions came from Charles Mitchell, who is president of the Commonwealth Foundation and a trustee for the Fairness Center, and Matt Brouillette, the former Vice President of the Commonwealth Foundation and the founder of the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs. It should be noted that David Barnsfeld and Jeffrey Kendall, the chairman of the Commonwealth Leaders Fund, are both trustees with the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
Charter schools left
out of Gov. Tom Wolf's plan to boost starting teachers salaries
Jacqueline
Palochko Contact
Reporter Of The Morning Call February
18, 2019
At Executive Education Academy Charter School in Allentown, almost 20
teachers make $44,000 — the starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s
degree at that school. If Executive Education was a school district, and not a
charter school, those teachers — about 17 percent of the entire teaching staff
— would be paid more under Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal
to increase the minimum starting salary for teachers to $45,000. But while
Executive Education and nearly every other Lehigh Valley charter school pays
under $45,000, charter school teachers wouldn’t benefit from Wolf’s proposal
even if it passes the state Legislature. That’s because Pennsylvania’s Charter
School Law does not mandate charter schools, which are public schools, to
follow the minimum salary section in the Pennsylvania School Code. “It’s a
shame that we’re not included,” said Bob Lysek, Executive Education school’s
executive officer. “It puts us at a disadvantage.” Under Wolf’s proposal, 180
school districts would receive money from the state to boost their starting
salary to $45,000. Officials estimate doing that will cost $14 million
statewide. The proposal, labeled a “game-changer” by Wolf in his Feb. 5 budget
address, would apply to nearby districts such as Pennridge and Palisades in
Bucks County, Lehighton Area and Panther Valley in Carbon County, East
Stroudsburg in Monroe County and all 12 districts in Schuylkill County.
How much could your
school district and taxpayers save if there were statewide flat tuition rates
of $5000 for regular ed students and $8865 for special ed.? See the estimated
savings by school district here.
Education Voters PA Website February 14, 2019
Blogger
note: over the next several days we will continue rolling out cyber charter
tuition expenses for taxpayers in education committee members and legislative
leadership districts.
In 2016-17, taxpayers
in Senate Ed Committee member .@SenatorBrowne’s districts had to
send over $9.5 million to chronically underperforming cybers that locally
elected school boards never authorized. SB34 (Schwank) could change that. Data
source: PDE via @PSBA
|
Allentown City
SD
|
$4,731,095.00
|
|
East Penn SD
|
$1,394,388.41
|
|
Northern Lehigh
SD
|
$593,611.31
|
|
Northwestern
Lehigh SD
|
$348,561.53
|
|
Parkland SD
|
$1,341,981.46
|
|
Salisbury
Township SD
|
$141,197.56
|
|
Southern Lehigh
SD
|
$1,013,227.15
|
|
Total:
|
$9,564,062.42
|
Bipartisan, bicameral interest in saving our 500 PA school districts up to $450M/year.
SB34 @SenJudySchwank, (D-11 Berks) referred to Senate Education Committee January 11, 2019:
“Under my legislation, a district that offers a cyber program equal in scope and content to the cyber charter school will not be responsible for the tuition costs. Instead, tuition costs will be treated in cyber situations the same as they are when resident students attend non-district brick-and-mortar schools.”
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2019&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0034 …
House Education Committee Chairman Curtis Sonney (R-4, Erie) co-sponsorship memo dated Feb. 5, 2019::
“I am preparing to introduce legislation that will require a student or the student’s parent/guardian to pay for the student’s education in a cyber school if the student’s school district of residence offers a full-time cyber education program”
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20190&cosponId=28226 …
Ask your state
lawmakers to support REAL cyber charter school funding reform that will save at
least $250 million in taxpayer money.
Action Network by Education Voters February 2019Every year school districts struggle to balance their budgets because state funding comes up short. The time has come for lawmakers to reform Pennsylvania’s charter school law so that school district payments to cyber charter schools match the actual cost of educating a child at home on a computer. This will help control property tax increases and reduce pressure on school districts to cut teachers and programs by keeping school funding in local public schools instead of driving it into cyber charter schools, where much of this money would be wasted instead of spent educating children. Cyber charter schools are privately-operated, publicly funded schools that educate students at home on a computer. In Pennsylvania they are authorized by the state and funded by school districts, which are mandated by law to pay 100% of the tuition charged for each student who lives in the district and attends a cyber school.
In the “Compassionate City,” governmental unity has helped to reduce child poverty rates.
Christopher Huffaker CHUFFAKER@POST-GAZETTE.COM Michael M. Santiago MSANTIAGO@POST-GAZETTE.COM February 18, 2019
Mark Pence, 25, went to seven high schools before earning his diploma,
between stints in juvenile detention and mental hospitals. When he was 8 years
old, he stabbed a classmate. He spent part of his childhood living in his
mother’s car, and saw his father go to prison when he was a teenager. In 2010,
while in detention, he told his mother he was ready to drop out of high school,
he said. He decided to make one last attempt, and he registered at Liberty High
School, in Louisville, Ky., an alternative school for underperforming students,
where he began visiting the school’s Family Resource Center nearly every day.
“Liberty for me was really what saved my life,” said Mr. Pence. Today, he has
college credits and a job — in part, he believes, because of the help available
in his hometown. Those school-based social service centers, affectionately
known as “friskies,” for Family Resource and Youth Services Centers of KY
(FRYSCKy), are one of many examples of unified services in the Louisville area
— a stark contrast to the fragmented structure of southwestern Pennsylvania —
enabled by a city-county government, a unified school district, and a concerted
push by local leadership to address social issues head-on. The Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette series Growing up through the Cracks, launched in January, is
exploring how our region’s fragmented government contributes to the persistence
of pockets of very high child poverty, including a dozen communities of size in
which half of all kids are growing up in impoverished households. Louisville,
with one metro government and two school districts, stands in stark contrast.
Editorial: Can tax on violent video games
fund safer schools?
Delco Times Editorial February 19, 2019
Everybody wants safer schools. They are, after all, the spot where our
most precious resources, our children, spend the bulk of their day. The problem
with most school safety proposals, as it is with every other education issue,
is paying for it. Now one Delaware County state rep thinks he knows where to
find the money to beef up school safety programs. Rep. Chris Quinn, R-168 of
Middletown, wants to slap a 10 percent tax on violent video games. You read it
right. A Republican in Harrisburg is calling for a new tax. Quinn actually has
floated two different proposals, HB2704 and 2705, that would enact the 10
percent levy on video games labeled “mature” or “adult only.” Quinn believes
the measure could raise as much as $3.5 million. That’s a lot of school
security. Quinn’s measure addresses several crucial issues involving schools,
young people and taxes. First off, Quinn is well aware of the mounting burden
on taxpayers who struggle under the weight of increasing property taxes, which
provide the bulk of education funding in Pennsylvania. He does not want to add
to that burden. He does, however, want to make schools safer.
When it comes to
travel, Pittsburgh Public school board leads the pack
MATT MCKINNEY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mmckinney@post-gazette.com FEB 18, 2019
School districts across the region routinely spend hundreds and often
times thousands of dollars each year so that board members can travel to
conferences to stay on top of the latest financial, legal and policy
developments in public education. A review of travel expenses by school boards
in Allegheny County found that the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ board far
outpaces other local boards in attending out-of-state conferences, at a cost of
at least $43,500 for all travel over the past two years. The amount that
Pittsburgh Public spent is a tiny fraction of the district’s $650 million
budget, but the travel expense is more than that spent by the next eight
highest-spending school districts combined. In March 2017, four Pittsburgh
Public board members flew to Denver for the National School Boards
Association’s annual conference, at total cost of about $3,000 each. The
three-day program held at the Colorado Convention Center offered more than 250
workshop sessions in areas such as advocacy, student achievement and how to
work with superintendents. Retired astronaut Scott Kelly and media mogul Ariana
Huffington each gave 90-minute speeches, according to the event schedule. Members
have also traveled to conferences in cities such as Baltimore, Boston, Chicago,
Jacksonville, Fla., Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Orlando, Washington
D.C., along with in-state trips to Harrisburg, Hershey and Mechanicsburg,
records show.
Hundreds of Educators
Hold 'Teach-In' to Protest Detention of Immigrant Children
Education Week By Madeline Will on February 18, 2019 11:12 AM
Hundreds of educators protested the United States' treatment of immigrant
children in a "teach-in" on Sunday, saying that as mandatory
reporters, they are obliged to speak out against detainment and family
separations. The teach-in, held in El Paso, Texas, was organized by Mandy
Manning, the 2018 National Teacher of the Year, who teaches newly arrived
refugee and immigrant students in Washington state. Educators from Mexico and
across the U.S.—the goal was one from every state—joined for a day of speeches,
songs, and lessons on immigration. Former U.S. Secretary of Education John King
and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten were also there
to speak. "I think that as an educator particularly, any time a kid comes
into my classroom—any child from wherever they are, whoever they are, wherever
they were born, or who their family is—I love them and welcome them and see the
endless potential in them," Manning said in an interview. "I don't
really see [this event] as political. I see it as demanding that we treat
everyone with dignity and respect and honor them and welcome them."
“Teachers
are striking over an omnibus education bill that would boost teacher pay by 5
percent, but includes provisions fiercely opposed by many teachers, including
the expansion of charter schools and the establishment of education savings
accounts, which allow students to use public money for private education.”
West Virginia
Teachers Are Going on Strike Again
Education Week By Madeline Will on February 18, 2019 7:46 PM
Almost one year after West Virginia teachers across the state went on
strike for nine days, the teachers' unions in the state have called for another
statewide work stoppage. Teachers will walk out of their classrooms on Tuesday,
leaders of the West Virginia Education Association, the state's chapter of
the American Federation of Teachers, and the West Virginia School Service
Personnel Association announced in a Monday press conference. By Monday
evening, all but one of the state's 55 school districts announced they would be
closed Tuesday. Teachers are striking over an
omnibus education bill that would boost teacher pay by 5 percent, but includes
provisions fiercely opposed by many teachers, including the expansion of
charter schools and the establishment of education savings accounts, which
allow students to use public money for private education. (The accounts would
be for students with special needs and for students who
have been bullied.) Gov. Jim Justice has pledged to veto the bill if it arrives
on his desk. The state House of Delegates scaled back many of the controversial
provisions last week. But on Monday, state senators introduced an amendment to
create up to 1,000 education savings accounts and up to seven charter
schools, according
to the West Virginia Metro News. The
amendment hasn't yet passed, but teachers' union officials said they felt like
they were not being listened to by lawmakers.
Do you know how the Governor's proposed budget will impact your school? Do you know how you can effectively advocate for as much funding as possible? Grab a sandwich and join PA Schools Work on February 26 at noon as we unpack the Governor's budget and learn how to be an effective advocate for our schools and students.
What You Need to Know to be an Effective Advocate
During this hour, PA Schools Work's seasoned experts will walk you through the Governor's proposed budget allocation for education and what it means to you and your school. During this hour, we will also hone in on the tools and tips you need to ensure that you are making the biggest impact with your advocacy efforts. Join us to make sure you are equipped with all you need to know. Knowledge is power!
PSBA Members - Register for
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. 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 PSBA Advocacy Day now at http://www.mypsba.org/
PSBA members
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
or call her at (717) 506-2450, ext. 3420
Board Presidents’ Panel
Learn, discuss, and practice problem solving with school leader peers
facing similar or applicable challenges. Workshop-style discussions will be
facilitated and guided by PSBA experts. With the enormous challenges facing
schools today, effective and knowledgeable board leadership is essential to
your productivity and performance as a team of ten.
Locations & Dates
Due to
inclement weather, some dates have been rescheduled. The updated schedule is
below.
Feb. 21, 2019 — Danville Area High School (Section 3)(Rescheduled from
Jan. 31)
Feb. 28, 2019 — St. Marys Area High School (Section 2)(Rescheduled from
Jan. 31)
Mar. 28, 2019 — Crawford Cty CTC (Section 1)(Rescheduled from Jan. 30)
School safety and security is a complex, multi-perspective topic impacting school entities in dramatic ways. This complimentary PSBA member meeting featured in ten locations will offer essential updates and information on Safe2Say reporting, suicide awareness related to student safety, school climate, and emergency preparedness planning. Representatives from the Attorney General’s office, PEMA, and a top expert in behavioral health will be presenting. Updates on legislation impacting your schools will be presented by PSBA staff. Connect with the experts, have your questions answered, and network with other members.
Locations and Dates
Section Meetings are 6-8 p.m. (across all locations).
Register online by logging in to myPSBA.
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/
Indiana Area School District Safety & Security Symposium March 15, 2019
Indiana Area School District Website
Background: It’s 2019, and school safety has catapulted as one of the top priorities for school districts around the country. With an eye toward providing educators with various resources and opportunities specific to Pennsylvania, the Indiana Area School District -- in collaboration with Indiana University of Pennsylvania, PA Representative Jim Struzzi, and as well as Indiana County Tourist Bureau-- is hosting a FREE safety and security symposium on March 15, 2019. This safety and security exchange will provide information that benefits all stakeholders in your education community: administrators, board members, and staff members alike. Presenters offer valuable resources to help prepare your organization to continue the discussion on safety and security in our schools. Pre-registration is required, and you will be invited to choose the breakout sessions that you feel will have the most impact in your professional learning on these various topics, as well as overall impact on your District’s systems of operations. Please take time to review the various course breakout sessions and their descriptions. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and learn.
How to Register: Participants attending the Safety Symposium on March 15, 2019, will have the option to select a maximum of 4 breakout sessions to attend on this day. Prior to the breakout sessions, attendees will hear opening remarks from former Secretary of Education - Dr. Gerald Zahorchak. We want to empower the attendees to exercise their voice and choice in planning their day! Please review the various break out session descriptions by clicking on the "Session Descriptions" on the right-hand side of this page. On that page, you will be able to review the sessions offered that day and register for the symposium.
https://www.iasd.cc/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1491839&type=d&pREC_ID=1637670
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
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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