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
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
“It’s also time to stop kicking the can
down the road on charter funding reform. Pennsylvania’s charter law needs an
overhaul, including setting the bar higher for charter operators. It’s not
about district schools versus charter schools. It’s about high-quality schools,
period. The Commonwealth’s charter funding model needs to reflect that. One
example is the chronic underperformance of cyber charter schools, which are
costly to taxpayers and fail to deliver for students. Thirteen of the
Commonwealth’s 14 cyber charter schools are on the list of the lowest
performing schools in Pennsylvania. School district-operated cyber charters
perform better and operate at a fraction of the cost.
Another example is the special education
funding model for charters which does not differentiate based on the needs of
the students served. Even more alarming is the fact that it does not require
that those funds be used for their intended purpose. Something is fundamentally
wrong when monies designated to support some of our highest-need students can
be diverted without accountability. The General Assembly should right
this wrong when the special education formula is updated this year.”
A call to action from Pennsylvania’s urban school
superintendents
York Daily Record
Opinion by Eric Holmes Published 1:17 p.m. ET April 11, 2019
This op-ed was
co-authored by 12 of Pennsylvania’s large, urban school superintendents:
Dr. William R. Hite, The School District of Philadelphia; Thomas Parker,
Allentown School District; Dr. Samuel Lee, Bensalem Township School District;
Dr. Joseph Roy, Bethlehem Area School District; Dr. Juan R. Baughn,
Chester Upland School District; Amy Arcurio, Greater Johnstown School District;
Dr. Sybil Knight-Burney, Harrisburg School District; Dr. Damaris Rau,
School District of Lancaster; Dr. Anthony Hamlet, Pittsburgh Public
Schools; Steven Rodriquez, Pottstown School District; Dr. Khalid Mumin, Reading
School District; and Dr. Eric Holmes, School District of the City of York.
There is a lot of
talk in Harrisburg, from Republicans and Democrats, about growing
Pennsylvania’s economy. They agree on some approaches such as infrastructure
investment and workforce development, and diverge on others such as college
affordability and higher wages. The end game is largely the same -- bringing
jobs and investments to the Commonwealth and building wealth for Pennsylvania
citizens. Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, one thing is clear:
For Pennsylvania to prosper, its largest cities must thrive. As school
superintendents from the Commonwealth’s largest urban areas, our 12 school
districts are responsible for educating one in every seven children in
Pennsylvania’s public schools. That means one of every seven future workers,
business owners and entrepreneurs who graduate from Pennsylvania’s public
schools is in one of our classrooms today. The success of Pennsylvania’s
pro-growth strategy - and its future - will be determined by the quality of
education we provide, and the quality of education that Harrisburg is willing
to invest in.
PA STATE CONSTITUTION EDUCATION PROVISIONS
·
“The General
Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and
efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.”
Pa. Const. art. 3, § 14.
·
“No money raised
for the support of the public schools of the Commonwealth shall be appropriated
to or used for the support of any sectarian school.” Pa. Const. art. 3, § 15.
·
“[T]he General
Assembly shall not pass any local or special law: 1. Regulating the affairs of
counties, cities, townships, wards, boroughs or school districts.” Pa. Const.
art. 3, § 32.
Blogger Commentary: The legislature did
a great job developing a basic education funding formula a couple years
back. However, the formula only applies
to new appropriations. It may take 20 years for students in our high poverty
districts to receive the funding they need as prescribed in the legislature’s
own formula. Instead
of helping to fund the formula, the state’s EITC and OSTC programs currently divert
up to $210 million in tax dollars annually to private and religious schools, including
prestigious Main Line private schools.
There are virtually no fiscal or student performance accountability
reporting requirements under the EITC and OSTC programs, which are run by the PA
Department of Community and Economic Development.
EITC/OSTC: Guest Column: Bill would deliver education
help for those who need it most
Delco Times Opinion
by By Rev. Charles Chaput Times Guest Columnist April 10, 2019
The Rev. Charles J. Chaput is archbishop of Philadelphia.
The lack of a
quality education is a chronic problem for persons in poverty, severely
limiting their future. Once stuck in poverty, it’s very hard for anyone to
escape due to the lack of skills needed to secure and hold employment. This
makes education a vital issue for Pennsylvania politics, including our
metropolitan region. While Philadelphia has some of the best performing schools
in the Commonwealth, unfortunately, we also have some of the most troubled. Despite
the efforts of many excellent teachers and administrators, many Philadelphia
District public schools are on the Commonwealth’s list of most challenged
learning environments. The children who attend these schools are overwhelmingly
poor and from minority backgrounds. Their chances of finding a way out of
poverty as they mature are slim. Catholic social teaching is built on a
commitment to the poor. Few things are more important to people in poverty than
ensuring their children’s education as a path to a better life. If the future
of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania depends on an educated, productive public –
and it obviously does – then providing every means to ensure a good education
system becomes a matter of justice. Prudent lawmakers from both major parties
have understood this for years. They need to feel our support in the voting
booth and throughout their public service. The point is this: Proper funding
for public schools is clearly important. But experience has already shown that
this can’t be the only strategy because it doesn’t work for many of the
students who most urgently need a good education. It’s therefore vital that our
elected officials serve the education needs of the poor by also supporting
school choice.
EITC/OSTC: Reprise February 2019: Boon or ‘black hole’?
Pa. private school scholarship program considered for major expansion
WHYY/Keystone
Crossroads By Avi Wolfman-Arent February 21, 2019
A tax-break program
that routes millions to Pennsylvania private schools could grow much larger if
a new bill becomes law. The proposal has powerful support in the State Senate,
but Governor Tom Wolf’s spokesman calls it an “unfunded mandate.” At issue is
one of the state’s signature school choice programs, one that already provides
nearly 50,000 students with scholarships to attend private schools. Through the
Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and the Opportunity
Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program, Pennsylvania offers a maximum of $210
million in tax credits.
Blogger note: Total cyber charter tuition
paid by PA taxpayers from 500 school districts for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016
was over $1.6 billion; $393.5 million, $398.8 million, $436.1 million and
$454.7 million respectively. We
will continue rolling out cyber charter tuition expenses for taxpayers in
education committee members, legislative leadership and various other
districts.
In 2016-17, taxpayers
in Senate Majority Leader .@JakeCorman’s school districts in Blair, Centre,
Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin & Perry Counties had to
send over $6.3 million to chronically underperforming cybers that they never
authorized. #SB34 (Schwank) or #HB526 (Sonney) could change that. Data source: PDE via .@PSBA
Links to additional bill information and several resources have been
moved to the end of today’s postings
|
Bald
Eagle Area SD
|
$167,474.06
|
|
Bellefonte
Area SD
|
$652,488.93
|
|
Greenwood
SD
|
$369,748.03
|
|
Huntingdon
Area SD
|
$324,042.39
|
|
Juniata
County SD
|
$830,192.87
|
|
Juniata
Valley SD
|
$188,316.99
|
|
Keystone
Central SD
|
$1,077,260.40
|
|
Mifflin
County SD
|
$449,239.26
|
|
Mount
Union Area SD
|
$410,764.19
|
|
Penns
Valley Area SD
|
$237,235.29
|
|
Philipsburg-Osceola
Area SD
|
$697,580.57
|
|
State
College Area SD
|
$578,985.29
|
|
Tyrone
Area SD
|
$345,128.97
|
|
|
$6,328,457.24
|
Has your state
senator cosponsored SB34?
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2019&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=34
Has your state
representative cosponsored HB526?
Allentown second grader to Gov. Tom Wolf: ‘When can you
start fixing our school?’
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO | THE MORNING CALL | APR 11, 2019 | 8:01 PM
When Dodd
Elementary in south Allentown opened its doors in 1956, it was considered one
of the district’s most modern schools because it was handicap accessible and
included an elevator. But more than 60 years later, little has changed. A
number of classrooms, some that haven’t seen a coat of fresh paint in more than
30 years, remain the industrial blue or green familiar to many baby boomers.
Superintendent Thomas Parker said the building has a “number of needs.” Second
grader Ashley Cabral-Taveras learns in a classroom that needs its windows and
paint upgraded. As she sat on the floor of a classroom with flaking paint on
Thursday afternoon with her classmates, she had a question for Gov. Tom Wolf as
he toured her school building. “When can you start fixing our school?” Ashley,
7, asked the governor. Wolf told Ashley he’s working on it by seeking statewide
support for his Restore Pennsylvania initiative, a four-year $4.5 billion
infrastructure plan that would be funded by projected future tax revenues on
natural gas companies and would fix schools like Dodd. Wolf toured Dodd on
Thursday afternoon to outline his plan.
Pa. colleges given a grim forecast for future enrollments
BILL SCHACKNER Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette bschackner@post-gazette.com APR 11, 2019
Pennsylvania, no
stranger to dire demographic news, received more of it Wednesday in a forecast
about future college-going rates in this state and nationally that could be
summarized in two words: Buckle Up. That said, an impending drop approaching 15
percent over five years starting in 2026 will be felt differently by different
types of institutions, said Nathan Grawe, a labor economist and expert on demographic trends. He told a legislative hearing in
Harrisburg that a birth rate decline following the Great Recession of 2008 will
begin to affect campuses that year, exacerbating other population trends that
already are a drag on enrollment in the Northeast and Midwest. Mr. Grawe
specializes in effects that population trends including migration have on
colleges. His 2018 book, “Demographics
and the Demand for Higher Education,” may well keep some admissions directors up at night.
Butler County state House district sees rare two-party
election contest
JULIAN ROUTH Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette jrouth@post-gazette.com APR 11, 2019
For the first time
in more than a decade, voters in the state House district encompassing the city
of Butler will see candidates from both major parties on their ballots
this May. That's because — as with many political opportunities across
Pennsylvania that were once considered out of reach for anyone but a Republican
— Democrats are throwing their hats in the ring. As a result, the special
election May 21 for the 11th state House District will pit a longtime
Republican committeewoman, Marci Mustello, against a pro-union, pro-gun
Democrat, Sam Doctor, in a race to replace Republican Brian Ellis, who resigned
the seat in March following accusations of sexual assault.
Indiana paid for thousands of students who never earned
credits at virtual charter schools
Chalkbeat BY SHAINA
CAVAZOS - 14 HOURS AGO
Last year nearly
2,000 students never earned a single credit across Indiana’s six virtual
charter schools, according to new data — even though most of them were enrolled
nearly all year and the schools received funding to educate them. That works
out to almost $10 million in state funding paid to the online schools for
students who didn’t complete any work or got failing grades in their classes. The
majority of those students attended Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual
Pathways Academy, two schools at
risk of losing their charters amid allegations
raised in February by
their authorizer that they enrolled
thousands of students who
did not complete or sign up for courses, among other issues with test
administration and serving
students with disabilities. But the
course completion data, self-reported by schools and provided to Chalkbeat by
the state education department, shows that other Indiana virtual charter
schools also enroll hundreds of students who never earn credits. With online
schools, it’s easy for students to sign up and fall through the cracks,
possibly losing semesters of their education or not graduating.
“It is alarming
that this many students are literally earning zero credits,” said Brandon
Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, a nonprofit that advocates for charter schools
but has been critical of virtual schools. “It raises very serious questions, in
particular around how these schools are being held accountable.
“Pennsylvania: William Penn et al. v. PA
Dept. of Ed
Six families and six school
districts filed a lawsuit that charges that state funding for education is
inadequate and not equitable. Trial is set to begin in 2020.”
Do lawsuits have a good track record in forcing education
reforms?
ERICA BRYANT | ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE April 11, 2019
Around the country,
educational advocates are taking the fight for decent schools to
court.
Such suits can make
a difference, said Michael Rebell, co-founder of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. In 2006, this nonprofit organization won the landmark CFE v.
New York lawsuit, resulting in a state commitment to spend billions
more on education statewide. The state has not fully fulfilled its
CFE commitment and Rebell has returned to court with another lawsuit.
"We are trying to keep the pressure on," he said. Though litigation can be a long road, it
can lead to lasting change. Rebell points to the Abbott v. Burke
lawsuit filed in 1981, on behalf of children in 28 poorer school districts in
New Jersey. It charged that the state's school funding law was unconstitutional
because it caused major disparities between poor and wealthy districts. As a
result of the suit, New Jersey's high-needs districts, on average, get more
resources per capita than its wealthy districts. "I can't think of any
other state in the country where that is true," Rebell said.
Electing PSBA Officers – Application Deadline is May 31st
Do you have strong
communication and leadership skills and a vision for PSBA? Members interested
in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to submit
an Application for Nomination no later than May 31 to PSBA's Leadership Development
Committee (LDC).
The nomination
process: All persons seeking nomination for elected positions of the
Association shall file with the Leadership Development Committee chairperson
an Application
for Nomination (.PDF) on a form to be provided by the Association expressing interest in the
office sought. The Application for nomination shall be marked received at PSBA
Headquarters or mailed first class and postmarked no later than the application
deadline specified in the timeline established by the Governing Board to be
considered timely-filed.” (PSBA Bylaws, Article IV, Section 6.E.). Application Deadline: May 31, 2019
Open positions are:
- 2020 President-Elect (one-year term)
- 2020 Vice President (one-year term)
- 2020-22 Central At-Large
Representative – includes Sections 2, 3, 6, and 7 (three-year
term)
- 2020-21 Sectional Advisors – includes Sections
1, 3, 5 and 7 (two-year term)
Success Starts Here is a multi-year public awareness campaign
sharing positive news in PA public education.
.@PSBA .@PasaSupts .@PAIU .@PenSPRA1 .@PSEA .@PAPRINCIPALS .@SuccessStartsPA Read more stories and share your own on http://www.SuccessStartsHere.org .
Together we can harness the power of all to make a difference in our schools and communities! Hear from the experts and learn how to advocate! Free breakfast & givewaways. Don't miss out!
Sponsored by Norristown Men of Excellence, The Urban League of Philadelphia & PA Schools Work.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/norristown-parents-students-for-education-tickets-59590097586
PSBA: Nominations for
the Allwein Society are welcome!
The Allwein Society is an award program recognizing school directors who
are outstanding leaders and advocates on behalf of public schools and students.
This prestigious honor was created in 2011 in memory of Timothy M. Allwein, a
former PSBA staff member who exemplified the integrity and commitment to
advance political action for the benefit of public education. Nominations are
accepted year-round and inductees will be recognized at the PASA-PSBA
School Leadership Conference, among other honors.
PSBA: 2019 State of
Education report now online
PSBA Website February 19, 2019
The 2019 State of Education report is
now available on PSBA.org in PDF format. The report is a barometer of not only
the key indicators of public school performance, but also the challenges
schools face and how they are coping with them. Data reported comes from
publicly available sources and from a survey to chief school administrators,
which had a 66% response rate. Print copies of the report will be mailed to
members soon.
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
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
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/
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
PSBA Tweet March
12, 2019 Video Runtime: 6:40
In this installment of #VideoEDition, learn about legislation
introduced in the PA Senate & House of Representatives that would save millions
of dollars for school districts that make tuition payments for their students
to attend cyber charter schools.http://ow.ly/RyIM50n1uHi
PSBA Summaries of Senate Bill 34 and House Bill 526
PSBA Sample Board Resolution in Support of Statewide
Cyber Charter School Funding Reform
PSBA Sample Board Resolution in Support of Senate Bill 34
and House Bill 256
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
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2019&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=34
Has your state representative cosponsored HB526?
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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