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
HB800: According to
DCED, in FY16-17, Episcopal Academy, an elite main line private school in
suburban Philadelphia, received $956,603 in diverted tax dollars through the
EITC program
Happy Friday! Just a
heads-up that there will be no PA Ed Policy Roundup on Monday since we will be
joining over 200 school leaders for Advocacy Day at the Capitol in
Harrisburg. Hope to see you there!
On the commentary front, on
Monday the House Ed Committee is slated to vote on HB800,
a massive expansion of private and religious school vouchers through the EITC
and OSTC tax credit programs, currently funded up to $210 million annually.
Some lawmakers believe
that providing an additional $100 million per year to pay wealthy families’
private school tuition bills in places that they don’t represent is more important
than putting $100 million in additional funding through the Legislature’s
funding formula to fund schools in their own legislative districts.
For example, according to DCED, in FY16-17, elite main line private
school Episcopal Academy in suburban Philadelphia received $956,603 in diverted
tax dollars. We will keep you posted…
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 House Ed Committee member .@RepMadden’s school
districts in Monroe County had to send over $11.3 million to chronically underperforming
cybers that they never authorized. #SB34 (Schwank) or
#HB526 (Sonney) could change that.Data source: PDE via .@PSBA
|
East
Stroudsburg Area SD
|
$3,157,698.04
|
|
Pocono
Mountain SD
|
$5,976,724.34
|
|
Stroudsburg
Area SD
|
$2,243,575.72
|
|
|
$11,377,998.10
|
Links to additional bill information and several resources have been
moved to the end of today’s postings
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?
In face of parents’ objections, Philly school board holds
off charter school moving to East Falls
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna and Kristen A. Graham, Updated: April 25, 2019- 10:44 PM
The Philadelphia
Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to indefinitely postpone a
decision on a proposed move by Laboratory Charter School to East Falls. The School
District had recommended the relocation, which it said would benefit the
charter financially. But it was hotly
contested by East Falls parents who said the school never informed the community of its plans, and
questioned why another charter was being permitted to open in a neighborhood
where the traditional public elementary school has available seats. Board
president Joyce Wilkerson said the move’s benefits to the charter students,
staff, and families were clear. But, she said, “it is equally clear that there
has not been enough planning and thought put into making sure this move will
work for the community into which this school intends to locate." “We
intend to operate one system of public schools. We cannot look at each decision
in isolation,” Wilkerson said at the board meeting. She proposed delaying the
decision to gather additional information about the charter’s intended
relocation, including its potential impact on Thomas Mifflin Elementary. The
board’s vote was unanimous. It had received a petition with more than 600
signatures and heard testimony against the charter’s relocation.
Allentown School Board says ‘no’ to borrowing money for
broke district
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO | THE MORNING CALL | APR 25, 2019 | 9:47 PM
The Allentown
School Board has voted against the cash-strapped district borrowing $10 million
to stay afloat this year, a move in which Superintendent Thomas Parker warned
could lead to layoffs. Thursday night, the board voted 4-4 on adding $10
million to a bond the board was already planning on taking out for the $43
million elementary school being built on 12th and Gordon streets. Board
President Audrey Mathison was absent. Because the vote was a tie, the motion to
take out a loan failed. Directors Lisa Conover, Cheryl Johnson-Watts, Robert E.
Smith Jr. and Phoebe Harris voted against borrowing money. Board vice president
Elizabeth Martinez and directors Sara Brace, Charlie Thiel and Ce-Ce Gerlach
voted to borrow money. At a special meeting Monday night that lasted almost
five hours, district administrators said they were $7.6 million in the hole for
this school year because of spending more on salaries than was budgeted. The
district wanted the board to approve adding $10 million on a $25 million bond
for the elementary school. That extra money would be used for paying pension
obligations and for offsetting the 2019-20 deficit which is $28 million.
State suspends $10M in funding to Harrisburg schools
ABC27 By: Sarah Gisriel Posted: Apr 24, 2019 06:12 PM EDT Updated: Apr 24, 2019
11:26 PM
HARRISBURG, Pa.
(WHTM) - About $10 million in federal funding to the Harrisburg School District
has been suspended amid an ongoing audit by the state Department of Education. The
school district said the move came after a meeting Wednesday when
it received a list of 14 unanswered information requests. The
district agreed to comply with 13 of 14 information requests within 48
hours, which was extended to six days by the Education Department. At the end
of the meeting, the Education Department informed the district that the
federal funding was already suspended two hours before the meeting began. The
school district said the suspended funds represent about six percent of
its $150 million in annual revenues. Earlier this week, Pennsylvania Auditor
General Eugene DePasquale said he was "deeply troubled" by a
school board vote on April 15 to not cooperate with the audit, which began last
October.
Tax increase ahead in next U.D. schools budget
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin
ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com April 25, 2019
UPPER DARBY— School
taxes will go up again in Upper Darby for the next school year.
A proposed final
budget of $213.1 million with an $8.86 million deficit may be supported by a 3
percent tax increase if current figures holdover to a final vote by the school
board in June. The increase is lower than the 3.4 that was approved in the
2018-19 budget, then the highest such increase since the 2012-13 budget of 3.5
percent. The proposed 3 percent tax increase will bump the tax bill by $84 for
an averagely assessed home of $75,000, and bringing in a total $3.2 million of
revenue to the district. On top of the tax increase $5.7 million of fund
balance is projected to be used to cover the remaining shortfall. As they did
for the 2018-19 budget, .5 percent of the increase will generate $500,000 in
funds for its capital reserves budget for school improvements. Salary and
benefits account for $150 million, or 70 percent, of the total budget which
includes staffing requests for one lead teacher at the kindergarten center, two
instructional technology coaches and six classroom assistants at Highland Park
Elementary school. Five elementary guidance counselor positions will be
supported through federal Title 1 funds. Local sources will account for $112
million of the $207.4 million in revenue sources, the state contributing the
next largest chunk at $84 million.
Rural districts say state should reform school security
funding
WJAC by Marshall
Keely Wednesday, April 24th 2019
BELLWOOD, Pa.
(WJAC) -- Security is a top priority for school districts throughout the state,
but districts in rural areas say they are often at a disadvantage when funding
upgrades to school security. They're now asking the state to make a change. "Safety
is the number No. 1 concern. If we don't have that under control the learning
can't happen,” said Danny Webb, superintendent of the Everett Area School
District. Security upgrades can put schools in rural areas in a financial bind.
Many are forced to apply for state grants to assure student's safety. "We
only have a limited amount of resources and we need to be thoughtful and help
expend those resources,” said Dr. Thomas McInroy, superintendent of the
Bellwood-Antis School District. "A lot of the rural districts and smaller
school districts do not have the resources to go after these grants that are
very cumbersome,” Webb said. Webb says smaller districts don't have the funding
to hire grant writers, so superintendents take on the daunting task. "Larger
districts or districts that have full-time grant writers have an advantage,” he
said.
Springfield Delco HS alum donates $1 million to honor his
lunch lady mom, bus-driver mother-in-law
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Updated: April 25, 2019- 7:59 PM
Maybe you’ve
watched a game at the Kobe
Bryant Gymnasium at
Lower Merion High School or followed the recent fuss in Abington — home to the
Stephen A. Schwarzman Stadium, but where a proposal to rename
the entire senior high school for Schwarzman fell flat. But in 2020, the future NBA Hall
of Famer and President Donald Trump’s billionaire friend and adviser will get
some unlikely competition in the arena of school naming rights. That’s when the
new, $130 million Springfield High School will open its doors in Delaware
County boasting the Frances “Chickie” Giuffre Dining Center Complex and the
Katherine G. “Kay” Voglesong Bus Driver Commons Room. You may have never heard
of those women, but they were legends of a sort to the parade of baby boomers
and Gen X’ers who passed through Springfield’s corridors in the 1970s, ‘80s,
and ‘90s. Giuffre was known to all as the district’s “Cafeteria Mom,” who
whipped up a killer soup every day, while Voglesong was the take-no-guff driver
of Bus No. 7, who told you to put down the water gun or else.
8 ways to teach climate change in almost any classroom
WHYY/NPR By Anya
Kamenetz April 26,
2019
NPR/Ipsos conducted
a national poll recently and found that more than 8 in 10 teachers — and a similar
majority of parents — support teaching kids about climate change. But in
reality, it’s not always happening: Fewer than half of K-12 teachers told us
that they talk about climate change with their children or students. Again,
parents were about the same. The top reason that teachers gave in our poll for
not covering climate change? “It’s not related to the subjects I teach,” 65%
said. Yet at the same time, we also heard from teachers and education
organizations who are introducing the topic in subjects from
social studies to math to English language arts, and at every grade level, from
preschool on up. Source: NPR/Ipsos polls of 505 teachers conducted March 21-29.
The credibility interval for the overall sample is 5 percentage points. This
question was asked of the 55% of teachers who said that they do not teach
climate change. Respondents could select up to three answers. “Other” and
“Don’t know” responses not shown (Alyson Hurt/NPR) That raises the question:
Where does climate change belong in the curriculum, anyway? The “reality of
human-caused climate change” is mentioned in at least 36 state standards,
according to an analysis done for NPR Ed by Glenn Branch, the deputy director
at the National Center for Science Education. But it typically appears only
briefly — and most likely just in earth science classes in middle and high
school. And, Branch says, that doesn’t even mean that every student in those
states learns about it: Only two states require students to take earth or
environmental science classes to graduate from high school.
School Funding Briefing Thursday, May 23, 2019 6:30 –
8:00 PM
Drexel Hill Middle School, 3001 State Road, Drexel
Hill, PA 19026
In 2019, the Public
Interest Law Center is celebrating 50 years of fighting for justice, and preparing
for 50 more, through a series of 50th anniversary events.
As part of this
series, the Upper Darby School Board is pleased to host the Public Interest Law
Center at Drexel Hill Middle School on Thursday, May 23rd, for a School Funding
Briefing.
Pennsylvania has
the largest funding gap in the country between low-wealth and high-wealth
school districts. Pennsylvania is also ranked 46th in the share of funding that
comes from the state, leaving local taxpayers to take on rising costs. How did
we get here? At the briefing, you will learn the basics of education funding
and how it works in Pennsylvania, as well as ways you can get involved in
advocacy for fully funded public education. You will also learn about the
latest developments in the Law Center's school
funding lawsuit.
Afterward, you will
have a chance to meet Law Center attorneys working on this landmark case, as
well as mingle with other interested in Pennsylvania education.
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
PARSS
Annual Conference May 1-3, 2019Wyndham Garden Hotel, Mountainview Country Club
Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools
https://www.parss.org/Annual_Conference
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)
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.