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
If any of your colleagues would
like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and
affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com
PA Ed Policy Roundup for Jan. 23, 2020
“The deadline for a decision is approaching. Tuesday is the
first day that candidates can circulate petitions to get on the April 28
primary ballot. Feb. 18 is the deadline to file the petitions.”
Speculation grows about Mike Turzai’s future as
Pennsylvania House speaker
Inquirer by Marc Levy, Associated Press, Updated: January
22, 2020- 5:27 PM
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania House Speaker
Mike Turzai, the most prominent fiscal and social conservative in state
government, will hold a news conference Thursday amid speculation in the
Capitol this week that he will leave the powerful office after five years. Turzai,
a Republican, had repeatedly declined to comment this week on questions about
his future, and rank-and-file House Republicans say they have no information
from Turzai about what he will announce. The House Republican caucus issued a
news release Wednesday afternoon announcing the news conference in Turzai's
suburban Pittsburgh district, just after he ended the day's uneventful voting
session. Three people who say they have spoken with Turzai in recent days,
however, say he is expected to announce that he is leaving office or not running
again for his House seat, with a private-sector job offer waiting in the wings. The three people spoke to The Associated
Press on condition of anonymity to disclose private conversations with Turzai,
60, who has served in the House since 2001 and rose to become speaker in 2015
after four years as majority leader.
The company said to be making the offer, Bryn
Mawr-based water utility Aqua America Inc., which is closing on its $4.3
billion purchase of Pittsburgh-based natural gas utility Peoples on Feb. 3,
declined comment Wednesday through a spokesman.
Rumors swirl around Capitol as GOP House Speaker
schedules announcement
Lawmakers are speculating that Allegheny
County Rep. Mike Turzai plans to leave office.
WITF by Katie Meyer JANUARY 22, 2020 |
7:16 PM
(Harrisburg) – State House Speaker Mike Tuzai
has scheduled a press conference for Thursday morning, amid rumors that he
plans to resign. Turzai’s office did not provide details on what the top House
Republican will discuss Thursday, and the speaker declined repeated requests
for comments about his plans. But lawmakers, lobbyists and staffers in the
state Capitol say they’ve heard credible rumors he is stepping down. Rank-and-file
House Republicans said Turzai hasn’t shared his plans with the caucus, and
multiple members of the chamber’s GOP leadership team confirmed that the
speaker has been tight-lipped with them, too. Democrats said they are in the
same boat. But all said they have heard a similar theory — that Turzai may
announce his departure from the House, where he has served since 2001.
14 and counting: Here’s our map tracking 2020’s Pa.
legislative retirements
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek January 22,
2020
On Tuesday, state Rep. Mike Tobash,
R-Schuylkill, became the 14th member of the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives, and the 10th Republican lawmaker, to
announce that he’d decided against seeking re-election in November. Since this
flurry of retirement announcements began last year, the Capital-Star’s Stephen
Caruso has been mapping the districts of lawmakers who have decided that
another two-year term in the 203-member chamber just isn’t for them. The map
will be continuously updated as these announcements come over the transom.
“Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Turzai of
Allegheny County, have pushed for the growth of the tax-credit programs — the
larger of which grants $135 million a year in K-12 scholarships — citing unmet
demand from families and donors. Gov. Tom Wolf last year vetoed an
expansion of one of the programs, saying the
measure didn’t provide enough accountability for tax dollars. He ultimately
agreed to a smaller increase in the budget.”
U.S. Supreme Court hears landmark case over public
funding for religious schools. What does it mean for Pennsylvania?
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Updated: January 22, 2020-
5:57 PM
A widely watched case heard by the U.S.
Supreme Court on Wednesday pitting school-choice advocates against proponents
of public schools has been described by both sides as having potential to
profoundly reshape the national education landscape. Yet it is unclear to what
extent Espinoza vs. Montana Department of Revenue could affect
Pennsylvania. The case centers on the Montana Supreme Court’s decision to end a
state program that gave students scholarships to attend private schools. The
court based its decision on a state constitutional provision that bars
government money from going toward religious schools. Pennsylvania’s constitution
also restricts the use of public education funding for religious schools — and,
like Montana, has programs that award scholarships to students to attend
private schools.
Here’s what you need to know:
A Case in the Supreme Court Could Upend Public Education
The justices consider whether barring
subsidies to religious schools is a type of illegal discrimination.
The American Prospect BY RACHEL M. COHEN JANUARY 22, 2020
The Supreme Court has long held it’s legal
for states to include religious schools in their private-school voucher
programs. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on
Wednesday in a consequential case concerning how and whether taxpayer money can
flow to religious schools. Supporters of the plaintiffs hope a favorable
outcome could pave the way for more government subsidies to private schools,
while opponents say the future of public education hangs in the balance. The
case, Espinoza v. Montana
Department of Revenue, centers around a tax-credit
scholarship program the Montana legislature established in 2015. Under the
program, individuals who donate to nonprofits that award private-school tuition
grants could receive a modest tax credit up to $150. According to the advocacy
group, EdChoice, similar tax-credit scholarships exist in 17 other
states, serving over 270,000
students.
In Arguments, U.S. Supreme Court Leans Toward Support for
Religious School Aid
Education Week By Mark Walsh on January
22, 2020 2:39 PM
Washington - The U.S.
Supreme Court heard an intense hour of arguments Wednesday in one of the most
significant K-12 education cases in years, with conservative justices
suggesting they were inclined to rule for parents who seek to reinstate a
Montana tax credit funding scholarships for use at religious schools. "Why
isn't this excluding religious people, telling them that they're not entitled
to equal treatment under the Constitution," said Justice Brett M.
Kavanaugh in hearing the arguments on Espinoza v. Montana Department of
Revenue (Case No. 18-1195). "Why
isn't that a straight violation of the Trinity Lutheran principle?"
Kavanaugh referred to a 2017 decision, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, before he
joined the court. The court ruled 7-2 in that case that Missouri had violated
the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of free exercise of religion when it denied a
church participation in a state program to improve the safety of playgrounds. Chief
Justice John G. Roberts Jr.—present and chipper despite his marathon session on
Tuesday presiding over the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the
U.S. Senate—also voiced support for the view that any discrimination on the
basis of religion would violate the First Amendment.
Your View: How a U.S. Supreme Court ruling could affect
school choice in Pennsylvania
By COLLEEN HRONCICH THE MORNING CALL |
JAN 22, 2020 | 9:00 AM
Colleen Hroncich is a senior policy analyst
for the Commonwealth Foundation), Pennsylvania’s free market think tank.
Kendra Espinoza, a single
mother of two young girls, never dreamed that sending her daughters to a
Christian school in Kalispell, Montana, would lead her to the national stage.
But on Wednesday, her lawsuit, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, will be
argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, and its far-reaching implications could impact
Pennsylvanians’ education options. Espinoza home-schooled her daughters until
her husband unexpectedly left, forcing her to enroll them in the local public
school. The school wasn’t a good fit for her daughters — they weren’t thriving.
Stillwater Christian School seemed like the perfect solution, but tuition was
more than she could afford. Still, she worked extra jobs, held a big yard sale,
and raffled quilts to come up with the money. Her older daughter even mowed
lawns to contribute. It was barely enough. Then, Espinoza learned of a recently
enacted program in Montana, similar to Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarships,
that could help her afford tuition for future school years. Her glimmer of hope
was short lived, though. Montana’s program bars religious schools and the state
refused to grant her daughters scholarships
Union School District officials urge cyber school reform
Leader-Vindicator By JOSH WALZAK L-V Editor January 22,
2020
RIMERSBURG – Noting that the district pays
hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to enroll students in cyber charter
schools, Union School District officials last week urged state leaders to
reform the funding structure for cyber schools. At their meeting on Jan. 16,
Union School Board members unanimously adopted a resolution supporting
statewide cyber charter school funding reform. The resolution states that under
the current funding scheme, money paid to cyber charter schools is based on
school district expenditures “with no relationship to the actual instructional
costs of the students attending the charter school.” It goes on to state that
with regard to special education funding, “the current flawed calculation
requires school districts to pay charter schools regardless of the costs of
services provided, resulting in the overpayment of district funds to charter
schools for special education students.” Union superintendent John Kimmel said
that using the final numbers from the last school year, Union spent
approximately $400,000 with 20 students enrolled in cyber schools at the end of
the year. This year, he said, Union started the year with nine students
enrolled in private charter schools. He said that some students “have enrolled
in our own cyber program at a cost savings to the district as compared to
private cyber schools.”
How Philly teachers want the school district to fix the
asbestos problem
A lawsuit filed this week asks for more
oversight, more reporting, and more collaboration in the process.
Billy Penn by Michaela Winberg Today, 6:30 a.m.
The union repping Philly teachers has
specific suggestions for how to remedy the rampant toxicity in the city’s
public schools. In a 45-page lawsuit filed
Monday in the Court of Common Pleas, the union alleges that the School District
of Philadelphia and Superintendent William Hite have repeatedly mishandled problems with
asbestos, lead and mold inside school buildings. The
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ formal complaint comes after a slew of
exposed asbestos discoveries led to the closing of six facilities since the
beginning of this school year. But the PFT is not the only entity to go to
court over the issue. The district is also being sued by the family of a
student who ingested lead paint chips fallen from the ceiling of his classroom.
A former teacher diagnosed with mesothelioma said in November she’s planning to
sue as well. In the union’s case, members are not looking for a financial
payout. Instead, they want to help build new systems to detect and deal with
asbestos and other toxins, so instances like this don’t happen again. How might
that work? Here are eight things the PFT’s lawsuit demands from the school
district.
“Rescinding the union-friendly rule, which has been in place
since 2012, is a recommendation in the state-mandated financial improvement
plan that Zogby wrote and that the district must follow in exchange for
receiving $14 million in additional annual state aid, starting in 2018, to stay
solvent. Defying the plan could lead to a state takeover of the 11,000-student
district.”
Erie School Board removes pro-union part of bid rule
GoErie By Ed
Palattella Posted at 8:14 PM
The temporary change applies only to
subcontractors involved in pending construction project at Collegiate Academy.
After enduring a blistering rebuke from
Charles Zogby, the Erie School District’s state-appointed financial
administrator, the Erie School Board on Wednesday night temporarily waived a
union-friendly bidding policy for subcontractors on district building projects.
The vote was 6-2 at the board’s regular monthly meeting at East Middle School. A
majority of the board earlier in the meeting failed to eliminate even more
restrictions from the bidding policy. But the change that passed 6-2
temporarily suspended the apprenticeship requirement for subcontractors, which
was the main concern of Zogby and Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito. The
policy had required all bidders for district projects above $25,000 to have
apprenticeship programs, which are standard among union shops. General
contractors had told Polito that they were concerned not enough subcontractors
could meet the requirement.
Central York board all but scuttles start time change
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 12:21 p.m. ET Jan. 22, 2020 | Updated 3:12 p.m. ET Jan.
22, 2020
The plan to push secondary school start times
later in the morning came to an abrupt end Tuesday night when Central York
school board members said they heard residents loud and clear. "I'm proud
of the way we've taken this on, but it's now time, I think, to stick a
fork in it and say it's done," said board member Gregory Lewis at town
hall with about 75 residents and staff in attendance. The overwhelming
feedback from parent, student and faculty surveys sent out by the
district as well as public comment was that residents did not want to see a
change in secondary school start times. As part of the district's three-year
comprehensive plan from 2018 through 2020, officials planned to shift start
times for middle and high school students to align with research recommending
that teens start school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to get sufficient
sleep. The district's proposal had been to either push secondary start
times forward 30 minutes or flip school schedules, so elementary students would
start earlier.
‘We are doing some cleanup right now’: Easton charter
school administrator accused of changing grades put on leave
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | JAN 22, 2020 | 8:22 AM
An Easton charter school administrator who
was accused in a lawsuit of changing student grades has been put on leave. Jacque
Zupko, the Easton Arts Academy’s operations manager and registrar, was placed
on leave Friday and her termination is on the board of directors’ agenda for a
meeting Thursday, board President Michelle Zattoni said. In a lawsuit filed in
December 2018 by the charter elementary school’s former principal, Zupko and
Chief Financial Officer Shawn Ferrera were accused of changing grades to
“falsely reflect the effectiveness of the school’s programs.” Zupko’s departure
is one of several at the charter school in the last few months. Joanna Hughes
was dismissed as CEO in December, and
Ferrara, the school’s CEO prior to Hughes, left last June. At the same December
meeting the charter school board dismissed Hughes, they also voted to move
forward with a complaint against the recently terminated solicitor, MacMain Law
Group. “We are doing some cleanup right now,” Zattoni said. “We’ve hired a new
solicitor, their office is going over our policies and procedures and finding
some deficiencies. Unfortunately, that means some staff who were not able to abide
by those policies can’t be working at the school.”
School Finance & Budget Town Hall
This event is set for Jan. 28 at Bensalem
High School
By Lower Bucks Times January 21,
2020
The Bensalem community is invited to a Town
Hall Forum to learn about school funding, finance and the district’s budget on
Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at Bensalem High School North Wing Audion, 4319
Hulmeville Road, Bensalem.
Speakers include:
Susan Spika, executive director, Education
Voters of PA
Dr. Samuel Lee, district superintendent
John Steffy, director of business operations.
Everyone is welcome to attend this
interactive presentation and question and answer session.
PARSS Annual Conference April 29 – May 1, 2020 in State
College
The 2020 PARSS Conference is April 29 through
May 1, 2020, at Wyndham Garden Hotel at Mountain View Country Club in State
College. Please register as a member or a vendor by accessing the links below.
Allegheny County Legislative Forum on Education March 12
by Allegheny Intermediate Unit Thu, March
12, 2020 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
Join us on March 12 at 7:00 pm for the
Allegheny Intermediate Unit's annual Allegheny County Legislative Forum. The
event will feature a discussion with state lawmakers on a variety of issues
impacting public schools. We hope you will join us and be part of the
conversation about education in Allegheny County.
Five compelling reasons for .@PSBA .@PASA .@PAIU school leaders to
come to the Capitol for Advocacy Day on March 23rd:
Charter Reform
Cyber Charter Reform
Basic Ed Funding
Special Ed Funding
PLANCON
Register at http://mypsba.org
School Leaders: Register today for @PSBA @PASA @PAIU Advocacy Day at the
Capitol on March 23rd and you could be the lucky winner of my school board
salary for the entire year. Register now at http://mypsba.org
For more information: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
Charter
Schools; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
PENNSYLVANIA BULLETIN PROPOSED RULEMAKING DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION [ 22 PA. CODE CH. 711 ]
PSBA New and Advanced
School Director Training in Dec & Jan
Additional sessions now being offered in
Bucks and Beaver Counties
Do you want
high-impact, engaging training that newly elected and reseated school directors
can attend to be certified in new and advanced required training? PSBA has been
supporting new school directors for more than 50 years by enlisting statewide
experts in school law, finance and governance to deliver a one-day foundational
training. This year, we are adding a parallel track of sessions for those who
need advanced school director training to meet their compliance requirements.
These sessions will be delivered by the same experts but with advanced content.
Look for a compact evening training or a longer Saturday session at a location
near you. All sites will include one hour of trauma-informed training required
by Act 18 of 2019. Weekend sites will include an extra hour for a legislative
update from PSBA’s government affairs team.
New School
Director Training
Week Nights:
Registration opens 3:00 p.m., program starts 3:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m., dinner with
break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., program starts at 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., program starts at 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Advanced
School Director Training
Week Nights:
Registration with dinner provided opens at 4:30 p.m., program starts 5:30 p.m.
-9:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Registration opens at 10:00 a.m., program starts at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 10:00 a.m., program starts at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Locations
and dates
- Saturday, January 25,
2020 — Bucks County IU 22, 705 N Shady Retreat Rd, Doylestown, PA 18901
- Monday, February 3,
2020 — Beaver Valley IU 27, 147
Poplar Avenue, Monaca, PA 15061
PSBA Sectional
Meetings
Hear relevant
content from statewide experts, district practitioners and PSBA government
affairs staff at PSBA’s annual membership gathering. PSBA Sectional Advisors
and Advocacy Ambassadors are on-site to connect with district leaders in their
region and share important information for you to take back to your district.
Locations and dates
- Wednesday,
March 18, 2020 — Section 7, PSBA
Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Blvd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 1, General McLane
High School, 11761 Edinboro Rd, Edinboro, PA 16412
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 4, Abington
Heights School District, 200 East Grove Street, Clark Summit, PA 18411
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 3, Columbia-Montour
AVTS, 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg, PA 17815
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 6, Bedford County
Technical Center, 195 Pennknoll Road, Everett, PA 15537
- Thursday,
March 26, 2020 — Section 2, State College
Area High School, 650 Westerly Pkwy, State College, PA 16801
- Monday,
March 30, 2020 — Section 5, Forbes Road
Career & Technology Center, 607 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146
- Monday,
March 30, 2020 — Section 8, East Penn
School District, 800 Pine St, Emmaus, PA 18049
- Tuesday,
April 7, 2020 — Section 5, Washington
School District, 311 Allison Avenue, Washington, PA 15301
- Tuesday,
April 7, 2020 — Section 8, School
District of Haverford Twp, 50 East Eagle Road, Havertown, PA 19083
Sectional Meetings
are 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. (across all locations). Light refreshments will be
offered.
Cost: Complimentary for PSBA member entities.
Registration: Registration is now open. To register, please sign into myPSBA and look for Store/Registration on the left.
Congress, Courts, and
a National Election: 50 Million Children’s Futures Are at Stake. Be their
champion at the 2020 Advocacy Institute.
NSBA Advocacy
Institute Feb. 2-4, 2020 Marriot Marquis, Washington, D.C.
Join school leaders
from across the country on Capitol Hill, Feb. 2-4, 2020 to influence the
legislative agenda & shape decisions that impact public schools. Check out
the schedule & more at https://nsba.org/Events/Advocacy-Institute
All school
leaders are invited to attend Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in
Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), Pennsylvania
Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and the Pennsylvania Association of
School Administrators (PASA) are partnering together to strengthen our advocacy
impact. The day will center around meetings with legislators to discuss
critical issues affecting public education. Click here for more information or register
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
Register now for
Network for Public Education Action National Conference in Philadelphia March
28-29, 2020
Registration, hotel
information, keynote speakers and panels:
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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