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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PA Ed Policy Roundup for Jan. 24, 2020
HB1897 is one more sign that legislators understand more
and more that cyber-charters have a huge funding and accountability problem.
“Clairton, where 80% of students are nonwhite, has a student
poverty rate of 40% and a median household income of $31,112, according to the
report. Neighboring West Jefferson Hills, by contrast, has a 5% student poverty
rate, and a median income of $75,694. Enrollment of nonwhite students is 7%.”
Clairton and West Jefferson Hills school districts among
nation’s starkest economic divides
Trib Live TEGHAN SIMONTON | Thursday,
January 23, 2020 5:50 p.m.
Three school districts in Western
Pennsylvania were identified on a national report showing stark economic
differences between neighboring districts. ”Fault Lines,” released
Thursday by the nonprofit EdBuild, named
America’s 50 “most segregating school district borders” — defined as
neighboring districts with strong differences in student poverty rates and
resources allocated to students. The Allegheny County districts of Clairton
City and West Jefferson Hills represent the country’s ninth-greatest school
district divide. In Beaver County, the divide between Aliquippa and Hopewell
Area ranked 42nd. In Cambria County, Greater Johnstown was compared to
Conemaugh Township Area, Westmont Hilltop and Richland, ranking 20th, 27th and
41st, respectively.
“Mike Turzai has been much more of a bulldog in favor of funds
for private schools, religious education, charter schools and cyber charter
schools than his predecessors,” said Donna Cooper, executive director of the
nonprofit Public Citizens for Children and Youth and a former education advisor
to Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. But Cooper felt Turzai’s focus on choice came at
the expense of investment, drawing money out of traditional school districts in
a way that undermined their stability. “He wanted to hold people accountable
without the resources,” Cooper said. “I think it’s a sorry track record.”
With Turzai departure, private and charter schools lose a
major ally in the capital
His legacy on education policy boils down to
two words: school choice.
WITF by Avi Wolfman-Arent/Keystone
Crossroads JANUARY 24, 2020 | 5:24 AM
(Pittsburgh) — Pennsylvania Speaker of the
House Mike Turzai’s legacy on education policy boils down to two words: school
choice. The Allegheny County Republican — who announced Thursday he won’t seek re-election after
eight years in top leadership roles in the House — influenced nearly every
piece of education-related legislation during his tenure. But when it came to
sponsoring legislation or using the bully pulpit, Turzai — who was elected in
2001, became majority leader in 2012 and speaker in 2015 — often circled back
to policy ideas favored by school-choice advocates. Turzai, 60, leveraged his
power over the state’s purse strings to seed charter expansion in urban school
districts. And he repeatedly pushed to expand a tax-credit program that steers
donations toward private schools.
“Democrats suggested that Turzai is fleeing a tough reelection
campaign and the prospect of losing the speaker’s job next year when Democrats
take control. In the 2018 election, Democrats picked up 11 seats and are nine
short of a majority in the 203-seat chamber. The Pennsylvania House Democratic
Campaign Committee said it raised over $1.2 million last year, setting an
off-year fundraising record. “Mike Turzai called it quits today for one main
reason — he knows his tenure as speaker is on borrowed time,” Delaware County
Rep. Leanne Krueger, the HDCC’s chairwoman, said in a statement. Turzai’s
district itself backed Republican Donald Trump in 2016′s presidential election
by 9 percentage points. But top-of-the-ticket Democrats — Gov. Tom Wolf and
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey — each won the district in 2018, Wolf by 10 percentage
points and Casey by 6 percentage points, according to figures provided by
Democrats.”
Pennsylvania’s GOP House speaker to retire after three
terms
AP By RAMESH SANTANAM and MARC LEVY yesterday
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pennsylvania House Speaker
Mike Turzai will not run for reelection, the Republican announced Thursday,
ending the career of a conservative force in state government in a critical
year when Democrats are aiming to take control of the chamber. Turzai, 60, made
the announcement at a news conference at in his suburban Pittsburgh district
office with his wife and youngest son and a couple dozen supporters,
occasionally tearing up when describing his decision to leave a job he said he
still loves. However, he also described the long hours away from home and on
the road, saying that the job has been the privilege of a lifetime, but that it
is time to pass the torch. Suggesting that his family felt it was time for him
to hang it up, Turzai described a conversation he had with his baseball-playing
son who told him how, one day, he will inevitably have to pitch his last game,
no matter how sad it will be. “I’ve made this decision knowing that I’ve left
it all on the field,” Turzai said.
“He has also been a prolific fund-raiser for Republican
legislative candidates across the state, a role he was widely expected to step
into again in this critical election year. Democrats need to capture nine GOP
seats to to take the House majority, and many of this year’s legislative races
are expected to be bare-knuckled and expensive.”
Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai will not seek
reelection
Spotlight PA by Angela Couloumbis and Cynthia Fernandez, Updated: January
23, 2020- 4:10 PM
Capitol Notebook by Spotlight PA provides updates on important
news and notes from the halls of power in Harrisburg. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny),
one of Pennsylvania’s most powerful conservative leaders, said Thursday morning
that he will not seek reelection and will instead pursue a job in the private
sector. The announcement, which Turzai made from his suburban Pittsburgh office
surrounded by family, confidantes, and supporters, immediately raised questions
about whether he intends to stay in office until his term ends later this year
— and, if he does, whether his search for a private-sector position could pose
a conflict with his role as speaker, which gives him the power to decide which
bills go to the floor for a vote. During a news conference, Turzai said little
about his plans, only noting that, contrary to speculation in the Capitol, he
does not have a job offer or specific position.
“Turzai has been the leading proponent among current legislative
leaders for expanded school choice programs. But in a post-Turzai world - at
least while Wolf, a strong public education proponent, is in power - it might
be all school choice proponents can do simply to retain the tax
credit-for-tuition scholarships program that Turzai has pushed and pulled into
an annual $240 million revenue hit in the near term future.”
What could a post-Turzai world, whenever it arrives, look
like at the Pa. State Capitol?
Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Today 5:00
AM
No one knows for sure when Pennsylvania’s
Speaker of the House Speaker Mike Turzai, who said Thursday he will not seek a new
term in office, will actually leave his seat. Turzai,
a 60-year-old Republican from Allegheny County, left open the possibility of
leaving before his term expires in November, saying he would assess new career
opportunities as they present themselves to him this year. Or, he could stay on
through the end of session. But we do know this: At some point within the next
year, there will be a new Speaker, and because Turzai operates so differently
than most of the other majority Republican leaders in place right now, that
could spark some interesting, albeit nuanced, changes in both what and how
things get done under the Capitol Dome in Harrisburg.
“Will this be the bill that finally does something about
cyber-charters in Pennsylvania? Maybe, maybe not. It is
one more sign that legislators are understanding more and more that cyber-charters
have a huge funding and accountability problem. Let's see what they come up
with next.”
Curmuducation blog by Peter Greene Wednesday,
January 22, 2020
Rep. Curt
Sonney is a GOP top dog in the
Pennsylvania Education Committee, and he's never been known as a close friend
of public schools. But he represents Erie, a district that has been absolutely gutted by
school choice, so maybe that's why he has spent the
last couple of years nipping at the heels of Pennsylvania's thriving cyber
charter industry. Harrisburg just had hearings on his latest proposal, a bill
that he first announced last October and which has something for virtually
everyone to hate. Pennsylvania cyber schools are an absolute mess, barely
covered by laws that never anticipated such a thing and protected by a massive
pile of money thrown both at lobbying and campaign contributions. The cybers
do offer a service that is useful for some students (I personally know of one
such case). But they also provide a quick exit for parents who don't want to
deal with truancy issues or other disciplinary problems. Their results
are generally very poor (none
have ever been ranked proficient on the Big Standardized Test), and state
oversight is so lousy that many were allowed to continue operating for
years without ever having renewed their charters.
HB1897: Bill would eliminate choice
Williamsport Sun-Gazette OPINION by JAMES
HANAK JAN 24, 2020
Dr. James Hanak is president of The Public
Cyber Charter School Association (PCCSA) and CEO of PA Leadership Charter
School, West Chester.
Pennsylvania House Bill 1897 has been
introduced in Harrisburg. It would force school districts to have a Cyber
School Program and for all 14 public cyber charter schools to close. The main
points of this legislation are: All Pennsylvania cyber charter schools must
cease operations after next year (2020-21). This means approximately 34,000
students would have about 20 months to figure out what school — besides their
preferred choice — they can attend. Since 87 percent of districts have no brick
and mortar charter schools, cyber charter schools are the only public schooling
alternative for many students. Eliminating cyber charters would force students
who can’t afford private school back into a district that wasn’t meeting their
needs. All districts will be required to develop their own — or contract with
another district, intermediate unit, or third party — full-time cyber program
and provide two additional cyber programs via a third-party vendor. School
districts must provide or reimburse for all technology and internet service. Upon
liquidation, PA cyber charter school assets would revert back to school
districts based on each district’s enrollment in each cyber school. Any
leftover liabilities would not be covered by the district or the commonwealth,
leaving lenders or vendors responsible for the debt. Only after the cyber
charter school is depleted of its assets (but not its debt) can these same
cyber charter schools then offer services to the traditional school districts.
“Gabler is one of 11 House Republicans to announce their
retirement, and was the 15th total when he announced on Wednesday. He was
joined by Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, on Thursday, raising the total to
16 lawmakers.”
Pa. Rep. Matt Gabler retires after 11 years in Harrisburg
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso January 23,
2020
A six-term state lawmaker from Clearfield
County is the latest member of the state House to decide against running for
re-election in November. State Rep. Matt Gabler, a Republican who’s represented
the 75th House District since 2008, said Wednesday that he wants to spend more
time with his family. “I promised myself, my family and my constituents that I
would not spend an entire career as a state representative,” Gabler said in a
statement. “As a husband and a father to two young children, I recognize now is
the right time to pursue new opportunities.”
“The two were among 55 districts across the state that
received letters from the Harrisburg-based Independence Law Center,
an organization that often targets what it considers to be legal
violations related to preventing Christians from practicing free religious
speech.”
Two York County school districts accused of violating
religious freedom
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 3:31 p.m. ET Jan. 23, 2020 | Updated 6:42 p.m. ET Jan.
23, 2020
Spring Grove Area and Eastern York school
districts are violating First Amendment rights of students to speak
freely about religion in schools, a conservative not-for-profit alleged Tuesday
in a letter to the districts. The two were among 55 districts
across the state that received letters from the Harrisburg-based
Independence Law Center, an organization that often targets what it
considers to be legal violations related to preventing Christians from
practicing free religious speech. The letters state the organization will
file a federal lawsuit if the districts don't cease what
the center considers constitutional violations by April 1.
“Instead of equal treatment, many schools
have treated students’ religious speech like dangerous asbestos — to be
cordoned off and eliminated from our schools,” stated Jeremy Samek, senior
counsel for the law center, in a news release.
Lancaster County students speak more than 70 different
languages; what are they?
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer January 24,
2020
To realize how much of a melting pot
Lancaster County is, look no further than its schools.
Lancaster’s 17 school districts are home to
more than 3,600 students who speak a language other than English. Together,
they speak over 70 different languages. While some schools pride themselves on
their diversity, more students not speaking English means more money spent on
language support services such as English language learner programs. LNP |
LancasterOnline recently analyzed ELL data from the Pennsylvania Department of
Education to find out more about the languages students here speak. Here’s what
we found.
“Increasing technology costs for the rollout of a 1-to-1 iPad
initiative and debt incurred from construction projects, as well as continually
rising special education and pension costs and significant personnel costs, are
among the reasons for the deficit, the district said.”
An 8% tax increase in Lancaster? It probably won't
happen.
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer January 24,
2020
School District of Lancaster’s preliminary
budget approved this week calls for an 8.24% tax increase. But school officials
say the actual tax increase will be much smaller. “It definitely won’t be that
high for a number of reasons,” school board President Edith Gallagher said.
“However, it’s still a tough year, and we’re starting the budget season $10
million in the hole, and we’re going to have to raise taxes.” The school board
Tuesday unanimously approved its 2020-21 preliminary budget. The $232 million spending
plan raises the millage rate from 21.8734 to 23.6758, an 8.24% increase, to
reduce a projected $10.3 million deficit. Still, the preliminary budget’s
expenditures outweigh revenues by about $4 million. Some context: For an
average assessed home value of $162,652, an 8.24 tax increase would increase
the annual property tax bill by $293, from about $3,558 to $3,851.
Operations manager officially out at Easton charter
school
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | JAN 23, 2020 | 9:01 PM
The Easton Arts Academy charter school can
officially add another administrator to a list of officials who no longer work
at the elementary school. Charter school board members on Thursday unanimously
voted to terminate Jacque Zupko, the school’s operations manager and registrar. 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.” Ferrera left the
school last June, and CEO Joanna Hughes was dismissed in December. “We’re in
the business of educating children, so we can’t let anything get in the way of
that,” board President Michelle Zattoni said. 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.
“The seven principles outlined on the poster call for the board
to advocate earnestly, lead responsibly, govern effectively, plan thoughtfully,
evaluate continuously, communicate clearly and act ethically. Each of those
principles includes a list of more specific standards, such as “promote open,
honest and respectful dialogue among the board, staff and community” and
“utilize appropriate data to make informed decisions.”
OJR School Board pledges to follow 'good governance'
rules
Pottstown Mercury By Laura Catalano For
MediaNews Group January 24, 2020
SOUTH COVENTRY — The Owen J. Roberts School
Board made a commitment to good governance at a recent meeting, with each board
member signing a poster listing principles for the board to follow. The poster
was an enlarged version of a Pennsylvania School Board Association chart
labeled Principles for Governance and Leadership which school boards across the
commonwealth are encouraged to adopt. The board voted unanimously to adopt the
principles during the board meeting Monday night. But President Karel Minor
said that creating a poster and publicly signing the document was a symbolic
gesture that demonstrates the board’s commitment to adhering to good
leadership.
Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Plans Advocacy
Rally Friday in Philadelphia
School Library Journal by Kara Yorio Jan 23, 2020
School librarians are educators, and
the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association
(PSLA) has planned a public seminar of
sorts during ALA Midwinter in
Philadelphia this week. The Rally to Restore Philadelphia School
Librarians will be held at 12:30 p.m. on
Friday at the School District of Philadelphia Administration Building on Broad
Street in Philadelphia. The goal is to call attention to the
loss of school librarians and libraries and the impact that has had in the
city, as well as across the state and nation.
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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