Wednesday, January 20, 2021

PA Ed Policy Roundup for January 20, 2021: Follow the Money: Jeff Yass/Students First PAC

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, 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.

 

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for January 20, 2021

Follow the Money: Jeff Yass/Students First PAC

 Blogger commentary: As of this morning, locally elected volunteer school directors on the boards of 341 school districts have passed resolutions calling for charter school reform.  You might wonder why, after over twenty years, Pennsylvania’s charter school law, described as one of the worst in the nation, has not seen any substantive reform in the PA Legislature. Here’s a group of articles, present and past, that might provide a clue…

 

”Pennsylvania politicians are familiar with Susquehanna founder Jeff Yass’ past support for Philadelphia mayoral candidates and state officials, particularly for those who support private and charter schools, one of his favorite causes. In 2015 Yass and partners Arthur Dantchik and Joel Greenberg wasted $7 million on State Rep. Anthony Williams (D-Phila.)’s run for Mayor of Philadelphia; he was trounced by future Mayor Jim Kenney in the Democratic primary by a margin of more than 2 to 1. Kenney enjoyed the support of the city’s well-organized public-school teachers, whose union leaders have long criticized charter-school expansion and public aid to private-school students, which Yass and Williams supported.”

Bala Cynwyd billionaire Jeff Yass feels betrayed by GOP stars he funded in Congress, including some who denied Biden won

"Sometimes politicians deceive their donors." A ranking by a campaign-finance group placed Jeff Yass and his wife, Janine, as the ninth largest givers in the U.S. for the last election cycle.

Inquirer by Joseph N. DiStefano Published  Jan 19, 2021

Jeff Yass, the billionaire financial trader in Bala Cynwyd, is showing some buyer’s remorse over his massive financial support for Republican politicians who have decried the presidential election as stolen. In the last six years, Yass has given $43 million to Republican candidates nationwide and GOP-oriented political action committees. One such PAC, called the Club for Growth, spent $3 million to help U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, the firebrand from Missouri who was a leader among Republicans contesting the election. Now, a former stockbroker who is a longtime acquaintance of Yass has made public emails in which the investor denounced Hawley. “Do you think anyone knew Hawley was going to do that?” Yass wrote. “Sometimes politicians deceive their donors.” The emails were released by Laura Goldman, a former investment adviser turned freelance television producer in Philadelphia. In them, she said in Twitter postings, Yass also wrote: “To be clear – I don’t think the election was stolen.” Yass, 65, rarely, if ever, speaks to the media, and he had no comment for this article. He keeps a very low profile, but is one of America’s biggest donors. A ranking by the campaign-finance watchdog, the Center for Responsive Politics, placed Yass and his wife, Janine, as the ninth-largest givers in the United States in the last federal election cycle.

https://fusion.inquirer.com/news/yass-susquehanna-trump-hawley-toomey-contributions-20210119.html

 

Reprise October 2016: PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 30, 2016

Follow the Money: Students First PAC Spends to Privatize Democratically Governed Public Education In PA

Blogger note: Not familiar with Students First PAC?  Here's a little background:

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2016/10/follow-money-students-first-pac-spends.html

 

“But the political landscape shifted two years ago, when three executives at the Susquehanna International Group — Arthur Dantchik, Joel Greenberg and Jeffrey Yass — spent more than $5 million trying to elect Anthony Williams governor. Williams, a Democratic state Senator from Philadelphia, had made vouchers the centerpiece of his quixotic campaign. He finished an undistinguished third in the Democratic primary, but his campaign signaled a turning point for voucher backers. "When you've got millions of dollars, even if you lose, it puts a certain spring in your step," says Larry Feinberg, a voucher opponent and founder of the Keystone State Education Coalition.”

Reprise Nov. 2012: Want to privatize schools? You might want to buy up an election cycle or two first.

"If people follow the money trail, they'd learn a lot about what's really going on."

By Chris Potter Pittsburgh CityPaper November 21, 2012

State Rep. James Roebuck has been in politics for a quarter-century, but he'd never before faced the kind of primary fight he had this spring. His challenger, Fatimah Muhammad, was a political upstart with little history in the district. Yet she was able to raise more than $230,000 for her campaign, seemingly overnight.  "I felt like the money was being poured on my head," recalls Roebuck, a Philadelphia Democrat. Muhammad "put up billboards all across the district, and had six or seven people working at every polling place." And then there were the mailings, like the one blaring, "James Roebuck has sold out our children to special interests." Finally, Roebuck says, "My wife said, ‘I hate coming home, because I'm tired of always finding mail about you in the door slot.'" Roebuck couldn't even tell where the money was coming from. The "special interests" mailer — which blasted Roebuck for the sorry state of Philadelphia's public schools — was sent by a group billing itself as "Public Education Excellence." Roebuck had never heard of the group, which state records show was created just weeks before the election. Still, it contributed $7,500 directly to Muhammad's campaign, while spending $4,000 on its own mailings. 

Muhammad could not be reached for comment. But a City Paper review of campaign activity suggests that roughly half of her money came from a network of political committees sharing a small group of contributors — and a common goal: expanding the use of school vouchers. 

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/want-to-privatize-schools-you-might-want-to-buy-up-an-election-cycle-or-two-first/Content?oid=1590243

 

Blogger note: For several years, Jeff Yass’ Students First PAC has been one  of the top contributors to Pennsylvania candidates, primarily GOP, in support of school privatization. Here’s a prior PA Ed Policy Roundup covering the recent election cycle.  It should be noted that recipient Senators DiSanto and Martin are now serving on the PA Senate Ed Committee.

Reprise Oct. 2020: PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 29, 2020

Follow the Money: How much of the $3.8 million in Students First PAC money have candidates received leading into this election?

Blogger note: in an October 27th Spotlight PA article Matt Brouillette, treasurer for the Commonwealth Leaders Fund – funded primarily by donations from the Students First PAC (Yass, Dantchik, Greenburg) said that the group decides to get involved in races where there’s the greatest opportunity to elect someone who will support expanded charter schools and more tax credits that fund tuition at private schools. Here’ s list of candidates that have received significant contributions from the group and/or its other related PAC, the Commonwealth Children’s Choice Fund:

Heidelbaugh for Atty General              $1,182,646

John DiSanto                        $440,027

Chris Dush                            $378,596

Scott Martín                           $271,560

Andrew Lewis                       $269,927

Carrie Lewis Delrosso          $259,129

Devlin Robinson                   $212,067

Rob Mercuri                          $203,964

Milou Mackenzie                  $155,000

Jason Silvis                         $132,180

Larry Yost                              $94,661

Valerie Gaydos                      $66,224

Nicole Ziccarelli                    $50,000

Craig Williams                       $47,000

Andrew Holter                       $26,682

Howard Terndrup                  $23,897

Doug Mastriano                    $10,000

Source: https://www.campaignfinanceonline.pa.gov/Pages/CampaignFinanceHome.aspx

 

Blogger note: Jeff and Janine Yass are listed as donors contributing $5 million and above on the PSP website.

Mark Gleason, head of the influential Philadelphia School Partnership, is leaving

“I would say we’ve created better seats, we’ve created better access to information, but better is not good enough,” said Michael O’Neill, PSP board chair.

Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham Published  Jan 19, 2021

Mark Gleason, who helped shape a group that has raised millions for Philadelphia charter, private, and public schools in the last decade, will leave his post this year, he said Tuesday. Gleason arrived in Philadelphia in 2011, recruited to lead the new Philadelphia School Partnership, an organization with an audacious goal: to raise $100 million to expand high-performing schools, regardless of sector. The goal was to “transform the educational landscape of our city, especially for low-income students and students of color,” organizers said. Since then, Gleason has exerted influence in ways large and small, largely through the power of deep pockets at a time when public-education funding was scarce. After a decade, it was time to transition leadership of PSP, Gleason and PSP board chair Michael O’Neill said Tuesday.

https://fusion.inquirer.com/education/philadelphia-school-partnership-mark-gleason-20210119.html

 

Philadelphia School Partnership – Who We Are – Our Investors

https://philaschoolpartnership.org/who-we-are/our-investors/

 

The SAT is dropping its optional essay and subject tests

College Board officials said the pandemic has "accelerated a process already underway at the College Board to simplify our work and reduce demands on students."

Inquirer by Nick Anderson, Washington Post Published  Jan 19, 2021

Two major stress points in the grueling rituals of college admission testing are vanishing this year: the optional essay-writing section of the SAT and the supplementary exams in various fields known as SAT subject tests. The College Board announced Tuesday it will discontinue those assessments. Citing the coronavirus crisis, officials said the pandemic has "accelerated a process already underway at the College Board to simplify our work and reduce demands on students." The testing organization, based in New York, also revealed the launch of a process to revise the main SAT, aiming to make the admission test "more flexible" and "streamlined" and enable students to take the exam digitally instead of with pencil and paper. There were no further details available on how the main SAT might be changed. David Coleman, chief executive of the College Board, said more information would be coming in April.

https://fusion.inquirer.com/education/sat-scholastic-assessment-test-college-board-changes-essays-subject-tests-20210119.html

 

‘We need a tax increase’: Bethlehem school district staring down $10.7M budget hole

By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated 6:30 AM; Today 6:30 AM

The Bethlehem Area School District is starting its 2021-22 budget process with a $10.7 million funding gap that will likely require a tax hike. But the school board indicated Tuesday night it does not plan to ask the state for an exception to exceed the district’s 3.7% cap on annual property tax increases. The board is scheduled to vote next week to commit to staying below its Act 1 Index, a move that gives the district more time to fine tune its budget before voting on it later this spring. School board President Michael Faccinetto said the district is going to have to trim down that $10 million as much as it can in the coming weeks. “We need a tax increase this year. We discussed the 1% last year and ultimately didn’t do it, which I still think was a mistake, because ... we find ourselves in a very difficult situation,” Faccinetto said. “I think economically people in the area are going to be in worse shape for an increase this year than they would have been last year.” The district has passed a no tax increase budget for the past two years, relying on its savings to close budget holes.

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2021/01/we-need-a-tax-increase-bethlehem-school-district-staring-down-107m-budget-hole.html

 

Lawsuit to reopen schools dismissed impacting Unionville, Downingtown, West Chester

Pottstown Mercury by Fran Maye fmaye@21st-centurymedia.com Jan 20, 2021

WEST CHESTER — The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has dismissed a petition filed on behalf of parents of students in the Unionville-Chadds Ford, Downingtown, West Chester school districts and others by Open PA Schools to reopen schools. Open PA Schools is an unincorporated association consisting of over 100 parents of children attending public schools throughout Pennsylvania. The association filed the lawsuit on Sept. 8, 2020, against the Pennsylvania Department of Education, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, Central Bucks School District, Downingtown Area School District, Oley Valley School District, Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, Perkiomen Valley School District, Great Valley School District, and West Chester Area School District, challenging the decision not to open schools to in-person learning five days a week for all students. Oral arguments were presented virtually this past November. The court dismissed the petition late last week, upholding arguments made by the Department of Education and the school districts that Open PA Schools parents did not have "standing" to sue. The court concluded the petitioners did not state sufficient facts from which the court could conclude that they had sustained any harm or were aggrieved by the actions of the school districts' and the Department of Education.

https://www.pottsmerc.com/news/coronavirus/lawsuit-to-reopen-schools-dismissed-impacting-unionville-downingtown-west-chester/article_dec2ba40-476b-525b-a630-59a8d683bc0a.html

 

It may be weeks until Philadelphia teachers can get vaccine

Chalkbeat Philly By Johann Calhoun  Jan 19, 2021, 6:26pm EST

Philadelphia’s health commissioner warned Tuesday that teachers might have to wait longer than expected to get vaccinated. City officials said last week that they anticipated teachers would get access to the vaccine beginning on Jan. 25. But Dr. Thomas Farley cautioned Tuesday that the city has a limited number of doses and a large number of people who qualify for vaccination during Phase 1B of the city’s plan. “We are going to be gradually working down that list of frontline workers,” he said. “I know people want to know what date we are going to get to them [teachers]. I would love to give them a date, but unfortunately I can’t because we don’t know how many of the people above them are going to want to be vaccinated.” Teachers are considered frontline workers, but will have to wait until others in the 1B group receive vaccinations. Those include first responders, employees who work in corrections, service providers working with vulnerable populations, and public transit employees. These groups will take weeks to be vaccinated, at which point, additional prioritized groups will start receiving invitations to schedule appointments.

https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/19/22239658/it-may-be-weeks-until-philadelphia-teachers-can-get-vaccine

 

Prior to COVID-19, states cut $600B in ed funding since Great Recession

K12 Dive by AUTHOR Roger Riddell@K12DiveRoger PUBLISHED Jan. 15, 2021

Dive Brief:

  • A pair of reports released Thursday by the Education Law Center — "Making the Grade 2020" and "$600 Billion Lost: State Disinvestment in Education Following the Great Recession" — add deeper context to the financial turmoil facing the nation's public schools and further highlight the adverse impact states' education funding cuts were already having prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • According to "$600 Billion Lost," public schools lost a total of $598 billion in state and local revenue in the years following the Great Recession, with PK-12 funding in all but four states in 2018 representing a smaller portion of economic activity than before the crisis. The report graded how equitably states funded public schools based on three metrics: funding level, funding distribution and funding effort.
  • Meanwhile, "Making the Grade" shows dramatic variations in school funding levels from state to state, with those in the Northeast and Midwest generally trending toward higher funding levels than the South and West. In the top states, funding provided as much as 50% more than the national average of $14,548 per pupil, while the bottom states were as low as 30% less.

https://www.k12dive.com/news/prior-to-covid-19-states-cut-600b-in-ed-funding-since-great-recession/593447/

 

McConnell says Trump ‘provoked’ Capitol siege, and ‘fed lies’ to mob

Ahead of Trump’s second impeachment trial, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's remarks were his most severe and public rebuke of the outgoing president.

Inquirer by Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press Updated Jan 20, 2021

WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday explicitly blamed President Donald Trump for the deadly riot at the Capitol, saying the mob was “fed lies” and the president and others “provoked” those intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden’s election. Ahead of Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, McConnell’s remarks were his most severe and public rebuke of the outgoing president. The GOP leader is setting a tone as Republicans weigh whether to convict Trump on the impeachment charge that will soon be sent over from the House: “incitement of insurrection.” “The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like.” The Republican leader vowed a “safe and successful” inauguration of Biden on Wednesday at the Capitol, where final preparations were underway amid heavy security.

https://fusion.inquirer.com/politics/nation/mitch-mcconnell-capitol-insurrection-mob-fed-lies-20210119.html

 

After the longest four years, America is going to have a president again — a real one | Opinion

Centre Daily Times BY LEONARD PITTS JR. JANUARY 19, 2021 04:51 PM,  UPDATED JANUARY 19, 2021 05:03 PM

And so we reach the end of an unpresidented era.

The reference is, of course, to one of Donald Trump’s many Twitter misspellings, this one found in his 2016 description of the seizure of a US. navy drone. He meant to call it “unprecedented.” But Trump’s mistake gave us a coinage perfect for this moment. For four years, America has been an unpresidented nation — in some fundamental sense, a nation without a president. Yes, I know. Trump was in the Oval Office, duly elected and sworn. When not golfing or tweeting, he even performed some presidential duties. He attended summits. He signed documents. He gave speeches. But those are not the only things a president does. A president sets the tone. He ennobles and emboldens. He calls us up from the minutiae of individual lives to the stirring vistas of national mission. They’ve all done this, Republicans and Democrats alike, those you admired and those you could not stand. Through war, scandal and economic disaster, they exhorted us to vision and courage.

Think Franklin Roosevelt telling us “the only thing we have to fear.”

Think John Kennedy admonishing us to “ask not.”

Think Ronald Reagan calling us to “a shining city upon a hill” and George H.W. Bush showing us “a thousand points of light.”

Think Lincoln appealing to “the better angels of our nature.”

Maybe, after you’ve heard it often enough, you take for granted that this is just What Presidents Do. Maybe you stop hearing it altogether. Maybe it becomes cliche. Then one sudden day, it’s gone, all the high-flown language grounded, all the ideals replaced by whatever is the opposite of ideals, replaced by that which is coarse, mean, transactional, cynical, narcissistic and untrue. And that’s all you get. No entreaties to higher ground. No paeans to higher purpose. That’s it for four years. Four long, unpresidented years.

https://www.centredaily.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article248610300.html#storylink=mainstage_lead

 

This one was a request for today….

Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come (Official Lyric Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4

 

 

PSBA: Upcoming PA budget recap webinar Feb. 3rd

POSTED ON JANUARY 15, 2021 IN PSBA NEWS

On Tuesday, February 2, Gov. Tom Wolf will present his 2021-22 state budget proposal before a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives. Following the governor’s budget address, the Senate and House appropriations committees will convene hearings beginning March 15 on specific components of the proposal. The PSBA Government Affairs team will be providing members with complete coverage of the governor’s budget proposal, budget details and resources for school boards on February 3 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Claim your spot for the budget recap here.

https://www.psba.org/2021/01/gov-wolf-to-present-budget-address-february-2/

 

PA SCHOOLS WORK: New Tools for Public Education Advocates in PA

Thu, Jan 21, 2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

PA Schools Work partner Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials will hold a digital workshop to roll out their new suite of tools on their Data Dive website to show parents, educators, and public education advocates how they can use the site (including interactive data maps and graphic visualizations) when talking to other members of their community, legislators, media, etc. Don't miss this first-look at these innovative tools for PA public school advocates!

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register

 

Attend the NSBA 2021 Online Experience April 8-10

NSBA is pleased to announce the transformation of its in-person NSBA 2021 Annual Conference & Exposition to the NSBA 2021 Online Experience. This experience will bring world-class programming, inspirational keynotes, top education solution providers, and plentiful networking opportunities. Join us on April 8-10, 2021, for a fully transformed and memorable event!

https://www.nsba.org/Events/NSBA-2021-Online-Experience

 

PSBA Spring Virtual Advocacy Day - MAR 22, 2021

PSBA Website January 2021

All public school leaders are invited to join us for our spring Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, March 22, 2021, via Zoom. We need all of you to help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center around contacting legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public education. Registrants will receive the meeting invitation with a link to our spring Virtual Advocacy Day website that contains talking points, a link to locate contact information for your legislator and additional information to help you have a successful day.

Cost: Complimentary for members

Registration: Registration is available under Event Registration on myPSBA.org.

https://www.psba.org/event/psba-spring-virtual-advocacy-day/

 

Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding reform

In this legislative session, PSBA has been leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.

Resolution for charter funding reform (pdf)

Link to submit your adopted resolution to PSBA

 

341 PA school boards have adopted charter reform resolutions

Charter school funding reform continues to be a concern as over 330 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform. Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions of dollars to charter schools.

The school boards from the following districts have adopted resolutions calling for charter funding reform. 

https://www.psba.org/2020/03/adopted-charter-reform-resolutions/

 

Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call for Charter Change!

PSBA Charter Change Website:

https://www.pacharterchange.org/

 

The Network for Public Education Action Conference has been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel

 

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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