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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for June 12, 2014:
Substantive Pension Reform - Don't Leave Town
"Both Adolph and the ranking Democrat on the committee,
Rep. Joe Markosek (D-Allegheny), said this is the latest the House has advanced
a placeholder bill in the past several years.
"The reason why it is this late in June is because I've never been
involved in this type of revenue shortfall, month in and month out," said
Adolph, ticking off the list of monthly revenue collections that came in below
expectations. Lawmakers are looking at a revenue shortfall of at least a
billion dollars. Adolph hinted that his
party, which controls both the House and Senate, will need help from the
Democratic minority in the coming weeks to pass a budget."
With chilly revenue outlook,
party leaders warm to each other
WITF State House Sound Bites Written by Mary
Wilson, Capitol Bureau Chief Jun 11, 2014
Revenue updates continue to leave state lawmakers cold, but
partisan tensions may be starting to thaw as leaders sense tough decisions
ahead. The news is bad and not getting
better for anyone interested in finishing a state budget by the end of June.
April tax collections were down by hundreds of millions of dollars, followed by
a May haul that came in roughly $100 million below estimate. Today, House
Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Adolph (R-Delaware) said low June
revenues are expected to contribute to the growing deficit. "These are changes that we were not
expecting," said Adolph. "We're negotiating and trying to fill this
gap to the best of our ability." His
committee voted Wednesday to send a placeholder budget bill to the full House.
It isn't the blueprint for state spending for next fiscal year - merely a
"legislative vehicle." Whatever's negotiated by legislative leaders
can be dumped into that cab later without slowing down the legislative
procedural moves that are necessary to get legislation to the governor by the
end of the month.
"Despite a sea of red ink that is engulfing Harrisburg
Editorial: Corbett ups
ante in push for pension reform
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 06/11/14, 9:11 PM EDT |
Gov. Tom Corbett is drawing a line in the sand.
And just like that, the always-interesting month of June in Harrisburg just got a lot
more interesting. The governor, who
happens to be running for re-election to a second term while his poll numbers
are in the toilet, has decided to flex his muscles a bit. The Republican guv has been frustrated by his
inability to get major parts of his legislative agenda through the
GOP-controlled Legislature. The one
aspect he delivered on – a massive transportation package – only earned him
further scorn from the right-wing of his own party, which considered it a
betrayal of his pledge not to raise taxes.
The other two planks, pension reform and privatization of liquor sales,
went nowhere fast. Now Corbett has
decided to up the ante.
Pennsylvania House fails to
act on pensions for school, state workers
By Karen Langley and
Kate Giammarise / Post-Gazette Harrisburg
Bureau June 12,
2014
Republican leadership
had indicated the pension proposal, backed by Gov. Tom Corbett, was on the
agenda Tuesday, and members discussed the bill in private meetings. But they
declined to call a vote that day or the next.
“It’s a complex issue, and it just takes a little extra discussion to
get people comfortable that it addresses whatever their concerns are,” House
Speaker Sam Smith said after the House adjourned. “We’re a little slower this
week than I probably would have liked, but we’re still moving forward and hope
to get a pension bill passed by the House in the near future.” The Republican-backed proposal is in the form
of an amendment to existing legislation, so the House would have to approve the
language and then vote again to send the bill to the Senate.
PSBA calls on General
Assembly to enact pension reform now
PSBA NEWS RELEASE
Steve Robinson, Sr. Director of Communications 6/10/2014
With just a few weeks left before the General Assembly
finalizes a 2014-15 state budget, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association
urges legislators to adopt a pension reform plan for public school employees. In recent weeks, Rep. Mike Tobash
(R-Schuylkill) has proposed a plan that is a viable long-term solution worthy
of serious consideration. PSBA supports Rep. Tobash's plan and believes a plan
to address immediate cost concerns must also be enacted in order to address the
short-term impact of the current funding crisis. "Pennsylvania 's
massive public pension crisis must be a top priority for legislators in June.
It will not be an easy debate, but the need to deal with escalating expenses
related to rising pension costs for state and school employees is critical. If
not addressed, the pension crisis will have a crippling effect on the state's
economy and a devastating impact on local school district budgets, as well as
on programs and services for our students," said PSBA Executive Director
Nathan Mains. Without action, the state
and school districts will be accountable for billions of dollars in retirement
contribution costs that ultimately will have to come from the pockets of
taxpayers. For school districts, pension obligations are the highest increasing
mandated costs in their budgets, and the number one reason for local tax hikes.
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=7945#sthash.wvWFe9XY.dpuf
Capitolwire: Pension reform
stalls in PA House
PSBA website 6/11/2014 Capitolwire by Chris Comisac
The planned consideration of pension amendments by the state
House of Representatives did not come to fruition on Tuesday due to what
sources within the state Capitol said was a lack of votes for the House
Republicans' primary pension reform proposal.
The House GOP said the delay was due to the need for more answers about
the proposal, but whether it's votes or questions, it's now unclear when
pension reform will be addressed by the chamber.
"There's a lot of support in the caucus, but there's also
a lot of questions, and after the caucus a lot of the questions still
lingered," said House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin about the "stacked
Hybrid" pension proposal of Rep. Mike Tobash, R-Schuylkill. "We're
just going to try to clarify the answers - as you know it's a very complicated
issue." Miskin said Republicans
caucused for nearly three-and-a-half hours, but several questions remained
unanswered about the Tobash plan, prompting a delay of chamber consideration. He said some of the questions will require
answers from the pension systems, so the speed with which those answers are
delivered to members could determine when the bill and its amendments are again
on the chamber's voting agenda. And
while Miskin wouldn't say how many GOP votes the Tobash plan has, he did say
his caucus does not expect to get any Democratic votes for the Tobash proposal.
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=7946#sthash.Fci4Onw5.dpuf
Want to guarantee a kid a
sound future? Invest in early childhood education: Ed Rendell and Mark
Schweiker
PennLive
Op-Ed By Ed Rendell and Mark Schweiker on June 11, 2014 at 9:30 AM
There are few occasions when two former governors from opposing
parties find themselves in total agreement, but investing in early learning is
one issue where we see eye-to-eye.
By increasing access to early learning opportunities for all
children, we will improve our state's economic future and most certainly better
the life chances of each child who is given this important head start. We are not newcomers to this issue. We both
took very seriously the need to boost the skills of all students, even those as
young as three and four years old. It all starts with great parents and
well-prepared teachers.
School taxes are high, but
this year, mine were well spent: PennLive letters
PennLive Letters to the
Editor by CHARLES E. SMITH, Hampden Twp. June 11, 2014 2:51 PM
Like many other Pennsylvanians, I am unhappy with school taxes:
the way they are calculated, the way they are distributed and the obvious
political corruption that surrounds the entire process of their assessment and
distribution. But I would like to make a statement about their use.
On Saturday, June 7th, I attended the commencement exercises of
the Cumberland Valley
School District at the Giant Center
Here's a link to SB1382 that would remove
the graduation requirement from the Keystone Exams
SENATE BILL No. 1382 Session
of 2014 INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, MAY 30, 2014
….Section 121.1. Limitation of Assessments.--(a) Student
demonstration of proficiency of the academic standard measured in an assessment
required under Federal or State law shall not be a requirement of eligibility
for high school graduation unless so decided by the school entity. A school
entity may elect to have the assessment count for any portion of the student's
course grade as it deems prudent.
TROY GRAHAM AND LYDIA O'NEAL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS June 12, 2014, 1:08 AM
With time ticking away
to solve the School District
of Philadelphia
"We'll be straight
about it," said Sophie Bryan, chief of staff for the School Reform
Commission. "We are asking for every dollar we can possibly
get." The plea came on a day when
about 100 high school students left classes and joined teachers, parents, and
activists in a march down Broad Street chanting, "S.O.S. - save our
schools."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20140612_School_officials_meet_again_with_Council_members_on_funds.html#FUmk4h9iWizG6Daj.99
"Promise Academies were targeted for additional
resources and called for changes to at least 50 percent of the staff. They
received additional money for professional development, a longer school day,
additional teachers and staff support.
But since 2011, King and the other Promise Academies
Broken promise? School turnaround model in limbo amid district funding crisis
Broken promise? School turnaround model in limbo amid district funding crisis
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5903 POSTED: Thursday, June 12, 2014, 3:01 AM
DURING ASHNA Blackston's sophomore year at Martin Luther King
High in East Germantown , she got out of school
later than her peers at other schools. For many teenagers, it would've been a
nuisance, but the extra time allowed Blackston to get tutoring, dig into her
studies and develop a closer relationship with her teachers. "You could learn more in the classes. We
had more time for the teachers to work with us one-on-one," recalled Blackston,
now a senior. "It was helpful."
King was part of the second set of Promise Academies - the
district's turnaround model ushered in under the late Arlene Ackerman's
Renaissance Schools Initiative to turn around failing schools. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140612_Broken_promise__School_turnaround_model_in_limbo_amid_district_funding_crisis.html#vFC5SCP1zvtkJdL1.99
"Central High School
With film, students document
dire conditions in Philly schools
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN
MCCORRY JUNE 11, 2014
A student-produced documentary that provides an overview of the
Philadelphia School District Science Leadership Academy Vietnam , and
they sacrificed their lives so that my siblings and I could have a better
education and a better life."
The film specifically laments the fact that budget cuts have
severely reduced students' access to guidance counselors this year. "I was lucky to have my teachers,
advisers and counselors intact," says Bui. "Our school community
spent a lot of time and energy fundraising to make this happen. But, again, I
just got lucky. But should we just hope for luck?"
THE INNOVATION GAMBLE
Award-Winning Phila. Teacher Frustrated by Stagnation
Education Week By Benjamin
Herold Published Online: June 10, 2014
Daniel E. Ueda spent the past five years developing an
innovative, project-based physics curriculum for his students at Philadelphia 's Central
High, founded in 1836 and now one of the city's elite magnet schools. One week before this school year started, he
was forced to put it aside. Severe
budget cuts and stringent staffing rules meant that Mr. Ueda was shifted into
precalculus, a subject he had never taught.
It's been hard for the former engineer not to draw a connection between
the upheaval at Central this year, the school's pronounced lack of resources
and Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.'s decision to redirect
millions of district dollars into new school models.
"Felix is one of 43 in this year's graduating class of
students in the Philadelphia
Futures Sponsor-A-Scholar program.
Futures works exclusively with the district's high school students who
come from low-income households and hope to be in their family's first
generation to graduate college. Students
receive a $7,500 pledge of financial support from a local benefactor ($6,000 of
which pays for college expenses such as books), a mentor to guide them through
the struggles of their sometimes harrowing personal lives, as well as a
rigorous college preparatory program that demands their time after school, on
weekends and through the summer."
Philly Futures helps
college-bound Northeast High student defy expectations, odds
BY KEVIN MCCORRY
JUNE 10, 2014
Chris Felix wants to shatter the misconceptions about students
in the Philadelphia
School District
"When somebody hears that I come from Northeast High School Market Street and I
have a tie on, my shirt's tucked in, pants are above the waist, belt on, I just
know that I'm breaking through that stereotype." For Felix, breaking stereotypes extends well
beyond the world of fashion. As the son of a single mother who emigrated from Haiti , he's out to prove that kids from Philadelphia 's
neighborhood public schools can compete at the highest levels of post-secondary
education.
Baldwin-Whitehall lowers
taxes, passes 2014-15 budget
South Hills Record by Stephanie
Hacke Wednesday, June
11, 2014, 11:03 p.m.
A divided Baldwin-Whitehall School Board Wednesday night approved a 2-mill decrease in real estate taxes for the 2014-15 school year. Board members, in a 5-4 vote, approved reducing the millage rate from 19.61 to 17.61. One mill in Baldwin-Whitehall brings in about $1.8 million.
A divided Baldwin-Whitehall School Board Wednesday night approved a 2-mill decrease in real estate taxes for the 2014-15 school year. Board members, in a 5-4 vote, approved reducing the millage rate from 19.61 to 17.61. One mill in Baldwin-Whitehall brings in about $1.8 million.
Board members in a
separate 5-4 vote approved a $62.7 million budget for 2014-15.
To make up for the $3.6
million reduction in revenue from the tax reduction, board member Martin
Michael Schmotzer said the money will be taken from the district's fund
balance.
“We're not a bank,” said
Schmotzer, who made the motion during the meeting.
"The lawmakers' move isn't a
total surprise—members on both sides of the aisle have grown increasingly skeptical of the Obama administration's
competitive-grant programs, and this is a very tight budget year. Another prominent Obama priority fared better
in the subcommittee: Money to help states bolster their preschool programs
would see a second year of financing, and even get a $100 million increase. "
Education Week Pollitics
K-12 Blog By on June
10, 2014 4:31 PM
The Obama administration's
splashiest new K-12 initiative—a new iteration of the Race to the Top program
aimed at bolstering
educational equity—was rejected by Senate Democrats under a spending bill
for fiscal year 2015 approved by a spending subcommittee Tuesday.
The program, which was
floated in the administration's most recent budget request, would have offered
grants to states and districts to help close the achievement gap between poor
and minority students and their more advantaged peers, including by ensuring
that students in high-poverty schools have access to as many effective teachers
as other students.
The budget process is
far from finished, so this isn't the final nail in Race to the Top proposal's
coffin. But the Senate Democrats' rejection is a really bad sign for the fans
of the equity program. It seems even less likely to find support in the
Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2014/06/us_senate_spending_panel_zeroe.html
IS PENNSYLVANIA
Education Voters of Pennsylvania, the NAACP and the Keystone
State Education Coalition are sponsoring a public meeting with speakers from
the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and
the Education Law Center.
When: Monday June 16th, 6-7 PM
Where: Delaware County Community College Southeast Center,
Room 135
2000
Elmwood Ave, Sharon Hill, PA 19079
Learn about how a statewide legal strategy could help students
in William Penn, Southeast Delco and neighboring districts and how you
might participate. Legal experts and attorneys will be present to
talk about the law, your children’s rights and a potential lawsuit against the state
of Pennsylvania based on the state Constitutional requirement to provide
an education.
More info: http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2014/06/is-pennsylvanias-system-of-school.html
Come to Harrisburg to Speak
Up for Public Education
Wednesday, June 18, Monday, June 23, and Monday, June 30
Education Voters PA
Governor Corbett’s “election-year” budget is falling apart. Revenue
projections are down and Corbett and state legislators are looking to make more
than $1.2 billion in cuts to his proposed 2014-2015 budget. Lobbyists will be swarming the Capitol in the
month of June and we need to be there, too.
Join Pennsylvanians from throughout the commonwealth as we send a loud
and clear message that after three years of balancing the state budget on the
backs of Pennsylvania’s public school children, it is time for our state
government to do what is right and pass a fair budget that will provide
students with the opportunities they need to meet state standards and be
successful after they graduate.
Details: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6041/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=7059
PA Basic Ed. Funding
Campaign: Building capacity to advocate for adequate, equitable school funding
PSBA website 6/10/2014
The Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Campaign seeks up to
ten (10) regional "circuit riders" statewide to work with and support
school system leaders to build capacity and advocate for an adequate and
equitable school funding system.
Regional Circuit Riders Contract Employment Announcement
The Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Campaign seeks up to
ten (10) regional "circuit riders" statewide to work with and support
school system leaders to build capacity and advocate for an adequate and
equitable school funding system. Circuit riders will support school system
leaders by providing education and training about past and current school
funding systems, principles and models of good school funding systems and
effective advocacy strategies using information and materials provided by the
Campaign. School system leaders include school directors, Intermediate Unit
executive directors, district superintendents, business managers and other key
school district leaders. Building
capacity among Pennsylvania school system
leaders to advocate for an adequate and equitable school funding system is one
component of a broader multi-year effort that involves more than 25
organizations across Pennsylvania .
This component is a collaborative effort of the PA Association of School
Business Officials (PASBO), PA Association of School Administrators (PASA), PA
School Boards Association (PSBA), PA Association of Rural and Small Schools
(PARSS) and PA Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU). PASBO serves as the
fiscal agent for the collaborative.
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=7943#sthash.rYZzUteD.dpuf
Cloaking
Inequity Blog by Julian
Vasquez Heilig May 23, 2014 | | 1
Comment
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Do you believe in public education? Do you
want US policymakers to understand why decision makers in Chile have now
judged vouchers to be problematic after 30 years of universal implementation?
Do you have frequent flier miles you can donate? Sponsor a grad student
today! This summer, I along with eight
UT-Austin graduate students will travel to Santiago, Chile in August 2014 with
Professor Julian Vasquez Heilig to conduct field research that will result in a
policy brief, op-eds and a peer-reviewed academic paper detailing recent changes in
Chile’s market-based education policy proposed this past April by Chile’s
current Education Minister Nicholas Eyzaguirre.
PSBA opens nominations for
the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award
The nomination process is now open for the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award. This award may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. Applications will be accepted until July 16, 2014. The July 16 date was picked in honor of Timothy M. Allwein's birthday. The award will be presented during the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference in October. More details and application are available on PSBA's website.
The nomination process is now open for the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award. This award may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. Applications will be accepted until July 16, 2014. The July 16 date was picked in honor of Timothy M. Allwein's birthday. The award will be presented during the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference in October. More details and application are available on PSBA's website.
Education
Policy and Leadership Center
Click
here to read more about EPLC’s Education Policy Fellowship Program, including:
2014-15 Schedule 2014-15 Application Past Speakers Program Alumni And More
Information
2014 PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education
and Arts/Culture in PA
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Below is an alphabetical list of the 2014
Gubernatorial Candidates and links to information about their plans, if
elected, for education and arts/culture in Pennsylvania. This list will be updated, as more
information becomes available.
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