Daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 3250 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, education
professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies,
professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails,
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These daily emails are archived and
searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone State Education Coalition
Basic Ed funding commission
bill advances in PA Senate
Yesterday, PA-HB 1738, which would create a
Basic Education Funding commission, passed in the Senate 47-1.
Capitolwire: Basic ed funding
commission bill advances to PA Senate floor
Christen Smith, Capitolwire 6/3/2014
A bill that would create a commission to analyze basic
education funding moved one step closer to the governor's desk Monday.
Capitolwire, reprinted with permission
The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved House Bill 1738 which
would create a
Basic Education Funding Commission to address fiscal concerns just as its
special education counterpart did last year.
Rep. Bernie O'Neill, R-Bucks, introduced the legislation last
October. The bill's language would establish a commission whose members would
be "tasked with developing a formula that takes into account each school
district's market value, personal income aid ratio, equalized millage rate,
geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support and other
factors."
"All of these factors have an impact on the financial
stability of our schools and education programs," O'Neill said in January
just after the House passed the legislation on a vote of 187-9. "The goal
is to collect current information, talk to our schools and other experts and
develop a new way of distributing state funding based on actual student and
school data."
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=7898#sthash.18tZp1HQ.dpuf
Tom Wolf's Real Opponent
Politically
Uncorrected by G. Terry Madonna & Michael L.Young June 3, 2014
Newly nominated Democrat Tom Wolf thinks he is running against
Republican incumbent Tom Corbett for Pennsylvania
governor. And he is. But he is also running against history -- a lot of
it -- all predicting that Wolf won’t defeat Corbett in the fall. That history
may turn out to be Wolf’s toughest opponent and his greatest obstacle to
becoming Pennsylvania ’s
next governor.
The history to which we allude is, of course,Pennsylvania ’s now notorious “eight year
cycle” -- a 60-year uninterrupted interval that began in 1954. During this
period the Republican and Democratic parties have alternated the governor’s
office exactly every eight years.
Over this time span, 15 total gubernatorial elections comprising seven successive eight-year cycles have occurred. No party has held the governorship less than two consecutive terms or more than two consecutive terms.
The history to which we allude is, of course,
Over this time span, 15 total gubernatorial elections comprising seven successive eight-year cycles have occurred. No party has held the governorship less than two consecutive terms or more than two consecutive terms.
Nothing about school
construction happens quickly
By John Finnerty Meadville
Tribune June 2, 2014
In a 22-page report, education officials say about one-third of the state’s school districts responded to a survey meant to gauge how much it will cost to replace or repair aging school buildings. That’s just not enough feedback to determine the scope of the problem, the report’s authors note. Their study is not mere busywork. It’s important because the state must figure out how much money it needs to help local districts pay for new construction. In the meantime, a crisis is deepening for many districts that are waiting for cash from the state to help pay for new building or repairs.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em -
could a higher cigarette tax help balance Pa's books?: Tuesday Morning Coffee
By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com on June 03, 2014 at 8:31 AM
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
April's revenue showers brought with them only more rain in May, with tax collections coming in $108 million less for the month and $532.2 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
April's revenue showers brought with them only more rain in May, with tax collections coming in $108 million less for the month and $532.2 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
Thus are state lawmakers looking under every couch cushion for
new money that will help balance the state's books without resulting in a
broad-based tax increase or any severe cuts to programs, including public
education. So it was interesting to
hear Senate Democrats on Monday as they partially resurrected a
proposal, dating back to the Rendell administration, to slap new levies on
cigars, smokeless tobacco products and eCigarettes, as well as a hike to the
state's per-pack cigarette tax.
"A
study produced for the legislature last month showed Internet gaming
could generate about $70 million in new state taxes if rolled out in the middle
of the fiscal year, rising to about $110 million annually after that."
Internet gambling might work
in Pa.
By Charles Thompson |
cthompson@pennlive.com on June 03, 2014 at 7:05 PM,
A state senator who was one of the fathers of legalized slots
play in Pennsylvania says Internet-based
gambling may be a good fit for Pennsylvania
long term. But Sen. Robert
"Tommy" Tomlinson, R-Bucks County , also said the next big expansion of legalized
gambling in Pennsylvania
shouldn't be rushed through this month simply to
make a budget number.
"To me, I'd rather be more cautious… than to jump into
something just so we can get money for this budgetary cycle," Tomlinson
said Tuesday after a public hearing on Internet-based games.
This KEYSEC post reached more than 1700
people on Facebook yesterday….
In God We Trust? How about a bill that would require
charter and cyber schools to post their PA School Performance Profile scores
prominently in any advertising paid for with public tax dollars?
Keystone
State
"DePasquale singled out the Pocono Mountain Pocono
Mountain School
District
Pocono Mountain Charter School
State board upholds
decision to revoke Pocono
Mountain Charter
School
By Peter Hall, Of The Morning Call 6:37 p.m. EDT, June 3,
2014
The Pocono Mountain Charter School — which has been held up as
an example of what's wrong with Pennsylvania's charter school law — was struck
another blow Tuesday when the state Department of Education's Charter Appeal
upheld a decision to revoke its charter for the second time. In a unanimous vote, the appeal board found
the Pocono Mountain School District's 2010 decision revoking the charter was
based on substantial evidence of excessive entanglement between the school and
Shawnee Tabernacle Church in Tobyhanna, where the school rented facilities.
Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-pocono-charter-school-20140603,0,4762348.story#ixzz33f6A7mud
Former head of Beaver Co.
cyber charter says criminal charges should be tossed
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review By Brian
Bowling Published: Tuesday, June 3, 2014, 8:21 p.m.
A federal judge should dismiss criminal charges or throw out most of the evidence it gathered against the former head of aBeaver County East Liverpool , Ohio
A federal judge should dismiss criminal charges or throw out most of the evidence it gathered against the former head of a
"In 2012-13, the district provided Kenderton with 41.8
full-time employees for 389 students which works out to one for every 9.3
children. Of the 41.8 FTE's, 26.9 were
teachers, making for a 14.5 to 1 teacher to pupil ratio. In 2013-14, under Scholar Academies'
control, the school receives 61 full-time employees for 464 students – one for
every 7.6 children. Of the 61 FTE's, 46 are teachers, allowing for a
teacher/student ratio of 10 to one. With
these extra supports, the school can provide much more one-on-one attention to
students struggling with academics and discipline. Every floor of Young
Scholars Kenderton has a dean dedicated to counseling disruptive
students." …."Why would the
district send Scholar Academies $5.1 million to operate Kenderton, if the
district sent only $2.7 million to the school when it was under its own
control?"
Touring a North Philly
Renaissance school, a microcosm of the city's education debate
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN
MCCORRY JUNE 4, 2014
When Shereda Cromwell, mother of three, learned last year that
her kids' school, Kenderton Elementary in North
Philadelphia , would be converted to a charter, her heart sank. As a parent of children with autism, Cromwell
says she depends on predictability and routine to help her kids thrive in the
classroom. Faced with the prospect of the unknown, Cromwell and other Kenderton
parents stiffened in defense. "When
we heard about the change, we were kind of upset," she said.
Mastery Charter Schools
seniors take part in College Signing Day
KEANU DAVIS didn't like going to school during his freshman
year at Simon Gratz High School Davis
noticed a change. Other students started attending Gratz with regularity - as
did he.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140604_Mastery_Charter_Schools_seniors_take_part_in_College_Signing_Day.html#1SfOpZLwS6KEKaF7.99
Mastery students celebrate
'College Signing Day'
CASEY FABRIS, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER POSTED: Wednesday,
June 4, 2014, 1:08 AM
Students roared for the
Pickett Campus. They shouted for the Shoemaker Campus, cheered for Simon Gratz
High School Temple
University 's Liacouras Center
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20140604_Mastery_students_celebrate__College_Signing_Day_.html#vb0VLvQ5Sg2vtcqb.99
Inquirer Editorial: Schools
dismissed
POSTED: Wednesday, June 4, 2014, 1:08 AM
Kafkaesque may be the word that best describes
the Philadelphia School District Harrisburg Tuesday to speak behind closed
doors with legislators (apparently his preferred approach to government) about
enacting a city cigarette tax to fund the schools. "There could be some potential impact on
the city budget if this whole School District
issue doesn't get resolved," Clarke told a KYW radio reporter. The comment
suggests he would prefer that the city avoid digging deeper into its pockets
for schools. Given the gravity of the
situation, however, isn't it time for the city do just that? Instead, Clarke
and other Council members prefer to cite what they have already given to the
schools. It's not enough.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20140604_Inquirer_Editorial__Schools_dismissed.html#3sQf4kKer0Kxe4JC.99
"There was a saying popularized during the Vietnam War,
that “we had to burn down the village in order to save it.” That seemingly
nonsensical dichotomy is now at play in public school districts across the
nation. Must we abandon our schools, and
our children, in order to save public education?"
Charter schools not only
option
Written by Philadelphia
Tribune Editorial June 3, 2014
Quietly, without fanfare, the New Orleans public school system has ceased
to exist. The Recovery School District , the Crescent City New Orleans schoolchildren
will be educated in charter schools exclusively.
The change was gradual, as over the past few years more and
more students, and their parents, opted for charter schools over the
traditional neighborhood school. By this semester, more than 90 percent of New Orleans students
attended charter schools, leaving only five traditional public schools. The overwhelming numbers and the near-total
abandonment of public schools left officials with little choice but to shut
down their operation completely. Since the explosion of charter schools, the
graduation rate in New Orleans
has climbed to nearly 80 percent and significant gains were achieved in
standardized tests in reading and math, which offered hope to frustrated
parents and hurried the exodus.
The change has not been without criticism, however.
Why did 15 Philly legislators
back In God We Trust bill?
Citypaper By Daniel
Denvir Published: 06/03/2014
Perhaps the answer to Pennsylania schools' prayers is more
prayers.
Fifteen Philly legislators joined with an overwhelming state
House majority to pass a bill that "allows" school districts to post
"In God We Trust" in school buildings.
HB 1728 was originally worded to require schools
to display the motto. The amended version that passed made it optional, and
also instructed schools that they should feel free to post the Bill of Rights. The legislation comes at a time when Philadelphia schools and districts across Pennsylvania are
suffering severe fiscal crises in the wake of state budget cuts. It is unclear
how schoolchildren's prayers to the Almighty might impact the upcoming budget
debate in Harrisburg .
HAVERFORD TWP. ---School directors voted unanimously in favor
of a $103 million proposed final budget at the May 22 school board meeting. Discussed at multiple prior meetings, the
2014-15 budget includes a 3.58 percent real estate tax rate increase, from
27.6784 to 28.6692 mills. Taxes on the average residential property assessment
of $162,858 will increase $162, for a total $4,669. The district is using referendum exceptions
for special education and PSERS to exceed the 2.1 percent Act 1 index. Local taxes totaling $85.8 million comprise
83 percent of revenues, with $16 million or about 15 percent from the state and
$1.2 million from federal sources.
Get on the Bus!
After proposing a slight increase in education funding back in
the winter, Gov. Corbett is now fishing in his own budget to cut over $1.3
billion. Guess where those cuts could come from? Education again, of course. The state has been short on revenue for the
past six months and now legislators are scrambling to put together a final
budget by the end of this month, saying “all options are on the table.” While
acknowledging that, “There is very broad support for increased education
spending,” Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), maintains “it
is hard to get to increased education spending when you have a gap to fill.” [Post-Gazette,
6-2-14] Of course, the Republicans who control both the House and Senate
refuse to discuss the corporate tax giveaways that have tripled over
the past decade (with the blessing of both parties), creating a large portion
of that gap.
TSOORIS
Jean Jacques Crawb's Blog Posted on June 3, 2014by jeanjacquescrawb
I am about to increase the scope of your vocabulary. The
word, tsooris, is a Yiddish word for trouble. It is not all
trouble, but a specific kind of trouble. It can be explained by the next
description. Yesterday I bought a suit with two pairs of pants. Today I
got a large rip in my pants. That is what is meant by tsooris. It is
something that is incalculably hard to fathom. That is what is going on in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania New Jersey ).
Our administration in Harrisburg
is befuddled by what has happened and our legislature is divided into factions.
This is not to say that it is broken into Democrats and Republicans. It goes
way beyond that.
"As a result of this change to the tax
code, banks and equity funds that invest in charter schools in underserved
areas can take advantage of a very generous tax credit. They are permitted to combine this tax credit
with other tax breaks while they also collect interest on any money they lend
out. According to one analyst, the credit allows them to double the money they
invested in seven years. Another interesting side note is that foreign
investors who put a minimum of $500,000 in charter school companies are
eligible to purchase immigration visas for themselves and family members under
a federal program called EB-5."
Why hedge funds love charter
schools
BY VALERIE STRAUSS June
4 at 5:00 am
One of the features of corporate school room is the interest
that Wall Street has shown in supporting charter schools. Why? No doubt
hedge fund managers would say they want to support education and help young
people have educational choices. But here’s another part of the answer, written
by Alan Singer, a social studies educator in the Department of Teaching,
Literacy and Leadership at Hofstra University in Long Island ,
New York , and the editor of Social Science
Docket (a joint publication of the New
York and New Jersey Councils for Social Studies). He
taught at a number of secondary schools in New York City ,
including Franklin K. Lane High School and Edward R. Murrow High School
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/06/04/why-hedge-funds-love-charter-schools/
D.C. officials allege improper
diversion of charter funds
Kent Amos, founder of one of the oldest and largest D.C.
charter school networks, allegedly funneled millions of school dollars to a
for-profit management company he owns, according to a
legal complaint filed Monday by D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan. Amos founded Dorothy I. Height Community
Academy Public
Charter School
SEC charges UNO with
defrauding investors, warns probe 'not done'
The United Neighborhood Organization defrauded bond investors
by “making materially misleading statements” about charter-school construction
contracts involving an UNO insider, federal authorities said Monday as they
announced they had filed a civil complaint against the clout-heavy group. The organization has agreed to settle the
civil case, agreeing to oversight for a year by an outsider. But an official with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, which began investigating after reports in the Chicago
Sun-Times revealed the insider dealings, said the case isn’t closed.
Handwriting fades, but
what is lost?
By Maria Konnikova / The New York Times June 2, 2014 10:59 PM
Does handwriting matter?
Not very much, according to many educators. The Common Core
standards, which have been adopted in most states, call for teaching legible
writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After that, the emphasis
quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard.
But psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare
handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links between
handwriting and broader educational development run deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first
learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and
retain information. In other words, it's not just what we write that matters --
but how.
Lunch may be healthier, but
kids aren't eating up
Education Week Published Online: June 3, 2014
The jokes have written themselves over the years, stereotyping
cafeteria meals ladled up by lunch ladies, trays filled with mystery meat and
canned fruit cocktail, with ketchup counted as a vegetable. A peek into Centre County State College
high school students feasted on baked sweet potatoes and General Tso's chicken
last week. At Bald Eagle Area schools, chef salads with leafy romaine lettuce
are a daily staple. At Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania Charter School,
the fruits are fresh watermelon and sliced oranges.
The food is undoubtedly healthier. But are kids actually eating
it?
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
PCCY invites you to get on
the School Spirit Bus to Harrisburg on Tuesday June 10th for Fair and Full
School Funding!
Public Citizens for Children and Youth
On Tuesday June 10th, Public Citizens for Children
and Youth (PCCY) will be going to Harrisburg. Join committed parents,
leaders, and community members from around state to make it clear to Harrisburg
that PA students need fair and full funding now! We are providing free
transportation to and from Harrisburg as well as lunch. Please
arrive at the United
Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin
Parkway no later than8:15am. The bus will
depart at 8:30am sharp! Reserve your seat today by emailing us
at info@pccy.org or
calling us at 215-563-5848
x11. You can download and share our flyer by clicking here. We hope to see you there!
Pennsylvania Education Summit
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM (EDT) Camp Hill, PA
PA Business-Education Partnership
Featuring:
Welcome By Governor Tom Corbett (invited)
Remarks Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq
(confirmed)
Perceptions & comments of business leaders, educators,
college presidents, and advocacy groups
Full agenda here: http://www.bipac.net/pbc/2014-PA-Education-Summit-Agenda.pdf
Registration: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/pennsylvania-education-summit-tickets-11529363637?aff=eorgf
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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