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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for March
12, 2015:
School Funding Lawsuit - just
turning on the lights and keeping the school doors open falls short of the
Legislature's constitutional obligation of providing a "thorough and efficient"
education
The next PA Basic
Education Funding Commission Public
Hearing will be on Thursday, March 12th at 10:00 am in Hearing Room 1, North
Office Building, Harrisburg
“Our analysis finds that this reliance on
test scores, despite the partial use of growth measures, results in a school
rating system that favors more advantaged schools,"
Philly research group raises
questions about School Performance Profiles
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette March 11, 2015 11:15 PM
As a new state administration and Congress wrestle with how
best to hold schools accountable, a Philadelphia-based research group questions
whether the Pennsylvania School Performance Profile scores give a fair measure
of school quality. Research for Action
on Wednesday released a report stating that 90 percent of the profile scores
rely on student test scores even though they were intended to rely on a wide
array of measures. “Our analysis finds
that this reliance on test scores, despite the partial use of growth measures,
results in a school rating system that favors more advantaged schools,” the
report states.
"Research shows that standardized test
scores are closely associated with student poverty rates and other
out-of-school factors. Our analysis of SPPs shows that they are no different.
These metrics are tightly correlated with poverty, across both grade bands and
subject areas"
Research for
Action Report Release: Pennsylvania
Research for Action March 2015
AYP. NCLB. PVAAS. These days,
it's difficult to discuss education reform without running into acronyms. A recent addition to Pennsylvania
Yet, to date, there have been
few independent analyses of how the system works, what its component parts
mean, and whether the ratings themselves can support valid and reliable
inferences concerning how a school is performing.
RFA's latest policy analysis
examines these questions, and finds the following:
·
Despite a focus
on multiple measures of school performance, SPP scores are overwhelmingly
derived from standardized test scores.
·
Research shows
that standardized test scores are closely associated with student poverty rates
and other out-of-school factors. Our analysis of SPPs shows that they are no
different. These metrics are tightly correlated with poverty, across both grade
bands and subject areas.
·
In fact, even
measures that are expressly designed to isolate in-school effects are closely
related to poverty levels.
·
Both in terms of
design of SPP measures and their application to accountability provisions,
high-poverty schools face particular challenges.
Click here to read RFA's primer on SPPs. For our
earlier analyses related to Pennsylvania's SPP, click here and here.
"Circumstances have changed
significantly since Pennsylvania
The plaintiffs contend that through these
requirements, the legislature has defined a "thorough and efficient"
education and the courts are constitutionally obligated to make sure that each
district has the means to provide it."
Districts, parents take Pa.
WHYY Newsworks BY DALE
MEZZACAPPA MARCH 12, 2015
Judges must order Pennsylvania 's
governor and legislature to guarantee the constitutional right of every student
to a "thorough and efficient" education, attorneys told a Commonwealth Court
panel Wednesday. Plaintiffs in the case
are six school districts, parents from five districts (including Philadelphia ), the Pennsylvania
Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS), and the NAACP Pennsylvania
State Conference. They are represented by attorneys from advocacy groups the Education Law Center
"Brad Elias, a lawyer for the
petitioners, said the landscape has changed since the courts found that
education funding was the purview of the General Assembly. Since then, he said,
the state has adopted academic standards and tests that define and assess an
adequate education. The school districts
and other parties have argued that these standards and tests, along with a
study to determine the cost of education, give the courts objective standards through
which they can determine if the state has met its own benchmarks in education."
Commonwealth Court judges
weighing Pennsylvania’s, districts’ education funding clash
By Karen Langley / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau March 12, 2015 12:00 AM
HARRISBURG — Seeking to stymie a legal challenge to how
Pennsylvania pays for its public schools, lawyers for the state told a panel of
judges Wednesday that education funding is not a matter for the courts to
decide. Patrick Northen, an attorney for
Republican legislative leaders, cited a decision in the late 1990s in which the
Pennsylvania courts found that questions of what constitutes an adequate
education, and whether adequate funds are available to provide it, are ones for
the General Assembly. In November, six
school districts, parents of schoolchildren, the Pennsylvania Association of
Rural and Small Schools and the state conference of the NAACP filed a lawsuit
asking the state courts to find that the current system of school funding
violates a provision in the state Constitution that the General Assembly “shall
provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of
public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.”
"But before the merits of the case can
be heard, the Commonwealth Court Commonwealth Court
School funding lawsuit hinges
on whether court will hear it
Penn Live By Jan Murphy |
jmurphy@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on March 11, 2015 at 4:55 PM, updated March 11, 2015 at 5:13 PM
on March 11, 2015 at 4:55 PM, updated March 11, 2015 at 5:13 PM
Saying just turning on the lights and keeping the school doors
open falls short of the Legislature's constitutional obligation of providing a
"thorough and efficient" education, education advocates argued that
is why the court needs to intervene.
During a lively hourlong proceeding on Wednesday before the Commonwealth Court ,
attorneys for six school districts, seven parents, the Pennsylvania Association
of Rural and Small
Schools
The education advocates filed a lawsuit against the commonwealth in
November claiming the state is using an irrational system of distributing state
subsidies that has created academic inequities and robbed students of a
"thorough and efficient" education.
"In 2011-12, the lawsuit claims,
then-Gov. Tom Corbett tossed a legislatively-approved 2007
funding formula that gave poorer districts more money based on socioeconomic
factors that can dictate a child's ability to learn. As a result, the lawsuit
alleges, schools are not given enough state money to meet
legislatively-approved academic standards — including the Keystone exams that
students must pass to earn diplomas starting in 2017 — under the Pennsylvania
Morning Call By Steve
Esack Call Harrisburg
Bureau March 11, 2015
School funding lawsuit is
'like Groundhog Day' movie, state officials say
As long as public schools are open and running, the state
Legislature is meeting its constitutional obligation, argued legal
representatives for state officials on Wednesday. State officials sought to have a lawsuit that
claims Pennsylvania
doesn't provide sufficient funding for education dismissed by Commonwealth Court . School District of Lancaster is one of six school
districts that filed the suit against the governor, the secretary of education,
legislative leaders and the State Board of Education last fall. Seven parents
and two advocacy organizations also were among the parties who filed the suit.
School Funding Suit Against
State Advances Despite Promises From Wolf
Attorneys not waiting
to see how the governor’s budget pans out.
Phillymag.com BY JOEL MATHIS | MARCH
11, 2015 AT 3:35 PM
It’s time for Pennsylvania’s courts to force the state
legislature to properly fund state schools, attorneys representing a coalition
of money-hungry school districts argued today before the Commonwealth Court at
Harrisburg. “We argued today in court
the schoolchildren of Pennsylvania have an
enforceable right to be heard,” said Maura McInerney, an attorney for the Education Law Center
Today's plaintiffs argued, however, that in the years since the
lawsuit, the General Assembly has created a standard to be judged
against: The
Keystone Exams, completion of which is a graduation requirement. If
students are unable to meet the standards of those legislatively approved
exams, they argued, it means the state is failing to fund education adequately
to help students pass.
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/03/11/pennsylvania-school-funding-lawsuit-wolf-budget/#uvIrMMei72mZh0uK.99
“That’s a nineteenth century standard of
what an adequate school is,” Churchill said.
School-funding
system 'broken,' Pa.
KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 4:09 PM
Not so, countered Michael Churchill, a lawyer with the Public
Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, one of the groups representing the
plaintiffs. "That's a
nineteenth-century standard of what an adequate school is," Churchill
said. Arguing for the state, Patrick M.
Northen said the lawsuit was "somewhat reminiscent of Groundhog
Day" because similar cases have been brought unsuccessfully. But Brad Ellis, a lawyer for the plaintiffs,
said that now there's a key difference.
In the earlier suits, the court said it could not order changes
because there was no way to determine whether students were meeting academic
standards. Today, there are state-mandated tests, the Pennsylvania System of
School Assessment and Keystone Exams, and low-income districts are
overwhelmingly failing them.
"Regardless of the Commonwealth Court
Court to determine whether school funding case moves forward
Court to determine whether school funding case moves forward
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY
NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5903 POSTED: Thursday,
March 12, 2015, 12:16 AM
LAWYERS representing six Pennsylvania
school districts, parents and education advocates argued yesterday that state
courts must hold the Legislature accountable for providing adequate funding for
public education. The arguments before a
panel of Commonwealth Court
judges in Harrisburg
were to determine whether the lawsuit should move forward. The plaintiffs, which also include seven
parents from Philadelphia
and the NAACP, claim the state has not provided sufficient funding for most
students to pass mandatory graduation exams. They also claim the state's
current funding system discriminates against students who live in poorer
districts.
Gov. Tom Wolf presents
legislation to implement his budget proposals
Penn Live By Christian
Alexandersen | calexandersen@pennlive.com Email the
author | Follow
on Twitter on March 11, 2015 at 12:36 PM, updated March 11, 2015
at 1:11 PM
Gov. Tom
Wolf presented a package of legislation Wednesday that, if passed by
thePennsylvania
General Assembly, would enact his proposals to add money to public
education, increase some taxes and decreasing others. Wolf said in a prepared release that the
legislative package he presented on Tuesday corresponds with his "gimmick-free
budget."
"My budget rebuilds the middle class in Pennsylvania starting with three priorities:
jobs that pay, schools that teach, and government that works," Wolf said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf says
critics of tax plan must consider benefits
Trib Live By The Associated Press Wednesday, March 11,
2015, 9:54 p.m.
HARRISBURG —
Criticism of the higher income and sales taxes that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is
proposing must be weighed against the benefits they would make possible,
including multibillion-dollar reductions in school property taxes, he said
Wednesday. In an interview with The
Associated Press, Wolf acknowledged that efforts to scale back property taxes
date to the 1980s. But, he said, reforms are more likely now because of the
“growing restiveness” of homeowners who must struggle to pay those rising
taxes. “The people of Pennsylvania
expect the people in Harrisburg
— their public servants, us — to actually do something,” the first-term
governor said.
Wolf visits Wingate
Elementary, stumps for education budget
Centre Daily Times BY LORI FALCE lfalce@centredaily.comMarch 9,
2015
The little girl ran up to the front of the class to sort the
words into categories, using a pointer to click on one tile and digitally slide
it into the “sounds like” box on the screen.
Gov. Tom Wolf leaned over to state Senate Majority Leader Jake
Corman, R-Benner Township
“I said to Jake, ‘That didn’t happen when we were in school,’ ”
the governor recounted.
Wolf was at Wingate
Elementary School
Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2015/03/09/4641477_wolf-visits-wingate-elementary.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
Gov. Wolf visits Central Pa. elementary school
By Amber South, asouth@publicopinionnews.com, @AESouthPO on
Twitter POSTED: 03/11/15, 10:55 AM EDT |
Officials from throughout the district gathered along Wolf’s
tour of the school, which was part of his “Schools That Teach Tour” to promote
his proposed budget.
“The governor hit every hot button on
school finance: restoration of state cuts to school districts, addressing the
need for a new basic education funding formula, helping schools meet mandated
costs of special education services, providing school property tax relief,
reducing the escalating burden of pension payments and creating a new cyber
charter school tuition rate,” Himes said.
“However, there is no ‘easy button’ for the
state budget proposal. It requires two tax increases, and one new tax, in order
to fund these new education initiatives and costs in other parts of the state
budget as well.”
At first blush, the state budget proposed a week ago by Gov.
Tom Wolf would mean about $928,000 more cash for the Indiana Area
School District
In a budget information presentation for the school board
Monday, district administrators noted the tenuous nature of the proposal by the
first-year governor and that anything could change before the 2015-16 budget
deadlines — June 22 for the school district and June 30 for the state.
The budget briefing by Superintendent Dale Kirsch and Business
Manager Jared Cronauer included an analysis of the governor’s education funding
proposals by way of an online video produced by leaders of the Pennsylvania
Association of School Business Officials (PASBO),found
online on YouTube. PASBO Executive
Director Jay Himes said Wolf’s proposal “certainly didn’t lack ambition.”
Students who are still
learning English fuel Philly opt-out movement
By Laura Benshoff for NewsWorks on Mar 11, 2015 05:56 PM
In 2014, Pennsylvania
parents opted about 100 kids out of the Pennsylvania System of School
Assessment, or PSSAs. This year, that many are opting out of tests just at the Feltonville School
of Arts & Sciences, a middle school in North
Philadelphia . In some
cases, parents and teachers object to the tests for philosophical or political
reasons. But many Feltonville parents have a more immediate concern: their kids
can't understand them. Nomar Rodriguez,
is one of these parents. Rodriguez and his family moved to Philadelphia
from Puerto Rico in 2013. Although his three
sons — Nomar, Jomar and Keven — took some English classes in Puerto
Rico , they are now all in English language learner (ELL) classes. ELL students, by definition, do not perform
at grade level. But in Pennsylvania ,
those students, along with special education students, are evaluated at grade
level for statewide standardized tests.
Conservative voices debate
charters at York912 Patriots meeting
School choice
perspectives were discussed at a meeting Tuesday
York Daily Record By
Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1 on Twitter UPDATED:
03/11/2015 02:15:42 AM EDT
Two conservative voices brought different opinions on charter
schools and school choice to a meeting of the York 912 Patriots on Tuesday
night. The organization hosted a debate
between Matt Brouilette, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, and
Joel Sears, a York Suburban School Board member and president of the York
County Taxpayers Council with moderator Gary Sutton, from WSBA radio. Todd
Keefer, a 912 board member, said the idea for the event came after he heard
Sears and Brouilette on Sutton's show and found that though both are
"conservative thinking guys," they differed on the subject.
Virtual Schools Remain
Unproven
The third edition of the National Education
Policy Center University
of Colorado Boulder
As previous editions of the report have found, the 2015
analysis concludes that “Claims made in support of expanding virtual education
are largely unsupported by high quality research evidence.” While lawmakers in
some states have made attempts to provide greater oversight on the virtual
school industry, those efforts have not been especially successful. Moreover,
the report observes, such actions as policymakers have attempted do not appear
to be well informed by research evidence.
"The title of the hedge fund bosses’
all-day symposium on Tuesday said it all: “Bonds & Blackboards: Investing
in Charter Schools.” Sponsored by the Gates Foundation and the Walton Family
Foundation, its aim was to convince investors there’s money to be made in
charter schools."
Hedge fund executives give
'til it hurts to politicians, especially Cuomo, to get more charter schools
Gov. Cuomo has gotten
more than $4 million from charter school lobbyists and is pushing lawmakers to
allow more to be established in the state.
Outside the Harvard Club in Midtown, a group of parents from
the Alliance
for Quality Education picketed as they chanted, “Public schools are not for
sale!” But the hedge fund chiefs inside
had other ideas. The title of the hedge
fund bosses’ all-day symposium on Tuesday said it all: “Bonds &
Blackboards: Investing in Charter Schools.” Sponsored by the Gates Foundation
and the Walton Family Foundation, its aim was to convince investors there’s
money to be made in charter schools. Hedge
fund executives have unleashed a tsunami of money the past few years aimed at
getting New York ’s
politicians to close more public schools and expand charter schools.
They’ve done it through direct political contributions, through
huge donations to a web of pro-charter lobbying groups, and through massive TV
and radio commercials.
For this event, sponsored by Public Citizens for Children and
Youth (PCCY), local dentists will provide free screenings and cleanings for
children. Give Kids a Smile Day is especially for children who do not
have health insurance or who have not had a dental exam in the last six months.
Appointments are necessary, so please call PCCY at 215-563-5848 x32 to
schedule one starting Monday, March 16th. Volunteers will be
on hand to answer calls. Smile Day information can also be found on the school
district website and on PCCY’s website - http://www.pccy.org/resource/give-kids-a-smile-day/.
Nominations for PSBA offices
now open: Deadline April 30th
PSBA Leadership
Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are
encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April
30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development
Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and
communication, and who have vision for PSBA. Persons seeking consideration for
a position as an officer or at-large representative of the Association shall
file at PSBA headquarters to the attention of the Leadership Development
Committee chair in an envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL an Application
for Nomination on the form approved by the PSBA Governing Board,
accompanied by a photograph, letters of recommendation and such other
supporting materials as may be specified on the Application for Nomination form
for the purpose of further documenting the candidate’s involvement in
activities of the association, relevant community service and leadership
experiences or other qualifications.
PCCY Spring Training:
Hit a School Funding Home Run for Kids Advocacy Training Workshop
March 18 or 21
This year we have an unprecedented opportunity to make public
education funding more fair and to get more of it for schools across
Pennsylvania. Voters spoke in November when an incumbent governor—widely
perceived to be responsible for drastic education cuts, was unseated while his
opponent ran on the promise to increase school funding. A funding commission
has been established to research and develop recommendations for a new funding
formula. Now is our time to let our elected officials know we take investment
in education seriously.
Please join Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) for our
annual advocacy training to learn how you can win fair and increased funding
for our students.
By participating, you’ll be joining a statewide movement. PCCY
is a part of a statewide coalition of 50 (and growing) organizations committed
to getting a fair funding formula passed by 2016.
Attend our training to:
·
Learn
o
Why education funding in PA is broken and how a
funding formula can fix it
o
Best practices for amplifying your voice for PA
kids
o
How to develop an advocacy plan tailored to fit
your schedule and strengths
·
Connect with
·
Others throughout our region who are as
passionate about public education as you are
·
Leave
·
Inspired and ready to take action for PA
Workshop Details:
When: The same workshop will be offered on two different
days for your convenience.
Wednesday, March 18th, 6:00-8:00pm or Saturday,
March 21st, 9 am - Noon
Where: United Way Building, 1709 Benjamin Franklin
Pkwy., Philadelphia, 19103
For additional information, email info@pccy.org.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is
requested. Children are welcome.
Click here to sign up:
Public Interest Law Center of
Philadelphia offering two special education seminars in March
Leaving Gifted Kids Behind Tuesday, March 24, 2015 1:00
-- 4:00 P.M.
In this session, participants will learn how Pennsylvania law affects and supports gifted children, as well as practical tips for ensuring gifted services. We will also discuss race and gifted services.
In this session, participants will learn how Pennsylvania law affects and supports gifted children, as well as practical tips for ensuring gifted services. We will also discuss race and gifted services.
This session is co-sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania
School of Policy and Practice, a Pre-approved Provider of Continuing Education
for Pennsylvania
licensed social workers.
Children with Emotional Problems: Avoiding the Juvenile Justice
System, and What Does Real Help Look Like? Friday, March 27, 2015 1:00
-- 4:00 P.M.
This session will focus on giving you the tools you need to
support children with emotional problems, including those in the foster care
system or those in the juvenile court system.
Note: This session was originally scheduled for February 17,
but had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather. Tickets purchased for the
original date still apply.
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
Philadelphia, 19103
Tickets: Attorneys $200
General Public $100 Webinar $50
Pay What You Can" tickets are also available
2015 Pennsylvania Budget
Summit
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Hilton Hotel, Harrisburg
Pennsylvania
PA Budget and Policy Center
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host its Annual
Budget Summit on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at the Hilton Harrisburg. Join us
for an in-depth look at the Governor's 2015-16 budget proposal, including what
it means for education, health and human services, and local communities. The
Summit will focus on the leading issues facing the commonwealth in 2015, with
workshops, lunch, a legislative panel discussion, and a keynote speech.
Space is limited, so fill out the form below to reserve your
spot at the Budget Summit.
The State of Public Education
Funding in Pennsylvania
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia Tuesday, March
17, 2015 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
United
Way Building, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-state-of-public-education-funding-in-pennsylvania-tickets-15816877707
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in Lancaster County Tuesday, March 17,
at 7:00 pm at Millersville University
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in York: Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30pm
to 8pm at the York Learning Center, 300 E. 7th Avenue, York.
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in Cumberland County: Wednesday, April
1, 7:00 pm at the Grace Milliman Pollock Performing Arts Center, 340 North 21st
Street, Camp Hill.
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
More info/registration: http://www.educationvoterspa.org/index.php/site/news/2015-events/
PSBA 2015 Advocacy Forum
APR 19, 2015 • 8:00
AM - APR 20, 2015 • 5:00 PM
Join PSBA for the second annual Advocacy Forum on April 19-20,
2015. Hear from legislative experts on hot topics and issues regarding public
education on Sunday, April 19, at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg. The next
day you and fellow advocates will meet with legislators at the state capitol.
This is your chance to learn how to successfully advocate on behalf of public
education and make your voice heard on the Hill.
Agenda/Speakers: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-forum-day-hill-2015/
Sign-up for weekly email updates from the
Campaign
The Campaign for Fair
Education Funding website
PA Basic Education Funding
Commission website
Thorough and Efficient: Pennsylvania
Education Funding Lawsuit website
Arguing that our state has failed to ensure that essential
resources are available for all of our public school students to meet state
academic standards.
Sign up for National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Network
Friends of
Public Education http://p2a.co/nsbac
Register
Now! EPLC 2015 Regional Workshops for School Board Candidates and Others
The Education Policy and Leadership Center, with the
Cooperation of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and
Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), will
conduct A Series of Regional Full-Day Workshops for 2015
Pennsylvania School Board Candidates. Incumbents,
non-incumbents, campaign supporters and all interested voters are invited to
participate in these workshops.
Philadelphia Region Saturday, March 14, 2015 – 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401
NPE 2015 Annual Conference –
Chicago April 24 - 26 – Early Bird Special Registration Open!
January 4, 2015 NPE 2015 Annual Conference, NPE National Conference
Early-bird discounted Registration for the Network for
Public Education’s Second Annual Conference is now available at this address:
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