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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup October 14, 2015
K-12 Takes a
Backseat in First Democratic Debate
Pennsylvania budget
talks are set to resume Wednesday
Penn
Live By Email the author | Follow on Twitter on October 13, 2015 at 5:40 PM,
updated October 13, 2015 at 7:23 PM
The next chance to break the state budget impasse is upon
us.
One week after the state House of Representatives defeated
Gov. Tom Wolf's $1.8 billion tax increase package on a mostly party-line vote, legislative
leaders expect to reconvene on-again, off-again state budget talks Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre
County, said he is hopeful that with the House's strong rejection ofWolf's
proposed personal income tax increase as a backdrop, the new
talks will have a better chance of gaining quick momentum. "Now that almost everyone has agreed that we're not
going to have an across-the-board tax increase," Corman said Tuesday, in a
reference to the House vote, "we're a lot closer together than we were. "We think there's a real chance to have
some sort of agreement fairly quickly."
Corman: There
is a “general consensus” that a personal income tax hike will not be part of
the final budget
The PLS
Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Tuesday, October
13, 2015
Senate
Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) said there is a “general consensus” that
a personal income tax increase will not be part of the final budget plan as he
left bipartisan meeting between legislative leaders Tuesday. “That reduces the field significantly,” he
said, noting “most people believe” that following last week’s House vote
defeating the governor’s revenue plan, which relied heavily on a PIT
increase to raise revenue, such an increase will not make its way into a final
budget plan. “Once that’s gone, that
reduces the differences significantly and we can move forward and that’s what
we’re going to do,” he said. Sen. Corman
clarified, saying he can’t speak for the views of the administration and he
won’t speak on behalf of legislative Democrats, “but I think they get it, that
the votes aren’t there and we’re going to try to put a budget together without
it.” That being said, he explained
revenue increases in some other areas might be part of the budget discussions,
along with spending reforms as in the area of public pensions.
Wolf: 'I can't
cave' in budget fight
CHRIS
PALMER, INQUIRER HARRISBURG
BUREAU LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Tuesday,
October 13, 2015, 11:03 AM
HARRISBURG
- The path to resolving Pennsylvania's budget stalemate remained murky Tuesday,
as Gov. Wolf and a top Senate ally appeared to double down on their long-held
positions, while Republicans explored if they had the votes to enact a spending
plan without the governor's signature. In
a radio interview, Wolf insisted he would not back off his calls for major
changes to overcome the state's multibillion-dollar budget deficit. "I think there's a dawning awareness
that I'm not going to cave on this, I can't cave on this," he told KDKA-AM
in Pittsburgh, shrugging off last week's rejection of his tax plan by the
Republican-controlled House. "I'm one of 12.7 million Pennsylvanians, and
we've got to have our state on a sound financial basis. That's all I
want."
All
seven are to take part in a statewide TV debate this evening at Widener Law
School's Harrisburg campus from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Cable Network is airing the event live, replaying it at
8:30 p.m. and again Saturday at 3 p.m. There's
also a candidate forum at Community College of Philadelphia on Saturday from
noon to 2 p.m. if you want to see these folks in person.
It's time to
judge the judges
JOHN
BAER, DAILY NEWS POLITICAL
COLUMNIST Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 12:16 AM
LET'S
TAKE a few minutes to chat about our state Supreme Court. You're perhaps aware it's going through a
rough period. One Democratic justice,
Philly's Seamus McCaffery, resigned last year after being connected to an email
porn probe. That came after a Republican
justice, Pittsburgh's Joan Orie Melvin, was convicted of campaign-related
corruption. Now a third justice,
Republican Michael Eakin, of Central Pennsylvania, is under review, after being
linked to emails the high court says it's "disturbed" by. Things are so bad, court candidates now
running are subtly and not so subtly referring to these problems in TV ads.
Hopefuls for
Pa. Supreme, Superior, Commonwealth courts to take debate stages
Trib Liv
By Melissa Daniels Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, 10:45 p.m.
Pennsylvania voters will have a chance to watch the candidates for the state's appellate courts face off in debates Wednesday and Thursday. The Pennsylvania Cable Network will air a debate held at Widener College with the seven Supreme Court candidates beginning at 5 p.m. Republican candidates include Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey of Bucks County, Adams County Common Pleas Judge Michael George of Gettysburg and Superior Court Judge Judy Olson of Wexford. Democrats include Superior Court Judge Christine Donohue of Point Breeze, Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Kevin Dougherty and Superior Court Judge David Wecht of Indiana Township.
Pennsylvania voters will have a chance to watch the candidates for the state's appellate courts face off in debates Wednesday and Thursday. The Pennsylvania Cable Network will air a debate held at Widener College with the seven Supreme Court candidates beginning at 5 p.m. Republican candidates include Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey of Bucks County, Adams County Common Pleas Judge Michael George of Gettysburg and Superior Court Judge Judy Olson of Wexford. Democrats include Superior Court Judge Christine Donohue of Point Breeze, Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Kevin Dougherty and Superior Court Judge David Wecht of Indiana Township.
DEER LAKES STATE FUNDING PRESENTATION
TribLive
By Brian C. Rittmeyer Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, 12:31 a.m.
…..A new
formula for distributing state basic education funding to school districts is
held up in the budget dispute between Gov. Tom Wolf and the Legislature.
The
formula is meant to provide school districts with funding that is sustainable
and predictable, said Ron Dufalla, a circuit rider with the Campaign for Fair
Education Funding and a retired school superintendent. Deer Lakes Business Manager Dennis Thimons
said the formula is not expected to result in significant changes to the
district's state funding. Dufalla gave a
presentation on the formula Tuesday to the school board at the invitation of
Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden. “It's
considered to be probably the fairest way to distribute basic education
funding,” Dufalla said. Basic education
funding is the largest chunk of money districts receive from the state, with
the fewest strings attached, Dufalla said.
He said
there has not been a formula for distributing this money since the early 1990s.
Dufalla
said districts would not lose any money they already receive. The formula would
be used to determine new funding going forward from a base year. Wolf and lawmakers disagree on what year
would be the base year, in addition to how much to increase education funding.
“Sparagana
said there are two things the state could have done to assist schools like
those in Pottstown where a high proportion of families are low-income and the
tax base cannot provide adequate funding — neither of which are included in the
Auditor General’s recommendations.
First,
“adequate funding to all school districts in the Commonwealth” would have
allowed “instructional programs to be equitable for all students,” he wrote .
“We know what to do from a teaching and learning perspective, we just need the
resources to enhance opportunities for our students.” Earlier this year, a special committee issued
a set of recommendations to provide a fairer funding formula for schools, but
it remains hostage to the budget impasse.
Additionally, schools like Franklin and Pottstown Middle School would be
aided by a roll-back of “unfunded mandates,” Sparagana wrote. “Why must we jump through additional hoops?
We should not be punished because PDE has been called out by the Feds,”
Sparagana replied.”
Pottstown
schools chief responds to state auditor report
By Evan Brandt,
The Mercury POSTED: 10/13/15,
6:46 PM EDT
POTTSTOWN
>> Two Pottstown school buildings are among the 561 academically
challenged schools that were “overlooked” by the Pennsylvania Department of
Education, according to a recent report.
Last week Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released an 89-page audit of the education
department that found, among other findings, the department failed to provide
additional assistance to poor-performing schools. Included on that list of poor-performing
schools were Franklin Elementary School and Pottstown Middle School. “The Pennsylvania Department of Education is
failing our students and the taxpayers by essentially overlooking 561
academically challenged schools,” DePasquale said, in a prepared statement
accompanying the report’s release.
Deal ends
Scranton teachers' strike, classes begin Wednesday
Education
Week by AP Published Online: October 13, 2015
SCRANTON,
Pa. (AP) — Students in the Scranton School District in northeastern
Pennsylvania will return to class Wednesday after a tentative contract deal
ended a teachers' strike that began Sept. 25.
The Scranton Federation of Teachers had been picketing to protest
efforts to cut salaries and health care benefits, and increasing classroom
sizes. The administration says the
district has proposed health insurance concessions in exchange for step
increase raises.
The
tentative deal was struck Monday night. The
teachers were set to vote on the deal Tuesday afternoon, and it was expected to
be approved. The school board must also ratify the contract, but classes and
extracurricular activities were to resume.
"If the Susquehanna
International Group sounds familiar it's because senior members of the
privately held investment firm also injected millions into the failed
Philadelphia mayoral campaign of Anthony Hardy Williams around the expansion of
charter schools and support of vouchers."
Susquehanna
Group's Yass donates $2.3 million to support Rand Paul campaign
WHYY
Newsworks BY BOBBY ALLYN
OCTOBER 13, 2015
Nearly half
of all the money raised so far to support presidential candidates has
come from some 150 super-rich families, and some of them have connections to
the Philadelphia area.
Chief
among them is Jeff Yass, executive at the Susquehanna International Group in
Lower Merion. He's contributed $2.3 million to super PACs pushing libertarian
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. According to Federal Election Commission
reports, Yass gave generously to the Purple Pac, Inc., Concerned American
Voters and America's Liberty PAC, all working to get Paul into the oval office.
Pennsylvania
edu-crock: What a mess
Editorial
By The Tribune-Review Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, 9:00 p.m.
Beyond confirming that former state Education Secretary Ron Tomalis did little, if any, actual work as a special higher-education adviser to Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale's audit of the Education Department highlights many ways it needs to improve under Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf. Mr. Tomalis' 14-month advisory role, which began in June 2013, had no job description but paid him the same $140,000 salary he enjoyed as a Cabinet member — and sweetened his annual state pension by $7,000. The audit found just one email he sent and one entry on his electronic calendar for three months in 2014. As Mr. DePasquale put it, “that's nice ‘work' if you can get it.” Mr. Wolf's administration must ensure nobody else gets such “work.” The audit also found that from July 1, 2010, to July 1, 2015, the department filled key jobs with retirees and fell short in helping 561 failing schools, including 100-plus in Western Pennsylvania. Oh, and the Education Department hasn't updated its master plan since 1999.
Beyond confirming that former state Education Secretary Ron Tomalis did little, if any, actual work as a special higher-education adviser to Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale's audit of the Education Department highlights many ways it needs to improve under Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf. Mr. Tomalis' 14-month advisory role, which began in June 2013, had no job description but paid him the same $140,000 salary he enjoyed as a Cabinet member — and sweetened his annual state pension by $7,000. The audit found just one email he sent and one entry on his electronic calendar for three months in 2014. As Mr. DePasquale put it, “that's nice ‘work' if you can get it.” Mr. Wolf's administration must ensure nobody else gets such “work.” The audit also found that from July 1, 2010, to July 1, 2015, the department filled key jobs with retirees and fell short in helping 561 failing schools, including 100-plus in Western Pennsylvania. Oh, and the Education Department hasn't updated its master plan since 1999.
“The
department has turned down all new cyber applications in the last three years,
in part because most of the 14 cybers are among the lowest performing schools
in the state. Cybers enroll more than 35,000 students in Pennsylvania.”
Rejected cyber
charter tries a workaround
MARTHA
WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 9:36 PM POSTED: Tuesday, October
13, 2015, 5:18 PM
A
proposed cyber charter school that was rejected three times by the state
Department of Education has turned to the courts in its bid to open. Insight PA Cyber Charter School, which has
partnered with for-profit K12 Inc., has filed a petition in Commonwealth Court
challenging the Charter Appeal Board's decision to deny its appeal. The board on Aug. 31 upheld the Education
Department's finding that K12 would be effectively running the school rather
than Insight's nonprofit board. Alan C.
Kessler, Insight's lead attorney, declined to comment Tuesday. But in the
Commonwealth Court filing, Insight challenged the appeals board's findings,
contending it had "capriciously disregarded the department's arbitrary
treatment" of Insight's prior applications. Insight
also alleged that the Education Department had engaged in an "effective
moratorium" on the approval of new cybers since 2012.
Show explores
how state funding affects schools
Centre Daily Times BY BRITNEY MILAZZO bmilazzo@centredaily.comOctober 8,
2015
STATE
COLLEGE — After more than 200 hours of interviews that started last year,
production staff for the touring performance “School Play” cut their research
into a show that lasted about an hour. The
Philadelphia-based tour group made its way to State College Area High School on
Thursday to spread the word — through the arts — about how state funding affects
schools. And it
came during a time the state is about three months past due on approving a
budget. Creator
Seth Bauer said every line in the documentary-style play was a direct quote
from the more than 100 Pennsylvania educators, politicians, parents and others
they spoke with. But
their work went beyond performing. The
actors, directors and writers worked with about 15 students during daytime
workshops at the high school. State High
Thespians adviser and director Jill Campbell said the group held two sessions
-- one about writing and the other on advocacy for the arts. “You can just talk about public issues or you
can address them through arts,” Campbell said. “This explores that issue
visually.”
PSBA members elect new officers for 2016
PSBA
website October 13, 2015
Members
of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association elected new officers and a new
at-large representative for 2016 at its Delegate Assembly on Tuesday, Oct. 13
at The Hershey Lodge & Convention Center.
The new officers and at-large representative will take their offices on
January 1, 2016, as part of the 11-member PSBA Governing Board. As 2015
president-elect, Kathy Swope, Lewisburg Area SD (Union Co.),
automatically assumes the office of the president. William LaCoff, Owen
J. Roberts SD (Chester Co.), will assume the title of immediate past president
in January 2016 when his term comes to an end as 2015 president.
Officers
and at-large representatives elected at the Delegate Assembly are as follows:
President-elect:
Mark B.
Miller, Centennial SD (Bucks Co.)
Vice
president:
Michael
Faccinetto, Bethlehem Area SD (Northampton Co.)
At-large
representative (East):
Larry
Feinberg, SD of Haverford Township (Delaware Co.)
Plenty of
College Talk, But K-12 Takes a Backseat
in First Democratic Debate
Education
Week Politics K-12 Blog By Alyson Klein on October
13, 2015 11:09 PM
There
were plenty of quick shout-outs to education during the Democratic presidential
candidates very first debate in Las Vegas. But if you were hoping for a meaty
discussion of the big issues facing K-12—testing, teacher evaluation, fixing
low-performing schools—you were out of luck. (That's been a trend in the Democratic primary so far.)
Near Silence
on Education at First Democratic Debate
Gadfly
on the Wall Blog by Steven Singer October 13, 2015
None. Null. Nada.
That’s
how many questions CNN anchors asked presidential hopefuls about America’s
public schools at the first Democratic Debate.
Imagine
if Anderson Cooper and company had been silent on Climate Change. The
candidates would have brought it up anyway. Bernie Sanders actually did talk
about the threat to the environment when asked a question about national
defense. Imagine if moderators had no
questions about gun violence. Candidates competed with each other to
demonstrate which took a stronger stance against the National Rifle Association. Imagine if no one asked about finance reform.
On that stage each candidate tried to position his or herself as the new
sheriff of Wall Street. But when it
comes to one of the most important issues of the day – our children’s
struggling schools – the media apparently thought it was of no interest to the
viewing public.
Admittedly
both Hillary Clinton and Sanders briefly brought it up when asked about other
things.
The next education secretary: Polarizing,
powered by personal story
Washington
Post By Emma Brown and Lyndsey Layton October 11, 2015
The
nation’s next education secretary is a man driven by what might have been had
he not found refuge in public schools. John
B. King Jr.’s mother died of a heart attack when he was 8, and then his father
descended into Alzheimer’s disease, leaving King an orphan at age 12. He moved
around a lot, staying with relatives. School became the safest, most stable and
most nurturing place he knew. “New York
City public school teachers are the reason that I am alive,” King said at the
White House this month, after President Obama announced that he would succeed
Education Secretary Arne Duncan at the end of this year. “Those teachers
created amazing educational experiences, but also gave me hope — hope about
what is possible, what could be possible for me in life.”
Is
kindergarten too young to suspend a student?
PBS Newshour by John Merrow October 12, 2015 at
6:25 PM EDT
At the
largest charter school network in New York City, strict academic and behavior
standards set the stage for learning. That doesn't exclude children as young as
5 or 6 years old, who can be given out-of-school suspensions if they don't
follow the rules. Special correspondent for education John Merrow explores what
that policy means for both the child and the school.
Parents
Support Testing, but Think There's Too Much
US News
and World Report By Lauren Camera Oct.
12, 2015 | 12:01 a.m. EDT+ More
Parents
of public school students support the use of standardized tests, but think
they're overused and not necessarily helping their children improve. That finding – one of many from a new
survey of parent attitudes released Monday by the nonprofit communications
organization Education Post – lies at the heart of
the nation's ongoing testing saga, which has been marked by
thousands of students opting out of state assessments and a growing number
of states struggling with how to administer and
use new tests designed to align with more rigorous standards.
SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT: School Play is going on tour! Click below for more
information about tour dates in your county. All performances are FREE!
School
Play, a documentary-based live theatre piece, is here to put school funding
center stage. Compiled from a series of interviews, the play premiered in
Philadelphia in April, 2015 and is now available for free for
performances around the Commonwealth.
Register Now – PAESSP
State Conference – Oct. 18-20 – State College, PA
Registration is now
open for PAESSP's State Conference to be held October 18-20 at The
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA! This year's
theme is @EVERYLEADER and features three nationally-known keynote
speakers (Dr. James Stronge, Justin Baeder and Dr. Mike Schmoker), professional
breakout sessions, a legal update, exhibits, Tech Learning Labs and many
opportunities to network with your colleagues (Monday evening event with Jay
Paterno). Once again, in conjunction
with its conference, PAESSP will offer two 30-hour Act 45 PIL-approved
programs, Linking Student Learning to Teacher Supervision and Evaluation
(pre-conference offering on 10/17/15); and Improving Student Learning
Through Research-Based Practices: The Power of an Effective Principal (held
during the conference, 10/18/15 -10/20/15). Register for either or both PIL
programs when you register for the Full Conference!
REGISTER TODAY for
the Conference and Act 45 PIL program/s at:
Back to School Special Education Seminar October 20th
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
Join us on October 20, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. for our first special education conference of the 2015-2016 school year!
Building on last
year’s successful Back to School seminar, this year you will hear about the
current state of special education law and engage in dialogue about today’s
most pressing matters.
Topics
- Early Intervention
- Inclusion
- Assistive Technology
- General update on the state of special
education, both in Philadelphia and nationally
Presenters
- HUNE
- The PEAL Center
- Sonja Kerr
Our “Know
Your Child’s Rights” Special Education workshops aim to educate
parents, educators, attorneys and advocates so that they can advocate for the
rights of children with disabilities. CLE credit is available for attorneys in
Pennsylvania that attend the seminar in person.
Questions? Email mberton@pilcop.org or call 267.546.1303.
- See more at: http://www.pilcop.org/backtoschool2015/#sthash.W9zA7fZg.dpuf
Registration is open for the 19th Annual
Eastern Pennsylvania Special Education Administrators’ Conference
on October 21-23rd in Hershey.
Educators in the
field of special education from public, charter and nonpublic schools are
invited to attend. The conference offers rich professional development
sessions and exceptional networking opportunities. Keynote speakers are
Shane Burcaw and Jodee Blanco. Register at https://www.paiu.org/epaseac/conf_registration.php
Register Now for the Fifth
Annual Arts and Education Symposium Oct. 29th Harrisburg
Thursday, October
29, 2015 Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Act
48 Credit is available. The event will be a daylong convening of arts education
policy leaders and practitioners for lively discussions about important policy
issues and the latest news from the field. The symposium is hosted by EPLC and
the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network, and supported by a generous grant from
The Heinz Endowments.
SCHOOL CHOICE: THE ROLE OF THE
CONSTITUTION AND THE COURTS IN IMPROVING EDUCATION
Constitution Center, Philadelphia Monday,
November 2, 2015 at 4 p.m.
Free for
Members • $7 teachers & students • $10 public
Become a Member today for free admission to this program and more!
Click here to join and learn more or call 215-409-6767.
Become a Member today for free admission to this program and more!
Click here to join and learn more or call 215-409-6767.
Does the
Constitution guarantee an “equal education” to every child? What do the U.S.
and Pennsylvania Constitutions say about school choice, teacher tenure,
standardized testing, and more? The Constitution Center hosts two conversations
exploring these questions.
In the
first discussion, education policy experts—Donna Cooper of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, Mark Gleason of the Philadelphia School
Partnership, Deborah Gordon Klehr of the Education Law
Center, and Ina Lipman of the Children's
Scholarship Fund Philadelphia—examine the state of Philadelphia public
education, what an "equal education" in Philadelphia would look like,
and their specific proposals for getting there. They also explain what, if anything,
the Pennsylvania state constitution says about these questions, and how state
government interacts with local government in setting education policy.
In the
second discussion, James Finberg of Altshuler Berzon
and Joshua Lipshutz of Gibson Dunn—two
attorneys involved in Vergara v. California, a landmark dispute
over the legality of teacher retention policies—present the best arguments on
both sides and discuss what's next in the case. They also explain what the U.S.
Constitution and major Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of
Education, San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and Parents
Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 say
about education and our national debates.
Register now for the
2015 PASCD 65th Annual Conference, Leading and Achieving in an Interconnected World, to be
held November 15-17, 2015 at Pittsburgh Monroeville Convention Center.
The Conference
will Feature Keynote Speakers: Meenoo Rami – Teacher and Author
“Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching,” Mr. Pedro Rivera,
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Heidi Hayes-Jacobs – Founder and President
of Curriculum Design, Inc. and David Griffith – ASCD Senior Director of Public
Policy. This annual conference features small group sessions focused on:
Curriculum and Supervision, Personalized and Individualized Learning,
Innovation, and Blended and Online Learning. The PASCD Conference is
a great opportunity to stay connected to the latest approaches for innovative
change in your school or district. Join us forPASCD 2015!
Online registration is available by visiting www.pascd.org <http://www.pascd.org/>
Interested in letting our
elected leadership know your thoughts on education funding, a severance tax,
property taxes and the budget?
Governor Tom Wolf,
(717) 787-2500
Speaker of the
House Rep. Mike Turzai, (717) 772-9943
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
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