PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 9: PA Senate’s coal for Xmas: tell your Senator to oppose Voucher bill SB2

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 9, 2017:

PA Senate’s coal for Xmas: tell your Senator to oppose Voucher bill SB2

Tell your state senator to vote NO on Senate Bill 2
Take Action here  to Say No to Next Generation School Vouchers in PA
Action Network December 8, 2017
Under the bill, parents of students in low-achieving schools can receive funds in the form of Education Savings Accounts (ESA) to attend a participating nonpublic school and for other expenses. Low-achieving is defined as the lowest performing 15% of elementary and secondary public schools, based on PSSA and Keystone Exam scores. (This does not include charter schools or CTCs.) Those school districts would see their basic and special education subsidies reduced by the amount calculated for each participating student, with that money put into an ESA account for parents to use for “qualified education expenses.” Senate Bill 2 creates a program targeted to the same schools targeted by the existing EITC and OSTC scholarships that already can be used at private schools. ESA proposals have been introduced in various states across the country, and have been dubbed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as “the next generation of vouchers.” 
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/say-no-to-next-generation-school-vouchers-in-pa?clear_id=true&source=direct_link

Reprise August 8: Critics say Education Savings Accounts proposed in Pa. are just vouchers by another name
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by ELIZABETH BEHRMAN Lbehrman@post-gazette.com 4:48 PM  
AUG 8, 2017
School vouchers have failed multiple times to get enough support in Pennsylvania, but some GOP legislators are hoping a new school choice program may be the next accompaniment to charter schools and scholarship tax credits: Education Savings Accounts.  Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin County, announced Tuesday that he intends to introduce legislation in September to create a program that will allow students in Pennsylvania’s struggling school districts to use state money for private school tuition, tutoring services and other pre-approved education expenses. 
“I believe the ESA really is a lifeline for at-risk youth and low-income families that, based on where they live, do not have the opportunity to have educational options,” Mr. DiSanto said. 
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2017/08/08/Education-savings-accounts-Pennsylvania-school-choice-vouchers-john-disanto-legislature-proposed-legislation/stories/201708080016

Pennsylvania General Assembly Senate Bill 2
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2017&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=2

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What Tax Overhaul Could Mean For Students & Schools
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 8, 2017:

https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2017/12/pa-ed-policy-roundup-dec-8-what-tax.html

Gov. Wolf: less testing; later testing. Health coverage for 180K Pa. kids on the line as Congress ignores CHIP
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 7, 2017: https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2017/12/pa-ed-policy-roundup-dec-7-gov-wolf.html

Why it’s essential for Pa. to invest in education
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 6, 2017:

https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2017/12/pa-ed-policy-roundup-dec-6-why-its.html

“Republicans attempted to hide the data because it “undercuts their story in a big way,”said Michael Li, an expert on redistricting at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. “Why do you have all this data, right? ‘I wasn’t trying to flee the country, but I had $10,000 and my passport in a canvas bag.’ ”

Inside the gerrymandering data top Pa. Republicans fought to keep private

Inquirer by Jonathan Lai, Staff Writer  @Elaijuh |  jlai@phillynews.com Updated: DECEMBER 8, 2017 — 7:14 AM EST

Republican lawmakers used detailed data on the partisan leanings of voters when they created the current Pennsylvania congressional map, according to documents federal judges had ordered them to turn over in a  trial that began this week. Lawyers for House Speaker Mike Turzai and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati had fought to keep private a trove of documents as they prepared for the trial, which began Monday in Philadelphia. They also sought to block the documents in a separate, state gerrymandering trial that begins next week in Harrisburg. Among them are maps that contain detailed data on partisanship across the state, which experts said appear to confirm widespread suspicion that Republicans had intentionally drawn the map to favor their party. One map’s database contains details for each of the more than 9,000 voting districts in the state, including the races and ethnicities of voters and results from state and national elections from 2004 through 2010. Also included are metrics that appear to rate each voting district’s level of partisanship.  After the judges ordered the documents turned over, lawyers for the Republicans asked that anything not used as evidence in the trial — the data were not introduced, although analysis of it was — be destroyed within 24 hours of the trial’s conclusion. A spokesman for Turzai dismissed any suggestion that they were trying to conceal the dataset, which he said contained no proof of intent to gerrymander.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/pa-republicans-gerrymandering-data-trial-mike-turzai-20171208.html

“Mr. Borges, of the New York State Association of School Business Officials, also said the bills’ proposal to eliminate the tax exemption for “advanced refunding bonds,” which districts use to refinance bonds for capital projects, will add costs for districts. He said some districts were rushing to refinance bonds now while they can take advantage of the exemption. Meanwhile, a late addition to the Senate bill passed early Saturday morning would create an incentive for parents to send children to private schools. An amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) would allow parents to use tax-advantaged college savings accounts to send children to private schools or help cover the cost of home schooling. Opponents of that measure say it primarily benefits wealthier families, who can afford to save for private school tuition, and further diverts federal spending from public options.”

GOP Tax-Plan Measures Lead to Concerns About School Funding

Public-education advocates say tax revenue available to support education could be hurt; bill’s supporters say funding wouldn’t be affected

Wall Street Journal By Leslie Brody and Michelle Hackman Dec. 6, 2017 9:36 a.m. ET
Several provisions in the Republican tax plan could significantly shift the financial landscape for school districts, many of which have long struggled to provide high-quality education while constrained by limited public dollars. Both the House and Senate tax bills would sharply curtail the deduction for state and local taxes, often referred to as SALT, which run highest in states such as New York, New Jersey and California. The bills cap property-tax deductions at $10,000 and give no break for state and local income or sales taxes. Public schools are mostly funded by local property taxes and state aid. Public-education advocates argue that, by increasing the federal tax burden on people with relatively high property taxes, the bill will pressure state and local lawmakers to cut taxes and reduce funding for schools. “Taxpayers that may end up paying higher taxes may take out their anger on school budget votes,” according to Michael Borges, executive director of the New York State Association of School Business Officials.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-tax-plan-measures-lead-to-concerns-about-school-funding-1512570979

“State lawmakers have reason to be worried, as most state budgets rely on state income and sales tax as primary revenue streams for their operating budgets. According to the center left think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, eliminating the SALT deduction could place strain on funding needed for critical programs and services provided at the state level such as education and infrastructure.”

This is how the GOP changes to local, state deduction will affect you | Opinion

Penn Live Guest Editorial By Capri Cafaro Updated 8:32 AM; Posted 8:30 AM

While Washington is claiming victory, states are crying foul.

Late last week, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the tax reform package that cleared the House a few weeks earlier. Within the hundreds of pages of legislative language in each bill lay a number of provisions that have significant impact on state governments, including modifications to the state and local tax deduction. Under current tax law, individuals who choose to itemize and deduct eligible expenses on their federal tax return are able to deduct state and local income, sales and property taxes. Both the House and Senate bills eliminate the so-called "SALT deduction" for state and local taxes while capping the property tax deduction at US$10,000. As a former Ohio state senator, I served on the Senate Ways and Means Committee for a number of years. I also went through five state budget cycles over 10 years. Because of that experience, I believe the federal changes to the SALT deductions will be detrimental to American families and have long-term negative impacts on balancing state budgets.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2017/12/this_is_how_the_gop_changes_to.html#incart_river_index

“The letter came hours after the release of a national poll showing, again, the tax push remains deeply unpopular with voters. Sixty-nine percent of respondents to the CBS News survey said the proposal would benefit wealthy Americans; less than a quarter said it would help their own family. 
And it also comes on the heels of a new report showing the wealthiest 1 percent of American households own 40 percent of the nation’s wealth, a higher share than at any point since at least 1962. That wealth gap is widening, with the share of the wealth owned by the top 1 percent climbing nearly three percentage points since 2013. “

The Finance 202: GOP drive to repeal estate tax risks making its tax plan more unpopular

Washington Post By Tory Newmyer December 8 

If you didn’t know better, you might think some Republicans were trying to see how low they can drive public support for their tax plan.  It’s already basement-dwelling, with lopsided majorities of voters consistently telling pollsters the GOP’s rewrite of the code will benefit the wealthy more than the middle class. On Thursday, 54 House Republicans banded together behind a push seemingly tailor-made to reinforce the suspicion.  Their request, laid out in a letter to their leadership: to insist in conference negotiations on maintaining the House tax bill’s full repeal of the estate tax, rather than the Senate version, which doubles the current exemption to $22 million for couples. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-finance-202/2017/12/08/the-finance-202-gop-drive-to-repeal-estate-tax-risks-making-its-tax-plan-more-unpopular/5a29ccaa30fb0469e883fab6/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_finance202-1118am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Pa. school pension costs: Still exhorbitant, but leveling off

Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated 1:24 AM; Posted Dec 8, 5:48 PM

Pennsylvania taxpayers can expect to pay about $200 million more in fiscal 2018-19 for school teacher pensions. Or, a record $4.6 billion between state and local tax-funded contributions. That's the bad news. The long-term hangover, if you will, from the ill-conceived 2001 benefit increases approved by the General Assembly and then-Gov. Tom Ridge. The silver lining? It could have been worse. Public School Employees Retirement System trustees learned Friday that a strong 10.14 percent return on investments in 2016-17 allowed it to fix the so-called employer contribution rate at 33.43 percent of payroll. Earlier projections had the rate rising above 34 percent. The 2.6 percent increase from current-year levels (32.57 percent), will also be the smallest increase in what's been a rock-climb of pension costs since the 2009-10 fiscal year. "These pension costs are still very high and districts will still have some challenges meeting those obligations," said Steve Robinson, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/12/pa_school_pension_bill_still_e.html#incart_2box_politics

SCHOOL REFORM COMMISSION PUBLIC MEETING RESOLUTION LIST FOR DECEMBER 14, 2017

The following charter school actions are on the December 14^th SRC agenda:

SRC-7 Proposed Charter School Revocation – Khepera Charter School (Added 12.8.17 – Pending)

SRC-8 Application for Charter Renewal – Olney Charter High School (Added 12.8.17 – Pending) SRC-9 Application for Charter Renewal – John B. Stetson Charter School; an ASPIRA, Inc. of Pennsylvania School (Added 12.8.17 – Pending)

https://www.philasd.org/src/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2017/06/Resolution-List-12.14.17-Updated.pdf

Upper Perkiomen stops construction of new middle school

Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer  @Kathy_Boccella |  kboccella@phillynews.com Updated: DECEMBER 8, 2017 — 4:14 PM EST

Three hours after being sworn in as members of the Upper Perkiomen School Board on Monday, the newcomers joined with two other directors to halt construction of a controversial new middle school that already has cost the district $7.8 million of taxpayer money. “That’s what we were elected to do,” said Melanie Cunningham, who with her son Stephen Cunningham and James Glackin made stopping the $58 million middle school project a major platform in their campaigns.

Kerry Drake, an incumbent who also ran in November, and Raeann Hofkin made the vote 5-4 to suspend the project, which was already underway. Drake was elected board president.

The Nov. 7 election in the 3,300-student Montgomery County district represented a voter backlash against the building plan, which many feared would send property taxes through the roof. The district maintained that middle school enrollment was expected to grow and the current 58-year-old building already has been expanded or renovated five times.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/upper-perkiomen-stops-construction-of-new-middle-school-20171208.html

The three ultra-rich families battling for control of the Republican party

Quartz WRITTEN BY Heather Timmons December 05, 2017

This week, the House and Senate will work to reconcile their different versions of the tax bill into something that president Donald Trump can sign into law. As they do, dozens of protests and rallies against the bill are being planned from California to Chicago to Staten Island, New York. Citizens are frantically organizing to try to shut down the only major legislative success of a president who ran on a platform of populism, and Democrats are growing optimistic about flipping one or both houses of Congress. How did the country get here just a year after Donald Trump’s historic win? To understand that, you need to look back to the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision in 2010, which opened the floodgates for wealthy donors in political races. Since then, corporations and the rich have plowed money into both parties. Three extremely wealthy families, the Mercers, the Kochs, and the Adelsons, all prominent donors to the Republican party, now seem locked in a struggle over the future of the GOP. As campaigning for the midterm elections in November 2018 gets under way, the three families are facing off against each other in battleground states. They’re lighting a fire under Republican politicians who are now determined to get something, anything, passed in Washington—even if it’s a last-minute tax bill that most voters don’t agree with and legislators barely had time to read.

https://qz.com/1085077/mercers-vs-kochs-vs-adelsons-the-three-ultra-rich-families-battling-for-control-of-the-republican-party/

Gerrymandering: Fair Districts PA Statewide Calendar of Events

https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/events

Register for New School Director Training in December and January

PSBA Website October 2017

You’ve started a challenging and exciting new role as a school director. Let us help you narrow the learning curve! PSBA’s New School Director Training provides school directors with foundational knowledge about their role, responsibilities and ethical obligations. At this live workshop, participants will learn about key laws, policies, and processes that guide school board governance and leadership, and develop skills for becoming strong advocates in their community. Get the tools you need from experts during this visually engaging and interactive event.

Choose from any of these 11 locations and dates (note: all sessions are held 8 a.m.-4 p.m., unless specified otherwise.):

·         Dec. 8, Bedford CTC

·         Dec. 8, Montoursville Area High School

·         Dec. 9, Upper St. Clair High School

·         Dec. 9, West Side CTC

·         Dec. 15, Crawford County CTC

·         Dec. 15, Upper Merion MS (8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m)

·         Dec. 16, PSBA Mechanicsburg

·         Dec. 16, Seneca Highlands IU 9

·         Jan. 6, Haverford Middle School

·         Jan. 13, A W Beattie Career Center

·         Jan. 13, Parkland HS

Fees: Complimentary to All-Access members or $170 per person for standard membership. All registrations will be billed to the listed district, IU or CTC. To request billing to an individual, please contact Michelle Kunkel at michelle.kunkel@psba.org. Registration also includes a box lunch on site and printed resources.

Registration: https://www.psba.org/2017/10/new-school-director-training-2/

NSBA 2018 Advocacy Institute February 4 - 6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.

Register Now

Come a day early and attend the Equity Symposium!

Join hundreds of public education advocates on Capitol Hill and help shape the decisions made in Washington D.C. that directly impact our students. At the 2018 Advocacy Institute, you’ll gain insight into the most critical issues affecting public education, sharpen your advocacy skills, and prepare for effective meetings with your representatives. Whether you are an expert advocator or a novice, attend and experience inspirational keynote speakers and education sessions featuring policymakers, legal experts and policy influencers. All designed to help you advocate for your students and communities.

https://www.nsba.org/events/advocacy-institute

Registration is now open for the 2018 PASA Education Congress! State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018
Don't miss this marquee event for Pennsylvania school leaders at the Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018.
Learn more by visiting http://www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress 

Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may be affiliated with.