Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
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principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Pa’s ‘Have Not’ school districts are falling farther
behind. Lawmakers, Wolf need to close the gap | Opinion
By Reynelle Brown
Staley Capital-Star Op-Ed
Contributor June 5,
2019
Reynelle
Brown Staley is policy director of the Education Law Center, a statewide
nonprofit legal advocacy organization.
As the Pennsylvania
Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf negotiate the next state budget, they should be
mindful of a recent report published by the Center on Regional Politics at Temple University,
entitled “A Tale of Haves and Have-Nots.” It has a sobering message:
Pennsylvania’s method of financing education is creating a “persistent gulf”
between districts with surpluses and those with shortfalls. The study estimates
that over a nine-year period, the number of districts experiencing budget
shortfalls increased from 195 districts to 320 – nearly two-thirds of the 500
districts in Pennsylvania. Our state risks becoming permanently divided
between have and have-not districts. The
fiscal conditions described in the report substantiate what petitioners in an
active school funding lawsuit have maintained for years: Pennsylvania’s system
for funding schools is broken. As the Education Law Center ‒ one organization
representing plaintiffs in the suit ‒ prepares for a likely 2020 trial,
evidence of inequity and inadequacy is mounting steadily.
CREDO equates academic growth to days of
learning. Compared with traditional public school peers, a Pennsylvania student
enrolled in an online charter loses the annual equivalent of 106 days of
learning in reading and 118 days in math, the study said.”
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Updated: June 4, 2019- 5:40 PM
Compared with their
counterparts in traditional public schools, Pennsylvania charter school
students are making similar progress in reading but faring worse in math,
according to a Stanford University study supplying the latest data in the
years-long debate over charter performance. But within the findings released
Tuesday by the Center for Research and Education Outcomes (CREDO) are
significant variations — in particular with virtual charter schools, which
enroll about 25 percent of Pennsylvania charter-school students, and have been
found to post poor results. The study
said cyber charter results were “overwhelmingly negative," dragging down
the performance of the charter sector as a whole. “Any potential benefits of
online schooling such as student mobility and flexibility in curriculum are
drowned out by the negative impacts on academic growth of students enrolled in
such schools,” the report said.
Pa. charter schools receive mixed grades in study by
Stanford U. researchers
ELIZABETH BEHRMAN Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette Lbehrman@post-gazette.com JUN 4, 2019 1:07 PM
While the debate
rages on about the accountability and quality of Pennsylvania’s charter
schools, a new study from researchers at Stanford University shows some bright
spots in a hodgepodge of findings regarding student performance, while also
calling for “urgent attention” to bleak results from the state’s cyber charter
schools. According to a report released Tuesday from Stanford’s Center for
Research on Education Outcomes, Pennsylvania’s urban charters have shown some
improvement in student growth since the last time the center conducted an
in-depth study of the Pennsylvania schools in 2011. At that time, data showed
that students across all charter schools lagged behind their counterparts at
traditional public schools in reading and math. The latest study shows
that overall, students in Pennsylvania charter schools showed similar growth in
reading compared to students at traditional public schools while lagging behind
in math and losing the equivalent of about 30 days of learning time. But at
urban charter schools, the research shows, students learn more than their
counterparts at traditional public schools in reading, and perform similarly in
math.
Cyber Charter
Funding: This morning there are more than 70 bipartisan cosponsors on this
bill; has your state representative cosponsored HB526?
PASBO/PASA BUDGET
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS GROWING FISCAL STRESS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS EDUCATION
DEFICIT GROWS
PASBO website 06/04/2019
15:37:36
The PA Association of School Business Officials
(PASBO) and the PA Association of School Administrators (PASA) today released
their spring 2019 school district budget report, indicating that the fiscal
stress in school districts across the commonwealth continues to increase as the
state education deficit grows. Click here to view.
Relying on survey responses from school districts along with publicly available Annual Financial Report and General Fund Budget data submitted by all 500 school districts, the report assesses the financial condition of school districts and its impact on their 2019-20 budget plans. Once again, the data tells the story of growing school district fiscal stress tied most significantly to rising mandated costs for charter school tuition, special education and employee pensions. The report highlights the $704 million increase in just these three costs that was heaped on school districts in 2017-18, noting that rising costs in these areas alone outpace increases in state funding and accounted for $0.87 of every new dollar in state funding and local property tax revenue last year. Between 2016-17 and 2017-18, charter school tuition grew by 10% to $1.8 billion. Likewise, pension costs increased by nearly 11% to $3.7 billion, and special education costs grew by 4.26% to $4.6 billion.
Relying on survey responses from school districts along with publicly available Annual Financial Report and General Fund Budget data submitted by all 500 school districts, the report assesses the financial condition of school districts and its impact on their 2019-20 budget plans. Once again, the data tells the story of growing school district fiscal stress tied most significantly to rising mandated costs for charter school tuition, special education and employee pensions. The report highlights the $704 million increase in just these three costs that was heaped on school districts in 2017-18, noting that rising costs in these areas alone outpace increases in state funding and accounted for $0.87 of every new dollar in state funding and local property tax revenue last year. Between 2016-17 and 2017-18, charter school tuition grew by 10% to $1.8 billion. Likewise, pension costs increased by nearly 11% to $3.7 billion, and special education costs grew by 4.26% to $4.6 billion.
State: Foundation
acts as ‘alter ego’ for Allentown charter school and must provide information
to Morning Call
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO | THE MORNING
CALL | JUN 04, 2019 | 6:46 PM
In a case that could set a precedent for how
charter school foundations operate, the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records has
ruled that an Allentown charter school must provide The Morning Call with
information the newspaper requested regarding the cost of construction of its
1,600-seat gymnasium that opened this year. The state sided with The Morning
Call after the Executive Education Academy Charter School denied the
newspaper’s Right-to-Know request from April seeking “a breakdown of the
construction costs” for the gym and a “list of contractors working on the gym.”
The charter school denied that request, saying it did not possess the records
because it is merely a tenant in the building, which is at 555 Union Blvd. and
owned by the charter school’s foundation. The charter school argued to the
state that the Executive Education Academy Charter School Foundation, a private
nonprofit, is “separate and distinct” from the charter school. But in a
determination written by appeals officer Joshua Young, the state said the
foundation is an “alter ego" of the charter school. “[B]ecause the
foundation’s sole purpose is to support the charter school by fundraising,
receiving donations and making gifts to the charter school, and, when
necessary, exercising certain other responsibilities ... the foundation becomes
part and parcel of the charter school,” Young wrote. “... Accordingly, because the
foundation constitutes an alter ego of the charter school, the records
possessed by the foundation are also constructively possessed by the charter
school.”
Your View by state senator: How we can eliminate school
property taxes
By MIKE FOLMER
| THE MORNING CALL | JUN 04, 2019 | 8:00 AM
State Sen. Mike
Folmer, R-Lebanon, represents Pennsylvania’s 48th District.
I’m proud to stand
with Sen. David Argall and a bipartisan group of my Senate colleagues in supporting Senate
Bill 76 to
eliminate school property taxes, because I believe no tax should have the power
to leave you homeless. SB 76 is the only plan being offered today to totally
eliminate school property taxes — not partial reduction, not elimination for
some but not all taxpayers, and not a new program to lessen property tax
burdens. SB 76 provides for the total elimination of school property taxes. Taxpayers
have been — and continue to be — very generous in their support of Pennsylvania
education. Local school property taxes across the commonwealth over the next
two years will cost taxpayers an estimated $14.22 billion, according to the
Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office. This is in addition to state and
federal tax moneys. It’s only a matter
of time before the current system to fund education becomes unsustainable and
completely overwhelms taxpayers. Every year, school property taxes rise by
about $500 million, according to the IFO.
Pa. considers bill to get children to start their school
years earlier and stay longer
By Sasha Hupka |
For PennLive Posted Jun 4, 6:30 PM
In Pennsylvania,
some children enter kindergarten at 5-years-old. Some start school at 6 or 7.
And some wait until age 8 to begin their education. Currently, Pennsylvania
does not require children to attend school before age 8, and students can drop
out at age 17 without parental consent. But the state’s compulsory school
attendance age may soon be changing to get children in school earlier and keep
them there longer. Changing the compulsory attendance age is part of the state
budget proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf. His proposal would mandate that children be enrolled in some sort of
school — a public district, private institution, charter school or a homeschool
program — by age 6. It would also require students to attend school until age
18. The idea seems to have some support. The House Education Committee held a
hearing on legislation that would change the compulsory school age on Tuesday
morning. Afterwards, committee Chairman Curtis Sonney, R-Erie County, said he
expects to move the bills to the House floor at some point in the future —
although he couldn’t promise they would be part of the state budget agreement,
which has a rapidly-approaching June 30 deadline.
Teachers, custodial staff, grand piano: Why SCASD’s
budget called for a tax increase
Centre Daily Times BY SARAH PAEZ JUNE 04, 2019 04:21 PM, UPDATED JUNE 04, 2019 05:57 PM
The State College
Area School District Board of Directors approved the 2019-2020 final budget
with a tax increase of nearly 2% on Monday night to accommodate a host of new
roles, positions and resources. The tax increase of 1.95% amounts to an
additional $72 for the average residential taxpayer, according to a media
release from the district. It is expected to generate an additional $2,017,835
in revenue from the 2018-19 budget The district says this tax increase is its
lowest since 2006 and below its annual Act 1 Index maximum of 2.3%. Salaries
and benefits account for about 72 percent of the budget, and required payments
to charter schools represent 4.2 percent, or $6.9 million, the district said.
A first look at Germantown High School’s redevelopment,
including housing, a charter school, and coworking space
Inquirer by Caitlin McCabe, Updated: June 4, 2019- 6:59 PM
Standing in the
aisle of the James Memorial United Methodist Church in East Germantown, Andre
Carroll stepped up to the microphone, cleared his throat, and addressed the
team of developers, architects, and attorneys before him. “It says you guys are
going to do 10 percent [affordable] housing,” Carroll said, as he clutched a
copy of the new master development plan for Germantown High and Fulton
Elementary Schools. “As someone who has lived in Philadelphia as a lifelong
resident, that’s concerning with a 26 percent poverty rate." “I want to ask you: Would you consider upping
that 10 percent?” Carroll, a Germantown High alumnus, implored. “Because 24
units out of 236 units is not enough.” Carroll’s remarks, received with fierce
applause from a crowd of nearly 100 neighbors, were one of several dozen
questions asked Monday night in the second meeting between Germantown residents
and the developers of the vacant neighborhood schools. It was billed as a first
look at the project’s new master plan.
Black Students in Charter Schools Are More Likely to Have
Black Teachers
Education Week By Madeline Will on June 4, 2019 12:02 AM
Black students in
charter schools are more likely to have black teachers than their peers in
traditional public schools, which can lead to academic gains in math, a new
study shows. The study published
by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a right-leaning think tank that also authorizes charter schools in
Ohio, examined data from grades 3 to 5 in North Carolina's traditional and
charter public schools, from 2006-07 through 2012-13. The findings show
that traditional public schools and charter schools serve the same proportion
of black students, but charter schools have about 35 percent more black
teachers. Black students in charter schools are more than 50 percent more
likely to have at least one black teacher than their counterparts in
traditional public schools, while white students are equally likely to have at
least white teacher in both types of schools. A growing body of
research has found that black students benefit from having black teachers, both
academically and socially. Black elementary students performed better in
math and reading when
they had a teacher who was the same race as them, according to one recent
study. Another set of studies found that black students are more likely to
both graduate from high
school and enroll in
college when they
have just one black teacher in elementary school.
Testing Resistance & Reform News: May 29 - June 4,
2019
FairTest Submitted
by fairtest on June 4, 2019 - 1:50pm
Along with an
ever-growing number of stories about successful assessment reform initiatives,
we still see many disturbing reports of ongoing damage to students and
educators from standardized exam misuse and overuse. Grassroots activists and
their allies should feel free to contact FairTest for assistance with building
winning local campaigns to replace testing overkill with authentic forms of
assessment.
PA League of Women Voters 2019 Convention Registration
Crowne Plaza in Reading June 21-23, 2019
DEADLINES
May 22, 2019 –
Deadline to get special room rates at Crowne
Plaza Hotel
Book Hotel
or call: 1 877 666 3243
May 31, 2019 –
Deadline to register as a delegate for the Convention
June 7, 2019 –
Deadline to register for the Convention
Registration: https://www.palwv.org/2019-convention-registration/
PA Schools Work Capitol Caravan Days Wed. June 5th
and Tues. June 18th
If you couldn’t
make it to Harrisburg last week, it’s not too late. We are getting down to the
wire. In a few short weeks, the budget will likely be passed. Collectively, our
voices have a larger impact to get more funding for Pennsylvania’s students.
Legislators need to hear from you!
Public Citizens for
Children and Youth (PCCY) will be at the Capitol on Wednesday, June 5th and
Tuesday, June 18th for our next PA Schools
Work caravan days. We’d love to have you join us on these
legislative visits. For more details about the caravans and to sign up, go
to: www.pccy.org/k12caravan . Please call Tomea Sippio-Smith at (O) 215-563-5848, ext. 36
or (C) 215-667-9421 or Shirlee Howe at (O) 215-563-5848, ext. 34 or (C)
215-888-8297 with any questions or specific requests for legislative
meetings.
2019 PASA-PSBA School
Leadership Conference Oct. 16-18, 2019
WHERE: Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center 325 University Drive, Hershey, PA
WHEN: Wednesday, October
16 to Friday, October 18, 201
Registration is now open!
Growth from knowledge acquired. Vision inspired by innovation. Impact
created by a synergized leadership community. You are called upon to be the
drivers of a thriving public education system. It’s a complex and challenging
role. Expand your skillset and give yourself the tools needed for the
challenge. Packed into two and a half daysꟷꟷgain access to top-notch education
and insights, dynamic speakers, peer learning opportunities and the latest
product and service innovations. Come to the PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference to grow!
NPE Action National
Conference - Save the Date - March 28-29, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA.
The window is now open for workshop proposals for the Network for Public
Education conference, March 28-29, 2020, in Philadelphia. I hope you all sign
on to present on a panel and certainly we want all to attend. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBCNDKK
PSBA Tweet March 12,
2019 Video Runtime: 6:40
In this installment of #VideoEDition, learn about legislation
introduced in the PA Senate & House of Representatives that would save
millions of dollars for school districts that make tuition payments for their
students to attend cyber charter schools.http://ow.ly/RyIM50n1uHi
PSBA Summaries of Senate Bill 34 and House Bill 526
PSBA Sample Board Resolution in Support of Statewide
Cyber Charter School Funding Reform
PSBA Sample Board Resolution in Support of Senate Bill 34
and House Bill 256
How much could your school district and taxpayers save if
there were statewide flat tuition rates of $5000 for regular ed students and
$8865 for special ed.? See the estimated savings by school district here.
Education Voters PA
Website February 14, 2019
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2019&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=34
Has your state representative cosponsored HB526?
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.
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