Keystone State Education Coalition

Established in 2006, the Keystone State Education Coalition is a growing grass roots, non-partisan public education advocacy group of several hundred locally elected, volunteer school board members and administrators from school districts throughout Pennsylvania. Our mission is to evaluate, discuss and inform our boards, district constituents and legislators on legislative issues of common interest and to facilitate active engagement in public education advocacy.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan 27: A Failing Grade for K-12 State Takeovers

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3850 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition team members, Superintendents, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup January 27, 2016:

A Failing Grade for K-12 State Takeovers

EPLC PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM

"Capital Region Forum Series" Thursday, February 11, 2016

Continental Breakfast - 8:00 a.m. Program - 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Harrisburg Hilton Hotel - Two North Second Street Harrisburg, PA 17101

SUBJECT: Governor Wolf's Proposed Education Budget for 2016-2017

RSVP for Harrisburg Forum on-line at

http://www.eplc.org/events-calendar/capital-breakfast-series/

"Advocates for this type of school reform frequently point to Louisiana's Recovery School District or Tennessee's Achievement School District as examples of successful state-driven reform. A recent report by the Southern Education Foundation (where two of us work) and Brown University's Annenberg Institute for School Reform gathers the research on these and other turnaround models and offers important cautions for any state looking to travel the same path."

A Failing Grade for K-12 State Takeovers

Education Week Commentary By Kent McGuire, Katherine Dunn, Kate Shaw, & Adam Schott Published Online: January 26, 2016

Kent McGuire is the president and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation, in Atlanta. Katherine Dunn is the foundation’s program director. Kate Shaw is the executive director of Research for Action, in Philadelphia. Adam Schott is the research organization’s director of policy.

Imitation may be a sincere form of flattery, but it's not an appropriate prescription for the challenging work of providing individualized support to schools that need it.

Unfortunately, both Georgia and Pennsylvania are poised to implement sweeping school turnaround plans in the form of state takeovers. These plans draw inspiration from systems operating in very different contexts elsewhere in the country and are based on a fundamental misreading of the evidence on effectiveness of these models. Just as concerning, the proposals double down on unproven governance strategies that reduce community voice in education and apply a cookie-cutter approach to the specific challenges confronting individual schools. Both plans rely on the same criteria for intervention, the same menu of reforms—even the same "Opportunity School District" name.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/01/27/a-failing-grade-for-k-12-state-takeovers.html

Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf warns of ‘train wreck’ without balanced budget

Delco Times By Marc Levy, The Associated Press POSTED: 01/26/16, 9:20 AM EST

HARRISBURG >> Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is warning of huge cuts in spending for education and local services next year without a balanced budget as Pennsylvania lawmakers return to the state Capitol. Wolf spoke during a regular appearance on KDKA-AM radio in Pittsburgh. He says he’s trying to avoid a “train wreck” that would also drive up local taxes. The Republican-controlled House and Senate were set to reconvene Tuesday amid a 7-month-old budget fight that’s left billions in school aid in limbo. Wolf’s pressing for a tax increase to deliver a record boost in public school aid and to fix a long-term deficit. But that plan stalled and Wolf says the Republicans haven’t figured out how to pay for the spending in a plan they sent to him before Christmas.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20160126/pennsylvania-gov-wolf-warns-of-train-wreck-without-balanced-budget

"So much shouting into the wind, so little change in the conversation. It’s no wonder so many of us feel like nothing is ever going to change. Or is it? This year could mark a new era for charter schools in Philadelphia. For the first time publicly, high-performing charters have started to acknowledge what critics of the whole movement have been saying for years: that many charter schools do a worse job of educating students than traditional public schools; that they should not be allowed to continue; and that the city and state have made it too hard to shut down a school, even when it has had poor results for years."

THE COMEBACK OF CHARTERS?

Twenty years in, good charter schools are self-policing and calling for the closing of bad ones. Is it enough to get the movement’s mojo back?

The Philadelphia Citizen BY ROXANNE PATEL SHEPELAVY JAN. 26, 2016

On the one side were desperate parents and pro-charter supporters who believe Mastery can turn around the school quicker and better than the District—something they say the charter organization has proven time and again. On the other side were a different set of parents and charter opponents who believe what Wister needs is more and better support from the District to continue the modest performance gains it made last year—not giving it over to a charter. Commissioner Sylvia Simms, after speaking with pro-Mastery parents, proposed a resolution overturning Superintendent William Hite’s decision to keep Wister a traditional public school. She spoke movingly of parents like her: From low-income neighborhoods, where schools have long struggled to provide a good education, whose children make up the thousands on charter waiting lists. Three commissioners supported her. And immediately, the decision was slammed by public school advocates like new Councilwoman-at-large Helen Gym, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan, and Mayor Jim Kenney. “This is a less welcoming environment for charters in the state than we’ve seen in a long time,” says Kagan, of Philadelphia Charters For Excellence. “Everything politically is pointing to the need to make a change. It’s vital that we do this now.”

http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/the-comeback-of-charters/

"In other highlights, school director, legislative liaison, chair of the Delaware County School Boards Legislative Council Larry Feinberg introduced a resolution voicing support for plaintiffs in the William Penn School District v. Pennsylvania Department of Education law suit, and calling upon Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders to withdraw their attempts to have the case dismissed.

The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and Education Law Center filed suit in Commonwealth Court in November 2014 on behalf of six Pennsylvania school districts, including William Penn, seven parents, the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference, against Gov. Tom Wolf, state education officials and legislative leaders. The suit maintains that Pennsylvania’s education funding system is so egregiously inadequate and unequal that it violates state constitutional mandates for “a thorough, efficient system of public education” and equal treatment."

Haverford School Board OKs budget, tax hike

Delco Times By Lois Puglionesi, Times Correspondent POSTED: 01/26/16, 9:29 PM EST

HAVERFORD >> School directors voted unanimously last week to adopt a preliminary budget for 2016-17 that raises real estate tax rates 3.29 percent, from 29.4719 to 30.4413 mills. Though subject to change, the proposed rate would hike taxes $160 on the average residential property assessment of $164,929, for a total $5,021 in taxes. Reviewed at several prior meetings, the 3.29 percent increase uses this year’s 2.4 percent Act 1 Index and available exceptions for special education and PSERS, worth $786,000, to raise an additional $3.2 million in revenue.

Projections for total revenue are $111.9 million. Officials also plan to draw from the fund balance to meet expenses totaling $112.3 million.

http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20160126/NEWS/160129687

Righting the school funding 'wrong'

Gettysburg Times Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 12:07 am (paywall)

The word fair is defined as "free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice." By that definition, the manner in which Pennsylvania's public schools are funded is anything but fair. I would like to take a moment to focus on the distribution of school funding, which needs to be fair, equitable and adequate. To address the inadequacies in our current formula, Act 51 of 2014 created the Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC), a bipartisan group of 15 state officials whose task it was to develop and recommend a new formula for distributing funding to our school districts. Last June, the commission unveiled the results of its statewide hearings. What they suggested was a vast improvement over the current formula, which includes shortcomings such as not accounting for changes in school enrollment, household income or a school district's ability to generate local tax-related revenue.

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/opinion/staff_columns/article_f9d781c5-657e-56d6-919f-be8cec2a4d96.html

We should throw out every member of the Pa. General Assembly: Pennlive letters

Penn Live Letters to the Editor January 26, 2016 8:15 AM by SANDRA HOLOKA, Fairview Twp.

Pennsylvania taxpayers know now the exact location of the most self-centered ideologues. It is the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Just to add more tax pain to us taxpayers, they borrowed money to pay themselves (rather than dip into their "reserves") while the rest of us continue to meet their platinum salaries and benefits, plus district offices, office staff, etc. Yes, they say they work 24/7. Not. Time is overdue to throw out the greatest waste of state government spending. That waste is every member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2016/01/we_should_throw_out_every_memb.html#incart_river_index

Pa. lawmakers must fulfill their state budget promises

Post Gazette Letter by THERESA ORLANDO January 27, 2016 12:00 AM

We want our legislators to live up to their promises to voters and to the compromise budget their leaders and Gov. Tom Wolf agreed to. And we don’t want to wait until spring to finally get a budget for this fiscal year. A bipartisan compromise budget passed the Senate and was one step away from passing the House. The plan that passed the Senate is a genuine compromise. The overall spending level is almost exactly midway between that proposed by the governor and that proposed by the Republicans. Increased funding for education and human services was demanded by the citizens who elected Gov. Wolf and many Republicans who promised to restore funding cuts under Gov. Tom Corbett. The House Republican budget that finally passed and the governor’s line-item veto fall far short of providing adequate funding for education and human services. Now legislators do not want to finish this year’s budget at all in an election year before the April primary. That political excuse is unacceptable. There is no reason for any further compromise or delay. We need to pass a budget based on the bipartisan framework now!

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2016/01/27/Pa-lawmakers-must-fulfill-their-state-budget-promises/stories/201601270104

School District of Lancaster delays proposal to open student clinic at McCaskey

Parents raise concerns over some students’ ability to access services

Lancaster Online by K. SCOTT KREIDER | LNP Correspondent January 26, 2016

A proposal to create a Lancaster General Health center at McCaskey High School is on hold.

School District of Lancaster board members delayed a vote on the plan after a parent raised concerns about student access to services at a Jan. 19 meeting. The proposed clinic would offer primary care services three days per week to McCaskey students who are patients of Lancaster General’s Downtown Family Medicine office. The two-year pilot would begin in the fall of 2016 and come at no cost to the district, but Lancaster General would charge for services at the center. School board members voiced support of the clinic during an earlier presentation by Lancaster General officials, but after hearing the parent’s concerns Tuesday, officials voted unanimously to remove the proposal from the agenda. “Does this proposal provide access to health care to help the students who are most at need at our high school?” parent Anne-Marie Derrico asked during the public comment portion of the meeting. Derrico is also a family physician and site director of SouthEast Lancaster Health Services’ Arch Street office. “I think that we want a partnership that’s going to serve our neediest students that don’t have access to health care already, and I don’t think we should settle for anything less,” Derrico said. “Before you vote … you should ask these questions.”

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/school-district-of-lancaster-delays-proposal-to-open-student-clinic/article_20ce64de-c45e-11e5-a512-23cb7c293547.html

Philly charter suit caught up in high court turmoil

Inquirer by Martha Woodall, Staff Writer. Updated: JANUARY 27, 2016 — 1:08 AM EST

A charter-schools suit with major financial implications for the Philadelphia School District is one of 27 cases caught up in the turnover of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Back in September 2014, the court heard arguments in the case that centers on the School Reform Commission's authority to manage charter-school growth in the financially distressed district. The court never ruled. And now that only three of the justices who heard the arguments are still on the bench, the court last week said it would resubmit the case and decide it based on the legal briefs that have already been filed. That would allow the newest members of the court to participate in this and the other cases that preceded their arrival.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160127_City_charter_suit_caught_up_in_high-court_turmoil.html#7bYYb1bJehxJRWDf.99

"What took place at the January 21st School Reform Commission meeting was theatrical at best and rooted in deep manipulation at worst. And ultimately, those who are shortchanged? The children. The entire scenario seems to have been largely orchestrated by the Philadelphia School Partnership and its political allies."

The traditional school of thought

Philly Daily News Opinion by JERRY T. JORDAN . Updated: JANUARY 27, 2016 — 3:01 AM EST

Jerry T. Jordan is president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
ONE OF the reasons I fight so hard for traditional public schools is simply that I believe in what they can be. I believe in their potential, just like I believe in the potential of every single student that walks through the doors each morning. And why do I believe? It's personal: I'm a proud graduate of Philadelphia's neighborhood schools. As an African-American male and a lifelong Philadelphia resident, my success was not because I "picked myself up by my bootstraps." My schools were places of learning. Of inquiry. Of growth. At West Philadelphia High School, I had my choice of 5 languages to study. And so the pain that I see on the faces of children, of teachers, of parents when they learn that their school is "failing" and proposed for closure or charter turnaround is gut wrenching. Wister, Cooke, and Huey need help. But the help they need is not the help they are slated to get. Instead of truly investing in the traditional neighborhood school, the SRC last week, in a complete mockery of a public meeting, made it known loud and clear that they prefer to engage in back-door dealings and conniving bait and switch maneuvers.

image:

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160127_The_traditional_school_of_thought.html#41AbGLlFv5P1LfCS.99

How Does North Carolina Fund Virtual Charter Schools?

Evergreen Group - Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning

North Carolina’s SB8 (2011) significantly revised charter school law, but it did not specifically address the creation and operation of virtual charter schools. After more than a year of controversy and confusion, the North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE) approved policy on the procedures and operation of virtual charter schools (115C-238.29A). In January 2013, the SBE adopted policy that requires virtual charters to adhere to a significantly lower funding formula than brick-and-mortar schools, and maintain high graduation rates and low withdrawal rates. Funding for virtual charters will be based on the same funding amount as eight, full-year courses ($438 per course) at the NC Virtual Public School, or $3,504 per year (63% of average state funding). The state funding amount per pupil for brick-and-mortar schools is about $5,600, although base funding (before local contributions) ranges from $4,000 to $10,000. Virtual charters will not receive any local contributions .

http://www.kpk12.com/states/north-carolina/

Emergency food program in D.C. schools expands its reach

Washington Post By Lyndsey Layton January 26 at 5:46 PM

The District of Columbia’s experiment serving hot meals to hungry students during a school shutdown picked up steam Tuesday, with twice as many students participating as the day before. School officials repeated the program they launched as an experiment on Monday, but with better turnout, possibly because of heightened publicity, including robocalls to families on Monday evening to let them know about the meals. The result was that 201 breakfasts and 745 lunches were served in 10 schools scattered around the city. The busiest site was Eastern High School, where 220 meals were eaten while the slowest site was Brookland Middle School, which served just 19 lunches and no breakfast, according to school officials. City schools have been closed since last Friday, as the region was socked by a massive blizzard. D.C. schools are expected to reopen Wednesday.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/emergency-food-program-in-dc-schools-expands-its-reach/2016/01/26/d8a697d6-c470-11e5-9693-933a4d31bcc8_story.html

Testing Resistance & Reform News: January 20 - 26, 2016

Fairtest Submitted by fairtest on January 26, 2016 - 1:55pm

Any notion that the new federal education law would slow the grassroots testing resistance and reform movement should be put to rest by even a quick skim of this week's headlines. From Alaska to Florida and Maine to California parents, educators and community activists are escalating pressure on state and local policy makers to reduce testing volume, eliminate high stakes and support better forms of assessment.

http://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance-reform-news-january-20-26-2016

The College Board Elegizes Anachronistic Verbiage with Recondite Panegyric; Celebrates Final Administration of the Extant SAT® on Jan. 23

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Throughout its 100-year history, the abstruse vocabulary words of the SAT^®have engendered prodigious vexation in millions of examinees annually. On Saturday, Jan. 23, students across the country participated in the terminal transpiration of the SAT in its habituated gestalt. To adumbrate the changes to be manifest in future administrations of the assessment: The new SAT will be more trenchant and pellucid, and the format will no longer pertinaciously reward students who punctiliously engage in the antediluvian praxis of committing idiosyncratic words to memory. College Board President David Coleman promulgated, "Your invectives and maledictions have been heard. Clemency has been granted." Many within the College Board and the academic community expressed a paucity of maudlin or mawkish emotion in response to the announcement.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-college-board-elegizes-anachronistic-verbiage-with-recondite-panegyric-celebrates-final-administration-of-the-extant-sat-on-jan-23-300209046.html

EPLC PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM

"Capital Region Forum Series" Thursday, February 11, 2016

Continental Breakfast - 8:00 a.m. Program - 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Harrisburg Hilton Hotel - Two North Second Street Harrisburg, PA 17101

SUBJECT: Governor Wolf's Proposed Education Budget for 2016-2017

SPEAKERS:

An Overview of the Proposed 2016-2017 State Budget and Education Issues Will Be Provided By:

Representative of The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center

Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Statewide and Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By:

Dr. Brian Barnhart, Executive Director, Lancaster-Lebanon IU #13

Thomas Gluck, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units
Representatives of other statewide and regional organizations are still to be confirmed.

While there is no registration fee, seating is limited and an RSVP is required.

RSVP for Harrisburg Forum on-line at

http://www.eplc.org/events-calendar/capital-breakfast-series/

PSBA New School Director Training Remaining Locations:

Central PA — Jan. 30 Nittany Lion Inn, State College
Delaware Co. IU 25 — Feb. 1
Scranton area — Feb. 6 Abington Heights SD, Clarks Summit
North Central area —Feb. 13 Mansfield University, Mansfield

PSBA New School Director Training

School boards who will welcome new directors after the election should plan to attend PSBA training to help everyone feel more confident right from the start. This one-day event is targeted to help members learn the basics of their new roles and responsibilities. Meet the friendly, knowledgeable PSBA team and bring everyone on your “team of 10” to get on the same page fast.

$150 per registrant (No charge if your district has a LEARN Pass. Note: All-Access members also have LEARN Pass.)
One-hour lunch on your own — bring your lunch, go to lunch, or we’ll bring a box lunch to you; coffee/tea provided all day
Course materials available online or we’ll bring a printed copy to you for an additional $25
Registrants receive one month of 100-level online courses for each registrant, after the live class

Save the Dates for These 2016 Annual EPLC Regional State Budget Education Policy Forums

Sponsored by The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Thursday, February 11 - 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Harrisburg
Wednesday, February 17 - 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania)
Thursday, February 25 - 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Pittsburgh

Invitation and more details in January

Attend the United Opt Out Conference in Philadelphia February 26-28

By dianeravitch January 24, 2016 //

United Opt Out: The Movement to End Corporate Reform will hold its annual conference on Philadelphia from February 26-28.

Save the Date | PBPC Budget Summit March 3rd

Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center

The 2015-2016 budget remains in a state of limbo. But it's time to start thinking about the 2016-17 budget. The Governor will propose his budget for next year in early February.

The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will hold our annual Budget Summit on March 3^rd.Save the date and join us for an in-depth look at the Governor's 2016-17 budget proposal, including what it means for education, health and human services, the environment and local communities. And, of course, if the 2015-2016 budget is not complete by then, we will also be talking about the various alternatives still under consideration.

As in year's past, this year's summit will be at the Hilton Harrisburg. Register today!

PASBO 61st Annual Conference and Exhibits March 8 - 11, 2016
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania

http://files.pasbo.org/conf_annual.asp

PenSPRA's Annual Symposium, Friday April 8th in Shippensburg, PA

PenSPRA, or the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association, has developed a powerhouse line-up of speakers and topics for a captivating day of professional development in Shippensburg on April 8^th. Learn to master data to defeat your critics, use stories to clarify your district's brand and take your social media efforts to the next level with a better understanding of metrics and the newest trends. Join us the evening before the Symposium for a “Conversation with Colleagues” from 5 – 6 pm followed by a Networking Social Cocktail Hour from 6 – 8 pm. Both the Symposium Friday and the social events on Thursday evening will be held at the Shippensburg University Conference Center. Snacks at the social hour, and Friday’s breakfast and lunch is included in your registration cost. $125 for PenSPRA members and $150 for non-members. Learn more about our speakers and topics and register today at this link:

http://www.penspra.org/AnnualSymposium.aspx

The Network for Public Education 3rd Annual National Conference April 16-17, 2016 Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Network for Public Education is thrilled to announce the location for our 3rd Annual National Conference. On April 16 and 17, 2016 public education advocates from across the country will gather in Raleigh, North Carolina. We chose Raleigh to highlight the tremendous activist movement that is flourishing in North Carolina. No one exemplifies that movement better than the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who will be the conference keynote speaker. Rev. Barber is the current president of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the National NAACP chair of the Legislative Political Action Committee, and the founder of Moral Mondays.

http://www.networkforpubliceducation.org/2016-national-conference/

2016 PA Educational Leadership Summit July 24-26 State College

Summit Sponsors: PA Principals Association - PA Association of School Administrators - PA Association of Middle Level Educators - PA Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development

The 2016 Educational Leadership Summit, co-sponsored by four leading Pennsylvania education associations, provides an excellent opportunity for school district administrative teams and instructional leaders to learn, share and plan together at a quality venue in "Happy Valley."

Featuring Grant Lichtman, author of EdJourney: A Roadmap to the Future of Education, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera (invited), and Dana Lightman, author of POWER Optimism: Enjoy the Life You Have... Create the Success You Want, keynote speakers, high quality breakout sessions, table talks on hot topics and district team planning and job alike sessions provides practical ideas that can be immediately reviewed and discussed at the summit before returning back to your district. Register and pay by April 30, 2016 for the discounted "early bird" registration rate:

https://s3.goeshow.com/seee/PAEdLeadershipSummit/ereg312499.cfm?clear

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

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan 26: Little interest in passing a #PABudget until after the April 26th primary

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

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Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup January 26, 2016:

Little interest in passing a #PABudget until after the April 26th primary

"Madonna called education funding an issue four years in the making. Coming out of the recession, most of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts saw budget cuts, property tax hikes or both, he said. You can debate whether that was the fault of Wolf’s predecessor, Gov. Tom Corbett, or an inevitable consequence of the end of the federal stimulus, but “the fact remains that that’s the single most important issue that voters want to see addressed,” he said."

Reprise June 2015: Pennsylvania voters want action on education funding, property taxes

Lancaster Online by TIM STUHLDREHER | Staff Writer Jun 18, 2015

Most of Pennsylvania’s registered voters are in favor of legalizing medical marijuana.

About half (49 percent) support Gov. Tom Wolf’s death penalty moratorium, versus 37 percent who oppose it. And they want action on increasing education funding and property tax reform. Those are some of the findings of the latest Franklin & Marshall College poll, released Thursday. F&M political scientist G. Terry Madonna, who directs the poll, said he wanted to gauge public sentiment on some of the main issues before the state Legislature. Among poll respondents, 30 percent said their top priority for state lawmakers is more public education funding, while another 25 percent cited property tax reform. Those were the top two priorities in F&M’s previous poll in March, and they are related issues; State funding and local property taxes are school districts’ two largest funding sources by far.

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/pennsylvania-voters-want-action-on-education-funding-property-taxes/article_558c24f6-1525-11e5-9cd7-abcd166463a6.html

"I know what you are thinking: deadlines didn’t work then and they won’t work now. That’s why my legislation will also require the legislature to remain in continuous session, meeting every day without leave, without pay, without reimbursements, and without per diems, if a complete budget is not passed and signed by July 1. The same goes for the governor, his senior staff and cabinet members. That doesn’t mean salary, reimbursements and per diems will be temporarily suspended and paid out after a budget plan is passed, as is currently the case. It means they’ll be forfeited. It means when the legislature and the governor don’t do their job and don’t meet their constitutional obligations, they get nothing. In addition, any meetings between legislative leaders and the governor after June 30 must be open to the public. The practice of playing out the budget in “he-said, she-said” leaks to the press is certainly unproductive. It has only served to further partisan gridlock and finger-pointing. If you are going to negotiate with the peoples’ money and the peoples’ business, do it in front of the people."

SEN. DINNIMAN: Hold Harrisburg accountable for state budget

Pottstown Mercury Opinion by State Senator Andy Dinniman POSTED: 01/25/16, 2:00 AM EST |

The state budget impasse, now in its seventh month, is symptomatic of what’s wrong with Harrisburg. In turn, it offers an opportunity to finally address real and long-standing problems in the legislative and budget process. Pennsylvania’s budget runs past the July 1 deadline 37 percent of the time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That is unacceptable and it cannot be allowed to continue. There is no question that entering a fiscal year without a finalized budget has potentially disastrous and widespread impacts. Meanwhile, other states have enacted measures to help avoid budget stalemates and to spur lawmakers to action when partisan gridlock begins to set in. As a result of this year’s budget impasse and additional research into approaches that have been successful in other states, I am introducing and supporting a series of bills that will move up the Pennsylvania’s budget calendar, impose severe consequence on the legislature when budgets run late, make more budget negotiations public, and move the Commonwealth’s budget process to a more long-term planning approach.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/opinion/20160125/sen-dinniman-hold-harrisburg-accountable-for-state-budget

"There seems to be waning interest in passing a budget this year, with many not expecting movement until after the April 26th primary. Almost all urgency in the state capital has disappeared since Wolf’s partial veto at the end of December, after schools and social services providers received six-months’ worth of funding they desperately needed."

PA-BGT: The Budget of Yesteryear

PoliticsPA Written by Jason Addy, Contributing Writer January 25, 2016

The state’s longest-ever budget standoff is scheduled to become something of an afterthought if officials in Harrisburg don’t alter their planning timeline for next year’s budget. Tom Wolf – who just completed his first year as Governor – is due to deliver his second annual budget address to the General Assembly on Feb. 9, which would, usually, kick off negotiations on the budget that starts July 1st, Kate Giammarise of the Post-Gazette reports. If state lawmakers hold true to their calendars – and do not pass a budget – Wolf will be tasked with laying out his vision for the 2016-17 fiscal year, though the 2015-16 budget will be 224 days late by then.

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-bgt-the-budget-of-yesteryear/72198/

Will Gov. Tom Wolf's first budget be done before his second? That's up to him: Charlie Gerow

PennLive Op-Ed By Charlie Gerow on January 22, 2016 at 1:05 PM, updated January 25, 2016 at 12:34 PM

If it sounds like a broken record, it's because it is. Those are the noisy attack ads, again trumpeting Gov. Tom Wolf's carefully crafted words describing the most recent budget the Legislature sent him. "Garbage" is the lead. It doesn't get better from there. Somehow the Wolf team has decided that this is the best path to negotiating a budget for the commonwealth. It didn't work in the hot days of summer or during the fall. You have to wonder about their persistence. It brings to mind the adage about the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2016/01/will_gov_tom_wolfs_first_budge.html#incart_2box_opinion

Inky Editorial: Legislative cowardice

by Inquirer Editorial Board. Updated: JANUARY 25, 2016 — 3:01 AM EST

Amid all the loud talk in Harrisburg about passing a budget, including a tea-party Republican's blabbering about placing a boot on Gov. Wolf's neck and Wolf's calling a proposed GOP budget "garbage," there has been a strange silence about a necessary ingredient to any spending plan - how to pay for it. The public has heard next to nothing about generating the revenue needed to cover expenses since efforts to hike the sales tax evaporated weeks ago. No one has floated a tax bill with bipartisan support. And as the state's April 26 primary election looms ever closer, it's becoming doubtful that anyone will. With a $2 billion deficit, a declining credit rating, and many services already cut to untenable levels, a tax increase seems unavoidable. Legislators trying to ignore that reality are only making a bad situation even worse.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160125_Legislative_cowardice.html#OiOuQ7Kr0hRW2Qpz.99

Attytood: Failing our kids, from Flint to Philly

Philly Daily News Attytood Blog by Will Bunch Updated: JANUARY 25, 2016 — 6:27 PM EST

There was another contentious meeting last week at the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. The issue was whether to convert yet another three traditional public schools into charter schools that would be privately managed with our public tax dollars.

At one point in the meeting, the city's leading advocate for charters -- Mark Gleason of the deep-pocketed Philadelphia Schools Partnership -- had the microphone and was addressing critics who said that in racing to privatize education, we were treating our kids just like Flint, Michigan, where a government scheme to reduce costs ended up contaminating Flint's drinking water with toxic lead. I wasn't at the meeting, but attendees recorded and transcribed Gleason's comments (which were also widely discussed on social media). This is part of what he had to say: "I started my day today reading the newspaper and reading about Flint, Michigan, where they were serving for more than a year contaminated drinking water to all the families in Flint," Gleason said. "Nobody tried to do that. They were trying to do something good. They were trying to save money. They tried to find a better solution."

School Reform Commission is rigged against Philadelphia schoolchildren

Philly Daily News Opinion by Solomon Jones Updated: JANUARY 26, 2016 — 3:01 AM EST

THE PHILADELPHIA School District, a $3 billion enterprise whose job is to educate mostly poor and black children, is a system steeped in racism. It doesn't matter whether those at the head of the system are black. The game is fixed, the outcome is predetermined, and the children are commodities whose value is measured not in test scores or grades, but in dollars and cents. To put it bluntly, Philadelphia's education system is an auction block where children of color are sold to the highest bidder. It is a system that Judge Doris Smith Ribner once said was "failing or refusing to provide . . . a quality education to children attending racially isolated minority schools." I wish I could say Smith-Ribner's statement - made in a 1992 ruling on Philadelphia's segregated schools - was no longer accurate. But I'm convinced that the system is rigged. Want proof? Look no further than the School Reform Commission, the unelected body that allocates the billions flowing through the district each year. Created in 2001 when the city, under former Mayor John Street, went to the state for money, the SRC was part of a state takeover. From the beginning, the politically run SRC - with two members appointed by the mayor and three by the governor - had a mandate to fund privately run school organizations with public money.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160126_School_Reform_Commission_is_rigged_against_Philadelphia_schoolchildren.html#fcXFUdJz7elKeikR.99

Proposed changes to state law would be more fair to all children

the notebook Opinion by Robert Fayfich January 25 — 5:45pm

Robert Fayfich is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.

The recent article entitled “Changes to state law would squander historic school funding proposal” published in the Notebook unfortunately serves to drive another wedge between traditional and charter public schools based on incomplete information. Let me state from the beginning that I have worked with the three authors for the past year and a half as part of the Campaign for Fair Education Funding to advocate for not only more funding for public education, but also for a more fair and equitable distribution of that money. I know we agree on some fundamental issues, but I sincerely believe the article does not include all the information necessary to reach a complete understanding of the situation or the proposed legislation.

http://www.thenotebook.org/articles/2016/01/25/proposed-changes-fair

A REAL BUDGET THAT IS WORTH THE WAIT FOR STUDENTS

Campaign for Fair Education Funding website

Lawmakers must pass a REAL budget that increases basic education funding by at least $350 million to help schools recover from the inadequate funding of recent years and to begin implementing the fair funding formula approved by the bipartisan state Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC)

http://fairfundingpa.org/publication_files/a-real-budget.pdf

"The district will pay $850,000 more next year in state-mandated pension obligations to the Public School Employees Retirement System, or PSERS."

Upper St. Clair School Board adopts preliminary budget

Post Gazette By Margaret Smykla January 25, 2016 11:37 PM

The Upper St. Clair School Board on Monday night unanimously adopted a preliminary general fund budget of $76.4 million for 2016-17 for Act 1 purposes. The preliminary budget includes a 1.3320 mill increase. Even so, the budget, with estimates adjusted for 3 percent inflation, is not balanced. “It is not the official budget,” Superintendent Patrick O’Toole said. The reason for the early budget is a late January deadline to file a preliminary budget with the state Dept. of Education in order to be able to exceed the Act 1 index in raising taxes. The vote is not binding, but failure to adopt means the district cannot exceed the index at budget time.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2016/01/25/Upper-St-Clair-School-Board-adopts-preliminary-budget/stories/201601250170

"The district predicted that taxes would have to go up when it borrowed $18 million in October to pay for day-to-day operations. Officials said the tax increase could stretch over the 10-year period to pay back the loan."

Preliminary Penn Hills budget raises taxes more than 50%

Trib Live BY KELSEY SHEA | Monday, Jan. 25, 2016, 9:12 p.m. |Updated 7 hours ago

Property taxes would increase more than 50 percent under a preliminary budget approved by the Penn Hills School Board, though directors doubt the increase will be so hefty when the final budget is approved by June 30. The board approved by a 5-1 vote Monday night the preliminary budget, which contains a property tax increase from 24.8061 mills to 37.7655 mills. If the increase is adopted as proposed, Penn Hills would have one of the highest property tax rates in Allegheny County, figures show. Under that scenario, the owner of a property with the district's median assessment of $68,600 would pay $2,593 in school taxes — $892 more than the $1,701 owed this year.

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/9859140-74/budget-increase-preliminary

State College Area school board approves preliminary budget for the 2016-2017 school year

Centre Daily Times BY FRANK READY fready@centredaily.com January 25, 2016

On Monday evening the State College Area School District board of directors voted unanimously to approve the preliminary budget for the 2016-2017 academic year. Last month, the board voted to approve a proposed preliminary budget that included a real estate tax increase of 4.32 percent. That same tax increase was reflected in the preliminary budget approved on Monday evening, a value that can be changed during the coming months during the preparation of the proposed final budget, which is scheduled for presentation on April 25. As of now, the board is expected to vote on whether or not to approve the proposed final budget for 2016-2017 on May 9, with a public hearing on the calendar for June 6. The 4.32 real estate tax increase can be broken down as the sum of the 2.4 percent allowed under the base Act 1 Index, the maximum real estate tax increase that is allowed for the district, and the 1.92 percent for referendum debt exceptions.

http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/community/state-college/article56560773.html#storylink=hpdigest

Scranton board debates hiring freeze

Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL Published: January 26, 2016

The Scranton School Board does not need to freeze hiring, and instead, must evaluate each position individually, some school directors said Monday night. At the board’s work session — the first since the board moved the meeting back to a separate night from the regular meeting — directors debated the merits of a hiring freeze for nonessential positions. The freeze, called for last month by Director Mark McAndrew, is needed with the district’s poor financial condition, he said. Director Tom Schuster agreed Monday and said a freeze would show the public that the board is serious about curbing expenses. Some directors questioned how a policy would define “nonessential” and said they do not want to be limited by a policy. Instead, the administration and board should discuss whether positions are needed, Vice President Cy Douaihy said.

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-board-debates-hiring-freeze-1.1999418?utm_campaign=educationtt&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twitterfeed

"DCPS opens food centers in schools during the summer to help children who rely on schools for federally subsidized meals, but Monday marked the first time the school district offered free meals during a weather-related closure. School officials and teachers in neighboring school districts were similarly concerned about what the snow days would mean for students from low-income families, but none of them offer a similar program."

For hungry D.C. kids stuck in snow, schools open their doors for meals

Washington Post By Lyndsey Layton January 25 at 5:33 PM

The Jordan family — two parents and five children ages 3,6,8,9 and 10 — streamed into the cafeteria at the Columbia Heights Education Campus and made a beeline for the chicken nuggets sitting under heat lamps. “This is good,” said Gonnie Jordan, 6, who gave two thumbs up between bites of nuggets, a biscuit, corn and broccoli. His wide grin revealed a missing lower tooth. District of Columbia Public Schools were officially closed on Monday in the wake of the weekend’s blizzard, but the cafeterias in 10 schools around the city were open for business, ready to feed breakfast and lunch to any hungry child.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/for-hungry-dc-kids-stuck-in-snow-schools-open-their-doors-for-meals/2016/01/25/b24c417e-c3a0-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html

She made schools work for poor kids in Jennings, Mo., and now she is moving on

Washington Post By Emma Brown January 25 at 10:52 AM

Jennings School District used to be one of the lowest-performing districts in Missouri, on the brink of losing its accreditation. Then, in 2012, Tiffany Anderson showed up in her white tennis shoes. She started a food bank and installed washers and dryers that parents could use in exchange for an hour of volunteering in their child’s classroom. She opened a shelter for homeless teens and a medical clinic at the high school. She also raised expectations for teachers and erased a substantial budget deficit. Now Jennings, a district whose students are overwhelmingly poor and black, has become fully accredited for the first time in many years, and the community is full of pride in what its schools — and its kids — have shown they are capable of doing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/01/25/she-made-schools-work-for-poor-kids-in-jennings-mo-and-now-she-is-moving-on/