June 23, 2010
STATE NEWS
Revenue Update: The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue collected $1.8 billion in General Fund revenue in May, which was $125 million, or 6.5 %, less than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $24.6 billion, which is $1.2 billion, or 4.8%, below estimate.
Budget Update: The House Democrats are attempting to pass two bills that relate to the budget. HB 325 would tax cigars and increase the cigarette tax by as much as ten cents per pack, tax the extraction of natural gas, and alter the sales and use tax vendor discount. The other HB 2497 addresses the state and district contribution rate by placing caps on increases for the next four years. What the contribution rate will be for next year and the exact amount of the caps is still under a great deal of discussion. Currently, in the bill the contribution rate for the 2010/11 year is set at 5.64 percent but could go as high as 8.22 percent.
The real news is the amendments that may be added to the bill. They only affect new employees and would 1) reduce the multiplier from 2.5% to 2%; 2) the vesting period would increase from 5 years to 10 years; 3) the retirement age without penalty would increase from age 62 to age 65; 4) the employee contribution rate would be 7.5%; and 5) employees would not be able to withdraw their contributions with interest when they retire.
Again, these changes would only affect new employees. There is no mention of changing from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan nor the hybrid proposal.
The Senate is set to review the bill once it passes the House.
This may move quickly.
Election Results: As a result of May’s primary election, Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) will face Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato (D) in the fall election for governor. In the U.S. Senate race, U. S. Congressman Joe Sestak will face former U.S. Congressman Pat Toomey (R).
Update on Chapter 12 – Health & Physical Activity Standards: The American Heart Association and the National Association for Sports and Physical Education released the 2010 Shape of the Nation Report; Status of Physical Education in the USA on June 1, 2010. The report recommends that schools provide 150 minutes per week/30 minutes per day of instructional physical education for elementary school children, and 225 minutes per week/45 minutes per day for middle and high school students for the entire school year. Only one state (Alabama) aligns to these recommendations. Five states (Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Vermont) require physical education in every grade level. Thirteen states require schools to measure Body Mass Index and/or height and weight for each student.
HOUSE BILLS
HB 704 creates a new formula for funding special education that mirrors the new basic education funding formula. Special education would be funded based on the number of students receiving services. The bill also creates a financial incentive for education special needs students in the least restrictive environment. The bill awaits further consideration by the full House.
HB 2060 requires PIAA in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to develop guidelines and other information to inform student athletes, coaches and parents about the nature and risks associated with concussion and other head injuries.
HB 2205 establishes requirements for the Pre-K Counts program including fees and grants, audits, eligibility providers and minimum hours.
HB 2460 establishes the Pennsylvania Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) initiative to encourage and support disadvantaged and other under-represented students to enroll and excel in math, science and engineering courses and to go on to attain math/science degrees.
SENATE BILLS
SB 250 repeals the June 30, 2010 expiration of the school empowerment act. This bill would continue mandate waivers.
SB 553 would require a 2/3 affirmative vote by the elected members of the board of school directors to approve an increase in the real estate tax millage.
SB 880 would provide for annual reporting by all school entities concerning “interscholastic athletic opportunity and treatment for male and female secondary school students.”
SB 1011 makes several changes to the state’s School Code. It requires the state report card published by PDE to include a list of schools that scored in “the lowest measured group of five percent” on math or reading; requires PDE to publish value-added assessment data for schools and districts on its web site; establishes two alternative certification programs for teachers – the Intern Certificate and the Residency Certificate; and extends the Board of Control governing the Harrisburg School District and gradually phases-in power to the elected school board. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee.
FEDERAL NEWS
SB 3206 - There has been a push in the past few weeks to pass Senator Harkin’s SB 3206, “Keep our Educators Working.” This bill would appropriate $23 billion to restore any state funding reductions. If enough House members supported it, Congressman Obey has indicated that he is willing to include the $23 billion request onto his bill devoted to funding the Afghanistan and Iraq war effort. I have called our congressmen from our area and the Pennsylvania members who sit on the House education committee requesting they co-sign the bill.
Reauthorization of ESEA – Discussion has started concerning the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Last year the U.S. Department of Education (US DOE) unveiled a list of four options states must employ to turn around schools that are perennially struggling to meet the goals of No Child Left Behind. Under the regulations, officials can close a school and send students to higher-achieving schools; replace the principal and most of the staff; restart the school by turning it over to a charter- or education-management organization; or institute a mandatory list of “transformation” including extending learning time and revamping instructional programs. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say the four models are inflexible and do not put enough emphasis on factors such as the need for community and parental involvement.
“You can choose to say you’re going to turn around a school, you can reconstitute a school, you can close a school,” stated Representative Miller, chair of the House Education Committee. “It won’t matter if you don’t have [certain] ingredients in place…[including] collaboration, buy-in from the community, the empowering and the professional development of teachers. If you don’t do these things, and you have to more or less do them together, you’re not going to turn around much of anything.”
Senator Enzi said the “scientific evidence or research for the four interventions proposed for school improvement grants is, at best sketchy…If we are going to mandate interventions from the federal level we need to be clear about why we are mandating such reforms and what evidence we have for our actions.”
Representative Chu wants to use the reauthorization of ESEA to prod schools to promote flexibility and collaboration (such as beefing up mentoring and induction programs), remove barriers to student success (such as increasing community involvement and support), and “foster” teachers and school leaders (such as increasing the use of support staff like speech therapists and school psychologists). “Education Week: School Turnaround Models Draw Bipartisan Concern,” May 21, 2010.
Race to the Top
Pennsylvania is among 35 states and the District of Columbia that applied to the U.S. DOE for the second phase of the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant competition. The new application includes agreements from 122 school districts and 69 charter schools as well as 154 organizations that support the state’s proposal.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Pennsylvania was one of 20 states selected to receive funds from the $250 million stimulus funding. Pennsylvania will receive over $14 million for the design and implementation of a statewide longitudinal data system. The funding would expand the current student and teacher database system by including postsecondary and workforce information.
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May 19, 2010
STATE NEWS
Revenue Update – According to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, the Commonwealth collected $2.9 billion in General Fund revenue in April, which is about $390 million, or 11.8%, less than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $22.8 billion, which is $1.1 billion, or 4.6 %, below estimate. The projection is for a $1.3 billion shortfall by the end of June. The governor is seeking more cuts to current year and furloughs.
Pennsylvania Budget Secretary Mary Soderberg has certified that $772.5 million in gaming revenue will be available for property tax relief in 2010.
Secretary of Education
Governor Ed Rendell has nominated Thomas Gluck to serve as Pennsylvania’s next Secretary of Education. Gluck has served as Executive Deputy Secretary in the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the past five years. Prior to that, he was Director of Communications for the State System of Higher Education and Assistant to the President for School and External Relations at the Milton Hershey School. His wife is Joan Benso, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a nonprofit that focuses on the health, early education and well being of children in Pennsylvania. His nomination is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
State Board of Education
Chapter 12 – Health & Physical Activity Standards - The State Board of Education approved draft changes to Chapter 12 that addresses student health and wellness. Under the draft plan, foods and beverages may not be withheld or provided as a reward, incentive or punishment. School entities must provide adequate time for meal consumption (ten minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch once all students have been served). The proposed regulations contain new student nutrition standards for competitive foods and beverages sold during the school day in cafeterias, school stores, and vending machines. General policies governing school parties, celebrations and fundraising for items that are sold during the school day also are included in the plan. The nutrition rules also affect foods and beverages consumed at after school activities such as club meetings, but they do not affect fundraisers that are not conducted during the school day or at school-related events such as sporting events, school plays and band concerts. School entities must report on the implementation of nutrition standards in their strategic report.
The proposed changes also establish new student physical activity requirements. The revised regulations would require schools to provide at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily for students. Time spent in interscholastic athletics or physical activity after school may not be counted toward meeting this requirement. This requirement does not have to be met by scheduling one 30 minute period of activity, and can be achieved in a variety of ways by using time differently during the school day to incorporate physical activity or extending the school day.
Further, schools shall provide physical education to every student every year including those involved in interscholastic athletics and students in alternative education programs. Elementary schools would be required to provide 150 minutes of physical education per week and middle and secondary schools to provide 225 minutes of physical education per week. The program must be taught by highly qualified physical education teachers. Administrators, teachers and staff could not withhold physical activity for disciplinary reasons or to make-up lessons. School entities would be required to regularly assess all students to measure individual attainment of physical education learning objectives and fitness goals. However, an individual’s specific level of fitness as determined by a fitness assessment may not be used as a grading tool. Changes to Chapter 12 would require schools to provide and properly maintain safe and adequate spaces, facilities, equipment and supplies to achieve the objectives of their physical education programs.
The standards will proceed through the regulatory review process. The earliest date for adoption would be at the end of the 2010-2011 school year, with implementation beginning in 2011-2012.
Common Core Standards - Professor Suzanne Lane of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education gave to the Board an initial report comparing the national Common Core Standards to Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards (Chapter 4). Dr. Lane noted that, for all grades, over 80% of Pennsylvania’s English/Language Arts (ELA) standards aligned “moderately” or “very strongly” to the Common Core ELA standards at grade level in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, and, when including off-grades, that increased to 87%. In math for grades 3, 5 and 8, only about 50% of Pennsylvania’s math standards aligned to the Common Core standards at grade level with “minimal” to “strong” alignment, and for grade 11, 84% of the state’s math standards aligned to the Common Core, with 61% aligned at the “moderate” level. A detailed written report of the comparison is forthcoming. The State Board plans to hold three roundtables on the proposal (Pittsburgh, State College and Philadelphia) in late May and early June before taking a final vote at the next meeting.
House of Representatives
HB 1803 would require public, nonpublic and private schools to have at least one Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in each occupied building. It would require specified school employees to be trained and certified in using an AED. Additionally, it would create a pilot program for sixth graders at participating school entities to undergo cardiovascular screenings. The results would be provided to the student’s parents. This bill is still in the House Education Committee.
HB 2020, HB 2022, HB 2023 are a package of legislation related to property assessment appeals passed by the House Local Government Committee. The legislation would require school districts that are seeking to appeal the assessed value of properties to vote separately on each property appeal. Further, prior to the vote, a school board would be required to hold a public meeting attended by at least a majority of the elected board members during which the owner of the affected property has the opportunity to address the board. The property owner is to be notified at least 30 days prior to the public meeting and provided contact information for a district employee who can discuss the appeal during normal business hours. The district’s superintendent, assistant superintendent, business manager or an elected school director must attend all proceedings related to the appeal. Each of the bills has been re-referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
HB 2454 expands the list of topics to be included in vocational agricultural education programs. The bill is in the House Education Committee.
Senate
SB 629 requires PDE to develop a certificate for school social workers and requires school entities that employ social workers to hire individuals that hold a school social worker certificate issued by PDE. School social workers employed prior to the development of a certificate would be excluded from this provision. The bill will allow social workers to work under the supervision of a school administrator determined by the school entity. The bill has passed out of the Senate Appropriation Committee and awaits further action by the Senate.
SB 1248 would require PDE to develop and distribute financial education materials to public, private and nonpublic schools. The material to be distributed must incorporate financial concepts into the basic school curricula and be designed to educate students about the importance of financial literacy, and to teach the basic principals involved in earning, spending, saving and investing money. The bill awaits further consideration by the full Senate.
SB 1252 establishes a program to help defray the cost of teachers seeking certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The bill gives priority for funding to teachers in schools identified as needing improvement or corrective action. Second priority would be given to early childhood educators, math or science middle or secondary level teachers, and special education or foreign language educators. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee.
SB 1297 limits the Secretary’s discretion to exempt school districts from 180 instructional days due to weather closures if days can be made up before June 30. Under this proposal, school districts must utilize all available days including those previously scheduled for vacation, in-service or Saturdays. The bill does not affect current provisions relating to graduating seniors. The bill passed out of the Senate and awaits further consideration by the full House.
SB 1314 would establish an Office of Charter and Cyber Schools within PDE to oversee the performance and effectiveness of all charter and cyber charter schools. The bill would grant authority to the office to receive and investigate complaints of fraud, waste, mismanagement, misconduct or persistently unsatisfactory academic performance and to make referrals to law enforcement. The bill requires all charter school chief administrators and trustee members to undergo a minimum of eight hours of continuing education annually. It clarifies that all charter school administrators and trustee members are public officials subject to the provisions of the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employees Ethics Act and the State Adverse Interest Act. Under this proposal, Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law and Open Meeting Law would apply to all charter and cyber charter school proceedings. It requires that each charter school board be made up of at least five voting members. Superintendents or their designees of a local school board that granted the charter may sit on the board as non-voting members. The proposal also allows that when a charter school is in corrective action status due to its academic achievement and seeks renewal of its charter, the school district may place specific conditions in the charter renewal requiring the school to meet certain student performance targets within a defined period of time. The bill awaits further consideration by the full Senate.
SB 1318 establishes the State Military College Legislative Appointment Program. Under this proposal, each member of the legislature would be permitted to establish a committee to recommend a resident of the lawmaker’s district for appointment to a State military college. The bill awaits further action by the full Senate.
SB 1321 would require Pennsylvania’s county officials to appoint a single superintendent for their counties, along with other administrators, to provide consolidated services for school districts, including administrative functions such as legal services, payroll, accounting, purchasing and contracting. Each school district would pay a share of the administrative expenses based on its number of employees.
SR 250 requires that Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the state’s property tax collection systems and the potential impacts, costs and benefits associated with consolidating those systems. The resolution awaits further consideration by the full Senate.
FEDERAL NEWS
SB 3206 is an emergency funding bill sponsored by Senate Education chair Tom Harkin. The act, “Keep our Educators Working Act of 2010,” would appropriate $23 million to be allocated under the terms and conditions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The funds would be awarded to local educational agencies through the state’ s primary elementary and secondary funding formulae and public institutions of higher education in order to restore the reductions in State funding. In the case of a State that receives access funds these would be distributed based on the local educational agencies’ relative shares of funds under part A of the Title I Act. Senator Specter has signed on to the bill.
Reauthorization of ESEA
The Administration is pressing Congress to write and move ESEA renewal bills to the floor of each body. The Senate Education Committee has conducted a hearing on graduation rates and has scheduled hearings on early education and physical education. The House Education Committee has scheduled hearings on school turnaround and serving the whole child.
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April 13 2010
March 11, 2010
STATE NEWS
Budget
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dwight Evans sent House Bill 2279 to the House floor on March 8, 2010. This bill is almost identical to the Governor’s budget. It should be voted on March 22, 2010 and sent to the Senate that week. Senate will probably wait until the March and April revenues are released before addressing the bill.
School Funding
Senator Piccola, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has introduced a resolution to further study public school funding, focusing on the highest performance and lowest costs, and the best practices in meeting state academic standards. If commissioned the study would analyze the 82 school districts found to be successful schools in the costing-out study and issue a report of their best practices. Piccola states, “We will examine what schools truly need versus what they want.”
Senate Appropriations Committee met with Secretary of Education Zahorchak on Tuesday, March 2 to discuss the Governor’s proposed education budget. Senator Greenleaf asked whether the minimum increase many of his districts receive could be bumped from 2% to 3%. Zahorchak said the new distribution formula for basic education is focused on closing school district adequacy funding gaps. Districts with the largest gaps and greatest tax effort were targeted to receive a greater share of state funding up front. However, this year that two-tier approach was eliminated and all districts will receive 41% of the amount necessary to close their adequacy funding gap.
Pensions
As part of the annual state budget proceedings, representatives from the state’s two pension systems, the Pennsylvania School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS), testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Both PSERS and SERS are facing large unfunded liabilities – $15 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively – caused by a combination of downturns in investment earnings, costs associated with previous liability deferrals, previous benefits increases, and underfunding by the state and school districts in past years. Members of the Senate Committee focused their questions mainly on the impending increase in PSERS’ employer contribution rate and possible options to resolve it – including reaction to the Governor’s “fresh start” proposal which would re-amortize liabilities over 30 years and fund significant increases in employer contributions over the 2009-10 level. Legislators also expressed interest in the possibility of using proceeds from a pension obligation bond (POB) to lessen the impact of the rate increase, which is expected to launch in 2012 and remain high for decades. Representatives of the retirement systems cautioned legislators about the risks of POBs if investment returns are less than the debt costs. Panelists also addressed committee members’ concerns and questions about the solvency of the funds, investment performance, and the impact of Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) on the funds.
State Revenues
The Department of Revenue announced that Pennsylvania collected $1.5 billion in General Fund revenue in February, about $102.3 million, or 6.4 %, less than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $16 billion, which is $476.7 million or 2.9 %, below estimate.
Certification Fees
Effective July 1, 2010, PDE will implement a new certification fee structure to meet the costs associated with evaluating applications. Currently, the Bureau spends nearly $1 million more than it receives in fees to process certification requests. The new fee structure will allow the department to bring services back to previous levels, particularly to address backlogs and waiting times. Changes include: In-State from $40 to $100; Out-of-State from $80 to $160; and Removal/Deletion from $40 to $75.
State Board of Education
Applicants are currently being accepted to fill a non-voting position on the State Board of Education for a high school junior (Class of 2012). Application deadline is March 30, 2010. Application and further information can be found at www.education.state.pa.us - Select State Board of Education - student representation.
Early Graduation
Pennsylvania is one of eight states selected to pilot a program aimed at “early graduation” for 10th graders. The pilot program is being provided through a $1.5 million grant by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Ten to twenty high schools in each state will participate in the volunteer program slated to begin in the fall of 2011. Students who volunteer to participate will take exams at the end of 10th grade, and should they pass, be given a high school diploma and opportunity to enroll the next fall as a full-time student at any two- or four- year open admissions post-secondary institute in the state. Students who pass may also choose to remain in high school and take a program of study designed to prepare them for entrance into a selective college. Any student who does not pass the lower division high school exams on the first try will be offered a customized program designed to help him/her succeed on the next attempt.
Senate Bills
Senate Bill 1192 - Empowerment Act – would revise and reauthorize the current Education Empowerment Act that will expire on June 30, 2010. Districts and schools would be designated if AYP was not meet on consecutive years in the same academic subject. Designations would remain the same - Warning, Improvement I, Improvement II, Corrective Action I and Corrective II. The bill can be found at: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2009&sind=0&body=S&type=B&BN=1192
Senate Bill 1202 - requires school districts that purchase services that are offered by IU’s from other vendors to place on their website within 10 days why they did not purchase the service from the IU. The bill can be found at: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2009&sind=0&body=S&type=B&BN=1202
FEDERAL NEWS
Race to the Top
Pennsylvania was selected as one of 16 finalists from in the $4 billion federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant competition; the Commonwealth could receive up to $400 million if ultimately selected when first-round winners are announced in April. Other RTTT finalists are Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia.
In mid-March the finalists will present their proposals to a panel in Washington, D.C. The panelists will be looking for understanding, knowledge, capacity, and the will of each state to truly deliver on what is proposed. They will be rated on their commitment, courage, and capacity.
The number of winners and award sizes will be determined by the strength of the applications. While the department does not have a predetermined amount of money to award in each phase of the competition, it expects no more than half of the money will be awarded in phase 1 to ensure a robust competition in phase 2. Finalists in phase 1, who are not selected, may apply for phase 2 funding.
Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Officials of the Obama administration have been in discussion with the congressional leaders and staff concerning the reauthorization of ESEA. The Department of Education is expected to release a “blueprint” for reauthorizing ESEA later this month.
The Republicans have outlined the following four principles to guide federal efforts to reform education laws:
1) Restore Local Control – academic standards, testing systems and curriculum should be set by states and local educators – without coercion from the federal government
2) Empower Parents – parents should have a greater role in selecting and participating in the learning environment that best serves their child
3) Let Teachers Teach – teachers and local schools should have the freedom to operate and innovate as they think best
4) Protect Taxpayers – dollars should be spent wisely, eliminating ineffective programs and making investments that help students achieve
Innovation Grants
The U.S. Department of Education announced the availability of the Investing in Innovation Program (i3). Competitive grants will be awarded to applicants with a record of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates. Grant application can be found on the USDOE website www.ed.gov under Innovation Programs. Proposals will be due in mid-May with funds available in September.
Fight Childhood Obesity
First lady Michelle Obama recently launched a new campaign titled Let’s Move! in the fight against childhood obesity. The campaign aims to give parents the support they need to prevent and curb childhood obesity, provide healthier foods in schools, help kids be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of the country.
To address the obesity issue within schools, Let’s Move! plans to: reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act; double the number of schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthier US School Challenge; acquire new commitments from major school food suppliers to meet nutritional standards and decrease the amount of sugar, fat, and salt in school meals; partner with the School Nutrition Association to increase education and awareness of the dangers of obesity among their members and the students they serve; and work with school leadership organizations, including the National School Boards Association.
House Bill 4247 placing new federal standards on how and when violent students may be secluded or restrained won final House approval March 3 in a 262-153 vote. Pennsylvania already has explicit regulations for the use and reporting of times when students are physically restrained or placed in seclusion. This law will require more reporting and more stringent guidelines.
Below are links to the websites of the six candidates for Governor and a short synopsis of their positions on educational issues.
Tom Corbett: http://tomcorbettforgovernor.com
To date Corbett has not released a full position paper on education but he has stated the he believes that one of the most important priorities we face is education reform and the quality of education that our children receive in order for them to compete in the global marketplace. He believes that every child regardless of their zip code should have access to the best education possible. He is a believer in early childhood education and is a supporter of school choice, including: charter schools; private schools; cyber charter schools; Earned Income Tax Credit Program; and home schooling.
Joe Hoeffel: http://joehoeffel2010.com
Hoeffel has a position paper on education. Highlights include: reframing the issue – education is an investment with a tremendous return for the commonwealth. He wants to: expand early childhood programs and make them available to all eligible children; to fund and encourage proven programs that identify at-risk students and allow educators to provide curricular, logistical, and interpersonal support to keep those students on track until graduation; to give every student full support remedial and tutoring programs to meet high academic standards; supports the establishment of some basic training for school board members; base school taxes on income and ability to pay, not property taxes; and keep state pensions as defined benefit programs.
Dan Onorato: http://voteonorato.com
Onorato has lengthy position papers in Pre-K-12 and Higher Education. Highlights from the Pre-K-12 include: fulfilling the state’s responsibility to adequately fund schools, but keep the burden off local property taxes; provide high-quality early childhood care and education; create environments where children can learn; ensure students graduate ready for success; continue to implement the Costing-Out report; maintain strict accountability on use of new funds; provide adequate resources for special education; and enact real charter school reform.
Sam Rohrer: http://www.samrohrer.org
Rohrer does not have a specific piece on education but states that he believes that academic excellence thrives when parents have greater choice and control over the educational decisions of their children. He wants to stabilize school funding and eliminate school property taxes.
Jack Wagner: http://www.jackwagner.org
The only education component on Wagner’s website is a brief statement on the higher education affordability.
Anthony Williams: http://www.williams4governor.com
Williams has a brief paragraph on education where he states that in too many communities, students and families are subjected to subpar schools or curriculum that is outmoded and misaligned with today’s emerging industries. He mentions that it is time to invest in schools that work for our kids, not systems that don’t. Families need the freedom to choose the best option for their child – be it neighborhood schools, charter schools, or private schools. Money should follow the child, rather than the child follow the money.
February 17, 2010
STATE NEWS
Governor’s Budget: Governor Rendell presented his 2010-2011 budget to the General Assembly on Tuesday, February 09, 2010. He proposed a $354 million increase in basic education. The budget shows a one percent decrease in funding to Intermediate Units. This is the second year in a row that Intermediate Units have received decreases in funding. Further information on the Governor’s budget is attached.
The House Appropriations Committee is slated to discuss the education budget on February 23; the Senate Appropriations Committee will discuss education on March 2.
The Department of Revenue last week reported that Pennsylvania collected $2.1 billion in General Fund revenue in January which was $121.2 million, or 5.4 percent, less than anticipated, fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections are 2.5 percent below estimate.
State Board of Education
The State Board of Education will continue its work on the priorities identified last year. They are: teacher effectiveness; high school reform; and student safety, health and wellness. The board has a three-pronged plan to address student safety, health and wellness. State Secretary of Health presented information to the board on childhood obesity rates. He noted that while there is a national recommendation for all students to have 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day, he suggested that 30 minutes may be more feasible. Another initiative is to examine issues related to school climate/safety. The board intends to create regulations that will focus on the education community providing students with assistance with interpersonal decision-making. Finally, the board is working on developing regulations for student nutrition. A draft will be issues for public comment later this year.
House Bills
HB 67 places restrictions on junior drivers including a ban on the use of cell phones while driving, making failure to wear a seat belt a primary offense, and restricting the number of passengers that can be in a car driven by a junior driver to one under the age of 18 (exempting siblings or parents). Bill was approved by the House and moved to Senate.
HB 101 requests the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study of the costs associated with implementing a statewide virtual learning program and the funding models used by other states with similar programs. Bill was approved in the House Education Committee.
HB 2070 prohibits drivers from using hand-held cell phones for calls or texting while operating a motor vehicle except in emergencies. The bill was approved by the House and moved to Senate Transportation Committee.
Senate Bills
SB 828 exempts from the Public Eating and Drinking Place Law food prepared and offered for sale by volunteer and not-for-profit organizations in order to encourage participation in extracurricular and recreational activities for school students. This bill passed the Senate and moved to House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
SB 766 establishes the Science Technology Partnership Program, a grant program to fund institutions of higher education that partner with public and nonpublic schools and school districts to enhance their science curricula. A grant can be used to; 1) Make scientific or technical equipment available to students; 2) Augment the science curriculum; and 3) Provide additional professional development opportunities to science educators. Each partnership must enter into a written agreement that demonstrates how the partnership will benefit the students and teachers as well as make science technology equipment accessible to participants. Bill passed Senate Education Committee.
Other State News
The Department of Health submitted its final form regulations changing school immunization requirements to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission for consideration. The changes are expected to be final and effective for 2010-2011 school year. Under the proposal, the immunization requirements for school entry into kindergarten or first grade are combined with immunization requirements for school attendance in all grades. Therefore, students in all grades K-12 will need the following: four doses of tetanus; four doses of diphtheria; three doses of polio; two doses of measles; two doses of mumps; one dose of rubella; three doses of hepatitis B; and two doses of varicella. Additional requirements for students entering 7th grade are: one dose of meningococcal conjugate (MCV); and one dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) if at least five years have elapsed since their last tetanus and diphtheria-containing containing vaccine.
Dr. Amy Sichel, Superintendent of the Abington School District and PASA President-Elect, was recognized on the floor of the House of Representatives as the 2010 Superintendent of the Year.
FEDERAL NEWS:
Proposed Education Funding
President Obama released his budget request last month and as anticipated education fared rather well. While the President’s proposed budget freezes non-security discretionary spending overall, the administration has requested $50.7 billion in discretionary appropriation for education, and increase of $4.5 billion over the last fiscal year. This figure includes $1 billion in additional funding when Congress completes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization consistent with the President’s proposed reforms.
In particular, the K-12 education budget request was guided by several key principles, including a strong emphasis on recognizing and rewarding success; focusing investments on fewer, more effective programs; and, setting clearer goals for federal programs while giving states and school districts more flexibility to meet those goals. The Obama budget consolidates 38 K-12 programs into 11 new programs that emphasize competitive funding, accountability, flexibility for states and school districts and an evidence-based approach to results. Other federal funding and program highlights include: an additional $1.35 billion to continue the Race to the Top program, $500 million for the Investing in Innovation (i3) fund, more money for turnaround schools, charters, school safety and programs for preparing, retaining and rewarding effective teachers and leaders.
Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The Obama administration is seeking changes to the NO Child Left Behind that would drop the 2014 deadline for all students to achieve “proficiency,” a new accountability system that would divide schools into more categories and more effectively rewards to those succeeding, and eliminate the school ratings system built on “adequate yearly progress” on test scores. Instead, education officials have indicated the administration will seek to replace the 2014 deadline with a goal of having all students leave high school :college or career ready” through the use of common national academic standards that define “readiness.”
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January 20, 2010
STATE NEWS
Keystone Exams - Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office gave final approval to the Chapter 4 regulations (Keystone Exams) in December. Once the regulation is published in The Pennsylvania Bulletin the regulations will be in effect. Publication is expected this month.
Special Education Contingency Funds – PDE is now accepting applications for contingency funds via the web-based applications system until January 29, 2010. The user ID and password are the same as last year. For further information contact Dr. Ron Wells by email at PDE or call 717-783-6882.
Comprehensive School Safety - Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak and the State Board of Education Chairman Joseph Torsella joined with House Majority Chair James Roebuck and Senate Majority Chair Jeffrey Piccola to announce a comprehensive plan to address school safety issues. The statewide initiative calls for the adoption of school climate standards, clearer school violence reporting requirements, and better tools for monitoring school safety.
PSERS - The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on public pension issues on December 16, 2009. The Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) projects that the employer contribution rate will dramatically increase in the near future and remain high beyond 2032. PSERS’ employer contribution rate (shared by the state and school entity) will increase from 4.78% in FY 2009-2010 to 8.22% in FY 2010-2011 and is projected to peak at 33.6% in 2014-1015. The rate increase is primarily due to a downturn in investment earnings (which have served as the primary source of funding for PSERS over the past decade); earnings assumption changes, costs associated with previous liability deferrals, and increased pension benefits enacted by the Legislature in 2001 and 2002.
House Bills
HB 1162 requires school districts to notify parents if they teach abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in grades 6-12 and to provide parents the option to opt-out of all or part of the program. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee on April 23, 2009. The committee held a public hearing on December 9, 2001.
HB 1163 requires school districts to provide comprehensive and age appropriate sex education. Parents would have the option to excuse their child from all or part of the curriculum. Under the proposal, PDE, in consultation with the Department of Health, would develop and maintain a list of sexual health education curricula that would be made available through PDE’s website. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee on April 23, 2009. The committee held a public hearing on December 9, 2001.
HB 1858 would allow counties to adopt an additional 1% sales and use tax, and a 1% tax on hotel occupancy. In its current form the bill would require that 50% of the revenues generated by the county’s tax would go to school districts in the county to be used to reduce property taxes, either through the homestead exclusion or, if the homestead exclusion is at its maximum limit, through millage reduction. Revenue disbursements would go to school districts based on the proportion of its ADM to the combined ADM of all the districts in the county. The bill was removed from the table on November 16, 2009.
HB 1876 limits fees newspapers of general circulation could charge for advertising public notices to no more than 75% of the legal advertising rate in effect on July 1, 2009, or 75% of the lowest commercial rate papers were charging their customers, whichever is lower. The rate could only increase after June 2012 at the rate of inflation. The bill passed the House on November 17, 2009.
HB 1880 establishes the Pennsylvania Government Accountability Portal, which would make available on the Web copies of all state agency contracts and expenditures.
HB 1944 prohibits home addresses of employees of school entities from being considered public records under the state’s Right-to-Know Law. The Bill was recommitted to the House Appropriations Committee on December 16, 2009.
HB 1163 requires PDE to create a model dating violence policy to assist school districts in developing policies for date violence and response. Additionally, districts would be required to make date violence education part of the health curriculum for grades 7-12, publish date violence policies in student conduct handbooks, and provide training to appropriate school personnel. The bill was recommitted to the House Appropriations Committee on December 16, 2009.
HB 2070 bans the use of texting while driving. The bill was re-committed to the House Appropriations Committee on November 10, 2009.
HB 2092 would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to ban teacher strikes and other public school lockouts. The bill was referred to Education Committee on November 16, 2009.
Senate Bills
SB 1011 creates a residency teaching certificate to allow uncertified professionals to teach in subject areas where there are statewide or regional shortages of qualified teachers and work toward earning their teaching certificate while actively employed as a teacher. The bill was approved in the Senate Education Committee on December 16, 2009.
SB 1073 requires PDE to establish the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program as a competitive grant program for eligible students. The bill was approved in the Senate Education Committee on December 16, 2009.
SB 1086 eliminates school board primaries in the May municipal elections and has school directors elected at the November municipal election. The bill was approved in the Senate Education Committee on December 16, 2009.
SB 1135 enacts a five-year moratorium on the requirements of the Right-to-Know Law for the PIAA. Instead, the PIAA must adopt and adhere to a policy. The bill was approved in the Senate Education Committee on December 16, 2009.
Other State News
The Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner is urging the General Assembly to ban the use of “swaps.” He is recommending that all Pennsylvania school districts, local governments, and municipal authorities stop entering into swap agreements and immediately terminate any active swaps to which they are a party. He noted that such arrangements entail substantial risk due to the unstable nature of the stock market and banking system and possibly deceptive marketing practices by financial advisors.
FEDERAL NEWS:
We do make a difference!
The Senate proposed cutting $700 million from the 2010-2011 Title I funds. After receiving 1300 emails from constituents across the country the money was restored and the education funding bill won final approval with no reduction in Title I. It is virtually impossible to alter a bill at this stage of the process, but we have proven that it can be done!
Research
Public Agenda Report for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently released the first in a series of reports that examines (from a student perspective) viewpoints on higher education and college completion. Using results from a national survey of young adults ages 22-30, the report dispels common myths about why students drop out of college and what policymakers, higher education, and business can do to help students stay in school. According to the findings, the number reason students give for leaving college is the fact that they had to work and go to school at the same time and, despite their best efforts, the stress of trying to do both eventually took its toll. The report also found that among students who don’t graduate, the college selection process is far more limited and often seems happenstance and uninformed. Finally, the survey revealed that while students recognize a college degree as an asset, they may not fully recognize the impact that dropping out will have on their future. The full report can be found at http://www.publicagenda.org/theirwholelivesaheadofthem.
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November, 18, 2009
STATE NEWS
The House reconvened on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, to finalize the authorization of table games, the final step needed to complete the 2009-2010 state budget. One piece that remains in contention is the proposed tax rate, which the Governor has said must be at least 16 percent. The Senate has passed legislation that would levy a 12 percent tax on profits from blackjack, roulette, poker and similar games. In the House, a bill in the Appropriations Committee would impose a 34 percent tax. Funds to non-preferred universities such as Penn State and Temple have been held up while the lawmakers finalize the gambling framework which is needed to bring the state $200 million in revenues this year and another $120 million next year. Little progress was made in the House. With the Senate not scheduled to reconvene until November 16 at the earliest, the gaming expansion issue remains unresolved.
House Bills
Governor Rendell is scheduled to present his 2010-2011 budget on February 9, 2010!!!
HB 10 allows counties to assess the leasing rights to extract, recover and remove natural gas. The bill was referred to the House Finance Committee on March 9, 2009.
HB 483 restricts funding of cyber school students until they have attained the resident school district’s age of beginners. The bill was referred to the Education Committee on February 18, 2009.
HB 704 requires PDE to determine special education adequacy and funding targets for each school district and implements a new special education funding formula with the goal of meeting special education funding targets within six years. The bill was re-committed to House Education Committee on September 11, 2009.
HB 1527 authorizes educational impact fees for school districts. The bill was assigned to the House Local Government Committee on May 26, 2009.
HB 1757 allows governmental units to publish legal notices on an official notice website instead of in newspapers of general circulation. The bill was re-recommitted to the House Appropriations Committee on September 11, 2009.
HB 1788 would provide state reimbursement for local tax revenues lost as a result of school district’s compliance with Act 319 of 1974 (Clean and Green) and Act 92 of 1998 (Keystone Opportunity Zones). The bill was referred to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on June 26, 2009.
HB 1802 sets forth an actual cost formula based on AYP-achieving cyber schools. The bill was referred to House Education Committee on June 30, 2009.
HB 1920 clarifies that the Department of Education is not required to approve construction projects not eligible for state reimbursement. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee on August 10, 2009
HB 1923 would put a two-year moratorium on the application of the prevailing wage mandate on school districts. The bill was referred to House Labor and Relations Committee on August 11, 2009.
Senate Bills
SB 695 would put a two-year moratorium on the application of the prevailing wage mandate on school districts. The bill was referred to Senate Labor and Industry Committee on March 27, 2009.
REMINDER:
NEW BOARD MEMBER WORKSHOP – Superintendents, board presidents, and newly elected board members are invited to the School Board Basics workshop on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. This workshop is being offered free of charge by the staff of Fox Rothschild and MCIU. The agenda is attached.
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October 8, 2009
STATE NEWS
Budget News
After a 101-day budget impasse, we finally have a 2009-2010 state budget!!!
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It increases funding for basic education by $300 million. The budget agreement uses $654.7 million in federal stimulus funds (AARA) for the 2009-10 basic subsidy, offsetting a decrease of $354.7 million in state funding.
The plan increases funding for school improvement grants, services to non-public schools, reimbursement of charter schools, textbooks for nonpublic schools and level-funds Pre-K Counts. A number of education and education-related appropriations are reduced, among them funding for the earned income tax credit, museums and libraries, career and technical education, teacher professional development, intermediate units and school improvement grants. Funding for several education programs was eliminated, including Classrooms for the Future, the Governor’s Schools of Excellence, Project 720 high school reform, alternative education demonstrative projects, safe and alternative schools, and consolidation incentives/shared services.
The General Assembly did not enact a School Code bill this year. Instead, the Fiscal Code (House Bill 1407), authorizes school districts to reopen their budgets to reflect final appropriations, includes pro rate distribution language for accountability block grants, drives out basic and special education funding through the 2008-09 formulas, and requires districts not self-insured to have in place a certified workplace safety committee by December 31, 2010 to qualify for a Worker’s Compensation insurance discount. The bill also creates a new independent Fiscal Budget Office for 2009-2010. The office, to be staffed through appointments by both lawmakers and the governor, will be charged with developing and making publicly available the official revenue estimates for developing the annual state budget.
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Keystone Exams
The State Board of Education on September 21 formally submitted to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) and the House and Senate education committees the final-form regulation concerning graduation requirements.
IRRC will consider the regulations at its October 22, 2009 meeting. Commissioners will vote either to approve or disapprove the regulation. If there is a tie vote or no action, the regulation is deemed approved. The House and Senate education committees can approve, disapprove or notify the State Board and IRRC of its intent to review the proposed regulation. If a committee does not meet and take action, the regulation is deemed approved by the committee.
The text of the proposed regulations, submitted comments to the State Board, and the State Board report, that includes responses to submitted comments, are all available on the IRRC web site at http://www.irrc.state.pa.us/Regulations/RegInfo.cfm?IRRCNo=2696. Any comments on the final regulation must be submitted to IRRC by October 19, 2009 prior to the 48 hour black-out period, which begins at 10:30am on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. Copies of comments may be submitted to the House and Senate education committees as well.
State Revenue Collections
The Department of Revenue last week reported that Pennsylvania collected $2.1 billion in General Fund revenue in September, which was $118.6 million or 5.5 percent less than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections are 2.6 percent below estimate.
Announcement
Representative Bob Mensch won the special election to fill the State Senate seat vacated by
Senator Rob Wonderling. He will serve out the remaining 16 months of Wonderling’s term.
Ninety days after Mensch is sworn in as Senator a determination will be made whether to have a special election to fill his Representative seat or to leave it vacant for the remaining year of his term.
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FEDERAL NEWS
Title 1
Secretary Duncan has proposed the following changes to the Spellings regulations:
· Not to require States to adjust their cohort size to be under 30
· to work with States to make allowances for students who take up to 6 years to graduate
· To allow States a one year waiver from the 14 day parental notification for public school choice
Common Core Standards
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) recently released the first official public draft of the college- and career-readiness standards in English-language arts and mathematics as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Three territories and 48 states, including Pennsylvania, have signed on to the initiative, which is intended to define the knowledge and skills students should have to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing, academic college courses and in workforce training programs.
The standards are intended to be research and evidence-based, aligned with college and workforce training program expectations, reflecting of rigorous content and skills, and internationally benchmarked.
The standards now will be reviewed by a select validation committee. In addition, the NGA and CCSSO currently are accepting public comments on the standards and expect to release in December grade-by-grade standards for K-12 students to meet the validated college and career-readiness standards.
Following final development, states in 2010 will begin the process of voluntarily adopting the standards. Any state choosing to participate must adopt at least 85% of the Common Core Standards. States that agree to that adoption will be given preference in their applications for over $4 billion in “Race to the Top” federal grants.
The Standard web site is www.corestandards.org. Public comments on the standards are being accepted in writing or online until October 21.
Save the Date
Legislative Breakfast
The Montgomery County School Directors Legislative Committee (MCSDLC) will host the legislative breakfast on Friday, April 30, 2010 at the William Penn Inn.
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