Commonwealth Education Organization
|
- PA Education Issues
|
|
*January 24, 2013 >>read more>> |
| December 7, 2012 IT COULD BE EVEN WORSE "Anything that diverts teachers from their job of teaching or diverts attention away from students in favor of bureaucrats, is bad for Pennsylvania's schools. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) does both....States must express to federal policymakers that they need genuine relief from NCLB, not a strings-attached waiver from the law that will bind their hands down the road." >>read more>> Related article: November 28, 2012 NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND WAIVER TO BE SOUGHT BY PA "Mr. Tomalis said his 'overriding concern' about applying for a waiver is that it would prompt changes in the way assessment is performed in Pennsylvania and those changes could become obsolete in several years if a new federal law is enacted." >>read more>> |
| November 24, 2012 U.S. OFFICIALS TELL STATE TO USE SAME STANDARDS TO GRADE CHARTER SCHOOLS "Federal education officials have denied Pennsylvania's request to evaluate charter school achievement using more lenient criteria, saying they must be assessed by the same standard as traditional schools." >>read more>> |
| November 19, 2012 A TALE OF TWO CITIES' SCHOOLS "So there we have it: on school district financial indicators, compared to Philadelphia the state’s second largest district has higher per pupil spending, but a lower presence of charter school enrollment; the average teacher serves fewer students, and its student to non-teacher ratio is higher. Both districts are grappling with a racial achievement gap." >>read more>> |
| *November 11, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS PLAN FOR KEYSTONE EXAMS "The Keystones are designed as end-of-course exams that in the future will be given to students in the same year they complete the courses. But this year, all 11th-grade students will take the tests, regardless of the fact that many may be several years beyond completing the subjects." >>read more>> |
| November 10, 2012 PERHAPS THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS UNIONS IS WANING "The Pennsylvania State Education Association ranks fourth most powerful on Fordham’s metrics but it has only enough money to cover 37 days of operation, according to 2010–11 EIA figures, the latest available....The financial weakness of powerful state teachers unions suggests their power over state politics might be receding. The financial and educational disasters they have created indicate their retreat can’t come fast enough." >>read more>> |
| November 6, 2012 THE COMING STORM FOR COMMON STANDARDS: PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE? "It's taken more than two years for the Common Core State Standards to trickle down into schools and classrooms in a significant way. So it's no surprise, then, that a recent poll found that most people know nothing about the standards. But when public knowledge of the new guidelines becomes more widespread, what level of support will they have? That's where the poll offers some interesting tidbits." >>read more>> |
| October 29, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER EVALUATIONS WILL BE TIED TO SCHOOLS' TEST SCORES "When the new statewide teacher evaluation system takes effect next fall, teachers will be judged not only on how they do in their own classrooms but on how their school does as a whole." >>read more>> |
| October 24, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA UNION READY TO STRIKE IF SCHOOL PURSUES PRIVATIZATION OF SUPPORT STAFF “ 'If (the district) is successful in subcontracting to seek out vendors to replace us then it would (mean the elimination of jobs),' McDowell said. He failed to mention that it would also cost the union a great deal of dues revenue." >>read more>> |
| October 22, 2012 EIGHT MORE CYBER CHARTER SCHOOLS APPLY TO PENNSYLVANIA "With 16 full-time cyber charter schools, Pennsylvania already has one of the highest concentrations of such schools in the nation, but now the state has received applications for eight more for the 2013-14 school year." >>read more>> |
| October 21, 2012 EVALUATING TEACHERS 2.0 “Pittsburgh is helping to develop smarter, fairer ways to assess teacher performance.” >>read more>> |
| October 18, 2012 UNION PARTY KILLS CHARTER REFORM "This failure to get meaningful charter school reform that empowers parents is but the latest example of what we've been saying: It is not the Republican Party that controls Pennsylvania politics, but the Union Party, and it will continue to thwart much good public policy until the Taxpayer Party takes back control of our government." >>read more>> |
| October 13, 2012 PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS SURVEY SHOWS IMPACT OF STUDENT CONDUCT "The survey looked at time; facilities and resources; community support and involvement; managing student conduct; teacher leadership; school leadership; professional development; and instructional practices and support." >>read more>> |
| September 30, 2012 PA MUST PULL PARENT TRIGGER TO SAVE EDUCATION "Simply put, the parent trigger allows parents to take greater control over a public school that consistently fails to educate their children...With seven states now adopting similar laws that put parental and student interests before those of government unions, it’s time Pennsylvania lawmakers pull the parent trigger lest the final word on King’s dream becomes unreachable." >>read more>> |
| September 22, 2012 PA DISTRICTS SHOW STEEP DROP IN TEST SCORES "39.1 percent fail to make progress; cheating inflated past years' results, official claims." >>read more>> |
| September 20, 2012 SCHOOLS FAILING TO MEET GOAL RISING "At least twice as many Allegheny County school districts failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress as defined under the federal No Child Left Behind law on the 2012 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams, compared with 2011 results." >>read more>> |
| September 19, 2012 NEARLY BANKRUPT SCHOOL PAYS OVER $400K UNUSED SICK TIME "Against a backdrop of “tight” financial conditions, it is rather shocking to learn that the district paid over $410,000 to retiring employees for sick time that was accumulated and never used.ays they never used.” >>read more>> |
| September 17, 2012 PSERS INVESTMENTS MISS MARK; UNFUNDED LIABILITY WILL GROW "With lower-than-expected returns in 2011-12, PSERS unfunded liability will grow larger." >>read more>> |
| September 12, 2012 HOW PENNSYLVANIA TEACHERS SALARIES STACK UP "If the Chicago teachers union walk-out on school children or the WGAL story on sick-time pay has you wondering about teacher salaries in Pennsylvania, you're in luck. Our comprehensive database on salaries, spending, taxes and enrollment for all 500 school districts at OpenPAgov.org has been updated with 2011-12 professional salary info from the Pa. Department of Education." >>read more>> |
| September 12, 2012 DETAILS BUBBLE UP IN PENNSYLVANIA TEST CHEATING SCANDAL “We believe the drop in test scores for several Pennsylvania school districts is a sure sign that state officials are making progress in stopping cheating. The heightened testing security, and the investigation itself, likely is enough to keep most teachers honest.” >>read more>> |
| September 11, 2012 KEYSTONE STATE QUIET ON STRIKE FRONT—FOR NOW “Pennsylvania is one of a dozen states that allow teachers to go on strike. As recently as the 2006-07 school year, 13 strikes have occurred across Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts, and Pennsylvania has accounted for nearly half of all teachers’ strikes in the United States since 2000. Teachers who plan to go on strike only have to give 48 hours notice under state law.” >>read more>> |
| September 12, 2012 BIG DROP IN PITTSBURGH PSSA SCORES: WHY? “This week the 2012 results for each school in Pittsburgh were released. Of the 59 schools taking the tests, 43 saw declines in the math scores from 2011 with 29 schools having 5 percent or more of students failing to show grade level proficiency in math. Meanwhile, 14 schools had double digit declines in the number of students reaching grade level proficiency. Manchester and Grandview posted the sharpest drops with over 22 percent fewer students scoring at the proficient level in math compared to 2011 results. For African-American students, 35 schools saw fewer students scoring at the proficient level, with 17 of those declines over 10 percent.” >>read more>> |
| SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 PSBA CHOOSES SCORES OVER KIDS “A spokesman for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA)—which used taxpayer money to lobby against school choice—claims school districts didn't have time to analyze the program, and were worried that they won't be fully reimbursed (a canard, since school districts can charge out-of-district families tuition higher than the scholarships). The real reason public schools are opting out is that they don't want to take on low-income kids from failing schools” >>read more>> |
| September 2, 2012 CYBER CHARTERS IN PA GROWING DESPITE ISSUES “This fall, enrollment in 16 cyber charter schools -- including four new ones -- is expected to grow beyond last year's 32,000, demonstrating the increasing popularity of online education among families of children in grades K-12.” >>read more>> |
| *August 29, 2012 VETERAN SCHOOL LEADER TELLS UNION WHAT TO DO WITH ITS BLOATED CONTRACT DEMANDS “The message was clear: taxpayers aren’t getting their money’s worth, and the district isn’t prepared to significantly increase teacher compensation until student performance improves.” >>read more>> |
| *August 29, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW WISCONSIN’S LEAD “Pennsylvanians should enact reforms that will safeguard the taxpayer and strengthen its economy. Wisconsin shows a way forward for Pennsylvania and proves that the voters will reward bold proposals to take on these economic challenges.” >>read more>> |
| *August 27, 2012 ANOTHER FIVE-FIGURE TEACHER PAYOUT ILLUSTRATES NEED TO REFORM JOB PROTECTIONS “(D)istricts that attempt to remove teachers they no longer need could face years of legal expenses and time-consuming hearings only to end up writing that teacher a massive check six years later. Something needs to change … now!” >>read more>> |
| August 21, 2012 PA SCHOOL BOARD SAYS NO MORE RAISES UNTIL TEACHERS DEMONSTRATE VALUE "Sometimes the truth hurts. Whether the district’s student test scores are technically the worst in the state, or close to it, is beside the point. It’s clear that students aren’t learning as well as they could and the school board should be commended for demanding higher standards. Too often, school boards adopt a go-along to get-along mentality that does nothing to improve student instruction." >>read more>> |
| August 11, 2012 CITY STUDENTS’ TEST SCORES FALL FOR FIRST TIME IN 5 YEARS "The preliminary results show student performance dropped for the first time in five years, putting the district close to where it was two years ago. Based on preliminary results, district officials expect the state will find the district failed to make adequate yearly progress -- known as AYP -- under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, both because of lagging test scores and graduation rates. The four-year graduation rate was basically stagnant at 68.4 percent." >>read more>> |
| August 10, 2012 DISTRICTS TURN TO NONPROFIT FOUNDATIONS FOR FINANCIAL HELP "Education foundations historically have helped provide nice extras for school districts. Most central Pennsylvania districts used their nonprofit foundations to pay for things such as scholarships, academic clubs and tutoring. But in the tough economy, these groups increasingly are becoming more than an outlet for the extras. Harrisburg School District turned to the Harrisburg Public school Foundation to help save kindergarten and other programs that almost fell prey to financial strains this budget season." >>read more>> |
| August 7, 2012 PA TEACHER WITH CHILD PORN CONVICTION STILL DRAWS STATE PENSION "Currently, state employees convicted of any of 27 different offenses – such as theft, bribery, forgery, perjury, and rape – are denied pension benefits from the state if the crime was committed in connection to the person’s job as a public employee. Other serious crimes like possession of child pornography and even murder do not trigger pension forfeiture, the newspaper reports." >>read more>> |
| AUGUST 6, 2012 PSEA BLOWS SMOKE OVER POLITICAL SPENDING "So widespread is such political use of union dues money, the Wall Street Journal did a comprehensive report of all the political spending labor unions do, which showed that labor unions in America spent four times more than originally thought on politics. The PSEA even spent $21,000 on the recall election of Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin. " >>read more>> |
| August 6, 2012 PA PROGRAM TURNS TAX CREDIT TACTIC TOWARD LOW-ACHIEVING SCHOOLS “A state program is allowing businesses to obtain tax credits in exchange for giving scholarship money for students to leave Pennsylvania schools identified as low achieving. The $50 million in credits available to businesses are on a daily first-come, first-served basis beginning Wednesday, with applications submitted through the electronic single application system.” >>read more>> |
| August 1, 2012 PA TAXPAYER GROUP IS TEACHING SCHOOL BOARDS HOW TO BUDGET WITHOUT RAISING TAXES “Most Americans complain when their property taxes go up, especially as home values continue to erode. But few are willing to challenge local school spending practices that make the tax increases necessary.” >>read more>> |
| July 29 SCHOOL TAX BILLS ON BACK BURNER “The state Legislature can't bring itself to vote on the thorny issue of eliminating school property taxes, and yet it can't stop battling over the idea either.” >>read more>> |
| *DATA CENTER The most recent test scores, salaries and more for all 500 Pennsylvania school districts. >>Go to Data Center>> |
| July 26, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYERS DEMAND PAY FREEZE FOR TEACHERS “(w)hen tax revenue was plentiful and school boards could afford to keep everyone happy, nobody noticed how much school tax money was being used to compensate teachers and other union employees.” >>read more>> Related: July 25, 2012 PINE-RICHLAND RESIDENTS WANT SALARIES FROZEN, TAX HIKES STOPPED >>read more>> |
| July 26, 2012 PITTSBURGH TEACHERS UNION KEEPS PLEDGE TO "EAT ITS YOUNG" AT LAYOFF TIME "Several months ago, the school board begged the Pittsburgh Federation of Teacher to waive the contractual 'last in, first out' rule, so that the district would have the power to keep the best teachers when layoffs become necessary, not necessarily the oldest teachers. Board members pointed to a special turnaround elementary school that was carefully staffed with some of the best young teachers in the district. Most of them were put in harm’s way by the 'last in, first out' policy. The union told the school board and the affected students to drop dead." >>read more>> |
| July 16, 2012 MASSIVE STRATEGIC VICTORY FOR KIDS “Under the current system, the government assigns children to the schools it runs – and the establishment passes the buck or blames everyone else when they fail to educate the children in their care. School choice means schools must deliver a quality education now – not in another five, 10 or 20 years – or watch their students leave for better schools.” >>read more>> |
| July 2, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA CORPORATE TAX CREDIT WILL PAY FOR PRIVATE-SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS "Gov. Corbett, who has pushed hard for a school-voucher program, achieved much of that goal Saturday night through the expansion of a corporate tax credit that for the first time will pay for public school students to attend private schools." >>read more>> Related article: June 30, 2012 REACH ALLIANCE APPLAUDS GOV. CORBETT, STATE LEGISLATURE FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL CHOICE "The bill increases the funding for the EITC by $25 million, for a total of $100 million. Recognized as a national model and the best example of public-private partnership in Pennsylvania, the EITC program has allowed more than 40,000 students to attend the school of their choice in this school year alone, and hundreds of public school initiatives would have gone unfunded without this program." >>read more>> |
| June 27, 2012 SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX REFORM MUST START WITH COST CONTAINMENT "On June 11th, H.B. 1776, a proposal to end school property taxes, came up for a vote in the House Finance Committee. The Committee believed the proposal contained too many unanswered questions and were not convinced it would raise the necessary revenue to replace all school property taxes. They tabled the bill by a 13 to 11 count (one abstention). Whether or not the bill will be brought back in the future remains to be seen. But it does raise an interesting question: Where and how should school property tax reform begin? The focus should be on the driver of high taxes, to wit: rapidly rising spending." >>read more>> |
| June 25, 2012 'CRITICAL' TIME FOR EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA "While area educators have lamented the loss of funding - almost $1 billion statewide for 2011-12 - Mr. Tomalis said the amount of money spent is not an indicator of academic achievement. Across the state, districts with similar student demographics spend far different amounts but achieve the same results, he said. 'It's not the amount of money you spend, it's the quality of academic instruction in the classroom that drives achievement,' Mr. Tomalis said." >>read more>> |
| June 20, 2012 PITTSBURGH PROMISE RAISES MONEY, BUT MISSES PRIMARY GOALS “If the Promise is going to achieve either of these primary goals it needs to establish stricter standards of academic achievement by putting a minimum SAT score qualification. Certainly, any student that cannot score 850 on the SAT is going to have problems in college. Promise grants could be escalated for each 100 additional points scored on the SAT. By encouraging students to do better in order to receive Promise funding, the PPS might actually see some improvement in academic achievement.“ >>read more>> |
| June 15, 2012 KEYSTONE STATE KOP-OUT ON SCHOOL CHOICE "The question is raised by Pennsylvania's continued failure to enact school vouchers, even as Harrisburg has been run for two years by Republicans who campaigned on school choice. Gov. Tom Corbett has talked the talk, calling education "the civil rights issue of the 21st century," blasting a system in which "some students are consigned to failure because of their ZIP codes," and identifying vouchers as his top educational priority. But with legislators' summer break approaching on June 30 (and elections dominating the calendar after that), vouchers are already off the table. Apparently the fury of teachers unions would be too much for the Keystone State to bear." >>read more>> |
| June 13, 2012 JAW-DROPPING DENIAL OF REALITY “Dramatic growth in spending, not lost revenues after years of increases, combined with staffing increases that exceeded enrollment growth (or even occurred as enrollment declined) are the real cause of financial woes at school districts.” >>read more>> |
| June 12, 2012 PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE BUSINESSES TAX CREDITS FOR FUNDING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TROUBLED SCHOOLS “While plans for school vouchers remain mired in the General Assembly, some lawmakers are supporting a new idea to help kids in failing schools. Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, is introducing a bill that would create a $100 million tax credit program aimed at children in poor-performing schools.” >>read more>> |
| June 11, 2012 CAP PUBLISHES NAMES, SALARIES, BENEFITS IN PA TEACHER’S STRIKE Organization shows that striking teachers in Bucks county school district are already making about $40,000 more in salary & benefits than the average person in that county. >>read more>> |
| June 10, 2012 GOVERNOR WALKER'S BIG WIN COULD FUEL PA PENSION REFORM "Momentum was already brewing in the state capitol to change to from a pension (defined benefit plan) to a 401(k)-style defined contribution system. The Wisconsin result will only embolden those efforts.... Walker's landslide victory is making a lot of governors look again at their options to deal with public-sector benefits." >>read more>> |
| June 8, 2012 QUESTIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAX REFORM “The notion of reducing school property taxes is a worthy endeavor and one to be applauded, but this plan needs some work.” >>read more>> |
| *June 6, 2012 PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAYING FARMERS “Considering that budget problems forced the district into laying off 2,200 teachers last year, it’s mindboggling that Philadelphia school officials didn’t demand these ancillary positions be outsourced before a single teacher was given a pink slip.” >>read more>> |
| June 2, 2012 AREA SCHOOLS FOCUS ON INCREASING REVENUE A discussion of some ways that school districts are raising money without raising taxes. >>read more>> |
| May 22, 2012 SCHOOL CHOICE GENERATES BIG SAVINGS FOR SCHOOLS AND TAXPAYERS "While Harrisburg certainly has a spending problem, cutting expenditures alone will not be enough to achieve a balance between the Commonwealth’s financial woes and budget priorities. The General Assembly must introduce meaningful reforms that maximize efficiency and save taxpayers money. Expanding the Educational Improvement Tax Credit must become a legislative priority for this upcoming budget year." >>read more>> |
| May 22, 2012 FINANCIAL OUTLOOK FOR PA SCHOOLS IN CRISIS STAGE "Buffeted by the economy and declines in state and federal funding, the financial condition of Pennsylvania's public schools has reached a crisis stage with districts making ever deeper cuts to staff and programs to make ends meet, a new survey of districts by school administrators has found." >>read more>> |
| May 22, 2012 PA ADVANCES BILL THAT PAVES THE WAY FOR STATE TAKEOVERS OF STRUGGLING SCHOOL DISTRICTS "A Republican-penned bill that would pave the way for state takeovers of Pennsylvania school districts veering toward financial collapse has the support of Gov. Tom Corbett and is advancing in the Legislature." >>read more>> |
| May 11, 2012 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FAVORS REDUCING GRADUATE REQUIREMENT TESTS “With $23.2 million already invested in developing mandatory state tests for high school graduation, the state Board of Education has voted to move forward with the exams but to require fewer of them.” >>read more>> |
| May 9, 2012 ON SCHOOL TAX CREDIT'S BIRTHDAY, LAWMAKERS & ADVOCATES RENEW CALL FOR SCHOOL CHOICE "State legislators have the chance now to save themselves from the judgement of history--on the subject of school choice, at least--according to Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver. Christiana, like the other half dozen legislators who spoke at the 11th birthday rally for the Education Improvement Tax Credit, made the event a showcase of rhetoric and calls to action." >>read more>> |
| May 7, 2012 PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS SEEK TO BASE LAYOFFS ON TEACHERS’ EFFECTIVENESS “According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, seniority is the sole factor for layoffs in four states and the District of Columbia and must be considered in six other states. In 15 states, seniority can be considered, and in two it cannot. Twenty-three states leave it up to the discretion of school districts.” >>read more>> |
| May 1, 2012 STATE SENATOR PICCOLA REMAINS HOPEFUL FOR SIGNIFICANT EDUCATION REFORM IN PA "The Dauphin County Republican still harbors hope of seeing the approval of some type of school voucher plan, like the one he aggressively pushed pushed last year." >>read more>> |
| April 30, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA SENATE OK'S BILL TARGETING SUPERINTENDENT BUYOUTS "A bill designed to limit the taxpayer cost of buyouts for public school superintendents in Pennsylvania and expose the terms to greater public view is on its way to the state House of Representatives." >>read more>> |
| April 25, 2012 PHILLY DISTRICT HAS A PLAN TO REMAKE SCHOOLS AND THE TEACHERS UNION HATES IT "All in all, it looks as though the Philadelphia district may decentralize, create a new level of administration that’s focused on promoting excellence in a more manageable number of schools, and formally recognize the fact that charter schools often provide quality alternatives to traditional government schools." >>read more>> |
| April 24, 2012 OPEN SCHOOL BUDGETS COULD SAVE MONEY "A budget should show board members and the public exactly where dollars are being spent. Information should be reported by school as well as district-wide. This should include the names, job descriptions, and costs of all personnel, in both salaries and fringe benefits; the size of every class; the costs of running each building; detailed transportation expenditures; and the number of and amounts spent on students placed in alternative schools." >>read more>> |
| April 24, 2012 PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNOUNCES ITS DISSOLUTION "Philadelphia public schools are on the operating table, reeling from a knockout blow of heavy state budget cuts. It was too much to bear after decades of underfunding and mismanagement at the hands of shortsighted Philadelphians and mean-spirited politicians in Harrisburg." >>read more>> |
|
April 23, 2012 (***It is our understanding that this part is contrary to Dr. Sander's findings: |
| April 16, 2012 SCHOOL SPENDING: THE EXEMPTION RUSE "Pennsylvania's so-called restrictions on school districts' tax hikes are a sad, cruel joke on taxpayers, who certainly aren't laughing. The state Department of Education has OK'd 199 districts hiking property taxes for 2012-13 without seeking voters' approval." >>read more>> |
| April 14, 2012 WHERE IS THE $1 BILLION IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FROM SLOT MACHINES? "So much for the promised $1 billion in property tax relief that slot machines were supposed to offer Pennsylvanians by now. Former Gov. Ed Rendell made that billion-dollar promise to sell the legalization of slots casinos eight years ago. The state’s share of slot proceeds for 2012-13 fell more than $217 million shy of that goal." >>read more>> |
| April 13, 2012 PA GUV: VOTERS MUST MONITOR SCHOOL SPENDING OR LIVE WITH TAX INCREASES "If all politics are local, that’s equally true of school spending. Corbett’s message is an important one: Taxpayers, take some responsibility and heal your own school budgets." >>read more>> |
|
April 10, 2012 TIME TO END TAX HIKE EXCEPTIONS “The Legislature could take the next step—as most states have long since done—and outlaw teacher strikes. There is no more effective tool to control rising costs than removing the threat of strikes and the harm done by actual strikes.” |
| March 30, 2012 THE HIGH COST OF UNION INFLUENCE "Now more than ever, with the state's economy reeling, legislators should support these and other reforms to rein in union excesses that have created such a burden for Pennsylvania taxpayers." >>read more>> |
| March 21, 2012 SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKS ANSWERS “Clearly the District is at a point of having to make some hard decisions, a situation similar to the ones facing other schools and local governments as they seek to balance the interests of taxpayers, students, and employees. That’s the Board’s job. The present situation should not come as a surprise.” >>read more>> |
| March 19, 2012 PUBLIC SCHOOL CAN DO MORE WITH LESS IF WE LET THEM “By repealing the outdated and expensive 'prevailing wage' law and giving school boards the ability to make important personnel decisions, school district are justly enabled to use taxpayer money more wisely and empower the very best resources for our children's education.” >>read more>> |
| March 20, 2012 MORE OVERSIGHT SOUGHT FOR GROWING CHARTER SCHOOLS “Pending House legislation would, among other things, create a nine-member independent commission to authorize and oversee the state's 162 traditional and cyber charter schools. Enrollment in such schools increased to about 91,000 students last year, according to the coalition.” >>read more>> |
| March 14, 2012 GOV. TOM CORBETT'S PROPOSED CHANGES TO KEYSTONE EXAMS GETS MOSTLY THUMBS DOWN "Gov. Tom Corbett's proposal to make passage of three course-specific Keystone Exams a state requirement for high school graduation, starting with the Class of 2017, is drawing opposition from a variety of corners." >>read more>> |
| March 6, 2012 PA EDUCATION BOSS: FED STIMULUS MONEY WARPED SPENDING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS "Federal stimulus money warped Pennsylvania’s education budget both upward and downward during the past three years, and the state’s 500 school districts and 12.6 million taxpayers are beginning to see the consequences." >>read more>> Related letter to the editor: March 30, 2012 EDUCATION FUNDING ARTICLE IGNORES IMPORTANT FACTS "Public schools suffer not from a lack of funds but an overabundance of regulations. With debilitating mandates like prevailing wage that inflate construction costs by 20 percent is it any wonder education spending keeps increasing with little progress in academic achievement?" >>read more>> |
| February 29, 2012 PENNSYLVANIA K-12 EDUCATION SPENDING "Overall K-12 revenue and spending has dramatically increased in Pennsylvania over the last 15 years. · Pennsylvania's K-12 education revenue increased from $13 billion in 1995-96 to $26 billion in 2009-10. Adjusted for inflation, that represents a 44% increase in revenue per student. · Pennsylvania school districts spent more than $14,000 per student in the 2009-10 school year." >>read more>> |
| February 13, 2012 PA MAKES IT TOO HARD TO START CHARTER SCHOOLS "As it stands, there are only disincentives for local school boards to approve charter schools. And without multiple authorizers, families and students are missing out on the opportunity to explore different and innovative educational options. It’s time for lawmakers in the Keystone State to get real about education reform and act on it. Children’s lives are on the line. Every day they stall to get it done is one more day they are failing our future." >>read more>> |
| February 10, 2012 KEY TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING? HOW ABOUT FOUNDATIONS "It’s time for every school district in the state to seek a new chapter in its history, reaching out to seek new and diversified revenue streams to survive the reduction of resources coming from the state. In addition, school choice, charter schools, vouchers and other school selection tools will be financed at the expense of the classrooms in use and in need. Financial support for these new school concepts will wipe out what is already challenging to fund." >>read more>> |
| February 8, 2012 INACTION ON SEX ABUSE ADDRESSED 'A state Senate bill would make school officials subject to unspecified criminal charges if they fail to report teachers accused of sexual misconduct with students, closing a loophole in state law.' >>read more>> |
| January 19, 2012 EDUCATIONAL CHOICE IN PA HAS EXPANDED IN PAST 20 YEARS "School choice is advancing in Pennsylvania, even as a public school voucher plan remains stuck in legislative limbo. As the New Year dawns over the state Capitol, lawmakers and lobbyists are geared up for another fight over the creation of a public school voucher program aimed at providing educational options for the children of low-income families who are enrolled in failing public schools." >>read more>> |
| January 15, 2012 SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM, EARNED INCOME CREDIT CAP BOTH ON TABLE "Although, the Senate's voucher proposals may be less likely than an expanded EITC program to pass in the House, they remain viable options until the end of the legislative session." >>read more>> |
| January 12, 2012 CRISIS VS. COMPETITION IN EDUCATION "New evidence from one of Pennsylvania's most expensive school districts—Pittsburgh—shows competition from charter schools forced its public schools to trim $40 million in wasteful spending, cut more than 200 office positions, furlough teachers and other staff, and announce nearly 400 teachers would not return in 2012-13. That might sound like an "education crisis" to the PSEA. But that's not how the school district views it." >>read more>> |
| January 4, 2012 NUTTER TAKING AIM AT LOW-PERFORMING PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS "The city and the Philadelphia School District will move aggressively on a pledge to eliminate 50,000 seats in the lowest-performing city schools, Mayor Nutter promised Tuesday." >>read more>> |
| December 24, 2011 PA LANDS $41 MILLION GRANT TO HELP EVALUATE TEACHERS "Pennsylvania is one of seven states that will share about $200 million in the latest round of winners of the federal "Race to the Top" school improvement competition...This time, about half of the state's grant will go to specific school districts and intermediate units, officials said. Part of the money will go toward the Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System, which provides teachers with tools to improve student achievement." >>read more>> |
| December 15, 2011 PA HOUSE BREAKS PROMISE, FAILS STATE'S CHILDREN "(T)he Pennsylvania House of Representatives turned back the tide of progress – failing to act on critical education legislation passed earlier this year by the Senate or fulfill promises made publicly and personally throughout the year to enact school reform measures that increase opportunities, provide immediate access for the poor to better schools and give working and middle class families more say in where they send their children to schools." >>read more>> |
| December 7, 2011 SCHOOL CHOICE ADVOCATES LOBBY LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT BILL "Armed with bouquets of white roses -- assembled to represent what they say are incidents of violence in the state's 143 lowest-performing schools every 17 minutes -- lawmakers and supporters urged that pending legislation to allow those students to attend alternative institutions be passed before the end of the year." >>read more>> |
| December 6, 2011 NEW ACT AIMS TO GET STUDENTS OUT OF VIOLENT SITUATIONS AT SCHOOLS “The proposed legislation aims to give parents the choice to remove their children from the schools they are assigned to by zip code and give them the financial aid and option to go somewhere else.” >>read more>> |
| December 2, 2011 SCHOOL CHOICE IN PA IS CURE FOR DISASTER "Lawmakers in the Keystone State can no longer be paralyzed by politics and special interests. It's time to stop the leaky pipe that is failing our kids. The longer they procrastinate, the more taxpayers will be forced to throw good money after bad. School in Pennsylvania is the sure fix to stop the state's flood of disaster that is the current public education system." >>read more>> |
| December 2, 2011 PARENTS NEED CHOICE OF SCHOOLS “Arguments that would reject a limited voucher system because not all parents and students could take advantage of the opportunity would condemn all students to the same failed system - and further fail to recognize that success would breed success. Although choices are currently limited, demand created by vouchers will drive more and higher quality options; and in turn, accommodate more demand.” >>read more>> |
| December 1, 2011 CONSULTANTS EAT UP PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS’ GIFT “Pittsburgh said it would increase the percentage of ‘highly effective’ teachers from 28 percent in 2009 to 41 percent in 2014. The district also said it would improve by at least 20 percentage points the number of college-ready students.” >>read more>> |
| November 28, 2011 ANOTHER PROPOSAL TO END SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES IN PENNSYLVANIA “The fact that the idea of tax shifting continually comes up indicates there is a huge problem engendered by both the level of taxation and the structure and sources of tax revenues. It is vitally important to make progress in addressing this issue.” >>read more>> |
| November 22, 2011 TAKING ON EDUCATION REFORM "Let’s change the focus from politics and the word choices of our politicians to reporting on the real issue at hand, how best to serve the needs of Pennsylvania’s students." >>read more>> |
| November 10, 2011 PSSA SCORES TO GO ON PLUM TRANSCRIPTS “Zugates said Duquesne considers other information more relevant when evaluating a student for admission to the university. ‘We look at the depth and breadth of the high-school curriculum, the GPA (grade-point average) and grades and SAT or ACT scores,’ Zugates said. The same holds true for the University of Pittsburgh, according to spokesman John Fedele. ‘We don't see these scores very often, and they do not constitute any official portion of the admissions review process,’ he said.” >>read more>> |
| November 2, 2011 SENATOR PICCOLA: WHY DOES PSBA OPPOSE WHAT’S GOOD FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION?“During the previous eight years, the commonwealth has increased funding statewide for public schools by more than 40 percent while educating 1 percent fewer kids with no demonstrable improvement in academic achievement. As property taxpayers are painfully aware, local school taxes have at the same time dramatically increased to varying degrees throughout the state.” >>read more>> |
| November 2, 2011 SCHOOLS TO PILOT NEW EVALUATION SYSTEM “Teachers in 20 Western Pennsylvania school districts, charter schools, intermediate units and career and technical centers are participating in a pilot of the state Department of Education's evaluation system that begins in January…A preliminary model…consists of classroom observations, student academic performance, teacher performance and other criteria that will be determined by school boards.” >>read more>> |
| October 30, 2011 SCHOOL VOUCHERS Q&A: PA’S SENATE BILL 1 IS AWAITING HOUSE ACTION Do you have questions about SB1? This article may be helpful. >>read more>> |
| October 29, 2011 VOUCHERS BEAT STATUS QUO “The state's public education establishment bristled at the state Senate's passage Thursday of a school choice bill that would enable at least some kids to escape some of the worst schools in the commonwealth. They offered no alternative other than the status quo, however, and contended that ever more state funding somehow would make more effective the failed schools at issue.” >>read more>> |
| October 26, 2011 PA STATE SENATE APPROVES TUITION VOUCHERS "The legislation would help poor people take their children out of failing schools and send them to private ones. It would provide vouchers for private schools and expand tax credits for businesses that contribute to scholarship programs for low-and middle-income children." >>read more>> |
| October 26, 2011 TOM CORBETT’S STAND FOR PARENT POWER “If the voucher plan is passed, it will start another important conversation: Expanding school choice to middle-class households, especially in suburbia, who may know that the traditional districts in their communities offer mediocre instruction and curricula, but don’t have any idea of what alternatives may be.” >>read more>> |
| October 26, 2011 SCHOOL COMPETITION RESCUES KIDS “For years, American education from kindergarten through high school has been a virtual government monopoly. Conventional wisdom is that government must run the schools. But government monopolies don't do anything well. They fail because they have no real competition.” >>read more>> |
| October 26, 2011 PA STATE SENATE APPROVES TUITION VOUCHER "The legislation would help poor people take their children out of failing schools and send them to private ones. It would provide vouchers for private schools and expand tax credits for businesses that contribute to scholarship programs for low- and middle-income children." >>read more>> Related article: October 26, 2011 TOM CORBETT’S STAND FOR PARENT POWER “If the voucher plan is passed, it will start another important conversation: Expanding school choice to middle-class households, especially in suburbia, who may know that the traditional districts in their communities offer mediocre instruction and curricula, but don’t have any idea of what alternatives may be.” >>read more>> |
| October 19, 2011 CORBETT’S RIGHT ABOUT SCHOOLS Sub-heading: His proposal would improve education across Pennsylvania >>read more>> |
| October 18, 2011 FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY: SCHOOL CHOICE INEVITABLE “Both men said they believe school choice should encompass not only vouchers to help students attend another private or public school of their choosing, but also expanded charter programs and better evaluations to help teachers perform effectively. (All of which are similar to Gov. Tom Corbett's ed plan.)” >>read more>> |
| October 18, 2011 ANALYSIS FINDS FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS RACKED BY VIOLENCE “The Commonwealth Foundation released today an alarming new analysis of school violence that uncovered more than 4,500 criminal acts occurred at the 141 public schools scoring worst in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment.” >>read more>> |
| October 14, 2011 PREDICTABLE KNEE JERK REACTION TO GOVERNOR'S VOUCHER PLAN “In sum, why are some folks so adamantly opposed to efforts to try a new approach that gives parents a choice and students a better opportunity for a good education? Lives are being wasted by the charade called public education in many school districts. Where is the public good in that?” >>read more>> |
| October 14, 2011 CORBETT’S SCHOOL PLAN COULD MAKE THE GRADE “Corbett’s educational reform plan offers tools for families to escape bad schools and makes it more manageable for school districts to identify those educators who are causing schools to fail.” >>read more>> |
| October 13, 2011 CORBETT’S PLAN FAIR APPROACH “Allowing families to choose the education that's best for their children should not be limited by a ZIP code or family income. So Gov. Tom Corbett's plan to extend school choice to low-income families whose children are stuck in failing schools should be celebrated by the entire society.” >>read more>> |
| October 13, 2011 PSBA-IMPEDIMENT TO EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT (scroll down to October 13th post) “The problem with the PSBA is that it has forgotten the Constitutional language providing for public education. It is more interested in protecting the monopoly of public schools than it is ensuring that students are receiving a quality and efficiently delivered education. Thus, the PSBA stands in the way of allowing students who want an education to escape the failing schools they are stuck in.” >>read more>> |
| October 12, 2011 CHOICE, CHARTERS, VOUCHERS PUSHED BY GOVERNOR CORBETT “The plan includes changes for charter schools, new teacher evaluations and an expansion of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, which provides tax credits to businesses offering scholarships.” >>read more>> |
| October 12, 2011 MISLEADING COVERAGE OF PENNSYLVANIA’S PROPOSED SCHOOL CHOICE EXPANSIONS “Kids are suffering in failing schools—even opponents of school choice are admitting that. This is not a new phenomenon, otherwise we wouldn't be facing a 45 percent dropout rate in Philadelphia schools. If we haven't been able to solve the problem yet, how can people be opposed to trying all possible methods to save these kids from a future filled with failure?” >>read more>> |
| October 11, 2011 REACH ALLIANCE SUPPORTS GOVERNOR'S PLAN REACH strongly supports the Governor’s education reform plan. We look forward to working together with students, families, educators, advocates and legislators to make this plan a reality in Pennsylvania,” says Banks. >>read more>> |
|
October 11, 2011 GOVERNOR CORBETT OUTLINES AGENDA FOR EDUCATION REFORM "Joined by Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis and several legislative leaders in education, Corbett listed his top four priorities for school reform in Pennsylvania including: opportunity scholarships, expanding the Educational Improvement Tax Credits program, improved charter school quality and accountability, and more robust and comprehensive educator evaluations." |
|
October 4, 2011 Related article: September 28, 2011 |
| October 3, 2011 PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS STRIVE TO INSPIRE, BETTER PREPARE THEIR TEACHERS “Finding ways to inspire teachers and better prepare them for their work in and out of classrooms is one thing the city school district, Pennsylvania's second-largest, is doing to address declining enrollment, proposed school closings and competition from charter schools.” >>read more>> |
|
September 26, 2011 |
| September 23, 2011 EDUCATION CHIEF: VARIETY IS IMPORTANT 'Mr. Tomalis...said now is the time to offer alternatives because a new generation of parents will be seeking choices in their children's education. He added that leaders of traditional public schools care more about the money they lose in tuition to charter schools than the students they lose." >>read more>> |
| September 8, 2011 CITY SCHOOLS DRAW FEDERAL PRAISE "The cooperation between the Pittsburgh Public Schools administration and teachers union should stand as a model for public schools across the country, according to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who visited Pittsburgh's King PreK-8 School on the North Side on Wednesday as the first stop on his second annual bus tour." >>read more>> |
| September 5, 2011 IN PA, MOST TEACHERS REJECTED GOV. CORBETT'S URGING TO PAY FREEZES IN FACE OF BUDGET CUTS Governor Corbett, “You see a lot of teachers that were laid off in districts that refused to take a wage freeze, and the parents and citizens, the taxpayers in those districts should ask why. They want to blame all the people being laid off on the fact that the [overall] budget was cut ... but they could have participated and helped get through this year and chose not to.” >>read more>> |
| September 1, 2011 LOWERING THE BAR GETS A+ AT CITY SCHOOLS “The Pittsburgh Public Schools board of education decided this summer to temporarily lower the minimum grade point average for participation in extracurricular activities, to 1.5 from 2.0 for high school students.” >>read more>> |
| September 1, 2011 PA NEEDS TO EMULATE INDIANA’S SCHOOL CHOICE PLAN “When we spend vast sums keeping kids in schools where education is not occurring we are wasting scarce monetary resources and the children’s time. An immoral act if there ever was one. By letting parents choose the school that best fits their child’s needs, the goal of a better education is closer to being realized. It is now up to Pennsylvania to step up and make it happen.” >>read more>> |
| August 24, 2011 EDUCATION CHIEF CRITICIZES ‘FRIVOLOUS’ REQUESTS FOR FUNDS “The state education secretary on Tuesday criticized school districts that didn't compete for millions in federal funding for their low-performing schools. Some schools' applications also contained what Ron Tomalis called "frivolous" requests. He said one application asked for $1.3 million for more than 2,000 iPads, another for money for a swimming pool, and one school wanted $70,000 for a new auditorium sound system.” >>read more>> |
| August 24, 2011 GREEN LIGHT MORE EDUCATION TAX CREDITS “To fix the supply needs, the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Gov. Tom Corbett must act quickly this fall to expand the EITC program. By doing so, Pennsylvania can continue to green light a program that better suits children's needs while rescuing them from oftentimes failing and violent schools.” >>read more>> |
| August 23, 2011 LT. GOV. SAYS PA CYBER SUCCESS REFLECTS NEED FOR CHOICE “Cawley announced Monday that PA Cyber had achieved Adequate Yearly Progress for the third consecutive year. The state Department of Education has not yet revealed AYP status for schools in Pennsylvania, but Cawley was able to obtain and deliver PA Cyber’s report card.” >>read more>> |
| August 18, 2011 FORMER PA EDUCATION SECRETARY SUGGESTS LAWMAKERS CONSIDER LIMITED VOUCHER PLAN “There are people out there who want full-blown school choice. I understand that. I do, too. But you need to take steps to get there. And a smart step is to focus on children trapped in [underperforming] schools,” said Eugene Hickok, who served as former Gov. Tom Ridge’s education secretary. >>read more>> |
| August 15, 2011 MORE PHILLY-AREA SCHOOLS TURNING TO HOUGHTON-MIFFLIN HARCOURT’S MATH IN FOCUS TO INTRODUCE SINGAPORE MATH METHODS “Public, private and charter schools across the Philadelphia area taking advantage of revolutionary, proven way to teach math.” >>read more>> |
| August 9, 2011 ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO ADD MORE SCHOOLS TO VOUCHER BILL IN NEGOTIATIONS "Education Secretary Ron Tomalis and Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeff Piccola, R-Dauphin, both expressed optimism about ongoing voucher negotiations aimed at producing a bill this fall. But a top House GOP leader said it was up to the Senate to pass a voucher bill and up to the governor to drum up public support for it." >>read more>> |
| August 2, 2011 PENNSYLVANIA BECOMES A TEACHER STRIKE DINOSAUR "Too bad Pennsylvania is so late to the teacher strike elimination derby. Pennsylvania stands with Vermont as the only state in the Northeast as allowing strikes. None of its neighboring states allow strikes. So why is it that Pennsylvania’s legislators cannot get this albatross off the backs of children and taxpayers?" >>read more>> |
| August 2, 2011 VOLUNTARY PROGRAM TIES TEACHER EVALUATION TO STUDENT GAINS "The state Department of Education this month plans to ask school districts to volunteer to participate in the pilot program in fall...State law prohibits student performance from being used to evaluate teachers, but Gov. Tom Corbett wants to change that as part of a broader effort to improve public education. The state's largest teachers union has suggested using an evaluation system that incorporates student achievement." >>read more>> |
| July 31, 2011 PA JOINS STATES FACING A SCHOOL CHEATING SCANDAL "Will Pennsylvania do what it takes to root out cheating? Few school districts have. Most inquiries are led by educators who are not first-rate investigators and have little incentive to make their own districts look bad. The Pennsylvania investigation is only a few weeks old, far too early to judge. But the first step is not encouraging: State officials have directed school districts and charter schools with suspicious results to investigate themselves." >>read more>> |
| July 15, 2011 PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS “Citizens’ groups bring much needed sunlight into a process that is often very secretive and very political. By opening contract talks up for public inspection and input, there’s a much greater likelihood that the best interests of students and taxpayers will be served.” >>read more>> |
| July 25, 2011 DISTRICT OFFICIALS CONSIDERING FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEKS “Faced with significant funding cuts, two Western Pennsylvania school districts could be the first in the state to go to a four-day workweek as soon as fall 2012. Apollo-Ridge and Keystone Oaks officials will spend this school year doing extensive groundwork to determine whether the cost savings justify the switch.” >>read more>> |
| July 14, 2011 SENATOR YAW IN FAVOR OF PILOT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS “Based on the preliminary discussions, the vouchers in the pilot program would be offered to students in ‘distressed,’ or ‘failing’ school districts, the senator said.” >>read more>> |
|
July 14, 2011
Read THE REPORT |
| July 14, 2011 VOTERS’ VOICE IN PA SCHOOL BUDGETS “Under the change, districts would have to ask voters to approve a property tax increase above the index if costs go up because the district negotiates higher employee compensation...” >>read more>> |
| July 13, 2011 REPORT ON PSSA SCORES RAISES POSSIBILITY OF CHEATING “Pennsylvania officials are reviewing a report that flags irregularities in test results from 11 Western Pennsylvania schools, pointing to possible cheating on a state assessment test.” >>read more>> |
| July 3, 2011 WHY VOUCHERS FAILED “Yet vouchers failed. But nothing is ever dead in the Legislature and voucher proponents will be knocking on lawmakers' doors in the fall. But doing it during Corbett's first six months in office, when his political capital was at its zenith, was clearly the best window to get it done.” >>read more>> |
| July 2, 2011 PA VOUCHER ISSUE GROWS IN INTENSITY “Corbett is trying to do what fellow Republican Gov. Tom Ridge was unable to do in two campaigns for vouchers between 1995 and 2001. The program would give parents the ability to choose their child's school by using taxpayer money to provide tuition vouchers to low-income children in failing schools.” >>read more>> |
| June 30, 2011 SCHOOL VOUCHER PUSH STALLS, LIKELY HALTED UNTIL FALL “Looking ahead, Piccola said it ‘is clearly the responsibility of the governor if this remains on his agenda to define the parameters, initiate the process and drive that process to a successful conclusion.’ " >>read more>> |
| June 28, 2011 THE GOP FAILS PENNSYLVANIA KIDS “On the campaign trail last fall, Mr. Corbett seemed to appreciate this fact when he called education reform "the civil rights issue of the 21st century." Many African Americans, including President Obama, agree with that, though they remain suspicious of such talk when it emanates from Republicans. When you look at how GOP leaders in Harrisburg have handled the issue, who can blame them?” >>read more>> |
| June 27, 2011 BOTTOM LINE: VOUCHERS CAN HELP NEEDIEST CHILDREN “The truth is those opposed to vouchers appear to care more about adults than these underprivileged children. Why else would they support a status quo where we spend almost $20,000 per student in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and less than 53 percent of kids in failing districts score proficient in reading and math on the PSSA in 2009-10? These kids can’t wait another year — they need to be rescued now.” >>read more>> |
| June 26, 2011 MATH EXPRESSIONS—NEW MATH PLAN COMES TO FRUITION “The State College Area school board earlier this month approved purchasing the materials for the new program, Math Expressions, which educators have described as having a more balanced approach than the previous curriculum, Investigations in Number, Data and Space.” >>read more>> |
| June 24, 2011 CORBETT GEARS UP FOR PUSH ON SCHOOL VOUCHERS “Corbett's effort to win approval for vouchers, taxpayer-paid documents that parents could use to send their children to private or parochial schools, is the first major effort in the state House and Senate in more than a decade.... Christiana's bill would make school vouchers available to low-income children who attend the lowest-performing 5 percent of Pennsylvania schools.” >>read more>> |
| June 21, 2011 THESE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: SCHOOL VOUCHERS ARE PENNSYLVANIA’S ONLY CHOICE “While not a panacea, school choice has proved a worthy alternative. Nearly every empirically based study shows that school choice programs increase academic achievement for students and improve public schools through competition. No study has ever shown harmful effects to scholarship recipients or public schools.” >>read more>> |
|
June 22, 2011 CHARTER SCHOOLS ON STATES AGENA "The application process to become a charter school requires approval from public school districts. Killion maintains that's a conflict of interest for school districts because the districts and charter schools compete for the same funding and students. Under his bill, Killion said, charter schools would have the option of applying to the district or a state board. The board would include three appointees by the governor and four by legislative leaders of both parties." |
| June 20, 2011 NEXT TWO DAYS WILL DETERMINE OUTCOME OF SCHOOL CHOICE BATTLE “State Rep. Curt Schroder introduced legislation Monday that allows every child — including home-schoolers — to be eligible for a $5,000 voucher for tuition at a private or parochial school. The bill would not determine the value of the voucher based on the student’s district and would not restrict voucher eligibility based on income, which differentiates it from similar proposals unveiled this year.” >>read more>> Related article: June 20, 2011 PA HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS-SCHOOL CHOICE ADVOCATES TOUT SCHRODER BILLS AS SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVES TO SENATE BILL 1 “A school failing in its mission is failing all kids, not just those from low-income families,” said Schroder. “House Bill 1679, known as the Failing Schools Student Rescue Act, is a broad-based school choice bill that would offer a $5,000 voucher to all students who attend or live within the attendance boundaries of a persistently low achieving school. Unlike Senate Bill 1, which establishes income limits for voucher eligibility, my legislation ensures all students attending a failing school would receive a school choice option.” >>read more>> |
| June 14, 2011 PENNSYLVANIA’S FAILING, VIOLENT SCHOOLS More than 106,000 children are enrolled in the 144 public schools comprising Pennsylvania's lowest performing 5 percent on student proficiency. These schools reported more than 5,400 violent incidents on students and staff in the 2008-2009 school year. >>read more>> |
| June 14, 2011 MEASURE WOULD SHIFT CHARTER SCHOOL COSTS TO STATE “Charter school tuition has long been a sore point for school districts, but a bill introduced Monday in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives would change that, shifting the cost to the state.” >>read more>> |
| June 14, 2011 STATE LOOKS TO ECHO CITY’S TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM “The state Education Department last week proposed revamping its teacher evaluation system in a way similar to Pittsburgh's -- a state-approved alternative implemented two years ago on a pilot basis and last fall across the district.” >>read more>> |
| June 9, 2011 MONEY MOTIVATES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO FEED DESIRE FOR ONLINE CURRICULUM “Since the first cyberschools became chartered by the state nearly a decade ago, more than two dozen public school districts have established online curriculum to compete.” >>read more>> |
|
June 8, 2011 BILLS TO END TEACHER STRIKES INTRODUCED IN HARRISBURG “As we have reported on several occasions, Pennsylvania led the nation in teacher strikes for the decade ending in 2010. Indeed, during much of that period Pennsylvania accounted for half of all teacher strikes in the country….the union’s political clout in the past has been the determining factor in Pennsylvania’s failure to join the overwhelming majority of states in banning teacher strikes. Perhaps a new day is dawning.” |
| June 7, 2011 PA TEACHERS GROUP OFFERS REFORM IDEAS “The Pennsylvania State Education Association on Monday released a list of "Solutions that Work," ideas to reform public education, including some specifically for struggling schools.” >>read more>> |
| May 27, 2011 SPENDING PER PUPIL REACHED $12, 512 IN ‘08 "Increased funding does not guarantee higher student achievement," Tim Eller, spokesman for the state Department of Education, said in an e-mail. "The greatest influences on student achievement are parents, effective teachers and quality school leaders." >>read more>> |
| May 23, 2011 TIME TO REPEAL PREVAILING WAGE LAWS “Many, perhaps most, Pennsylvania school districts are facing a financial crunch. With taxpayers already stretched to the limit and Harrisburg contemplating large cuts to K-12 education spending, districts must watch every penny. One way the Legislature can help offset the budget cuts and assist school districts would be to repeal the prevailing wage requirement for school construction and renovation.” >>read more>> |
| May 21, 2011 SCHOOLS TO SLICE EDUCATION PROGRAMS “More than three-quarters of school districts will eliminate instructional programs for the 2011-12 school year, and two-thirds will lay off teachers, according to a survey released this week by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.” >>read more>> |
| May 13, 2011 EDUCATION COULD PENN. KIDS SOON BE SUBJECTED TO PETA ADS IN SCHOOL? “A national animal rights group has offered a cash-strapped school district an undisclosed amount of money if it allows ads in school promoting alternatives to animal dissection.” >>read more>> |
|
May 12, 2011 PASS SENATE BILL ONE NOW Philadelphia FOX 29 General Manager Patrick Paolini voices his opinion on Senate Bill One. |
| May 11, 2011 HOUSE-PASSED SCHOOL-CHOICE BILL CONSIDERED ‘DOA’ “The state House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved expanding a state tax-credit program for school choice, which many lawmakers consider a viable alternative to tuition vouchers. The bill, however, is "dead on arrival" in the Senate, said Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, who heads the chamber's education committee.” >>read more>> |
| May 9, 2011 CLOSING THE DOOR ON INNOVATION: WHY ONE NATIONAL CURRICULUM IS BAD FOR AMERICA “A Critical Response to the Shanker Institute Manifesto and the U.S. Department of Education’s Initiative to Develop a National Curriculum and National Assessments Based on National Standards” >>read more>> |
| May 8, 2011 IN PA, ACTIVISTS POUR MILLIONS INTO THE FIGHT FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS “Buoyed by what they see as their best opportunity in a decade, education activists are spending millions of dollars and countless hours trying to persuade or pressure Pennsylvania lawmakers to approve school tuition vouchers.” >>read more>> |
|
May 8, 2011
VOUCHERS THREATENED BY EITC |
| May 5, 2011 THE NECESSITY OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN PENNSYLVANIA “Far too many children are trapped in failing schools. Only 21 out of 355 schools in the Pittsburgh region have 90% or more of fifth-graders proficient in both reading and math. 30% of fifth-graders cannot read at their grade level, and similarly 30% cannot do math at grade level. Underperforming schools do not only affect families with school-age children; they affect the whole region and state.” >>read more>> |
| April 19, 2011 NEW POLL SHOWS STRONG STATEWIDE SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL CHOICE LEGISLATION “In a new Pennsylvania poll, conducted by national polling and research firm Public Opinion Strategies (POS), by a 15% margin (54%-39%) respondents favored pending legislation known as Senate Bill 1.” >>read more>> |
| April 15, 2011 EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT GROWS BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS “Clearly the enormous growth in education employment and spending is the result of the belief that education will improve with more resources. And just as clearly the data for the last decade proves once again the fallacy of that belief.” >>read more>> |
| April 14, 2011 SHAFTING TAXPAYERS: STOP THIS PERVERSION “Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts funneled more than $59 million of taxpayer money in 2009-10 to groups whose lobbying against taxpayer interests and those of under served children belies their innocuous names.” >>read more>> |
| April 13, 2011 CORBETT RALLIES SENATE GOP ON VOUCHERS “Gov. Corbett made an unusual and unexpected appearance Tuesday afternoon at a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans to shore up support for a school-voucher bill to help low-income students attend the schools of their choice.” >>read more>> |
| APRIL 12, 2011 MILLIONS FUNNELED TO LOBBYISTS BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS “The Commonwealth Foundation announced today preliminary results from extensive Open Records Requests that found more than $59 million dollars of taxpayer money is being funneled through taxpayer-funded public school districts directly to organizations frequently involved in lobbying against the interests of taxpayers and underserved children.” >>read more>> |
| April 6, 2011 EDUCATION TOPS LIST OF VOTERS’ CONCERNS “For the first time in three years, economic worries aren't the top concern among people in Pennsylvania, a poll finds. A month after Gov. Tom Corbett proposed cutting state spending for public education by $1 billion, education rose to the top of voters' list of concerns, according to a Susquehanna Polling & Research survey. Twenty-three percent of people said education is their top concern, compared with 19 percent who cited the economy or jobs.” >>read more>> |
| April 5, 2011 CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE A FRIEND IN THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE “Under the governor's plan to expand charter schools in Pennsylvania, taxpayers could lose their ability to say no to new charters while still having to foot the bill. Rather than having home districts approve new charter schools, Gov. Tom Corbett's proposal — fleshed out last week when Senate Bill 904 was introduced — would create an independent state agency to consider applications for new charter schools and charter renewals. Cyber schools would also move under its purview.” >>read more>> |
| March 26, 2011 EDUCATION NOMINEE PLANS TO RESHAPE SYSTEM “Gov. Tom Corbett's administration will attempt to reshape public education during the next four years, enacting an aggressive agenda that focuses on school choice and competition, according to Ronald Tomalis, the governor's nominee for secretary of Education.” >>read more>> |
| March 23, 2011 PA SENATORS PROPOSE BROAD SCHOOL MANDATE RELIEF “The 18 bills sponsored by members of the Senate Education Committee include requiring a two-thirds vote by a school board to increase property taxes, allowing teacher furloughs for economic reasons without regard to seniority, a two-year moratorium on requirements that teachers engage in continuing education… and end the blanket provision that teachers have 10 paid sick days a year and paid sabbatical leave.” >>read more>> |
| March 22, 2010 MOTHER HOPES OTHERS WILL OPT OUT OF STANDARDIZED TESTING “A Pennsylvania mother has decided she does not want her two children to take the two-week-long standardized tests given by her state as part of the federal No Child Left Behind law. And she hopes other parents will do the same.” >>read more>> |
| December 19, 2010 WESTINGHOUSE’S SINGLE-GENDER ACADEMIES TO BOLSTER OPPORTUNITY “The district plans to have curriculum in place by spring and provide professional development with a special focus on single-sex instruction over the summer.” >>read more>> |
| September 22, 2010 FOUNDATION LAUNCHES “How much does education cost the average Pennsylvania taxpayer? What percentage of students passes basic achievement tests? How much is per pupil spending in a given district? What are the annual salaries of teachers and administrators in my school district? Has student achievement test performance increased or decreased in the last decade? The answers to these questions and more can be found at openPAgov.org, a new online portal launched today by the Commonwealth Foundation.” >>read more<< |
| September 16, 2010 PENNSYLVANIA SAT SCORES POINT TO FUTILITY OF HIGHER SPENDING In short, a near 50 percent jump in spending over the last decade or so has produced essentially no improvement in the academic achievement of Pennsylvania’s public school graduates. >>read more<< |
| September 16, 2010 PA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION EXAM POLICY NEARS APPROVAL “Ultimately, the state will develop 10 Keystone Exams in various disciplines and require students to meet the standards in six disciplines. The current regulation calls for school districts to set graduation exam requirements one of two ways: • They can use successful course completion in which a Keystone Exam is the final exam and counts for at least one-third of the course mark. • They can use locally developed, independently validated local assessments that are at least as rigorous as the Keystones, aligned with state standards and given to all students.” >>read more<< |
| September 15, 2010 PSSA SCORES IMPROVING AS WHOLE; SOME TARGETS NOT MADE “More than half of the 37 school districts in Northeast Pennsylvania failed to meet at least one target on a grade-level state test, according to data released Tuesday. But as a whole, scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests are improving as the 100 percent proficiency goal of No Child Left Behind is approaching.” >>read more<< |
| September 13, 2010 TEST SCORES NOT INCREASED SOLELY BY SPENDING “Spending more on education has not improved students' test scores in Pennsylvania, says a group that studied three years' worth of achievement test scores.” >>read more<< |
| August 30, 2010 WHY SO MANY NON-TEACHING EMPLOYEES IN PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS? “The board and the superintendent of the District should give taxpayers an adequate explanation for the massive increase in non-teaching personnel, the costs associated with the increase, and in particular define the benefits derived from all additional employees in terms of educational performance.” >>read more<< |
| July 29, 2010 PENNSYLVANIA IS #1… IN TEACHER’S STRIKES “What an unfortunate claim to fame for the state. But despite the fact that Pennsylvania is in a small group that even permits such strikes and it has deemed it illegal for certain types of employees to strike (police, fire, prison guards, and employees needed to operate the courts) outlawing teacher strikes rarely moves beyond the trial balloon stage.” >>read more<< |
| July 26, 2010 NEW ALLENTOWN SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT PUTS OWN JOB ON THE LINEe “Gerald Zahorchak says he should be fired if low-performing schools like Central Elementary do not turn around in three years.” >>read more<< |
| July 26, 2010 THE FIGHT FOR SCHOOL CHOICE IN PENNSYLVANIA “The Opportunity Scholarship Act would give students the freedom to opt out of their chronically failing school. The best solution to improving educational quality in Pennsylvania is to reduce cost and increase academic satisfaction by giving low-income students the opportunity to attend a better school that meets their personal needs.” >>read more<< |
-
Commonwealth Education Organization . 3830 Saxonburg Blvd. Cheswick , Pa. 15024 . (412) 967-9691
-