Category: Education

Big Win For School Choice In Pa.

Gov. Tom Corbett signed Saturday, June 30, a bill that creates a new school choice program and expands Pennsylvania’s popular existing one.
The enabling language was found in HB 761, the Omnibus Tax Reform Code and increases funding by $25 million to $100 million for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) while adding $50 million for the new Education Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (EISC).
“This bill is a landmark victory for parental choice in Pennsylvania,” said Otto V. Banks, executive director of the REACH Alliance & Foundation.  
Both programs use corporate tax credits for funding.
The EISC  will fund scholarships for children from low and middle income families who reside in low-achieving school areas. A low-achieving school is considered a public school that ranked in the lowest 15 percent of its designation as an elementary school or a secondary school based on combined mathematics and reading scores from the annual assessment administered in the previous school year and for which the Department of Education has posted results on its website.
The passage marks the culmination of a two-year effort led by Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R-15) and Sen. Anthony Williams (D-8) whose SB 1 this session provided the parental choice framework of statewide EITC expansion coupled with targeted funding for children in low achieving schools, REACH said.  SB 1 passed the Senate 27-22 last fall, marking the first voucher legislation clearing a chamber in 20 years.
Rep. Tom Quigley introduced HB 1330, which would have increased EITC funding to $100 million in the 2011-12 school year, increasing to $200 million in 2012-13. HB 1330 passed the House by a 190-7 vote.
 This month, Rep. Jim Christiana introduced HBl 2468, the bill that provided much of the legislative language included in the passage of this school choice victory.
“This victory would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Tom Corbett, Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley, Speaker of the House Sam Smith, Representatives Mike Turzai, Senator Dominic Pileggi, House and Senate leaders, Senator Jeffrey Piccola, Senator Anthony Williams and Representative Jim Christiana,” said Banks.   
  

Neshaminy Teachers To Sulk Back To Job

In a big union defeat, the Neshaminy School District teachers announced yesterday (June 11) afternoon that they were giving up their strike and returning to the classroom tomorrow.

Its advertisement listing the salaries and benefits of everybody in the negotiating unit is thought to have been instrumental in turning the tide.

GOP Stalls Property Tax Reform Bill

The State House Finance Committee, yesterday, June 11, voted 13-11 to table House Bill 1776 i.e.  Property Tax Independence Act (House Bill 1776), sponsored by Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
The bill would prohibit property taxes from being used to fund public schools, replacing them dollar for dollar with increases in the sales and income taxes.
School funding makes for about 80 percent of the property tax burden in the state and about 10,000 Pennsylvanian lose their homes annually due to an inability to pay property tax.
Basically, under the current system we are renting our homes from the state.
The motion to table was made by Rep. Eli Evankovich (R-54) and nine of the 13 supporting it were Republicans. Six of the 10 Democrats on the 25-member committee voted to send the bill on to the House for a full vote.
“This proves that property tax independence is not a partisan issue,” Cox said.  “A majority of Democrats on the committee voted with us to move the bill forward.  Unfortunately, we had some Republicans who voted to stall our efforts.  Perhaps those lawmakers need to hear from their property taxpayers.”
The motion does not kill the bill, Cox says.
Cox said that  opponents argued the bill should be amended before being approved.  However, none of these members offered an amendment at today’s House Finance Committee meeting.
“I wonder about the sincerity of members who said they’d vote for the bill if it was changed, but chose not to offer any amendments,” Cox said.  “In my experience in Harrisburg, that is often a tactic used to avoid an important issue.”
Other members argued that the vote should be delayed until the bill was in pristine condition for the committee’s consideration.  However, Cox rightly pointed out that the committee did not hold other major pieces of legislation to the same standard.  House Bill 1950, which placed a fee on Marcellus Shale, was significantly amended after being approved by the House Finance Committee but before being signed into law.  Likewise, House Bill 2150, which would close a tax loophole and provide millions of dollars in tax breaks for corporations, was also amended after the House Finance Committee considered it.
“The committee seems to hold a bill that would benefit homeowners to a higher standard than it did bills that would benefit environmentalists or corporations,” Cox said.  “I think constituents are left to draw the conclusion that there appears to be two different yardsticks used to measure bills before the House Finance Committee.
“Pennsylvania homeowners now have a list of lawmakers who need to be persuaded to support the Property Tax Independence Act,” Cox said about those who voted to table the bill.  “I would hope the constituents of these representatives would reach out to the members and encourage them to support the bill in the future.”
House Finance Committee members who joined Cox in voting against the motion to table the bill include:  Rep. Ryan Aument (R-41), Rep. John Bear (R-97), Rep. Scott Boyd (R-43), Rep. Matt Bradford (D-70),  Rep. Flo Fabrizio (D-2), Rep. Adam Harris (R-82), Rep. Sid Kavulich (D-144), Rep. Rick Mirabito (D-83), Rep. Matt Smith (D-42) and Democratic Chairwoman Phyllis Mundy (D-120)
 GOP Stalls Property Tax Reform Bill
GOP Stalls Property Tax Reform Bill

Springfield Teachers Pact Vote Looms

Regina Scheerer of the Delaware County Patriots reports that the Springfield (Pa.) School Board is posed to vote on five-year teacher  contract, June 21.

And a rather sane pact it appears to be.
According to the District’s website, salaries will be frozen the first year; raised 1.62 percent the second year albeit with a $500 off-scale payment; raised 1.8 percent the third year; and 2 percent in years four and five.

The unions medical insurance contribution will be kept at 10 percent the first year, raised to 12 percent for years two through four; and raised to 13 percent in year five.

The meeting starts 7 p.m. at the McLaughlin Center at the high school on Leamy Avenue, and may be watched on Comcast Channel 11 or FIOS Channel 29.
Kudos to the Springfield School Board and the Springfield Education Association for sanity.
Springfield Teachers Pact Vote Looms

The Ghost Of Tom Joad And Neshaminy Teachers

Tom Joad, the heroic working class everyman from the Grapes of Wrath played by Henry Fonda, is oft cited by the labor movement in its cries for social justice.

In the spirit of Tom Joad, whose California trip was started by the repossession of his family home, The Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania  is advertising the salaries and benefits of the teachers in the Neshaminy School District, who are forcing the district’s children to go without an education in an attempt to get even more than the $107,002 average package they now receive.
Some rob with a six-gun. Some rob with a fountain pen. The latter are worse.
It should be noted that the burden the Neshaminy teachers are placing on their residents is happening in every school district throughout the state.
By the way, not all of those on the list are classroom teachers. They include gym teachers, guidance counselors and librarians all of whom get the same rate.
Here is a link to a downloadable pdf list of the names, salaries and benefits.

Proposed Springfield School Budget Would Hike Taxes $110 For Average Homeowner

Regina  Scheerer attended tonight’s (May 10) Springfield (Delco) School Board where the final budget was presented. 

She says it would increase property taxes 2.7 percent   28.730 mills which would mean the average homeowner would pay $110 more than last year.

Last year’s increase was 2.76% at 27.975 mills.

Say says the new 5-year teacher contract will be a factor, but will not cause an increase above what is proposed.

She says that a public comment on the budget will be taken at a hearing 5:30 p.m., next Thursday at the McLaughlin Center.

The proposed budget can be found at  at www.ssdcougars.org, under District, Financial Information, then Budget.

It will also be available at the Township Library.

  

Springfield School Board Mum On 5-Year SEA Pact

This report comes from citizen activist Regina Scheerer

As you have heard by now, the Springfield (Pa) School District and the Springfield Education Association have reached a tentative agreement on a 5-year contract.

No information will be given until the teachers ratify the agreement, and then it will be presented to the School Board.

I encourage you to attend or watch the School Board meetings this month.

The final proposed budget for school year 2012-2013 will also be presented to the School Board.

Public comment is welcome at the beginning of the meetings.

 The School Board meetings this month are on Thursday, May 10, and Thursday, May 24, at 7 p.m. at the McLaughlin Center on Leamy Avenue

There will be a public meeting on the 2012-2013 school budget on Thursday, May 17, at 7 p.m.

The proposed final budget is not yet posted online.

Watch for it on www.ssdcougars.org under the District heading, Financial Information, then Budget, after the May 10 meeting.

You may watch the School Board meetings on Ch 11 Comcast or Ch 29 Fios.

The Springfield School Board Finance Committee will meet on Monday, May 21, at 6 p.m. at the McLaughlin Center to finalize the 2012-2013 school budget.

The public is welcome and may comment.

The Springfield Board of Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, May 8, at 8 PM at the Township Building.

Public comment is welcome at the end of the meeting.

You may watch the proceedings on Ch 10 Comcast or Ch 30 Verizon.

Springfield School Board Mum On 5-Year SEA Pact

Rally Against Home Tax Tyranny Is Monday

Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) is asking those planning on attending his rally on  Monday, May 7, in support of House Bill 1776 to RSVP at his website.

HB 1776 would stop property taxes from being used to fund public schools hence making it easier for those on fixed incomes or out of work to save their homes, and be of great benefit to family famers

The school funding mechanism would be replaced with other taxes.

Most Americans Think Public Schools Fail

A poll by Rasmussen Reports shows that 64 percent of Americans strongly believe that most high school graduates lack the skills need for college or a job.

Just 21 percent think that the graduates have the skills while 16 percent aren’t sure.
Rasmussen notes that most Americans also believe  that students who are home-schooled learn more than those in the public schools.  
So why do we spend more per child on education than everyone else but have schools that are objectively a failure? If you score a 21 on your test your are going to get an “F” after all. At least traditionally. Who knows now? One suspects the catered-lunch-loving, SUV driving administrators and educrat establishment will figure out a way to get you a diploma just to keep the milk flowing to them.
Why do we keep voting for politicians — especially in Pennsylvania — who ignore the wishes of their constituents but not those of educrat lobbyists by bending over backward to protect the bad teachers while refusing to reward the good ones?
Don’t ever underestimate the degree of legal corruption in this nation. One has come to suspect that most people who enter “public service” are doing it solely to increase their own wealth and power at the expense of those who want to live in peace and brotherhood with their neighbors.
Why do Pennsylvania legislators get a base salary of $80,000  plus per diems, health insurance  and a real sweet retirement plan?