Category: School Choice

Stories about school choice, vouchers and Pennsylvania Improvement Educational Tax Credit or IETC

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has launched paschoolperformance.org giving residents greater access to the balance sheets of Pennsylvania’s schools, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

He says the website shows school spending by district, including total revenue, total expenditures, per-pupil expenditures and average staff salaries, albeit we could not find the average staff salaries and we had to figure out the per-pupil expenditures ourselves.

The website also tracks charter and cyber charter schools, and comprehensive career and technology centers, Cox says.

And it includes academic performance.

We decided to have some fun with it comparing Philadelphia Academy Charter School with the Springfield School District  in Delaware County.

Philadelphia Academy spends $9.475 million on instruction for 1,180 pupils which is $8,029 per pupil.

Springfield spends $34,054,290 for 3,907 pupils or $8,716 per pupil.

The extra $687 per pupil — which translates to $2,684,109 per year to the taxpayer — isn’t something to sneeze at but if it means more engineers and doctors and a cure for cancer who will object, right?

Some cynic here might chime in and and ask what if it doesn’t, well, we’ll get to that.

Philadelphia Academy’s total spending is $15,598,815 or $13,219 per pupil.

Springfield’s is $59,441,901 or $15,214 per pupil.

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield High SchoolThat’s $1,995 more per pupil which adds up to $7,794,465 per year to the taxpayer. While salaries to attract great teachers might be justifiable, one can see where the extra money for non-instructional use and support might make someone laid off or living on a fixed income feel a mite resentful.

But if a cure for cancer is coming, it is worth it, right?

Which gets us to the academics.

We should note here that 33 percent of Philadelphia Academy’s pupil population is “economically disadvantaged” with 20.76 percent in special education compared to 14.5 percent “economically disadvantaged” with 15.87 percent in special education for Springfield.

The school performance of Philadelphia Academy is higher than Springfield High School for mathematics/algebra (84.22 percent proficient or advanced on PSSA to 75.27) and science/biology (68.71 percent to 42.96) although SHS wins on reading/literature (87.36 percent to 77.28)

Regarding elementary education specifically, at least with regard to reading, Springfield wins with 89.7 percent of Scenic Hills pupils and 83.65 percent of Sabold’s pupils being  proficient or advanced on reading as per the PSSA while  Philadelphia Academy’s score was 80.6 percent.

We kind of think the great engineers and doctors and the cure for cancer are more likely to come out of Philadelphia Academy.

Really Springfield, a 42.96 percent proficiency in science/biology?

Hey, let’s build a $144 million Taj Mahal. That’ll fix it.

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield
As per paschoolperformance.org a Philly charter school beats Springfield public school district.

Yes, a Philly charter school beats a highly regarded suburban school district on several metrics.

And Philly charter school Philadelphia Academy Beats Springfield

School Choice Kickoff Is Jan. 22

Choice Media‘s Philadelphia Kickoff of National School Choice Week is 9 -11 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 22, from 9-11 a.m. at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, reports Commonwealth Foundation..

The event includes breakfast and a screening of The Ticket, a documentary that takes viewers on a historic whistlestop train tour across the country, featuring different forms of school choice and the children served.

Following the documentary, a distinguished panel of experts — including Commonwealth Foundation’s James Paul — will lead a conversation about school choice.

The other panelists are:

Bob Bowdon – director of The Ticket and Executive Director of Choice Media
David Hardy – spokesman for PhillySchoolChoice.com
Ina Lipman – executive director of Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia
Mike Wang – managing mirector of the Philadelphia School Partnership

Tickets are  $1 plus a $1.04 service charge and  can be acquired here.

School Choice Kickoff Is Jan. 22

School Choice Kickoff Is Jan. 22

 

Good New Year’s News

Matthew Brouillette of Commonwealth Foundation informs us that for the first time in seven years new charter school applications  — there are 40 of them — are under review in Philadelphia.

This gives a bit of hope to those poor kids stuck on waiting lists.

He notes that in October, legislation was passed in October allowing thousands of more kids to attend a school of their parents choice.

You think school choice is bad thing? Then just imagine if you had to use the supermarket/electrician/lawyer/doctor the government picked for you.

School choice is a good thing just as being able to choose your supermarket its.

Brouillette also tells us some not-so-good New Year’s news. Seven Pennsylvania government union PACs have shoveled $7.6  million to candidates in 2013-14. This is an increase of 53 percent in just two years.

Brouillette notes that this money comes from dues collected at taxpayer expense as per a corrupt law.

Good New Year's News

Good New Year’s News

Blaine Amendments Hurt Children

Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation and Breitbart News’ Jarrett Stepman have released a peer-reviewed article in with the Journal of School Choice outlining the impact of how obsolete laws inspired by vehement anti-Catholicism are impacting the school choice movement and leaving millions of children stuck in bad schools or with bad teachers.

The laws were passed in the late 19th century and are generally known as “Blaine Amendments” after Maine Congressman and Speaker of the House James G. Blaine who promoted them.

A type of Blaine Amendment is on the books in 38 states including Pennsylvania.

Hat tip Tom Coniglia

Blaine Amendments Hurt Children

Blaine Amendments Hurt Children

 

Water Valley Beating Shows School Choice Need

The brutal beating of 13-year-old Destiny Hughes, a seventh grader at Water Valley High School in Mississippi, was caught on camera by fellow students, who it should be noted also stopped the assault as the teachers must have been otherwise preoccupied.

“You know, the school has a policy against bullying and violence, but if they’re not going to enforce it, it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on,” said Destiny’s mother, Rhonda, who pointed out that her daughter had had numerous run ins with the girl prior to the assault captured on camera.

Mrs. Hughes is now suing the school and said she will be homeschooling her children.

Here is the video of the assault that originally ran on on WTVA in Tupelo.

If parents had the power to fire their schools — and teachers — this sort of thing would be far less frequent as those getting the money would have a strong incentive to nip it in the bud.

It should further be noted that school choice is not the end of public education as by definition voucher dollars would be tax dollars. Vouchers would expand education and increase its quality actually.

Further, if one opposes school choice ask yourself this: If parents cannot be trusted to choose their children’s teachers why can they be trusted to vote?

If one is honest one will conclude that since they can be trusted to vote (and choose their children’s doctors and food products and clothing), then then can be trusted to choose their children’s teachers and schools

Water Valley Beating Shows School Choice Need

Water Valley Beating Shows School Choice Need

 

Hat tip IJReview

Act 194 Makes Trade Schools EITC Eligible

Pennsylvania House Bill 91, was signed into law as Act 194 of 2014 on Oct. 31 by Gov. Tom Corbett.

The new law gives public career and technical schools eligibility to participate in two nationally acclaimed tax credit programs, the state Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)

The EITC and OSTC programs allow eligible businesses that contribute to scholarship organizations affiliated with public or private schools to receive a tax credit equal to 75 percent of its contribution, up to a maximum of $750,000 per taxable year. The OSTC program targets students residing within the boundaries of low-achieving schools.

“Many of Pennsylvania’s 82 career and technical schools have limited options to receive scholarship donations,” said Cox. “This new law makes them eligible to take part in these popular tax credit programs that will improve the educational experience for students on a technical career path.”

Act 194 Makes Trade Schools EITC Eligible

Act 194 Makes Trade Schools EITC Eligible

HB 91 Expands School Choice In Pa

HB 91, which expands Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, has overwhelmingly passed the General Assembly and awaits Gov. Corbett’s signature, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

The bill also allows the credits for the programs to be shared based on need.

The EITC and OSTC provide businesses a tax credit of up to 90 percent for up to $750,000 if they contribute to a scholarship organization, an educational improvement organization, and/or a pre-kindergarten scholarship organization.

The tax credit does not apply to property taxes.

The money is used to fund innovations in public schools and provide tuition assistance in the form of scholarships to eligible students residing within the boundaries of a low-achieving school to attend another public school outside of their district or nonpublic school.

The initial passage of the bill in the House on June 24, 2013 was 198-0.  The passage in the Senate on Oct. 15, 2014 was 48-0. The concurrence in the House on Oct. 20 was 193-4 with the dissenters being Mike Carroll of the 118th District, Pamela DeLissio of the 194th District, Phyllis Mundy of the 120th District and Eddie Day Pashinski  of the 121st District.

HB 91 Expands School Choice In Pa

 

HB 91 Expands School Choice In Pa

Teachers Skip School More

A report by SFGate, has revealed that teachers in the San Francisco Unified School District skip are absent about 11 times a school year which is about five days more than a typical student.

SFGate says that the San Francisco teacher absentee rate is “even a smidge below average” compared to other large urban districts

It said that in non-teaching jobs — which should be noted go for 12 months and not just nine — the absentee rate is about four days per year.

If there is no penalty for failing to do one’s job well those having said jobs are far less less likely to do their jobs well.

Parents need the power to fire teachers and even entire schools. Vouchers will give them the power. The biggest opponents of vouchers are bad teachers and those they pay to represent them to legislators.

Hat tip Reason.com

 

Teachers Skip School More

Teachers Skip School More

Dayna Perry Kudos

Dayna Perry Kudos

Kudos to Dayna Perry for winning a KIPP Foundation award for excellence in teaching, Aug.1.

Dayna is a teacher at KIPP Philadelphia Elementary Academy, a charter school in North Philadelphia. The award was bestowed on 10 teachers nationwide based on track records in improving student performance, commitment to helping students succeed and leadership in the classroom and their schools. It comes with $10,000.

KIPP stands for the Knowledge Is Power Program and is a national nonprofit network of 162 charter schools that are focused on preparing students for college.

Charter schools — including cyber ones — along with homeschooling and vouchers are the future, and salvation, of education in this nation.

The  red-tape filled, union-ruled public schools are dinosaurs that deserve the tar pit.

Dayna Perry Kudos

Tenure Found Racist

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu on June 10 banned teacher tenure in California  on the grounds that it violated the Brown v Board of Education decision that education “is a right which must be available to all on equal terms.”

The case was Vergara v California.

School officials in Los Angeles were shipping incompetent teachers with tenure to minority schools depriving them of their equal rights, Judge Treu found.

So tenure is racist. It works for us. It certainly is bad policy to be prohibited from removing poor performers from jobs that impact children.

What works even better for us is to give parents the power to fire their child’s teacher just like they would his pediatrician. Just like they would an electrician or plumber with whom they were dissatisfied.

School vouchers allow this and this is why the lazy and incompetent fight them so hard as it would end their ability to milk the system.

Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis has an excellent article on Vergara v California

Tenure Found Racist

 

Tenure Found Racist