SDP Collapsing Faster than Expected

[raider.adam]

Failed attempt at Pennsylvania charter school reform leaves collateral damage



WAY TO GO THERE, HOUSE REPUBLICANS. WAY TO GO.

To be fair, based on the article, it doesn't seem there was a proposal to fix the funding. The proposal was to merely setup a commission to look into it. I would say the next step would be to advocate with Corbett to just setup his own commission.

Of course that still wouldn't mean an actual fix would happen. Both scenarios simply mean a group of people will make a report.

[seand]

So what were the proposed reforms that didn't pass? And why if the School District has to ballance it books including to pay charters (or not ballance them as is the case currently) annually, why is it such a hardship to lock down charters to planned annual admission targets. You can still expand each year, you just wait till next to year to expand to meet demand in a fiscally predictable way. Does not seem particularly ideological.

[raider.adam]

So what were the proposed reforms that didn't pass? And why if the School District has to ballance it books including to pay charters (or not ballance them as is the case currently) annually, why is it such a hardship to lock down charters to planned annual admission targets. You can still expand each year, you just wait till next to year to expand to meet demand in a fiscally predictable way. Does not seem particularly ideological.

Again, it would be nice if news papers included bill numbers when reporting on legislation.

[seand]

Again, it would be nice if news papers included bill numbers when reporting on legislation.

I don't know. Including those what 4 or 5 extra characters in a 200 or 200 word article would totally change the tone of the article.

I agree, its ridiculous.

[raider.adam]

I don't know. Including those what 4 or 5 extra characters in a 200 or 200 word article would totally change the tone of the article.

I agree, its ridiculous.

It is something I have mentioned to reporters and editors multiple times over the years to no avail.

[annie]

It was Senate Bill 1115.

[seand]

It sounds like you know something about it. It would have administration of charters move to a state level but still hold local school boards financially responsible for what this governor appointed bureaucrat decides? In order for the buck to stop with XYZ, paying for the policy has to stop at XYZ as well. Thats just common sense.

[annie]

It sounds like you know something about it. It would have administration of charters move to a state level but still hold local school boards financially responsible for what this governor appointed bureaucrat decides? In order for the buck to stop with XYZ, paying for the policy has to stop at XYZ as well. Thats just common sense.

Yes, it would make it like what we have for cyber charters now. The cyber charters are expanding exponentially, faster than the brick and mortar charters, and it's really difficult for the school district to deal with it financially. (Part of the reasons cyber charters are investing and marketing in PA so heavily is that the funding is identical or pretty close to what building charters get paid even though cyber charters have very little facilities and enormous teacher/student ratios, making our state one of the most lucrative opportunities for them) The SDP is actually trying to make its own cyber charter as that's the only way they can get some control over any of it. This is what I got from the Keystone State Coalition for Education about the bill:

• The amended bill still contains a de facto statewide authorization provision via a new multiple charter organization clause that would be a clear end-run around local school boards (you remember, those locally elected volunteer officials who are responsible for taxing their neighbors and paying the charter schools bills). The state, and not the local school district would have the authority to receive, review and act on multiple charter school organization consolidation and transfer applications. This allows charter schools to circumvent local school districts as a charter school authorizer and consolidate their charter with the Department of Education.
• SB1115 still contains a direct pay provision that would deny local districts the ability to verify bills before they are paid (with taxpayer dollars).
• The SB1115 funding commission is overwhelmingly weighted towards charters; only 3 of 17 members represent traditional public schools where 4 out of 5 students are enrolled. The rest are charter proponents and political appointees.
• SB1115 ignores the pension double dip— charter schools are being paid twice, with taxpayer dollars, for their retirement costs. It takes only 15 words to address this issue, and at a savings of over $500 million dollars in five years; a charter reform bill MUST tackle this issue.

I think the part that was trying to exempt charters from Right-To-Know requests (a.k.a. Vahan Gureghian didn't want to give any docs up to a local paper) was killed earlier.

[seand]

If the state wants to adminster special types of schools statewide, it should fund those special statewide schools 100% or at the very least set an annual budget for what those schools will cost local school boards and eat the difference if their special project goes over budget.

It boggles my mind that this would be considered a fiscally "conservative" way to run any government funded enterprise.

[annie]

If the state wants to adminster special types of schools statewide, it should fund those special statewide schools 100% or at the very least set an annual budget for what those schools will cost local school boards and eat the difference if their special project goes over budget.

Well Roebuck proposed something like that and you know what happened next.

[seand]

With the exception of maybe the local school district not sharing transportation costs with brick-and-mortar charter schools in their physical district, I'd agree with everything in Roebuck's bill. Its all for kids in the same area - a revenue sharing scheme seems more appropriate.

[annie]

How State Republicans Blocked an Investigation into Gov. Corbett

Holy ****, the reason the last voting day was Wednesday and the charter "reform" didn't have two more days to go through was because they the last two voting days to avoid voting on a resolution calling for an investigation of Corbett's handling of the Sandusky investigation. Jesus Christ what is wrong with this state?

[raider.adam]

How State Republicans Blocked an Investigation into Gov. Corbett

Holy ****, the reason the last voting day was Wednesday and the charter "reform" didn't have two more days to go through was because they the last two voting days to avoid voting on a resolution calling for an investigation of Corbett's handling of the Sandusky investigation. Jesus Christ what is wrong with this state?

It will be interesting to see if Democrats challenging Republicans for House races this November will use this as a reason to change control of the House.

[govtstatistic]

Can we fund it more ?
without any restrictions on what needs to be taught
this always seems to help
(said in sarcasm)

[annie]

New cheating concerns at Philly school met with 'baffling' response | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Infuriating. The head of the district's testing security program reported testing violations in 2012 and was completely blown off.

[seand]

New cheating concerns at Philly school met with 'baffling' response | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Infuriating. The head of the district's testing security program reported testing violations in 2012 and was completely blown off.

Thats the logical response to whistle blowers, remove the whistle blowers and put the cheaters back in charge. Brilliant.

[OldMama]

It's especially suspicious since he was at Penny Nixon 's old school. I wonder if any of the other monitors were blown off that way.

[JakeL]

It's especially suspicious since he was at Penny Nixon 's old school. I wonder if any of the other monitors were blown off that way.

I noticed that in the comments too. I'm new to the school scene, who is Penny Nixon and why is there such a love / hate relationship with her?

[annie]

I noticed that in the comments too. I'm new to the school scene, who is Penny Nixon and why is there such a love / hate relationship with her?

She's Chief Academic Officer with the district. In the vacuum left after Ackerman and the appointment of Knudsen as temporary Chief Recovery Officer (it's never been clear what he does really), it was a more powerful position than the chart implies. I have heard good things about her from people in 440 whose opinion I trust but that she rose up through the ranks after being principal at Wagner during years now under investigation for cheating is a real concern. She's taking an oddly-timed leave of absence that starts November 1st to complete her Phd at Penn.

[billy ross]

This is very strange. Am I truly to believe that they just shot the messenger? It just seems too hard to believe.