Communities share success stories
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 "The students of Upper Darby School District have been benefited tremendously with new curriculum materials this year. My child is so excited about the new vocabulary words and neat experiments he's participated in. He shares his science vocabulary with us at the dinner table." This testimony by Nicole Harris, a parent of an Upper Darby elementary school student, is just one example that Pennsylvania's new school funding formula is making an impact. Need more proof? Check out the stories in Community Account. A coalition of community organizing groups in Southeastern Pennsylvania collected hundreds of anecdotes to document the successes, celebrations and educational gains made by students, parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders as a direct result of Pennsylvania's school funding formula. Be sure to access the brochure to read the stories of how one of Pennsylvania's most historic reforms in recent years has made a difference in so many lives and in so many communities. |
Senate budget threatens students, schools, communities
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Just as students, schools and communities throughout the commonwealth have begun to experience real successes from the first year of Pennsylvania's school funding formula, members of the Senate have introduced an alternative budget that threatens to derail all progress made thus far. Senate Bill 850 proposes to roll back funding to at least 2006-07 levels, and would then use $728 million in federal stimulus funds to bring appropriations back to 2008-09 levels. The proposal was met with alarm yesterday in school districts throughout the commonwealth that were counting on Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed education budget, which pledged to use federal stimulus funds to help them meet their increased public education costs. The budget cuts proposed by the Senate, however, will put many school districts in the precarious situation of being forced to eliminate essential programs and services and raise property taxes. Read more about Senate Bill 850, and then take action. Contact your state senator today and express your support for the preservation and continuation of a quality education to meet the needs of Pennsylvania's students, schools and communities. |
Update on special education advocacy efforts
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When Pennsylvania enacted basic education finance reform one year ago, the General Assembly and Gov. Ed Rendell chose to exclude special education financing. However, last week, state Reps. Michael Sturla (D-Lancaster), Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D-Chester) and James Roebuck (D-Philadelphia), along with more than 45 co-sponsors, made right on the costing-out study's recommendations to provide a high quality public education to all students. At a press conference in the Capitol last week, they formally introduced House Bill 704, legislation that would put in place an equitable formula to distribute special education funding and an accountability system to ensure effective investment of resources. ... MORETake action: A public hearing on HB704 will take place on Wednesday, May 6 at 9:00 am in room G50 of the Irvis Office Building in the capitol complex in Harrisburg. Several advocates, experts and organizations, including Good Schools Pennsylvania, will testify. Make plans to attend! Also, review the list of co-sponsors. If you don't see your representative on the list, be sure to contact him/her and reinforce the stance that meaningful education finance reform is incomplete unless reforms to special education finance are also enacted. Finally, visit the Reform Special Education coalition's website to get the latest updates. |
Education finance examined through a different lens
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 We know that public education is vital to the success of students. But how the state's mechanism of education finance either supports or undermines older communities was the focus of a hearing convened recently by Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-York), chair of the Urban Affairs Committee's subcommittee on third class cities. "How the state funds public education is not only critical to the success of students, but it is also critical to the success of smaller cities that are often dealing with declining tax bases and are struggling financially," said Rep. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne). "If we improve our schools in our third class cities, they will be in a better position to attract new residents, which in turn would help to strengthen them economically." Compelling testimony was delivered by Superintendent Joe Lewis of the Bethlehem Area School District, and representatives of Good Schools Pennsylvania, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and Renew Lehigh Valley. ... MORE
Public radio station WHYY also dedicated an hour segment to exploring how policies like education finance are vital to revitalizing communities. The program explored the Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project, whose members are working to revitalize their older, developed developed suburban communities that surround Philadelphia and are faced with struggling schools, declining infrastructure and unbalanced housing policies. John McKelligott, Good Schools Pennsylvania's newest board member and member of the steering committee of the First Suburbs Project, was a participant on the show. Listen to the interview.
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Save the date: Pennsylvania public education action summit
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Pennsylvania made
historic progress in 2008 when the General Assembly approved a new
school funding formula that begins to address the inequities
experienced by students and communities. Both the promise of full
phase-in of state funding over the next several years - combined with
unprecedented levels of federal support through the stimulus package -
provide us with the opportunity and responsibility to ensure that
resources are used in ways that most benefit students. Good Schools
Pennsylvania and the Education Law Center will hold a summit on June 2
in Harrisburg for community leaders who want to partner with us in
local school improvement efforts. Space is limited. Please RSVP with
your interest to info@goodschoolspa.org. |
Three new additions join Good Schools Pennsylvania
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Good Schools Pennsylvania is pleased to announce three
additions to our organization - one to our board of directors and two to our
staff. A long-time resident of
Lansdowne, Delaware County, John McKelligott has agreed to serve on our board of directors. In addition to a distinguished career as a
civil litigation lawyer, Mr. McKelligott, for 12 years, was elected a member of
the Board of School Directors of the William Penn School District, serving for
six and a half years as president of the board.
Under his tenure, the school district implemented a comprehensive,
district-wide curriculum and did improve test scores, achieving AYP in one of
the years following the initiation of the new curriculum. Mr. McKelligott was the
Republican candidate for state Senate in the 8th District in 2002; although not
successful in that election, he has remained actively involved in
schools and other issues through
involvement with the First Suburbs Project of Southeastern Pennsylvania, where
he serves as a member of the project's Steering Committee. In 2007, Mr. McKelligott was invited to
participate in the Oxford University Public Policy Roundtable on Public Education
and presented a paper entitled "Breaking the Logjam: Changing the Culture in a Low Performing
School District." We are also pleased to welcome Mary Jo Needham as our western Pennsylvania regional organizer. Mary Jo has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1986 and worked for more than 20 years as an accountant. Most recently, she was responsible for grassroots strategies for Propel Charter Schools and comes to Good Schools Pennsylvania to help us implement strategies to ensure that all students in all communities have access to a quality education. Mary Jo's contact information can be found on our website. Jean Brown also joins our staff as a part-time community organizer in the Lehigh Valley. Jean is the second vice president of the Easton Area NAACP and was featured recently in our E-Update as one of the pioneers working to uncover success stories through school districts' use of their PA-PACT accountability plans. Contact Jean. |
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Our website is updated frequently with news, opportunities and links to keep you informed about our work to change public education funding in Pennsylvania. Be sure to add the Good Schools Pennsylvania homepage to your favorites and check back often.
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Good Schools Pennsylvania |
Good Schools Pennsylvania is a statewide network of citizens who are informed and mobilized in support of public education. We believe we can improve our schools when we join together in calling for adequate funds that are equitably distributed, proven educational practices to meet a standard of excellence, and effective accountability measures. Visit our website. |
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