Legislation
CALL TO ACTION – Act now to push for necessary change to the Charter Appeals Board (CAB)!
Act now to push for necessary change to the Charter Appeals Board (CAB)! As BASD Proud Parents recently posted, of the Pennsylvania Charter Appeals Board’s 5 active members… ALL are serving long past the end-date of their initial term, and NONE are directly affiliated with or bringing the perspective of traditional public schools to CAB…
Read MoreICYMI – Stop the Charter School Expansion Bills!
From Our good friends at Education Voters of PA! Last week Republican members of the House Education Committee advanced two charter school expansion bills that deliver the charter school industry’s wish list. We anticipate that the House will vote on these bills in early June. Click HERE to send a letter to your state representative telling…
Read More$100 million more for PA’s “secret school tax”
From our friends at Education Voters of PA: The PA House Education Committee passed what appears to be a top education priority for many lawmakers this year: a massive increase in taxpayer-funded school vouchers that benefit wealthy families. These lawmakers are not prioritizing an additional $100 million to help schools meet extensive safety needs. They are…
Read MoreA Call to Action from Pennsylvania’s Urban School Superintendents
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, one thing is clear: For Pennsylvania to prosper, its largest cities must thrive.” Read this great Op-Ed from lehighvalleylive.com co-authored by 12 school superintendents, including Dr. Joseph Roy of Bethlehem and Thomas Parker of Allentown. You can read it here: A Call to Action from Pennsylvania’s Urban School Superintendents…
Read MoreCyber Charter Funding Reform Needed Now
Recently, our friends at Education Voters of PA issued a report that examines Pennsylvania’s flawed cyber school funding system and provides recommendations for a new system that will more closely match the funding sent to cyber charter schools with the actual cost of providing students with an online education. This proposal would help control property tax…
Read MoreHow Much Would Your School District Receive in Gov. Wolf’s Proposal?
Recently, Governor Wolf gave his budget address and proposed the following increases in K-12 funding in the 2019-2020 state budget: $10 million for career and technical education funding $50 million for special education funding $168 million for Basic Education Funding that will be distributed to school districts through the formula* $45 million in grant funding…
Read MoreKnow Your House and Senate Education Committee Members
House Education Chair: Representative Curt Sonney Democratic Chair: Representative James Roebuck Majority members: Minority members: ◾ Brown, Rosemary M. ◾ Gainey, Ed ◾ Gaydos, Valerie S. ◾ Hill-Evans, Carol ◾ Gillen, Mark M. ◾ Isaacson, MaryLouise ◾ Gleim, Barbara ◾ Kim, Patty ◾ Hickernell, David S. ◾ Madden, Maureen E. ◾ Jones, Mike ◾ McCarter, Stephen ◾ Kail, Joshua D. ◾ Miller, Dan L. ◾ Knowles, Jerry ◾ Mullery, Gerald J. ◾ Ortitay, Jason ◾ Solomon, Jared G. ◾ Puskaric, Michael…
Read MoreGetting Involved – Advocating for Fair Funding 101
Pennsylvania currently ranks 46th in the country in state contributions to local school funding. The US average is around 47% while Bethlehem’s current state share of basic education is around 20% resulting in the BASD being underfunded by around $45 million dollars! The State’s failure to fully fund our local schools pushes this burden of…
Read MoreESA Voucher Bill Set for Vote Tuesday, May 22
Tell your Senator to vote NO on ESA vouchers…Again! Yes, they are trying one more time. The Senate Education Committee has just announced its intention to vote on Senate Bill 2 (Sen. DiSanto, R-Dauphin) this coming Tuesday, May 22. This bill establishes Education Savings Accounts (ESA) vouchers, a program that takes tax money out of your neighborhood public schools…
Read MoreEquity First – Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton School Districts are underfunded by $108.2 MILLION under the Basic Education and Special Education Funding Laws. According to the formulas, Bethlehem Area SD is underfunded by nearly $23 Million in this year’s budget. The whole Lehigh Valley is underfunded by $127.4 MILLION. If half of these funds were invested in the…
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