From the BCCT
New acting principal at Morrisville’s elementary schools
Posted in News on Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
The Morrisville School Board voted 7-0 Wednesday to hire Laurie Ruffing as Acting Principal for both Grandview and M. R. Reiter Elementary Schools.About 440 students attend the two schools.
Ruffing replaces Karen Huggins, who retired from the district on June 30 but helped with administrative duties part-time this summer.
Ruffing’s position will become effective Oct. 27 at a salary of $65,000.
She has been a first-grade teacher in the district for the past four years, said Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson. A long-term substitute will take over Ruffing’s teaching position.
The board went into executive session from 8:35 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. during Wednesday’s meeting to discuss legal and personnel issues.
When it returned, William Hellmann, board president, announced a special meeting in the LGI Room of the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School on Wednesday, Oct. 29 to vote on a new business administrator to replace recently retired Reba Dunford.
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Perils of Dropping Out
From the Philadelphia Business Journal
Pa. study points up perils of dropping out
Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 2:49 PM EDT
The future for high school dropouts in Pennsylvania is not a bright one, according to a report released on Thursday which shows that twice as many are unemployed and living in poverty than their peers with diplomas.
A dropout in Pennsylvania can expect to earn roughly $19,000 per year, compared to the $45,000 earned by a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree, according to the report, “Dropping Back In: Re-engaging Out-of-School-Youth,” which was released by the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a statewide children’s advocacy group. Dropouts are also twice as likely to live in poverty as youth who have earned a high school diploma and three times as likely as youth who have attended some college or earned an associate’s degree, the child’s advocacy group reported.
“In today’s high-tech world, securing a high school diploma is a must but far too many Pennsylvania children fail to graduate,” said Joan L. Benso, president and CEO of PA Partnerships for Children. “It is imperative that we provide the necessary supports to not only keep kids in school and prevent them from dropping out in the first place, but to find a way to re-engage them in their education once they have dropped out.”
Last year, Pennsylvania had a 20 percent graduation gap, meaning that 20 percent of the ninth graders in the 2003-04 school year failed to graduate from the same school district four years later.
The report recommended several options to the state in addressing and preventing dropouts, including support to advance the literacy skills of struggling students, accelerated learning and credit recovery for students who are over-age and severely under-credited, and evening classes and online courses to address the particular needs of out-of-school youth.
A high school diploma is a must in today’s ever-changing high-tech world, but it shouldn’t be the finish line because young people will need to extend their education beyond high school to access high-skill, high-wage occupations, the study concluded.
Pa. study points up perils of dropping out
Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 2:49 PM EDT
The future for high school dropouts in Pennsylvania is not a bright one, according to a report released on Thursday which shows that twice as many are unemployed and living in poverty than their peers with diplomas.
A dropout in Pennsylvania can expect to earn roughly $19,000 per year, compared to the $45,000 earned by a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree, according to the report, “Dropping Back In: Re-engaging Out-of-School-Youth,” which was released by the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a statewide children’s advocacy group. Dropouts are also twice as likely to live in poverty as youth who have earned a high school diploma and three times as likely as youth who have attended some college or earned an associate’s degree, the child’s advocacy group reported.
“In today’s high-tech world, securing a high school diploma is a must but far too many Pennsylvania children fail to graduate,” said Joan L. Benso, president and CEO of PA Partnerships for Children. “It is imperative that we provide the necessary supports to not only keep kids in school and prevent them from dropping out in the first place, but to find a way to re-engage them in their education once they have dropped out.”
Last year, Pennsylvania had a 20 percent graduation gap, meaning that 20 percent of the ninth graders in the 2003-04 school year failed to graduate from the same school district four years later.
The report recommended several options to the state in addressing and preventing dropouts, including support to advance the literacy skills of struggling students, accelerated learning and credit recovery for students who are over-age and severely under-credited, and evening classes and online courses to address the particular needs of out-of-school youth.
A high school diploma is a must in today’s ever-changing high-tech world, but it shouldn’t be the finish line because young people will need to extend their education beyond high school to access high-skill, high-wage occupations, the study concluded.
Halloween Happenings at Y
From the BCCT.
The Morrisville YMCA is hosting its Halloween Happenings from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 200 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Kids can get decked out in the Halloween best and trick-or-treat through the YMCA’s hallways. YMCA officials say it’s a safe alternative to trick-or-treating through neighborhoods. There’s no cost for the event, but a canned or dried food donation is necessary to get in. For more info, call the YMCA at 215-736-8077.
The Morrisville YMCA is hosting its Halloween Happenings from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 200 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Kids can get decked out in the Halloween best and trick-or-treat through the YMCA’s hallways. YMCA officials say it’s a safe alternative to trick-or-treating through neighborhoods. There’s no cost for the event, but a canned or dried food donation is necessary to get in. For more info, call the YMCA at 215-736-8077.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Education Policy: McCain and Obama
From CQ Politics, a comparison of the Obama and McCain education initiatives.
Welcome to CQ Politics' guide to the policy positions, voting behavior and public statements of Barack Obama and John McCain. Notes, Votes and Quotes provides a serious and non-partisan examination of Obama and McCain's stands on the key issues of the day; what they propose to do as president; how they have voted in the Senate, according to CQ's unparalleled coverage of congressional voting behavior; and what they have said about these issues. We'll continue to add new issues until the election, so check back regularly.
Education
NOTES: Obama's education proposals include increasing funding for Head Start; amending the Bush administration education law known as "No Child Left Behind"; doubling funding for federal charter schools; recruiting new teachers, particularly in math and the sciences; and offering a $4,000 college tuition credit for any recipient who agrees to complete 100 hours of community service.
NOTES: McCain supports increased school choice proposals, including a voucher system. He would pay bonuses to teachers who agree to work in the most troubled schools. He supports alternative routes to teacher certification. McCain says his proposals would give more control to parents, teachers and principals.
VOTES: Obama in 2007 was one of 79 senators who voted for a bill to cut government subsidies to student loan firms by about $20 billion and redirect most of the money to aid for students and college graduates. The bill also increased the maximum Pell grant award by $1,090 over five years. McCain missed the vote. (Senate Roll Call Vote 326, Sept. 7, 2007)
VOTES: McCain in 2001 voted for No Child Left Behind, as did 86 other senators. Obama was not a U.S. senator at the time. (Senate Roll Call Vote 371, Dec. 18, 2001)
McCain in 1998 was one of 59 senators who voted for to allow individuals to contribute up to $2,000 a year of after-tax funds in tax-sheltered savings accounts to use to pay educational expenses. (Senate Roll Call Vote 169, June 24, 1998)
QUOTES: "This probably has more to do with our economic future than anything and that means it also has a national security implication, because there's never been a nation on earth that saw its economy decline and continued to maintain its primacy as a military power. So we've got to get our education system right. Now, typically, what's happened is that there's been a debate between more money or reform, and I think we need both." (Barack Obama at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"So what I want to do is focus on early childhood education, providing teachers higher salaries in exchange for more support. ... Charter schools, I doubled the number of charter schools in Illinois despite some reservations from teachers unions. I think it's important to foster competition inside the public schools." (Barack Obama at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"Where we disagree is on the idea tha we can somehow give out vouchers -- give vouchers as a way of securing the problems in our education system." (Barack Obama at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"The main components of my education agenda at the federal level are to, number one, adequately fund federal mandates like No Child Left Behind or special education, to free up resources at local school levels so that they can do more with the money that they have. Number two, to provide billions of dollars in funding for early childhood education programs, so that kids are getting prepared when they start school. Number three, providing additional money to hire, retain and train excellent teachers, which is probably the single biggest determinant as to whether children do well in school." (Barack Obama remarks at campaign event in Zanesville, Ohio, July 1, 2008)
QUOTES: "Now as far as the No Child Left Behind is concerned, it was a great first beginning in my view. It had its flaws, it had its problems, the first time we had looked at the issue of education in America from a nationwide perspective. And we need to fix a lot of the problems. We need to sit down and reauthorize it." (John McCain at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained, but what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice. Let's remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work." (John McCain acceptance speech at Republican National Convention, Sept. 4, 2008)
"When a public school fails, repeatedly, to meet these minimal objectives, parents ask only for a choice in the education of their children. Some parents may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private school. Many will choose a charter school. No entrenched bureaucracy or union should deny parents that choice and children that opportunity." (John McCain remarks to National Urban League National Conference, Aug. 1, 2008)
"We need training -- job training and education programs for those that have lost their jobs and those that are in danger of losing their jobs, training and education programs that work. And there are training and education programs that work, utilizing our community colleges to help those people get back into the economy." (John McCain remarks at campaign event in Miami, Fla., June 6, 2008)
Welcome to CQ Politics' guide to the policy positions, voting behavior and public statements of Barack Obama and John McCain. Notes, Votes and Quotes provides a serious and non-partisan examination of Obama and McCain's stands on the key issues of the day; what they propose to do as president; how they have voted in the Senate, according to CQ's unparalleled coverage of congressional voting behavior; and what they have said about these issues. We'll continue to add new issues until the election, so check back regularly.
Education
NOTES: Obama's education proposals include increasing funding for Head Start; amending the Bush administration education law known as "No Child Left Behind"; doubling funding for federal charter schools; recruiting new teachers, particularly in math and the sciences; and offering a $4,000 college tuition credit for any recipient who agrees to complete 100 hours of community service.
NOTES: McCain supports increased school choice proposals, including a voucher system. He would pay bonuses to teachers who agree to work in the most troubled schools. He supports alternative routes to teacher certification. McCain says his proposals would give more control to parents, teachers and principals.
VOTES: Obama in 2007 was one of 79 senators who voted for a bill to cut government subsidies to student loan firms by about $20 billion and redirect most of the money to aid for students and college graduates. The bill also increased the maximum Pell grant award by $1,090 over five years. McCain missed the vote. (Senate Roll Call Vote 326, Sept. 7, 2007)
VOTES: McCain in 2001 voted for No Child Left Behind, as did 86 other senators. Obama was not a U.S. senator at the time. (Senate Roll Call Vote 371, Dec. 18, 2001)
McCain in 1998 was one of 59 senators who voted for to allow individuals to contribute up to $2,000 a year of after-tax funds in tax-sheltered savings accounts to use to pay educational expenses. (Senate Roll Call Vote 169, June 24, 1998)
QUOTES: "This probably has more to do with our economic future than anything and that means it also has a national security implication, because there's never been a nation on earth that saw its economy decline and continued to maintain its primacy as a military power. So we've got to get our education system right. Now, typically, what's happened is that there's been a debate between more money or reform, and I think we need both." (Barack Obama at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"So what I want to do is focus on early childhood education, providing teachers higher salaries in exchange for more support. ... Charter schools, I doubled the number of charter schools in Illinois despite some reservations from teachers unions. I think it's important to foster competition inside the public schools." (Barack Obama at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"Where we disagree is on the idea tha we can somehow give out vouchers -- give vouchers as a way of securing the problems in our education system." (Barack Obama at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"The main components of my education agenda at the federal level are to, number one, adequately fund federal mandates like No Child Left Behind or special education, to free up resources at local school levels so that they can do more with the money that they have. Number two, to provide billions of dollars in funding for early childhood education programs, so that kids are getting prepared when they start school. Number three, providing additional money to hire, retain and train excellent teachers, which is probably the single biggest determinant as to whether children do well in school." (Barack Obama remarks at campaign event in Zanesville, Ohio, July 1, 2008)
QUOTES: "Now as far as the No Child Left Behind is concerned, it was a great first beginning in my view. It had its flaws, it had its problems, the first time we had looked at the issue of education in America from a nationwide perspective. And we need to fix a lot of the problems. We need to sit down and reauthorize it." (John McCain at 3rd presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2008)
"Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained, but what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice. Let's remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work." (John McCain acceptance speech at Republican National Convention, Sept. 4, 2008)
"When a public school fails, repeatedly, to meet these minimal objectives, parents ask only for a choice in the education of their children. Some parents may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private school. Many will choose a charter school. No entrenched bureaucracy or union should deny parents that choice and children that opportunity." (John McCain remarks to National Urban League National Conference, Aug. 1, 2008)
"We need training -- job training and education programs for those that have lost their jobs and those that are in danger of losing their jobs, training and education programs that work. And there are training and education programs that work, utilizing our community colleges to help those people get back into the economy." (John McCain remarks at campaign event in Miami, Fla., June 6, 2008)
State Budget Cutting
From the Inquirer. Can cuts in K-12 funding be far behind?
Pa. universities facing budget cuts
By Susan Snyder Inquirer Staff Writer Posted on Thu, Oct. 23, 2008
The 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, including West Chester and Cheyney, will be faced with some unexpected budget slashing in the coming months, courtesy of the cash-strapped state.
The state system's board today is expected to approve a request from Gov. Rendell to give back 4.25 percent, or about $22 million, of its state appropriation for 2008-09, which was $498.5 million.
Looking to next year, the board is also expected to put the state on notice that it will need a 5.7 percent hike in funding over the current year. The funding request is part of a proposed 2009-10 budget that the state system is required to submit to the state by Oct. 31. Under that proposed budget, the state system would increase tuition by 4 percent.
State system spokesman Kenn Marshall said the numbers were preliminary, and the state board won't vote on a tuition hike until July, after the state budget is approved.
The state system's committee approved the numbers even though economic troubles are looming.
"The feeling of the board is we needed to ask for what we needed. It's important that the legislature and governor's office knows this is what we really need to operate," Marshall said.
Earlier this month Rendell ordered a number of austerity measures to keep Pennsylvania's budget balanced, including directing cabinet secretaries to trim their spending by 4.25 percent.
State-related institutions, including Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Lincoln University and Temple University, were also asked to plan for 4.25 percent cuts in their state funding this year.
Temple announced it would institute a hiring freeze and restrict travel in response. Penn State will not fill positions, will hold off on equipment purchases, and will ask all departments to look for other efficiencies.
The state system universities will need to forego hires, defer maintenance, or make other cuts, Marshall said.
"It will be up to each university to decide how they do it," he said.
West Chester, one of the largest universities in the system, will lose about $2.4 million, and Cheyney, already struggling financially, will see a drop of $680,000. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the largest in the state system, will see the biggest fall - $2.7 million.
While Rendell asked the schools only to plan for a possible cut at this point, officials expect it will occur "unless things really turn around very quickly," Marshall said.
Pa. universities facing budget cuts
By Susan Snyder Inquirer Staff Writer Posted on Thu, Oct. 23, 2008
The 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, including West Chester and Cheyney, will be faced with some unexpected budget slashing in the coming months, courtesy of the cash-strapped state.
The state system's board today is expected to approve a request from Gov. Rendell to give back 4.25 percent, or about $22 million, of its state appropriation for 2008-09, which was $498.5 million.
Looking to next year, the board is also expected to put the state on notice that it will need a 5.7 percent hike in funding over the current year. The funding request is part of a proposed 2009-10 budget that the state system is required to submit to the state by Oct. 31. Under that proposed budget, the state system would increase tuition by 4 percent.
State system spokesman Kenn Marshall said the numbers were preliminary, and the state board won't vote on a tuition hike until July, after the state budget is approved.
The state system's committee approved the numbers even though economic troubles are looming.
"The feeling of the board is we needed to ask for what we needed. It's important that the legislature and governor's office knows this is what we really need to operate," Marshall said.
Earlier this month Rendell ordered a number of austerity measures to keep Pennsylvania's budget balanced, including directing cabinet secretaries to trim their spending by 4.25 percent.
State-related institutions, including Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Lincoln University and Temple University, were also asked to plan for 4.25 percent cuts in their state funding this year.
Temple announced it would institute a hiring freeze and restrict travel in response. Penn State will not fill positions, will hold off on equipment purchases, and will ask all departments to look for other efficiencies.
The state system universities will need to forego hires, defer maintenance, or make other cuts, Marshall said.
"It will be up to each university to decide how they do it," he said.
West Chester, one of the largest universities in the system, will lose about $2.4 million, and Cheyney, already struggling financially, will see a drop of $680,000. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the largest in the state system, will see the biggest fall - $2.7 million.
While Rendell asked the schools only to plan for a possible cut at this point, officials expect it will occur "unless things really turn around very quickly," Marshall said.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Food for fright
From the BCCT
Food for fright
Posted in Community on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 4:31 pm by Gwen Shrift
The Morrisville Ambulance Squad has a deal for you - bring a non-perishable item for the Morrisville Presbyterian Church’s food pantry, and they’ll knock a dollar off the admission price before scaring you silly at their haunted house fundraiser.
The event takes place Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1, starting at 7 p.m. each date. Hauntings take place at 139 Washington St. Full admission is $3; with food donation, $2.
The church’s food center is open on Wednesdays from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month.
Food for fright
Posted in Community on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 4:31 pm by Gwen Shrift
The Morrisville Ambulance Squad has a deal for you - bring a non-perishable item for the Morrisville Presbyterian Church’s food pantry, and they’ll knock a dollar off the admission price before scaring you silly at their haunted house fundraiser.
The event takes place Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1, starting at 7 p.m. each date. Hauntings take place at 139 Washington St. Full admission is $3; with food donation, $2.
The church’s food center is open on Wednesdays from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month.
Baseball or the People's Business?
From the BCCT. I wonder how the Emperor and his minions will approach this?
I figure the discussion, re-discussion, clarification, re-clarification, and re-re-discussion (followed by a Q&A session) over Grandview student safety on the roads will take a good amount of time alone. And that's just one piece of new business. There's a whole lot of old business to clog up anyone's night.
Officials hope to steal home from meetings
Others plan to keep track of World Series games during meetings with cell phones and other devices.
By JOAN HELLYER
Harry Kramer has his game plan set for the Bensalem school board meeting scheduled to begin tonight, less than an hour before the first pitch in the first game of the World Series.
“I am going to try to get through that meeting as quickly as humanly possible, because I know people really want to see the Phillies,” said Kramer, the board president. “They don’t want to see our smiling faces on TV.”
Kramer admits he wants to get home in time to cheer on the Phils as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1, but promises the district’s operations won’t be a victim of his game plan.
“We’re going to do everything by the book,” Kramer said. “All the business is going to be covered 100 percent. However, it’s going to be done in an expedient manner.”
No such luck for other local government boards, like the Buckingham supervisors, who also meet tonight, according to Chairwoman Maggie Rash.
The Buckingham board, which is known for meetings that often run late into the night, has a full agenda. The supervisors plan to keep track of the game’s score with their iPhones and other electronic devices as they work their way through the township’s business, according to Rash.
Despite Phanatic support for the Phillies during the team’s quest to win the World Series, area government boards are generally keeping to their meeting schedules this week and next, officials said.
Some, like the Bensalem school board, will be able to wrap up business quickly.
Others, not so much. This group includes the Horsham council, which gets its first look at the municipality’s proposed 2009 municipal budget Monday night, said township Manager Mike McGee. That’s when Game 5 is scheduled to be played.
“There’s no tax increase because we have a significant carryover of surplus funds to next year,” the manager said, adding that he doesn’t expect the Monday night meeting to be a long, drawn-out process.
“I can’t imagine the meeting going past 9 o’clock, especially if the Phillies are playing, because then we’ll have very few residents here. Maybe we should make the agenda longer then,” McGee joked.
The Penndel Council also will review its proposed 2009 budget Monday night, said President Ward McMasters.
“It’s the way it goes. I can’t not have it. We’re going for it. At this point of the year, you don’t have a whole lot of choice, because you have a lot of things to get done,” McMasters said. “Besides, there may not even be a fifth game. So who knows? We may not even have to worry about it.”
I figure the discussion, re-discussion, clarification, re-clarification, and re-re-discussion (followed by a Q&A session) over Grandview student safety on the roads will take a good amount of time alone. And that's just one piece of new business. There's a whole lot of old business to clog up anyone's night.
Officials hope to steal home from meetings
Others plan to keep track of World Series games during meetings with cell phones and other devices.
By JOAN HELLYER
Harry Kramer has his game plan set for the Bensalem school board meeting scheduled to begin tonight, less than an hour before the first pitch in the first game of the World Series.
“I am going to try to get through that meeting as quickly as humanly possible, because I know people really want to see the Phillies,” said Kramer, the board president. “They don’t want to see our smiling faces on TV.”
Kramer admits he wants to get home in time to cheer on the Phils as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1, but promises the district’s operations won’t be a victim of his game plan.
“We’re going to do everything by the book,” Kramer said. “All the business is going to be covered 100 percent. However, it’s going to be done in an expedient manner.”
No such luck for other local government boards, like the Buckingham supervisors, who also meet tonight, according to Chairwoman Maggie Rash.
The Buckingham board, which is known for meetings that often run late into the night, has a full agenda. The supervisors plan to keep track of the game’s score with their iPhones and other electronic devices as they work their way through the township’s business, according to Rash.
Despite Phanatic support for the Phillies during the team’s quest to win the World Series, area government boards are generally keeping to their meeting schedules this week and next, officials said.
Some, like the Bensalem school board, will be able to wrap up business quickly.
Others, not so much. This group includes the Horsham council, which gets its first look at the municipality’s proposed 2009 municipal budget Monday night, said township Manager Mike McGee. That’s when Game 5 is scheduled to be played.
“There’s no tax increase because we have a significant carryover of surplus funds to next year,” the manager said, adding that he doesn’t expect the Monday night meeting to be a long, drawn-out process.
“I can’t imagine the meeting going past 9 o’clock, especially if the Phillies are playing, because then we’ll have very few residents here. Maybe we should make the agenda longer then,” McGee joked.
The Penndel Council also will review its proposed 2009 budget Monday night, said President Ward McMasters.
“It’s the way it goes. I can’t not have it. We’re going for it. At this point of the year, you don’t have a whole lot of choice, because you have a lot of things to get done,” McMasters said. “Besides, there may not even be a fifth game. So who knows? We may not even have to worry about it.”
Borough Council Recap
From the BCCT.
First off, congrats and good wishes to Councilman Albertson.
Now let's check the box scores:
* Dems 6, GOP 2 (a big swing from the GOP control of a few months ago)
* Council 3, PJRP 0 (this most recent defeat for PJRP might be better to call a forfeit since the plans were withdrawn. Anyone know the scoop on that?)
* Citizens: zero tax relief (let's hope Councilman Albertson can help turn that around. Can we afford to wait another year to sweep out the do-nothing council?)
Memo to the Dems: The GOP may have ruled the roost for many previous years, but you're in charge now. If you don't get your collective act together and get new life in this town, you'll be tagged with the error on the play and be relegated back to minority status.
P.S.: Go Phils!
Council appoints Democrat to fill vacant seat
The Morrisville Borough Council appointed Democrat Edward Albertson to fill a council seat left vacant last month by Republican George Bolos.
Albertson, who works for the Public Service Enterprise Group energy company in New Jersey, Monday night edged out Fred Kerner, vice chairman of the Morrisville Democratic Club, for the Third Ward council seat in a 4-3 vote.
Council Democrats Eileen Dreisbach and Rita Ledger, as well as Republicans Jane Burger and Stephen Worob voted to nominate Albertson. Democrats Nancy Sherlock, Kathryn Panzitta and David Rivella voted for Kerner, who works in the mail room at Rider University.
The face of the eight-member board is now made up of six Democrats and two Republicans.
Albertson was sworn in by District Judge Michael Burns. He shook hands with his new colleagues and took his seat behind the council’s dais.
Bolos resigned last month because he moved to Virginia with his family.
In other business Monday night, the council unanimously denied preliminary plans for an office building at East Bridge Street and North Delmorr Avenue that was developer Penn Jersey Real Properties’ second attempt of sorts for a Morrisville Gateway Center.
The controversial Gateway Center proposal was killed in May by a lack of council support. A month later, Penn Jersey proposed an office building that was less than half the size of the Gateway Center proposal.
The council denied the second project because Penn Jersey withdrew its plans, officials said.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Penn Jersey officials for comment.
First off, congrats and good wishes to Councilman Albertson.
Now let's check the box scores:
* Dems 6, GOP 2 (a big swing from the GOP control of a few months ago)
* Council 3, PJRP 0 (this most recent defeat for PJRP might be better to call a forfeit since the plans were withdrawn. Anyone know the scoop on that?)
* Citizens: zero tax relief (let's hope Councilman Albertson can help turn that around. Can we afford to wait another year to sweep out the do-nothing council?)
Memo to the Dems: The GOP may have ruled the roost for many previous years, but you're in charge now. If you don't get your collective act together and get new life in this town, you'll be tagged with the error on the play and be relegated back to minority status.
P.S.: Go Phils!
Council appoints Democrat to fill vacant seat
The Morrisville Borough Council appointed Democrat Edward Albertson to fill a council seat left vacant last month by Republican George Bolos.
Albertson, who works for the Public Service Enterprise Group energy company in New Jersey, Monday night edged out Fred Kerner, vice chairman of the Morrisville Democratic Club, for the Third Ward council seat in a 4-3 vote.
Council Democrats Eileen Dreisbach and Rita Ledger, as well as Republicans Jane Burger and Stephen Worob voted to nominate Albertson. Democrats Nancy Sherlock, Kathryn Panzitta and David Rivella voted for Kerner, who works in the mail room at Rider University.
The face of the eight-member board is now made up of six Democrats and two Republicans.
Albertson was sworn in by District Judge Michael Burns. He shook hands with his new colleagues and took his seat behind the council’s dais.
Bolos resigned last month because he moved to Virginia with his family.
In other business Monday night, the council unanimously denied preliminary plans for an office building at East Bridge Street and North Delmorr Avenue that was developer Penn Jersey Real Properties’ second attempt of sorts for a Morrisville Gateway Center.
The controversial Gateway Center proposal was killed in May by a lack of council support. A month later, Penn Jersey proposed an office building that was less than half the size of the Gateway Center proposal.
The council denied the second project because Penn Jersey withdrew its plans, officials said.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Penn Jersey officials for comment.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
District parting with green to go green
From the BCCT.
District parting with green to go green
By CHRISTINA KRISTOFIC
Central Bucks School District saved more than $70,000 in utilities by having a four-day workweek over the summer.
And district officials hope that they will continue to save on utilities by implementing a new $19.8 million energy initiative, which includes the installation of equipment and software — computerized boiler controls, occupancy sensors for lighting, occupancy sensors for the heating and air-conditioning systems, and machines that shut off the vending machines at night — in all of the district’s 26 buildings.
The district will also improve insulation in many of its buildings, install solar-powered heaters at the pools at Central Bucks East and South high schools, and replace the lighting in some of its buildings.
District officials estimate that the initiative will save more than $18 million in utility costs in the first 20 years, after initiative-related expenses have been paid.
The initiative was approved unanimously by the school board last week.
“It’s so refreshing when we can put money and time and energy into something like this, that’s actually going to have such a great payback,” board President Geryl McMullin said.
“We’re trying desperately to become more green in the school district.”
McMullin said she’d like to take the money the district saves from the energy initiative and invest it into other environmentally friendly initiatives.
“We’ve got a lot of buildings. We use a lot of electricity and we use a lot of fuel. And we need to do our best to do our part,” she said.
District officials decided in June to close 21 of the district’s 26 buildings on Fridays for seven weeks over the summer. Superintendent N. Robert Laws estimated at the time that the four-day workweek would save the district about $53,000 in utility costs.
The actual savings turned out to be $71,554, operations director Scott Kennedy reported last week.
Johnson Controls Inc., an international company with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., is working with Central Bucks to install the new equipment and software over the next 14 months. The equipment and software will be installed in phases, and Johnson Controls and district staff are currently working on the schedule, Kennedy said.
The project will cost the school district $14.8 million up front; the district is making a down payment of $7.5 million and financing the remaining $7.3 million over 15 years at a rate of 4 percent. District officials estimate that — with loan interest, software licensing fees and training costs — the project will ultimately cost $19.8 million over 20 years.
Johnson Controls has guaranteed that the district will begin to see savings in utility costs after the equipment and software are installed.
District officials expect to see total savings over 20 years of $38.8 million.
After it has paid the $19.8 million in expenses, the district expects to have a total utility savings of more than $18.9 million.
Johnson Controls will also provide the school with educational materials — to be used in the classroom — about energy efficiency.
District parting with green to go green
By CHRISTINA KRISTOFIC
Central Bucks School District saved more than $70,000 in utilities by having a four-day workweek over the summer.
And district officials hope that they will continue to save on utilities by implementing a new $19.8 million energy initiative, which includes the installation of equipment and software — computerized boiler controls, occupancy sensors for lighting, occupancy sensors for the heating and air-conditioning systems, and machines that shut off the vending machines at night — in all of the district’s 26 buildings.
The district will also improve insulation in many of its buildings, install solar-powered heaters at the pools at Central Bucks East and South high schools, and replace the lighting in some of its buildings.
District officials estimate that the initiative will save more than $18 million in utility costs in the first 20 years, after initiative-related expenses have been paid.
The initiative was approved unanimously by the school board last week.
“It’s so refreshing when we can put money and time and energy into something like this, that’s actually going to have such a great payback,” board President Geryl McMullin said.
“We’re trying desperately to become more green in the school district.”
McMullin said she’d like to take the money the district saves from the energy initiative and invest it into other environmentally friendly initiatives.
“We’ve got a lot of buildings. We use a lot of electricity and we use a lot of fuel. And we need to do our best to do our part,” she said.
District officials decided in June to close 21 of the district’s 26 buildings on Fridays for seven weeks over the summer. Superintendent N. Robert Laws estimated at the time that the four-day workweek would save the district about $53,000 in utility costs.
The actual savings turned out to be $71,554, operations director Scott Kennedy reported last week.
Johnson Controls Inc., an international company with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., is working with Central Bucks to install the new equipment and software over the next 14 months. The equipment and software will be installed in phases, and Johnson Controls and district staff are currently working on the schedule, Kennedy said.
The project will cost the school district $14.8 million up front; the district is making a down payment of $7.5 million and financing the remaining $7.3 million over 15 years at a rate of 4 percent. District officials estimate that — with loan interest, software licensing fees and training costs — the project will ultimately cost $19.8 million over 20 years.
Johnson Controls has guaranteed that the district will begin to see savings in utility costs after the equipment and software are installed.
District officials expect to see total savings over 20 years of $38.8 million.
After it has paid the $19.8 million in expenses, the district expects to have a total utility savings of more than $18.9 million.
Johnson Controls will also provide the school with educational materials — to be used in the classroom — about energy efficiency.
School Board Business Meeting Reminder
Tomorrow, Wednesday October 22, 7:30 P.M. in the LGI
Morrisville school board: 7:30 p.m., Large Group Instruction Room of the Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St. Agenda: agreement with engineering firm for upgrade services to the high school and surveys of elementary schools, acceptance of grants and donations.
Morrisville school board: 7:30 p.m., Large Group Instruction Room of the Middle/Senior High School, 550 W. Palmer St. Agenda: agreement with engineering firm for upgrade services to the high school and surveys of elementary schools, acceptance of grants and donations.
Career center helps kids get ready for future
From the BCCT
Career center helps kids get ready for future
By JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS - Lombardi walked into the new career center at Harry S Truman High School last week not knowing what to do after he graduates.
Less than an hour later, the Truman senior left the center armed with a list of potential careers that might be a good fit for him. The list is based on the answers Jeremy gave during an online survey of his interests and goals. It includes graphic designer, landscaper and airport grounds crew member.
“It really helped me out with possible careers for after high school,” Jeremy, 19, said of the list. “It shows me I've got the world at my fingertips, basically.”
The Bristol Township school used Project 720 funds from the state to create the career center to help Truman students develop a post-high school plan, said Mark Kaye, a retired guidance counselor who oversees the facility.
It includes computers, online career strategy programs, an overhead video screen for presentations and a meeting area for students, counselors and college and trade representatives. Students can do online searches about colleges and universities, apply for free online to Bucks County Community College and make a reservation to take the SAT test at a neighboring high school.
“It's helping us with our future and it's great that we have a center to do that,” said Truman senior Samantha Kurfuss, 17, who plans to pursue a career in criminal justice, phlebotomy or forensic science.
Project 720, named for the number of days a student is in high school, was established a few years ago to provide students with personalized attention, tougher classes and a more rigorous senior year.
Gov. Ed Rendell pushed for the program because surveys suggest an estimated 40 percent of high school graduates are not ready for college and other grads entering the workforce often lack basic math and communication skills, state officials said.
The Morrisville and Palisades school districts were among the first in the state to receive Project 720 grants, which are awarded over a three-year period.
Morrisville used the $120,000 it received between 2005-08 to develop a high school curriculum that includes four years of required mathematics classes and other initiatives, including mentoring and apprenticeship programs, district officials said.
Palisades used the $150,000 during the same time period to expand summer reading programs, integrate technology into math classes and, like Truman, help students develop plans for their career paths.
Bristol Township's Project 720 grant for $217,119 is spread out in three installments between 2007-10.
Once all the Truman seniors have access to the center this year, counselors will arrange interviews with juniors and sophomores to get them thinking about their futures, Kaye said. Ninth-graders at the district's Benjamin Franklin Freshman Academy also are taking the career survey online to help them begin plotting a plan for the future, he said.
Matt Kohler, a Truman senior, had to ask where the center was when he received notice of an interview time. Now he's glad he found it.
“It helps so much. It gives kids so many opportunities,” said Matt, 17, who plans to be a social studies teacher. “It's probably the most important room in the school in my opinion, because it will help you determine where to go after school.”
Several area school districts are receiving Project 720 grants in three installments between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 to better prepare their students for life after high school. In addition to Bristol Township, the districts are:
BRISTOL
$165,405 to establish a college and career center in the guidance office at Bristol Borough Junior/Senior High School, provide more than 200 virtual online courses to students, establish a reading apprenticeship program and redesign the school's math program.
HATBORO-HORSHAM
$120,000 to establish student internships, integrate Pennsylvania career education and work standards into core academic courses, create a standalone course called Pathways Seminar for high school juniors to address transition planning and personal finance and establish a Student Success Center where students meet with college representatives and speakers from various professions and use numerous resources to develop a post-secondary plan.
LOWER MORELAND
The district is in the process of receiving Project 720 grant money totaling $90,000. The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching district officials Friday for information on how the money will be used.
NORTH PENN
$150,000 to bring in an academic intervention specialist to serve as a success coach and provide academic support for underachieving students. The money also is being used to support student incentive programs and curriculum enhancements, expand the high school's advanced placement program and increase after-school and Saturday academic support activities.
SOUDERTON
$196,770 to implement a more rigorous and relevant curriculum to help students focus their attention on their post-high school plans, and to enhance the high school's Career Pathways initiative.
Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Education and local school districts
Career center helps kids get ready for future
By JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS - Lombardi walked into the new career center at Harry S Truman High School last week not knowing what to do after he graduates.
Less than an hour later, the Truman senior left the center armed with a list of potential careers that might be a good fit for him. The list is based on the answers Jeremy gave during an online survey of his interests and goals. It includes graphic designer, landscaper and airport grounds crew member.
“It really helped me out with possible careers for after high school,” Jeremy, 19, said of the list. “It shows me I've got the world at my fingertips, basically.”
The Bristol Township school used Project 720 funds from the state to create the career center to help Truman students develop a post-high school plan, said Mark Kaye, a retired guidance counselor who oversees the facility.
It includes computers, online career strategy programs, an overhead video screen for presentations and a meeting area for students, counselors and college and trade representatives. Students can do online searches about colleges and universities, apply for free online to Bucks County Community College and make a reservation to take the SAT test at a neighboring high school.
“It's helping us with our future and it's great that we have a center to do that,” said Truman senior Samantha Kurfuss, 17, who plans to pursue a career in criminal justice, phlebotomy or forensic science.
Project 720, named for the number of days a student is in high school, was established a few years ago to provide students with personalized attention, tougher classes and a more rigorous senior year.
Gov. Ed Rendell pushed for the program because surveys suggest an estimated 40 percent of high school graduates are not ready for college and other grads entering the workforce often lack basic math and communication skills, state officials said.
The Morrisville and Palisades school districts were among the first in the state to receive Project 720 grants, which are awarded over a three-year period.
Morrisville used the $120,000 it received between 2005-08 to develop a high school curriculum that includes four years of required mathematics classes and other initiatives, including mentoring and apprenticeship programs, district officials said.
Palisades used the $150,000 during the same time period to expand summer reading programs, integrate technology into math classes and, like Truman, help students develop plans for their career paths.
Bristol Township's Project 720 grant for $217,119 is spread out in three installments between 2007-10.
Once all the Truman seniors have access to the center this year, counselors will arrange interviews with juniors and sophomores to get them thinking about their futures, Kaye said. Ninth-graders at the district's Benjamin Franklin Freshman Academy also are taking the career survey online to help them begin plotting a plan for the future, he said.
Matt Kohler, a Truman senior, had to ask where the center was when he received notice of an interview time. Now he's glad he found it.
“It helps so much. It gives kids so many opportunities,” said Matt, 17, who plans to be a social studies teacher. “It's probably the most important room in the school in my opinion, because it will help you determine where to go after school.”
Several area school districts are receiving Project 720 grants in three installments between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 to better prepare their students for life after high school. In addition to Bristol Township, the districts are:
BRISTOL
$165,405 to establish a college and career center in the guidance office at Bristol Borough Junior/Senior High School, provide more than 200 virtual online courses to students, establish a reading apprenticeship program and redesign the school's math program.
HATBORO-HORSHAM
$120,000 to establish student internships, integrate Pennsylvania career education and work standards into core academic courses, create a standalone course called Pathways Seminar for high school juniors to address transition planning and personal finance and establish a Student Success Center where students meet with college representatives and speakers from various professions and use numerous resources to develop a post-secondary plan.
LOWER MORELAND
The district is in the process of receiving Project 720 grant money totaling $90,000. The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching district officials Friday for information on how the money will be used.
NORTH PENN
$150,000 to bring in an academic intervention specialist to serve as a success coach and provide academic support for underachieving students. The money also is being used to support student incentive programs and curriculum enhancements, expand the high school's advanced placement program and increase after-school and Saturday academic support activities.
SOUDERTON
$196,770 to implement a more rigorous and relevant curriculum to help students focus their attention on their post-high school plans, and to enhance the high school's Career Pathways initiative.
Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Education and local school districts
Monday, October 20, 2008
Pennsylvania state Autism Laws
From the Lompoc Record
Parents press states for autism insurance laws
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
CHICAGO - In Washington state, Reza and Arzu Forough pay more than $1,000 a week for behavior therapy for their 12-year-old autistic son.
In Indiana, Sean and Michele Trivedi get the same type of therapy for their 11-year-old daughter. But they pay $3,000 a year and their health insurance covers the rest.
Two families. Two states. Big difference in out-of-pocket costs.
If autism advocates get their way, more states will follow Indiana's lead by requiring health insurers to cover intensive and costly behavior therapy for autism.
In the past two years, six states _ Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana _ passed laws requiring such coverage, costing in some cases up to $50,000 a year per child.
The powerful advocacy group Autism Speaks has endorsed bills in New Jersey, Virginia and Michigan and is targeting at least 10 more states in 2009, including New York, California and Ohio.
Other states, including Illinois, have similar bills in the works but aren't working directly with Autism Speaks.
"This is the hottest trend in mandates we've seen in a long time," said J.P. Wieske, a lobbyist for an insurance coalition that argues that these state requirements drive up insurance costs for everyone. "It is hard to fight them."
For lawmakers, voting against these measures means voting against parents who are struggling to do the best for their children.
Parents tell moving stories about how behavior therapy works better than anything they've tried. In two states, bills got nicknames like "Steven's Law" and "Ryan's Law," so voting against them was tough.
Arzu Forough of Kirkland, Wash., who is pushing a bill in her state, credits behavior therapy for teaching her son Shayan, at age 3, to make a sound to ask for a drink of water. Now 12, he is learning to converse about his favorite food and music, and to talk about his frustrations rather than throw tantrums.
Trained therapists, using principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), created a system of rewards to teach Shayan these skills. As a preschooler, he got a piece of cheese when he said "bubba" for water. Now a therapist rewards him with tokens when he responds in conversation. He uses the tokens to "buy" privileges like going for a car ride.
Shayan's improvements are a welcome relief to his mother, who once called for police help with her out-of-control son while she was driving.
"I pulled over to the side of the road," she said. "I had to call the police to drive behind me so I could drive safely home."
The Foroughs have health insurance, but it doesn't cover Shayan's therapy. Although they both work full time, they must live rent-free with her elderly mother to be able to afford his treatment.
Meanwhile, the Trivedi family of the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, get 25 hours a week of behavior therapy for 11-year-old Ellie. They contribute co-pays and a deductible, totaling about $3,000. Insurance pays the rest, about $47,000 a year.
Michele Trivedi is an autism activist. She fought for years after a vaguely worded 2001 Indiana law required coverage but insurers still refused to pay for ABA. Finally in 2006, she helped convince the state's insurance commissioner to issue a bulletin spelling out what was expected of insurers.
"It's no longer acceptable that blatant discrimination against people with autism occur," Trivedi said.
Autism is a range of disorders that hinder the ability to communicate and interact. Most doctors believe there is no cure. An estimated 1 in 150 American children are diagnosed with it.
Supporters say behavior therapy has decades of research behind it and can save money in the long run by keeping people out of institutions. Researchers agree, but say much remains unknown about which therapy works best for autistic kids, whether long-term gains can be claimed, and whether it works with older children.
Some states require behavior therapy coverage up to age 18 or 21. But the scientific evidence for ABA is strongest for the youngest, ages 2 to 5. Some researchers have reported on individual children with autism who no longer appeared disabled when they reached school age.
The most rigorous studies, though, show mixed results. A study published in 2000 showed that preschoolers who got intensive behavior therapy had greater gains in IQ than children who didn't get the therapy. But there was little difference in the two group's language development or the intensity of behavior problems. And the children most severely affected by autism showed no comparative gain.
Another study in preschoolers, published in 2005, showed little difference between an intensive ABA-based program run by therapists and less-intensive therapy from parents; children in both groups improved.
When it comes to older children, the research is sparse, said Tristram Smith of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, who co-authored the 2000 autism study.
"You could make a decent case for the little kids up to 6 or 7 that (insurance mandates) would be appropriate," Smith said. "I think it would be hard to make that case for older kids."
Another autism researcher, Laura Schreibman of the University of California at San Diego, said "fly-by-night" behavior therapists could defraud insurers with ineffective therapy.
"I would like to see insurance cover this kind of intervention because it's documented to be effective," she said. "But insurance companies have every right to monitor whether it's working. If it's been two years and there are no gains, an insurance company should be saying, 'What are we paying for here?'"
The Council for Affordable Health Insurance, the industry lobbying arm, estimates autism mandates increase the cost of insurance by less than 1 percent by themselves, but when combined with other requirements make insurance less affordable.
Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, said the industry has been wary of laws ordering a specific treatment because when new scientific evidence emerges, the mandate remains frozen. And she questions whether behavior therapy is medical or educational.
The American Academy of Pediatrics includes ABA therapy in its clinical report on autism, but describes it as an "educational intervention."
"There has been an effort to transfer the response to autism from school systems to the health care system," Pisano said.
Nevertheless, some big companies and the U.S. military are providing ABA-based autism therapy as a benefit.
The U.S. military's Tricare health insurance program not only covers up to $2,500 a month for the therapy, but also recently expanded the definition of who can provide it to make it more accessible. And some self-insured companies, including Microsoft and Home Depot, pay for autism behavior therapy.
Gaining insurance coverage state by state is the top lobbying priority for Autism Speaks.
"It's the No. 1 thing we hear from parents," said Elizabeth Emken, the group's vice president of government relations. "What's more difficult than knowing there's an effective treatment for your children, but you can't afford to offer it to them because it's not covered by insurance?"
A new federal law requiring insurers to make coverage for mental health conditions equitable with other health coverage was tacked onto the recent financial industry bailout package.
Autism Speaks applauds the law, but says autism is not a psychological condition and that the insurance industry has refused to cover autism treatments in states with mental health parity laws on the books.
"We hope it sets the stage for the Congress and the next president to continue this effort to end discrimination in the health insurance marketplace," Emken said. "Whichever party is elected, autism will be on the table and be a major point of discussion. There may have to be a federal mandate."
Parents press states for autism insurance laws
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
CHICAGO - In Washington state, Reza and Arzu Forough pay more than $1,000 a week for behavior therapy for their 12-year-old autistic son.
In Indiana, Sean and Michele Trivedi get the same type of therapy for their 11-year-old daughter. But they pay $3,000 a year and their health insurance covers the rest.
Two families. Two states. Big difference in out-of-pocket costs.
If autism advocates get their way, more states will follow Indiana's lead by requiring health insurers to cover intensive and costly behavior therapy for autism.
In the past two years, six states _ Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana _ passed laws requiring such coverage, costing in some cases up to $50,000 a year per child.
The powerful advocacy group Autism Speaks has endorsed bills in New Jersey, Virginia and Michigan and is targeting at least 10 more states in 2009, including New York, California and Ohio.
Other states, including Illinois, have similar bills in the works but aren't working directly with Autism Speaks.
"This is the hottest trend in mandates we've seen in a long time," said J.P. Wieske, a lobbyist for an insurance coalition that argues that these state requirements drive up insurance costs for everyone. "It is hard to fight them."
For lawmakers, voting against these measures means voting against parents who are struggling to do the best for their children.
Parents tell moving stories about how behavior therapy works better than anything they've tried. In two states, bills got nicknames like "Steven's Law" and "Ryan's Law," so voting against them was tough.
Arzu Forough of Kirkland, Wash., who is pushing a bill in her state, credits behavior therapy for teaching her son Shayan, at age 3, to make a sound to ask for a drink of water. Now 12, he is learning to converse about his favorite food and music, and to talk about his frustrations rather than throw tantrums.
Trained therapists, using principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), created a system of rewards to teach Shayan these skills. As a preschooler, he got a piece of cheese when he said "bubba" for water. Now a therapist rewards him with tokens when he responds in conversation. He uses the tokens to "buy" privileges like going for a car ride.
Shayan's improvements are a welcome relief to his mother, who once called for police help with her out-of-control son while she was driving.
"I pulled over to the side of the road," she said. "I had to call the police to drive behind me so I could drive safely home."
The Foroughs have health insurance, but it doesn't cover Shayan's therapy. Although they both work full time, they must live rent-free with her elderly mother to be able to afford his treatment.
Meanwhile, the Trivedi family of the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, get 25 hours a week of behavior therapy for 11-year-old Ellie. They contribute co-pays and a deductible, totaling about $3,000. Insurance pays the rest, about $47,000 a year.
Michele Trivedi is an autism activist. She fought for years after a vaguely worded 2001 Indiana law required coverage but insurers still refused to pay for ABA. Finally in 2006, she helped convince the state's insurance commissioner to issue a bulletin spelling out what was expected of insurers.
"It's no longer acceptable that blatant discrimination against people with autism occur," Trivedi said.
Autism is a range of disorders that hinder the ability to communicate and interact. Most doctors believe there is no cure. An estimated 1 in 150 American children are diagnosed with it.
Supporters say behavior therapy has decades of research behind it and can save money in the long run by keeping people out of institutions. Researchers agree, but say much remains unknown about which therapy works best for autistic kids, whether long-term gains can be claimed, and whether it works with older children.
Some states require behavior therapy coverage up to age 18 or 21. But the scientific evidence for ABA is strongest for the youngest, ages 2 to 5. Some researchers have reported on individual children with autism who no longer appeared disabled when they reached school age.
The most rigorous studies, though, show mixed results. A study published in 2000 showed that preschoolers who got intensive behavior therapy had greater gains in IQ than children who didn't get the therapy. But there was little difference in the two group's language development or the intensity of behavior problems. And the children most severely affected by autism showed no comparative gain.
Another study in preschoolers, published in 2005, showed little difference between an intensive ABA-based program run by therapists and less-intensive therapy from parents; children in both groups improved.
When it comes to older children, the research is sparse, said Tristram Smith of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, who co-authored the 2000 autism study.
"You could make a decent case for the little kids up to 6 or 7 that (insurance mandates) would be appropriate," Smith said. "I think it would be hard to make that case for older kids."
Another autism researcher, Laura Schreibman of the University of California at San Diego, said "fly-by-night" behavior therapists could defraud insurers with ineffective therapy.
"I would like to see insurance cover this kind of intervention because it's documented to be effective," she said. "But insurance companies have every right to monitor whether it's working. If it's been two years and there are no gains, an insurance company should be saying, 'What are we paying for here?'"
The Council for Affordable Health Insurance, the industry lobbying arm, estimates autism mandates increase the cost of insurance by less than 1 percent by themselves, but when combined with other requirements make insurance less affordable.
Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, said the industry has been wary of laws ordering a specific treatment because when new scientific evidence emerges, the mandate remains frozen. And she questions whether behavior therapy is medical or educational.
The American Academy of Pediatrics includes ABA therapy in its clinical report on autism, but describes it as an "educational intervention."
"There has been an effort to transfer the response to autism from school systems to the health care system," Pisano said.
Nevertheless, some big companies and the U.S. military are providing ABA-based autism therapy as a benefit.
The U.S. military's Tricare health insurance program not only covers up to $2,500 a month for the therapy, but also recently expanded the definition of who can provide it to make it more accessible. And some self-insured companies, including Microsoft and Home Depot, pay for autism behavior therapy.
Gaining insurance coverage state by state is the top lobbying priority for Autism Speaks.
"It's the No. 1 thing we hear from parents," said Elizabeth Emken, the group's vice president of government relations. "What's more difficult than knowing there's an effective treatment for your children, but you can't afford to offer it to them because it's not covered by insurance?"
A new federal law requiring insurers to make coverage for mental health conditions equitable with other health coverage was tacked onto the recent financial industry bailout package.
Autism Speaks applauds the law, but says autism is not a psychological condition and that the insurance industry has refused to cover autism treatments in states with mental health parity laws on the books.
"We hope it sets the stage for the Congress and the next president to continue this effort to end discrimination in the health insurance marketplace," Emken said. "Whichever party is elected, autism will be on the table and be a major point of discussion. There may have to be a federal mandate."
"They've been able to wait out the anger of citizens"
From the Phoenixville News.
Lawmakers near session end with mixed marks
By MARK SCOLFORO 10/20/2008
It may be too kind to grade what has sometimes sarcastically been called the Era of Reform in Harrisburg as an incomplete.
Nearly two years ago, state lawmakers eagerly seized the mantle of reform in hopes of getting back into the good graces of voters angered by their dead-of-night vote to jack up their own salaries.
As the 2007-08 session winds to a close, legislators again find themselves under a dark cloud of their own creation. In this case it consists of allegations that bonus payments to staffers and other public expenditures were illegal campaign subsidies.
The fall campaign's final stretch of knocking on doors, dining on rubber chicken and marching in parades is sure to bring questions for Harrisburg's political class about what has been done to improve the integrity of state government.
At this point, that record basically consists of an impressive new Right-to-Know Law and a few dozen changes to the rules that govern the day-to-day operations of the House and Senate. (Those rules already have been suspended occasionally and could be weakened in January.)
As for campaign contribution limits, a less partisan redistricting process, a prohibition on gifts from lobbyists, a smaller Legislature, term limits, merit selection of appeals judges or a ban on performance bonuses for state workers? Nothing.
Forget about a constitutional convention — the House rejected even studying the idea.
Part of the problem is there is no consensus on what constitutes "reform," a term that can be hijacked by lawmakers needing to polish up whatever issue they happen to advocate. "I'm disappointed that this could occur during the Era of Reform" as faux outrage has nearly become a state Capitol cliche.
Last year, as the House voted against partially random selection of its eight-member Ethics Committee, Rep. Kate Harper was undoubtedly speaking for many of her colleagues when she brought up the R-word.
"I stand here at my peril, knowing that the cause of reform is so well-liked by the press that if the cafeteria offered a sandwich made of dead skunk called 'reform du jour,' we'd probably all order it and eat it," said Harper, R-Montgomery.
Reform even spawned its own miniature lobbying class, drawn from many of the same people who helped successfully pressure the General Assembly to repeal the July 2005 pay raise.
Their reviews of the record so far are withering:
l "Most legislators flunked out of reform school and are on scholarship from Lobby U," said Eric Epstein of RocktheCapitol.org.
l "We're more likely to see reform resulting from trials and court proceedings than we are from the Legislature doing its job," said Democracy Rising PA co-founder Tim Potts.
l "As they have in the past, they've been able to wait out the anger of citizens," said Commonwealth Foundation president Matthew Brouillette.
l "If this was the so-called Reform Legislature, maybe the next Legislature is the Last Chance Legislature before the voters really get riled up," said Common Cause of Pennsylvania's Barry Kauffman.
But lawmakers who helped lead reform efforts see a prelude to what they hope will be additional efforts to make state government more ethical, understandable and accountable.
Rep. Babette Josephs, the Philadelphia Democrat who chairs the House State Government Committee, said top on her list of priorities for next year are ways to modernize voting rules, including relaxed qualifications for absentee ballots and a later deadline for new registrants.
"We've accomplished more reform in this session than in any session in the last decade at least," said Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, co-chair of the House's reform commission. "The rules changes in the House — no disrespect to the Senate — were just a lot more expansive than what the Senate accomplished."
Senate GOP leaders note that some of their marquee reforms got stalled in the House, including tougher penalties for Sunshine Law violations, a formal ban on lame duck sessions and elimination of state government bonuses.
There's always next year, said Sen. Jeff Piccola, R-Dauphin.
"I think the public pressure on the Legislature to make changes is going to be tremendous," he said.
Lawmakers near session end with mixed marks
By MARK SCOLFORO 10/20/2008
It may be too kind to grade what has sometimes sarcastically been called the Era of Reform in Harrisburg as an incomplete.
Nearly two years ago, state lawmakers eagerly seized the mantle of reform in hopes of getting back into the good graces of voters angered by their dead-of-night vote to jack up their own salaries.
As the 2007-08 session winds to a close, legislators again find themselves under a dark cloud of their own creation. In this case it consists of allegations that bonus payments to staffers and other public expenditures were illegal campaign subsidies.
The fall campaign's final stretch of knocking on doors, dining on rubber chicken and marching in parades is sure to bring questions for Harrisburg's political class about what has been done to improve the integrity of state government.
At this point, that record basically consists of an impressive new Right-to-Know Law and a few dozen changes to the rules that govern the day-to-day operations of the House and Senate. (Those rules already have been suspended occasionally and could be weakened in January.)
As for campaign contribution limits, a less partisan redistricting process, a prohibition on gifts from lobbyists, a smaller Legislature, term limits, merit selection of appeals judges or a ban on performance bonuses for state workers? Nothing.
Forget about a constitutional convention — the House rejected even studying the idea.
Part of the problem is there is no consensus on what constitutes "reform," a term that can be hijacked by lawmakers needing to polish up whatever issue they happen to advocate. "I'm disappointed that this could occur during the Era of Reform" as faux outrage has nearly become a state Capitol cliche.
Last year, as the House voted against partially random selection of its eight-member Ethics Committee, Rep. Kate Harper was undoubtedly speaking for many of her colleagues when she brought up the R-word.
"I stand here at my peril, knowing that the cause of reform is so well-liked by the press that if the cafeteria offered a sandwich made of dead skunk called 'reform du jour,' we'd probably all order it and eat it," said Harper, R-Montgomery.
Reform even spawned its own miniature lobbying class, drawn from many of the same people who helped successfully pressure the General Assembly to repeal the July 2005 pay raise.
Their reviews of the record so far are withering:
l "Most legislators flunked out of reform school and are on scholarship from Lobby U," said Eric Epstein of RocktheCapitol.org.
l "We're more likely to see reform resulting from trials and court proceedings than we are from the Legislature doing its job," said Democracy Rising PA co-founder Tim Potts.
l "As they have in the past, they've been able to wait out the anger of citizens," said Commonwealth Foundation president Matthew Brouillette.
l "If this was the so-called Reform Legislature, maybe the next Legislature is the Last Chance Legislature before the voters really get riled up," said Common Cause of Pennsylvania's Barry Kauffman.
But lawmakers who helped lead reform efforts see a prelude to what they hope will be additional efforts to make state government more ethical, understandable and accountable.
Rep. Babette Josephs, the Philadelphia Democrat who chairs the House State Government Committee, said top on her list of priorities for next year are ways to modernize voting rules, including relaxed qualifications for absentee ballots and a later deadline for new registrants.
"We've accomplished more reform in this session than in any session in the last decade at least," said Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, co-chair of the House's reform commission. "The rules changes in the House — no disrespect to the Senate — were just a lot more expansive than what the Senate accomplished."
Senate GOP leaders note that some of their marquee reforms got stalled in the House, including tougher penalties for Sunshine Law violations, a formal ban on lame duck sessions and elimination of state government bonuses.
There's always next year, said Sen. Jeff Piccola, R-Dauphin.
"I think the public pressure on the Legislature to make changes is going to be tremendous," he said.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Delaware County 55+ Coalition
From the Delaware County Times
A vote for the ages
Sunday, October 19, 2008 6:50 AM EDT
By Vicky Thomas vthomas@delcotimes.com
Tony Santore has nothing against educators or successful schools.
“Our concern is, what real accountability do school districts have to the average taxpayer?” he said.
Santore is the founder of the Delaware County 55+ Coalition, a grassroots taxpayer advocacy group composed of six Delaware County active adult communities — Fox Hill Farm, Riviera, Belmont, Fox Field, Creekside and Windsor.
A 72-year-old retired health-care administrator, Santore resides in Fox Hill Farm, a sprawling village in Concord with manicured lawns and 500 uniform homes.
It’s also located in the Garnet Valley School District, which costs Santore about $6,000 each year in property taxes.
“We have not been unreasonable with our approach. We’re not adverse to good education. We’ve been there. We’ve benefited,” said Santore. “I have nothing against educators; my daughters are educators. But as a guy who managed a health-care organization, I can tell you, you don’t give a blank check to anybody. There’s accountability. You can’t do that and continue to have a viable economy.”
There are about 7,000 members in the 55+ Coalition, adding up to a good amount of political clout.
“What we found early on, legislators did not want to deal with it because it’s a hot potato,” Santore said.
“The other thing is, I hate to say it, but we found so many of our citizens who are affected by it really didn’t know what was going on. All they knew was their tax bill was going up. We spent a lot of effort educating our community with newsletters, fliers, developing an e-mail mailing list.”
Whether or not legislators and taxpayers are paying attention, the property-tax situation in Pennsylvania is an issue that needs action now, Santore said.
“A lot of people have been forced out of their homes, and it’s gotten worse, and it’s not just confined to the seniors,” he said.
Informal beginnings
The 55+ Coalition originally came together to protest the now-infamous legislative pay raise of 2005, which was approved in a late-night vote that spurred a whirlwind of voter backlash.
“I thought that was an opportune time to pull together. I knew of these other communities, and I just reached out to them,” said Santore. “We had a representative from each community, and as I remember, we immediately jumped into the task of getting to our lawmakers and voicing our anger. We met with them individually, we sent letters, we held a petition drive.”
The variety of skill sets contributed by the members helped the growing coalition, Santore said.
“People brought different perspectives and backgrounds to the table, and they were all helpful because they had all been in different lines of work. They were all good and not self-serving,” he said.
He realized his own experience as a hospital administrator translated well into community activism.
“I managed to spend a lot of my time on the state level and national level dealing with politicians and staffs, being able to testify on different issues of concern of our industry,” said Santore.
“I found while I was not naive then or now to think a few voices can make a tremendous difference, I find most people will complain but won’t do anything and won’t work at it,” he said.
The coalition attended rallies in Harrisburg and at the Delaware County Courthouse to protest the nighttime pay raise.
“Basically, what we said is we weren’t being unreasonable ... With the legislators, our point of view was, you’re entitled to make a decent living, however, you don’t do it this way. You don’t do things in the dead of night behind close doors and not visible,” he said.
In November of 2005, Gov. Ed Rendell signed a law repealing the controversial pay raises. Some legislators opted to return the bonuses they received in the form of unvouchered expenses.
“It was not because of us so much, but because of the outcry across the state, and they stayed away from it ever since,” he said.
“I guess that experience emboldened us a bit. It was not only us. What you found was (that) on a statewide basis, the same thing was happening. There was an awakening of taxpayers, groups and organizations who began to take notice … and consider other things that are of importance,” said Santore.
Taking it statewide
From there, the coalition decided to shift its focus to property-tax reform and funding for local school districts.
“What we found was that if there is a right of passage that occurs every spring, it’s your property tax goes up. You can count on it. In some parts of the state, it goes up out of sight,” Santore said.
By reaching out to other groups across the state through the Internet, the coalition teamed up with other grassroots organizations that were advocating for property-tax reform.
“All of the sudden, you had the emergence of these groups. It was an exciting thing because of the fact that these are just average folks. We’re not professional lobbyists who have an ax to grind that accrues to our personal or financial benefit,” he said.
These groups now belong to the umbrella group Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers Associations, a network of 30 grassroots taxpayer organizations with a total membership of roughly 700,000 people.
“(The PTCA) packages statewide stuff, compiles e-mail lists, and gives support and encouragement to small groups who were upset across the state and wanted to get involved,” Santore said.
“While it did not negate what (the 55+ Coalition is) doing at a local level, we still felt … networking with the statewide organization would do a variety of things, including giving us more information about what’s going on in Harrisburg and linking us with other groups in state,” Santore said.
The PTCA connects with other taxpayers without nearby local groups through the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, headed by David Baldinger.
The Web and e-mail based group’s Web site gets about 175-200 hits a day.
“I have subscribers from all over the state and local groups from in the area,” said Baldinger, a Berks County resident.
A group out of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County was the most recent organization to join the PTCA about six weeks ago, Baldinger said.
“We have a large number of supporters, but not enough to pressure the legislators. We’re going to keep building until the legislators have to listen to us. Considering how much we’ve grown, we hope to have a lot more success,” he said.
Pushing reform
Santore said the property tax rebate from slot machines isn’t enough to be considered reform.
“We did get a small rebate this past year, I think out here it came out to $250, but what good is it if your taxes go up X amount every year, which they do? You’re always behind the ball,” he said.
PTCA, PTCC and the 55+ Coalition are outspoken supporters of HB 1275, or the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, introduced by state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks.
The controversial plan would completely eliminate property taxes, but would cost taxpayers extra sales tax on goods and services that are currently tax-free, such as accounting bills or dry cleaning fees.
The Rendell administration has said it would hurt low-income families on tight budgets and would not generate enough money to offset the lost property-tax revenue.
Opponents also say that Pennsylvania businesses would suffer with a broader sales tax when consumers flee to border states, such as Delaware, for tax-free shopping and services.
Supporters insist that savings from eliminated property taxes would offset the broader sales tax, and would increase fairness since everyone would contribute.
HB 1275 has been in the appropriations committee since September 2007.
Teamed with fellow members of the PTCA, the 55+ Coalition participated in a rally that drew hundreds to Harrisburg last June to show their support of HB 1275.
“We worked long and hard to support that legislation, and we really had reason to believe we had a good chance of getting that bill through the House because of the intensity and volume of what was happening across the state. People were saying they just can’t continue to pay escalating property taxes anymore,” said Santore.
“People came up from across the state and told the human story of what they’re faced with. Some had to give up their home after being there for 40 years. This thing is not only confined to just seniors … young couples can’t afford to buy new homes, or are paying $9,000, $10,000 in property taxes. How long could you go on, even in a good school system?
“The sad part was that like so many things, and especially in the history of property tax reform, in attempts to reform what is really an archaic system, it became a political hot potato,” he said.
“It’s not that we’re turning around to do anything that would hurt quality education, but like in any organization or institution … there are budgets and there are budgets. What can we do that’s less expensive, maybe we don’t need too many frills. Let’s focus on basics with education, good teachers, salaries, we’re supportive of that.”
A call for action
Santore admits he’s not optimistic for property tax reform to become a reality anytime soon.
However, his pessimism should not be confused for a white flag of surrender.
“I learned in all the positions I held, pretty much you’re foolish if you think you can divorce yourself from the political situation and not be involved,” he said.
People are struggling with property taxes, a reality that shouldn’t be ignored, Santore said.
“You can’t get away from the fact we don’t have the money,” he said.
“The economic downturn and the credit crisis we’re in, all of these things were seen, they were predicted … you just can’t put your head in the sand. You have to turn around and look at what is happening year after year with escalation of property taxes and impact it has on people, and at some point, just like we’re seeing now with the subprime mortgage lending, the bubble has to burst.”
With the 2008 legislative session recently ending and Election Day still a few weeks away, the 55+ Coalition is in a holding pattern.
“We’re focusing on the election, waiting to see who is elected and when the new session starts we’ll take it from there. We’re supporting our lawmakers who support our efforts. Statewide our efforts are to take those who have not been supportive of our efforts to reform property tax and get them out of office.”
Santore said he hopes more people will become involved with property tax issues.
“People feel powerless. What can I do? I can’t do anything, I can’t fight system,” he said. “I feel one thing we’ve been able to as a coalition has been to educate people in a variety of ways, to let them know there is a venue or vehicle through us that we can express their feelings.”
A vote for the ages
Sunday, October 19, 2008 6:50 AM EDT
By Vicky Thomas vthomas@delcotimes.com
Tony Santore has nothing against educators or successful schools.
“Our concern is, what real accountability do school districts have to the average taxpayer?” he said.
Santore is the founder of the Delaware County 55+ Coalition, a grassroots taxpayer advocacy group composed of six Delaware County active adult communities — Fox Hill Farm, Riviera, Belmont, Fox Field, Creekside and Windsor.
A 72-year-old retired health-care administrator, Santore resides in Fox Hill Farm, a sprawling village in Concord with manicured lawns and 500 uniform homes.
It’s also located in the Garnet Valley School District, which costs Santore about $6,000 each year in property taxes.
“We have not been unreasonable with our approach. We’re not adverse to good education. We’ve been there. We’ve benefited,” said Santore. “I have nothing against educators; my daughters are educators. But as a guy who managed a health-care organization, I can tell you, you don’t give a blank check to anybody. There’s accountability. You can’t do that and continue to have a viable economy.”
There are about 7,000 members in the 55+ Coalition, adding up to a good amount of political clout.
“What we found early on, legislators did not want to deal with it because it’s a hot potato,” Santore said.
“The other thing is, I hate to say it, but we found so many of our citizens who are affected by it really didn’t know what was going on. All they knew was their tax bill was going up. We spent a lot of effort educating our community with newsletters, fliers, developing an e-mail mailing list.”
Whether or not legislators and taxpayers are paying attention, the property-tax situation in Pennsylvania is an issue that needs action now, Santore said.
“A lot of people have been forced out of their homes, and it’s gotten worse, and it’s not just confined to the seniors,” he said.
Informal beginnings
The 55+ Coalition originally came together to protest the now-infamous legislative pay raise of 2005, which was approved in a late-night vote that spurred a whirlwind of voter backlash.
“I thought that was an opportune time to pull together. I knew of these other communities, and I just reached out to them,” said Santore. “We had a representative from each community, and as I remember, we immediately jumped into the task of getting to our lawmakers and voicing our anger. We met with them individually, we sent letters, we held a petition drive.”
The variety of skill sets contributed by the members helped the growing coalition, Santore said.
“People brought different perspectives and backgrounds to the table, and they were all helpful because they had all been in different lines of work. They were all good and not self-serving,” he said.
He realized his own experience as a hospital administrator translated well into community activism.
“I managed to spend a lot of my time on the state level and national level dealing with politicians and staffs, being able to testify on different issues of concern of our industry,” said Santore.
“I found while I was not naive then or now to think a few voices can make a tremendous difference, I find most people will complain but won’t do anything and won’t work at it,” he said.
The coalition attended rallies in Harrisburg and at the Delaware County Courthouse to protest the nighttime pay raise.
“Basically, what we said is we weren’t being unreasonable ... With the legislators, our point of view was, you’re entitled to make a decent living, however, you don’t do it this way. You don’t do things in the dead of night behind close doors and not visible,” he said.
In November of 2005, Gov. Ed Rendell signed a law repealing the controversial pay raises. Some legislators opted to return the bonuses they received in the form of unvouchered expenses.
“It was not because of us so much, but because of the outcry across the state, and they stayed away from it ever since,” he said.
“I guess that experience emboldened us a bit. It was not only us. What you found was (that) on a statewide basis, the same thing was happening. There was an awakening of taxpayers, groups and organizations who began to take notice … and consider other things that are of importance,” said Santore.
Taking it statewide
From there, the coalition decided to shift its focus to property-tax reform and funding for local school districts.
“What we found was that if there is a right of passage that occurs every spring, it’s your property tax goes up. You can count on it. In some parts of the state, it goes up out of sight,” Santore said.
By reaching out to other groups across the state through the Internet, the coalition teamed up with other grassroots organizations that were advocating for property-tax reform.
“All of the sudden, you had the emergence of these groups. It was an exciting thing because of the fact that these are just average folks. We’re not professional lobbyists who have an ax to grind that accrues to our personal or financial benefit,” he said.
These groups now belong to the umbrella group Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers Associations, a network of 30 grassroots taxpayer organizations with a total membership of roughly 700,000 people.
“(The PTCA) packages statewide stuff, compiles e-mail lists, and gives support and encouragement to small groups who were upset across the state and wanted to get involved,” Santore said.
“While it did not negate what (the 55+ Coalition is) doing at a local level, we still felt … networking with the statewide organization would do a variety of things, including giving us more information about what’s going on in Harrisburg and linking us with other groups in state,” Santore said.
The PTCA connects with other taxpayers without nearby local groups through the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, headed by David Baldinger.
The Web and e-mail based group’s Web site gets about 175-200 hits a day.
“I have subscribers from all over the state and local groups from in the area,” said Baldinger, a Berks County resident.
A group out of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County was the most recent organization to join the PTCA about six weeks ago, Baldinger said.
“We have a large number of supporters, but not enough to pressure the legislators. We’re going to keep building until the legislators have to listen to us. Considering how much we’ve grown, we hope to have a lot more success,” he said.
Pushing reform
Santore said the property tax rebate from slot machines isn’t enough to be considered reform.
“We did get a small rebate this past year, I think out here it came out to $250, but what good is it if your taxes go up X amount every year, which they do? You’re always behind the ball,” he said.
PTCA, PTCC and the 55+ Coalition are outspoken supporters of HB 1275, or the School Property Tax Elimination Act of 2007, introduced by state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks.
The controversial plan would completely eliminate property taxes, but would cost taxpayers extra sales tax on goods and services that are currently tax-free, such as accounting bills or dry cleaning fees.
The Rendell administration has said it would hurt low-income families on tight budgets and would not generate enough money to offset the lost property-tax revenue.
Opponents also say that Pennsylvania businesses would suffer with a broader sales tax when consumers flee to border states, such as Delaware, for tax-free shopping and services.
Supporters insist that savings from eliminated property taxes would offset the broader sales tax, and would increase fairness since everyone would contribute.
HB 1275 has been in the appropriations committee since September 2007.
Teamed with fellow members of the PTCA, the 55+ Coalition participated in a rally that drew hundreds to Harrisburg last June to show their support of HB 1275.
“We worked long and hard to support that legislation, and we really had reason to believe we had a good chance of getting that bill through the House because of the intensity and volume of what was happening across the state. People were saying they just can’t continue to pay escalating property taxes anymore,” said Santore.
“People came up from across the state and told the human story of what they’re faced with. Some had to give up their home after being there for 40 years. This thing is not only confined to just seniors … young couples can’t afford to buy new homes, or are paying $9,000, $10,000 in property taxes. How long could you go on, even in a good school system?
“The sad part was that like so many things, and especially in the history of property tax reform, in attempts to reform what is really an archaic system, it became a political hot potato,” he said.
“It’s not that we’re turning around to do anything that would hurt quality education, but like in any organization or institution … there are budgets and there are budgets. What can we do that’s less expensive, maybe we don’t need too many frills. Let’s focus on basics with education, good teachers, salaries, we’re supportive of that.”
A call for action
Santore admits he’s not optimistic for property tax reform to become a reality anytime soon.
However, his pessimism should not be confused for a white flag of surrender.
“I learned in all the positions I held, pretty much you’re foolish if you think you can divorce yourself from the political situation and not be involved,” he said.
People are struggling with property taxes, a reality that shouldn’t be ignored, Santore said.
“You can’t get away from the fact we don’t have the money,” he said.
“The economic downturn and the credit crisis we’re in, all of these things were seen, they were predicted … you just can’t put your head in the sand. You have to turn around and look at what is happening year after year with escalation of property taxes and impact it has on people, and at some point, just like we’re seeing now with the subprime mortgage lending, the bubble has to burst.”
With the 2008 legislative session recently ending and Election Day still a few weeks away, the 55+ Coalition is in a holding pattern.
“We’re focusing on the election, waiting to see who is elected and when the new session starts we’ll take it from there. We’re supporting our lawmakers who support our efforts. Statewide our efforts are to take those who have not been supportive of our efforts to reform property tax and get them out of office.”
Santore said he hopes more people will become involved with property tax issues.
“People feel powerless. What can I do? I can’t do anything, I can’t fight system,” he said. “I feel one thing we’ve been able to as a coalition has been to educate people in a variety of ways, to let them know there is a venue or vehicle through us that we can express their feelings.”
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Schools News Around the Blogosphere
Blackman v. District of Columbia
D.C. to Aid Students With Special Needs
Washington Post
Pilot programs aim to make the school system a more welcoming place for children with learning disabilities or behavioral challenges. District officials, under mounting pressure from a federal judge to overhaul special education services in public schools, promised significant improvements over the next year, including the return of some children now in private schools because the city could not meet their needs.
Well-Paid Teachers? I'm on Board
New York Times
By Christine Gralow
When I recently saw an ad for a $125,000-a-year teaching job at a New York City charter school, my first thought was that it must be some sort of phishing scam. Everyone knows teachers don't make $125,000. My second thought was, "Why shouldn't we?"
Students Are No Longer Surpassing Parents' Educational Achievement
Diverse Magazine
by Robin Chen Delos
The American tradition of generational upward mobility is at a standstill, and for some minority groups the younger generation is obtaining postsecondary education at lower levels than older adults, according to a new report released Thursday by the American Council on Education (ACE).
7 proposed Philadelphia charter schools in limbo
Philadelphia Inquirer
Five months after winning conditional approval, seven charter schools are still in limbo, unsure whether they'll get the green light to start school next year, and unable to access grant money awarded them, secure buildings or hire teachers.
financial crisis will cause a huge influx of private school kid
Meltdown may burn public schools
New York Daily News
Public school parents fear the financial crisis will cause a huge influx of private school kids into the already overcrowded public system. Many of the city's 35,000-plus private school students are concentrated in Manhattan's overstuffed Districts 2 and 3.
Layoffs, trims in education, services coming
D.C. to Aid Students With Special Needs
Washington Post
Pilot programs aim to make the school system a more welcoming place for children with learning disabilities or behavioral challenges. District officials, under mounting pressure from a federal judge to overhaul special education services in public schools, promised significant improvements over the next year, including the return of some children now in private schools because the city could not meet their needs.
Well-Paid Teachers? I'm on Board
New York Times
By Christine Gralow
When I recently saw an ad for a $125,000-a-year teaching job at a New York City charter school, my first thought was that it must be some sort of phishing scam. Everyone knows teachers don't make $125,000. My second thought was, "Why shouldn't we?"
Students Are No Longer Surpassing Parents' Educational Achievement
Diverse Magazine
by Robin Chen Delos
The American tradition of generational upward mobility is at a standstill, and for some minority groups the younger generation is obtaining postsecondary education at lower levels than older adults, according to a new report released Thursday by the American Council on Education (ACE).
7 proposed Philadelphia charter schools in limbo
Philadelphia Inquirer
Five months after winning conditional approval, seven charter schools are still in limbo, unsure whether they'll get the green light to start school next year, and unable to access grant money awarded them, secure buildings or hire teachers.
financial crisis will cause a huge influx of private school kid
Meltdown may burn public schools
New York Daily News
Public school parents fear the financial crisis will cause a huge influx of private school kids into the already overcrowded public system. Many of the city's 35,000-plus private school students are concentrated in Manhattan's overstuffed Districts 2 and 3.
Layoffs, trims in education, services coming
Out of the Frying Pan?
From the Inquirer. Something to think about when the farming plan is presented.
Editorial: Safer Schools Posted on Sat, Oct. 18, 2008
By the book
The Philadelphia School District finally gets it. Persistently violent and unruly students must be removed from school to restore order and create a positive learning environment.
School District chief Arlene Ackerman on Wednesday announced a disciplinary crackdown to expel the most violent students and tighten codes for others. "We mean business," she promised.
Plagued by escalating violence, the school district should have taken a harder line years ago by removing serious troublemakers as quickly as possible.
Although it has a zero-tolerance policy that would allow it to do so, the district has not expelled a single student in four years. Instead, offenders were transferred to alternative schools - or worse, left in the very classroom where offenses occurred.
By refusing to expel students who brought weapons to school, the district violated state and federal laws, according to Jack Stollsteimer, the state's safe-schools advocate. In the 2006-07 school year, only 34 percent of the nearly 1,000 students caught with weapons were sent to alternative classrooms.
With 20 city schools deemed "persistently dangerous" last year - and more than 5,000 criminal offenses in schools across the district - that must change.
Strict discipline would help curb violence and give control of classrooms back to teachers and students who want to learn. An expulsion can last for up to a year.
Discipline also must be meted out swiftly and fairly to send a strong message to students that disruptive behavior will no longer be tolerated.
In another step in the right direction, principals can now suspend students for up to 10 days, the maximum allowed by state law. Previously, no student was removed from Philadelphia schools for more than five days.
Of course, the school district cannot focus solely on punishment. Officials also must try to intervene before discipline problems occur by providing services to help students with chronic behavioral problems.
Ackerman's announced crackdown was applauded by the School Reform Commission and Mayor Nutter, who has charged her with improving the school system by drastically cutting the dropout rate and boosting the graduation rate.
The stronger punishments were recommended by a committee of school-safety experts as part of a plan to revamp the discipline system. Before Ackerman, the district had dismissed the committee's findings. But Ackerman, in a hopeful sign of progress, embraced the recommendations.
The district should move quickly to implement the new policies, which include creating a safety cabinet within Ackerman's office and assigning an administrator at every school to oversee safety issues
By enforcing discipline and holding students accountable, the school district can more effectively change the culture and climate in schools. A few bad apples should not be allowed to wreak havoc for the majority of students. They want to learn.
Editorial: Safer Schools Posted on Sat, Oct. 18, 2008
By the book
The Philadelphia School District finally gets it. Persistently violent and unruly students must be removed from school to restore order and create a positive learning environment.
School District chief Arlene Ackerman on Wednesday announced a disciplinary crackdown to expel the most violent students and tighten codes for others. "We mean business," she promised.
Plagued by escalating violence, the school district should have taken a harder line years ago by removing serious troublemakers as quickly as possible.
Although it has a zero-tolerance policy that would allow it to do so, the district has not expelled a single student in four years. Instead, offenders were transferred to alternative schools - or worse, left in the very classroom where offenses occurred.
By refusing to expel students who brought weapons to school, the district violated state and federal laws, according to Jack Stollsteimer, the state's safe-schools advocate. In the 2006-07 school year, only 34 percent of the nearly 1,000 students caught with weapons were sent to alternative classrooms.
With 20 city schools deemed "persistently dangerous" last year - and more than 5,000 criminal offenses in schools across the district - that must change.
Strict discipline would help curb violence and give control of classrooms back to teachers and students who want to learn. An expulsion can last for up to a year.
Discipline also must be meted out swiftly and fairly to send a strong message to students that disruptive behavior will no longer be tolerated.
In another step in the right direction, principals can now suspend students for up to 10 days, the maximum allowed by state law. Previously, no student was removed from Philadelphia schools for more than five days.
Of course, the school district cannot focus solely on punishment. Officials also must try to intervene before discipline problems occur by providing services to help students with chronic behavioral problems.
Ackerman's announced crackdown was applauded by the School Reform Commission and Mayor Nutter, who has charged her with improving the school system by drastically cutting the dropout rate and boosting the graduation rate.
The stronger punishments were recommended by a committee of school-safety experts as part of a plan to revamp the discipline system. Before Ackerman, the district had dismissed the committee's findings. But Ackerman, in a hopeful sign of progress, embraced the recommendations.
The district should move quickly to implement the new policies, which include creating a safety cabinet within Ackerman's office and assigning an administrator at every school to oversee safety issues
By enforcing discipline and holding students accountable, the school district can more effectively change the culture and climate in schools. A few bad apples should not be allowed to wreak havoc for the majority of students. They want to learn.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Palisades Strike Averted
From the Intelligencer.
Gotta love the comments section...
Teachers, board reach tentative deal
By AMANDA CREGAN, The Intelligencer
Palisades parents can breathe a sigh of relief.
The school district announced Wednesday that a tentative agreement has been reached between the teachers union and school board following negotiations Tuesday night.
Details of the new contract won't be released until both sides finalize the deal.
“Our ratification process usually takes about two weeks, and we will not discuss terms of the agreement until the process has been completed,” said Palisades teachers union Co-President Laurie Borger.
Parents and school administrators were bracing for a strike this week if teachers union representatives did not see contract talks significantly progress.
Last week, the 160-member teachers union authorized its leadership to call a strike, and Pennsylvania State Education Association representative Gary Smith said he was preparing for the worst.
“I think it's very likely,” Smith said late last week. “The board is just simply not being forthright with the association and the sides are very far apart. I can't see the board moving to anywhere near middle ground for a settlement.”
Teachers union and school board members would not discuss any details of the unexpected agreement.
In their old contract, salaries ranged from $40,000 to $93,505.
Teachers pay 11 percent of their health insurance premium and are responsible for prescription drug co-pays.
The benefits package also includes life insurance, liability insurance, short-term disability and long-term disability protection.
In the $36 million district budget for 2008-09, salary and benefits total nearly $24 million.
That contract expired June 30; talks began in January.
This fall, Palisades teachers have been working to rule, which means their workday ends at school dismissal and they do not participate in extra school activities.
It was also the first time the district has ever seen a strike authorization by teachers.
PSEA representative Smith could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
School board members declined to publicly mention the tentative agreement at their scheduled board meeting Wednesday night.
Gotta love the comments section...
Teachers, board reach tentative deal
By AMANDA CREGAN, The Intelligencer
Palisades parents can breathe a sigh of relief.
The school district announced Wednesday that a tentative agreement has been reached between the teachers union and school board following negotiations Tuesday night.
Details of the new contract won't be released until both sides finalize the deal.
“Our ratification process usually takes about two weeks, and we will not discuss terms of the agreement until the process has been completed,” said Palisades teachers union Co-President Laurie Borger.
Parents and school administrators were bracing for a strike this week if teachers union representatives did not see contract talks significantly progress.
Last week, the 160-member teachers union authorized its leadership to call a strike, and Pennsylvania State Education Association representative Gary Smith said he was preparing for the worst.
“I think it's very likely,” Smith said late last week. “The board is just simply not being forthright with the association and the sides are very far apart. I can't see the board moving to anywhere near middle ground for a settlement.”
Teachers union and school board members would not discuss any details of the unexpected agreement.
In their old contract, salaries ranged from $40,000 to $93,505.
Teachers pay 11 percent of their health insurance premium and are responsible for prescription drug co-pays.
The benefits package also includes life insurance, liability insurance, short-term disability and long-term disability protection.
In the $36 million district budget for 2008-09, salary and benefits total nearly $24 million.
That contract expired June 30; talks began in January.
This fall, Palisades teachers have been working to rule, which means their workday ends at school dismissal and they do not participate in extra school activities.
It was also the first time the district has ever seen a strike authorization by teachers.
PSEA representative Smith could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
School board members declined to publicly mention the tentative agreement at their scheduled board meeting Wednesday night.
College Affordability Hearings
From marketwatch.com
PA State Board of Education to Host Hearings on College Affordability
Last update: 11:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 16, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- 5 Hearings Offer Opportunity for Students, Parents, Others
With Pennsylvania college students graduating with an average of almost $23,000 in student loan debt, the affordability of post-secondary education will be the focus of a series of hearings announced today by the State Board of Education.
The issue of college affordability continues to be a serious and growing concern of the State Board's Council of Higher Education. It was the first issue addressed in the Master Plan for Higher Education approved by the Board of Education in 2005.
As the costs of attending college continue to escalate - combined with relatively flat federal, state and institutional financial aid and increasingly restricted public and private loan markets - the Council of Higher Education hopes to gain the public's insight into how these factors are impacting the ability of those wishing to attend college.
The board is looking for testimony from college students, recent graduates, parents, higher education officials and others on how financial factors are impacting the accessibility to a postsecondary education and how students might be able to attend college without taking on worrisome debt burdens that must be repaid after graduation.
Among the issues the hearings will explore:
-- Do students feel overly burdened by the amount of money they must borrow
to cover educational costs?
-- Do concerns about student loan debt impact the choice of college major
or career choice?
-- How widespread is the practice of students and their families borrowing
funds from private sources such as home equity loans, credit cards,
etc., to pay for college?
The hearings are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
-- Oct. 23 - Luzerne County Community College Conference Center, Room 131,
1333 South Prospect St., Nanticoke.
-- Oct. 24 - Community College of Philadelphia Center for Business &
Industry, C2.5 - Lecture Room, 1700 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia.
-- Oct. 28 - Harrisburg Area Community College, Cooper Student Union, Room
204, One HAAC Dr., Harrisburg.
-- Oct. 29 - Community College of Allegheny County, Dining Room, Boyce
Campus, 595 Beatty Road, Monroeville.
-- Nov. 3 - Clarion University, Gemmell Student Center, Room 250, 840 Wood
St., Clarion.
Each hearing will begin at 10 a.m. and will continue until all testimony is received.
Individuals wishing to testify must register at least 24 hours in advance and will be assigned a 10-minute time slot. Those registered to present testimony must provide 25 copies of their written comments at the time testimony is presented, and they are requested to arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to their scheduled time slot to avoid delays in the hearing.
Persons interested in presenting testimony must contact the State Board of Education office at (7l7) 787-3787 (TTY 717-783-8445) or e-mail babaker@state.pa.us, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Individuals unable to attend the hearing are encouraged to submit written comments directly to the State Board of Education on or before 4 p.m., Nov. 5. Copies of testimony will be provided to each member of the State Board of Education. Comments should be sent to:
Council of Higher Education
State Board of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333.
CONTACT:
Jim Buckheit
(717) 787-3787
SOURCE Pennsylvania State Board of Education
PA State Board of Education to Host Hearings on College Affordability
Last update: 11:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 16, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- 5 Hearings Offer Opportunity for Students, Parents, Others
With Pennsylvania college students graduating with an average of almost $23,000 in student loan debt, the affordability of post-secondary education will be the focus of a series of hearings announced today by the State Board of Education.
The issue of college affordability continues to be a serious and growing concern of the State Board's Council of Higher Education. It was the first issue addressed in the Master Plan for Higher Education approved by the Board of Education in 2005.
As the costs of attending college continue to escalate - combined with relatively flat federal, state and institutional financial aid and increasingly restricted public and private loan markets - the Council of Higher Education hopes to gain the public's insight into how these factors are impacting the ability of those wishing to attend college.
The board is looking for testimony from college students, recent graduates, parents, higher education officials and others on how financial factors are impacting the accessibility to a postsecondary education and how students might be able to attend college without taking on worrisome debt burdens that must be repaid after graduation.
Among the issues the hearings will explore:
-- Do students feel overly burdened by the amount of money they must borrow
to cover educational costs?
-- Do concerns about student loan debt impact the choice of college major
or career choice?
-- How widespread is the practice of students and their families borrowing
funds from private sources such as home equity loans, credit cards,
etc., to pay for college?
The hearings are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
-- Oct. 23 - Luzerne County Community College Conference Center, Room 131,
1333 South Prospect St., Nanticoke.
-- Oct. 24 - Community College of Philadelphia Center for Business &
Industry, C2.5 - Lecture Room, 1700 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia.
-- Oct. 28 - Harrisburg Area Community College, Cooper Student Union, Room
204, One HAAC Dr., Harrisburg.
-- Oct. 29 - Community College of Allegheny County, Dining Room, Boyce
Campus, 595 Beatty Road, Monroeville.
-- Nov. 3 - Clarion University, Gemmell Student Center, Room 250, 840 Wood
St., Clarion.
Each hearing will begin at 10 a.m. and will continue until all testimony is received.
Individuals wishing to testify must register at least 24 hours in advance and will be assigned a 10-minute time slot. Those registered to present testimony must provide 25 copies of their written comments at the time testimony is presented, and they are requested to arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to their scheduled time slot to avoid delays in the hearing.
Persons interested in presenting testimony must contact the State Board of Education office at (7l7) 787-3787 (TTY 717-783-8445) or e-mail babaker@state.pa.us, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Individuals unable to attend the hearing are encouraged to submit written comments directly to the State Board of Education on or before 4 p.m., Nov. 5. Copies of testimony will be provided to each member of the State Board of Education. Comments should be sent to:
Council of Higher Education
State Board of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333.
CONTACT:
Jim Buckheit
(717) 787-3787
SOURCE Pennsylvania State Board of Education
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