PARSS Newsletter January/February 2000

Senator Rhoades says, “Most of us here in the legislature and the communities that we serve know that there is something wrong with the present system. We have to begin to take a look at every possibility to create a system that will be fair to children, parents, taxpayers, and communities in our Commonwealth. I have been working with school finance experts, school organizations, and tax experts. They all agree that the present system that we have in place is neither efficient nor fair. We have to create a better way.”

Senator Rhoades has been working on refining this system for the past two years along with other members of the legislature. He feels that the time is right to introduce something that will improve state participation, move forward with a level playing field, so that all schools can achieve the standards that have been passed.

“It is time to get serious about reforming the way we pay for education in PA,” Rhoades said. “My introduction of this bill is a first step toward getting this important job done.”

For details of the proposal, see www.ezonline.com/parss.

Dr. Peter Flynn has long connections to schools in the Commonwealth of PA. He had been the Superintendent of the Scranton School District. He has also been Superintendent of the Fayette County Schools in Kentucky, and of Davenport, Iowa. He is currently Visiting Professor at the University of Kentucky’s College of Education. He is also the Associate Director of UK’s Center for the Study of the Superintendency.

He will speak primarily about the changing nature of the Superintendency, and the changing nature of board-superintendent relationships. Prior to our Annual Meeting, Dr. Flynn will be conducting some research on these topics specific to Pennsylvania rural and small schools. A report of his findings will be made at the Annual Meeting. If you are interested in participating in this study, please fill out the survey form that has been sent to you. The survey is limited to school superintendents. Responses will be kept in the strictest confidence. Only superintendents of rural and small schools will be receiving the survey.

To date we have received over one hundred responses. We thank you all for your cooperation.

The Supreme Court of the United States issued its definitive decision about vouchers in 1973. Since then there have been a number of challenges to the legality of spending taxpayers dollars to support parochial elementary and secondary schools. In 1995, in Wisconsin, by the United States Court of Appeals earlier this year and now in the Ohio case, the courts have struck down vouchers. The latest case was a test of the Ohio Voucher Plan that has been in place in Cleveland. Judge Oliver declared that vouchers violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

The case will probably be appealed to the Supreme Court.

GOOD NEWS FOR A NEW YEAR

One of my most deeply held beliefs about government is that you should be very, very careful about what you ask for, because you are apt to end up with the opposite result. I’m sure you understand what I mean: it is the law of unexpected consequences. If a magician performs it as a trick, it is a matter of wonder. Generally, if a politician serves it up . . . well, picture a handful of confetti thrown into the air returning to earth as cannon balls.

When you enter a world as strange and different as the one that sits on Capitol Hill in Harrisburg, with needs that require state sanction, be it by law, regulation or executive permission, you should always be listening for the theme music from “The Twilight Zone”, and checking to see if the Wizard is still behind the curtain, or on his way to Kansas.

This opening riff is an attempt to set the table for this month’s entrée - an non-objective update on the status of subsidy reform. When last we met, this uncared for creature was at death’s door, ill from massive indifference, and badly maimed from being hit by the dropped scales of justice.

The twist in the tale is that the dismissal of the equity suit by the Supreme Court has had a different effect than could have been assumed. I think many of those involved with the case, myself included, believed that the courts needed to tell the General Assembly that it must correct an unconstitutional situation for progress to be made.

What is happening is the unanticipated consequence I spoke of above. The surprise is that, at this juncture, the goings on are more positive than negative. Rather than using the dismissal as an excuse to do nothing, some legislators have reacted in a way that can be summed up as, “O.K. I thought the courts were going to do it, but if they are not then it is up to us.” Which, to give the robed ones their due, is what they said had to happen.

There is more genuine interest in major subsidy reform, which is, of course, also real tax reform than has been seen in many years, probably going back to the establishment of the late, lamented Equalized Subsidy for Basic Education (ESBE) in 1983. I will cite some specific examples:

• This Fall, the House and Senate Education Committees held a joint hearing on education funding and the need for significant change. This provided a forum for a lot of important informal conversation, by bringing most of the major actors together for the first time since the equity suit was dismissed.

• The PARSS-ASDEE-PLUS proposal for subsidy reform will soon be introduced as legislation. We have reason to believe hearings on it will be scheduled.

• What is known as the KEEPS proposal has been introduced by the House Education Committee’s Minority Chairman Nick Colafella, and is daily gaining sponsors. This proposal would achieve the same end as ours, but would use a different method. Although we continue to promote ours, we are also supportive of KEEPS. Lets face it, if legislators are arguing over which way to achieve equity is better; we have taken a major step forward.

• The Republican leader John McNichol, Representatives Nicholas Micozzie and Mario Civera and County Commissioner Wallace Nunn have publicly stated that we must look at the way we fund schools and tax property, and find a way to change it. Implicit in this is the idea that state taxes will need to be raised for there to be substantive local tax relief. It is important to note that all these gentlemen are from Delaware County. This issue is no longer being pushed solely by the rural and urban areas, although Delaware County is really a mix of all, and is home to many legislative leaders.

• In early February, the first of a series of off-Capitol grounds discussions will be held in Harrisburg between interested legislators, staff and those most concerned about reform of funding. These will continue for at least four months and are sponsored by Penn State, in cooperation with PARSS, ASDEE and PLUS.

Much of this is the result of the fact that there are people with courage, leadership and vision in public service at both the state and local levels. I’ve mentioned some of them by name. There are others that could be named, and there will be more in the future. In fact, it is a list that may get rather lengthy.

This is one old curmudgeon who would love to have them blow some of the dust off my political cynicism. So, give a last blast on your New Year’s tooter, get a good grip on whatever passes for a solid surface in your world, and hope for a real good ride.

The Zions National Bank of Salt Lake City, Utah will be sponsoring a golf Tournament on the afternoon prior to the PARSS Annual Meeting. Sponsorship will enable about forty-eight participants to play. The tournament will be held at the Toftrees course. The format of the tournament will be a scramble. Teams will be established based on handicap. Participation will be on a first come first served basis. Arrangements can be made by contacting Bob Falk at 814-966-3214 or e-mail him at rfalk@senecaiu9.k12.pa.us.

As reported here in the PARSS newsletter a few issues ago, there are growing questions about the validity of the seals of proficiency that will be attached to graduation diplomas in high schools across the Commonwealth in the year 2002-2003. Over 30 school districts in the state have passed resolutions opposing these seals. At a hearing of the House Education Committee on December 15, 1999, legislators heard from members of the Department of Education and three other witnesses; Mr. Thomas King III a solicitor for a number of rural school districts in Western PA (Brookville Area School District being one), Mr. David Robbins, Superintendent of the Daniel Boone School District in Berks County and Mr. Theodore Schroeder, President of the Keystone Oaks School District Board of Directors in Allegheny County.

Mr. King argues that it is possible that these seals are unconstitutional because they interfere with the legal right of local school districts to determine and set graduation requirements. Mr. Shroeder opined that the time that has been spent preparing for the tests takes away from time that teachers have to teach the curriculum. “The Tests have little benefit to our students, their parents and community,” said Mr. Schroeder.

Mr. Robbins spoke of the disadvantages of awarding these seals while the matriculating students have not gone through the 12 years of the academic standards and curriculum revisions and teacher re-training that would be needed to accomplish these revisions. Students taking the test would not have the benefit of taking it more than once (even SATs can be taken more than once). The cut off scores for the test, the proficiency levels, have not as yet been decided. Those cut off scores are determined each year and have been different each year. If the PSSA tests had been the same for all of the years given, there would be some basis of comparison, but there is not.

For the $10,000,000 spent on scoring the tests, there is no item analysis for school districts to use to determine where it is that they need improvement. If no one can tell where it is that students are not doing well, then what is the value of the test and therefore the gold seal on the diploma?

If employers are going to be using the gold seal as a way of determining who is to be hired, are they going to unfairly discriminate based on the resources available to students in a school district? There is no level playing field on which to determine the ability of the district to produce a fair and equitable brand of education. Will post secondary schools look at the students with the gold seals and give them preference? Since SAT scores provide for only an 18% explanation of grades attained in college, will the PSSA seals do any better? In most cases the entrance examinations tests for post secondary schools can retake the Miller’s Anaolgies, the ACT, the SATs or entrance exams more than once. The PSSA test can be taken only once. The end paragraph of each of the testifiers was to maintain the local control given to the 500 school districts, so that with the proper resources, they can produce a quality education.

At its December board meeting, the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools acted on a number of items of interest. It accepted the resignation of Fred Smeigh of Frazier School District in Fayette County and Walter Curfman of Bedford County. These two stalwarts had been on the PARSS board for many years and Walter Curfman had served as recording secretary from the beginning. Tom Turnbaugh, Superintendent of Bentworth School District in Washington County and Dana Baker, Superintendent of Fannett Metal School District in Franklin County have been elected as their replacements on the Board. The PARSS Board also initiated a series of focus group meetings that will be held around the Commonwealth.

The PARSS Board, recognizing that PARSS needs a vision and plan for the future, has contracted with consultant, Carol Hillman, to identify ways in which PARSS can better meet the needs of Pennsylvania’s rural and small school districts. Carol is working closely with PARSS Board members: Dick Neff, Dave Monsour, Tom Turnbaugh, Dana Baker, Jon Rednak, and Rick Rossi to set up focus groups around the state. Over the next several months representatives from districts, including superintendents, business managers, building principals, and board members will be invited to tell PARSS what their districts need and how PARSS might meet those needs. By heeding their advice, we hope to develop a menu of services that will strengthen the districts we serve, allowing PARSS to expand its role as a responsive educational leader in Pennsylvania.