Local Education News

July 12, 2018 | Kristen A. Graham | The Inquirer

SUMMARY The number of teaching licenses that Pennsylvania issues annually has dropped from 14,000 to 5,000 since 2009, despite its educator preparation system being one of the largest in the country. The number of education majors in Pennsylvania colleges and universities has also dropped by 55% since 1996. Teacher turnover is a problem as well, with up to half the new teachers leaving the profession in the first 5 years.

SIGNIFICANCE The decrease in the number of educators is alarming, and makes the work that educational non-profits do even more essential. However, more will have to be done institutionally to ensure that the problem does not spiral out of control in the coming years. Both the economic and political issues as well as the perception of teaching as a profession will have to be addressed.

Education funding politics | Cartoon by Bacall, Aaron

June 29, 2018 | Avi Wolfman-Arent | WHYY

SUMMARY Governor Tom Wolf publicly stated that the state should apply the formula it adopted two years ago for increases in state education funds since 2015 to all basic education money. If Wolf follows through with his statement, Philadelphia and districts in growing areas of the state would benefit while many other shrinking districts would see schools close. Philadelphia would receive an extra $339 million while Pittsburgh would stand to lose $73 million annually. Wolf’s idea would also end the legacy of hold harmless, a provision ensuring districts received as much money as they did the years prior.

SIGNIFICANCE The ideal solution is as detailed by House Democratic spokesman Bill Patton: “Fighting over how to cut up the existing pie of state funding for basic education is not the solution; making the pie bigger while reducing the reliance on local property taxes is the solution.” However, given the improbability of more money flowing into public education and of wealthier parents allowing their taxes to be distributed at a larger level, it is difficult to see how this vision will be realized. Schools in Philadelphia would benefit from Wolf’s proposed application of the formula, but at the expense of many others.

July 6, 2018 | Dale Mezzacappa | The Notebook

SUMMARY Exposing the $155.3 million decline in state subsidies for classroom expenses in Pennsylvania since 2013 is just a part of the problem petitioners of the ‘William Penn School District et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education et al’ lawsuit seek to redress. While a funding formula was legislated in 2016, it only applies to 1.4% of total state education funding. Additionally, most of the funding has been used to pay for state mandated retirement benefits, which have grown by $2.043 billion since 2013. The state share of retirement contributions has however only increased by $1.176 billion, meaning districts have had to cover the gap of $867.6 million. This has led to widening gaps among the districts, with the 100 richest spending $3778 more on average than the 100 poorest.

SIGNIFICANCE The unmasking of growing inequality under the veneer of the funding formula legislators used as an indication for reform will hopefully be sufficient evidence for actual change. Funding policies that serve to alleviate the increased demand on local finances as well as locking funds to be specifically used for classroom expenses and student resources would be what educators, parents, and students expect.