Newsroom

Video EDition: Rep. Mike Tobash discusses career & tech ed. legislation HB 522

Rep. Mike Tobash (R – Schuylkill, Dauphin) and PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer John Callahan discuss House Bill 522, legislation that would provide tax credits for businesses that contribute to career and technical education programs in participating public schools and career and technical education centers… More

Urban district leaders protest proposed charter law changes, call for more funds

Leaders of 10 urban school districts in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite, traveled to the State Capitol this week to oppose pending charter school legislation that they say would wreck their capacity to plan financially and weaken their ability to monitor charters’ performance… More

65 years after ‘Brown v. Board,’ where are all the black educators?

Sixty-five years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Brown also had an unintended consequence, the effects of which are still felt today: It caused the dismissal, demotion, or forced resignation of many experienced, highly credentialed black educators who staffed black-only schools… More

PSBA’s webcast on PSERS now online

A recording of PSBA's April 30 webcast, Teaching the Facts and Dispelling the Myths is now available on myPSBA in the Online Learning section. Experts from PSERS outline the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), how it is funded and the history of how the employer rate has risen to its current level… More

PA education secretary visits two Philly schools

Pedro Rivera, the Pennsylvania secretary of education, visited two Philadelphia elementary schools Wednesday. Rivera stopped by the Morton McMichael School and the Paul L. Dunbar School to learn more about what's working there for the students and craft suggestions as to how to improve schools across the state… More

PA House approves novel education benefit for families of National Guard members

Hoping to address a critical concern about insufficient numbers of Pennsylvania National Guard members re-enlisting, the state House of Representatives on Monday gave its stamp of approval to a first-of-its-kind educational incentive program that benefits service member’s family… More

PA superintendents rally in Harrisburg to push for funding reform

Superintendents from across the commonwealth pleaded their case for funding reform in Harrisburg Monday. All 12 of Pennsylvania's urban school district superintendents gathered in Harrisburg to advocate for funding reform… More

House panel approves four charter school bills

A House committee passed four charter school bills Monday, two by party-line votes, amid signs that these bills will see new amendments during the coming weeks… More

Local districts would welcome cyber tuition reform

Bradford is one of the districts that feels the sting of reduced funding due to tuition costs for students who attend cyber charter schools. “School districts must pay the average budgeted amount per pupil (versus our actual costs) to cyber charter schools,” said Katherine Pude, superintendent of Bradford Area School District… More

Schools strained by cyber options

Facing deep budget deficits owed in large part to state mandates including cyber charter school tuition, the Altoona Area and Hollidaysburg Area school boards last week both dreamt about the potential impact of legislation that would drastically reduce their costs of cyber charter school tuition… More