School pensions: What does the future hold?

While future teachers might not receive as lucrative a pension as those guaranteed to today’s school employees, experts who make a living providing clients with financial advice contend the plan… Read More

As Pennsylvania’s budget battle drags on, Gov. Wolf tries new negotiating tactic: Keep quiet

Gov. Wolf himself has largely stayed out of the fray, instead choosing to call certain legislative leaders for private discussions. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 3, 2017 Full story

PA unveils new school accountability system that puts less emphasis on standardized testing

The Pennsylvania Department of Education will unveil a new school quality metric in 2018 — dubbed the Future Ready PA Index — that it believes will foster a more holistic… Read More

Western PA district settles transgender bathroom lawsuit

An Allegheny County school district will allow students to use restrooms corresponding to their “consistently and uniformly asserted gender identity” in settling a federal lawsuit brought last year by three… Read More

Pension relief coming for school districts, but it’s nearly two decades away

Basic education funding for 2017-18 is increasing by $100 million statewide. Meanwhile, pension payments for districts are rising by $144 million. That imbalance, which ultimately shrinks money for the classroom,… Read More

Study: Pennsylvania public school system ranks 16th in the nation

The study, which scored the country’s public school systems based on safety and quality, ranked the commonwealth 16th out of 50 states, plus District of Columbia. Its overall score was… Read More

Insurer threatens to sue If PA tries to take $200M

An organization created by state law to offer medical malpractice insurance is threatening to sue if Pennsylvania state government tries to take $200 million from it. Associated Press, July 31,… Read More

Professional Ethics and the Educator Discipline Act”- Free Online Act 126 Training Now Available

Act 126 of 2012 (“Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Training”) amended the Public School Code of 1949 to mandate that all school entities and independent contractors of school entities provide… Read More

Suburban schools increase substitute teacher pay to combat shortage

The substitute teacher shortage is one of the ripple effects from the wider teacher shortage afflicting Pennsylvania. With fewer people seeking teacher certification, the pool of substitutes has shrunk considerably… Read More

In rural America, school choice sometimes means virtual school

More families are opting out of the traditional school system and sending their kids online. Last school year, 35 students from Union City Area SD (Erie) were enrolled in cyber charter… Read More