HOUSE CONSIDERS TEACHER EVALUATION REFORM
Last June, the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 751, which amends the current teacher evaluation system enacted in 2012. SB 751 is now being considered by the PA House of Representatives. Under the bill, the following changes would occur:
- Raise the current observation portion from 50% to 70%
- Teacher specific data (e.g. standardized test scores) would now be 20%
- Building level data (e.g. graduation rates and attendance) would now be 10%
The proposed legislation also makes adjustments for an area’s poverty level.
ACT 48 PROGRAM COULD ADDRESS CULTURAL AWARENESS
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is considering House Bill 434, which directs the PA Department of Education to develop and implement a continuing professional education course on cultural awareness. This may be used to satisfy Act 48 requirements. If HB 434 becomes law, the program is intended to provide educators with information and strategies that can be incorporated into student instruction in order to encourage students to become more culturally aware and to reject ethnic, cultural and religious biases. The course will be voluntary, offered online, and at no cost to educators.
PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE MAY BE USED FOR GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
House Bill 49 is advancing through the General Assembly and awaiting consideration by the full Senate. If signed into law, beginning the 2020-2021 school year, students who successfully complete a course in personal finance during grades 9-12 shall be permitted to apply up to one credit to satisfy the student’s social studies, family and consumer science, mathematics or business education credit requirement for graduation. School districts would have the final determination as to which course of study the credit shall be applied.
STATE LAWMAKERS LOOKING TO REPEAL PROPERTY TAXES
A group of state lawmakers, led by Senator David Argall, are working on recommendations to cut or eliminate school property taxes. Funding schools using property taxes goes back to 1834 and the vast differences in demographics and population groups throughout Pennsylvania have made past compromises on this issue impossible. An ongoing challenge has been how to adequately transfer a crucial part of education funding to another area of the tax base. Options being considered include raising both sales and income taxes.
