The Sanatoga Post

Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis

HARRISBURG PA – Parents and private schools that intend to use or accept Pennsylvania-provided school choice vouchers – if they ever win Legislative approval and become available – must be prepared to have their children take and pass standardized academic tests, state Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis told the House Education Committee on Wednesday (Aug. 3, 2011), according to The Pennsylvania Independent online news service.

Standardized tests have been demanded by public school advocates in the debate over a proposed voucher program, in which state money could be used by certain families to send their children to private rather than public schools. The Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools opposes such testing;  Tomalis said Wednesday it was necessary to hold vouchered students “accountable for their academic performance.”

Tomalis added that Gov. Tom Corbett and his administration would support a program that starts by focusing on students at 144 schools in 23 districts that the state has labeled as “failing.” His testimony was part of a series of hearing the committee is holding to gather more information and comments on the school choice issue.

The Hill School and The Wyndcroft School, both in Pottstown PA; Kimberton Waldorf School in Kimberton, Montgomery School in Chester Springs, and Upland Country Day School in Kennett Square are among association members, its website reports.

• Read a story by reporter Eric Boehm, titled “Tomalis: Testing should be required of voucher students,” published Wednesday by The Independent, here.

Related (to education tuition vouchers):

• School Voucher Users Must Pass Tests, State Suggests
• PA School Voucher Bills Seem To Run Out Of Time
• School Choice Voucher Action Anticipated This Week
• Pottsgrove Board Officially Opposes School Vouchers
• Local Rep. Quigley Favors Tax Credits In School Choice
• PA Senate School Choice Vote Possible Next Week
• Two Unions Break Ranks, Back State School Vouchers
• Idea: Pottsgrove Might Prosper With Own Charter School
• Choice Amendment Would Remove Vouchers’ 3rd Year
• Teacher Unions Say Budgets, Vouchers Top Their Agendas
• Poll Claims Public Opposes Tuition Vouchers
• Senate Education Chair Preps For Voucher, Choice Battle

Photo by The Pensylvania Independent

HARRISBURG PA – Area school districts – Pottsgrove, Spring-Ford, and Pottstown among them – are being forced next year to grapple with more than just deep cuts in state and federal funding. They also face fundamental changes in educational philosophy, The Pennsylvania Independent online news service reported Friday (April 29, 2011).

School boards understood early on that federal economic stimulus money provided during the past two years by the Obama Administration would end someday. What they may not have appreciated, The Independent reported, is the extent to which former Gov. Ed Rendell ensured extra educational money was available.

Now Rendell’s successor, newly elected Gov. Tom Corbett, is pursuing dramatic educational policy changes. His secretary of education, Ronald Tomalis, has said publicly that he does not believe more money necessarily equals better performance. And Tomalis advocates policies that allow state funding to “follow the child” rather than being tied to a specific school district.

Those shifts, according to The Independent, have left a few lawmakers scratching their heads and seeking more information.

• Read a story by reporter Darwyyn Deyo, titled “Legislators grapple with proposed education cuts, philosophy change” and published Friday by The Independent, here.
• Read a related story by reporter Brad Bumstead, titled “Pennsylvania House eyes more school choice tax credits” and published Saturday (April 30) by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper, here.

Related (to education tuition vouchers and school choice):

• Local School Boards Face Both Cuts And Policy Changes
• Local Rep. Quigley Favors Tax Credits In School Choice
• PA Senate School Choice Vote Possible Next Week
• Two Unions Break Ranks, Back State School Vouchers
• Idea: Pottsgrove Might Prosper With Own Charter School
• Choice Amendment Would Remove Vouchers’ 3rd Year
• Teacher Unions Say Budgets, Vouchers Top Their Agendas
• Poll Claims Public Opposes Tuition Vouchers
• Senate Education Chair Preps For Voucher, Choice Battle

Related (to the Pottsgrove School District 2011-2012 budget):

• Local School Boards Face Both Cuts And Policy Changes
• Pottsgrove Chinese Language Students Face Cuts Again
• Pottsgrove Task Force Didn’t Shelve Pay-To-Play Plan
• Committee: Charter School May Save Pottsgrove $70K
• Pottsgrove Paying $28K Next Year For MCIU Support
• Secretary Says Schools Must Find Funds Themselves
• College Students Protest Proposed Ed Budget Cuts
• Pay Freeze Endorsed As Pottsgrove Labor Talks Start
• Pottsgrove High Protesters Exercise Art Of Compromise
• Pottsgrove’s Landis Distributes State Fund Comparison
• Pottsgrove Budget Deficit Balloons With Gov’s Proposal
• MCIU Budgets On Pottsgrove Schools Agenda Tonight
• PA House OKs ‘Cut And Replace’ On Education Funding
• Idea: Other Local Schools Consider Extracurricular Fees
• Idea: Pottsgrove Might Prosper With Own Charter School
• Pooling Resources Could Save Pottsgrove On Special Ed
• Like Pottsgrove Task Force, Outsiders Weigh Cost Vs. Value
• Task Force Crowd Packs Into Pottsgrove For First Session
• School Budget Task Force Kicks Off Its Work Tonight
• Does Western PA School Tax Uprising Foretell Mood Here?
• Pottsgrove Schools Budget Short Another $400,000
• Pottsgrove, As Expected, Adopts Budget First Draft
• Pottsgrove Tentative Budget Adoption Expected
• Weather Postpones Pottsgrove Budget Meeting
• Still Time In Pottsgrove For Budget Volunteers To Enlist
• Challenge To Pottsgrove Budget Advisers: 10 Percent
• Best Guesses, Deficit Launch Pottsgrove Budget Season
• Senate Education Chair Preps For Voucher, Choice Battle
• School Board Questions Pottsgrove Recreation Costs
• Pension Reform Vote Could Benefit Pottsgrove, Others
• Notebook Worthy: News Reporters Made News Tuesday
• Pottsgrove Isn’t Waiting In Search For Budget Volunteers
• If You’ve Got A Budget Idea, Pottsgrove Says It’ll Listen
• Pottsgrove Seeks More Public Input On District Budget

Photo from Google Images