Political blogger Above Average Jane has a thoughtful post on HB 704.

Here’s the link: Special Education Update

Dan Berrett of the Pocono Record has a good piece today on what enacting HB 704 would mean for Monroe County schools.

Here’s the link:

Special-needs funding in Monroe County’s 4 school districts could get $500K boost

And the story:

Special-needs funding in Monroe County’s 4 school districts could get $500K boost
Bill would more fairly spread money
By Dan Berrett
Pocono Record Writer
July 02, 2009 6:00 AM

A half-million more dollars for special education could flow to the area’s four school districts if a new bill making its way through the state’s House of Representatives becomes law.

The proposed bill, House Bill 704, would rewrite the state’s funding formula for special-needs students in order to make it more equitable.

The bill was reported to the floor from the House Education Committee on Wednesday. It was sponsored by Rep. Mike Sturla, D-96, and had 65 co-sponsors, including Reps. John Siptroth, D-189, and Mike Carroll, D-118. Thirty-six advocacy groups, including the Education Law Center, Disability Rights Network, and Good Schools Pennsylvania, also back the measure.

State Reps. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster; Barbara McIlvaine Smith, D-Chester; James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia; and  Keith McCall (D-Carbon) were among the 65 co-sponsors of legislation approved today making the state’s special education funding formula more equitable and strengthening accountability for effective investment of new funding.

Representatives Roebuck and McIlvaine Smith were among the 22 Education Committee members approving the legislation. House Bill 704 aims to close the state’s share of the $380 million adequacy gap over a period of six years and to base state funding to school districts on a district’s five-year average of actual students enrolled in special education.

“I am proud to see the House Education Committee today approve House Bill 704,” Rep. Sturla said. “We are one step closer to providing comprehensive accountability and equitable funding for all special education students.”

The Bucks County Courier Times published an Op-Ed on HB 704:

Here’s the link: Special education funding falls short of meeting need

And here’s the article:

Special education funding falls short of meeting need
By: COLLEEN TOMKO AND BARUCH KINTISCH
Bucks County Courier Times

Next week the House Education Committee will vote on legislation fixing the state system for special education funding and accountability. House Bill 704, if enacted into law, would provide increased independence for children with disabilities by giving schools the resources they need to provide them with a quality education.

Pennsylvania last year adopted a landmark school funding formula for basic education, putting more dollars into the neediest schools and implementing rigorous accountability measures for school districts for the first time in 20 years. However, students who receive special education services were left out of the equation.

Our state legislators have heard – loud and clear – the message that it’s time to tackle funding and accountability reforms for students with disabilities, and have introduced legislation addressing many of the long-standing deficiencies in the state’s special education system.

This is it. Big push this week. The House Education Committee will vote on House Bill 704 on Wednesday, July 1 in the morning.

Please contact your committee members and talk with them about voting for HB 704.

With a little more effort, we will be successful in reforming the special education funding and accountability system in Pennsylvania.  Wednesday next week is the one and only vote needed for Representative Sturla’s House Bill 704 to be adopted in to law with the budget this year.

If the House Education Committee votes in favor of the bill, the leaders of the General Assembly will start to negotiate about including the bill in the final School Code Bill and Budget for 2009-10.

In addition, Senator Dinniman and 13 co-sponsors recently introduced Senate Bill 940, which is almost identical to House Bill 704.  No action is expected on S.B. 940; the House Bill will take the lead.

The House Education Committee members are listed below.  Click on the links to find the contact information for each member.

The Right to Education local task force at Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV recently voted to join the list of groups supporting special education funding reform.  Welcome!

Sen. Dinniman (D-19) yesterday introduced SB 940, a nearly identical version of HB 704, that would reform special education funding and accountability in Pennsylvania.

Senator Dinniman is preparing to introduce his version of the bill for special education funding and accountability reform. The bill should be introduced late on Monday afternoon, June 1.

Thus – Senator Dinniman needs our help TODAY, Friday and Monday morning. We need to help him sign up lots of senators to co-sponsor the bill.

Please take the following actions:

• First, call all senators that you know and ask them to call Senator Dinniman’s office TODAY and co-sponsor the special education bill. (The bill will not have a number until it is introduced.)

• Second, please issue a strong alert throughout your entire network for all individuals to call or e-mail their own state senator, asking the legislator to call Senator Dinniman’s office TODAY and co-sponsor the special education bill. (The bill will not have a number until it is introduced.)

Use the following talking points:

1. Please call Senator Dinniman’s office and co-sponsor the special education bill.  The bill will be introduced late on Monday afternoon, June 1.
2. I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.
3. The current funding system is broken, is unfair, and does not provide enough resources for special education in the right places.  It sets the number of students eligible for state funding for special education at 16% regardless of whether the district has fewer or more students receiving special education.  It also does not focus the funding on strategies that have a track record for improving student performance.
4. I am your constituent and I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students.

Thank you for taking quick action on this important issue.  We are making great progress; the House version of the bill (H.B. 704) is up to 64 co-sponsors and had a successful hearing this month.

Last week, members of the coalition to reform special education funding in Pennsylvania testified before the House Education Committee.

We’ve previously published a summary of the testimony. Now, we’ve made the presentation document available . It offers thorough details on the history of special education funding in Pennsylvania and underscores the need to establish a fair funding and accountability formula. This is excellent material for use at a community meeting, so feel free to download and print copies.

HB 704 Presentation