The Pennsylvania School Boards Association invites you to join its Parent Advocacy Network!  Join the more than 1,300 public school parents who have signed up to recieve periodic legislative alerts.  To sign up for these Legislative Alerts, please email Karen L. Devine, PSBA's Director of Member Relations, with your name, address, telephone number and email address.  If you decide you no longer want to receive the information, you can unsubscribe at the bottom of the alert.

Please click here to see the latest Alert, which includes sample letters to legislators.

PSBA anticipates a short fall legislative session, with charter school reform being at the top of the agenda.  The new 2013-2014 legislative session will be very busy with charter school reform, the pension crisis, property tax reform and funding at the top of the list of educational issues to be tackled.  Be a part of the grassroots advocacy to stay informed of the things that impact public education.  We need your voice!


We also encourage you to share your opinions with the State and Federal Governments regarding the following three funding issues that are negatively impacting public school districts, including Bethel Park.

Please click on the four links below to learn more.

The first link is a Resolution passed by the Bethel Park Board of School Directors at its April 19, 2012 meeting, that supports the reform of the Charter and Cyber Charter School Funding Formula.  Please click here to see a story about this topic that aired on the KDKA News on April 30.  You can also read a July 9, 2012 Tribune Review story on this subject by clicking here.

The second link is another Resolution passed by the Bethel Park Board of School Directors at its April 19, 2012 meeting, that supports reform for Prevailing Wage.

The third link is an article written by Jamie Baxter, Director of Legislative Policy and Advocacy for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, regarding Sequestration, the cancellation of budgetary resources.  This article will be featured in the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Official May Newsletter.  This article outlines the federal government's plan to discontinue funding for Title I, IDEA, and Perkins Career and Technical Education State Grants, which will take effect January 2, 2013 unless Congress is convinced to change its mind.

The fourth link shows the results from the Pennnsylvania School Business Officials (PASBO) survey of PA school districts, which outlines how governmental funding cuts have negatively impacted education.

All  of these items directly impact how public school districts are funded and are required to spend money.  We encourage you to contact your state and federal legislators and express your support of the two Resolutions and your dissatisfaction of the Federal Government's planned cancellation of funding for Title I, IDEA and Perkins Career and Technical Education State Grants.
 
Please contact your state and federal representatives and encourage them to continue to adequately fund publilc education.  Thank you for your efforts to help to keep public education strong in Pennsylvania and Bethel Park!

WANT TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES?
United States Congressman Tim Murphy -- 412-344-5583 or murphy@mail.house.gov

United States Senator Bob Casey, Jr. -- 412-803-7370 or www.casey.senate.gov

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett  -- Capitol Building; Harrisburg, PA 17120 or 1-800-932-0784 or http://www.governor.state.pa.us/

State Senator John Pippy -- 412-262-2260 or jpippy@pasen.gov

State Representative John Maher -- 412-831-8080 or jmaher@pahousegop.com

State Representative Matt Smith -- 412-571-2169 or mhsmith@pahouse.net