Legislation that passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would name the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) the only entity capable of training school directors, even though the organization has seemingly adopted political positions on school choice and charter schools.
While PSBA is currently the only agency approved by Pennsylvania to provide training for school directors, a Broad and Liberty report notes that HB 1743 would codify its monopoly status into law.
The bill narrowly passed the Pennsylvania House with 103 votes in favor and 99 votes against. It was sponsored by State Representative Maureen Madden (D-Tobyhanna), who claimed in a legislative memo that Pennsylvania’s current method of approving agencies to provide school director training is “outdated” and that her bill will “ensure our school board directors have access to high quality training.”
On its website, PSBA openly states it “opposes efforts to provide direct financial aid to students who would use those funds to enroll in non-public schools or efforts that would divert state or federal funding away from school districts in order to fund such programs,” meaning the organization is opposed to most school choice measures.
The organization specifically declares its opposition to Education Savings Account (ESA) vouchers, scholarship programs, and “[t]raditional private school vouchers.”
PSBA claims that allowing any form of school choice that allows parents to redirect federal education funding to a private school will result in worse academic scores, removing “millions of dollars” from school districts, a lack of accountability for educators, and potential disparities in “rights and protections” afforded to students with disabilities.
Its website similarly declares, “PSBA believes that the state must enact comprehensive and meaningful charter school reforms,” and alleges charter schools do not “require the same high standards of academic performance and accountability” as other Pennsylvania schools.
The Broad and Liberty report also notes the bill was put forward by Madden after the competing Pennsylvania School Directors Coalition (PSDC) was “launched to provide an alternative to the PSBA monopoly.” The outlet previously reported the PSDC plans to pursue state accreditation.
The outlet also raised concerns about Madden’s claim that her legislation will not impose additional costs on Pennsylvania taxpayers despite the bill’s promise that school boards will not be charged for the information provided by the PSBA. The report also noted that the bill’s text notes that the PSBA will not be considered a state-affiliated entity despite being part of the state pension fund.
The legislation to potentially grant PSBA monopoly status comes amid a nationwide movement to decentralize education, which has reportedly led to “nervousness” on “both ends of the political spectrum.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
