THE PROCESS
Back to August 18, 2009 Update


On Thursday, August 13, 2009, the State Board of Education voted 14-2 (with one abstention) to approve the final-form regulations for the Governor’s Keystone Exams assessment plan.

The regulations will now go to the House and Senate Education Committees prior to being voted on by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC).

The regulations can still be defeated on several fronts:

1. The House and Senate Education Committee could vote down the final-form regulations within the next 20 days.

Please tell your legislator that the final-form regulations for Keystone Exams (#006-312) are currently before the House and Senate Education Committees and ask them to oppose the regulations.

2. The Senate could vote down Senate Resolution 156 – a “Sense of the Senate Resolution” that would endorse the regulations. Please tell your Senator to oppose Senate Resolution 156.

3. The House could send to the Governor Senator Orie’s legislation (Senate Bill 281), which would require legislative approval of all new graduation requirements. SB 281 passed the Senate 48-1 in June and now awaits consideration in the House Appropriations Committee. Please ask your House member to request that House Leadership take up SB 281 as soon as possible.

4. The Governor and General Assembly have yet to pass a final budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. The Governor has requested $18 million in funding for the Keystone Exams. Please ask your legislators to oppose funding for Keystone Exams.

5. The Independent Regulatory Review Commission could vote down the regulations. Please submit your comments on the regulation (#006-312) to IRRC online at http://www.irrc.state.pa.us/Contact.cfm

To locate your legislator, please go to the General Assembly’s home page and type
your full Zip Code in the upper right-hand corner -- http://www.legis.state.pa.us/index.cfm

LETTER FROM JANE ORIE

For questions or comments, please contact:

Therese Dawson
Pine-Richland School Director
Legislative Liaison
tdawson@pinerichland.org