Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Franklin and Cumberland County Legislative Forum on Public Education
Thursday, December 1, 2011 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (ET), Shippensburg, PA
Co-sponsored by The Shippensburg University Teacher Education Department and Education Matters in the Cumberland Valley.
Join us on Thursday, December 1st in Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Shippensburg University from 7:00-9:00 for an evening with several key state legislators from Franklin and Cumberland Counties. All public education stakeholders are invited to this special event. All state legislators in Franklin and Cumberland counties have been invited to attend and discuss their positions on public education and take questions from audience members.
http://franklinandcumberlandcountylegislativeforum.eventbrite.com/
Crunch period looming for state lawmakers
The Legislature has little time, but much to do, before the year-end holidays.
10:55 p.m. EST, November 13, 2011
HARRISBURG—— When they return today from the Election Day/Veteran's Day recess, state lawmakers will have just four work weeks left before they go home for the year-end holidays.
And here's what they must do or hope to do: finish a mandatory once-a-decade redrawing of the state's congressional map, pass school vouchers, approve an impact fee for Marcellus Shale drillers, sell the state liquor stores and perhaps pass a series of controversial changes to Pennsylvania's 50-year-old prevailing wage law.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-pa-capitol-gridlock-20111112,0,6787087.story
"In an April study (PDF), the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University reviewed the academic performance in Pennsylvania's charter schools. Virtual-school operators have been aggressively expanding in the state for more than a decade, making it a good place for a study; around 18,700 of the state's 61,770 charter school students were enrolled in online schools. The results weren't promising.
The virtual-school students started out with higher test scores than their counterparts in regular charters. But according to the study, they ended up with learning gains that were "significantly worse" than kids in traditional charters and public schools. Says CREDO research manager Devora Davis, "What we can say right now is that whatever they're doing in Pennsylvania is definitely not working and should not be replicated."
Jeb Bush's Cyber Attack on Public Schools
Mother Jones November/December 2011 Issue —By Stephanie Mencimer
Is the former Florida governor's online-education advocacy: A) a stealth attack on teachers' unions; B) presidential positioning; C) an effort to divert public money to private corporations; D) all of the above?
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/jeb-bush-digitial-learning-public-schools?page=1
Of 12 PA cyber charters only 2 made AYP for 2011 while 8 were in corrective action status.
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/11/pa-cyber-charter-pssa-ayp-2007-2011.html
Virtual Education Sees Shift to Accountability
Virtual schooling is in the era of a fundamental shift in its development that should be embraced, not feared, said authors and sponsors of the 2011 version of Keeping Paceannual report on virtual schooling here at the Virtual School Symposium in Indianapolis Thursday.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2011/11/more_on_keeping_pace_embrace_s.html
Proof there is no proof for education reforms
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss
This was written by Carol Corbett Burris, principal of South Side High School in New York. She was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State.
When the state puts the entire burden of closing the gap on the backs of teachers, while ignoring such gap-producing factors as poverty and underfunded schooling, it hides the truth from the public regarding the complexity of the issues that must be addressed. Perhaps most importantly, it takes the burden off society to address issues such as poverty and inequitable school funding. It gives politicians permission to not address serious problems that affect learning such as teenage pregnancy, truancy, illegal drug use, gangs, and uneven access to health care. And it ignores the effects of racially and socio-economically isolated schooling and classrooms and pretends that separate and unequal are just fine — if only those teachers would do their jobs better.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/proof-there-is-no-proof-for-education-reforms/2011/11/13/gIQAAeVWJN_blog.html
Research doesn't back up key ed reforms
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss
There is no solid evidence supporting many of the positions on teachers and teacher evaluation taken by some school reformers today, according to a new assessment of research on the subject. The Education Writers Association released a new brief that draws on more than 40 research studies or research syntheses, as well as interviews with scholars who work in this field.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/research-doesnt-back-up-key-ed-reforms/2011/11/12/gIQAPRoWFN_blog.html#pagebreak
Sec. Arne Duncan: Teacher Pay Study Asks the Wrong Question, Ignores Facts, Insults Teachers
by Arnie Duncan – As millions of Americans search for work, and millions more scrape by to make ends meet, researchers affiliated with two Washington think tanks — the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation — have recently announced a "finding" that defies common-sense: America's teachers are overpaid by more than 50 percent.
The new paper from Jason Richwine and Andrew Biggs fails on several levels. First, it asks the wrong question. Second, it ignores facts that conflict with its conclusions. Lastly, it insults teachers and demeans the profession.
http://educationviews.org/2011/11/11/sec-arne-duncan-teacher-pay-study-asks-the-wrong-question-ignores-facts-insults-teachers/
Nov 14, 3:18 AM EST
GOP hopefuls would limit federal role in education
KIMBERLY HEFLING,
WASHINGTON (AP) -- When it comes to education, the Republican field of presidential candidates has a unified stance: Get the federal government out of schools. How they'd do that varies
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOP_CANDIDATES_EDUCATION?SITE=PAPIT&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
County Legislative Guides From Education Voters PA
Delaware County Legislative Guide
Bucks County Legislative Guide
Use Education Voters PA website to contact your PA State Representatives today asking them to oppose taxpayer funded vouchers:
For more info/background - PSBA's Tuition Voucher Issue Page
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.