Friday, December 2, 2011

Friday Mix

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

 

State's handling of Keystone Exams isn't the answer

Published: Thursday, December 01, 2011, 5:30 AM
Dominic J. Cavallaro is superintendent of Montoursville Area School District.
In 2009, the state Board of Education made end-of- the-course exams one of the requirements for graduation. Exams will be required for all students beginning with the class of 2015. 

"Though the tax dollars to educate charter school students will come through the local school district, it will have no say in how the school runs."
Editorial: Charter schools now a local issue
Washington PA Observer Reporter11/30/2011 3:34 AM
While Pennsylvania's Legislature considers a bill to issue vouchers to some public school students to attend private or parochial schools, that body is also expected to act on bills that would encourage the formation of charter and cyber schools and allow them to operate more autonomously.

Is K-12 Inc. The Future Of Education? Here's Why I'm Skeptical

Nicholas Pardini, SeekingAlpha.com November 30th, 2011
The internet has radically altered the media, financial markets, retail, and service industries to improve their services at a lower cost. Can the same be done to primary and secondary education?  K12 Inc. (LRN) is a company that is trying to do that by using the internet to customize the learning experience for students, while lowering the cost below the expenses incurred by brick and mortar public and private schools.

Michelle Rhee Can't Shake Cheating Scandal at D.C. Public Schools

The Daily Beast, by Rita Beamish, Nov 25, 2011 9:47 PM EST

The darling of education reformers insists she welcomes a probe of student scores during her tenure as D.C. schools chancellor—but admits to no mistake. Rita Beamish on how it’s complicating her legacy.


And in Pennsylvania, six weeks later, still no news in this one…….
State slow to provide information on PSSA probe
by Benjamin Herold on Oct 21 2011
for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks
Pennsylvania's inquiry into suspicious state test score results appears to have slowed to a crawl.

Opinion: Press release from Senator Jeffrey Piccola (R-15, Dauphin/York Counties), a prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1 and Chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

Pennsylvania's School Choice Movement Must Address the 'Bottom 5%'

Pennsylvania has a simple choice to make.  We can embrace change and welcome educational reform or we can choose to satisfy ourselves with the tired old policies of the past that, by any reasonable standard of measure, have failed our children.

If you are in the Camp Hill, Cumberland Valley, East Pennsboro, Mechanicsburg or West Shore School Districts please consider attending this legislative forum.
Reps. Grell, Delozier to Co-Host Town Hall Meeting on Education Reform
Wednesday, December 7th 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Press Release 11/30/2011
HARRISBURG – Rep. Glen Grell (R-Hampden Twp.) and Rep. Sheryl Delozier (R-Lower Allen Twp.) announced today that they are co-hosting a special town hall meeting on educational reform legislation currently under consideration in the General Assembly. The event will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 7 -9 p.m. at Good Hope Middle School, 451 Skyport Road in Hampden Township. Residents of the 87th and 88th Legislative Districts are invited and encouraged to attend. 
Among the speakers expected to attend are Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis, and representatives from the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Pennsylvania-American Civil Liberties Union, and the Commonwealth Foundation

Upper St. Clair school board opposes state legislation that would use public funds for private schools
Thursday, December 01, 2011
By Mary Niederberger, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Upper St. Clair school board on Monday approved a resolution opposing state legislation that would provide tuition vouchers for public school students to use to attend private schools and would expand tax credits for scholarship funds.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project's
Second Annual Fundraiser and Inaugural Awards Ceremony
Thursday, December 8, 2011 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Twentieth Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA 19050
Join the Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project to celebrate our organization's progress in realizing our collective vision to make southeastern Pennsylvania a fair, stable, and prosperous place to live.
Keynote Speaker — Estelle Richman, U.S. HUD Acting Deputy Secretary
HONOREES:
U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach
State Senator Ted Erickson
Rev. Ed Crenshaw, Victory Christian Fellowship
Kirby Hudson, City of Coatesville Assistant Manager
For tickets and info: http://firstsuburbsproject.org/


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