Monday, December 26, 2011

Notebook: Top 10 Philly education stories of 2011


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

 

“I want to remind the board that in the past two years, we’ve made drastic cuts to teachers, administrators, books and building budgets,” Otto said. “We wouldn’t even know where to go for more.”

William Penn School District considering tax increase above Act 1 index

By LAURA WISELEY, Delco Times Correspondent
LANSDOWNE — Saying they have to keep their options open, William Penn School District board members recently voted to approve a measure that lets them explore the possibility of raising real estate taxes higher than the 2.5 percent Act 1 index this June.
“No option is a good option,” board member Jennifer Hoff said as she cast one of five votes in favor of the measure. “We don’t want to raise taxes, but if our educational services degrade much more and we continue to cut teachers and programs, we’ll lose more students to charter schools, and then our charter school bill will go up much, much more.”

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/12/26/news/doc4ef7d221850ca494824710.txt

 

Bill levels field for cyberschool graduates who want to join armed forces

Published: Friday, December 23, 2011, 6:00 AM
Cyberschools appear to have won a long-running battle with the Department of Defense.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/bill_levels_field_for_cybersch.html

 

Montco districts' struggle with joint busing plan for private schools

By Dan Hardy Inquirer Staff Writer, Posted: Sat, Dec. 24, 2011, 3:01 AM

Facing tough economic times and cutbacks in state aid, six Montgomery County school districts are seeking to cut transportation costs by combining private school-bus routes.

It has been rough going so far, with major problems in the first days marring the effort, leading most of the districts to scale back.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20111224_Montco_districts__struggle_with_joint_busing_plan_for_private_schools.html

 

Notebook: Top 10 Philly education stories of 2011

Notebook by Dale Mezzacappa on Dec 24 2011 Posted in Latest news

Thank you for following the Notebook through an incredible year. The Notebook staff will be on break until January 3. But we leave you with a look back at the past year, and eagerly anticipate connecting with you in 2012.

http://www.thenotebook.org/blog/114378/top-ten-philadelphia-education-stories-2011

 

Delco's Movers & Shakers: From Chester to state Senate, Pileggi a man on the move

By DANIELLE LYNCH, dlynch@delcotimes.com
CONCORD — When state Sen. Majority Leader Dominic F. Pileggi was growing up, he looked up to his paternal grandfather, who immigrated to the United States from Italy.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/12/26/news/doc4ef7be198ebb1040432758.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 12/24/2011

The truth about school prayer

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss
This was written by Charles Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum. He writes and speaks extensively on religious liberty and religion in American public life. This appeared on the The Amendment Center’s website.
By Charles Haynes
The latest attack on the “godless public schools” — a staple of Republican primaries past — is a new ad in Iowa by Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign proclaiming there’s “something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”
Advocating for “school prayer” is, of course, a poll-tested winner for politicians seeking to stir voter outrage — and establish Christian conservative bona fides.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-truth-about-school-prayer/2011/12/23/gIQAHHJoEP_blog.html

 

THE BAY CITIZEN

The Haves’ Children Are Healthier Than the Have-Nots’

By KATHARINE MIESZKOWSKI
New York Times Published: December 24, 2011
Every Monday, Sycamore Valley Elementary in Danville challenges its students to run a “Smile Mile” together after school. Some parents even run with their children. Photos of the student joggers’ grinning faces are posted in the cafeteria. On a recent Monday afternoon, there were 41 smiling faces on the wall.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/us/affluent-children-are-more-physically-fit-than-poor-ones.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=education

 

Education Index  December 2011

The Education Law Center's monthly analysis of opportunities to learn in Pennsylvania public schools

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=aaafb8bd8a0aeb3ef96dcef8e&id=707e55d99f

 

Letters to the Editor - Teaching Students Online, for Profit

New York Times Letters to the Editor Published: December 23, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/24/opinion/teaching-students-online-for-profit.html?_r=1

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