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More pain expected in Corbett's budget proposal
Tax collection $500 million short of
projections
Sunday, February 05, 2012
By Laura Olson and Karen Langley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Gov. Tom Corbett toured the Kurt J. Lesker Co.,
a manufacturer of vacuum products in Jefferson Hills, in April, defending his
2011 budget decisions. More cuts are expected for the 2012 budget.
This year? Expect more
of the same.
“Persing said the state
currently provides Chester Upland with about $3,600 per special
education student, but only provides such subsidies for up to 16 percent of the
district’s enrollment. However, the
state forces Chester Upland to pay charters about $24,000 for each
special education student that enrolls, Persing said. There is no cap. “
Delaware
County school districts facing familiar money woes, anxiously await Corbett
budget
Published: Sunday, February 05, 2012
Delco Times By JOHN KOPP,
jkopp@delcotimes.com
Joe Otto lets people
argue otherwise, but the William Penn School District
chief operating officer insists school administrators across Pennsylvania were “blindsided” by the
massive education cuts implemented by Gov. Tom Corbett last year.
By Kristen A.
Graham, Inquirer Staff Writer, Posted: Sun, Feb. 5, 2012 , 7:16 AM
Starting next week, the Philadelphia School District will cancel all weekend
programs and shut school buildings an hour early during the week to save $2.8
million.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012
Philadelphia Inquirer
BucksInq blog by Bill Reed
Ritchie
Webb: Neshaminy's savior or ogre?
Neshaminy School Board
President Ritchie Webb in his office in his Levittown
home. He runs a catering business, a food service for the Bristol Township
School District , and a
tax and accounting business. (Ron Tarver/Inquirer photographer)
There's no middle ground
when it comes to Ritchie Webb.
Take, for example, last
month’s Neshaminy school board meeting. As Webb took his seat as president,
half the packed crowd rose and cheered; the remainder jeered and chanted,
“Negotiate.”
Pennsylvania Schools’ Financing Fight Pits District Against ‘Charter on
Steroids’
Published: February 4, 2012
At Columbus Elementary,
teachers like John Shelton struggle with fewer resources and wonder how long
they will be paid.
To make matters worse,
the local charter school, with which the district must divide its financing, is
suing the district over unpaid bills.
“In a high-level
turnaround, Robert Scott, the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, said
Tuesday that student testing in the state had become a “perversion of its
original intent” and that he looked forward to “reeling it back” in the future.”
New York Times, february 5th, 2012
In Texas ,
a Backlash Against Student Testing
THE TEXAS
TRIBUNE By MORGAN SMITH Published: February 4, 2012
……There is anxiety among
school leaders, educators and parents about meeting the increased standards
with fewer resources. In the Panhandle, the Hereford Independent
School District
superintendent may withhold her district’s test scores from the state. An Austin parent is
considering a lawsuit to stop the rollout of the tests. Some legislators are
mulling how to postpone some of the tests’ consequences for students.
In a high-level
turnaround, Robert Scott, the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, said
Tuesday that student testing in the state had become a “perversion of its
original intent” and that he looked forward to “reeling it back” in the future.
Earning a standing ovation from an annual gathering of 4,000 educators that has
given him chillier receptions in the past, Mr. Scott called for an
accountability process that measured “every other day of a school’s life
besides testing day.”
Shareholder lawsuit
accuses K12 Inc. of misleading investors
A shareholder in Virginia-based K12 Inc.
has filed a lawsuit against the virtual-schools operator in federal court,
alleging that the firm violated securities law by making false statements to
investors about students’ poor performance on standardized tests.
TFA - No
magic solution for schools
Teach for America pushes the hot button of
reform, but it isn't that simple.
This February, Teach For America
begins its third decade of operations and its fourth year in the Twin Cities.
Roughly 10 percent of graduating seniors at Macalester and Carleton Colleges
have applied, as well as 3 percent of those at the University of Minnesota .
Depending on whom you side with,
that's cause for either celebration or despair.
February
9th: Rally in support of public education 7:00 pm Downingtown East HS
Senator Andy Dinniman, February 1, 2012
Public
education has come under increasing attack in Harrisburg
and it is time for the citizens of Chester and Montgomery (and
Bucks, Berks, Lehigh and Delaware )
counties to stand up and protect our schools both here and
throughout Pennsylvania .
We are asking all those
who value public education to come together for a meeting on Thursday, February 9, 2012 ,
at 7 pm at Downingtown East High School,
50 Devon Drive
(just off Route 113) in Exton.
http://www.senatordinniman.com/enews/12_1_31_Education.htm
February 14th
Valentine’s Day Harrisburg
12:00 pm rally in support
of public education
Dear Gov. Corbett, Fall Back In Love
With Education.
Uploaded by PhillyStudentUnion on Jan 31, 2012
February 14th Valentine's
Day Rally at the Harrisburg
Capitol
Rally at 12pm in the
Harrisburg
Capitol Rotunda
1:36 YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gybrEHCMxQk&feature=youtu.be
More info, registration, sponsor bus seats for students at: http://showloveforeducation.eventbrite.com/?ref=ecount
More info: www.phillystudentunion.org
February 16: EPLC Philadelphia
Budget Panel Breakfast 8:00 am
(note: there will be additional EPLC budget
events throughout the state; details as they become available)
Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel - 201 North 17th Street
Subject: Governor Corbett's Proposed Education
Budget for 2012-2013
RSVP Required: http://www.eplc.org/events-calendar/southeastern-pennsylvania-breakfast-series/
February 29th: at 6PM in the South Fayette High School Theater
Statewide
kickoff meeting of PSEA's Partners for Public Education (PPE) Program
PPE is all about connecting
parents, community leaders, elected officials, and teachers together for one
goal - the support of public education. State
Senator Wayne Fontana, State Representative Jesse White, PSEA President Mike
Crossey, along with
members of the SFEA Representative Council, SF School Board, SF Administration,
and SF Student Government will stand together to recruit parents and other
interested parties add their voices to the chorus of those who care about
public education.
http://partnersforpubliced.org/
http://www.facebook.com/SouthFayettePPE
March 26th: Last day to register to vote in the
April 24th PA Primary Election
You do have the power to change the
direction of education policy in Pennsylvania
The
last day to REGISTER before the primary is March 26 , 2012. Make sure that you, your family and friends
are all registered to vote in the April 24th Pennsylvania
Primary. Forward this reminder to any
and all public education stakeholders.
New guides
now available
These legislative guides list contact information, committee
assignments and school districts for PA State Representatives and State
Senators. They also include tips on
being an effective advocate for public education: contacting your elected
officials and writing letters to the editor
PA House Democratic
Caucus Website
UPDATED DAILY –
STATEWIDE PRESS COVERAGE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUDGETS
As districts consider their preliminary budgets and we await the
Governor’s February 7th budget
announcement, the PA House Democratic Caucus has begun daily tracking of press
coverage on school district budgets statewide:
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