Thursday, February 2, 2012

Some dates to remember so that this year’s Pennsylvania budget is not a Ground Hog Day repeat of last year’s budget


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.

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Some dates to remember so that this year’s Pennsylvania budget is not a Ground Hog Day repeat of last year’s budget:

February 7th: Governor Corbett will present his budget
“A year that has been hard on Pennsylvania's public school budgets, particularly in the state's poorest districts, could be followed by an even tougher year.”

Pa. public schools fear tougher budget year awaits

 — Associated Press
Posted: 1:24pm on Feb 1, 2012; Modified: 3:28pm on Feb 1, 2012
A year that has been hard on Pennsylvania's public school budgets, particularly in the state's poorest districts, could be followed by an even tougher year.
The administration of Gov. Tom Corbett is preparing a budget proposal Tuesday that will address a projected deficit, the state government's fourth in a row. And many lawmakers believe the Republican will press for more cuts to public school funding just a year after he and the GOP-controlled Legislature leveled the biggest school aid reduction in at least several decades to help close a multibillion-dollar shortfall.

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/  

 

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.

 

Allentown and 17 other districts in Line For $4 Million Under School Grant Program Proposed By York County Lawmaker.

Capitol ideas Blog Allentown Morning Call by John Micek, Februaty 1, 2012

The Allentown School District ...... and 17 other cash-strapped schools would share in a $30 million pot of state grant  money that would pay for tutoring, class-size reductions and full-day kindergarten, under a proposal that a central Pennsylvania lawmaker rolled out this morning.

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2012/02/allentown-in-line-for-4-million-under-school-grant-program-proposed-by-york-county-lawmaker.html


WHAT WORKS: John Alston turns kids in hoodies into a choral band of brothers
An after-school program in Chester, Pa., gives at-risk teenagers a music education – and much more
The Christian Science Monitor By Mary Beth McCauley, / Correspondent / March 14, 2011
CHESTER, PA. - John Alston came to Swarthmore College to build his own résumé, and wound up building an expanding network of choruses for disadvantaged youths.
Even if they don't sing a single note of music as adults, the performers in the Chester Children's Chorus will make a difference in the world.  After all, his own participation in the Newark (N.J.) Boys Chorus opened a new world to the young John Alston when his home life was bleak and his father an alcoholic. Why not do the same for others?
So in 1994, Dr. Alston, associate professor of music at Swarthmore College, just outside Philadelphia, invited seven children to come sing with him on the bucolic campus. They were from nearby Chester, Pa., an impoverished city struggling against economic decline, its schools burdened with high dropout rates and abysmal academic achievement.
The seven children were the forerunners of what now includes the coed, 120-voice Chester Children's Chorus (CCC); a full-day summer program at Swarthmore; a new public-private Chester Upland School of the Arts; and formal musical instruction for public school students throughout Chester.

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:

http://www.pahouse.com/school_funding_2011cuts.asp?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pahouse.com%2fschool_funding_2011cuts.asp&utm_campaign=Crisis+in+Public+Education

 

Latest Updates on Chester UplandFebruary 1, 2011


County Legislative Guides by Education Voters PA
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
Coming soon: Lehigh and Montgomery Counties

Map of Pennsylvania School Districts and Intermediate Units

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