Daily postings
from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1500
Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators,
legislators, members of the press and a broad array of education advocacy
organizations via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.
These daily
emails are archived at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us
on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Please note that the Allegheny County
Legislative Forum scheduled for next Thursday, April 12th at North Hills
High School has
been cancelled due to
a number of scheduling conflicts
Big Voucher Money is playing a role in the race for state
representative in West Philly.
Students First and Jim
Roebuck
City School Stories Blog April 4, 2012
Notes from the Field, Submitted by Frank Murphy on April 4, 2012
During this electoral primary season, I have paid
little attention to anything other than the hype surrounding the Republican
presidential nomination race. Then last week I read this article in
the City Paper that describes
a “big money pro voucher group’s” attack on Pennsylvania House Representative James
Roebuck. A second
article also appearing in the City Paper, detailed additional attacks
on Representative Roebuck that were initiated by a mysterious third party
group. This group, Public Education Excellence claims Roebuck is responsible
for just about everything that is wrong with public education in Philadelphia and in Pennsylvania .
http://cityschoolstories.com/2012/04/04/students-first-and-jim-roebuck/
Posted: Fri, Apr. 6, 2012 , 3:01 AM
So, who's behind those
bold-face fliers?
BY CHRIS BRENNAN Philadelphia Daily News Staff
Writer
Fliers in West Phila . assail Roebuck
THE FLIERS have been landing in mailboxes since last
week in West Philly's 188th state House District, attacking Rep. James Roebuck
for the many problems in the city's public schools.
One flier gives Roebuck failing grades on school
dropouts, violence, overcrowded classrooms and alleged cheating on standardized
tests. Another notes that he has been in office for 25 years but "failed
to fight to educate" the city's children.
Roebuck calls it dirty politics and accuses a fellow
West Philly politician, state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, of engineering the
attacks.
Roebuck, ranking Democrat on the House Education
Committee, says he is responsible for thwarting a push by Williams for voucher
legislation allowing tax dollars to be used for private-school tuition.
"His fingerprints are all over it,"
Roebuck said of the fliers.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20120406_So__who_s_behind_those_bold-face_fliers_.html?viewAll=y
STATEWIDE PRESS COVERAGE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS
Here are more than 400 articles since
January 23rd detailing budget cuts, program cuts, staffing cuts and
tax increases being discussed by local school districts
The PA House Democratic Caucus has been tracking daily 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
No
decision reached in Chester Upland SD
funding talk
By JOHN KOPP jkopp@delcotimes.com; @DT_JohnKopp
Representatives from the
Chester Upland School District
and the Pennsylvania Department of Education continued to search for a funding
solution that would keep Chester Upland schools open through June.
The two sides participated in a conference call Wednesday, but no decision was finalized, though one was not expected.
The two sides participated in a conference call Wednesday, but no decision was finalized, though one was not expected.
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2012/04/05/news/doc4f7d07bb58db0501162190.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Tell your Elected Officials Not to Cut Education Funding!
In February, President Obama released his $3.8
trillion fiscal year budget proposal for 2013. In March, House
Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) released the FY 2013 House Budget Resolution,
which comparatively aims to cut spending by $5 trillion dollars.
This is just the beginning of the long and
complex process of passing a federal budget for the upcoming year.Let your elected officials know that education must
be fully funded in your local, state, and federal budgets! Give Kids
Good Schools will be tracking developments in the federal budget process, and
we will be watching to see how each proposal affects education.
You can find out how our nation’s children
would be affected in the analyses of the President's budget proposal and the House’s proposal that First Focus has done. You can also visit the Give Kids
Good SchoolsTop 10 Questions to Ask Elected
Officials page to see
how you can talk to your elected officials about the importance of education in
your budget.
Thank you for all you do to Give Kids Good
Schools!
A Parent Guide to the
Broad Foundation’s training programs and education policies
Parents Across America
The Edythe and Eli Broad Foundation engages in venture
philanthropy in four areas: education, medical research, contemporary art, and
civic projects in Los Angeles .
The foundation was established in 1999 by billionaire Eli Broad (b. 1933) who
made his fortune in real estate and the insurance business.
This summary is designed to help parents and other
concerned citizens better understand the Broad Foundation’s role in training
new superintendents and other “reform” activities, and how the foundation
leverages its wealth to impose a top-down, corporate-style business model on
our public schools. It is time for communities to become aware of how this
major force works.
http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/04/a-guide-to-the-broad-foundations-training-programs-and-policies/
Stand Up for Public Education!
East Penn Education Forum on April 25th
7:00 – 9:00 pm
What’s at Stake? Discover how high-stakes testing and funding
cuts are impacting our kids and schools.
Hosted by: East Penn Invested Citizens (EPIC), Salisbury Parent Advisory,
Allentown Parent Groups and a coalition of Lehigh Valley Parents
Where: East Penn Administration Building School Board Meeting Room, 800 Pine Street ,
Emmaus
Stand Up for Public Education!
Wed., April 11, 2012 7:00 pm Town Hall Meeting on Education at Bucknell University
Meeting with legislators from Columbia , Northumberland,
Montour, Snyder & Union counties
Where:
The Forum, Room 272, Elaine
Langone Center
Bucknell University
701 Moore Avenue Lewisburg , PA 17837
7
p.m. – School directors and administrators meet with legislators (PSBA
Legislative Meeting)
7:30
p.m. – Town Hall Meeting on Education – Please invite your PTO/PTA and other
parent/ community groups to join us! The
purpose of the 7 p.m. meeting is for school directors and administrators to
discuss the impact of the governor’s 2011-12 budget proposal on their school
districts. At 7:30 p.m., the meeting will be open to all interested parents and
other members of the community who would like to come out in support of their
public schools and ask their legislators to take their message back to Harrisburg .
Please
RSVP By April 4, to Kathy Swope, PSBA Region 6 director, at (570)
523-3336 or email swope@ptd.net
Has your board considered this draft resolution yet?
PSBA Sample Board
Resolution regarding the budget
Please consider bringing this sample resolution to
the members of your board.
http://www.psba.org/issues-advocacy/issues-research/state-budget/Budget_resolution-02212012.doc
PA Partnerships for
Children – Take action on the Governor’s Budget
The governor’s budget plan cuts funding for proven
programs like Child Care Works, Keystone STARS and the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship
program, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance
Program. These are among the most cost-effective
investments we can make in education. Gov. Corbett’s budget plan also runs counter
to a pledge he made when he ran for governor in 2010. He acknowledged the
benefits of early childhood education and promised to increase funding to
double the number of children who would benefit from early learning
opportunities.
We need your help to tell lawmakers: if you cut
these programs – you close the door to early learning! Click here to tell your state legislators to fund early childhood education programs
at the same level they approved for this year’s budget.
Education Voters PA –
Take action on the Governor’s Budget
The Governor’s proposal starts the process,
but it isn’t all decided: our legislators can play an important role in
standing up for our priorities. Last year, public outcry helped prevent
nearly $300 million in additional cuts. We heard from the Governor, and
we know where he stands. Now,
we need to ask our legislators: what is your position on supporting our
schools?
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