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
State concern over cyber-school funding mirrors
criticism from local administrators
Shamokin
NewsItem.com Published: April 9, 2012 by justin strawser
Thomas Marks' testimony before the state House
Education Committee last month matches what local school district
superintendents have been saying for years about flaws in funding for charter
and cyber-charter schools.
Marks, state deputy auditor general for audits,
said the funding formula for the ever-increasing number of such schools results
in tuition inequities for public schools, which are already battling rising
expenses and funding cuts.
$86 million cyber school imbalance would surely
help budgets
Editorial - Shamokin NewsItem.com Published: April 9, 2012
Talk about a windfall.
Gov. Corbett and the Legislature, in their quest
to adequately fund public schools, have an extra $86 million or so at their
disposal.
That's what the state Auditor General's Office
reported was overpaid to charter and cyber-charter schools by public school
districts in the 2009-10 school year. The overpayment represents nearly
one-third of the total $266 million payout to such schools.
“The culture of testing has created an
enormous opportunity for profit for those connected with the testing and data
industry as well as well-paid professional consultants. In the war on public
schools, commonly referred to as ‘school reform,’ the weapon of choice is the
test.”
FOLLOW THE TESTING MONEY: PEARSON, MURDOCH, KLEIN
By Carol Corbett
Burriss
….When she returns from
spring break she will not be learning. Instead, she will be subjected to six
days of New York State
Let’s put those into
perspective.
·
The NYPD Officer Written Exam designed to measure the cognitive
ability, observational skills, and mental acuity of applicants to the NYPD
takes one hour and 30 minutes to complete.
·
The NCLEX (National Council Licensure EXamination) is an
examination for the licensing of registered nurses. Nurses are permitted up to
six hours to complete it.
·
The Series 7 exam, which licenses stockbrokers, is a six hour
test, too.
·
Only the American Board of Dermatology certification exam exceeds
the NY State test time for third graders. It is eight hours long. But that does
include breaks.
Why are our 9 year olds subjected to state exams that last as long or are longer
than entrance and certifying exams for adult professionals who make life and
death decisions? Why are the 75-minute third-grade state exams of 2005 no
longer enough?
The honest answer is
that testing is now hardly about
students at all.
In Texas
Pittsburgh
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh April 11, 2012 12:00 am
About $5 million of
planned budget cuts in Pittsburgh Public Schools will come from special
education, including the elimination of six central office positions, 58
teachers and 14 paraprofessionals this fall, city school officials said.
Even so, Mary Jane
Conley, executive director of special education, told the school board Tuesday
night, "We can be assured our high quality of service will continue to be
provided as best practice for our students." Trying to reduce projected budget deficits,
the board previously approved changes that will result in the reduction of
nearly 400 school-based professionals. The announcement that 58 of them will be
special education positions was the first detail on some of those cuts.
New Pre-K
Yearbook Documents
State
The National Institute for Early Education
Research released its annual "State of Preschool Yearbook
The big headline for this year's report is that
states cut spending on pre-k in 2010-11: To the tune of some $50 million in
nominal terms and $60 million after adjusting for inflation. At the same time,
state pre-k enrollment increased nationally--and in 22 states--bringing the
total number of children served to 1.3 million, or 28 percent of 4-year-olds
and 4 percent of 3-year-olds.
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
REMEMBER TO VOTE! TUESDAY, APRIL 24th
Tuesday,
April 24 is Primary Election Day
in Pennsylvania
Polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. Click here to find your polling place. During the Primary, registered members of the
Republican and Democrat parties are eligible to vote to nominate the candidates
that will represent their party on the ballot in the November General Election. ALL
voters will be required to show a photo ID before voting at a polling place in
the November 2012 Election. Click here for
more information on the new Voter ID law.
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
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
Where:
The Forum, Room 272, Elaine
Langone Center
Bucknell University 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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