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
Couple
of Primary Notes
In the 188th
legislative district where Betsy DeVos’ American Federation for Children (AFC)
and Students First PA PAC had used several other PACs to contribute$62K
of the $76K raised by Democratic primary challenger Fatimah
Muhammad, incumbent House Education Committee Minority Chairman James Roebuck
prevailed 56% - 44%.
In Cumberland/York County 31st
senatorial district where
AFC/Students First PAC contributed
through the Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania PAC to run a
media blitz against incumbent Pat Vance (who voted against the voucher bill SB1),
Vance
prevailed over challenger Andrew Shaw 57%% - 42%.
5
Incumbents Lose: State House & Senate Primary Recap
PoliticsPA Written by Sy Snyder,
Editor-In-Chief posted Wed. April 25th,
2012 12:18 am
The biggest headline of the night
was the almost unseating of Speaker of the House Sam Smith in his Punxsutawney Pa.
In
Philly, Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings planned
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa on
Apr 24 2012
District staff and consultants are
recommending a sweeping overhaul of how public schools in Philadelphia operate,
planning to close 64 schools over the next five years and divvy up those that
remain among “achievement networks” led by teams of educators or nonprofit
institutions.
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012
Citypaper Naked City
Blog by Daniel Denvir
So the District is today
announcing that it's going to call it quits. Its organs will be harvested, in
search of a relatively vital host.
“Philadelphia
public schools is not the School District ,” Chief Recovery Officer Thomas Knudsen told a handful of reporters at
yesterday's press conference laying out the five-year plan proposed to the
School Reform Commission. “There's a redefinition, and we'll get to that
later.”
Budget:
This is what austerity looks like
The Notebook by Paul Socolar on Apr 24 2012
The District's transformation plan
announced today includes a five-year budget plan. The District also published
its annual 43-page budget-in-brief document today. Here are 10 details that
stand out about this far-reaching plan to bring the budget, which now has a
$218 million gap, back into balance:
Commentary:
You're not speaking to me, Mr. Knudsen
The notebook submitted by Helen
Gym on Tue, 04/24/2012
Dear Mr. Knudsen:
I am the mother of three children
in District and charter schools in this city. I have been actively involved in
stopping good schools from decline and helping low-performing, violent schools
turn around. I believe in the essential role that a high-quality public school
system plays and have fought for that vision. My 7th grader will soon have
outlasted four superintendencies, including yours. And I’m here to tell you
that you’re not speaking to me.
SRC 'restructuring' plan isn't about students or
achievement
It's a business model to privatize schools.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers website by Jerry Jordan, President4/24/2012
I released the following statement to the news media after the School Reform Commission news conference today:
It's a business model to privatize schools.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers website by Jerry Jordan, President
I released the following statement to the news media after the School Reform Commission news conference today:
This
restructuring plan has nothing to do with raising student achievement. The
district provided a business model, not a research-based plan for turning
around or supporting schools.
Think
that its only the struggling school districts that are grappling with their
budgets this year?
Tredyffrin-Easttown
is one of the top districts in the state academically and financially…..
How to Close $1.5 Million Budget Gap is TESD’s $1.5 Million
Question!
Community Matters Blog Posted on April 24th, 2012
10:14 AM
by Pattye Benson
With channel
6 ABC news cameras rolling and with a standing room crowd, Tredyffrin-Eastttown
School Board held its monthly school board meeting last night.
The Keystone State
National resolution
against high-stakes tests released
A national resolution protesting
high-stakes standardized testing was
released Tuesday by a coalition of national education, civil rights and parents
groups, as well as educators who are trying to build a broad-based movement
against the Obama administration’s test-centric school reform program.
This is the latest in a series of recent
initiatives taken around
the country by academics, educators, parents and others to protest the use of
student standardized test scores for high-stakes decisions, including teacher
and principal evaluation, student grade promotion and high school graduation.
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
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
Details and Registration: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3372006763/efbnen
National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing
This resolution is modeled on the resolution passed by more than 360 Texas
school boards as of April 23, 2012 . It was written by Advancement Project; Asian American
Legal Defense and Education Fund; FairTest; Forum for Education and Democracy;
MecklenburgACTS; Deborah Meier; NAACP
Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.;National
Education Association; New
York Performance Standards Consortium; Tracy Novick; Parents Across America; Parents
United for Responsible Education - Chicago;Diane Ravitch; Race to Nowhere; Time Out From Testing; and United Church of Christ
Justice and Witness Ministries.
Organizations and individuals are encouraged to publicly endorse it
(see link below). Organizations should modify it as needed for their local
circumstances while also endorsing this national version.
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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