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
Big test for Corbett looms in
election, tax credit
Published: Sunday, June 17, 2012
Delco Times By Marc Levy Associated
Press
HARRISBURG (AP) — It's budget season again for Gov. Tom
Corbett, and that means the same thing as last year: His approval rating has
plummeted as Pennsylvania's no-new-taxes chief executive preaches austerity for
public schools and social services while prescribing tax cuts and tax breaks
for businesses.
Here’s more than 800
examples of “the media’s attacks”: Media’s
attacks
Schools need to shift educational priorities
Published: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 1:05 AM
Patriot News
Anne McGraw Reeves’ June 10 commentary, “School budget cuts today will haunt us tomorrow,” is an attempt to convince readers that public education in Pennsylvania will come to a halt. Let’s face it, the media’s attacks on the governor’s budget are nothing more than a call for higher taxes. Facts seem to be ignored when the argument is made that more money is needed.
Fact: In the 2010-11 school year — state, federal and local taxes combined — Pennsylvanians invested more than $26.5 billion into pre-K-12 education — an increase of $6 billion since 2004-05.
Anne McGraw Reeves’ June 10 commentary, “School budget cuts today will haunt us tomorrow,” is an attempt to convince readers that public education in Pennsylvania will come to a halt. Let’s face it, the media’s attacks on the governor’s budget are nothing more than a call for higher taxes. Facts seem to be ignored when the argument is made that more money is needed.
Fact: In the 2010-11 school year — state, federal and local taxes combined — Pennsylvanians invested more than $26.5 billion into pre-K-12 education — an increase of $6 billion since 2004-05.
Fact: Since 2004-05, the number of public school students dropped nearly 63,000, while the number of public school professionals increased by 9,500.
Fact: In
2004-05, taxpayers contributed $228 million to the Public School Employees’
Retirement System. In 2012-13, this will jump more than 300 percent to $916
million.
Fact: In
2004-05, salaries and benefits paid by public schools totaled $12.8 billion.
This increased 30 percent to $16.7 billion in 2010-11.
Fact: Gov.
Corbett’s first two budgets will invest an additional $828 million in state
support of public schools. It’s not that more money is needed. The public
education system needs to refocus its efforts to ensure that students remain
the No. 1 priority.
TIM ELLER
Press Secretary, PA Department of Education, Harrisburg
Press Secretary, PA Department of Education, Harrisburg
Public schools try to lure Pa.
cyber students back
June 17, 2012 12:18 am
By Sara K. Satullo / The (Easton) Express-Times
EASTON, Pa. -- There's a battle being waged for Pennsylvania's
schoolchildren.
Traditional public schools are on the offensive trying to lure back
students from cyber and charter schools with their own cyber academics. Public
school officials tout better standardized test scores and diplomas from known
schools.
Superintendents argue they're grappling with tight budgets, cutting
programs and laying off teachers. Yet, they're funneling tax dollars to growing
home-based cyber schools that aren't meeting state standards but can afford to offer
things districts cannot -- like foreign languages in elementary school.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/public-schools-try-to-lure-pa-cyber-students-back-640733/#ixzz1y8fOtfzU
Michelle Rhee: Vouchers can level playing field
Published:
Saturday, June 16, 2012, 11:00 AM
BY MICHELLE RHEE
There are two things that I think could happen among the big business community in Pennsylvania that would potentially change the education game.
The first is a simple one: Advocate for the policies that you
want to be in place in your own life.
http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/06/vouchers_can_level_playing_fie.html
Common
Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core
Yong Zhao’s Blog 17 JUNE 2012
Yong Zhao is currently
Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education, College of
Education at the University of Oregon, where he is a full professor in the
Department of Educational Measurement, Policy and Leadership(EMPL). He is
a fellow of the International Academy for Education.
The wonder drug has been
invented, manufactured, packaged, and shipped. Doctors and nurses are being
trained to administer the drug properly. Companies and consultants are offering
products and services to help with the proper administering of this wonder
drug. A national effort is underway to develop tools to monitor the improvement
of the patients. The media are flooded with enthusiastic endorsement and
euphoric predictions.
This cure-all wonder drug is the
Common Core, short for the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Cooked up by
the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School
Officers, this magic potion promises to cure America’s education ills,
according to its Mission
Statement:
http://zhaolearning.com/2012/06/17/common-sense-vs-common-core-how-to-minimize-the-damages-of-the-common-core/
Charter School Reform:
Is your State Rep. on the
cosponsor list for HB 2364? If not, why not?
If they tell you that we should
make it easier to authorize charters or that they are already accountable
enough have them read this:
PA
Charter Schools: $4 billion taxpayer dollars with no real oversight
More details
on HB 2364 from PSBA:
http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=3469
Education Voters PA @EdVotersPA
Please take 2 minutes to send
an email to your state reps; ask them to restore public ed funding:
Diane Ravitch on PBS
Newshour June 5th, 2012
STATEWIDE PRESS COVERAGE OF SCHOOL
DISTRICT BUDGETS
Here are more than 800
articles since January 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:
June 29 is deadline to submit proposals for PSBA’s 2013
Legislative Platform
Your school board is invited to submit proposals for consideration for PSBA’s 2013 Legislative Platform. The association is accepting proposals now until Friday,June 29, 2012 . Guidelines for platform submissions are posted on
PSBA’s Web site. The PSBA Platform Committee will review proposals
and rationale submitted for the platform on Aug. 11. The
recommendations of the committee will be brought before the Legislative Policy
Council for a final vote on Oct. 18.
Your school board is invited to submit proposals for consideration for PSBA’s 2013 Legislative Platform. The association is accepting proposals now until Friday,
PSBA accepting nominations for the Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy
Award
Last year, PSBA created a new award to honor the memory of its long-term chief lobbyist, who died unexpectedly. The Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA's Legislative Platform. The nomination process is now open and applications will be accepted untilJune 22, 2012 .
The award will be presented during the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference
in October. For more information and criteria details, see the Allwein Advocacy Award page. To obtain an application
form, see the Allwein Advocacy Award Nomination Form. Completed
forms should be returned no later than June 22 to: Pennsylvania School Boards
Association, Advocacy Award Selection Committee, PO Box 2042 , Mechanicsburg ,
PA 17055-0790
Last year, PSBA created a new award to honor the memory of its long-term chief lobbyist, who died unexpectedly. The Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA's Legislative Platform. The nomination process is now open and applications will be accepted until
Absentee ballot procedures for election of PSBA officers
PSBA
website 6/1/2012
All
school directors and school board secretaries who are eligible to vote and who
do not plan to attend the association's annual business meeting during the 2012
PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference in Hershey, Oct. 16-19, may request an
absentee ballot for election purposes.
The
absentee ballot must be requested from the PSBA executive director in
accordance with the PSBA Bylaws provisions (see PSBA Bylaws, Article IV,
Section 4, J-Q.). Specify the name and mailing address of each individual for
whom a ballot is requested.
Requests
must be in writing, e-mailed or mailed first class and postmarked or marked
received at PSBA Headquarters no later than Aug. 15. Mail to Executive
Director, P.O. Box 2042 ,
Mechanicsburg , PA
17055
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