With Romney Nominated, Campaign Milks Choice

“Middle-class American students who attend well-funded schools rank at the top of the world on international tests.” Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California August 12, 2012 

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1600 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, 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

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Keystone Exams: During the 2011-2012 school year, PSSA training, testing and retesting impacted 45 instructional days in my school district.  That was just under 25% of the school calendar.  For 2012-2013 we anticipate that 106 instructional days, or 57% of the academic calendar will be impacted.

Pennsylvania Department of Education – Standards Aligned Systems website

PDE: Keystone Exam Information for Parents/Guardians - August 2012

Pennsylvania’s State Assessment System Proposed Transition to Keystone Exams July 2012

http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/2012_Assessment_Transition_PowerPoint_v2.pdf

More info from PDE on Keystone Exams:

http://www.pdesas.org/module/assessment/Keystone.aspx#

Education Budget Cuts From Sequestration Could Be Devastating, Duncan Says

Huffinton Post 07/25/2012 5:07 pm

Schools, HIV testing, childcare and unemployment programs are all "under threat" as across-the-board cuts, known as sequestration, are scheduled to strike in January 2013, according to a new U.S. Senate report released Wednesday.

But Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees nonmilitary spending, chose to center a Wednesday hearing on these cuts specifically to examine how the billions lost could affect America's schools. "Education will provide an instructive example of the kinds of arbitrary cuts [that kick in] ... if sequestration goes into effect," Harkin said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/25/education-budget-cuts_n_1703442.html

We must avoid sequestration: Savage cuts in education funding would cripple our schools

Post-Gazette Opinion By Jamie Baxter May 3, 2012 4:15 am

Jamie Baxter, director of legislative policy and advocacy for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, is president of the Committee for Education Funding, a coalition of more than 90 education organizations.
In Washington and in Harrisburg the theme seems to be cut, cut, cut. The question is ... when will the cuts end?  They surely will not end early next year when a huge reduction in federal funding is scheduled to take place. "Sequestration" is set to occur Jan. 2. This means that, unless Congress acts, all federal discretionary spending, including education, will be cut by as much as 9.1 percent

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/we-must-avoid-sequestration-savage-cuts-in-education-funding-would-cripple-our-schools-634125/#ixzz257JMISIK

With Romney Nominated, Campaign Milks Choice

Education Week By Alyson Klein on August 31, 2012 2:08 AM

Tampa, Fla.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his campaign used the night of his acceptancespeech to make the case that he was an advocate for education as governor of Massachusetts—and would make expanding school choice a K-12 priority if he wins the White House.   "When it comes to the school your child should attend, every parent should have a choice, and every child should have a chance," Romney told the crowd here. But although his 39-minute speech included pointed attacks on President Barack Obama's performance on the economy, defense, and health care, he was silent on the president's K-12 record.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/08/romney_2.html

Posted at 12:31 PM ET, 08/30/2012

Who might be Romney’s education secretary?

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss

So who might Mitt Romney pick as his education secretary should he win the November presidential election?

Here’s a list of some of the probable candidates, based on the people that Romney chose to be on his Education Policy Advisory Group, or that his campaign has used as “surrogates” to speak on education, or that are beloved by Republicans as important education reformers. In the latter category would be people such as Michelle Rhee and former Florida governor Jeb Bush and even Joel Klein.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/who-might-be-romneys-education-secretary/2012/08/30/dd8321c8-f2a7-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_blog.html

Posted at 09:55 PM ET, 08/30/2012

Jeb Bush’s ed speech at GOP convention — text

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush addressed the Republican Convention on Thursday night, giving a speech about education reform that is likely to fuel talk that he could be Mitt Romney’s education secretary should   Here's the speech by Bush — who predictably attacks President Obama and teachers union — as well as remarks by a Florida teacher and student:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/jeb-bushs-ed-speech-at-gop-convention--text/2012/08/30/8dd1d31e-f30a-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html

Common Core State Standards Dividing GOP

Education Week By Alyson Klein on August 30, 2012 1:53 PM

Tampa, Fla.

The Common Core State Standards: A state-led effort to help improve learning outcomes throughout the nation—or "Obama Core?" It's clear here at the Republican convention that there's a major split emerging in the party on that question.

On the one hand, there's Jeb Bush, a key Romney surrogate and the former GOP governor of Florida. He points out that a majority of GOP governors haveembraced the standards. And then you've got Gayle Ruzeicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, and a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

"We call it Obama Core," she told me in an interview on the convention floor Monday, an obvious play on "Obamacare," GOP activists' name for the president's landmark health care law. "It's been co-opted by the Obama administration. They've done everything they can to tie us into these standards. We're Republicans and we're letting Obama take over our education system."

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/08/common_core_state_standards_di.html

Obama vs. Romney: 5 Ways They Differ On Education

Care2 News Network by Judy Molland August 29, 2012

Who knows where President Obama and Mitt Romney stand on education? Hard to say, since the topic has not been taken center stage in election coverage so far. In case you’re wondering, here’s a primer on some of their most important positions on educational policy.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/obama-vs-romney-5-ways-they-differ-on-education.html#ixzz255CVLFQl

If you have received an absentee ballot it must be postmarked by September 10th

Bios of candidates slated for 2013 PSBA offices 8/15/2012

At its May 19 meeting at PSBA Conference Center, the PSBA Nominating Committee interviewed and selected a slate of candidates for officers of the association in 2013.

http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=3376

Upcoming PSBA Professional Development Opportunities

To register or to learn more about PSBA professional development programs please visit:  www.psba.org/workshops/

2012 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference Oct. 16-19, 2012
Registration is Now Open!  Hershey Lodge & Convention Center, Hershey, PA
www.psba.org/workshops/school-leadership-conference/

EPLC’s 2012 Arts and Education Symposium: Save the Date, Thursday, October 11

Education Policy and Leadership Center

Please mark your calendars and plan on joining EPLC, our partners, and guests on October 11 in Harrisburg for a full day of events.  Stay tuned to aei-pa.org for information about our 2nd Arts and Education Symposium.  Scholarships and Act 48 Credit will be available.  Outstanding speakers and panelists from Pennsylvania and beyond will once again come together to address key topics in the arts and arts education and related public policy advocacy initiatives.  This is a networking and learning opportunity not to be missed!

http://www.aei-pa.org/

NSBA Federal Relations Network seeking new members for 2013-14

School directors are invited to advocate for public education at the federal level through the National School Boards Association’s Federal Relations Network. The National School Boards Association is seeking school directors interested in serving on the Federal Relations Network (FRN), its grass roots advocacy program that brings local board members on the front line of pending issues before Congress. If you are a school director and willing to carry the public education message to Washington, D.C., FRN membership is a good place to start. 

Click here for more information.