Daily
postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1750
Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators,
legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, PTO/PTA officers, parent
advocates, teacher leaders, education professors, members of the press and a
broad array of P-16 education advocacy organizations via emails, website,
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These daily
emails are archived at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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First Book works through
existing community programs, literacy efforts and schools to provide an ongoing
supply of new books and reading materials – at low or no cost.
Your tax-deductible
donation to First Book will fund new books for children in need and help knock
down the greatest barrier to literacy development in the United States
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
A collection of our
postings that garnered the most traffic and interest during 2012:
Here are a few other end of
year education policy lists:
Top 10 Success List
Yinzercation Blog December 22, 2012
It’s that time of the
year for Top 10 lists. Today is also the winter solstice, the shortest and
darkest day of the year, and the day when we celebrate the return of light. In
2012 we continued to see real threats to public education, and plenty of
frustration and disappointment, but it has also been a year full of light – the
kind that shines when people pull together and work for equity, social justice,
our children, and the public good. This is a good time to remember our
successes and achievements….
Education Week: Anthony Cody’s Dozen Favorite 2012
Posts from Living In Dialogue
Top 10 education policy
wishes
Here are
the top 10 items on an education wish list for the holiday season and the New Year.
It was written by Greg Kaufmann, who
reports on poverty for the Nation, and Elaine
Weiss, the national
coordinator for the Broader Bolder Approach to
Education. This appeared on The Nation’s website and was also picked up by
Valerie Strauss on her Answer Sheet blog at the Washington Post.
Common Core standards hitting school
districts
By fall, school districts will implement
tough educational standards, the Common Core.
By Steve Esack,
Of The Morning Call 6:39 p.m.
EST, December 25, 2012
…..Unifying the nation's
50 states, 13,600 public school districts and roughly 98,800 public schools
behind a common set of standards has been bandied about for decades.
Proponents argued
American students were losing ground in math and literacy, resulting in high
school graduates lacking skills to earn college degrees or land jobs in a
global economy.
The concept started to
gel in about 2008 when the National Governors Association and Council of Chief
State School Officers started working with educational experts, principals and
teachers to pick the best curriculum standards from among the states.
After more than a year
of development, including 10,000 public comments, the Common Core was finalized
in June 2010.
So far, 45 states have
signed onto the initiative, including Pennsylvania
Lawmakers prepare to tackle state pension shortfalls
GOP senators review 401(k)-style defined
contribution plan
By Karen Langley / Post-Gazette Harrisburg December 24, 2012
12:14 am
HARRISBURG -- As policy
makers look for Gov. Tom Corbett's pensions proposal early next year, top
Republican senators are renewing an effort to enroll new state and school
employees in a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan. With pension payments set to consume Increasing
portions of the state budget, Mr. Corbett, a Republican, has made a priority of
overhauling the state and public school employee retirement systems. His budget
office recently released a report saying the governor plans to address pensions
in his February budget speech.
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Call For Moratorium on New Cyber Charter Schools
in PA
Public News Service - PA
by Tom Josephs December
17, 2012
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Some Pennsylvania groups say
cyber charter schools in the state aren't making the grade, and they're urging
state education officials to impose a moratorium on any new ones. Rhonda
Brownstein, the executive director of the Education
Law Center ,
says only one of the cyber charters operating in Pennsylvania
"And, aStanford
University
"And, a
Published: Thursday, December 20, 2012
By JOHN KOPP jkopp@delcotimes.com, @DT_JohnKopp
CHESTER — Now that
Joseph Watkins is in place as the receiver for the Chester Upland School
District, it’s time for him to begin implementing the financial and academic
recovery plan he designed to reinvigorate the struggling district.
That plan calls for school closures, staff cuts and tax increases, but also seeks to restore arts and music programs and establish summer school, after-school and day care programs. It is designed to win back students who fled the district for charter and cyber charter schools and requires the district meet Adequate Yearly Progress by the end of the 2014-15 school year.
So, where does Watkins start?
That plan calls for school closures, staff cuts and tax increases, but also seeks to restore arts and music programs and establish summer school, after-school and day care programs. It is designed to win back students who fled the district for charter and cyber charter schools and requires the district meet Adequate Yearly Progress by the end of the 2014-15 school year.
So, where does Watkins start?
Two
new charter schools proposed in Chester
Published: Friday, December 21, 2012
By JOHN KOPP jkopp@delcotimes.com @DT_JohnKopp
The Notebook is hiring!
by thenotebook on
Dec 23 2012
The Notebook is looking to hire
an accomplished nonprofit administrator for a new position - Associate
Director for Operations (part-time).
Sequestration: Senators to Return With 5 Days Left and No Clear Fiscal
Path
New York Times By JONATHAN
WEISMAN and JENNIFER
STEINHAUER
Published:
December 26,
2012
TRENDING: Republicans not jumping onto NRA's gun
plan
Posted by December 23rd,
2012
(CNN) – Republicans on Sunday were
reticent in voicing support for the National Rifle Association's scheme to
place guards with firearms in American schools, though they also appeared to
find little common ground with Democrats, who want tighter restrictions on
purchasing assault weapons. Lawmakers
from both parties have agreed that some changes are needed following the Newtown , Connecticut
Fear of For-Profit Schools Is Well Founded
The argument that the business model is the way
to improve schools is hardly new. At the beginning of the 20th century,
reformers made the same claim, with little to eventually show for it. That's
why I was surprised to read Rick Hess's essay in The Wall Street Journal
("The Irrational Fear of For-Profit Education," Dec. 18).
Hess begins by maintaining it is not true that
for-profit schools are "distracted by the demands of investors, while
public systems can focus solely on the children." He points to the bulk of
K-12 spending going to employee benefits and salaries. Does he believe that
teachers are not worth the money spent on their services? I wonder if he would
like to revise that statement in light of the supreme sacrifices made by educators
at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Hess then asserts that for-profit schools are
more efficient than traditional public schools because of the "watchful
eye of investors." They demand cost efficiencies. Of course, they do. But
at what price?
City Connects Year in Review: Springfield , MA
2012 marked the second year
of City Connects implementation in Springfield
City Connects DECEMBER 21, 2012
The engagement began in five of Springfield Springfield
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