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postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1875
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advocates, teacher leaders, education professors, members of the press and a
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Roebuck Seeking Co-sponsors for
Comprehensive Charter and Cyber Charter School
PA House Education
Committee Public Hearing:
Cyber Charter Funding
Reform
Thursday, March
14, 2013 10:00 AM
Room 140 Main Capitol
Here’s some background on these two bills:
Charter and Cyber Charter Funding Reforms Proposed
Charter and Cyber Charter Funding Reforms Proposed
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai’s website 1/25/2013
Senators call for
scrutiny of Pa.
WHYY Newsworks The Feed By Associated Press March 4, 2013
Some state senators say that state regulation of charter schools and
cyber charters is inadequate. At a
Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Monday, several lawmakers cited a lack
of financial and academic accountability for the privately run public schools.
Charter school reform heating up as
part of state budget debate
Senate and House quiz
state education secretary on governor's appetite to reform charter school law
to save taxpayers money.
By Steve Esack, Morning
Call Harrisburg
Lawmakers are clamoring to overhaul it to reduce costs and increase
oversight of cyber charter schools. But
considering how reform bills have failed the last two years, changing the 1997
law may be elusive even though an auditor general's report, issued in June,
found taxpayers are overcharged $365 million annually to fund 162 charter
schools. During a state Senate
Appropriations hearing on Monday, Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Berks, asked Education Secretary Ron
Tomalis where Gov. Tom Corbett stood on charter reforms.
Senator Vincent Hughes Democratic
Appropriations Chairman March 4, 2013 responds to Corbett Budget
Audio runtime 47 seconds
Senator Hughes says Gov. Corbett is shortchanging public school
education in his proposed state budget, especially poorer school districts, and
the proof is in the test scores statewide. Here’s more with
Senator Hughes, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, who told Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis at the department’s
budget hearing before the Senate that the governor’s budget proposal is
unacceptable.
“We need to examine how education is being provided across a broad
spectrum and not be so concerned about initiatives that help private education
providers at the expense of all public schools and their students,” Brewster
said.
Senator Brewster Reacts to the
Administration’s Lack of Focus in Budget Hearing on Education
Corbett Education Budget would Result in Local Tax Increases, lawmaker
says
PA Senate Democratic Caucus website McKeesport
State Sen. Jim Brewster said he was disappointed in the presentation made
by Corbett administration officials as they described their education
priorities at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today. “I am very concerned that a number of issues
confronting our education community are being swept aside by the Corbett
administration in its haste to dismantle public education,” Brewster
(D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) said. ”As a strong proponent of public
education and a firm believer in providing opportunities for all students,
there are critical issues that lawmakers must address.”
“Basically, if a school district has its own cyber program, students
would be directed to use that instead of a cyber charter. Students still could enroll in a cyber
charter, but they would have to find their own way to pay for it.”
State Sen. Judy Schwank introduces
bill that would change rules on cyber charter schools
Measure would direct students to enroll in programs run by their home
districts
Reading Eagle By David Mekeel Originally Published: 3/3/2013
Public school districts in Pennsylvania Berks County
Schwank recently introduced a bill that would change the rules for cyber
charter schools.
Oldies
but goodies: This September 2012 posting on PA charter schools has been one of
the most viewed on this blog:
LTE: Corbett cares more about
prisons than schools
This is regarding Tim Eller’s letter to the editor on Feb. 24, “Claims of
education cuts by Gov. Corbett are untrue.”
Budgets are about priorities. Gov. Corbett’s 2011-12 budget slashed
education funding and increased funding for prisons. That’s a crystal-clear
message about this administration’s priorities.
Full-day kindergarten, school libraries, and school nurses have been
eliminated or dramatically reduced in school districts throughout Pennsylvania
PUBLISHED: MARCH
3, 2013 12:01 AM
EST
Corbett takes a political risk on pension reform
Corbett takes a political risk on pension reform
GoErie.com BY JOHN GUERRIERO, Erie Times-News john.guerriero@timesnews.com
Gov. Tom Corbett visited the Manufacturer & Business Association in Erie on March 1st to sell his plan to get the state out of
the liquor wholesale and retail business with Erie
Gov. Tom Corbett is taking the politically risky move of trying to reform
Pennsylvania
Pension solution
Post-Gazette Letter to the Editor by Nathan Benefield March 3, 2013 12:02 am
Nathan Benefield is Director of Policy
Analysis at the Commonwealth Foundation
Nina Esposito-Visgitis, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of
Teachers, wrote that Gov. Tom Corbett is taking aim at the retirement benefits
of public school employees ("Let Pennsylvania Pension Reforms Work," Feb. 21
Perspectives). Teachers have a right to be fired up about their pensions,
but Ms. Visgitis offers misleading information to fire them up at the wrong
targets.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/letters/pension-solution-677635/#ixzz2Mbkpwena
Hughes to SRC: Don't balance books
on teachers' backs
Kristen A. Graham, Inquirer
Staff Writer Tuesday, March 5, 2013 , 3:01
AM
Don't take your money woes out on teachers, State Sen. Vincent Hughes has
told the Philadelphia School Reform Commission in no uncertain terms. In a sharply worded letter to SRC Chairman
Pedro Ramos, Hughes (D., Phila.) expressed "deep concerns" over the Philadelphia School District
Parents United statement: Contracts
should advance teaching & learning, not degrade them
Parents United for Public Education: Statement on Philadelphia
Parents United for Public Education Posted
on March 1, 2013 by PARENTSUNITEDPHILA
Parents United for Public Education believes that the upcoming contract
negotiations with the teachers’ union are an important opportunity to advance a
vision of quality teaching and learning across the city. While we recognize the dire financial
situation of the District, we are appalled at suggestions to eliminate class size
caps and other proposals that will further degrade the quality of education in Philadelphia
Informing the debate: Research For Action
releases PACER brief on school closures
Research for Action website March 4, 2013
This week, Philadelphia
This PACER brief looks at the experience of major districts -- including Chicago , New York , Pittsburgh , and Washington ,
D.C. Philadelphia
Increasing numbers of charter schools, flat or declining enrollments in
some urban districts, and financial strain mean that increasing numbers of
districts statewide will confront the questions before Philadelphia
“because the closings would create education deserts in
areas of the city with the highest concentration of minority and
low-income residents….Who would stay or move into a neighborhood that doesn’t
even have a school in which parents and community members can invest their
energies?”
Are school closings the new urban
renewal?
by thenotebook by Elaine Simon on Mar 04 2013
Recent analyses show that most students from schools recommended for
closing in Philadelphia
Most of the displaced students will not benefit academically from the
closings as planned. In addition, they would have to travel a distance
outside their neighborhoods, because the closings would create education
deserts in areas of the city with the highest concentration of minority
and low-income residents.
“Ms. Friedman also had harsh
words for the state for inadequately funded education, saying legislators
"should be ashamed of themselves."
Judge postpones decision on Duquesne schools
Judge postpones decision on Duquesne schools
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh March
4, 2013 4:27 pm
The hearing was continued to April 2.
9 of 11 Luzerne County
Hazelton Standard Speaker BY ELIZABETH
SKRAPITS (STAFF WRITER) March 3, 2013
For homeowners worried about massive school district property tax hikes,
the situation may not end up as bad as it first seems. Of Luzerne
County Dallas
Time’s Up
Pencils down. No more filling in bubbles. The time has come to opt out of
high stakes testing. Students in Pennsylvania
Standardized testing becomes the
great divide in schools policy
Use of standardized tests in schools is
growing, but so is push-back – an issue playing out in L.A.
In Texas Seattle Los Angeles
The growing use of standardized tests to assess students and teachers is
sparking a push-back nationwide in what has become one of the greatest divides
in educational policy. Even as the federal government and major school
districts in Chicago , New York
College Board’s 9th
Annual AP Report to the Nation, February 13, 2013
The 9th Annual AP Report to the Nation reports on each state’s efforts to improve high school achievement
by involving greater segments of the student population — and traditionally
underserved students in particular — in rigorous AP courses.
‘Saturday Night Live’ on the
sequester
PSBA officer applications due April
30
PSBA’s website 2/15/2013
Candidates seeking election to PSBA officer posts in 2014 must file an
expression of interest for the office desired to be interviewed by the PSBA
Leadership Development Committee.
This new committee replaces the former Nominations Committee. Deadline
for filing is April 30. The application shall be marked received at
PSBA headquarters or mailed first class and postmarked by the deadline to be
considered timely filed. Expression of interest forms can be found online
at www.psba.org/about/psba/board-of-directors/officers/electing-officers.asp.
Edcamp Philly 2013 at UPENN
May 18th, 2013
For those of you who have never gone to an
Edcamp before, please make a note of the unusual part of the morning where we
will build the schedule. Edcamp doesn’t believe in paying fancy people to come
and talk at you about teaching! At an Edcamp, the people attending – the participants
- facilitate sessions on teaching and learning! So Edcamp won’t
succeed without a whole bunch of you wanting to run a session of some kind!
What kinds of sessions might you run?
What: Edcamp Philly is an"unconference" devoted
to K-12 Education issues and ideas.
Where:University
of Pennsylvania
Where:
2013 PSBA Leadership Symposium on
Advocacy and Issues
April 6, 2013 The Penn Stater Convention Center Hotel; State College, PA
Strategic leadership, school budgeting and advocacy are key issues facing today's school district leaders. For your school district to truly thrive, leaders must maintain a solid understanding of these three functions. Attend the 2013 PSBA Leadership Symposium on Advocacy and Issues to ensure you have the skills you need to take your district to the next level.
April 6, 2013 The Penn Stater Convention Center Hotel; State College, PA
Strategic leadership, school budgeting and advocacy are key issues facing today's school district leaders. For your school district to truly thrive, leaders must maintain a solid understanding of these three functions. Attend the 2013 PSBA Leadership Symposium on Advocacy and Issues to ensure you have the skills you need to take your district to the next level.
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