Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 1900 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 regulatory agencies, professional
associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook
and Twitter.
The Keystone State Education
Coalition is pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public
Education. Are you a
member?
These daily emails are archived at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
PSBA Region 15
Members (Delaware and Chester Counties )
May 30
Jeffery B. Clay, Executive Director for the Pennsylvania School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) will present on the topic of pension reform.
Pa. budget woes
will test GOP on business tax cut
Pa. lawmakers hesitate on
Corbett's crowded legislative agenda
WHYY Newsworks By Mary
Wilson, @marywilson May 12, 2013
Gov. Tom Corbett
is reluctant to pull any legislative issue from the very top of his crowded
agenda. But Pennsylvania legislative
leaders appear more than happy to do it for him.
Here’s our
weekend posting in case you missed it…….
Pa. budget woes will test
GOP on business tax cut
Philly.com by MARC LEVY , THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS May 11, 2013, 1:10 PM
HARRISBURG, Pa.
- Gov. Tom Corbett and his fellow Republicans who control the Legislature were
poised to deliver yet another business tax cut, the biggest yet of Corbett's
three budget proposals. Tax collections
this year were supposed to produce a $230 million surplus. That would allow
Corbett's plan to absorb the tax cut and rising public employee pension costs
while adding some money for the public schools and social services that had
borne the brunt of two years of spending cuts.
But the story gets muddy from there, and a $360 million reduction in the
capital stock and franchise tax may no longer be set in stone, even for a core
Republican constituency of business owners and executives who will view
anything less as a tax increase.
Hey, Gov. Corbett. Shadow a Philly kid for a day to see your cuts: As I
See It
Patriot-News Op-Ed by
Blondell Reynolds Brown May 12, 2013
According to the Pennsylvania Constitution, it is the
state’s responsibility to:
“Provide for the maintenance and support of a
thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the
Commonwealth.”
And yet, for the
third year in a row, we look to the Corbett administration to help us fill a
sizable hole in the Philadelphia school district's budget. To be precise, the
District’s “ask” is $120 million from Harrisburg and $60 million from the City
of Philadelphia, to prevent the elimination of art, music, sports, school
nurses, guidance counselors, assistant principals, all after school activities
and more. In return we get silence and shrugged shoulders.
EdVotersPA tweeted that Sturla, Roebuck and
Longietti have been appointed to this commission
Sturla appointed to
bipartisan Special Education Funding Commission
Sturla, who is
chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee, has been a long-time
champion of implementing an equitable special education funding formula. He
introduced a proposal to implement a formula in 2009 (H.B. 704) that passed
with overwhelming support in the House but never received a vote in the state
Senate.
Pennsylvanians Against Common Core:
State
Hearings: Pay-offs, Politics and Propaganda
Common Core standards
will prepare kids for success: As I See It
Patriot-News Op-Ed By Joan Benso and David Patti May 05,
2013 at 1:30 PM
Almost a decade ago, governors from across the country got
together to have a long-overdue discussion about why so many students were
graduating from high school ill-prepared for college. At the same time, the
business community was sounding the alarm about good paying jobs going unfilled
because high school graduates lacked basic math and reading skills, as well as
good work habits.
The consensus among the governors – Republicans and Democrats,
conservatives and liberals – was that our students could do better, but we had
to set higher expectations to get better academic results.
Change in standards to be
implemented for Pennsylvania public schools
Chambersburg
Public Opinion Online Posted: 05/12/2013 8:47 PM
Pennsylvania
public educators have been busy for more than three years preparing for the
next big wave in public education. But
it's been only recently that a switch to the Pennsylvania Common Core Standards
- a twist on the national Common Core State Standards - reached the radar of
concerned citizens and legislators.
Guilford
Township resident Michele Jansen was one of five members of the Franklin County
9/12 Patriots to query the Chambersburg Area school board about it last month.
The group has also talked to local educators and lawmakers, and plans to visit
the Pennsylvania General Assembly this week during public information sessions.
House Informational briefing on the Common Core Standards from PA
Dept. of Education Secretary Ron Tomalis.
Tuesday, May
14, 2013 9:00 AM Room G50 Irvis
Office Bldg.
Senate Public hearing on Common Core
Wednesday, May
15, 1:00 PM , Hearing Room
1 North Office Bldg
PSBA Region 15 Members (Delaware and Chester Counties )
Jeffery B. Clay, Executive
Director for the Pennsylvania
School Employees’
Retirement System (PSERS)
will present on the topic of pension reform.
Penns Grant Region 15 -- Thursday, May 30 ; 5 p.m. Region
15 meeting; 6 p.m. dinner; 7 p.m. Legislative meeting; Garnet Valley HS,
552 Smithbridge Rd., Glen Mills, 19342; registration is required
Directions:http://goo.gl/maps/fDkh0
Superintendents, Business
Managers, School Board Members, Union Leaders, Any Others interested in PSERS
and wanting to learn more about Pension Reform . . .
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Registration: 6:30 p.m.
Presentation: 7:00 p.m.
Allegheny
Intermediate Unit 475 East Waterfront Drive Homestead ,
PA 15120 McGuffey/Sullivan
Rooms
Jeffery B. Clay,
Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Schools Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) will present on the topic of pension
reform. Mr. Clay’s presentation will review the increases in retirement
contributions and the Governor’s proposal on pension reform. As one
concerned about public education, we are sure that you will find this meeting
enlightening and a valuable investment of your time.
In order to
accommodate those attending and prepare the necessary materials for the
meeting, please register using the following link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6252177431 by May 7, 2013 .
If you have any
questions regarding the registration process, please contact Janet Galaski
at 412.394.5753 or janet.galaski@aiu3.net.
Panel: Striking Back on High
Stakes Testing hosted by Rethinking Schools
Panel Discussion
Hosted by Rethinking Schools
Arch Street
United Methodist Church , 55 North Broad Street , Philadelphia
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 4:30pm
until 6:00pm
Join CUNY
Professor Michelle Fine and Rethinking
Schools editors Stan Karp
and Helen Gym for a conversation on fighting back against the testing
industry's dismantling of public education. Suggested donation $10, or $20 for
panel plus your copy of Rethinking Schools' newest book: "Pencils Down:
High-stakes testing and accountability in public schools."
Space limited! RSVP: parentsunitedphila@gmail.com
Info and
directions: https://www.facebook.com/events/459048834184078/
Looking for PA Governor's
School for the Arts Alumni
For over 35
years, the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts was a robust summer
program that provided over 10,000 students state-wide with extraordinary
opportunities to develop their artistic talents, intellects, self-confidence,
and leadership. Unfortunately, for budget reasons, state officials ended the
program a few years ago. The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC)'s
2012 Arts and Education Policy Report recommended the school be reestablished
and the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network is now urging that the Governor's
School for the Arts be restored.
To support this
effort, we would like to create a comprehensive list of alumni who attended the
School. This list would be an important voice in supporting the reopening of
the Governor's School for the Arts, and arts education in Pennsylvania , generally.
If you, or someone you know attended the Pennsylvania 's
Governor's School for the Arts, please complete this form and share with
others. This list will be used internally, and will not
be made public. For more information
about the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network and for news about the
reestablishment of the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts, please
visit ArtsEducationPA.org.
PSBA Bylaws amendment
proposals due May 15
PSBA website 2/15/2013
As stated in
Article XII, proposals for amending the PSBA Bylaws must be submitted "in
writing, mailed first class and postmarked or marked received at PSBA
headquarters prior to May 15 of each year." Proposals should be addressed to the Bylaws
Committee Chair or the Executive Director and sent to PSBA headquarters by
the May 15, 2013, deadline.
The procedures
for submitting proposed bylaws changes are outlined in Article XII and can be
found online atwww.psba.org/about/psba/2013_psba_bylaws.pdf.
Search underway for PSBA
Executive Director
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA)
is a nonprofit statewide association of public school boards, pledged to the
highest ideals of local lay leadership for the public schools of the
commonwealth. Founded in 1895, PSBA has a rich history as the first
school boards' association established in the United States . Pennsylvania 's 4,500 school directors become
members by virtue of election to their local board -- the board joins as a
whole. Membership in PSBA is by school district or other eligible local
education agency such as intermediate unit, vocational school or community
college……..
Search by Diversified Search, 1990 M St NW, Suite 570 , Washington , DC .
Questions may be directed to PSBA@divsearch.com. Interested
parties should email their resume and cover letter to PSBA@divsearch.com.
Please apply by June 1, 2013 for
best consideration.
Sign Up Today for PILCOP Special Ed CLE Trainings
Spots are
filling up for the final two trainings in our 2012-2013 Know Your Child’s
Rights series with seminars on ADAAA, Pro Se Parents and Settlement Agreements.
For seminar details
and registration: http://pilcop.org/sign-up-today-for-special-ed-cle-trainings/
Turning the Page for
Change celebration, June
11, 2013
Please join us for the Notebook’s annual
Turning the Page for Change celebration on June 11, 2013 , from 4:30
- 7 p.m. at the University
of The Arts , Hamilton
Hall, 320 S. Broad Street .
We will be honoring a member of the Notebook community for years of
service to our mission as well as honoring several local high school
journalists. Help us celebrate another year of achievement that included two
awards from the Education Writers Association and coverage of other critical
stories like the budget crisis and the school closing process.
PA Charter Schools: $4 billion taxpayer dollars with no real
oversight Keystone State
Education Coalition (updated May 2, 2013 )
Charter schools - public funding without public
scrutiny; Proposed statewide authorization and direct payment would further
diminish accountability and oversight for public tax dollars
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