Daily postings from the Keystone State Education
Coalition now reach more than 2650 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school
directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers,
Governor's staff, 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
These daily emails are archived at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
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?
School Choices:
Where’s the funding for Philly schools?
In Pennsylvania
- $946
million on bricks & mortar charter schools, 71% of which did not make
AYP
- $366
million on cyber-charters, none of which met AYP
- $200
million diverted by EITC program to support unaccountable private and
religious schools.
We
cannot afford four separate school systems
Hanger for
Governor website Posted On August 09, 2013
Pennsylvanians
must decide if we want to continue to support public education or if we will
allow those who want to privatize education to prevail. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania taxpayers are spending
$946 million on bricks and mortar charter schools, 71 percent of which did not
meet the federal Adequate Yearly Progress standard (AYP), $366 million on cyber-charters,
none of which met AYP. The Education Improvement Tax Credit program is
diverting another $200 million from public schools to support private schools.
The Philadelphia
“More than
40 years of research shows that children without high-quality early childhood
education are likelier to fall behind academically, drop out of high
school, abuse alcohol and drugs, require public assistance, and
become tangled in the criminal justice system. Their absence from the
workforce depletes the local talent pool.”
Business Forum: Quality early learning fills regional talent pool with capable workers
Business Forum: Quality early learning fills regional talent pool with capable workers
Post
Gazette Opinion By James F. Glunt August 10, 2013 12:08 am
James F. Glunt is a partner in the
Pittsburgh office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC, a
national management-side labor and employment law firm.
When businesses hire, they draw most of their talent from surrounding areas. This is a lesson I've learned from my years in employment law. Whether a company is headquartered inPittsburgh
When businesses hire, they draw most of their talent from surrounding areas. This is a lesson I've learned from my years in employment law. Whether a company is headquartered in
The need
for top talent is sure to grow, which is why we must invest in
high-quality early childhood education today. Decades of research
confirms the benefits of investments. From birth to age 5, young brains need
developmentally appropriate stimulation to build the capacity for learning.
Do you have questions on the Common Core for the
Senate Ed Committee?
“Senate Ed
Committee Chairman Mike Folmer has invited anyone interested in submitting
questions for the committee to get answered to submit those questions through
his website, www.senatorfolmer.com.
Those submitting questions should go to the website and click on the
"Education Committee" tab. Questions must be submitted
by Wednesday, Aug. 21”
Second public hearing on
PA Common Core standards to be held by Senate panel.
Capitolwire
Under the Dome August
9, 2013
On the
heels of its first hearing in May, the Senate Education Committee plans to hold
a second public hearing on Common Core as it relates to the proposed Pennsylvania
Core Standards. Earlier this week, the House Education Committee held an information briefing on
the standards. Committee Majority Chairman Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, said his
committee's hearing will concentrate on getting answers to Common Core
questions from the state Department of Education and the Pennsylvania State
Board of Education. Folmer has invited anyone interested in submitting
questions for the committee to get answered to submit those questions through
his website, www.senatorfolmer.com.
Those submitting questions should go to the website and click on the
"Education Committee" tab. Questions must be submitted
by Wednesday, Aug. 21. He said he and other committee members will then
pose the inquires to state officials at the hearing, which is scheduled to
begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, in Hearing Room One of the State
Capitol Complex’s North Office Building.
Sen. Mike
Folmer, Lebanon County 's
state senator and chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has announced the
committee will hold a second public hearing on Common Core as it relates to the
proposed Pennsylvania Core Standards at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 29 in hearing room one
of the state Capitol's North
Office Building
Martha Woodall,
Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: Sunday, August 11, 2013 , 3:01 AM Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite's
stunning announcement that schools will not open on time unless the district is
assured of $50 million from the city, raised alarms this week. But it was not
the first time school operations had been threatened.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130811_Philadelphia_schools_again_on_precipice.html#EDT6LRjOODRXUbu7.99
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130811_Philadelphia_schools_again_on_precipice.html#EDT6LRjOODRXUbu7.99
“Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Philly state lawmakers to
Corbett: Give promised money to schools now
WHYY
Newsworks By Holly Otterbein, @hotterbein August 9, 2013
Money is so
tight in the Philadelphia
In light of
the schools' massive budget shortfall, Philadelphia-area state lawmakers are
trying to push Gov. Tom Corbett to immediately give the district millions of
dollars that have been set aside. But
the Corbett administration argues that the district must make major changes
before the cash is released.
Philly school principals
appeal directly to parents for cash
By Kevin
McCorry, @bykevinmccorry August 9, 2013
"Free"
public education just got a bit more expensive for parents at Center City 's
Greenfield Elementary School Philadelphia School District 's
budget shortfall, Greenfield
Nutter, Clarke disagree
on solution for schools
Troy Graham, Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: Saturday, August 10, 2013 , 1:07 AM
At the heart of the impasse that Philadelphia School Superintendent
William R. Hite Jr. says is threatening his ability to start class on time this
fall are two men - Mayor Nutter and City Council President Darrell L. Clarke -
who have known each other for decades and rarely seem to agree. Their latest
difference of opinion centers on part of a state bailout for the schools that
calls for the city to borrow $50 million against future sales tax collections.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130810_Nutter__Clarke_disagree_on_solution_for_schools.html#zSsyGXXCzT3LuPv6.99
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130810_Nutter__Clarke_disagree_on_solution_for_schools.html#zSsyGXXCzT3LuPv6.99
PFT President Jerry Jordan Responds to District's
Update on School Openings
Jerry Jordan's response to the school district's announcement that schools may not open on time unless they get $50 million in funding. PFT website8/8/2013
For months, we have publicly voiced our concerns about the school district's ability to open schools on time in the wake of budget cuts, school closings and the layoff of the employees who provide vital services to students and parents. The district is now finally acknowledging the severity and scope of this reality. We hope our elected leaders in the City of Philadelphia and Harrisburg are equally troubled by this situation, and will quickly live up to their obligation to adequately and sustainably fund our public schools.
Jerry Jordan's response to the school district's announcement that schools may not open on time unless they get $50 million in funding. PFT website
For months, we have publicly voiced our concerns about the school district's ability to open schools on time in the wake of budget cuts, school closings and the layoff of the employees who provide vital services to students and parents. The district is now finally acknowledging the severity and scope of this reality. We hope our elected leaders in the City of Philadelphia and Harrisburg are equally troubled by this situation, and will quickly live up to their obligation to adequately and sustainably fund our public schools.
THE PHILADELPHIA
Written
by The Philadelphia
On August
8th, Superintendent Hite released a statement in which
he announced that the School
District of Philadelphia
US News: Philadelphia Schools May Not Open Due to
Budget Crisis
After
laying off thousands of teachers and staff, school officials ask for money to
hire them back
More than
200 Philadelphia
City gets more than $19M for pre-k program
PhillyTrib
Written by Damon C. Williams Thursday,
08 August 2013 19:00
Gov. Tom
Corbett, railed tirelessly by pro-public education groups wary over the
governor’s continued cuts, seems to have offered those interests groups an
olive branch in the form of an $84.5 million in funding for statewide pre-k
programs and services.
The figure
marks a 5 percent increase — or an additional $4.5 million — for the program.
This
development marks a double win of sorts for the governor, as these funds —
which Corbett announced in the spring as part of budget — had to be approved by
a cranky General Assembly, as many statewide legislators, especially those
representing rural communities, have taken the governor to task for inadequate
overall public school funding.
Will Philly School District Be Next to Sue Banks Over Bad Swaps?
City Paper by
Daniel Denvir Posted: Thu, Aug. 8, 2013 , 12:00 AM
In July,
the City of Philadelphia Philly School District School District is
currently in the process of analyzing whether or not the agency has a
sufficient basis for pursuing claims against financial institutions which may
have been involved in the manipulation of Libor,” a district spokesperson wrote
in a statement issued to City Paper.
Distressed Districts: Harrisburg
By Emily Previti | epreviti@pennlive.com
on August 09,
2013 at 5:19 PM ,
updated August 09, 2013 at 6:31
PM
Update: Union wants to vote again because about half of members
couldn't get there the first time around.
PA’s Special Education Annual Performance Report,
State Performance Plan Now Available
Gant
Daily.com August
9, 2013 at 6:00 AM by Gant
Team · Leave
a Comment
HARRISBURG
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has announced that the state’s Special
Education Annual Performance Report and the State Performance Plan, which are
required under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are now
available on the department’s website. The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires all states to
develop a State Performance Plan describing how the state will implement the
requirements of the law and improve results for students. Part B of the
act covers children with disabilities ages 3 to 21. The State Performance Plan
covers federal fiscal years 2005 (2005-06 school year) through 2012 (2012-13
school year).
“About 92%
of traditional public schools had a library, but only 51% of charter schools
did.”
The Void in Charter
Schools
How can kids develop a
love for reading without a library to nurture them?
American
Libraries By Maria R. Traska June 2013
Linda Eschen began
her first day as a library volunteer at Livermore
Valley (Calif. )
Charter School Cuesta College
“In
general, the average charter school went down by 51 percentage points compared
to 34 percentage points for the average public school.”
“Stephanie Simon of
Politico.com was first to notice that some celebrated charters like KIPP and
Democracy Prep did worse than the public schools.
Now Gary Rubinstein examined
performance for all charters in New York City and determined that the
sector as a whole did worse than public schools on the Common Core tests.
In fact, the score collapse
of the charter sector dwarfed that of the public sector.”
Gary Rubinstein: Dramatic
Collapse of NY Charter
School
Diane
Ravitch’s Blog By dianerav August
9, 2013 //
The
corporate reform movement has spun an elaborate narrative in which charter
schools are the solution to our nation’s allegedly dreadful public schools.
“Waiting for Superman” became their message, used to win new converts. And the
Common Core tests were supposed to put the nail in the coffin, demonstrating
the utter failure of public schools.
Attention States: NCLB
Waiver Renewal Guidance Expected Soon
Education
Week Politics k-12 Blog By Michele McNeil on August
8, 2013 10:53 AM
By the end
of this month, states will likely know what kind of hoops they will have to
jump through to get their No Child Left Behind Act waivers renewed. That's according to a federal official
speaking at a Title I conference recently, as chronicled by EdWeek freelancer Charles Edwards.
No moon: Perseid meteor
shower set to put on a great show before dawn August 12
You can expect to see up to 100 “shooting stars” per hour when 2013’s
best meteor shower peaks before dawn August 12.
Astronomy By Richard Talcott — Published: May 27, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013 ,
9:30 AM , Tredyffrin-Easttown School
District
Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee Public
hearing on Common Core
Thursday, August 29, 2013 ,
9:30 AM Capitol, Hearing
Room 1, North Office Bldg.
Save the Date: Diane Ravitch will be
speaking in Philly at the Main Branch of the Philadelphia 7:30
pm ..
Diane Ravitch | Reign
of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public
Schools
When: Tuesday,September 17,
2013 at 7:30PM
Where: Central Library
Cost: $15 General Admission, $7 Students
Ticket and Subscription Packages
Tickets on sale here at 10:00 a.m. onAugust 23, 2013
When: Tuesday,
Where: Central Library
Cost: $15 General Admission, $7 Students
Ticket and Subscription Packages
Tickets on sale here at 10:00 a.m. on
Yinzers - Save the Date: Diane
Ravitch will be speaking in Pittsburgh on September 16th at 6:00 pm at Temple Sinai
The lecture is
being hosted by Great Public Schools (GPS) Pittsburgh, which is a new coalition
of community, faith, and labor organizations consisting of Action United, One
Pittsburgh, PA Interfaith Impact Network, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers,
SEIU, and Yinzercation. Co-sponsors for
the event include the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, the PA State Education
Association, Temple Sinai , and First
Unitarian Church
of Pittsburgh
Join the National School Boards
Action Center
Participate
in a voluntary network to urge your U.S.
Representatives and Senators to support federal legislation on Capitol Hill
that is critical to providing high quality education to America
PILCOP 2013 Symposium on Equality: Privatization
This year’s
day-long Symposium will be held on Thursday, September 12th and will explore
the debate over privatizing government services such as healthcare, land
management and education. The Symposium
on Equality annually convenes thought leaders and outstanding advocates
to engage in meaningful discussion and exploration of the day’s most
pressing civil rights and social issues. This year’s event will foster
conversation, collaboration and exploration of the debate over privatizing
government services such as healthcare, land management and education.
PILCOP Know Your Child’s Rights! 2013-2014 Special
Education Seminars
The Law Center Law Center
This year’s
topics include Tips for Going Back to School; Psychological Testing, IEEs and
Evaluations; School Records; Children with Autism; Transition Services;
Children with Emotional Needs; Discipline and Bullying; Charter Schools;
Children with Dyslexia; Extended School Year; Assistive Technology;
Discrimination and Compensatory Education; and, Settlements. See below for
descriptions and schedules of each session.
PSBA is accepting applications to fill vacancies in NSBA's grassroots
advocacy program. Deadline to apply is Sept. 6.
PSBA members: Influence
public education policy at the federal level; join NSBA's Federal Relations
Network
The
National School Boards Association is seeking school directors interested in
filling vacancies for the remainder of the 2013-14 term of the Federal
Relations Network. The FRN is NSBA's grassroots advocacy program that provides
the opportunity for school board members from every congressional district in
the country who are committed to public education to get involved in federal
advocacy. For more than 40 years, school board members have been lobbying for
public education on Capitol Hill as one unified voice through this program. If
you are a school director and willing to carry the public education message to Washington , D.C.
PSBA members will elect
officers electronically for the first time in 2013
PSBA 7/8/2013
Beginning
in 2013, PSBA members will follow a completely new election process which will
be done electronically during the month of September. The changes will have
several benefits, including greater membership engagement and no more absentee
ballot process.
Below is a
quick Q&A related to the voting process this year, with more details to
come in future issues of School Leader News and at
www.psba.org. More information on the overall governance changes can be found
in the February 2013 issue of the PSBA Bulletin:
Electing PSBA Officers:
2014 PSBA Slate of Candidates
Details on each candidate, including
bios, statements, photos and video are online now
PSBA Website Posted 8/5/2013
The 2014 PSBA Slate of Candidates is being officially published to the
members of the association. Details on each candidate, including bios,
statements, photos and video are online at http://www.psba.org/elections/.
October 15-18, 2013 | Hershey Lodge & Convention Center
Important change this year: Delegate Assembly (replaces the
Legislative Policy Council) will be Tuesday Oct. 15 from 1 – 4:30 p.m.
The
PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference is the largest gathering of elected
officials in Pennsylvania
Registration:
https://www.psba.org/workshops/?workshop=17
The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College , PA
The state
conference is PAESSP’s premier professional development event for principals,
assistant principals and other educational leaders. Attending will enable you
to connect with fellow educators while learning from speakers and presenters
who are respected experts in educational leadership.
Featuring
Keynote Speakers: Charlotte Danielson, Dr. Todd Whitaker, Will Richardson &
David Andrews, Esq. (Legal Update).
School Choices: Are your PA tax
dollars, intended for the classrooms of Chester Upland
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/06/follow-money-contributions-by-vahan.html
"They
don't feel they should be subject to this law, or, candidly, subject to
you," Mutchler told senators on the state government committee, which is
considering legislation to amend the five-year-old law. "They are a cancer
on the otherwise healthy right-to- know-law."
By Amy Worden, Inquirer Harrisburg
PA Charter Schools: $4
billion taxpayer dollars with no real oversight
Charter schools - public funding without public scrutiny
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