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?
PSP/PennCAN Chutzpah: that quality
in a man who, having killed his parents, throws himself on the mercy of the
court because he is an orphan……
Peter Dewitt does a great job in this
piece nailing what I see as the primary issue with the Common Core: it does
nothing at all to help high poverty early learners. LAF
“If the
children are entering deficient in vocabulary and in the area of reading, how
will more advanced curriculum level the playing field? CCSS without providing access to better
resources, way before they enter school, will just help them feel like failures
earlier than ever before.”
Can the Common Core Fix
Poverty?
By Peter DeWitt on August
13, 2013 6:41 AM
Too many
people talk about the CCSS as if they will be the silver bullet to end our
poverty issues.
We are
surrounded by the illusion of quick fixes. We can deny that we want quick
fixes...but we would be lying. If my computer isn't working properly I always
believe that if I press Ctrl+Alt+Delete it will come back on and be as good as
new. Many times I have even pressed that combination of keys five times...every
time believing that I won't have to call tech support...and then I call tech
support.
Read the Common Core
standards for kindergarteners
The new
Common Core State Standardsare being implemented — with a lot of
controversy — in most states, and there’s a great deal of discussion about
them. But it is unclear whether everybody who is opining for or against them
has actually read them. To get an idea
of what they say, below are the English Language Arts and math standards for
kindergarteners. You should know that some early
education experts have criticized the English-Language Arts standards, arguing
that they do not square with what is known about early childhood development.
Corbett administration: No PFT concessions, no $45
million
Philly.com Tuesday,
August 13, 2013 ,
12:00 PM Sean Collins
Walsh
Unlike Gov.
Corbett, Philly school kids appear to be up the river without a paddle this
year. (LUKE RAFFERTY/Staff Photographer) Another day, another press conference,
and still no solution in sight for finding the $50 million the School District says it needs to open schools Sept. 9.
Just as Mayor Nutter, Council President Darrell Clarke and much of the city’s
delegation to Harrisburg gathered in City Hall today to call on the Corbett
administration to release a $45 million grant for Philly schools, the
governor’s budget secretary issued a statement saying that ain’t happenin’ - at
least not until the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers agrees to a contract
with “substantial progress toward achieving the fiscal savings and academic
reforms.”
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/Corbett-administration-No-PFT-concessions-no-45-million.html#TpmcjgsvfJlxI524.99
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/Corbett-administration-No-PFT-concessions-no-45-million.html#TpmcjgsvfJlxI524.99
Countdown, Day 27:
Philly's elected officials want $45 million now; Zogby says 'No dice'
Notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa on Aug 13 2013 Posted in Latest news
The city's
legislative delegation, Mayor Nutter, and City Council leaders joined Tuesday
in urging the state to immediately release $45 million in state-authorized
dollars to the District so that schools can open on time. They sent to Gov. Corbett a
list of reform accomplishments they believe fulfills the state's
requirements for release of those dollars. In passing the fiscal code in June,
state legislators stipulated that the School District
must implement "operational, educational and fiscal
reforms" deemed by the state's education secretary to be sufficient
before money appropriated by the state for city schools can be
released.
But state
Budget Secretary Charles Zogby immediately said that wouldn't happen. He issued
a statement that notwithstanding the nine specifics outlined in the
letter, major changes in the District's contract with the teachers' union are required.
“At the
same time the delegation was making its pitch to reporters, state Budget
Secretary Charles Zogby issued an email saying that the $45 million won't be
released until the teachers union, or PFT, renegotiates its contract to the
state's liking.”
Dispute over meaning of
'reform' stalls for $45M in aid for Philly schools
WHYY
Newsworks By Kevin McCorry @bykevinmccorry August 13, 2013
A $45
million pot of money destined for Philadelphia 's
public schools right now is just sitting in Harrisburg
Chutzpah: that quality in a man who,
having killed his parents, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he
is an orphan
PSP. PennCAN, their boards
and supporters have been leading advocates for charters, vouchers and tax
credits – policies that have defunded neighborhood public schools. PSP also advised Governor Corbett to hold the
Philly teachers union hostage as a political strategy to boost his reelection
prospects.
Philadelphia
School Partnership and PennCAN call for “$120 million to guarantee that city
schools open safely and on time”
Open Letter to Mayor
Nutter, Council President Clarke and Members of City Council
Jonathan
Cetel Executive Director PennCAN
"Our kids deserve to go to safe, high-quality schools next month. In
a city with many challenges, there is no more important or immediate
crisis."
Dear
Honorable Michael A. Nutter, Honorable Darrell L. Clarke and Members of City
Council:
We applaud your commitment to ensuring thatPhiladelphia
We applaud your commitment to ensuring that
“The secret poll, which suggested that Corbett exploit the Philadelphia
schools crisis to attack the teachers union in an effort to boost his
faltering reelection prospects, was first reported by City Paper Wednesday afternoon.”
Secret Corbett poll
proposing teachers union attack funded by PennCAN
POSTED: WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 19, 2013 ,
6:05 PM
A secret
report, based on a poll of Pennsylvanians, proposing that Gov. Tom Corbett mount a
high-profile attack on the Philadelphia
Federation of Teachers was funded by the self-described school
reform group PennCAN,
according to pollsters at Public
Opinion Strategies.
Faith-based community organization may seek to
boycott schools
REGINA
MEDINA, Daily News Staff Writer medinar@phillynews.com, 215-854-5985 POSTED:
Wednesday, August
14, 2013 , 12:16 AM
IF STATE
AND CITY political leaders aren't able to secure $180 million in funding for
the School District
of Philadelphia
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130814_Faith-based_community_organization_may_seek_to_boycott_schools.html#Qoc90JkK8fQ1rIWu.99
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130814_Faith-based_community_organization_may_seek_to_boycott_schools.html#Qoc90JkK8fQ1rIWu.99
Pennsylvania is included in
this piece by Ben Herold, formerly with the notebook, now at EdWeek…..
Education
Week Digital Education Blog By Benjamin Herold on August 13,
2013 4:14 PM
Virtual
schools in Florida , Kansas ,
Pennsylvania , and Tennessee
Distressed Districts: Harrisburg
By Cate McKissick | Special to PennLive
on August 12,
2013 at 10:51 PM
The Harrisburg School District
“We’re not
playing here,” Chief Recovery Officer Gene Veno said Monday. “This is about
recovery — financial recovery.” With
tensions already high from recent teacher resignations and furlough notices, they further
escalated when the School Board voted to hire a director for the district’s
cyber charter school at an uncertain salary.
Reading
Eagle by David Mekeel 8/13/2013
The Reading School District
The outlook
for both ratings, a release from Moody's says, is negative.
Foundation to assess city schools' summer academy
By Mary
Niederberger / Pittsburgh August
14, 2013 12:08 am
As part of
a $50 million investment in summer K-12 programs including one in Pittsburgh Summer Dreamers
Academy
Two Philly school-based
clinics seeking insurance payments for effective, low-cost care
WHYY
Newsworks By Taunya English, @taunyaenglish August 13, 2013
The ideas
behind two school-based health clinics in Philadelphia Pan American Academy
Charter School
and Belmont Charter School
After two
years of success — better attendance and fewer emergency room visits — project
leaders want insurance companies to reimburse the school clinics when kids come
in for a visit.
Centennial SD is proud to announce that Mark B.
Miller, one of our School Directors, has been appointed to the Board
of Network for Public Education
Diane
Ravitch announces four new members to the Board of Directors of advocacy group
The Network for Public Education.
School boards push for
ESEA reauthorization
NSBA School
Board News Today by Alexis Rice |August 13th, 2013
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR
VOTERS, SECOND ONLY TO INCREASING JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
First Five
Years Fund Summer 2013
Obama bus
tour: Mr. President, come see for yourself how your Race to the Top policies
are destroying public education & neighborhood schools……
Obama to make 2-day bus tour through Pennsylvania , New
York
By The Associated Press on August 12, 2013
at 3:22 PM
EDGARTOWN, Mass.
The White
House says the president will make stops next Thursday and Friday in New York and Pennsylvania
Obama administration
presses forward on early education
Politico By CAITLIN EMMA |
8/13/13 5:00 AM EDT
President
Barack Obama has found a way to cater to his obsession with pre-K programs
while the rest of his education agenda stalls: Skip Congress and spend the
money anyway.
Hundreds of
millions of dollars in discretionary funding for early learning are funneling
into states although Congress hasn’t seriously considered paying for President
Barack Obama’s universal preschool proposal. Race to the Top early learning
awards and Affordable Care Act money are helping states carry out their pre-K
and early childcare plans. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is traveling the
country to deliver what amounts to an early childhood stump speech, and the
administration just hired a new leader for its Office of Early Learning.
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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