Daily postings from the Keystone State Education
Coalition now reach more than 3000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school
directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers,
Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, 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 and searchable 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?
SB 1085: Taxation without Representation
Some Good News About
Public Schools
Education Week Commentary By Brian Cleary Published Online: October 22, 2013
When I hear
someone complain about the public school system, I feel like a parent listening
to a rant by a 15-year-old. They tell me that I am terrible at my job and that
I don't listen. In angry frustration, they tell me that I don't understand the
problems, and that I care about the wrong things and should be doing more. As a parent and as a teacher, I sit and
listen, trying not to provoke. These rebukes are not news, and they are not
right, but they do offend.
“The
commodity that's really changing hands here is influence — one far more
intimate and powerful than the average voter could ever hope to exercise.”
In Pennsylvania
PennLive By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com on
October 24, 2013
at 10:39 AM
If you ever
have some spare time early in the morning when the state Legislature is in
session, take a walk down Restaurant Row and press your nose against the glass
of some of the neighborhood’s more prominent watering holes.
If you do
this on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday morning, the chances are far better than
even that you’ll see a member of the state House or Senate pressing the flesh
with any one of the Capital’s legion of paid lobbyists.
http://blog.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2013/10/pennsylvania_politics_lobbyist.html#incart_m-rpt-2
The
Notebook Commentary by Helen Gym on Oct 24 2013
For months,
the Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP) has been working to put in place a
new citywide process for placing students in schools. Most troubling is that
PSP wants this process to be run by an outside, private entity that is
created by PSP and could eventually charge a per-pupil fee from participating
systems. “Universal enrollment,” as it
is called, would match students to either a District, charter, or parochial
school whenever they decide to transfer, move, or transition to another
school level. The PSP proposal would not
only take the current student-placement program out of the District’s hands
-- unprecedented in any other city -- it would also include parochial
schools and coordinate the selection process with the availability of
scholarships, which are now often provided through two controversial,
voucher-like business tax subsidy programs in Pennsylvania.
Familiar
names advocating for vouchers, more charters, taxpayer funding of private and
religious schools via EITC….
PA Chamber - Teachers union is wrong; Corbett didn't
cut $1 billion from education: PennLive letters
Penn Live
Opinion By Letters to the Editor on October 24, 2013
at 6:47 AM
GENE BARR, President
and CEO, PA Chamber of Business and Industry, Harrisburg
Once again,
the Pennsylvania State Education Association is making false claims about
public education funding in order to garner support for raising taxes on Pennsylvania
The Corbett
administration did not cut $1 billion from basic education. But don't take our
word for it. PSEA's own website confirms this. PSEA links to a study that cites
"a dramatic reduction in state revenues of $433 million in 2009-10,
followed by another reduction of $85 million in 2010-11." Both of those cuts in state dollars occurred
during the previous administration and were backfilled with temporary federal
money. (School districts were warned that the money from the federal government
would be short-lived, and were urged to plan accordingly.)
NAACP: New exams block graduation
New Pittsburgh
Calling it
a “present day form of Eugenics” 45 NAACP branches from Erie
to Easton and from McKeesport
In addition
to the state education board, the NAACP sent the letter to the education
committees in both the sate House and state Senate.
What Pittsburghers are
Really Saying about Class Size
Yinzercation Blog October 24, 2013
This week
we are looking at the results of the community survey our grassroots movement
helped to create. We had nearly 1,000 people respond, mostly in person, with
volunteers going door-to-door throughout the city to find out what
Pittsburghers have to say about public education. For more on our survey
design, how it differs from what the district and its consultants have been
doing, and why it matters, check out:
- What
Pittsburghers are Really Saying about School Closures
- What
Pittsburghers are Really Saying about School Funding
Today,
let’s look at what our community says about class size – a significant issue,
since any plan to close schools is fundamentally about increasing class sizes
in the district. The following is an excerpt from the full report, Creating
a District of Last Resort.
'In God We Trust' in
schools? Bill would require public
schools to display phrase to commemorate its links to state.
By Steve Esack, Call Harrisburg
PennLive By The Associated Press on October 24, 2013
at 8:38 PM
Replacing Pedro Ramos:
PFT, others weigh in
Philly.com Philly School Files Blog by Kristen Graham OCTOBER 24, 2013 ,
4:00 PM
In the
"Who Should Replace Pedro Ramos on the SRC" department, more names
have surfaced.
A coalition
including the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Youth United for Change, and
Action United has sent Gov. Corbett a letter with their choices: Penn Graduate
School of Education professor Torch Lytle, a former Philadelphia School
District administrator and Trenton superintendent; and Rev. Alyn Waller, senior
pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Read more
at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/school_files/Replacing-Pedro-Ramos-PFT-others-weigh-in.html#w6rx7E83M7cqk8hv.99
Advocate hopes next
School Reform Commissioner will have hands on experience (audio runtime 3:31)
NEWSWORKS STAFF
OCTOBER 24, 2013
The
departure of Philadelphia School Reform Commission Chairman Pedro Ramos this
week leaves the board that oversees the schools in flux. WHYY Education
Reporter Kevin McCorry spoke with Susan Gobreski, Executive Director of
Education Voters Pennsylvania, a schools advocacy group, about what she'd like
to see in the next appointee.
Report defends Penn's economic impact on city
The report, put together with other
Phila. schools, came as activists call for more contributions
Daily Pennsylvanian By ALEX ZIMMERMANN · October
23, 2013, 6:02 pm
As more and
more activists call for Philadelphia
universities like Penn — which, as nonprofit organizations, are mostly exempt
from taxes — to make direct payments to the city, Penn defended its commitment
to the economic vitality of the city of Philadelphia Philadelphia
The Tom Friedman-Wendy Kopp irony in two
tweets
New
York Times columnist Tom Friedman wrote
a column this week about his trip to Shanghai
with Teach for America Shanghai America
Five
weeks of teacher prep wouldn’t cut it in Shanghai
As Poverty
Grows, the Claims of “School Reform” Fade
Diane
Ravitch’s By dianerav October
24, 2013 //
Remember
all the times that “reformers” like Arne Duncan, Bill Gates, Wendy Kopp, and
Joel Klein have said that the answer to poverty is to “fix” schools first?
Remember their claims that school reform (more testing, more charters, more
inexperienced teachers, larger classes, more technology) would vanquish
poverty? For the past decade, our society has followed their advice, pouring
billions into the pockets of the testing industry, consultants, and technology
companies, as well as Teach for America
But
what if they are wrong? What if all those billions were wasted on their pet
projects, ambitions, and hunches, while child poverty kept growing? The latest study, reported
by Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post, shows a staggering increase in
child poverty across the nation. The majority of public school students in the
South and the West now qualify for free or reduced price lunch. By federal
standards, that means they are poor.
The
United States
First Book
Global: Powering Knowledge Around the World
Access
to new books for children in need
Children
everywhere are hungry for the knowledge they need to read, learn and succeed.
First Book is working to break down the barriers to education and reading -
including access, price and cultural relevance - and we're committed to
bringing brand-new books and educational materials to children throughout the
world. We're building on a strong record
of success and growth in the United States
and Canada
-
See more at: http://www.firstbook.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=309#sthash.KaGrlhNQ.dpuf
Building Common Ground Summit October 26, 2013
Dickinson/PSU
School of Law ,
Carlisle , PA 333 W. South Street
Interactive
Panel Discussions
Senator
Pat Vance, Senator Rob Teplitz, Molly Hunter of Education Law Center, Richard
Fry, Superintendent of Big Spring School District
For
info and registration please email: buildingcommongroundpa@gmail.com
PCCY hosting a funding formula event in
Philly October 28, 5:00 pm
On
Monday, October 28th 2013, Public Citizens for Children and
Youth (PCCY) is hosting a funding formula event starting at 5pm. Pennsylvania United Way
Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia , PA 19103
Register
TODAY for the 2013
Arts and Education Symposium Wednesday, October 30, 2013
PA
Arts Education Network
The
State Museum of Pennsylvania 300
North Street , Harrisburg , PA 17120
Registration,
Networking, and Refreshments-8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Program-8:45
a.m. to 5:15 p.m.; Lunch-12:00 p.m.; $40 Per Person
Details and registration: http://www.artseducationpa.org/events/the-arts-and-education-symposium-2013/
Details and registration: http://www.artseducationpa.org/events/the-arts-and-education-symposium-2013/
PA Budget and Policy Center Fall Webinar Series to
Tackle Property Taxes, Marcellus Shale, Health Care, Education
Posted by PA Budget and Policy
Center October 9, 2013
Pack your
brown bag lunch and join the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center noon to 1 p.m. Learn more about
the problems with legislative proposals to fully eliminate property taxes and
proven strategies to provide property tax relief where it is needed. Other
topics include the countdown to new health care options in 2014, the latest on
jobs in the Marcellus Shale, and what we can do to restore needed education
funding in Pennsylvania
More info
and registration here: http://pennbpc.org/webinars
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).
PASCD Annual
Conference ~ A Whole Child Education Powered by Blendedschools Network
November 3-4, 2013 | Hershey Lodge & Convention Center
We invite
you to join us for the Annual Conference, held at an earlier date this year, on
Sunday, November 3rd, through Monday, November 4th, 2013
at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. The Pre-Conference begins on
Saturday with PIL
Academies
Click here for the 2013 Conference Schedule
Click here to register for the conference.
DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES - DR. PEDRO
NOGUERA, NOV 5th
Where:
Abington Senior High School
When
November 5, 2013
8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Contact
Lynn Murphy, Delaware Valley
College
Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments!
Tuesday,November
19, 2013 5:30 pm
- 8:30 pm WHYY, 150 North 6th Street , Philadelphia
Invitations coming soon!
Tuesday,
Invitations coming soon!
Register: http://tinyurl.com/m8emc4m
Building
One Pennsylvania November
21, 2013 6:00-8:00 PM
IBEW Local 380 3900 Ridge Pike Collegeville, PA
19426
Building One Pennsylvania is an emerging
statewide non-partisan organization of leaders from diverse sectors -
municipal, school, faith, business, labor and civic - who are joining together
to stabilize and revitalize their communities, revitalize local economies and
promote regional opportunity and sustainability. BuildingOnePa.org
The National School Boards Association 74th Annual
Conference & Exposition April 5-7, 2014 New Orleans
The
National School Boards Association 74th Annual Conference &
Exposition will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans , LA. New Orleans
General Session speakers include education advocates
Thomas L. Friedman, Sir Ken Robinson, as well as education innovators Nikhil
Goyal and Angela Maiers.
We have
more than 200 sessions planned! Colleagues from across the country will present
workshops on key topics with strategies and ideas to help your district. View
our Conference Brochure for highlights on sessions
and focus presentations.
- Register now! – Register for both the conference
and housing using our online system.
- Conference Information– Visit the NSBA conference
website for up-to-date information
- Hotel List and Map - Official NSBA Housing Block
- Exposition Campus – View new products and
services and interactive trade show floor
Questions? Contact NSBA at 800-950-6722 (NSBA) between
the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.
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
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