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?
Teaching kindergartners
keyboarding skills for online tests: “I can tell them to press ‘A,' but they
may not know what that is yet.”
61% of low-income families
have no age appropriate books at home.
About First Book: http://www.firstbook.org/
Charter
school eyed by FBI, Pa.
MARC LEVY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Monday, November 11, 2013 , 3:40 PM
HARRISBURG,
Pa. (AP) - Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said Monday he has given
information to the FBI about spending practices at a Pittsburgh charter school
that included billing Pennsylvania taxpayers to develop a charter school in
Ohio and to furnish the spouse of a board member with a cellphone. It also included meals at some of Pittsburgh
The
auditor general's office gave the information on Urban Pathways to the FBI
early in 2013, DePasquale said. Some was discovered by agency auditors, while
other pieces came from a source that DePasquale did not want to identify.
"This
rose to the level that we thought was significantly beyond something that was
just questionable expenditures," DePasquale said.
Read
more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20131111_ap_63517826892e482184ee1283327228e8.html#37eCCX6lPIUcO2Lz.99
Pittsburgh
charter school eyed by FBI, state official says
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review By Bobby
Kerlik Monday, Nov. 11, 2013 , 2:48 p.m.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said on Monday that he referred questionable spending practices at a Downtown charter school to the FBI because a state audit this year uncovered what appeared to be Pennsylvania taxpayer money going toward building a school in Ohio.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said on Monday that he referred questionable spending practices at a Downtown charter school to the FBI because a state audit this year uncovered what appeared to be Pennsylvania taxpayer money going toward building a school in Ohio.
DePasquale
said his office found “potentially criminal” spending practices at Urban
Pathways during a routine audit in the spring. He said money was unaccounted
for at the same time the school was building a facility in Youngstown
“We
know (the FBI) has it. We know they're taking it seriously,” said DePasquale,
adding that he referred the results to the FBI in the spring. “The concern we
had was Pennsylvania tax dollars going towards
building a school in Ohio
School
presents curriculum, arranges three partnerships.
By
Bill Landauer, Of The Morning Call 11:33 p.m. EST, November 11, 2013
Catasauqua Area
School Board members have heard of two
versions of the Medical
Academy Charter
School
That's
the version board members thought they were greenlighting when they approved
the charter in early 2012. That Medical
Academy Charter
School , operating from the bottom
floor of the former Lincoln Middle School on Howertown Road, offers students from throughout the Lehigh Valley
Then
there's the other Medical
Academy Charter
School Medical
Academy Charter
School
Letters: Reinstate
school funding formula
POSTED: November 07, 2013
IT'S
GOOD to see Rep. John Taylor engaged in the school-funding discussion in his
Oct. 25 letter. We need the entire Philadelphia
delegation working on this issue in Harrisburg
It
is important, though, to clarify some of Rep. Taylor's points.
Rep.
Taylor is correct in saying that a school-funding formula was enacted under
Gov. Ed Rendell. However, that formula was not used to calculate the state
funding cuts in 2011 and it was ultimately amended out of law in 2012.
So,
Gov. Corbett has not been using a funding formula.
Now,
let's look at the numbers.
The
School District
of Philadelphia
That's
$88.1 million less.
Combine
that reduction with the state block-grant cuts of approximately $200 million
for tutoring programs and charter-school reimbursements, and Philadelphia
“How do you
teach letter keys when the youngest kids are still learning their letters?”
Lynch said. “I can tell them to press ‘A,' but they may not know what that is
yet.”
With the
national introduction of exams aligned specifically to Common Core standards,
students struggling to master handwriting and basic classroom etiquette will be
expected to begin taking non-graded online exams as early as next year,
including third-grade reading comprehension tests that require advanced
keyboarding skills. Many Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
Schools work on computer, keyboard skills
so students capable of taking online exams
TribLive By Megan Harris Published: Monday,Nov. 11, 2013 ,
11:33 p.m.
When teacher Andrew Lynch begins a kindergarten technology class atFairmount Primary Center
TribLive By Megan Harris Published: Monday,
When teacher Andrew Lynch begins a kindergarten technology class at
Teachers
worry that upcoming online exams may unfairly assess student progress and
understanding, or worse, that students will be penalized by unforeseen and
all-too-common problems in being connected to the Internet as states and school
districts work to upgrade lesson plans and infrastructure.
District,
Catholic, charter schools share applications
MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Tuesday, November 12, 2013 , 2:01 AM
For
the first time, students applying to high school at Philadelphia School
District Philadelphia Charter Schools
Wednesday, the House
Local Government Committee is scheduled to hold an
informational meeting on
House Bill 1651, Rep. Glen Grell’s (R-Cumberland) three-point pension reform
plan.
Lawmakers'
third rail Grell hybrid pension plan good approach, if only ...
Social
Security long was known as "the third rail" of American politics, in
that it was fatal to the careers of politicians who dared to touch it. That no longer is the case, as conservative
politicians openly clamor for "entitlement reform" that would
diminish Social Security and Medicare benefits.
What
goes up cannot come down
Even
an otherwise sound approach to pension reform promoted by Republican Rep. Glenn
Grell of Cumberland County , with support from Democratic state Sen. John
Blake of Lackawanna
County
Governor
Corbett In Charge Of Filling Vacancy On The School Reform Commission
CBS
November 9, 2013
4:00 AM By Mike DeNardo
“Public comment must be received at least 48 hours prior to the
IRRC’s Thursday, Nov. 21 meeting – in other words, by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov.
19.”
Dinniman: Just
Say No to the Proposed Keystone Graduation Exams
Let the IRRC and Your Local Legislators Know of Your Concerns
Let the IRRC and Your Local Legislators Know of Your Concerns
Senator Andy Dinniman’s website
The Pennsylvania Department of Education and the
Pennsylvania State Board of Education have proposed the Keystone Graduation
Exams to the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission, which is
set to vote on them on Nov. 21.
If approved, Pennsylvania
These Keystone Graduation Exams are being tied to
Common Core, new standards whose advocates say will better prepare students for
college and 21st century careers. Common Core has its supporters and critics.
By combining the exams with Common Core, the
Pennsylvania Department of Education and State Board of Education have made it
impossible to reject one while supporting the other. Thus the only way to stop
the high-stakes exams – and this new unfunded mandate on local schools – is to
have the IRRC reject the entire proposed Final-Form Chapter 4 regulations and
send them back to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education for further review
and changes.
'In God we
trust' bill in Pa.
WHYY Newsworks NOVEMBER 11, 2013 ESSAYWORKS by Ed Joyce, president of the Delaware Valley
A bill sponsored by Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Allegheny)
will require Pennsylvania
I have serious problems with this bill. First the
bill clearly promotes a religious, rather than a historical message. Congress
did not authorize the use of "In God We Trust" as the national motto
until 1956 in response to the Red Scare. Although some claim the words "In
God We Trust" are deeply rooted in our country's religious heritage, a
look at the motto's history reveals that the Founding Fathers never intended
these words — or any other religious reference — to become the country's motto.
In fact, when originally commissioned to create a Great Seal for the country,
our founders, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, devised the
motto as "E Pluribus Unum" meaning "from many,
one." In more recent years, the words "In God We Trust" have
served as a rallying cry for those who wish to promote a particular Christian
faith.
The Future of
Our Schools: Teachers Unions and Social Justice
Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 4:30pm
See map: Google
Maps
Lois Weiner is a professor of education at New Jersey City University
In her presentation at University of Pennsylvania,
she will analyze how changes being made to public education in Philadelphia,
including school closings, budget shortfalls, and use of standardized testing
to judge student and teacher performance, relate to the global project that is
reshaping education throughout the world. Her presentation will take up ideas
she explores in her most recent book, The Future of Our Schools:
Teachers Unions and Social Justice(Haymarket Press, 2012).
Congratulations! Getting
elected to the school board was the easy part…..
PSBA New
Board Member Training: Great Governance, Great Schools
November 2013-April 2014
November 2013-April 2014
Announcing School Board
Academy ’s New Board Member Training:
Great Governance, Great
Schools
You will need a wealth of information quickly as you
jump out of the starting block and hit the ground running as a newly elected
member of the board of school directors. New board members, as well as veterans
who might like a refresher, will want to make the most of the opportunity to
attend PSBA's New Board Member Training Program: Great Governance, Great Schools
The November 13 episode of EPLC/PCN
"Focus on Education"
will discuss Special Education:
Student Rights and Services.
The hour long program produced by EPLC and PCN is broadcast on PCN
at 9:00 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of every month. PCN also typically
repeats the episode at later times each month.
Previous episodes can be viewed online here. Topics we have covered thus far in 2013 are school
violence, student testing, the work of school boards, how schools are funded,
the dropout crisis, parents as advocates, and arts education. To learn more, visit PCN's "Focus on Education" web page. Information
about sponsorships available for the show can be obtained by contacting Ron
Cowell at 717-260-9900 or atcowell@eplc.org.
EPLC is recruiting current undergraduate or graduate students to
serve as part-time interns
EPLC
is recruiting current undergraduate or graduate students to serve as
part-time interns beginning January or May of 2014 in the downtown Harrisburg Pennsylvania School Pennsylvania
Common
Core/Keystone Exams: The PA State Board of Education (Board) has submitted the
final-form regulation entitled “Academic Standards and Assessment."
The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) plans to meet
and act on this regulation at our public meeting at 10:00 a.m. on
Thursday, November 21, 2013.
Regulation #6 – 326: Academic Standards
and Assessment
Amends existing regulations to
reflect Pennsylvania
The agenda and any changes to the time or date of
the meeting will be posted on IRRC’s Web site at www.irrc.state.pa.us.
Please note that any comments should be submitted to the Board prior to the
48-hour blackout period, which begins at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday,November
19, 2013. Please provide IRRC with a copy of any comments submitted, as
well. Please note that all correspondence and documents relating to a
regulation submitted to IRRC are a matter of public record and appear on IRRC’s
Web site.
For a copy of the regulation or if you have any
substantive questions regarding the regulation, please contact the Board
at (717) 787-3787.
You can also download the final-form regulation from IRRC’s Web site using the
following link:
The University
of Pittsburgh School
Pedro A. Noguera, PhD; Friday, November 15, 2013 ;
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
David
Lawrence Hall, Room 121; 3942
Forbes Avenue , Pittsburgh
The event
is free and open to the public
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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