Daily postings from the Keystone State Education
Coalition now reach more than 3050 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
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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?
The state budget line for Special Education
funding in Pennsylvania
…state
increases have gone largely to pay for state-mandated contributions to the
pension system, not services for students. “The reality is that school
districts opened their doors this September 2013 with about $700 million less
from the state in support of academic programs and services for students than
was the case in September 2010,” he said, noting that takes into account about
$160 million of lost funding that was restored.
Blogger’s note: The state budget line for Special
Education funding in Pennsylvania
State
panel: Change special education funding formula
East Penn schools chief says the commission's plan
doesn't go far enough.
By Steve Esack, Call Harrisburg
More money could flow to districts via a new
special education funding formula unveiled Wednesday if the Legislature does
decide to lift the cap in the 2014-15 budget as state Sen. Pat Browne,
R-Lehigh, would like his fellow lawmakers to do.
Special
Education Funding Commission Final Report - December 11, 2013
Special Education Funding Commission, Senator
Pat Browne & Representative Bernie O’Neill, Co-Chairs
Thank you for your interest in the Special
Education Funding Commission. The commission recommended today (December 11)
that the General Assembly adopt a new formula for distributing state funding
for special education in excess of 2010-11 levels.
The new formula will include factors reflecting
students’ needs based on three cost categories – low (category 1), moderate
(category 2) and high (category 3). The formula will also include factors
reflecting community differences such as market value/personal income aid
ratio, equalized millage rate and small and rural school districts.
Roebuck:
Special education report a first step toward fair, adequate funding for all Pa.
“If enacted, the recommendations in this
report would more closely match state special education funding with the actual
costs of providing that education. I would still like to see the state resume
using a school funding formula for basic education, and I would like to see the
restoration of education funding that was cut in recent years. But this is a
welcome first step and I will continue working with legislative colleagues from
both parties to pass these changes.”
“Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia have pursued about a
half-dozen criminal cases involving charter schools, which began operating in Pennsylvania Philadelphia School District
and Pennsylvania
Philly
charter founder's lawyer: U.S.
By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Of The Associated Press
POSTED: 12/11/13, 7:40 PM EST | UPDATED: 56 SECS AGO
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia charter
school founder defrauded the city and state of $6.7 million by earning multiple
salaries at four schools she ran, and taking millions more in consulting fees,
federal prosecutors argued Wednesday after several weeks of trial.
Dorothy June Brown, 76, allegedly paid herself
$4 million through her various titles in a two-year span alone, then created
and forged documents as federal investigators closed in, authorities said.
Brown's
lawyer: There is plenty of reasonable doubt
MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER UPDATED:
December 12,
2013 , 2:01 AM
PHILADELPHIA Defense lawyers in the Dorothy June Brown charter school fraud trial told jurors Wednesday that the prosecution's case was so flawed and full of holes that there was enough reasonable doubt to acquit her and her codefendants of all charges. Attorney William M. McSwain said federal prosecutors were so obsessed with how much money Brown made that they had to "make up a criminal scheme."
PHILADELPHIA Defense lawyers in the Dorothy June Brown charter school fraud trial told jurors Wednesday that the prosecution's case was so flawed and full of holes that there was enough reasonable doubt to acquit her and her codefendants of all charges. Attorney William M. McSwain said federal prosecutors were so obsessed with how much money Brown made that they had to "make up a criminal scheme."
SB1085:
Letter: Senate bill offers charter schools less accountability for spending
public funds
Delco Times LTE by Will Richan POSTED: 12/11/13,
10:06 PM EST |
To the Times: Pennsylvania Chester
The Chester
Community Charter
School
But it’s not just Chester Upland that needs to
be concerned. Every school district in Pennsylvania
Pa.
measure requiring drug tests of prospective teachers, school workers advances
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY DECEMBER 11, 2013
A bill calling for drug testing of prospective
teachers and school employees in Pennsylvania
Acting
Secretary of Education Announces Updates to School Performance Profile
PDE Press ReleaseDecember 11, 2013
Harrisburg – Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced that the School Performance Profile website has been updated to include scores for the more than 620 schools that had their information suppressed in October. In addition, the data used to calculate the profile scores as well as federal accountability reports for public schools, local education agencies and the state are available. “Today’s update completes the School Performance Profile for the 2012-13 school year,” Dumaresq said. “Students, parents, educators and the general public can now view academic performance of allPennsylvania
PDE Press Release
Harrisburg – Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced that the School Performance Profile website has been updated to include scores for the more than 620 schools that had their information suppressed in October. In addition, the data used to calculate the profile scores as well as federal accountability reports for public schools, local education agencies and the state are available. “Today’s update completes the School Performance Profile for the 2012-13 school year,” Dumaresq said. “Students, parents, educators and the general public can now view academic performance of all
The results indicate that 2,181, or nearly 73
percent, of public schools received a 70 or higher.
“The majority of public schools across the
commonwealth are doing well and preparing their students to be successful
adults,” Dumaresq said. “I am confident that we will see schools
improving year after year now that a new educator effectiveness system and
meaningful academic standards and assessments are in place.”
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh December 11, 2013 3:05 PM
The state Department of Education today filled
in the blanks for public school test scores across the state in an updated
release of the new School Performance Profiles and results of the Pennsylvania
System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams.
…..“The majority of public schools across the
commonwealth are doing well and preparing their students to be successful
adults," said Carolyn Dumaresq, acting state secretary of education.
"I am confident that we will see schools improving year after year now
that a new educator effectiveness system and meaningful academic standards and
assessments are in place."
Ms. Dumaresq was referring to a new teacher
evaluation system that takes effect this school year and includes student test
scores as part of the evaluation. She also was referring to the state standards
known as the Pennsylvania Core, which is based on the Common Core and is aimed
at improving academic achievement.
In the School Performance Profiles, the
academic score combines factors such as test scores, growth in test scores and
rates of attendance and graduation.
When the first round of results were released
in October, some schools were still questioning certain growth numbers, so the
scores of more than 620 schools were suppressed. Now all of the scores are
being released.
The data now show how the scores were
calculated.
The results can be found at paschoolperformance.org.
“In suburban Allegheny
County
Of bricks-and-mortar charter schools in Allegheny County
New
assessment shows fuller picture of Pa.
Over 70 percent of public schools received positive
scores
By Eleanor Chute and Mary Niederberger / Pittsburgh December 11, 2013
11:12 PM
The release of the remaining new School
Performance Profiles completes a picture showing a wide variation in how the
state's public schools and their students are doing.
Most of the School Performance Profiles --
which for the first time give each school a single academic score based on test
scores, growth of test scores, graduation rates and other factors -- were
released in October.
However, the state suppressed the scores of
more than 620 schools -- mostly high and middle schools -- after concerns about
accuracy.
The state Wednesday released all of the
profiles, including information on how each was computed and statewide test
scores.
Overall, 2,181 schools -- nearly 73 percent of
public schools -- received an academic score of 70 or higher. In Allegheny County
By Sara K.
Satullo | The Express-Times on December 11, 2013
Academic scores were released for many schools
today.Express-Times File Photo
Withheld in October's release of Pennsylvania
"We feel that teachers with no experience is the last thing
our district needs," she said.
Teach ForAmerica contract faces
skeptical Pittsburgh
School
Teach For
By Robert Zullo / Pittsburgh December 11, 2013 11:58 PM
A Teach for America representative faced some
pointed questioning by Pittsburgh school board members following a presentation
on the school district's plan to bring in up to 30 new teachers from the
federal program next year to take hard-to-fill jobs at some of the city's most
challenging schools. The outgoing school
board voted 6-3 last month to approve a contract with Teach for America
However, the contentious contract, which has
drawn fire from city teachers and some board members, could come up again.
Bar
association chief targets school funding
Chris Mondics, Inquirer Staff Writer December 11, 2013 ,
2:01 AM
Incoming Philadelphia
bar chancellor William P. Fedullo, in his inaugural address at the annual
meeting of the city bar association Tuesday, called on the city's legal
establishment to work to ease the funding crisis plaguing Philadelphia
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20131211_Bar_association_chief_targets_school_funding.html#Mx2Ly59w6mLS0WTd.99
Report:
Preschool literacy gains fade by 3rd grade
The notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa on Dec 11 2013 Posted in Latest news
Children who enter District schools after
having a District-affiliated preschool experience have better literacy
skills starting school and through 2nd grade, but much of that advantage
"fades" by 3rd grade, according to the latest
report from the Accountability Review Council (ARC).
ARC, a watchdog group created during the
state's takeover of the city schools, did a statistical analysis of students in
2011-12 who had attended one of four different preschool programs in 2007-08.
The West
York Area
School District
The West York
school board will vote at its meeting Tuesday, Dec. 17, to take the first step
to file for tax exceptions by advertising the preliminary budget.
By advertising the preliminary budget,
district Business Manager George Fike will be able to file for exceptions from
the state for costs beyond the district's control. The district qualifies for
exceptions to help offset the expense of rising pension and special-education
costs.
By Matt Zencey |
mzencey@pennlive.com on December 11, 2013 at 6:37 AM ,
NPE
News Briefs Podcast: Mark Miller Discusses the Importance of Local School
The Network for Public Education 11 Dec 2013
| NPE Podcasts (runtime 10:17)
Mark Miller, a member of the Centennial School
Board in eastern Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
Switch
from Mac to Chromebook Puts Acclaimed Philly High School at Center of Ed-Tech
Debates
Education Week Digital education Blog By Benjamin
Herold on December 11, 2013 9:00
AM
The switch—SLA has used Mac laptops for the
past seven years, winning awards and national recognition along the way—sends
interesting signals about both the business and pedagogical battles taking
place in the world of educational technology.
Education
Reform or Privatization?
Education Week Reality Check Blog By Walt Gardner on December
11, 2013 7:14 AM
When Noam Chomsky told an audience at Columbia University
I say that because of the growing power of
giant foundations engaged in education reform. They direct about $1 billion
annually to grantees who agree to adopt the foundations' policies ("Plutocrats
at Work: How Big Philanthropy Undermines Democracy," Dissent, Fall
2013). Since then, the voices of stakeholders in public education have
been muted. Some of the names in the game are familiar: the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and the Walton Family
Foundation. But there are others as well.
Secret
policymaking on school reform is on the rise
The Answer Sheet
BY VALERIE STRAUSS December
12 at 5:00 am
Education reform policy around the country is
increasingly being made in secret or without public input — and with a lot of
private philanthropic money.
A number of recent stories reveal the
extent to which policy makers and school reformers are going to push their
reform agenda to expand charter schools and vouchers in an effort to step up
the privatization of public education.
Mercedes
Schneider: Who Wrote the Common Core Standards?
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch December
10, 2013 //
Mercedes Schneider has dug deep into the IRS
990 forms of the various organizations that wrote the Common Core standards and is
piecing together the history of that effort.
Although its advocates portray CCSS as
“state-led,” that was not quite true.
The creation of the CC was the work of a
handful of influential individuals associated with inside-the-Beltway
organizations, plus testing companies.
Common
Core Unrest Obvious in 17 States
Deutsch29 Mercedes Schneider’s Blog November 23, 2013
Proponents of the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS) are fond of saying that CCSS “has been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia
For each state, I include an excerpt from the
linked article. Follow the link for additional details.
2014
PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education and Arts/Culture in PA
Education
Policy and Leadership
Center
Below is an alphabetical list of the 2014 Gubernatorial Candidates and
links to information about their plans, if elected, for education and
arts/culture in Pennsylvania
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
The DCIU Google Symposium is an opportunity for teachers,
administrators, technology directors, and other school stakeholders to come
together and explore the power of Google Apps for Education. The
Symposium will be held at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. The
Delaware County Intermediate Unit is one of Pennsylvania
NPE National Conference
2014
The Network for Public Education November 24, 2013
The Network for Public Education is pleased to announce our
first National Conference. The event will take place on March 1 & 2, 2014
(the weekend prior to the world-famous South by Southwest Festival) at The University of Texas
at Austin
In the coming weeks, we
will release more details. In the meantime, make your travel plans and click
this link and submit your email address to receive updates about the NPE
National Conference 2014.
Congratulations! Getting elected to the school
board was the easy part…..
PSBA New Board Member Training: Great Governance, Great Schools
November 2013-April 2014
Register
Online »
Print
Form »
November 2013-April 2014
Register
Online » Print
Form »
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
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
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
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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