Daily postings from the Keystone State Education
Coalition now reach more than 3100 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?
EVERY CHILD COUNTS.
SUPPORT DEMOCRACY AT ITS BEST.
Stand Up for America
NSBA’s Edifier by Jim
Hull February 20,
2014
Secretary Duncan
proudly wore
number 80 on his jersey at the NBA celebrity All-Star game this past
weekend— as well he should’ve. It just so happens the number 80 represents
one of the best kept secrets in education: our national on-time graduation
rate.
This may come as a shock
to many as popular perception tends to be the myth that our public schools
are flatlining.
But the facts show otherwise, as recent data released by the National Center for Education
Statistics show our national on-time graduation rate for our public
high schools now stands at 80 percent— an all-time high. It’s quite an
accomplishment considering the rate hovered around 71 percent for much of
the 1990s.
Corbett campaign launches its first TV ad of 2014: Thursday Morning
Coffee
By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com on February 20, 2014 at 7:49 AM
Good Thursday Morning,
Fellow Seekers.
This year's crop of
Democratic gubernatorial candidates are all over the airwaves, so you may be
asking yourself, "Hey, when is Gov. Tom Corbett going to get
into the air wars?"
Wonder no longer. The Republican's re-election campaign
launched a new 60-second spot that began airing statewide on cable and
broadcast outlets on Wednesday. It stresses his efforts to save money to be
fiscally conservative.
Pa. Democrats roll out website bashing Corbett's budget, education cuts
By Jeff Frantz |
jfrantz@pennlive.com on February 20, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Did Gen. George Meade
miss a chance to end the Civil War by not attacking the Confederate army after Gettysburg Europe 's great powers?
Did Han shoot first?* Did Gov. Tom Corbett really cut $1 billion
from education funding in his first budget, or did he simply build the first
budget after Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
Pa. education secretary Carolyn Dumaresq addresses concerns over
pensions, snow days
Of all the challenges
facing public schools in Pennsylvania Lancaster County
“The fact remains that Pennsylvania
Reps. seek fairness in ed funding
By John
Kopp, Delaware County Daily 10:21 PM
EST |
State Reps. Nicholas
Micozzie and Dwight Evans have joined together to advocate for a fair education
funding formula to be adopted alongside the state budget. Micozzie, R-163, of Upper Darby, and Evans,
D-203, of Philadelphia, distributed a letter last week urging their respective
parties to jointly revamp the state’s education funding system. “The fact remains that Pennsylvania
By Jeremy
Gerrard, Daily Local News POSTED: 02/19/14, 7:43 PM EST |
WEST GOSHEN – The West
Chester Area School Board fulfilled its obligation to adopt a preliminary
budget for the 2014-2015 school year but more work is needed to address a
multi-million dollar gap that could mean higher costs to residents. The board adopted the preliminary budget by a
vote of 6-3 at a special meeting Tuesday night. Board members Vince Murphy,
Linda Raileanu and Maureen Snook were the dissenting votes. A budget totaling $224.1 million was
proposed, representing a 7.5 percent increase in expenses from the previous
year. The increase in spending leaves the district with a $14.9 million budget
gap for the coming school year
According to district
officials, spending increases are primarily because of mandated expenses that
the district can’t control. Those include the state pension program known as
PSERS, special education, debt service and charter school funding.
Spring-Ford approves $137.4M preliminary budget
By Frank
Otto, The Mercury POSTED: 02/19/14, 6:02 PM EST |
It carries a $4,891,331
funding shortfall from the district’s projected revenue. When the budget was originally
put forth last month, Spring-Ford Business Manager Tim Anspach
characterized it as “very preliminary” “There’ll
be many, many changes through the finance committee team working through the
process until the final budget in June,” Anspach told the board at the Jan. 27
meeting. In another unanimous vote, the
board approved filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Education for Act 1
exceptions for special education and Public School Employee Retirement System
(PSERS) contributions.
Greencastle leaders discuss growth, economic future
Chambersburg
Public Opinion Online By Amber South asouth@publicopinionnews.com @AESouthPO on
Twitter
GREENCASTLE >> The
ability of the Greencastle area to attract industrial and commercial industries
is a big factor in the financial future of Greencastle-Antrim school district. But more local business could mean even more
enrollment growth for the already packed school district.
How all this works
together made up the discussion among G-A school board, Antrim Township
Supervisors, Greencastle Borough Council and Franklin County Commissioners
during their annual meeting on Wednesday.
G-A Superintendent Greg Hoover
School director will challenge Metcalfe
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review By Rick
Wills Published: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 , 11:21 p.m.
State Rep. Daryl
Metcalfe, a Cranberry Republican, will have a challenger in a primary election
for the first time in six years. Gordon
Marburger, a school bus driver, farmer and Mars Area school board member, said
Metcalfe focuses on issues such as immigration and gay rights that have little
to do with his district, which includes most of southern Butler County
Read more: http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/5617937-74/marburger-metcalfe-district#ixzz2ts3LjaZK
‘The chamber's president and chief executive, Rob Wonderling, said
the business group has supported the mayor's education-related lobbying efforts
for more than three years, and is reaching out to chambers of commerce around
the state to garner support for what he called a "modern" school-funding
system. "Not one city, not one
mayor, not one chamber is going to be able to get it done in Pennsylvania
Nutter to business group: Make school funding your business
By Claudia Vargas,
Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: February 19, 2014
PHILADELPHIA Education
funding should be the Philadelphia
Nutter used a quarter of
his time to argue for state school funding.
"Quality education
remains the greatest challenge Philadelphia
Philly school-funding request faces tough road
SEAN COLLINS
WALSH, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER WALSHSE@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-4172 POSTED: Friday, February 21, 2014 , 3:01 AM
IN THE PAST, many
politicians have justified their reluctance to throw money at city schools by
saying that the School District
of Philadelphia
Apparently not yet.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140221_School-funding_request_faces_tough_road.html#M5hxmLtK7tBuPMxF.99
The District’s Action
Plan webpage is www.philasd.org/actionplan.
A pdf of the Action
Plan 2.0 is available at http://www.philasd.org/announcements/actionplan/APv2.0.pdf.
A pdf of the Financial
Supplement is at http://www.philasd.org/announcements/actionplan/financial-supplement.pdf.
“But for many at the SRC meeting, the most important thing was
sending Chairman Green a message: They're wary of his plans for the district,
they will be watching him closely, and they will push hard against him if the
situation warrants it.”
Green's first SRC meeting: High drama, big plans
KRISTEN A.
GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
UPDATED:February 21, 2014, 1:08
AM
Dozens of cameras clicked as Bill Green walked into the room to begin his first School Reform Commission meeting. More than 100 people rose to their feet. First, a low rumble of boos. Next, shouts. "Whose city? Whose schools?" one person yelled. "Our city! Our schools!" came the loud answer.Philadelphia School District
Dozens of cameras clicked as Bill Green walked into the room to begin his first School Reform Commission meeting. More than 100 people rose to their feet. First, a low rumble of boos. Next, shouts. "Whose city? Whose schools?" one person yelled. "Our city! Our schools!" came the loud answer.
The new chairman of the SRC
Philly.com Opinion by PATRICK
KERKSTRA POSTED: Friday, February 21, 2014 , 1:08 AM
Newly sworn-in School
Reform Commission Chairman Bill Green is getting tired of being placed on the
psychiatrist's couch. Even before Gov.
Corbett announced Green was his pick, columnists, activists, pols, and
educators have been diagnosing the potential ills of a Green-led SRC.There's
been talk not just of his policy preferences, but of his temperament and style, his
ambition and motivations. The worry is that Green is too divisive, too pushy,
too ostentatiously superior to balm the grievous wounds of the School District of Philadelphia
If he is to succeed,
conventional wisdom holds, Green will have to change. A lot.
Well, good luck with
that.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20140221_The_new_chairman_of_the_SRC.html#gKepb7MfUWIeKJzD.99
Philadelphia’s new School Reform Commission Chairman — Bill Green
WHYY Radio Times with
Marty Moss-Coane February
20, 2014 (audio runtime 52:02)
- See more at: http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2014/02/20/philadelphias-new-school-reform-commission-chairman-bill-green/#sthash.gocm9R5k.dpuf
BTW, the Walton Family Foundation reports that it invested a total
of $1,876,666 in the Philadelphia
School
PSP used lobbying firm to promote Green as SRC chair
thenotebook
by Bill Hangley Jr. on Feb 20 2014 Posted in Latest news
As Bill Green takes the
helm of the School Reform Commission, new details have emerged about the
process that brought him to the job. Officials
at the Philadelphia School Partnership say that their hired consultants from
one of the state's most influential lobbying firms, Wojdak & Associates,
actively urged legislators in Harrisburg
“David Lapp, staff attorney at the Education Law Center, challenges
the notion that MaST should be able to expand. He says charters wishing
to grow should first prove that they are serving populations on par with
average district-run schools. "Too
often the metrics we use to determine what is a 'quality' or 'failing' school
are merely proxies for the kinds of students those schools serve," said
Lapp. "[MaST] does not serve anywhere close to the numbers of
traditionally vulnerable student populations that the average school district
school serves."
Parents hoping their children will one day walk MaST's beautifully
designed halls tend to care less about the city-wide, societal questions that
Lapp raises than about this basic issue: Is my kid going to be able to attend a
safe, good school.”
Students aching for a spot in top Philly charters sweat out lottery
season
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN
MCCORRY FEBRUARY
20, 2014
Anastasia Ratkova draped
an anxious arm around her 14-year-old daughter. That arm was wrapped in a
blood-pressure monitor. It was the night
of the MaST charter school enrollment lottery, and people were anxious. Really
anxious. Mother and daughter sat on
folding chairs in MaST's auditorium on Tuesday, listening as the school
administrators randomly pulled 96 of the more than 5,000 names of students
who'd applied for admission to the popular and successful charter school in the
Somerton section of Philadelphia
School funding suits focus on new state accountability standards
NSBA Legal Clips February
20,2014
USA Today reports that litigation is currently pending
against 11 states over inadequate or inequitable school funding. School
finance suits are not new, but the plaintiffs’ arguments are changing.
Higher state standards lie at the heart of the arguments in many of
the recent cases.
“The states have
promulgated content standards, assessment systems—they’ve promulgated lots of
accountability,” said David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law
Center , which advocates on behalf of
students in New Jersey
Teachers and schools are
increasingly being held accountable for student achievement. As a
result, Sciarra and others argue it costs more to educate children to the
higher standards, and that states need to figure out how much more. The
extra money might be used, for example, to shrink class sizes, provide
preschool for low-income students, or to beef up instruction for students with
special needs, such as those learning English or those with disabilities.
Some of the lawsuits
specifically argue that states are not spending enough to educate students with
special needs, who are being asked to meet the tougher standards along with
their classmates.
- See more at: http://legalclips.nsba.org/2014/02/20/school-funding-suits-focus-on-new-state-accountability-standards/#sthash.8g1c21fb.dpuf
States Sued Over Education Funding
Huffington Post by
Adrienne Lu Posted: 02/18/2014 10:50
am EST
This piece comes to us courtesy of
Stateline, where it was originally published.
Any week now, the Kansas
Supreme Court will rule on a lawsuit filed by parents and school districts
alleging that school spending cuts violate the state’s constitution, which
promises “suitable” funding for public education. In New York last week, an education advocacy group filed
suit claiming the state is nearly $4 billion short of fulfilling its school
spending obligation under a 2006 court ruling. And in Texas
“But public education isn't just a market, and our children are
more than line items on a balance sheet. That’s why education policymaking
shouldn’t be driven by people who have a vested interest—and a fiduciary
obligation—to see them that way.”
Closing the Department of Education’s revolving door
Closing the Department of Education’s revolving door
The Hill By Sabrina
Joy Stevens January
17, 2014 , 12:00 pm
One of Education
Secretary Arne Duncan's favorite talking points is that "the best ideas in
education won't come from Washington
No matter who has them,
the “best ideas” take time, energy and resources to become reality. And in a
growing number of public school communities, increasing amounts of all three
are being spent preparing for and taking mind-numbing tests, struggling to keep
professional teachers in classrooms, and fighting to protect our schools from
hostile takeovers and closure. Even as they cut the people who make it possible
for kids to learn (and even just to remain safe on school grounds), districts
continue to spend money on pre-packaged curricula and tests, testing-related
tech products, and an expanding array of for-profit education services, all in an
effort to win a so-called “race to the top.”
Could that be a result of the revolving door between many of the
corporations selling those products and services and the federal education
officials involved with many of the department's high-profile initiatives?
States Struggle to Hash Out Funding Formulas for Virtual Charter
Schools
Education Week Charters
and Choice Blog By Katie Ash on February
19, 2014 3:44 PM
Several issues complicate
the creation of funding formulas for virtual charter schools, such as the lack
of a designated enrollment area for the schools, says a new primer on
the subject published by the Education Commission on the States. Virtual charter schools, which operate in
about 30 states (although 34 states have laws allowing them), may enroll nearly
limitless student populations because many of them do not have defined
enrollment boundaries, and they are not restricted by the limitations of
physical buildings, the report says. A graphic from the report shows the
percentage of students currently in virtual charter schools:
China’s Determination to End School Choice and Testing: New Development
Yong Zhao’s blog 19
FEBRUARY 2014 942 3 COMMENTS
(from my new book: Who’s
Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon: Why China Has the World’s Best and Worst
Education to be published by Jossey-Bass)
For those who admire the
Chinese education system, here is another cautionary tale. The Chinese
government has (re)issued another round of orders to end two practices that
have delivered China
In January 2014, the
Chinese Ministry of Education issued a stern policy demanding all middle
schools (grades 6 to 8 ) admitting students solely based on residence in an
attempt to end school choice and the use of any form of exams for students
advancing from primary school to middle school[1].
“Exams cannot be used by local educational administration, government schools,
or private schools to select students,” stated the policy document. “Government
schools cannot use any certificates of contest prizes or qualifications as
basis for determining students’ eligibility for admissions.” For schools with
more applicants than space, a computerized lottery is to be used.
Anti-testing groups form alliance to bring sanity to education policy
With resistance to
standardized test-obsessed school reform growing around the country, three
dozen local, state and national organizations and individuals have now banded
together in an alliance to expand efforts to bring sanity to education policy.
The alliance, which is
called Testing Resistance and Reform Spring, will support a range of
public education and mobilizing tactics — including boycotts, opt-out
campaigns, rallies and legislation — in its effort to stop the high-stakes
use of standardized tests, to reduce the number of standardized exams, and
to replace multiple-choice tests with performance-based assessments and school
work. The alliance will help activists in different parts of the country
connect through
a new Web site that offers resources for activists, including fact
sheets and guides on how to hold events to get out their message.
Who Are America
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch February
20, 2014
According
to Education Week, the Center for Media and Democracy and Education
has released a report on
America
Workshop: For the Love of Schools: Be a Public Education Advocate
Join us in Philly at Arch St. United
Methodist Thursday, Feb 27, 6-8 pm OR Saturday March 1, 10 am - 2 pm in the chapel of the
church.
Public Citizens for
Children and Youth and Education Voters PA is offering two
duplicate workshops designed to support parents, community members, and
advocates in their efforts to improve public education. The workshop will provide leaders with
information on the state of public education funding in our region and
what they can do to get involved. Participants
will learn advocacy best practices and develop individualized action
plans.
Participants should enter
through the door on Broad St
This event is
free and open to the public.. Childcare and light refreshments will be
provided.
Senate Ed Committee Chairman Folmer Holding Town Hall Meetings on
Education
Senator Folmer’s Facebook
Page February 10,
2014
Parents, I want to hear
your thoughts on education! Join me for a parent town hall meeting Tuesday,
February, 19, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 203 of the Neidig
Garber Building ,
on the campus of Lebanon
Valley College
A similar meeting is planned for Monday, February 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Quiet Study Room of Penn State Harrisburg’sCapitol Union
Building
Seating is limited - please RSVP to (717) 787-1347 or fbinner@pasen.gov.
A similar meeting is planned for Monday, February 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Quiet Study Room of Penn State Harrisburg’s
Seating is limited - please RSVP to (717) 787-1347 or fbinner@pasen.gov.
Register Now! EPLC’s Education Policy Forums on Governor Corbett’s
2014-2015 State Budget Proposal for Education
The next EPLC education
policy forums will be held on the following days and in the following
locations. These forums will take place shortly after Governor Corbett’s
February 4th presentation of his proposed 2014-15 state budget and will focus
on his plans for education.
Monday, February 24, 2014 – Philadelphia , PA
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
– State College, PA
Thursday, February 27, 2014 – Harrisburg , PA
Space is limited for each event and an
RSVP is required. Anyone wishing to receive an invitation should inquire by
contacting The Education Policy and Leadership
Center
Register
Now! EPLC’s 2014 Education Issues Workshops for Legislative Candidates,
Campaign Staff, and Interested Voters
EPLC’s Education Issue
Workshops Register
Now! – Space is Limited!
A Non-Partisan One-Day Program forPennsylvania
A Non-Partisan One-Day Program for
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 in Harrisburg, PA
Wednesday,March
19, 2014 in Monroeville, PA
Thursday,March
27, 2014 in Philadelphia,PA
Wednesday,
Thursday,
Auditor
General DePasquale to Hold Public Meetings on Ways to Improve Charter Schools
Seeks
to find ways to improve accountability, effectiveness, transparency
The public meetings will be held:
- Northampton
County: 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27, City Council Chambers, 6th Floor,
City Hall, One South Third St., Easton
- NEW:
Time is limited to two hours for each meeting.
Comments can be submitted in writing by Wednesday, Feb. 19, via email to Susan
Woods at: swoods@auditorgen.state.pa.us.
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
Public Interest Law
Center of Philadelphia
Dear
Parents and Advocates:
This month
we are offering TWO great special education seminars.
Learn about
special education provisions in charter schools,
including
how one's rights differ from school to school.
Tuesday, February 11, 2013 12:00 -
4:00 p.m.
Audience
members will learn about the legal needs of children with dyslexia, and other
learning disabilities, and hear from expert presenters on the latest research
and trends.
Tuesday, February 25, 2013 12:00 -
4:00 p.m. - Full Session
6:00 - 8:00
p.m. - Abbreviated Session
NPE National Conference
2014
The Network for Public Education
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
Details and
registration here: http://www.networkforpubliceducation.com/conference/
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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