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directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers,
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officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, education professors, members of
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Letting colleges and universities
authorize charter schools doesn't necessarily mean better results
SB1085: Letting colleges and universities authorize charter schools
doesn't necessarily mean better results: Kate Shaw
PennLive
Op-Ed By Kate Shaw on February 25, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Kate Shaw is the executive director of Research for Action, an
education reform group based in Philadelphia
In what has become an
almost annual occurrence, Pennsylvania
lawmakers are discussing changes to the state’s
Charter School Law. As the sector
has grown steadily over the last 17 years to enroll more than 100,000 students
statewide, attempts to enact more robust academic and financial oversight have
repeatedly fallen short. With two
proposals pending, lawmakers are once again considering a range of policies
including charter school funding, enrollment provisions, and renewal and
oversight practices. Reform
legislation sponsored by Sen. Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster, has drawn
particular attention because it would substantially reconfigure charter school
authorization.
The schedule for this series of AG public meetings appears towards
the bottom of this posting.
Speakers at AG hearing question charter school funding
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh February 25, 2014
11:11 PM
State Auditor General
Eugene DePasquale doesn't think the Legislature is moving fast enough to revise
Pennsylvania
State Sen. James Brewer,
D-McKeesport, also participated. The six
speakers at Tuesday's session addressed a wide range of issues, including who
should authorize charter schools, how much the schools should be paid and what
their impact is on school districts. Two
bills are pending in the Legislature addressing some of the issues, but Mr.
DePasquale doesn't think they are comprehensive enough.
Speakers assail state's school funding formula
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review By Megan
Harris Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014 , 2:42 p.m.
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale calls the state's education funding formula “immoral.” Funding disparity between districts — from $4,000 per child inDuquesne
School District to $30,000 per child
in some Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale calls the state's education funding formula “immoral.” Funding disparity between districts — from $4,000 per child in
"We need to know that [basic education funding] is reliable
and sustainable," President Roberta Marcus said before the board voted
unanimously to sign a resolution that advocates for funding that is equitable,
adequate, comprehensive and consistent.
Like other districts, Parkland
wants more of a say in how it spends money.
By Meghan Moravcik
Walbert, Special to The Morning Call 10:43 p.m. EST, February 25, 2014
The Parkland School Board
voted Tuesday to urge state lawmakers to establish a new public schools funding
formula that allows more flexibility in how education dollars are spent.
Probing Question: Do cyber charter schools help or hurt the educational
system?
When charter schools were
first created in the early 1990s, they were viewed as alternative learning
environments for a small number of students. The ideal model was to unhitch
these schools from many of the state laws and district regulations governing
traditional public schools, and allow them to tailor the education to families
looking for an option outside the conventional system. Typically, for each student who leaves a
public school system to attend a charter school, the school district pays the
charter the equivalent of what it cost to educate that learner in their home
district. "In the beginning,
because there were so few students, the drain on the host school districts'
coffers was hardly a drip," says Alison
Carr-Chellman, Penn
State
Rolling in dough: Top 100 donors to Pa.
WHYY Newsworks DAVE DAVIES OFF MIC Blog
FEBRUARY 24, 2014
I've often said that
everyone who cares about democracy should, at least once, spend an hour paging
through the campaign finance report of a well-funded candidate for office in Pennsylvania
There are no limits to
contributions here, and when you see page of lawyers, lobbyists, insurance
brokers, unions and others who have $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 thousand to give
to a political candidate, it's kind of like watching ants devouring a
grasshopper – awe-inspiring and creepy all at the same time. The seven Democrats who filed reports for
2013 raised a collective $29.4 million last year, and incumbent Gov. Tom
Corbett raised $6.8 million. My able
assistant Joshua Raifman and I spent some time combing over reports of Pennsylvania
Tracking political money in Pa.
WHYY Newsworks DAVE DAVIES OFF MIC A
BLOG BY DAVE DAVIES FEBRUARY 25, 2014
The task seemed simple
enough: Make a list of donors to Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
"Pennsylvania
Harper Poll: Wolf at 40%, Schwartz at 14%
PoliticsPA Written by
Brittany Foster, Managing Editor February 25, 2014
In the last Harper Poll
held in November, former Revenue Secretary and gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf
found himself in the back of the pack with 5%. In the
latest poll, he leads every other candidate with 40%. This meteoric rise, no doubt due to his
television blitz, has put him paces ahead of his competitors. The early-on
frontrunner in the race, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz took just 14% in this
poll. State Treasurer Rob McCord got 8%. Former Auditor General Jack Wagner
- who announced his bid last week – got 7%. Former DEP Secretaries John
Hanger and Katie McGinty tied at 6%. 19%
of those polled remain undecided.
FYI – by
comparison, minutes for K12, Inc.’s Agora Cyber Charter school showed that
Agora ran over 19,000 local TV commercials using our “free online tuition” tax
dollars………
Wolf now leading the pack in Dems' race for governor
By Scott Kraus and Steve Esack, Of The Morning Call 9:51
p.m. EST, February 25, 2014
With three months to go
until the primary election, Tom Wolf has used more than 1,800 television
commercials to emerge as the new Democratic front-runner. Wolf, a wealthy York County
businessman and former state Revenue Department secretary, has gone from last
to first in a changing field of seven, according to a Harper Polling survey
released Monday. Harper's automated survey of 501 likely voters was conducted
over the weekend with a margin of error of 4.83 percentage points. The surge coincides with a "Fresh
Start" TV ad campaign Wolf launched with money from his $13.2 million
campaign fund, which is mostly self-funded.
Wolf aired about 1,850 commercials in every media market but Erie Philadelphia ,
which includes the Lehigh
Valley
The 15 Governorships Most Likely to Flip
National Journal By Steven Shepard and Karyn Bruggeman February 24, 2014
National Journal ranks the gubernatorial
seats in the top running for new red or blue paint jobs this year.
1-Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett (R)
SEEKING REELECTION
Corbett is the most
unpopular governor in the country. Education cuts, slow job growth, and
Corbett’s handling of the Penn State-Jerry Sandusky scandal are among the
issues contributing to his sagging first-term poll numbers. His weak approval
ratings have spurred an array of eager Democrats to jump into the race, and
Corbett trails even the least well-known of them in the polls. Although the
contested primary will sap Democratic resources from the general election, the
intra-party battle has been fairly civil so far. Some Democrats are especially
excited about the bids of Rep. Allyson Schwartz and former state Environmental
Secretary Katie McGinty, which offer voters a historic opportunity to elect the
state’s first female governor. Treasurer Rob McCord and self-funding
businessman Tom Wolf are also top Democratic contenders.
“I haven’t heard them distinguish themselves as to where they
differ from each other. I know they think they can do the job better than me,
fine. But what are [they] going to do?”
Corbett added that he has a history of beating the odds in
elections and shouldn’t be counted out. “Keep
in mind: Every race I’ve run I wasn’t supposed to win,” he said. “Every race
I’ve run, I won.”
Tom Corbett: Don’t count me out
Politico By EMILY SCHULTHEIS |
2/23/14 7:31 PM EST
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
Corbett said Sunday he’s not concerned about polling in his race for reelection
that shows him trailing his Democratic opponents. “We haven’t gotten our message out,” the
Republican told POLITICO in an interview. “We’re starting to get our message
out now. … I have a good record to run on: improving the economy of Pennsylvania Washington
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/tom-corbett-pennsylvania-reelection-103832.html#ixzz2uMr3s0tL
Toomey scores high with Club for Growth
Post-Gazette Early
Retyrns Published by Tracie Mauriello Monday, 24 February 2014 4:51 pm .
Pennsylvania Republican
Sen. Pat Toomey isn’t perfect but he’s close as far as Club for Growth is
concerned. The conservative Washington
His voting record also qualified him to be named a Defender of Economic Freedom, a distinction the club grants to lawmakers whose ratings have never dipped below 90. Mr. Toomey, a former Club for Growth president, also received a score of 93 last year, down from 97 the year before.
The club is no fan of Mr. Toomey’s democratic counterpart, Bob Casey, who scored just 5 percent. Rep. Scott Perry, R-York, isPennsylvania
Here’s how the rest of thePennsylvania
His voting record also qualified him to be named a Defender of Economic Freedom, a distinction the club grants to lawmakers whose ratings have never dipped below 90. Mr. Toomey, a former Club for Growth president, also received a score of 93 last year, down from 97 the year before.
The club is no fan of Mr. Toomey’s democratic counterpart, Bob Casey, who scored just 5 percent. Rep. Scott Perry, R-York, is
Here’s how the rest of the
Area's GOP congressmen score low in a way that could help
JONATHAN
TAMARI, INQUIRER WASHINGTON February 25, 2014 , 1:08 AM
The Club for Growth, the
conservative advocacy group that favors low-tax, anti-regulation, pro-business
policies - and opposes any hint of compromise - released its 2013 ratings
Monday, and Republican congressmen from the Philadelphia
Charter school denied for K-6 in Duquesne
By Mary Niederberger / Pittsburgh February 25, 2014
10:45 PM
The receiver for the Duquesne City School
The application was filed
by former school director Connie Lucas along with retired Wilkinsburg
superintendent Archie Perrin and his wife, Carolyn, and local architect Larry
Hassan.
The group can appeal to
the state charter appeals board. That board last year denied a previous charter
application filed by Ms. Lucas for a school in Duquesne.
Tribune-Review By Richard
Gazarik Published: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014 , 11:30 p.m.
TheHempfield Area School District
The
The district proposes to
raise taxes by 1.5 mills and dip into its $11 million surplus to balance the
budget, Jude Abraham said. If the
increase is approved, the tax rate would be more than 75 mills. Each mill
generates $596,000 for the district. Despite
the bad news, Abraham said, “This is one of the better budget years we've ever
had.” The school board has raised taxes
the past two years by 1.5 and 1.47 mills, respectively. For the current budget,
the district had to use $2.6 million from its surplus to balance the spending
plan that totals more than $84 million.
Phoenixville School Board OKs $83.2M prelim budget with 3.8% tax hike
By Frank
Otto, The Mercury POSTED: 02/24/14, 7:08 PM EST | UPDATED: 1 HR AGO
PHOENIXVILLE — At the end
of a budget meeting on Feb. 18, the Phoenixville Area School Board approved a
$83,232,993 preliminary budget by a 6-1 vote.
The budget carries a shortfall of approximately $500,000 which could be
covered by a 3.89 percent tax increase, according to district figures. Such an increase would raise the mill rate
within the Phoenixville
Area School
District
It’s relatively unlikely
the tax increase will remain so high, as in years past the preliminary budgets
have been trimmed significantly before they were finalized by July.
City, suburban schools more alike than different
PhillyTrib.com Written
by Wilford
Shamlin III Sunday, 23 February 2014 17:55
A tour of two high
schools, one in West Philadelphia and the other in Montgomery County School District
of Philadelphia and Upper Dublin
High School
Legislators push for trade school funding
Hazelton Standard Speaker
BY JIM DINO (STAFF WRITER) Published: February 24, 2014
One way to get more young
people to study a trade rather than get a four-year degree may be to give trade
schools more state funding. But first,
parents and educators have to tell young people being a tradesman is just as
professional and respectable as anything else.
State Rep. Jerry Knowles,
R-124, Tamaqua, said there is a stigma against the trades.
"We need to change
the stigma of being a plumber or an electrician," Knowles said. "I
can't get a plumber. We grill it into our kids to go to college and get a
four-year degree to be competitive. For the kids who want to get a four-year degree,
fine. We need to create opportunities for kids who can get a two-year
degree."
“It boosts our AP Spanish Language exam participation and PSSA
success, and requires little to no extra administrative attention than do other
special and general programs that the district offers,” commented Nikki Rivera,
Spanish teacher in a neighboring district.
That program was started almost 20 years ago and has produced close to
500 bilingual citizens.”
MT board holds off phasing out Spanish Immersion
I would like to thank
Manheim Township School Board for tabling the vote regarding the
administration’s recommendation to phase out the Spanish Immersion program.
At first, the vote to
phase it out seemed to be easy for the board as they listened to the administration’s
presentation that cited mostly administrative challenges related to the
program.
Changes Coming to Charters in N.Y.C., D.C., and Philadelphia
Education Week Charters
and Choice Blog By Katie Ash on February
25, 2014
Charter schools in three
of the nation's largest school districts are facing changes in how they
operate, including how they will be evaluated, how they will be authorized, and
where they can operate. Read on for a roundup of news about policy changes to
charter schools in New York City , Washington D.C. , and Philadelphia
Class size matters a lot, research shows
Every now and then
someone in education policy (Arne
Duncan) or education philanthropy (Bill
Gates) or the media (Malcolm
Gladwell) will say something about why class size isn’t really very
important because a great teacher can handle a boatload of kids. Not really.
A new review of the
major research that has been conducted on class size by Northwestern
University Associate Professor Diane
Whitmore Schanzenbach and published by the National Education
Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder makes clear that
class size matters, and it matters a lot.
Panel Seeks Greater Disclosures on Pension Health
New York Times Dealbook By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH FEBRUARY 24, 2014 ,
12:05 AM
A panel of risk experts
sees a teachable moment in Detroit
A blue-ribbon panel of the Society of
Actuaries — the entity responsible for education, testing and licensing in the
profession — says that more precise, meaningful information about the health of
all public pension funds would give citizens the facts they need to make
informed decisions.
In a report to be
released on Monday, the panel will recommend that pension actuaries provide
plan boards of trustees and, ultimately, the public with the fair value of
pension obligations and estimates of the annual cash outlays needed to cover
them. That means pension officials would disclose something they have long
resisted discussing: the total cost, in today’s dollars, of the workers’
pensions, assuming no credit for expected investment gains over the years.
Research Review Gives Thumbs Up to Community Schools Approach
In the wake of newly
elected New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's pledge to open 100 community schools, a report released
Tuesday finds promise in this type of educational intervention. The study,
supported in part with a grant from an organization founded by de
Blasio's predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, concludes that research and
theory support the concept of community schools that seek to boost
academic performance by offering mentoring, counseling, healthcare, and
other wraparound services that extend well beyond the classroom.
The Myth Behind Public School
Monday, 24 February 2014
09:46By Dean
Paton, Yes! Magazine | News Analysis
Until about 1980, America
Stealing From Teachers
Huffington Post by Adam Kirk Edgerton Posted: 02/03/2014
12:51 pm EST
When teachers sit down to
complete their federal taxes this year, they will see one big change: the $250
classroom supply deduction. The failure to extend this tax break for teachers
has gone largely unnoticed. It should be a source of outrage.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-kirk-edgerton/stealing-from-teachers_b_4702064.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
High Quality Pre-K:
Families Need it, Voters Want it – County Meetings
PCCY February 21, 2014
Only 16% of children in southeastern Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
Help This Campaign Succeed. Join the
County Organizing Meetings:
http://prekforpa.org/bucks.html
Montgomery County Montgomery County
Community College
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.
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.
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
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 in Monroeville ,
PA
Thursday,March
27, 2014 in Philadelphia ,PA
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
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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