Daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 3250 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?
Keystone State Education Coalition
Does this sound like "thorough and efficient" to
you?
Constitution of
the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania
Public
School System Section 14.
The General Assembly shall provide
for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public
education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.
Does this sound like "thorough and efficient" to
you?
"Back in 2008-09, not long after it opened, the school
had just 240 students, compared with 814 this year. But today, Palumbo has just a single
counselor and only a three-day-per-week nurse, same as five years
ago. There's just one secretary at
the school—that's one less than five years ago. And now, Palumbo has no assistant principal,
no librarian, next to nothing for extracurricular activities, a dramatically
reduced budget for supplies ... the list goes on. Add it all up, and what you get is not nearly
enough to provide Palumbo students with the basic supports they
deserve, such as algebra tutoring, or friendly advice, or medical
care, or college guidance, or the assurance of a safe passage home." …."Perhaps the saddest reality of all is
the lack of fight: Too many in the city now seem resigned to wait a year or
more in the hope that a new governor or a new mayor might muster the will to
eliminate what officials describe as a $300 million annual structural deficit."
Desperate Times for Schools in the City of Brotherly Love
Education
Week Digital Educatiion Blog By Benjamin Herold on March 28,
2014 12:40 PM
Balloons
rained down from the balcony. The 11th graders gathered in the auditorium
screamed in delight. And I couldn't help
but feel profoundly sad.
Such is
life in Philadelphia ,
my adopted hometown and former professional stomping grounds, where hundreds of
public schools and tens of thousands of children have been left largely on
their own to forage and fundraise for the basics of modern education.
Report: Absence of school
funding formula in PA costs Pottstown $5
million a year
By Evan
Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 03/28/14, 6:45 PM EDT
The property tax as a means of funding public schools in Pennsylvania needs to
change.
The system creates an educational disparity by funding public
schools based on the value of real estate, hence the phrase, “education by zip
code.” And, the tax burden, particularly
in older towns and rural areas, makes it difficult for those on fixed incomes
to stay in their homes and for young people to buy homes. The property tax discourages small businesses
from relocating into areas where the tax burden is high, continuing the cycle
of homeowners bearing the brunt of school funding. In the face of these issues, many want to
eliminate the property tax, landing one knockout punch that helps senior
citizens, schools and struggling communities in one fell swoop. As editorial
writers for the Pennsylvania Digital First Media editorial board, we would like
that, too. But it’s not that simple.
Rolling in Dough,
or Debt?
To hear Pennsylvania ’s acting
secretary of education, Carolyn Dumaresq, tell it, our school districts are
rolling in dough. In an op-ed piece this week she said the proposed “2014-15
budget dedicates a record $12.01 billion for Pennsylvania ’s early, basic and
postsecondary education system.” [Indiana Gazette, 3-23-14] I like how you can roll three
program areas together and get one giant-big-huge sounding number. Oh my gosh! Twelve billion!
Politicians apparently
like to roll things together. It reminds me of when Gov. Corbett rolled a bunch
of line items together in the K-12 “basic education” budget a couple years ago
and then went around claiming he had “increased” K-12 funding, while overall he
had slashed it by close to $1 billion. [See “The Truth About the Numbers”] Oh wait a minute. The
administration is still making these outlandish claims. In her piece, Dr.
Dumaresq repeated Gov. Corbett’s old story, saying, “Since taking office,
Corbett has increased support of public schools by $1.55 billion.”
Local educators
attended Friday
The
summit was the inaugural event of an initiative to develop an action plan for
improving access to and results of early childhood education — pre-kindergarten
through the early elementary years — in Franklin County United
Way of Franklin
County
Corbett Named Most Vulnerable Gov
PoliticsPA Written by Nick Field,
Contributing Writer March 28,2014
Governor
Tom Corbett finds himself in the midst of a streak about as sad as that faced
by the
Philadelphia 76ers. For the ninth straight month, the Washington Post rated
Gov. Corbett the number one most vulnerable governor in the 2014 midterm
elections.
The
Post’s political blog The
Fix published the following entry:
1. Pennsylvania (R): Gov. Tom
Corbett (R) is still the most vulnerable governor in the country. A recent Quinnipiac
poll showed voters said he doesn’t deserve reelection by 55-34
percent. Former state revenue secretary Tom Wolf has emerged as the Democratic
frontrunner, and he led the incumbent 52-33 in the same poll. Ouch. (Previous
ranking: 1)
In Philly, Democratic guv
candidates make a play for young voters
By on
March 28, 2014 at 10:29 PM
(*This story was
updated to include comment from the re-election campaign of Gov. Tom Corbett)
…..On the hot-button topic of charter schools, the
candidates agreed that public school students needed options, but they voiced
concerns about the way the alternative public schools are funded. They also
expressed reservations about the proliferation of cyber-charter programs. “We’ve had too many situations of abuse,”
said McGinty, who called for more transparency and accountability in
the way the schools operate. McGinty also said “no to tax dollars
going to schools that are operated by for-profit companies.” Schwartz acknowledged the role charters
play, but called for strengthening all of the state’s public schools. The next
governor “has to figure out what’s smart, where we can take money,” such as the
money spent on cyber-charters, and funnel it into early childhood education
programs. Wolf also expressed
concerns about the way the schools are funded and said he was concerned charter
movement represented an effort “to privatize public
education.”McCord dismissed charters, in general, as a “rip-off,” even as
he acknowledged that “there are some very good charter schools and some deeply
flawed charter schools.”
The four candidates seeking to unseat Corbett spar at Temple University
By Steve Esack, Call Harrisburg Bureau 10:54
p.m. EDT, March 28, 2014
Music
pumped, questions were unscripted, the crowd of students and others was eager
and lively, and the four candidates were animated in a debate Friday night at Temple University
The
candidates ripped each other at times. They differed on whether college
athletes should be unionized and paid. All called cyber charter schools
taxpayer rip-offs. But perhaps the most
telling answer the candidates gave came when the moderator, Franklin &
Marshall College pollster and political science professor G. Terry Madonna, asked how, if they win election,
they would work with a Republican-controlled Legislature to keep gridlock at
bay. Answers gave a hint at their would-be leadership styles.
Democrats for Pa.
The
four Democratic gubernatorial candidates on Friday promised to take a hard line
against charter and cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania , from pulling the plug on ones
that struggle to educate to refusing public dollars for ones operated by
private companies. Across the board, the
candidates saved their biggest criticism for cyber charter schools, but also
made it clear that some of the more traditional cyber schools are failing and
unworthy of taxpayer money. They spoke at a two-hour forum at the annual
convention of the Pennsylvania College Democrats at Temple
University in Philadelphia .
Some pointed out that charter schools, despite several years of debate
in the Legislature, are not accountable to state ethics and open records laws,
and they echoed longstanding complaints in the Legislature that charter schools
are overcompensated for their actual costs, such as pensions. All four are public school boosters, while
Republican Gov. Tom Corbett has battled public school teachers unions and
sought to promote private, parochial and charter schools. He also has drawn
heavy criticism for his budget-balancing cuts to schools in his first budget
year, 2011.
Arise Academy Charter issues
detailed
MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Saturday, March 29, 2014, 1:08 AM
PHILADELPHIA The Philadelphia School District on Friday
outlined a litany of academic, financial, and management problems that it said
warrant closing the nation's first charter school for students in foster
care. District staffers involved with
charter-school oversight testified that Arise Academy
Charter High
School
PSBA analysis shows charter
schools continue to underperform
PSBA is sending to all legislators its report on the academic performance of traditional and charter schools, with results showing that charter schools continue to academically underperform traditional public schools. An analysis of the PA Department of Education’s (PDE) system of rating the performance of public schools using School Performance Profiles (SPP) indicate that less than half of the brick and mortar charter schools met passing benchmark scores, and none of the cyber charter schools met the mark. Nearly three-quarters of traditional public schools, however, earned passing scores in the first year of the new measuring system.
PSBA is sending to all legislators its report on the academic performance of traditional and charter schools, with results showing that charter schools continue to academically underperform traditional public schools. An analysis of the PA Department of Education’s (PDE) system of rating the performance of public schools using School Performance Profiles (SPP) indicate that less than half of the brick and mortar charter schools met passing benchmark scores, and none of the cyber charter schools met the mark. Nearly three-quarters of traditional public schools, however, earned passing scores in the first year of the new measuring system.
U.S. Representative Grijalva stands
with NPE in call for hearings on testing!
Network
for Public Education NPE Newsletter - March 28, 2014
Six-term
Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-3), a member of the House Committee
on Education and the Workforce, has responded to NPE's call for Congressional
hearings. Representative Grijalva released
the following statement in support of NPE's call for action.
"The
need for an impartial and transparent hearing on mandatory testing and
privatization efforts directed at public education, is critical. We need
to have an open discussion about the dismantling of public education. I hope
the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will hold hearings
that allow our public schools and the families they serve the opportunity to
have an open and honest hearing."
Over
the next week, we are asking our Friends & Allies to call members of
Congress to voice support for Congressional hearings. Phone, email, or tweet
the need for Congressional hearings. Below are links to the websites of the
U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate where you can find contact
info for Congressional delegation.
"The U.S.
Our opinion: Negative consequences of standardized tests
There
has been much debate over the years concerning the use and over-emphasis on
standardized testing in our schools. While
assessing a school's performance and how well our children are learning are
important, more and more parents and educators argue that the tests are biased
and produce skewed results that label schools as failing. Instead of improving
the quality of education our children receive, this has only led to diminishing
morale among teachers and increasing stress on the very children the tests are
supposed to help. A veteran teacher in Massachusetts
articulated these frustrations best when she submitted her letter of
resignation last month to the Cambridge Public Schools. "I have watched as my job requirements
swung away from a focus on the children, their individual learning styles,
emotional needs, and their individual families, interests and strengths to a
focus on testing, assessing, and scoring young children, thereby ramping up the
academic demands and pressures on them," wrote Susan Sluyter, whose letter
has been garnering national attention. "Each year I have had less and less
time to teach the children I love in the way I know best -- and in the way
child development experts recommend."
Why Do Corporate Reformers
Hate Democracy?
Education Week Living in
Dialogue Blog By Anthony Cody on March
27, 2014 11:15 AM
Back in the 1950s, we
were told that the communists wanted to destroy democracy. I am not sure what
the communists ever did to hurt democracy in America, but the corporate backers
of charter schools are making some real headway. Their target is the power of elected school
boards and even the mayor of the nation's biggest city. In New York City , according to the New
York Daily News, financiers have poured close to $4 million into ads
attacking Mayor Bill de Blasio for revoking the carte blanche that the previous
mayoral administration had given to charter schools.
Though corporate
reformers like Bill Gates were huge
fans of mayoral control of schools when their man was the mayor, there
is now
a drive to strip Mayor de Blasio of his power, led by New York governor Andrew
Cuomo. In Indiana ,
the governor has similarly sought
to remove powerfrom the elected state superintendent of education, Glenda
Ritz, even though she was the top vote-getter in the 2012 election. The only
consistent pattern is the effort to remove power from anyone who might not
carry out their will.
The Pennsylvania PTA 105th annual
statewide convention April 4-6, 2014, at the Radisson Valley Forge/King of Prussia
Pennsylvania PTA Harrisburg,
Pa. March 21, 2014
Delegates from local PTA
units, councils, and regions throughout the state will gather to give direction
to the State PTA on issues of resolutions, bylaws, and timely topics being
addressed around education and child advocacy. The convention format will include a Diversity
Leadership Conference, a Town Hall Meeting on Suicide Awareness and Prevention,
twenty (20) workshops on timely issues, networking time with other delegates,
an exhibit hall, a Reflections Gallery showcasing student artwork, and the
opportunity to hear keynote speakers and representatives from the National PTA
and other statewide partnering organizations from Pennsylvania. Complete details
for registration may be obtained at the Pennsylvania PTA website at
www.papta.org.
Education Debate - Pittsburgh, April 8
by Yinzercation
March 20, 2014
Please mark your calendars now
and plan to be a part of this event:
Democratic candidates for
Governor of Pennsylvania
Tuesday, April 8th atPittsburgh 6-12 515 N. Highland Ave. , Pittsburgh
PA 15206
Tuesday, April 8th at
Sign up for weekly Testing
Resistance & Reform News and Updates!
Fairtest - The National Center for Fair and Open Testing
PSBA
nominations for offices now open!
Deadline April 30th
PSBA Leadership Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April 30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and communication, and who have vision for PSBA. Complete details on the nomination process, links to the Application for Nomination form, and scheduled dates for nominee interviews can be found online by clicking here.
PSBA Leadership Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April 30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and communication, and who have vision for PSBA. Complete details on the nomination process, links to the Application for Nomination form, and scheduled dates for nominee interviews can be found online by clicking here.
How the Business Community Can Lead on
Early Education
Economy
League of Greater Philadelphia
Join
business and community leaders to learn about how you can help make sure every
child arrives in kindergarten ready to succeed. On April 29th, the Economy
League of Greater Philadelphia and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and
Southern New Jersey will host a forum featuring business leaders from around
the country talking about why they’re focused on early childhood education and
how they have moved the needle on improving quality and access in their states.
Featured
Speakers
- Jack Brennan, Chairman Emeritus of The
Vanguard Group
- Phil Peterson, Partner, Aon Hewitt and
Co-Chair of America’s Edge/Ready Nation
- And more to be announced!
- Date & Time Tuesday, April
29, 2014 | 5-7 PM
Registration begins at 5 PM;
program from 5:30 to 7:00 PM
- Location Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia
10 North Independence Mall West Philadelphia,
PA 19106
Registration:
http://worldclassgreaterphila.org/worldclasscouncilforum
PILCOP Special Education Seminars 2014
Schedule
Public
Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
Tuesday, April 29th,
12-4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 14th,
1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
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. This list will be updated, as more
information becomes available.
Network for Public Education's Pennsylvania Friends and Allies:
@the chalkface http://atthechalkface.com
Angie Villa Art & Education http://www.angievillaartwork.blogspot.com
Keystone State Education Coalition http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/
Parents United for Public
Education http://www.parentsunitedphila.com
Pennsylvania Alliance for Arts
Education http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/kcaaen/statealliance/home.cfm
Philly Teacherman http://phillyteacherman.blogspot.com/
Raging Chicken Press http://www.ragingchickenpress.org/
Yinzercation http://yinzercation.wordpress.com
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