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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
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professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies,
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Keystone State Education Coalition
Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup
for April 12, 2014:
What's Really Causing
The Chaos At Philly's Bartram High?
PSBA
members in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware Counties - save the date
PSBA
Buxmont Region 11 and Penns Grant Region 15 Combined Region/Legislative Meeting
-- Thursday, May 15, at William Tennent High School
- Buffet dinner/registration, 6 p.m. ($8 charge for
dinner) - Program, 7:30 p.m. -- Minority Senate Education Committee Chair
Hon. Andy Dinniman will introduce guest speaker Diane Ravitch, author and
education historian, and former Assistant Secretary of Education. Retiring House Education Committee Chairman
Paul Clymer will also be honored for his long time (1981) public service.
"PCCY’s analysis found that Bartram lost two of its
three assistant principals, three of its five counselors, all four of its
supportive services assistants, all three of its community relations and social
services liaisons, its sole librarian, nearly all its bilingual counseling
assistants, its at risk student support, one of its two school nurses, one of
its six school police officers and its entire cafeteria staff. But the
move that puts students and staff most at risk might be the drop in noon time
aides—the people who keep order in the school, in the cafeteria and in the
halls between classes—from 64 man-hours a day down to 20. That’s five
people, working just four hours each, responsible for more than 1,000
students."
PCCY Blog Friday,
April 11, 2014
While the city continues
to reel from the assault on a conflict-resolution specialist by a student at
Bartram High School, we must look at the conditions that allowed it to happen
and what can be done about them. Dangerous things can happen when you mix
increasing enrollment with dropping staffing. In the 2009-10 school year,
Bartram employed about 166 staffers. The school has been forced to cut
staff every year since then. This year that number is down to 97, a more
than 40% drop since 2009-10. That’s despite having more than 100 more
students than last year. But the problem isn’t just the cuts, but who got
cut. Many of the cuts have hit the
already stretched support and discipline staffers.
Are you there God? It's me,
Bartram
Philly Daily News by
HELEN UBINAS POSTED: Sunday, April 13, 2014, 3:01 AM
CHAIRESE HOLMAN and
Patrina Anderson took seats at the end of opposite rows inside Bartram High School Anderson , who lives nearby but whose daughter
goes to elementary school, was there to talk about Bartram students wreaking
havoc on the neighborhood. She was a student at the school in 1999, when
another student shot an assistant principal trying to break up a fight. "Nothing's changed," she said.
Questions about Renaissance
charter costs from a former SRC member
notebook by David
Limm on Apr 11 2014 Posted in Latest news
The impetus for the
letter was comments that Kihn made at a recent education conference,
where he expressed
frustration (“nobody gets it; the media doesn’t get it")
over the misunderstanding of the costs associated with the process
of turning
management of two elementary schools, Steel and Muñoz-Marin, over
to charter operators Mastery and ASPIRA.
State bars ASD from raising
school taxes higher than 5.9 percent
By Adam Clark, Of The Morning Call
9:37 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2014
Administrators had
already known it was possible the district wouldn't qualify for a special
exception for excessive special education costs, which would have combined with
other exceptions to allow the district to exceed the 2.6 percent increase
allowed by the state.
On Thursday, Chief
Financial Officer Jack Clark announced that the district officially does not
qualify for the special education exemption, dropping the highest possible
increase to about 5.9 percent. That means the district has to find another way
to account for about $2.5 million that was covered in the preliminary budget by
new tax revenue.
Why education reform needs to
focus less on schools and more on students: Christopher Moraff
By Christopher Moraff on April 11, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Pennsylvania is in the
midst of a heated debate over the direction of public education in the state. Last week, as lawmakers in Harrisburg
prepared to revisit a controversial bill that would give more autonomy to
charter schools, Philadelphia played host to thousands of social scientists and
policy experts at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association.
These are heady days
for education researchers, who together with politicians and advocates from the
private-sector comprise the "Holy Trinity" of modern American school
reform.
"I think it poses an important question to the Senate
as to whether we want to constitute ourselves as a national school board, which
is what we would be doing if we pass this law," Alexander said, suggesting
the federal government should help schools background employees, but not
require it."
Setback for Toomey bill mandating school employee background checks
Setback for Toomey bill mandating school employee background checks
Legislation calling
for periodic background checks of school employees is snagged by panel.
By Scott Kraus,
Of The Morning Call 9:13 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2014
A law requiring teachers and other school employees to undergo
periodic background checks doesn't seem like something that would be difficult
to get passed. But in today's Congress, nothing is easy. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., was reminded of that this week
when the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act, which he is
co-sponsoring with West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joseph Manchin, was pulled from the floor and
detoured into the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions Committee. Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and top Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said they wanted to route the bill
through their panel to allow amendments and additional time to review the bill
and ferret out unintended consequences. Alexander
went further, saying the legislation amounts to a federal mandate and
undermines state and local decision-making and responsibility in education.
Since 2011, the
state-run Philadelphia public school district has adopted what is called the
“portfolio model” of school reform as its “theory of change.” The model
is a move away from the traditional school district, in which a centralized
administration controls a set of public schools, to an arrangement in which a
group of different kinds of schools, which could include traditional public as
well as charter and privately run schools, are overseen by a central entity.
Supporters think it gives parents more choice; opponents think that the choice
most parents get is phony and that the portfolio model is a step toward the
privatization of public education.
Several districts have
followed the portfolio model, including New Orleans, but what makes
Philadelphia distinctive is the extent to which it has pursued this effort
without regard to cost (the District is $400+ million in the hole today) or
consequence. Around 35 percent of Philadelphia students are now in one of the
district’s 86 charter schools. City and district officials – at the urging of
education reformers like the Philadelphia School Partnership – have also
welcomed private religious schools into the portfolio and downplayed the
distinctions between public and private.
In September the Recovery School District
Al Jazeera America by @DexterMullins April 4, 2014 8:00AM ET Updated April
9, 2014 12:28PM ET
As the fight over
charter schools continues across the country, the Big Easy is taking a unique
approach — New Orleans will begin the next
school year with America ’s
first all-charter school district. In
September, Louisiana ’s Recovery School
District (RSD) will close the last of its public schools that have not
been turned into charters, leaving it a 100 percent charter school
district not just in New Orleans ,
but across the state. This is most significant for New
Orleans because it houses the vast maority of Louisiana 's charter schools. Run by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education in Baton Rouge ,
the RSD was created after Hurricane Katrina and tasked with improving standards
at underperforming schools. More than 60 New
Orleans institutions were moved out of the existing
Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), and nearly all were converted to
charter schools.
How Will Early Childhood
Education Play Out in the U.S.
Education Week Politics
K-12 Blog By Alyson Klein on April
10, 2014 4:05 PM
Can the Senate education
committee produce a bipartisan bill to expand pre-kindergarten? Probably not,
but it sounds like Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the panel wants to
give it a shot. The Senate Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing today on legislationput
forth by Harkin, and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., that would offer matching
grants to states that want to offer pre-kindergarten to a significantly larger
group of low income children. The bill—called the Strong Start for America's
Children Act—is based on a proposal put forth by President Barack Obama in
back-to-back budget requests. The legislation has a small smattering of GOP
support in the House, with two GOP co-sponsors, Reps. Richard Hanna and Michael
Grimm. "The bill enjoys bipartisan
support in the House of Representatives but, unfortunately, is supported on
only one side of the aisle here in the Senate. I am hopeful that situation will
change," Harkin said. 500Also
cranking up the pressure for bipartisanship: Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a big
early childhood education fan who may well be heading up the Senate Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee next year, when Harkin retires. She
noted that governors in red states across the country have been moving the
needle on early childhood education.
NPE Call for Congressional
Hearings on Testing
Network for Public Education April
10, 2014 NPE Call for Hearings
On March 2, 2014, The
Network for Public Education issued a call for congressional hearings on the
overuse and misuse of testing in our public schools.
Together, we have managed to catch the attention of members of Congress.
We created a Twitter Storm that sent out over 20K tweets and reached 400K
people via social media while trending #1. We flooded the offices of Congress
with phone calls from concerned constituents. We continue to bring attention to
the plague of over-testing and the media has taken notice!
For the next part of our
campaign, we are asking our Friends & Allies to print out and mail a copy
of this
letter to the offices of our friends at Institute for America ’s Future in Washington D.C.
PSBA Advocacy Forum and Day on the Hill
May 5-6, Mechanicsburg & Harrisburg
Make an impact on the legislative process by attending PSBA’s Advocacy Forum and Day on the Hill, May 5-6. Day one will provide legislative insights on pensions, training on being an effective advocate, and media relations. Dr. G. Terry Madonna, leading Pennsylvania political analyst, will discuss the legislative landscape in his usual lively and informative style. Just added -- How to Be an Effective Advocate -- Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Larry Feinberg, Roberta Marcus and Tina Viletto on how to successfully support your issues. On day two, participants will start with a breakfast at the Harrisburg Hilton and then hit the ground running with visits to legislative offices in the State Capitol. Space is limited so register early. Click here for more details and to register online.
May 5-6, Mechanicsburg & Harrisburg
Make an impact on the legislative process by attending PSBA’s Advocacy Forum and Day on the Hill, May 5-6. Day one will provide legislative insights on pensions, training on being an effective advocate, and media relations. Dr. G. Terry Madonna, leading Pennsylvania political analyst, will discuss the legislative landscape in his usual lively and informative style. Just added -- How to Be an Effective Advocate -- Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Larry Feinberg, Roberta Marcus and Tina Viletto on how to successfully support your issues. On day two, participants will start with a breakfast at the Harrisburg Hilton and then hit the ground running with visits to legislative offices in the State Capitol. Space is limited so register early. Click here for more details and to register online.
Pennsylvania Governor's
School for the Agricultural Sciences
Deadline to Apply: April 25, 2014
When: July 13 to August 9, 2014 Penn State
University
PGSAS provides a broad
overview of the diverse fields of agriculture and natural resources. Interested
high school students and their parents should review this website to learn more
about requirements and the application process.
Pennsylvania Governor’s
School for Engineering and Technology
Application must be
postmarked by April 18, 2014.
July 20, 2014 - August
2, 2014 Lehigh University | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania
Governor’s School for Engineering and Technology (PGSE&T) is a two-week
summer residential program for talented high school students of science and
mathematics. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and hosted
by the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh
University, PGSE&T offers an enrichment experience in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) and emphasizes cooperative learning and
hands-on laboratory experiences.
Educating the Voter: A Forum on Public
Education featuring Democratic gubernatorial candidates - April 30th 6:00 pm
Phila Central Library
Presented by Committee of Seventy, Congresso and
Philadelphia Education Fund
Wednesday,
April 30, 2014 at 6:00PM
Join Democratic gubernatorial candidates Katie McGinty, Tom Wolf, Allyson Schwartz and Rob McCord for a discussion on public education.
Please
click here to
register.
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.
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