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
Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup
for May 19, 2014:
Editorial: If you care
about education, get out and vote
"A recent poll from Franklin
and Marshall College
Editorial: If you care
about education, get out and vote
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 05/17/14, 9:58 PM EDT
It turns out we’re not the only ones clamoring for change when
it comes to education funding in Pennsylvania . In a year-long series of editorials we’ve
dubbed “The Keystones: Education Funding and Property Taxes,” we’ve placed
education funding in Pennsylvania
under a microscope. Starting with the
basic building block of education funding in Pennsylvania , the property tax, through the
money allocated to education in the state budget, we’ve put a focus on this
crucial issue.
We’re not alone.
"We get the kind of democracy, the kind of government
we deserve. And if you don't like what's happening, or if you do, and you want
to see it continue, then the most direct way to make sure it does is to take 10
or 15 minutes on Tuesday to vote. And if you're a parent, bring your kids with
you, you can never start them too early.
And if you don't vote, you really can't complain."
Registered with a party? Vote
on Tuesday. You can't complain if you don't: John L. Micek
PennLive By on
May 16, 2014 at 11:45 AM
In June 1988, a day or
so after I turned 18, I drove into the middle of the little town in Connecticut
where I grew up, and ran two of the most important errands I could think
of. I don't remember the exact
order, but I know I drove to the Post Office, where I filled out my Selective
Service paperwork. And I also ran over to Town Hall, where I registered to vote
for the very first time.
What you need to know to vote
in Tuesday's primary election: Q&A
Everything you need to know before heading to
the polls for Tuesday's 2014 Pennsylvania
By on
May 16, 2014 at 11:30 AM
I've seen all these
commercials for Democrats running for governor. What else is on the ballot
Tuesday? Important
stuff! The Republican and
Democratic nominations for who represents you in Congress next year are on the
line. So are the nominations for every seat in the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives, and half of the state Senate. And the Democrats also have five
candidates vying to be the lieutenant governor nominee.
I want to vote, but don't
know anything about the candidates. Is there a place I can learn about who's
running? PennLive has prepared this fun-filled
voters guide, which can be a starting point.
Dick Scaife: What matters
most
The Tribune-Review By Dick Scaife Published: Sunday, May 18, 2014, 12:54 a.m.
Nothing gives perspective to life so much as death. Recently, doctors told me I have an untreatable form of cancer. Some who dislike me may rejoice at this news. Naturally, I can't share their enthusiasm. The diagnosis has prompted me to consider my life, the city and region I call home, the country I love, and the many people I have known — especially those who are friends, or whose lives and achievements I respect. In coming weeks and months, I hope to write about some of these things.
Nothing gives perspective to life so much as death. Recently, doctors told me I have an untreatable form of cancer. Some who dislike me may rejoice at this news. Naturally, I can't share their enthusiasm. The diagnosis has prompted me to consider my life, the city and region I call home, the country I love, and the many people I have known — especially those who are friends, or whose lives and achievements I respect. In coming weeks and months, I hope to write about some of these things.
Today, I want to write
about one thing that is so important to me: Newspapers.
"I support parents who want to
send their children to private, religious schools. I attended private Catholic
schools. My parents wanted me to get a good, Catholic education and they
sacrificed to pay for it. They never expected their non-Catholic or
non-Christian friends and neighbors to help pay for it. Yet the $60 million
that is spent annually on EITC scholarships for private school students is
money that the state loses in tax revenue and must be made up for by us in
higher local taxes. And understand that these scholarships aren't intended just
for low-income families. A family with two children can have an income of
$105,000 and still be eligible for an EITC scholarship."
EITC: School taxpayers
offsetting business tax breaks (Letter)
Last month we learned
that the Greencastle-Antrim
School District Chambersburg and Tuscarora
school districts will be raising property taxes by about the same amount to
balance their budgets. Yet while all this is happening to our local public
schools, two local businesses are contributing $17,500 to Cumberland
Valley Christian
School , Shalom
Christian Academy
and Montessori Academy Policy Center
"Bob Fayfich, executive director of the Pennsylvania
Coalition of Public Charter Schools, declined to comment on Atiyeh's
strategies, saying he didn't know enough about the situation. He did say,
though, that he has never heard of a potential charter school landlord paying
someone to garner pre-enrollment signatures.
Smith, who has voted for two of the many charter schools proposed during
his 10 years on the school board, hasn't either. "Of all the charter schools we've dealt
with, we've never had the landlord so actively involved in the
recruiting," he said.
Atiyeh's tactics are not against the law but fall into a
gray area, said Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, who released a report Monday
calling the state's lack of charter school oversight an "enormous
problem." He believes landlords and their prospective charter school
tenants should have "complete separation."
Developer Abe Atiyeh helps
charter schools open, reaps profits in return
Abe Atiyeh pays for
startup costs and ads, reaps profits in return.
By Adam Clark,
Of The Morning Call 9:43 p.m. EDT, May 17, 2014
When parents and children attended open houses at the proposed Arts Academy
Elementary Charter
School in Allentown , they heard about small class
sizes, a safe environment and opportunities like ice skating and dancing. Supporters of the school handed out fliers,
gave tours of the building and pre-enrolled students whose parents were eager
to sign them up.
What those parents didn't hear at the winter sessions was who
owns the former Allentown Racquetball & Fitness Club building at 601 Union St. , the
site of the proposed school. They also didn't see the person who offered a
consultant $30 for every potential student it pre-enrolled.
While Thomas Lubben, a retired charter school superintendent,
is the public face of the proposed school, the effort to open the charter is
sponsored by someone who says he's "the glue" that has held a number
of recent charter school proposals together.
With a vast portfolio of vacant properties, money to spend on
marketing and a soft spot for school choice, prolific Lehigh Valley
By on May 18, 2014 at 4:55 PM
The Bethlehem Area
School District Pennsylvania 's
Wiretap and Electronic Surveillance Act. A recent change to state law means
that the district can turn the sound recording back on.
The school board has
taken the first step to modify its school bus recording policy to include audio
recording and will vote on the matter at an upcoming meeting.
School districts must
enact a policy authorizing the recording for disciplinary or security purposes,
annually notify parents and place a sign on each bus that passengers may be
audio recorded.
Inquirer Editorial: Clarke's
gamble is too risky
POSTED: Sunday, May 18, 2014, 1:10 AM
As hard as it is to
believe, City Council is about to throw away a $120 million funding stream for
Philadelphia's destitute public schools, which are understaffed,
underachieving, and unsafe.
That money was
authorized a year ago by the legislature when it extended an emergency increase
of the city's sales tax to 8 percent. Not only would the extension generate
$120 million for struggling schools, but the legislation also set aside an
escalating portion of the revenue for city pensions.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140518_Inquirer_Editorial__Clarke_s_gamble_is_too_risky.html#LUAWg3g3rbGfrzkq.99
"The lessons of charter schools and
cyber charter schools are that frightened parents want their children out of
dangerous schools in dangerous parts of neighborhoods."
Jean Jacques Crawb's Blog Posted on May 13, 2014 by jeanjacquescrawb
I never thought that I would say this to Eric Hanushek. “You
are mostly correct about money not being the whole answer.” I have just read an
article (more of a monograph) about how Corey Booker, now U.S. Senator from New
Jersey, got Governor Elect Christie and Mark Zuckerberg to agree to reform the
Newark School District in 2009. I did not have the heart to read the entire
article. It reminded me of the Annenberg Urban Challenge Grants, as well as the
Annenberg Rural Challenge Grants, and the soon to be expanded charter school
action on the national level.
No matter what these right minded philanthropists- government
types do, nothing will change, on a large scale, until the sending homes and
communities change. There really isn’t a program that includes large scale
changes in where the kids come from. There is no culture out there, whether in
urban or rural settings that seeks to make things better for the families that
send their children to public schools.
US Department of Education
"This job of keeping
our children safe, and teaching them well, is something we can only do
together, with the help of friends and neighbors, the help of a community, and
the help of a nation." — President Barack Obama, December 16, 2012
When schools are the centers of their communities, students,
parents, and entire neighborhoods benefit. Ensuring that schools are
sanctuaries for teaching and learning—and free of crime and violence—is a
priority for President Obama, the administration, and the entire nation
The need: Violence and trauma in schools and
communities can affect students' overall health and well-being as well as their
educational outcomes.
The goal: All children should grow up free from
fear and violence. Fortunately, most of America 's children do. But there
are far too many schools and neighborhoods where fear and violence are part of
a child's daily life. This is unacceptable, and the President's school
safety-related proposals reflect a national goal of ensuring that all children
live in safe neighborhoods and attend nurturing schools that provide them with
the services and supports that they need to thrive.
Science Standards Divide a
State Built on Coal and Oil
New York Times By MOTOKO RICH MAY 18, 2014
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Sitting in the headquarters of the Wyoming
Liberty Group, Susan Gore, founder of the conservative think tank, said new
national science standards for schools were a form of “coercion,” adding, “I
don’t think government should have anything to do with education.”
Ms. Gore, a daughter of the founder of the company that makes
Gore-Tex waterproof fabric, was speaking here weeks after the
Republican-controlled Legislature made Wyoming ,
where coal and oil are king, the first state to reject the standards, which
include lessons on human impact on global warming. The pushback came despite a
unanimous vote by a group of Wyoming
science educators urging acceptance. Wyoming
was the first state to say no, but likely not the last. A House committee in Oklahoma last week voted
to reject the standards, also in part because of concerns about how climate
change would be taught.
PCCY invites you to get on
the School Spirit Bus to Harrisburg on Tuesday June 10th for Fair and Full
School Funding!
Public Citizens for Children and Youth
On Tuesday June 10th, Public Citizens for Children
and Youth (PCCY) will be going to Harrisburg. Join committed parents,
leaders, and community members from around state to make it clear to Harrisburg
that PA students need fair and full funding now! We are providing free
transportation to and from Harrisburg as well as lunch. Please
arrive at the United
Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin
Parkway no later than8:15am. The bus will
depart at 8:30am sharp! Reserve your seat today by emailing us
at info@pccy.org or
calling us at 215-563-5848
x11. You can download and share our flyer by clicking here. We hope to see you there!
Dinniman: Roundtable
Discussion on Education in Pa. set for May 21
Senator Dinniman's website
MAY 13, 2014
WEST CHESTER (May 13) – State Senator Andy Dinniman
announced today that he is bringing together education professionals and
advocates from throughout the region for a roundtable discussion on critical
issues in education on Wednesday, May 21 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Technical College High School –
Brandywine Campus.
“Parents, teachers, students and education professionals from
suburban and urban school districts across Pennsylvania recently united against
the expansion of the Keystone
Graduation Exams,” Dinniman said. “Now, another pressing issue will bring
together suburban and urban schools from throughout the region – the need to
adequately support and sustain public education for the future.” The panel will feature education
professionals from Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia
counties as well as representatives from major education organizations,
including:
·
Joe Ciresi, President, Spring-Ford Area School
District Board of Directors.
·
Helen Gym, Parents United of Philadelphia.
·
Bill LaCoff, President-Elect of the Pennsylvania
School Board Association, Owen J. Roberts School District Board of Directors.
·
Larry Feinberg, Keystone State Education
Coalition, Haverford Township School District Board of Directors.
·
Joe O’Brien, Executive Director, Chester County
Intermediate Unit.
·
Joan Duvall-Flynn, President and Education
Committee Chair of the NAACP, Media Branch.
·
Hillary Linardopoulos, Philadelphia Federation
of Teachers.
·
Korri Brown, President, Southeast Region,
Pennsylvania State Education Association.
·
Mike Churchill, Public Interest Law Center of
Philadelphia.
·
Mark Miller, Director, Network for Public
Education, Vice-President of the Centennial School District Board of Directors.
Pennsylvania Education Summit
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM (EDT) Camp Hill, PA
PA Business-Education Partnership
Featuring:
Welcome By Governor Tom Corbett (invited)
Remarks Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq
(confirmed)
Perceptions & comments of business leaders, educators,
college presidents, and advocacy groups
Full agenda here: http://www.bipac.net/pbc/2014-PA-Education-Summit-Agenda.pdf
Registration: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/pennsylvania-education-summit-tickets-11529363637?aff=eorgf
“How Public School Funding
Works in Pennsylvania—Or Doesn’t: What You Need to Know” When: Friday, May
30, 2014, 9 am to 12 pm Where: Marriott Hotel in Conshohocken, PA
Session I: "Funding Schools: What Pennsylvania Can Learn from Other States"
Key Pennsylvania legislators and public officials will respond to a presentation by Professor Robert C. Knoeppel of Clemson University, an expert on emerging trends and ideas in public school finance.
Session I: "Funding Schools: What Pennsylvania Can Learn from Other States"
Key Pennsylvania legislators and public officials will respond to a presentation by Professor Robert C. Knoeppel of Clemson University, an expert on emerging trends and ideas in public school finance.
Introduction: Representative Steve Santarsiero
Moderator: Rob Wonderling, President and CEO, GreaterPhiladelphia Chamber of Commerce
Panel:
Charles Zogby, Secretary of the Budget, Commonwealth of PA, Senator Patrick Browne, Senator Anthony Williams, Representative Bernie O'Neill, Representative James Roebuck
Session II: "Why Smart Investments in Public Schools Are Critical toPennsylvania
Moderator: Rob Wonderling, President and CEO, Greater
Panel:
Charles Zogby, Secretary of the Budget, Commonwealth of PA, Senator Patrick Browne, Senator Anthony Williams, Representative Bernie O'Neill, Representative James Roebuck
Session II: "Why Smart Investments in Public Schools Are Critical to
A discussion with a panel of CEOs who are major employers in
the region.
Introduction: Rob Loughery, Chair, Bucks County Commissioners
Panel (confirmed to date):
Michael Pearson, President and CEO, Union Packaging, Philip Rinaldi, CEO, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, Bryan Hancock, Principal, McKinsey & Company, and author: "The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools"
You can register for this free event here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-public-school-funding-works-in-pennsylvania-or-doesnt-what-you-need-to-know-tickets-11527064761?ref=ebtnebregn
Introduction: Rob Loughery, Chair, Bucks County Commissioners
Panel (confirmed to date):
Michael Pearson, President and CEO, Union Packaging, Philip Rinaldi, CEO, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, Bryan Hancock, Principal, McKinsey & Company, and author: "The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools"
You can register for this free event here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-public-school-funding-works-in-pennsylvania-or-doesnt-what-you-need-to-know-tickets-11527064761?ref=ebtnebregn
2014 CONFERENCE ON THE STATE OF
EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA
60 YEARS AFTER BROWN HOW ARE THE CHILDREN? WHAT ARE THE
ISSUES?
Saturday, May 31, 2014 - 9:00 AM
– 3:00 PM (8:30 Registration)
MARCUS FOSTER STUDENT UNION 2ND
FLR. CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, DE Co. Campus
Keynote
Speaker: Dan Hardy – Retired Reporter -Philadelphia Inquirer
Distressed Schools: How Did it
Come to This?
PANELS:
- The State of Education in Pennsylvania 60
Years after Brown
- Keystones and Graduation: Cut the
Connection
- How Harrisburg Cut District Funding, Poured
on the Keystones, and Connected them to Graduation
- Financing Our Schools: What Does it Cost
to Educate a Child in 2014 and How Should We Fund It?
- Effective Advocacy – How to be
Heard in Harrisburg - And - What We Need to be Saying
For
more info and registration: http://www.naacpmediabranch.org/#
Education
Policy and Leadership Center
Click
here to read more about EPLC’s Education Policy Fellowship Program, including:
2014-15 Schedule 2014-15 Application Past Speakers Program Alumni And More
Information
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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