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
At 36%, Pennsylvania
Tom Wolf gets the Democratic
nod, Mike Fleck could be out of office and other results from Tuesday's primary
election
By Megan Lavey-Heaton |
mheaton@pennlive.com on May 21, 2014 at 12:29 AM
Tom Wolf was named the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania governor in Tuesday night’s
primary. Mike Stack is the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Here’s all the primaries that PennLive
covered on Tuesday. You can find full coverage at www.pennlive.com/elections.
Please note that a write-in candidate could present a challenge in any of these
races in the fall. There are a number of uncontested races not in the list
below that will be decided in the fall.
“I am the f—— senator, I do what the f— I
want, how I want, and ain’t nobody going to change me.”
SD-4: Haywood Defeats
Indicted Sen. Washington
PoliticsPA Written by
Brittany Foster, Managing Editor May 20, 2014
Democratic challenger Art Haywood beat indicted Senator Leanna Washington .
Haywood took 40% of the vote, followed by Washington at 34% and other Democratic
challenger Brian Gralnick 27%. They took 15,874, 13,440 and 10,590 votes
respectively.
Boyle beats Margolies, rest
of crowd for Democratic nomination
WHYY Newsworks BY TOM
MACDONALD MAY 21, 2014
Youth, a grass-roots campaign and lots of union backing
triumphed last night in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania 's 13th Congressional
District. State Rep. Brendan Boyle
(D-Philadelphia) who is just 37 said he brought a young campaign organization
that worked hard for a victory in the district covering parts of Montgomery County
and Philadelphia .
Rep. Davidson holds on
in 164th Legislative District
By JOHN KOPP, jkopp@delcotimes.com,
@DT_JohnKopp POSTED: 05/20/14, 11:45 PM
State Rep. Margo Davidson escaped with a close victory in the
Democratic primary for the 164th Legislative District Tuesday, edging her
challengers with about 52 percent of the vote.
Davidson, a two-term incumbent, received 2,675 votes, according to
unofficial tallies released by the Delaware County Election Bureau. Smith, an
attorney, garnered 2,143 votes. Adjunct professor Dafan Zhang received 241
votes.
Charters, vouchers, EITC…..
All Candidates Supported by
Parents and Teachers for Putting StudentsFirst PAC Advance To General Election
StudentsFirst PAC Press Release May 20, 2014
PSBA issues new report
comparing charter, traditional public school requirements
PSBA May 20, 2014
PSBA May 20, 2014
PSBA will be sending to legislators the third piece in
the “Closer Look”series that provides a comparison of charter and
traditional public school requirements, showing that the exemptions allowed to
charters in the name of providing innovations has not led to a transparent,
accountable or high-performing system of education. Click here to see the report, Charter-Public School Comparison:
An Uneven Playing Field. The other pieces in the “Closer
Look” series include: Double-dip Pension Payments Mean Charter Schools Get Paid
Twice and Pennsylvania Charter Schools Continue to Underperform.
A dozen problems with charter
schools
School reformers keep talking about charter schools as if they
were the answer to public education’s problems, when there is
a great deal of evidence that shows big problems with the charter sector. For example, a report on Pennsylvania’s
charter schools recently released by a state legislator found that only one in
six of the state’s charter schools is”high-performing” and it notes that none
of the online charters is “high-performing.”
The report, released by Rep. James Roebuck, chairman of the Pennsylvania
House Education Committee, says that the state has 162 brick-and-mortar
charters (28 of which are considered “high performing” based on standardized
test scores) and 14 cyber charters. It notes about those 28:
"Philadelphia Pennsylvania Education
Law Center
gave the state’s share as 36 percent, putting Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Then and now, Pa.
The state's share of
funding lags behind 40 other states. No formula has been set for education aid,
but that may change.
the notebook by Paul Jablow Summer 2014
Ben Franklin 11th grader Jeremy Rodriguez said that his school
has been devastated by cuts and that some students are so discouraged they have
stopped coming to class. A crowd of some
100 parents, teachers, principals, and education activists braved a brutal
rainstorm on April 30 to wage what amounted to a two-hour attack on the School
Reform Commission, which was considering the proposed bare-bones budget
for the next school year. Earlier that
day and a block away, an 11th grader at Benjamin Franklin
High School
Twenty years ago, when the Notebook was
founded, Rodriguez hadn’t been born and there was no such thing as the SRC. But
the first edition headline, “Unfair state funding for schools challenged,”
could have just as easily been written in 2014.
FYI, for 2012-2013, Career Connections
charter school had a PA School Performance Profile score of 43.8.
Court upholds decision for
Pittsburgh Public Schools not to renew Career Connections charter
A state appeals court today upheld an earlier decision by the
Pittsburgh Public Schools to not renew the charter for Career Connections.Charter
High School
By on
May 20, 2014 at 9:15 PM
The Parkland
School Board tonight approved
a proposed final budget that will raise taxes 2.1 percent in 2014-15. School directors voted 9-0 in favor of the
$152,182,566 spending plan, which includes a tax rate of 14.12 mills, up from
13.83 mills in 2013-14. Superintendent
Richard Sniscak said administrators are still working on it and expect to
present a final budget with a pared down tax increase next month. This is the
first time in three years that the district has not applied for permission to
exceed the Act 1 index. Budgets that
boost taxes beyond the state-set index must be approved by voter
"As a result of this change to the tax
code, banks and equity funds that invest in charter schools in underserved
areas can take advantage of a very generous tax credit. They are permitted to combine this tax credit
with other tax breaks while they also collect interest on any money they lend
out. According to one analyst, the credit allows them to double the money they
invested in seven years. Another interesting side note is that foreign investors
who put a minimum of $500,000 in charter school companies are eligible to
purchase immigration visas for themselves and family members under a federal
program called EB-5."
Why Hedge Funds Love Charter
Schools
Huffington Post Business by Alan Singer Social
studies educator, Hofstra
University
Posted: 05/20/2014 10:08 am
EDT Updated: 05/20/2014 10:59 am EDT
In April I posted, The Dishonorable Andrew Cuomo Meets the Hedge Fund / Charter
School Zombies. In an online comment, Huffington Super User William Occam
challenged me to provide "evidence that any of the individuals you have
publicly shamed in this essay stand to financially gain from their
support." I responded at the time but feel he merits a more detailed
answer and I would like to take another shot at the hedge fund / charter school
zombies. I also recommend aYouTube satire, the Education News/Comedy Show, by my
colleague Mark Naison of Fordham
University
Obscure laws can have a very big impact on social policy,
including obscure changes in the United States federal tax code. The
2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by
President Bill Clinton, included provisions from the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The law
provided tax incentives for seven years to businesses that
locate and hire residents in economically depressed urban and rural areas. The
tax credits were reauthorized for 2008-2009, 2010-2011, and 2012-2013.
"The bottom line here is very clear:
Arts education isn't something we add on after we've achieved other priorities,
like raising test scores and getting kids into college. It's actually critical
for achieving those priorities in the first place."
First lady: Arts education good for good schools
First lady: Arts education good for good schools
Philly.com by DARLENE
SUPERVILLE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Tuesday,
May 20, 2014, 6:20 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) -
Delivering a forceful argument on the role of the arts in education, Michelle
Obama said Tuesday that it isn't something to be introduced after student test
scores go up but is a critical element of achieving those higher test scores in
the first place. The lawyer-turned-first
lady argued her case while opening the first White House student talent show,
featuring spirited song and dance routines by students whose schools had
performed so poorly they were chosen for a new federal arts education program.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20140520_ap_b66eec26f3854b0c90fc3156fbd61d82.html#dgoddERSX2cYG8m2.99
Waivers From Nutrition
Standards Included in Agriculture Budget Proposal
Education Week Rules for Engagement Blog By Evie Blad on May 19,
2014 1:45 PM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture would have to grant schools a waiver from some strengthened school nutrition
standards for the 2014-15 school year if they can demonstrate that
compliance created an economic hardship, under a bill crafted by the House of
Representatives panel that oversees the school lunch program. The language, included in spending
legislation released Monday, would require waivers for districts that can
demonstrate "a net loss from operating a food service program for a period
of at least 6 months that begins on or after July 1, 2013."
First lady vows to ‘fight’
healthy school-lunch rollback
Sounding a new aggressive tone, first lady Michelle Obama vowed
in a private conference call Monday to fight industry efforts at rolling back
healthy school-lunch standards, an issue that could come up for a vote
on Capitol Hill this week. The
remarks to health activists were made at the beginning of a week of intense
lobbying around changes in the national school-lunch program, which sets
standards for fat, sugar and sodium levels in food. “I was thrilled that the first lady pulled
advocates together this morning and sounded such a strong rallying cry to fight
back against efforts to weaken the school food standards,” said Margo Wootan,
who lobbies on Capitol Hill and elsewhere on behalf of the Center for Science
in the Public Interest.
PCCY invites you to get on
the School Spirit Bus to Harrisburg on Tuesday
June 10th for Fair and Full
School
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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