Keystone State Education Coalition: PA Ed Policy Roundup July 21: Gov. Corbett considering a special session on pension reform, plans to speak with House and Senate leaders

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for July 21, 2014:

Gov. Tom Corbett considering a special session on pension reform, plans to speak with House and Senate leaders

"The most obvious shortcoming of the Krieger bill is that it ignores the entirety of a teacher's career, and instead bases determinations of a teacher's effectiveness only on his or her most recent evaluation."

HB1722: Pa. teacher tenure legislation is short-sighted and premature: Kate Shaw and Adam Schott

PennLive Op-Ed By Kate Shaw and Adam Schott on July 18, 2014 at 2:00 PM

Kate Shaw and Adam Schott are, respectively, the executive director, and director of policy research for Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based advocacy group.

Earlier this summer, a major California Superior Court decision, Vergara v. California, took aim at that state's longstanding teacher tenure law and attendant job protections, including seniority-based layoffs more commonly known as "last in, first out."

While it may not have garnered national attention, a proposed policy here in Pennsylvania holds similar potential to reshape teacher staffing policies on a broad scale.

Harrisburg lawmakers ought to look before they leap.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2014/07/pa_teacher_tenure_legislation.html

"Education is the single-most important issue to Pennsylvania voters for the first time in modern history, and Corbett spent much of his time in office arguing ineffectively that he didn't cut education funding, Madonna said."
Corbett seeks to change view of education record

MARC LEVY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Saturday, July 19, 2014, 11:21 AM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Since 2011, Pennsylvania Democrats have pointed to the budget-balancing cuts in education aid that GOP Gov. Tom Corbett signed six months into office. And there's evidence voters are listening: A recent independent voter poll found that the single biggest factor behind voter disapproval of Corbett's job performance is his record on education.

Corbett may finally have found an effective strategy to counter that attack.

He is pounding the Republican-controlled Legislature for not acting on legislation to rein in a $50 billion pension debt that, he argues, is driving up property taxes, hurting families and squeezing out money for classrooms. He is also doing something he arguably has not done before on any issue: making the case in near-daily public events across the state, with plans to continue doing so for the rest of the summer.

Gov. Tom Corbett considering a special session on pension reform, plans to speak with House and Senate leaders

By Christina Kauffman | ckauffman@pennlive.com on July 18, 2014 at 12:37 PM

Gov. Tom Corbett said Friday he plans to speak soon with House and Senate leadership about his repeated calls for pension reform, but he's staying mum about whether he plans to call a special session to compel legislators to return to Harrisburg and take up the issue.

"I have not made up my mind on that," he said on a stop at a Hummelstown coffee shop where he continued his stump for pension reform. Corbett encouraged school officials and business owners to take their concerns about pension-related costs to their legislators; he already has.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/07/tom_corbett_pa_budget_pension.html

Pennsylvania budget left pension problem unresolved

POSTED: Sunday, July 20, 2014, 1:09 AM

Inquirer Opinion Richard C. Dreyfuss is a business consultant, actuary, and adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute's Center for State and Local Leadership

Pennsylvania's budget for 2014-15 left the critical issue of pensions unresolved.

The issue may be one of the most contentious in state budgeting, and everyone seems to agree that something needs to be done - even those who insist that there is no crisis - but few agree on what to do. With insignificant, incremental changes politically popular and any real reform a political land mine, the problem has only grown, while the solutions have been pushed aside. The problem itself begins with the amorphous and preemptive term pension reform.

But there are a few simple truths - and some simple math - that should right policymakers who have been floundering around the term for years.

A guide to Pennsylvania's taxpayer-funded pension crisis

Lancaster Online By KAREN SHUEY | Staff Writer Posted: Sunday, July 20, 2014 6:30 am

Pennsylvanians are being buried in an avalanche of debt that threatens to swallow up the state's economy. That's what Gov. Tom Corbett has been saying during his campaign tour across the state. After years of gridlock on the issue in Harrisburg, the governor is now enlisting the help of voters in his effort to overhaul the state's pension systems for state workers and public school employees. The Republican has identified that item above all others as crucial to getting the state on the right track, but state lawmakers are divided about what needs to be done.

Something everyone seems to agree on is that taxpayers need some relief from raising the staggering $50 billion needed to replenish the two retirement funds. State officials estimate each taxpayer would have to contribute about $13,000 to wipe out that debt.

The crisis is causing financial pain for state lawmakers and school districts as they struggle to find more money to cover what has been promised to state workers.

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/a-guide-to-pennsylvania-s-taxpayer-funded-pension-crisis/article_668442f6-0ea1-11e4-a320-0017a43b2370.html

"Over the past decade, pension payments at the county's nine school districts have ballooned by $31 million, or about 356 percent, Corbett said. Statewide pension costs during that time have increased by $1.9 billion, or about 280 percent, he said. He noted those skyrocketing expenses have forced school districts to raise taxes on homeowners and business owners."

Corbett talks pensions in Lower Macungie, fundraises with Gov. Jindal in North Whitehall

By Adam Clark and Laura Olson, Of The Morning Call 9:32 pm, July 16, 2014

Gov. Tom Corbett couldn't persuade the state Legislature to support pension reform. So now he's trying to persuade you and your neighbors to do it for him. At his latest stop on a statewide tour, Corbett spoke at the Lower Macungie Township Community Center on Wednesday and told residents to connect the dots between school districts' rising pension costs and homeowners' soaring tax bills. "The pension crisis affects everyone — everyone in Pennsylvania," Corbett said. "It does create real problems for many families of all economic income levels, and it leads to property tax increases."

http://touch.mcall.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80826054/

Corbett touts pension reform in Sugarloaf

Governor, officials point to districts struggling with rising costs

Wilkes-Barre TImes Leader By Bill O’Boyle boboyle@civitasmedia.com July 18. 2014 12:17AM

SUGARLOAF — Gov. Tom Corbett came to Luzerne County Thursday to tout his reform plan for the financially strained state pension system. “All you have to do is look at the numbers,” Corbett said. “It’s a problem.” Corbett was at Tom’s Country Kitchen on Route 93 in Sugarloaf to continue his statewide tour to ask residents and taxpayers to urge legislators to bring property tax relief and pass meaningful pension reform legislation. “Across Pennsylvania, residents are facing rising property taxes due to out-of-control pension costs,” he said. Corbett, a Republican, said pension costs in Luzerne County school districts have increased by more than $21 million, or by almost 295 percent, over the past 10 years.

But Katie McGinty, who ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in May and is now chairwoman of the Campaign for a Fresh Start — the committee working to elect Democrat Tom Wolf — said Corbett is misleading voters and has a “failed record.”

http://www.timesleader.com/news/news/1536797/Corbett-touts-pension-reform-in-Sugarloaf

Democrats say increased public education funding, not pension reform, will bring property tax relief.

Capitolwire.com — Under The Dome™ Friday, July 18, 2014

State Democrats teamed up with the liberal-leaning Keystone Research Center on Thursday to refute Gov. Tom Corbett's pension reform tour, which continues through the end of the week with stops in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. During a one-hour conference call, State Treasurer Rob McCord, House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, and Keystone Research Center Executive Director Dr. Stephen Herzenberg, told reporters that increasing public education funding — not pension reform — will bring real property tax relief. The governor's campaign for pension reform, in recent weeks, has tied the passage of House Bill 1353 — sponsored by Reps. Mike Tobash, R-Schuylkill, and Warren Kampf, R-Chester, and often referred to as the Tobash hybrid plan — with slowing the growth of property taxes over the next several decades. “There is no sort of property tax relief waiting in the wings if just there were a vote on the Tobash bill,” McCord said. “This is a dangerously misleading proposition.” Dermody criticized Corbett for telling voters in Pittsburgh that the Tobash plan was only three votes short in the Senate and eight votes short in the House, saying the governor only “wants a legislative win for his election.” “If he succeeds in making this false connection in people's minds … it's a horribly recklessly misleading connection,” McCord said. “Bad things sometimes happen very quickly in legislative bodies.” Instead, Dermody says that increasing funding in public education will give school districts the ability to make pension payments without turning to tax increases each year. “What we need is leadership," he said. "We need new leadership. This running around the state trying to blame everyone else for problems he caused is wrong.” For a more in-depth read on how the Tobash plan's proposed savings really pan out, CLICK HERE (paywall) to read a past Capitolwire column.

Gov. Corbett’s Pension Arguments Debunked

House Appropriations Committee Democratic Chairman Joe Markosek July 17, 2014

Gov. Corbett’s push for pension “reform” appears to be nothing more than a desperate attempt to distract the public’s attention from his budget crisis and severe cuts to public education. The governor is misleading Pennsylvanians when he claims passing pension “reform” will reduce local property taxes. The Corbett-Tobash pension plan failed to gain traction in the legislature for good reasons: it does not produce any near-term budgetary savings for the state or school districts, nor does it pay down the pension debt any faster than the reform plan the state has in place (Act 120 of 2010). In fact, no matter how deeply Gov. Corbett cuts benefits for future workers, it will not provide any near-term budgetary savings for the state or school districts – therefore, it will have no effect on local property taxes. Gov. Corbett’s pursuit of pension “reform” begs the question: Is “reform” more about his ideology, rather than what makes the most financial sense? When you hear Gov. Corbett use the following talking points and false choices as justification for harshly cutting retirement benefits for future workers, consider the counter-arguments.

http://www.pahouse.com/HACD/series/2799/Pension_Arguments_Debunked_FF_062314_Updated_071714.pdf

Pennsylvania needs to end the credit-card approach to pension reform: John Yudichak

PennLive Op-Ed By John Yudichak on July 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM

State Sen. John Yudichak, a Democrat, represents the Luzerne County-based 14th Senate District.

A $50 billion pension crisis does not happen overnight – and the current crisis involving Pennsylvania’s severely underfunded pension system is no different. In 2001, the state pension funds were fully funded and the defined benefit system was a clear example of fiscal efficiency.

What happened? Pennsylvania's pension problem got its start when former Gov. Tom Ridge and a Republican-controlled General Assembly passed a 50 percent increase in pension benefits for legislators and a 25 percent increase for state and school employees.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2014/07/pension_reform_tom_corbett_tom.html

#PABudget: Pension Payments and Tom Wolf’s First Term

Keystone Politics Posted on July 20, 2014 by Jon Geeting #

Bram Reichbaum is right that Tom Wolf is probably going to have to do…something about pensions. It’s not worth talking about on the campaign trail, but it is time to start tuning in to this issue because pension payments are about to start ramping up over the next few years, and the Wolf administration is going to need to find another $2 billion a year by the end of his first term.

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/2014/07/pabudget-pension-payments-tom-wolfs-first-term/

Rashomon on PA campaign trail

Thomas Fitzgerald, Inquirer Politics Writer POSTED: FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014, 8:23 AM

So, a heckler interrupts a Gov. Corbett press conference in the Lehigh Valley Thursday with an attack on his proposal to cut pension benefits for future state and school employees - disguised as a question. Corbett gives an answer and then, as the man continues to berate him, thanks the audience for coming and ends the event. Does this incident illustrate a) Corbett’s cowardice and unpopularity or b) the governor’s leadership?

Corbett's chances at holding Pa. governor job tied to GOP nest egg

By Brad Bumsted Sunday, July 20, 2014, 11:00 p.m.
HARRISBURG — As he works to shore up his GOP base, Gov. Tom Corbett needs to improve polling numbers to keep money flowing from the Republican Governors Association, a group that is flush with cash, and other big donors, national analysts say. Corbett remains the incumbent most at risk among 22 governorships Republicans must defend on ballots this fall, many analysts agree. In one of his latest ads, Corbett took a punch at the Democrats' nominee, millionaire businessman Tom Wolf of York County, accusing him of advocating an array of taxes.

Wolf has led Corbett, of Shaler, by more than 20 points in recent statewide polls. Negative political ads are a reasonable strategy for the governor, analysts said. “You have to offer hope to donors,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of the Crystal Ball, a website of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “For an incumbent, his numbers are dreadful.”

PA Ed Policy Roundup July 18: Sturla: historically, no other administration has ever included pension costs when calculating levels of education funding

Friday, July 18, 2014

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2014/07/pa-ed-policy-roundup-july-18-sturla.html

Property tax reform efforts spring eternal

WITF Written by Mary Wilson, Capitol Bureau Chief | Jul 17, 2014 3:53 PM

State lawmakers have snubbed two different efforts to reduce property taxes buoyed by recent activism on the issue. But for every season, turn, turn, turn. Recently proposed tax shifts fit into one of two categories: statewide or local. But a nascent effort from Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana) combines both approaches. "With the increased discussion on property taxes, over the last year or so, I thought maybe it's the right time to try to put together another proposal that kind of meshes some of the different thoughts together," Reed said.

http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2014/07/property-tax-reform-efforts-spring-eternal.php

State senators seek to boost passage of cigarette tax

Philly Trib Written by Damon C. Williams July 17, 2014

Except for a special House session scheduled for next month, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly has dispersed for the summer. But that didn’t stop the Philadelphia Senate delegation from sending a letter late last week to executives with tobacco giants R.J. Reynolds and the Altria Group (formerly Phillip Morris), imploring big tobacco to not interfere with the proposed $2-per-pack cigarette tax. The group of state senators — Vincent Hughes, Christine Tartaglione, LeAnna Washington, Mike Stack, Larry Farnese, Shirley Kitchen and Anthony Williams — also requested the tobacco companies meet with the Philadelphia Senators to discuss the merits of the tax.

http://phillytrib.com/news/state-and-region/state-senators-seek-to-boost-passage-of-cigarette-tax.html

The challenge for Superintendent Hite

the notebook by Ron Whitehorne on Jul 18, 2014 10:53 AM

Last month, Superintendent William Hite said he would consider opening the schools fully staffed and run them until the money runs out rather than institute a new round of layoffs. The School Reform Commission, in a rare display of independence and political courage, signaled it would support him. After the budget debacle in Harrisburg, in which the governor and his supporters failed to raise substantial new revenue, it’s time for Hite, the SRC, and public education advocates to take that step.

http://thenotebook.org/blog/147464/challenge-for-superintendent-hite

SDP Open Data Initiative

The School District of Philadelphia

The School District of Philadelphia (SDP), along with Open Data Philly, is publishing data sets for public use. Publishing SDP data supports our efforts to promote transparency and community engagement. Each data set published is provided as a ZIP file, containing the raw data, terms of use and release notes. The release notes generally provide context and background information about the data, including descriptions of the data elements.

To date, SDP has released ten data sets:

http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/o/open-data-initiative

Join PCCY in Harrisburg on August 4th to meet with lawmakers and push for a bill that meets the need of the district and can be enacted by August 15th. Countdown to Catastrophe - 18 Days Until We Learn the Fate of Philadelphia Schools

PCCY E-Newsletter July 18, 2014

In 18 days, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate must act if Philadelphia schools will open this September. As summer vacation flies by, Philadelphia students

and parents still have no answers about whether schools will open on time, or if they will be faced with a third straight year of skeleton schools. District leadership has made it clear that without the authorization of a $2 per pack cigarette tax increase in Philadelphia by August 15th, schools will not open on September 8th and 1,300 teachers and staff could lose their jobs.

https://www.pccy.org/userfiles/file/EBlasts/Friday%20Blast%207-18-14.pdf

In Pa., impoverished school districts get more state money for a reason: PennLive letters

Letters to the Editor by JULIA SAPPEY, West Chester on July 18, 2014 at 12:00 PM,

School districts with less wealth receive more state aid: This has been true for decades in Pennsylvania and nearly every state in the nation. Yet Jan Murphy's July 14 article did not provide important context: When it comes to state and local funding for education, being poor is anything but helpful for school districts. Student outcomes – standardized test scores, college access and job placement rates – are negatively correlated with poverty. One reason for this is that students in high poverty areas do not have adequate education resources.

The state funding structure does not do enough to remedy this inequity. Even when the state gives high-poverty districts more money, they still have less money than wealthier districts, and have more high-need students.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2014/07/pennsylvania_poor_school_distr.html#incart_river

Penns Valley OKs teacher contracts

Centre Daily TImes BY BRITNEY MILAZZO July 16, 2014

SPRING MILLS — The Penns Valley Area School District board of directors voted Wednesday to approve teacher contracts, effective July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2018. Teacher contracts were unanimously approved at the board meeting after a closed meeting June 25 to discuss contract, legal and personnel matters. “We believe this is a balanced, fair and reasonable contract for the next few years,” said Chris Houser, board president. The agreement refers to the collective bargaining agreement between the district and the Penns Valley Education Association. It includes wage increases for teachers and athletic and extracurricular advisers by 2.5 percent in 2015-16, 2.7 percent in 2016-17 and 2.9 percent in 2017-18.

Donations bring community resources to York City schools

Site coordinators will help connect students to available support

By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1 on Twitter

UPDATED: 07/18/2014 11:35:24 AM EDT0 COMMENTS

Donations totaling $800,000 will bring the Communities in Schools program to five York City School District buildings starting this fall, according to the York County Community Foundation.

Communities in Schools is a nonprofit organization that places site coordinators in schools to connect students with resources in the community, such as tutoring, counseling or health services. The coordinators provide one-on-one support as well as school-wide initiatives.

Funding includes the community foundation's lead grant of $210,000, $75,000 from the Women's Giving Circle, and $210,000 from the United Way of York County, among other donations.

The amount raised will pay for three years of site coordinators at five district schools, according to a news release from the community foundation. William Penn Senior High School and Jackson K-8 School are the only schools selected so far.

http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_26172857/donations-bring-community-resources-york-city-schools

Proposed changes in Pittsburgh schools' student conduct code emphasize progressive and positive discipline

By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 20, 2014 11:36 PM

The board of Pittsburgh Public Schools will vote Wednesday on Code of Student Conduct revisions that replace zero tolerance with more discretion, incorporate ideas from a student-proposed bill of rights and provide explicit protection of students for sexual orientation and gender identity expression. Cheryl Kleiman, an attorney with Education Law Center, which worked with the district on the proposal, said this version eliminates remaining zero tolerance policies and allows individual discretion.

University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Research to Practice

The National Writing Project's resources for teachers\Inspiring Students to Write

The Philadelphia Writing project (PhilWP), a renowned local site of the National Writing Project, teaches writing and literacy as critical tools for learning. Penn GSE professor Dianne Waff works with teachers to move them and their students toward writing-intensive lives that connect learning, high student achievement, and personal growth. The following tips come from experienced PhilWP Teacher Consultants (TCs), who offer ideas to encourage students to write and develop a love for words and creative expression.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=bb43079a6be236dc96ceab172&id=22bee70a72&e=

"goal of 100 percent of fourth graders reading at grade level"

Springfield's Capolupo named Superintendent of the Year

By SUSAN L. SERBIN, Times Correspondent POSTED: 07/20/14, 10:55 PM EDT

SPRINGFIELD — Dr. James Capolupo has been named Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents. Capolupo will be starting his ninth year in the leadership position in the Springfield School District, and was a Director of Teaching and Learning prior to this tenure. He has been an educator in Delaware County his entire professional career. Capolupo was selected as one of only five 2013 finalists recognized by NASS, and characterized as “a model of uncompromising dedication to literacy and academic achievement” by Patricia Beaver, NASS associate executive director and selection panel chairperson.

Capolupo guided the district with a focus on literacy, demonstrated by the construction and design of the Springfield Literacy Center (2010) building and curriculum. The district’s motto, “We Believe Every Student Can Read,” dominates, and is emblazoned on the logo.

http://www.delcotimes.com/social-affairs/20140720/springfields-capolupo-named-superintendent-of-the-year

Narberth teacher designs app to help educators meet Pa. evaluation requirements

WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY JULY 21, 2014

Katy Morris, an eighth-grade algebra and geometry teacher at Welsh Valley Middle school in Narberth, is out to revolutionize how teachers experience the evaluation process.

This past school year, Pennsylvania adopted a new statewide teacher evaluation system – due in part to an incentive in the federal Race to the Top school accountability competition.

The new system, known as the "Danielson Framework," breaks teacher competency down into four domains that incorporate 22 components containing a total of 76 specific criteria elements.

On each element, administrators assess teachers on a three-tiered scale, judging them to be basic, proficient or distinguished. For many teachers, the evaluation process can be among the most stressful parts of the job.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/70543-narberth-teacher-designs-app-to-help-educators-meet-pa-evaluation-requirements?linktype=hp_impact

Obama to Report Widening of Initiative for Black and Latino Boys

My Brother’s Keeper Program Grows to Include More Impoverished Minorities

New York Times By MOTOKO RICH JULY 20, 2014

President Obama will announce on Monday that 60 of the nation’s largest school districts are joining his initiative to improve the educational futures of young African-American and Hispanic boys, beginning in preschool and extending through high school graduation.

The districts, which represent about 40 percent of all African-American and Hispanic boys living below the poverty line, have committed to expand quality preschool access; track data on black and Hispanic boys so educators can intervene as soon as signs of struggle emerge; increase the number of boys of color who take gifted, honors or Advanced Placement courses and exams; work to reduce the number of minority boys who are suspended or expelled; and increase graduation rates among African-American and Hispanic boys.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/21/education/obamas-my-brothers-keeper-education-program-expands.html?ref=education&_r=0

If You Want A Good ACT Score, It Really, Really Helps To Be Rich

The Huffington Post | By Rebecca Klein Posted: 07/18/2014 4:23 pm EDT

A new report out from the ACT outlines the numbers of students who reached college readiness benchmarks in 2013. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the report found that low-income students, on the whole, performed worse on the ACT than their wealthier peers last year. However, when the results are broken down by specific income level, the correlation is more striking:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/18/act-score-family-income_n_5600065.html?&ir=Education&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000023

Auditor joins investigation of 19 Ohio charter schools

Akron Beacon Journal By Doug Livingston Beacon Journal education writer Published: July 17, 2014 - 11:01 PM | Updated: July 18, 2014 - 11:15 AM

As the FBI and the U.S. Department of Labor continue to investigate three Ohio charter schools, the Ohio Auditor of State is casting a wider net. Ohio Auditor Dave Yost said conversations in June prompted his office earlier this month to investigate whether employees of Horizon and Noble academies, a chain of 19 charter schools in Ohio, purposefully inflated performance scores by manipulating student tests. The 19 Ohio charter schools are operated by Concept Schools, which manages 30 charter schools in six Midwest states. The company was founded by Turkish men, who also control a private real estate company called New Plan Learning, which collects millions of taxpayer dollars in rent from the charter schools.

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/auditor-joins-investigation-of-19-ohio-charter-schools-1.505473

Financial review of D.C. charters includes new scrutiny of management contracts

Washington Post By Emma Brown July 17 at 6:35 PM

The D.C. Public Charter School Board released its annual review of charter school finances this week, and for the first time, the board offered asnapshot of schools that have contracts with outside management companies, expenditures of taxpayer dollars that are difficult to track.

At least 14 schools — about 25 percent of the city’s charters — pay fees to nonprofit or for-profit management companies, and those companies’ public financial disclosures vary widely, according to the board’s review. The schools pay management fees ranging from 3 percent to 100 percent of their total revenue. Several schools “have an operating agreement with a management organization that prevents the kind of transparency necessary to assure that schools are operating appropriately,” the board wrote. But the board’s executive director, Scott Pearson, said the majority of contracts do not present cause for concern.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/financial-review-of-dc-charters-includes-new-scrutiny-of-management-contracts/2014/07/17/8049e192-0d2e-11e4-8c9a-923ecc0c7d23_story.html

How Tests Make Us Smarter

New York Times By HENRY L. ROEDIGER III JULY 18, 2014

TESTS have a bad reputation in education circles these days: They take time, the critics say, put students under pressure and, in the case of standardized testing, crowd out other educational priorities. But the truth is that, used properly, testing as part of an educational routine provides an important tool not just to measure learning, but to promote it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/opinion/sunday/how-tests-make-us-smarter.html?mabReward=RI%3A9&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&region=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine

"To sum up, we don’t learn much from standardized accountability, and we have lost a great deal by giving it so much prominence."

COMMENTARY

Here's Why We Don't Need Standardized Tests

Education Week By Greg Jouriles Published Online: July 8, 2014

There are two main arguments against using standardized tests to guarantee that students reach at least a basic level of academic competency. The first is radical: These tests are not necessary. The second—less radical and more familiar—is that, even if standardized testing were an efficient benchmark of basic skills, the costs associated with it are too high.

Standardized tests are unnecessary because they rarely show what we don't already know. Ask any teacher and she can tell you which students can read and write. That telling usually comes in the form of letter grades or evaluations that break down progress on skills. So trust the teacher. Publish grade distributions. Locally publish a compilation of evaluation reports. Release a state or national report reviewed and verified by expert evaluators with legislative oversight.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/09/36jouriles.h33.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mrss&cmp=RSS-FEED

BATS DC Rally July 28 10 am

BATS PRESS RELEASE Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Badass Teachers Association (BATs), an activist organization of over 50,000 teachers will be holding a rally in Washington D.C. to protest the devastating educational policies of the United States Department of Education and Arne Duncan. The Rally will be held on July 28, 2014 at the USDOE Plaza beginning at 10 a.m. and will draw thousands of teachers, parents, students, and educational activists from around the country. BATs will demand such things as ending federal incentives to close and privatize schools, promote equity and adequate funding for all public schools, and ban all data sharing of children’s private information.

http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2014/07/bats-press-release-for-immediate.html

Bucks Lehigh EduSummit Monday Aug 11th and Tuesday Aug 12th
Location: Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street, Center Valley, PA 18034
Time: 8 AM - 3 PM Each Day(Registration starts at 7:30 AM. Keynote starts at 8:00 AM.)

The Bucks Lehigh EduSummit is a collaboratively organized and facilitated two day professional learning experience coordinated by educators in the Quakertown Community School District , Palisades School District, Salisbury Township School District, Southern Lehigh School District, Bucks County IU, and Carbon Lehigh IU, which are all located in northern Bucks county and southern Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Teachers in other neighboring districts are welcome to attend as well! The purpose of the EduSummit is to collaborate, connect, share, and learn together for the benefit of our kids. Focus areas include: Educational Technology, PA Core, Social Media, Best Practices, etc.
http://buckslehighedusummit2014.wikispaces.com/Home

Educational Collaborators Pennsylvania Summit Aug. 13-14

The Educational Collaborators, in partnership with the Wilson School District, is pleased to announce a unique event, the Pennsylvania Summit featuring Google for Education on August 13th and 14th, 2014! This summit is an open event primarily focused on Google Apps for Education, Chromebooks, Google Earth, YouTube, and many other effective and efficient technology integration solutions to help digitally convert a school district. These events are organized by members of the Google Apps for Education community.

https://sites.google.com/site/ecpasummit/home

Pre-K for PA has supporters all over the greater Philadelphia region who want to help ensure all three and four year-old children can access quality pre-K.

We need your help -- join an upcoming phone bank. Join a fun gathering of like minds in Philadelphia and Conshohocken on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. We are calling fellow Pre-K for PA supporters to build local volunteer teams.

Call a Pre-K Friend in Philly:
United Way Building, 6th Floor 1709 Ben Franklin Parkway 19107
Wed July 30, 5-7 PM

Call a Pre-K Friend in Mont Co:
Anne's House 242 Barren Hill Road Conshohocken PA 19428
Wed July 30, 5-7pm

RSVP: http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51084/c/10476/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=9390

EPLC Education Issues Workshop for Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff, and Interested Voters - Harrisburg July 31

Register Now! EPLC will again be hosting an Education Issues Workshop for Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff, and Interested Voters. This nonpartisan, one-day program will take place on Thursday, July 31 in Harrisburg. Space is limited. Click here to learn more about workshop and to register.

Apply Now! EPLC’s 2014-2015 Education Policy Fellowship Program

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.

http://www.eplc.org/2014-gubernatorial-candidate-plans-for-education-and-artsculture-in-pa/

Keystone State Education Coalition

Pages

Monday, July 21, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup July 21: Gov. Corbett considering a special session on pension reform, plans to speak with House and Senate leaders

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