Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3500 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, business 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, Twitter and LinkedIn
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
PA Ed Policy Roundup for
September 24, 2014:
2014 Contributions to Students First PAC
Wealthy donors, big unions pony up in Corbett-Wolf
race
THOMAS FITZGERALD AND AMY WORDEN, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, September 24, 2014, 1:08 AM
POSTED: Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 9:58 PM
Pennsylvania's candidates for governor raised almost $18
million over the summer from well-heeled donors and special interest groups,
according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday with the state. Gov. Corbett's biggest donor, the
Washington-based Republican Governors Association, gave him $4 million in the
three months that ended Sept. 15 in monthly installments, the reports showed. Democratic challenger Tom Wolf, a York
businessman, received about $2.9 million from labor unions in the three-month
period, including $500,000 from AFSCME, which represents public employees, and
$100,000 from the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the teachers'
union.
Its been a while since we took a look at
funding for the Students First PAC (not to be confused with Michelle Rhee's
national group), that continues to be a major player in campaign contributions. Here's the latest, and some background links:
|
PA Department of State
|
||
|
Campaign Finance Online
Reporting
|
||
|
https://www.campaignfinanceonline.state.pa.us
|
||
|
2014 Contributions to
Students First PAC
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
$100,000.00
|
|
|
$75,000.00
|
|
|
$75,000.00
|
|
|
$75,000.00
|
|
|
$100,000.00
|
|
|
$75,000.00
|
|
|
$75,000.00
|
|
|
$100,000.00
|
|
|
$75,000.00
|
|
|
TotaL
|
$750,000.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here's a prior KEYSEC posting on Students
First PAC
Keystone State Education Coalition Monday, January 9, 2012
FOLLOW THE MONEY: Contributions to Students First PAC
- Not Exactly Grassroots $6.66 Million from just 19 donors
Not familiar with Students First PAC and
the Susquehanna Group? Here's a couple places
to start…
Will a PAC Pick Philly’s Next Mayor?
Students First is very
interested in City Council.
The pro-privatization Students First PAC has
been a huge player in state politics from the moment it emerged in 2010 flush
with cash, much of it from three local businessmen who together founded Susquehanna
International Group, a global investment company.
Students First gave State Sen. Anthony Williams—a
leading Democratic proponent of school vouchers—a staggering $3.65 million for
his failed gubernatorial run. And ever since, the PAC has showered smaller sums
on state representatives and senators receptive to the organization’s goal of
sweeping education reform.
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/news/2012/07/06/pro-privatization-pac-pick-phillys-mayor/#1DwZplQprQUOBtVc.99
Williams campaign driven by school choice, hefty
donors
WHYY Friday, May 14th, 2010
The candidates vying for Pennsylvania’s Democratic
gubernatorial nomination Tuesday are largely unknown to voters in this region.
But one Philadelphia Democratic State Senator with a famous father is reaching
out to voters on television, thanks to some of the heftiest campaign
contributions Pennsylvania has ever seen.
LWV Panel:KEYSTONE EXAMS
Not Just Another Standardized Test Oct 7th Radnor
What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s NEW High School Graduation
Requirement
Join the Radnor,
Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion & Narberth Leagues of Women Voters
October 7 @ 7:00 pm in Radnor
In partnership with your area schools’ Parent
Organizations and supported by your area School Districts
Moderator: Susan Carty, President, League of Women Voters of PA
Panelists Will Include:
Pennsylvania State
Senator, Andy Dinniman
Lower Merion
School District Board of Directors
Member, Lori Actman
Conestoga High
School
Education Lawyer, Josh Kershenbaum, Esq.
Additional Panelists To Be Announced
Panelists Will Include:
Education Lawyer, Josh Kershenbaum, Esq.
Additional Panelists To Be Announced
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014 at 7:00 PM Radnor Municipal Building, 301 Iven Ave. ,
Radnor
Questions? Please Call 610-446-8383 or e-mail katederiel@verizon.net
Questions? Please Call 610-446-8383 or e-mail katederiel@verizon.net
Top Senate leader - we'll have a severance tax sooner
or later: Tuesday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com on September 23, 2014 at 8:10 AM, updated
September 23, 2014 at 10:06 AM
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
The eyes of Pennsylvania's political and chattering classes
might have been on last night's gubernatorial debate between Toms Wolf and
Corbett, but the state Legislature still managed to cut its way through the
din. Well, inasmuch as chronically
taciturn Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, cuts through the
din, in any case. Thus did Pileggi, who
never uses one word where half of one will suffice, turned heads by predicting
that Pennsylvania will have a natural gas severance tax on the books before too
long. "We know it’s coming sooner
or later,” Pileggi told a local news source Chadds Ford Live.
Philadelphia cigarette tax measure moves to Corbett
for enactment
Penn Live by Charles
Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com on
September 23, 2014 at 5:49 PM, updated September 23, 2014 at 7:14 PM
The Pennsylvania Senate gave final passage Tuesday to a bill
authorizing the City of Philadelphia to enact a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes
sold within the city limits. Proceeds
from the new special tax would go to support Philadelphia's public schools,
which are expected to operate at a deficit approaching $80 million this year. The Senate's 39-11 vote, which follows House
passage Monday, sends the tax authorization bill to Gov. Tom Corbett, who has
previously announced his support for the measure.
In a huge victory for Philly schools, lawmakers reach
consensus on cigarette tax
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Philadelphia schools received a tremendous victory in
Harrisburg Tuesday as Senate lawmakers passed a long-sought $2-per-pack
cigarette tax that district leaders expect to generate $49 million in revenue
this school year for the city district. In
a 39-to-11 vote, senators adopted the language approved by the House of
Representatives Monday. This was key, as the two chambers disagreed for much of
the summer over other elements unrelated to the cigarette tax that were tucked
into the omnibus legislation. The House
stripped those provisions out last week. Tuesday, understanding the urgency of
the district's fiscal needs, Senate leaders moved the bill without the ancillary
measures or amendments that would have kicked the bill back to the House. Gov. Tom Corbett too lauded the action,
saying he will sign the bill into law as soon as it reaches his desk.
Senate passes Phila. cigarette tax; Corbett poised to
sign
AMY WORDEN AND KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, September 24, 2014, 1:08 AM
HARRISBURG - The state Senate late Tuesday approved a bill
authorizing the City of Philadelphia to impose a $2-a-pack tax on cigarettes,
ending months of wrangling over revenue to plug a deepening hole in the School
District budget. Gov. Corbett said he
would sign the bill Wednesday. The price hike could take affect in a week or
so. "I am pleased that both
chambers have taken action on this legislation so that the Philadelphia School
District and, more importantly, the students of Philadelphia can benefit from
it," he said in a statement.
Philly cigarette tax clears Senate, finally headed to
Corbett
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5903 POSTED: Wednesday, September 24, 2014, 3:01
AM
PHILADELPHIA School District officials breathed a sigh of
relief yesterday as a local cigarette tax - $2 per pack to provide key funding
for schools - cleared the final hurdle in Harrisburg after months of suspense. The state Senate approved the bill, 39-11,
one day after lawmakers in the House passed it. It heads to Gov. Corbett, who
is expected to sign it publicly today. The tax is expected to generate at least
$49 million this school year for the embattled district, erasing a sizable
deficit and averting massive layoffs.
Charter school operator fields questions in York
More meetings will be held this week
York Daily Record By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1
on Twitter UPDATED: 09/23/2014 10:41:14
PM EDT0 COMMENTS
Representatives of Charter Schools USA, one of two charter
companies being considered to take over York City School District buildings,
fielded questions on issues including finances and academics from a small
audience on Tuesday night. The school
district is considering bringing in an outside operator — either Charter Schools
USA or Mosaica Education — to run schools starting in 2015-16, which is an
option in the district's recovery plan if internal reform does not work.
"Within the terms of the contract, the
teachers’ salaries will be frozen for both the 2013-14 school year
(retroactively) and 2015-16. Horizontal and vertical salary step movement will
be open in both 2014-15 and 2016-17. “No
additional dollars (will be) added to the salary schedule,” a release from the
school district said. Teachers at the
top of the salary structure will get a $750 one-time bonus in each year pay
increases are opened up. As far as
health care, teachers will pay 5 percent of their “core plan” for half of
2014-15, matching the agreed-upon 2013-14 rate. In February, the rate will
increase to 7 percent, which will carry through the 2015-16 school year. For
2016-17, the rate will increase to 8 percent."
Spring-Ford OKs new teachers’
contract
West Chester Daily
Local By Frank Otto, fotto@21st-centurymedia.com
POSTED: 09/23/14
Limerick >> Almost two years after negotiations began and
with one full year taught under an expired contract, a state mediator’s
proposal was approved as the basis for a new contract for Spring-Ford Area
School District’s teachers. In a meeting
Monday night, the Spring-Ford Area School Board voted unanimously — with
Bernard Pettit absent — to ratify a contract with the Spring-Ford Education
Association (SFEA) which will extend until the end of the 2016-17 school year.
School district alerts parents on embattled charter
school
REGINA MEDINA, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
MEDINAR@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5985 POSTED: Wednesday, September 24, 2014,
3:01 AM
PARENT Kim Miller was not expecting her fall plans to
include making phone calls, filling out forms and attending district meetings
in a competitive race to find her daughter a new school.
Now, however, it's a real possibility for Miller and other
parents of the 1,290 students attending the embattled Walter D. Palmer
Leadership Learning Partners Charter School, which last week said in court
documents that it would close if it did not receive funds from the school district.
A hearing to resolve the matter will be held today in City
Hall.
The school's disclosure prompted the district "to put
together a transition plan for parents," said district spokesman Fernando
Gallard. A letter from Superintendent William Hite was sent yesterday to Palmer
parents and guardians informing them of their school options, and providing
phone numbers and email addresses in case of further questions. Robocalls were
made yesterday afternoon as well, Gallard said.
What to do if your school closes a month into the
year: The case of Philly's Walter Palmer charter
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
The scuffle between the Philadelphia School District and
Walter Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter School may soon create more
than 1,000 education refugees —students in search of a desk. The charter's eponymous founder, Walter
Palmer, says the school doesn't have enough funding to keep its doors open all
year. In a telephone conversation
Tuesday, Palmer would not provide a specific date by which the school would
need to close, but earlier reports suggested Oct. 1. Palmer charter serves 1,275 K-12 students at
campuses in Northern Liberties and Tacony. Of these, 271 have special education
requirements. Reacting to a letter
Palmer sent last week, the Philadelphia School District began mailing notices
to parents Tuesday, laying out options for caregivers forced to scramble to
enroll their children into another school. Parents will also be contacted via robo-call.
Community group scrambles to file charter-school
application for GHS property
WHYY Newsworks BY AARON MOSELLE SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
GERMANTOWN
A grassroots group in Northwest Philadelphia wants to
transform Germantown High School into an independent charter school serving
neighborhood students. During a packed
Monday night community meeting, Germantown High School Coalition members voted
to submit a charter-school application to the Philadelphia School District by
the Nov. 15 deadline. "We don't
have any time," said Julie Stapleton-Carroll, who leads the group.
"What we're trying to do is herculean." The district stopped inviting new
charter-school applications in 2009, but a highly anticipated piece of state
legislation could make creating a new charter easier.
In a measure authorizing Philadelphia to impose a
$2-per-pack tax on cigarettes is a provision that allows charter-school applicants
to petition the Charter Appeals Board if the Philadelphia School Reform
Commission rejects them.
PDE Sec. Dumaresq
announces Flexible Instructional Day Program
PSBA Website 9/23/2014
In response to requests from local education agencies for
additional options and flexibility in dealing with loss of instructional days
due to severe weather, the Pa. Department of Education has developed a pilot
program for LEAs to seek PDE approval of alternative methods of delivering
instruction. An LEA electing to
participate in the Flexible Instructional Day Program must submit a summary of
the local plan that addresses all of the applicable criteria established by
PDE. Latitude will be granted in the methods adopted for the delivery of
instruction. LEAs may create a program that is online, offline, or a
combination of the two. However, if the local Flexible Instructional Day
Program consists of elements that rely on public broadcast or internet access,
comparable options must be made available to students and teachers unable to
access the resources due to a lack of power, technology, or connectivity.
Moreover, the Flexible Instructional Day Program must clearly delineate how the
LEA will comply with the Free and Appropriate Public Education requirement
under the federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, including the
delivery of services per Flexible Instructional Day as well as the provision of
any missed services post Flexible Instructional Days.
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=8568#sthash.lVlQf8N5.dpuf
Academic
Skills on Web Are Tied to Income Level
New York Times By MOTOKO RICHSEPT. 23, 2014
Wealthier students tend to perform better on tests of reading
comprehension than their poorer peers, a longstanding trend that has been
documented amply. But with the Internet having become an indispensable part of
daily life, a new study shows that a separate gap has emerged, with
lower-income students again lagging more affluent students in their ability to
find, evaluate, integrate and communicate the information they find online. The new
research, led by Donald
J. Leu at the University of
Connecticut, is appearing this month in Reading Research Quarterly.
Although the study is based on a small sample, it demonstrates a general lack
of online literacy among all students, indicating that schools have not yet
caught up to teach the skills needed to navigate digital information. Although
youngsters are experts at texting, posting photographs on Instagram and
upgrading to the newest social media app while their parents are trying to
decipher Facebook, children are still not adept at using the Web to find
reliable information.
What About the Schools? A
Community Forum on the Next Governor's Education Agenda Oct. 15 7:00 pm WHYY
Philly
Pennsylvania's public schools, especially in Philadelphia, are
in dire straits. Many hope that the upcoming gubernatorial election will help
shine a light on the state's education issues. But how will Harrisburg politics
and financial realities limit the next governor’s agenda for education?
Join Research for Action, WHYY, and the United Way of Greater
Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey for an interactive community forum
designed to suggest an education agenda for the next administration—and to
assess the politics of achieving it. Hear
from local educators about what they see as priorities for the schools, and
from seasoned policy practitioners on the political realities of Harrisburg. Then, make your voice heard. Discuss your
thoughts and perspectives with other event guests and interact with the
panelists. You’ll come away from this spirited discussion with a more nuanced
view of the politics of education in both Philadelphia and at the state level.
Admission
This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is
required.
When
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Doors open at
6:30 p.m.
Where
WHYY, Independence Mall West, 150 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia,
Pa 19106
Contact
Questions? Call 215-351-0511 during regular business hours,
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
January 23rd–25th, 2015 at The Science Leadership
Academy , Philadelphia
EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.
It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both
in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will
be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the
big dreams.
Save the date: Bob Herbert
book event! Pittsburgh October 9th
Save the date – you don’t want to miss this! We are hosting the
national launch of Bob Herbert’s new book, Losing Our Way: An Intimate
Portrait of a Troubled America
Date: Thursday, October 9, 2014 Time: 5:30 – 6:30PM,
moderated discussion and Q&A.
Doors will open at 5 with student performances. Followed by book signing.
Doors will open at 5 with student performances. Followed by book signing.
Location: McConomy Auditorium,
Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15213. Free parking in the garage.
Hosted by: Yinzercation (we are
profiled in the book!)
Moderator: Tony Norman, columnist and
associate editor,Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PUBLIC Education Nation October
11
The Network for Public Education will hold a historic event in one month's time.
The Network for Public Education will hold a historic event in one month's time.
PUBLIC Education Nation will deliver the conversation
the country has been waiting for. Rather than featuring billionaires and pop
singers, this event will be built around intense conversations featuring
leading educators, parents, students and community activists. We have
waited too long for that seat at someone else's table. This time, the tables
are turned, and we are the ones setting the agenda. This event will be livestreamed on the web on
the afternoon of Saturday, October 11, from the auditorium of Brooklyn New
School, a public school. There will be four panels focusing on the most
critical issues we face in our schools. The event will conclude with a
conversation between Diane Ravitch and Jitu Brown.
Please join us for a symposium
on:
“Funding
Pennsylvania's Public Schools: A Look Ahead”
This event is co-sponsored by the
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics and the Temple University
Center
When: Friday, October 3, 2014, 8:30 am to 12 pm
Where: Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh in Green Tree, PA
Session I:
"Forecasting the Fiscal Future of Pennsylvania's Public
Schools"
A panel of legislators and public
officials will respond to a presentation by Penn State Professor William
Hartman and Tim Shrom projecting the fiscal trajectory of Pennsylvania’s 500
school districts over the next five years and by University of Pittsburgh
Professor Maureen McClure discussing the implications for school finance of an
aging tax base.
Session II: "Why Smart
Investments in Public Schools Are Critical to Pennsylvania's Economic
Future"
Following an address by Eva Tansky
Blum, Chairwoman and President of the PNC Foundation, a panel of business
and labor leaders will discuss the importance of public school funding
reform to the competitiveness of regional and state economies.
We look forward to your
participation!
Pennsylvania Arts Education
Network 2014 Arts and Education Symposium
The 2014 Arts and Education Symposium will be
held on Thursday, October 2 at the State Museum
of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA. Join us for a daylong convening of
arts education policy leaders and practitioners for lively discussions about
the latest news from the field.
The Symposium registration fee is $45 per person.
To register, click
here or follow the prompts at the bottom of the page. The Symposium will include the following:
Register Now – 2014 PAESSP
State Conference – October 19-21, 2014
Please join us for the 2014 PAESSP State Conference, “PRINCIPAL
EFFECTIVENESS: Leading Schools in a New Age of Accountability,” to be
held October 19-21 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Pittsburgh,
Pa. Featuring Keynote Speakers: Alan
November, Michael Fullan & Dr. Ray Jorgensen. This year’s conference will provided PIL
Act 45 hours, numerous workshops, exhibits, multiple resources and an
opportunity to network with fellow principals from across the state.
PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference (Oct. 21-24) registration forms now available online
PSBA Website
PSBA Website
Make plans today to attend the most talked about education
conference of the year. This year's PASA-PSBA
School Leadership Conference promises to be one of the best with new
ideas, innovations, networking opportunities and dynamic speakers. More details
are being added every day. Online registration will be available in the next
few weeks. If you just can't wait, registration
forms are available online now. Other important links are available
with more details on:
·
Hotel
registration (reservation deadline extended to Sept. 26)
·
Educational
Publications Contest (deadline Aug. 6)
·
Student
Celebration Showcase (deadline Sept. 19)
·
Poster
and Essay Contest (deadline Sept. 19)
Voting for PSBA officers
and at-large representatives opens Sept. 9
PSBA Website 9/8/2014
The slate of candidates for 2015 PSBA officer and at-large
representatives is available online. Photos, bios and
videos also have been posted for candidates. According to recent PSBA
Bylaws changes, each member school entity casts one vote per office. Voting
will again take place online through a secure, third-party website -- Simply
Voting. Voting will open Sept. 9 and closes Oct. 6. One person from the school
entity (usually the board secretary) is authorized to register the vote on
behalf of the member school entity and each board will need to put on its
agenda discussion and voting at one of its meetings in September. Each person
authorized to cast the school entity's votes received an email on Aug. 13 and a
test ballot was sent to them on Aug. 28. In addition, a memo from PSBA
President Richard Frerichs will be mailed in the coming days to all board
secretaries and copied to school board presidents and chief school
administrators.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.