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administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers,
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for October
4, 2014:
Coming Monday
- The Campaign for Fair Education Funding
Coming Soon …The Campaign for Fair Education Funding, a new statewide
effort consisting of more than 40 organizations (including the Keystone State
Education Coalition) committed to fundamentally changing the way Pa. funds its
public schools, will hold a news conference Monday at 12:30 p.m. in
the Capitol Rotunda to announce the campaign’s goals and next steps. For more
information, visit fairfundingpa.org.
League of
Women Voters to hold forum on Keystone Exams Tuesday, Oct. 7 in Radnor
Main Line Media News October 3, 2014
The Leagues of Women Voters for Radnor, Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion and Narberth will hold a public forum entitled “Keystone Exams Not Just Another Standardized Test” on Oct. 7. The forum, also sponsored by area school districts, will enlighten parents and the community about the state’s new high school graduation requirement and how it affects public school students. Sharon Kletzien, education specialists for the League of Women Voters of PA will moderate and Amber Gentile, chairwoman of the teachers education atCabrini College Radnor Township
Municipal Building 310 Iven Avenue
Main Line Media News October 3, 2014
The Leagues of Women Voters for Radnor, Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion and Narberth will hold a public forum entitled “Keystone Exams Not Just Another Standardized Test” on Oct. 7. The forum, also sponsored by area school districts, will enlighten parents and the community about the state’s new high school graduation requirement and how it affects public school students. Sharon Kletzien, education specialists for the League of Women Voters of PA will moderate and Amber Gentile, chairwoman of the teachers education at
"The videoconference event aimed to
galvanize education leaders’ support for a fair education funding formula
designed to ensure that every student across the state has access to quality
education no matter where they live. The campaign’s objective is to have a fair
and equitable basic education funding formula adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Unionville Times October 3, 2014
DOWNINGTOWN — School leaders and educators across Pennsylvania
participated in the virtual kick-off of the Campaign for Fair Education Funding
on September 30. Dozens of Chester
County Pennsylvania .
PA Campaign for Fair
Education Funding Storify of Sept. 30th Campaign Kickoff
On Sept. 30,
2014, more than 850 school leaders throughout Pennsylvania met at 29 Intermediate Unit
offices, connected by two-way video, to kick off the statewide Campaign for
Fair Education Funding and discuss the need for a fair, predictable basic
education funding formula.
Blogger's Note: Video from the September
30th Basic Education Funding Commission hearing in Clarion has not been posted
yet. When it is we will post the link.
Testimony Presented to the Pennsylvania
Joseph Bard, Executive Director,
Pennsylvania
School property taxes not a
universal problem across Pa.
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com on October 03, 2014
at 1:57 PM, updated October 03, 2014 at 2:43 PM
That is the conclusion of a report released by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
The center's director Sharon Ward said what the findings tell
her is that a wholesale elimination of the school property tax as called for
in Senate Bill 76is not warranted and could
lead to $2.6 billion underfunding of schools in the next five years. "Senate Bill 76 approaches school
property taxes with a chainsaw where we think a scalpel is more
appropriate," Ward said.
Study: SB 76 not necessary,
but York taxes higher than much of Pa.
With property taxes on the rise in York County Pennsylvania
schools and taxpayers, according to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
But the legislation would be a "chainsaw" approach
instead of the necessary, more targeted solutions for highly taxed areas, said
Sharon Ward, director of the center, which released a comprehensive report on
property taxes in Pennsylvania
on Thursday.
By PennLive Editorial Board on October 03, 2014 at 11:43
AM
PA-Gov: RMU Poll: Wolf 57
Corbett 34
PoliticsPA Written by
Nick Field, Managing Editor October 3, 2014
Another poll, another piece of bad news for Governor Tom
Corbett.
The latest Robert Morris
University poll shows Democratic nominee Tom Wolf holding onto
his substantial lead over Corbett. The survey of likely voters found 50 percent supporting Wolf
and 29.2% backing Corbett. 20.85 remain undecided. If those undecided are pressed, however, Wolf
leads 56.8% to 33.8% when “leaners” are included.
Wolf maintains large lead
over Corbett with month left in governor's campaign
Trib Live By Melissa Daniels Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, 5:18 p.m.
The latest sample of voter opinions in thePennsylvania governor's race tested for
lingering effects of Gov. Tom Corbett's handling of the Jerry Sandusky child
molestation investigation.
The latest sample of voter opinions in the
It shows the struggling Republican incumbent still trailing
Democratic challenger Tom Wolf by double digits. Robert Morris University Polling Institute
found 54.6 percent of voters say the Sandusky
case would not affect their vote, according to an online survey sponsored by
Trib Total Media. Almost 27 percent say Corbett's handling of the investigation
makes them less likely to support his re-election, and 12 percent say it makes
them more likely to vote for Corbett.
Auditor General launching
second audit of Department of Education following allegations of highly paid
ghost employee
Penn Live By Christina Kauffman | ckauffman@pennlive.com on October
03, 2014 at 2:01 PM
Following allegations that a special adviser was actually a
ghost employee paid to do virtually nothing, Auditor General
Eugene DePasquale is launching a second special audit of the
Department of Education to hasten his review of the department's oversight of
consultants and contractors. Last month,
DePasquale announced he was expanding the scope of an ongoing audit
of the Department of Education to examine the oversight of
contractors, consultants, and other job classifications that would include Gov.
Tom Corbett's former special adviser on higher education Ron Tomalis.
PSBA's John Callahan to
appear on 'Pennsylvania Newsmakers'
Political analyst Dr. G. Terry Madonna interviewed John Callahan, PSBA's senior director of government affairs, yesterday inHarrisburg during a
segment for Pennsylvania Newsmakers. Callahan
provided an update on school financing and the PlanCon process. The interview will
air 7:30 AM Sunday on WGAL Channel 8.
Political analyst Dr. G. Terry Madonna interviewed John Callahan, PSBA's senior director of government affairs, yesterday in
Pennsylvania Newsmakers airs on the following networks around
the state:
·
WGAL Channel 8 (Harrisburg
and Lancaster ):
Sundays at 7:30 AM
·
WBPH (Lehigh
Valley and Philadelphia ): Mondays at 8:30 PM
·
WKBS 47 (Altoona ):
Saturdays at 9:30 AM
·
WPCB 40 (Pittsburgh ):
Saturdays at 9:30 AM
Councilman proposes setting
stage for local takeover of Philly schools
WHYY Newsworks BY TOM
MACDONALD OCTOBER 3, 2014
It may be a case of putting the cart before the horse, but a Philadelphia councilman
is proposing requirements for a city school board. The proposal is taking shape even though
there's no sign the state will return the Philadelphia School
District
Even though the state controls the district via the School
Reform Commission, approving the changes would send a sign Philadelphia is ready to take over control of
the educational process, Oh said. "I
think the first step we have to do is show the state we have put in a new, more
responsible, more accountable system that is based on best practices," he
said. "I think, at that point in time, we are prepared to receive the
school district back with the support of the state in transitioning financially
the school district from SRC to local control."
Two Philly charters owe their
existence to appeals to state board
With passage of
the cigarette tax, Philadelphia
the notebook By Dale Mezzacappa on Oct 2, 2014 07:22 PM
The new cigarette tax bill that sends badly needed money to the
School District comes with a caveat -- that the District start accepting applications for new
charter schools.
To the consternation of the charter community, the School
Reform Commission has not considered new charter applications since 2007,
citing its precarious financial situation, although it has continued converting
low-performing District schools to charters.
The new law also says that applicants denied by the SRC can
appeal to the state Charter Appeals Board (CAB). This has been the procedure
across Pennsylvania
but is something charter applicants in the city were prevented from doing by
the law that created the SRC.
Will this open the floodgates to new charters? Hard to tell,
but there's a bit of history.
Duquesne teachers' union
approves new labor deal
By The Tribune-Review Friday, Oct. 3, 2014, 7:15 p.m.
The teachers' union for theDuquesne
City School
District
The teachers' union for the
Fighting Charter School
Fraud in Pennsylvania
Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch October 3, 2014 //
Here is the latest from Donald Cohen of “In the Public
Interest,” which exposes privatization scams.
Donald Cohen writes:
“A $300,000 plane. $861,000 to pay off personal debts and keep
open a struggling restaurant. A down payment on a house and an office flush
with flat-screen televisions, executive bathrooms and granite counter tops.
This isn’t a list of expenditures from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, this
represents a small slice of the more than $30 million of taxpayer funds that
have been wasted through fraud and abuse in Pennsylvania ’s charter schools since they
first opened in 1997.
“A new report from the Center for Popular Democracy, Integrity in
Education, and Action United is blowing the lid off the lack of
public oversight at Pennsylvania ’s
186 charter schools.
Report: Charter schools have
lost $30 million since 1997
A day after Pennsylvania
Cyber Charter
School founder Nick Trombetta was in a
federal courtroom as part of his ongoing criminal case, a new report cited him
as an example of $30 million in fraud and financial mismanagement among Pennsylvania charter schools
since 1997.
The report, “Fraud and Financial Mismanagement in Pennsylvania ’s Charter
Schools,” was done by three organizations, the Center for Popular Democracy,
Integrity in Education and Action United.
It piggybacks on a national report on charter schools in May by the
Center for Popular Democracy and Integrity in Education that claimed more than
$136 million has been lost to waste, fraud and abuse by charter schools.
Fraud and Financial Mismanagement
in Pennsylvania
Center for Popular Democracy, Integrity in Education, Action
United September 2014
Executive Summary
Charter school officials have defrauded at least $30 million
intended for Pennsylvania
school children since 1997. Yet every year virtually all of the state’s charter
schools are found to be financially sound. While the state has complex, multi-layered
systems of oversight of the charter system, this history of financial fraud
makes it clear that these systems are not effectively detecting or preventing
fraud. Indeed, the vast majority of
fraud was uncovered by whistleblowers and media exposés, not by the state’s
oversight agencies. In this report we identify two fundamental flaws with Pennsylvania ’s oversight
of charter schools:
■■ General auditing techniques alone do not uncover fraud. Pennsylvania oversight
agencies
rely on general auditing techniques, but not those specifically
designed to uncover fraud. The
current processes may expose inaccuracies or inefficiencies;
however, without audits targeted
at uncovering financial fraud, state agencies will rarely be
able to detect fraud without a
whistleblower.
■■ Adequate staffing is necessary to detect and eliminate
fraud. Pennsylvania
inadequately
staffs its charter-school oversight agencies. In order to carry
out high-quality audits of any
type, auditors need enough time. With too few qualified people
on staff, and too little training,
agencies are unable to uncover clues that might lead to fuller
investigations and the discovery
of fraud
Students ask Harvard
University to cut ties with Teach For America
Teach For America has a deep association
with Harvard University
How to Register to Vote -
Deadline is October 6th
PA Department of State
Once you know you are eligible
to vote, the next step is to register. In Pennsylvania, you can
register in person, by mail and at various government agencies. Below you will
find information about how to register, as well as links to voting registration
forms and applications.
Upcoming PA Basic Education
Funding Commission Meetings*
PA Basic Education Funding
Commission website
Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 10
AM, Perkiomen Valley
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 11 AM, Pittsburgh
* meeting times and locations subject to change
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 11 AM, Pittsburgh
* meeting times and locations subject to change
Health Issues in Schools:
"Mom I can't find the Nurse"
October 21, 2014 1:00 -- 4:00 P.M.
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
Philadelphia, 19103
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
Philadelphia has one of the worst childhood asthma rates in the
country. We need more nurses in Philadelphia's schools to aid children
suffering from this and other health issues. Join us to discuss Pennsylvania
laws governing nursing services.
Tickets: Attorneys $200
General Public $100 Webinar $50
"Pay What You Can" tickets are also
available
Click here to purchase tickets
Click here to purchase tickets
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
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.
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.
Register Now – 2014 PAESSP State
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)
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.
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