Wednesday, October 1, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct 1: School Leaders Launch State-Wide Campaign for Fair Funding

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, Superintendents, 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
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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 October 1, 2014:
School Leaders Launch State-Wide Campaign for Fair Funding



KEYSTONE EXAMS: Not Just Another Standardized Test
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



School Leaders Launch State-Wide Campaign for Fair Funding
WICU Erie By Deedee Sun Posted: Oct 01, 2014 12:30 AM EDT
School leaders and educators across Pennsylvania kicked off the two-year "Campaign for Fair Education Funding" on Tuesday night.    About 750 discussed the issue via video conference across 29 different Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) locations throughout the state, all working together to help develop a better formula for school funding.
More than 50 people working in the education system from Erie, Warren, and Crawford counties met at the Northwest Tri-County IU 5 in Edinboro, virtually joining hundreds of others. 

"Speaking from the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit, Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators executive director Jim Buckheit said 54 percent of funding for public elementary and secondary education in Pennsylvania came from state coffers in 1974.  By 2010-11 the share had dropped to 34.5 percent and Pennsylvania ranked 43rd among the 50 states in government funding for education.  Buckheit said Delaware provided 58.6 percent, West Virginia 55.8, Ohio 43.2, Maryland 41, New York 40.1 and New Jersey 37.3 percent."
Coalition kicks off effort to revamp PA education funding
Trib Live By Patrick Cloonan Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, 4:36 a.m.
A statewide coalition kicked off a “campaign for fair education funding” with a Tuesday teleconference involving 29 intermediate units.  “We are building a very diversified campaign to bring all of the stakeholders into the room and together define what is fair and how we get there, fair to the schoolchildren of Pennsylvania and fair to the taxpayers,” said Monessen native and former Philadelphia state Rep. Kathy Manderino, the campaign's manager, at Allegheny Intermediate Unit in Homestead.  The campaign coincides with a year-long effort to develop a new formula for school subsidies. A 15-member Basic Education Funding Commission was formed in state Act 51 of 2014 with a goal of making recommendations by June.
Corbett, Wolf prepare for round two - Wednesday 8 am
WHYY Newsworks BY MARY WILSON SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett heads into his second debate with Democratic challenger Tom Wolf with renewed energy, after a strong performance in the candidates' first debate last week.
But the 8 a.m Wednesday debate will air on radio and TV stations in the Philadelphia area, where most of the state's Democratic voters reside.
"The geography of this certainly favors Wolf," said Terry Madonna, director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll and a political science professor.
It's not clear how much debates can shake up a gubernatorial election in Pennsylvania.

Wednesday 8 am brings the Pennsylvania gubernatorial debate, Round Two: Here's where to watch
Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com  on September 30, 2014 3:41 PM
Pennsylvania's major party gubernatorial candidates will meet for the second of their three scheduled debates Wednesday morning at the studios of television station KYW in Philadelphia.
It is a morning political matchup, so that all clear-headed Pennsylvanians can devote their full attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates wildcard playoff game by the afternoon.  There are multiple ways to watch the debate. If you intend to vote - and we sincerely hope you do - here's hoping you find one that works for you.
* The debate will be live-streamed as it happens on the CBSPhilly.com website.
* It will be televised live on Philadelphia's CW Network affiliate, WPSG, and broadcast live on KYW Newsradio, at 1060 AM.
* Taped broadcasts will also be televised statewide on PCN on Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and again Oct. 7 at 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.
The debate is also likely to be carried on CSPAN at some point next week, though it does not appear on their schedule yet. Interested readers should check the CSPAN website for scheduling information.

As debate approaches, is Corbett surging?
WHYY Newsworks DAVE DAVIES OFF MIC  A BLOG BY DAVE DAVIES SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 
Tom Corbett squares off against Democrat Tom Wolf in the second debate of the Pennsylvania governor's race Wednesday morning on KYW Newsradio.  And in a campaign that's gone pretty badly for Corbett, the opportunity comes when there are a few encouraging signs for the governor.  Several independent polls have showed Corbett trailing Wolf by well over 20 points. But a Mercyhurst University poll,the first since Corbett's strong showing at last week's debate, showed the margin at 15 points -- at least moving in the right direction for the governor.

“This was an important meeting, particularly for our area,” said Senator Hutchinson. “It is critical that rural and small schools’ perspective gets heard and considered as the Basic Education Funding Commission develops an adequate and fair system for distributing state money to local school districts.”
SENATOR HUTCHINSON ATTENDS MEETING ON BASIC EDUCATION FUNDING
Senator Hutchinson's website September 30, 2014
A state panel empowered to review Pennsylvania’s financial support for its local school districts met in Clarion on Tuesday, according to Senator Scott Hutchinson, who attended the session.
As part of its fact-finding mission, the Basic Education Funding Commission met at Clarion University to gather testimony on state support for smaller school districts.  ...The 15-member Basic Education Funding Commission is tasked with developing and recommending to the General Assembly a new formula for allocating state money for basic education to Pennsylvania school districts. The new formula will take into account relative wealth, local tax effort, geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support as well as other factors.

York's Sen. Scott Wagner says Pileggi is unfit as GOP Senate leader: Tuesday Morning Coffee
By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com on September 30, 2014 at 9:38 AM, updated September 30, 2014 at 9:39 AM
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
It's a little early to start thinking about who might lead the state Senate when the new session starts in January -- but not too early, it would seem for freshman Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York.
Guaranteeing that things will be awkward around the Senate watercooler, the voluble trashman sent Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, a letter calling on him to step down as the caucus' floor leader, accusing him of "using [his] power to obstruct the legislative process, frustrate the Republican caucus' agenda and prevent Pennsylvania from moving forward."

Bill That Approved Cigarette Tax Guarantees More Charter Schools in Philadelphia
As part of the deal that allowed Philadelphia to raise its cigarette tax by $2 a pack, prospective city charter schools that are rejected can now appeal.
Philadelphia Magazine BY DAN MCQUADE  |  SEPTEMBER 29, 2014 AT 10:41 AM
Philadelphians exhaled last week when the Pennsylvania House approved a $2-a-pack cigarette tax increase in the city, a move expected to generate up to $170 million. Without that extra money, the district’s schools faced drastic cuts in October. No one was really happy about it. When it looked as if the bill would pass this summer, Newsworks’ Dave Davies wrote the legislative victory was “spectacularly depressing” — but at least it’s a solution for this school year.
It’s not like House Republicans suddenly changed their mind on a cigarette tax that was declared dead in late June and delayed again this July for nothing. A report in the Inquirer this summer detailed the reason many House GOP members flipped: An amendment in the cigarette tax bill allows charter school applicants rejected or ignored by the School Reform Commission a second chance with the state Charter Appeals Board. Previously, they had no avenue to appeal. (See the final version of HB 1177 below; it contains both the cigarette tax language and the charter appeal process.)

Philly District school among national Blue Ribbon honorees
Inquirer by Kristen Graham POSTED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 1:30 PM
Hill-Freedman World Academy, a magnet school in Northwest Philadelphia, has won a National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Tuesday.  It was one of several schools in the area to score the presitigious honor. The others are Franklin Towne Charter High School in Philadelphia, Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion, Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown, and Norwood-Fontbonne Academy in Philadelphia.

U.S. Department of Education 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools List
(All Public and Private)

PA Cyber Founder Trombetta tries to quash evidence, seeks closed hearing
Ellwood City Ledger By J.D. Prose Calkins Media  Monday, September 29, 2014 2:05 pm
PITTSBURGH -- A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday from attorneys for Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School founder Nick Trombetta on a motion to have evidence in his criminal case tossed out because prosecutors allegedly violated attorney-client privilege.
Federal prosecutors, though, have denied the allegations, saying in August court filings that Trombetta’s motion “is an accusation without a shred of credible support.”  U.S. District Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti will preside over the 10 a.m. hearing in the William S. Moorhead Federal Building in downtown Pittsburgh.  Trombetta, an Aliquippa native and East Liverpool, Ohio, resident, has argued that undercover recordings made of him discussing issues with attorneys for PA Cyber and the Trombetta-created National Network of Digital Schools, which provides curriculum to PA Cyber, were privileged communications and should not be used as evidence.

Judge: Hearing to remain open for cyber-charter school founder Trombetta
By Torsten Ove / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette September 30, 2014 12:20 PM
The indicted founder of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School tried to block the public from a hearing today on his motion to dismiss the charges, but a judge has ruled against him.
U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti today ruled in favor of the media, which argued that the hearing for Nick Trombetta should not be held in secret.  Mr. Trombetta, charged with siphoning some $1 million from the Midland-based school through a collection of corporate entities he controlled, wants Judge Conti to throw out some of the charges against him because federal investigators recorded calls with his lawyers. He claims the recordings are a violation of the attorney-client privilege.  The U.S. attorney's office says the lawyers did not actually work for Mr. Trombetta but for the corporate entities he controlled, so the recordings are not a violation.

Long day yields little results in Trombetta hearing
Beaver COunty Times Online By J.D. Prose jprose@timesonline.com Published: Wednesday, October 1, 2014 4:00 am
PITTSBURGH -- About the only issue settled during an all-day evidence suppression hearing Tuesday for Pennsylvania Cyber School Charter founder Nick Trombetta was that the federal court proceedings would remain open to the public.  Other than that, the day saw U.S. District Court Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti presiding over a slow-moving defense presentation as well as bickering prosecutors and defense attorneys. Conti called for a nearly two-hour break during lunchtime for both sides to work out a few agreements concerning recordings and transcripts — which were then bickered over some more — before she ultimately continued the hearing until Oct. 20 as the clock neared 6 p.m.  Trombetta, an Aliquippa native and East Liverpool resident, and his Washington, D.C.,-based defense attorneys were in the federal courtroom in Pittsburgh to try to get FBI recordings made by Brett Geibel and Jane Price, two Trombetta associates-turned-informants, tossed from the criminal case in which he faces 11 charges, including mail fraud, theft, tax conspiracy and filing false tax returns.

Lax Pa. oversight of charters robs PA taxpayers of $30M, groups say
MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 1:08 AM
A new report from a trio of activist groups says Pennsylvania charter schools have defrauded taxpayers of more than $30 million because oversight is so lax.  The researchers call for a temporary moratorium on new charter schools, contending agencies are not able to adequately monitor the 186 charters that already exist.  The study by the Center for Popular Democracy; Integrity in Education; and Action United of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh was to be released Wednesday.

Peduto hails proposal for federal money to boost education for preschoolers
Trib Live By Megan Harris Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, 11:24 p.m.
Pittsburgh city officials outlined an early childhood education plan Tuesday that Mayor Bill Peduto said could spawn a national pilot program.  Peduto filed the plan with state officials, who are set to issue a full grant application to the U.S. Department of Education.  The wish list — including quality rankings, continuity of care, teacher compensation, green design, digital learning and safety — is a precursor for a $250 million nationwide preschool development grant program announced by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in August. Cities can apply through states for up to $20 million a year for four years. Winners should be chosen and money distributed by mid-December, Duncan said.  The education secretary said Pittsburgh would be a “strong contender.”
"The Phillipsburg School Board in December hired the consultant, Interactive Dialogue, to disseminate information and form a referendum action committee."
Phillipsburg residents vote 'yes' on school district ballot question
By Sarah Peters | The Express-Times  on September 30, 2014 at 10:12 PM,
Phillipsburg voters Tuesday gave the school district permission to spend millions of dollars to update its older facilities in light of the new high school opening in Lopatcong Township.
The Phillipsburg School District asked voters to approve borrowing $8.5 million to pay for $10.8 million in capital projects that will take place when students start attending the new high school in the 2016-17 school year. The other $2.3 million will come from capital reserves.

Wissahickon School Board gets legislative update
Ambler Gazette By Linda Finarelli lfinarelli@montgomerynews.com Published: Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Basic education funding, property tax reform and state reimbursement for construction projects were among a host of “legislative issues facing public education” reviewed at the Sept. 15 Wissahickon School Board meeting.  Tina Viletto, an attorney serving as director of legislative services and grants development for the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit who presented the overview, termed basic education funding “a paramount issue that must be dealt with.”
State funding of public education, which was 50 percent in the mid-1970s, is less than 34 percent today, with Wissahickon and other nearby districts in Southeastern Pennsylvania receiving far less, she said.  “The past few years the only formula was the hold-harmless provision,” Viletto said, under which each school district receives the same state basic education funding as the year before, regardless of whether or not the district’s population has shrunk or grown.

EDITORIAL: PA's education formula needs to be fixed
Glenside News Globe Times Chroncile Published: Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf are breaking out the big guns. “Tom-my” guns, maybe?
Actually these are geek guns. Calculators.  The embattled Republican governor and his Democratic challenger are waging a war of numbers — to say nothing of big-money television ads — over education funding.  Wolf, the York businessman, continues to hammer away at what has been a constant criticism of the governor, that he slashed $1 billion from education funding via the austere budgets of his first term.  Corbett is countering with an ad of his own, pointing a finger at former Gov. Ed Rendell for papering over serious budget concerns with millions in federal stimulus dollars. When those funds expired, Corbett says he was left holding the bag. He points out, correctly, that he actually has increased the basic education subsidy, and notes this year’s subsidy of $10.05 billion is the highest in state history.


How to Destroy a Public-School System
In Philadelphia, education reformers got everything they wanted. Look where the city’s schools are now.
The Nation by Daniel Denvir  September 24, 2014
This article was reported in partnership with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, with support from the Puffin Foundation.
The older woman wore gloves as she stooped to pick up trash outside Steel Elementary School, tucked into a quiet block of black working-class homes in Philadelphia’s Nicetown section. Apparently, the volunteer had made an impromptu decision to stop by and tidy the place up on her way to wherever she was going.  “This is a community school,” boasts Steel School Advisory Council president Kendra Brooks, a parent of two Steel students, standing next to banners proclaiming We Are Family and We Love Our School. “We have generations and generations of families who have been through Steel School. We have teachers who have been here eighteen, twenty-eight years. So we’ve built a community.”  The school’s tenor—what educators call “climate”—seems positive. Inside, first-grade students are engaged in a reading exercise, while third graders prepare to paint cutouts of butterflies after learning about their life cycle. But the end-of-year calm belies a bruising conflict.

The Games Charter Schools Play
Huffington Post by Frank Breslin Retired high-school teacher
Posted: 09/29/2014 7:03 pm EDT Updated: 09/29/2014 7:59 pm EDT
Judging by the claims made by charters, one would think it but child's play to make good on their boast of having higher test scores than their public-school cousins.
Charters' ability to deliver on their promise of achieving higher scores is, after all, their sole reason for existing and the only justification for their annually diverting billions of dollars from public schools.  However, before reviewing the evidence that refutes their claims, let us first consider how charters go about "gaming the system" to their own advantage.
With few exceptions, charters cherry-pick their students, admitting only those students who do well on tests.  Rarely, do they accept students with learning disabilities, emotional disorders, autism, ADHD, speech or language impairment, behavioral problems, or immigrant children still learning English, since these students tend to test poorly and would lower a charter's overall average.  Public schools, conversely, are legally required to accept every student who walks through their doors.

Testing Resistance & Reform News: September 24 - September 30, 2014
National Center for Fair and Open Testing September 30, 2014 - 12:41pm 
In this week's stories, all key public education stakeholder constituencies -- parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, community activists, and the general public -- add their voices to the ever louder call for assessment reform. Too many politicians, however, give little but lip service to the movement's demands while continuing to double down on failed test-and-punish policies. The Atlanta and Philadelphia standardized exam cheating scandals are reminders of one kind of ugly fallout from this obsession

Google offers schools unlimited Drive storage for students and teachers
The Verge By Jacob Kastrenakes on September 30, 2014 04:12 pm
Google wants to make backpacks a thing of the past by letting students store all of their files online, and it's going to start giving students enough space to actually do that. Students, teachers, and anyone else using a Google Apps for Education account will soon be given unlimited storage and the ability to keep files of up to a whopping 5TB in size on Google Drive. Unfortunately, just being a student isn't enough to get this account — you'll have to attend an institution that supports Google's education suite. But it should be a pretty compelling offer for many, especially given that it's free to nonprofit educational institutions.


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

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

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
Principal, Dr. Amy Meisinger
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

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
Yinzercation Blog September 17, 2014
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 AmericaYou might remember Mr. Herbert as the award winning and longtime columnist for the New York Times. This book is especially exciting for us because Bob came to Pittsburgh several times to interview parents and teachers in our local grassroots movement and wound up writing three chapters on our fight for public education!
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.
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
 
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 on Regional Politics.
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
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; closes October 6th
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.

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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