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administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
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The Keystone State Education Coalition is an endorsing member of The Campaign for Fair Education Funding
Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for October
14, 2014:
Who are the
top donors to PA gubernatorial campaigns?
BASIC
EDUCATION FUNDING COMMISSION PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday, October 16, 2014 10:00
AM Perkiomen Valley
(public hearing to consider
other state's funding formulas and weights; and level of local support and
taxing capacity)
Inquirer by Kathy Bocella LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, October
14, 2014, 1:08 AM
COLLEGEVILLE Area school superintendents will testify Thursday
at Perkiomen Valley High School at a hearing on what has become a key issue in
the gubernatorial campaign - school funding.
The topics will include the effects that pension costs and tax-exempt
properties have on school budgets. The discussions also will cover the impacts
of special education, transportation costs, and business taxes. The hearing, set to begin at 10 a.m., is
expected to include a presentation from Mike Griffith, an independent
school-finance consultant, on other states' education funding formulas.
The Campaign for Fair
Education Funding Launches Effort to Ensure Access to Quality Education for
Every PA Student
Campaign for Fair Education Funding October 6, 2014 Press
Conference Video (runtime 43:18)
More than 40
Organizations Join Statewide Initiative to Change Funding Formula
A coalition of more than 40 organizations today kicked off the
Campaign for Fair Education Funding to ensure that every student has access to
a quality education - no matter where they live. "Every child deserves a chance to
succeed. We need a fair, sustainable and predictable method for funding public
schools that recognizes the shared responsibility we all have – and the shared
benefits we all receive – when every Pennsylvania child gets that
opportunity," said campaign manager Kathy Manderino. The Campaign's member organizations include
educators, labor, business groups, faith-based organizations, child advocates,
charter schools, traditional public schools and representatives from rural,
urban and growing school districts.
Who are the top donors to
Gov. Tom Corbett's campaign?
Penn Live By PublicSource on October 14, 2014 at 12:24 AM
Here's a look at the top 10 donors to Gov. Tom Corbett's
campaign:
Who are the top donors to
Democrat Tom Wolf's campaign?
Penn Live By PublicSource on October 14, 2014 at 12:24 AM
Here are the top 10 donors to the campaign of Democratic
gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf:
Follow the Money: Who
gave/received school privatization contributions in Pennsylvania
Six millionaires/billionaires contributed $1,482,604 to
privatize democratically-governed Pennsylvania
public education.
"Corbett has taken heat for presiding over state cuts
in education funding. His Democratic predecessor cut basic funding for schools
as revenues slumped and relied on temporary stimulus money until those federal
funds dried up. In 2012, Corbett brought
state funding for education back up to 2008 levels, still at least $500 million
below the previous year without the stimulus funds. This fiscal year, Pennsylvania
Polls: Nearly 22 percent of
Republicans deserting Corbett
Morning Call By Ellen Wulfhorst October 13, 2014
WAYNE, Pa., Oct 13 (Reuters) - Pennsylvania Governor Tom
Corbett is not only trailing his Democratic challenger badly, but he has lost
the support of nearly a quarter of his fellow Republicans, according to polls
showing his bid for a second term is in deep trouble.
With the incumbent faring so poorly, his party is counting on
Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey
to shore up Corbett's campaign. But even the backing of a powerful populist
like Christie, renowned for his bipartisan appeal, could be too little, too
late for his Pennsylvania
counterpart, analysts say.
Common Core execution is
flawed
Centre Daily Times BY DAVID HUTCHINSON October 9, 2014
State College
Most of us in education have come around to the view that it’s
no longer appropriate for students to spend the bulk of their time on the
memorization of facts and the rote use of math and science algorithms. In large part, the Common Core standards were
an attempt to address this, by refocusing classroom instruction on conceptual
understanding and the development of higher-order thinking skills — something
the better teachers have always tried to do.
The other rationale for Common Core is that, in a highly mobile
society, we should have some measure of consistency from one region of the
country to another. The parents of a reasonably successful fifth-grader in Mississippi should not be shocked to discover that their
child is reading at only a third-grade level in Pennsylvania (a recent true story). Though far from perfect, and despite the fact
that there was almost no input from actual teachers in the development of these
standards, the majority of educators are of the opinion that Common Core
reasonably meets these two objectives. So,
what’s the problem? There are several.
Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/10/09/4395257/common-core-execution-is-flawed.html#storylink=cpy
League of Women Voters Keystone Exams
Forum (video)
Radnor Township School District Published on Oct 9,
2014 Video runtime 1:56:53
The
Leagues of Women Voters from Radnor, Haverford, Lower Merion/Narberth and Chester County
State can't produce work
documents for Tomalis under open records law
Trib Live By Brad Bumsted Monday, Oct. 13, 2014, 4:24 p.m.
HARRISBURG —
The Corbett administration did not produce a contract or a work record of
former Education Secretary Ron Tomalis' 15-month service as a special education
advisor who was paid $139,000 a year, documents show. The Department of Education and the Office of
the Governor, both under Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, provided no documents
such as progress reports, employee evaluations, performance reviews or
performance improvement plans sought under the Right to Know Law by Campaign
for a Fresh Start, a political committee formed by Corbett's opponent, Democrat
Tom Wolf. Fresh Start highlighted its findings in a news release Monday. Corbett, of Shaler, and Wolf, of Mt. Wolf in York County
Pa. lawmaker wants to give
governor the power to abolish SRC
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY
NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5903 POSTED: Tuesday,
October 14, 2014, 3:01 AM
A PHILADELPHIA Democrat wants to give the power to abolish the
School Reform Commission to the governor.
State Sen. Vincent Hughes plans to offer an amendment in the Senate this
week that would authorize the governor, through the Secretary of Education, to
dissolve the SRC.
Currently, the SRC would have to vote to dissolve itself. The amendment will come a week after the SRC
unilaterally canceled the school district's contract with the Philadelphia
Federation of Teachers - an unprecedented move - and imposed changes to
health-care benefits. The move riled the union and drew public scorn from
several Philly Democrats, who framed the action as a "Hail Mary" to
help Gov. Corbett's re-election efforts.
Tom Wolf's dumb idea about
SRC
Philly.com Opinion By Phil Goldsmith POSTED: Tuesday,
October 14, 2014, 1:08 AM
Phil Goldsmith served
as interim chief executive officer of the School District of Philadelphia
I must admit that I have been sleepwalking through the gubernatorial campaign between Republican Gov. Corbett and Democratic challenger Tom Wolf. Up to now, it's been same old, same old. Corbett stokes fear about tax increases, and Wolf, surrounded by his children, wife, and mother, acts as if he is running for Father of Pennsylvania, not its chief executive.
I must admit that I have been sleepwalking through the gubernatorial campaign between Republican Gov. Corbett and Democratic challenger Tom Wolf. Up to now, it's been same old, same old. Corbett stokes fear about tax increases, and Wolf, surrounded by his children, wife, and mother, acts as if he is running for Father of Pennsylvania, not its chief executive.
But I was jolted out of my slumber when I read that Wolf
supports the abolition of the School Reform Commission (SRC) and wants to
replace it with an elected school board. Now that got my blood moving. Most
dumb ideas do. And this one is a doozy. Either
Wolf is just cozying up to union leaders or he is naïve about the ways of Philadelphia . Or, most
likely, both.
Letters: SRC contrary to
Constitution
Philly Daily News Opinion by LISA HAVER POSTED: Tuesday,
October 14, 2014, 3:01 AM
Lisa Haver is a
retired Philadelphia teacher and co-founder of the Alliance for Philadelphia
Public Schools
THE DECISION by Chairman William Green and members of the
School Reform Commission to invalidate its long-standing contract with school
district teachers, nurses, counselors and secretaries - in a meeting which was,
for all practical purposes, closed to the public - is about issues much larger
than money. Their decision represents a
violation of the civil rights of those who educate our children, and signals
another step in the almost casual obliteration of the rights of the many
Americans who work in public service. Most significantly, it is a clear
violation of democratic principles and an assault against the American
tradition of representative government.
Philly teachers say they
already give to keep schools afloat
KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Sunday, October 12, 2014, 1:09 AM
Inez Campbell has paid for students' medicine. Kimberly Lent
has footed the bill for prom tickets and class dues. Sharnae Wilson bought her
own copier because her school's machine doesn't always work. Emily Cohen has
shelled out for enough books to fill a small library. For decades, Philadelphia School
District
And, nearly universally, they spent hundreds - even thousands -
of dollars every year on supplies the system and its families often don't
provide.
Fact-checking the District's
claims about the contract cancellation
Some statements
were erroneous. Often the reality is more complicated than what has appeared in
press releases and sound bites.
the notebook By Paul Socolar on Oct 13, 2014 10:05 AM
Last Monday, the School Reform Commission voted to cancel the teachers' union contract and unilaterally
change the health benefits for members of the Philadelphia Federation of
Teachers. After that action, PFT president Jerry Jordan charged that several of
the official statements about the contract situation were
"lies." Here is a look at some
of the statements and issues in dispute, and what the Notebookhas
been able to find out about them.
Kindergarten enrollment
declines 11.5% in Pittsburgh
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette October 14, 2014 12:00 AM
While Pittsburgh Public Schools enrollment has been dropping
for years, officials took heart that in the past two years kindergarten
enrollment was up. This fall, however,
kindergarten enrollment is down 11.5 percent from last year, and the district’s
enrollment K-12 overall is down 1.72 percent.
“It’s never a good news story when it’s down,” said superintendent Linda Lane shortly
after she received the report Monday. “So that train continues. We certainly
are going to continue to be concerned and think about what more can we be doing
in regard to that.”
By Sara K. Satullo | The Express-Times on October 13, 2014
at 7:56 PM
The company the Bethlehem Area School District hired to handle its substitute teacher staffing is
lagging slightly behind last year's placement rates but officials remain
pleased.
The district hired Substitute Teacher Services last year and
this is the first year the company is handling all sub staffing. The Allentown School District is considering hiring
Substitute Teacher Services as well. Comparing
the first seven weeks of this school year with last school year:
"We did better by 2 percent last year," said Russell
Giordano, Bethlehem Area director of human services. Superintendent Joseph Roy said the region's pool of substitute teachers
has shrunk and filling vacancies in schools is increasingly difficult. STS has
folks in its call centers calling potential subs long before district staff
would be able to.
Celebrating Hope, Action,
and Change
TOUGH TIMES FOR K12, INC:
Politico Morning Education October 13, 2014
The nation’s largest for-profit operator of public
schools, K12, Inc., has had a bumpy ride of late. Its stock closed Friday at a
52-week low of 13.82 per share, down from a recent peak of 36.78 in September
2013. What’s behind the slump? For one thing, the company’s astronomical growth
has slowed significantly. Just last fall, K12 executives were projecting
revenue of $987 million for fiscal year 2014. But actual revenue for the year
came in under $920 million. In a conference call last week, executives
projected revenues would rise only slightly in the next fiscal year.
— Meanwhile, K12’s academic empire has been in turmoil. The
board of Agora Cyber Charter in Pennsylvania ,
which is one of K12’s largest and most profitable online schools, has signaled
its intent to seek new management (though it will continue to buy digital
curriculum from K12). Colorado
Virtual Academy Delaware ’s state board
of education voted to close another struggling school operated by K12, the
Maurice J. Moyer Academic Institute. Trouble also looms in Tennessee ,
where Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman has ordered the K12-operated Tennessee Virtual Academy
Can our taxpayers get their money back?
School Choices: K12 Inc
execs taking $2K per student in salary. 8 execs, 75K students, $21M in
salaries. 20% of revenue in 8 pockets.
Morningstar Executive
Compensation
"The idea is that teachers, like doctors in medical
residencies, need to practice repeatedly with experienced supervisors before
they can be responsible for classes on their own. At Aspire, mentors believe
that the most important thing that novice teachers need to master is the
seemingly unexciting — but actually quite complex — task of managing a classroom
full of children. Once internalized, the thinking goes, such skills make all
the difference between calm and bedlam, and can free teachers to focus on
student learning."
As Apprentices in Classroom,
Teachers Learn What Works
New York TImes By MOTOKO RICH OCT.
10, 2014
She watched closely as Pamela Saberton, a teacher with seven
years’ experience in city public schools and Ms. DeSantiago’s mentor for the
year, strolled the room. Ms. Saberton rarely raised her voice, but kept up a
constant patter as she recited what the students were doing, as in, “Keion is
sitting quietly,” or “Reevan is working on her math problems.”
To Ms. DeSantiago, the practice seemed unnatural, if not
bizarre. But the students quieted and focused on a getting-to-know-you activity,
writing down their hobbies and favorite foods.
Over the coming year, Ms. Saberton would share dozens of such
strategies with Ms. DeSantiago, one of 29 prospective teachers earning a small
stipend while participating in a residency program run by Aspire Public Schools, a charter system with schools in California and Memphis .
How a national moratorium on
standardized testing could work
In early 2012, Robert Scott, then the
commissioner of education in Texas,rocked the world of education reform when he declared
that school accountability systems based on high-stakes standardized
tests had led to a “perversion” of what a quality education should be and
he called “the assessment and accountability regime” not only “a cottage
industry but a military-industrial complex.” Different kinds of protests
by parents and educators, school boards and students began in Texas,
California, New York and other states, and the year ended with a public call by Joshua Starr, superintendent of
Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, for a three-year moratorium on
standardized testing. Since then the “test reform movement” has grown around
the country, with tens of thousands of parents opting their children out of
mandated standardized tests, teachers are starting to raise their voices and
refusing to administer them, students are leading protests for sanity in school
accountability.
That all brings us to a new call for a full-scale testing
moratorium, this one by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a nonprofit
organization known as FairTest that is dedicated to ending the misuse and abuse
of standardized tests. It’s no surprise that this group would seek a testing
moratorium, but it comes at a time when the call is falling on more receptive
ears than ever. In the following fact sheet, FairTest spells out why now is a good time
for such a freeze and how it would work.
New website offers closer
look into candidate' views on public education
PSBA NEWS RELEASE 10/6/2014
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) has created a
new website for its members and the general public to get a closer look into
candidates' views on public education leading up to the 2014 election for the
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Following
the primary elections, PSBA sent out a six-question questionnaire to all
Pennsylvania House and Senate candidates competing for seats in the November
election. Candidates are listed by
House, Senate seat and county. Districts can be found by visiting the 'Find My
Legislator' link (http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/).
Features include:
·
Candidate images, if provided
·
Candidates are tagged by political party and
seat for which they are running
·
Candidates who did not respond are indicated by
"Responses not available."
Visit the site by going to
http://psbacandidateforum.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the link tweeted out
by @PSBAadvocate.
Candidates wishing to complete the questionnaire before
election day may do so by contacting Sean
Crampsie (717-506-2450, x-3321).
- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=8650#sthash.1vGGRff4.dpuf
Register Now – 2014 PASCD
Annual Conference – November 23 – 25, 2014
Please join us for the 2014 PASCD Annual Conference, “Leading
an Innovative Culture for Learning – Powered by Blendedschools Network” to
be held November 23-25 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in
Hershey, PA. Featuring Keynote Speakers: David Burgess - - Author
of "Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your
Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator", Dr. Bart Rocco,
Bill Sterrett - ASCD author, "Short on Time: How do I Make
Time to Lead and Learn as a Principal?" and Ron Cowell.
This annual conference features small group sessions (focused
on curriculum, instructional, assessment, blended learning and middle level
education) is a great opportunity to stay connected to the latest approaches
for cultural change in your school or district. Join us for PASCD
2014! Online registration is available by visiting www.pascd.org
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
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.
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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