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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for
November 22, 2014:
How do Pennsylvania
Upcoming PA Basic Education Funding Commission Public
Hearings
Monday,
November 24, 2014 at 10 AM IU#13 Lancaster
Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 10 AM East Stroudsburg
Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 10 AM - 12:00 PM Lancaster
* meeting times and locations subject to change
Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 10 AM - 12:00 PM Lancaster
* meeting times and locations subject to change
"Statewide enrollment in cyber
charters increased 5.5 percent between 2012-13 and 2013-14, reaching a total of
about 36,500 students, according to Research for Action. And three new proposals for cyber charter
schools are under review by the state Department of Education, which has
authority over cyber charters. Regular
charters are authorized by local districts, but in either case, local districts
must pay charters a state-determined amount for each of its students that
enrolls there."
How do Pennsylvania
Cyber charter performance
Here's how Pennsylvania 's
cyber charter schools fared on the 2014 School Performance Profiles. A score of
70 or better is considered passing.
|
|
2014 Score
|
Local Enrollment
|
|
|
28.9
|
0
|
|
Achievement House CS
|
37.5
|
27
|
|
ASPIRA Bilingual Cyber CS
|
39.0
|
0
|
|
Agora Cyber CS
|
42.4
|
292
|
|
Susq-Cyber CS
|
42.4
|
1
|
|
Esperanza Cyber CS
|
47.7
|
2
|
|
|
48.8
|
63
|
|
|
50.0
|
1
|
|
|
50.9
|
12
|
|
Commonwealth Connections Academy CS
|
52.2
|
292
|
|
|
55.5
|
322
|
|
|
59.3
|
114
|
|
|
63.4
|
152
|
|
21st Century Cyber CS
|
66.0
|
74
|
The numbers are low.
Some of the lowest.
And it's not golf, so that's not a good thing.
Traditional public schools across the state got an average of
76.9, and regular charters got an average of 65.1. In Lancaster County, the average school score was 79.6.
'No final decision' yet on York City
ERIN JAMES The York Dispatch 505-5439 / @ydcity POSTED: 11/21/2014 04:18:47 PM EST
The state officials steering the York City School District
"She's looking for data of how that meets with what the
recovery plan has called for," Eller said.
Members of the district's school board voted 6-2 Wednesday to
approve a two-year contract with teachers, ending a negotiating process that
had dragged on for more than a year.
New Senate leader draws flak
after hinting at lame duck session
Newly-elected Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R.,
Centre) hasn't even been in office a week but he touched nerves with a
suggestion that the Senate might meet before Gov.-elect Tom Wolf takes office
on January 20. Corman - elected in
a conservative-led coup that sent eight-year leader Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R.,
Delaware) to the back bench -.told the Inquirer that he has "not ruled
out" holding session days in January.
In other words, Corman raised the prospect of a New Year's lame duck
session - with newly sworn-in lawmakers voting and outgoing Gov. Corbett still
in office - the likes of which has not been seen in Harrisburg in
recent memory.
Those were fighting words to Senate Democratic Leader Sen.
Jay Costa (D., Allegheny).
"It is both a matter of good
etiquette and good public policy. Even if conducted in the full light of
day, lame duck votes convey the impression that lawmakers and the outgoing
administration are trying to pull a fast one on the way out the door. While there is no doubt that Pennsylvania
faces huge challenges and a yawning budget deficit, the best thing for
lawmakers to do until Corbett leaves office and Wolf takes over is nothing at
all."
Penn Live Editorial: The best
thing for lawmakers to do until there's a new governor? How about 'Nothing?':
Opinion Quick Take
By PennLive Editorial Board on November 21, 2014 at 3:16 PM
There's a growing tide of speculation in Harrisburg 's political circles that
strengthened Republican majorities in the state House and Senate might try to
hand Gov. Tom Corbett some political victories before he leaves
office in mid-January.
In an interview taped for broadcast Sunday on CBS-21's "Face the
State" program, incoming Senate Majority Leader Jake
Corman, R-Centre, said the chamber's ruling Republicans were taking a look at
the schedule to see if they could squeeze in a few session days before Corbett leaves
office and Gov.-elect Tom Wolf,a Democrat, takes the oath of office.
Teachers union leader has the
wrong answers: PennLive letters
Penn Live Letters to the Editor by Chad Schweighart on November 21,
2014 at 1:45 PM
Reading PSEA President Michael Crossey's commentary, I have to ask
him and the rest of the members of his union: When is enough enough? We are
spending more today on education than anytime in history. I will agree that a larger portion of that
spending is to fund the pensions, but this is a cost of business and that
amount has to be included. Crossey decries the loss of the federal one time
stimulus money as a cut by the state, yet everyone was aware that this was
temporary and was not to be used to plug operational deficits.
Saucon Valley district, union
to go before state's labor board
By Jacqueline Palochko,Of The Morning Call November 21, 2014
Could hearing end three-year contract impasse in Saucon Valley
School District
The nearly three-year contract impasse in the Saucon Valley
School District
The hearing stems from charges the district filed against the
Saucon Valley Education Association in June. The district accused the union of
unfair bargaining practices, saying the teachers asked for more money than was
first talked about when contract discussions started. The union's attorney, Andrew Muir, filed a
motion seeking to have the hearing dismissed, but his request was denied. If the state rules in favor of the district,
the union will have to agree to a contract that fits within how much the
district has in its budget, Jeff Sultanik said.
Philly speaks out about
testing
Examiner by Tamara
Anderson November 21, 201412:30 PM MST
On Wednesday, November 19 at 3 pm, the City Council of
Philadelphia Committee on Education met in regard to Resolution 140666, to
conduct hearings about standardized testing. The Alliance
for Philadelphia Public Schools organized and scheduled the hearing around
growing concern of the time, detriment, and costs of standardized testing in Philadelphia public
schools. The following committee members were present for most of the
testimonies: Jannie L. Blackwell (Chair), Blondell Reynolds-Brown (Vice-Chair),
Maria D.Quionones-Sanchez, Brian J. O’Neill, Mark Squilla, W. Wilson Goode, and
David Oh. The first panel consisted of
State Representative Mike Tobash, Jerry Jordan (PFT President) and Donna
Copper, Executive Director for Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY).
Jerry Jordan agreed that the presence and increase of testing encourages
teachers to “teach to the test.” State Representative Tobash, R-Berks,
confirmed that the testing and not the graduation requirement are federally
mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The graduation requirement should be
decided by the local districts. Later an education attorney explained that the
law itself includes 3 options for graduations with the Keystone being one of
them. He also stated that the lack of accommodations for children with 504’s
and not IEP's may lead to an increase in services and costs. Throughout the room signs reading “Invest in
learning not Testing” plastered on pencils and erasers symbolized the mood of
the packed audience. The majority was there in support of eradicating unfair
tests and testing policies. Four out of the originally seven scheduled panels
spoke before dismissing.
DN Editorial: The
charter-school lie
Philly Daily News POSTED: Friday, November 21, 2014, 3:01
AM
A RATIONAL school-funding formula for Pennsylvania to ensure that all children -
no matter what their ZIP code - can be assured a quality education should be a
priority for the new Wolf administration. That's likely to be a heavy lift.
But we hope, even before that complicated process begins, that
lawmakers in Harrisburg
acknowledge that they must first fix the way charter schools are funded.
Lawmakers are in love with charters, an ardor that has only
grown since passage of the original state law in 1997. Philadelphia has the bulk of the state's
charters - 86 schools enrolling about a third of the district's total student
population. Many succeed. Many don't, and the weaknesses throughout the charter
system are barely addressed or acknowledged by lawmakers.
One of the key reasons for those weaker-performing schools
includes the lack of a strong organizational structure for overseeing them.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20141121_DN_Editorial__The_charter-school_lie.html#JvrQEVUls53UaShM.99
Why not elect the school
board?
Philly.com Opinion by TODD WOLFSON POSTED: Friday,
November 21, 2014, 12:16 AM
PHILADELPHIANS should elect the people who run their schools.
Recently, this simple democratic ideal has gained traction and
support from Tom Wolf, newly elected governor, and since then there has been a
chorus of anti-democratic op-eds, most recently from former District CEO Phil
Goldsmith ("dumb idea") and veteran reporter Dave Davies ("bad
idea"). The substance of both these editorials is that we are better off
with a school board chosen by the city's elites rather than entrusting
decisions to the electorate, because in an election the choices will be made by
party bosses and union leaders.
As many have pointed out, the implications of this position, if
drawn to its logical conclusion, is that we would be better off without an
elected City Council and elected state representatives, because these elections
would be shaped by the Democratic Party organization and influenced by unions,
among others. Even if we grant that the political process as it currently
functions is seriously flawed, there are numerous problems with this
anti-democratic argument.
“Circuit Rider” Lawrence
Lower Merion School District Announcements Posted: November 18,
2014
With school funding a hot issue in the Pennsylvania
gubernatorial race, an alliance of state education leaders is engaged in a
campaign to build support for changing the way the state pays its school bills.
During the yearlong campaign, 11 "circuit riders" will attempt to
build support among current superintendents, business managers, and school
board members for a movement for education-funding changes. Please join us on Tuesday, November 25 at
8:30 AM as "circuit rider" Lawrence Feinberg will speak at the District's
Legislative Committee meeting in the District Administration Building Board
Room.
Click here for a recent article on philly.com about the circuit riders.
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
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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