Friday, October 31, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct 31: Election near, but still no Pa. test scores; 2013 results showed a downward trend

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
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?
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 31, 2014:
Election near, but still no Pa. test scores; 2013 results showed a downward trend




The Campaign for Fair Education Funding
Because every child deserves a chance to succeed
Follow on twitter here: @FairFundingPA



“Between 2011 and 2013, scores have dropped in every subject, in every grade, and among every group of students. Drops are particularly steep among students most at-risk--- Black, Latino, English language learners, and the economically disadvantaged. In some instances, we see double-digit decreases for these groups.”  She added, “This is not surprising given what’s happening in Pennsylvania. We are moving towards higher academic standards during a time when state funding for our public schools has plummeted.”
Election near, but still no Pa. test scores; 2013 results showed a downward trend
An across-the-board decline in PSSA scores last year for grades 3-8 has till now stayed under the radar.
By Dale Mezzacappa, Kevin McCorry, and Paul Socolar for the Notebook and NewsWorks on Oct 30, 2014 10:18 PM
Have standardized test scores declined for a third year in a row in Pennsylvania?
We’re not likely to find out before the gubernatorial election next week.
This year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has waited longer than usual to publicly release any data on test scores or school performance.  State officials say they are still checking for errors and don’t have a release date. And they say also that PDE is now focused on its new school rating system, the School Performance Profile (SPP) and is de-emphasizing comparisons of standalone test scores. The SPP includes multiple measures of achievement, including attendance and student progress.  The state says it is being especially careful.
“The reason why there is an extra effort this year to make sure that the scores are accurate is because the 2013-14 school performance profile is the first year that impacts teacher evaluations,” said PDE spokesman Tim Eller.  One high-ranking Senate Democrat says that is hogwash, and that the scores are being delayed for political reasons – because they will hurt Gov. Corbett’s re-election chances.  The fact that scores went down two years in a row, in 2013 as well as in 2012, has scarcely been reported in the press.

Upcoming BEF Commission Meetings*
PA Basic Education Funding Commission website
·         Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 10 AM, Harrisburg, NOB, Hearing Room 1
·         Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at 1 PM & Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 10 AM Phila.
·         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

Pennsylvania governor's race: Claims vs. facts
Penn Live By The Associated Press on October 30, 2014 at 12:56 PM
Some of the most prominent claims being made in the race for Pennsylvania governor between Republican incumbent Tom Corbett and Democrat Tom Wolf, and a look at the facts behind them.

Corbett, Wolf campaigns hit home stretch, bracing for low turnout
WHYY Newsworks BY MARY WILSON OCTOBER 31, 2014
Call it a "prebuttal" – a chance for the state GOP to respond to President Barack Obama's visit to Pennsylvania before it happens.  Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf is scheduled to appear with Obama in Philadelphia at a rally on Sunday, and Republicans are treating it as an opportunity to make some of the president's low poll numbers stick to Wolf. Most polls show Wolf has a wide lead over Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, but indicate the president is far less popular.

The Five State Senate Races to Watch on Election Night
PoliticsPA Written by Nick Field, Managing Editor October 29,2014
While many have been paying attention to the gubernatorial election and the various congressional races, the story of Election Night may well be the State Senate.
Currently, the Republican Party holds a 27 to 23 majority in the legislature’s upper chamber. Democrats need to pick up a net of two seats if Tom Wolf wins the Governor’s race (and Mike Stack doesn’t cause a constitutional crisis) and three seats if Gov. Corbett wins re-election.
We’ve narrowed down the five Senate races that are most likely to switch party control on Nov. 4th. The good news for Democrats, a path exists to take control of the Senate. The good news for Republicans, the Dems would have to win a clean sweep of these five races and the Gov contest.
Each district has been ranked by the likelihood it will switch parties, starting with the least likely.

"Most surprising: the controller points out that the charter schools have run substantial fund balances every year since 2008, while the fortunes of the District have eroded. Charter schools as a whole had $117 million in 2013, at the time the school district was looking at a hole of $70 million, and was forced to make drastic cuts across the board."
DN Editorial: Frankencharters
Philly Daily News Editorial POSTED: Friday, October 31, 2014, 3:01 AM
IT WOULD be unfair to liken Philadelphia charter schools to a pack of vampires targeting the neck of the school district, but after reading a report on school funding by Controller Alan Butkovitz, we can't help likening the charter system to a fiscal monster - one that was built by Harrisburg lawmakers and then ignored by its creators.  The controller's report asserts that it's not fair for the district to pay whatever the charters bill them and then not get reimbursed, which has been an issue since Gov. Corbett dropped such reimbursements back in 2011. But the report also offers a detailed and much overdue look at some of the surprising ways that inequities continue to erode the traditional public system.

Pa. board prez: Public needs an education
Lewisberg Daily Item by Evamarie Socha Posted: Monday, October 27, 2014 10:47 pm
LEWISBURG — Public education in this state is not failing, but that’s how people see it, Kathy Swope, the new president-elect of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said Monday. Her first order of business in office it to change that perception.  “We need to educate the public on public education,” said Swope, who is president of the Lewisburg Area School Board.
She said she wants to “bring facts to light for a clearer understanding” of public education in Pennsylvania, which, she said, has changed so much over the past decades.
The association, which represents more than 4,500 active school board members in Pennsylvania, focuses on good school governance, advocates to state officials — including the governor — for public education and provides services and training to its members.

Scholarships: 2,000 low-income Philly kids to go to nonpublic schools
MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Friday, October 31, 2014, 1:08 AM POSTED: Thursday, October 30, 2014, 6:00 PM
The Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia announced Thursday that 2,000 new, four-year scholarships were available to help low-income city families send their children to nonpublic schools for kindergarten through eighth grade.  The scholarships begin with the 2015-16 academic year.  Established in 1998, Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia now provides financial aid to 4,500 city children at 185 nonpublic schools.

Child poverty in the U.S. is among the worst in the developed world
Washington Post By Christopher Ingraham October 29 at 1:29 PM  
The United States ranks near the bottom of the pack of wealthy nations on a measure of child poverty, according to a new report from UNICEF. Nearly one third of U.S. children live in households with an income below 60 percent of the national median income in 2008 - about $31,000 annually.  In the richest nation in the world, one in three kids live in poverty. Let that sink in.  The UNICEF report pegs the poverty definition to the 2008 median to account for the decline in income since then - incomes fell after the great recession, so measuring this way is an attempt to assess current poverty relative to how things stood before the downturn.
With 32.2 percent of children living below this line, the U.S. ranks 36th out of the 41 wealthy countries included in the UNICEF report. By contrast, only 5.3 percent of Norwegian kids currently meet this definition of poverty.


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).

Children with Autism - Who’s Eligible? How to get ABA services?
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103
Join us on November 19th, 2014 to discuss eligibility services for children with Autism. This session will teach parents, teachers, social workers and attorneys how to obtain Applied Behavioral Analysis services for children on the autism spectrum. Presenters include Sonja Kerr (Law Center), Rachel Mann (Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania), Dr. Lisa Blaskey (The Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania), and David Gates (PA Health Law Project).
Registration: bit.ly/1sOY6jX

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.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct 30: Pension PACMAN keeps chomping away: at WSSD, PSERS increase will consume 82% of tax revenue generated by 1.9% allowable Act 1 tax increase.

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
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?
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 30, 2014:
Pension PACMAN keeps chomping away: at WSSD, PSERS increase will consume 82% of tax revenue generated by 1.9% allowable Act 1 tax increase.


"The district has learned its state-mandated Act 1 tax increase limit for 2015-16 will be 1.9 percent. Noonan said that cap combined with an additional $829,000 in payments to the state Public School Employees Retirement System are the main drivers of the reductions.  He emphasized that the $829,000 would involve “new dollars” on top of an already hefty PSERS bill. For 2014-15, the district’s pension cost was pegged at $6.9 million, for an increase of 26.4 percent over 2013-14.  “That($829,000) represents 82 percent of the total tax revenue generated by instituting the Act 1 tax level percentage increase of 1.9 percent” on the existing budget base in 2015-16, Noonan said. “So it represents a considerable financial challenge for our schools.”
Wallingford-Swarthmore looks to trim $829K from budget
Delco Times By NEIL A. SHEEHAN, Times Correspondent POSTED: 10/29/14, 11:18 PM EDT 
NETHER PROVIDENCE >> The budget development process for fiscal year 2015-16 won’t begin in earnest for some time, but administrators in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District have already laid down a marker on cuts that need to be achieved.  District Superintendent Richard Noonan said principals and members of the administrative team have been notified that $829,000 will need to be trimmed.  “To achieve this, we’re going to need reductions in the full scope of district supporting operations,” Noonan said at a school board meeting on Oct. 27, adding that the goal will be to keep the changes from impacting educational programs.
If the cuts are not made, the district will be forced in upcoming years to scale back expenditures on both curriculum and extracurricular offerings, he said.
As has been the case for many years now, pressure brought on by soaring pension costs is prompting the early austerity efforts.

PP4C: An Update on the Basic Education Funding Commission
PA Partnerships for Children Posted At : October 27, 2014 12:53 PM | Posted By : PPC
Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding Commission held two more hearings this month to gather feedback on how the commonwealth funds its public schools.
Here's a summary of the Oct. 16th and Oct.21sst hearings.

Price of the Prize: PA Governor's Race $48,212,778
Total contributions to both candidates
Post-Gazette/PublicSource ongoing feature
In politics, money is power. PublicSource and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believe you should know who's donating significant campaign cash to candidates for governor. So, we're following the money for you. Check back often for updates on who's contributing to the governor's race.

How southeast region's Pa. Senate races are shaping up
AMY WORDEN, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU LAST UPDATED: Thursday, October 30, 2014, 1:08 AM
HARRISBURG - A week out from Election Day and the attacks were coming fast and furious:
"Kane silent on SEPTA strike."  "Tom McGarrigle Lies About Taxes in New Ad."
Democrat John Kane and Republican Tom McGarrigle are locked in a bitter and costly war over the state Senate seat being vacated by Edwin "Ted" Erickson, a Republican from Delaware County who took office in 2001.  Control of the upper chamber - safely held for almost four decades by Republicans - may turn on votes cast Tuesday in Erickson's district, which includes parts of Delaware and Chester Counties.

Next time you sit down to your favorite squab, cat and dog salad sandwich, chew on this and realize that it works just the same way for education legislation in PA.  Disclaimer: no animals were harmed in the preparation of this posting, but my cat is coming dangerously close if she doesn't stop playing with the keyboard and chewing on the power cords……
Pigeon shooters drop $20k on key committee members before vote
Inquirer Commonwealth Confidential Blog Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 9:06 AM
Did money play a role in stopping the bill aimed at banning live pigeon shoots and making it illegal to eat cats and dogs in Pennsylvania?  Three days before a critical vote was to be taken that would have sent the bill (HB1750) to the state House floor, a pigeon shooting lobbying group dropped $20,000 on key committee members. campaign finance records show.

Governor gives out $135M in grants weeks before election
WHTM ABC27 Harrisburg By Dennis Owens Posted: Oct 28, 2014 5:57 PM EDT
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - The news releases have been relentless from the governor's office for three weeks.  Most days, there have been several a day telling of grant giveaways.
In the weeks before Halloween, Tom Corbett's been handing out treats across the commonwealth.  Actually, it's been cash and a lot of it.

The debate over Common Core ignores the biggest question in education: Bill Davidson
PennLive Op-Ed  By Bill Davidson on October 29, 2014 at 3:00 PM
In recent years, Common Core State Standards have assumed the forefront of educational consciousness, stimulating heated debate as to their merit and place in the U.S. educational system.   Common Core advocates applaud the program's rigor, while its harshest critics consider the concept to be communistic, arguing that the federal government shouldn't be making decisions on the state and local level.  While these disputes aren't likely to let up anytime soon, Common Core enthusiasts and detractors both tend to avoid naming the most pressing issue facing our educational system.   Regardless of how often students are tested, what standards they're being tested on, and who decides what those standards are, U.S. children will continue to underperform on a global scale so long as they're being asked to demonstrate achievement that they're not in an academic position to reach - especially in math.

"Mrs. Lane said she was “startled” by the lack of a funding formula in Pennsylvania and districts’ reliance on local property taxes. Charter school tuition rates that are paid by public schools foster a negative, competitive relationship, she said, and often put public schools in difficult financial positions.  “If we de-fund some schools to fund other schools, then there will be winners and losers,” she said during Tuesday night’s panel. “And, when there are winners and losers, we all know who usually comes out losing.”
Panel discusses race issues, equitable education
By Clarece Polke / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 28, 2014 11:35 PM
Self-categorized “former black power activist” turned education reformer Howard Fuller gave his perspective on education at a public panel in the Hill District Tuesday night in the context of his recent visit to the site where four black students sat in at a segregated Woolworth’s counter in Greensboro, N.C. in 1960.  “Now, we can have four black students sit down at a completely integrated lunch counter but can’t read the menu,” he said, barely heard over the applause. “Something’s not right.”  Attendees filled two levels of seating at the Hill House Association’s Kaufmann Center to discuss best practices to help minority students succeed academically. Speakers Linda Lane, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, Richard Wertheimer, founder of City Charter High School and Mr. Fuller discussed topics ranging from teacher quality to arts education to state and federal funding and their impact on the success of minority students.

The problem of providing high-quality education only to rich kids
WHYY Newsworks BY STACIA FRIEDMAN OCTOBER 30, 2014 ESSAYWORKS
Philadelphia schools are failing. Students are not reading at grade level. Some classes are so overcrowded, children are sitting on window sills. Libraries have been shuttered. Art, music, advanced foreign language classes, and programs for the gifted have been dropped. The district hasn’t been able to balance its budget in decades. It blames the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers for its fiscal crisis. Supposedly, they want too much.  Meanwhile, just across the county line, student test scores are above national averages. Buildings are new. Libraries are well stocked. There are state-of-the-art computers, well equipped art and ceramics studios, jewelry and metal workshops, and athletic programs that produce stars like Kobe Bryant. Teachers' salaries are 19 percent higher than in Philadelphia. No one is accusing them of greed, and the district always manages to balance its budget.
Why do schools improve dramatically just by crossing City Avenue?

Charter and district schools should not be at odds; my family relies on both
WHYY Newsworks COMMENTARY  BY AJA BEECH OCTOBER 30, 2014 ESSAYWORKS
My education is, in part, a product of the best intentions of the School District of Philadelphia. In the early '90s, the elementary school I attended in my neighborhood, James Russell Lowell in Olney, could no longer accommodate students up to eighth grade, so at the age of 11, I began evaluations to attend a school outside of my neighborhood, something most Philadelphia public school students know about.  Of the hundreds of children having to transfer from Lowell that year, I think there were three or four of us chosen — all white — to attend Masterman magnet school in the Spring Garden neighborhood. Some of them I had never seen in Olney before. Some were from families who had come to live there to practice their religious convictions, my first experience with a kind of urban missionary. Others came from families that could afford to send their children to private schools.

#PHLed101: How Philly’s schools got where they are today
BillyPenn.com By Anna Orso October 28, 2014
How the Philadelphia school system operates is unique from any other district in the state, especially how it’s funded, and how that funding has changed over the last several decades.
The state runs the district through its School Reform Commission (that acronym, “SRC,” is getting a lot of hate these days), there are more charter schools here than anywhere else in the state, and, oh yeah, the district is broke.  It’s complicated. Let’s get back to the basics and review what the school system is and how we even got here.

Who is Voting for Tom Corbett?
Yinzercation Blog October 29, 2014
Ever since he slashed close to $1 billion from public education back in 2011, Governor Corbett has been claiming he did the very opposite. So it’s no surprise – though completely ludicrous – that he has been campaigning on his “record of support” for public schools. Still, I spit out my coffee when I saw the full page ad in this morning’s Post-Gazette. (See first image, below.) To set the record straight, I made some factual corrections. (See revised ad, below.) We don’t have Corbett’s deep pockets to take out a full page ad in the paper, but we can share this post – and share the truth!

Weingarten/Perry Washington Post: Gov. Tom Corbett has slashed funding for Pennsylvania’s neediest students. Fixing schools means voting him out.
Research shows that more funding improves academic achievement, especially for the poorest students.
Washington Post By Andre M. Perry and Randi Weingarten October 29 at 1:49 PM  
While admissions counselors are recruiting to fill desks at for-profit schools, students are leaving those classrooms burdened with debt. (Joel van Houdt for The Washington Post)
Equitable funding for schools is requisite for student success. This is especially true for public schools in low-income communities, where the amount of money funneled into classrooms can have a significant impact on children’s academic achievement. One recent analysis of low-income fourth-graders’ achievement on a national reading test determined that spending an additional $1,000 per student correlated with a 0.42-point increase in test scores (the average test score is about 222). Given that at least 30 states are funding education at a lower level than before the recession, we shouldn’t be surprised that another study, conducted by Stanford University researcher Sean Reardon, found that the achievement gap between children from high- and low-income families is 30 percent to 40 percent larger among children born in 2001 than those born 25 years earlier.  Schools in the urban core do not have the necessary courses, facilities and services that help students cope with the effects of poverty. Let’s be clear: Schools that serve low-income students need more money, not less. You can’t cut your way toward academic improvement.  However, one governor tried.

Tracing School Funding Inequities All the Way Down to the School
New America Foundation EdCentral by Conor P. Williams October 16, 2014
Almost every education policy debate serves as a partial proxy for something else. Debates about expanding pre-K access are often really about disagreements regarding the scope of the federal government and/or money. Debates about school choice are often about protecting the real estate-based privileges of neighborhood school boundaries or efforts to blur church-state boundaries. Debates about the Common Core State Standards are often secretly about the Muslim Brotherhood, the United Nations, and space aliens with plans for world domination.
The Fordham Institute’s new Metro D.C. School Spending Explorer is a useful reminder that school funding arguments are no different. Whatever the surface appearance of these debates, they’re almost always implicitly about deeper theories of justice. And those get at core elements of our social contract (both articulated and unarticulated). What do we, as a community, owe to families and students as far as educational resources are concerned? Consider these two options:
1.       If we believe that all students should be treated equally in a public education system, presumably we should we commit equal resources to each student, regardless of their background.
2.       If we believe that some students may, through no fault of their own, face crippling educational challenges because of their families’ limited resources, presumably we should compensate by investing additional public funds to establish a baseline of equitable educational opportunity.

Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 22 - 28, 2014
Submitted by fairtest on October 28, 2014 - 2:33pm 
An explosive week for the testing resistance and reform movement. Nationally, pressure is mounting on President Obama, Secretary Duncan and members of Congress to cut back on federal mandates which help drive standardized exam insanity.  At the same time, grassroots campaigns are forcing local officials to overhaul the testing policies they control -- today's summary includes stories from 19 states as well as several excellent commentaries.

Gallup: Teachers Favor Common Core Standards, Not the Testing
Gallup.com by Linda Lyons October 29,2014
Story Highlights
·         Three-quarters of teachers view unified standards positively
·         Most agree testing students on the new standards is problematic
·         Majority find linking test scores to teacher evaluation unfair
This article is part of a series on parents' and teachers' attitudes about the Common Core State Standards.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The large majority of U.S. public school teachers, 76%, react positively to the primary goal of the Common Core -- to have all states use the same set of academic standards for reading, writing and math in grades K-12. However, this positivity fades when the topic turns to using computerized tests to measure student performance (27%) and linking those test scores to teacher evaluations (9%).

"An internal media strategy memo, obtained by The Nation, confirms Chovnick’s concerns, detailing TFA’s intricate methodology for combating negative media attention, or what it calls “misinformation.” Given that TFA takes tens of millions of government dollars every year, such strategies are troubling. According to its last three years of available tax filings, Teach For America has spent nearly $3.5 million in advertising and promotion."
This Is What Happens When You Criticize Teach for America
An internal memo reveals how TFA’s obsessive PR game covers up its lack of results in order to justify greater expansion.
The Nation by George Joseph  October 29, 2014  
Last year, Wendy Heller Chovnick, a former Teach For America manager, spoke out against her former organization in The Washington Post, decrying its “inability and unwillingness to honestly address valid criticism.” In recent years, such criticism has centered on Teach For America’s intimate involvement in the education privatization movement and its five-week training, two-year teaching model, which critics claim offers recruits a transformative resume-boosting experience but burdens schools with disruptive turnover cycles.  In the interview, Chovnick referenced the extent to which Teach For America manufactured its public image, explaining, “Instead of engaging in real conversations with critics, and even supporters, about the weaknesses of Teach For America and where it falls short, Teach For America seemed to put a positive spin on everything. During my tenure on staff, we even got a national team, the communications team, whose job it was to get positive press out about Teach For America in our region and to help us quickly and swiftly address any negative stories, press or media.”

Democrats for Public Education Releases List of Bold-Face Name Supporters from Across USA
Democrats for Public Education October 29, 2014 | Posted in:NewsPress Releases
DPE Momentum Continues to Grow (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Democrats For Public Education (DPE) released a list of bold names who signed on as supporters for the newly-launched organization. DPE is a 527 formed to show that Democrats remain united around a core set of principles to ensure public education thrives for generations to come. Since officially launching on August 19th, 2014, scores of elected officials, party leaders and activists at all levels of government – and from communities in all 50 states – have already added their names as supporters. “In less than two months since officially launching, its no surprise thatDemocrats for Public Education has already enjoyed such a flood of support,” said DPE Co-Chair Denise Juneau, Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “These folks understand that a high-quality public education is an economic necessity, a moral imperative and a pillar of democracy. We believe we should be lifting up and championing public education, teachers and our neighborhood schools – by investing time, energy and resources.” Below is just a small sampling of Democrats from all across America who have signed on to support DPE:


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).

Children with Autism - Who’s Eligible? How to get ABA services?
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103
Join us on November 19th, 2014 to discuss eligibility services for children with Autism. This session will teach parents, teachers, social workers and attorneys how to obtain Applied Behavioral Analysis services for children on the autism spectrum. Presenters include Sonja Kerr (Law Center), Rachel Mann (Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania), Dr. Lisa Blaskey (The Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania), and David Gates (PA Health Law Project).
Registration: bit.ly/1sOY6jX

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.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct 29: Power Players Behind the Corporate Takeover of Pennsylvania Schools

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

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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 29, 2014:
Power Players Behind the Corporate Takeover of Pennsylvania Schools


New F&M poll finds Corbett still behind, but gaining ground on Wolf
Lancaster Online By KAREN SHUEY | Staff Writer Wednesday, October 29, 2014 5:00 am
With just a few days left before voters head to the ballot box, a new poll shows that Gov. Tom Corbett is closing the gap his Democratic challenger Tom Wolf has held for months.
A Franklin & Marshall College poll released Wednesday still has Wolf with a double-digit lead over the embattled Republican incumbent.  But the race is definitely tightening.
The survey shows 53 percent of likely voters backing Wolf and 40 percent supporting Corbett. Compare that to a September F&M poll that had the candidates separated by 20 points, with Corbett’s support at 34 percent.  Pollster G. Terry Madonna said the big boost of support comes from those within the Republican Party.

F&M poll: October 2014
Lancaster Online Posted: Tuesday, October 28, 2014 4:44 pm

A week before election day, Corbett still trails Wolf in latest F&M poll
Penn Live By Christian Alexandersen | calexandersen@pennlive.com  on October 29, 2014 at 5:01 AM
Gov. Tom Corbett has gained some ground against Democratic challenger Tom Wolf, but he has a long way to go to convince voters to return him to office next Tuesday, according to a new poll.
The poll, conducted by Franklin & Marshall College's Center for Opinion Research and released Wednesday morning, shows Wolf with a 13-point lead over Corbett among self-reported likely voters and an 18-point lead among registered voters. 

"After the Nov. 4 elections, several House Republicans could jockey for the position. House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, is a potential candidate, along with Caucus Secretary Mike Vereb, R-Montgomery, and Dave Reed, R-Indiana, chair of the House Majority Policy Committee.  All three are opposed to a severance tax."
Leadership fight in Pa. General Assembly could impact energy industry
It is likely the energy industry could find more allies in leadership positions in the General Assembly after the Nov. 4 election.
By Michael Sanserino / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 28, 2014 2:30 AM
The upcoming Pennsylvania House and Senate elections likely will do little to change the balance of power in either chamber — Republicans are expected to continue to control both. But there is a chance both chambers could see new leaders, which could have implications for the energy industry in the state.  If anything, it is likely the energy industry could find more allies in leadership positions in the General Assembly.  Republicans in the House will elect a new leader after Speaker of the House Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election. And some Senate Republicans have lashed out at current Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, upset that the Republican from Delaware County has not pushed a more conservative agenda.  Mr. Pileggi proposed a Marcellus Shale severance tax in a bill he co-sponsored in 2011 to help the state’s seniors. And last month he told attendees at a Delaware County dinner he expects the state to enact a severance tax next year, according to online news service Chadds Ford Live.   Mr. Smith was seen as a bridge between different sects of his own caucus — moderate Republicans from the Philadelphia suburbs and Lehigh Valley area and conservatives from the rest of the state. The tone his replacement sets will hinge largely on the House’s eventual composition, whether it tips more conservative or moderate.  He has vocally opposed a severance tax, saying he would rather close the state’s budget deficit by selling off the state’s liquor stores. 

Yes there's more money for education - because the locals are paying for it: Don Bell
PennLive Op-Ed  By Don Bell on October 28, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Don Bell is the superintendent of schools for the Northern Lebanon School District.
On one hand, we hear that public education is being financed by the taxpayers of Pennsylvania at its highest level ever.  On the other hand, we hear that funding has been cut by $1 billion dollars. The question is which is right and which is wrong. The answer is that both are right and both are wrong.  Get ready for some Common Core Mathematics.

You know the names: Gureghian, Yass, Greenberg, Dantchick, K12, Inc., Trombetta, ALEC, Commonwealth Foundation, DeVos, American Federation for Children……
Power Players Behind the Corporate Takeover of Pennsylvania Schools
Center for Media and Democracy Report October 2014

Here's a related Keystone State Ed Coalition posting from October 8, 2014
Follow the Money: Who gave/received school privatization contributions in Pennsylvania in 2014.  Was your legislator a recipient?
Six millionaires and billionaires contributed $1,482,604 to privatize democratically-governed Pennsylvania public education.

Open Records Office orders release of education secretary emails
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 28, 2014 12:00 AM
The state Office of Open Records has ordered the state Department of Education to release the emails of acting state Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq, granting an appeal that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette filed.  The office issued its final determination Friday. The department has 30 days to appeal to Commonwealth Court.  On Aug. 5, the Post-Gazette and two of its reporters, Mary Niederberger and Bill Schackner, asked for all of the acting secretary’s emails “as they pertain to the performance of her duties” since she was appointed on Aug. 25, 2013.
The request came after Ms. Dumaresq cited a department practice of purging emails each evening as the reason her department released only five emails authored by Ron Tomalis, the governor’s special adviser on higher education, during his first year in the position. Mr. Tomalis resigned in August.

Faced with deficit, Scranton school directors say they won't cut programs
Scranton Times-Tribune by SARAH HOFIUS HALL, STAFF WRITER October 28, 2014
Although the Scranton School District faces a projected budget deficit of $7.5 million for 2015, some school directors said Monday they will not cut programs that would affect students.
A week away from being presented with the proposed 2015 budget, school directors spent part of Monday’s work session discussing other ways to balance the budget.  President Lyn Ruane asked for a list of administrators and salaries, as well as job descriptions to determine whether any roles are duplicated. State law allows for teacher layoffs if there is a decline in enrollment or cuts to programs. Director Cy Douaihy said teacher layoffs are not likely because enrollment is up and he and other directors are against cutting programs.

Legal battle between SRC and PFT heads to Commonwealth Court
A local judge made her injunction against benefit changes permanent. The District has appealed.
the notebook By Dale Mezzacappa on Oct 28, 2014 12:06 PM Updated | 2:30 p.m.
The legal battle over whether the School Reform Commission can impose benefit changes on teachers has shifted to Commonwealth Court, which could hear arguments in the dispute as early as December.  On Monday, Common Pleas Court Judge Nina Wright Padilla made an injunction permanent that delays any benefit changes until the matter is resolved in court, and the District appealed that ruling to Commonwealth Court.   Both sides said they are pleased by the outcome of the latest legal maneuvers.

Commonwealth Court to look at teacher contract cancellation
KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 1:08 AM POSTED: Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 5:05 PM
Can the Philadelphia School Reform Commission cancel union contracts? The question now rests in the hands of Commonwealth Court.  As a result of an agreement reached in the last week, a Common Pleas Court judge has permanently enjoined the Philadelphia School District from unilaterally canceling its teachers' contract. The district immediately appealed the decision.
Both sides called the order a victory Tuesday: District officials said it was a fast track to Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg, the venue it prefers, widely viewed as more favorable to the SRC's viewpoint.

Parents spar angrily with founder of closing charter school in N.E. Philly
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY OCTOBER 28, 2014
Sparks flew at a meeting for parents at Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter charter high school Monday night.  The school's basement cafeteria became a battleground between the school's founder and a throng of incensed parents.  Many had learned only that morning that the high school program at the school's Tacony campus was permanently closing and that their children would have to find another school two months into the year.

Ex-district officials: Cheltenham in 'dire straits'
KATHY BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER POSTED: Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 6:08 PM
Saying that a stream of employees had left, been transferred, or forced out under the new superintendent, 25 former Cheltenham school board directors, teachers, PTO presidents, and current residents warned in a letter to the school board that the district "is in dire straits and that there is a failure of leadership."  The signers, including a retired principal, wrote that they talked to dozens of teachers who say "there is fear and intimidation and misinformation being promulgated" under Superintendent Natalie Thomas.

Class itself a brand new model
Sharon Herald By JOE PINCHOT | Herald Staff Writer | Posted 21 hours ago
HERMITAGE – Lisa Evans had a couple of months to create something out of nothing.
It was too much time.  “I just couldn’t wait,” said Evans, the teacher at the Enterpreneurship Academy at LindenPointe.  “As a teacher, you want to be creative,” said Evans, who has experiences in private and public school teaching and business ownership. “Within the bounds of the grant, I can do anything. It’s exciting.”  The academy, which started class Sept. 2, is a grant-funded dual-credit course created by Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, Grove City; the eCenter@LindenPointe; the city of Hermitage; the Franklin Center of Beaver County; Community Connections, a local firm that seeks to connect young people and businesses with mentoring and internship programs; and seven school districts: Hermitage, Sharon, Sharpsville, Farrell, West Middlesex, Greenville and Commodore Perry.  It is held at the Hermitage Training and Workforce Development Center, within LindenPointe business park.

Eleven civil rights groups urge Obama to drop test-based K-12 ‘accountability’ system
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss October 28 at 11:19 AM  
President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (Yuri Gripas/ Reuters)
Eleven national civil rights groups sent a letter Tuesday to President Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and congressional leaders saying that the current standardized test-based “accountability system” for K-12 education ignores “critical supports and services” children need to succeed and discourages “schools from providing a rich curriculum for all students focused on the 21st century skills they need to acquire.”  The groups make recommendations on how to revamp the system in a way that would improve educational opportunity and equity for students of color.  The letter comes a time of growing resistance to accountability systems based on standardized test scores among educators, parents, principals and superintendents. The Obama administration has expressed some support for the idea that districts and states should review their testing systems but has not said it would change federal mandates that help drive what districts and states do.

Toward Better Teachers
New York Times Opinion by Frank Bruni OCT. 28, 2014
More than halfway through Joel Klein’s forthcoming book on his time as the chancellor of New York City’s public schools, he zeros in on what he calls “the biggest factor in the education equation.”  It’s not classroom size, school choice or the Common Core.  It’s “teacher quality,” he writes, adding that “a great teacher can rescue a child from a life of struggle.”
We keep coming back to this. As we wrestle with the urgent, dire need to improve education — for the sake of social mobility, for the sake of our economic standing in the world — the performance of teachers inevitably draws increased scrutiny. But it remains one of the trickiest subjects to broach, a minefield of hurt feelings and vested interests.
Klein knows the minefield better than most. As chancellor from the summer of 2002 through the end of 2010, he oversaw the largest public school system in the country, and did so for longer than any other New York schools chief in half a century.


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).

Children with Autism - Who’s Eligible? How to get ABA services?
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103
Join us on November 19th, 2014 to discuss eligibility services for children with Autism. This session will teach parents, teachers, social workers and attorneys how to obtain Applied Behavioral Analysis services for children on the autism spectrum. Presenters include Sonja Kerr (Law Center), Rachel Mann (Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania), Dr. Lisa Blaskey (The Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania), and David Gates (PA Health Law Project).
Registration: bit.ly/1sOY6jX

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.