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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
January 23, 2015:
"the amount of intensely
segregated PA schools, where over 90% of students are minorities, have more
than doubled in the past two decades"
Upcoming Basic Education Funding Commission hearings
scheduled in Mercer County, Montgomery County and Dauphin County
PA
Basic Education Funding Commission website
Thursday, January 29, 2015, 10 am Greenville Junior/Senior High School 9
Donation Road, Greenville , PA 16125
Thursday, February 5, 2015, 10 amMontgomery County ,
location TBA
Thursday, February 26, 2015, 11 amDauphin County
Thursday, February 5, 2015, 10 am
Thursday, February 26, 2015, 11 am
PA House Education Committee
Members List
PA Senate Education Committee
Members List
The Past, Present And Future
Of High-Stakes Testing
NPR by ANYA KAMENETZ JANUARY 22, 2015 3:39 AM ET
After a long stretch as the law of the land, annual
standardized tests are being put to, well, the test. This week, the Senate education committee
held a
hearing on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law
and, specifically, on testing. The committee's chairman, Lamar Alexander,
R-Tenn., has released a draft bill offering
a lot more leeway to states in designing their own assessment systems. But Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Sen.
Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the committee, have dug in their heels to
say that annual tests should remain mandatory.
All this comes as parents, students and educators around the country are
asking serious questions about the number of tests children are taking and the
reasons they're taking them.
"…the amount of intensely segregated
schools, where over 90% of students are minorities, have more than doubled in
the past two decades. Further, a staggering 85% of all Pennsylvania
Decades of Inaction Lead to
Worst Segregation in Pennsylvania Schools in Two Decades
Civil Rights Project; 310/267-5562 Date Published: January
16, 2015
Using statewide public
school enrollment data from 1989 to 2010, a new report examines changes in
school enrollment and segregation at the state-level as well across Pennsylvania ’s two largest metropolitan areas –Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
LOS ANGELES—A report released today by UCLA’s Civil Rights
Project finds that segregation by race and poverty in Pennsylvania is worsening and that there has
been little action in recent decades to address this harmful pattern. Is
Opportunity Knocking or Slipping Away? Racial Diversity and Segregation in
Pennsylvania, co-authored by Stephen Kotok and Katherine Reed, finds that
the amount of intensely segregated schools, where over 90% of students are
minorities, have more than doubled in the past two decades.
Central Susquehanna Superintendents
Letter: Campaign for Fair Education Funding
Sunbury Daily Item Letter Posted: Thursday, January 22,
2015 1:40 pm
By Joseph Casarella, Superintendent, Benton
Area School District
Cosmas Curry, Superintendent, Bloomsburg Area
School District
Harry Mathias, Superintendent, Central Columbia
School District
Kevin Singer, Executive Director, Central
Susquehanna Intermediate Unit
Cheryl Lattore, Superintendent, Danville Area School District
Mark DiRocco, Superintendent, Lewisburg Area
School District
David Campbell, Superintendent, Line Mountain
School District
Richard Musselman, Superintendent, Midd-West
Area School District
Daniel Lichtel, Superintendent, Mifflinburg
Area School District
Cynthia Jenkins, Superintendent, Millville Area
School District
Cathy Groller, Superintendent, Milton Area
School District
Bernard Stellar, Superintendent, Mount Carmel
Area School District
Chad Cohrs, Superintendent, Selinsgrove Area
School District
James Zack, Superintendent, Shamokin Area
School District
Patrick Kelley, Superintendent, Shikellamy
School District
Paul Caputo, Superintendent, Southern Columbia
Area School District
John Kurelja, Superintendent, Warrior Run
School District
Area superintendents from the Central Susquehanna Region are
joining our statewide associations representing school boards, superintendents,
finance officers and intermediate units to support the efforts of the Campaign
for Fair Education Funding to change the way we fund our local school
districts. Area school districts have struggled with the lack of an adequate
state funding commitment in recent years that has led to significant financial
deficits at the local level. Many districts have raised revenue through
additional property taxes to offset their deficits. We know this places a
significant burden on many of our residents and is not desirable.
Unfortunately, our only other option to balance our budgets is continuing to
cut programs, positions, and use reserve funds.
Franklin County schools vent
on inequity in state funding
A "community conversation"
on public school funding in Pennsylvania, especially as it affected Franklin
County schools, drew 100 people to First Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Chambersburg.
By PAT FRIDGEN, Greencastle Echo Pilot Posted Jan. 22,
2015 @ 4:39 pm
A "community conversation" on public school funding inPennsylvania , especially as it affected Franklin County
schools, drew 100 people to First Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Chambersburg
on Thursday. Panelists included school superintendents Greg Hoover from Greencastle,
Joe Padasak from Chambersburg, Jim Duffey from Fannett-Metal, Beth Bender from
Shippensburg, Charles Prijatelj from Tuscarora, Sherian Diller from Waynesboro,
and executive director of Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools
Joe Bard. The event was hosted by Susan
Spicka, a co-founder of Campaign for Fair Education Funding. The year-old
organization had about 50 agency members representing business, industry,
educational advocacy groups, unions, chambers of commerce, churches, non-profits
and legal centers. "We're here
tonight to give our state lawmakers a chance to learn about how the state
funding system is impacting school districts, and to connect voters with
them," Spicka said.
A "community conversation" on public school funding in
Gov. Tom Wolf reviewing York City
School District
Penn Live By Candy Woodall |
cwoodall@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on
January 22, 2015 at 1:30 PM, updated January 22, 2015 at 1:54 PM
Gov.
Tom Wolf was sworn in two days ago and he's already looking into York
City School District's fight to remain a public institution. "Governor Wolf, Acting (education)
Secretary (Pedro) Rivera and appropriate parties are reviewing this
matter," Jeff Sheridan, the governor's press secretary, said
Thursday. The district has been in
recovery status for two years and recently gained attention during a court
battle in which the
state Department of Education's former leadership petitioned to strip the power
of the elected school board and hand it over to local businessman David
Meckley.
"It is somewhat of a paradox that
poverty challenges our ability to provide quality education, even as quality
education for all is ultimately the only solution to poverty."
Mayor Bracey & Rep.
Schreiber: Meeting with Gov. Wolf requested to address York school issues
(letter)
As two individuals elected to represent our City of York and
two city residents, we are jointly and respectfully requesting a meeting with
Gov. Tom Wolf, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera and any designated members
of his Cabinet, as well as York City School District Recovery Officer Dave
Meckley, Supt. Dr. Eric Holmes, and a representative of the York City School
Board. The purpose of such a meeting will be to develop a forward-looking plan
for the future of our school district. A
copy of this letter is being directed to these parties, and we think it is
important to provide this letter to the public so all are apprised of our goal.
We look forward to a productive meeting on behalf of the over 8,000 students
living in York city.
Here's why charter schools
are a fresh start for troubled York schools: James Paul, Commonwealth
Foundation
PennLive
Op-Ed By James Paul on January 22, 2015 at 1:00 PM
James Paul is a senior
policy analyst for the Commonwealth
Foundation in Harrisburg.
The future of public education in York City has reached a fork
in the road, and the consequences of a wrong turn could hardly be greater for
York students. One approach is to stubbornly double down on a system that's
earned York City School District infamy as the second-worst performing district
in Pennsylvania. The other option is to
forge a new path—under new management—and make a fresh start. As fate would have it, Gov. Tom Wolf—will
have the chance to provide that fresh start for students and families in York
City. But it will require standing up to
Pennsylvania's largest, most powerful teachers' unions, many of which heavily
contributed to his election campaign.
Dismantling distressed school
districts best bet for recovery, analysts say
WHYY Newsworks BY EMILY
PREVITI, WITF JANUARY 22, 2015 POLICY & POLITICS
Moody’s report favors radical moves to stabilize public
education in struggling communities.
If the Commonwealth’s poorest, worst-performing districts want
to improve education, they should pay other people to handle it. That seems to be the takeaway from the
report released Wednesday by Moody’s Investors Service. Analysts scrutinized recovery plans for York,
Duquesne, Chester-Upland and Harrisburg school districts. Those districts are
the four involved in the state’s Act
141, a state oversight program to assist distressed school
districts.
the notebook By David
Limm on Jan 22, 2015 10:33 AM
In a decision Thursday morning, Commonwealth Court has ruled
that the School District of Philadelphia lacked the authority to cancel the
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers' contract when the School
Reform Commission voted last fall to do so and to impose new
health care terms on the union. The
ruling, a victory for the PFT, bars the District from restructuring the
collective bargaining agreement between the teachers' union and the School
District and sends the issues back to the negotiating table. "This Court is cognizant of the dire
financial situation which the District currently faces and the SRC’s extensive
efforts to achieve the overall goal of properly and adequately meeting the
educational needs of the students," said Judge Patricia A. McCullough, who
wrote the
court's opinion. "However,
despite these earnest efforts by the SRC, we cannot find that the
legislature has provided the means expressly required to pursue the current
path chosen by the SRC." The judge
said that despite special powers granted to the SRC under the state takeover
law, elements of state labor law still apply to the District and the union.
Court: SRC cannot impose terms on teachers
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5903 POSTED: Friday, January 23, 2015, 3:01 AM
SCORE ANOTHER one for the teachers union.
The Commonwealth Court ruled yesterday that the School
Reform Commission does not have the authority to cancel the expired contract of
the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and impose terms, dealing a costly blow
to the cash-strapped Philadelphia School District.
The SRC swiftly voted Oct. 6 to unilaterally cancel the
contract and impose changes to health-care benefits on teachers after 21 months
of negotiations. The changes would have required PFT members to contribute
between 5 and 13 percent toward their benefits while eliminating the district's
contribution to the PFT Health and Welfare Fund, saving the district about $44
million annually for the next four years.
In its ruling, the court rejected the SRC's argument that provisions in
the School Code gave it the power to impose terms. According to the court, the
sides would have to declare an impasse, which has not happened.
Anthony Williams makes his
pitch to be Philly's next mayor
WHYY Newsworks BY DAVE
DAVIES JANUARY 22, 2015
With the departure of lawyer Ken Trujillo from the Philadelphia mayor's
race, three Democratic candidates remain. One of them is state Sen.
Anthony Williams. Williams is the son of the late state Sen. Hardy
Williams — a political force in the 1970's and 80's who helped usher in a
generation of black leaders in the city. Anthony Williams has spent 26
years in the legislature — 10 in the state house, and 16 in the senate. He
spoke with WHYY's Senior Reporter, Dave Davies. Williams has historically been
known for pushing for charter schools in Philadelphia ,
though he says he believes simply in school choice. "I don't believe that there's a panacea
out there relative to any menu of options," said Williams.
"Charters may be great in some areas and may not be so great in
other areas. Neighborhood schools may perform well in some areas and may
not perform well in other areas, but the bottom line is we have to get to a system
that serves all."
Turzai expects multiple
charter schools to be approved in Philly
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY
NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5903 POSTED: Friday, January 23, 2015, 3:01 AM
STATE HOUSE Majority Leader Mike Turzai said yesterday he
expects a number of new charter schools to be approved in Philadelphia. Speaking outside a roundtable discussion he
hosted for charter parents, the representative said 27 of the 40 applications
for new schools are from charter operators who are outperforming the average
district-run school, according to the state's School Performance Profile. He
cited a strong demand for more charters, with as many as 40,000 kids on waiting
lists in Philly. The School Reform
Commission is expected to vote on the applications next month.
Expect a court battle over
Wolf's Day 2 firing of Office of Open Records director
Penn Live By Jan Murphy |
jmurphy@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on January 22, 2015 at 5:58 PM, updated January 22, 2015 at 9:19 PM
on January 22, 2015 at 5:58 PM, updated January 22, 2015 at 9:19 PM
It only took to two days into Gov. Tom Wolf's administration
for him to pick a political fight with Senate Republicans who are now
questioning his commitment to bi-partisanship that was part of his inaugural
address on Tuesday. At issue is
whether Wolf holds the authority to fire Erik Arneson. Arneson was appointed as executive director of the
state's Office of Open Records 11 days before former Gov. Tom Corbett left
office. A letter was hand-delivered to
Arneson by a messenger from Wolf's office early Thursday afternoon advises him,
in essence, he was out of a job immediately.
Letter: Stability of
leadership is a key factor in Pittsburgh
Post Gazette January 23, 2015 12:00 AM by Lawrence Ehrlich, Chairman, North Side
Leadership Conference Education Committee
Leadership Conference Education Committee
Wanda Henderson’s Jan. 14 letter (“Stay Focused on Correcting Educational Inequities”) and a
Jan. 4 article (“A+ Schools Looking to Strengthen Advocacy Role”) both
attribute Pittsburgh Public Schools’ student failures and racial inequality to
ineffective teacher performance. As a
retired teacher, I do agree that teachers are a critical component in the
educational experience. But I wonder why A+ Schools and Ms. Henderson choose to
ignore the real elephant in the room, the lack of administrative stability in
so many of our schools. A+ Schools’ own
analysis indicates that over just the last four years, 30 of 49 district
buildings have experienced two or more principal changes. Eight schools have
had three changes in four years.
Rose Tree Media teachers
protest for new contract
By Leslie Krowchenko, Delco
Times Correspondent POSTED: 01/22/15, 11:27 PM EST
MEDIA >> Walking two-by-two and carrying signs reading,
“We Love and Support the Students of Rose Tree Media,” and, “Penncrest High
School — One of America’s Top High Schools,” more than 125 members of the Rose
Tree Media Education Association took to the streets Thursday afternoon to
protest the lack of a new collective-bargaining agreement. Marching along State Street from Media
Elementary School to the Media Courthouse, representatives of the six buildings
in the district alerted passers-by to their situation. They provided a sheet of
talking points and were joined by parents and teachers for the informational
picketing and rally.
College enrollment rates of
18 to 24 year olds increased from 26% to 41% over the past 3 decades
US News Graph: http://www.usnews.com/cmsmedia/c3/48/a60300784ed186026aa05f858cdf/140922collegewm-graphic.png
College enrollment rates
increased for white, black and hispanic 18 to 24 year olds
US News Graph:
Thorough and Efficient: Pennsylvania
Arguing that our state has failed to ensure that essential
resources are available for all of our public school students to meet state
academic standards.
Register
Now! EPLC 2015 Regional Workshops for School Board Candidates and Others
The Education Policy and Leadership Center, with the
Cooperation of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and
Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), will
conduct A Series of Regional Full-Day Workshops for 2015
Pennsylvania School Board Candidates. Incumbents,
non-incumbents, campaign supporters and all interested voters are invited to
participate in these workshops.
Pittsburgh Region Saturday, February 21, 2015 – 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Harrisburg Region Saturday, March 7, 2015– 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Philadelphia Region Saturday, March 14, 2015 – 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401
INVITATION:
Twitter Chat on Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.
The first monthly Twitter chat of 2015 with Pennsylvania’s
major education leadership organizations is set for Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 8
p.m. The January chat will focus on a fair, predictable public school
funding formula and the ongoing work of the state’s basic education funding
commission. Use hashtag#PAEdFunding to participate and follow the
conversation.
On the last Tuesday of each month at 8 p.m., the following
organizations go to Twitter to discuss timely topics, ask questions and listen
to the public’s responses:
·
The Pennsylvania Association of School
Administrators (PASA);
·
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association
(PSBA);
·
The Pennsylvania Association of School Business
Officials (PASBO);
·
The Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small
Schools (PARSS); and
·
The Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate
Units
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.
PILCOP: Children with
Emotional Problems: Avoiding the Juvenile Justice System, and What Does Real
Help Look Like?
This session will help you navigate special education in order
to assist children at home not receiving services, those in the foster care
system or those in the juvenile court system. CLE and Act 48 credit is
available. This session is co-sponsored
by the University of Pennsylvania School of Policy and Practice, a Pre-approved
Provider of Continuing Education for Pennsylvania
licensed social workers. Click here to purchase tickets
NPE 2015 Annual Conference – Chicago
January 4, 2015 NPE 2015 Annual Conference, NPE National Conference
Early-bird discounted Registration for the Network for
Public Education’s Second Annual Conference is now available at this address:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/network-for-public-education-2015-annual-conference-tickets-15118560020
These low rates will last for the month of January.
The event is being held at the Drake Hotel in downtown
Chicago, and there is a link on the registration page for special hotel
registration rates. Here are some of the event details.
There will be a welcoming social event 7 pm Friday night,
at or near the Drake Hotel — details coming soon. Featured speakers will be:
§
Jitu Brown, National Director – Journey
for Justice, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Network for Public
Education Board of Directors
§
Tanaisa Brown, High School Senior, with
the Newark Student Union
§
Yong Zhao, Author, “Who’s Afraid of
the Big Bad Dragon?“
§
Diane Ravitch in conversation with
§
Lily Eskelsen Garcia, NEA President and
§
Randi Weingarten, AFT President
§
Karen Lewis, President, Chicago Teachers
Union
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