Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3525 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, 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 February
13, 2015:
PA House
committee debates Common Core, Keystone exam requirements
Upcoming Basic Education Funding Commission hearing
scheduled in Dauphin County
PA
Basic Education Funding Commission website
Thursday, February 26, 2015, 11 am Dauphin County, location TBA
Wolf unveils proposal for
5-percent natural gas tax
MICHAELLE BOND AND AMY WORDEN, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS LAST UPDATED: Thursday, February 12,
2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: February 11, 2015, 9:53 AM
With public sentiment behind him and a deficit on the horizon,
Gov. Wolf on Wednesday unveiled his plan to impose on natural gas drilling a 5
percent tax that he said could generate $1 billion for the state's public
schools. Bracing for pushback from the legislature, Wolf said lawmakers should
follow the lead of pro-business states that have imposed drilling taxes amid
the gas-industry boom. "This is the
best thing that could happen to the industry, because it's going to make all of
us in Pennsylvania partners in the success of
this industry," Wolf said at a news conference at a Chester County
Wolf right on natural gas:
Tax it and help our schools
Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday proposed a 5 percent severance tax
on the value of all natural gas extracted in Pennsylvania and an additional 4.7 cents per
thousand cubic feet extracted.
Pa. adoption of core
standards, Keystone Exams remain as controversial
Penn Live By Jan Murphy |
jmurphy@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 12, 2015 at 2:49 PM, updated February 12, 2015 at 2:57 PM
on February 12, 2015 at 2:49 PM, updated February 12, 2015 at 2:57 PM
Pennsylvania Core Standards and Keystone Exams weren't popular when they were enacted a year and a half ago and
that hasn't changed. That became evident
at a House Education Committee hearing on Thursday when these controversial
grade-level learning goals and the subject-specific exams that will determine a
student's eligibility to graduate high school, starting with the Class of 2017,
were the focus of discussion. Giving
rise to this conversation that ran all morning and spilled into the afternoon
are two bills that are awaiting consideration by the committee. One bill would appoint a commission to review the core
standards and recommend improvements. The other bill would scrap the seven yet-to-be
developed Keystone exams and give public schools the option of using the
Keystone Exams or any statewide assessment as a graduation requirement.
PSBA testifies on Keystone
Exams and Academic Standards Commission
PSBA NEWS RELEASE February 12, 2015
Today, the PA School Boards Association (PSBA) President
William S. LaCoff and Senior Director of Government Affairs John Callahan
testified before the House Education Committee on HB 168 and HB 177, both of
which PSBA supports. House Bill 168 removes Keystone Exams as graduation
requirement and halts development of additional state tests. House
Bill 177 creates an Academic Standards Commission to study and offer
recommendations concerning the Pennsylvania Core Standards. PSBA supports this
bill because it provides an avenue for further public review and an opportunity
to suggest adjustments if necessary.
“School boards believe that assessments do not need to have
high-stakes consequences to send meaningful signals to students and schools or
to provide policymakers with useful information,” said LaCoff. “Testing should
inform and enhance instruction, not impede instruction.”
Skipping the tests: Pennsylvania
Seeds of discontentment with standardized testing are taking
root in Lancaster
County
The number of third- through eighth-grade students here who
were opted out of state exams in math and reading rose to 87 last year,
according to the state Department of Education. That's more than five times the
2013 number: 15. The county figures
mirror a statewide spike in math opt-outs from 490 in 2013 to 1,064 in 2014.
(Statewide reading opt-out numbers were similar to the math figures but varied
by a few students.) Local opt-out
advocates called the growth exciting, while school officials expressed mixed
opinions. And as U.S. Congress considers rewriting key legislation related to testing,
some in both roles are hoping for a wider change.
House committee debates
Common Core, Keystone exam requirements
By Karen Langley / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau February 13, 2015 12:00 AM
The House Education Committee on Thursday heard testimony on
two proposals that could affect what the state’s public school students are
required to learn.
The biology crisis at
Overbrook High
The 129 students enrolled in biology, instead, have seen their
teachers reassigned, classes changed and little instruction in the biology lab
since the fall for a course that is a state requirement for high school
graduation.
Inside Take: New Charters
Should Be Unacceptable to All
Donna Cooper: “No
child should be harmed so another child can be helped.”
Philly Mag Citified Opinion BY DONNA COOPER | FEBRUARY
12, 2015 AT 9:30 AM
image:
http://cdn.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/School-District009.jpg
Conditions in the School
District of Philadelphia Harrisburg
are still unpacking their boxes, the School Reform Commission must decide
whether to approve new charter schools and what cuts to impose on traditional
schools to pay for charter expansion.
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/02/12/philadelphia-charter-schools-unacceptable/#FCpw0XyADrfid7hI.99
"Sharon Ward, director of PBPC, has
accepted a position with the Wolf Administration as director of the Governor’s
Budget Office, effective this week."
Announcement from the
Executive Director of the Keystone
Research Center
Posted by PA Budget and Policy Center
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy
Center and the Keystone Research
Center
"The Public School Employee Retirement
System is killing us," he said.
By Kevin DuffySpecial to The Morning Call
The Salisbury Township School Board approved its preliminary
general fund budget for the 2015-16 school year, which may include pursuing
exceptions for which the district may qualify.
The board approved a tentative general fund budget of
$33,794,749, which would amount to a 1.03 percent increase over the current
budget of $33,450,885. If approved as
proposed by the June 30 deadline, the spending plan would require a real estate
tax levy of 18.1349 mills, or a 0.6 mill increase over the current rate of
17.4956. Board President Russell
Giordano said the district might pursue a referendum exception to the state
Public School Employees Retirement System to increase the tax rate beyond its adjusted
index. Districts are permitted to apply for such exceptions, when qualified,
when adopting their preliminary budgets to gain flexibility.
WHYY Newsworks/Keystone Crossroads BY EMILY PREVITI, WITF FEBRUARY 12, 2015
Some legislators think the Commonwealth should have stricter
rules governing how local government units and public school districts borrow
money. Citing the capital
city of Harrisburg's debt crisis, they introduced four bills targeting the
state's Local Government Unit Debt Act, or LGUDA, in 2013. They did it in
ceremonial fashion with a news conference at the publicly-owned incinerator tied
to more than half the municipality's nearly $600 million obligation.
Fund Our Schools
Like a breath of fresh spring air in the middle of the winter,
Gov. Tom Wolf this week talked about his plan to restore funding to our
schools. After touring an elementary school on Wednesday morning, he announced
a proposal to impose the 5 percent natural gas extraction tax that he promised
during his campaign. He estimated it would raise about $1 billion in the first
year and said the “lion’s share” would be dedicated to education – which would
put the figure close to what Gov. Corbett cut from our schools. Gov. Wolf explained, “We have to make sure
that we’re funding schools adequately, and this is a source of funding that’s
fair for Pennsylvanians. … We have the natural resources to actually do
something about the problem here.” [Post-Gazette,PowerSource,
2-12-15] Further underscoring the fact that he really does get the problem,
Gov. Wolf noted:
"The commonwealth ranks 45th in the nation in percentage
of state funding for public education, and as a result, we have seen larger
class sizes, fewer teachers, and vital program cuts. These cuts have made it
more difficult for students to get a strong education in Pennsylvania ’s public schools. This is the
right thing to do for our children and our economy and to move Pennsylvania forward. [PAhomepage.com
2-11-15]"
Education the centerpiece of
Helen Gym’s run for City Council At-Large
UC Review By Nicole Contosta Staff Reporter Wed, Feb 11, 2015
The chant "run,
Helen, run," reverberated throughout the Ethical Society of Philadelphia
February 9th. There, hundreds of supporters gathered to cheer Helen Gym’s
campaign launch for this spring’s primary election. Gym, who formerly taught at the Lowell Elementary School ,
helped co-found Parent’s United - an organization geared towards strengthening Philadelphia Philadelphia
http://ucreview.com/education-the-centerpiece-of-helen-gyms-run-for-city-council-atlarge-p5445-1.htm
The Huffington Post | By Rebecca Klein
Posted: 02/12/2015 2:54 pm EST
The U.S.
high school graduation rate reached a new high of 81 percent for the 2012–2013
school year, according to data released Thursday by the Department of
Education. Since 2010, states have been
calculating their four-year high school graduation rates using a uniform
measure, so that accurate comparisons can be made between different parts of
the country. Eighty-one percent is the highest high school graduation rate the United States
has seen since states began using this measure, a Thursday statement from the
Education Department said.
Education Committee Sends No
Child Left Behind Update To House
AP By Kimberly Hefling Posted: 02/12/2015 3:17 pm
EST Updated: 28 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-led House education committee
approved a partisan bill Wednesday to update the No Child Left Behind education
law, maintaining annual testing requirements but stripping the federal government
of much of its influence in local schools.
The bill, similar to one passed by the House in 2013 without
one Democrat voting in support, was protested by Democrats. They said it would
lead to the federal government abandoning its responsibility to ensure poor,
minority, non-English-speaking and disabled children receive a quality
education. "Unfortunately, our
Republican colleagues have dismissed every plea for cooperation, and are
pushing a bill that would take American public education in the wrong direction,"
said Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the ranking Democrat of the House Committee on
Education and the Workforce. The bill
passed 21-16 along party lines.
115 education groups: GOP No
Child Left Behind legislation is vastly underfunded
The Republican-dominated House education
committee just approved legislation, H.R. 5, that is a rewrite of the No Child
Left Behind Act with funding levels that critics say are inadequate to properly
support K-12 public education. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman
of the Senate’s education committee, has released draft legislation that
has been hit as well by critics who say the funding levels are below the
fiscal 2012 pre-sequestration total and would harm efforts to improve student
achievement. Here are letters written by
the nonprofit, nonpartisan Committee for
Education Funding, a coalition of some 115 national education groups, and
sent to the leaders of the House and Senate education committees. They detail
funding problems the committee has identified in both pieces of legislation,
and included is a list of programs that would be affected if the legislation
was approved as is.
The Committee for Education Funding was founded in 1969 with a
mission to advocate for adequate federal financial support for the country’s
public education system. A list of its broad array of members — which
includes universities, education advocacy groups, professional education
organizations and more – is at the end of this post.
Stop the Push Out
In Pittsburgh ,
students of color are 2.5 times more likely to be suspended than white
students. Four out of every ten black students are suspended at least one time.
And suspension is just one of the policies, practices, and procedures that
“push out” students, making them less likely to graduate – a serious, and life
altering outcome that feeds the “school to prison pipeline” and
disproportionately impacts students of color and those with disabilities. [Beyond Zero Tolerance, ACLU report, 2013] After meeting with parents all over the city,
the Great Public Schools (GPS) Pittsburgh
coalition has made school push-out one of its primary areas of focus. GPS is
partnering with the Education
Law Center
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015 5:30 PM Dinner, 6PM Meeting
Sci-Tech Academy (107 Thackeray
Ave. , Oakland
Sci-Tech Academy (
More Than a Score: The
New Uprising Against High-Stakes Testing
WHO: Jesse Hagopian and Helen Gym
WHEN: February 13, 2015 at 7pm - 10pm
WHERE: Wooden Shoe Books, 704 South St, Philadelphia, PA
19147
POSTED BY MAX ROSEN-LONG 289SC ON JANUARY 04,
2015
Join us for a book event and discussion between teachers,
students and parents of the new uprising against high-stakes testing with Jesse
Hagopian, editor and a leader of the Seattle MAP test boycott Helen Gym,
cofounder of Parents United for Public Education other speakers to be announced
soon!
Education Voters of PA will
hold a forum about public school funding in York County
Where: York Learning Center, 300 E. 7th Ave., North York
Who: Panelists will include Emilie Lonardi, West York Area
School District superintendent; Scott Deisley, Red Lion Area School District
superintendent; Brian Geller, Northeastern School District director of
operations; Troy Wentz, Hanover Public School District business manager; Ellen
Freireich, York Suburban School Board member; Eric Wolfgang, Central York
School Board member; Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania
Association of School Administrators. Susan Spicka, advocacy coordinator for
Education Voters of PA will facilitate the event.
PSBA 2015 Advocacy Forum
APR 19, 2015 • 8:00
AM - APR 20, 2015 • 5:00 PM
Join PSBA for the second annual Advocacy Forum on April 19-20,
2015. Hear from legislative experts on hot topics and issues regarding public
education on Sunday, April 19, at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg. The next
day you and fellow advocates will meet with legislators at the state capitol.
This is your chance to learn how to successfully advocate on behalf of public
education and make your voice heard on the Hill.
·
Schedule of Events
·
Day One –PSBA headquarters
·
10 a.m. — Early Bird Arrival and Registration
·
10:30-12 p.m. — The State Education Agenda
The chairman of the Senate and House Education Committees will share their perspectives on the education agenda for the 2015-16 session of the General Assembly. Speakers: Senator Smucker, chairman, Senate Education Committee; and Representative Saylor, chairman, House Education Committee
The chairman of the Senate and House Education Committees will share their perspectives on the education agenda for the 2015-16 session of the General Assembly. Speakers: Senator Smucker, chairman, Senate Education Committee; and Representative Saylor, chairman, House Education Committee
·
Noon-1:15 p.m. — Welcome Lunch
·
1:00-12:15 p.m. — Special Welcome and
Introduction: Nathan Mains, PSBA Executive
Director and William LaCoff, PSBA President
·
12:30-1 p.m. — Speaker: Diane Ravitch, nationally known education
historian, policy analyst and author of Reign of Error.
·
1:15-2:00 p.m. — Education Priorities will be
discussed with the Education Secretary Pedro
Rivera
This session provides the latest information on the governor’s proposed state funding plans, the pension crisis and the latest on special education.
This session provides the latest information on the governor’s proposed state funding plans, the pension crisis and the latest on special education.
·
2:00-2:30 p.m. — Federal Education Update:
NSBA
Director of National Advocacy Services Kathleen Branch will join Director of Federal Programs Lucy Gettman from NSBA, to speak about federal advocacy.
Director of National Advocacy Services Kathleen Branch will join Director of Federal Programs Lucy Gettman from NSBA, to speak about federal advocacy.
·
2:30-3 p.m. — Social Media Training (Speakers
to be announced)
·
3-3:15 p.m. — Break
·
3:15-3:45 p.m. — Grassroots Advocacy: How to
be an Effective Advocate
Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Shauna D’Alessandro, school director from West Jefferson Hills SD and PSBA Allegheny Region 14 director, and Mark B. Miller, board vice president of Centennial SD and PSBA BuxMont Region 11 director.
Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Shauna D’Alessandro, school director from West Jefferson Hills SD and PSBA Allegheny Region 14 director, and Mark B. Miller, board vice president of Centennial SD and PSBA BuxMont Region 11 director.
·
3:45-4:15 p.m. — Legislative Update and Lobby
Day Coordination
PSBA’s Senior Director of Government Affairs John Callahan will walk you through legislative issues and priorities that might be addressed the next day during legislative visits by members.
PSBA’s Senior Director of Government Affairs John Callahan will walk you through legislative issues and priorities that might be addressed the next day during legislative visits by members.
·
4:15-5 p.m. — Roundtable Discussion
Network with your fellow board members before visiting your legislator
Network with your fellow board members before visiting your legislator
·
5:00-5:15 p.m. — Break
·
5:15-6:30 p.m. — Dinner Buffet
Enjoy a legislative discussion on the 2015-16 budget and appropriations with Senator Browne
Enjoy a legislative discussion on the 2015-16 budget and appropriations with Senator Browne
·
6:30 p.m. — Adjourn
Campaign for Fair Education
Funding Seeks Campaign Manager
Campaign for Fair Education Funding February 2, 2015
The Campaign for Fair Education Funding seeks a campaign
manager who is a strategic thinker and an operational leader. This position
could be filled by an individual or firm. The manager will lead the day-to-day
operations of the campaign and its government relations, communications,
mobilization and research committees and work in partnership with the campaign
governing board to set and implement the campaign’s strategic direction.
Sign-up for weekly email updates from the
Campaign
The Campaign for Fair
Education Funding website
PA Basic Education Funding
Commission website
Thorough and Efficient: Pennsylvania
Education Funding Lawsuit website
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.
Sign up for National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Network
Friends of
Public Education http://p2a.co/nsbac
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
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 April 24 - 26 – Early Bird Special Registration Open!
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.