Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 16, 2015:
Three wealthy pro-school choice donors spending half a
million dollars a week buying TV time for Senator Williams
More than 3500 PA policymakers now receive our daily Ed Policy Roundup.
If you have a colleague who might find value in it please send their name,
affiliation and email address.
Lehigh Valley Forum on School Funding April 22, 7:00-8:30
Penn State Lehigh Valley 2809
Saucon Valley Rd , Center Valley , PA 18034
The entrance is at the back of the building and parking is available in lots by the school.
The entrance is at the back of the building and parking is available in lots by the school.
Confirmed panelists include:
Dr. Bill Haberl, superintendent, Pen Argyl Area SD
Dr. Joe Roy, superintendent, Bethlehem Area SD
Mr. Rich Sniscak, superintendent, Parkland SD
Mr. Russ Giordano, school board director, Salisbury Township SD
Dr. Russ Mayo, superintendent, Allentown SD
Ms. Stacy Gober, CFO, Bethlehem Area SD
Ms. Susan Gobreski, Executive Director, Education Voters of PA
Moderator: Roberta Marcus, School Board Director, Parkland SD
Dr. Bill Haberl, superintendent, Pen Argyl Area SD
Dr. Joe Roy, superintendent, Bethlehem Area SD
Mr. Rich Sniscak, superintendent, Parkland SD
Mr. Russ Giordano, school board director, Salisbury Township SD
Dr. Russ Mayo, superintendent, Allentown SD
Ms. Stacy Gober, CFO, Bethlehem Area SD
Ms. Susan Gobreski, Executive Director, Education Voters of PA
Moderator: Roberta Marcus, School Board Director, Parkland SD
Register HERE to attend
the Lehigh Valley education forum.
State budget negotiations heating up
By Steve
Esack Call
Harrisburg Bureau April 15, 2015
Gov. Wolf's
'not willing to compromise on his principles,' spokesman says
Penn
Live By Wallace McKelvey |
WMckelvey@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on April
15, 2015 at 1:57 PM, updated April 15, 2015 at 3:05 PM
As
demonstrated by Tuesday's meeting with
Republican leadership, Gov. Tom Wolf plans to play an active role in how his
proposed budget moves through the Legislature.
"The governor told Republican leaders he wants to be personally
involved," said spokesman Jeff Sheridan. "He doesn't want to wait for
a budget to come to him." In the
wake of Tuesday's meetings, House and Senate Republicans are organizing
work groups that will analyze the larger components of the budget, such as
pensions and taxes. Reed said they could begin meeting as soon as Thursday.
Pa. Taxpayers
will find a lot to like in Gov. Wolf's budget: Michael Wood
PennLive Op-Ed By Michael Wood on April 15, 2015 at
1:30 PM
Michael
Wood is research director at the left-leaning Pennsylvania
Budget and Policy Center in Harrisburg
Last
November, Pennsylvania
voters chose by a large margin a new governor who campaigned on increasing
funding for classrooms, enacting a severance tax on gas drillers and making our
tax system fairer. Newly elected Gov.
Wolf delivered on each of these items - and more - in his first proposed
budget. There are many things to like in the governor's plan. The governor's proposal would set Pennsylvania on a new
path after years of stagnation in the wake of the Great Recession. Nowhere is this more evident than in
education. His plan would invest more than $1 billion in PreK-12 and higher
education in 2015-16. This would include
increased basic education, special education, and early childhood funding.
Additional state dollars would immediately benefit schools and help reduce
pressure on local taxpayers.
'I do not think
there are any Republican votes' for Gov. Wolf's budget, House GOP leader says
Penn
Live By Wallace McKelvey |
WMckelvey@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on April
15, 2015 at 12:57 PM, updated April 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM
House
Majority Leader Dave Reed said Wednesday that he's willing to bring Wolf's proposed budget to the
floor, but believes it would not have the votes to pass. "If the governor requests me to do that
next week, we would try to accommodate that next week," he said. During recent budget hearings and public
statements, Gov. Tom Wolf and other top democrats have repeatedly said the
budget isintended to be taken as a whole.
Indeed, many of its key components--such as property tax relief and other tax
increases--are intertwined. But Reed
said he's doubtful that the Wolf budget has anywhere near the 102 votes
necessary to pass the House. "I do
not think there are any Republican votes for the governor's budget as a
whole," he said.
"Lawmakers say
bipartisan "working groups" will begin meeting this week to tackle
the different pieces of the commonwealth's spending plan and try to find common
ground. Senate Democrats say it's a
method used most recently under former Governor Ed Rendell, and they're happy
to see it return."
WHYY
Newsworks BY MARY WILSON
APRIL 16, 2015
PhillyDeals:
Pa. Rep. Grell is chosen to head PSERS
Philly.com
by JOSEPH N. DISTEFANO POSTED: Thursday, April 16, 2015, 1:08 AM
After a
"national search," Pennsylvania 's
underfunded Public School
Employees' Retirement System, based in Harrisburg ,
said Wednesday that it has offered its top job to a candidate from close to
home: State Rep. Glen R. Grell (R.,
Cumberland ). Grell's predecessor, Jeffrey Clay, who retired a year ago,
was paid $237,000 a year, which would be a big raise over the $86,000 Grell
earned as a state representative. He is "still negotiating" his pay
with PSERS, spokeswoman Evelyn T.
Williams told me. In a
statement, Grell said he would miss representing his Harrisburg-area district,
and thanked the PSERS trustees who selected him. The trustees - aides to the
governor, teacher and school board representatives, and lawmakers - are
familiar faces to Grell because he was a member of the board until January,
when he was replaced by state House leaders with Rep. Stephen Bloom, also a Cumberland County Republican.
American Cities, the
committee funded by three wealthy pro-school choice donors, started its ads for
Williams in late March, and is spending a half million dollars a week buying TV
time.
Pro-Williams
group spending at $4-million pace
WHYY
Newsworks DAVE DAVIES OFF MIC A
BLOG BY DAVE DAVIES APRIL
15, 2015
An
independent group backing Philadelphia mayoral candidate State Sen. Anthony
Hardy Williams is on a pace to spend $4 million dollars on advertising in the
race.
American
Cities, the committee funded by three wealthy pro-school choice donors, started
its ads for Williams in late March, and is spending a half million dollars a
week buying TV time. The group has now bought more than $1.5 million worth of
TV and radio ad time, according to sources familiar with the placements. American Cities spokesman Joshua Morrow
declined to discuss the PAC's plans, but if it keeps buying at that clip, the
group will spend around $4 million dollars by the May 19th primary election. The committee could decide to spend less as
the election approaches, of course, but the same three donors put more than $5
millions into Williams' campaign for governor five years ago. American Cities isn't the only independent
group buying ads in the Philadelphia mayor's race. Two independent groups
backing Jim Kenney, Build a Better America and Forward Philadelphia,
have spent around $900,000 on ads so far. At that pace, they'd top $2 million
for the race. For some perspective I
spoke to Kytja Weir, who follows spending in state elections for the Center for
Public Integrity in Washington
"One very glaring
omission in this discussion is the reason that businesses need intermediaries
like CSFP to funnel money to private and especially religious schools. These
corporations cannot donate tax-credited funds directly to these schools because
our state constitution explicitly forbids it. Article III, Section 15, of the Pennsylvania State
Letters: Dispersing the EITC smokescreen
Letters: Dispersing the EITC smokescreen
Philly Daily News
Letter by Gloria C. Endres Posted: Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 12:16 AM
THE OPINION piece by Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia's executive director, Ina Lipman, ("Clearing the air over EITC programs") clouds the issue even more.
THE OPINION piece by Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia's executive director, Ina Lipman, ("Clearing the air over EITC programs") clouds the issue even more.
Lipman
disingenuously leaves out some important facts and figures while using heart
tugging anecdotes to deflect from the real problems surrounding the Education
Improvement Tax Credit Act (2001) and its offshoot, the Opportunity Scholarship
Tax Credit Act, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett, in 2012. Lipman's article does not, for example,
mention the gradual increase of tax-supported funding that goes toward these
programs and scholarships. In 2012, it was $75 million. Now it is up to $150
million, and a bill in Harrisburg ,
if passed, will raise it to $250 million. That is public money from the general
fund funneled to private and religious education across the state.
Haven't seen any press
coverage or analysis of this yet.....
The Feasibility of Alternative Methods for Authorizing
Charter Schools in Pennsylvania
PA
Legislative Budget and Finance Committee Report, April 2015
Work being
done on child abuse background checks law to provide clarity
Penn
Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter on
April 15, 2015 at 1:35 PM, updated April 15, 2015 at 2:19 PM
Nearly
152,000 requests for child abuse clearances
poured into the ChildLine office of the state Department of
Human Services in the first two months after a new background check
law took effect on Dec. 31.
Out of those applications that have been processed, 185 - less than 1
percent - were submitted by individuals with some history of child abuse. Given that small percentage, is this law that
requires anyone who has routine interaction with children in a work or
volunteer capacity to obtain criminal background checks and a child abuse
clearance overkill? You
would be hard-pressed to find any child advocate to say that. Rather they say
if anything, it is a reason to celebrate the fact that perpetrators of child
abuse were prevented from gaining access to children. Yet even advocates are seeing a world of confusion
surrounding the new law and believe some tweaking could help
the public better understand what it requires.
Nearly 15
percent of New Jersey
GEOFF
MULVIHILL, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Wednesday,
April 15, 2015, 5:06 PM
TRENTON,
N.J. (AP) - Preliminary results show nearly 15 percent of New Jersey high
school juniors and less than 5 percent of grades three through eight refused to
take a new standardized test being given for the first time this year in all
districts, state education officials said Wednesday. The test
is being given in all districts twice. Most finished the first round last
month; the second round begins later this month. The test, intended to measure whether
students are meeting the nationwide Core Content standards, are the subject of
criticism and a boycott movement in New Jersey and many of the dozen other states
where they have been rolled out this year.
State education officials have warned that districts where less than 95
percent of eligible students take the test could risk losing federal education
money, though critics doubt that will happen.
"This
is a halftime moment where we wanted to share a snapshot," Education
Commissioner David Hespe said in a phone interview about the test, called the
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. The state Department of Education sent the
preliminary information in a memo to school officials Wednesday.
Over 50% of students in some New York
Business
Insider by ABBY
JACKSON APR. 15, 2015, 6:24 PM
Tuesday
marked the start of state standardized testing in New York , and opt-out figures have been
coming in as huge numbers of parents boycott standardized tests. These tests are part of the Common
Core, nationwide public school standards that some parents and teachers
have attacked for putting too much of the focus on test-taking instead of
learning.
The
English Language Arts tests will run this week, and math exams will start next
Wednesday. While no official state-wide opt-out numbers are yet available,
figures are starting to emerge at certain schools and districts. The biggest New York
state opt-out numbers look to be centered in pockets throughout Long Island,
Westchester, and Buffalo ,
where Common Core vitriol runs particularly deep.
Thousands of
students opt out of state mandated English Language Arts exam as families from
Brooklyn to Buffalo
BY LISA L.
COLANGELO , BILL
HUTCHINSON , CORKY
SIEMASZKO NEW YORK
DAILY NEWS Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 8:59 PM
It's an
anti-testing tsunami.
Thousands
of families across the Empire
State said no to standardized testing, boycotting the state-mandated
English Language Arts exams which began Tuesday. While accurate figures were hard to come by,
testing opponents, parents groups, and school officials from Boerum Hill, Brooklyn , to Buffalo all agreed the number is likely to
far exceed the 60,000 students who refused to take the test last year. “From what I’m hearing from other
superintendents, it could be at least 300,000 students across the state that
opted out,” said William Cala, superintendent of Fairport
Central School
District near Rochester .
Two thousand
kids in West Seneca schools opt out
Thousands
of students have refused to take state standardized tests Tuesday in the
Buffalo Niagara region, the first day of English Language Arts tests given to
third through eighth graders across New
York State West Seneca School District Northwood
Elementary School West Seneca
was approximately 30 percent.
Students
opting out soars this year in CNY; some districts up more than 600 percent
Syracuse.com
By Elizabeth Doran | edoran@syracuse.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on April
14, 2015 at 4:59 PM, updated April 14, 2015 at 5:13 PM
The
number of students opting out of this year's state assessment tests in English
soared at most Central New York school
districts, superintendents report today.
Overall, thousands of students across Central New
York boycotted the test, according to a survey of districts. Some
districts saw the number of students refusing to take the exams increase more
than 600 percent. For example, Liverpool reported 192 students opted out
in 2014; that surged to 700 so far this year, according to Superintendent Mark
Potter.
Citing trouble
finding fill-ins, Philly schools seek to outsource substitute teachers
WHYY
Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY
APRIL 15, 2015
In
what's become a more common strategy for public schools all over our region,
the Philadelphia School District
That's
welcome news to Maritza Hernandez, principal of Julia De Burgos elementary
school in North Philadelphia . Of the 50 teachers in her building, she says
she has at least one — but sometimes many — call out each day of the week.
Sometimes it's for health or medical reasons, but many other times, she says
teachers just get burned out. "Just
frustration for lack of resources. We try to make it as positive as it can be,
but unfortunately it just doesn't always turn out that way" said
Hernandez, one of the district's many first-year principals. She says many substitutes don't want to come
to 4th and Lehigh. De Burgos elementary sits in a neighborhood that's often
plagued by drug-related gun violence. "They
say, 'No, I'm not going to come in. Not here.'"
"Entries must complete
the following prompt: "Fully fund my education because . . . ," and
can be submitted online at studentsspeak.phila.gov or in person at the Mayor's
Office of Education, Room 115, City Hall. The deadline is May 5."
New campaign
gives Philly students voice in funding debate
SOLOMON
LEACH, DAILY NEWS STAFF
WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5903 POSTED: Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 12:16 AM
SASHEIKA
DUFFUS is pleading to rehire counselors and teachers. Mayegan Brown is
advocating for more administrators. Now
the two 11th-graders have a chance to be heard - or read or seen - thanks to a
campaign launched yesterday by Mayor Nutter called "Students Speak!"
that allows students to submit a written or video essay on the need for full
and fair funding in the city's public schools.
"Education is about these young people," Nutter said in
announcing the initiative at A. Philip Randolph Career Academy in Nicetown
during a joint news conference with Superintendent William Hite and
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan. "[Students]
want an education. They want their voices to be heard." Nutter noted that his proposed property-tax
hike would raise an additional $103 million for the city school district,
calling it the "only funding option out there" that does not rely on
"one-time gimmicks" or major legislative changes - an apparent dig at
the Democratic candidates vying for mayor, and perhaps at City Council members,
who oppose a tax hike.
Drexel, Penn
pay Central team's way to robotics championship
KRISTEN
A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: Thursday, April 16, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Wednesday, April
15, 2015, 2:54 PM
A caller
awaited Central High School St. Louis
next week - but needed $35,000 to get there.
"He told me it was important for us to be at Worlds,"
principal Timothy McKenna said. "He said he was going to make calls on our
behalf." The mayor called back
within the hour telling McKenna the team was on its way. The RoboLancers, who receive no money from
the struggling Philadelphia School District , were promised $20,000 each from the University of Pennsylvania
and Drexel University
to get to the St. Louis
competition.
By Jarreau Freeman jfreeman@montgomerynews.com @JarreauFreeman on Twitter Published: Thursday, April 16, 2015
Lansdale
>> Pennsylvania
has no basic education funding formula, Montgomery County Intermediate Unit
Legislative Services and Grants Development Director Tina Viletto said April 7. “At this moment in time there is no clear, consistent determination as to how a
district receives its funds [from the state],” she said to North Penn School
Board members during their monthly work session. “Without a formula, districts
have a hard time determining how they are going to fund all the needs that face
the school district each year. Without a formula, it is possible that districts
won’t have the revenue to cover the mandatory and necessary costs by the
2017-18 [school year].” Many districts
throughout the region are facing increases in enrollment, climbing retirement
and health care costs, and deficits in the millions. In March, when Gov. Tom Wolf made his budget
proposal, he talked about restoring $1 billion in public education cuts that
occurred under former Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration, and moving the funding
of public education away from the taxpayers.
Pennsylvania
Schools Wait for Budget Passing, Website Shows Possible Funding Increases
Your4state
by Brittany
Marshall 04/15/2015 06:15 PM
By Christina Tatu Of The Morning Call April 15, 2015
Huffington
Post by Pedro Noguera Professor, Steinhardt School
So much
is wrong about the cheating scandal in Atlanta: the miscarriage of justice in
the verdict rendered by Judge Jerry Baxter, the unwillingness of policymakers
to recognize their own culpability in the scandal, the lack of attention to the
educational needs of the children in Atlanta and hundreds of other communities
where failed policies have undermined the quality of education children
receive, and of course, the cheating itself.
There is no doubt that cheating occurred in Atlanta Public Schools
(APS), and that it was systemic, pervasive and involved dozens of educators
across many schools. The fact that there was extreme pressure placed on
educators to obtain higher test scores, and that unrealistic goals for
improvement were set, may explain why it occurred but it does not justify it.
Educators may not get paid like doctors but they are trusted and generally held
in high regard by the public (less so by policymakers) for the work they do.
The mere fact that we apply the term in loco parentis (in
place of parents) to teachers is just one of many indications that they occupy
an important role in our society.
You're
invited to our 2015 YEA! Philadelphia
Investor Panel Competition on April 22nd at Rosemont College! 5:30 meet &
greet; 6:30 Presentations
Young Entrepreneurs Academy - Philadelphia
and suburban middle schoolers make presentations to a panel of local investors
to obtain funding for their business/social movements. We hope you can join us for this fun and
inspiring event. Registration is FREE:
DISTRICT TO HOLD SEVEN
COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETINGS
Wednesday,
April 15
Wednesday,
April 22
Tuesday,
April 28
Wednesday,
May 6
Tuesday,
May 12
Thursday,
May 14
Congreso, 216 West Somerset St .
Wednesday,
May 20
Nominations for PSBA
offices closes April 30
PSBA Leadership Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April 30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and communication, and who have vision for PSBA. The positions open are:
PSBA Leadership Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April 30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and communication, and who have vision for PSBA. The positions open are:
- 2016 President Elect (one-year term)
- 2016 Vice President (one-year term)
- 2016 Eastern Section at Large
Representative - includes Regions 7, 8, 10, 11 and 15 (three-year
term)
Complete details on
the nomination process, including scheduled dates for nominee interviews, can
be found online by clicking here.
Please join Education Voters, school
officials, community leaders and guest legislators at upcoming community forums
in the Lehigh Valley, central PA, and Southeastern PA to discuss school
funding and state funding policy. Click HERE for more details.
Pre-registration for the forum is recommended, but not necessary.
Lehigh Valley Forum April 22,
7:00-8:30
Penn State Lehigh
Valley 2809 Saucon Valley Rd , Center Valley , PA 18034
The entrance is at the back of the building and parking is available in lots by the school.
The entrance is at the back of the building and parking is available in lots by the school.
Confirmed panelists
include:
Dr. Bill Haberl, superintendent, Pen Argyl Area SD
Dr. Joe Roy, superintendent, Bethlehem Area SD
Mr. Rich Sniscak, superintendent,Parkland SD
Mr. Russ Giordano, school board director,Salisbury
Township SD
Dr. Bill Haberl, superintendent, Pen Argyl Area SD
Dr. Joe Roy, superintendent, Bethlehem Area SD
Mr. Rich Sniscak, superintendent,
Mr. Russ Giordano, school board director,
Ms. Stacy Gober,
CFO, Bethlehem Area SD
Ms. Susan Gobreski,
Executive Director, Education Voters of PA
Moderator: Roberta
Marcus, School Board Director, Parkland SD
Register HERE to attend the Lehigh Valley education forum.
Central PA education forum
Tuesday,
April 28, 6:30-8:30
Grace Lutheran Church (in Harkins Hall), 205 S. Garner Street, State College
Grace Lutheran Church (in Harkins Hall), 205 S. Garner Street, State College
Panelists
Dr. Cheryl Potteiger, superintendent, Bellefonte Area School District
Ms. Kelly Hastings, superintendent, Keystone Central School District
Mr. James Estep, superintendent, Mifflin County School District
Mr. Sean Daubert, CFO, Mifflin County School District
Dr. Robert O’Donnell, superintendent, State College Area School District
Mr. David Hutchison, school board member, State College Area School District
Ms. Cathy Harlow, superintendent, Tyrone Area School District
Mrs. Linda Smith, superintendent, Williamsburg Community School District
Dr. Cheryl Potteiger, superintendent, Bellefonte Area School District
Ms. Kelly Hastings, superintendent, Keystone Central School District
Mr. James Estep, superintendent, Mifflin County School District
Mr. Sean Daubert, CFO, Mifflin County School District
Dr. Robert O’Donnell, superintendent, State College Area School District
Mr. David Hutchison, school board member, State College Area School District
Ms. Cathy Harlow, superintendent, Tyrone Area School District
Mrs. Linda Smith, superintendent, Williamsburg Community School District
Register HERE to attend the central PA education forum.
Southeastern PA Regional
Meeting on School Funding
Wednesday April 29th 7:00 pm Springfield High School Auditorium, 49 West Leamy Avenue, Springfield, PA 19064
Wednesday April 29th 7:00 pm Springfield High School Auditorium, 49 West Leamy Avenue, Springfield, PA 19064
Local school
district leaders will discuss how state funding issues are impacting our
children’s educational opportunities, our local taxes and our communities.
Hosted by Delaware County School Boards Legislative Council, Education Voters of PA, the Keystone State Education Coalition and Public Citizens for Children and Youth
Hosted by Delaware County School Boards Legislative Council, Education Voters of PA, the Keystone State Education Coalition and Public Citizens for Children and Youth
Panelists:
Mr. Frank Agovino, school board president, Springfield
School District and Board of Directors, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
Dr. James Capolupo, superintendent, Springfield School
District
Dr. Wagner Marseille,
Acting Superintendent, Lower
Merion School District
Mr. Joe Bruni, superintendent, William Penn School District
Dr. Richard Dunlap, superintendent, Upper Darby School
District
Mr. Stanley Johnson.
Executive Director of Operations, Phoenixville Area
School District
Ms. Susan Gobreski, Executive Director, Education Voters of
PA
Moderator: Mr. Lawrence Feinberg, Chairman, Delaware County
School Boards Legislative Council
Registration info to be
provided soon.
All are invited for a screening of the
documentary:
STANDARDIZED: Lies, Money
& Civil Rights—How Testing is Ruining Public Education Monday,
April 27, 7-9PM
The Saturday Club, 117 West Wayne Avenue,
Wayne, PA
Standardized testing
has long been a part of public education. Over the last ten years however,
education reform has become an increasingly heated political issue and
seemingly a highly profitable target market for private enterprise resulting in
expanded and high-stakes testing. While some hold the view that testing is an
effective assessment of student ability and teacher and school effectiveness,
many feel these exams are instead undermining our students, teachers and
schools. Daniel Hornberger’s STANDARDIZED documentary raises issues
about this model of education reform and
the standardized testing that goes along with it. The film includes interviews
with prominent educational experts and government officials who take aim at the
goal of standardization that is being promoted and imposed by our federal and
state governments. It sheds light on the development, nature and use of these
assessments, the consequences of high-stakes testing, and the ostensible
private enterprise and government agendas behind them.
A Q&A session with a panel
of informed parents, teachers and experts will follow.
This screening is made possible
through a collaboration of Radnor, Tredyffrin/Easttown and Lower Merion
concerned parents and PTOs.
Your Right to a Fair Shot: Discrimination Claims, Post-Secondary
and the Professions
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia Tuesday,
April 21, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103
Attendees will learn
about discrimination claims, post-secondary schools and the professions in this
session. You'll learn how federal law aids students with disabilities who
do not qualify for special education services, hear about recent cases, and
understand strategies for getting students services. 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.
Tickets: Attorneys
$200 General Public $100 Webinar $50
"Pay What You Can" tickets
are also available
Who will be at the PSBA Advocacy Forum April 19-20 in
Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg?
- Acting
Ed Sec'y Pedro Rivera
- Senate
Ed Committee Majority Chairman Lloyd Smucker
- House
Ed Committee Majority Chairman Stan Saylor
- Senate
Appropriations Committee Chair Pat Browne
- Diane
Ravitch
- House
Majority Leader Dave Reed
- House
Minority Leader Frank Dermody
- 2014
PSBA Tim Allwein Advocacy Award winners Shauna D'Alessandro and Mark
Miller
How about You?
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.
·
Registration is only $25! We don't want cost
to be a factor. That's how important public education advocacy is!
·
Can't make the two days? Register and come to
either day that works into your schedule.
Details and Registration for PSBA members (only $25.00) https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-forum-day-hill-2015/
Register for the April 18 Education Voters
Advocacy Summit in Harrisburg
Education Voters of Pennsylvania will be
holding a half-day advocacy summit for public education advocates on Saturday
April 18 from 10:00-2:00 in Harrisburg, PA.
During the summit we
will:
- Get an update on Governor Wolf’s budget
from John Hanger, secretary of planning and policy,
- Develop successful advocacy techniques
and strategies to maximize our impact on public policy,
- Receive organizing and communications
training
- Network with other advocates from
throughout the state, and
- Leave prepared to support fair and
adequate state funding for schools this year!
Event Location:
Temple University Harrisburg 234 Strawberry Square Harrisburg, PA 17101
Lunch will be
provided. Please register today! Space is limited.
Curmuducation Blog Saturday, March 21, 2015
I don't get out much. I'm a high school English teacher in a
small town, and kind of homebody by nature. When I leave town, it's for family
or work. But in just over a month, on the weekend of April 25-26, I am taking a
trip to Chicago for neither. The Network for Public
Education is the closest thing to an actual formal organization of the
many and varied people standing up for public education in this modern era of
privatizing test-driven corporate education reform. NPE held a conference last
year, and they're doing it again this year-- a gathering of many of the
strongest voices for public education in America today. Last year I
followed along on line-- this year I will be there.
Beyond a New School Funding
Formula: Lifting Student Achievement to Grow PA's Economy
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM (EDT)
Harrisburg, PA
7:30 am: Light breakfast fare and registration; 8:00 am:
Program
Harrisburg University Auditorium, Strawberry Square 326 Market
Street Harrisburg, PA 17101
Opening Remarks by Neil D. Theobald, President, Temple
University
SESSION I: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ACHIEVEMENT GAPS IN
PENNSYLVANIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS with introduction by Rob Wonderling,
President, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and Member, Center on
Regional Politics Executive Committee.
Presentation by Lynn A. Karoly, Senior Economist, RAND
Corporation
SESSION II: WHAT CAN PENNSYLVANIA LEARN FROM THE WORLD’S
LEADING SCHOOL SYSTEMS? with introduction by David H. Monk, Dean, Pennsylvania State University College of Education
Presentation by Marc S. Tucker, President and CEO,
National Center on Education and the Economy
Sessions to be followed by a response panel moderated
by Francine Schertzer, Director of Programming, Pennsylvania Cable
Network
Program presented by the University Consortium to Improve
Public School Finance and Promote Economic Growth
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