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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

PA Ed Policy Roundup April 21: Acting PA Education Sec'y Pedro Rivera begins confirmation process

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3550 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, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, 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 April 21, 2015:
Acting PA Education Sec'y Pedro Rivera begins confirmation process



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. 
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
Register HERE to attend the Lehigh Valley education forum.



Spotlight looms for Wolf's cabinet picks
ANGELA COULOUMBIS, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU  LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Monday, April 20, 2015, 6:34 PM
HARRISBURG - A onetime Philadelphia public-school teacher and principal enters the spotlight Tuesday as one of the first of Gov. Wolf's cabinet nominees to face scrutiny from legislators.
Acting Secretary Pedro Rivera will face questions on his policies and educational approaches from members of the Senate Education Committee. But any hurdles shouldn't be large ones.
"I have not heard any concerns that would rise to the level of him not being confirmed," the committee chairman, Lloyd Smucker (R., Lancaster), said Monday.
Rivera is one of three nominees scheduled for Tuesday hearings.

Wolf’s education pick to begin confirmation process
abc27 By Ali Lanyon Published: April 21, 2015, 3:39 am
On Tuesday, lawmakers will begin the confirmation process for Governor Tom Wolf’s pick to lead the State Department of Education.  Pedro Rivera is the former superintendent of the Lancaster School District. Wolf appointed him in January.  As education secretary, he would run the state’s 500 school districts.  Tuesday morning, an 11 member panel from the Senate Education Committee will ask questions to determine if they believe he is qualified.  If they approve, the next step will be to confirm him with a vote by the full Senate.  That would likely happen in May.

House Democrats sound off on budget, property tax reform
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Monday, April 20, 2015
House Democrats are already chalking up a win in their column for this budget cycle: Being included in the process.  “The good news is, unlike the last four years, House Democrats have been meeting with the governor,” said Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny). “That’s a welcomed change and it’s going well.”  He also said the caucus leadership is excited to see Rep. Stan Saylor’s (R-York) property tax legislation get a committee vote this week as it puts a vehicle in place to input common-ground findings on the issue.  “It’s an indication and a sign that we can hopefully find some common ground on the property tax issue and the rest of the budget issues,” he stated.  He called the proposal “a start” but indicated it lacks elements important to his caucus like education funding.  “We think the governor’s proposal works better for the school districts, the distribution of that proposal—the governor’s proposal—is fairer,” he added, while arguing it also addresses needs of the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

"Pennsylvania’s contribution to basic education funding went from being more than 50 percent of the budget in the mid-1970s to less than 35 percent today. Pennsylvania ranks 47th among the 50 states in the amount of state subsidies it gives to support elementary and secondary education. The state ranks eighth regarding its reliance on taxpayer dollars to fund education, according to the resolution.  On average, other states contribute 44 percent of their budget to education funding, the resolution said."
North Penn School Board approves resolution in support of basic education funding formula
North Penn Life Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 By Jarreau Freeman jfreeman@montgomerynews.com @JarreauFreeman on Twitter
Lansdale >> The North Penn School Board doesn’t seem to be shy about wanting a new basic education funding formula, and at April 16’s action meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution urging the Pennsylvania General to do just that.  Pennsylvania currently has no funding formula.  “We need a funding formula, instead of them taking a dart and throwing it at a wall,” board President Vincent Sherpinsky said prior to the vote.
http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2015/04/21/north_penn_life/news/doc553524ad83290222097682.txt?viewmode=fullstory

"I'm optimistic because at least we're having conversations about that," Hite told reporters after speaking at the Pennsylvania Press Club in Harrisburg. "I'm also optimistic because now many people are talking about educational funding just across the commonwealth. The last election was all about that, in my opinion."
Philadelphia schools chief says district can't cut anymore
Lancaster Online by Associated Press Posted: Monday, April 20, 2015 7:43 pm | Updated: 8:15 pm, Mon Apr 20, 2015.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The superintendent of Philadelphia's public schools said Monday that the district, Pennsylvania's largest, cannot cut anymore services or personnel, as he lobbies state lawmakers for more aid to pull the district out of a persistent deficit.  William Hite said the state has not adequately funded public education in its largest school district. Funding cuts under former Gov. Tom Corbett has meant that the district is receiving less state aid than it got four years ago to educate 200,000 students. Stopgaps and a new cigarette tax have helped while the district shed about one in three employees and closed about one in eight school buildings.
But Hite also said he is optimistic about the possibility of getting more state help, partly because Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's budget would deliver another $160 million to Philadelphia schools and partly because education funding is a top issue.

Philly District begins Round 2 of plan to reinvent neighborhood schools
the notebook By David Limm on Apr 20, 2015 04:48 PM
For a second year, the District is inviting proposals from schools and their communities to overhaul neighborhood schools and reinvent high schools.  Monday's announcement marks the kick-off of Round 2 of the District's efforts to remake the city's neighborhood schools into appealing, cutting-edge options tailored to Philadelphia's mostly high-needs students.
"We do believe that this is a really important way that local school communities can engage in redesigning themselves," said Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn.  Last year, the District approved four schools from among 16 applicants. How many does the District want to approve this year? "We'd love to have up to 10 to 15," said Kihn, but "it will depend entirely on the applicant pool."  Applications for redesign can be based on transformations led by teachers or school leadership, the concept of community schools, proposals from local organizations, or a category of "other." All neighborhood schools except Promise Academies are eligible.

Phila. schools want to reward innovation
KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER  Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 1:08 AM
The Philadelphia school system wants to open more new high schools and continue a program that encourages teachers, principals, and community organizations to overhaul schools from within.  School District officials announced Monday that they were seeking interested parties to raise their hands to design and run innovative small high schools, beginning in the fall of 2016. The new schools, like three opened in the fall, would be neighborhood schools without admissions criteria, and would open with first to ninth graders, adding one grade each year.
The district is also looking for educators and community members to partner with each other as part of its "School Redesign Initiative." Four district schools are in the design phase of this overhaul program; all will implement changes in September.  The schools remain part of the district, accepting neighborhood students.

Mandatory meetings before union vote at Olney Charter School
REGINA MEDINA, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER MEDINAR@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5985  POSTED: Monday, April 20, 2015, 12:16 AM
EXAMS ARE around the corner for city students, and nearly every teacher is squeezing in as much instructional time as humanly possible.  Not so much at Olney Charter High School, whose charter operator, ASPIRA Inc. of Pennsylvania, has pared back instruction and parent-teacher conferences so staff can attend mandatory meetings to hear what a union would mean for the North Philadelphia school.  It's unclear what the cost would be to taxpayers.  Unidentified outside consultants will run the informational meetings - some union advocates describe them as an "anti-union" tactic - today, Wednesday and April 28. The aim is "to assist you in making an informed decision on this matter," school board president Frederick Ramirez wrote in an email.
The meetings were announced Thursday afternoon and leave Olney students with six hours less instruction time at a critical juncture in the school year: Keystone and advanced-placement exams will be held in early May.

Ready for a nasty mayor's race?
JOHN BAER, DAILY NEWS POLITICAL COLUMNIST  Monday, April 20, 2015, 12:16 AM
LET'S TALK ABOUT what happens when the mayor's race gets nasty.  It's Philadelphia. So (a) it surely will; and (b) pretty soon.  In a month and a day, one of six (or if we're being honest, one of three) candidates wins the Democratic primary on May 19.  So let's-get-nasty stakes are high for top contenders Anthony Hardy Williams, Jim Kenney and Lynne Abraham.  There are issues tied to gender, age, connections and candidate records during years of public service.
Who does what to whom and how will decide the winner.

"Williams and Kenney have emerged as the first two candidates to advertise on television. Williams’ campaign has spent almost $200,000 on buying airtime. American Cities, an independent political action committee, has also spent over $1 million on advertisements supporting Williams. While Kenney’s campaign has yet to spend any money on television ads, two independent committees have spent around $500,000 on buying airtime for ads supporting Kenney."
A month until the primaries, endorsements are telling in Philadelphia mayor's race
Daily Pennsylvanian By JONATHAN BAER April 20, 2015
As the Philadelphia mayoral primary enters its final month, Philadelphians will look at two remaining factors to help determine their next mayor: TV ads and endorsements.
Six Democratic candidates are vying to win the Democratic primary on May 19, and the race remains wide open.  While State Sen. Anthony Williams, former District Attorney Lynne Abraham and former City Councilman Jim Kenney have been viewed as the favorites, due to a lack of independent polling, no true frontrunner has been identified.

Easton school district: Don't take your daughters or sons to work on a (state testing) school day
By Nick Falsone | The Express-Times  Email the author on April 20, 2015 at 6:10 AM, updated April 20, 2015 at 1:28 PM
Easton Area School District is telling parents not to pull their children from school on Thursday for the annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day because it conflicts with state-standardized testing.  District Superintendent John Reinhart alerted parents about the district's policy through a message on the district's website. In an interview, he said any student who goes to work with their parents instead of reporting to school on Thursday will be charged with an unexcused absence.  The district's hard stance on the matter outraged one parent to the point that she wrote Gov. Tom Wolf's office asking to intervene.

Letter to the editor: PSSAs not helping education
Centre Daily Times Letter by James Hynes April 21, 2015 
Standardized testing is meant to be a means to an end: one measure of the extent to which learners have mastered basic content, skills and competencies necessary to lead fruitful, meaningful and productive lives. Unfortunately, standardized tests like the PSSAs have become ends in themselves — collectively, a high-stakes zero-sum game where the innate wonder and curiosity of children are twisted and contorted into a confounding mess of ambiguity, self-doubt and stress.  As with all PSSA seasons, this one is marked by weeks of overly intensive “teach-to-the-test” cram sessions where stats and game strategies take precedence over actual learning. Children are expected to somehow sustain a love of learning in an atmosphere where teachers and administrators nervously scramble to reach performance goals on pain of losing funding and, by extension, jobs. The natural consequence of this is that our kids learn the pointless art of cramming, testing and forgetting when they ought to be taking ownership over the knowledge and skills needed to be willing lifelong learners. Meanwhile, even talented veteran teachers burn out in the demoralizing chase of scores that ignore subtle but real successes with diverse flesh-and-blood learners.

"The budget's major expenditure increases include benefits, $2.9 million; salaries, $706,225; capital projects fund, $415,963; and charter schools: $100,000."
Nazareth school district budget calls for increase in real estate tax
By Christy Potter Special to The Morning Call April 20, 2015
Will Nazareth school district budget reaise real estate taxes?
Nazareth Area School District residents will see their real estate taxes go up 1.49 percent if the 2015-2016 school budget is approved as it currently stands.  Superintendent Dennis Riker gave a presentation on the balanced budget, which does not call for teacher job cuts, to the school board Monday evening.  The total budget is $76,872,222 a 4.1 percent increase over the current spending plan. It includes an increase in real estate taxes of 0.75 mills, or 1.49 percent, which is below the Act 1 or 2006 index. The Act 1 index for the district is 1.9 percent, or 0.95 mills.

Hempfield board asks: How would possible program cuts impact students?
Lancaster Online by ROBYN MEADOWS | LNP CORRESPONDENT Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 6:00 am
Hempfield School District officials have chopped $1.4 million from an earlier projected 2015-16 budget deficit of $3.3 million.  Even after taking a scalpel to the $113,367,897 spending plan, a $1.9 million deficit remains.  Meanwhile, school officials said they will continue to analyze expenses and revenues to determine how they can erase the deficit.  District Finance Director Mary Lynne Kniley told the board on April 7 that the district could further narrow or close the deficit by using funds from reserves, reducing programs, raising taxes or a combination of the three.

Come One, Come All: No Telescope Needed
WHYY April 20, 2015
Friday marks the 5th Annual city-wide Astronomy Night, which is the first event of the 2015 Philadelphia Science Festival.  Community centers are the core locations of this NASA-funded City Skies grant program – where kids have assembled telescopes provided by NASA to learn about what they can see in the night skies from their neighborhood and what great activities NASA has assembled at their activities website called NASA wavelength. Find out where in your neighborhood at philasciencefestival.org.
Franklin Institute Awards are Thursday, 4/24. Among the oldest and most prestigious comprehensive science awards programs in the world. Since 1824, 113 F.I. laureates have been awarded 115 Nobel prizes.
Lyrid Meteors – oldest recorded shower – in Chinese observing records in 687 BC – takes place this year Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

View the Storify recap of the 2015 PSBA Advocacy Forum
PSBA members gathered to learn, share and visit with Legislative leaders during 2015 Advocacy Forum, April 19-20

Teachers’ Unions Fight Standardized Testing, and Find Diverse Allies
New York Times By KATE TAYLOR and MOTOKO RICH APRIL 20, 2015
In Florida, the teachers’ union has lobbied to limit the use of standardized tests, and the governor last week signed a bill that limits the number of hours students can spend taking them.
The union in New Jersey financed an advertising campaign in which a grim-faced father talks about his son crying because of tests.  And in New York, where local unions have worked closely with parent groups that oppose testing, the president of the state union went so far as to urge parents to opt out of the annual tests, which began last week. 

The New York Times Misses the Story: Opt Out Came from Parents, Not Unions
Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch April 20, 2015 
In a story published in the New York Times, Kate Taylor and Motoko Rich describe test refusal as an effort by teachers’ unions to reassert their relevance. This is ridiculous.
Nearly 200,000 students opted out. They were not taking orders from the union. They were acting in the way that either they wanted to act or their parents wanted them to act.
I emailed with one of the reporters before the story was written and gave her the names of some of the parent leaders of the Opt Out movement, some of whom have spent three years organizing parents in their communities. Jeanette Deutermann, for example, is a parent who created Long Island Opt Out. I gave her the names of the parent leaders in Westchester County, Ulster County, and Dutchess County. I don’t know if any of them got a phone call, but the story is clearly about the union leading the Opt Out movement, with nary a mention of parents. The parents who created and led the movement were overlooked. They were invisible. In fact, this story is the only time that the Times deigned to mention the mass and historic test refusal that cut across the state. So according to the newspaper of record, this was a labor dispute, nothing more. Not surprising that this is the view of Merryl Tisch, Chancellor of the Board of Regents, and of everyone else who opposes opting out.

Thousands of Kids Opt Out of Standardized Common Core Tests Across U.S.
At some schools, up to 70 percent of kids are refusing to take the exams
Time Magazine Christina A. Cassidy/AP April 18, 2015
 (ATLANTA)—Thousands of students are opting out of new standardized tests aligned to the Common Core standards, defying the latest attempt by states to improve academic performance.
This “opt-out” movement remains scattered but is growing fast in some parts of the country. Some superintendents in New York are reporting that 60 percent or even 70 percent of their students are refusing to sit for the exams. Some lawmakers, sensing a tipping point, are backing the parents and teachers who complain about standardized testing.

Parents all over U.S. 'opting out' of standardized student testing
CNN By Kelly Wallace, CNN Updated 7:20 PM ET, Fri April 17, 2015
Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. Read her other columns and follow her reports at CNN Parents and on Twitter.
(CNN) Since one of my daughters is taking the public school state tests for the first time this year, I thought I paid fairly close attention to the debate surrounding the tests themselves, and the concern that schools are too focused on "teaching to the test."  I heard that some parents might engage in a form of civil disobedience and "opt out" -- they would refuse to let their children take the tests. I thought only a few were making that stand.  But then I learned from a friend whose daughter attends a Long Island school that only two kids in her third-grade class took the test. That means 20 or more of her classmates didn't.  I saw local media reports about similar stories in other schools on Long Island, in New York City and its surrounding areas, and in upstate New York.  Something bigger is going on, I thought.

According to PhillyMag.com the estate is owned by Vahan Gureghian who purchased the land for $28.9 million with the intentions of building a large estate home.
Unfinished Palm Beach Mansion Listed on Sale for $84,5 Million
eXtravaganzi by SLAMCHICA  March 30, 2015
Now’s your chance to purchase a brand new estate home in a very exclusive oceanfront stretch of Palm Beach, Florida. An unfinished 35,000 square foot Mediterranean mansion has come on the market for a staggering $84.5 million. The palatial residence sits on 2-acres of land with 242′ of direct ocean frontage. It’s currently under construction, and according to the listing it will include a bowling alley, home theatre, pub room, as well as five bedrooms, and seventeen bathrooms.

Study: No Academic Difference For Voucher Students
StateImpact Indiana BY RACHEL MORELLO APRIL 17, 2015 | 10:53 AM
New research is adding fuel to one of the most heated debates on Indiana’s modern education scene.  A new study released Thursday suggests no measurable difference between students using school vouchers and their peers studying in public schools.  According to a report from the bipartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability in Chicago, school choice in Indiana is “designed to funnel taxpayer money to private schools, with little evidence that demonstrates improved academic achievement for students who are most at risk.” The study compared Indiana’s program with those in Milwaukee, Cleveland and Washington, D.C. – some of the oldest voucher programs in the country – where they say they found similar results.
CTBA researchers say their findings indicate “no compelling reason to subsidize Indiana school vouchers with public taxpayer dollars.”  Indiana has one of the biggest school voucher programs in the country, with close to 30,000 participants receiving public funds to attend private schools.

"Based at Electronic Arts’ Silicon Valley headquarters, GlassLab is bristling with PhD-level learning scientists and assessment experts who are experimenting with ways to combine game mechanics with academic content. The effort’s ultimate aim is essentially to do away with standardized testing as we know it."
Smart video games can assess kids better than standardized tests, a new book says
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss April 21 at 4:00 AM  
A new book is being released on Tuesday titled “The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter.” If you doubt the title, read this post — and then the book.
It was written by Greg Toppo, USA Today’s national K-12 education writer, who spent eight years as a teacher in public and private schools before becoming a journalist. He worked for the Associated Press as its national K-12 education writer, moving to USA Today in 2002. In 2010, Toppo was a Spencer Fellow at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and the next year, he co-led a team of USA Today  reporters that investigated educators cheating on standardized tests, prompting the inspector general in Washington D.C. to launch a probe into high erasure rates on test forms.  Now Toppo has taken his  special interest in technology and how video games help students learn and put it in his new book — and in the following post.


Young Voters in the Capitol April 22 8:00AM - 5:00PM
N. 3RD ST.HARRISBURGPA 17120
PCCY: Join your neighbors, meet your local legislators and make a difference as we fight for a fair education funding formula in this year’s state budget.  We’ll provide: a brief training, materials, lunch and transportation to and from the Capitol and we’ll even schedule visits with legislators for you!  If you need transportation let us know!  We will be departing from in front of the United Way Building at 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway promptly at 8am.  We will return to Philly by approximately 4:30pm.  If you plan to meet up with us in Harrisburg, we will meet in the Capitol by 10:30am.  We will wrap up the day back in Philadelphia with a happy hour at Field House (1150 Filbert St.) from 5-7 pm.  We hope you can join us!

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
PHILADELPHIA—The School District of Philadelphia, in partnership with local organizations, will host seven community budget meetings. District officials will share information about budget projections and request input on school resources and investments.  Partnering groups include the Philadelphia Education Fund, POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness Empower & Rebuild), Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), local clergy and community advocates. All meetings will be held 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The dates and locations are as follows:
 Wednesday, April 15
Northeast High School, 1601 Cottman Ave.
 Wednesday, April 22
Bartram High School, 2401 S. 67th St.
 Tuesday, April 28
West Philadelphia High School, 4901 Chestnut St.
 Wednesday, May 6
Dobbins High School, 2150 W. Lehigh Ave.
 Tuesday, May 12
South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St.
 Thursday, May 14
Congreso, 216 West Somerset St.
 Wednesday, May 20
Martin Luther King High School, 6100 Stenton Ave.

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:
  • 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 Valleycentral 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. 
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
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
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
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
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
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 HERE to attend.

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

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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