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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for August 24, 2015:
$40,316 per speech/language special ed child: Two
possible reasons special ed funding reforms that would have addressed this
outrageous charter tuition rate were not adopted in 2014
Interested in letting our elected leadership know your thoughts on
education funding, a severance tax, property taxes and the budget?
Governor Tom Wolf, (717) 787-2500
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Turzai, (717) 772-9943
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
Poll: Most Americans oppose key tenets of
modern school reform
What do Americans think of key aspects of modern school reform?
Not much, according to the findings of a respected annual poll. Not only do most Americans think kids are
subjected to too many standardized tests, but a majority reject holding
teachers, students and schools accountable based in part on test scores, the
survey found. And there’s this: The No. 1 problem Americans said their local
schools are facing isn’t bad teachers or unions but insufficient funding, a
finding that has remained consistent for the past 10 years. The findings of the 47th annual PDK-Gallup
poll, the longest continuously running survey of American attitudes toward
public education, were released Sunday. PDK International is a global
association of education professionals and is headed by Joshua Starr, a former
superintendent of the Montgomery County Public School District. PDK has
conducted this poll with Gallup every year since 1969. Some of the survey was
conducted by phone, and some, for the first time, by Web. Results from both are
said be nationally representative of Americans as a whole and subgroups, such
as public school parents. The poll is being published by PDK’s Kappan magazine.
Blogger's note: In spring of 2014 the bipartisan PA Special
Education Funding Commission had completed good work and recommended charter
funding reform that would have created three different levels of severity and
funding for special ed students based upon actual costs. It would have addressed issues in the current
funding formula that permit charter schools to receive an outrageous $40,316
per special ed child, even when the child has a relatively minor speech and
language disability.
Why weren't the
recommendations of the Special Ed Commission adopted?
IMHO, here are two possible
reasons:
According to Pennsylvania's Campaign
Finance website, on March 18th, 2014 Vahan Gureghian, CEO of Charter School
Management, Inc. which manages the Chester Community Charter School, contributed
$75,000 to the PA House Republican Campaign Committee.
On May 5th, 2014 Michael Karp, founder of
Belmont Academy Charter School, contributed $50,000 to the PA House Republican
Campaign Committee. BTW, both were
members of Governor Corbett's initial education transition team. The charter reform bills died…..
"Chester Upland is a
logical battleground: More than half of all of its students attend charters. And the troubled district is now slated to
pay charter schools $40,316 per special-ed child, nearly 75 percent more than
Philadelphia does. Critics say that's because of unanticipated loopholes and
bad assumptions in the formula, not because special education costs more in
Chester Upland."
….Since 2012, the
reimbursement rate for a special-ed student from Chester Upland has skyrocketed
63 percent. Public school proponents say
that high rate has particularly benefited the largest charter school, Chester
Community Charter School, because it enrolls children with speech and language
disabilities at a rate roughly 80 percent higher than the statewide average,
and those students cost less to teach than others in special education."
Battle brews
over charter school compensation for special education students
KATHY BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER POSTED: Sunday, August 23, 2015, 1:08
AM
When it
comes to the way charter schools are paid for teaching children in
special-education classes, critics say Pennsylvania has been flunking basic
math for years - and unfairly subtracting hundreds of millions of dollars from
taxpayers' wallets. Last week, the Wolf
administration took the first step in a case observers say could bring the issue
to a head - a bid to block $24.7 million in charter payouts in the
cash-strapped Chester Upland School District.
Public school advocates say large charter school payouts are the result
of faulty calculations that lawmakers and state officials have had a hard time
erasing. Charter operators counter that the money is needed to offer a quality
alternative to failing public schools. Lawyers
on both sides of the argument are set to clash Monday in Delaware County Court.
Protesters target guv’s
plan for Chester Upland schools
Delco Times By Loretta Rodgers, Times Correspondent POSTED: 08/20/15, 10:40 PM EDT
CHESTER >> The
number of people in attendance at Thursday’s Chester Upland School Board meeting
exceeded room capacity, making it necessary to postpone the meeting and
reschedule it for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Chester High School auditorium. Parents and students of the Chester Community
Charter School and the Chester Upland School District were on hand to protest
Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to restore the district to fiscal health which, among
other things, would cut special education reimbursements for charter school
students. “There were hundreds of
unhappy people here tonight,” said Dr. David E. Clark, Jr., CEO of Chester
Community Charter School. “Charter schools in Chester have an enrollment that
equals 55 percent of the student population in the city. We only receive 45
percent of the revenues, so do the math. Now you are talking about taking away
10 percent of the 45 percent.” Chester
Upland pays $40,000 per special ed student at Chester Community
Charter School
A hearing on the
proposal is scheduled in Delaware County Court on Monday.
"Delaware County Judge
Chad Kenney will decide Monday whether to implement a plan put forth by Gov.
Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera and state appointed
Chester Upland School District receiver Francis Barnes to overhaul the
district's finances."
As Delco judge ponders
Chester Upland schools' fate, parents left in the lurch
WHYY Newsworks BY LAURA BENSHOFF AUGUST 24, 2015
Delaware County
Judge Chad Kenney will decide Monday whether to implement a plan put forth by
Gov. Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera and state
appointed Chester Upland School District receiver Francis Barnes to overhaul
the district's finances. At a school
board meeting Thursday, parents got together to vent their frustrations about
being told that their school might not open at all if more money can't be
found. Latrice Williams said she had
already pulled her son, who is entering the 11th grade, out of the district
after hearing that money problems were brewing a couple of weeks ago. "I was told that they were going to
start having problems with the funding," she said. "How do you start
having problems with the funding? You either having problems with the funding
or you don't." Williams said she's
still weighing her options for her two daughters, ages 6 and 7, who are
enrolled at Chester Upland School of the Arts.
Wolf's plan to salvage the
Chester-Upland schools is off the mark: Robert Fayfich
PennLive Op-Ed By Robert Fayfich on August 21, 2015
at 2:00 PM
Robert Fayfich is the executive director of
the Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom
Wolf's proposed amended
recovery plan for the financially-distressed Chester Upland School District,
which was introduced on Tuesday, would not only usurp the power of the
General Assembly, destroy parental school choice and maintain the status quo in
a failing district. It may also be
illegal. The plan's fundamental premise
is to blame the demise of the school district on the increasing number of
parents selecting charter schools for their children.That logic is like blaming
the rescue crew of the Carpathia for sinking the Titanic. Chester Upland was first to be declared in
financial distress four years before any charter schools existed in the
district. Proposed per pupil
funding caps on cyber charter schools and special education students enrolled
in charter schools are arbitrary, in conflict with state legislation and
potentially illegal, according to the coalition.
Inky Editporial: School
needs are pressing
Editorial by INQUIRER EDITORIAL BOARD POSTED: Sunday,
August 23, 2015, 1:08 AM
At first glance,
Gov. Wolf's decision last week to go to court to change how Chester's charter
schools are funded appeared to mimic President Obama's strategy of seeking
alternatives to a gridlocked legislative process. The legislative stalemate blocking passage of
Wolf's proposed budget, which boosts funding for education, may have been a
factor in his decision. But the Chester Upland School District's decades-old
flirtation with fiscal disaster was what led Wolf to take legal action to
ensure its schools open on time. The
Republican-controlled legislature did move closer to passing a budget last week
by agreeing to increase education funding if Wolf puts more state workers in a
401(k)-style pension plan. But the sides remain divided on taxes, in particular
a levy on shale gas, which Wolf would use to give more money to schools.
Charter schools, districts
have different views on Wolf's proposed budget
Bucks County Courier Times By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer
Posted: Monday,
August 24, 2015 4:00 am | Updated:
6:25 am, Mon Aug 24, 2015.
If Gov. Tom Wolf
gets his way, charter schools in Pennsylvania would have to return any money
not used for yearly expenses to tuition-paying school districts — and all
charters would be paid the same tuition rate.
That’s just part of the governor’s plan involving charter school
funding. Wolf also wants to end the practice of charters receiving more than
100 percent of the costs for pension payments, mandate audits, and have the
state reimburse districts roughly 10 percent of their charter school tuition
payments. Over the years, charter
schools have been keeping unspent tuition.
Charter schools receive per-pupil tuition that varies by district, but
averages $9,500. Under the governor’s proposal, the tuition rate would be set
at $5,950 per child.
New school year to begin
with some question marks
Bucks County Courier Times By Joan Hellyer Staff Writer Posted: Sunday, August 23, 2015 12:00
am | Updated: 6:19 am, Sun
Aug 23, 2015.
Public educators
throughout Lower Bucks
County are preparing for the start of
the 2015-16 school year and at the same time keeping an eye on Harrisburg as the budget stalemate drags on
between Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Legislature. “The state budget is significant for
Morrisville,” Superintendent Mike Kopakowski said Friday. “Our ability to
address some of the district’s concerns regarding (standardized test results)
is almost always related to staffing issues. Until the Legislature and the governor
decide on a budget, we do not know if we will receive any additional state aid.
(The budget stalemate) is hindering our ability to meet the needs of our
students.” The standardized test results
are of special concern to district officials this year, because the education
department has notified them that there are “significant” drops in statewide
scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests administered to
students in third- through eighth-grade and the Keystone Exams administered to high
school students, officials said.
Philly schools could be
broke by mid-October without state money
WHYY Newsworks AUGUST
21, 2015 THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT A BLOG BY SOLOMON JONES
When I was a child,
the start of the school year was a time of giddy anticipation. It was a time of
new clothes, new books, new friends, and the chance to outshine the
accomplishments of the year before. That
was many years ago, before perpetual deficits and the slow erosion of public
trust made books, and then students, and then dozens of underutilized schools
disappear. Sadly, the
excitement that should accompany the start of a new school year in Philadelphia
has been replaced with a nagging sense of anxiety. That's especially true this
year, because the state budget impasse has created a situation in which
Philadelphia's schools could be broke as early as mid-October, according to
Philadelphia School Superintendent Dr. William Hite. "Without monies
coming from the state ... we will have cash to operate and open schools, but at
some point that runs out," Hite told me in a radio interview. "And that runs out because the [money]
that we would normally get from the state between August and September is not
coming. That means that the district has to run on its own cash flow—not just
the district, charter schools—so this could impact all 203,000 children who are
being educated in public schools here in Philadelphia."
Nathan Mains: State budget impasse puts politics above
the needs of students
Morning Call Opinion
by Nathan Mains August 22, 2015
Nathan Mains is executive
director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.
Students and
educators may be ready for the return to the classroom, but it appears that the
Pennsylvania state budget will be tardy when the bell rings. Despite weeks of
negotiations, the budget is almost two months late — a major cause of concern
for school districts that must figure out how to cover operational costs before
knowing what funding they will receive. As
the budget impasse continues, school districts' expenses continue to rise for
pensions, health care and utilities — all costs that are out of districts'
control. Total employer pension contributions for 2015-16 equal 25.84 percent
of school expenses, marking the fifth year of planned increases under Act 120
of 2010. And those numbers are slated to climb to a staggering rate of 32.2
percent by 2019-20. Our school districts
work hard to be fiscally responsible and save for projected and unexpected
needs. But once the school year begins, cash reserves will quickly run dry.
With increasing costs threatening already fragile budgets, more schools will
need to consider taking out loans to make payroll and keep doors open, adding
interest accrual to those overall expenses.
Legislative Republicans
look to override Gov. Tom Wolf's budget veto, one line at a time
By Charles Thompson |
cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August
21, 2015 at 5:30 PM, updated August 21, 2015 at 5:31 PM
Republicans in the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives are planning a series of budget veto
override votes Tuesday in what they say is the quickest and most efficient way
to drive out state funds to human service programs that arestarting to feel the
pinch of the eight-week budget stalemate in Harrisburg. The in-your-face strategy drew immediate and
sharp reactions from Gov. Tom Wolf and his Democratic allies in the
Legislature, who called it unconstitutional and said it called into the
question the legislative leaders' sincerity in the budget negotiations. The next round of face-to-face talks between
Wolf and the legislative leaders is set for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Wolf then, is scheduled to make his response
to aGOP proposal tying
increased school funding to new public pension reforms. It has
the potential to be a major moment in the negotiations.
GOP plans override votes on Pa. budget bill, despite
constitutionality questions
Morning Call By Mark Scolforo Associated Press August 21, 2015
Pa GOP announces
plan to override Gov. Wolf's budget veto
HARRISBURG —
Pennsylvania House Republicans said Friday they will force votes next week to
override the Democratic governor's budget bill veto, one piece at a time,
despite questions about the constitutionality of what they plan to do. House Majority Leader Dave Reed told members
of his caucus that he will call up elements of the vetoed budget bill that
would authorize funding at a similar level to what Gov. Tom Wolf supports. "An override vote on these lines would
be the quickest and most efficient way to get agreed-to, needed funds to these
schools and agencies without additional costs," wrote Reed, R-Indiana. Republicans will hold a 119-to-84 majority
after five newly elected members are sworn in, which means they would need at
least 17 Democrats for the two-thirds majority required to send an override to
the Senate. House Minority Frank
Dermody, D-Allegheny, predicted few, if any, of his members will cross lines,
even if "no" votes could be used to argue the Democrats were against
funding for educational and human services programs they actually support. "This is a political move, is all it
is," Dermody said. "They think they can make some political hay by
making us vote against some of these folks."
Dermody and a Wolf
spokesman called the line-item veto override unconstitutional, and a law
professor who teaches a course on the state constitution agreed.
Budget stalemate at key
junction
Republican Herald BY ROBERT SWIFT Published: August 24, 2015
HARRISBURG —
Pennsylvania’s long-running budget stalemate is reaching a fork in the road
that could lead either to a breakthrough agreement or efforts by Republican
lawmakers to override Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto of their budget bill. The direction may be clearer this week once
Wolf responds to a new offer by GOP leaders to link several hundred million
dollars in new education spending with a shift to a 401(k) style pension
benefit for future state government and school district employees. Education funding and pensions aren’t the only
issues dividing Wolf and the GOP-controlled Legislature, but bridging
differences over that could spur more compromise on other issues. The stalemate has reached its 55th day with
public schools, counties and nonprofit social service agencies coping with
missing state aid payments. State agencies are operating while spending for
medical assistance and welfare programs continues with existing state tax
revenue. The House will attempt a veto override Tuesday of selected spending
items in the vetoed budget as a way to restore funding to service agencies,
House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-62, Indiana ,
said.
Democrats call coming GOP
veto override attempt unconstitutional, irresponsible
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Friday, August 21,
2015
As the House returns
to voting session Tuesday, Democrats are calling a planned GOP attempt to
override certain agreed-to lines of the budget unconstitutional and
irresponsible. In a memo to House
Democrats sent Thursday afternoon, House Minority Leader Frank Dermody
(D-Allegheny) tried to get out ahead of Tuesday’s action by rallying members. "Attempting an override on parts of a
bill that was vetoed in total is unconstitutional," the memo reads.
"Just as importantly, it’s an irresponsible approach to resolving the
current budget impasse. Pennsylvania needs a real budget, not more
grandstanding and gamesmanship." He
told members Republicans decided to suspend “productive budget negotiations” in
June to focus on passing their own budget that did not include Democratic
support or input.
Letters: GOP's offer a
load of manure
Philly Daily News Letter by REP. DWIGHT EVANS POSTED: Friday, August
21, 2015, 12:16 AM
State Rep. Dwight Evans, D- Phila., is a
former chair of the House Appropriations Committee
THERE'S THE STORY about the farmer who finds a boy in his pasture digging furiously into a huge pile of horse manure. "What in tarnation are you doing?" the farmer asks.
THERE'S THE STORY about the farmer who finds a boy in his pasture digging furiously into a huge pile of horse manure. "What in tarnation are you doing?" the farmer asks.
"With all this
manure I figure there's gotta be a pony under there somewhere," the boy
answers. I wish I could find
the pony under all the manure emanating from Republicans' "one-time
offer" Wednesday on the state budget.
Initial reports sounded promising: The GOP leadership in the House and
Senate offered $300 million more in basic education funding in return for
diverting future state workers and public school employees to 401(k)-style
retirement benefits.
But the offer proves
to be more ultimatum than negotiation - all manure, no pony.
OP-ED: Gov. Wolf’s tax
numbers don’t add up
Pottstown Mercury
Opinion by State Rep. Tom Quigley and State Rep. Warren Kampf POSTED 08/23/15,
2:00 AM EDT |
State Rep. Tom Quigley is a
Republican who represents the 146th House District in parts of Montgomery
County. He was first elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2004. State
Rep. Warren Kampf is a Republican who represents the 157th House District in
parts of Chester and Montgomery counties. He was first elected to the
Pennsylvania Legislature in 2010.
Gov. Tom Wolf
recently visited Montgomery County to blast the budget plan that he vetoed,
along with the much-needed pension reform bill. His main argument is that the
budget passed by the Legislature doesn’t add up. He used the term “bad math.” The governor also continues to perpetrate the
myth that a severance tax on the Marcellus Shale industry is holding up a
budget deal and the revenue raised from such a tax would fund the bulk of his
initiatives. A closer look at the
governor’s budget plan reveals that his math is not adding up. He is using the severance tax to play a shell
game, diverting attention from where the real revenue will come from to fund
his budget; the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.
Let’s look at the numbers.
New superintendents face
challenges, stress
Scranton Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL AND KATHLEEN BOLUS, STAFF
WRITERS Published: August 23, 2015
Six area school
districts are welcoming new superintendents with a chalkboard full of word
problems. How do you budget for a new
school year without knowing how much state funding you will receive? How do you make sure rising pension costs
don’t squeeze out funding for school programs?
While juggling a tightening budget, how do you push teachers and
students to meet more rigorous academic standards? The new superintendents in Scranton, Mid Valley,
Forest City Regional, Blue Ridge, Mountain View and Western Wayne school
districts won’t be able to rely on many of their peers for years of advice,
either. In Lackawanna County, only three of 10 superintendents have been in the
position for more than five years — a statistic that mirrors statewide trends. Sixty percent of Pennsylvania superintendents
have been in their districts less than five years. More than half are in their
first contract, according to the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
Many new superintendents have replaced retiring baby boomers, or leaders who
have faced the increased pressure of the job.
“The role of superintendent is so stressful now,” said Jim Buckheit, the
association’s executive director. “We can’t keep having the turnover. If we
really want schools to improve, we need the continuity.”
Changes in store for Erie, Crawford school districts
ERIETIMES-NEWS
By Erica Erwin 814-870-1846 Erie
Times-News August 23, 2015 01:59 PM
ERIE, Pa. -- The
calendar says summer is still going strong.
But the season of
relaxation and freedom ends for thousands of students throughout the Erie
region this week as they head back to school, where they'll be met by new
administrators, new classes and programs and -- a common theme -- new
technology. Here's a look at what
changes to expect in Erie-area school districts in the 2015-16 school year.
Pa. lawmakers consider offering legislation to protect
student privacy
By Rich Lord and
Megan Henney / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette August 24, 2015 12:20 AM
State Rep. Dan
Miller used to be a history teacher, and he didn’t think much of it when his
son’s school invited him to sign up for a mobile phone application that helps
teachers and parents to communicate. If
a school or teacher suggests an app, “The typical parent is going to download
that app, assuming it’s at a reasonable price, and check that out,” said Mr.
Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, a member of the House Education Committee. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s findings on
student data privacy, he said, showed him “that information can also get into
certain hands, certain places, where one has to question the why and the how.” Mr. Miller said he has begun drafting
legislation to protect the state’s students from abuses that could occur when
their data flows into the new world of education technology applications and
websites.
Shadyside-based Niche.com
mines surveys, data for school ratings
Trib Live By Natasha
Lindstrom Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015, 10:30 p.m.
Substitute Superintendent Robert Scherrer of North Allegheny School District pursues public input on how his schools are performing. He hosts monthly forums with parents, convenes regularly with business professionals and faith-based leaders, and asks committees of students, parents and community members to guide major decisions such as a plan to equip 2,100 students this year with iPads or laptops. “When you start to talk to kids and parents,” said Scherrer, who oversees 12 schools centered in the McCandless area, “then you see it through their eyes, and it allows us to get better at what we do.” That's why Scherrer and his administrative team recognize the value in a nationwide K-12 school ranking by Shadyside-based Niche.com Inc.
Substitute Superintendent Robert Scherrer of North Allegheny School District pursues public input on how his schools are performing. He hosts monthly forums with parents, convenes regularly with business professionals and faith-based leaders, and asks committees of students, parents and community members to guide major decisions such as a plan to equip 2,100 students this year with iPads or laptops. “When you start to talk to kids and parents,” said Scherrer, who oversees 12 schools centered in the McCandless area, “then you see it through their eyes, and it allows us to get better at what we do.” That's why Scherrer and his administrative team recognize the value in a nationwide K-12 school ranking by Shadyside-based Niche.com Inc.
Defending the Opt-Out Movement
New York Times
Letters AUG. 21, 2015
“Opting Out of Tests Isn’t the Answer” (editorial,
Aug. 15) does not speak to the reasons our family opted out, or why the vast
majority of the families at our school did. I am not opposed to testing, or
difficult tests; for better or worse, being good at taking tests helped me at
every point of my educational career. But these tests are being used
inappropriately. Opting out allows the growing number of parents dissatisfied
with the direction of so-called education reform to act directly against it,
and, we hope, compel policy makers to forge new directions.
My primary concerns
are the linking of teacher evaluations to test results and the high-stakes use
of these exams for school ranking and funding. Studies have shown the weakness
of these tests for evaluating teacher effectiveness. The state tests inevitably
lead teachers and schools to teach to the test and spend inordinate time on
test prep. This robs children of effective and creative pedagogy and rich
curricular content. Majority poor and nonwhite schools that tend to have lower
test results are even more likely to organize around test prep, at the expense
of a broader curriculum.
Phi Delta Kappa Press
Release on Annual Poll: Public Opposes Standardized Testing and Vouchers,
Splits on Opt Outs
Diane Ravitch's Blog
By dianeravitch August
23, 2015 //
This is the press
release about the annual PDK-Gallup public opinion poll about U.S. education.
As usual, most people think highly of their local public schools but not of
American education, which is not surprising in light of the well-financed
corporate reform campaign to undermine confidence in American public education.
Since 1983, the public has heard that our public schools are “failing,
declining, broken,” yet our nation continues to lead the world by most measures
of productivity and economic stability, technological innovation, scientific
discovery, and economic growth. The big
takeaway in the poll is that the public is disillusioned with the emphasis on
standardized testing in their local public schools. Amazingly, nearly half the
public supports opting out of mandated standardized tests, which until recently
was a very controversial idea. This show of support is great news for the Opt
Out movement, which is likely to grow in the future. 54% don’t want their public schools to
implement the Common Core standards; only 24% of the public support the Common
Core standards and 25% of public school parents. The idea of school choice (among public
schools) has grown acceptable to a majority, but only 31% support vouchers
(that number is in the body of the report).
A few notable
findings: one, the public “strongly opposes any federal role in holding public
schools accountable.” This is no doubt a response to 13 years of No Child Left
Behind, along with six years of Race to the Top, both of which have produced
angst and few benefits.
"But the New Orleans
miracle is not all it seems. Louisiana state standards are among the lowest in
the nation. The new research also says little about high school performance.
And the average composite ACT score for the Recovery School District was just
16.4 in 2014, well below the minimum score required for admission to a
four-year public university in Louisiana.
There is also growing
evidence that the reforms have come at the expense of the city’s most
disadvantaged children, who often disappear from school entirely and, thus, are
no longer included in the data."
The Myth of the New Orleans School Makeover
New York Times By ANDREA GABOR AUG. 22, 2015
WAS Hurricane Katrina “the
best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans,” as Education
Secretary Arne Duncan once
said? Nearly 10 years after the disaster, this has become a dominant
narrative among a number of school reformers and education scholars. Before the storm,
the New Orleans public
school system had suffered from white flight, neglect, mismanagement
and corruption, which left the schools in a state of disrepair. The hurricane
almost literally wiped out the schools: Only 16 of 128 buildings were
relatively unscathed. As of 2013 the student population was still under 45,000,
compared with 65,000 students before the storm. Following the storm, some 7,500
unionized teachers and other school employees were put on unpaid leave, and
eventually dismissed. Two years before
the storm, the State of Louisiana had set up a so-calledRecovery
School District to take over individual failing schools. After
Katrina, the district eventually took over about 60 local schools; about 20
well-performing schools remained in the Orleans Parish School Board, creating,
in essence, a two-tier system. Nearly all the schools in both parts of the
system have since been converted to charters.
10 years after Katrina,
New Orleans offers lessons about childhood trauma
the notebook By
Laine Kaplan-Levenson for NewsWorks on Aug 21, 2015 11:45 AM
Kendall Booker
stands on the roof of the New Orleans Healing Center in the city's Marigny
neighborhood. Behind him is the edge of the skyline and the Crescent City
Connection Bridge. Ten years after
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, much of the physical damage the storm
caused in the city of New Orleans has been repaired. Neighborhoods and
communities have been rebuilt. Schools, hospitals, businesses, and restaurants
have re-opened. But a deeper, invisible
wound brought by the storm remains. Thousands of residents, and especially
children, were traumatized by the storm and the displacement and struggle that
followed. In late August 2005,
Kendall Booker was in 5th grade, watching cartoons. All of a sudden, the
program blacked out, and then President George W. Bush appeared on screen.
Annoyed, Kendall flipped through the stations in search of another cartoon. But
all he saw was the president. "And
my mind just snaps," Booker remembers. "Something really is going on
and it's serious to where, like, this man is on 50 channels. So I decided to
listen but at that time I couldn't comprehend everything."
PCCY: Get on the Bus to Harrisburg August 25th
As parents, teachers
and advocates, you know first hand how difficult it is to get the resources
needed to support our students. Harrisburg continues to be mired in political
gridlock and has failed to pass a budget for Pennsylvania’s 500 school
districts.
Teachers,
parents and students have no idea what they will be walking into come September
for the start of school. We say enough is enough.
We are contacting
you because on August 25th the PA House is scheduled to return to the
Capitol—and we want to be there to meet them. Could you give us a few hours of
your day and help make it clear that we demand a budget?
- Join your neighbors and other concerned
citizens who believe that investing in our kids is non-negotiable
- We’ll provide: FREE Transportation to
and from the Capitol and lunch; a brief training on the bus, materials,
and day of schedule
- Scheduled visits with elected
officials
Kids are off from
school so bring them with you – after all, it concerns their future!
Details:
Details:
- Bus will depart from in front of the
United Way Building at 7:45am at 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
- We will return to Philly by
approximately 4:30pm. (Discounted parking ($8) available at the
Sheraton Hotel at 17th & Race)
- If you plan to drive yourself, we will
meet at the Capitol between 10am and 10:30am.
INVITATION: Twitter Chat on Pennsylvania Education
Funding
Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m.
The next Twitter
chat with Pennsylvania’s major education leadership organizations is set
for Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. Use hashtag #FairFundingPA 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
Join the
conversation. Share your ideas, lurk, learn and let us know what you think
about the state of support for public schools. It’s a simple, free and
fast-paced way to communicate and share information. If you’ve never tweeted
before, here are directions and a few tips:
The John Stoops Lecture
Series: Dr. Pasi Sahlberg "Education Around the World: Past, Present &
Future" Lehigh University October 8, 2015 6:00 p.m.
Baker Hall |Zoellner Arts
Center | 420 E. Packer Avenue | Bethlehem , PA 18015
Baker Hall |
Free and open to the
public! Ticketing is general admission -
no preseating will be assigned. Arrive early for the best seats. Please plan to stay post-lecture for an open
reception where you will have an opportunity to meet with students from all of
our programs to learn about the latest innovations in education and human services.
Register now for the
2015 PASCD 65th Annual Conference, Leading and Achieving in an Interconnected World, to be
held November 15-17, 2015 at Pittsburgh Monroeville Convention
Center.
The Conference
will Feature Keynote Speakers: Meenoo Rami – Teacher and Author
“Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching,” Mr. Pedro Rivera,
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Heidi Hayes-Jacobs – Founder and President
of Curriculum Design, Inc. and David Griffith – ASCD Senior Director of Public
Policy. This annual conference features small group sessions focused on:
Curriculum and Supervision, Personalized and Individualized Learning,
Innovation, and Blended and Online Learning. The PASCD Conference is
a great opportunity to stay connected to the latest approaches for innovative
change in your school or district. Join us forPASCD 2015!
Online registration is available by visiting www.pascd.org <http://www.pascd.org/>
Nominations for PSBA's
Allwein Advocacy Award close Aug. 28th
PSBA July 7, 2015
PSBA July 7, 2015
The Timothy M.
Allwein Advocacy Award was established in 2011 by the Pennsylvania School
Boards Association and may be presented annually to the individual school
director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in
legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that
are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. The
2015 Allwein Award nomination process will close on Aug. 28, 2015. The
2015 Allwein Award Nomination Form is available online. More details on the
award and nominations process can be found online.
Slate of
candidates for PSBA offices now available online
PSBA website July 31, 2015
PSBA website July 31, 2015
The
slate of candidates for 2016 PSBA officer and at-large representatives is now
available online, including bios, photos and videos. According to
recent PSBA Bylaws changes, each member school entity casts one vote per
office. Voting will again take place online through a secure, third-party
website -- Simply Voting. Voting will openAug. 17 and closes Sept. 28. One person from the
school entity (usually the board secretary) is authorized to register the vote
on behalf of the member school entity and each board will need to put on its
agenda discussion and voting at one of its meetings in August or
September. Each person authorized to register the school entity's votes has
received an email on July 16 to verify the email address and confirm they are
the person to register the vote on behalf of their school entity.
Register Now for PASA-PSBA
School Leadership Conference Oct. 14-16, 2015 Hershey Lodge & Convention
Center
Save the date for the
professional development event of the year. Be inspired at more than four
exciting venues and invest in professional development for top administrators
and school board members. Online registration is live at:
Register Now – PAESSP
State Conference – Oct. 18-20 – State College, PA
Registration is now
open for PAESSP's State Conference to be held October 18-20 at The
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA! This year's
theme is @EVERYLEADER and features three nationally-known keynote
speakers (Dr. James Stronge, Justin Baeder and Dr. Mike Schmoker), professional
breakout sessions, a legal update, exhibits, Tech Learning Labs and many
opportunities to network with your colleagues (Monday evening event with Jay
Paterno). Once again, in conjunction
with its conference, PAESSP will offer two 30-hour Act 45 PIL-approved
programs, Linking Student Learning to Teacher Supervision and Evaluation
(pre-conference offering on 10/17/15); and Improving Student Learning
Through Research-Based Practices: The Power of an Effective Principal (held
during the conference, 10/18/15 -10/20/15). Register for either or both PIL
programs when you register for the Full Conference!
REGISTER TODAY for
the Conference and Act 45 PIL program/s at:
Apply
now for EPLC’s 2015-2016 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
Applications are
available now for the 2015-2016 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in
Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). With more than 400 graduates in its
first sixteen years, this Program is a premier professional development
opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and
community leaders. State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available
to certified public accountants. Past
participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and
principals, charter school leaders, school business officers, school board
members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders,
education advocates, and other education and community leaders. Fellows
are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization. The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day
retreat on September 17-18, 2015 and continues to graduation in June
2016.
Click here to read about
the Education Policy Fellowship Program.
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