PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 1: A Victory for PA Charters? Read this excerpt from Judge Kenney's Chester Upland ruling carefully. Read it twice.

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PA Ed Policy Roundup for September 1, 2015:

A Victory for PA Charters?  Read this excerpt from Judge Kenney's Chester Upland ruling carefully.  Read it twice.

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

From Judge Chad Kenney's ruling regarding the Chester Upland School District:

"The Charter Schools serving Chester-Upland Special Education students reported in 2013-2014, the last reporting period available, that they did not have any Special Education students costing them anything outside the zero (0) to twenty-five thousand dollar ($25,000.00) range, and yet this is remarkable considering they receive forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) for each one of these Special Education students under a legislatively mandated formula  This means the legislative formula permits the Charters to pocket somewhere between fourteen thousand ($14,000.00) and forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) per student over and above what it costs to educate them.  While this discrepancy needs to be seen in most instances as the operators of Charters taking advantage of legal mandates, it is clear that the Legislature did not mean for its averages to produce such windfalls to the Charter School industry in a distressed district."

Is this any way to run a school district?

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss August 31 at 8:55 AM  

Back in 2012, the long-beleaguered Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania ran out of money — literally — and the unionized teachers and staff agreed to work without pay. (When it made national news, first lady Michelle Obama invited a Chester Upland teacher to sit with her at the State of the Union speech that year.) Well, it’s happened again — at least the part about the district being out of cash and all of the teachers, support staff, bus drivers and other adults in the system agreeing to work for free when the 2015-16 academic year starts on Wednesday.  “We knew we had to do it, again,” said John Shelton, who has been an educator in the district for 23 years and now is dean of students at a district middle school. “With great pain, we agreed to work as long as our families allow us to.”

Why does this keep happening?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/08/31/is-this-any-way-to-run-a-school-district/

DN Editorial: State's special-ed funding needs Harrisburg overhaul

Philly Daily News Editorial POSTED: Monday, August 31, 2015, 12:16 AM

LET'S BEGIN BY saying we agree with Gov. Wolf's belief that the way the state funds special education for students in charter schools is messed up.  The formula used isn't related to actual cost. A school is given the same amount whether the child has a mild disability - say, requiring speech therapy three times a week - or is severely handicapped - a wheelchair-bound child who requires special transportation and the presence of a full-time aide.  Local school districts, which have to foot the bill for special-ed students in charters, say the cost of paying this subsidy to charters imperils their own financial stability.  A case in point is the beleaguered Chester-Upland School District, where half of the district's 7,000 students are enrolled in charters. It costs the district $64 million a year in tuition payments for the 3,500 students in local charters - and the special-education students among them get subsidized at double the rate of regular students. It comes to $40,000 per special-ed student.  Once the charter subsidies are paid, the district says it doesn't have enough money to run its own schools and recently threatened to shut down due to lack of funds.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20150831_DN_Editorial__SPECIAL_CONSIDERATION.html#O7iIL8EomYjYwfPy.99

Reprise Feb. 2015: Big for-profit schools, big donations: the influence of charter schools on Pennsylvania politics

Penn Live By Daniel Simmons-Ritchie | simmons-ritchie@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on February 02, 2015 at 11:20 AM, updated February 02, 2015 at 3:13 PM

It's no secret that Harrisburg is a hive of lobbyists, each representing industries and interests that spend millions to persuade state lawmakers to bend laws in their favor.  But perhaps what makes the charter-school lobby unique among the pack, says State Rep. Bernie O'Neill, a Republican from Bucks County, is its ability to deploy children to its cause.  In 2014, O'Neill experienced that first hand after proposing changes to a funding formula that would affect charter schools. Parents and children stormed his office and barraged him with calls and emails.  "They were calling me the anti-Christ of everything," O'Neill said. "Everybody was coming after me."  In recent years, as charter schools have proliferated - particularly those run by for-profit management companies - so too has their influence on legislators. In few other places has that been more true than Pennsylvania, which is one of only 11 states that has no limits on campaign contributions from PACs or individuals.  According to a PennLive analysis of donations on Follow The Money, a campaign donation database, charter school advocates have donated more than $10 million to Pennsylvania politicians over the past nine years.  To be sure, charter-school advocacy groups aren't the only ones spending big to influence education policy in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania State Education Association, which represents 170,000 teachers and related professionals, has spent about $8.3 million over the same time period according to Follow The Money.  But what perhaps makes the influx of money from charter-school groups unique in Pennsylvania is the magnitude of spending by only a handful of donors and, in recent years, some of their high-profile successes in moving and blocking legislation.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/02/big_for-profit_schools_big_don.html

"A recent survey conducted by the PA Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) showed that a majority of survey respondents — 83 percent — are using fund balances to cover the lack of state subsidy payments, while half of survey respondents said they have borrowed or are considering borrowing to avoid any cash flow difficulties, the coalition of school equity reform organizations noted."

EDITORIAL: State budget impasse hurts poor schools most

Pottstown Mercury POSTED: 08/31/15, 7:52 PM EDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO

Two months past the deadline for a state budget, and little has changed since the July 1 start of a new fiscal year. Gov. Tom Wolf and the Legislature are no closer to resolution than they were at the start of summer.  What has changed is that children are heading back to school with no money from the state to support education.  In most districts, the shortfall isn’t missed in August because property tax payments are coming in, insuring good cash flow in school districts even without state subsidies. But that scenario of relying solely on local tax income emphasizes the inequities in Pennsylvania public education.  “The state’s delay in passing a budget only aggravates the current education inequities in Pennsylvania.” said Charlie Lyons, spokesman for the Campaign for Fair Education Funding in a press release. “It is the students with the greatest needs that are most affected by the failure to pass a budget, since the schools facing the most challenges rely more on state dollars and have fewer local revenues to fill the gaps.”

http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20150831/editorial-state-budget-impasse-hurts-poor-schools-most

Pa. budget talks go underground

WHYY Newsworks BY MARY WILSON AUGUST 31, 2015

Pennsylvania budget talks are being kept on the QT this week, as Democratic Governor Tom Wolf plans to meet with top Republican lawmakers without the press lurking outside.  Budget negotiations have been behind closed doors, but the governor's office said Monday these discussions will be smaller and more low-profile in an attempt to get closer to a deal. The governor's spokesman, Jeffrey Sheridan, said impromptu hallway press conferences that have punctuated so many meetings over the past several weeks haven't been helpful.  The state spending plan is two months late. Wolf hasn't answered a GOP offer to trade education funding for an overhaul of future pension benefits. Republican House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, all but threw up his hands last week when the governor remained noncommittal on the proposal.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/85722-pa-budget-talks-go-underground

"The absence of state funding has led the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to offer a controversial legal opinion to help free up some money for school districts.  The group has advised districts that is it okay to hold off on paying the employer's contribution to the Public School Employees' Retirement System and the state share of money that a district pays to charter schools until a state budget gets down.  Bethlehem Area School District in Northampton County was the first to employ this strategy with its charter school payments, said school boards association Steve Robinson. That led other districts to contact the association to inquire if they could legally do that.  "We're not telling them not to pay," Robinson said. "We're just saying if they choose to do this to help with a budget shortfall, we think there is legal support for it."

Cash flow woes: Schools feeling the pinch of the Pa. budget impasse

Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com  Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August 31, 2015 at 5:03 PM, updated August 31, 2015 at 8:04 PM

Monday marked Day 62 without a state budget and the effects of that continue to mount.

Not only is Chester-Upland School District in such a financial predicament that it won't be able to make its Sept. 9 payroll with the absence of state dollars, hardships are starting to be felt across the entire educational spectrum from preschool to higher education.  Lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf met once last week to try get talks moving on a two-month overdue state budget but a follow-up meeting scheduled for the next day was cancelled at the Democratic governor's request because he said he needed more time to study an offer that Republicans put on the table.

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/most_schools_in_session_but_a.html

PA: Districts Now Short $1.18 Billion

Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Saturday, August 29, 2015

Last Thursday, schools started to feel the impact of our elected legislators' perennial inability to get their job done.  Thursday was the day that $1.18 billion-with-a-b in subsidy payments were supposed to go out to school districts. But they can't. Because Pennsylvania still doesn't have a budget. The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officers surveyed 171 districts and learned that 83% of those will be dipping into their reserve funds. 60% may delay vendor payments, 53% may delay maintenance work, and 29% may put off filling positions. Other districts are looking at the necessity of borrowing money, which means that for some districts, Harrisburg's failure will translate into real dollar-amount costs for local taxpayers.  Of course, the most notable impact is being felt in Chester Uplands School District, where the lack of a payment Thursday meant that the district could not meet their payroll. District teachers and staff voted to work without pay as long as "individually possible."  Does Pennsylvania do this a lot? Well, "Pennsylvania Budget Impasses" has its own Wikipedia page. In the last decade, we've been stuck in this place five times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015). Back in 2003, the fight dragged on until December.

http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/08/pa-districts-now-short-118-billion.html

Latest GOP pension proposal trades off savings for slightly better retirement benefits

Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August 31, 2015 at 7:30 AM, updated August 31, 2015 at 1:13 PM

Public pension costs are a once-and-future albatross around the neck of Pennsylvania's state budget, largely because of a lucrative expansion of benefits in 2001.  As such, it's a major issue in the current budget impasse.  Republican legislative leaders are pushing to move most future state and school district hires into a new 401(k)-style plan. They say that will dramatically cut the risk of repeating the current spike in taxpayer-funded contributions to the retirement systems.  Democrats, including Gov. Tom Wolf, say their priority is preserving a secure retirement for those workers; something they contend, in the interest of good schools and quality services going forward, taxpayers should want, too.  With that backdrop, here's a look at some early analyses of legislative Republicans' latest overture to Wolf on this thorny issue that both sides - for the moment - have chosen to try to break their stalemate over the state budget.:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/08/latest_gop_pension_offer_gets.html

As state budget impasse drags on, poll shows most blame Legislature

Tribune Democrat By John Finnerty jfinnerty@cnhi.com Posted: August 29, 2015 11:57 pm

Republican lawmakers were in a huff on Wednesday.

It was a day after the state House considered, but failed to get the two-thirds majority needed, a series of bills to override portions of the governor’s budget veto.  And Gov. Tom Wolf’s office had notified them that a planned budget negotiating session was off.  At the Capitol, House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, said the governor was “wasting valuable time.”  Wolf was either “playing games” or “just apparently isn’t understanding the importance of state government,” Reed said.  This comes a week after Republicans had offered to boost school funding by $400 million – matching the amount Wolf had proposed in his budget. In exchange, they wanted Wolf to back a plan to remake the pension system for state government and public school employees.  Republicans thought the governor would give them a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down on the deal by Wednesday. Instead, they got silence.

http://www.tribdem.com/news/as-state-budget-impasse-drags-on-poll-shows-most-blame/article_e1e8ab3a-4ec9-11e5-8d77-d3c445d35d9d.html

"A Franklin & Marshall College poll last week found a wide, bi-partisan majority of registered voters believe state lawmakers should not be paid during budget negotiations when the budget is late."

Pa. voters: No budget, no pay for lawmakers

Some legislators have volunteered to decline salary

By Kate Giammarise / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau September 1, 2015 12:00 AM

HARRISBURG — Social service agencies and schools have started to feel a cash-flow crunch as the state’s budget stalemate enters its third month.  But most state lawmakers are still getting paid, although a handful are voluntarily declining their paychecks.  A Franklin & Marshall College poll last month found a majority of registered voters believe state lawmakers should not be paid during budget negotiations when the budget is late. That sentiment was consistent across party lines, expressed by 67 percent of Republicans polled, 64 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of independents, said Terry Madonna, director of the poll and professor of public affairs at the college.  Some legislators have voluntarily given up their salaries since July 1. The average salary of a state senator or representative is about $85,000.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2015/09/01/Pa-voters-No-budget-no-pay-for-lawmakers/stories/201509010042

Governor needs to answer our compromise budget

Lancaster Online Opinion by State Rep. Bryan Cutler and State Rep. Seth Grove August 31, 2015

Bryan Cutler, whose district includes southern Lancaster County from Pequea Township and Millersville Borough in the north to Fulton and Little Britain townships in the south, is the Republican whip in the state House. Seth Grove is a Republican state representative from York County.

Nearly two months have passed since Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a balanced budget and two weeks have gone by since we offered him a compromise plan. We agree with the LNP Editorial Board (“Get the budget done,” Aug. 27): we must reach a compromise that gives our state a budget. Without it, our state’s service providers cannot access state or federal funding. Not having a budget is hurting our neediest citizens.  Last week alone, Gov. Tom Wolf was unavailable for two meetings with leaders in the General Assembly, prolonging any chance for compromise during this stalemate. Decisions like these by the governor have impacted our most vulnerable citizens, as many organizations wait for money to fund essential services. One group feeling this impact is our students as schools around the commonwealth begin classes without state funding.  The compromise we presented to the governor reflects the priorities of both sides. The Republican plan would make an overall increase to public education by allocating an additional $300 million for the basic education funding line item through reforming the state’s pension system and divestiture of the state-run liquor business. This, combined with our current proposal to increase the basic education funding by $100 million, brings the total increase in K-12 education up to $400 million over the year.

http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/governor-needs-to-answer-our-compromise-budget/article_1898d900-4daf-11e5-b177-93f51554ec40.html

Guest Column: Wolf needs to do more than talk to get budget done

Delco Times By Rep. Thomas Killion, Times Guest Columnist POSTED: 08/30/15, 8:54 PM EDT

Gov. Tom Wolf has been traveling across the state in an effort to build support for his proposed state budget. But what is sorely lacking at the governor’s public appearances and speeches is straight talk about his proposed tax increases.  When making the case for his budget, the governor only talks about his desire to impose a severance tax on the extraction of natural gas in Pennsylvania. To hear the governor talk, one would think that the budget impasse between the governor and the Republican-controlled legislature is all about the severance tax issue.  Most people would probably be surprised to learn that the shale gas extraction tax would account for only 3 percent of the governor’s proposed tax increases. Much more concerning to Republicans in the legislature — and many taxpayers — are the governor’s proposals to expand and increase the state sales tax and hike the Personal Income Tax. The reality is that the governor’s tax proposal would raise $4.6 billion in new revenue. While 3 percent would come from a severance tax, the other 97 percent would come from hard-working Pennsylvania families in the form of higher sales and income taxes.

http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20150830/guest-column-wolf-needs-to-do-more-than-talk-to-get-budget-done

PA: Charter Vampires on the Loose

Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Thursday, August 27, 2015

In Pennsylvania, opening a charter school, particularly a  cyber-charter, has long been just like printing money in your garage (only you won't get in any trouble for it).   The current plight of the Chester Upland School District highlights just how screwed up the whole mess is, and how charters are set up to suck the public system dry. Yesterday's news roundup at Keystone State Education Coalition has most of the best coverage of the story, but let me pull up some highlights for you.  I'll remind you that before CUSD ever started to get in trouble, the state of Pennsylvania has been distinguishing itself by some of the most inequitable funding in the country. This is a bi-partisan screwing of public ed. Democratic Governor "Smilin' Ed" Rendell used stimulus funds exactly as he wasn't supposed to, as a replacement for regular state funding of education, and his successor Republican Tom "One Term" Corbett slashed education on top of the auto-slashing that occurred when those stimulus funds went away. Bottom line-- funding of our poorest schools is in free-fall, because they get very little from the state.  As it turns out, CUSD gets negative support from the state. That's because the hugely generous payment formula for charters has resulted in CUSD losing more money to charters than they get from the state of Pennsylvania.

http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/08/pa-charter-vampires-on-loose.html?m=1

Upper Perkiomen School Board member supports pension reform plan

By Eric Devlin, The Mercury POSTED: 08/31/15, 8:01 PM EDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO

Pennsburg >> Upper Perkiomen School Board Vice President Raeann Hofkin says the district should follow Quakertown School District’s example of civil disobedience to order to reform rising pension costs.  During a presentation on Aug. 27, Hofkin supported the model of withholding a percentage of the district’s charter school payments. This would pressure lawmakers into passing a new state budget that stabilizes the rising costs of the Public School Employees’ Retirement System.  The state has been at a budget impasse since June 30.  “Someone needs to take a stand,” Hofkin, a payroll director for MobilexUSA, said. “Or we’re going to have another 15 years of stall tactics and huge tax increases.”  Since 2009, the percentage of Upper Perkiomen’s budget for which the PSERS accounts has quadrupled from 2 percent to approximately 8 percent, according to Hofkin’s presentation. That means for every $4 million of payroll, the district is paying an additional $1 million to the retirement fund, board President John Gehman explained.

“That’s rather significant,” he said, “and it’s not sustainable.”

http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20150831/upper-perkiomen-school-board-member-supports-pension-reform-plan

"Reading/English language arts and mathematics exams were given to each student in grades three through eight statewide. According to the department of education, the math section seems to have been the toughest, as scores dropped by at least 27 percent (rounding up) or higher in every grade."

Spring-Ford, Pottstown school chiefs prepare public for bad test news

By Eric Devlin, The Mercury and Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 08/31/15, 12:22 PM EDT

Reports of falling scores on standardized tests across the state have local superintendents preparing parents for students’ individual scores.  School officials in Spring-Ford Area School District say they saw this coming.  In a letter sent to parents Wednesday, Superintendent David Goodin said statewide performance on the 2014-15 PSSA has dropped by as much as 44 percent compared to the previous year’s test, according to the Pennsylania Department of Education.  “The reason for this decline is due to changes made to the test itself,” Goodin wrote, “in order to reflect more rigorous academic standards implemented in 2013 with Pennsylvania’s version of Common Core.”  In Pottstown, Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana sent home a similar letter.  “It is not unusual for scores to drop initially when an assessment has changed,” Sparagana wrote. “But this year the state reports that scores are extremely low, especially in math.”

http://www.pottsmerc.com/social-affairs/20150831/spring-ford-pottstown-school-chiefs-prepare-public-for-bad-test-news

Allentown schools' state audit 1st to include charter school approvals

By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com  on August 31, 2015 at 4:47 PM, updated August 31, 2015 at 7:14 PM

The Allentown School District will be the first in the state to have its charter school application process reviewed during its state audit.  Auditor General Eugene DePasquale came to the district's administration center Monday to announce that his office going forward will examine all school districts' charter school review processes.  Allentown was due for its state audit but it is being bumped up, in part, due to allegations that school board members may have violated the state's Sunshine Act when dealing with developer Abe Atiyeh.  "We certainly are aware of the questions raised about the charter application process here," DePasquale said.  The audit of Allentown will also examine the financial impacts of the state budget stalemate as long as it continues, DePasquale said.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2015/08/allentown_schools_first_in_sta.html#incart_river

Erie School District students start the new school year

By Erica Erwin 814-870-1846 Erie Times-News September 1, 2015 06:24 AM

ERIE, Pa. -- So great was Aiden Duke's excitement that he could not stand still.

"I'm most excited about the playground," the 5-year-old kindergartner said, bouncing in time with his words as he waited for the front doors of Pfeiffer-Burleigh School to open. "It's so much fun. It's so much fun!"  Monday was the start of the 2015-16 school year for Aiden, his 6-year-old brother, August, and nearly 12,000 other Erie School District students. Most other school districts in the region started last week. Millcreek Township School District students return today and Girard School District, the last area district to ring in the school year, will start classes Sept. 9.  Pfeiffer-Burleigh Principal Karin Ryan stood at the doors at 8 a.m., welcoming students, addressing familiar faces by name. Teachers manned a table for parents with coffee, pastries and papers detailing the school's dress code and various opportunities for parents to be involved at the school.  The K-8 school, one of the lowest performing in the district as measured by standardized test scores, is in the midst of a major turnaround effort funded, in part, by a multimillion-dollar School Improvement Grant from the state that has helped pay for after-school programming, increased professional development and more. Teachers hand-picked by Ryan at the start of 2014-15 committed to staying for three years, a move designed to stem teacher turnover at a school that also struggles with high mobility among its student body.

http://www.goerie.com/erie-school-district-students-start-the-new-school-year

Initial Common Core goals unfulfilled as results trickle in

Philly.com by CHRISTINE ARMARIO, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Monday, August 31, 2015, 2:20 AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Results for some of the states that participated in Common Core-aligned testing for the first time this spring are out, with overall scores higher than expected. But they are still below what many parents may be accustomed to seeing.  Full or preliminary scores have been released for Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. They all participated in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, one of two groups of states awarded $330 million by the U.S. Department of Education in 2010 to develop exams to test students on the Common Core state standards in math and English language arts.  Scores in four other states that developed their own exams tied to the standards have been released. The second testing group, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, is still setting benchmarks for each performance level and has not released any results.  Even when all the results are available, it will not be possible to compare student performance across a majority of states, one of Common Core's fundamental goals.  What began as an effort to increase transparency and allow parents and school leaders to assess performance nationwide has largely unraveled, chiefly because states are dropping out of the two testing groups and creating their own exams.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150831_ap_bc96111fdd1745b5b89fab8721cb4cd6.html#5qdUxFv1044oQV2h.99

Save the Date: Make your voice heard at Education Action Day, Sept. 21
School directors and administrators from across the state will be converging at the State Capitol on Monday, Sept. 21 for Education Action Day — your opportunity to push for a state budget and pension reform. Join PSBA in the Main Capitol-East Wing under the escalators at 10 a.m. A news conference will be held from 11 a.m.-noon, and then plan to meet with your elected officials from 1-3 p.m., scheduled by PSBA . There is no charge for participation, but for planning purposes, members are asked to register their attendance online, which will be available in the next few days. We look forward to a big crowd to impress upon legislators and the governor the need for a state budget and pension reform now!

https://www.psba.org/2015/08/make-your-voice-heard-at-education-action-day-sept-21/

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

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.

http://coe.lehigh.edu/forms/john-stoops-lecture-series-dr-pasi-sahlberg-education-around-world-past-present-future

Register now for the 2015 PASCD 65^th 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/>

Slate of candidates for PSBA offices now available online
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 open Aug. 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. 

https://www.psba.org/about/governance/electing-psba-officers/psba-officer-elections-slate-of-candidates/

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:

https://www.paschoolleaders.org/school-leadership-conference/register/

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:

http://www.paessp.org/state-conference/register-now

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.

Applications are being accepted now.  

Click here to read about the Education Policy Fellowship Program.

http://www.eplc.org/2015/05/apply-now-for-eplcs-2015-2016-pa-education-policy-fellowship-program/