PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct 13: Outsourced Philly sub-staffing: "a stunning failure"

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PA Ed Policy Roundup October 13, 2015

Outsourced Philly sub-staffing: "a stunning failure"

In budget mire, far apart

CHRIS PALMER AND ANGELA COULOUMBIS, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU POSTED: Sunday, October 11, 2015, 1:09 AM

HARRISBURG - Almost since the day he took office, Gov. Wolf has said he's not accustomed to Harrisburg's dysfunction.  He'll have a tough time repeating that line after last week.  After days of intense lobbying - and months of painstaking negotiations - the state House on Wednesday soundly rejected Wolf's long-standing call for tax hikes to increase education funding.  His proposal fell 29 votes short: Republicans united against it. Nine of Wolf's fellow Democrats joined them.  The budget now is more than 100 days overdue - the longest impasse in more than a decade. And the question becomes whether the first-term governor has enough political capital to pass a spending plan anywhere close to what he envisioned before the stalemate - or if the standoff will jeopardize his ability to achieve any of his priorities with a solidly Republican legislature.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20151011_In_budget_mire__what_now_.html#eE5Jdms25P3AwcFz.99

"He said he was surprised to learn the state determined that special education payments to charter schools were the cause of the district’s fiscal crisis, when for the first two years of the receivership proceedings the loss of Act 88 reimbursement funds was to blame.  “This plan and the plans since August of 2015 are a deft and artful shift away from the focus on the elimination of the Act 88 funding which provided actual new money and real funding to the children of the entire district, including the charters.” Kenney wrote.  Act 88 provided a reimbursement to district’s of 40 percent of what they paid to charter schools. That reimbursement was eliminated under former Gov. Tom Corbett."

Judge OKs Chester Upland School District deal with charter school

By Vince Sullivan, Delaware County Daily Times POSTED: 10/13/15, 12:27 AM EDT

MEDIA COURTHOUSE >> Common Pleas Judge Chad F. Kenney approved an unprecedented alteration to the way charter schools are funded in the Chester Upland School District when he okayed a negotiated agreement between the district, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and three brick-and-mortar charter schools.  The agreement calls for charter schools to be reimbursed $27,028.72 for each special education student from Chester Upland that attends a charter, down from the current payments of $40,000 per student, but much higher than the $16,000 originally requested by the district.  The amount is based on the regular education tuition rate of $10,683.29, with that figure multiplied by 2.53 to figure the special education rate.

District officials say this measure will save the district close to $20 million this year.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20151013/judge-oks-chester-upland-school-district-deal-with-charter-school

Judge approves charter cut, more funds for Chester schools. But can he do that?

WHYY Newsworks BY LAURA BENSHOFF OCTOBER 12, 2015

After two months of negotiations and hearings, Delaware County Judge Chad Kenney has approved a drastic plan to rework the Chester Upland School District's finances.

The next question is, can he do that?

Chester Upland, one of a handful of financially distressed districts in Pennsylvania, has a state-appointed receiver in charge of charting a course for the district that will pull it out of a cycle of debts and deficits.  In August, receiver Francis V. Barnes introduced a plan that included cutting charter tuition payments for special education students from $40,000 a student to $16,000, the amount set by a bipartisan committee on special education funding.  After a series of rejections and revisions, the district struck a deal with the three largest brick-and-mortar charters to reduce that amount to $27,028 per student. Kenney approved a plan with that provision, and he ordered the state to cough up an additional $20 million in basic education funding, the line item that makes up the bulk of yearly state contributions to school districts.

Op-Ed: Philly’s Charter School System is Falling Apart

Gym: The last thing this city needs is a top-down mandate to turn more public schools into charters.

PhillyMag.com BY HELEN GYM  |  OCTOBER 8, 2015 AT 10:14 AM

(Editor’s note: This is an opinion column from City Council candidate Helen Gym.)

“As long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance.”

Those were the infamous words of Citigroup Chief Executive Charles Prince, explaining why, amid the collapse of the world markets, his institution would keep on making risky subprime loans right up to the last minute.  They are words that toll with heavy familiarity as the School District of Philadelphia stubbornly pursues reckless charter school expansion while our public schools crumble.  Last week, Superintendent William Hite announced a sweeping plan for the school district that includes closing two public schools and converting three other city schools into charters.

Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/10/08/helen-gym-charter-schools/#F1G9RgXudPuPOEqd.99

"Based on our conversations with school districts so far, at least 28 additional districts and two more intermediate units will be forced to borrow an estimated total of $122 million in October," DePasquale had said.

With state budget impasse, $6.2M loan saves Steel-High from 'devastating' consequences

By Julianne Mattera | jmattera@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on October 12, 2015 at 9:09 PM, updated October 12, 2015 at 9:10 PM

A $6.2 million line of credit is saving Steelton-Highspire School District from the potentially "devastating" consequences of operating without state funding as the budget impasse continues. School board members approved the $6.2 million loan from PNC Bank Monday night. Cynthia Craig, district business manager, said the district — which typically receives about $8 million annually from the state for its basic education subsidy — hopes the loan would carry the district through March.  "Without this loan, you are correct, we would have had devastating reaction from this, but we wanted to make sure that our doors are open, kids are in school, everything is great," Craig said. "I stated to the staff, the last thing we would do is not pay them. It is our intention to move forward, and we are continuing to move forward."

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/10/with_state_budget_impasse_62m.html#incart_river

Education takes center stage in Philadelphia mayoral debate

WHYY Newsworks BY AARON MOSELLE OCTOBER 13, 2015

More than 200 people packed a Center City auditorium Monday night for a tame, wide-ranging mayoral debate between Democrat Jim Kenney and Republican Melissa Murray Bailey.  As it has throughout this election season, education dominated the hourlong event at WHYY.  Over and over, Kenney stressed the need to improve access to pre-kindergarten education. For him, better access means better educated children and, in turn, a greater chance of them making a good life for themselves.  "That will start to change the narrative of poverty in this city," said Kenney, a city councilman for 23 years before running for mayor.  He said 18,000 city children currently lack access to pre-K.  Bailey, the daughter of two teachers, pushed for the city to spend more on making sure all of its students can read by the time they reach third grade. At some schools, she said, only eight percent of students are meeting that mark.  "We're going to get them to 100 percent by the end of my first term," said Bailey, a first-time candidate.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/87142-education-takes-center-stage-in-philadelphia-mayoral-debate?linktype=hp_impact

"But Source4Teachers fell short, again, finding educators for just 19 percent of classrooms missing their teachers Friday. The day before: 22 percent.  The company has never come close to the 75 percent it promised the Philadelphia School District by the first day of classes when it signed its $34 million contract."

Company that finds Philly sub teachers misses another deadline

KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Monday, October 12, 2015, 4:43 PM

The company hired to place substitute teachers in Philadelphia was supposed to improve its lagging performance and fill half of all daily vacancies by Friday.  But Source4Teachers fell short, again, finding educators for just 19 percent of classrooms missing their teachers Friday. The day before: 22 percent.  The company has never come close to the 75 percent it promised the Philadelphia School District by the first day of classes when it signed its $34 million contract.  Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. has put Source4Teachers on notice that it has to do better.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20151013_Company_that_finds_Philly_sub_teachers_misses_another_deadline.html#OsorOXCgEPupZJEP.99

"It’s been a stunning failure, and the substitute shortfall got the year off to a chaotic start, even at schools with no history of staffing problems.  The District has not responded swiftly or strongly enough to this massive failure. Officials say they have to wait till January before imposing penalties; we can’t verify that because they haven’t disclosed the firm’s contract."

Editorial: Be quick – Fix sub staffing

By the Notebook on Oct 6, 2015 04:05 PM

In 2001, Edison Schools Inc. came into Philadelphia promising to manage struggling schools and deliver better student performance for less money – all while making a profit. The company was awarded contracts to manage 20 low-performing schools, but it never came close to delivering on its promises. Nine years went by, with millions of dollars down the tubes, before the not-very-nimble District ended that experiment.  The staffing firm Source4Teachers made a similar promise to the District this year – that it could deliver more substitute teachers at a lower cost. The company was hired for the pretty sum of $17 million a year to increase the fill rate to 90 percent.

http://thenotebook.org/october-2015/159037/be-quick-fix-sub-staffing

Pa. lawmakers may agree on expanding gambling

CHRIS PALMER AND BEN FINLEY, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 1:08 AM POSTED: Monday, October 12, 2015, 6:40 PM

HARRISBURG - With Gov. Wolf and the Republican-controlled legislature locked in a months-long budget stalemate, there is one area in which they might be able to agree: expanding gambling options to increase state revenues.  After a news conference last week during which Republican leaders in the state House indicated a willingness to discuss expanded gambling access as a cash source, Wolf's spokesman said Monday that the first-term Democrat was also open to considering gambling proposals.  Neither side has offered specifics, but there currently are bills awaiting discussion that would legalize online gambling or allow gaming in state airports.

Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) said last week that expanding gaming options in Pennsylvania had "bipartisan support" and that the various options could generate up to $500 million.

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20151013_Pa__lawmakers_may_agree_on_expanding_gambling.html#ZZG3qqtpgCwvPHbv.99

'We need to look at gaming options': Pa. eyes gambling to fill budget deficit

Penn Live By The Associated Press on October 12, 2015 at 11:01 AM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania who are resisting tax increases to balance a deep budget deficit are taking steps toward the state's third expansion of gambling in six years as an alternative source of cash.  Lawmakers who support it estimate that an expansion of some sort could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time license fees plus collections from taxing a new stream of gambling profits. It also would keep the state's industry current in a competitive and fast changing environment, supporters say.  House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, gave gambling expansion a prominent place in his list of priorities. Exploring the possibility should come before lawmakers raise taxes, he said Wednesday after the House defeated a $2.4 billion tax package presented by Gov. Tom Wolf.  "I think we need to have a discussion first on what other revenues are on the table," Reed said. "We need to come to a conclusion on liquor reform. We need to address cost drivers like our pension system. We need to look at gaming options."

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/10/we_need_to_look_at_gaming_opti.html#incart_river

Rating schools on more than test scores

The ratings factor in student progress and school climate to provide a more complete picture of performance.

Solomon Leach / Daily News Staff Writer leachs@phillynews.com, 215-854-5903 Tuesday, October 13, 2015

IN TODAY'S special report on education, the Daily News looks at thePhiladelphia School District's newest - and, in some circles, controversial - tool that measures school performance by emphasizing students' improvement on standardized tests.  The People Paper reports how schools are doing when evaluated, scored and ranked in the district's 2013-14 School Progress Report - the most recent available - which rated 291 traditional public and charter schools charged with educating about 206,000 students. We asked parochial schools to participate in our report, but they were unable to provide the necessary data in time.  Our report lists each school, its score and ranking for achievement tests, student progress on the tests and school climate, highlighting the names and locations for the leaders among the top-ranked elementaries, K-8s, middle schools and high schools.  We also profile some of the district's hidden jewels in the city's most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods — schools where students and teachers are achieving and succeeding despite poverty and circumstance.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/New_School_Progress_Report_rates_district_charter_schools_on_more_than_just_test_scores.html

Some hesitation with SPR report

REGINA MEDINA, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER MEDINAR@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5985 POSTED: Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 12:17 AM

NOT ALL charter schools are rated in the 2013-14 School Progress Report.

Charter schools aren't required to give students' information to the district for the SPR. Schools that did not submit the requested data to the district or submitted it too late to be included are not included in the report.  About 62 of the 84 charters in operation when the data were collected cooperated with the district and are ranked in the SPR.  The 22 nonparticipating charters had various reasons for not providing the data, said Julian Thompson, authorizing quality manager for the district's Charter Schools Office.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20151013_Some_hesitation_with_SPR_report.html#WyrDtLyXGMeEKibK.99

"So, what’s the response in Philadelphia, a district that has continued to feel the impact of cuts to state funding under former governor, Tom Corbett, and a district that has in the past three years been forced to close 24 of its public schools and lay off thousands of teachers, counselors, librarians and school nurses?  Superintendent William Hite has proposed a new restructure for the School District of Philadelphia, a plan that will close public schools, open more charter schools, and according to the Inquirer, cost $20 million and affect 5,000 students."

Philadelphia: Ideologues Press On to Expand Charters Despite Deepening PA Budget Crisis

Jan Resseger's Blog Posted on October 12, 2015 by janresseger

The state of Pennsylvania is now more than 100 days beyond its June 30 budget deadline.  Last week the Republican dominated Pennsylvania House of Representatives rejected tax increases proposed by the state’s new Democratic governor, Tom Wolf.  The Philadelphia Inquirerreported, “In a major blow to Gov. Wolf’s agenda, the state House on Wednesday soundly rejected his plan to increase funding for Pennsylvania schools through tax hikes, stirring deeper uncertainty about how or when the state’s 99-day budget impasse would end.  The measure, which sought to raise the personal income tax and impose a new levy on natural gas drilling, was defeated, 127-73.  Republicans were united against it; nine Democrats broke ranks to join them.  The proposal needed 102 votes to pass.” A privately published research report from Wells Fargo noted that, “The continuing budget impasse for Illinois and Pennsylvania is playing out negatively for education in these states… The timing of state revenues is particularly challenging for education, as K-12 education and higher education have already started the new academic year… Pennsylvania State Auditor Eugene DePasquale noted that the budget stalemate is forcing 17 school districts and two intermediate units to borrow…  Many of the schools are drawing down reserve funds.”  A lawsuit has been filed by plaintiffs across the state declaring that the state’s school funding system fails to meet the “thorough and efficient” and equal protection clauses in Pennsylvania’s state constitution.  The state’s Supreme Court is expected to hear this case early in 2016.

https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/philadelphia-ideologues-press-on-to-expand-charters-despite-deepening-pa-budget-crisis/

Phoenixville students outperform on AP, SAT exams

By Eric Devlin, The Mercury POSTED: 10/12/15, 9:21 AM EDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO

Phoenixville>> A new report released by the Phoenixville Area School District shows that the average score by students taking Advance Placement exams in 2015 was higher than the state, national and global averages. It also shows that the district’s average score on the SAT was higher than the state and national average.  “Our students continue to perform extremely well,” Phoenixville Area High School Principal Craig Parkinson said Thursday during a presentation given at the school board meeting.  The 2015 average test score by Phoenixville students taking AP exams was 3.19 out of a possible top score of 5. The state average is 3.1, while the national and global averages are 2.82 and 2.84, respectively, according to the report.  On the SAT, the class of 2015 scored a 518 on the critical reading section, a 523 in math and a 507 in writing. The highest possible score on each section is 800. The state averages for those three categories are 495, 511 and 484, respectively. The national average is 499, 504 and 482, respectively, the report states.  Parkinson attributed the good news on the AP front speaks to the district’s willingness to find new ways to challenge students, in the hope they will rise to the occasion.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20151012/phoenixville-students-outperform-on-ap-sat-exams

Moon Area-Cornell merger on hold

Trib Live By Kyle Lawson Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, 11:09 p.m.
Moon Area School District's board of directors on Monday delayed a proposed merger with Cornell School District for at least a year, saying there wasn't enough time to work out a plan.  The school board voted 4-3 in favor of removing from the agenda a presentation by Moon Superintendent Curt Baker outlining details of a potential merger, which he first proposed to the public last week.  School board members Jerry Testa, Michael Hauser, Dennis Harbaugh Jr. and Scott LaRue voted to nix the presentation. School directors Michael Olszewski and Samuel Tranter did not attend.  A merger by 2016 would have required approval from both school boards by Oct. 31.  The school boards would have dissolved by December, Baker has said, and control would have been turned over to the Allegheny Intermediate Unit until a board could be elected in spring 2016.

http://triblive.com/news/education/9233454-74/merger-moon-cornell

SCASD approves new bargaining unit contract for teachers

Centre Daily Times BY FRANK READY fready@centredaily.comOctober 12, 201

STATE COLLEGE — On Monday night the State College Area School District board of directors voted 8 to 1 to approve a new collective bargaining unit contract between the district and the State College Area Education Association.  SCAEA, the union representing the teachers in the district, voted to approve the contract prior to the board meeting.  “Working in concert with the board was a great learning experience for all involved. We had healthy discussions and conducted thorough data analysis from which we were able to generate an agreement that will continue to support our educators, and reduce some strains on the district,” said Eugene Ruocchio, SCAEA president.

http://www.centredaily.com/2015/10/12/4965088_scasd-approves-new-bargaining.html?rh=1

Ellwood City Area School District avoids strike set for Tuesday

Trib Live By Katelyn Ferral Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, 9:33 p.m.
Ellwood City Area School District narrowly avoided a strike set for Tuesday thanks to a last-ditch negotiating session late Monday, but at least one Western Pennsylvania district with an expired contract is planning to strike, and more might follow as the state's budget impasse continues, one union official said.  “There will be no strike. We have reached a tentative agreement. School as planned for tomorrow,” a post on the district's Twitter said at about 9 p.m.  Superintendent Joseph Mancini and teachers union representatives couldn't be reached for comment, but a statement on the district's website signed by Mancini said the two sides will work on a ratification document that each side will be able to recommend for approval. The union represents about 130 teachers.

Meanwhile, Peters Township School District teachers could walk off the job Oct. 28 if they are unable to reach a contract agreement.

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/9243249-74/district-teachers-contract

Peters teachers union sets strike date if no contract reached

By Janice Crompton / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 9, 2015 4:29 PM

The union representing teachers in Peters has notified the district it plans to strike Oct. 28 unless an agreement on a contract is reached.  "Teachers and other professional staff are ready to negotiate with the district anytime, anywhere,” said Paul Homer, the staff representative for Peters Township Federation of Teachers Local 3431. “Teachers do not want to strike, but it is simply not possible to negotiate when the district cancels one bargaining session after another."  The union, which represents 285 teachers, along with counselors, nurses, librarians and speech therapists, has been without a contract since Aug. 31, when the terms of a previous five-year pact expired.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2015/10/09/Peters-teachers-union-sets-strike-date-if-no-contract-reached/stories/201510090285

How ridiculous would it be if we did this to our schools? (Oh wait, we did.)

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss October 13 at 4:00 AM  

Here’s a thought experiment about charter schools from Mitchell Robinson, an associate professor and chair of music education at Michigan State University. Before moving to Michigan State, Robinson taught music for 10 years in the Fulton (NY) City School District, and held collegiate appointments at the University of Connecticut and the Eastman School of Music. This appeared on his blog.

Imagine that your town established a private fire or police department, funded with your tax dollars, and staffed by young inexperienced college grads with no previous experience in fire fighting or law enforcement.  Imagine that these parallel organizations were given prime locations in existing facilities (built and paid for with public monies), displacing the professionals that had served your community for many years.  Imagine that these “new” fire and police forces could pick and choose which calls for their assistance they would respond to, choosing only the easiest and least dangerous cases and referring the difficult calls to the “old” departments–who were now understaffed and under-resourced. And that the “new” departments’ artificially high success rates would be trumpeted by the media as evidence of their effectiveness.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/10/13/how-ridiculous-would-it-be-if-we-did-this-to-our-schools-oh-wait-we-did/

The Hidden Depths of Sandra Boynton’s Board Books

The New Yorker BY IAN BOGOST OCTOBER 8, 2015

The best children’s stories, whether they take the form of books, television shows, movies, or something else, are also loved by adults. They are not just tolerated or long-suffered but truly loved, and beyond the vicarious joy we might feel while reading them in the presence of children. Some stories accomplish this by aiming for adults and merely wearing children’s clothing, so to speak. “The Simpsons,” for instance, with its jovial, animated exterior barely obscures a deeper layer of social satire and allusion. The same goes for the Muppets; likewise “The Little Prince” or “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”  Then there’s Sandra Boynton, a name that many parents of kids born since the late seventies will know well. Boynton has published dozens of books that have sold millions of copies, all featuring her hand-drawn animal characters—hippos and cows and chickens and dogs and mice, creatures that she first created for a massively successful line of greeting cards. “A to Z,” “Barnyard Dance,” “The Going to Bed Book,” “Moo Baa La La La”—they are titles whose very mention will draw out tender, fragile memories from kids and parents everywhere. 

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-hidden-depths-of-sandra-boyntons-board-books

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  School Play is going on tour!  Click below for more information about tour dates in your county.  All performances are FREE!

School Play, a documentary-based live theatre piece, is here to put school funding center stage. Compiled from a series of interviews, the play premiered in Philadelphia in April, 2015 and is now available for free for performances around the Commonwealth.

Elk County – October 13^th

Erie County – October 14^th

Schuylkill County – October 15^th

Click here to download a PDF flyer with all performance locations, dates and times.

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

Back to School Special Education Seminar October 20th

Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

Join us on October 20, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for our first special education conference of the 2015-2016 school year!

Building on last year’s successful Back to School seminar, this year you will hear about the current state of special education law and engage in dialogue about today’s most pressing matters.

Topics

• Early Intervention
• Inclusion
• Assistive Technology
• General update on the state of special education, both in Philadelphia and nationally

Presenters

• HUNE
• The PEAL Center
• Sonja Kerr

Our “Know Your Child’s Rights” Special Education workshops aim to educate parents, educators, attorneys and advocates so that they can advocate for the rights of children with disabilities. CLE credit is available for attorneys in Pennsylvania that attend the seminar in person.  Questions? Email mberton@pilcop.org or call 267.546.1303.

- See more at: http://www.pilcop.org/backtoschool2015/#sthash.W9zA7fZg.dpuf

Registration is open for the 19^th Annual Eastern Pennsylvania Special Education Administrators’ Conference on October 21-23^rd in Hershey. 

Educators in the field of special education from public, charter and nonpublic schools are invited to attend.  The conference offers rich professional development sessions and exceptional networking opportunities.  Keynote speakers are Shane Burcaw and Jodee Blanco.  Register at https://www.paiu.org/epaseac/conf_registration.php

Register Now for the Fifth Annual Arts and Education Symposium Oct. 29th Harrisburg

Thursday, October 29, 2015 Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Act 48 Credit is available. The event will be a daylong convening of arts education policy leaders and practitioners for lively discussions about important policy issues and the latest news from the field. The symposium is hosted by EPLC and the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network, and supported by a generous grant from The Heinz Endowments.

http://www.artseducationpa.org/register-now-for-the-fifth-annual-arts-and-education-symposium/

SCHOOL CHOICE: THE ROLE OF THE CONSTITUTION AND THE COURTS IN IMPROVING EDUCATION

Constitution Center, Philadelphia Monday, November 2, 2015 at 4 p.m.

Free for Members • $7 teachers & students • $10 public
Become a Member today for free admission to this program and more!
Click here to join and learn more or call 215-409-6767.

Does the Constitution guarantee an “equal education” to every child? What do the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions say about school choice, teacher tenure, standardized testing, and more? The Constitution Center hosts two conversations exploring these questions.

In the first discussion, education policy experts—Donna Cooper of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, Mark Gleason of the Philadelphia School Partnership, Deborah Gordon Klehr of the Education Law Center, and Ina Lipman of the Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia—examine the state of Philadelphia public education, what an "equal education" in Philadelphia would look like, and their specific proposals for getting there. They also explain what, if anything, the Pennsylvania state constitution says about these questions, and how state government interacts with local government in setting education policy.

In the second discussion, James Finberg of Altshuler Berzon and Joshua Lipshutz of Gibson Dunn—two attorneys involved in Vergara v. California, a landmark dispute over the legality of teacher retention policies—present the best arguments on both sides and discuss what's next in the case. They also explain what the U.S. Constitution and major Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education, San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 say about education and our national debates.

http://constitutioncenter.org/calendar/school-choice-the-role-of-the-constitution-and-the-courts-in-improving-educ

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/>

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