Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3800 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, Superintendents, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup November 12, 2015:
"Instead (of referendum) please
support local control of school districts, revisions to charter school funding
(especially the proposed state rate for cyber charters), tiered special
education funding, and pension reform."
Register for PSBA Budget Action Day on Monday, Nov. 16
— Join us!
Capitol Building, Harrisburg NOV 16, 2015 • 9:00
AM - 1:00 PM
School Board Blogger by David
Hutchinson Wednesday, November 11, 2015
It may
seem hard to believe, but until fairly recently in our history, the main
purpose of public education was preparing the next generation for the
responsibilities of citizenship. In fact, initially, citizenship was the entire
point of a public education. When, in the 1740s, Ben Franklin first
proposed the creation of public schools in Pennsylvania , it was to the end of “creating
citizens who could make wise political decisions.” For many years, citizenship education was
prominently acknowledged as a core part of the State College Area
School District ’s
mission. “A responsible and involved citizen” was listed at the very top of the
aspirational Ten Characteristics of a State High Graduate. That list, by the
way, also included attributes such as respect for self and others, personal
financial acumen, environmental stewardship, participation in the arts, and
competence with technology. In other words, a well-rounded person. But in recent years, the national
conversation on education has focused almost entirely on preparing students for
success in the workforce. While that is important, the ability to make a living
at something one enjoys is only one component of being a successful citizen. In
fact, the core skills of citizenship – the ability to think critically, to
communicate clearly and to collaborate with others - are precisely the skills
most sought after by employers in the modern economy. (By the way, those skills
are also on that list of ‘ten characteristics’.)
Unequal funding, and it's delayed: McCaskey students
seek answers on state budget
To most teenagers, state politics is, at best, an abstract
topic.
But for some students at School
District of Lancaster
— where the state budget stalemate could force the board to
borrow $30 million in January — what happens in Harrisburg is very real. "So far we haven't seen a lot of extreme impacts (from
the delayed budget), but we've all been in the district long enough to remember
when there were really drastic cuts a few years ago and how that impacted
us," said senior Thea Buckwalter, 17.
To better understand the gridlock in the capital, Buckwalter and 15 of
her classmates invited several state and school leaders to a discussion about
the budget. The event, held at McCaskey
East High School on Tuesday morning, gave students "a chance to ask the
questions they've wanted to, because it's really hard when all you have is
newspaper articles," said senior Ellen Waters, 17. During the 90-minute discussion, students
asked questions about the negotiation process, local effects of state education
funding and their role in politics. Officials
who participated were: state Rep. Mike Sturla, a Lancaster Democrat; state
Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, Superintendent Damaris Rau; and Matt
Przywara, the district's chief financial and operations officer.
Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray, state Sen. Lloyd Smucker, Gov.
Tom Wolf, and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale also were invited but did not
attend.
Property tax
debate takes stage in state Capitol
The Associated Press Wednesday November 11, 2015 05:00
PM
- See
more at: http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/property-tax-debate-takes-stage-in-state-capitol#sthash.8BF74IPk.dpuf
Their view:
Bill a threat to public education
Centre Daily Times BY NATHAN MAINS November 12, 2015
Nathan Mains is executive
director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.
The
state budget is now more than five months late but talk in the Capitol is that
a deal may happen before Thanksgiving. It remains to be seen if there will be
much to give thanks for in schools across the state when the details of the
closed-door meetings are more widely known. The
tardiness of a fiscal plan is putting much pressure on the governor and
legislature to come up with a deal quickly to keep schools and social service
agencies open. However, this pressure also can cause policymakers to act like
cornered animals and make desperate and foolhardy decisions — one of those
currently circulating is a discussion of a back-end referendum. This proposed
legislation, Senate Bill 909, would take away all taxing authority of school
boards across Pennsylvania by requiring that any and all tax increases go to a
public vote before they can be approved. Such a legislated change would be a
death knell for all public schools.
Proposed
referendum worries York
school officials
The tone
surrounding the passage of a potential state budget turned negative for school
officials following a proposal that would require districts to turn to voters
for their consent on any tax increase. "It
would cause the demise of public education as we know it," West York
Superintendent Emilie Lonardi said of the referendum. York Suburban Superintendent Shelly Merkle
was also concerned. "Public
education is the cornerstone of any democracy," she said. "This
referendum would set districts up for failure, and therein lies the downfall of
democracy. Now, that may be a bold statement, but I believe it
wholeheartedly." Lonardi said that
public education has "become an easy target. The truth is, this is the one
environment that has everything, not a few things, it has everything to do with
the future and well-being of Pennsylvania ."
"I am
asking that you advocate for the defeat of any back-end referendum bill that
may come before you," McHugh said in the correspondence sent Tuesday.
"Instead, please support local control of school districts, revisions to
charter school funding (especially the proposed state rate for cyber charters),
tiered special education funding, and pension reform."
Superintendents:
'Back-end referendums' could harm school districts
Bucks County Courier Times by Joan Hellyer, staff
writer Posted: Wednesday,
November 11, 2015 11:45 pm
Two area
superintendents want local state lawmakers to know that a potential
"back-end referendum" should not be included in a deal to end the
almost five-month-long state budget impasse.
The "back-end referendum" could mean school districts would
have to go through a referendum process each time a school board attempts to
raise property taxes, officials said. The potential to allow for such a
referendum is outlined in Senate Bill 909, which is working its way through the
legislative chamber. "Any back-end
referendum proposal will strip away financial control from our board of school
directors, who is elected by the same public that would vote in a referendum
process," Council Rock Superintendent Robert Fraser wrote in a letter to
area state representatives. "In a district that is so reliant on local
revenue sources, maintaining this balance is imperative." A local district’s ability to meet its annual
budget "would be decimated" if a back-end referendum was required,
Pennsbury Superintendent Kevin J. McHugh said in a separate letter to area
representatives.
Hashing out
the nitty-gritty in the very tentative, detail-scarce Pa. budget framework
WHYY
Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY
NOVEMBER 11, 2015
After a
scare Tuesday, leaders in the Pennsylvania Capitol said that the framework of a
state budget agreement is still intact. The
tentative agreement includes a $400 million increase to K-12 public education
this year. On Monday, Wolf
administration officials claimed that a two-year agreement would boost preK-12
public education by $750 million. Republican leaders insisted that nothing had
been set in stone beyond the current fiscal year. For a few hours Tuesday, the Senate Republican
leadership stirred up doubts about the structural integrity of the deal –
saying everything was again "up in the air." Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican leaders allayed
anxiety by hosting an impromptu press gaggle late Tuesday committing to the
framework of a one-year pact.
Pressure
has mounted to reach an agreement more than four months after the June 30
budget deadline. School districts across the state have had to borrow money
just to keep their doors open. Social services agencies have been hurt, and lawmakers
have expressed fatigue as the budget battle has superseded all other agendas. Wolf and the leaders of the Republican-held
House and Senate believe they can shake hands on a budget before Thanksgiving,
but the deal is far from finalized and many of the details are yet to be worked
out: namely, the source of the education funding boost.
Proposed state
budget framework still has many details to resolve
By Karen Langley / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
November 12, 2015 1:20 AM
HARRISBURG -- There are many parts to the proposed
framework to end the months-long Pennsylvania budget impasse, and with them,
many unanswered questions and concerns for observers across the spectrum of
politics and issues. School business
officials are applauding proposed increases of $350 million in basic education
funding and $50 million in special education funding. But they worry that the
proposed swap of a higher state sales tax for reductions in local property
taxes could lead to a requirement that school boards secure voter approval for
any increase in property tax rates. Currently, districts are allowed to
increase taxes by an annual index and also seek exceptions for pension or
special education costs before turning to the voters. “We think it would be draconian,” said Jay
Himes, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business
Officials. “I don’t think people are jumping up and down to say, yes,
increase my property taxes.” Republicans
say some sort of restriction should be enacted to ensure that taxpayers are not
left with a permanently higher sales tax -- the framework calls for an increase
in the statewide rate from 6 percent to 7.25 percent -- along with a temporary
reduction in property taxes that is then gobbled up by subsequent local tax
hikes.
"A proposal to require voter approval
of all school district property tax increases would have “a devastating impact”
on delivering the “kind of public education that Pennsylvanians want and that
their students need,” said a letter to Wolf and leaders from the Campaign for
Fair Funding, a coalition of education, union and religious groups."
Tax proposals
in Wolf's Pa. budget remain contentious
Trib Live By Brad
Bumsted Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, 11:12 p.m.
HARRISBURG — The complex budget package that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican legislative leaders are considering will be a tough sell in the General Assembly, legislators and analysts said Wednesday. It includes a higher sales tax, property tax cuts, more education funding and undefined plans to reform public pensions and liquor sales. “I started getting messages on Facebook and on my cellphone: ‘Don't do it,' ” said Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield. “They don't want their taxes increased.” Ward thinks a stopgap budget to help nonprofit groups and school districts is necessary while leaders work out a deal to end the budget impasse, which is in its fifth month.
HARRISBURG — The complex budget package that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican legislative leaders are considering will be a tough sell in the General Assembly, legislators and analysts said Wednesday. It includes a higher sales tax, property tax cuts, more education funding and undefined plans to reform public pensions and liquor sales. “I started getting messages on Facebook and on my cellphone: ‘Don't do it,' ” said Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield. “They don't want their taxes increased.” Ward thinks a stopgap budget to help nonprofit groups and school districts is necessary while leaders work out a deal to end the budget impasse, which is in its fifth month.
#PABudget update from Majority Leader
Dave Reed
HERD in the House PA GOP Blog November 11, 2015
The framework for a budget agreement was announced
at the Capitol last evening. An awful lot of details still need to be worked
out and it will take a couple weeks for everything to be passed, but included
in the framework are pension reform, liquor privatization, an increase of $350
million for basic education, property tax reform as well as tighter controls on
future property tax increases. There will also likely be a vote on SB/HB
76 for complete elimination of property taxes to gauge support to go further
than the reductions on the table, whether it be with the budget or not; I am
supportive of this proposal as well. With
divided government, compromise can sometimes be elusive and I have yet to see
the perfect budget deal, but a lot of issues that have been talked about for
decades are hopefully about to become reality.
Editorial: Forward
progress: Is the season of agreement afoot in Harrisburg?
Post Gazette By the Editorial Board November 11,
2015 12:00 AM
With the state budget impasse grinding into its
fifth month, the governor and legislative leaders say they have agreed to a
tentative framework for next year’s budget. It’s about time. Although only a few sketchy details are known
and much work remains to reach an accord, this sign of progress fits in with
positive steps on other fronts last week. Who says Republicans and
Democrats in Harrisburg can’t agree on things?
From the
budget table: Pennsylvania's proposed pension deal trades cuts in future
workers' benefits for hoped-for taxpayer savings
Penn Live By Charles Thompson |
cthompson@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on
November 11, 2015 at 10:33 PM, updated November 12, 2015 at 1:26 AM
The pension
reform department of the final state budget talks is aimed toward
producing a new benefit plan for future state and public school employees
that's come to be known as a "side-by-side hybrid." That's side-by-side, as in it's really two
distinct pension plans working for the employee from their first day on the
job: one part a traditional defined benefit with payouts based on annual salary
and years of service; the other a 401(k)-style plan more dependent on the
worker's contributions in and investment choices. Because Harrisburg is a company town, and
government is our company, here's PennLive's in-the-moment look at what we know
about this issue so far, what's still being negotiated, and a little about what
it may mean for public sector workers and taxpayers in the long run.
Wolf's
sales-tax compromise a bad deal for consumers | Editorial
Lehigh Valley Live By Express-Times
opinion staff on November 11, 2015 at 4:02 PM, updated November
11, 2015 at 4:11 PM
Ow. Ow. Ow.
Pennsylvania consumers
would pay a 7.25 percent sales tax on everything (except food,
clothing, prescription drugs) under a regressive budget compromise being touted
in Harrisburg as the only way out of a bull-headed, four-month budget stalemate
between Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican legislative leaders. While all of us would pay more for most
purchases, Wolf inexplicably gave up on the centerpiece of his budget plan — an
extraction tax on shale gas production, meaning the energy flowing up (and to
some extent, out of Pennsylvania) won't be chipping in for a big boost in
education and pension funding. This
makes no sense, except in the rarified arrogance of lawmaking. This budget
compromise is progress only in the sense that it is movement.
"Barrar said the proposal details
continue to be developed this week and that state House Speaker Mike Turzai,
R-Allegheny County, has ordered that legislators work Monday through
Thanksgiving to get the budget resolved.
In addition to an increased sales tax, the deal includes some kind of
pension reform, property tax relief and liquor privatization, although the
specifics are being worked out."
Will Pa. sales
tax hike drive shoppers over the border?
By Kathleen E. Carey, Delaware
County Daily Times POSTED: 11/11/15, 10:14 PM EST
Members of the Delaware County business community
and elected officials on Wednesday had mixed reactions to a proposed increase
in the state sales tax. On Monday, some
details of a budget deal in Harrisburg were announced — and they included an
increase in the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7.25 percent to generate $2
billion to be used to fund education. Philadelphia’s sales tax would increase
from 8 to 9.25 percent. According to the
Tax Foundation, only California has a higher sales tax rate at 7.5 percent.
Five other states — Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island and
Tennessee — have a sales tax rate that is 7 percent. Trish McFarland, president of the Delaware
County Chamber of Commerce, said she is staying in communication with their
business members on the issue.
Five questions
about the #PaBudget framework: Wednesday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on
November 11, 2015 at 8:55 AM
THE MORNING COFFEE
Good
Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Well now that it looks like the budget framework is back on -- after some histrionics on Tuesday -- here are few questions we have about the emerging spending plan. Hopefully, details will emerge over the next few days.
Well now that it looks like the budget framework is back on -- after some histrionics on Tuesday -- here are few questions we have about the emerging spending plan. Hopefully, details will emerge over the next few days.
RFA: Creating
a Comprehensive Picture of School Performance:
A PACER Brief from Research for Action by Mark Duffy
and Della Jenkins November 2015
For more than two decades, states have been required
to report publicly on the academic performance of schools and districts. These
school rating systems have received increased public attention amid growing
concerns about the prevalence and cost of standardized testing in schools.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, 64 percent of the public overall, and 67
percent of public school parents, said there is too much emphasis on
standardized testing in education. These perceptions have been widely acknowledged by
policymakers at both the state and federal levels. As deliberations on the
future of Pennsylvania's school rating system, the School Performance Profile, gather
steam, RFA is pleased to provide background on the existing research related to
best practices in reporting on school performance. We also offer examples of
reporting systems from neighboring and high-performing states.
AERA Issues Statement on the
Use of Value-Added Models in Evaluation of Educators and Educator Preparation
Programs
American
Educational Research Association WASHINGTON , D.C. , November 11
In a statement released
today, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) advises those using
or considering use of value-added models (VAM) about the scientific and
technical limitations of these measures for evaluating educators and programs
that prepare teachers. The statement, approved by AERA Council, cautions
against the use of VAM for high-stakes decisions regarding educators. In recent years, many states and districts
have attempted to use VAM to determine the contributions of educators, or the
programs in which they were trained, to student learning outcomes, as captured
by standardized student tests. The AERA statement speaks to the formidable
statistical and methodological issues involved in isolating either the effects
of educators or teacher preparation programs from a complex set of factors that
shape student performance. This
statement draws on the leading testing, statistical, and methodological
expertise in the field of education research and related sciences, and on the
highest standards that guide education research and its applications in policy
and practice,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine.
http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/NewsReleasesandStatements/AERAIssuesStatementontheUseofValue-AddedModelsinEvaluationofEducatorsandEducatorPreparationPrograms/tabid/16120/Default.aspx
http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/NewsReleasesandStatements/AERAIssuesStatementontheUseofValue-AddedModelsinEvaluationofEducatorsandEducatorPreparationPrograms/tabid/16120/Default.aspx
Op-Ed: Join
the Grassroots Movement to Support Philly’s Neighborhood Schools
Friends groups across the city
are working to ensure a quality education for every child.
Citified BY CHRISTINE
CARLSON, JEFF HORNSTEIN AND IVY OLESH | NOVEMBER 10,
2015 AT 1:15 PM
(Editor’s note: This is an opinion column from
guest writers Christine Carlson, Jeff Hornstein and Ivy Olesh.)
Mayor Michael Nutter said in a recent policy address that Philadelphia
needs “more parental and community involvement in our schools” and the
“formal establishment of School Advisory Councils at every neighborhood
school.” As leaders in a growing
citywide network of friends groups emerging to support our neighborhood public
schools, we wholeheartedly support the intention behind the mayor’s proposal:
to establish robust, community-driven support structures for every school,
composed of stakeholders that include parents, teachers, community members and
businesspeople working to ensure a quality education for every child in our
city. But what Nutter has proposed is
already happening from the ground up. A number of community-organized groups
have evolved organically over the past five years or so, thus far largely
following the trajectory of gentrifying areas of the city. Additionally, there
are numerous long-standing communities where families have for many years
supported their schools.
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/11/10/friends-groups-movement/#WIJB5mZhzrp06DdT.99
A $250k gift
to change the conversation about Philly schools
by Martha Woodall, Inquirer Staff Writer Updated on NOVEMBER 12, 2015 —
1:08 AM EST
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation wants to
change the conversation about Philadelphia
public schools to keep talented millennials from leaving the city once they
have school-age children. The
Miami-based philanthropy was scheduled to announce Thursday that it had awarded
$250,000 to the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia to promote what is
working in district schools and highlight student achievement. "It's a one-year grant, and it's really
designed to help us do things that nonprofits often don't get the money to
do," said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, president and chief executive of the
fund, created in 2003 to secure and manage financial gifts to the district. The new project is based on data from the
U.S. Census Bureau and reports by the Pew Charitable Trusts showing
Philadelphia has been successful attracting educated young residents but loses
many to the suburbs when they have children. A 2014 Pew study, for example, found that the city's
population of 20- to 34-year-olds had surged, but 56 percent said they would
not recommend Philadelphia as a place to raise young children.
"This is going to allow us to help tell the
story of the School District and the great students and the good work that
happens," Frisby-Greenwood said.
Proposed
Pittsburgh schools budget contains no tax increase
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette November 12, 2015 12:00 AM
A preliminary budget for Pittsburgh Public Schools
released Tuesday includes a decrease in deficit spending and holds the line on
taxes. The $567.9 million budget has a 2
percent increase from last year’s adopted budget and includes a long-term
deficit of $21.8 million, a $5.1 million drop from the previous year. Chief Operations Officer Ronald Joseph said
the decrease in deficit spending is due in large part to increased earned
income tax revenue, decreases in salaries, medical insurance and debt service
payments. The district is projected to end the year with an operating surplus
of $900,000.
"The program matches volunteers with
students for one-on-one reading time during the school day, and provides
low-income children who might not have books at home with books they can keep
and read even when not at school."
Tutoring
program pays dividends for elementary students across Southwestern Pa.
Trib Live By Chris
Togneri Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, 9:00 p.m.
When the Rev. Larry Homitsky took over as pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh's North Side in 2008, he called local school principals and offered his services. Tell me what you need, he told them, and I'll do what I can. Many did not respond. They were too busy getting ready for another school year. But Theresa Cherry, principal of Pittsburgh Public's Manchester elementary school, told Homitsky that many of her students lacked basic school supplies. A few days later, Homitsky showed up with a pickup truck full of 300 backpacks, all filled with school supplies. “That got her attention; then she knew I was serious,” Homitsky recalled. “After that, I said, what else can we do?” Shortly after, the Reading and Mentoring Program was born.
When the Rev. Larry Homitsky took over as pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh's North Side in 2008, he called local school principals and offered his services. Tell me what you need, he told them, and I'll do what I can. Many did not respond. They were too busy getting ready for another school year. But Theresa Cherry, principal of Pittsburgh Public's Manchester elementary school, told Homitsky that many of her students lacked basic school supplies. A few days later, Homitsky showed up with a pickup truck full of 300 backpacks, all filled with school supplies. “That got her attention; then she knew I was serious,” Homitsky recalled. “After that, I said, what else can we do?” Shortly after, the Reading and Mentoring Program was born.
Phoenixville
district reacts to School Performance Profile score drop
By Eric Devlin, The Mercury POSTED: 11/11/15,
6:58 PM EST
Phoenixville >> Phoenixville Area High School
saw a slight dip from last year in the latest School Performance Profile scores
and district officials say they are working hard to prevent that from happening
again next year. “We always want to keep
improving,” said Superintendent Alan Fegley. “We’re not satisfied but we’re not
dissatisfied.” The high school scored a
75.7 in the latest scores released by the state for the 2014-15 school year,
representing of 0.2 percent drop from the previous year. A score of 70 is
considered “passing.” Last year district officials expressed “disappointment” with
the school’s results, which only rose 1.75 percent from the 2012-13 scores.
The School Performance Profile is the state’s newest
way of evaluating all schools. Schools that use the Keystone Exams, primarily
high schools, were the only ones to receive scores based, in part, on those
results, this year.
Feds spent $7
billion to fix failing schools, with mixed results
A national program that pumped a record $7 billion
into failing schools — and became one of U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s
signature policies — has yielded mixed results, according to a new federal
analysis released Thursday. Students in
about two-thirds of the schools studied posted gains on math and reading tests,
but one-third showed no improvements or even slid backwards. Schools that participated in the program the
longest showed the strongest improvements in math and reading. The average high
school graduation rate also increased for schools that received School
Improvement Grants (SIG).
But the government analysis is incomplete.
PSBA New School Director
Training
School boards who will welcome new directors after the election should
plan to attend PSBA training to help everyone feel more confident right from
the start. This one-day event is targeted to help members learn the basics of
their new roles and responsibilities. Meet the friendly, knowledgeable PSBA
team and bring everyone on your “team of 10” to get on the same page fast.
- $150 per
registrant (No charge if your district has a LEARN Pass. Note: All-Access
members also have LEARN Pass.)
- One-hour lunch
on your own — bring your lunch, go to lunch, or we’ll bring a box lunch to
you; coffee/tea provided all day
- Course
materials available online or we’ll bring a printed copy to you for an
additional $25
- Registrants
receive one month of 100-level online courses for each registrant, after
the live class
Nine locations
for your convenience:
- Philadelphia
area — Nov. 21 William Tennent HS, Warminster (note: location changed from
IU23 Norristown)
- Pittsburgh
area — Dec. 5 Allegheny IU3, Homestead
- South Central
PA and Erie areas (joint program)— Dec. 12 Northwest Tri-County IU5,
Edinboro and PSBA, Mechanicsburg
- Butler area —
Jan. 9 Midwestern IU 4, Grove City (note: location changed from Penn State
New Kensington)
- Allentown area
— Jan. 16 Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, Schnecksville
- Central PA —
Jan. 30 Nittany Lion Inn, State College
- Scranton area
— Feb. 6 Abington Heights SD, Clarks Summit
- North Central
area —Feb. 13 Mansfield University, Mansfield
Register here: https://www.psba.org/2015/09/new-school-director-training/
Register for PSBA Budget Action Day on Monday, Nov. 16
— Join us!
Capitol Building, Harrisburg NOV 16, 2015 • 9:00
AM - 1:00 PM
For more than four months Pennsylvanians have gone without a state
budget, and school districts are feeling the pain. As the budget stalemate continues, many
school districts across the state are depleting savings or borrowing to meet
expenses. In addition to loan interest payments and fees, schools are taking
many other steps to curtail spending and keep school doors open.
PSBA is asking you to join us at the Harrisburg Capitol on Monday, Nov.
16 to take action. Let our legislators know that a state budget is critical to
the education of our public school children in Pennsylvania. Budget Action Day, Capitol
Building , Harrisburg , PA ;
Monday, Nov. 16, 2015; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Meet at 9 a.m. in the Majority Caucus Room, Room 140, to hear from
legislators on top issues that are affecting the budget stalemate and receive
packets for your legislative visits.
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/>
NSBA Advocacy
Institute 2016; January 24 - 26 in Washington ,
D.C.
Housing and meeting registration is open for Advocacy Institute 2016. The theme, “Election Year Politics & Public Schools,” celebrates the exciting year ahead for school board advocacy. Strong legislative programming will be paramount at this year’s conference in January. Visit www.nsba.org/advocacyinstitute for more information.
Housing and meeting registration is open for Advocacy Institute 2016. The theme, “Election Year Politics & Public Schools,” celebrates the exciting year ahead for school board advocacy. Strong legislative programming will be paramount at this year’s conference in January. Visit www.nsba.org/advocacyinstitute for more information.
PASBO 61st Annual
Conference and Exhibits March 8 - 11, 2016
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
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
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