Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3850 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, Superintendents, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup January 21, 2016:
As PA moves to implement an Achievement
School District , model Tennessee
Proposed changes to Pa.
the notebook
Commentary by Michael Churchill, Deborah Gordon Klehr, Susan Spicka January 20,
2016
Michael Churchill
is an attorney at the Public
Interest Law
Center
Deborah Gordon
Klehr is executive director of the Education
Law Center
of Pennsylvania
Susan Spicka is
an advocacy coordinator for Education Voters PA.
Earlier this month,
Gov. Wolf approved emergency funding to allow schools to remain open despite
the ongoing budget impasse in Harrisburg .
We are pleased that the governor is holding out for an agreement with
legislative leaders that would result in a historic $350 million increase
in basic education funding, which would include a $100 million restoration of
funding to Philadelphia
schools. This money would provide immediate relief to a cash-strapped district
and would allow it to begin restoring cuts to nurses, counselors, and other
vital services after years of bare-bones budgeting. Yet those gains could be fleeting. We are deeply troubled by language that has
been inserted into the proposed Pennsylvania School Code that would enact
sweeping changes to our state charter school policy. The changes would weaken
the important role of school districts as charter authorizers to both manage
responsible charter school growth and ensure that charter schools are providing
a high-quality education to all kinds of students.
Bill proposes to close Tennessee Achievement School District
The Tennesseean by Jason Gonzales,
jagonzales@tennessean.com7:51 p.m. CST January 19, 2016
As expected, state
legislation has been filed to close Tennessee's Achievement
School District. State Rep. Antonio
Parkinson, D-Memphis, and Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, have
sponsored companion bills that will close the district by July 2017. If passed, the operations of the schools
the state district oversees would return to the local school district. And
if the school is operated by a charter management organization, the local
district will then have the ability to revoke, deny or renew the charter
agreement. "I will tell you this,
the halls are talking," Parkinson said. "Whether this is the
final outcome, I don’t know, but we are serious about accountability from all
schools. When schools are not performing, children are being affected." The ASD has been the subject of much debate,
especially since a recent
Vanderbilt University study cast doubt on the effectiveness
of the district meant to help improve the bottom 5 percent of all schools in
the state. The report said schools in
the ASD across all years haven't improved academic outcomes, but added school
reform often takes time. The district, in operation since
2012, is tasked with the takeover and turnaround of the
lowest-performing schools in the state.
Here's a link to our prior
postings on SB6, which would create an Achievement School District
PA Ed Policy Roundup July 6: SB6:
Editorial - New layer of bureaucracy is not answer to quandary of Pa.
Gorham: Fair
funding formula needed
Carbondale News By Kelly Waters Special to The News Posted Jan. 20, 2016 at 4:51 PM
CARBONDALE – Like other school districts in Pennsylvania , Carbondale
Area is struggling with the lack of funding from the state. In late December Governor Tom Wolf announced
emergency funding would be released for human services and the school districts
so they can keep running despite the lack of a state budget. While those funds will help alleviate some
expenses of those entities, it isn't a cure all. “Carbondale Area has been very vocal in its
dissatisfaction with the current funding status in the state of Pennsylvania ,” stated
Superintendent Joseph Gorham. “We've
been very clear in saying all along when we testified... [in] Harrisburg , that this is not a solution. This
is a band-aid to a much bigger problem. “Does
it solve our problems? Absolutely not. It allows us to pay off vendors that we
were in the rears with, so we'll be paying off those bills, but it doesn't
solve the long term problem.” Gorham
added Pennsylvania
doesn't have a fair funding formula implemented either.
"The state has more than
1.8 million recipients of food stamps, or SNAP. More than a quarter of them, or
500,000, are in Philadelphia
Rates of
poverty and hunger have risen in Philly and in Pa.
Children make up 40
percent of the state's food stamp recipients.
the
notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa January 20, 2016
Poverty
and its byproduct, food insecurity, are getting worse in Philadelphia
and Pennsylvania , according
to federal and state data. The region's children are heavily affected.
The
state has more than 1.8 million recipients of food stamps, or SNAP. More than a
quarter of them, or 500,000, are in Philadelphia .
That is a third of the city’s population.
Children – individuals under the age of 18 – make up 40 percent of the
participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
according to the data.
Advocates push
for pre-k funding
York Daily Record by Angie Mason,
amason@ydr.com4:48 p.m. EST January 20, 2016
Early
childhood advocates called Wednesday for the state to step up its role in the
funding of pre-kindergarten, saying philanthropic organizations don't have the
resources to meet the needs on their own.
As other states have increased their commitment to early childhood education
programs, Pennsylvania
has lost ground, advocates said Wednesday at a news conference at York Day
Nursery, hosted by area United
Way organizations and members of the Pre-K
for PA campaign. Over the past five
years, the state dropped four spots to rank 15th in the nation in
pre-k access for 3-year-olds and fell six spots to 30th when it came to
4-year-old children, according to data included in a report issued Wednesday.
"Mr. Smucker listed two
areas in need of review — project-based assessments, which are offered to
students who after remediation still can’t pass the tests, and the impact of
assessments on career and technical students.
State Sen. Andy Dinniman of Chester, the ranking Democrat on the Senate
Education Committee and co-sponsor of the bill, said the Keystone graduation
requirement was an “unfunded mandate on schools” that hurt the poor and failing
schools most.
He cited high schools in the Philadelphia School District
Keystone exams delayed until 2019
By Mary Niederberger
and Janice Crompton / Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette January 20, 2016 2:30 PM
School officials are
breathing a sigh of relief at the state Legislature’s approval of a two-year
delay in requiring students to pass the Keystone exams in order to graduate. Senate Bill 880, unanimously approved by the
state Senate on Wednesday, will delay until 2019 the use of Keystone exams in
algebra 1, biology and literature as graduation requirements.
The bill now goes to
Gov. Tom Wolf, who is expected to sign it.
“I’m glad we got a little breathing space on that one,” said Pittsburgh superintendent
Linda Lane .
“I don’t think it’s
anyone’s intention to have a bunch of children complete their high school
requirements and then not graduate because they didn’t pass the Keystone exam.”
State Sen. Lloyd
Smucker, R-Lancaster, chairman of the Senate Education Committee and sponsor of
the bill, said in a press release: “It is time to push the pause button on the
timetable for phase-in and work through the honest concerns raised by parents,
students and educators.”
"The Senate voted 49-0
to send Gov. Tom Wolf a bill that would delay the requirement of passing the
Keystone Exams to graduate high school by two years. It was to take effect with
next year's graduating class."
Delay in graduation
testing requirement all but a done deal
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter on January 20, 2016 at 1:37 PM,
updated January 20, 2016 at 3:22 PM
*This post was
updated to include parent Jim Sherner's comment.
It's all but
official. Passing a high-stakes test won't be a requirement to graduate from a Pennsylvania public high
school for at least three more years. The
Senate on Wednesday voted 49-0 to approve legislation that would put a two-year pause on a
State Board of Education-imposed requirement that made passing the Keystone
Exams, or a state-approved alternative a graduation requirement, starting with
the Class of 2017. It now goes to Gov. Tom Wolf who has said he would sign the
legislation that also carries a requirement for his Department of
Education to study alternatives and provide its findings and recommendations to
the Legislature within six months.
Wolf to sign bill delaying
Keystone graduation requirement
the notebook by Kevin McCorry
Newsworks January 20, 2016
On Wednesday, the
state Senate unanimously signed off on a House-approved measure that pushes
back by two years a requirement for students to pass state standardized
Keystone exams in Algebra, Literature and Biology in order to graduate. Pressure on lawmakers had mounted over the
last few years to repeal or punt on the requirement as recent test results
indicated a possibly large decline in the state graduation rate. If students didn't pass the tests after two
tries, they were to complete a project assessment, but districts were to
receive no additional funding to help remediate the children. Districts across the state feared a nightmare
scenario. Based on recent pass rates, a quarter million students would need
help with projects – especially based on performance on the Biology exam. "I still support the concept. I just
think in rolling out the implementation of this graduation requirement we ran
into a lot of problems," said Sen. Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster), the
majority chair of the Senate Education Committee. “The purpose of this bill is
to reset that decision and see whether there’s a better way to place
requirements around graduation.
Inquirer by Chris Palmer, HARRISBURG BUREAU. Updated: JANUARY 20, 2016 1:17 PM EST
State Senate approves
two-year delay for Keystone Exam graduation requirement
Intelligencer by Joan Hellyer, staff writer Posted: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 11:45 pm
DN Editorial: POLS:
FLIGHT, NOT FIGHT
Philly Daily News Editorial Updated: JANUARY 20, 2016 — 3:01 AM EST
THINGS HAVE gotten
so bad in the state Legislature in Harrisburg
that a number of inmates are fleeing the asylum. So far, 16 incumbents - 11 Republicans and
five Democrats - have announced they will not seek re-election. Some are doing
it for career reasons. State Rep. Dwight Evans, for instance, is quitting to
run against U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah.
But a number said they are departing the scene because they essentially
have lost faith in the chambers where they have served. As state Rep. Peter
Daley put it: "I'm benching myself for a while." Daley, a Democrat from western Pennsylvania , has served
in the state House for 34 years. In his view, "Harrisburg is becoming a very difficult place
to get anything done and I don't think it is going to get better." In
reality, the political system of compromise that allowed for two-party rule in
the capital has been seriously damaged, thanks mostly to a cadre of tea party
conservatives who would rather see government falter or fail than see taxes
raised. We fear it will get worse,
because a number of Republicans who are retiring were moderates who found
themselves increasingly at odds with fellow party members. Many are likely to
be replaced by hard-right conservatives.
"The state’s budget
impasse hasn’t helped matters, said Kevin Mahler, board vice-president. “These budget numbers as they currently sit
are somewhat imaginary. We don’t know what money is coming in from the state
this year, much less next year.”
Post Gazette By
Sandy Trozzo January 20, 2016 11:28 PM
The North Allegheny school board Wednesday approved a
preliminary budget that calls for a tax increase, but members said that they do
not intend to raise taxes in the final budget.
The $151.1 million
budget comes with a tax rate of 18.6277 mills. The current rate is 18.0011
mills. “First and most importantly, the
board’s goal is to approve a final budget that does not increase the millage
rate,” said board President Tara Fisher. “The board does not intend to raise
the millage rate for the 2016-17 fiscal year.”
Mrs. Fisher said administrators and board members on the budget and
finance committee have been meeting with residents through advisory committees
and small groups to find ways to increase revenue and decrease expenses. The administration’s plans will be presented
at the February work session for public input, she added.
Greater Latrobe School District
Trib Live By Mary
Pickels Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, 10:45 p.m.
Greater Latrobe School District received $7.9 million in long-delayed state aid this month that officials said will keep it operating into spring. Money was released to Latrobe and otherPennsylvania schools after
Gov. Tom Wolf signed a line-item-vetoed spending plan Dec. 29.
Greater Latrobe School District received $7.9 million in long-delayed state aid this month that officials said will keep it operating into spring. Money was released to Latrobe and other
“We received the
money on Jan. 5,” Business Manager Dan Watson said at Tuesday's school board
meeting. But the funding — about 45
percent of the district's expected state allocation — provides only temporary
budget planning relief. “I believe we
are good until April 30. We are hopeful that, by then, the budget will be
resolved,” Watson said. If the state
budget has not been passed by April 1, the board may have to revisit a plan to
borrow money to continue operating, Watson said.
By Mary Niederberger
/ Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette January 21, 2016 12:00 AM
Officials of the Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg school districts met Wednesday
in Harrisburg with state legislators and
Department of Education officials to iron out plans for the transfer of
Wilkinburg’s secondary students to Pittsburgh
Westinghouse Academy Pittsburgh
superintendent Linda Lane
said the district already has advertised the position and has applicants.
Interviews will start soon with the hiring expected to take place within the
next few weeks.
Senate passes school
closing bill
Times Tribune BY ROBERT SWIFT, HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF Published:
January 21, 2016
HARRISBURG — A bill
giving school districts more flexibility when closing their doors during bad
weather and the unexpected, such as massive police manhunts, is nearing final
passage. The Senate voted
unanimously Wednesday to give the state education secretary authority to declare
emergency school closings for safety, health and weather issues. This
declaration would give school districts new options to satisfy the
state-required 180 days a year schools must be open. One option could involve
classes on a Saturday, but not more than once a month. The measure,
sponsored by Rep. Mike Peifer, R-139, Greene Twp., faces another House vote to
concur with a Senate amendment. Mr.
Peifer said the bill would eliminate the need for the General Assembly to offer
districts 180-day relief on a case-by-case basis.
Editorial: Time for an
intervention
Some politicians
apparently need to be reminded of something:
We live in a civilized country. We expect our
elected officials to be able to speak to and about each other without sounding
like schoolyard bullies. Most
importantly, we expect them not to speak about each other or other citizens in
violent terms. Do we need to repeat
that, Sen. Scott Wagner?
Wagner, R-Spring Garden Township
Last run for current SAT
this weekend; new one debuts in March
Delco Times By Jennifer C. Kerr, The Associated Press POSTED: 01/21/16, 5:41 AM EST
WASHINGTON >>
The current version of the SAT college entrance exam has its final run this
weekend, when hundreds of thousands of students nationwide will sit, squirm or
stress through the nearly four-hour reading, writing and math test. A new
revamped version debuts in March. Sixteen-year-old
Alex Cohen, a junior at the Miami Country Day School
in Florida ,
thinks he’s solid on math, but he’s been studiously cramming on vocabulary
words to get ready for the exam. I don’t want to
study for the new one, so hopefully I’ll do well on this one,” he said. Alex said his college adviser was worried
about students being “guinea pigs” for the new SAT that rolls out March 5 and
told him to focus on Saturday’s exam. “There’s a lot of vocabulary on this test
so I’ve been trying to memorize as many words as I can per day,” said Alex, who
wants to study business and finance in college.
The College Board, the nonprofit organization that owns the SAT, says
more than 351,000 students registered to take the Jan. 23 test. That’s a nearly
10 percent increase over the number of students registered for last January’s
exam. A major snowstorm could force cancellations along some parts of the East
Coast. Make-up sessions would be offered with the current exam.
Funders Fuel a Bigger Push for Family Engagement
in Schools
Inside Philanthropy by 
L.S. Hall
January 20, 2016
L.S. Hall
January 20, 2016
Researchers and
advocates of greater family engagement in K-12 schools have long complained
that educators pay lip service to the idea, but seldom put their money where
their mouths are. But that is starting to change. Education Week reported last
summer that educators are making a greater effort to better engage parents and
incorporate them into schools. A growing number of school districts have
created positions and departments that focus on parent involvement, while other
districts have expanded existing parent engagement programs and made greater
involvement an element of their strategic planning. In another sign of this new
attention to parent involvement, some states are including family engagement as
an element of teacher evaluation systems and other programs. Funders also have shown a greater interest in
strategies to better engage families and communities in K-12 education.
The W.K.
Kellogg Foundationhas awarded millions in grants to strengthen partnerships
between schools and families. Heising-Simons
Foundation is another leading funder of parent involvement
activities.
"So far, almost all of
the borrowers applying for forgiveness under the 1994 program attended
for-profit schools."
Thousands Apply to U.S.
Borrowers
owing $164 million have stepped forward in the past six months, citing a previously
obscure federal law
Wall Street Journal By JOSH MITCHELL Jan. 20, 2016 5:30 a.m.
ET
Americans are
flooding the government with appeals to have their student loans forgiven on
the grounds that schools deceived them with false promises of a well-paying
career—part of a growing protest against years of surging college costs. In the past six months, more than 7,500
borrowers owing $164 million have applied to have their student debt expunged
under an obscure federal law that had been applied only in three instances
before last year. The law forgives debt for borrowers who prove their schools
used illegal tactics to recruit them, such as by lying about their graduates’
earnings. The U.S. Education Department
has already agreed to cancel nearly $28 million of that debt for 1,300 former
students of Corinthian Colleges—the for-profit chain that liquidated in bankruptcy last
year. The department has indicated that many more will likely get forgiveness.
How
to View Five Planets Aligning in a Celestial Spectacle
The New York Times By NICHOLAS ST. FLEURJAN. 19,
2016
Five planets paraded
across the dawn sky early Wednesday in a rare celestial spectacle set to repeat
every morning until late next month. Headlining
the planetary performance are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. It is the first time
in more than a decade that the fab five are simultaneously visible to the naked
eye, according to Jason Kendall, who is on the board of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. Admission to the daily show is free, though
stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere should plan to get up about 45 minutes
before sunrise to catch it.
Remaining Locations:
- Central PA — Jan. 30 Nittany Lion Inn, State College
- Delaware Co. IU 25 — Feb. 1
- Scranton area — Feb. 6 Abington Heights SD, Clarks Summit
- North Central area —Feb. 13 Mansfield University, Mansfield
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
Register here: https://www.psba.org/2015/09/new-school-director-training/
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.
Save
the Dates for These 2016 Annual EPLC Regional State Budget Education
Policy Forums
Sponsored
by The Education Policy and Leadership
Center
Thursday, February
11 - 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Harrisburg
Wednesday, February 17 - 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. -Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania )
Thursday, February 25 - 8:30-11:00 a.m. -Pittsburgh
Wednesday, February 17 - 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. -
Thursday, February 25 - 8:30-11:00 a.m. -
Invitation
and more details in January
Save the Date | PBPC Budget Summit March
3rd
Pennsylvania
Budget and Policy Center
The
2015-2016 budget remains in a state of limbo. But it's time to start thinking
about the 2016-17 budget. The Governor will propose his budget for next year in
early February.
The
Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will hold our annual Budget Summit on
March 3rd. Save the date and join us for an in-depth look at
the Governor's 2016-17 budget proposal, including what it means for education,
health and human services, the environment and local communities. And, of
course, if the 2015-2016 budget is not complete by then, we will also be
talking about the various alternatives still under consideration.
As in
year's past, this year's summit will be at the Hilton Harrisburg. Register today!
PASBO 61st Annual
Conference and Exhibits March 8 - 11, 2016
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
The Network for Public Education 3rd
Annual National Conference April 16-17, 2016 Raleigh , North Carolina
The Network
for Public Education is thrilled to announce the location for our 3rd Annual
National Conference. On April 16 and 17, 2016 public education advocates from
across the country will gather in Raleigh, North Carolina. We chose Raleigh to highlight the tremendous
activist movement that is flourishing in North Carolina. No one exemplifies
that movement better than the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who will be the
conference keynote speaker. Rev. Barber is the current president of
the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the National NAACP chair of
the Legislative Political Action Committee, and the founder of Moral Mondays.
2016 PA Educational
Leadership Summit July 24-26 State College
Summit Sponsors:
PA Principals Association - PA Association of School Administrators
- PA Association of Middle Level Educators - PA Association of
Supervision and Curriculum Development
The 2016
Educational Leadership Summit, co-sponsored by four leading Pennsylvania education associations,
provides an excellent opportunity for school district administrative teams and
instructional leaders to learn, share and plan together at a quality venue in
"Happy Valley."
Featuring Grant
Lichtman, author of EdJourney: A Roadmap to the Future of Education,
Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera (invited), and Dana
Lightman, author of POWER Optimism: Enjoy the Life You Have...
Create the Success You Want, keynote speakers, high quality breakout
sessions, table talks on hot topics and district team planning and job alike
sessions provides practical ideas that can be immediately reviewed and
discussed at the summit before returning back to your district. Register and pay by April 30, 2016 for the
discounted "early bird" registration rate:
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.