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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup February 16, 2016:
Agora Cyber Charter
announces dozens of layoffs
RSVP Today for One of EPLC’s Education Policy Forum
Series on Governor Wolf’s 2016-17 State Budget Proposal
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - Philadelphia
Thursday, February 25, 2016 - Pittsburgh
"The shift to a
majority-poor student population means that in public schools, a growing number
of children start kindergarten already trailing their more privileged peers and
rarely, if ever, catch up. They are less likely to have support at home, are
less frequently exposed to enriching activities outside of school, and are more
likely to drop out and never attend college.
It also means that education policy, funding decisions and classroom
instruction must adapt to the needy children who arrive at school each day".
Majority of U.S.
For the first time
in at least 50 years, a majority of U.S. public school students come
from low-income families, according to a new analysis of 2013 federal data, a
statistic that has profound implications for the nation. The Southern Education Foundation reports that
51 percent of students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the
2012-2013 school year were eligible for the federal program that provides free
and reduced-price lunches. The lunch program is a rough proxy for poverty, but
the explosion in the number of needy children in the nation’s public classrooms
is a recent phenomenon that has been gaining attention among educators, public
officials and researchers. “We’ve all
known this was the trend, that we would get to a majority, but it’s here sooner
rather than later,” said Michael A. Rebell of the Campaign for Educational
Equity at Teachers College at Columbia
University
Questions also remained how a
cyber with revenues of $122.7 million and a $13.4 million fund balance could
find itself in such financial straits that it has been forced to let go as many
as 15 percent of its workforce.
Agora Cyber Charter
announces layoffs
Inquirer by Martha Woodall, Staff Writer. Updated: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 —
1:07 AM EST
Agora, the
second-largest cyber charter school in Pennsylvania
with 8,500 students across the state, has laid off dozens of teachers and
staffers. Officials at the cyber school,
headquartered in King of Prussia , said they
did not have a total for the number of employees let go Friday, but blamed the
layoffs on Gov. Wolf and the state budget impasse. "The Commonwealth's failure to pass a
budget necessitated that Agora make a substantial number of layoffs to
survive," Agora said in a statement issued Monday night. Current and laid-off employees, however, said
that their tallies indicated that more than 100 people were laid off, and
possibly as many as 150. Employees also
said they were blindsided by the move. Nearly
two months ago, Agora assured staff that it had the resources to weather the
budget impasse and that layoffs were not being considered. "We have no plans to cut or furlough
staff due to the lack of funds we are currently receiving," Mary Steffey,
chair of the Agora board, wrote Dec. 18 in an email to all 649 staff members.
"Please do not fear for your position here at Agora." One teacher, who did not want to be quoted by
name for fear of reprisal, said, "Teachers didn't even know there was a
chance of layoffs."
In February
2015, when the School Reform Commission voted to greenlight five of the 40
charters schools that had applied, superintendent William Hite stressed that
the new charters would not be a fiscal drain on existing district schools. "We can not have a situation where any
of our children are receiving less as a result of this," Hite said after
the SRC's vote. District leaders
operated under the rationale that new charter seats would not add costs because
they would replace those seats shed due to the closure of other charter
schools.
Last year's new charter
school approvals set to cost Philly district more than expected
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY FEBRUARY 15, 2016
On Tuesday, the
Philadelphia School Reform Commission will vote on 12 applications to create new city charter schools. This is the second vote since the 2014 state
cigarette tax legislation mandated the SRC end
its moratorium on new charter applications. Again, a debate has arisen between those who
argue that additional charter seats will improve educational opportunities in
the city, and those who argue that the fiscal cost of charter expansion will
take too much of a toll on existing schools.
In the wake of last year's new charter school approvals, School District of Philadelphia
Guest Column: Pa.
By Joseph Batory, Delco Times Guest Columnist POSTED: 02/15/16, 9:49 PM EST
Joseph Batory is a past
superintendent of schools in Upper
Darby School District
A few things the Ill. and Pa.
By John L. Micek |
jmicek@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 15, 2016 at 7:58 AM, updated February 15, 2016 at 7:59 AM
Good Monday
Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We've noted more than once before that Pennsylvania and Illinois are the only two states in the union without a completed budget. And that got us to wondering, why is that? What's driving the longest deadlocks in these 50 states? Fortunately, our pal Brad Bumsted of The Tribune-Review was wondering the same thing. And this morning, he's running down the contrasts and commonalities between the two states. In essence, it's the same stuff, just mostly different.
We've noted more than once before that Pennsylvania and Illinois are the only two states in the union without a completed budget. And that got us to wondering, why is that? What's driving the longest deadlocks in these 50 states? Fortunately, our pal Brad Bumsted of The Tribune-Review was wondering the same thing. And this morning, he's running down the contrasts and commonalities between the two states. In essence, it's the same stuff, just mostly different.
"What followed was story
after story of these 9- and 10-year-olds losing grandfathers, uncles, and
cousins, all to gun violence. By the time everyone who wanted to share had a
chance, over 85 percent of the 30 students in my class revealed they had lost
someone. In the process there were tears, sadness, anger, fear and grief, all
of which was very raw and very real."
Letters: Teacher shares
children's heartache over gun violence
Philly Daily News Letter by Joe Alberti
Fourth-grade teacher Philadelphia
School District
I JUST HAD one of
the hardest days of my teaching career. The reason was not because of student
behavior or the lack of funding for Philadelphia
schools. The reason was that my fourth-grade students and I had discussed the
very real problem of gun violence in our city and its neighborhoods, and how
close to home it hits for many of Philadelphia 's
students. We read Helen Ubinas's column
from the Daily News - "Who is crying over Philly's children who live amid
our gun culture?" - and watched the Public Service Announcement from Unity
in the Community, "Stop the Violence," which featured Philly children
who have lost fathers to gun violence. I had two students who have lost their
own fathers to gun violence (one only two months ago) share this article and
video with their classmates. Then they shared their own experience and grief in
losing a parent.
Editorial: National
teacher discipline database needed
York Daily Record editorial board1 a.m. EST February 16, 2016
The background
checks that schools conduct to ensure that prospective teachers aren't sexual
predators are pretty stringent. Schools
research criminal records. Teachers are fingerprinted. References and former
employers are checked and questioned in many cases. Yet some teachers with checkered pasts do
slip through the cracks. For example, a teacher at Northern
York High
School named Craig
Yoder surrendered his Pennsylvania teaching certification in 2011
after it was revealed that he failed to admit in his employment and other
applications that he had given up his Virginia
teaching license in 2003 amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with
a student. There are other examples.
Teachers who have run afoul of the law have found work in schools merely by
moving to a different state.
Editorial: Make financial
literacy a high school staple
Pocono Record
Editorial Posted Feb. 15, 2016 at 12:26 PM Updated at 7:46 PM
The typical high school student has a cell phone these days. What's the monthly bill? Then there's the used car, with its gas and maintenance. A new pair of jeans. Movie ticket and bucket of popcorn. All this spending draws against the income from a teen's part-time, low-wage job — or from an allowance. How young people know how to balance their income and expenditures? How many even have a credit card, and keep close tabs on the balance? High school students deserve basic training in planning a personal or household budget. They should know how to balance a checkbook, how to set a limit on their cell phone bill, how to make sure they live within their means. State Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-189, wants all students to gain some financial literacy before they graduate. Her proposed bill to make such classes a graduation requirement inPennsylvania
would be a boon to young people who don't learn these skills elsewhere.
The typical high school student has a cell phone these days. What's the monthly bill? Then there's the used car, with its gas and maintenance. A new pair of jeans. Movie ticket and bucket of popcorn. All this spending draws against the income from a teen's part-time, low-wage job — or from an allowance. How young people know how to balance their income and expenditures? How many even have a credit card, and keep close tabs on the balance? High school students deserve basic training in planning a personal or household budget. They should know how to balance a checkbook, how to set a limit on their cell phone bill, how to make sure they live within their means. State Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-189, wants all students to gain some financial literacy before they graduate. Her proposed bill to make such classes a graduation requirement in
At 10, a North Philly prep
school savors success
Inquirer by Martha Woodall, Staff Writer. Updated: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 —
5:48 AM EST
Ten years ago, Germantown Academy
teamed with Project HOME to create something unique: a small, top-notch private
school for low-income kids in North Philadelphia . With alumni placed in high-achieving prep
schools around the region, the Community Partnership School (CPS) is
celebrating a decade of success and making plans to expand. "When people ask what I feel are the
greatest accomplishments in my time at GA, I always list the Partnership School Honickman
Learning Center Partnership School
with GA's board, said the goal was to give low-income students access to a
curriculum based on Germantown
Academy
Fresh turmoil in
Coatesville School District
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer. Updated: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 —
1:07 AM EST
After a scandal
involving racist and sexist texts between the former superintendent and
athletic director and a scathing grand jury report, leaders in the Coatesville Area School District
KMUV Wichita NPR By STEPHEN KORANDA • 21
HOURS AGO
A leading charter school
advocate’s stunning admission: Online public schools are a colossal disaster
Could the Walton Family Foundation be
reversing course? Or is it sacrificing cyber charters to save its investment?
Salon.com by STEVEN ROSENFELD,
ALTERNET MONDAY, FEB 15, 2016 07:00 AM EST
For the second time in three months, the
Walton Family Foundation—which has spent more than $1 billion to create a
quarter of the nation’s 6,700 public charter schools—has announced that all
online public school instruction, via cyber charter schools, is a colossal
disaster for most K-12 students. “If
virtual charters were grouped together and ranked as a single school district,
it would be the ninth largest in the country and among the worst performing,”
co-wrote Walton’s Marc Sternberg and Marc Holley, respectively the foundation’s
director of educational giving and its evaluation unit director, in a
recent Education Week commentary.
“Online education must be reimagined. Ignoring the problem—or worse,
replicating failures—serves nobody.”
Last fall, the giant
foundation, which has pledged to
spend its second billion to expand charter public schools nationally between
now and 2020, simultaneously released three detailed comissioned studies
finding more than two-thirds of America’s 200,000 charter students receiving
all of their instruction over the Internet were barely learning the basics.
"Southeastern Region Forum Series"Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Networking and Coffee - 9:30 a.m. Program - 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Networking and Coffee - 9:30 a.m. Program - 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
SUBJECT: Governor
Wolf's Proposed Education Budget for 2016-2017
SPEAKERS:
An Overview of
the Proposed 2016-2017 State Budget and Education Issues Will Be
Provided By:
Representative of
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy andLeadership Center
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and
Statewide and
Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By:
Donna Cooper,
Executive Director, Public Citizens for Children and Youth
Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director, Education Law Center
Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director, Education Law Center
Mark B. Miller,
President-Elect, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Dr. George Steinhoff, Superintendent, Penn Delco School District
Dr. George Steinhoff, Superintendent, Penn Delco School District
One or more
representatives of other statewide and regional organizations are still to
be confirmed.
RSVP
for Southeastern Forum on-line at
Save
the Dates for These 2016 Annual
EPLC Regional
State
Sponsored
by The Education Policy and Leadership
Center
Thursday,
February 25 - 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Pittsburgh
'Beyond Measure' to be
shown Feb. 24 at Bucks
County Community
College
Bucks County Courier Times Joan Hellyer, staff writer Sunday, February 14, 2016 11:45 pm
The general public
is invited to a free screening of "Beyond Measure," a documentary
about education reform, on Feb. 24 at Bucks County
Community College 275 Swamp Road in Newtown Township
In "Beyond
Measure," Abeles examines public schools across the country that are
working to "create a more equitable, empowering, student-centered
education culture from the ground up," event organizers said. The college’s Department of Social and
Behavioral Science, Future Teachers Organization, and Amy McIntyre, founder of
the Council Rock Parents Facebook page, are sponsoring the free event. Register online at tinyurl.com/BCCCBeyondMeasure.
For more information call 215-504-8545 or send an email to Kate.DAuria@bucks.edu.
Attend the
United Opt Out Conference in Philadelphia
United
Opt Out: The Movement to End Corporate Reform will hold its annual conference
on Philadelphia from February 26-28.
The Pennsylvania Budget
and Policy Center will host its Annual Budget Summit on Thursday, March 3, 2016
9:00 - 3:30 at the Hilton Harrisburg.
PA Budget and Policy Center website
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, and local communities. The Summit will focus on the leading issues facing the commonwealth in 2016, with workshops, lunch, and a legislative panel discussion. Space is limited, so fill out the form below to reserve your spot at the Budget Summit.
PA Budget and Policy Center website
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, and local communities. The Summit will focus on the leading issues facing the commonwealth in 2016, with workshops, lunch, and a legislative panel discussion. Space is limited, so fill out the form below to reserve your spot at the Budget Summit.
Thursday, March 3,
2016 Hilton Hotel, Harrisburg Pennsylvania
The event is free,
but PBPC welcomes donations of
any size to help off-set costs.
PASBO 61st Annual
Conference and Exhibits March 8 - 11, 2016
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
PenSPRA's Annual Symposium, Friday
April 8th in Shippensburg, PA
PenSPRA,
or the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association, has developed a
powerhouse line-up of speakers and topics for a captivating day of professional
development in Shippensburg on April 8th. Learn to master data to
defeat your critics, use stories to clarify your district's brand and take
your social media efforts to the next level with a better understanding of
metrics and the newest trends. Join us the evening before the
Symposium for a “Conversation with Colleagues” from 5 – 6
pm followed by a Networking Social Cocktail Hour from 6 – 8 pm.
Both the Symposium Friday and the social events on
Thursday evening will be held at the Shippensburg University Conference
Center. Snacks at the social hour, and Friday’s breakfast and lunch is
included in your registration cost. $125 for PenSPRA members and $150 for
non-members. Learn more about our speakers and topics and register today at
this link:
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
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