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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup February 17, 2016:
Is there secretly enough
bipartisan support in the Pa.
House for a severance tax?
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
"If Wolf could get 25
Republicans and all 84 Democrats to agree on a plan, he'd have enough votes to
pass a severance tax. If a
severance tax was put up for a vote on its own, it would get bipartisan
support, contends John Hanger, Wolf's policy secretary. "It would pass the House and Senate
strongly," he said."
Is there secretly enough
bipartisan support in the Pa.
House for a severance tax?
Penn Live By Candy Woodall |
cwoodall@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 16, 2016 at 8:15 AM, updated February 16, 2016 at 8:16 AM
When the Pennsylvania
House in October rejected Gov. Tom Wolf's tax plan, some lawmakers said it
was proof the new governor did not have support for any tax increases –
including a severance tax on oil and gas production. Those old arguments have resurfaced with the
governor's recent budget proposal, which again includes a severance tax. But this time around, it seems there's more
political flexibility on a severance tax. Or maybe it was always there. At least 25
Republican House members have publicly stated support or interest in a
severance tax during the last two years, according to a PennLive analysis. The
count includes numerous representatives from the southeastern corner of the
state, as well as some from the Pittsburgh
area and midstate.
Budget squabbles could
cost schools PlanCon payments
School districts
across York County and beyond are awaiting
repayments for construction and renovation projects through the state
reimbursement system PlanCon, but this year's stalled budget has set aside no
funding for the program. The
partial budget Wolf approved in December did not include
the $300 million in PlanCon funds the state is due to pay out this year. Should
that line item remain at zero by the time budget negotiations wrap, York
County Schools could lose between $5 million and $6 million in reimbursements
for their various construction and renovation projects, said Dallastown Area
School District business
manager Donna Devlin. Dallastown is anticipating approximately
$850,000 in PlanCon reimbursements for the 2015-16 year, she said. "I don't know how we'd reconcile being
out almost $1 million," Devlin said. "In the end that burden could be
forced on the schools and the taxpayers."
Inquirer by Tricia L. Nadolny, STAFF WRITER. Updated: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 —
3:11 PM EST
Calling the state's
funding system "irrational," the city of Philadelphia 's lawyers Tuesday weighed in on
a long-standing suit against the Pennsylvania Department of Education now being
heard by the state's highest court. "Poorer
districts have less ability to raise money for their schools, and, at the same
time, have a greater need for funding because their students require extra
support," Philadelphia City Solicitor Sozi Tulante wrote in the brief.
"This funding system has left Pennsylvania
with the most unequal distribution of education dollars of any state in the
country."
The suit was brought
in November, 2014 by seven parents (including several from Philadelphia ) six school districts, the state
NAACP, and the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools. The parties claim the state has a school
funding system that "does not deliver the essential resources students
need and discriminates against children based on where they live and the wealth
of their communities." Though similar cases have been thrown out in the
past, lawyers for the plaintiffs say that the adoption of statewide academic
standards should force the court to acknowledge Pennsylvania is not providing an adequate
education.
The plaintiffs
appealed to the Supreme Court in May after the case was tossed by the Commonwealth Court ,
which ruled that education funding should be left to the state legislature, not
the courts. The lawsuit comes as Gov.
Wolf has proposed millions more in new money for Philadelphia
and other struggling school districts statewide - money that has been held up
by months-long budget stalemate in Harrisburg .
School-funding crisis
deserves its day in court
Inquirer Letter by Gaetan J. Alfano, Deborah R. Gross, and Mary
F. Platt Updated: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 — 1:58 PM EST
Gaetan J. Alfano (GJA@Pietragallo.com), Deborah R. Gross (DGross@kcr-law.com), and Mary F. Platt (MPlatt@finemanlawfirm.com)
respectively serve as chancellor, chancellor-elect, and vice chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar
Association.
Pennsylvania ’s business community has watched with
growing concern as our commonwealth’s schools have fallen deeper and deeper
into crisis over the last several years. In the wake of drastic funding cuts,
school districts across our state have been forced to lay off thousands of
teachers, while cutting AP classes, art, music, and extracurricular
opportunities and losing crucial support staff — like guidance counselors and
school nurses. The state’s
school-funding situation is now so dire that many schools aren’t even able to
offer the curriculum and supports that are mandated by law. In too many
schools, over-stretched teachers struggle every day to deliver even the most
basic education. The result has been plummeting test scores and lost
opportunities for thousands of children — especially poorer children and
children of color, whose schools were disproportionately affected by budget cuts. Money can’t solve every problem, but adequate
resources are a necessary ingredient for student success. As attorneys who work with some of our
state’s largest corporate citizens, we know firsthand that investment in our
education system makes economic sense. An educated workforce is key to
effectively competing in the global economy, and great schools are crucial to
convincing businesses to remain or locate in Pennsylvania .
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thinktank/School-funding-crisis-deserves-its-day-in-court.html#lVz8w6avRfwSW9AJ.99
"The district in
mid-December warned that it might have to close schools this year without state
subsidies because local revenue would not be sufficient. The state's failure to pass a budget for
2014-2015 and with no certainty the 2016-2017 state budget will be passed by
June 30, will make it difficult for Norwin to prepare its own budget for the
next school year, Wilson said."
Norwin
officials warn April will be critical month
Trib Live BY JOE
NAPSHA | Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, 10:54 p.m.
With no end in sight
to the stalemate in Harrisburg
over fully funding the state budget, Norwin school officials Monday repeated
their warning that April will be a critical month because of the debt payments
and payroll expenses it will face with no indication it will get more state aid
this spring. Although the state released
$11.5 million in subsidies in January in an emergency allocation after a
compromise budget was reached in December, Norwin is still waiting for almost
$16 million in state aid just to reach the amount of funding it received in the
2014-2015 school year, said John Wilson, director of Norwin's business affairs. The district faces a $5.1 million debt
service payment in April, in addition to meeting three payrolls, each costing
approximately $900,000. Because of the
expenses that Norwin must meet in April, it could be a “touch month,” Wilson said. Robert Perkins, board president, said that
school officials will need to know how much money Norwin would have available
in “short-term investments” if elected officials in Harrisburg can't reach an agreement on the
budget for this fiscal year. The district needs to know when it might have to
hit “the panic button,” Perkins said.
"While school districts
often have to approve their new budget before the legislature approves its spending
plan, schools are faced this year with enacting a budget without benefit of the
previous year’s state spending plan."
Area school districts face
deadlines
Herald Standard By Christopher Buckley cbuckley@heraldstandard.com| Posted: Monday, February 15, 2016 2:15
am | Updated: 8:07 am, Mon
Feb 15, 2016.
Ed Zelich summed up
the situation facing school districts across the Valley and statewide.
“It’s like throwing
darts at a balloon in the dark because you don’t know where you’re at,” Zelich
said. “We’re on borrowed time now until
this gets resolved.” One area district
with a potential timeline on that crisis is the California Area
School District .
Superintendent Brian Jackson said his district will run out of money as early
as April if the district does not get the bulk of the state subsidies it was
expected to receive when the district passed its budget by June 30, as required
by law. “We hope the state comes up with
some resolution to get the state budget passed,” Jackson said.
This week, Gov. Tom Wolf introduced his proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget
- but state lawmakers have yet to approve a spending plan for the current year.
Penn-Hills-property-owners-facing-school-tax-increase
By Molly Born / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 17, 2016 12:21 AM
The Penn Hills School District has asked its business
manager to craft a 2016-17 spending plan that would include a property tax
increase of no more than 5.7 percent, he said Tuesday. Robert F. Geletko’s
latest budget draft presented to board finance committee members Tuesday night
sets the millage at 26.3 mills. The current figure is 24.8 mills. “The board has instructed me to go no higher
than 1.5,” said Mr. Geletko, who is also the board’s treasurer. That would represent
a property tax increase of $150 for a home valued at $100,000. The median home
value in Penn Hills is $68,000, Mr. Geletko
said. The board approved a $94 million
preliminary budget last month, although officials have said it’s unlikely that
the spending level would stand. The passage was required so the district could
begin petitioning the state Department of Education for approval of exceptions
to the Act 1 index, enabling the school system to raise taxes at a
higher-than-normal level, officials said.
Story, video: State budget impasse: New Castle superintendent lashes out at
Turzai
By
Debbie Wachter New Castle News February 15, 2016
The New Castle Area School District
superintendent blames the extended state budget impasse on Speaker of the House
Mike Turzai. John J. Sarandrea told the
New Castle School Board last week that state Rep. Turzai, a Republican, sent
everyone home for the Christmas holiday break when "they had the votes to
pass the budget. He refused to bring it to the floor and sent everybody home
for the holiday break. That's a fact."
"He has his eye on the governor's mansion, he is a Catholic school
guy all the way, he took $180,000 in campaign donations for the Marcellus Shale
people and $100,000 from charter schools," Sarandrea told the board at its
public work session. "He's no friend of public education and he's the
reason – THE reason — why we don't have a budget right now." Attempts to reach Turzai on his cell phone
yesterday were unsuccessful. Sarandrea
is encouraging the school board members and administrators to attend the next
board of directors meeting of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV on Feb. 23 to
confer with other districts within the intermediate unit about what pressure
districts can apply on the state legislature to enact a budget. The boards of 27 school districts within the
Intermediate Unit, which is housed in Grove
City , comprise about 250 school board members. The
superintendents of the districts met recently and collectively have agreed to
ask their school boards whether they would be willing to attend the IU's board
meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at its Grove
City headquarters, Sarandrea said. The purpose of
their attending would be to discuss what role districts can play to impact the
ongoing state budget impasse, he said.
Guest Column: Gov. Wolf
presents Pa.
with a clear choice
By Frances Wolf, Delco Times Guest Columnist POSTED: 02/16/16, 1:18 PM EST
As my husband, Gov.
Tom Wolf, outlined in his address to the General Assembly this past week, we
have a choice to make – a choice that has serious implications for the future
of Pennsylvania ’s
schools. And for the future of our state.
We can choose to ignore the $2 billion structural deficit that Pennsylvania currently
faces which will force an additional $1 billion in cuts to our schools. If we
choose this path, we will bar tens of thousands of preschoolers from early
childhood programs. We will force school districts to lay off thousands of
dedicated public school educators. We will create significantly larger class
sizes depriving our children of the attention and resources they need to
succeed. We will reduce their possibilities for success not only in the
classroom but in life. And we will force school districts to exact even higher
property taxes - taxes that were already increased in 2011. To a greater degree
than ever before we will force many homeowners to choose between paying their
property taxes or keeping their homes.
Or, we can choose to
support the program my husband set out in his new budget proposal. His plan
will restore investments to our schools and ensure that the state live up to
its constitutionally mandated responsibility to fund our schools. His plan
promotes brighter prospects for our children by investing in early childhood
and higher education. His plan will reduce the property tax burden that
homeowners currently face. If we choose
this latter path, we will build a strong foundation for our educational system
and our children. We will give our schools the important resources they need to
teach. And we will give our children the quality public school education they
deserve.
Charter
schools bristle at Wolf proposal to give unspent cash to districts
Trib Live BY ELIZABETH
BEHRMAN | Tuesday,
Feb. 16, 2016, 10:51 p.m.
When City Charter
High School invited state
police to do a safety inspection of the building Downtown, the agency
recommended adding bullet-proof glass at the entrance for extra security. The school followed
that advice, CEO and principal Ron Sofo said, and used about $80,000 from its
reserves to pay for the project. Those
unassigned funds, which aren't earmarked for specific yearly expenses, are
necessary to help cover unanticipated costs, Sofo said. That's why he and other
charter school leaders are against Gov. Tom Wolf's proposal to make charter
schools reimburse districts for the tuition money they doesn't use. “It's not to buy private jet planes,” Sofo
said. “It's all related to the school.” Charter
schools are privately operated but funded by taxpayers in the form of tuition
payments from public school districts. Wolf
says he wants to prevent charter schools from “collecting more in tuition
revenue than they actually spent on students,” according to his 2016-17 budget
outline. His proposal for next year includes cuts to cyber charter schools
because they don't have the same facility costs as their brick-and-mortar
counterparts and would change the formula used to calculate reimbursements for
special education students. Charter
school advocates contend that the reimbursement plan discriminates against
charters, a notion Wolf's office disputes.
Agora cyber charter school lays off at least 100
teachers
Jacqueline
Palochko Contact Reporter Of The Morning
Call Febraury 16, 2016
Melissa Reese, a
spokeswoman for Agora Cyber Charter
School based in King of Prussia, Montgomery County , said the school's board of
trustees voted Thursday to lay off teachers and staff. She did not have the exact
number of employees impacted, but said she believes it was at least 100. "Having to part with good teachers and
support staff who've work tirelessly to educate our students is something no
school should have to do," the school said in a statement. "But in
spite of the difficult position the governor has put schools like Agora in, we
continue to do everything possible to educate the children that the governor
and state Legislature have forgotten about." Parents and teachers are shocked that the
layoffs are coming midyear after the school promised no cuts. The school, the
second-largest cybercharter school in the state, has more than 600 employees.
"Public interest
attorney Michael Churchill said that the ruling means that the "Supreme
Court has put an end to the legislature’s attempt to fix the school district’s
financial problems by giving virtually unlimited authority to the SRC to do
whatever it thought useful. With that approach now gone, the legislature must
come to grips with how its own actions are making Philadelphia ’s finances worse." He cited the lack of adequate state funding,
the heavy impact of recent budget cuts on Philadelphia , and the decision to allow
unrestrained charter growth regardless of the financial impact on district-run
schools as among its poor policy choices."
Supreme Court wipes out
SRC's powers to waive provisions of Pa.
school code
The ruling has huge
implications for both charter schools and the union contract.
the notebook by Dale Mezzacappa
February 16, 2016 — 6:43pm
In a decision that
could have massive repercussions for Philadelphia schools, the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday declared unconstitutional the
provision in state law granting the School Reform Commission extraordinary
powers to cancel provisions of the state school code. The decision came
in a case involving West
Philadelphia Achievement
Charter School ,
which since 2011 has been challenging the District's efforts to limit its
enrollment to 400 students. Charter schools are not subject to District-imposed
enrollment caps, absent the charter school's consent, according to the school
code. But the potential impact of
the court's action extends far beyond caps on charter enrollment. The ruling is a severe blow to the SRC, which
has frequently sought to suspend the school code in an effort to limit
charter expansion, expedite school
closings, and cancel
provisions in the teachers' contract –including built-in
raises for years of service and seniority protections in
calling back laid-off employees.
Philly SRC approves 3 of
12 charter applications amid bombshell Pa.
Supreme Court ruling
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY FEBRUARY 17, 2016
The Philadelphia
School Reform Commission voted to approve three new charter schools Tuesday
night – increasing the city's charter options by 2,024 seats. SRC members
also were caught off guard by a new ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Of twelve applicants, the SRC approved a
middle school run by Russell Byers in Center
City , a K-12 school run by KIPP in Strawberry Mansion ,
and an elementary school in run by Esperanza in Hunting Park . None will open until
the 2017-18 school year. The final agreements will depend on the operators
consenting to the SRC's requested conditions.
The SRC wants Esperanza and Russell Byers to agree to fewer students
than they had requested, while granting only a three-year charter instead of
five.
"It could be disastrous
for children," Commissioner Bill Green said after Tuesday's SRC meeting.
"I believe the SRC acted in good faith when it made those decisions based
on what the written law was. To have it overturned in its entirety is
potentially disastrous."
State Supreme Court rules
against SRC; fallout unknown
Inquirer by Martha Woodall and Kristen A. Graham,
STAFF WRITERS. Updated: FEBRUARY
17, 2016 — 1:07 AM EST
On the day that the
Philadelphia School Reform Commission approved three new charter schools, the
state Supreme Court issued a ruling Tuesday that could have grave implications
for the cash-strapped district's finances and operations for years to come. The court ruled that the SRC had no legal
power to suspend portions of the state charter law and school code. The ruling
strips the commission of extraordinary powers it believed it had - and used. It was too soon to say exactly what the
fallout for the school system would be - district lawyers offered no official
comment - but early indications were ominous.
By declaring unconstitutional a portion of the takeover law that the SRC
has relied on heavily, many of the major actions the commission has taken in
recent years - up to and including bypassing seniority in teacher assignments -
could be subject to reversal.
Insider: The SRC May Be Sizing Up Your Neighborhood School Right Now
Saltz: Even if your school has dedicated
parents and is showing signs of improvement, the SRC could still turn it into a
charter. Just ask the parents at Wister Elementary.
PhillyMag Citified BY ANDREW SALTZ | FEBRUARY
16, 2016 AT 11:01 AM
(Editor’s note: This is an opinion column from
a Citified insider.)
Dear Parents: Pay
attention.
The School Reform
Commission wants to turn three neighborhood schools into
charters. The community is outraged. The teachers are marching. The meetings are crazy. And that's
not going to make a difference. On Jan.
21, the SRC's monthly meeting devolved into bedlam when
Commissioner Sylvia Simms motioned, with no public notice
or invitation for comment, to begin the process of
turning Wister Elementary over to Mastery Charter as part of the
school district's "Renaissance" initiative. (At the same meeting, the
SRC also voted to start the procedure of handing Huey and Cooke
Elementaries to charters.) Veteran education reporter Kristen Graham said it "may be the curviest
curve" she had seen, and these are meetings that have led to union presidents being
arrested and City Council members dancing to
"Hotline Bling." Simms' motion passed anyway. Sounds crazy, right? Well, guess
what? The same thing could happen to your school.
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2016/02/16/renaissance-schools-andrew-saltz/#JKRjjGU4brtVl3oq.99
"Education is one of the
larger sections of the report. The committee calls on Kenney to fulfill his
promise of 25 community schools over the next four years, and for universal
pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. The recommendations do not include specifics on
how to fund the plan, which Kenney has said will be announced at his March 3
budget address."
Transition team has 139
recommendations for Kenney's first year
Inquirer by Julia Terruso, Staff Writer. Updated: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 —
10:13 PM EST
The transition team
tasked with issuing recommendations for Mayor Kenney's first year in office
handed him more than 100 suggested initiatives in a 65-page report released
Tuesday. If Kenney follows
the recommendations - and the timeline - he's got a busy road ahead. The report, compiled
and edited by Kenney's policy team, largely reflects his campaign promises
across every aspect of city government, but offers few details on how to fund
or accomplish the initiatives. Kenney
spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said the report offered recommendations, "not a
list of what we're going to do. Some we will do, some we won't be able to
do." In November, Kenney appointed
a diverse collection of leaders from the public and private sector to focus on
five areas: education, economic opportunity, public safety, efficient
government, and ensuring a diverse workforce. The group of 170 was divided into
10 committees.
Kenney Transition Report
pdf (Education page 25)
To prepare for the
transition period between November 5, 2015, and January 4, 2016, Mayor Jim
Kenney appointed a number of respected leaders from both the private and public
sector to develop recommendations for making progress on ten of the
Administration’s top priority areas.
What Philly should know
about creating successful community schools
the notebook by Mark
Duffy and Della Jenkins February 16, 2016 — 3:25pm
Mark Duffy and Della Jenkins are
researchers at Research for Action, an independent, Philadelphia-based
nonprofit organization that focuses on education research and evaluation.
Mayor Kenney’s first
major policy announcement centered on plans to develop
25 community schools across Philadelphia .
As is the case with any ambitious policy proposal, the “how” will take
time. The “what” and “why” are more clear: By providing extended
learning opportunities and access to additional services – such as preventive
health care, counseling, and quality early education – community schools strive
to address the effects of poverty on academic performance and provide more
comprehensive supports for traditionally underserved students and
families. At the same time, research
tells us that initial effects of community schools are small and that
program quality matters enormously when it comes to outcomes.
So, what can Philadelphia learn from
the experiences of other districts that have invested in the community schools
approach with varying results? First, as
the name underscores, the development of any true community school model must
start with the right partners around the table, including educators,
neighborhood leaders, parents, and service providers from across the city.
Too often policymakers pay lip service to community input without
providing a substantive and accessible process by which neighborhoods can
determine their own needs and have a voice in how best to address them.
Another budget impasse
ripple likely to cost Phoenixville $3 million
The ironies abound. The Pennsylvania Legislature, House
Republicans in particular, have opposed both Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget and the two
compromise budgets negotiated by their party leaders, most likely because they
don’t want to be tagged with raising taxes when they run for reelection this
year. But the state government’s failure
to adopt a full budget will still raise their constituents taxes, just in less
obvious ways and in ways that will make it harder to pin on them. The ripple effects of the budget failure have
shown up everywhere from counties covering social services costs, to the
uncertainty it is creating in the local school budget process. But one more glaring example has popped up in
Phoenixville — a $3 million example.
Charters
Suffer Surprise Loss on a Constitutional Amendment in Virginia
Education Law Prof
Blog By Derek
Black Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 10 -
16, 2016
FairTest Submitted
by fairtest on February 16, 2016 - 6:05pm
"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
“Western Region Forum Series” – Thursday,
February 25, 2016
Continental Breakfast – 8:00 a.m. Program – 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
An Overview of the Proposed 2016-2017 State Budget and Education Issues Will Be Provided By:
Representative of The
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and
Statewide and
Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By:
Karina Chavez, Executive Director,Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education
Dr. Jeffrey Fuller, Superintendent,Freedom
Area School
District
Cheryl Kleiman, Staff Attorney,Education
Law Center
Nathan Mains, Executive Director,Pennsylvania School
Boards Association
Karina Chavez, Executive Director,
Dr. Jeffrey Fuller, Superintendent,
Cheryl Kleiman, Staff Attorney,
Nathan Mains, Executive Director,
RSVP
for the Pittsburgh forum by clicking here.
While there is no registration fee, seating is limited and an RSVP is required.
While there is no registration fee, seating is limited and an RSVP is required.
'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 , organizers
said. The movie, from Vicki Abeles,
director of the award-winning film "Race to Nowhere," begins at 7
p.m. in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the BCCC campus at 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
February 26-28
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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