Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3900 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 July 19, 2016:
Philly names first nine community schools
Apply Now for EPLC's
2016-2017 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program!
"We know that the pendulum has
swung too far to the side of standardized testing," said state Sen. Lloyd
Smucker, R-West Lampeter Township. "The ESSA law gives us the opportunity
to recalibrate that." ESSA is the
Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal education law that takes effect in July
2017. It replaces No Child Left Behind, the 2002 law that ushered in an era of
high-stakes testing in public schools. Under
the new law, tests will be given in the same subjects and grade levels as before.
But states have more flexibility in the amount of testing time, as well as how
the results are used. Pennsylvania
lawmakers have been holding joint hearings on what that means here. Smucker, who is chairman of the Senate
Education Committee, said he is interested in seeing "fewer tests but
better tests."
Rethinking standardized
tests: Pa. considering ‘fewer but better’ exams
Lancaster Online by KARA NEWHOUSE | Staff
Writer July 19, 2016
Public school children spend too
much time on standardized tests. That's
become a common refrain in Lancaster County and across the nation. Turns out, kids aren't the only ones. Weeks before the tests begin,
principals spend countless hours preparing the school and staff. They unpack boxes. They apply labels to up to six test booklets
per student. They ensure that staff
complete required training. They rework
the school's schedule. And they plan
which teacher will escort students to the bathrooms during the tests. "It's amazing how much taxpayer
resources go toward (standardized) tests," said Jerry Egan, assistant
superintendent for elementary education at Penn Manor School District.
"You're having administrators who are well paid spend a month counting and
putting stickers on tests." That
time "should be focused on instructional leadership," Egan said. But change could be coming. With the number of students sitting out of standardized tests on the rise and
a new federal education law kicking in soon,
Pennsylvania officials are taking another look at the tests and how their
results are used.
“This bill contains harmful provisions
that would be devastating to our schools and unfairly affect our children’s
ability to learn. One particularly bad proposal changes the Community
Eligibility Program, which helps feed millions of children in vulnerable
schools nationwide. Currently, if a school or school district has an
“identified student percentage,” students that government agencies identify as
vulnerable, of 40 percent, the whole school is entitled to free lunch benefits.
However, this proposal would raise the qualifying threshold to 60 percent,
allowing fewer schools to participate and more children to go hungry.
In Philadelphia, this means that more
than 14,000 students will be impacted.”
Letter to the Editor: Don’t gut the school
lunch program
Delco
Times Letter by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1, Philadelphia POSTED: 07/18/16, 9:48 PM
EDT
To the Times: As summer comes to
an end and Philadelphia schools get ready for the upcoming school year, it’s
important that we work to ensure all children have the necessary tools they
need to succeed. These tools include
readily available access to nutritious meals. Research shows that a healthy
diet helps a child’s physical and cognitive development and improves their
ability to concentrate in school. That’s why I’ve always been a strong
supporter of school nutrition programs. Unfortunately,
the Republican proposal in Congress for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Bill, the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016, would gut these
critical nutrition programs, instead of building upon their success.
Letters: Compromise produced Pa. budget
Inquirer Letter by William F. Adolph Jr., Republican chairman, House
Appropriations Committee, Springfield (Delaware County Updated: JULY 19, 2016 — 3:01 AM EDT
The passage of Pennsylvania's
general-fund budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year represents something that is
becoming all too rare in government - compromise ("Budget funding deal is
reached," Thursday). From
Philadelphia to Mifflintown to Erie, our state is blessed with diverse
geography and population. This diversity is a strength of our commonwealth, but
it can also make governing difficult. The
budget makes key investments in education, holds the line on spending, and
doesn't raise the personal income or sales tax. The budget spends $31.6
billion, an increase of $1.5 billion from last year. Of that increase, $1.2
billion is for mandated and contractual obligations. Gov Wolf's original budget
proposal would have spent $33.3 billion.
WITF Written by Katie Meyer, Capitol Bureau Chief | Jul 15, 2016 5:31 PM
(Harrisburg) -- As a new federal education law is rolled out across the country, Pennsylvania educators and advocates are busy deciding how the commonwealth will adapt to it. US Education Secretary John King and state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera met in Harrisburg on Friday with advocates from around the commonwealth to discuss potential school reforms that comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act. ESSA, as it's commonly called, became law late last year. It replaces No Child Left Behind, which had been in place since 2001. King said the new law relies less on strict federal regulation, letting individual states and districts customize their educational approach. "The way the law is structured, it's really a high degree of state and local flexibility with very clear, strong civil rights guardrails," he said. "And I think the ongoing conversation for the country has to be, how do we make sure that state and district flexibility is used for the sake of equity and excellence in every school?" Susan Gobreski, director of Community Schools for Philadelphia, said this is especially important in Pennsylvania because the needs of its students vary widely by district.
“The community schools initiative seeks
to more seamlessly integrate city services into schools, from health care and
adult education to out-of-school-time activities and support for English
language learners. City officials in charge of the initiative say the goal is
to create conditions in each school so that learning can take place. Steps to
meet that goal would include improving communication and
information-sharing between schools and city agencies, opening schools to the
neighborhood, and placing services within the schools themselves.”
District announces first Philly community
schools
City officials in charge of the
initiative say the goal is to create better conditions for learning.
The notebook by Maria Archangelo July
18, 2016 — 10:58am
Mayor Kenney's Office of
Education announced the first nine of 25 planned community schools at a
press conference this morning. The first group of schools to be part of the new
initiative will be:
§
William Cramp Elementary School, 3449 N. Mascher St.
§
Murrell Dobbins CTE High School, 2150 W. Lehigh Ave.
§
F.S. Edmonds Elementary School, 8025 Thouron Ave.
§
Edward Gideon Elementary School, 2817 W. Glenwood Ave.
§
Kensington Health Sciences Academy, 2463 Emerald St.
§
Logan Elementary School, 1700 Lindley Ave.
§
Southwark Elementary School, 1835 S. Ninth St.
§
South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St.
§
Tilden Middle School, 6601 Elmwood Ave.
The Office of Education conducted
surveys and meetings with Philadelphia residents as part of the school
selection process. A report about the process released last week stated
that a neighborhood's rate of child poverty and health issues, such
as the prevalence of diabetes and asthma, should be the most important
considerations in deciding which schools should become community schools. The
most important school-based factor should be the willingness of the school's
principal and staff to get on board, according to survey results outlined in
the report.
“Five of the schools are located in
police districts with the highest number of shootings in 2014. At four of the
schools, more than 20 percent of the students are learning to speak English.”
Philly announces nine community schools to
aid needy neighborhoods
Inquirer by Martha Woodall, STAFF WRITER
martha.woodall@ phillynews.com 215-854-2789 @marwooda Updated: JULY 18, 2016 — 1:45 PM EDT
City officials on Monday named
nine schools that have been selected to receive extra money and support to
create hubs for social, health and other services in their neighborhoods as
part of the new community school's initiative.
Otis Hackney, the city's chief education officer, announced that the
first group of community schools are: William Cramp Elementary and Murrell
Dobbins, Career and Technical Education High School, both in North
Philadelphia; F.S. Edmonds Elementary, East Mount Airy; Edward Gideon
Elementary , Brewerytown; Kensington Health Sciences Academy; Logan Elementary;
Southwark Elementary; South Philadelphia High School; and Tilden Middle School,
Southwest Philadelphia. "While we
don't think this initiative will be a complete solution to our problems, we
certainly can agree that this will put us on a trajectory not only to build
stronger children but also stronger families, stronger communities," Tori
Damon, the principal of Dobbins, told an audience of city and School District
leaders during the announcement at City Hall. "I just say that I'm
standing here so composed, but on behalf of my colleagues, I just want to say
we are so excited!" Mayor Kenney,
who plans to develop 25 community schools over the next four years, said the
goal is to identify the specific needs of students, parents and their
communities and then forge partnerships with private providers to offer the
needed services in the schools.
“Community schools as a reform strategy
are a concept pushed by Kenney with the support of City Council President
Darrell Clarke and a coalition that includes the teachers union and several
education advocacy groups. It is essentially the answer to the predominant
school reform strategy of at least the past decade — the “portfolio model”
that's led to the creation of more charter schools.
The community schools approach calls for
schools to become neighborhood centers for support services, almost like a
cross between traditional schools and community centers. The central argument
is that children — especially low-income children — face steep barriers outside
the classroom that prevent them from learning, and that schools must address
those barriers in order to eventually drive achievement.”Philadelphia names first nine community schools
WHYY Newsworks BY BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT AND DALE MEZZACAPPA JULY 18, 2016
Mayor Jim Kenney named
Philadelphia’s first nine community schools Monday, officially launching his
five-year plan to create 25 such schools.
The initiative was rolled out with much fanfare at a City Hall press
conference that reinforced the central role community schools will play in
Kenney’s K-12 education agenda. “I
firmly believe that when we help our schools become stronger, our neighborhoods
will get stronger, and this makes for a stronger city,” said Kenney. The nine schools in
Philadelphia’s inaugural class of community schools are: Murrell Dobbins CTE
High School; William T. Tilden Middle School; Kensington Health Sciences
Academy; South Philadelphia High School; Edward Gideon Elementary/Middle
School; Southwark Elementary/Middle
School; F.S. Edmonds Elementary School; James Logan Elementary School; and
William Cramp Elementary School. Together,
the schools represent a wide cross-section of neighborhoods — from gentrifying
South Philadelphia to some of the city’s poorest ZIP codes.
Introducing Philly’s first 9 ‘community
schools’: Who made the cut
Billy Penn By Anna Orso July 18, 2016 at
10:09 am
Nine schools from across the city
are set to become “community schools” within the next year, meaning they’ll be
transformed from just schools into anchors of the neighborhood offering
services to kids and adults in the area.
First-year Mayor Jim Kenney — fresh
off a major political win in passing a soda tax meant to fund some of
his educational initiatives — along with Council President Darrell Clarke and
Superintendent Bill Hite announced Monday the following schools will be the
first nine to be assigned a full-time community school coordinator:
Trump's Pennsylvania doppelganger
Philly Daily News by John Baer, Political Columnist Updated: JULY
19, 2016 — 1:08 AM EDT
CLEVELAND - When it comes to Donald
Trump, Scott Wagner's seen the light - in the mirror. You know how lots of Republican
candidates and incumbents duck The Donald or shy away or work up weasel words
such as, well, I support the ticket? And
how they do so in order to keep some distance twixt themselves and the nutsy
things Trump's inclined to say? (I'm
looking at you, Pat Toomey, Pat Meehan, Brian Fitzpatrick.) Heck, House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke
to Pennsylvania's convention delegates on Monday for, as a colleague noted, 13
minutes before even mentioning Trump's name. This in 15 minutes' worth of
remarks. Well, you can take Wagner off
any squishy list. After sitting on the
sidelines, Wagner's now all in, ready to do "everything I can" to
help Trump win Pennsylvania and the White House.
“PA Cyber has seen a lot of controversy
as its founder Nick Trombetta faces nearly a dozen charges including fraud,
filing false tax returns and conspiracy in federal court. The school has faced
criticism for its poor standardized test performance and its relationship with
Lincoln Learning Solutions, an independent curriculum provider affiliated with
the publicly funded online school. The
school educated more than 10,000 students last year. Conti had served as CEO
since July 2012, according to his LinkedIn account. The release did not say why Conti resigned.”
Michael Conti resigns as CEO
of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School
Beaver County Times By Daveen Rae
Kurutz dkurutz@timesonline.com
July 18, 2016
MIDLAND -- One of the largest
online charter schools in Pennsylvania has a new leader -- at least
temporarily. The board of trustees at
the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Monday accepted the resignation of CEO
Michael Conti. Chief Operating Officer Nicole Granito was named acting CEO,
according to a news release. Granito has
worked with the school in various capacities for more than a decade. "Mike has captained our ship through
smooth and rough waters and kept us on course for the past several years,"
board president Brian Hayden said in the release. Hayden praised Granito and said he expects
she will provide the embattled school with continuity as the board conducts a
search for a permanent replacement.
Michigan educator named CEO of PA Virtual
Charter School
Inquirer by Martha Woodall Updated: JULY 18, 2016 — 5:55 PM EDT
A Michigan educator who was part
of a team that established one of the first cyber charter school in that state
has been named CEO of King of Prussia-based PA Virtual Charter School. John Chandler was involved in opening Great
Lakes Virtual Academy. His appointment as the top administrator of PA Virtual
was effective July 1, the school announced Monday. He replaces Joanne Barnett who
announced her retirement plans earlier this year.
“The district’s goal in reinstating a
cyber program is to attract students who have left the district in favor of
charter schools. It’s our teachers, our
standards, very small numbers,” Milanovich said. The district is currently advertising for the
cyber program on its website and is reaching out directly to families of
charter school students, she said.”
Moon Area School board establishes cyber program, hires athletic director
Beaver County Times By Katherine
Schaeffer kschaeffer@timesonline.com
July 18, 2016
MOON TWP. -- The Moon Area School
Board unanimously approved a motion Monday establishing the cyber school system
for the district. The Moon Cyber Education Program will accommodate students in
grades 7-12 who prefer a non-traditional school day, Interim Superintendent
Donna Milanovich said. The program will
be operated out of the Moon Area High School building and students enrolled can
choose to take classes either partially or entirely online depending on their
needs. Students will take classes taught by district employees and graduate
with a Moon Area diploma.
At GOP Convention, NEA Thanks Republicans
for Help Enacting ESSA
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on July 18,
2016 7:54 PM
Cleveland Let's get one thing straight
right off the bat: Leaders of the National Education Association are pretty
excited about the prospect of a President Hillary Clinton and will be
coming out in full force for the presumptive Democratic nominee in Philadelphia
at the party's convention next week. But,
the union recently notched one of its biggest legislative wins in decades,
thanks in part to Republicans, who are, after all, currently in control of
Congress. The NEA and other organizations representing educators are thrilled
with the Every Student Succeeds Act, which
seeks to look beyond test scores in judging school performance, and takes aim
at some of the Obama administration's most treasured policies, including tying
teacher evaluation to tests.
“Many of her policy proposals were
familiar, too. Among other things, she mentioned:
·
Supporting
a national campaign to elevate and modernize teaching;
·
Expanding
the teaching of computer science in K-12 education;
·
Ensuring
that testing informs teaching and learning, but does not dominate it; and
·
Opposing
vouchers and for-profit schooling.
Clinton voiced support for allowing most
Americans to attend college at no cost, a newer addition to her repertoire that
many observers believe she cribbed from the playbook of her closest rival for
the nomination, Bernie Sanders.”
Hillary Clinton Promises to be a 'Partner'
to Teachers in Speech to AFT
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on July 18,
2016 9:43 PM
Cross-posted from the Teacher Beat blog By Stephen
Sawchuk
For the second time this month,
Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton promised
America's teachers that they can expect a friendly ear in the White House if
she's elected. The speech she gave to
the American Federation of Teachers on Monday at its biennial convention in
Minneapolis was substantially similar to the one she gave
just weeks ago to the larger National Education Association. But
the mood—after the spate of violence this month that has wracked communities,
from nearby St. Paul, Minn., to Dallas to Baton Rouge, La.—was more sober. Indeed, before she addressed K-12 issues,
Clinton sought to address that violence.
What effect will Trump have on education policy? No one
knows.
Huffington Post 07/18/2016 11:04 am 11:04:11 | Updated 18 hours ago
During the Republican and
Democratic conventions, The Hechinger Report will publish a new story each day,
examining what the party proposals might mean for the future of education. Our
staff reporters will provide education coverage from Cleveland and
Philadelphia.
In the last 20 years, Republican
education policy has focused on expanding the choices granted to local
communities, families and students. Where it will go next, with Donald
Trump the presumptive leader of the Republican Party, is anyone’s guess. “It’s hard to know what the heck [Trump]
thinks,” said Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the
conservative American Enterprise Institute. “I don’t think he has thought
deeply or long about education policy.”
Last week, the Republican
Platform Committee began to discuss
what it thinks should be included in the “Great Families, Education, Health
Care, and Criminal Justice” section of its 2016 Platform. Current
points of agreement include the ideas that students are more likely to achieve
academically if their parents are married heterosexuals, student data should be
more private, and merit pay should be granted to high-performing teachers. The party also agreed to leave in wording
that would encourage states to offer the Bible as an elective literature
course.
Clinton attacks Pence, calls him 'hostile' to public education
Politico By KIMBERLY HEFLING 07/18/16 10:38 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton unleashed a
blistering attack Monday night on Donald Trump's pick for vice president,
telling thousands of cheering teachers union members that Indiana Gov. Mike
Pence is “one of the most hostile politicians in America when it comes to
public education.” “Neither Mike Pence
nor Donald Trump should be anywhere near our children’s education,”
said Clinton, speaking at the American Federation of Teachers' biennial
gathering in Minneapolis. She spoke as the GOP convention was taking place in
Cleveland, 750 miles away. If you want
to know what kind of president Trump would be, Clinton said, “just look at who
he’s chosen as his running mate.” “Mike
Pence is one of the most extreme vice presidential picks in a generation,"
Clinton said. "And he’s one of the most hostile politicians in America
when it comes to public education.”
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights
7/18/2016
PSBA
2016-17 Budget Update JUL 22, 2016 •
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Please join PSBA’s Assistant
Executive Director of Public Policy and Chief Lobbyist John Callahan for an
in-depth dive into Pennsylvania’s budget. In this complimentary member webinar,
see what is behind the numbers, get the trends and analysis for the 2016-17
fiscal year. Find out what is in the school code and policy changes to come.
Participate in a question and answer period.
Register online with PSBA’s webinar host
GoToWebinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/7915829886509395715
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Applications are available now for the 2016-2017 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). Click here for the program calendar of sessions. With nearly 500 graduates in its first seventeen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders. State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants. Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.
The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 15-16, 2016 and continues to graduation in June 2017. Click here to read more about the Education Policy Fellowship Program, or here to see the 2016-2017 program calendar.
Applications are being accepted now.
Appointment
of Voting Delegates for the October 15th PSBA Delegate Assembly
Meeting
PSBA Website June 27, 2016
The governing body boards of all
member school entities are entitled to appoint voting delegates to participate
in the PSBA Delegate Assembly to be held on Saturday,
Oct. 15, 2016. It is important that school boards act soon to appoint
its delegate or delegates, and to notify PSBA of the appointment.
Voting members of the Delegate
Assembly will:
1. Consider and act upon proposed
changes to the PSBA Bylaws.
2. Receive reports from the PSBA
president, executive director and treasurer.
3. Receive the results of the
election for officers and at-large representatives. (Voting upon
candidates by school boards and electronic submission of each board’s votes
will occur during the month of September 2016.)
4. Consider proposals recommended by
the PSBA Platform Committee and adopt the legislative platform for the coming
year.
5. Conduct
other Association business as required or permitted in the Bylaws, policies or
a duly adopted order of business.
The 2016 Delegate Assembly will meet on Saturday,
Oct. 15, at the conclusion of the regularly scheduled events of the
main PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference.
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:
PA Supreme Court sets Sept. 13 argument
date for fair education funding lawsuit in Philly
Thorough
and Efficient Blog JUNE 16, 2016 BARBGRIMALDI LEAVE A COMMENT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.