Wednesday, August 31, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Aug 31: National Labor Relations Board decides charter schools are private corporations, not public schools

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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup August 31, 2016:
National Labor Relations Board decides charter schools are private corporations, not public schools



Southeastern PA Regional 2016 Legislative Roundtable: William Tennent High School (Bucks Co.) SEP 22, 2016 • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM



COUNCILWOMAN GYM, POWER TO HOST CITY HALL EVENTS TO SUPPORT FAIR FUNDING FOR PA SCHOOLS
SEPTEMBER 12: SING-IN; SEPTEMBER 13: FAIR FUNDING LAWSUIT HEARING
Philadelphia City Council



MAP: What it costs to educate children in Pennsylvania, district by district
By Eugene Tauber The Morning Call August 30, 2016
If you think it takes a lot of money to get a child ready for school, consider how much money it takes to get a school ready for a child.  Pennsylvania spends almost $30 billion per year educating about 1.7 million children. About $27.3 billion of that is spent by 499 public school districts. The state’s largest district by almost every measure is Philadelphia, which spends about $2.7 billion per year. That’s followed by Pittsburgh with $609 million. The smallest, budgetarily speaking, are Salisbury-Elk Lick in Somerset County at $4.2 million, and Austin Area in Potter County at $4.5 million.  The top-spending districts in the Lehigh Valley are (in millions): Allentown, $253; Bethlehem Area, $229; Parkland, $148; and Easton Area, $135. The smallest local budgets belong to (in millions): Catasauqua Area, $26.2; Pen Argyl Area, $26.6; Northern Lehigh, $28.4; and Salisbury Township, $32.2.  Numbers that large can be sliced and diced in thousands of ways. We have chosen just a few categories to give you some perspective on where your school district fits in to the mix. The numbers were supplied by the state Department of Education for the 2014-2015 school year.  One of the numbers to look for is “actual instructional expenses,” or AIE. The definition of AIE is extremely long. Think of it as the cost of running a school minus transportation, health, financing, and special, vocational and other programs.

“Legislators should follow through on Mr. Wolf’s proposal to create a commission to develop a new charter school funding formula, which should produce payments based on actual costs rather than payments tied to the host public district’s costs.
The administration, meanwhile, is on the mark with the new charter school division. Charters should embrace the opportunity for enhanced accountability to taxpayers.”
Editorial: Charter unit overdue, like reforms
Times Tribune BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD / PUBLISHED: AUGUST 31, 2016
Some charter school executives smell a rat in Gov. Tom Wolf’s creation of a charter school division within the Department of Education.  “We are cautiously optimistic, but the charter community has been burned before and our honest initial impression is that this may be another effort to undermine school choice in Pennsylvania, regardless of the statements in the press release regarding improving quality and accountability,” said Bob Fayfich, executive director of Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.  That reaction to the scrutiny inherent in a dedicated charter school office reflects that charter schools have had their way with the Legislature, which has declined to enact badly needed reforms since the adoption of the charter school law in 1997.  This school year, more than 132,000 students will attend 176 charter schools in Pennsylvania, including 14 internet-based schools.  Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed schools. Local school districts authorize physical schools; the state government authorizes online schools.  Clearly, charters have a valid place in offering alternatives to conventional public schools. But because the schools are funded by the public, they should have the same degree of accountability as other public schools, which is not always the case.

Editorial: It’s time for reform at Pa.’s charter schools
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 08/27/16, 11:02 PM EDT
The two stories sat side by side on the same page earlier this week. The placement could not have been more ironic.  On the same day that Gov. Tom Wolf made good on another campaign pledge, this time to establish a division inside the state Education Department to keep tabs on the state’s burgeoning charter school industry, the CEO from a cyber charter school was in court to plead guilty to tax fraud charges.  Charter schools, set up in Pennsylvania by the Charter School Law - Act 22 of 1997, to offer Pennsylvania families an alternative to public schools that increasingly fail to offer families, usually in struggling communities, an adequate alternative, too often have failed to do so. In fact, too often test scores at charters have varied little from their counterparts in the public schools.  What has changed is the huge economic impact the desertion of those children – and the state funding that follows them – has had on public schools.
And of course, the bottom line for charter schools and their backers. The business of charter schools has proved in many cases to be quite lucrative.

PDE handling of charter payment disputes costly to districts, audit finds
The state auditor general says that $30.5 million in contested payments remain unresolved. That includes more than $14 million related to Philadelphia.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa August 30, 2016 — 9:00am
he Pennsylvania Department of Education has no clear or efficient process for handling money disputes between school districts and charter schools, State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has found. In a strongly critical report, he said that PDE's system now in place favors charters and could be costing school districts millions of dollars. He urged changes in the charter law.  Philadelphia, which has about half the charter schools in the state, is taking the biggest hit in potential overpayments to charter schools – more than $14 million of the state's total, $30.5 million. The District is running a small fund balance this year, but over the last several years, it has slashed programming and personnel to balance its budget.  Under the current system, a charter school bills a district for its students, following a formula that gives one amount for regular education students and another for those in special education. If the charter disputes a district's payment, PDE automatically pays the charter the contested amount and deducts the sum from the district's regular state subsidy. Districts have a right to appeal, but the appeals process has been moribund for about five years. The $30.5 million in DePasquale's report represents money that has accumulated since 2011 without districts having the chance to have their side heard, he said.

"I've never heard of this happening before . . . a judge substituting his/her judgment of financial needs of the district in place of locally elected school board members," Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, wrote in an email.”
Lower Merion schools must revoke tax hike
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, STAFF WRITER Updated: AUGUST 30, 2016 — 5:21 PM EDT
A Montgomery County judge has ordered the Lower Merion School District to revoke its latest tax hike, saying the district misled taxpayers by projecting large budget deficits to justify raising taxes 4.4 percent - when it actually had socked away millions of surplus dollars.  In what may be an unprecedented win for Pennsylvania taxpayers, Common Pleas Judge Joseph A. Smyth said in his Aug. 29 decision that the district could increase taxes for 2016-17, but no more than 2.4 percent.  The judge said he would "leave for another day" the question of rebates, refunds, and credits for those who already paid their current school tax bills. He said he would consider establishing a trust to collect "improperly" accumulated past taxes - an estimated $1,400 per household - if it is determined that all Lower Merion taxpayers are plaintiffs.  The ruling came in a class-action lawsuit filed in February by Arthur Wolk, a lawyer who lives in Gladwyne, and two others who said the district had misappropriated funds and that its large end-of-year surplus was "ill-begotten." They had sought a long list of remedies, including a five-year moratorium on tax increases.

Judge says Lower Merion school officials misled taxpayers
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT AUGUST 30, 2016
A Montgomery County judge has ordered one of the state’s highest-achieving school districts to slash its local property taxes, saying it fudged annual budgets in order to dupe taxpayers and justify tax hikes.  Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph Smyth said in a Monday decision that the Lower Merion School District — which borders Philadelphia to the west and spends more per pupil than almost any other district in the state — ”deliberately engaged in a course of conduct” that allowed it to raise taxes for years without going to a voter referendum.  To do that, Smyth said, Lower Merion officials led residents and state officials to believe the district was in danger of running major deficits when, in reality, the wealthy suburban enclave had millions in reserve.  The judge issued an injunction that forces Lower Merion to withdraw a board-approved tax hike of 4.44 percent for the 2016-17 school year. The board must rescind the tax at its next meeting.  Lower Merion officials said Tuesday they will appeal the ruling.

School District of Lancaster appeals refugee lawsuit decision
Lancaster Online KARA NEWHOUSE | Staff Writer August 30, 2016
Four refugee students who fought to attend McCaskey High School had their first day of class Tuesday.  But their victory could be short-lived.  On the same day the students started school, the School District of Lancaster appealed a federal court decision that made their attendance possible.  A spokeswoman said district officials took the action to prevent judges from taking over school board responsibilities.  An attorney for the students called the move "regrettable."  Khadidja Issa, 18, Van Ni Lang, 17, Sui Hnem, 19, and Qasin Hassan, 17, were among six refugee students who sued the district this summer. They said the district failed to meet its legal obligations by delaying or denying them enrollment and subsequently placing them at an alternative school where language barriers made it "impossible" to learn.

Lancaster school district appealing student refugee transfer decision
WHYY Newsworks BY EMILY PREVITI, WITF AUGUST 30, 2016
A federal judge ruled a few days ago that the School District of Lancaster must transfer any refugees from a magnet school to the mainstream high school — if that's what the students want.  Now, the district has decided to fight the order.  The district was sued in mid-July for sending students over the age of 16 with limited English proficiency to Phoenix Academy, meant for students at risk for dropping or aging out, instead of McCaskey High School's yearlong International School program, designed specifically for students who need the most help learning English.  It was the third such federal lawsuit initiated in the past year or so over refugee education access — and the first to go to trial, according to the ACLU of Pennsylvania, part of the legal team representing six students named in the case.  Court documents filed Wednesday were merely a notice that an appeal is coming. A more detailed filing is expected in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, refugees still can opt to transfer from Phoenix to McCaskey, as ordered. They and their families have until Sept. 9 to choose. The district is still working on translating notices informing them of the opportunity, according to spokeswoman Kelly Burkholder.

School District of Lancaster appeals after refugee students win lawsuit
Penn Live By Colin Deppen | cdeppen@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August 30, 2016 at 4:37 PM, updated August 30, 2016 at 4:43 PM
The School District of Lancaster says it has appealed a court's ruling which sided with refugee students alleging district policies had violated their civil rights.  The announcement came less than a week after a federal judge ruled in the students' favor after a trial that included testimony from them and claims that the district had routinely funneled older refugee students into an alternative school described as ineffective, chaotic and unsafe.  Through their lawsuit, the students sought the right to attend the district's traditional McCaskey High School, which they won with the judge's ruling.   But on the day they would have started there, the district has announced it's appealing the decision, telling LancasterOnline that it hopes to prevent "trial judges from substituting their judgment for that of the school board when placing children in educational settings." 

“The charter school released loan documents Friday that identify the lender of its $100,000 loan as Charter Solutions LLC, a limited liability corporation at 1177 Sixth St. in Whitehall Township — the same address as Atiyeh's Whitehall Manor.
When Petrillo resigned, she raised concerns about "unethical" practices and Atiyeh's involvement with the school and its board. Atiyeh, who last week hung up on a reporter, has refused to discuss the matter.”
Charter school in mailer controversy delays start of school
By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com  Email the author | Follow on Twitter  on August 30, 2016 at 9:10 PM, updated August 31, 2016 at 1:45 AM
Innovative Arts Academy Charter School is postponing its first day of school, after its CEO resigned last week amid ethical concerns about the school's finances and operations.
The Catasauqua school's board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to push the first day of school for the sixth-through-12th-grade school from Tuesday, Sept 6, to Monday, Sept. 12.  Interim CEO Steve Gabryluk said student safety is paramount and he doesn't want to rush opening. There are teaching jobs that now need to be filled.   "I don't want to start a school not being efficient," he said. "... We just can't make it happen within the time frame of Sept. 6."  The board voted to officially hire Gabryluk, who started Friday, and to bring on educational consultant Aldo Cavalli for 30 days at a cost of $5,000.  Gabryluk, a longtime teacher and administrator in the Pennridge School District in Bucks County, is a well known name in Lehigh Valley basketball circles, having coached for many schools.

A quick look at who applied for Philly's pre-K money
WHYY Newsworks by Avi Wolfman-Arent August 29, 2016 — 9:55am
The race for Philadelphia’s new flood of pre-K money is on.
The city announced earlier this week that 85 private child-care providers have applied for a shot at the roughly $23 million Philadelphia will dole out during phase one of its pre-K expansion. By January, the city plans to have 2,000 new high-quality pre-K seats.  At full implementation — five years from now — that number is expected to be 6,500.  It's not known yet how many of these 85 applicants the city will select in this first round. Officials will say only that the city expects to have “dozens” of partners.  The 85 applicants, representing 168 sites, seek funding for more than 4,000 seats. The city, of course, can only support 2,000 new slots right now. A typical applicant, officials say, is asking for an expansion of just 30 slots.

Pennsylvania ranked 47th on properly managing state pensions
Bucks County Courier Times by James McGinnis, staff writer August 29, 2016
Pennsylvania ranks among the worst in the nation when it comes to funding retirement plans for hundreds of thousands of government workers, public school teachers and police, according to the Pew Research Center.  The Keystone state ranked 47th for managing government pensions, according to the analysis released Aug. 24. Illinois (48), New Jersey (49) and Kentucky (50) ranked worse.  During the 10-year period from 2004 to 2014, Pennsylvania failed to make more than $14.8 billion in payments to its government retirement plans, Pew estimated.  For example, in 2013, lawmakers gave $2.2 billion to pensions, though the required contribution based on actuarial data, should have been $4.2 billion. The last time Pennsylvania made the required contribution based on actuarial data was 2004.

Today's Editorial: A wise investment in tech spending
Daily Item Editorial Aug 29, 2016
As students flood back into classrooms over the next few weeks, it is becoming increasingly clear how important technology has become to education on every level. Classrooms of today are vastly different from those of previous generations. Gone are the days of rulers and compasses, replaced by iPads for each student, interactive whiteboards and computers in kindergarten classes. It marks the wave of the future and schools are smartly utilizing tools familiar to students. Line Mountain, which started school on Wednesday, has 180 new tablets available for students to use this school year. The tablets — which cost the district $75,000 — bring the district’s inventory to 230, almost one for every four students in the entire district.


Back to School by the Numbers
By Dana Tofig, Communications Director, Institute of Education Sciences August 29, 2016
Across the country, hallways and classrooms are full of activity as students head back to school for the 2016–17 academic year. Each year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) compiles some back-to-school facts and figures that give a snapshot of our schools and colleges for the coming year. You can see the full report on the NCES website, but here are a few “by-the-number” highlights. You can also click on the hyperlinks throughout the blog to see additional data on these topics.  The staff of NCES and the Institute of Education Sciences hopes our students, teachers, administrators and families have an outstanding school year!
50.4 million - The number of students expected to attend public elementary and secondary schools this year—slightly more than the 2015–16 school year. The racial and ethnic profile of these students will continue to shift, with 24.6 million White students, 7.8 million Black students, 13.3 million Hispanic students, 2.7 million Asian/Pacific Islanders students, 0.5 million  American Indian/Alaska Native students, and 1.5 million students who are two or more races. About 5.2 million students are expected to attend private schools.

“In its recent decisions, both issued Aug. 24, the National Labor Relations Board ruled thatHyde Leadership Charter School in Brooklyn and the Pennsylvania Virtual Charter Schoolare — like other government contractors — private corporations that receive taxpayer dollars. In the New York case, for example, the board found that even though state law describes charter schools as existing “within the public school system,” the schools were not directly established by a government entity and the people who administer them are not accountable to public officials or to voters.  “Hyde was not established by a state or local government, and is not itself a public school,” reads the board’s majority opinion, signed by Democrats Kent Hirozawa and Lauren McFerran.  The decisions mean that the schools’ employees must organize under the National Labor Relations Act, which applies to private-sector employees, rather than under state laws that apply to public-sector employees.”
National Labor Relations Board decides charter schools are private corporations, not public schools
Washington Post By Emma Brown August 30 at 1:12 PM 
The National Labor Relations Board decided in two separate cases last week that — as far as federal labor law is concerned — charter schools are not public schools but private corporations.  The decisions apply only to the specific disputes from which they arose, involving unionization efforts at charter schools in New York and in Pennsylvania. But they plunge the labor board into a long-running debate over the nature of charter schools: publicly funded, privately run institutions that enroll about 3 million students nationwide.  Charter school advocates have long argued that charters are public schools because they are tuition-free, open-enrollment institutions funded primarily with tax dollars. But union leaders and other critics describe charters as private entities that supplant public schools, which are run by elected officials, with nonprofit and for-profit corporations that are run by unelected boards that are unaccountable to voters.

“What we found is surprising. From 1998 to 2010, the school readiness gap narrowed by 10 percent in math and 16 percent in reading. The gaps that remain are still vast. But even this modest improvement represents a sharp reversal of the trend over the preceding decades.  It’s worth noting that the gap in school readiness narrowed because of relatively rapid improvements in the skills of low-income children, not because the skills of children from high-income families declined.”
The Good News About Educational Inequality
New York Times Sunday Review By SEAN F. REARDON, JANE WALDFOGEL and DAPHNA BASSOK AUG. 26, 2016
When inequality is the topic, it can seem as if all the news is bad. Income inequality continues to rise. Economic segregation is growing. Racial gaps in education, employment and health endure. Our society is not particularly fair.  But here is some good news about educational inequality: The enormous gap in academic performance between high- and low-income children has begun to narrow. Children entering kindergarten today are more equally prepared than they were in the late 1990s.  We know this from information collected over the last two decades by the National Center for Education Statistics. In the fall of 1998 and again in 2010, the N.C.E.S. sent early childhood assessors to roughly 1,000 public and private kindergartens across the United States. They sat down one-on-one with 15 to 25 children in each school to measure their reading and math skills. They asked children to identify shapes and colors, to count, to identify letters and to sound out words. They also surveyed parents to learn about the children’s experiences before entering kindergarten.  Working with the social scientist Ximena Portilla, we used this data to track changes over time in “school readiness gaps” — the differences in academic skills between low-income and high-income children entering kindergarten.

John Oliver, they’re after you! Charter school backers sponsor $100,000 anti-Oliver video contest.
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss August 30 at 12:39 PM 
In case you missed it, John Oliver recently did a segment on his HBO “Last Week Tonight” show blasting troubled charter schools in several states around the country. It was very very funny — but charter supporters were not in the slightest bit amused.  How annoyed were they? Well, the Washington-based Center for Education Reform, a nonprofit pro-charter organization, is offering $100,000 to the school that creates the best rebuttal video to Oliver’s rant. Really.   It’s called the “Hey John Oliver! Back Off My Charter School!” Video Contest, and all applicants have to do is come up with a retort explaining why charters are fabulous — in no longer than three minutes — and properly submit their video. You can read about it here. Who can compete? The official rules say the $100,000 winner will be a charter school (so nobody else need apply). Submissions are being accepted from Tuesday through Sept. 26, 2016. 

Charter Fans Put Bounty on John Oliver's Head
Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Tuesday, August 30, 2016
How much did John Oliver's piece on charter schools upset charter cheerleaders?
About $100,000.
Yesterday the Center for Education Reform, Jeanne Allen's pro-charter advocacy group, announced the "Hey John Oliver, Back Off My Charter School" video contest, in which your charter school can win $100,000 for creating a video that will show John Oliver "why making fun of charter schools is no laughing matter..."  The press release from CER, as always, quoting Allen: "The program was meant to be funny and provocative entertainment," said CER Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeanne Allen, "but Oliver went way out of bounds and far beyond simple entertainment when he used examples of a few poorly run schools to paint all charters, and the whole concept of charter schools, as failures."  Or as the contest website puts it  Here is a brief summary of Mr. Oliver’s presentation: “Some charter schools have been mismanaged. Ergo, ipso facto, presto change-o, all charter schools are bad, bad, bad.” 
That's a sloppy misreading of Oliver's piece, which actually bent over backwards to include the opposing views of charters.

Details of Draft ESSA Spending Rules Emerge
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on August 31, 2016 6:00 AM
The education community has been waiting all summer for the U.S. Department of Education to release proposed spending regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act. These rules would govern the ESSA requirement that federal funds be used in addition to (and not fill funding gaps left by) state and local education money.  Now, details about key elements of the draft regulations are beginning to emerge. We don't yet know everything about them. But what the department is prepared to propose is not identical to all the initial ideas it floated earlier this year. Among those earlier proposals—presented during the negotiated rulemaking process mandated by Congress to craft regulations for the supplemental-money rule—was one that would have required districts to demonstrate that state and local per-pupil spending in Title I schools (those with large shares of students from low-income backgrounds) be at least equal to the average of that spending in non-Title I schools. 

Will ESSA Encourage States to Consider Gifted Students' Achievement?
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on August 31, 2016 5:22 AM
The vast majority of states don't give their schools much of an incentive to bolster achievement for the most advanced students, according to a report released Wednesday by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a think tank in Washington.  In fact, just four states have accountability systems that the think tank deemed "praiseworthy" when it comes to focusing on these students. Those states include: Arkansas, Ohio, Oregon, and South Carolina.  Part of the problem: Only a small handful of states—Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho and Oregon—base half of a school's rating on improving performance for all students. And seven states plus the District of Columbia don't consider growth at all.  "Given that student growth is the best way to evaluate schools' impact on student achievement--and the best way to signal that all kids matter--this finding is extremely alarming," according to the Institute's report.  What's more, just five states break out gifted kids as a separate "subgroup" and measure their performance separately, including Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Wyoming.

“This is one of the unrecognized downsides of local control in America. We spend too much to get too little from school construction, paying billions to financial firms like investment banks and consultancies that could be spent on teacher salaries, technology for students, and specialized tutoring.”
How Investment Banks Cash in on School Construction
Priceonomics By Paul Perry · 6,521 views
When Americans vote in the local school board elections every few years, they elect the individuals who oversee one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects: the construction and maintenance of America’s nearly 100,000 schools.  Any given school board member will be responsible for only a piece of that project. But, taken together, schools are the nation’s second largest public infrastructure investment after transportation. Roughly 55 million Americans (1 in 6) set foot in our public schools every day, according to the National Council on School Facilities, and they occupy an area equivalent to nearly 3,000 Empire State Buildings. There isn’t a public institution in the country that touches the lives of more Americans.   In other countries, provincial or national governments manage education systems, with varying levels of discretion for local officials. But in the United States, schools operate on the principle of local control, which means that the governing and management of public schools is done by locally-elected or appointed representatives such as school boards or school committees.   The United States is nearly unique in this respect, and when you think of schools as an infrastructure project, local control presents a unique problem: it’s inefficient and inequitable. 


NEW: Southeastern PA Regional 2016 Legislative Roundtable: William Tennent High School (Bucks Co.) SEP 22, 2016 • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
PSBA website August 25, 2016
Take a more active role in public education advocacy by joining our Legislative Roundtable
This is your opportunity for a seat at the table (literally) with fellow public education advocates to take an active role in educating each other and policymakers.  Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, along with regional legislators, will be in attendance to work with you to support public education in Pennsylvania.  Use the form below to send your registration information!

2016 National Anthem Sing-A-Long - September 9th
American Public Education Foundation Website 
The Star-Spangled Banner will be sung by school children nationwide on Friday, September 9, 2016 at 10:00am PST and 1:00pm EST. Students will learn about the words and meaning of the flag and sing the first stanza. This will be the third annual simultaneous sing-a-long event created by the APEF-9/12 Generation Project. The project aims to bring students together – as the world came together – on September 12, 2001.

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
https://edfundinglawsuit.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/pa-supreme-court-sets-argument-date-for-fair-education-funding-lawsuit/

Registration for the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference Oct. 13-15 is now open
The conference is your opportunity to learn, network and be inspired by peers and experts.
TO REGISTER: See https://www.psba.org/members-area/store-registration/   (you must be logged in to the Members Area to register). You can read more on How to Register for a PSBA Event here.   CONFERENCE WEBSITE: For all other program details, schedules, exhibits, etc., see the conference website:www.paschoolleaders.org.

REGISTER NOW for the 2016 PA Principals Association State Conference, October 30 - November 1, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.
The Early Bird Discount Deadline has been Extended to Wednesday, August 31, 2016!
PA Principals Association website Tuesday, August 2, 2016 10:43 AM
To receive the Early Bird Discount, you must be registered by August 31, 2016:
Members: $300  Non-Members: $400
Featuring Three National Keynote Speakers: Eric Sheninger, Jill Jackson & Salome Thomas-EL

PSBA Officer Elections Aug. 15-Oct. 3, 2016: Slate of Candidates
PSBA members seeking election to office for the association were required to submit a nomination form no later than April 30, 2016, to be considered. All candidates who properly completed applications by the deadline are included on the slate of candidates below. In addition, the Leadership Development Committee met on June 24 at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg to interview candidates. According to bylaws, the Leadership Development Committee may determine candidates highly qualified for the office they seek. This is noted next to each person’s name with an asterisk (*).  Each school entity will have one vote for each officer. This will require boards of the various school entities to come to a consensus on each candidate and cast their vote electronically during the open voting period (Aug. 15-Oct. 3, 2016). Voting will be accomplished through a secure third-party, web-based voting site that will require a password login. One person from each member school entity will be authorized as the official person to cast the vote on behalf of his or her school entity. In the case of school districts, it will be the board secretary who will cast votes on behalf of the school board.
Special note: Boards should be sure to include discussion and voting on candidates to its agenda during one of its meetings in September.


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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Aug 30: PDK Poll: Vast Majority of Americans Want Failing Schools Fixed, Not Closed

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 August 30, 2016:
PDK Poll: Vast Majority of Americans Want Failing Schools Fixed, Not Closed



Southeastern PA Regional 2016 Legislative Roundtable: William Tennent High School (Bucks Co.) SEP 22, 2016 • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM



COUNCILWOMAN GYM, POWER TO HOST CITY HALL EVENTS TO SUPPORT FAIR FUNDING FOR PA SCHOOLS
SEPTEMBER 12: SING-IN
SEPTEMBER 13: FAIR FUNDING LAWSUIT HEARING
Philadelphia City Council



What you need to know about the Sept. 13th oral argument before the PA Supreme Court for the school funding lawsuit and how you can be part of it
Education Voters PA  Posted on August 29, 2016 by EDVOPA
On Tuesday, September 13, the PA Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the landmark school funding lawsuit in its Philadelphia courtroom and we invite you to be part of this important event.  The lawsuit argues that PA’s school funding system is so inadequate and inequitable that it violates provisions in the state constitution that require a “thorough and efficient system of public education” and equal treatment under the law.  At the argument on September 13th, the plaintiffs will ask the PA Supreme Court to allow the case to go to full trial  and allow students and their families to have their day in court.  The plaintiffs will be asking for the opportunity to share their stories in order to prove that PA’s broken system for funding education is so broken that the courts must intervene in order to guarantee that all children in PA will have adequate resources to learn,  no matter where they live or what school they attend.  Six school districts – William Penn, Panther Valley, Lancaster, Greater Johnstown, Wilkes-Barre Area and Shenandoah Valley – the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS), and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference are among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Commentary: Take a look at what's working in Philly charter schools
Inquirer Opinion By Laurada Byers Updated: AUGUST 30, 2016 — 3:01 AM EDT
Laurada Byers is board chair of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence.
Philadelphia's public pools are closing this week and back-to-school sales are everywhere, but the first day of school is still a ways off for the 140,000 students in the School District of Philadelphia.  Students in many of the city's public charter schools, however, are already in class. In fact, some - such as KIPP and Global Leadership Academy - opened in early August. This is because charter schools have more autonomy than traditional public schools over their academic calendar as well as their curriculum, staffing, and budget decisions.  That autonomy - specifically the freedom to spend dollars differently than traditional district schools - is the focus of a new report from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), an advocacy group of traditional school districts, criticizing charter school spending.

Will embattled charter school open on time?
Sarah M. Wojcik Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call August 30, 2016
CATASAUQUA — The Innovative Arts Academy Charter School is on a tight deadline if classes are to begin in time for much-discussed Sept. 6 opening date.  The logistics of opening after two weeks of turmoil at the Catasauqua charter will be discussed during tonight's 6 p.m Board of Trustees meeting, according to Kelly Bauer, trustee president.  The meeting will be the first since interim Chief Executive Officer Steve Gabryluk, former high school administrator and basketball coach, took the helm of the school, serving students from 6th through 12th grade. Former CEO Loraine Petrillo, who resigned a week ago but agreed to stay on until a replacement was found, abruptly left the post Thursday.  The charter school was embroiled in a controversy after an unauthorized mailer was sent to Bethlehem-area homes, promoting the school while casting Liberty High School as a public school rife with drug problems. Innovative Arts leaders maintain they do not know who sent the direct mailer.

State Department of Education focuses on charters
York Dispatch  Alyssa Jackson, 505-5438/@AlyssaJacksonYD7:03 p.m. EDT August 28, 2016
Charter schools were a hot topic in Pennsylvania last week.
John Oliver recently posted a video discussing charters in the state, and on Wednesday Gov. Tom Wolf announced the Pennsylvania Department of Education will be creating a new Division of Charter Schools to improve the quality and accountability of charter schools.  The following day, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released an audit of charter schools, calling the state's charter school law faulty.  Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said in an interview that the creation of the new Division of Charter schools is just one of many steps the Education Department, along with Wolf, has taken in the past year to improve the accountability and oversight of charter schools.  Rivera said first and foremost the division's concentration will be on how to best educate children in charter schools, but fiscal and operational oversight also will be the department's specialty. The division will fall under the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is struggling to provide necessary support for charter schools.

Refugee students win order to let them attend high school
Washington Times By - Associated Press - Monday, August 29, 2016
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - Refugee students who accused a central Pennsylvania school district of diverting them into an alternative school have won a court ruling allowing them to attend the regular high school.  U.S. District Judge Edward G. Smith on Friday ordered the School District of Lancaster to enroll the students at Lancaster’s McCaskey High School instead of Phoenix Academy, if they so choose. The plaintiffs said district officials have steered at least 30 students in the past three years to the alternative high school.  Six refugee students aged 17 to 21 who came to the U.S. from Myanmar, Sudan and other war-torn countries sued the district last month over their placement, saying it was “impossible” to learn there because of language barriers. The suit also alleged delayed and denied enrollment.  District officials argued that Phoenix Academy was better suited to older refugee students than the larger and more traditional high school.
The judge also ordered that the district provide instruction to allow the students to become proficient in English and ensure equal access “to the full range of educational opportunities provided to their peers, including curricular and non-curricular programs and activities.”

How Pa. compares in education funding
Opinion by Sen. Mike Folmer, For The Lebanon Daily News6:01 a.m. EDT August 30, 2016
In 2006, a Costing-Out Study called for a 50 percent increase in Pennsylvania’s basic education spending: at least $3.17 billion more (to $6.02 billion). Funding that year was boosted to $4.78 billion (a 18.3 percent increase) with total education spending of $9.93 billion.  Advocates continued to cite the Costing-Out Study to increase education spending — even though they couldn’t fully explain the study’s use of “hypothetical school districts” and why it didn’t focus on low cost/high performance schools.  Over the past 10 years, education funding has grown from $9.93 billion to $11.78 billion (nearly a 17 percent increase). Today, this translates to $32,277,643.84 spent a day, $1,344,901.83 an hour, $22,415.03 a minute, and $373.58 a second (not counting local and federal moneys).

A quick look at who applied for Philly's pre-K money
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT AUGUST 29, 2016
The race for Philadelphia’s new flood of pre-K money is on.
The city announced earlier this week that 85 private child care providers have applied for a shot at the roughly $23 million Philadelphia will dole out during phase one of its pre-K expansion. By January, the city plans to have 2,000 new high-quality pre-K seats.  At full implementation — five years from now — that number is expected to be 6,500.  It's not known yet how many of these 85 applicants the city will select in its first go-round. Officials will say only that the city expects to have “dozens” of partners.  The 85 applicants, representing 168 sites, seek funding for more than 4,000 seats. The city, of course, can only support 2,000 new slots right now. The average provider, officials say, is asking for an expansion of just 30 slots.

Department of Justice investigating Upper Darby School District?
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin, ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com, @KevinTustin on Twitter POSTED: 08/29/16, 9:29 PM EDT | UPDATED: 4 SECS AGO
Upper Darby>> A new school year, a new controversy for Upper Darby School District this week.  Following the quick departure of Superintendent Rick Dunlap Jr. from the district, allegations of federal and local investigations into racial inequalities in one of the most diverse districts in the state have come about.  Claims have been circulated since mid-August that the Department of Justice is looking into why students, particularly those at Walter M. Senkow Elementary School, are bussed 6 miles outside of the district to be taught in a Glenolden school building the district rents from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  Senkow students come from the Cardington and Drexel Hill sections of the township, with students from the latter abutting the boundary for Garrettford Elementary, a school that is 56 percent white and 30 percent black.  “The district has not heard from the NAACP or the Department of Justice,” wrote district spokeswoman Dana Spino Monday afternoon. “The district believes the allegations are not credible.”  A representative of the DOJ did not deny or confirm any investigations Monday afternoon.  Joan Duvall-Flynn, president of the NAACP’s Media branch, did not return a request for comment.

Highlands teachers approve contract, await school board vote
Trib Live BY MARY ANN THOMAS AND TOM YERACE | Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, 3:39 p.m.
The Highlands School Board is scheduled to vote on the new teachers contract at a special meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the high school library.
Members of the Highlands School District teachers union approved a new labor contract Monday.  “We wanted to get back to school and back to our kids,” said Randy Rybak, president of the Highlands Education Association.  Teachers who came to cast ballots at the Brackenridge American Legion declined comment.  The Highlands school board will vote on the labor pact during a special meeting Wednesday.  “We're hopeful,” said Matt Edgell, communication representative for the Pennsylvania State Education Association in Allegheny County. “We have to see what happens after Wednesday.”  At least 50 percent plus one vote from teachers was needed to approve the contract. Rybak declined to release the final vote tally.


The 48th Annual PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools

Vast Majority of Americans Want Failing Schools Fixed, Not Closed, Poll Finds
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on August 29, 2016 8:38 AM
A new survey of public opinion about education has found that by a ratio of six to one, the American public wants schools that are falling down on the job to remain open instead of being closed.  Results of the annual Phi Delta Kappa International poll about K-12, released Monday, reported that 84 percent of Americans want officials to overhaul those struggling schools in some fashion, while just 14 percent say they prefer those schools to be shut down. However, the poll also found that doesn't necessarily mean the public doesn't want major changes at those schools.  The survey also found that nearly half of those surveyed gave their local public schools an A or B grade, but that fewer than one-quarter of respondents would give the same high marks to the nation's public schools as a whole. Those figures are roughly consistent with the findings of another public-opinion poll about education released by the Education Next policy journal last week.  So on that question of schools that are falling down on the job: The PDK poll asked people about the popularity of closing them versus keeping them open, but then asked about the best strategies in each of those scenarios. Here's what it found:

“In an essay that is part of the survey, Starr said the results show that Americans are not especially satisfied with the direction of school reform in the No Child Left Behind Era under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Noting that the public doesn’t want failing schools closed despite that being a key part of the NCLB reform agenda, he wrote:
 This finding, perhaps more than any other, exemplifies the divide between the reform agenda of the past 16 years and the actual desires of the American public. When asked whether a failing school should be closed or improved, there is a 70-point divide between those who want to see closure (14 percent) and those who want to see it stay open (84 percent). If decreased enrollment isn’t driving a school consolidation and closing effort, school system leaders and policy makers should pay heed to what the public actually wants regarding failing schools.”
Why do kids go to school? Americans are divided on the answer, a new PDK poll shows.
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss August 29 at 8:27 PM 
What is school for? A new poll released Monday night shows that Americans are divided on the issue. And in an era when public education has been under attack, most public school parents still think highly of their children’s schools — and an overwhelming majority of Americans do not want failing schools to be closed down but would rather see them improved.  The 48th annual PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, the longest continuously running survey of American attitudes toward public education, was commissioned by PDK International, a global association of education professionals that is headed by Johua Starr, former superintendent of the Montgomery County Public School District.

Poor Parents Understand Importance of Reading, School Readiness, Survey Says
Education Week early Years Blog By Lillian Mongeau on August 25, 2016 2:04 PM
It turns out that in the lower-income neighborhoods of Oakland, Calif., 70 percent of parents read to their young child at least three days a week. That fact is one of dozens of fascinating tidbits gleaned from a survey of 420 parents conducted last spring by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, a local philanthropy.  Having reported extensively in Oakland, I was especially interested in the survey, which I was tipped off about by New America's early-education newsletter. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that while the gap in education-focused parenting behaviors between college-educated, white, middle class parents and their less advantaged peers is notable, it's not as big as you might think. 

Back to School With Budgets Still Tight
New York Times Editorial By THE EDITORIAL BOARDAUG. 29, 2016
The children entering kindergarten and first grade this school year were not yet born when the Great Recession ended in mid-2009. Incoming high school seniors were not yet in middle school.  But in many states and localities, the wounds to school budgets from recession-era cutbacks are still large, leaving schools with more students and less money. Recent data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that as of last year, 25 states were still spending less per student than before the recession, adjusted for inflation, and cuts in seven states exceeded 10 percent. In 31 states, local government spending per student fell between 2008 and 2014, the latest data available (adjusted for inflation). It is safe to assume some improvement in recent years, but even so, there is clearly a long way to go before overall spending catches up with enrollment and inflation.

 “The battle over this ballot question is not between teachers unions and low-income and minority families. On one side are those who believe that we must stop defunding the public schools that educate 96 percent of our students. On the other are those who support the diversion of billions of dollars of education resources to publicly funded, privately managed, selective, separate, and unequal charter schools.”
Massachusetts: NAACP Opposes Charter Expansion
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch August 29, 2016 //
Massachusetts will vote in November on Question 2, which would expand the number of privately managed charter schools, a dozen a year forever. The promoters of charters claim to be “saving” poor minority children. But the NAACP for New England sees through the propaganda.  The Chairman of the Education Committee of the New England Area Conference of the NAACP weighed in at the Boston Globe:

10 Reasons Why the NAACP Is Absolutely Right About a National Moratorium on Charter Schools
The venerable civil rights lobby has come under attack.
Alternet By Steven Rosenfeld / AlterNet August 29, 2016
As the 2016-2017 school year begins, champions of privatizing traditional public schools appear to be launching a new round of political and media campaigns to defend charter schools, despite growing criticism of their academics, business models and calls for a charter moratorium.  The latest media volleys from the pro-charter establishment are typified by a recent editorial at The Washington Post,which slammed a proposed resolution now before the NAACP — and one passed by Black Lives Matter organizers — that says the privately run takeover of traditional K-12 schools should be halted nationally until its negative impacts are reversed.  As is often the case with pro-charter forces, the argument framed by the Post’seditorial writers is cast as doing what’s best for the children, in this case non-white youths from the poor cities. “The thought of denying school choice to these families — something that middle- and upper-class parents blithely take for granted — is simply maddening,” fumes the Post.  No, what’s maddening is their wholesale dismissal of the substantive complaints laid out in the NAACP’s draft resolution, which cites unaccountable private boards running schools, segregated student bodies, psychologically harmful environments, diversion of limited taxpayer resources, fiscal mismanagement and corruption, and more. The NAACP wants state and federal civil rights and education regulators to end the litany of harmful practices.

Growing Segregation of Latinos in Public Schools Poses Challenge for Academic Success
Education Writers Association AUGUST 29, 2016 FERMIN LEAL OF EDSOURCE FOR EWA
More than six decades since the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision declared that segregated schools are “inherently unequal,” Latino students from low-income backgrounds are becoming increasingly isolated in public schools across the country.  The most-segregated schools Latinos attend often have fewer resources, including less access to Advanced Placement courses and Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs, compared with schools with high populations of affluent and white students.  But while segregation prior to the Brown decision was legally enforced, segregation today is more a socioeconomic issue that requires creative and challenging solutions, educators and experts have said.  The panel “A Closer Look at Segregation” during EWA’s recentseminar for Spanish-language media focused on the growing number of poor Latino students attending segregated schools.

Donald Trump Taps Indiana Lawmaker's Staffer to Craft School Choice Plan
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on August 29, 2016 6:58 AM
Republican nominee Donald Trump's presidential campaign has tapped Rob Goad, who has worked for Indiana GOP Rep. Luke Messer in Congress, to work on school choice issues in the real estate executive's bid for the White House.  Goad is on leave from Messer's office and for the past two weeks has been in New York City working for the Trump campaign as a policy adviser, according to sources. He's the first adviser for Trump to focus specifically on education issues. The campaign's aim is to have Goad flesh out Trump's previously stated support for school choice, specifically choice programs that have been successful in states, and possibly work on other K-12 education issues as well.  Goad may also work on higher education policy for Trump, whose campaign approached Goad about joining the campaign team.

A federal court just allowed the case that could end partisan gerrymandering to proceed
Daily Kos By Stephen Wolf  Wednesday Aug 24, 2016 · 12:59 PM EDT
One Wednesday, a three-judge federal panel ruled two-to-one that a lawsuit brought by Republican voters against Maryland’s Democratic-drawn congressional map on First Amendment grounds can proceed to adjudication. The case, Shapiro v. McManus,could set the stage for a national precedent restricting partisan gerrymandering if it makes its way to the Supreme Court, as seems likely. Although this lawsuit opposes a Democratic map, a Supreme Court ruling against Maryland would nonetheless be excellent news for both Democrats and democracy because of how widespread Republican gerrymandering is nationwide.  Shapiro is especially important because of how it tries to contest partisan gerrymandering by identifying a harm to voters’ First Amendment rights. A 2004 Supreme Court case, Vieth v. Jubelirer, previously held that partisan gerrymandering could potentially be unconstitutional. But in that decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy refused to strike down the particular maps at issue for lack of a manageable legal standard to determine when exactly the use of partisanship crosses the line to harm constitutional rights. Shapiro and a pair of related cases in Wisconsin and North Carolina​ seek to test that notion by supplying a standard that might be judicially manageable.  This case shows just how paramount it is for Democrats to win the presidency and regain the Senate in 2016. Should they do so, they could appoint a fifth liberal-leaning justice by the time any appeals of these three cases reach the Supreme Court, making Kennedy’s wavering moot. And even with Kennedy, the court could set new standards against partisan gerrymandering.

Constituents crowd Bethlehem church over redistricting reform
Lou Gombocz, Jr. , WFMZ.com Reporter, news@wfmz.com Posted: 10:01 AM EDT Aug 28, 2016 Updated: 11:04 AM EDT Aug 28, 2016
Bethlehem, Pa. - A standing-room only crowd of nearly 70 concerned citizens filled the auditorium of Bethlehem's Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley Friday evening for a brief video followed by a panel discussion entitled "Gerrymandering and How to Create Fair Districts in Pennsylvania" sponsored by the church's social action committee and the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. The video explained the meeting's goal was to increase the awareness of gerrymandering---the manipulation of legislative district lines to benefit one political party or group. According to Fair Districts PA, a coalition of citizens and organizations that believes elections should represent the will of all the people, once every decade following the national census, districts are redrawn and it is from within those boundaries national, state, and local legislators, representatives, and officials are elected. And in Pennsylvania, all legislative districts are determined by the state house and senate. However, the coalition says a conflict of interest occurs because current gerrymandering allows the politicians to chose their voters rather than voters making the decisions. The result is votes secured through the drawing of "weird redistricting" lines by politicians who are elected or reelected even before a single ballot is cast.
Read more from WFMZ.com at: http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-lehighvalley/constituents-crowd-bethlehem-church-over-redistricting-reform/41406864#.V8RybdvuswA.twitter

Why Farm-to-Institution Sourcing is the Sleeping Giant of Local Food
Strategists are following the money to schools, corporate cafeterias, and hospitals in hopes of rebuilding local economies and bringing healthy food access—literally in through the back door.
Civil Eats Blog By Leilani Clark on August 29, 2016
The next time someone points to the need for more farmers’ markets as a way to help move local food from a trend to a substantive cultural shift, you might consider telling them about the power of institutional purchasing. It may sound less interesting and, on the surface, it certainly is. (Who doesn’t love buying purple carrots to the sound of a didgeridoo?) But bear with us.  You see, public and private institutions spend billions of dollars each year on food.Schools, universities, hospitals, prisons, corporate cafeterias, and senior care facilities share one thing in common—they prepare, cook, and serve thousands of meals every day. Now, a rising national movement wants to persuade these institutions to source a higher percentage of food from regional producers—with an emphasis on farms, fishermen, and and ranches that follow ecologically sound, socially just, and humane practices. It’s called institutional food procurement, and, while it might not have quite as much romance as some other elements of today’s Good Food Movement, some say this follow-the-money strategy could hold the key to transforming the American food system

Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 8/29/2016


NEW: Southeastern PA Regional 2016 Legislative Roundtable: William Tennent High School (Bucks Co.) SEP 22, 2016 • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
PSBA website August 25, 2016
Take a more active role in public education advocacy by joining our Legislative Roundtable
This is your opportunity for a seat at the table (literally) with fellow public education advocates to take an active role in educating each other and policymakers.  Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, along with regional legislators, will be in attendance to work with you to support public education in Pennsylvania.  Use the form below to send your registration information!

2016 National Anthem Sing-A-Long - September 9th
American Public Education Foundation Website 
The Star-Spangled Banner will be sung by school children nationwide on Friday, September 9, 2016 at 10:00am PST and 1:00pm EST. Students will learn about the words and meaning of the flag and sing the first stanza. This will be the third annual simultaneous sing-a-long event created by the APEF-9/12 Generation Project. The project aims to bring students together – as the world came together – on September 12, 2001.

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
https://edfundinglawsuit.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/pa-supreme-court-sets-argument-date-for-fair-education-funding-lawsuit/

Registration for the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference Oct. 13-15 is now open
The conference is your opportunity to learn, network and be inspired by peers and experts.
TO REGISTER: See https://www.psba.org/members-area/store-registration/   (you must be logged in to the Members Area to register). You can read more on How to Register for a PSBA Event here.   CONFERENCE WEBSITE: For all other program details, schedules, exhibits, etc., see the conference website:www.paschoolleaders.org.

REGISTER NOW for the 2016 PA Principals Association State Conference, October 30 - November 1, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.
The Early Bird Discount Deadline has been Extended to Wednesday, August 31, 2016!
PA Principals Association website Tuesday, August 2, 2016 10:43 AM
To receive the Early Bird Discount, you must be registered by August 31, 2016:
Members: $300  Non-Members: $400
Featuring Three National Keynote Speakers: Eric Sheninger, Jill Jackson & Salome Thomas-EL

PSBA Officer Elections Aug. 15-Oct. 3, 2016: Slate of Candidates
PSBA members seeking election to office for the association were required to submit a nomination form no later than April 30, 2016, to be considered. All candidates who properly completed applications by the deadline are included on the slate of candidates below. In addition, the Leadership Development Committee met on June 24 at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg to interview candidates. According to bylaws, the Leadership Development Committee may determine candidates highly qualified for the office they seek. This is noted next to each person’s name with an asterisk (*).  Each school entity will have one vote for each officer. This will require boards of the various school entities to come to a consensus on each candidate and cast their vote electronically during the open voting period (Aug. 15-Oct. 3, 2016). Voting will be accomplished through a secure third-party, web-based voting site that will require a password login. One person from each member school entity will be authorized as the official person to cast the vote on behalf of his or her school entity. In the case of school districts, it will be the board secretary who will cast votes on behalf of the school board.
Special note: Boards should be sure to include discussion and voting on candidates to its agenda during one of its meetings in September.


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