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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup October 11, 2016
PA
is not protecting the interests of its taxpayers when it comes to tax dollars
spent on charter schools
Residents can register to vote online at
https://www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx
Deadline to register to vote in
Pennsylvania is Today
Delco
Times By The Associated Press POSTED: 10/10/16, 1:49 PM EDT
HARRISBURG, Pa. >> The
registration deadline is Tuesday for Pennsylvanians who want to vote in the
presidential election next month. The
Nov. 8 ballot also includes a competitive race for U.S. Senate that pits
Republican incumbent Pat Toomey against Democratic challenger Katie
McGinty. All of Pennsylvania’s 18 seats
in the U.S. House and all 203 seats in the state House are also up this year,
along with half the 50-member Senate. There will be only one candidate in many
of the legislative elections. Three
statewide row offices will be decided, for attorney general, auditor general
and state treasurer. Voters will decide
whether to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to let justices, judges and
district judges serve until age 75. The state’s current mandatory retirement
age for jurists is 70.
Charter school critics lump the good apples in with the bad
Post Gazette Opinion By Tina Chekan and Jeremy Resnick October 11, 2016 12:00 AM
Tina Chekan is CEO and superintendent and Jeremy Resnick is founder and executive director of Propel Schools.
At all 11 of Propel’s charter
schools, one of our core commitments is to foster a “culture of dignity.” This
means suppressing our human tendency to make assumptions about people based on
skin color, a ZIP code or clothing and doing the hard work of recognizing and
valuing the unique experiences and worth of each individual. We’ve never been criticized for this.
Therefore, we’d like to make what should be a reasonable request: Could we
agree, in our public discourse, not to lump all charter schools into one group
and to value and appreciate the individual choices that families are making to
enroll their children in charter schools?
The recent guilty plea by the Pennsylvania Cyber founder and the auditor
general’s recent audits have provided new media opportunities for opponents of
charter schools. Accusations that the charter movement is rife with
mismanagement and misuse of public funds feed into a broader narrative linking
similar incidents around the country. Even comedian John Oliver has gotten into
the act with a monologue satirizing charter school failures. In most areas of life, we readily distinguish
between good and bad apples. For example, nobody says that Medicare should stop
providing home health aides and medical equipment because a few contractors are
fraudulent. Nor do we assume that Allegheny County’s mayors are corrupt because
Harrisburg’s former mayor is facing criminal charges. We don’t shut down whole institutions because
a handful of its members have been corrupt. If we did, Congress would have been
abolished long ago.
“The ability of any Democratic official
to get changes made in the GOP-run legislature is-- well, it would be a break
from a fairly well-established tradition. But at least DePasquale is busy
telling anyone who will listen that Pennsylvania is not protecting the
interests of its taxpayers when it comes to tax dollars spent on charter
schools. Let's hope somebody will listen.”
PA:
Charter Laws "Absolute Worst"Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Saturday, October 8, 2016
States have taken a variety of
approaches to the business of replacing public schools with publicly funded
private charters. In states like Florida and North Carolina, the focus has been
on tearing down the public system to make room for the charters. But in
Pennsylvania, the emphasis has been on making charters so easily lucrative that
edu-preneurs find getting rich easier than printing money. PA Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has made
charter law one of his regular talking points, and charter operators have
provided him with ample fodder. For
instance, back in August Nicholas
Trombetta finally pled guilty to a tax conspiracy charge that he
had fought for three years, a charge that he had defrauded taxpayers to
the tune of $8 million. These were federal charges brought by a US Attorney in
federal court; in other words, the state of Pennsylvania was continuing to let
this guy do business as usual.
Bethlehem
schools could start teaching Spanish in kindergarten
Jacqueline
Palochko Contact Reporter Of The Morning
Call October 10, 2016
BETHLEHEM — When Bethlehem Area
students learn "1, 2, 3," next year, they might also learn "uno,
dos, tres." At Monday's curriculum
committee meeting, the school district announced a plan to teach Spanish in all
16 of the district's elementary schools next year. Starting in kindergarten,
students could have a Spanish class once in a six-day cycle, similar to how
students now receive art, library, music, physical education and technology.
No closures or Renaissance this year, Hite
says
Eleven schools are targeted for
what could include merger or staff overhaul. Community meetings at each school
to work on a plan will start next week. In a related development, the
Philadelphia School Partnership announced a $1.1 million grant to Roxborough
High.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa
and Greg Windle October 10, 2016 — 7:49pm
Superintendent William Hite
announced Monday a strategy for intervening in 11 of the District's
lowest-performing schools that avoids either closure or charter conversion, but
could include merger with another school, engaging a "contract
partner," or replacement of staff. Hite
also said that the Renaissance schools initiative will be
re-evaluated before any other schools are turned over to
charters. There are 21 schools now operating as Renaissance schools. The 11 schools were chosen because they've
been performing below standard for three consecutive years, are not
currently undergoing any kind of intervention or turnaround, and have a
School Progress Report score of 15 or lower (on a scale of 100). The schools include five neighborhood high
schools: Bartram, Ben Franklin, Kensington Health Sciences Academy,
Overbrook, and Fels; one middle school, Warren G. Harding; and five
elementaries, John Marshall, Blankenburg, Delaplaine McDaniel,
Heston, and Hartranft.
Philly targets 11 low-performing schools
for intervention
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT OCTOBER 11, 2016
Eleven Philadelphia public
schools are in line for a major shake up, the school district announced Monday. The selected schools — known as "focus
schools" — are considered low performing by the district and could undergo
major staff and programmatic overhauls as part of turnaround efforts. The 11 schools will be slotted into one of
five intervention programs. The options
include placement in Philadelphia's "turnaround network"; combination
with a higher-performing counterpart; bringing in a nonprofit organization to
run the school; adopting a community-developed academic improvement plan; or
restarting the school. The district took
two of its more controversial interventions off the table. None of the 11
schools will be closed, and none will become charter schools through the
district's Renaissance Charter initiative.
No closings, but big changes for 11 Philly
schools afoot
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer Updated: OCTOBER 11, 2016 — 1:08
AM EDT
The Philadelphia School District
has targeted 11 low-performing schools for overhaul next year. The schools will not close or
convert to charter, but will get some kind of major intervention come
September, ranging from merging with an existing high-performing school to reopening
with major staff or program changes. The
schools are: Blankenburg, McDaniel, Heston, Hartranft, and John Marshall
Elementary Schools; Harding Middle School; and Bartram, Ben Franklin, Fels,
Kensington Health Sciences, and Overbrook High Schools. Options for the schools
include entering the district's Turnaround Network; merging; engaging a firm to
manage the school on a contractual basis; operating under an evidence-based
academic improvement plan; or restarting the school with significant staff or
program shifts. The schools were chosen
on the basis of low performance for at least three years. They all have scores
of no higher than 15 on a scale of 100, according to the district's School
Progress Report.
These 5 Philly schools made big test score
improvements. What's their secret?
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT OCTOBER 10, 2016
When Tammy Thomas, principal at
Eleanor Emlen School, first saw her school’s standardized test scores for 2016,
she didn't feel excited. She felt relieved.
"My reaction was: 'Thank goodness we didn’t go down in
anything,'" said Thomas, who heads the K-5 school in East Mount Airy. That may sound fatalistic, but it’s
understandable. In 2015, test scores
plummeted around the state as Pennsylvania introduced new versions of the math
and English PSSAs — standardized exams given to third-through-eighth graders.
These updated assessments were aligned to the Common Core standards and
designed to be much tougher than their predecessor exams. Many wondered whether scores would start to
rebound in 2016 as everyone adjusted to the new tests. For Philadelphia schools, the short answer
was no. Philadelphia students did about as well — or about as poorly — in 2016
as they did in 2015. Math scores went up one percentage point, from 17 percent
on grade level to 18 percent. English scores were totally flat, with 32 percent
of Philly kids testing proficient or better.
Race,
School Ratings And Real Estate: A 'Legal Gray Area'
NPR by KENDRA YOSHINAGA ANYA KAMENETZ October
10, 20166:00 AM ET
With her infant son in a sling,
Monique Black strolls through a weekend open house in the gentrified Shaw
neighborhood of Washington, D.C. There are lots of factors to consider when
looking for a home — in this one, Monique notices, the tiny window in the second
bedroom doesn't let in enough light. But for parents like Black and her
husband, Jonny, there's a more important question: How good are the nearby
schools? It's well known in the real
estate industry that highly rated schools translate into higher housing values.
Several studies confirm this and even put a dollar figure on it: an average
premium of $50 a square foot, in
a 2013 national study. In Chappaqua, N.Y., an affluent
bedroom community for New York City, the
town supervisor recently went so far as to declare that, "The
schools are our biggest industry — whether you have kids in the school or not,
that's what maintains our property values."
Latino
Students: A Portrait In Numbers
NPR by CLAUDIO SANCHEZ October
8, 20166:01 AM ET
Latinos are by far the
fastest growing chunk of the U.S. school population. A new report by
the National Council of La Raza gives a fascinating snapshot of this
fast-growing population.
Here are some highlights:
Demographics
§
Over the last 15 years, Latino enrollment has significantly
outpaced that of whites and African-Americans.
§
Latinos under the age of 18 now total 18.2 million, a 47 percent
jump since 2000.
§
Though white children are still the majority in this age group —
52 percent — Latino children are projected to make up about a third of total
pre-K-12 enrollment by 2023.
§
The percentage of Latino children whose parents were born in the
U.S. now dwarfs the number of Latino children whose parents were foreign born,
46 to 6 percent. States in the southeastern U.S., led by Tennessee and South
Carolina, have seen the most dramatic increases in second-generation Latino
children. In other words ...
§
Immigration is no longer the primary factor driving Latino
population growth. Overall, 95 percent of Latinos 18 and younger are U.S. born.
Chron by The Associated Press Updated 12:59 pm, Monday, October 10, 2016
WASHINGTON (AP) — A quality education for all students, especially young children, is something Hillary Clinton has been talking about for decades. It's mostly new territory for Donald Trump, who more recently has been touting his education ideas beyond his oft-repeated criticism of Common Core. The Republican presidential nominee added plans for education to his still relatively thin roster of policy proposals last month, unveiling an effort to spend $20 billion during his first year in office to help states expand school choice programs. Trump wasn't shy about his intentions, debuting his ideas at an inner-city charter school in Cleveland as part of a new outreach to minority voters. "There's no failed policy more in need of urgent change than our government-run education monopoly," Trump said at the school, blaming the Democratic Party for having "trapped millions of African-American and Hispanic youth in failing government schools."
Clinton Hits Trump in Debate for Setting
Bad Example for Children
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on October
9, 2016 9:30 PM
Democrat Hillary Clinton attacked
her GOP rival for the White House, Donald Trump, for setting a bad example
for the nation's school children through derogatory rhetoric, as the two
tangled in the second presidential nominees' debate on Sunday. Teachers, said Clinton, have seen an uptick
in bullying in schools, thanks to Trump's remarks on the campaign trail, which
have included mimicking a reporter with a disability, as well as comments about
Latinos and Muslims. Her criticism came on the heels of a National
Education Association press conference, which criticized Trump for inspiring
bullying in schools. (NEA has endorsed Clinton.) But at least one researcher, Deborah
Temkin, the director of education research for the nonpartisan Child Trends, told
my colleague Evie Blad that it's too early to say whether there has
actually been an increase in bullying in schools during the campaign—or that
Trump is to blame.
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights
10/11/2016
Share
your interest in volunteering with PSBA
Complete this form to share your
interest in volunteering with PSBA
Coffee and Networking - 9:30 a.m. Program - 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Technical College High School
(Brandywine Campus) - 443 Boot Rd., Downingtown, PA 19335
RSVP by clicking here. There is no fee, but a RSVP is
required. Please feel free to share this invitation with your staff and
network. SPEAKERS:
An Overview of the EPLC Report on High School CTE will be presented by:
Ron Cowell, President, The
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Statewide and
Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By: Dr. Lee Burket, Director, Bureau of Career & Technical Education, PA Department of Education
Jackie Cullen, Executive Director, PA Association of Career & Technical Administrators
Dan Fogarty, Director of Workforce Development & COO, Berks County Workforce Development Board
Kirk Williard, Ed.D., Director of Career, Technical & Customized Education, Chester County Intermediate Unit
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.
The 2016 Arts and Education Symposium will be held on October 27 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Arts Education network and EPLC, the Symposium is a Unique Networking and Learning Opportunity for:
·
Arts Educators
·
School Leaders
·
Artists
·
Arts and Culture Community Leaders
·
Arts-related Business Leaders
·
Arts Education Faculty and Administrators in Higher Education
·
Advocates
·
State and Local Policy Leaders
Act 48 Credit is
available.Program and registration information are available here.
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
SAVE THE DATE LWVPA Convention 2017 June
1-4, 2017
Join the
League of Women Voters of PA for our 2017 Biennial Convention at the beautiful
Inn at Pocono Manor!
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