Wednesday, December 14, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec 14: Pension costs to climb higher than expected for school districts

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4000 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, school solicitors, principals, 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

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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec 14, 2016
Pension costs to climb higher than expected for school districts

Pension costs to climb higher than expected for school districts
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, STAFF WRITER Updated: DECEMBER 13, 2016 — 2:26 PM EST
Pennsylvania's school districts have gotten an early lump of coal this holiday season from Harrisburg: word that teacher pension costs, which have taken ever larger bites out of budgets in recent years, will rise faster than expected in 2017-18.  The board that administers the state's Public School Employees' Retirement System, or PSERS, voted earlier this month to increase the rate of districts' per-worker pension contributions from the current 30.03 percent to 32.57, amounting to an 8.5 percent hike.  PSERS officials put the blame, in part, on the $50 billion fund's flat investments for its fiscal year that ended in June. But they also sought to cast the looming rate increase in a positive light, hailing it as the smallest percentage hike since 2009-10, the dawn of Pennsylvania's school funding crisis.  However, the news felt like an icy winter blast to school district business managers, who already have watched skyrocketing pension contributions become a leading cause, along with employee health care, of spending shortfalls and rising property taxes.  Between higher payouts to teachers and lower investment returns, the percentage that each school district must contribute for an employee in the PSERS system has gone up dramatically from 5.64 percent in 2010-11.  PSERS had previously called for a 32.04 contribution for 2017-18 from districts.

Rhetoric hurts charter school perception
Centre Daily Times Opinion BY RYAN SCHUMM DECEMBER 13, 2016 8:18 PM
In an era of fake news, hyperbole and politically charged rhetoric, it is critical that policy discussions rely on facts. Advocates for or opponents of causes and political initiatives know that if you can’t beat them with the truth, you can always reinforce negative perceptions to bolster your argument. Sadly, this approach is tarnishing the discourse around public education in Pennsylvania. It is disappointing that narrow, one-sided rhetoric from charter school opponents receives traction in newspapers across the commonwealth.  Lawrence Feinberg’s recent commentary in the Centre Daily Times is a perfect example of unchecked rhetoric that creates negative perceptions of charter schools, all while being in direct conflict with reality. Feinberg’s commentary reinforces two false narratives within the charter school debate in Pennsylvania: that charters are privatizing public education and are not accountable to taxpayers.  Attempting to create a negative association with Pennsylvania charter schools, he notes that 80 percent of charters in another state are operated by for-profit organizations, possibly a result of activity by the incoming federal secretary of education. The reality that was not mentioned by Feinberg is that in Pennsylvania today, less than five of the 177 charter and cyber charter schools have management agreements with a for-profit entity. More than 97 percent of our charter and cyber schools do not engage a for-profit school manager. Feinberg was successful in diverting the discussion away from facts by associating charter schools in Pennsylvania with a controversial nominee at the federal level, but he neglected to recognize that right now in our state, it is accurate to acknowledge that for-profit education providers play an almost non-existent role in public education management.

Nearing halfway mark of term, Wolf reflects on progress made
Lancaster Online by GOV. TOM WOLF | SPECIAL TO LNP Dec 12, 2016
For years, Harrisburg has defended the status quo, and too often, special interests and the well-connected are put before Pennsylvania families and the middle class. For years, massive state budget cuts devastated communities — slashing funding to schools, job training programs and fighting the drug addiction epidemic. All the while, big corporations and Harrisburg insiders did just fine.  I’ve traveled to every corner of Pennsylvania to listen to you and your neighbors about how state government can get back on track and make real progress on the issues facing our communities. And I have heard your voice loud and clear: We need to reform state government, make schools better for our kids and create good-paying jobs that support our families. Despite the opposing party’s huge majorities in the state House and Senate, my administration has been able to begin reforming the way Harrisburg and state government works. By not backing down when our kids’ futures are at stake, I’ve secured an additional $640 million in funding for education to restore the cuts made in 2011-12 and implemented a fair funding formula to make sure all schools are getting their fair share. We’re finally investing in our kids instead of trying to balance budgets on their backs.

Meet the PA House Republican Representatives-Elect
PA House Republican Caucus

Ontario celebrates diversity, but still works to close achievement gaps
WHYY Newsworks/Keystone Crossroads Kevin McCorry Part two
Eight year-old Sirvat Labiba emigrated with her family from Bangladesh to Ontario, Canada when she was three. She lives in the Crescent Town neighborhood of Toronto with her mother, father and little sister in a high-rise apartment tower.  “Most of them are pretty dirty,” she said. “They built it a really long time ago. So it’s, like, really old.”  Even if the housing isn’t ideal, Labiba is thrilled to live in Ontario.  “It’s a better community, because in Bangladesh, when people get sick it’s really hard for them to get better. And so this is, like, a better community for children to learn,” she said.  Educators in the United States tend to take international comparisons of public school systems with a big grain of salt.  Many of the other countries that rank highly on international tests serve such homogeneous populations that it can be challenging to make fair and useful comparisons. Think: Finland, Singapore, and South Korea.  But the academic success of students like Labiba is one of the things that makes Ontario stand out internationally. The system has been heralded worldwide while serving a large minority population and embracing multiculturalism. 

A system of support: How Ontario sets its teachers up to succeed
WHYY Newsworks/Keystone Crossroads Kevin McCorry Part Three
When Erica Brunato decided to become a teacher in Ontario, she knew the road ahead would be long and steep.  “We all knew coming into this program — even just applying for the program — what it was going to be like, right? And I said, ‘I wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl.’ So that didn’t stop me,” she said.  Compared to Pennsylvania, teacher preparation in Ontario is more rigorous and the job market is much more competitive.  There, students must earn a four-year college degree and then complete a teacher training program that includes a lot of classroom practice.   That training program used to be one year, but the ministry recently doubled it — moving in the direction of countries like Finland and Singapore, which are thought to be leaders in teacher prep.

While Pa. debates merits of Pre-K, Ontario goes all-in
WHYY Newsworks/Keystone Crossroads by Kevin McCorry Part Four
A diverse group of very young students sit cross-legged for story time at Rose Avenue elementary in Toronto.  The kids are joyful, yet focused, and the group is small enough that the two teachers in the room are able to give one-on-one attention when needed.  The school’s principal enters, and the children greet him with a sing-songy, ‘Good afternoon, Mr. Crichton.” They smile, return their attention to the book, and remain completely unaware that they’re a part of something that could prove revolutionary.  It’s something that’s been commonplace in Ontario for the past few years, but before that, was thought of as a pipe dream: full-day, junior and senior kindergarten, open to all 4 and 5-year-olds in the province.   The junior year is equivalent to what in the U.S. we’d call high-quality pre-K.  The classes are taught by two teachers, one certified in elementary education, another with early-childhood credentials. And over the course of two years, the kids stay with the same cohort.

York schools make progress on recovery plan (column)
York Daily Record Letter by Eric Holmes 3:18 p.m. EST December 13, 2016
Eric Holmes is superintendent of the School District of the City of York
Every child, regardless of his or her ZIP Code, deserves access to the best educational opportunities available. That philosophy drives the School District of the City of York toward continued improvement, and it is the foundation of our Recovery Plan.  We have spent the past two years implementing initiatives outlined in our Recovery Plan that we believe will maximize students’ opportunities to excel academically. I want to thank the parents, board of school directors, teachers, staff and fellow administrators who have committed so much time and energy to the difficult but wholly worthwhile task of reinventing the learning environment of our schools. Our Recovery Plan is working, and we are pleased to share this update with you, our community stakeholders.  We are actively exploring the possibility of significantly expanding our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) program currently housed at Ferguson K-8. Today, we offer this enhanced curriculum in five classrooms serving students in grades 4 through 8. I envision opening an academy that offers the development of these high-demand skills to many more students in many more grade levels.

Arts classes may help relieve stress in kids from poor neighborhoods
WHYY Newsworks BY ANNE HOFFMAN DECEMBER 14, 2016
When schools and districts face serious budget cuts, arts programs are typically the first to go. But a new study suggests that quality arts education could be lowering stress levels in economically disadvantaged kids.  Researchers from West Chester University and The University of Delaware studied kids at Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program. It features a unique curriculum that fully integrates the arts. It primarily serves families who qualify for Head Start, a federally funded program for low-income children.  By analyzing saliva samples taken throughout the day, Eleanor Brown, a psychology professor at West Chester University, said researchers studied children's cortisol levels.  “Cortisol is a stress hormone. When we face stressful or challenging situations, our cortisol is elevated. And that's a good thing,” she said.
However, she said, low-income kids can have chronically high levels of cortisol because they're exposed to more stressful events, such as having to move a lot or living in violent neighborhoods.

Our view: Erie library budget limits students' horizons
GoErie Opinion December13, 2016
In this digital age, when information springs onto a screen with the tap of a finger, the notion of a library filled with bound, printed books might seem quaint and anachronistic.  In fact, students now, perhaps more than ever, need the kind of discernment professional librarians are best prepared to teach: how and where to find trustworthy, essential information in a world glutted with images and words, sometimes produced by dishonest sources with harmful agendas. It is a vital skill any student will need to write a college essay or any adult might need to deploy for major life events - researching a job prospect, a major purchase, or a candidate for office. If public education is the great equalizer, then the library can be seen as its chief leveling agent. It is the place that offers all students, regardless of background, a view onto the world. If at students' homes, adults don't travel, discuss politics or news, or consume works on art, music, science or history, students, with the turn of a page or disciplined internet surfing in the school library can gain access to worlds, and possibly, aspirations, previously closed to them. In the Erie School District, however, that view onto the world is choked down by short purse strings and held together in some cases with tape. At Lincoln Elementary School, for example, a student interested in science may crack open "The Golden Book of Science" only to discover a view of the field as it stood more than five decades ago when the book was published, 1963, as detailed by reporter Ed Palattella in Sunday's Erie Times-News. Not an outlier, science books in the collection are an average of 22 years old.

District's substitute fill rates have improved, but inequities linger
WHYY Newsworks by Avi Wolfman-Arent December 13, 2016 — 7:56am
About a month ago,  teacher Jonathan Leibovic spotted a strange man in the hallways of W.D. Kelley School in North Philadelphia.  A lost parent? An intruder?  As the man moved closer, Leibovic noticed he was wearing a lanyard emblazoned with the logo of a company that provides staffing help for the School District of Philadelphia. The man wasn't lost. He was a substitute teacher, a sight so rare at this K-8 school that Leibovic hadn't even considered the possibility. "Teachers at Kelley don't expect a sub to show up," he said.  One year after a substitute teacher crisis forced the School District to change contractors and offer compensatory education services to thousands of shortchanged students, subs are starting to show up at Philly's public schools. Still, dozens of District schools are unlikely to receive substitutes when teachers call out. And there's a stubborn pattern, one that has remained even as the overall situation has improved: Schools that serve the highest proportions of students in poverty are the ones least likely to get relief.

Pittsburgh Promise makes Wilkinsburg students eligible for scholarships
By Molly Born / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 13, 2016 11:51 PM
Wilkinsburg seniors attending Pittsburgh Westinghouse 6-12 now have a chance to be part of the “Promise family.”  The Pittsburgh Promise board voted unanimously Tuesday to make Wilkinsburg students attending the Homewood school eligible for its scholarship.
Executive director Saleem Ghubril said it used, in part, Mount Oliver’s arrangement with the district as a rationale to deviate from the Promise charter, which requires both city residency and enrollment in Pittsburgh Public Schools. While Mount Oliver has its own municipal government, the only public school option for children there is Pittsburgh Public, and they are Promise-eligible. “Not only do we feel that this is the right thing to do for Wilkinsburg students, but we have taken similar action in the past,” he said in a news release, adding in an interview: “We used that as a precedent and a parallel and felt we could apply that here.”

Gateway School District gets OK for armed security team
By Elizabeth Behrman / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 14, 2016 12:00 AM
With the blessing Tuesday of an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge, the Gateway School District plans to arm its 13-officer security team by the end of the week  President Judge Jeffrey A. Manning approved a petition to allow the school district’s new police force to carry guns and issue citations on school property.  “It seems to me the only proper thing for the court to do here is to sign the order and let you proceed,” Judge Manning said after hearing testimony from district officials. “Obviously, having no protection for children in schools is definitely not better.”

Ambridge schools closed as teachers go on strike
Trib Live by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, 7:15 a.m.
AMBRIDGE — About 190 Ambridge Area School District teachers are on strike.
Educators in the Beaver County district walked off the job Tuesday following months of contract negotiations. The school board and teachers' union remain at odds over salaries and health benefits.  The teachers' contract expired in June 2015.  The district says it anticipates the state Education Department will order teachers to return to work during the first week of January.

F&M models new effort to recruit low-income students to selective colleges
Lancaster Online by TIM STUHLDREHER | Staff Writer December 13, 2016
Organizers of the American Talent Initiative, a new national program to attract more low-income students to selective colleges and universities, say Franklin & Marshall College is a model for what they hope to achieve.  “Dan Porterfield and Franklin & Marshall led us to this initiative,” said Joshua Wyner, vice president and executive director of the Aspen College Excellence Program. The collaborative effort, announced Tuesday, aims to enroll an additional 50,000 capable students from low-income households at the U.S.’s top 270 institutions of higher education — defined as selective schools with six-year graduation rates of 70 percent or better — by 2025. Organizers of the initiative say thousands of capable low- and middle-income students a year are “undermatched,” losing out on opportunity by attending a less rigorous school than they’re qualified for, or not attending at all.   Through the initiative, "the doors of excellent colleges will open even more widely to those students," Porterfield said in a statement.
F&M is among 30 institutions participating at the outset. The effort is being underwritten by an initial $1.7 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, founded by businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.


Why Kids Need Recess
And why it’s endangered
The Atlantic by ALIA WONG  DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE
In florida, a coalition of parents known as “the recess moms” has been fighting to pass legislation guaranteeing the state’s elementary-school students at least 20 minutes of daily free play. Similar legislation recently passed in New Jersey, only to be vetoed by the governor, who deemed it “stupid.”  When, you might ask, did recess become such a radical proposal? In a survey of school-district administrators, roughly a third said their districts had reduced outdoor play in the early 2000s. Likely culprits include concerns about bullying and the No Child Left Behind Act, whose time-consuming requirements resulted in cuts to play. [1] Disadvantaged kids have been the most likely to be shortchanged: According to a 2003 study, just 56 percent of children living at or below the poverty line had recess, compared with 83 percent of those above the poverty line; a similar disparity was noted between black children and their white peers. [2]  The benefits of recess might seem obvious—time to run around helps kids stay fit. But a large body of research suggests that it also boosts cognition. Many studies have found that regular exercise improves mental function and academic performance. [3] And an analysis of studies that focused specifically on recess found positive associations between physical activity and the ability to concentrate in class. [4]

Congress Faces Range of Education Issues in Next Session
ESSA regulations may get scrutiny
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa December 12, 2016
With President-elect Donald Trump waiting in the wings, the Republican majority in Congress will have the opportunity to tackle a host of education issues when its next session begins in 2017, from funding for disadvantaged and special education students and college access and affordability issues, to student-data privacy and career and technical education.  At the same time, there will be significant turnover in some key positions: In addition to Trump's selection of school choice advocate Betsy DeVos to be education secretary, the House education committee will have a new leader, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.  But what's probably at the top of the list for leading GOP lawmakers is deciding which regulations from President Barack Obama's administration pertaining to the Every Student Succeeds Act they may wish to overturn through the Congressional Review Act. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. and the Senate education committee chairman, has indicated his intent to toss out final ESSA rules from the Obama administration if he decides they go beyond the scope of the law.

GOP Lawmakers Put ESSA Accountability, Teacher-Prep Regulations on Hit List
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on December 13, 2016 4:35 PM
The Obama administration's teacher preparation regulations under the Higher Education Act and its accountability regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act appear headed for the trash heap, if the Senate Republican Policy Committee gets its way.  Both sets of regulations are being targeted by the policy committee for the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to vote to strike down rules lawmakers don't like, essentially putting the kibosh on them. If a set of regulations is subject to the CRA, the administration can't issue similar regulations until there's new authorizing legislation. Congress has until May to use this option to get rid of recently enacted Obama administration regulations, according to the committee's website.
The incoming Trump administration can also take immediate steps to pause the implementation of some recently finalized regulations, by essentially delaying their effective date.  
It's unclear if school districts and states actually want Congress to toss the accountability regulations. State and district advocates raised some serious questions about the administration's draft regulations, which solicited more than 20,000 comments.

‘The sort of company we wish to keep:’ More than 1,500 academics ask to join controversial ‘Professor Watchlist’
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss December 14 at 2:36 AM 
A newly launched website already has more than 1,500 names of professors and other faculty members at colleges and universities around the country and abroad who are all making an unusual request: They want their names added to the controversial “Professor Watchlist,” the work of a conservative group targeting academics it deems to be advancing “leftist propaganda” in classrooms.  [New conservative ‘watchlist’ targets professors for ‘advancing leftist propaganda’]
Professor Watchlist is a project of the nonprofit organization Turning Point USA (I wrote about that here), which is, according to the group’s website, a national movement that seeks to “educate students about the importance of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets.”
The watch list names some 200 academics from dozens of colleges and universities. The watch list’s website claims that they “discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom.” Critics say the watch list is an assault on academic freedom.

Testing Resistance & Reform News -- December 7 - 13, 2016
Submitted by fairtest on December 13, 2016 - 1:35pm 
With the 2016-2017 school testing season right around the year-end, holiday vacation corner -- some states start administering their annual exams in February -- the pace of assessment reform news is accelerating.  Parents, teachers, administrators and, increasingly, policy-makers now recognize that current school testing policies undermine educational quality and equity. Many are pushing for significant changes through local, state and national campaigns.
To help your friends and allies stay on top of this rapidly growing movement during the coming year, please have them sign-up for a free subscription to these weekly "Testing Resistance & Reform News" updates at  http://fairtest.org/weekly-news-signup


Blogger note: Have an opinion about the appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education?  Call these three senators today.
1. Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Washington, D.C. Phone:(202) 224-4944
2. Senator Toomey's Offices
Washington, D.C. Phone: (202) 224-4254
Senator Casey is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
3. Senator Casey’s Offices
Washington, D.C. Phone: (202) 224-6324
Toll Free: (866) 802-2833

PHLpreK Now Enrolling!
Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Education
Did you know that quality early childhood education sets our children up for success? It reduces the need for special education, raises graduation rates, and narrows the achievement gap. These benefits ripple throughout our schools, neighborhoods, and local economy.
That’s why the City of Philadelphia is expanding free, quality pre-K for 6,500 three- and four-year-olds over the next five years. In fact, the first 2,000 pre-K seats are available now. Families should act fast because classes begin on January 4th at more than 80 locations.
Please help us spread the word. Parents/caregivers can call 844-PHL-PREK (844-745-7735) to speak with a trained professional who will help them apply and locate quality pre-K programs nearby.  For more information, visit www.PHLprek.org

Pennsylvania Every Student Succeeds Act Public Tour
The Department of Education (PDE) is holding a series of public events to engage the public on important education topics in Pennsylvania.  The primary focus of these events will be the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal education law signed by President Barack Obama in late 2015. A senior leader from the department will provide background on the law, and discuss the ongoing
development of Pennsylvania’s State Plan for its implementation, which will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in 2017.  Feedback is important to PDE; to provide the best avenue for public comment as well as provide an opportunity for those who cannot attend an event, members of the community are encouraged to review materials and offer comments at http://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/tour.aspx#tab-1
Upcoming Public Events:
Friday, December 16- Philadelphia- 11:00 am- Community College of Philadelphia
 Community College of Philadelphia
 Bonnell Building, Bonnell Auditorium, Room BG-20
 1700 Spring Garden Street  Philadelphia, PA  19130
  
Wednesday, January 4- Quakertown- 5:30 pm- Bucks County Free Library
Bucks County Free Library Quakertown Branch
401 West Mill Street Quakertown, PA  18951
  
Tuesday, January 10- Scranton- 4:00 pm- Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
3201 Rockwell Avenue Scranton, PA  18508

“The “Success Starts Here” campaign is a multi-year statewide effort to share the positive news about public education through advertising, web, social media, traditional media and word-of-mouth with the goal of raising understanding of the value of public education in Pennsylvania. The campaign is led by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, but relies on the support of a wide variety of participating organizations.”
Share Your School’s Story: Success Starts Here Needs You!
Success Starts Here needs you! Show your support by sharing stories, using social media and applying window clings to all of your school buildings. Below are some links to resources to help you help us.
Not sure where to start? This simple tool kit will provide to you everything you need to get involved in the campaign, including ways to work with the media, social media tips, a campaign article to post, downloadable campaign logos, and photo release forms.
We know you have great stories, and it’s easy to share them! Just use our simple form to send your success story to be featured on our website. Help spread the word about how Success Starts Here in today’s public schools.
All school entities have been sent a supply of window clings for school building entrances. Need more? No problem! Just complete the online order form and more will quickly be on their way to you.

PASBO is seeking eager leaders! Ready to serve on the board? Deadline for intent letter is 12/31.
PASBO members who desire to seek election as Director or Vice President should send a letter of intent with a current resume and picture to the Immediate Past President Wanda M. Erb, PRSBA, who is chair of the PASBO Nominations and Elections Committee.

PSBA Virtual New School Director Training, Part 1
JAN 4, 2017 • 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
The job of a school board director is challenging.  Changing laws, policies, and pressures from your community make serving on your school board demanding, yet rewarding at the same time.  Most school directors – even those with many years of experience – say that PSBA training is one of the most important and valuable things they have done in order to understand their roles and responsibilities.  If you are a new school board director and didn’t have the opportunity to attend one of PSBA’s live New School Director Training events, you can now attend via your computer, either by yourself from your home or office, or with a group of other school directors.
This is the same New School Director Training content we offer in a live classroom format, but adjusted for virtual training.
Part 1
·         Role and responsibilities of the school board director.
·         How to work with PSBA’s member services team.
·         Your role as an advocate for public education.
·         The school board’s role in policy.
(See also: Part 2, Jan. 11; Part 3, Jan. 18)
Fee: $149 per person includes all three programs. Materials may be downloaded free, or $25 for materials to be mailed to your home (log in to the Members Area and purchase through the Store/Registration link).
Register online: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6607237329490796034

PSBA Third Annual Board Presidents Day
JAN 28, 2017 • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Nine Locations Statewide
Jan. 28, 2017 (Snow date: Feb. 11, 2017)
Calling all school board presidents, vice-presidents, and superintendents — Join us for the 3rd Annual PSBA Board Presidents Day held at nine convenient locations around the state.
This is a day of meeting fellow board members from your area and taking part in thought-provoking dialogue about the issues every board faces.  PSBA Past President Kathy Swope will start things off with an engaging presentation based on her years as board president at the Lewistown Area School District.  Bring your own scenarios to this event to gain perspective from other districts.  Cost: $109 per person – includes registration, lunch and materials. All-Access Package applies.  Register online by logging in to the Members Area (see the Store/Registration link to view open event registrations, https://www.psba.org/members-area/store-registration/)

NSBA Advocacy Institute 2017 -- Jan. 29-31, Washington, D.C.
Join school directors around the country at the conference designed to give you the tools to advocate successfully on behalf of public education.
  • NSBA will help you develop a winning advocacy strategy to help you in Washington, D.C. and at home.
  • Attend timely and topical breakout sessions lead by NSBA’s knowledgeable staff and outside experts.
  • Expand your advocacy network by swapping best practices, challenges, and successes with other school board members from across the country.
This event is open to members of the Federal Relations Network. To find out how you can join, contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org. Learn more about the Advocacy Institute at https://www.nsba.org/events/advocacy-institute.

Register now for the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference 
Plan to join public education leaders for networking and learning at the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference, March 25-27 in Denver, CO. General registration is now open at https://www.nsba.org/conference/registration. A conference schedule, including pre-conference workshops, is available on the NSBA website.

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!
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/SAVE-THE-DATE--LWVPA-Convention-June-1-4--2017.html?soid=1102026610927&aid=sie1JiXCxws

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