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
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 Dec 27, 2016
Meaningful
PA pension reform relative to current costs? Fuggedaboutit
Confirmation hearing for @BetsyDeVos tentatively scheduled for
Jan. 11, @khefling of @PoliticoPro reports
In a constituent response letter regarding the nomination of Betsy
DeVos dated December 2, 2016, Senator Toomey stated: “I believe she is a great
pick.” His Washington, D.C. Phone number is (202) 224-4254
For Wolf, next 2 years may be more
difficult than first 2
Inquirer by MARC LEVY, The Associated Press Updated: DECEMBER 25, 2016 12:51
PM EST
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Democratic
Gov. Tom Wolf will head into 2017 with perhaps bigger challenges than his first
two years in office. He is facing
Pennsylvania's largest Republican legislative majorities in decades, the state
government's stubborn post-recession deficit looks as bad as ever and Wolf's
upcoming re-election campaign is in view.
Meanwhile, fear is rife in the Capitol that 2017 will bring a second
drawn-out budget stalemate, similar to the record-breaking fight that ended
last spring, more than nine months into Wolf's first full fiscal year as
governor. For now, Wolf is changing
strategy. For the first time, Wolf will give lawmakers a budget proposal - his
third - that does not include a major sales or income tax increase, he said.
That has received a warm embrace from Republicans, and skepticism from
Democrats that it can be done.
Citizens Voice BY ROBERT SWIFT, HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF / PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 25, 2016
HARRISBURG — A sidelight to the
partisan state budget fight of the past two years is the effort by the
Republican-controlled legislative branch to increase its oversight of the
Democratic-held executive branch. The
GOP majorities in the Senate and House passed several bills this past session
to expand legislative power namely by requiring Senate confirmation of
gubernatorial appointees. These measures were met with vetoes from Democratic
Gov. Tom Wolf. The system of checks and
balances in the state Constitution guarantees a continual tug-of-war between
the executive and legislative branches. But this latest effort gained momentum
after Wolf took office in 2015 facing large GOP majorities in both chambers.
GOP lawmakers were less inclined to challenge fellow Gov. Tom Corbett’s
authority except for a legal fight in late 2014 over his veto of portions of a
fiscal code bill.
Commentary: DeVos is a champion for
students and parents
Inquirer By Phil Handy Updated: DECEMBER 27, 2016 —
3:01 AM ESTPhil Handy is a member of the Foundation for Excellence in Education's Board of Directors. He served as the chairman of the Florida Board of Education for six years. He wrote this for the Orlando Sentinel.
It's fair to say that the
nomination of Betsy DeVos as U.S. secretary of education is creating some
controversy. And the reason for that is
simple. She is a longtime advocate for the decentralization of education
decisions to the family level. That makes her a pariah to the education
establishment and a blessing to children trapped in failing schools. I've known DeVos for 10 years and have had
the privilege of serving with her on the Foundation for Excellence in
Education's Board of Directors. Her primary focus always has been on low-income
children, a cause to which she had donated considerable time and resources. She is smart, determined, and a strong
leader. She was chosen to be a disruptive change agent in a public education
system that for decades has failed America's most disadvantaged students and
perpetuated cycles of poverty.
“In some cases, in addition to the transition teams,
outside advisers have stepped in to publicly defend the nominees. Friends and
supporters of Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick for education secretary, for instance,
have set up an informal coalition to push back on negative stories. The group’s
spokesman Ed Patru, a vice president at DCI Group, sends regular emails to
reporters touting DeVos’ record.”
Trump readies war room to
defend Cabinet picksWith fights looming on Treasury, EPA and State, the team builds out a rapid response operation.
Politico By ANDREW RESTUCCIA and NANCY COOK 12/26/16 05:58 AM EST
Donald Trump’s transition team is
taking zero chances with the president-elect’s Cabinet picks, assembling a “war
room” to promote their strengths and fend off criticism before next month’s
confirmation hearings. The transition
team has recruited dozens of Republican public relations veterans and policy
experts to help sell the public and the Senate on Trump’s selections, according
to sources close to the transition. Their task will be to convince Americans
that the billionaires, generals, donors and CEOs chosen by the president-elect
have the expertise to manage the federal government — even if they have no
Washington experience. “One of the
things Americans wanted was a change election, so you have some unconventional
candidates,” said a senior transition official.
Several of those candidates are expected to come under intense scrutiny
for their policy views or potential conflicts of interest. While top transition
officials say they’re confident that a Republican-controlled Senate will
greenlight all of them, they’re taking pains to make the confirmation process
as smooth as possible — and to shoot down problems quickly, especially after
several early missteps
Did you catch our Christmas Eve postings?
PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec 24: Senator
Toomey re DeVos nomination: “I believe she is a great pick.”
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2016/12/pa-ed-policy-roundup-dec-24-senator.html
“Lawmakers also must finally enact meaningful pension
reform relative to current costs, rather than limiting benefits only for new
employees and deferring any potential savings far into the future. The Scranton
district’s pension bill, for example, is about 32.5 percent of its total
payroll costs — a formula for bankruptcy.
The same legislators who created the crisis through unsustainable
benefit increases coupled with unrealistic contribution requirements refuse to
resolve it for the worst possible reason — doing so would adversely affect
their own Rolls Royce-level benefits.”
Editorial: School issues plague stateTimes Tribune BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD / PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 26, 2016
Long before legislators return to
the Capitol for the new legislative session in January, they will be reminded
of major problems regarding public schools that they have failed to resolve for
decades. Teachers in the Dallas School
District in Luzerne County broke off their strike just before Christmas but,
absent a settlement, might resume the walkout in February. And students in the Stroudsburg Area School
District might get an extended holiday break because teachers there might
strike unless they have a new contract by then.
Scranton’s school board, meanwhile, appears to have no idea how it will
close a $17 million budget hole by the end of the year, much less cover an even
larger long-term deficit. Strikes and
funding shortfalls are not exclusive to those three districts. Rather, the
problems are matters of degree for individual districts statewide. And much of
that flows back to the state Legislature’s refusal to bring school governance,
including pension reform, into the 21st century.
Lancaster Online by KARA NEWHOUSE | Staff
Writer Dec 23, 2016
As far as Lancaster County
superintendents are concerned, any step toward making the state’s evaluation of
schools more holistic is positive. “What
I am seeing now shows promise and a move in the right direction,” said
Conestoga Valley Superintendent Gerald Huesken, responding to recently proposed
changes to the annual report card given to Pennsylvania’s public and charter
schools. The current report cards,
called School Performance Profiles, also were expected to be an improvement
over the system they replaced in 2013. While the old ratings relied almost
entirely on students’ raw scores on standardized tests, the profiles added
academic growth to the mix. But many
administrators, teachers and parents said the profiles still paint a narrow and
sometimes inconsistent picture of school success.
York
Dispatch by Alyssa Pressler , 505-5438/@AlyssaPressYD8:33 p.m. December 26, 2016
Before South Eastern Middle
School adopted the hybrid learning model, seventh-grade English teacher Jillian
Watto shied away from having her students work together. Like many teachers,
she was concerned they would get distracted easily and wouldn't learn. Now, groups of her students work together
every day. "Watching them thrive
with peers is interesting to see," she said, adding most of her students
tend to prefer a collaborative setting now.
Watto's room is divided into two groups: students along the perimeter of
the room working independently on their reading assignments and answering
questions, and groups of students paired together in the center of the room. The room is quiet except for the hushed
chatter of the students grouped together, all discussing their assignment
fervently. All conversation is focused on the work, not on Christmas, the
latest middle-school gossip or what they have planned for the upcoming weekend.
This is what the hybrid model
looks like at South Eastern Middle School.
York
Dispatch 6:18 p.m.
EST December 26, 2016
They've become easy targets. Every year, when the property
tax bills come out, they get blamed for the latest increase. Every year, when the latest test scores are
revealed, they get blasted for the most recent decrease. Whatever problems plague our public schools
— and there are many — often get placed at the feet of convenient
scapegoats. We're talking, of course,
about public school teachers. Decades
ago, teachers were among the most respected members of our community. Today, they're often among the most vilified. To their critics, they've become overpaid and
underworked, more committed to their union bosses than to the students they
teach. No matter the forum — social
media, newspaper letters to the editor, radio talk shows — teachers have
found themselves in the crosshairs of their detractors. So last week's report in The York Dispatch
about a shortage of qualified teachers in York County, especially in math and
sciences, should surprise absolutely no one.
Main Line autism school beats the odds,
greets mid-century milestone
Inquirer by Maria Panaritis, Staff Writer Updated: DECEMBER 26, 2016 —
1:07 AM EST
Gavin Moynagh was having a
not-so-great morning at the Timothy School. Battling a stubborn cold, the
16-year-old thrashed in a hallway and bellowed, "I don't feel very
well!" The thorniest part of
Gavin's autism had won the upper hand. And
yet, none of the teachers and aides standing with Gavin so much as flinched as
they worked to soothe the nearly 6-foot-tall teenager. This was a boy they knew
well. A student at the Berwyn school going on 10 years now. The same one who,
in more tranquil moments, harmonizes to music in perfect pitch or splashes and
dives into deep water with his younger brothers. "Anyplace else, I would have had to be
explaining his behavior," said Kathy Moynagh, Gavin's mother, who had come
to pick up her son for a doctor's appointment. But at the Timothy School,
"they understand that these kids have good days and bad days, but the
behaviors don't define their potential."
WHYY Newsworks by Tom MacDonald DECEMBER 26, 2016
The end of Mayor Jim Kenney's
first year in office is almost here.
Philadelphia’s chief executive still believes he has plenty of work to
do. On January 4th Jim Kenney will have
been mayor for a year, and he says during his time in the job he's found the
good in the children of the city. "It's
been a momentous year," he said. "There's been a lot of success and
some disappointment. But the thing that has been cemented in my own mind
in the last year, that has been totally proven to me beyond a doubt, [is] that
every single child in this city can succeed." Kenney says he makes it part of each week to
go to a city school. "In an effort
to maintain my sanity I have to go to a school every week to remind myself as
to why we do what we do," he said. The
mayor's soda tax initiative takes effect next year. It's designed to help fund
his goal of providing pre-K for every child in the city.
Center
for the Performing Arts, Mid-State Literacy Council team up to collect books
for BEA schools
Centre Daily Times BY
BRITNEY MILAZZO bmilazzo@centredaily.com
December 25, 2016
Elementary schools in the Bald
Eagle Area School District are poised to receive a pretty big donation that
will help promote reading among its students.
The four elementary schools will be the recipients of a long-term book
drive hosted by the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, which runs
through April. CPA’s Education and
Community Programs manager Medora Ebersole said her department is working with
Amy Wilson, executive director of the Mid-State Literacy Council, to help with
the donations, which will go to Howard, Mountaintop Area, Port Matilda and
Wingate elementary schools. People are
encouraged to stop by Eisenhower Auditorium on Penn State’s campus to donate
new or gently used nonfiction books that might be good for primary school
students.
“Department of
Education pick, Betsy DeVos' family donated millions to anti-LGBT groups in
support of conversion therapy. She herself personally donated $250,000 to
fight marriage equality in Michigan and her husband sat on the Board of rabidly
anti-LGBT group Focus on the Family.”
Trump's cabinet is filled with people who
oppose LGBTQ equality: Ted Martin
PennLive Op-Ed By
Ted Martin on December 24, 2016 at 8:38 AM
Ted Martin is the executive director
of Equality Pennsylvania, a civil rights group representing the state's
LGBTQ residents.
Over the course of the campaign,
President-elect Donald Trump took several conflicting positions on
LGBT equality, but now that he is selecting his cabinet the picture is becoming
clear. We always knew his vice
presidential pick, Mike Pence, was one of the most anti-LGBT governors in the
country. And now, Vice President-elect Pence will be joined by other anti-LGBT
leaders in Washington. Just to
review, as Indiana's governor, Mike Pence proposed diverting HIV/AIDS
prevention funds to so-called "conversion therapy," a medically
discredited practice.
“But five years after the program was established,
more than half of the state’s voucher recipients have never attended Indiana
public schools, meaning that taxpayers are now covering private and religious
school tuition for children whose parents had previously footed that bill. Many
vouchers also are going to wealthier families, those earning up to $90,000 for
a household of four.”
How Indiana’s school voucher program
soared, and what it says about education in the Trump era
Washington Post By Emma Brown and Mandy
McLaren December 26 at 4:53 PM
Indiana lawmakers originally
promoted the state’s school voucher program as a way to make good on America’s
promise of equal opportunity, offering children from poor and
lower-middle-class families an escape from public schools that failed to meet
their needs.
But five years after the program
was established, more than half of the state’s voucher recipients have never
attended Indiana public schools, meaning that taxpayers are now covering
private and religious school tuition for children whose parents had previously
footed that bill. Many vouchers also are going to wealthier families, those
earning up to $90,000 for a household of four. The voucher program, one of the
nation’s largest and fastest-growing, serves more than 32,000 children and
provides an early glimpse of what education policy could look like in Donald
Trump’s presidency.
Huffington Post By Alan Singer Social studies educator, Hofstra University, my opinions, of course, are my own 12/26/2016 06:51 am ET
In the
News: A number
of news items in recent weeks show how powerful money-brokers work inside and
outside the law in their war on public education in the United States.
(1) In the State of Washington, a State Supreme Court Judge up for reelection
sided with a 6-to-3 court majority in a ruling that declared a state law
directing tax dollars to independently run charter schools unconstitutional. To
remake the court in their image hundreds of thousands of pro-charter Bill Gates
and Paul Allen “Microsoft money” was donated to support his opponents campaign.
Fortunately Washington voters rejected the charter judge, this time.
(2) Federal authorities charged
seven leaders of the Platinum Partners hedge fund with fraud for operating what was alleged to be a “Ponzi
scheme.” They kept the fund afloat by continually using money from new
investors to pay off older investors who wanted out. Mark Nordlicht, founder and the chief investment officer
for Platinum, also dabbles in operating low-cost religious schools that would
benefit from the Trump-Amway DeVos voucher give-away
(3) The New York Times Business pages featured Bill Ackman of
Pershing Square Holdings in an article they called “Hedge Fund Math: Heads or
Tails, They Win.” It seems that even when his hedge fund performs poorly,
Ackman always takes a profitable slice of the pie. According to the Los Angeles Times, Ackman’s Pershing Square Foundation has
poured millions of dollars into promoting charter schools in their city. Ackman,
through his foundation, is also a major donor to private schools and to Teach for
America.
The
NPE Toolkit: Stop Betsy DeVos
Network for Public Education December
16, 2016 by admin
The more we learn, the more we are certain that Betsy DeVos is bad
for public schools and for kids.
When De Vos has to choose between
quality schools and “the free market,” she chooses “the free market” of
privatized choice every time. The best interests of children take a back seat.
And we know the DeVos endgame–shut down our neighborhood public
schools, and replace them with a patchwork of charters, private schools and
online learning. We can’t let that
happen and we need your help. Present and future generations
of children are depending on us to act now. We now know that some Senators have grave doubts. It is our job to make
those doubts grow into active resistance to DeVos. Our senators are in district
offices from 12/17 – 1/2.
Here
are our three toolkits to help you do your part.
Toolkit 1. Call
your senators’ offices. The toolkit with numbers and a phone script can be
found here. It includes a link to phone numbers.
Toolkit 2. Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. You
can find a model here.
Toolkit 3. Visit your senators’ offices. If you cannot get an
appointment, hand deliver a letter. Our toolkit, which you can find here has a
model to use, and directions to find local offices. If you cannot hand deliver
it, send your letter in the mail.
In a constituent response letter regarding
the nomination of Betsy DeVos dated December 2, 2016, Senator Toomey stated: “I
believe she is a great pick.”
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 CommitteeWashington, 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 EducationDid 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:
Wednesday,
January 4- Quakertown- 5:30 pm- Bucks County Free Library
Bucks County Free Library Quakertown Branch
401 West Mill Street Quakertown, PA 18951
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
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.
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.
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!
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