Tuesday, August 22, 2017

PA Ed Policy Roundup Aug 22: Scarnati: ‘This isn’t governing; this is an embarrassment’

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 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, Instagram and LinkedIn

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup Aug 22, 2017:


“If our virtual charter schools were allowed to become statewide magnet schools with admission requirements, we might be able to utilize this unique educational environment for the students who would truly thrive in this setting. At the same time, we would prevent those students who would likely flounder in a virtual setting from setting themselves back academically.  Clear and defined admission criterion, something charter schools are unable to adopt, is critical if we are to ensure this offering is assisting students and not stunting them. Criteria such as being computer-literate, interested in online learning, and the ability to work independently are bare minimums.”
Online K–12 education at a virtual crossroads
EdExcellence by Andrew Lewis August 18, 2017
Andrew Lewis, an education consultant and political strategist, is the former executive vice president of the Georgia Charter Schools Association.
Across our nation, hundreds of thousands of children are attending a public charter school that provides full time virtual learning for their students. For many students, this virtual model works in providing an appropriate and meaningful option in public K–12 education. Some children, for example, suffer from conditions that prevent effective and efficient learning, whether physical or social, making this setting a valuable one. There are countless reasons that make a virtual setting a good fit for a student. But far too many children across the nation are not succeeding in their virtual charter schools, and there are many reasons why. They include the belief that a full-time online setting is just not how any child should be educated, as well as observations that we have not done enough to support virtual education to make it meaningful. Yet the most profound reason virtual schools are failing is that online education is a square-peg-in-a-round-hole scenario; they’re simply inappropriate as public charter schools.

“The central Bucks County school district has joined the fast-growing movement toward project-based learning, but with a capitalist twist that may provide a peek into the future: working with corporations and entrepreneurs on resolving real problems, rather than theoretical ones. An added bonus: The students were paid $1,500 for six weeks of work, even as CentennialX boosters say they are becoming better skilled and more desirable college applicants and members of tomorrow’s workforce.”
Centennial students are solving real-world problems
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer  @Kathy_Boccella |  kboccella@phillynews.com Updated: AUGUST 21, 2017 — 6:23 AM EDT
Making socks on a sewing machine was probably the last thing 17-year-old Shaina Gatton thought she would be doing when she signed up for CentennialX,  Centennial School District’s innovative summer program that promised to pair students with high-tech industry mentors to solve real-world problems.  Gatton and two other teens had been given a mandate by the Bucks County entrepreneur funding their project to come up with a product that makes life better for cyclists. To paraphrase Lance Armstrong, the kids learned it was not about the bike.  They hung out at Keswick Cycle Shop, learned how to change tires, and then surveyed 8,000 bicycle enthusiasts and were surprised to learn, in team member Jamie Gray’s words, that “for some reason, cyclists love socks.” They also value safety, so the team came up with comfortable footwear that glows in the dark. Now, Gray’s team not only has its first prototype for high-visibility socks – with nifty patterns such as doughnuts or pizzas amid bright fluorescent colors and reflective material built into the yarn – but dreams of launching a product line.

The Secrets to Their "Success"
Jersey Jazzman Blog Monday, August 21, 2017
"THE" Jose Vilson had a Twitter thread up this past week about an encounter with a parent whose child is enrolled in one of the Success Academy Charter Schools. I won't quote it here because I really want you to read the whole thing, then come back so we can talk...
Whenever I hear anecdotes about charter schools, my first reaction is to go to the data. Not because I don't think stories like this parent's are worthwhile -- to the contrary, they are very important and should be told. But I do believe data can help to confirm what we might already suspect.  And what do I suspect about Success Academy? I've been teaching long enough to know that schools and teachers vary significantly in their effectiveness, and both can make a difference in the lives of children -- particularly children who are living in economic disadvantage.  But I also know that the reformy claims of "miracle" schools are almost always way overblown. Yes, some charter schools get better results than we would expect. Yes, some may engage in a few innovative practices that might be worth considering. But schools like Success Academy almost always have structural advantages -- advantages that have nothing to do with their governance -- over the schools against which they compare themselves:

When "Miracle" Charter Schools Shed Students
Jersey Jazzman Blog Thursday, July 20, 2017
As I noted, NBC's Sunday Night with Megan Kelly broadcast a story earlier this month about Boys Latin Charter School, a "successful" charter school in Philadelphia which claims to have ten times the college completion rate of its neighboring high schools. To his credit, reporter Craig Melvin didn't swallow the claims of the school whole, and pushed back on the idea that Boys Latin serves an equivalent student population to those surrounding high schools. But he did miss two important points: First, and as I documented in the last post, Boys Latin raises funds outside of the monies it collects from public sources. The amounts add up to thousands of dollars per pupil per year. As Bruce Baker notes in this (somewhat snarky) post, you really can't make a comparison between two schools and call one "successful" without taking into account the differences in resources available to both. Philadelphia's public school district has been chronically underfunded for years. It's hardly fair for Boys Latin to collect millions in extra revenue, then brag about their college persistence rate compared to schools that don't have enough funding to provide an adequate education.

City and State PA By: JASON GOTTESMAN AUG 21, 2017 AT 12:23 PM
As state lawmakers continue staring at the virtual certainty of a credit downgrade and an emptied-out General Fund in the absence of a balanced budget, the rhetoric and frustration amped up Monday.  That’s when the House Republican Caucus again tried to find some sort of a compromise on $2.2 billion worth of money needed to balance the $31.99 billion budget enacted earlier this summer.  “This isn’t governing; this is an embarrassment,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) upon leaving an unrelated meeting with Gov. Tom Wolf. “We are certainly going to see darker days ahead as the dollars dwindle down. To my knowledge, the responsible thing for the Treasurer to do is not be out borrowing more money for money we don’t have.”  Just last week, Treasurer Joe Torsella said that he may no longer deem it to be prudent to loan money to the General Fund – the state’s largest checkbook – in the absence of a viable revenue plan.

State treasurer: Pennsylvania will run out of money to pay bills on Aug. 29
Morning Call by Marc Levy Of The Associated Press August 21, 2017
HARRISBURG — Top state officials are warning that Pennsylvania's deficit-strapped government is rapidly approaching a more severe stage in its 7-week-old budget stalemate, one in which Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf may have to start deciding which bills to pay and which to postpone. Taxes are still being collected and checks are being cut by the Pennsylvania Treasuryunder a nearly $32 billion budget bill that lawmakers approved June 30, the day before the current fiscal year began. But that spending plan is badly out of balance, and without a loan or an emergency revenue package, the state will face hard decisions within days. “Somebody's not getting paid if this doesn't get fixed,” Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, a Democrat, said Friday. “Who it is — the vendors, I don't know — that's a decision for others to make. It's simply a math equation: there's not enough money to pay everybody.”

House GOP making progress on counter-proposal to Senate's tax-and-borrowing revenue package
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated on August 21, 2017 at 10:39 PM Posted on August 21, 2017 at 9:40 PM
Aside from taking a 10-minute break to go outside and view the eclipse, the House Republican Appropriations Committee spent a good chunk of Monday putting together their draft of a plan to fully pay for the $32 billion enacted state budget for 2017-18. While details are being kept close to the vest for now, Rep. Sue Helm, R-Dauphin County, who serves on the committee, said the proposal is ready to be shared with House GOP leaders to see what they think. "Hopefully, they'll let us know they're happy, then we're okay," she said. "It's always a work in progress until we get it totally done. That's my opinion." The House is in the hot seat to come up with a revenue plan to completely fill the $1.5 billion revenue shortfall lingering from the 2016-17 budget and the need for $700 million to meet the revenue needs of the 2017-18 budget.

Group frustrated Pennsylvania budget remains unfunded
Call to fund state`s budget
Fox43 POSTED 6:31 PM, AUGUST 21, 2017, BY MARK ROPER, UPDATED AT 06:33PM, AUGUST 21, 2017
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania's budget officially became law in July, but the General Assembly has yet to come up with a way to pay for it. Some people who are frustrated with the lack of a state payment plan are also worried it could lead to a loss of crucial funding.
The state treasurer cites that by mid-September, Pennsylvania's General Fund could be $1.6 billion in the hole. Many are concerned about what happens next if the state doesn't dig itself out of it. Pennsylvanians frustrated with the lack of a state spending plan march onto House speaker Mike Turzai's office while chanting "do your job, do your job." Representative Turzai (R-Allegheny) wasn't available today to respond to the call for action, but the director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, Marc Stier, has his own ideas on how to cover a $2 billion budget shortfall. "We tax the one percent, and we cut taxes for over 60 percent of Pennsylvanians. That's an option. They could do that. They're not willing to do that, because they're not willing to ask the one percent, the people whose corporate taxes have been cut over the last ten years, to pay their fair share," Stier said.

Advocates call on Pa. House to "do your job"
PennLive.com Published on Aug 21, 2017 Video Runtime 1:40
Education and human service advocates held a news conference on Monday followed by a visit to House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, to call on the GOP-controlled House to complete their work on the 2017-18 state budget.

Pennsylvania must start freezing spending, top senator says
Trib Live by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf should start freezing spending on various programs because the deficit-strapped state government soon will not be able to pay every bill on time, Pennsylvania's ranking state senator said Monday. Since the recession, the state Treasury Department has reliably supplied cash infusions into the state's tattered bank account during low-flow periods of tax collections. But Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati said it would be irresponsible for the Treasury to loan more money while the state government lacks a balanced budget seven weeks into its fiscal year and unconstitutional for the state to spend it. "He's got to start putting things in reserve now because you can't pay the bills," Scarnati, R-Jefferson, said. "You can't pay the bills. The checking account's empty. So as money comes in, what bills does he decide to pay?"

Harrisburg overspends, and punishes Pa. taxpayers with new tax increases
Inquirer Opinion by Nathan A. Benefield Updated: AUGUST 21, 2017 — 10:07 AM EDT
Nathan A. Benefield is vice president and COO of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Gov. Wolf ignored his constitutional obligation and allowed an unbalanced $32 billion spending plan to become law.
After 70 years in business, the CC Orlando & Sons family bakery in Overbrook is closing. It’s not that customers lost their sweet tooth; Philadelphia’s new “soda tax” drove them away. Though many politicians love to deny it, higher taxes have real negative consequences for families and businesses.  Unfortunately, Philadelphians are no strangers to burdensome taxes. From the soda tax to the cigarette tax to the city wage tax to the realty transfer tax, the City of Brotherly Love loves taxing its residents and workers. Just look at the businesses setting up shop across City Avenue to escape Philly’s myriad taxes.  That’s why Philadelphians should be particularly concerned by efforts at the state level to increase their tax bills even more — by as much as $180 more per family of four per year.

Welcome to the Philly school principal version of speed dating
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT AUGUST 22, 2017
Each year dozens of nonprofits and public school principals gather for a ritual that looks kind of like a well-lit version of speed dating. There are long rows of tables, roving herds of unmatched hopefuls, and even some awkward small talk. Except, instead of talking about settling down and having kids, the conversations are about helping kids. Welcome to the School District of Philadelphia's annual Partnership Fair, a chance for principals and nonprofits to feel each other out and see if they can work together. This year's version featured about 50 organizations, each with its own pitch and literature. A few even offered bowls of candy to draw interest. They're all hoping to catch the eye of building administrators, each of whom is looking for something different.

Video: Supporters of public education testify before the SRC at the August 17th meeting.
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools Video Runtime 43:06

A teacher says: Start school later for everyone’s sake
Post Gazette Letter by JIM HASSETT Monroeville 12:00 AM AUG 22, 2017
Your Aug. 17 editorial on school starting times interested me as a professional educator who has instructed in many Western Pennsylvania school districts (“Sleep Patterns: Later Start Times for High Schoolers Make Sense”). In most, I have experienced a significant number of students being tired, falling asleep and inattentive during up to three class periods in the morning. These students tend to stay up at night until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., mostly texting or interacting with electronic devices. A 15-minute later starting time will not do these students any good. A school starting time of 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. would. Research has shown the benefits of this in several school districts across the nation. Current starting times are arranged for the convenience of parents and school bus schedules, not students. Before- and after-school programs for the same reason. The school year is still based on an agrarian society. A trimester system with a month off in between semesters would fix much of the retention loss of summer vacation. Sadly all of these issues greatly impact students and their ability to learn and retain what they learn. Our vested interest is that these are the adults who will be taking care of us in our old age. They deserve a much better system of education.


PSBA Officer Elections: Slate of Candidates
PSBA Website August 2017
PSBA members seeking election to office for the association were required to submit a nomination form no later than June 1, 2017, 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 17 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 (*).

The deadline to submit cover letter, resume and application is August 25, 2017.
PSBA seeking experienced education leaders: Become an Advocacy Ambassador
POSTED ON JUL 17, 2017 IN PSBA NEWS
PSBA is seeking applications for six Advocacy Ambassadors who have been involved in day-to-day functions of a school district, on the school board, or in a school leadership position. The purpose of the PSBA Advocacy Ambassador program is to facilitate the education and engagement of local school directors and public education stakeholders through the advocacy leadership of the ambassadors. Each Advocacy Ambassador will be an active leader in an assigned section of the state, and is kept up to date on current legislation and PSBA position based on PSBA priorities to accomplish advocacy goals.  PSBA Advocacy Ambassadors are independent contractors representing PSBA, and serve as liaisons between PSBA and their local and federal elected officials. Advocacy Ambassadors also commit to building strong relationships with PSBA members with the purpose of engaging the designated members to be active and committed grassroots advocates for PSBA’s legislative priorities.  This is a 9-month independent contractor position with a monthly stipend and potential renewal for a second year. Successful candidates must commit to the full 9-month contract, agree to fulfill assigned Advocacy Ambassador duties and responsibilities, and actively participate in conference calls and in-person meetings

CONSIDER IT: SCHOOL CHOICE AND THE CASES FOR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CHARTER SCHOOLS
September 19 @ 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Hilton Reading
Berks County Community Foundation
Panelists:
Carol Corbett Burris: Executive Director of the Network for Public Education
Alyson Miles: Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the American Federation for Children
James Paul: Senior Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation
Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig: Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the Director of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership at California State University Sacramento
Karin Mallett: The WFMZ TV anchor and reporter returns as the moderator
School choice has been a hot topic in Berks County, in part due to a lengthy and costly dispute between the Reading School District and I-LEAD Charter School. The topic has also been in the national spotlight as President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos have focused on expanding education choice.  With this in mind, a discussion on school choice is being organized as part of Berks County Community Foundation’s Consider It initiative. State Sen. Judy Schwank and Berks County Commissioners Chairman Christian Leinbach are co-chairs of this nonpartisan program, which is designed to promote thoughtful discussion of divisive local and national issues while maintaining a level of civility among participants.  The next Consider It Dinner will take place Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at 5 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Reading, 701 Penn St., Reading, Pa. Tickets are available here.  For $10 each, tickets include dinner, the panel discussion, reading material, and an opportunity to participate in the conversation.


Apply Now for EPLC's 2017-2018 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program!
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Applications are available now for the 2017-2018 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). Click here for the program calendar of sessions.  With more than 500 graduates in its first eighteen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants. Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.  The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 14-15, 2017 and continues to graduation in June 2018.

Using Minecraft to Imagine a Better World and Build It Together.
Saturday, September 16, 2017 or Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the University of the Sciences, 43rd & Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia
PCCY, the region’s most influential advocacy organization for children, leverages the world’s greatest video game for the year’s most engaging fundraising event for kids. Join us on Saturday, September 16, 2017 or Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the University of the Sciences, 43rd & Woodland Avenue for a fun, creative and unique gaming opportunity.

Education Law Center’s 2017 Annual Celebration
ELC invites you to join us for our Annual Celebration on September 27 in Philadelphia.
The Annual Celebration will take place this year on September 27, 2017 at The Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. The event begins at 5:30 PM. We anticipate more than 300 legal, corporate, and community supporters joining us for a cocktail reception, silent auction, and dinner presentation.  Our annual celebrations honor outstanding champions of public education. This proud tradition continues at this year’s event, when together we will salute these deserving honorees:
·         PNC Bank: for the signature philanthropic cause of the PNC Foundation, PNC Grow Up Great, a bilingual $350 million, multi-year early education initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life; and its support of the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, which enables new lawyers to pursue careers in public interest law;
·         Joan Mazzotti: for her 16 years of outstanding leadership as the Executive Director of Philadelphia Futures, a college access and success program serving Philadelphia’s low-income, first-generation-to-college students;
·         Dr. Bruce Campbell Jr., PhD: for his invaluable service to ELC, as he rotates out of the chairman position on our Board of Directors. Dr. Campbell is an Arcadia University Associate Professor in the School of Education; and
·         ELC Pro Bono Awardee Richard Shephard of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP: for his exceptional work as pro bono counsel, making lasting contributions to the lives of many vulnerable families.Questions? Contact Tracy Callahan tcallahan@elc-pa.org or 215-238-6970 ext. 308.

STAY WOKE: THE INAUGURAL NATIONAL BLACK MALE EDUCATORS CONVENING; Philadelphia Fri, Oct 13, 2017 4:00 pm Sun, Oct 15, 2017 7:00pm
TEACHER DIVERSITY WORKS. Increasing the number of Black male educators in our nation’s teacher corps will improve education for all our students, especially for African-American boys.  Today Black men represent only two percent of teachers nationwide. This is a national problem that demands a national response.  Come participate in the inaugural National Black Male Educators Convening to advance policy solutions, learn from one another, and fight for social justice. All are welcome.

Save the Date 2017 PA Principals Association State Conference October 14. 15, 16, 2017 Doubletree Hotel Cranberry Township, PA

Save the Date: PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 18-20, Hershey PA

Registration now open for the 67th Annual PASCD Conference  Nov. 12-13 Harrisburg: Sparking Innovation: Personalized Learning, STEM, 4C's
This year's conference will begin on Sunday, November 12th and end on Monday, November 13th. There will also be a free pre-conference on Saturday, November 11th.  You can register for this year's conference online with a credit card payment or have an invoice sent to you.  Click here to register for the conference.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PASCD-Conference-Registration-is-Now-Open.html?soid=1101415141682&aid=5F-ceLtbZDs

Save the Date! NSBA 2018 Advocacy Institute February 4-6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017



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