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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
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, 2017Andrew 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" 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:
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:
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.
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 PMAside 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.
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.
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 EDTNathan 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.
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
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
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PASCD-Conference-Registration-is-Now-Open.html?soid=1101415141682&aid=5F-ceLtbZDs
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.