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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 20, 2017:
On charters, the issue is not stranded
costs, but stranded students
Our Schools at Risk: How to Stop Funding
Cuts, Bensalem HS, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM
Public Meeting Hosted
by Education Voters PA Tuesday, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM
Bensalem HS, North Wing
Audion, 4319 Hulmeville Rd., Bensalem 19020
Learn about the threats to
our public schools and how YOUR advocacy efforts can make a difference. Join
Education Voters of PA to learn about how state policies and school funding are
impacting your local schools and how you can come together in your communities
to stand up for public school students.
Here's What the Latest Push to Repeal Obamacare Could Mean for Schools
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on September 20, 2017 6:57 AM
Educators who thought Congress would leave schools alone and not pass a big health care overhaul any time soon might want to reconsider. Senators are making one more push to end President Barack Obama's signature health care law before Sept. 30. The legislation now getting the attention has Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as the lead co-authors. After Sept. 30, the Senate would in practice have to pass any repeal of Obamacare with 60 votes, which is all but impossible politically given that Republicans control only 52 seats in the chamber. So time is short for this latest GOP effort to send an Obamacare repeal bill, even though some are skeptical that it's a "true" repeal of the ACA, to President Donald Trump. Like previous recent efforts to overhaul health care and ditch Obamacare, the Graham-Cassidy legislation would significantly impact the $4 billion in Medicaid money schools receive annually. That dollar amount makes Medicaid the third-largest source of federal funding for K-12, and covers some special education costs as well as other services. School advcoates worked to defeat the last GOP attempt to repeal the ACA over the summer.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2017/09/repeal_obamacare_back_what_it_means_for_schools.html
On charters, the issue is not stranded costs, but stranded students
Inquirer Opinion by David Hardy Updated: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 — 6:12 AM EDT
David Hardy is the co-founder and retired CEO of Boys Latin Charter School in West Philadelphia.
Charter schools have been operating for 20 years in Pennsylvania, yet the public discussion continues to be focused on the premise that it’s a zero sum game. The latest salvos were fired recently by Research For Action, which published a study concluding that charter schools continue to create “stranded costs” for the public school districts long after those students have gone. Then critics like the Inquirer rushed to conclude that “the movement toward charter schools is raising costs for public education, and there is no sign of true benefit.” And once again, we’re back to stoking the “charter vs. public” debate as all one or the other; that is, whatever is good for charters must be bad for the school districts in which they are located. All of which continues to miss the point: The real issue, especially when it comes to children living in poverty, is whether all students have access to good schools regardless of whether they are charters, District schools, parochial, or private schools. Instead of complaining about stranded costs, districts should be worried about the students who choose charters to avoid being “stranded” in failing public schools.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/charter-schools-philadelphia-research-for-action-study-20170920.html
Education specialists consider school choice
Reading Eagle Written by David Mekeel Wednesday September 20, 2017 12:01 AM
READING, PA - With the long-fought battle between the Reading School District and I-LEAD Charter School, Reading seems like the perfect place for a discussion on school choice.
Which is exactly what happened inside the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel Tuesday night.
The Berks County Community Foundation held its latest iteration of its "Consider It" series, the fourth installment of the community dialogue. On hand for this edition were a panel of four education experts, sharing their thoughts on charter schools, voucher programs and the other aspects of school choice.
http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/education-specialists-consider-school-choice
School choice forum held in Reading
WFMZ by Tom Rader Posted: Sep 20, 2017 01:45 AM EDT Updated: Sep 20, 2017 01:45 AM
READING, Pa. - Protesters gathered outside the DoubleTree Hotel Tuesday ahead of a planned forum on charter schools and school choice. "The issues that Reading is facing and that PA are facing are issues you are seeing across the country, it's a microcosm of the debate across the country," said panelist and Cal State professor Julian Vasquez Heilig. "Charters are creating more segregation in our nation because parents are choosing more segregated charter schools than the traditional neighborhood schools they attend." Jonathan Cetel, Executive Director of PennCan, said it's about access by any other name. "Private, parochial, cyber school, charter school, it's about making sure every kid has access to a high quality school," Cetel said. "I think the idea is we want to fund the individual and not just the system, we have to move to a model that embraces choice." With an ongoing PA State budget stalemate, both sides recognize the glaring challenges that exist when it comes to education funding.
http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/school-choice-forum-held-in-reading/623791435
Education committee chairmen "deeply disappointed" in state plan to comply with federal education law
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated on September 19, 2017 at 6:34 PM Posted on September 19, 2017 at 6:33 PM
To say, the House and Senate education committee chairmen are unhappy with the final version of Pennsylvania's plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act is probably an understatement. Sen. John Eichelberger, R-Blair County, and Rep. David Hickernell, R-Lancaster County, said on Tuesday they are "deeply disappointed" with the state's plan and intend to convey their concerns with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. "We believe it is a step backwards for the commonwealth," they stated in comments submitted to the state Department of Education prior to the plan's submission. The plan, which provides a roadmap for public education in this state for the next decade or so, was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education on Monday. It now awaits a review and approval by DeVos which would ensure that federal education funds, which this year amounted to about $700 million, are to going to continue to flow into state coffers.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/09/education_committee_chairmen_d.html#incart_river_index
“We decided to see if we could predict standardized test scores based on demographic factors related to the community where a student lived. By looking at three to five community and family demographic variables from U.S. Census data, we have been able to accurately predict the percentages of students who score proficient or above on standardized test scores for grades three through 12. These predictions are made without looking at school district data factors such as school size, teacher experience or per pupil spending.”
Students’ test scores tell us more about the community they live in than what they know
The Conversation.com Author Christopher Tienken Associate Professor of Education Leadership Management and Policy, Seton Hall University July 5, 2017 6.54pm EDT
Every year, policymakers across the U.S. make life-changing decisions based on the results of standardized tests. These high-stakes decisions include, but are not limited to, student promotion to the next grade level, student eligibility to participate in advanced coursework, eligibility to graduate high school and teacher tenure. In 40 states, teachers are evaluated in part based on the results from student standardized tests, as are school administrators in almost 30 states. However, research shows that the outcomes of standardized tests don’t reflect the quality of instruction, as they’re intended to. Colleagues and I have conducted studies in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa and Michigan. The results show that it’s possible to predict the percentages of students who will score proficient or above on some standardized tests. We can do this just by looking at some of the important characteristics of the community, rather than factors related to the schools themselves, like student-teacher ratios or teacher quality. This raises the possibility that there are serious flaws built into education accountability systems and the decisions about educators and students made within those systems.
https://theconversation.com/students-test-scores-tell-us-more-about-the-community-they-live-in-than-what-they-know-77934
Childhood hunger in North Philadelphia more than triples
Inquirer by Alfred Lubrano, Staff Writer @AlfredLubrano | alubrano@phillynews.com Updated: SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 — 3:04 PM EDT
Stephanie Sakho believes that people who work should have fuller refrigerators than she does. The divorced, certified nursing assistant from Southwest Philadelphia puts in 40 hours a week. But even with her salary and a $300 monthly allotment of food stamps, there isn’t always enough to feed her 10-year-old daughter and year-old son. “I think people would be surprised that there are kids in the city not getting enough to eat,” said Sakho, 28, who makes $13 an hour, near the poverty line for a family of three. “I’m working, but people who see me don’t know the refrigerator is empty.” Sakho’s “deeply alarming” plight is becoming more common, said Mariana Chilton, director of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities and a professor of health management and policy at School of Public Health at Drexel University. Between 2006 and 2016, childhood hunger in North Philadelphia has more than tripled among families where parents work 20 or more hours a week, according to Chilton’s research at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, part of Children’s HealthWatch, a national research network that investigates the impact of public assistance programs on children’s health. Chilton said her findings in North Philadelphia likely resemble rates of childhood hunger throughout the city.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/childhood-hunger-philadelphia-nearly-triples-mariana-chilton-food-insecurity-20170918.html
Wolf says he can stave off major budget pain until Oct. 1
Post-Gazette by ANGELA COULOUMBIS AND LIZ NAVRATIL Harrisburg Bureau 4:25 PM SEP 19, 2017
HARRISBURG - A new week in Harrisburg, a new budget deadline. Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday said he believes he can stave off any major harm from the state's unfinished budget until Oct. 1. In an interview with Pittsburgh radio station KQV, the Democratic governor said that if legislators can find a compromise on a revenue bill and approve it by that time, "I can make this work." As recently as last week, Mr. Wolf was warning of dire consequences should the GOP-controlled legislature not swiftly fund the $32 billion spending plan it passed nearly three months ago. He has also been cautioning that the state faces a credit downgrade if a deal is not reached quickly. But during the interview Tuesday, Mr. Wolf sounded a more optimistic tone. He said he spoke on the phone on Monday with representatives from the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's and that he came away with the sense that the state could push off that day of reckoning until next month.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2017/09/19/governor-tom-wolf-budget-deadline-october-1-standard-poor-pennsylvania/stories/201709190122
“Now I'm told a budget funding package will be in place within the next 10 days.
And our Delco house delegation was smack in the middle of the deal.
House leaders attended a meeting and are apparently finally on board with some kind of severance tax on the Marcellus Shale industry. That did not stop my source from saying something that many of us have believed now for years. The process in Harrisburg is broken and needs to be fixed. "This thing has been mismanaged from the start," the source said.”
A state budget prediction
Delco Times posted by Heron's Nest at 8:03 AM Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Here's a little Pennsylvania state budget prediction. Our friends in Harrisburg are about to resolve the state's budget mess. And it will include a severance tax on the state's natural gas drillers. This comes from a source I trust who is involved in the process. As you know, the state has had a budget in place since July 1. But our fearless leaders forgot one thing: They don't have a plan in place to pay for it. The Senate came up with a plan that raises a lot of taxes - but not the two biggies, the personal income or state sales tax. Their plan would hike levies on utilities and cell phone bills, and does include a new tax on the state's natural gas drillers. The House didn't like the sound of that. They instead want to borrow a bunch of money, raid the tobacco settlement fund, and skim off what they are calling "surplus" funds from many departments, including education and transportation. They've been at loggerheads ever since, with the state hanging precariously over the fiscal abyss.
http://delcoheronsnest.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-state-budget-prediction.html
Pennsylvania's broken budgeting process needs fixing, and fast
Lancaster Online Editorial The LNP Editorial Board September 20, 2017
THE ISSUE - Three months after the start of the fiscal year, Pennsylvania lawmakers are still trying to find a way to pay for the $32 billion budget passed by the Legislature in July. There is currently a $2.2 billion gap in the proposed budget. Late last week, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, announced that Pennsylvania will delay more than $1.7 billion in payments due mostly to Medicaid insurers and school districts because of the budget shortfall. Republicans from southeastern Pennsylvania want a tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production. Republicans from the north and west don’t want it. Wolf and the Democrats do want it. House Republicans proposed a plan to generate $2.4 billion by tapping into the off-budget accounts of several state agencies such as the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund and the Environmental Stewardship Fund, among others. Republicans in the southeast hate the idea. Do we really have to wonder why this is taking so long? “It’s a real mess and I’ve never seen anything like it in my 17 years,” Sen. Don White, a Republican from Indiana County, told The Associated Press.” Considering the dysfunction White has seen in 17 years in the state Senate, that’s saying something. As our inert General Assembly sets new standards for legislative gridlock, the rest of us wait it out with our arms folded. Keep in mind that the delayed payments to insurers and school districts mark the first time Pennsylvania state government has missed a payment as a result of not having enough money, AP reported.
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/pennsylvania-s-broken-budgeting-process-needs-fixing-and-fast/article_92e547b8-9d6f-11e7-a885-cf17e2c41ab8.html
“We teach our children that they cannot always have their own way. However, our governor and representatives seem to be operating on a sandbox mentality: my way or I’m taking my toys and going home. If the elected officials cannot or will not fulfill their obligations to the public they represent, they should not be in Harrisburg. The biggest of those obligations is supporting the people who elected them, even if that requires compromising with those who have opposing views. That’s called being a responsible adult and doing your job.”
Do your jobs and fix the state budget mess
Post Gazette Leeter by MARY ANN VanNEWKIRK, Ross 12:00 AM SEP 20, 2017
The Sept. 16 headline “Wolf Follows Through on Promise to Curtail Spending, Freezes $1.2 Billion in Medicaid Funds” was the last straw for me. The inability of our state representatives and governor to work together to fulfill their obligations to the people they represent is appalling. Without a budget, some of our organizations who serve our poorest residents/taxpayers in our state will be denied the support they require to continue their much-needed services. With salaries of $190,823 (governor), $86,479 (state representatives and senators), $185 per diem expense accounts (unsupported with receipts), 79 days (representatives) and 68 days (senators) of actual sessions, and their six-week vacations, they should be able to find some time to meet with each other, consider the plight a large portion of our citizens are in, and make a concerted effort to pass a budget that will make their lives easier.
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2017/09/20/Do-your-jobs-and-fix-the-state-budget-mess/stories/201709200020
Vaux Big Picture High School officially celebrates its opening
The notebook by Paul Jablow September 19, 2017 — 4:49pm
With an impressive group of national and local dignitaries and a pep rally atmosphere, one of the country’s most unusual educational experiments was officially launched Tuesday in a rough-edged North Philadelphia neighborhood. Education and housing officials hailed the opening of the new Vaux Big Picture High School as a key to reviving the Sharswood area, better serving current residents, and attracting new ones. “High-performing schools can help stabilize families,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), which is partnering with the School District of Philadelphia in reviving a school shuttered four years ago due to dwindling enrollment and low graduation rates. “A child’s zip code should never, ever determine their future,” Jeremiah said. He predicted that the chool would be a first step in making Sharswood “a neighborhood of choice.” “Our neighborhoods have to be complete places,” said Ben Carson, the U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as several dozen students who started earlier this month looked on from stairwells flanking the podium. “This school is a starting point, and this 9th-grade class is the beginning,” said Carson, who made the school his first stop on a tour of the city.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/09/19/vaux-big-picture-high-school-officially-celebrates-its-opening
Pennsbury school board OKs aggressive antidrug program
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer @Kathy_Boccella | kboccella@phillynews.com Updated: SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 — 9:52 PM EDT
Just six days after her 28-year-old son died from a heroin overdose, the president of the Pennsbury school board wept as she thanked her colleagues for unanimously approving an ambitious new $149,000 antidrug program aimed at fighting an opioid epidemic that has ravaged young grads in their Lower Bucks County community. “Thank you all for doing this — now more than ever it means the world to me,” a tearful Jacqueline Redner said immediately after the vote. After a decadelong battle with addiction, her son Josh was found dead in a motel room on Sept. 13. Redner then walked into the audience to hug her husband, George, as well as the parents and family members of Luke Johnson. Back in June, just weeks after Johnson, 22, was found dead of an overdose in a Florida apartment, Johnson’s family had begged Pennsbury educators to do something about heroin addiction. Officials credited Johnson’s parents with playing a pivotal role in persuading board members that — with young Pennsbury alums dying from opioid addiction at a stunning frequency, two or three overdoses in some weeks — the school district needed to dramatically increase antidrug education, counseling, and treatment.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/the-pennsbury-school-board-approved-an-aggressive-drug-and-mental-health-assistance-program-20170919.html
Elanco, Columbia administrators look at what worked, what didn't in 1-year partnership sharing superintendent
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer September 20, 2017
At the end of the 2015-16 school year, Columbia Borough School District was on the brink of bankruptcy. Devoid of financial safeguards and wrought with overspending habits, Columbia was liquidating its general fund balance — a pseudo-savings account — in order to pay its bills every year. Meanwhile, property taxes in Columbia increased year after year, with a 13 percent average millage increase from 2010-11 to 2015-16. Then, in came officials from Eastern Lancaster County School District, thanks to a shared services agreement that allowed Columbia to share Elanco's superintendent as well as business, technology and human resources services. Despite a few hiccups initially, the agreement is generally regarded as a success at both districts. Columbia's finances are more secure than they were a year ago. Columbia students have more technology at their disposal. And Elanco, which was paid nearly $450,000 last year by Columbia, has benefited financially by helping out a fellow Lancaster County school district. But with major changes coming down the pike, one question remains: Was it worth it?
http://lancasteronline.com/insider/elanco-columbia-administrators-look-at-what-worked-what-didn-t/article_3b39efe0-9da2-11e7-a8ef-0f69350b20e3.html
New report shines light on 'chronic teacher absenteeism' in Pennsylvania
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
According to the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, a teacher who is out for more than 10 days in a school year is considered chronically absent. A new report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute finds that teachers in traditional public schools are almost three times as likely to meet this designation as teachers in charter schools. Nationally, 28.3% of teachers in traditional public schools are chronically absent, compared to 10.3% in the charter sector. A similar rate difference holds in Pennsylvania, where 32.1% of traditional public school teachers are considered chronically absent versus 8.2% in charters. The data is based on federal OCR data from 2013-14 that was released in 2016. "There's this big difference in teacher attendance between these two types of public schools, and it seems like there's some pretty clear links between the policies that states and districts adopt and the rates of chronic teacher absenteeism," said David Griffith, a senior researcher at Fordham, a D.C.-based education-reform think tank.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/107315-new-report-shines-light-on-chronic-teacher-absenteeism-in-pennsylvania?_topstory
Urge state legislators to end gerrymandering
Beaver County Times Letter by Paul Wommack, Hopewell Township September 20, 2017
In October, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case, Gill v. Whitford, which may affect Pennsylvania’s infamously gerrymandered state and its 12th district, currently represented by Keith Rothfus. The 12th district consists of Beaver County, and parts of Allegheny, Cambria, Lawrence, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties, covering almost one-third of the length of the state, like a hammerhead shark with a tiny waist. Gerrymandering packs voters into skewed districts, and denies them equal protection and fair representation. But the U.S. Supreme Court may not overturn gerrymandering. A Pennsylvania organization, FairDistrictsPA.com, has submitted bills -- House Bill 722 and Senate Bill 22 -- to our Legislature to address the problem of gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. These bills create a bipartisan, transparent, accountable, independent citizens’ commission, comprised of 11 members, selected at random by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State from three pools of qualified candidates, who cannot be running for any state office. Current or recent elected officials, candidates, political party officials or their aides or spouses would not be eligible. This will reduce the major political parties’ ability to manipulate district lines. I urge you to call or write your state legislators and encourage them to sponsor state bills HB722 and SB22.
http://www.timesonline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/urge-state-legislators-to-end-gerrymandering/article_19153128-9ca2-11e7-89d2-07d8b5b2aabb.html
Six struggling Philly schools to be reshuffled, possibly with new teachers
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
In what's become a yearly ritual, the School District of Philadelphia said Tuesday it will reshuffle the staff at six low-performing schools in hopes of turning them around. How exactly the district reshuffles the sextet of schools won't be announced until later this school year, but it's possible the schools could experience a massive turnover of staff or administrators. In the past, district turnaround schools have replaced more than 50 percent of their staff, although it's unclear if or where that might happen during this round of interventions. The six schools slated for shakeup are:
·
Edward Steel, a K-8 school in North Philadelphia;
·
Edward Gideon, a K-8 school in North Philadelphia;
·
Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences, a 6-8 school in North
Philadelphia;
·
Wagner, a 6-8 school in North Philadelphia;
·
James Rhoads, a K-8 school in West Philadelphia;
·
Penn Treaty, a 6-12 school in Fishtown.
Last year, the district named
11 "focus" schools, but ended
up implementing new strategies at only seven of the schools.http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/107305-six-struggling-philly-schools-to-be-reshuffled-possibly-with-new-teachers?linktype=hp_impact
“Middle and high school students would start at 8:40 a.m. instead of 8:10 a.m. and their day would end at 3:42 p.m. and 3:40 p.m., instead of 3:12 p.m. and 3:16 p.m., respectively. Stout said one of the main issues parents have expressed is the how the change affects athletes. The day is ending about 30 minutes later, which he said creates an issue with lost instructional time. To address the concerns, the district conducted a survey of Mid-Penn Athletic Conference athletic directors to gauge their interest in scheduling more Saturday contests, doubleheaders and later start times for weekday games. The majority of the athletic directors said they would be willing to explore the options, according to Stout.”
Later Start Time: SCASD officials address the public’s concerns about extended day plan
Centre Daily Times BY LEON VALSECHI lvalsechi@centredaily.com SEPT 19, 2017 11:47 PM
STATE COLLEGE - State College Area School District officials held a community information session on Monday to further explain the extended school day proposal. Vernon bock, assistant superintendent for elementary education, Will Stout, assistant superintendent for secondary education, and Randy Brown, finance and operations officer, presented the crowd of just more than 40 people with an overview of the proposal, which adds 44 minutes to the school day. The elementary school start time would move from 8:44 a.m. back to 8:10 a.m. and the day would end at 3 p.m. instead of 2:50 p.m. Under the proposal, elementary school students would gain 24 minutes of core instructional time and a fifth special subject.
http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/community/state-college/article174285506.html
Radio Times: School lunch; teens and sleep
WHYY Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane Guests: Marlene Schwartz, Justin Gallagher, Wendy Troxel, Amy Norr September 13, 2017
The Trump administration has said it wants to roll back the Obama-era healthy school lunch requirements, loosening rules around whole grains, sodium and milk. For a lot of students, school lunch is the healthiest meal they get each day. In a step to ensure all students have access to a healthy meal, New York just joined a handful of other cities last week, by offering universal free lunch to all public students. We start this hour talking about the importance of healthy school lunches with MARLENE SCHWARTZ, director of the Rudd Center for Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, and JUSTIN GALLAGHER, professor of economics at Case Western University. Then, we turn to early school start times and drowsy teenagers. We’ve known for many years that starting school too early is bad for adolescent health but a recent study says that starting schools a little later could save $83 billion over a decade. WENDY TROXEL, co-author of the study and a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation, and AMY NORR, a parent activist in the Lower Merion School District, join us to discuss teenage sleep and the challenges to changing school start times.
http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2017/09/13/school-lunch-teens-sleep/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WHYYRadioTimes+%28WHYY+Radio+Times%29
Thorough and Efficient? A video short on Pennsylvania’s School Funding Lawsuit
The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia filed suit in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on November 10, 2014 on behalf of six school districts, seven parents, and two statewide associations against legislative leaders, state education officials, and the Governor for failing to uphold the General Assembly’s constitutional obligation to provide a “thorough and efficient” system of public education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS44fO_uyb4
PSBA publishes proposed bylaws changes
According to the PSBA Bylaws, Section 6, A, PSBA must publish at least 30 days before the annual meeting of the Delegate Assembly any proposed bylaws changes that have been submitted to the Bylaws Committee and approved by two-thirds of the members of the Governing Board. The proposed bylaws changes are included here. In addition, a hard copy of the proposed changes is being mailed to individuals who have been identified by their school board as a voting delegate on behalf of their school entity. The Delegate Assembly will take place this year on Oct. 20 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center at 1 p.m.
https://www.psba.org/2017/09/notice-proposed-bylaws-amendments/
Testing Resistance & Reform News: September 13-19, 2017
FairTest Submitted by fairtest on September 19, 2017 - 1:09pm
Praising FairTest as "an incredibly vibrant and important organization that provides an essential service" -- and specifically citing these weekly updates -- former PBS education correspondent John Merrow posts FairTest Is Not a Footnote and urges readers to provide more financial support around our upcoming "Heroes in Education" event.
http://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance-reform-news-september-1319-2017
Our Schools at Risk: How to Stop Funding Cuts, Bensalem HS, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM
Public Meeting Hosted by Education Voters PA Tuesday, October 3 at 7 PM - 9 PM
Bensalem HS, North Wing Audion, 4319 Hulmeville Rd., Bensalem 19020
Learn about the threats to our public schools and how YOUR advocacy efforts can make a difference. Join Education Voters of PA to learn about how state policies and school funding are impacting your local schools and how you can come together in your communities to stand up for public school students.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1735449410093965/
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
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