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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 5, 2017:
Redistricting Reform: Join @FairDistrictsPA
in Harrisburg on Sept 12 in the Capitol Rotunda to ask our legislators to hold
hearings on SB 22 & HB 722.
Pa. school leaders anxious, still stinging from 2015 as 2017 state budget talks again linger
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Nearly two months after the state's budget deadline, lawmakers still haven't reached a consensus on how to pay for the spending plan they authorized in June. Gov. Tom Wolf warned lawmakers this week that continued inaction will mean that, by mid-September, the state won't have cash on hand to meet some of its obligations. But, for now, K-12 public schools are still on solid footing, in large part because Wolf authorized a loan from the state's motor license fund to the general fund, which allowed the first batch of school dollars to flow as expected. That disbursement will only last, though, until the end of October, and if budget talks are still ongoing, that's where things could begin to get difficult. "The sudden, potential doom and gloom of not being assured of anything is slowly setting in," said Jay Himes, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials. For him, this year's squabble is starting to look too much like the historically prolonged budget fight of 2015, Wolf's first year in office. "There's some degree of, 'Oh my, here we go again,'" he said. During that impasse, districts didn't receive any state funding through the first half of the school year, and many were forced to take out loans, dip into reserves and/or find things to cut to make it through.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/106865-pa-school-leaders-anxious-still-stinging-from-2015-as-2017-state-budget-talks-again-linger?_topstory
Coalition of State House Members to Unveil Budget Alternative to Senate/Wolf Tax Increases Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1 p.m.
PA House Republican Caucus Website 9/4/2017
WHAT: In light of the absence of a final revenue plan for the 2017-18 fiscal year, a 17-member group of state House legislators will present its plan to close out and fully fund the state budget without the need for raising taxes on hard-working Pennsylvanians. The proposal is an alternative to legislation passed by the Senate and endorsed by Gov. Tom Wolf that would increase taxes on consumers’ natural gas, electric and telephone bills; as well as borrow more than $1.3 billion.
WHO: The group, led by Rep. Dan Moul (R-Gettysburg), consists of representatives from Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Butler, Clearfield, Cumberland, Dauphin, Elk, Franklin, Indiana, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill, Washington and York counties.
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Capitol Media Center, 8 East Wing, State Capitol Complex, Harrisburg.
LIVE WEBSTREAMING: The news conference may be viewed at www.pahousegop.com.
Media contact: Scott Little, slittle@pahousegop.com
http://www.pahousegop.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=268050
Op-ed: It's time to move forward on a Pa. tax bill
WHYY Newsworks COMMENTARY BY MARC STIER SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 SPEAK EASY
Marc Stier is the director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a nonpartisan, statewide policy research project that provides independent, credible analysis on state tax, budget, and related policy matters
In states as different as Kansas and Illinois, Republican legislators have recognized reality and retreated from their extremist anti-tax agenda. Tax cuts on businesses and spending reductions have led in those states, as they have in Pennsylvania, not to prosperity but to stagnation, deep cuts to public investment, and huge budget deficits. Understanding that, Republican legislators have finally given up their old-time religion and voted to raise taxes to balance the budget. But in Pennsylvania, Speaker of the House Mike Turzai and many Republican House caucus members still believe in the false prophecy of tax and budget cuts. And that's why, almost two months after the deadline, the Pennsylvania budget is only half done. A general fund appropriation bill has become law. But while the Senate has enacted a tax code bill that would generate sufficient revenue to balance the budget, we are waiting for the House to take action on any bill to raise revenues. All Pennsylvanians, liberal, conservative, and in between, should demand that Speaker Turzai bring the House back to work and raise sufficient revenues to balance the spending plan they already passed. And they should stand against a forthcoming House Republican plan to raid special state funds to balance this year's General Fund budget. This fix puts the problem off for at most a year, but it does nothing to reduce the long-term structural deficit. And it compromises the integrity of many parts of the state budget.
The consequences of not funding the budget affect all of us:
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/opinion-and-essays/item/106877-op-ed-its-time-to-move-forward-on-a-pa-tax-bill&Itemid=20&linktype=hp_opinionessays
“…our series will expand on that by teasing out the root of the tension between charters and other public schools: money and what appears to be differing standards of accountability”
THE CHARTER EFFECT (Series)
PublicSource Special Project Summer 2017
Traditionally, the 20th anniversary is celebrated with china but we are marking the 20th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s charter school law with transparency and depth. While other local media outlets have reported on the sweeping change charter school choice has had on students and traditional school districts, our series will expand on that by teasing out the root of the tension between charters and other public schools: money and what appears to be differing standards of accountability. This series will expose and explain the data and records behind the charter schools operating in Allegheny County.
http://publicsource.org/series/the-charter-effect/
Blogger note: no state in the country has successfully eliminated the property tax.
'We ain't giving up': Pa. senators hold forum to discuss school property tax elimination
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer Sep 1, 2017
Three hundred and twenty-five years. That’s how long the debate over property taxes has been going on in Pennsylvania. And, despite its latest efforts, the state Legislature doesn’t appear close to agreeing on any substantial reform. “Where things currently stand, we don’t have enough votes,” Republican Sen. Scott Martin said. Martin, of Martic Township, was referring to Senate Bill 76, also known as the Property Tax Independence Act, which he and fellow Republican Sen. Ryan Aument of Landisville have co-sponsored. The legislation would eliminate school property taxes and instead fund schools by increasing the state’s income and sales taxes. But while that’s an alluring proposal for many homeowners — particularly those on fixed incomes — it’s a potentially dangerous plan for school districts, say some educators, who argue that shifting billions of dollars of revenue to the state is too risky. Martin and Aument — along with the bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. David Argall, and other members of the Senate Majority Policy Committee — discussed the concerns Wednesday during a forum at Pequea Valley High School. “This is an issue of great interest throughout Lancaster County,” Aument said. “There is no issue that comes close to (property taxes) in terms of contacts from constituents.” Unless you live in Manheim Central, you’ll be paying more in school property taxes this coming year. It’s also an issue that has given homeowners headaches since at least 1692 — 11 years after William Penn founded the Pennsylvania colony — when several hundred landowners signed a petition in opposition to the property tax.
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/we-ain-t-giving-up-pa-senators-hold-forum-to/article_979a0928-8e8e-11e7-af9d-2f825f9f0748.html
Despite greater scrutiny, depth of schools' lead problem unclear
Trib Live by NATASHA LINDSTROM | Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, 10:37 p.m.
Ronald Joseph recalled waking up anxious every Friday for two months straight.
The chief technology officer of Pennsylvania's second-largest school district described having “a hold-your-breath moment” each week during summer 2016 as he met with fellow administrators to learn the latest results from lead testing at all 70 buildings run by Pittsburgh Public Schools, whose oldest campus dates to 1893. “You don't know what's going to be uncovered,” Joseph said, “and you know that once you test, you're going to be responsible for the results and performing remediation so the school doesn't end up inoperable or relying on bottled water.” For Pittsburgh, the results provided relief: Of more than 2,300 plumbing fixtures, classroom sinks and drinking fountains swabbed for lead, just 3 percent — or about 70 fixtures, including 14 fountains — showed levels above the federal threshold of 20 parts per billion (ppb). The district removed or replaced them immediately.
http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/12624506-74/despite-greater-scrutiny-depth-of-schools-lead-problem-unclear
Newsmaker Q&A: Thomas Lubben, charter school founder
Sarah M. Wojcik Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call September 2, 2017
Thomas Lubben, who started four Lehigh Valley charter schools, including the new Easton Arts Academy, recently wrote a book on lessons learned — “The Charter School Wars: Insight from a Charter School Innovator.” Lubben, 76, of Allentown, is the subject of this week’s Q&A.
Q: Which charters have you been involved in starting?
A: I started four art schools in the Lehigh Valley: the Lehigh Valley Charter Arts high school in Bethlehem in 2003, the Arts Academy Middle School in Salisbury Township in 2012 and the Arts Academy Elementary School in Allentown 2015. Just this past week, the latest school in Easton, the Arts Academy Charter school, opened.
http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-thomas-lubben-charter-school-newsmaker-20170831-story.html
WHY AREN’T THEY FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS? THEY DON’T THINK WE CAN LEARN.
Phillys7thWard Blog BY SHARIF EL-MEKKI SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Sharif El-Mekki is the principal of Mastery Charter School–Shoemaker Campus, a neighborhood public charter school in Philadelphia that serves 750 students in grades 7-12. From 2013-2015, he was one of three principal ambassador fellows working on issues of education policy and practice with U.S. Department of Education under Secretary Arne Duncan.
Last week we had one of three family orientations to launch the 2017-18 school year. One of the messages I shared with families was that their community school has almost one million dollars less today than it had 10 years ago to educate our community’s Black children. One. Million. Dollars. Less. Why? In a nutshell, many of Pennsylvania’s state legislators don’t believethat our students—particularly our students of color—are worthy of a well-funded education. Education is one of the main areas where people show their intractable attitudes towards investing in Black youth. Last year, state Senator John Eichelberger essentially admitted that he doesn’t believe “urban kids” can handle a rigorous education. His remarks were insensitive and exposed his bias and racism. Prejudice like this is hardly unusual, but it matters here because Eichelberger is the chairman of Pennsylvania’s Senate Education Committee. He leads a committee responsible for making policy that is supposed to support all children. But, when you have a tainted mindset, a mindset that sets low expectations for Black children, how can your policies be trusted?
http://phillys7thward.org/2017/09/arent-funding-schools-dont-think-can-learn/
“Hite’s signature academic effort has been a focus on early literacy, with a citywide campaign to get all students to read on grade level by fourth grade. He’s also concentrated efforts on improving the district’s graduation rate, which was at 65 percent in Hite’s first three years as superintendent and inched up to 66 percent in 2015-16.”
Philly superintendent hopes for stability, finally, as school year opens
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer @newskag | kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 — 2:53 PM EDT
Five years into his tenure as schools chief, Hite is — at least, for now — not in the middle of a fiscal crisis. After years of stalemate, he has a contract with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and a brand-new labor pact with the district’s administrators union. “It’s really important to us to maintain focus, to not start new and different things,” he said. “Now, we’re starting to see outcomes.” Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. talks about the 2017-18 school year.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/philly-superintendent-hopes-for-stability-finally-as-school-year-opens-20170901.html
Philly teacher to parents: I've spent thousands on supplies. You can send in some tissues. | Perspective
Inquirer Letter by Jan Cohen, For Philly.com Updated: SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 — 5:17 AM EDT
Jan Cohen teaches Spanish at Kensington High School. This is her sixth year teaching in Philadelphia.
Most Philly kids go back to class today. For the last week, I’ve been setting up my classroom and stocking up on supplies. I’ve already spent triple digits, and as I write this piece, I haven’t even met my students yet. For me, and every teacher I know, this is normal. Education is one of very few career paths in which employees are not provided with the materials needed to do their job. Teachers and the communities we work in, of course, have no control over the budget, the system that dictates that budget, or the amount of supplies provided to us. In order to adequately educate kids, we have to pick up the slack, spending on average $500 on our classrooms annually.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/philly-teacher-to-parents-ive-spent-thousands-on-supplies-you-can-send-in-some-tissues-perspective-20170905.html
Vaux High School reopens as part of Sharswood revival
WHYY Newsworks BY AARON MOSELLE SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
For the first time in nearly four years, students and teachers will show up for classes Tuesday at Roberts Vaux High School in North Philadelphia. In 2013, the School District of Philadelphia shuttered the hulking building as district officials stared down a multimillion-dollar budget gap. Declining enrollment and poor academics landed Vaux on the district's closure list, which included nearly two dozen other schools across the city. This spring, the Philadelphia Housing Authority purchased the school for $2 million with plans to revive it. For PHA president Kelvin Jeremiah, it was a critical piece of his agency's sweeping plan to transform the city's Sharswood section. Without a good school, he said, the project would be "incomplete." "It's important for us to try to transition families and give them opportunities for social and economic mobility. The educational rates in Sharswood are abysmal, and we have failed too many of our young people," Jeremiah said. "This is the time for us to restore some of that." Neighbors and area businesses agree.
Longtime resident Warren Hill, who went to Vaux in the late 1970s, said neighborhood students had to travel to new schools when Vaux closed. "It's like, 'I'm taking away your ability to learn — to enhance your mind, to expand upon knowledge.' It's like, 'We're gonna make it harder for you to obtain the education, which should come to you freely,'" he said. The Philadelphia district has tapped Big Picture Learning, a nonprofit, to manage Vaux, which will . The school will remain public.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/106889-vaux-high-school-reopens-as-part-of-sharswood-revival-?linktype=hp_impact
24 WAYS TO HELP PHILLY SCHOOLS
Make this the year you do your part. Because better schools are better for all of us
Philadelphia Citizen BY ROXANNE PATEL SHEPELAVY SEP. 01, 2017
The start of a new school year is a reminder—despite all else going on in this world—that in Philadelphia, our most vexing, most important, most pertinent issue is still one that in some way affects every single resident: Education. This year, teachers have gone back to their classrooms with a new contract; the District is in better financial shape than recent years; more families are choosing public schools for their children; and so many people, organizations and companies are pitching in to make better schools for everyone. This is all good. But the work of ensuring a fair and good education for all students in the city is far from complete. Yes, it would be great if schools had the leadership, funds, talent and non-academic resources to solve all their own issues—or if the District, that mammoth bureaucracy, had the ability to create real and rapid change where it’s needed. But until that happens, it’s up to all of us to make sure all kids in Philly have what they need to succeed. Here, some ideas to get you started.
http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/24-ways-to-help-philly-schools/
With school about to start, Philly District 'clarifies' uniform policy
Some schools enforced strict rules on dress, while others all but abandoned any requirements.
The notebook by Connie Langland September 1, 2017 — 8:06am
For the last several years, students at Edison/Fareira High School in the Hunting Park neighborhood of Philadelphia have had quite the look: gray pants, yellow shirt, sweater vest sporting the school’s logo, striped tie, black belt, black oxford shoes. But that uniform came at a cost: about $160 for one outfit, including shoes, if the student purchased the items at Cramers Uniforms store on Frankford Avenue, as the school directed on the School District website. Students also need a separate set of gym clothes. “For one child, it adds up,” said Kia Dupree, mother of two Edison students and a Building 21 student. Seventeen years ago, the School District of Philadelphia became the first large school system in the country to institute a school uniform policy, a move intended to help students stay focused on studies rather than clothing fads and to reduce in-school disputes and socioeconomic disparities. In the early years, rules were rather basic: solid-color pants with tops reflecting school colors. But a school-by-school review of current requirements shows wide variation in dress requirements, and some schools, including Edison/Fareira, developed codes mirroring those more often found in the private school sector.
At the same time, some of the District’s more elite schools seem to have tossed aside the uniform requirement.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/09/01/with-school-about-to-start-district-clarifies-uniform-policy
Former academic leader sues Aspira, says she lost job for backing sexual harassment claim
Inquirer by Martha Woodall, Staff Writer @marwooda | martha.woodall@phillynews.com Updated: SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 — 5:49 PM EDT
Aspira Inc. of Pennsylvania has some new legal woes. The Philadelphia-based Latino organization that operates four charter schools in the city and a statewide cyber charter is facing another wrongful termination suit. In a federal civil rights suit filed this week, Lucila Paramo, former interim chief academic officer and former principal of the Aspira Bilingual Cyber Charter School, alleges she was forced out of her job for helping an assistant counselor who lodged a sexual harassment complaint against Alfredo Calderon, Aspira’s CEO. Aspira on Friday denied the allegations in Paramo’s suit. “The board’s decision to not renew Dr. Paramo’s contract was made on my recommendation, and it was based solely on the merits,” Aspira superintendent Andrea Gonzalez-Kirwin said in a statement. “I was not even aware of Dr. Paramo’s allegations until today.” Paramo’s suit said the veteran educator was hired in August 2011 as curriculum director, received praise for her work, and earned several promotions. The complaint alleges that things changed in November 2014, when Paramo helped an assistant counselor at the cyber school file a sexual harassment complaint against Calderon and backed the woman during an internal investigation.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/former-academic-leader-sues-aspira-says-she-lost-her-job-for-backing-sexual-harassment-claim-20170901.html
Guest Column: New push in education is picking up STEAM
Delco Times By Stephanie Goforth and Andrew Kalahanis, Times Guest Columnists POSTED: 09/04/17, 7:43 PM EDT | UPDATED: 7 HRS AGO
Stephanie Goforth is the Arts and Humanities Conservatory manager and Andrew Kalahanis is the Director of Innovative Programs at Commonwealth Charter Academy, a public cyber charter school with more than 8,000 students across Pennsylvania.
Everyone from astronauts and lab researchers to video game designers and science teachers knows that exploring ways to solve problems and develop new products involves creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. It’s one of the reasons that it’s important in public education to ensure that students study science and arts to prepare for careers of the future. In fact, it’s part of the reason we are seeing a new approach taking hold with what’s called STEAM education. While many people are familiar with STEM education — science, technology, engineering and math — STEAM adds the crucial element of the arts to the equation. Quite frankly, if schools teach a STEM curriculum without including the arts, their students are being shortchanged. Students of all ages should be encouraged to participate in STEM and arts activities. At Commonwealth Charter Academy, a public cyber charter school, we offer students hands-on activities, workshops, lectures from professionals in the field, special events and job-shadow opportunities in areas of their career interests. We strive to bring real-world experience to everything that we teach, including placing students at internships with businesses in their communities. It allows our learners to build an appreciation of why they’re studying the subjects they’re studying and gain an idea of the multitude of career options available.
http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20170904/guest-column-new-push-in-education-is-picking-up-steam
Study shows potential unintended effects of charter school movement
PHYS.org Provided by University of Kansas September 2, 2017
Increases in charter school enrollment in Pennsylvania have led to a decrease in property tax revenue in public school districts of about 9.5% from 2005 to 2012, according to a study led by a University of Kansas researcher. "Most discussions surrounding charter schools involve performance, such as testing data and graduation rates, but we know virtually nothing about the interaction between charter and public schools," said Eric Shannon, a doctoral student in the KU School of Public Affairs & Administration. He said the research is important because it remains unclear whether policymakers understand the effects of charter schools on the finances of traditional public schools. Shannon will present his research on Sept. 2 at the 2017 American Political Science Association annual meeting in San Francisco. He also serves as a research assistant at the KU Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis.
https://phys.org/news/2017-09-potential-unintended-effects-charter-school.amp
“The fallout from Trump's decision could also affect the lives of children born here in the U.S. About 4 million students in the nation's public and private schools, roughly 7 percent of all K-12 students, are the children of undocumented immigrants, the Washington-based Pew Research Center estimates. ..,The National Immigration Law Center estimates that 65,000 undocumented youth graduate from high school each year.”
Trump Reportedly Plans to End DACA With 6-Month Delay
Education Week By Corey Mitchell on September 4, 2017 8:48 PM
President Donald Trump plans to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that gives protection to immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, according to multiple media reports. Trump could wait six months to formally dismantle the DACA program, allowing Congress time to find a legislative solution to address the status of the so-called Dreamers, the young undocumented people who benefit from the program. Politico first reported the news of Trump's plan to end the program. It was not immediately clear what would happen to people who currently have work permits under the program, or whose permits expire between now and the end of March. The White House is expected to make a formal announcement on the fate of DACA on Tuesday. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to repeal DACA—and he appears to have kept his word.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2017/09/trump_plans_to_end_daca.html
Undocumented Teachers Shielded by DACA in Legal and Emotional Limbo
Education Week By Corey Mitchell February 17, 2017 | Updated: February 21, 2017
Jose Gonzalez’s parents brought him to the United States from Mexico just before his second birthday. In the 23 years since, he graduated high school with honors, earned an Ivy League degree, and received recognition from the Obama White House for his work teaching students in immigrant-filled Los Angeles charter schools. Now, Gonzalez faces a potentially cruel twist of fate: he could go from being lauded by the White House to being a target for deportation as part of President Donald Trump’s widespread immigration crackdown. Before joining Teach For America in 2014, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Trump’s alma mater. “Honestly, it kind of makes having been honored by the White House a bit of a joke. It feels like a slap in the face,” said Gonzalez, a 6th grade math teacher at Community Charter Middle School in Los Angeles. Gonzalez is among the more than 700,0000 undocumented immigrants awaiting word on the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, an Obama-administration policy that grants temporary deportation reprieves and work permits to people brought to the United States illegally as children.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/02/17/undocumented-teachers-shielded-by-daca-in-legal.html
The Teachers Union’s Public Enemy No. 1
Betsy DeVos is Trump’s stylistic opposite, but she stirs more antagonism than any other cabinet member.
Wall Street Journal By James Taranto Sept. 1, 2017 6:07 p.m. ET
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos liked what she saw Tuesday when she visited a pair of schools in Florida’s capital. When we met that afternoon, she had just come from the Florida State University School, a K-12 charter sponsored by the FSU College of Education. “I had a little roundtable with teachers,” she says. They raved about the school’s culture, which enables them “to be free to innovate and try things in the classroom that don’t necessarily conform with the instructor in the next classroom.” Earlier in the day Mrs. DeVos had been at Holy Comforter Episcopal, a parochial school that serves pupils from prekindergarten through eighth grade. “They started STEM programs before STEM became the cool thing to do,” she says, “and it was just great to visit a variety of the classrooms and see some of the fun things that they’re doing to get kids interested.” Local officials in this heavily Democratic area were less enthusiastic. “It’s obvious that the secretary and our federal government have very little respect for our traditional public-school system,” Rocky Hanna, Leon County’s superintendent of schools, groused to the Tallahassee Democrat. “And it’s insulting that she’s going to visit the capital of the state of Florida, to visit a charter school, a private school and a voucher school.” (A correction on the newspaper’s website noted that she did not visit the voucher school, Bethel Christian Academy, but rather attended a “private roundtable event” at the church center that houses it.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-teachers-unions-public-enemy-no-1-1504303675
Schwarzenegger’s bipartisan next political act: Terminating gerrymandering
San Francisco Chronicle by Joe Garofoli | on September 4, 2017
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a master at marketing, having scaled to the top of three different professions. But these days, the former bodybuilder and movie star is taking on perhaps his biggest sales challenge since he made “Last Action Hero”: He’s trying to get people to care about redistricting, the critical but arcane process of drawing political districts. How those boundaries are drawn, block by block, once every decade, can determine which party controls the state legislatures and Congress. In many states, the process is overseen by a few politicians or whichever party dominates the legislature. That often leads to gerrymandering — districts created to favor a single party. This distortion perpetuates a system in which 98 percent of House members are regularly re-elected in politically safe districts and is a big reason gridlock continues in Washington: The same players return year after year with no real fear of competition at home.
That lack of competition, Schwarzenegger said, has made voters think the system is rigged. And that frustration, he said, led many to vote for President Trump. “People elected an outsider because of frustration,” Schwarzenegger said. “That’s one way of reaction. The other way is to fix the system.” The 70-year-old is at the forefront of a push to change that system.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/amp/Schwarzenegger-s-bipartisan-next-political-act-12170898.php
“The schools began expanding internationally in 1993, and at one point there were Gulen-linked schools, cultural centers or language programs in more than 100 countries. In the United States, it’s the largest group of so-called charter schools, which receive tax funds. It has about 140 schools in 28 states, taking in more than $2.1 billion from taxpayers.”
Turkey on Diplomatic Push to Close Schools Linked to Influential Cleric
Voice of America by Paul Alexander Last Updated: September 01, 2017 8:26 PM
WASHINGTON — Turkey has been pressuring countries around the world to close or hand over control of schools linked to an influential Muslim cleric who was a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before becoming his most worrisome foe. Influential and polarizing, Fethullah Gulen has been accused of being behind a corruption probe of Erdogan’s government in 2013, which shattered their friendship. He also is accused of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey that left 250 people dead and 2,200 injured. The reclusive 76-year-old cleric denies those allegations. He espouses a moderate form of Islam with an eye on political clout, and he built a financial empire in Turkey that included banks, media, construction companies and schools. He is reported to have 3 million to 6 million followers in Turkey, including high-ranking government and military officials.
https://www.voanews.com/a/turkey-erdogan-gulen-schools/4010073.html
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
Jonathan Cetel: Founding
executive director of PennCAN
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.
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
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