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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Oct. 10, 2017:
Every election matters. And even a few votes can make a difference.
Deadline for PA registration is today, October 10.
Reclaiming Our Democracy: The Pennsylvania Conference to End
Gerrymandering Saturday, October 14th, 2017 9:00am-5:00pm Crowne Plaza
Harrisburg, PA
“In the last three school years, 12 of
the state’s 14 cyber charter schools spent more than $21 million combined in
taxpayer dollars promoting their schools, PublicSource found through
Right-to-Know requests.”
Is a charter school public? How do they
get funds? Reader questions answered.
PublicSource By Mary Niederberger
OCT. 10, 2017 PART OF THE SERIES The Charter Effect
For the past two months, PublicSource’s “Charter Effect” series has covered various topics
related to local brick-and-mortar and statewide cyber charter schools. Among
the issues we’ve examined are finances, along with teacher
turnover and transparency. We also wrote about cyber
charter attendance policies and the amount of money charters have spent on
advertising. The project also features an easy-to-use interactive on all of the
brick-and-mortar charter schools in Allegheny County. Along the way, you, our
readers have asked for additional information. We selected five questions you
asked and got the answers for you, based on information from the state
Department of Education and charter school operators.
York
Daily Record Opinion by Charlie Bacas Published 12:31 p.m. ET Oct. 9,
2017
When a Supreme Court expands upon
or clarifies the meaning of a few words in a Constitution, it can set in motion
enormous changes. Pennsylvania should get itself ready for just such
changes. On Sept. 28, the state
Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave orders that a group of distressed school
districts be given a chance to go to trial before the Commonwealth Court on
their claim of discrimination by the state in education funding. The
order reversed the Commonwealth Court’s decision of some three years ago to not
hear this case. In the kind of foreshadowing that courts do in legal opinions,
five of the seven high Court judges have signed on to statements that indicate
they are sympathetic to the legal challenges that are before them and that it
is highly likely they will find in favor of the plaintiffs. The question of
fair distribution of education dollars has been a hot-button issue in
Harrisburg ever since suburban home builders in the 1960s began to pivot their
sales on having the best schools. Since those days, a virtually constant
political and cultural battle has waxed and waned in the state Capitol over the
money allocated to the state’s more than 500 school districts.
York
Dispatch by Jason Addy,
505-5437/@JasonAddyYD Published
2:57 p.m. ET Oct. 6, 2017 | Updated
3:41 p.m. ET Oct. 8, 2017
As Republican lawmakers made one
final push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act at the end of
September, federal funding expired for almost 9 million children and teens
covered by the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Congress took no
action to reauthorize the federal program by the Sept. 30 deadline, leaving
more than 176,000 Pennsylvanians at risk of losing their health insurance if
lawmakers do not fund the program within the next few months, according to
the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Since CHIP's inception in 1997,
the reauthorization of CHIP funding has been an easy initiative that generally
has wide bipartisan support, said Jenny Englerth, president and CEO of Family
First Health, a community-based health center with locations in York, Lancaster
and Adams counties. 'No-brainer': The
Children’s Health Insurance Program provides free or low-cost health insurance
options for children in families who earn too much money to qualify for
Medicaid but do not have access to health coverage through other means.
Radnor Township School District School Board Urges Community to Vote “No” on Constitutional Amendment Question on Nov. 7 Ballot
Radnor Township School District Website Updated October 9, 2017
“As worded, the amendment language on the ballot does not present the full scope of its impact,” reads a news release from the district in part. “Should it pass, a path would be paved for the PA General Assembly to pursue legislation that would eliminate school property taxes, which in turn would significantly reduce our ability to control how our schools operate.” Following a resolution passed by the Radnor Township School District School Board in February 2017 and a corresponding information campaign that encouraged community members to oppose the elimination of school property taxes, the Board continues to advocate for local control of RTSD schools by asking all Radnor citizens to vote “no” on a proposed amendment* to the Pennsylvania Constitution that will be included on the November 7 ballot. The Board voted to begin a campaign to inform the community of this constitutional ballot question at its September 26 monthly business meeting.
http://bit.ly/votenoonamendment
Gerrymandering, 'political laser surgery,'
stokes fresh ire, legal fights
Inquirer by Colt Shaw, STAFF WRITER Updated: OCTOBER 9, 2017 — 3:44
PM EDT
The proposal — letting a
nonpartisan citizens commission, rather than politicians, draw lines
for electoral districts — isn’t novel. It was presented by Carol Kuniholm,
the executive director of Fair Districts PA, last week in Center City at a forum
that focused on gerrymandering — a practice in which a party in power contorts
legislative and congressional boundaries to its electoral advantage. Complaints
about gerrymandering, a name derived from a 19th century Massachusetts governor
and U.S. vice president who was a notorious practitioner, date to nearly the
founding of the republic, notes David Thornburgh, head of the nonpartisan
political watchdog group the Committee of Seventy. What is different these days
is that the practices and the efforts to change them have reached perhaps
unprecedented levels, said Thornburgh, who participated in that forum at the
Pyramid Club, 52 floors above the streets of Center City, which included business
and civic leaders. And this has been a particularly brisk period. Lawsuits have
been filed all over the country, and the Pyramid Club session was held on the
evening after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on gerrymandering, and the
night before the commonwealth considered a petition on redistricting. “People
are really fed up with how the parties have manipulated this process in a way
that doesn’t seem to be serving the people,” Thornburgh said in an interview on
Monday. And Pennsylvania, a political battleground state, has become a
battleground in the debate over gerrymandering.
The
Supreme Court and gerrymandering: what it means for Pennsylvania
The Keystone State has some of
the worst gerrymanders in the country
BY JOHN KOPP PhillyVoice Staff OCTOBER 06, 2017
A political gerrymandering
lawsuit heard Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court could have implications on
Pennsylvania's congressional districts, which are considered among the most
gerrymandered in the country. But experts say any ruling is unlikely to impact
the 2018 election in Pennsylvania, even if the Supreme Court determines that
state legislative districts in Wisconsin are unconstitutional. The Supreme
Court is considering a case that claims Wisconsin legislators overstepped legal
boundaries by redrawing districts to favor Republicans. A decision is
anticipated early next year. But the decision will almost definitely come too
late to impact Pennsylvania congressional races in 2018, including in the
Seventh Congressional District, which CNN labeled the worst gerrymander in the nation.
State
College Area school board delays vote on extended day plan
Centre Daily Times BY
LEON VALSECHI lvalsechi@centredaily.com OCT 09, 2017
11:41 PM
The State College Area school
board on Monday decided it needs more time to develop the extended school day
proposal. The final vote, which was slated for Monday, has been pushed back to
a later date, yet to be decided. The board made the decision after an update on
the transportation component of the proposal delivered by Randy Brown, finance
and operations officer, and an update on the potential fifth special subject at
the elementary level delivered by Vernon Bock, assistant superintendent of
elementary education. Under the proposal, the elementary start time moves 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. 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. In April, the district contracted Tyler
Technologies, of Latham, N.Y., to conduct a transportation study to analyze any
transportation changes that would need to occur if the proposal is implemented.
Schools celebrate musical gifts from
Grammy-nominated classical pianist
Lang Lang donated keyboards,
materials, and money to support instruction. He studied at the Curtis Institute
in Philadelphia and considers the city a second home.
The notebook by Evan Durant October 9,
2017 — 4:25pm
News of a grant from
Grammy-nominated classical pianist Lang Lang's International Music Foundation
is music to the ears of Kimberly Yocum, general music teacher at Francis Scott
Key Elementary in South Philadelphia. The money is critical to Francis Scott
Key, which was on the brink of shutting down its music department. "We
have already received the keyboards," said Yocum. "And the grant
money will go towards my salary to keep the department alive, allowing me to
keep my job." Grants were awarded to three schools in Philadelphia this
year: Francis Scott Key Elementary, Thomas Holme Elementary, and Luis
Muñoz Marín Elementary. They each received a $130,000 grant that includes a
state-of-the-art Roland piano lab, workbooks, materials, and a check for $30,000.
A check in the same amount will be received annually for the next three years,
and that money is specifically to be used to further music education. The grant
awards were celebrated at Thomas Holme Elementary, which welcomed Lang
with a short concert featuring two alumni, Maxim Lando and Avery Lin Gagliano.
Students from Ben Franklin see history
take flight
A visit to the city's Leonardo
aircraft plant also reveals a world of career possibilities.
The notebook by Darryl C. Murphy October
9, 2017 — 12:48pm
Last week, Benjamin Franklin High
School students witnessed history in the making.
Eighteen students from the
school’s Advanced Manufacturing & Technology program toured the
helicopter division of Leonardo, a company based in Italy that
specializes in aerospace, defense, and security, and saw the prototype of
the first new helicopter type in 50 years. The AW609 Tiltrotor is the first
commercial aircraft designed to act as a hybrid of a helicopter and an
airplane. It is being built right here in Philadelphia, and the students from
Ben Franklin were quite impressed with what they saw. Some even started
considering a future at the company. “I am thinking about all of the
possibilities,” said Richmond Hamilton, a sophomore in Ben Franklin’s
Computer-Aided Drafting & Design program. “I can see myself down there
working.” The field trip was organized by
the city’s Chamber of Commerce and Ben Franklin High School to celebrate
Manufacturing Month in Philadelphia. With the trip, state and city
officials hope to raise awareness of the local career opportunities awaiting
students.
Gov. Tom Wolf did what he
had to do on state budget
Lancaster Online Editorial by The
LNP Editorial Board Oct 9, 2017
THE ISSUE - Democratic Gov. Tom
Wolf said Wednesday that he is tired of waiting for Republican lawmakers to
produce a plan to wipe out a projected $2.2 billion deficit and will look to
borrow $1.2 billion against profits from the state-controlled liquor system to
help patch it, The Associated Press reported. The state Legislature has failed
to produce a spending plan to pay for the new $32 billion budget passed in
June. Wolf said his moves will be immediate. By his own admission, Gov. Wolf is not a patient man. He
is, after all, a businessman, unaccustomed to having to machete his way through
a bureaucratic jungle to accomplish what should be routine tasks. In state
government, there should be nothing more basic than coming up with a plan to
pay for the budget you’ve already passed. So, we’d say Wolf was justified when
he finally blew his cork. “Too many Republicans in the Legislature are more
focused on the 2018 elections than on helping Pennsylvania succeed,” Wolf said
at a press conference last week. “They’d rather see me fail than Pennsylvania
succeed. They’d rather protect special interests, they’d rather protect
lobbyists and campaign donors than do the right thing. I’m not going to play
their games anymore, so I’m drawing a line in the sand.”
Gov. Wolf's scary fairy tale, but it's for
real
Philly Daily News by John Baer, STAFF COLUMNIST baerj@phillynews.com updated: OCTOBER 9, 2017 — 5:50 AM EDT
The 47th governor
of Pennsylvania, the 14th Democrat to hold the office, is
suddenly making some noise. To some it sounds like clucking. For as we pass 100
days with no state budget and no signs of settlement, Gov. Wolf is playing the
Little Red Hen. You know the story. Couldn’t get anybody to help her do
anything so she did it all herself. Well, we now have Wolf: “Who will help me
raise money to clean up the deficit I created last year?” “Not I,” said the
House Republicans. Or: “Who will help me balance our
new budget with a shale severance tax?” “Not I,” said the legislature,
including House Democrats and moderate Republicans who couldn’t even move a
shale-tax bill from committee. “Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red …,
I mean, said Wolf. And he announced he’ll pay for the deficit and balance the
budget all on his own. For starters, he’ll borrow $1.25 billion to be paid back
over 20 years with profits from our arcane booze system run by the Liquor
Control Board (LCB), which, along with our legislature, is another suspect arm
of a less-than-laudatory government.
Pa. House speaker accuses Gov. Wolf of
pursuing 'formula for failure' in new video | Monday Morning Coffee
Penn
Live By John L. Micek jmicek@pennlive.com
Updated on October 9, 2017 at 8:32 AM Posted on October 9, 2017 at 8:30 AM
Good Monday Morning,
Fellow Seekers.Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai isn't running for governor - at least not yet, maybe never - but in a new video posted to his official Facebook page, the suburban Pittsburgh Republican is looking and sounding a lot like a candidate. In a more than three-minute attack spot that finds Turzai standing in front of some strategically placed blight in Allison Hill, the House's presiding officer laces into Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, whom he accuses of pursuing a "formula for failure" in budget talks that have dragged on for nearly four months. "It's time some of us put our careers and our reputations on the line by saying no more. No more taxes. No more unaccountable, uncontrolled spending. No more gimmicks," Turzai says in the clip.
“U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
has championed charters and for-profit education, contending in
congressional testimony that school choice can lower
absenteeism and dropout rates. But at schools like Capital, a ProPublica-USA
Today investigation found, the drop-outs rarely drop in—and if they do, they
don’t stay long.”
Betsy DeVos Champions For-Profit Schools That Are Deceiving
Taxpayers and Vulnerable Students
At-risk students are aggressively recruited, and then
counted as fully enrolled—even when they don’t show up.
Mother Jones
by HEATHER
VOGELL OCT. 10, 2017 6:00 AM
This story was originally co-published
by ProPublica and USA Today.
Last school year, Ohio’s
cash-strapped education department paid Capital High $1.4 million in taxpayer
dollars to teach students on the verge of dropping out. But on a Thursday in
May, students’ workstations in the storefront charter school run by for-profit
EdisonLearning resembled place settings for a dinner party where most guests
never arrived. n one room, empty chairs faced 25 blank computer monitors. Just
three students sat in a science lab down the hall, and nine more in an unlit
classroom, including one youth who sprawled out, head down, sleeping. Only three of the more than 170
students on Capital’s rolls attended class the required five hours that day,
records obtained by ProPublica show. Almost two-thirds of the school’s students
never showed up; others left early. Nearly a third of the roster failed to
attend class all week. Some stay away even longer. ProPublica reviewed 38 days
of Capital High’s records from late March to late May and found six students
skipped 22 or more days straight with no excused absences. Two were gone the
entire 38-day period. Under state rules, Capital should have unenrolled them
after 21 consecutive unexcused absences. Across the nation, roughly 6 percent
of young people ages 16 to 24 are considered dropouts because they neither
attend high school nor hold a diploma. Many more teeter on the brink of
leaving. Though the school is largely funded on a per-student basis, the
no-shows didn’t hurt the school’s revenue stream. Capital billed and received
payment from the state for teaching the equivalent of 171 students full time in
May.
Hosted by Take Action Give 5 and POWER Saturday, October 21 at 1 PM - 4 PM
Penn Wood Senior High School 100 Green Ave, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania 19050
Help Make Education in Delco More
Fair! Pennsylvania has the most unfair education funding in the US. This
affects every one of us. Join us October 21 to learn how you can make a
difference!
POWER Interfaith and Take Action Give 5 are pleased to invite you to a free event designed to educate and activate Delaware County citizens on issues related to education equity in our schools, county, and state. The Take Action Community Forum on Education Equity will be held Saturday, October 21st from 1-4 pm at Penn Wood High School, 100 Green Avenue, Lansdowne. We will host a panel of dynamic and illustrious speakers to explain why such education inequity exists in PA, offer ways to get involved, and answer audience questions. After the panel, our engaged and motivated audience will learn how to get involved with organizations working for education equity Delco. We aim to connect local activists - those new to the game and those with a lifetime of experience - with education equity advocacy and direct service organizations in Delco. Click here for list of panelists.
POWER Interfaith and Take Action Give 5 are pleased to invite you to a free event designed to educate and activate Delaware County citizens on issues related to education equity in our schools, county, and state. The Take Action Community Forum on Education Equity will be held Saturday, October 21st from 1-4 pm at Penn Wood High School, 100 Green Avenue, Lansdowne. We will host a panel of dynamic and illustrious speakers to explain why such education inequity exists in PA, offer ways to get involved, and answer audience questions. After the panel, our engaged and motivated audience will learn how to get involved with organizations working for education equity Delco. We aim to connect local activists - those new to the game and those with a lifetime of experience - with education equity advocacy and direct service organizations in Delco. Click here for list of panelists.
Reclaiming Our Democracy: The Pennsylvania
Conference to End
GerrymanderingSaturday, October 14th, 2017 | 9:00am-5:00pm Crowne Plaza Harrisburg, PA
Crowne Plaza Harrisburg-Hershey 23 S 2nd St. Harrisburg, PA
Join us for a one-day redistricting conference in Harrisburg for volunteers, supporters, academics, press and legislators. Gubernatorial candidates, legislative leaders and national redistricting experts have been invited to speak about gerrymandering and the potential for reform. In the afternoon there will be breakout sessions on redistricting issues of interest, including new gerrymandering standards and details on litigation in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and other states.
https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/events/2017/10/14/reclaiming-our-democracy-the-pennsylvania-conference-to-end-gerrymandering
Seventh Annual Pennsylvania Arts and Education Symposium, November 2, 2017 Camp Hill
The 2017 Pennsylvania Arts and Education will be held on Thursday, November 2, 2017 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center in Camp Hill. See the agenda here.
Early Bird Registration ends September 30.
https://www.eplc.org/pennsylvania-arts-education-network/
The Road to College Success for
Students from Underserved Communities
Philadelphia School Partnership Posted
on October 2, 2017
Wednesday, October 18th 6:30-8pm National Constitution
Center Kirby Theater
525 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
525 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
How do we prepare students for
what comes after their college acceptance? How do we equip them with the skills
they need to graduate and continue into the workforce? For years, author
Richard Whitmire has crossed the country, analyzing how a variety of schools
address this question. Join us as we sit down with him and Drexel Professor
Paul Harrington to discuss how leading urban high schools are helping
first-generation college goers beat the odds and achieve college success.
Please join us! RSVP to info@philaschool.org by October 6th!
Support the Notebook and see Springsteen on Broadway
The notebook October 2, 2017 — 10:57am
Donate $50 or more until Nov. 10, enter to win – and have your donation doubled!
"This music is forever for me. It's the stage thing, that rush moment that you live for. It never lasts, but that's what you live for." – Bruce Springsteen
You can be a part of a unique Bruce Springsteen show in his career – and support local, nonprofit education journalism! Donate $50 or more to the Notebook through Nov. 10, and your donation will be doubled, up to $1,000, through the Knight News Match. Plus, you will be automatically entered to win a pair of prime tickets to see Springsteen on Broadway! One winner will receive two tickets to the 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, show at the Walter Kerr Theatre. These are amazing orchestra section seats to this incredible sold-out solo performance. Don't miss out on your chance to see the Boss in his Broadway debut. Donate to the Notebook today online or by mail at 699 Ranstead St., 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/10/02/springsteen-on-broadway
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 Is Open for the
2017 Arts and Education Symposium
|
Thursday, November 2, 2017 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center
Registration October 1 to
November 1 - $60; Registration at the Symposium - $70
Full-Time Student Registration (Student ID Required at Symposium Check-In) - $30
Act 48 Credit Available
|
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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