Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition
team members, superintendents, school solicitors, principals, PTO/PTA officers,
parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations,
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA
Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 2, 2017:
“Plan puts teachers in 1 of 4 categories:
Under House Bill 178, a new, economic
layoff process would divide teachers into four classes based on their
performance evaluations from the most recent two years.
• Class 1 teachers — those who have been
rated “unsatisfactory” for two straight years — would be the first to which
districts might turn for economic layoffs.
• The second group at risk of layoffs
would fall into Class 2, which would include teachers who have received
one “unsatisfactory” rating and one “satisfactory” one.
• Class 3 teachers would be those deemed
“proficient” or “distinguished” during one year and “needs improvement” during
the other.
• The teachers most protected from
layoffs for economic reasons would be Class 4 teachers — those who are rated
“distinguished” in both years or “distinguished” in one year and “proficient”
in the other.
The proposed law would require school
districts to give advance notice of economic furloughs and mandates the
furloughing of an equal number of administrators and teachers.”
HB178:
Pennsylvania teachers unions urge veto of School Code bill that would weaken
seniorityTrib Live by NATASHA LINDSTROM | Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, 6:21 p.m.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf did not indicate Wednesday whether he would sign or veto an omnibus school code bill over a controversial provision regarding teacher layoff rules.
Teachers unions statewide are urging Gov. Tom Wolf
to veto an omnibus school code bill over a controversial provision that could
strip teachers with subpar performance ratings of their job security — no
matter how long they've been teaching. The proposed Pennsylvania School Code
awaiting action on Wolf's desk contains a provision that would give financially
struggling school districts the power to lay off teachers based on evaluations
as opposed to seniority. Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President Nina
Esposito-Visgitis said Wednesday that she fears the proposed changes would spur
school boards statewide to increase class sizes and further exacerbate teacher
shortages. “I worry that districts would manufacture an economic crisis to lay
off highly effective teachers, and we know that experience matters in teaching,
like it does in a lot of fields,” Esposito-Visgitis said. “We don't want a
revolving door of less-experienced teachers.”
Speaker Mike Turzai @RepTurzai 22h22 hours ago
Governor Wolf should sign the School Code bill, which passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support! http://goo.gl/HL4TLc
HB 178:
School Code Bill Summary
PASA Website by By Hannah Barrick, PASA Legislative
Liaison
Pennsylvania
GOP leaders seek stay of redistricting lawsuit
Morning Call by the Associated Press November 1,
2017
Republican leaders in Pennsylvania's General Assembly on Wednesday
asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put on ice
a federal lawsuit challenging the state's congressional districts approved
after the 2010 census. House Speaker Mike Turzai and Senate
President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati asked
Justice Samuel Alito in a filing
for a stay of the lawsuit by five Pennsylvania voters against the governor and
elections officials. The request said a trial in the case could occur in about
a month, as the justices are considering a Wisconsin gerrymandering case with
what they call "substantively identical claims." A lawyer for the
plaintiffs said Wednesday they oppose the request to Alito and said they were
prepared to respond. The Republican leaders, who were granted a request to
intervene in the federal case, want it stopped until a similar Commonwealth
Court lawsuit over the districts is resolved — and that case is mostly on hold
pending a decision in the Wisconsin lawsuit. Lawyers for Turzai and Scarnati
argued the Wisconsin decision could render the Pennsylvania lawsuit moot, or
narrow its issues.
Kenney to
propose ending SRC and returning to a local school board
Kenney to make speech Thursday before Council
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa and Avi
Wolfman-Arent November 2, 2017 — 12:00am
Mayor Jim Kenney plans to replace Philadelphia’s
School Reform Commission with a local school board appointed by him and approved
by City Council. Kenney will outline his proposal in a speech Thursday morning,
according to a handful of his advisors. It is the clearest sign yet that the
SRC -- a 16-year experiment in state control over Philadelphia’s public schools
-- will end soon. According to documents released Wednesday and the statements
from city officials, it appears likely Kenney will also outline a plan Thursday
to raise more city money for schools. “The District is now in a situation in which it has
already made painful cuts and one of its two primary funders, the Commonwealth,
is mired in budget stalemates,” says a document outlining the city’s plans
shared with reporters Wednesday evening. “This makes the other major funder,
the city of Philadelphia, the only realistic source of substantial new funding
for the School District. Mayor Kenney believes that the City can and must
commit to this investment to protect and accelerate the District’s progress. In
return, Philadelphians deserve the greater accountability which local control
will provide.”
CBS Philly KYW November 1, 2017 9:57 PM By
Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) —Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will call for the
dissolution of the School Reform Committee (SRC), and a return to local
control, in an address to city council on Thursday. The mechanics of the long-anticipated move were
outlined in a briefing by the mayor’s policy director Jim Engler, late
Wednesday. It begins with the SRC, at its next meeting, November 16,
recommending to the state education secretary that it be dissolved. The
secretary has until the end of the year to consider the recommendation but it
is expected he will accept it and the SRC will cease to exist on June 30,
2018, at which point a nine-member Board of Education appointed by the Mayor
would take over. “For too long we have had a system that is unaccountable,” the
mayor writes in his presentation to council, noting the SRC’s structure– three
state-appointed members and two locally appointed members – diffuses
responsibility. “With a return to local control the people of Philadelphia will
finally be able to hold one person accountable for their school system, the
mayor.”
“On Nov. 16, the five-member SRC will
consider a vote to dissolve itself, and Kenney is confident that it will be
approved. The state Secretary of Education would certify the dissolution by
Dec. 31, a move that seems a given with Gov. Wolf on record supporting local
control for Philadelphia schools. The SRC would cease to exist on June 30.”
Mayor to
seize control of Philly schools - and pay for them
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff
Writer @newskag | kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: NOVEMBER
2, 2017 — 5:10 AM EDT
Mayor Kenney is set to announce that the city is
taking back its public schools — and is promising to pay for them. In an
address to City Council planned for Thursday morning, the mayor will outline
the end of the state-dominated School Reform Commission and a path to local
control of the Philadelphia School District by July 1, administration officials
confirmed Wednesday night. He will also pledge to have the city cover much of
the $1 billion deficit the school system is projecting over five years. Kenney
has made education the centerpiece of his administration, and seizing control
of the schools after 16 years of state takeover would cement that. The mayor,
in a letter to the public to be released Thursday, said the SRC has made for a
system with no accountability. The commission also has presided over cycles of
stability and investment in schools followed by instability and deep cuts that
officials said must end. “With a return to local control, the people of
Philadelphia will finally be able to hold one person accountable for their
school system, the mayor,” Kenney wrote.
Here's how
regular folks can buy basketball hoops and computers for city kids
by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer @newskag | kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: NOVEMBER
1, 2017 — 2:16 PM EDT
Muñoz-Marin Elementary kids play on a big
stretch of blacktop that has two backboards but no basketball hoops. Principal
Ariel Lajara wants to buy them, but that costs $650 he doesn’t have. At Overbrook Educational Center, a Philadelphia
School District school where nearly 100 blind and visually impaired children
are educated, principal Meredith Foote dreams of buying Braille printers and
other technology that will help level the playing field for her kids. Price
tag: $42,500. And at Francis Scott Key Elementary, principal
Pauline Cheung hopes for $5,000 to buy musical instruments for her new music
program. The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, the philanthropic
arm of the school system, on Wednesday unveiled an online
platform that allows the public to fund such projects directly, bypassing the
school system bureaucracy and allowing for maximum impact.
Want to
donate to Philly schools? New system makes it easy
Philly FUNDamentals allows anyone to easily
find a school and project to support, said Mayor Kenney.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa November 1, 2017 —
3:59pm
Pauline Cheung is principal of Francis Scott Key
Elementary School in South Philadelphia, which is housed in a building
that dates to the presidency of Chester Arthur (1881-1885). But it still
reverberates daily with the sound of 500 K-6 students, many of whom come
from families from such places as Nepal and Burma and Mexico.
Collectively, the students speak more than 20 languages, and half are
still learning English. Her heart's desire is a library with children's books
from her students' countries and cultures – not just written in their home
languages, but also telling stories "that reflect their experiences and
journeys," as she put it. "Some grew up in refugee camps,"
she said. She is seeking $15,000 for this project. Chueng was one of
several principals attending the kickoff of a new initiative of the Fund for
the School District of Philadelphia called Philly FUNDamentals, which allows
potential donors to find a school and a project that appeals to them so they
can contribute to it directly.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/11/01/want-to-donate-to-philly-schools-new-system-makes-it-easy
Notebook
board member honored at literacy event
The notebook by Staff report November 1, 2017 —
4:35pm
Eli Goldblatt is a professor at Temple
University and a member of the Notebook board of directors.
Tree House Books is
honoring Notebook board member Eli Goldblatt as a champion of
literacy at a Nov. 1 event. This literary group is working to put a book in the
hands of every child in Philadelphia, in addition to sparking “a lifelong love
of reading and writing in children from their earliest moments, through high
school, and beyond.” Located just a few blocks from Temple University,
the group promotes literacy, and with the help of volunteers, it puts on
activities designed to encourage reading and writing outside of the
classroom. According to a news release, the award is given
to people that “believe inside every child is a reader, writer, and thinker.
Champions of Literacy believe it takes all of us, working together, to provide
the tools for our children to become who they are meant to be, with every
opportunity to pursue their dreams.” Goldblatt, a professor of English and writing at
Temple, was one of the founding board members at Tree House Books and has
worked extensively with the organizations for the last 12 years.
Rules
changed for Philly school volunteers
They will no longer be "mandatory
reporters" of suspected child abuse.
The notebook by Greg Windle November 1, 2017 —
3:31pm
School volunteers are no longer legally liable for
failing to report signs of child abuse to authorities, they learned in an email
from the District on Monday. Officially, volunteers are now considered
“permissive reporters,” people who are encouraged to report but who can’t be
charged criminally for failing to report signs of child abuse or neglect. Their
former role was as “mandatory reporters,” like teachers, who potentially face
criminal charges if they fail to report signs of child abuse or neglect. “Volunteers
are not classified as mandated reporters by the state, and after receiving
strong feedback from families, staff members, and community members about the
potential negative and legal implications of making volunteers mandated
reporters, the District decided to make volunteers permissive reporters
instead,” said District spokesman Lee Whack in a statement. “The District is
still providing volunteers with an overview of child abuse recognition and
reporting procedures, along with their role as permissive reporters, through
the mandatory Volunteer Orientation.”
Citizens Voice BY MICHAEL P. BUFFER / PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 1, 2017
Berwick Area High School is one of four public high
schools in the state to be recognized as a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School. It’s
the first time a school in the Berwick Area School District won a National Blue
Ribbon, often considered the most prestigious recognition given to schools in
the U.S. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Sept. 28 recognized 342
schools — 18 in Pennsylvania — as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2017. The
recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in
closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The district says on its
website that the “National Blue Ribbon is the culmination of five years of
progress in moving the entire student body forward through increased rigor,
remediation for struggling students and an emphasis on bolstering the Advanced
Placement and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum.”
Betsy
DeVos’ Unexcused Absences
The education secretary’s publicly released
schedule contains just a fraction of her daily events and meetings.
US News By Lauren
Camera, Education Reporter |Oct. 31, 2017, at 5:37
p.m.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the public
schedule of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that's posted
to her department's website had not been updated for more than a week, showing
events on dates that ranged from Monday, Oct. 16 through Friday, Oct. 20. The
schedule reads for each day that week, "There are no public events
scheduled at this time." If civically engaged citizens wanted to keep tabs
on what the secretary was doing on a day-to-day basis – and since DeVos'
confirmation, many are watching closely – there would have been no way for them
to know, for example, that she was scheduled to give remarks at the 2017
National Future Farmers of America Convention in Indianapolis on Oct. 27 at 8
a.m.. There was also no notice that week of a roundtable that DeVos convened on
Oct. 25, at which parents, advocates from the disability community and at least
one member of Congress discussed how the Education Department could best serve
students with disabilities.
Save the
Date: Pitt Johnstown to host Funding Lawsuit Panel at Murtha Center on campus
November 15th at 7:00 pm
November School
Leader Advocacy Training
PASA, PASBO, PSBA, the Pennsylvania
Principals Association, the PARSS and PAIU are offering five, full-day School Leader Advocacy Training sessions at the
following locations:
Monday, November 6 – Capital Area I.U. 15 (Summerdale)
Tuesday, November 7 – Luzerne I.U. 18 (Kingston)
Wednesday, November 15 – Berks County I.U. 14 (Reading)
Thursday, November 16 – Midwestern I.U. 4 (Grove City)
Friday, November 17 – Westmoreland I.U. 7 (Greensburg)
Take advantage of this great opportunity – at NO cost to you!
REGISTER TODAY at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolLeaderTraining.
Monday, November 6 – Capital Area I.U. 15 (Summerdale)
Tuesday, November 7 – Luzerne I.U. 18 (Kingston)
Wednesday, November 15 – Berks County I.U. 14 (Reading)
Thursday, November 16 – Midwestern I.U. 4 (Grove City)
Friday, November 17 – Westmoreland I.U. 7 (Greensburg)
Take advantage of this great opportunity – at NO cost to you!
REGISTER TODAY at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolLeaderTraining.
Cyber Charter School Application; Public Hearing November 20
Pennsylvania Bulletin Saturday, October 14, 2017 NOTICES - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Pennsylvania Bulletin Saturday, October 14, 2017 NOTICES - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The Department of
Education (Department) has scheduled one date for a public hearing regarding a
cyber charter school application that was received on or before October 2,
2017. The hearing will be held on November 20,
2017, in Heritage Room A on the lobby level of 333 Market Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17126 at 9 a.m. The hearing pertains to the applicant seeking to operate a
cyber charter school beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. The purpose of the
hearing is to gather information from the applicant about the proposed cyber
charter school as well as receive comments from interested individuals
regarding the application. The name of the applicant, copies of the application
and a listing of the date and time scheduled for the hearing on the application
can be viewed on the Department's web site at www.education.pa.gov. Individuals who wish to provide comments on the
application during the hearing must provide a copy of their written comments to
the Department and the applicant on or before November 6, 2017. Comments
provided by this deadline and presented at the hearing will become part of the
certified record. For questions regarding this hearing, contact the Division of
Charter Schools, (717) 787-9744, charterschools@pa.gov.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education
Cyber Charter School Application for Commonwealth Education Connections Cyber
Charter School 2017
Charter School
Application Submitted: September 27, 2017
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
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
Register
for New School Director Training in December and January
PSBA Website October 2017
You’ve started a challenging and
exciting new role as a school director. Let us help you narrow the learning
curve! PSBA’s New School Director Training provides school directors with
foundational knowledge about their role, responsibilities and ethical
obligations. At this live workshop, participants will learn about key laws,
policies, and processes that guide school board governance and leadership, and
develop skills for becoming strong advocates in their community. Get the tools
you need from experts during this visually engaging and interactive event.
Choose from any of these 10
locations and dates (note: all sessions are held 8 a.m.-4 p.m., unless
specified otherwise.):
·
Dec. 8, Bedford CTC
·
Dec. 8, Montoursville Area High School
·
Dec. 9, Upper St. Clair High School
·
Dec. 9, West Side CTC
·
Dec. 15, Crawford County CTC
·
Dec. 15, Upper Merion MS (8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m)
·
Dec. 16, PSBA Mechanicsburg
·
Dec. 16, Seneca Highlands IU 9
·
Jan. 13, A W Beattie Career Center
·
Jan. 13, Parkland HS
Fees: Complimentary to All-Access
members or $170 per person for standard membership. All registrations will be
billed to the listed district, IU or CTC. To request billing to
an individual, please contact Michelle Kunkel at michelle.kunkel@psba.org. Registration also includes a
box lunch on site and printed resources.
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017
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