Thursday, November 16, 2017

PA Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 16: AASA CALL-TO-ACTON: Tell House & Senate To VOTE NO To Tax Reform That Guts Support For Public Education

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors, principals, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 16, 2017:



Do you have newly elected board members? Have them register for PSBA’s new school director training sessions to be held throughout the state in December and January.
An additional session has been scheduled in southeastern PA on Saturday, January 6th in the Haverford School District.



Gerrymandering: Two fact-tracked court cases could change the political face of Pennsylvania
By Lindsay Lazarski, WHYY November 15, 2017
With drastic changes to Pennsylvania’s political landscape hanging in the balance, two lawsuits challenging the state’s congressional map are moving forward at rapid speed — one in state courts, the other in federal. After considering motions to intervene, delay and dismiss the cases, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and a three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit have teed the cases up to be heard next month. Both challenges claim the state’s 2011 congressional district map is a partisan gerrymander designed to give Republicans an electoral advantage. Partisan gerrymandering is analogous to a team crafting for itself the ultimate home field advantage.  The home team — the political party that controls the state legislature — decides where the game is played and the boundary lines of the field. And the basic idea is to draw them to ensure that more of your players — voters — are on the field than your opponent’s. In these two lawsuits, petitioners have thrown red flags — challenging the constitutionality of how the home team, in these cases high-ranking Republican lawmakers, drew the lines. If successful, the cases could trigger a new map that would change the makeup of voting districts before the 2018 midterm elections, when all of Pennsylvania’s 18 seats in the U.S House of Representatives are up for grabs.

Get to know your districts, and see what gerrymandering looks like across the state.
Fair Districts PA Website
If you want to see gerrymandering in action, just take a look at Pennsylvania’s district maps. Across the state, you’ll see lines that cut through communities, dividing school districts, neighborhoods, or even city blocks.

Gerrymandering: Fair Districts PA Statewide Calendar of Events

AASA Opposes Tax Cuts And Jobs Act (HR1)
AASA Leading Edge Blog
AASA sent a letter to the House of Representatives outlining our strong opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR1). 
AASA represents public school superintendents, and we are concerned that this bill--as currently drafted--shows little to no regard for the impact of its confluence of changes on our nation's public schools, on the ability of state and local governments' ability to adequately support public infrastructure (including schools), on the reliance of deficit financing to pay for the tax cuts and the impact if will have on federal appropriations, and more. We are not opposed to tax reform as a whole, but believe the House can and must do better to ensure this bill/proposal is bipartisan, deliberate, and transparent, and not rushed through for the sake of compliance with arbitrary timelines. We will continue to monitor the broader tax reform effort for its myriad impacts on public education--both long and short term--and are deeply concerned that the bill being considered this week falls short of this threshold. Read our full letter, and key excerpts are below. As a reminder, earlier this week we led a letter with 42 other national education groups opposing the House and Senate tax bill.
“On behalf of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, representing more than 13,000 public school superintendents across the country, I write to express our opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). We sent a similar letter to the Ways & Means Committee earlier this month and were disappointed to see zero improvements as it relates to the tax bill and its impact on public schools. Our opposition is not to tax reform in whole; rather, it is to specific provisions within the broader proposal that undermine and threaten our nation’s public school system and the students and communities they serve. 
"We urge Congress to rewrite the plan to preserve the state and local tax deduction, to eliminate the proposed expansion of 529 accounts, to protect and preserve Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, and to ensure that in paying for its tax reform, the bill does not negatively or disproportionately impact non-defense discretionary funding, which provides for education. 

AASA CALL-TO-ACTON: Tell House And Senate To VOTE NO To Tax Reform That Guts Support For Public Education
AASA Leading Edge Blog
 Both the House and Senate are considering comprehensive tax reform proposals. The House will vote as early as Thursday November 16th! AASA has reviewed both bills and is opposed to specific provisions which undermine federal support for public education and will negatively impact state and local funding for public schools. To that end, we have a two-prong call to action:

Meehan, Costello back GOP tax overhaul plan
Delco Times By Michael P. Rellahan, mrellahan@21st-centurymedia.com, @ChescoCourtNews on Twitter POSTED: 11/16/17, 4:59 AM EST 
The region’s two moderate Republican congressmen sound like they both plan to back the Republican tax reform when it comes to a floor vote, which is expected today. Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6, of West Goshen said he is voting in favor. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford, while not specifically declaring himself a yes vote, said the measure will help his constituents. “I plan to vote yes,” said Costello in an interview Wednesday. “My priorities are to provide tax cuts for middle-income families and make the tax code more competitive in the global economy. This bill accomplishes those objectives.” Costello, whose district encompasses central, eastern, and northern Chester County, as well as portions of western Montgomery County and parts of Berks and Lebanon counties, had been considered an undeclared voice in the days leading up to the vote. But what he characterized as a thorough review of the bill’s details and the “critiques and criticisms” of the package, which seeks to cut taxes by about $1.5 trillion, that came to him from outside groups and constituents, led him to support it. eehan, who represents the bulk of Delaware County as well as slivers of four other suburban counties, said the measure will be beneficial for his constituents.

“Yes, there are problems with fairness in public school funding — but those can be addressed by finding additional support for poorer districts, not blowing up the system.”
Tax fantasies: Don’t move toward eliminating property taxes
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 12:00 AM NOV 16, 2017
Pennsylvania voters last week approved a ballot measure that could reduce property taxes. The margin was wide, with 54 percent voting in favor. The ballot language presented to voters was complex, even in the “plain English” version crafted to help the public understand it. But for many voters who approved of the measure, it’s probable that the question appeared simple: Does this look like it could lower my taxes? In response, they said, yes, please, sign me up. We were among those urging a No vote on this ballot measure, mainly because it was seeking a constitutional amendment based on many unanswered questions. But we also fundamentally believe that property is an asset that should be subject to tax. Government services provided by property taxes support the value of property; it’s a direct and fair relationship. The funding of public schools is ingrained in property tax; it’s hard to imagine how the system could be upended.

“Unlike school districts, the Legislature lacks limits on the size of its surpluses, and it has declined auditors’ recommendations to enact caps.”
Pennsylvania Legislature sitting on $95 million surplus
The Pennsylvania Legislature is sitting on nearly $95 million in surplus tax dollars for the House, Senate and internal departments, according to an audit partially released today.
Morning Call by Steve Esack Contact Reporter Call Harrisburg Bureau November 15, 2017
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The Pennsylvania Legislature is sitting on at least $95 million in surplus tax dollars for the House, Senate and internal departments, according to an audit released Wednesday.
The audit covered the 2016-17 fiscal year that ended June 30. The 2017 surpluses, scattered among dozens of bank accounts, is about 20 percent lower than the Legislature held in 2016. But that doesn’t mean every legislative entity lost money. Some saw increases in their bottom line by spending less taxpayer money than was earmarked for their operations. The Senate’s and House’s surpluses dropped by 55 percent ($10.6 million) and 37 percent ($35.7 million), respectively, due to an accounting rule change that forced the chambers to book long-term pension and post-retirment costs as part of operational expenses. Those long-term costs total $70.7 million. The Legislature’s surpluses grew in most accounts, the report shows. Ten of 11 Senate bank accounts showed fund increases, as did two-thirds of the House’s 33 accounts. All but one of 13 bicameral departments also saw increases.

“Wednesday’s list of panelists included Jeff Ammerman, Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials; Ron Cowell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Education Policy Leadership Center; attorney Michael Churchill, the Public Interest Law Center (representing the plaintiffs); and Michael Vuckovich, Greater Johnstown School District interim superintendent.”
Parent: Why is Greater Johnstown school system so far in debt?
Tribune Democrat By Ronald Fisher rfisher@tribdem.com November 16, 2017
Michael Cashaw of Johnstown has two children who attend Greater Johnstown, a school district that increased taxes this year for the first time in 22 years. Like many parents in the area, Cashaw has concerns about the district’s funding and how it impacts his children’s education. On Wednesday, Cashaw was one of many people to attend a school funding forum held on the Pitt-Johnstown campus. The forum featured a panel of officials familiar with school funding matters who discussed state funding and the state Supreme Court’s recent decision to reintroduce a lawsuit that claims Pennsylvania is failing in its obligation to students. Among those attending were state Rep. Bryan Barbin, D-Johnstown; Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar; NAACP Johnstown President Alan Cashaw; Cambria County Commissioners Tom Chernisky and William “B.J.” Smith; and several school officials from various local school districts.

U.D. school board opposes property tax, graduation resolutions
By Kevin Tustin, ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com@KevinTustin on Twitter POSTED: 11/15/17, 8:54 PM EST | UPDATED: 5 HRS AGO
UPPER DARBY>> At their last voting meeting before bringing on four new members next month that will shift the political majority, the Upper Darby School Board on Tuesday night continued a unified fight against state testing requirements and property tax issues. The board unanimously approved a resolution asking its state lawmakers to block the Keystone exam graduation requirement for graduating classes after 2020, and another resolution opposing legislation to eliminate school property taxes. On the former, there is a moratorium that does not make passing of the Keystone exams a graduation requirement through 2019. On the latter, state Senate Bill 76 would eliminate school property taxes by increasing the sales tax to 7 percent – while expanding the items that would be privy to the tax that have previously exempt – and increasing the personal income tax almost two percentage points, to 4.95. The state would control all funding for districts under that bill. “The property taxes collected locally stay in the community in which they are levied and enable a locally determined and consistent delivery of the district’s education programming that would be undermined and disrupted if funds were to flow through the state, leaving Upper Darby School District susceptible to delays in funding,” read a portion of the board’s property tax resolution. The resolution notes that elimination of school property taxes does nothing to fund state and federal mandates, many of which are currently unfunded by any government jurisdiction with districts left to pick up the tab.

Philly SRC to vote to disband, restore local school control
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer  @newskag |  kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: NOVEMBER 15, 2017 — 8:53 PM EST
The School Reform Commission, for the past 16 years the governing body of the Philadelphia School District, is poised to abolish itself in a historic vote Thursday night. Here is a rundown of the particulars:
What exactly is the SRC? The SRC is unique among school governing bodies in the state. It was created by the state on Dec. 21, 2001 after the district was declared financially distressed. It is a five-member board, with three members chosen by the governor and two picked by the mayor. The chair is chosen by the governor; no member receives pay for their work. The current members are Joyce Wilkerson, chair (selected by Mayor Kenney and appointed chair by Gov. Wolf in 2016); Bill Green (nominated by Gov. Tom Corbett in 2014); Farah Jimenez (nominated by Corbett in 2014); Christopher McGinley (appointed by Kenney in January); and Estelle Richman (nominated by Wolf in 2016, but not seated until 2017, when the state Senate confirmed her nomination.)
Why is the SRC self-destructing? According to the resolution the SRC will consider Thursday (5,809 days after the body was created, if you’re counting), it boils down to this: “The School District is no longer distressed” and “The School District no longer requires governance by a School Reform Commission.” The resolution gives a laundry list of reasons why the district is no longer troubled  — such as “all salaries have been paid on time without issue” and it “has not defaulted in payment of its bonds or interest on such bonds or in payment of rentals due any authority for a period of time of ninety (90) calendar days.” The district is, however, projecting a deficit of $100 million beginning in 2019, and up to $1 billion over five years.

Three lessons from the SRC for the next Philly school board | Bill Green
Inquirer Opinion by Bill Green Updated: NOVEMBER 15, 2017 — 4:34 PM EST
 With the imminent return of the School District of Philadelphia to local control, lessons from the 16-year history of the School Reform Commission (SRC) illuminate both future concerns and what we should advocate for in the transition.
Lesson 1: Beware Magical Fiscal Thinking
The SRC has created the possibility of today’s discussion of a new governance structure through its sound management of the District. In fact, that was its whole purpose. More quality schools and school choices exist today than when the SRC was created. Though the SRC was activated because of the District’s fiscal problems, it began its tenure without budgetary constraints. For example, politically connected figures were authorized to open charter schools without clear standards or accountability. The SRC entered into generous and expensive contracts with its labor unions. Spending on administration increased by more than 45 percent.

Smethport school board approves collective bargaining agreement
Bradford Era November 15, 2017
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SMETHPORT (EC) — With one director absent, the Smethport Area School Board unanimously approved a resolution Monday agreeing to the collective bargaining agreement with the Smethport Area Education Support Professionals Association. The SAESPA represents approximately 40 custodial and cafeteria workers as well as paraprofessionals and personal care aides. The SAESPA has already voted to accept the new four-year contract, which calls for a freeze in the basic wages in the first year, 2 percent raises in each of the second and third years and a 2.5 percent raise in the final year. Negotiations began in January. The school board extended the terms of the previous agreement since negotiations went on after that contract expired. “The two sides just worked out the contract, without mediation or fact-finding,” said Superintendent David London. “With this settlement, all our staff is now under some type of formal agreement.”

Innovative Arts Charter enrollment up dramatically from last spring
Margie Peterson Special to The Morning Call November 15, 2017
Innovative Arts Academy Charter School leaders were touting good news at Wednesday night’s Board of Trustees meeting: Student enrollment is up and outstanding bills are down.
Principal Douglas Taylor reported that enrollment in the school, which serves grades 6-12, is 415, an increase of six students over October’s numbers. But it’s a 70 percent increase over the 243 students who finished the last school year at the charter school in Catasauqua. The school aims to immerse students in career-driven courses, including culinary arts, journalism, fashion and graphic design. “I’m excited about where we are with our numbers and we’re stable with our numbers,” Taylor said. Board member David Rank was pleased with the increase in students and also glad that outstanding bills had shrunk. Rank said the school’s cash balance was over $400,000 through the end of October.

'A desperate cry for help.' 400 busted Philly school instruments revived for Symphony for a Broken Orchestra
Inquirer by Samantha Melamed, Staff Writer  @samanthamelamed |  smelamed@philly.com Updated: NOVEMBER 15, 2017 — 8:35 AM EST
Su Spina normally plays kettledrums. But when she went to pick up the instrument she’d be playing in the Symphony for a Broken Orchestra — a new composition for 400 amateur and professional musicians all playing broken instruments from the Philadelphia public schools — her options were limited.  “Would you prefer a violin without strings? Or an autoharp?” Andy Theirauf asked her. Spina, 22, a recent college graduate who studied music at Franklin & Marshall, said if knocking on a broken violin for 40 minutes is what it takes to get these instruments fixed, she’s in. “I started music when I was in elementary school,” she said. “So, knowing a whole bunch of students in the Philadelphia School District don’t even have access to instruments, I wanted to be a part of anything that helps.” The project — conceived by Robert Blackson, director of the Temple Contemporary art gallery — is part crowdfunding campaign to fix the instruments (adopt one at symphonyforabrokenorchestra.org) and part avant-garde music experiment, with a score from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.

Essentials books series helps new school directors survive your first year and beyond
PSBA Website November 15, 2017
Whether you're just starting your tenure as a school director or you are a veteran with many years, two publications will give you the basics you will need to understand your roles and responsibilities as an elected official. PSBA's Essentials book series, is available to you under the News tab (see Reports, Papers & Guides). The books cover the basics of meetings, finance, school law, working with your superintendent and community engagement. In addition to the online versions you may access now, printed copies of both the Essentials of School Board Service and Essentials of Parliamentary Procedure are being mailed to your superintendent at the end of November for distribution to school directors. If you don't receive your copy by the middle of December, be sure to ask your superintendent. 


“The other Education Department nominee was James Blew, who was director of the Walton Family Foundation’s K-12 reform efforts for nearly a decade and also national president of StudentsFirst, the reform organization started by former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee. Blew was nominated to be assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development. Both men — strong supporters of the DeVos agenda of expanding school choice — are expected to be confirmed.”
Trump nominee for No. 2 spot at Education Department stumbles on key questions at confirmation hearing
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss November 15 at 6:38 PM 
The retired brigadier general tapped to be No. 2 at the Education Department behind Betsy DeVos told Congress on Wednesday he was “unaware” of extensive research showing that voucher programs in three states negatively affected student achievement. And he conceded that his belief that school choice always led to positive impacts on achievement rested on anecdotal evidence. Mitchell Zais, a former South Carolina state school superintendent and former president of a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, appeared at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. He also said he was “unclear as to exactly what the law is” regarding whether schools must allow transgender students to use a bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. Zais, nominated as deputy secretary of education, testified at the hearing with three other Trump administration nominees — one for a position at the Education Department and two at the Labor Department. They answered questions largely from Democratic senators because Republican panel members were not present, other than Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

Democrats Press Trump Nominees on School Choice and Civil Rights
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on November 15, 2017 5:14 PM
Senate education committee Democrats used the confirmation hearing of two top U.S. Department of Education nominees to make their case against the Trump administration's favorite K-12 policy: School choice. Both contenders have long records in pushing for charters, vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and other types of school choice programs. Mick Zais, who has been tapped for deputy secretary of education, the No. 2 post at the agency, helped create a tax-credit scholarship for students in special education when he was the state chief in South Carolina. And Jim Blew, who has been tapped as assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy analysis, spent nearly a decade as the Walton Family Foundation's director of K-12 reform, advising the foundation on how to broaden schooling options for low-income communities. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the panel, kicked off the hearing by saying that she finds it "troubling" that Zais shares Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' views on "privatization." And she told Blew that his "record of promoting school vouchers gives me pause that you will not stand up for students and public schools." Senator after senator on the Democratic side of the dais echoed those concerns.

DeVos' Top K-12 Deputy Tells Chiefs to Innovate, But Comply With ESSA
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Daarel Burnette II on November 15, 2017 5:15 PM
St. Louis - Jason Botel, the U.S. department's acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, told a room full of state schools chiefs Wednesday that he wants states to be innovative in working to close the nation's yawning achievement gap, but also wants them to make sure they comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act in doing so. Botel's office is in the thick of evaluating  34 state ESSA plans and doing so with limited resources and plenty of political pressure, he said during a frank and abbreviated speech at the Council of Chief State School officers annual policy conference.  "We're trying to strike a balance of encouraging innovation and assuring compliance with the letter of the law," said Botel. "This is a collaborative, iterative process. This is not a gotcha process."   Botel said that in two weeks, he'll publish some initial feedback letters to several states' plans on how they intend to use billions of federal dollars to improve the educational outcomes of the nation's growing poor and minority student population.  

Where do the nation’s big charter boosters send their cash? More and more to charter networks
Chalkbeat BY MATT BARNUM  -  2 DAYS AGO
Wealthy charter school backers have directed most of their money to a select number of states, particularly ones where charter schools are better at raising test scores, according to a new studyThe research also finds that foundations are sending a larger share to charter school networks and a smaller share to stand-alone charters — echoing complaints from independent charter school leaders that they’ve gotten short shrift from funders. The concentration of funding, researchers Joseph Ferrare and Renee Setari write, gives “foundations considerable leverage.” It has also “enabled some charter management organizations (e.g., KIPP) and subsystems (e.g., New Orleans) to expand the supply of charter schools at a dramatic rate.” The researchers combed through multiple years of spending from 15 education philanthropies that have supported charter schools, including major donors like the Gates and Walton foundations and local ones like the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City and the Joyce Foundation in Chicago. (Chalkbeat is funded in part by the Gates, Joyce, and Walton foundations.)

Whitmire: 7 Ways Charter Schools & Districts Are Remaking Education in Texas
The74 November 14, 2017 Opinion by  RICHARD WHITMIRE
Texans maintain they’ve been on a roll ever since 1901, when oil was discovered at Spindletop Hill. Perhaps. But when it comes to charter schools, there’s a more recent roll taking place that may rival Spindletop. Dramatic changes are happening after a decade when Texas charters “lost their swagger and went on autopilot,” as one charter network founder put it. Now, the swagger appears to have returned. Skeptical? Consider these developments: On Wednesday, Valero Energy Foundation announced a $8.4 million gift to pay for 14 KIPP-trained college guidance counselors for San Antonio ISD. Why is this big? Because this is the tip of what could spread nationally: deep-pocket funders who have long been wary of giving to traditional school districts eager to jump in when the cause is a college success collaboration between charter networks that have pioneered these programs and traditional districts just sticking their toes into that water.

After a political rout, New York’s wealthiest charter group searches for an identity
Politico By ELIZA SHAPIRO 11/15/2017 05:03 AM EST
New York’s best-funded charter school advocates once had big plans to dominate education policy here and influence charter school legislation in statehouses across the country.
Then, last fall, Families for Excellent Schools lost a $20 million gamble to grow Massachusetts’ charter sector in a ballot initiative by 25 points. A scandal involving its boldface name donors followed this summer. A year after the ballot question failed, FES has put its national ambitions on hold and started the grueling work of searching for a fresh political identity at home. It’s an unenviable crossroads for a group that once served as a key power broker in New York’s charter world — and one with significant implications for the local and national charter advocacy movements. Even after the ballot item, Question 2, flunked at the polls in Massachusetts last November, Families for Excellent Schools was forced to face a few final indignities. The state’s campaign finance office handed the group the largest fine in the office’s history, banned the group from campaigning in the state for four years, and forced its Bay State ballot committee, Great Schools Massachusetts, to dissolve. The office found that Families for Excellent Schools had illegally concealed donors supporting the “yes” campaign for Question 2.
The pro-charter organization, which is usually relentless in its courting of media coverage, quietly retreated back to New York after the loss.


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:
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
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


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. 6, Haverford Middle School
·         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.

Save the Date! NSBA 2018 Advocacy Institute February 4-6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017


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