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Monday, January 29, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 29: “They don’t care about kids.”

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, charter school leaders, 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 Jan. 29, 2018: “They don’t care about kids.”


Blogger note: I have not seen any other coverage of this statement in the week since it was reported, and I felt that the readers of this blog would find it significant in informing the public discussion of Pennsylvania education policy.
In January 2017, Republican leadership selected Eichelberger to chair the Senate Education Committee. Sen. Eichelberger represents PA's 30th Senate District (R-Blair) and has stated that he plans to run for Congress to fill the US House seat held by Bill Shuster, who is retiring.
From PLS Capitol recap January 22, 2018 by Matt Hess, covering a rally in the Capitol Rotunda for National School Choice Week
Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair), Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, spoke in support of school choice in Pennsylvania. “What I learned when I came to Harrisburg is how protective the establishment system is of every penny that they can grab for their own needs. They don’t care about kids. They don’t care about the taxpayers that are funding the abuses that we see in the government school system today. Some of us do care about kids and want to change the system so every child has the optimum ability to have the best academic experience they can so they can have success in their lives.” He stated. “We have the teachers unions coming after us every way they can and they misrepresent what we’re doing and they misrepresent the truth to the taxpayers. We have a media that’s generally willing to go along with what they are saying without checking the facts. We have all these different groups that pretend to be looking out for children but they aren’t. I know that the people gathered here truly care about the children of the Commonwealth and I’’ll stand with them. It’s about time people in this building stand up and do the right things so our kids have an opportunity to succeed in life.”

“As the Pennsylvania State Legislature begins a new budget debate to determine how limited education funds will be distributed to school districts, it is imperative that accountability for school choice becomes a high priority.  The public schools in York County are providing a top quality education for ALL students who live in our communities and local property taxes should go to those successful public schools first.”
Beware of Fake News about Charter and Cyber Schools
York Suburban School District JANUARY 26, 2018 by Dr. Larry Redding, Acting Superintendent
If it’s on the internet it must be true?  If you see an advertisement for a “FREE” public school education that promises to be “the best education available in the State of Pennsylvania,” you better stop and check the facts. In recent months the term “fake news” has gained much needed attention.  The challenge, however, is when is the news true and factual, and when is the news false?  One old-time adage to guide your reasoning should be, ‘if it’s too good to be true, it most likely is not.’  You might want to check multiple sources before you believe the story.  A case in point is the alleged success of Pennsylvania’s cyber and charter schools. Go directly to http://paschoolperformance.org/. A quick look at York County students in cyber and charter schools will show you academic failure by the same metrics used to measure academic success in our school district elementary, middle and high schools.  In one local charter school, only 19% of students are proficient or better in reading. In another local charter school, only 40% are proficient in mathematics.  Results for third grade reading proficiency is only 41%.   Students from York County, who are enrolled in Agora Cyber School, Commonwealth Connections Cyber School, PA Cyber Charter or most of the other 11 “Pennsylvania Approved” schools surprisingly demonstrate even worse academic performance: one cyber program reports only 34% proficient or better in mathematics and 27% proficient or better in reading at the third grade level.  The one exception to these poor results would be the York Academy Regional Charter school, however only 40% of students score proficient or better in mathematics.
This is not fake news – these are public records for your review.

Not one of Pennsylvania’s cyber charters has achieved a passing SPP score of 70 in any of the five years that the SPP has been in effect.  All 500 school districts are required to send taxpayer dollars to these cyber charters, even though none of them voted to authorize cyber charter schools and most districts have their own inhouse cyber or blended learning programs.
School Performance Profile Scores for PA Cyber Charters 2013-2017
Source: PA Department of Education website
http://www.paschoolperformance.org/
A score of 70 is considered passing.
Total cyber charter tuition paid by PA taxpayers from 500 school districts for 2013, 2014 and 2015 was over $1.2 billion; $393.5 million, $398.8 million and $436.1 million respectively.
    Cohort
                   Grad         Rate
Cyber Charter School Name 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2017
21st Century CS 66.5 66.0 69.2 62.2 61.1 67.66
Achievement House CS 39.7 37.5 44.8 54.5 52.7 41.67
ACT Academy Cyber CS 30.6 28.9 36.1 40.7 36.5 15.79
Agora Cyber CS 48.3 42.4 46.4 37.6 47.9 41.18
ASPIRA Bilingual CS 29.0 39.0 38.4 41.9 37.4 23.33
Central PA Digital Learning Fdn CS 31.7 48.8 39.3 46.7 46.4 29.03
Commonwealth Connections Academy CS 54.6 52.2 48.8 47.5 45.5 65.76
Education Plus Academy Cyber CS 59.0 50.0   67.9    
Esperanza Cyber CS 32.7 47.7 31.7 50.7 35.5 46.15
PA Cyber CS 59.4 55.5 65.3 51.0 49.9 54.59
PA Distance Learning CS 54.7 50.9 49.2 53.9 39.4 53.25
PA Leadership CS 64.7 59.3 54.7 57.5 57.0 71.39
PA Virtual CS 67.9 63.4 64.6 49.7 54.2 80.50
Solomon CS 36.9          
Susq-Cyber CS 46.4 42.4 45.5 49.3 46.0 29.82


Did you catch our Sunday Special Edition?
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 28, 2018:
Sunday Special Edition – Who’s Running; Who’s Not
Here’s an updated look at who in the Pennsylvania State Legislature is departing and who’s seeking another office.  All 203 state House seats and half the state Senate (25 seats – even numbered districts) are on the ballot this year. Republicans currently hold sizeable majorities in both chambers; 34-16 in the state Senate and 120-81 with 2 vacant seats in the state House.

SB2: Lewisburg Area SD directors vote to oppose voucher bill
But resolution attracts ‘no’ votes
Standard-Journal by Matt Farrand Staff writer January 26, 2018
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LEWISBURG — Lewisburg Area School District directors approved a resolution Thursday night opposing a state Senate school voucher bill. However, the resolution against Senate Bill 2 attracted two dissenting votes. Director Lisa Clark, during discussion, noted she was seeing the resolution for the first time. “Is there a reason why we need to vote on it tonight, without having the opportunity to completely read through SB 2 or speak to our representatives about the process?” Clark asked. Superintendent Dr. Steven C. Skalka explained it was possible to wait two weeks, but they were acting in the hope that SB 2 would not reach the Senate floor in that time.

“They (Greencastle-Antrim) are the poster child of the Hold Harmless issue as far as I'm concerned,” he said. “Last year we changed the funding formula and it's more balanced now, but it only goes into the new money that's going into the system.” He said it will take years to get the Hold Harmless formula turned around. Eichelberger noted there are 22 school districts in his district and most have lost students. Changing the old formula all at once could jeopardize some of those systems. “We spend more per pupil than just about anybody,” the senator added, referring to other states. “We spend a lot of money on education. We need to look at how effective we are spending money — what works and what doesn't. That's the problem we have.”
Eichelberger takes on tax questions at Greencastle town hall
Herald Mail Media by Joyce Nowell Jan 26, 2018
GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Relief from property taxes was on the minds of many of the 30 people who attended a town hall held Thursday by Pennsylvania state Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr. Eichelberger, R-Franklin/Fulton/Blair/Cumberland/Huntingdon, said work on a bill to shift property taxes assessed to fund local school districts to sales and income taxes is ongoing in Harrisburg. He said it's a popular issue, and in some parts of the state polling shows it's the No. 1 issue for citizens. Options include expanding the base of sales taxes in the state or raising the sale tax percentage. The senator said another measure that could change the weight of property taxes is the voter-approved 100 percent homestead exclusion. It would allow local taxing authorities to decide how they want to assess taxes, whether by property, sales or income.

“We favor a plan put forth by a group called Fair Districts PA. It is pushing a legislative solution to get the Legislature out of the redistricting business. It suggests making redistricting the domain of an 11-member independent, non-partisan commission, starting with the results of the upcoming 2020 census. It won’t be easy. To do that supporters will need to pass an amendment to the state constitution. And to do that the Legislature would have to approve bills in two successive sessions just to get the measure in front of the voters via referendum by 2020.”
HB722/SB22: Editorial: Time to put one more dagger in heart of gerrymandering
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 01/28/18, 5:02 AM EST
Our “goofy” congressional districts are no longer a laughing matter.
That became clear when a Commonwealth Court judge agreed with the League of Women Voters and others in ruling that the redistricting process done by the Pennsylvania Legislature back in 2011, based on the results of the 2010 census, was blatantly partisan. Here’s a stunner.  Republicans control both the state House and Senate. So their version of redistricting was heavily tilted to protect GOP incumbents. It’s called “gerrymandering,” and in Pennsylvania it’s an art form. Redistricting is done every 10 years to reflect the changes in the census. Since it’s done by politicians, it should surprise no one that it drips with partisan shenanigans. In essence, to the victor go the spoils. This time around, that meant that district boundaries were twisted and contorted into bizarre shapes, all to the benefit of Republican congressmen. That’s part of the reason Republicans sit in 13 of the state’s 18 districts, despite facing a growing Democratic majority in registered voters and despite the state’s clear Democratic drift in recent elections.

“Two sister bills — House Bill 722 and Senate Bill 22 — propose amending the state constitution to establish just such a citizens redistricting commission. The House bill has more than 100 sponsors, including Lancaster County Republicans Steven Mentzer, Mark Gillen and Jim Cox and Democrat Mike Sturla. And yet it languishes in committee. We laud the Lancaster County representatives who have embraced this good-government reform, and urge the other members of the county delegation to join the effort. We encourage readers to call the office of the House State Government Committee chairman, Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, and ask — politely — that House Bill 722 be given a hearing (717-783-1707). Also leave a message for Republican Sen. Mike Folmer, who chairs the Senate State Government Committee (717-787-5708), asking him to do the same for Senate Bill 22.”
HB722/SB22: Gerrymandering is unfair and undemocratic, but the answer to ending it doesn't lie in the courts
Lancaster Online Editorial by the LNP Editorial Board January 28, 2018
THE ISSUE - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the commonwealth’s congressional map last week in a win for Democrats who asserted that the state’s 18 congressional districts had been gerrymandered to favor Republicans in a way that violated the state constitution. The Democratic-controlled court ruled that the map violated the state constitution “clearly, plainly and palpably,” and ordered the boundaries to be redrawn immediately. The justices gave the Republican-controlled state Legislature until Feb. 9 to pass a redrawn map, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf until Feb. 15 to submit it to the court. “Otherwise, the justices said they will adopt a plan in an effort to keep the May 15 primary election on track,” The Associated Press reported. The state’s top Republican lawmakers on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put a stop on the Pennsylvania court’s order, the AP said. Last week’s bombshell ruling by the state Supreme Court sent GOP lawyers racing to figure out a reason why a ruling based on Pennsylvania’s constitution might warrant the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. And it stunned members of the General Assembly, who wondered how they could possibly redraw a congressional map in just a few weeks. We’re talking, after all, about a legislative body that cannot deliver a balanced budget on time and probably couldn’t figure out how to deliver a pizza before it cooled.

‘A democracy that’s anything but democratic’: A gerrymandering Q&A with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf
Washington Post By David Weigel January 26 at 10:36 AM 
On Monday, when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the state’s Republican-drawn congressional district maps, Gov. Tom Wolf (D-Pa.) achieved a sort of lifelong dream. Thirty-six years earlier, he published a dissertation on “conflict and organizational accommodation in the House of Representatives” from the end of the 19th century to the first decades of the 20th. “Gerrymandering is only effective in a stable or static political environment,” Wolf wrote at the time. In an interview, his first since the court win, Wolf said he’d been outraged by gerrymandering “as soon as I found out what it meant, that politicians were choosing their voters.” Democratic judges (Pennsylvania is one of the few states where judges run in partisan elections) struck down a 2011 map designed to split the state’s 18 districts into five deep-blue ghettos (in and around Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Lehigh Valley) and 13 Republican-leaning seats. The court gave lawmakers until Feb. 15 to submit new maps; Wolf pledged to reject anything with a similar partisan bent.

Experts likely to play a role in redraw of PA congressional map
PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Sunday, January 28, 2018/Categories: News and Views
Assuming the US Supreme Court does not grant a stay of the Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court’s order for a mid-February redraw of Pennsylvania’s 2011 congressional map the latter court found unconstitutional last week, experts retained by both Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Supreme Court are likely to play some role in how a new map is crafted and found to be constitutional. Gov. Wolf announced on Friday that he would be enlisting Moon Dunchin, a mathematics professor from Tufts University to review any map that the legislature may present to him by the February 9, 2018, deadline set out in the state supreme court’s order issued last week. “Moon Duchin has been a leader in applying mathematics, geometry, and analytics to evaluate redistricted maps and work to eliminate extreme partisan gerrymandering,” Gov. Wolf said Friday. “The people of Pennsylvania are tired of partisan games and gridlock – made worse by gerrymandering – and it is my mission to reverse the black-eye of having some of the worst gerrymandering in the country. I am open and willing to work with the General Assembly but I will not accept an unfair map and enlisting a non-partisan expert is essential to ensure that is possible.” According to a biography provided by the Wolf administration, Dunchin is currently one of the leaders of a program supported by Tisch College that focuses mathematical attention on issues of electoral redistricting.

Did you catch our late Friday afternoon posting?
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 26, 2018:
Gov. Wolf asks court to expedite school funding lawsuit; GOP leaders reiterate opposition

In Canonsburg, Republicans aim to stop a Democratic wave before March special election
Morning Call by Albert R. Hunt Bloomberg View January 28, 2018
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, whose population peaked about the time native son Perry Como left in the 1930s, is Trump country. A special congressional election there in six weeks makes it a pretty good place to test whether President Donald Trump's standing is eroding or not. The area's Republican Congressman Tim Murphy represented the southwestern Pennsylvania district for 14 years until he resigned in scandal last October. Mostly rural, with small towns and a slice of Pittsburgh suburbs, it should be a slam dunk for Republicans. Trump carried it by 19 percentage points and Murphy ran unopposed in the last two elections. But Democrats, sensing a national blue wave, think they have a shot. There are interesting crosscurrents. The Democratic candidate, 33-year-old Conor Lamb, a former federal prosecutor and Marine Corps veteran with family roots in the area, is youthful and polished on the stump. The Republican, state Rep. Rick Saccone, a 59-year-old ex-Air Force officer with a doctorate in international affairs, counters with legislative experience and proven success with voters.

Retiring area GOP lawmakers could mean more Dems (and less clout) in Harrisburg - thanks to Donald Trump
Philly Daily News by John Baer, STAFF COLUMNIST  baerj@phillynews.com Updated: JANUARY 28, 2018 — 7:43 PM EST
They’re lining up to get out. Philly metro-area Republicans are leaving the legislature in numbers unmatched anywhere in the state. So far, seven (one is already gone) aren’t seeking reelection. And that number is expected to rise. What’s going on? Reasons for leaving range from personal issues to not wanting to go through the process again. But there’s an underlying element, too: fear of an anti-Donald TrumpDemocratic wave.“I don’t think there’s a doubt the southeast is under electoral pressure we [Republicans] didn’t manufacture or deserve.” So says Philly Rep. John Taylor, a popular, pragmatic incumbent leaving Harrisburg after 34 years. He no longer enjoys seeking reelection in his Fishtown/Port Richmond Philly district, which is just 28 percent GOP; and where he’s constantly tied to Trump. “I’ve had enough,” he tells me. Meanwhile, an upstate Republican consultant working multiple legislative campaigns says the southeast will be bloody for the GOP this year. “Our polling down there is not good. Other parts of the state are fine, but not down there. We’re going to lose seats,” says the consultant, who didn’t want to be named out of concern his clients wouldn’t be pleased about his disclosing such negative news about fellow Republicans.

Politics as Usual
Morning Call by Laura Olson and Steve Esack Contact Reporters Call Washington Bureau January 28, 2018
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Republican NIMBY backlash hits Barletta
With his hard-line immigration stances, Republican U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta may be a darling to his coal-region constituents and one of President Donald Trump’s favorite people in Congress. But in the eyes of two retiring Republican state lawmakers, those views and presidential allegiances are making Barletta persona non grata in southeast and western Pennsylvania as he looks to expand his political reach as a U.S. Senate candidate. In an unusually frank email exchange — which, of course, was leaked to the media — Reps. John Taylor, R-Philadelphia, and Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny, voiced their fear that Barletta’s statewide Senate campaign could jeopardized down-ticket GOP candidates on both ends of the state. Taylor, a moderate Republican, also expressed unease at possibly having Scott Wagner, a conservative, anti-union state senator, as the GOP’s candidate for governor in the November election. Mustio, who chairs the House Republican Campaign Committee, did not mention Wagner in his response to Taylor’s email.

Q & A with Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE JAN 27, 2018 9:03 PM
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught up with Superintendent Anthony Hamlet this week to talk about his tenure with Pittsburgh Public Schools and his goals for the district in 2018. He was hired in May 2016 to lead a school district that has struggled to raise student achievement and eliminate racial disparities, both in the areas of academics and discipline.
What are your main goals for 2018?
A: Now the real work begins. We have a clear vision of what we need to do to fix the district, to improve. That’s our strategic plan. How are we going to move the needle on student achievement first, but also understanding there’s other work we need to do outside that strategic plan? A lot of that rests within the Council of Great City Schools recommendations, so it’s moving along those lines. Number one, make sure we increase for all students in literacy and math and also decrease the racial disparities in African-American achievement for our students, and prepare all kids to be college, career and life ready.

Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers' union set to vote on strike option, would be first since 1975
Trib Live by WES VENTEICHER  | Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, 4:48 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers is giving members two weeks to decide whether to authorize a strike over stalled contract negotiations, the union's president said Saturday. The federation packed ballots Saturday to mail to its 2,997 members, President Nina Esposito-Visgitis said. If a majority votes by a Feb. 12 deadline to authorize a strike, the union's executive board gains the option to launch one but isn't required to, Esposito-Visgitis said. If the board decides to strike, it must give Pittsburgh Public Schools 48 hours notice. In the meantime, negotiations continue. “We have worked doggedly to come to an agreement, and we will continue to do so,” she said. The union and district have not reached a new contract since a one-year interim agreement expired in June. The interim agreement was the second one-year extension following the expiration in 2015 of a five-year contract. That contract was based on a new performance-based salary schedule, according to a report from a third-party arbitrator that worked with the two sides in the fall.

Plum school board considers closing Regency Park Elementary, raising taxes to offset deficit
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE JAN 25, 2018 2:29 PM
Big changes are coming to Plum Borough School District next year, after school board members say they will be forced to make cuts in an effort to eliminate a large budget deficit.  This week, the board voted 8-0, with one member absent, to approve the district’s preliminary budget ahead in order to meet the deadlines necessary to raise taxes about the state-imposed maximum of 3.2 percent. The preliminary budget, which will now be available for public inspection, calls for a tax increase of 4.5 percent and the closure of Regency Park Elementary School. District business manager John Zahorchak said the preliminary budget does not mean that the board will vote to increase taxes, only that it has the option to do so as it works on the budget through June. “It’s just an extra option,” Mr. Zahorchak said. “It creates a little bit of flexibility.” The district is facing a $5 million budget deficit for the 2018-19 school year, Mr. Zahorchak said. As outlined in the preliminary budget, the closure of Regency Park will save the district about $1.4 million and the 4.5 percent tax increase would generate about $1.5 million in new revenue. The district also has a general fund balance of about $2 million. 


“The schools that have 20% to 30% voucher kids and 70% to 80% fee-paying kids, they look more like the private schools that we sort of put on a pedestal—that have very ambitious programs,” says Patrick Wolf, a professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas who has studied private-school choice programs for about 19 years. “Ones that enroll a very high percent of voucher students tend to be low-resourced.”
Do School Vouchers Work? Milwaukee’s Experiment Suggests an Answer
A Wall Street Journal analysis of the school system’s 27-year-old program suggests the concept works best when private institutions limit the number of public students
Wall Street Journal By Tawnell D. Hobbs Jan. 28, 2018 1:06 p.m. ET
MILWAUKEE—Almost three decades ago, Milwaukee started offering the nation’s first-ever school vouchers. Starting small, the program allowed poor children to use taxpayer money to attend private schools. Today, about a quarter of Milwaukee children educated with public funds take advantage, making the program a testing ground for a big experiment in education. Did students in the program get a better education? That depends on how participating schools handled a critical issue: how many voucher students to let in. A Wall Street Journal analysis of the data suggests vouchers worked best when enrollment from voucher students was kept low. As the percentage of voucher students rises, the returns diminish until the point when there is little difference between the performance of public and private institutions. The vast majority of private schools participating in the program today have high percentages of publicly funded students.
The city’s nearly 29,000 voucher students, on average, have performed about the same as their peers in public schools on state exams, the analysis shows. The successful voucher students, who often performed better than their public-school peers, were mainly found at private schools that worked to balance numbers of voucher students and paying ones.

Here’s this blogger’s response to the above WSJ article:
Do American Public Schools Work?  PISA: U.S. schools with poverty levels of 25% or less rank first in reading and science and third in math among OECD countries
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec 21, 2016
 “This very high prevalence of child poverty in the U.S. and the struggle to educate large numbers of disadvantaged students are two of the most important factors underlying the country’s discouraging showing on the PISA exam.
U.S. schools with poverty levels of 25% or less rank first in reading and science and third in math among OECD countries
By contrast, U.S. schools where >75% of students qualify for FRPL fare very poorly, ranking nearly last in all subjects. Their scores are so low that they drag the overall U.S. average below the median, just above Mexico and Chile.”

How Mike Pence expanded Indiana’s controversial voucher program when he was governor
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss January 28 at 11:07 AM 
This is the second of three pieces about school “reform” in Indiana, where Vice President Pence was governor from 2013 to 2017 and pushed policies to expand school choice. The choice program started in 2011, when Mitch Daniels was governor, and continued under Pence, who drove an effort to expand charter schools and loosen eligibility requirements to expand the voucher program’s reach. A Washington Post story on Indiana’s voucher program, published in December 2016, said in part: Indiana lawmakers originally promoted the state’s school voucher program as a way to make good on America’s promise of equal opportunity, offering children from poor and lower-middle-class families an escape from public schools that failed to meet their needs. But five years after the program was established, more than half of the state’s voucher recipients have never attended Indiana public schools, meaning that taxpayers are now covering private and religious school tuition for children whose parents had previously footed that bill. Many vouchers also are going to wealthier families, those earning up to $90,000 for a household of four.


Advertising in schools?
A number of school districts across the country have turned to advertising as a way to fill budget gaps. Some districts have offered corporate naming rights to buildings and others have allowed ads on buses and lockers. A reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News is investigating the prevalence of ads in Pa. schools and needs your help. Please contact him if you’re aware of any of the following in your area:
·  Ads placed on sports uniforms, school buses, lockers, or other areas of school grounds.
·  Corporate sponsorship of sports fields, buildings, parking lots, or other school property.
·  Ads on school websites or newsletters.
·  Any other examples of advertising or sponsorship in the school environment or curriculum.
You can reach reporter Daniel Simmons-Ritchie at simmons-ritchie@pennlive.com or on 717-255-8162


Register now for PSBA Board Presidents Panel 
PSBA Website January 2018
School board leaders, this one's for you! Join your colleagues at an evening of networking and learning in 10 convenient locations around the state at the end of January. Share your experience and leadership through a panel discussion moderated by PSBA Member Services team. Participate in roundtable conversations focused on the most pressing challenges and current issues affecting PA school districts. Bring your specific challenges and scenarios for small group discussion. Register online.

NSBA 2018 Advocacy Institute February 4 - 6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Register Now
Come a day early and attend the Equity Symposium!
Join hundreds of public education advocates on Capitol Hill and help shape the decisions made in Washington D.C. that directly impact our students. At the 2018 Advocacy Institute, you’ll gain insight into the most critical issues affecting public education, sharpen your advocacy skills, and prepare for effective meetings with your representatives. Whether you are an expert advocator or a novice, attend and experience inspirational keynote speakers and education sessions featuring policymakers, legal experts and policy influencers. All designed to help you advocate for your students and communities.

REGISTER TODAY! ELECTED. ENGAGED. EMPOWERED:
Local School Board Members to Advocate on Capitol Hill in 2018     
NSBA's Advocacy Institute 2018 entitled, "Elected. Engaged. Empowered: Representing the Voice in Public Education," will be held on February 4-6, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. This conference will convene Members of Congress, national thought-leaders, state association executives and well-known political pundits to provide local school board members with an update on key policy and legal issues impacting public education, and tactics and strategies to enhance their ability to influence the policy-making process and national education debate during their year-round advocacy efforts.
WHAT'S NEW - ADVOCACY INSTITUTE '18?
·         Confirmed National Speaker: Cokie Roberts, Political Commentator for NPR and ABC News
·         NSBA will convene first ever National School Board Town Hall on School Choice
·         Includes General Sessions featuring national policy experts, Members of Congress, "DC Insiders" and local school board members
·         Offers conference attendees "Beginner" and "Advanced" Advocacy breakout sessions
·         NSBA will host a Hill Day Wrap-Up Reception
Click here to register for the Advocacy Institute.  The hotel block will close on Monday, January 15

PSBA Closer Look Series Public Briefings
The Closer Look Series Public Briefings will take a deeper dive into concepts contained in the proposed Pennsylvania State Budget and the State of Education Report. Sessions will harness the expertise of local business leaders, education advocates, government and local school leaders from across the state. Learn more about the fiscal health of schools, how workforce development and early education can be improved and what local schools are doing to improve the State of Education in Pennsylvania. All sessions are free and open to the public.

Connecting Student Success to Employment
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel – Pittsburgh Green Tree Feb. 27, 2018, 7-8:45 a.m.
More than eight out of 10 students taking one or more industry-specific assessments are achieving either at the competent or advanced level. How do we connect student success to jobs in the community? What does the connection between schools and the business community look like and how can it be improved? How do we increase public awareness of the growing demand for workers in the skilled trades and other employment trends in the commonwealth? Hear John Callahan, PSBA assistant executive director, and Matt Smith, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, give a free, public presentation on these topics followed by a Q&A period.

A Deeper Dive into the State of Education
Crowne Plaza Philadelphia – King of Prussia March 6, 2018, 7-8:45 a.m.
In the State of Education Report, 40% of schools stated that 16% to 30% of students joining schools at kindergarten or first grade are below the expected level of school readiness. Learn more about the impact of early education and what local schools are doing to improve the State of Education in Pennsylvania. A free, public presentation by local and legislative experts will be followed by a Q&A period.

Public Education Under Extreme Pressure
Hilton Harrisburg March 12, 2018, 7-8:45 a.m.
According to the State of Education Report, 84% of all school districts viewed budget pressures as the most difficult area to manage over the past year. With so many choices and pressures, school districts must make decisions to invest in priorities while managing their locally diverse budgets. How does the state budget impact these decisions? What investments does the business community need for the future growth of the economy and how do we improve the health, education and well-being of students who attend public schools in the commonwealth in this extreme environment? Hear local and legislative leaders in a free, public presentation on these topics followed by a Q&A period.
Registration for these public briefings: https://www.psba.org/2018/01/closer-look-series-public-briefings/

Registration is now open for the 2018 PASA Education Congress! State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018
Don't miss this marquee event for Pennsylvania school leaders at the Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018.
Learn more by visiting http://www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress 

SAVE THE DATE for the 2018 PA Educational Leadership Summit - July 29-31 - State College, PA sponsored by the PA Principals Association, PASA, PAMLE and PASCD.  
This year's Summit will be held from July 29-31, 2018 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA.

Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may be affiliated with.


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