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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 27: HB1400 would basically expand mandatory background checks to all gun sales in the Commonwealth.


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.

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HB1400 would basically expand mandatory background checks to all gun sales in the Commonwealth.



In addition to calling your member of Congress to urge them to take meaningful action now to protect our children, please consider calling the following members of Congress who are in leadership positions or who serve on the Congressional committees that may consider such action:

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan Washington DC Office: (202) 225-3031
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Washington DC Office: (202) 224-2541
Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Washington DC Office: (202) 224-4944
Pennsylvania Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions: Senator Robert Casey Washington DC Office: (202) 224-6324
Congresswoman Virginia Fox, Chairwoman, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Washington DC Office: (202) 225-2071
Pennsylvania Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce:
Glenn “GT” Thompson Washington DC Office: (202) 225-5121
Lou Barletta Washington DC Office: (202) 225-6511
Lloyd Smucker Washington DC Office: (202) 225-2411



SB2 Vouchers: Bethlehem School District opposes school choice bill
Bill called 'devastating' to the district
WFMZ 69 News By: Stephen Althouse Posted: Feb 27, 2018 12:40 AM EST Updated: Feb 27, 2018 12:40 AM EST
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Saying it would be "devastating" to the district and public education in general, the Bethlehem Area School District is coming out against the latest form of school choice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Directors unanimously voted Monday night to approve a resolution opposing Senate Bill 2,which would establish savings accounts for students who attend low-performing schools across Pennsylvania. President Michael Faccinetto said the new bill's authors are renaming "tuition vouchers" as "education savings accounts." The bill would redirect taxpayer money away from public schools and allow people to use the money to cover tuition payments at private or religious schools. "It would be devastating to BASD and public education," he said. The president said the bill would drain about $500 million in state funding away from more than 70 school districts in the commonwealth. He said schools districts don't have nearly enough money as it is, let alone having the ability to withstanding losing $500 million. Faccinetto said the money would be funneled to private and religious schools that have a "lack of accountability" with public tax dollars and are not held to the same requirements as public schools.
http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/bethlehem-school-district-opposes-school-choice-bill/708197799

Petition day arrives with congressional boundaries in doubt
AP State Wire by Marc Levy Yesterday
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The first day for congressional candidates in Pennsylvania to circulate petitions will arrive amid legal challenges to week-old court-ordered boundaries of the state’s 18 U.S. House districts. The map of districts continued Monday to spur more would-be candidates to reconsider whether — and where — to run, as Republican challenges to new U.S. House district boundaries awaited action in federal courts. Perhaps the most prominent name, Pennsylvania’s auditor general, Democrat Eugene DePasquale, said he would not run for Congress, after spending several days considering a shot at a more competitive district in south-central Pennsylvania. Tuesday is the first day under a delayed schedule to gather signatures to qualify for May 15 primary election ballots. The deadline to submit them is March 20. More than 70 people had been considering running for Congress in Pennsylvania before a gerrymandering lawsuit prompted the state Supreme Court to redraw the congressional district boundaries last week. Meanwhile, five incumbent members of Congress from Pennsylvania are not seeking another term this year and a sixth resigned last year, creating the state’s largest number of open seats in four decades and fueling interest in running.
https://apnews.com/a581e3c0383d47c5bc50ffbf36de3a4e

Pittsburgh teachers announce strike starting Friday
Trib Live by JAMIE MARTINES  | Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, 8:18 a.m.
The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers intends to strike starting Friday, the union announced Monday morning. President Nina Esposito-Visgitis served Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet with a strike notification 96 hours before the strike is set to begin. The union is required to notify the district at least 48 hours in advance. "We are hopeful that that extra time will allow the Federation and the District to work together to reach a fair agreement that both recognizes the professionalism and hard work of our members and serves the needs of our students and school system," Esposito-Visgitis said in a statement. The union represents about 3,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and technical-clerical employees. One-year interim agreements for all three groups of employees expired June 30. They have been working without a contract since then.
http://triblive.com/news/education/taxes/13353127-74/pittsburgh-teachers-announce-strike-starting-friday

Joint Statement on School Safety and Student Activism
This is a joint statement from the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, Pennsylvania Principals Association, Pennsylvania School Boards Association, and the Pennsylvania State Education Association. February 25, 2018
The recent shooting in Florida has opened deep emotions for students, parents, teachers, and staff in school communities. Unlike any time in the past, students are taking a strong stand in the important debate surrounding school violence, and we salute their efforts to speak out by organizing peaceful protests. Across the nation, efforts are underway to organize student rallies in March. Students in Pennsylvania are eager to take part in these events, and we should support them where we can. That is why we encourage students who want to participate in these events to work within the structure and rules of each school district so that their voices may be heard without undue disruption to the educational process. The safety of all involved is of utmost importance. We share our students’ deep concern about keeping our schools safe, and we commend them for their activism. We are eager to work with students and communities to create a safe space where everyone can make their voices heard on this issue and share their different perspectives about solutions. However, we need to do this in a safe, organized, and orderly way.
We applaud this interest in student engagement, while also recognizing that schools have the responsibility to maintain order during the school day. No child should go to school fearful of his or her safety. We hope that the many differences in opinion will be able to come together to find workable solutions to improve school safety and may the tragic event in Parkland be the last time we see a school shooting in this, or any, country.
https://www.psba.org/2018/02/joint-statement-school-safety-student-activism/

“House Bill 1400 would basically expand mandatory background checks to all gun sales in the Commonwealth. Currently those checks apply only to guns with a barrel less than 15 inches. It also would extend a background check to private transfers of weapons done at gun shows. All 15 members of the Delco delegation – 11 state representatives and four state senators – including members from both parties, are now on board as co-sponsors.”
HB1400: Editorial: The echoes from Parkland are getting louder
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 02/26/18, 7:51 PM EST | UPDATED: 55 SECS AGO
They’re calling it the Great Gun Debate. It’s not new. It’s been going on now for years. We had the debate when two teens shot up their high school in Littleton, Colo. That was nearly 20 years ago. Eventually the discussion died down. Then kids started dying again. A troubled teen killed his mother, then took her semi-automatic rifle, strolled into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and started shooting. Twenty “innocents” lost their lives, along with another six adult staff members. They were kids, 6 and 7 years old. The nation vowed to take action. We didn’t. That was five years ago. Since then we’ve seen more carnage. Orlando. San Bernardino. Last Vegas. Two weeks ago it was another school. This time Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., just outside Fort Lauderdale. Another troubled young man armed to the teeth with an AR-15 rifle and lots of ammo killed 17 people, most of them high school students. The echoes of that gunfire are once again resounding across the nation. This time, young people are not just mourning and burying their friends. They are demanding action. They are planning a massive march on Washington, D.C. on March 24 to seek changes in the nation’s gun laws. Those voices are being heard. Right here in Pennsylvania, among other places. State Rep. Steve Barrar, R-160, of Upper Chichester, one of the region’s staunchest Second Amendment advocates, has had a change of heart. Barrar was the only elected representative in Harrisburg in the Delaware County delegation who had not signed on to a measure proposed by fellow Republican Rep. Jamie Santora, R-163 of Upper Darby, to beef up the state’s policies on background checks for firearms purchases.
http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20180226/editorial-the-echoes-from-parkland-are-getting-louder

“Nationally, a school walkout is planned for March 14; a march for tougher gun laws is scheduled for March 24 in Washington, D.C.; and a day of action will coincide with the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting in Colorado on April 20”.
Lehigh Valley schools back student walkouts, days of action calling for stronger gun laws
Michelle Merlin Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call February 26, 2018
If Emmaus High School students participate as expected in a nationwide 17-minute walkout on March 14 — one minute for each victim killed in the recent Florida school shooting — they won’t get in trouble for their actions. Emmaus juniors Maya Kita and Analise Edwards said students were concerned there could be repercussions for participating in the event. But then East Penn Superintendent Michael Schilder posted a message saying the district wouldn’t prevent students from participating or discipline them for it. “Originally, when all of this happened, everyone was kind of unsure on how the school would react,” Kita said. “I was really pleasantly surprised when there was a message on East Penn’s website from the superintendent saying they want our voices to be heard, and they’ll support us in whatever decision we make and want to help us in advocacy like letter-writing and fundraising.” In the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., students across the Lehigh Valley are gearing up to take action. Students have expressed interest in participating in one of the protests or rallies planned over the next two months.
http://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-school-safety-rallies-plan-20180222-story.html

Colleges to applicants: Rallying for gun control and getting suspended for it won't hurt chances of acceptance
Inquirer by Susan Snyder, Staff Writer  @ssnyderinq |  ssnyder@phillynews.com Updated: FEBRUARY 26, 2018 — 4:28 PM EST
Leave school to protest inaction on gun violence in the wake of the Florida school shooting?
It won’t hurt your chances of getting into college. “Future Owls should know admissions decisions are not affected by disciplinary action resulting from participation in peaceful protests,” tweeted Temple University. Over the last several days, dozens of other colleges, locally and nationally, also have issued public statements to prospective students to ease possible concerns if they participate in a wave of demonstrations and protests being planned in the wake of the shooting deaths of 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida earlier this month. A national walkout is planned for March 14 to urge Congress to act on gun violence.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/college-applications-gun-_control_-protest-suspensions-penn-state-temple-university-of-pennsylvania-20180226.html

Pat Toomey: After mass shooting, focus should be on FBI, mental health
Washington Examiner by Salena Zito | Feb 26, 2018, 10:21 AM 
PITTSBURGH — The nation's leaders, following this month's mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., should be focused on how law enforcement can do a better job handling problems, and on grappling with the difficult issue of mental health among would-be gun owners, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said. Toomey said he expects heavy debate on those issues when Congress comes back to Washington this week, and as lawmakers attempt to figure out how to make schools and other parts of the U.S. more secure. Toomey said that debate will raise all kinds of questions, such as, “Why did the FBI not take the appropriate measures when they got very clear, specific information indicating that this kid was a serious danger?” he said, adding there also needs to be a conversation about how to address the issue of mental health. “How can we better understand a troubled, apparently socially awkward young adult male? There's lots of them. Very few of them actually ever end up killing people, but some do. How do we figure that out? Who's who? We're not good at that,” he said. Toomey said he hopes Congress can take measures, which he supports, to make it more difficult for someone who is a violent criminal or dangerously mentally ill to buy a firearm, “because those are two categories of people that we all agree shouldn't be armed. I think in this context, in this moment, there might be a chance to do something constructive in that space while still fully respecting the rights of law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional freedoms of the Second Amendment, which I feel strongly about.”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/pat-toomey-after-mass-shooting-focus-should-be-on-fbi-mental-health/article/2650027

Can schools discipline students for protesting? | Opinion
Penn Live Guest Editorial By Vera Edelman Updated Feb 26, 9:02 AM; Posted Feb 26, 9:00 AM
Vera Eidelman is the William J. Brennan Fellow, at the American Civil Liberty Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project.
Students around the country are turning last week's heartbreaking school shooting in Parkland, Florida, into an inspiring and exemplary push for legislative change. In the last few days, many people have asked whether schools can discipline students for speaking out. The short answer? It depends on when, where, and how the students decide to express themselves. Plans for coordinated student walkouts have been making national news and have already engendered disciplinary threats from some school administrators. Since the law in virtually all jurisdictions requires students to go to school, schools can typically discipline students for missing class, even if they're doing so to participate in a protest or otherwise express themselves. But what the school can't do is discipline students more harshly because they are walking out to express a political view or because school administrators don't support the views behind the protest. In other words, any disciplinary action for walking out cannot be a response to the content of the protest.
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/02/can_schools_discipline_student.html#incart_river_index

'A disaster in the making': Arming teachers could lead to dangerous consequences, Lancaster County educators say
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer February 27, 2018
A retired staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, Ted Irwin, a teacher for Ephrata Area School District, is confident in his ability to take down an active school shooter. As someone who has experienced combat in Iraq and frequents a shooting range at least twice a month, Irwin is perhaps the ideal candidate for what politicians at the state and federal level, including President Donald Trump, are proposing — that is, granting teachers the right to carry a firearm in school. Trump, in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that left 17 dead, announced last week that he’s in favor of arming trained school personnel, among other school safety measures. Pennsylvania Republicans are pushing a similar proposal — Senate Bill 383 — which would allow school boards to decide whether to permit school district employees to carry a firearm. But teachers in Lancaster County — including Irwin, to an extent — say they are fearful that these proposals could cause more harm than good.
http://lancasteronline.com/insider/a-disaster-in-the-making-arming-teachers-could-lead-to/article_425adea2-1b37-11e8-9f12-4bb1b621c67a.html

Everyday gun violence must be part of gun control reckoning | Helen Ubiñas
Inquirer by Helen Ubiñas, STAFF COLUMNIST  @NotesFromHel |  ubinas@philly.com Updated: FEBRUARY 23, 2018 — 3:41 PM EST
I stood on the corner of Second and Cambria this week with the family of a woman who’d been shot and killed nearby. They came to memorialize Cristina Tosado’s life — as a daughter, a mother, a woman full of life before she was gunned down outside a bar a year before, on Feb, 19, 2017. Two bullets, fired from a car, had hit her. She died a few hours later, leaving behind three children who had already lost their father to an illness. As the rain grew heavier, I watched Tosado’s mother, Silvia Barreto, set bouquets of flowers on the concrete. I watched family and friends try to keep the flickering candles going. I watched her oldest daughter, Ashley Tosado, cry into balled-up fists. It was hard to look away. Her tears, and anger, were familiar. We’ve spent more than a week transfixed on the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, young Floridians who were devastated by a shooter who walked into their school on Valentine’s Day with an AR-15 and killed 17 of their classmates and teachers.
http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/helen_ubinas/guns-parkland-florida-school-shootings-mass-gun-violence-20180223.html

EDITORIAL: Questioning Fla. students' credibility is a new low
Butler Eagle Editorial February 25, 2018 Digital Media Exclusive 
In the wake of last week's massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., the gun rights debate is once again in full swing — complete with conspiracy theories about students who are agitating for legislative action. By Monday the conspiracy theory du jour was that the students agitating for change were “crisis actors” — political operatives brought in to fake grief and work to build support for tougher gun laws. On Wednesday our very own state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, reminded people that he doesn't mind getting down in the mud. Metcalfe tweeted and wrote on Facebook about the “hypocrisy of the left,” as it related to the students' messages on gun control. He also alluded to the crisis actors conspiracy theory, referring to the Parkland teenagers as “students,” in quotation marks, in his posts. Let's be very clear: the conspiracy theories about these students are lies. One person, Florida state legislative aide Benjamin Kelly, was quickly fired after parroting the “crisis actors” accusation during a television interview Tuesday. Another, conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, was forced to apologize after a series of tweets in which he mocked the students and questioned their “politically orchestrated grief.” Legitimate disagreements over policy issues are a good thing — a normal, democratic, American tradition. Lies, conspiracy theories and misinformation are something else. And attempting to shame and silence young people — or argue that they don't even deserve to be listened to in the first place — is flat-out repugnant. Mr. Metcalfe is one of Pennsylvania's most vocal and passionate Second Amendment advocates. His voice should be invaluable. Unfortunately, Metcalfe cannot be taken seriously until he jettisons his juvenile predeliction for histrionics and tone-deaf political sideshows.
http://www.butlereagle.com/article/20180225/NEWS20/302259998

Here are the nominees for Philly's new school board
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Staff Writer  Updated: FEBRUARY 26, 2018 — 3:45 PM EST
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/philadelphia-school-board-nominees-20180226.html

Philly's new school board has 27 nominees. Who will Mayor Kenney pick?
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer  @newskag |  kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: FEBRUARY 26, 2018 — 3:00 PM EST
Reaching across the city to tap men and women with a diverse range of experiences — from activists to businesspeople, from government veterans to founders of nonprofits — the school board nominating panel on Monday forwarded the names of 27 people for Mayor Kenney to consider to run the Philadelphia School District. Kenney will choose nine board members by the end of March, and the new body will begin running the school system after the School Reform Commission dissolves on June 30. But their work will begin much sooner: Board members are expected to start learning the nuts and bolts of the district and its nearly $3 billion budget as soon as they’re named. The 13-member nominating panel combed through 500 applications and resumes in less than two months, interviewing about 80 to arrive at the final list, which it voted on Monday afternoon at only its second public meeting, held at City Hall.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/philadelphia-school-board-new-nominees-mayor-jim-kenney-picks-20180226.html

Panel submits 27 names to mayor for new school board
Group includes two current SRC members.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa February 26, 2018 — 7:19pm
The Education Nominating Panel voted Feb. 26 to submit 27 names to Mayor Jim Kenney for appointment to the new Board of Education, a group that includes non-profit leaders and medical professionals, educators and activists, social workers and attorneys, among others. Two current members of the School Reform Commission, Christopher McGinley and Joyce Wilkerson, are among those from whom Kenney will choose nine people to comprise the District’s first locally controlled governing body since 2001. That was when the state took over the struggling District, which was facing academic and fiscal distress. Among the nominees are top officials at the Lantern Theater Company (Stacy Dutton), the Please Touch Museum (Patricia Wellenbach), the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (Dario Bellot), and the Reading Terminal Market (Anuj Gupta). There is also Roberta Trombetta, the head of CB Community, a private school for foster children that started out as a charter school, and Susanna Greenberg, president of the board at Independence Charter School, a position she’d have to leave if nominated by Kenney. Trombetta, Gupta and Greenberg are among the eight people nominated who are lawyers or have law degrees..  A former chief financial officer for both the District and City Council, Folasade Olanipekun-Lewis, and a former chief of staff to the SRC, Loree Jones, are also on the list. 
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/02/26/panel-submits-27-names-to-mayor-for-new-school-board

With school deficits looming, Philly debates tax strategy ahead of new budget
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent February 26, 2018
As Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney readies his next proposed budget this week, a recent City Council tax policy hearing featured several familiar voices and perspectives on how he could deal with deficits looming for the city school district.  The debate could foreshadow an emerging conflict over to how to fund Philadelphia’s schools at a time when the city is slated to take more control over them. For years, business leaders have pressed Philadelphia to shift its tax burden away from business and wage taxes and toward higher real estate levies, arguing that the city’s unusual tax structure restricts job growth. The city generally has moved in that direction, though not as quickly as the business community would like.
https://whyy.org/articles/school-deficits-looming-philly-debates-tax-strategy-ahead-new-budget/

We asked what you wanted in Philly schools; here’s what we learned
Email from Otis Hackney, Chief Education Officer City of Philadelphia
A few weeks ago, we asked you to share what you wanted to see in your schools and identify the most important individual and group attributes for the incoming Board of Education. Today, we have the results of that city-wide survey. Between December 12, 2017 and February 7, 2018, more than 3,000 respondents representing all residential Philadelphia zip codes completed the survey. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with the City and the Educational Nominating Panel.
Some of the top school-improvement priorities identified by survey respondents were:
·         investing in music and arts curriculum
·         increasing literacy levels by fourth grade
·         improved school climate
Respondents also noted that important attributes for future Board of Education members were:
·         ethics and integrity
·         past experience as an educator
·         being a parent of a student
You can check out the complete survey results - including responses by stakeholder group - in the published report.
https://beta.phila.gov/documents/community-education-survey-results/?utm_source=Office+of+Education+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=4cb72c85a5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b497d6662e-4cb72c85a5-85827005

Rules keep school staff from giving medical marijuana to students
Intelligencer By Chris Ullery  Posted Feb 23, 2018 at 4:50 PM Updated Feb 23, 2018 at 4:50 PM
Temporary rules drafted by the state Department of Health allow only ‘registered caregivers’ to administer medical marijuana prescribed to minors, a potential problem ‘financially and logistically’ for some families, a state lawmaker says. It will take more than a doctor’s note for children to get medical marijuana in school. Under temporary state Department of Health guidelines, only registered caregivers can administer the medication legalized in Pennsylvania two years ago and recently made available to patients thanks to the opening of the state’s first dispensaries this month. Those guidelines also require a parent or guardian to notify the school “in advance” of each dosage, taking the medical cannabis with them afterward. The guidelines don’t define how much advance notice is required. State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, said Thursday the temporary guidelines could be a problem both “financially and logistically” for parents of children prescribed medical cannabis, but added permanent rules are ultimately decided by the Department of Education. “We think this should be taken like any other medicine (and given by a school nurse),” Leach, a primary co-sponsor of the Medical Marijuana Act, said. Some conditions, such as chronic seizures, could require medical marijuana doses on an as-needed basis, making the advance notice rule potentially unmanageable, Leach said. Yet it is unlikely that school districts would break from current guidelines, according to representatives of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Certified School Nurses Association of Bucks County.
http://www.theintell.com/news/20180223/rules-keep-school-staff-from-giving-medical-marijuana-to-students

The Next Educational Equity Battleground: Little-Noticed ESSA Provision to Allow Parents to See Whether Districts Fund Schools Fairly
The74 by Mark Keierleber February 25, 2018
In the suburbs west of Philadelphia, the drive between Penn Wood and Lower Merion high schools is just five miles, yet the two campuses are worlds apart. In Lower Merion, home to the the city’s wealthy and political elite, affluence is reflected in everything from its state-of-the-art campus building to the taxpayer-funded laptops in students’ backpacks. At Penn Wood, however, 75 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and, as a graduate said in a recent documentary, “At any given moment, 1 student out of every 8 can use a computer.” The schools have been a flashpoint for years — including in a lawsuitcurrently before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — over the way school districts receive money. Education funding in the United States is largely based on local property taxes, meaning that school quality is often a function of ZIP code. The gaping academic chasms between the haves and the have-nots among the nation’s school districts is a familiar battleground in educational equity, fought over in countless research studies, policy briefs, and court proceedings. That, however, is only part of the story. Less known is the way districts distribute money down to the schools that report to them — and whether those dollars are distributed fairly. That’s about to change.
https://www.the74million.org/article/the-next-educational-equity-battleground-little-noticed-essa-provision-to-allow-parents-to-see-whether-districts-fund-schools-fairly/

These Are School Safety Bills Congress Can Already Vote on After Parkland
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on February 26, 2018 11:52 AM
After the mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla. high school last week, President Donald Trumppushed the idea of arming more teachers to protect students. That proposal is extremely controversial. But beyond that, many are wondering what lawmakers, including those on Capitol Hill, will do to address school shootings. Notably, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has said that he will soon introduce legislation in Congress that would address safety on K-12 campuses. Hatch is a member of the Senate education committee. However, there are already a handful of bills lawmakers have introduced this Congress that try to tackle various aspects of school safety and mental health in K-12. These bills have been in the hopper for awhile, and this Congress isn't even necessarily the first time they've been introduced. But they do give a flavor of what federal lawmakers have thought about when they've contemplated school safety. 
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/02/school_safety_bills_after_parkland_congress_votes.html

Reprise 2013: How The Gun Industry Funnels Tens Of Millions Of Dollars To The NRA
Business Insider by Walter Hickey Jan. 16, 2013, 1:25 PM
The White House and the National Rifle Association are careening toward an all-out battle, with President Barack Obama's announcement Wednesday of an expansive new agenda to crack down on gun violence. Yesterday, the NRA released an advertisement targeting the President's daughters. Today, the President directly appealed to the club's members to break ranks. One of the most interesting aspects of all is how an association for sportsmen became the prime defenders of assault weaponry. In its early days, the National Rifle Association was a grassroots social club that prided itself on independence from corporate influence. While that is still part of the organization's core function, today less than half of the NRA's revenues come from program fees and membership dues. The bulk of the group's money now comes in the form of contributions, grants, royalty income, and advertising, much of it originating from gun industry sources.
http://www.businessinsider.com/gun-industry-funds-nra-2013-1



Teachers Unions Are Ready To Use Betsy DeVos Against The School Choice Democrats
For years, teachers unions and major Democratic politicians and donors have battled bitterly over what education reform should look like. That could change in the Democratic primary.
Molly Hensley-Clancy BuzzFeed News Reporter Posted on February 22, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.
Five years ago, the debate over charter schools loomed over the Democratic Party, pitting some of the party’s most prominent members and biggest donors against teachers unions. But those days could be over. Opponents of charter schools and school choice believe the next two years could be a “tipping point” for their cause: a moment where voters soundly reject policies that have, in the past, been moving closer to the party’s mainstream, and to bipartisan consensus. The prospect is causing anxiety for some school choice advocates and donors, who have, until recently, seen many liberal leaders embrace issues like expanding charter schools. Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are both charter school advocates, and school choice is an issue that is close to the hearts of many major Democratic donors, especially business leaders. But some charter school advocates have begun to despair that their cause could be a losing one as Democrats move toward what promises to be a divisive presidential primary.
Like everything else, both sides say, it’s all about Donald Trump.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mollyhensleyclancy/teachers-unions-think-2020-is-when-they-will-defeat-the?utm_term=.jnYxeV2o8#.gxgW46Qjg

Preventing State Tax Subsidies for Private K-12 Education in the Wake of the New Federal 529 Law
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy Report February 23, 2018
Read the Report in PDF (Includes State by State Appendices)
Download Spreadsheet of State by State Appendices.
Over the next few months, state lawmakers must decipher how their existing tax laws are impacted by the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enacted in late 2017.  The new federal law has consequential implications for the states that piggyback on federal law to determine their own personal and corporate income taxes.  One of the changes in the federal law that has ramifications in every state with a personal income tax is the new provision allowing  taxpayers to make tax-exempt withdrawals from 529 college savings accounts to pay for K-12 religious and private school tuition.  These fees are now redefined as “qualified higher education expenses.” The law permits 529 savings accountholders to withdraw up to $10,000 federal income tax-free for each beneficiary per year.  It also allows for the rollover of assets into ABLE accounts, a similarly-modeled savings plan for individuals with disabilities.  This policy brief explains the federal and various state-level breaks for 529 plans and explores the potential impact that the change in federal treatment of 529 plans will have on state revenues.
https://itep.org/preventing-state-tax-subsidies-for-private-k-12-education-in-the-wake-of-the-new-federal-529-law/


NPE: Join us in a Day of Action April 20th to Stop Gun Violence in our Schools
Network for Public Education February 16, 2018 by Darcie Cimarusti
After the slaughter of students and staff in Parkland, Florida, the time for action has never been more urgent. The politicians sit on their hands as our children and their teachers are murdered in their schools. We will be silent no more! The failure to enact rational laws that bar access to guns designed for mass shootings is inexcusable. It is past time to speak out and act. Pledge your support to stop gun violence here. We call for mass action on April 20, the anniversary of the horrific shootings at Columbine High School. We urge teachers, families, students, administrators and every member of the community to engage in acts of protest in and around their schools. Create actions that work best in your community.  Organize sit-ins, teach-ins, walkouts, marches–whatever you decide will show your school and community’s determination to keep our students safe. One elementary teacher suggested that teachers and parents link arms around the school to show their determination to protect children.
https://networkforpubliceducation.org/2018/02/join-us-day-action-stop-gun-violence-schools/

Save the Date: PA School Funding Lawsuit Wed. March 7, 2018 9:30 A.M.
Commonwealth Court Hearing on Legislative leaders motions to Dismiss the Wm Penn SD challenge to state funding.
Before the Court en banc sitting in Court Room No. 1 Ninth Floor, Widener Building, 1339 Chestnut Street, One South Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA 19107
All members of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court will hear oral argument on motions to dismiss filed by legislative leaders in the school funding lawsuit William Penn School District, et al. v. Pennsylvania Dept. of Education, et al.  The Legislators are arguing that the Petition challenging the inadequacy and inequity of Pennsylvania’s funding of schools is moot because the new school formula has supplanted the funding scheme existing when students and school districts filed their Petition in 2015.  In addition, Legislators also contend that the Petition failed to allege that insufficient state funding caused any harm such as poor PSSA results or lack of sufficient instructional resources.   In September, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the Commonwealth Court to hold a trial on whether state officials are violating the state’s constitution by failing to adequately and equitably fund public education.  The Legislators objections have delayed efforts to bring this case to trial.   

Updated: Snooze or Lose: Promoting Sleep Health in Adolescents
Dr. Wendy Troxel Mon., March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Radnor High School auditorium 
The Radnor Township School District Adolescent Sleep & School Start Time Study Committee will welcome Dr. Wendy Troxel for a public presentation on Mon., March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Radnor High School auditorium (130 King of Prussia Road, Radnor). Dr. Troxel is a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation and Adjunct Faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. A licensed clinical psychologist and certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Troxel been widely cited by the media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR and BBC. Dr. Troxel was also one of the featured sleep experts in the National Geographic documentary “Sleepless in America.” Her TED talk on the impact of school start times on adolescent sleep has received more than 1.4 million views.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED at http://bit.ly/RTSDSnoozeorLose

Help draft a plan to implement a statewide vision for the future of public education in PA!
(Updated) PSBA Member Roundtables/Receptions – February and March Dates
Member Roundtable and Receptions
Join your PSBA Member Roundtable and Reception to hear the public education advocacy and political updates affecting your school district. Take this opportunity to network, learn and develop your leadership skills. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and networking with fellow school leaders in your area, then provide your input on the future vision for public education in PA.
Roundtable Discussion: Help draft a plan to implement a statewide vision for the future of public education in PA! PSBA would like to capture your thoughts on what education should look like in the coming decades. We will compile your expertise with the perspectives of others from across the state to develop the Commonwealth Education Blueprint. The Blueprint will then serve as our guiding resource and will set milestones for creating the best public education experience for future generations of students. Don’t miss your opportunity to weigh in!
Agenda:
6:00 pm – 6:15 pm Association Update
Learn the latest news, initiatives and upcoming events from your association.
6:15 pm – 7:00 pm Government Affairs
Bring knowledge back to your district of how the commonwealth budget will fiscally impact it. Discuss the top legislative issues affecting public education. Learn how you can advocate for your school district taxpayers, students and public education success.
7:00 pm – 7:45 pm Networking
Enjoy productive conversation with your school leader colleagues. Boost your network, share your experiences and build a stronger voice for public education.
7:45 pm – 8:30 pm Commonwealth Education Blueprint: Developing a vision for public education
This focus group is your opportunity to share your input in drafting a blueprint for the future of public education. The Commonwealth Education Blueprint is a multiyear effort founded and managed by PSBA to develop and implement a statewide vision for the future of public education. Through this comprehensive project, education stakeholders from across the state and from many areas of expertise are coming together to proactively determine what education should look like in years to come. Having a clear and comprehensive statewide vision will ensure that we provide an increasingly excellent public education experience for children. This is your opportunity to get involved, share your feedback, and help draft the plan for the future of education!
Pricing: This is a complimentary PSBA member event.
Locations/dates:
·         Feb. 26, Parkway West CTC (Section 5)
·         Feb. 27, A. W. Beattie Career Center (Section 5)
·         Feb. 28, Crawford Co. CTC (Section 1)
·         Mar. 1, Seneca Highlands IU 9 (Section 2)
·         Mar. 5, Central Montco Technical HS (Section 8)
·         Mar. 6, Lehigh Carbon Community College (Section 8)
·         Mar. 7, West Side CTC (Section 4)
·         Mar. 8, Montoursville Area HS (Section 3)
·         Mar. 12, PSBA (Section 7)
·         Mar. 13, Altoona Area HS (Section 6)


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 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Join the PA Principals Association, the PA Association of School Administrators and the PA Association of Rural and Small Schools for PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA.  
A rally in support of public education and important education issues will be held on the Main Rotunda Steps from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Visits with legislators will be conducted earlier in the day. More information will be sent via email, shared in our publications and posted on our website closer to the event.
To register, send an email to Dr. Joseph Clapper at clapper@paprincipals.org before Friday, June 8, 2018.
Click here to view the PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day 2018 Save The Date Flyer (INCLUDES EVENT SCHEDULE AND IMPORTANT ISSUES.) 

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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