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Monday, March 19, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup March 19: Kansas school funding report finds strong, positive relationship between educational outcomes and educational costs


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Kansas school funding report finds strong, positive relationship between educational outcomes and educational costs



2018 PSBA Advocacy Day April 16, 2018 Harrisburg
Join PSBA and your fellow school directors for the annual Advocacy Day on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. PSBA is partnering with Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units to have a stronger voice for public education. Hear how advocacy makes a difference in the legislative process and the importance of public education advocacy. This event is free for members; registration is required.
Register online here: http://www.mypls.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3753



Pennridge High School students turn Saturday detention into another day of protest against gun violence
Morning Call by Binghui Huang and Jacqueline Palochko Contact Reporters March 18, 2018
Pennridge High School students — calling themselves #Pennridge 225 — turned what was supposed to be a Saturday detention into another form of protest against gun violence. The 46 students were the first group of about 225 Pennridge High School students slated to serve detention for walking out of class Wednesday. The students linked arms and wore the names of gun violence victims pinned on their clothing. They placed flowers in a center of a circle. A video of the students sitting on the floor of their school cafeteria on Saturday has been spreading on social media, prompting messages of support from prominent gun control advocates and celebrities.

School-walkout unity also lays bare division among students
Penn Live By The Associated Press Updated Mar 18, 5:18 PM; Posted Mar 18, 3:14 PM
As she addressed the crowd during the walkout at her Idaho high school, Kylee Denny faced heckles and name-calling from a group of students carrying American flags, she said. The counterprotesters included many familiar faces, including her boyfriend's stepbrother. To avoid making a difficult situation worse, Kylee's boyfriend stayed in class during the rally at Hillcrest High School in Idaho Falls, which was part of Wednesday's national school walkout. "I'm dating his stepbrother, which is really incredibly awkward and it's very tense because he was being so hostile about losing respect for me because I was walking out," said Kylee, a 17-year-old junior who helped organize the protest. The walkouts to protest gun violence that mobilized students across the country also created tensions in hallways and classrooms as a new generation was thrust into the debate over guns. While those calling for new restrictions stood in the spotlight, the surge of youth activism has exposed sharp differences of opinion.

“When parents model reading and share it with their children, those children grow to love reading. And they experience higher academic achievement and lifetime income levels as a result. Now more than ever, they need to be nurtured and supported in this activity.”
Reading to your kids makes a difference. Start the habit now | Opinion
Penn Live  Guest Editorial By Rob Lesher Updated Mar 17; Posted Mar 17
Rob Lesher is the executive director of the Dauphin County Library System. He writes from Harrisburg.
I am writing in support of Anwar Curtis's piece on "How '500 Men Reading' can make changes for thousands of young people" posted Feb. 27 on PennLive. As Curtis describes, few skills are as important to a child's success in school and life as learning to read. Floyd Stokes and his exceptional organization, The American Literacy Corporation (ALC), have made great strides in raising awareness of this in our community. As I have witnessed firsthand, his commitment and energy are inspiring. In my work as a literacy and reading professional, I daily encounter the misperception that our digital age makes reading unnecessary. And, as Curtis notes, this misperception is often greatest among our young male population. But study after study demonstrates how critical the love of reading is to improving academic outcomes. 

“Taylor was blunt in linking educational attainment with dollars spent.
“The analysis finds a strong, positive relationship between educational outcomes and educational costs,” Taylor concluded. She also said a 1 percentage point increase in graduation rates is associated with a 1.2 percent increase in costs in lower grades and a 1.9 percent increase in costs at the high school level. That amounts to a breathtaking repudiation of the long-standing conservative argument that there’s no link between outcomes and spending.”
Kansas school funding report blows a hole in conservative doctrine
BY THE KANSAS CITY STAR EDITORIAL BOARD March 16, 2018 05:52 PM Updated March 16, 2018 06:49 PM
A long-awaited school funding study released Friday in Topeka was expected to endorse the long-held conservative view that there’s no correlation between student performance and the money spent on public schools. After all, conservative Republican leaders had hand-picked the consultant — Lori Taylor, a Texas A&M University professor — to take a fresh look at Kansas school spending. Democrats and moderate Republicans who back more education spending feared a low-ball recommendation just as lawmakers begin deliberations on a new funding formula. But in a stunning development, Taylor’s study sent a torpedo into bedrock conservative doctrine, concluding that a link does indeed exist between spending and a student’s educational attainment. She said lawmakers must spend another $1.7 billion over five years to reach performance targets or an additional $2 billion to deliver enhanced educational outcomes. Until Friday, the conventional wisdom in the statehouse was that lawmakers would look to increase school funding by $600 million over the next few years. Now, Taylor has flipped that school-funding math end-over-end. Based on this report, $600 million may not come even close to doing the job. Lawmakers face an April 30 deadline to respond to the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling that the Legislature’s latest efforts to fund schools had fallen short. That gives them precious little time for such a complicated task as writing a new formula and then funding it.

Uncertainty, intensity in Pa. gerrymander case isn't likely ending soon | John Baer
Philly Daily News by John Baer, STAFF COLUMNIST  baerj@phillynews.com Updated: MARCH 19, 2018 — 5:36 AM EDT
Many are asking what’s taking the U.S. Supreme Court so long to act on Pennsylvania’s gerrymander case. But another key question is, what happens once the Supreme Court acts? Tuesday is the deadline to file petitions to run for Congress. So, expectations are that court action is imminent. But even after the Supreme Court acts in what is a tale of high-stakes politics and political revenge, ramifications are expected for some time. “All we know is this isn’t over. What we don’t know is how long it lasts.” So says Michael Gerhardt, constitutional scholar at the National Constitution Center. He adds, “Everybody’s waiting for movement. And nobody’s moving.” You know the basics, right? Republican legislature draws congressional districts in 2011 favorable to Republicans. Democratic state Supreme Court in 2018 rules maps unconstitutionally partisan, draws new maps favorable to Democrats. Everybody goes bat-swat crazy. Challenges erupt. There are cries of constitutional crises and legal fees mounting to millions of tax dollars. Pleas to the nation’s highest court. Talk of impeaching state Supreme Court justices. And, now, many questions.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/uncertainty-intensity-in-pa-gerrymander-case-isnt-likely-ending-soon-20180319.html

Blogger note: 2 of these are in Pennsylvania
The top 10 House races of 2018
Washington Post By Amber Phillips March 18 at 8:00 AM Email the author
The votes from Tuesday's special congressional election in Pennsylvania are still being counted, but Democrats have already won the psychological battle. At the very least, they came close to winning a district President Trump won by 20 points. Democrats' stunningly strong performance deep in Trump country can't be ignored as we look to November's midterm elections, where all 435 House seats are up for reelection. Voter enthusiasm, polling and high-profile GOP retirements indicate the House majority is up for grabs. If Democrats win back the House for the first time in eight years, they'll do it by winning in districts like the 10 below. Nine of our 10 House races most likely to flip parties this November belong to Republicans, and they span the country. Here they are, ranked in order of least likely to flip parties (10) to most (1). We'll revisit these semi-regularly leading up to November's midterm elections.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/18/the-top-10-house-races-of-2018/?utm_term=.f20c48c2c6d3

Rick Saccone's campaign confirms bid for newly drawn 14th Congressional District
Triv Live by NATASHA LINDSTROM  | Thursday, March 15, 2018, 11:24 p.m.
Republican Rick Saccone announced Thursday he is making a bid for Pennsylvania's newly drawn 14th Congressional District while he awaits the final results of this week's special election to represent a soon-to-be defunct 18th District. Saccone, 60, has begun circulating petitions to compete in a state Supreme Court-drawn district that includes Fayette, Washington and Greene counties and the western portion of Westmore­land County, according to Bob Branstetter, a political consultant with Saccone's campaign. Saccone does not live in the new 14th District, which is set go into effect during the May 15 primary election. Nor does at least one of his opponents , Republican state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler of Jefferson Hills. Congressional candidates are not required to live in the district they want to represent.
http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/13426778-74/rick-saccones-campaign-confirms-bid-for-newly-drawn-14th-congressional-district

Conor Lamb eyes run for Congress in new district
Trib Live by WES VENTEICHER  | Thursday, March 15, 2018, 4:03 p.m.
Fresh off an apparent victory in Tuesday's special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, Democrat Conor Lamb is taking steps to campaign in a new district northwest of Pittsburgh, setting himself up for a potential electoral showdown with Republican Keith Rothfus. Lamb, 33, of Mt. Lebanon filed papers Wednesday seeking the Beaver County Democratic Party's endorsement in the 17th Congressional District, which includes parts of Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties, said Beaver County Democratic Chairman Stephen Dupree. Lamb's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Mt. Lebanon became part of the 17th District after the state Supreme Court established new congressional districts last month. Sewickley, where three-term Republican congressman Rothfus lives, also is in the 17th District. Rothfus has said he is preparing to run for re-election.
http://triblive.com/local/regional/13425255-74/conor-lamb-sets-sights-on-run-for-congress-in-new-district

Lawyer offers Pennsylvania lawmakers a different take on school security
Trib Live by DEBRA ERDLEY  | Thursday, March 15, 2018, 11:42 a.m.
The Education Law Center Thursday offered Pennsylvania lawmakers a different take on school safety.  Testifying before a public hearing of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, Reynelle Brown Staley, an attorney with the Education Law Center, referenced the student walkouts staged at public schools across the nation a day earlier. “We saw yesterday that there are thousands of students who want safe schools and gun reform legislation,” said Brown Staley. “They also sent us a clear message that they do not want guns and armed personnel in their schools. It is not the way to make our schools safe and nurturing environments.” In the past, state lawmakers have weighed a number of proposals to increase school security. Dating to 2014 and as recently as last fall, well before the mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Fla., Pennsylvania lawmakers were weighing proposals to arm teachers . Brown Staley urged lawmakers to consider other options. She said money spent on school police, metal detectors and surveillance cameras can siphon resources from education in the neediest schools. She urged lawmakers to consider investing in guidance counselors and social workers, implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in schools, require mandatory training for all school police with a focus on meeting the needs of students free of bias, and protecting minorities, students with disabilities and other marginalized groups from over-policing.
http://triblive.com/news/education/safety/13424512-74/lawyer-offers-differnt-take-on-school-security

Pennsylvania auditor general implements changes to annual school safety reviews
Citizens Voice by CLAYTON OVER, STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: MARCH 19, 2018
Changes implemented earlier this month by the state Department of Auditor General ensure all school district audits and reviews examine school safety measures and provide findings to law enforcement officials. A school safety review has been part of audits since 2006, after a shooter entered an Amish school in Lancaster County and killed five students and wounded five others. However, districts that consistently have good track records in financial and educational reviews receive “desk audits,” or limited reviews, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said. Under the new enhancements, school safety objectives will be part of all district audits and reviews, DePasquale said. Previously, the findings of confidential school safety audits were only distributed to superintendents and school safety officers. Under the new provisions, the findings will be shared with state police, the attorney general’s office and local police. “If a school district has a problem, I want (law enforcement) to know about it,” DePasquale said.
http://citizensvoice.com/news/pennsylvania-auditor-general-implements-changes-to-annual-school-safety-reviews-1.2315441

Want Cameras and Bullet-Resistant Glass at Your School? They Aren't Cheap
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on March 19, 2018 7:26 AM
After the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., school safety upgrades people can see and touch have gotten a lot of attention. Things like video surveillance, door-locking systems, and other physical improvements to schools are often the focus of parents and the general public when they share concerns about the security of their schools. It's important to remember that measures taken to prevent school violence before it happens, while they don't get a ton of news coverage, can be the most important element of safety and crisis-prevention plans. But there's something else to keep in mind: The physical upgrades to schools added in the name of safety often aren't cheap. Last October, the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) released a series of cost estimates for schools that want to reach four different levels of security and safety. The Security Industry Association and the National Systems Contractors Association, both industry groups that prepared the estimates for PASS, listed a series of improvements schools could make to get from Tier 1—the basic level—to Tier 4, the top level of security for schools according to PASS. 
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/03/school_security_upgrades_cameras_bullet_resistant_glass_school_not_cheap.html

Trump plan to toss school discipline guidelines is misguided | Editorial
by The Inquirer Editorial Board Updated: MARCH 19, 2018 — 5:43 AM EDT
Arming teachers isn’t the only dangerous education policy being promoted by President Trump. He also wants to throw out guidelines issued by the Obama administration to reduce the blatant racial discrimination that frequently occurs when minority and white students are disciplined for the same offense. The Department of Education issued guidelines encouraging school districts to eliminate or severely limit expulsions and suspensions in 2014 after its Office of Civil Rights reported that black students were suspended and expelled at three times the rate of white students. n average, 5 percent of white students are suspended, compared with 16 percent of black students. Black children represent 16 percent of total student enrollment, but are 31 percent of students subjected to a school-related arrest. White students, 51 percent of enrollment, account for 39 percent of those arrested.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/betsy-devos-trump-school-discipline-department-of-education-20180319.html

Testimony to the House Education Committee On School Safety Issues Presented by Michael Faccinetto, 2018 PSBA President, School Director, Bethlehem Area School District On behalf of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association March 15, 2018
PSBA Website March 14, 2018
Good morning, my name is Michael Faccinetto. I am the 2018 president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), president of the Bethlehem Area School Board and most importantly a parent of three public school children. PSBA is a nonprofit statewide association representing the 4,500 elected officials who govern the commonwealth’s 500 public school districts. It is a membership-driven organization pledged to the highest ideals of local lay leadership for public schools. On behalf of PSBA, I appreciate this opportunity to speak before the committee today regarding school safety and the diverse types of safety issues school districts must address.  As a parent of three public school children I take school safety very seriously.  In the past few weeks not a day has gone by that I haven’t been asked about the safety in our schools.
https://www.psba.org/2018/03/testimony-school-safety-faccinetto/

“The students who spoke – all of whom were members of organizing groups, including Philadelphia Student Union, Youth United for Change, Asian Americans United, and VietLead – were most concerned about three main issues: mental health services, school policing, and support for immigrants like Jinyan.”
Philly students tell Council they want mental health and English language supports
Many would also like to phase out school police officers.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa March 16, 2018 — 5:28pm
Jinyan Deng, now a junior at Northeast High School, arrived in the United States from China barely two years ago. It was a bewildering experience, to say the least. She knew no English. She had no familiarity with the U.S.  system of education. She was plunked down in a school with close to 3,000 students. “The District needs to better support ELL students,” she said, speaking through a translator. Jinyan was one of 11 young people who testified Thursday at City Council’s annual Student Roundtable. Conducted during budget season, the Roundtable is designed to let Council members hear students talk about what they need the most. “This is an important time, where your voice matters,” Councilwoman Helen Gym told the students, who filled the Mayor’s Reception Room. “We’re setting budget priorities.” Several other Council members or their representatives attended, and Mayor Kenney stopped by to congratulate the students on their activism. “I’m an old guy,” he said. “Before I know it, I’ll be out of here and you guys will be taking over.” He reiterated his commitment to increasing city funding for the schools and to maintaining Philadelphia as a “sanctuary city” that protects immigrants who may be targets of federal immigration enforcement.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/03/16/students-tell-council-they-want-mental-health-and-english-language-supports

Kenney gets 18 new names for Philly school board consideration
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham & Maddie Hanna - Staff Writers Updated: MARCH 16, 2018 — 2:31 PM EDT
A little more than a week after asking for more candidates to consider for the city’s fledgling school board, Mayor Kenney has a new list of names. The nominating panel Friday officially delivered the names of 18 additional prospects to the mayor at a public meeting in City Hall. That brings to 45 the pool from which Kenney will choose nine people to run the Philadelphia school district, with its 130,000 students and $3 billion budget, once the School Reform Commission ceases to exist on June 30. Twenty-seven other people are already under consideration for the board. The new list includes: Dawn Ang, Catherine Blunt, Jenny Bogoni, Alison Cohen, Deborah Diamond, Supreme Dow, Cheryl Harper, Will Jordan, Reed Lyons, William Peebles, Anna Perng, Brenda Rivera, Michael Smith, Andrew Stober, Katherine Stratos, Fernando Trevino, Wayne Walker and Christina Wong. Kenney last week said he wanted a longer list of candidates as he chooses his school board — more people with education experience, more parents, and a more diverse pool.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/school-board-nominees-kenney-philly-20180316.html

“Diversity, however, means different things to different people, and at least some school choice advocates believe there isn’t enough representation for the charter sector, which now educates about a third of the city’s public school students.”
Mayor gets new batch of names for Philly school board consideration
WHYY March 17, 2018
Responding to a request from Mayor Jim Kenney for more choices, the Philadelphia’s educational nominating panel submitted the names of 18 more candidates to potentially serve on the city’s new, nine-member school board. They join the 27 people who were nominated late last month, bringing the candidate pool up to 45. Kenney has 20 days to pick — and announce — his starting nine. Once selected, the school board will officially replace the dissolving School Reform Commission on July 1. Kenney specifically asked the nominating panel for “a diverse pool that more strongly represents parents and current or former primary- or secondary-level educators.” Of the 18 people nominated Friday, at least five are parents of students now in public school, according to bios released by the Mayor’s Office of Education. Another nominee has a son about to start kindergarten in a public school, and two others have children who formerly attended public schools. “I’m a parent of students in the public schools, and I know that’s a priority for the mayor,” said Wendell Pritchett, panel chairman. “We were happy to help him meet those requirements.” The bios released Friday afternoon note that two among the new batch of nominees are former teachers.
https://whyy.org/articles/mayor-gets-new-batch-names-philly-school-board-consideration/

The second installment of Philadelphia School Board nominee reports
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools by Lisa Haver and Deb Grill March 2018
As promised, APPS researchers have completed the independent profiles of the first round of nominees chosen by the Education Nominating Panel. Mayor Kenney, in response to community protests about the possible conflicts of the nominees, and the dearth of educators on the first list, reconvened the Panel on Friday, March 16.  APPS members Barbara Dowdall, Lynda Rubin and Lisa Haver testified, again decrying the lack of public deliberations and the ongoing violations of the PA Sunshine Act.  The Panel voted to send eighteen more nominees to the Mayor.  The Mayor has twenty days to choose nine of the forty-five submitted as his final choices.
We will be releasing our extended profiles on the additional candidates later this week.
Please review our first report, as important updates and links have been added.
https://appsphilly.net/the-second-installment-of-philadelphia-school-board-nominee-reports/

How trauma is shaping the way Philadelphia schools teach | Opinion
by Karyn T. Lynch, For the Inquirer Updated: MARCH 16, 2018 — 2:24 PM EDT
Karyn T. Lynch is the chief of Student Support Services for the School District of Philadelphia.
The School District of Philadelphia serves more than 128,000 students across 221 schools.  As such, our student population represents a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Unfortunately, we live in the poorest big city in America and a significant number of Philadelphia’s children face this challenge of urban poverty. These students are exposed to community violence, poverty, hunger, maltreatment and neglect, and unstable or transient living conditions, which can make the very act of showing up to school every day a victory in and of itself. While trauma can negatively impact any child, what is commonly misunderstood is that students experiencing chronic trauma are in a state of toxic stress all the time. Toxic stress can lead to changes in how the brain develops and can compromise their health. Students experiencing chronic trauma arrive to school tired, stressed, and on edge. Their brains, bodies, and nervous system can make them edgy, overreact to things that seem minor to others, lash out at others, or withdraw and isolate themselves. They are in constant “fight or flight” mode, and unlike their peers, can find simple, expected tasks like receiving and retaining knowledge, or even interacting in a normal, productive way with teachers and peers, extremely challenging.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/schools-trauma-informed-education-philly-20180316.html

“Bethlehem Area School Board President Michael Faccinetto said it's already tough to find candidates willing to run for school board. Forcing them to run in just their own party's primary would further narrow the field. "The only politics that enters our local budget debates is the effects of partisan bickering in Harrisburg and Washington D.C.," Faccinetto said. "I would think that both parties could agree that nothing is more important than educating our children.  It would seem to me that there are bigger problems facing public education that school directors cross-filing."
Should 2-party filing end for school board candidates?
By Rudy Miller rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com, For lehighvalleylive.com Updated Mar 17; Posted Mar 17
If you're making budgetary decisions, you're making political decisions. That's the way state Rep. Justin Simmons sees it. The Republican who represents the Lehigh Valley's 131st Legislative District wants to reverse the longstanding rule allowing school board candidates to cross-file and run as both Democrats and Republicans during primary elections. Candidates are allowed to cross-file because school board members are seen as nonpartisan. But Simmons disagrees. "These positions are truly political in nature because of the budget-related decisions school board members make," he said in a statement. "The election process for them should be the same as any other political candidate."
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/elections/index.ssf/2018/03/should_democrats_be_able_to_ru.html

New trends in vaping alarm educators and parents
Intelligencer By Marion Callahan  Posted at 5:00 AM March 19, 2018
Community and school leaders are seeing a dramatic rise in vaping trends among teens, who are using hard-to-detect “juuling” devices to inhale flavored juices, nicotine and, in some cases, highly concentrated marijuana. A study, released in early March, shows cancer-causing toxins are found in teens who vape. “It’s just flavored juice,” said one 10th-grader. “It’s easy to hide,” said a ninth-grader. “Could be worse,” some parents say. Yet vaping and the latest inhaling trend, “Juuling,” are raising concerns among parents and school officials who are trying to alert the community to potential hazards and the latest “stealthy” devices that look more like a pen, flash drive or computer mouse than an inhaling tool. The most recent state survey on students’ risky behavior — the 2015 Pennsylvania Youth Survey — shows that 11 percent of students have “vaped” in the last 30 days, up from just under 2 percent in 2011. Educators report that students are vaping — ingesting favored chemicals, nicotine or marijuana — in bathrooms, the back of classrooms, hallways and other public locations. Much of their use goes undetected because many of the devices do not emit an odor or smoke like a cigarette.
http://www.theintell.com/news/20180319/new-trends-in-vaping-alarm-educators-and-parents

Coatesville Schools’ rediscover Coatesville 2018 Charter School Summit set for April 7
By Digital First Media POSTED: 03/18/18, 5:37 PM EDT | UPDATED: 8 HRS AGO
CALN >> Families with students looking to transition out of a charter or faith-based school are invited to attend an experiential and informational presentation hosted by the Coatesville Area School District aimed at highlighting the wide-ranging opportunities within the district. The Rediscover Coatesville 2018 Charter School Summit will be held April 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Coatesville Area Senior High School at 1445 Lincoln Highway in Caln Township. The free program, open to the public, will showcase the comprehensive educational opportunities offered in the district, and provide an interactive experience for attendees. Those interested in participating in the event can register at http://bit.ly/2D4d0fG. Following a brief welcome inside the high school auditorium, the program will include more than 20 breakout sessions families can pick and choose to attend featuring clubs, sports, activities and organizations for students in elementary, middle and high school. Among the breakout sessions include a football clinic with the varsity football team, Air Force JROTC, woodshop, National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society, elementary school clubs, theater, Parent Teacher Organization and Booster Club, musical performances, demonstrations of solar cars, the computer science program, sports teams at the middle and high school and much more. Full details of the event can be viewed via the official 2018 Charter School Summit electronic flip book: http://bit.ly/rediscovercoatesville.
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20180318/coatesville-schools-rediscover-coatesville-2018-charter-school-summit-set-for-april-7

Ex-Coatesville school chief Richard Como, figure in racist-text flap, gets jail term for theft from district
Inquirer by Michaelle Bond, Staff Writer  @MichaelleBond |  mbond@phillynews.com Updated: MARCH 16, 2018 — 1:30 PM EDT
Richard Como, 71, was sentenced Friday to 3 to 23 months in county prison for stealing from the financially struggling Coatesville Area School District he led for eight years until the discovery of an exchange of racist and sexist texts led to his resignation. He also will lose the pension — over $180,000 annually, according to state figures — that he earned in 42 years as an educator. In January, a jury found Como guilty of 16 counts of theft and conflict of interest charges. He had been accused of interfering in hiring to get his son a job; selling his personal electrical generator to the district, and taking money from student government, summer-school tuition and a donation to the school district, all in an effort to pay for high school championship football rings. The school district of roughly 7,000 students is one of the poorest in Chester County.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/coatesville-superintendent-text-prison-racist-20180316.html

Philly's bet on U.S. stocks pays off, but Pa. teachers miss bull market year
Inquirer by Joseph N. DiStefano, Staff Writer  @PhillyJoeD |  JoeD@phillynews.com Updated: MARCH 14, 2018 — 3:01 AM EDT
Last year’s rising stock market boosted public retirement plans, easing pressure on taxpayers who had been paying more each year since the early 2000s to keep the retirements funds from running low on cash. The benchmark Standard & Poor’s index of the stock of 500 large U.S. companies rose 22 percent last year, a fat return on every dollar invested. Some foreign stock markets did even better. The pension plans didn’t do that well, because they don’t own just stocks. They own bonds, the best of which keep their value in market crises, despite low returns. Big pension plans pump billions into buyout, hedge, venture capital, and real estate funds, whose managers grow rich on high fees, with mixed results for their investors.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/sers-psers-njdi-pension-retirement-investment-returns-profits-fees-20180318.html

Philadelphia Schools deal tops $3.1 bln U.S. muni bond sales next week
Reuters by Hilary Russ March 16, 2018
NEW YORK, March 16 (Reuters) - The Philadelphia School District plans to price $251.8 million of tax-exempt general obligation bonds on Thursday, the first time the fiscally strained district in Pennsylvania will issue debt since a decision to return it to mayoral control. The deal is the largest negotiated offering of the $3.1 billion of U.S. municipal bond and note sales planned for next week. The state-formed oversight commission that ran the district for the past 16 years began dissolving at the end of last year. Mayor Jim Kenney is selecting a nine-member school board to be in place by July 1. Financially, the shift could benefit the district but hurt the city. Moody’s Investors Service said in December that its negative outlook on the city, rated A2, in part reflects possible challenges in fiscal 2019 in funding the district.
https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-municipals-deals/philadelphia-schools-deal-tops-3-1-bln-u-s-muni-bond-sales-next-week-idUSL1N1QX2E0

Betsy DeVos Is About to Defend Her Budget. Keep These Three Things in Mind
Education Week Pollitics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on March 18, 2018 8:48 AM
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is headed back to the Hill. 
On Tuesday morning, DeVos will pitch the Trump administration's fiscal 2019 budget plan for the Department of Education to the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal money for K-12. It's a safe bet that DeVos' public appearance before lawmakers will draw a crowd, given the hub-bub over her "60 Minutes" interview a week ago. So what else can we expect besides the hot glare of the spotlight? Be sure to watch these three elements of the hearing: 
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/03/betsy_devos_defend_budget_three_things.html


2018 PSBA Advocacy Day April 16, 2018 Harrisburg
Join PSBA and your fellow school directors for the annual Advocacy Day on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. PSBA is partnering with Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units to have a stronger voice for public education. Hear how advocacy makes a difference in the legislative process and the importance of public education advocacy. Government Affairs will take a deeper dive into the legislative priorities and will provide tips on how to be an effective public education advocate. There will be dedicated time for you and your fellow advocates to hit the halls to meet with your legislators on public education. This is your chance to share the importance of policy supporting public education and make your voice heard on the Hill. This event is free for members; registration is required.
Register online here: http://www.mypls.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3753
https://www.psba.org/event/2018-psba-advocacy-day/

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/

PASA Women's Caucus Annual Conference "Leaders Lifting Leaders"
May 6 - 8, 2018 Hotel Hershey
**REGISTRATION NOW OPEN**
Featured Speakers...
*Dr. Helen Sobehart - Women Leading Education Across Continents: Lifting Leaders from Here to There
*Dr. Tracey Severns - Courageous Leadership
*Dr. Emilie Lonardi - Lead and Lift: A Call for Females to Aspire to the Superintendency
*Deputy Secretary Matt Stem - Update from the PDE
Registration: https://www.pasa-net.org/wcconf


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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