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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
Stop Betsy DeVos’s National Voucher Program Before Congress Approves It.
Help stop a federal voucher bill that has NPE and other national allied organizations very concerned.
Network for Public Education Website April 22, 2018 by Darcie Cimarusti
Send an email with a click to Congress to stop money being drained directly from public schools to fund a national voucher program. Here is the link: https://bit.ly/2J8Rd9P
This program will bring vouchers to your state, whether or not your own state law allows them. And this bill would be a first step in a broader national program, which is of course the dream of Betsy DeVos and the Koch Brothers. Here’s a bit of background. About a month ago HR 5199 and S. 2517 were introduced in the House and the Senate. I wrote about these bills for Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet blog in the Washington Post. The bills would siphon Impact Aid from public school districts to fund an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that gives children from military families a voucher to attend private schools. It’s important to note that military families don’t support these bills. They understand that school districts that serve the vast majority of military families (80%) rely on Impact Aid. You can learn more about Impact Aid here, and see a list of the 1,300 school districts enrolling more than 11 million students that rely on Impact Aid here. Your district could be on the list. So who does want this program? The Koch brothers-funded think tank, The Heritage Foundation, and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. US News reported that The Heritage Foundation is lobbying the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to get the voucher bill tucked into the National Defense Authorization Act (the annual budget for the Department of Defense), and that DeVos herself is lobbying Secretary of Defense James Mattis to get his support.
https://networkforpubliceducation.org/2018/04/stop-betsy-devos-national-voucher-program-congress-approves/
DePasquale denies 2022 guv bid - which means he's totally running | Tuesday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek jmicek@pennlive.com Updated Apr 24, 8:40 AM; Posted Apr 24, 8:39 AM
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We're running both late and under-caffeinated this morning, so we're going to dispense with the pleasantries and get right to it Following the customary rule of politics - that one should not be seen campaigning for one's next job - Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has denied repeated rumors that he'll make a Democratic bid for governor in 2022. Which, means, of course, that he's totally going to run. According to The Times-Tribune of Scranton a Democratic state House candidate named Robert Castellani said the state's top fiscal watchdog told him in a phone call that he'd be running for the state's top spot four years hence.
http://www.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2018/04/depasquale_denies_2022_guv_bid.html#incart_river_index
OPED: Folmer hard at work on redistricting reform
York Dispatch Opinion by Sen. Mike Folmer, 48th Pa. Senate District Published 6:40 a.m. ET April 25, 2018
My “Promise to Pennsylvania” calls for strict adherence to Article III of the state Constitution on how legislation is passed. It’s why I’ve insisted as chair of the Senate State Government Committee to publicly vet legislation prior to voting. As redistricting changes have long been a goal of mine, I’ve wanted for some time to hold a series of hearings on proposed redistricting bills referred to the committee. However, lawsuits over the 2011 maps forced me to put these hearings on hold. With the conclusion of these court challenges, I was pleased and relieved to convene the first public hearings on proposals to change our redistricting process. I hope those who watched found them as informative as I did.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/opinion/2018/04/25/oped-folmer-hard-work-redistricting-reform/545349002/
Pennsylvania Senate panel passes school violence hotline bill
A Pennsylvania Senate panel passed a bill Tuesday that would set up an anonymous hotline in which students and others can call to report unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activities in schools.
Morning Call by Steve Esack Contact Reporter Call Harrisburg Bureau April 24, 2018
Pennsylvania students, fearful of talking to a teacher or principal about a peer’s violent or suicidal tendencies, may soon have another place to seek help. A state Senate panel passed a bill Tuesday that would set up an anonymous hotline in which students and others can call to report unsafe, dangerous, violent or criminal activities in schools. The hotline would be run by the state attorney general’s office, which would be responsible for alerting local law enforcement and school officials about calls that need to be investigated locally. The Safe2Say hotline is modeled after a similar program Colorado established after the 1999 shooting massacre at Columbine high School. Senate Bill 1142, sponsored by Sens. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, and Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia, unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee. It now moves to the full Senate for approval.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-school-gun-violence-hotline-20180424-story.html
Erie Students air questions on gun violence
GoErie By Ron Leonardi Posted Apr 24, 2018 at 9:06 PM Updated Apr 24, 2018 at 11:41 PM
About 40 people attended the two-hour meeting Tuesday evening at Strong Vincent Middle School. It was a town hall meeting where students from the Eric County Student Coalition got to grill candidates on gun violence and school safety. About 40 people attended the two-hour meeting Tuesday evening at Strong Vincent Middle School in Erie. Members of the coalition-led student group directed questions to Tim Butler, the district director for U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, and Chris Rieger, a Butler County lawyer who is among three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 15 primary to run against Kelly, R-3rd District, in the fall for the seat in the newly reconfigured 16th District. The other two Democratic candidates — Erie lawyer Ron DiNicola and Farrell physician Robert Multari — could not attend Tuesday’s town hall event. Kelly, of Butler, also was unable to attend Tuesday’s town hall meeting because Congress was in session and Kelly could not be in Erie, Butler said. Kelly has agreed to meet with coalition students on May 1 at his Erie office. “We hope to see their ideals for where they stand on the issues and what they want to do to resolve the problems,″ said Haylee Przewrocki, 18, a senior at Girard High School and a member of the Erie County Student Coalition. “We’re hopeful we can have a platform to speak about school safety and gun violence.″
http://www.goerie.com/news/20180424/students-air-questions-on-gun-violence
You shouldn't be here: The story of Jovan Weaver and Wister Elementary School
WHYY Podcast By Kevin McCorry April 25, 2018 Listen
The story of Jovan Weaver and Wister Elementary can also be experienced as a radio documentary. The tale is told across the four-episode second season of our podcast “Schooled.” It’s based on more than two years of reporting about the students, the parents, the faculty, and the huge political fight that sprung from Wister Elementary.
Jovan Weaver has a story to tell. It’s August 2016, and two young children have just been hit by stray bullets during different gunfights in Philadelphia in less than a week. “About a week ago, there was a six-year-old girl shot. There was also a six-year-old boy shot,” said Jovan. Jovan had just become the first-time principal of John Wister Elementary, a school serving a mostly poor student body in East Germantown — the neighborhood where the second shooting took place. This hammered home one of the big reasons he has dedicated his life to education. “The importance to instill sound values into our children, conflict resolution, things that this community is struggling with at this point,” he said. This was about a week before Wister Elementary was set to re-open after the summer break. And Jovan stood in an empty classroom thinking of how he’d address his faculty as a principal for the first time.
https://whyy.org/episodes/s-02-ep-01-you-shouldnt-be-here/
“Pennsylvania is widely recognized as having one of the most unfair education funding systems in the United States that skews in favor of wealthy school districts. And although the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a “fair-funding formula” two years ago, only new funding added to the budget is distributed fairly.
Were the formula in place, Pottstown, which is facing a 3.5 percent tax hike to close a $1.7 million budget gap, instead would be receiving $13.5 million in additional funding from Harrisburg. “Without remedying teacher pay and benefits, the quality of the teacher workforce and the pipeline leading to it will continue to suffer in not just those states that are striking, but in all states where teacher and educational conditions are weak,” according to Hansen. So while Pennsylvania may be the teacher strike capital of the United States, and a statewide strike is unlikely, is does have some of the other factors that could weaken public education — and thus the workforce of the future — in coming years.”
Pennsylvania leads nation in teacher strikes, but statewide strike unlikely
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 04/25/18, 6:56 AM EDT
The statewide teacher strikes that have roiled education systems and state legislatures in four states in recent weeks are unlikely to happen in Pennsylvania, experts agree, but the Keystone State is no stranger to teacher strikes. No state in the union has experienced more teacher strikes in the last 20 years than Pennsylvania, according to data compiled by the conservative Commonwealth Foundation. According to data the foundation obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania has seen 131 strikes adding up to nearly 1,400 days of missed school since 1999. Thirteen of those 131 strikes happened in school districts in Berks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, according to the data.
http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20180425/pennsylvania-leads-nation-in-teacher-strikes-but-statewide-strike-unlikely
New plan to scrap school property tax emerges
The Daily Item By John Finnerty CNHI Harrisburg Reporter April 24, 2018
HARRISBURG — Five months after Pennsylvania voters told Harrisburg lawmakers through a statewide ballot question that they want property tax relief, state Sen. Mario Scavello has introduced legislation that would give it to them. Under Scavello’s plan, citizens’ primary residences would be exempt from school property tax. The revenue would be replaced by an increase in the state’s personal income tax. The proceeds from that increase would be deposited in a special account exclusively to reimburse schools for the amount they would have to collect on property tax from those homes, Scavello said. Fifty-four percent of voters said they would support replacing the school property tax in a statewide ballot last fall. State lawmakers have repeatedly examined and debated the issue, but failed to pass plans to scrap the unpopular tax. “It’s no secret school property taxes are holding taxpayers hostage in their own homes,” Scavello, R-Monroe County, said in announcing his property tax plan. “Seniors are being forced to choose between paying their taxes or buying medication and food,” he said. To fund the expanded homestead exclusion program, the legislation would increase the personal income tax rate 1.98 percent to 5.05 percent. Scavello said this education tax would generate $9.3 billion, which would be placed in a separate account dedicated solely to property tax elimination.
http://www.dailyitem.com/news/local_news/new-plan-to-scrap-school-property-tax-emerges/article_ede47c0e-9060-52b1-92b4-83109c4c93d1.html
An early embrace of math adds up to future success | Opinion
Penn Live Guest Editorial By Pamela Witmer Updated Apr 24, 8:45 AM
Pamela Witmer is vice president of government affairs for UGI Energy Services.
From medicine to manufacturing and from sports to hospitality and beyond, mathematics is central to our economy and the foundation of every industry. A point worth acknowledging as we recognize Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month this April. Consider America's energy industry. At its simplest level, everyone understands that you employ math when calculating how much it will cost to fill up your car's 17-gallon gas tank at $2.50/gallon. However, for those that embrace math and seek employment in the energy industry, the combination equals rewarding careers with limitless potential. Pennsylvania's young people (and parents) should take note, especially given the commonwealth's leading role in the development of energy resources.
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/04/an_early_embrace_of_math_adds.html#incart_river_index
Plum school board votes to send furlough letters to 25 teachers, one administrator
Post-Gazette by ANNE CLOONAN APR 24, 2018 11:20 PM
The Plum Borough school board voted Tuesday night to allow district business manager John Zahorchak and superintendent Brendan Hyland to send furlough letters to 25 teachers and one administrator. The district has been struggling to balance a 2018-2019 school year budget with a $5.2 million deficit. In March, the board voted to close Regency Park Elementary School and to furlough 12 teachers from that school. At a budget workshop April 16, Mr. Zahorchak outlined a plan that would allow the district to balance its budget for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years by furloughing an additional 14 people and by raising taxes. Asked about the other teachers who will be furloughed, Mr. Zahorchak said no information will be released until everyone affected by the layoffs has been notified. The district would save nearly $2.7 million by furloughing the 26 and from teacher retirements, Mr. Zahorchak said last week.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2018/04/24/Plum-school-board-votes-to-send-furlough-letters-to-25-teachers-one-administrator/stories/201804240205
Abington School Board slated to OK $25M Stephen Schwarzman donation
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer @Kathy_Boccella | kboccella@phillynews.com Updated: APRIL 24, 2018 — 10:22 PM EDT
The Abington school board was poised Tuesday night to accept a $25 million gift from private-equity billionaire Stephen Schwarzman that had caused deep division within the Montgomery County district, even as it fielded last-minute complaints from stakeholders at a meeting that dragged late into the evening. Board members launched the meeting — in which a final vote on the donation was scheduled — with an effort to assure parents and other community members there will be transparency surrounding the implementation of the donation from the Blackstone Group CEO, such as progress reports on a new computer and technology curriculum. Abington school board president Raymond McGarry told attendees that semiannual reports that Schwarzman had requested on the curriculum changes will also be made available to the public.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/abington-school-board-slated-to-ok-25m-stephen-schwarzman-donation-20180424.html
Legislation introduced by Scott Martin would allow school districts, other government entities to collect their own taxes without 'red tape'
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer April 25, 2018
The current legal battle between Manheim Township School District and the Manheim Township tax collector over who has the right to collect property taxes is just the situation one state senator is attempting to prevent from happening again. State Sen. Scott Martin, of Martic Township, has introduced a bill that would allow governing bodies to use alternative means of collecting property taxes other than going through the local tax collector. “My legislation is designed to help local governments move into the 21st century and utilize the most efficient and effective means of collecting property taxes in order to reduce costs to taxpayers,” Martin said in a statement. Under his legislation — Senate Bill 1099 — Pennsylvania counties, municipalities and school districts could forgo the local tax collector and collect property taxes on their own. 'We need to empower local governing bodies to find ways to cut through the red tape and deliver services like tax collection without unnecessary costs or headaches for taxpayers.' School districts would no longer have to go through the “archaic” process of deputization, which is legal approval from a tax collector to collect their own property taxes.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/legislation-introduced-by-scott-martin-would-allow-school-districts-other/article_9e75c790-47f8-11e8-afaf-5b2328454bf2.html
Proposed budget includes 1-mill tax hike
Grove City board to vote May 7 and June 11
By MONICA PRYTS Allied News Staff Writer April 24, 2018
The preliminary budget for the 2018-19 school year presented at Monday’s school board work session in Grove City shows a proposed 1-mill tax increase. Revenues have been projected at $39,979,825, and expenses at $41,978,650, according to the presentation given by Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Finch. That leaves a deficit of $1,988,824 that school officials will work to reduce over the next two months. Current real estate taxes are 62 mills, and that rate went up by 1 mill for the 2016-17 school year. School directors will vote on the preliminary budget at the May 7 work session. The final version of the budget will be voted on during the June 11 meeting, Finch said. The board also meets on May 14 and June 4, and all meetings start at 7 p.m. in the board room at the district’s main office. Finch touched on the Act 1 index, which is the amount that the district can raise taxes without exception from the Pennsylvania Department of Education or voter approval. The district’s limit is 3.2 percent. The proposed 1-mill increase equals 1.61 percent.
http://www.alliednews.com/news/local_news/proposed-budget-includes--mill-tax-hike/article_16cf6386-cc07-5648-8160-032f6c2d2da5.html
East Penn looking for solutions to cover student lunch debt
Carol Thompson Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call April 24, 2018
Student lunch debt hovers above $10,000 at East Penn School District, and dozens have pitched in to cover unpaid tabs for the district’s neediest students. A group of district residents, including school board director Ziad Munson and Emmaus Borough Council member Shana Baumgartner, launched an online fundraiser in mid-April. They aim to raise $1,775, enough to cover the debt accrued by East Penn students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. But that figure is a sliver of the total. Only about $1,775 of the $10,000-plus student cafeteria debt is attributed to free and reduced lunch students. More than 2,100 East Penn students — nearly 26 percent — qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to state records. The East Penn fundraiser was sparked by an online conversation about strategies to limit “lunch shaming,” or alienating students who are unable to pay for food at school. One quick fix, though not a long-lasting one, is to cover needy students’ current debt, Munson said.
http://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-donations-for-lunch-debt-20180423-story.html
Black Male educators talk student culture, peer support
Philly Trib by Samaria Bailey Tribune Correspondent Apr 24, 2018
The Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice hosted its spring regional Black Male Educators Convening at Temple University on Saturday afternoon. Organizers said the convening, which brings Black teachers, administrators and counselors together to share their experiences and best practices, is designed to recruit and retain Black male educators, who represent only two percent of the nation’s teaching force. “A lot of Black males have said that they feel isolated in their school buildings. They don’t feel like they have the proper support and connection with other Black male educators that empower them to do the work every day,” said Vincent E. Cobb II, CEO and co-founder of BMEC. “So we try to form these sessions regionally so we have a chance to connect and meet with other teachers.” After breakfast and opening remarks, the convening opened with a keynote speech by Christopher Emdin, associate professor at Columbia University and author of “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and the Rest of Y’all Too.” He encouraged the educators to use students’ culture to reach them.
http://www.phillytrib.com/news/black-male-educators-talk-student-culture-peer-support/article_edcb30b0-74d3-5ff3-83d7-ccd09edcd6f3.html
Ears on the SRC: April 19, 2018
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools by Diane Payne April 24, 2018
This was the first meeting of the hodgepodge SRC Commission. The SRC is limping to extinction with a new chairwoman; Estelle Richman was appointed chair by Governor Wolf. Due to the resignation of Joyce Wilkerson and Chris McGinley, Mayor Kenney has appointed two commissioners, Fran Burns (who resigned as SDP Chief Operating Officer in June of 2017) and Marge Neff (who resigned as SRC Commissioner in October of 2016). McGinley and Wilkerson have been selected by Kenney to join the new School Board beginning in July. The SRC is working with only four commissioners because Governor Tom Wolf declined to appoint a new commissioner to replace Farah Jimenez when she abruptly resigned this past February. The SRC is poised to vote on countless resolutions, spending millions of dollars with a hodgepodge of four commissioners as opposed to the required five. Taxpayers beware….98 resolutions will be dipping into the public’s pocket at the upcoming April 26th SRC meeting. To read APPS analysis of these resolutions please read Eyes on the SRC: April 26.
https://appsphilly.net/category/ears-on-the-src/
Panel held on how to improve communication between schools, parents
The notebook by Darryl C. Murphy April 24, 2018 — 10:40pm
The William Penn Foundation hosted an event Tuesday designed to look for ways to improve communication between schools and parents, with the goal of improving students’ education. About 100 people attended the event, called Engaging Families: Clear Communication for Student Success, held at District headquarters. Among other issues, it explored what schools can do to be more transparent and welcoming to families “We know that parents and families are children’s most critical teachers, because they’re with them all the time,” said Janet Haas, board chair of the William Penn Foundation. “The partnership between families and schools matter tremendously and helps to advance the learning that children can do in schools.” Learning Heroes, a national research organization focusing on best practices for communication between schools and families, shared their findings from two reports from 2017 and 2018 based on surveys of middle school parents. They found that parents are more concerned about their child’s happiness and emotional well-being than their academic performance.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/04/24/panel-held-on-how-to-improve-communication-between-schools-parents
Bucks County Technical High School students win prestigious auto competition
Intelligencer By Chris English Posted Apr 24, 2018 at 2:12 PM
Seniors Eric Harlan, of Bristol Township, and Dominic Carbone, of Falls, are the first pair from the Bristol Township school to win the Greater Philadelphia Automotive Technology competition. A keen knack for troubleshooting cars has earned two Bucks County Technical High School seniors some prestigious recognition and a fairly massive haul of prizes. Working together as a pair, Eric Harlan and Dominic Carbone recently became the first team from the Bristol Township school to win the Greater Philadelphia Automotive Technology competition. Eric and Dominic topped 11 other two-person teams from technical schools throughout the Delaware Valley in the contest held at the Automotive Training Center in Warminster. For the victory, each student won $130,000 in scholarships they can use if they choose at various higher education technical schools around the area and country, $930 worth of new tools, a $100 Visa gift card, $100 Home Depot gift card, $25 Iron Hill gift card and a duffel bag filled with $50. And while a subsequent trip to the national competition in New York City saw them finish out of the top 10, that didn’t dim the luster of the earlier win for either Eric or Dominic.
http://www.theintell.com/news/20180424/bucks-county-technical-high-school-students-win-prestigious-auto-competition/1
Philly’s Bartram HS to score a new $3 million sports complex in 2019
The notebook by Staff report April 24, 2018 — 2:43pm
Bartram High School broke ground Tuesday on a new $3 million sports complex to be completed in 2019, 70 years after the original was built. Upgrades to the field will include synthetic turf instead of natural turf; a rubberized track instead of a cinder track; and a renovation of the grandstand. “This is a great day for the students and families of Southwest Philadelphia,” said Mayor Kenney. “Sports and recreation facilities are essential for children, for they provide a safe environment for play and foster a sense of self-worth and community. This new and improved athletic complex will not only be a valuable addition to Bartram High School, but to the surrounding community as well.” In addition, the configuration of the field will allow for more student athletes to use the facility more often. Football, girls’ and boys’ soccer, girls’ and boys’ lacrosse, and field hockey will be played on the field.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/04/24/bartram-to-receive-a-new-3-million-sport-complex-in-2019
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
What the WPIAL is asking about separate playoffs for public, private schools
MIKE WHITE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mwhite@post-gazette.com APR 23, 2018 1:43 PM
The WPIAL sent an email survey to all of its member schools Monday morning, seeking thoughts on possible separate playoff tournaments for public and private/Catholic/charter schools. In case you wanted to know what was asked, we’ve got the six-pack of questions. The WPIAL “strongly recommended” that the school superintendent, principal and athletic director all be involved in formulating opinions for the survey. The WPIAL decided recently to send out the survey after increasing complaints of competitive advantages for schools that don’t have geographic boundaries. Private/Catholic/charter schools can draw students from anywhere while public schools can only take students that reside in their geographical boundaries. The PIAA is receiving more complaints about the public vs. private school issue. More and more coaches, athletic directors and superintendents are calling for the PIAA to address the issue and possibly make separate playoff tournaments for boundary and non-boundary schools.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high-school-basketball/2018/04/23/wpial-survey-public-private-catholic-schools-piaa-separate-tournaments/stories/201804230111
Students of Color Face Persistent Disparities in Access to Advanced STEM Courses
Education Week Curriculum Matters Blog By Stephen Sawchuk on April 24, 2018 1:06 PM
The proportion of students of color who take high-level math and science courses continues to trail that of their white peers—jeopardizing those students' ability to master the knowledge they need to secure a college-preparatory diploma. What's more, the segregation of American high schools is a factor in students' access to these types of courses. Schools that serve disproportionate numbers of black and Latino students offer fewer advanced math and science courses, such as calculus and physics, than do schools with more white students. Those are some of the findings from a new analysis from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, which reflects data from the 2015-16 school year. Thanks to updates to the required elements, this analysis also presents a more nuanced picture of math and science offerings than previous years' collections. The data reflects information submitted by nearly every public school in America. (Edweek reporter Sarah D. Sparks tells you everything you need to know about the collection in this post.)
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2018/04/persistent_disparities_in_stem_coursetaking_crdc.html
Discipline Disparities Grow for Students of Color, New Federal Data Show
Education Week By Sarah D. Sparks and Alyson Klein April 24, 2018 | Updated: April 24, 2018
At a time when the Trump administration is contemplating rolling back discipline guidance with protections for vulnerable groups, new federal data find continuing disparities in how students of color and those with disabilities are disciplined and in the opportunities they get in schools. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday released two reports highlighting statistics from the 2015-16 school year’s civil rights data collection on school safety and discipline and on students’ access to science and math courses. The department released the full data, which provides an array of civil rights information for 50.6 million students attending more than 96,300 schools nationwide. The new data—the most recent since information on the 2013-14 school year—come as the department considers significant changes in how its office for civil rights guides districts and handles complaints around equity in education, such as rolling back Obama-administration guidance for states on analyzing disproportionate use of suspensions and expulsions. Among the most striking findings: The report notes a significant increase in disparities in arrests and referrals to police for black students, and students with disabilities remain vastly over-represented among students involved in police interactions.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/04/24/discipline-disparities-grow-for-students-of-color.html
Testing Resistance & Reform News : April 18 - 24, 2018
FairTest Submitted by fairtest on April 24, 2018 - 11:41am
In addition to lots of other testing news, several states that contract with Questar, a for-profit subsidiary of the Educational Testing Service, recently experienced significant disruptions of their computerized standardized exams. In three -- New York, Ohio and Tennessee -- the entire assessment system crashed. The latest failures add to the evidence that corporate and ideological forces rushed these technologies into the marketplace before they were ready for prime time. See FairTest's chronology of computer testing problems at:
http://fairtest.org/computerized-testing-problems-chronology
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
Electing PSBA Officers: Applications Due by June 1st
Do you have strong communication and leadership skills and a vision for PSBA? Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to submit an Application for Nomination no later than June 1, 11:59 p.m., to PSBA's Leadership Development Committee (LDC). The nomination process
All persons seeking nomination for elected positions of the Association shall send applications to the attention of the chair of the Leadership Development Committee, during the months of April and May an Application for Nomination to be provided by the Association expressing interest in the office sought. “The Application for nomination shall be marked received at PSBA Headquarters or mailed first class and postmarked by June 1 to be considered and timely filed.” (PSBA Bylaws, Article IV, Section 5.E.).
Open positions are:
In addition to the application form, PSBA Governing Board Policy 302 asks that all candidates furnish with their application a recent, print quality photograph and letters of application. The application form specifies no less than three letters of recommendation and no more than four, and are specifically requested as follows:
https://www.psba.org/2018/03/electing-psba-officers/
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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.