Thursday, May 10, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup May 10: PA School Funding: only $352 million out of $5.9 billion goes through the formula


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PA School Funding: only $352 million out of $5.9 billion goes through the formula


“The state knows what it needs to do. It devised a school funding formula in 2015 that allocates funding based on criteria such as how many students live in poverty, how many students are learning English as a second language, and the local community’s ability to raise taxes for schools. But the formula has only been applied to new basic education funding, which amounted to only $352 million out of $5.9 billion in the 2016-17 education budget. The formula should be applied to the entire basic education budget. Poorer schools need a larger share to handle the bigger challenges they face.”
Pa. courts have what they need to resolve school funding case swiftly; so do it | Editorial
by The Inquirer Editorial Board Updated: MAY 9, 2018 — 4:29 PM EDT
Now that the state Supreme Court has revived a lawsuit challenging the inequitable way Pennsylvania funds its public schools, the issue needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. One of the arguments made by opponents to efforts to put more state money into public schools is that Pennsylvania already spends enough to educate its children. It’s a lie.
The conservative Commonwealth Foundation likes to cite a National Center for Education Statistics survey, which ranked Pennsylvania ninth in the nation in funding public schools, at $16,627 per-student. But that average is skewed by the higher amounts rich school districts can afford to spend on education.  Lower Merion, for example, supplements its state funding with about $24,369 per student raised through local property taxes. Equity is the primary goal of the school-funding lawsuit. No one expects absolute parity, but the degree to which a child’s zip code determines the quality of education received is too great. The plaintiffs rightly contend that the state’s constitutional duty to provide “a thorough and efficient system of public education” means it is responsible for reducing the funding gap between rich and poor schools.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/pa-courts-have-what-they-need-to-resolve-school-funding-case-swiftly-so-do-it-editorial-20180509.html

Judges Boost Schools’ State Funding Lawsuit
Sanatoga Post By Andrea Sears, Public News Service May 9, 2018
HARRISBURG PA – A lawsuit challenging the level and distribution of state funding for public education in Pennsylvania has moved a step closer to trial. A panel of Commonwealth Court judges on Monday (May 7, 2018) overruled several preliminary objections to the legal action. Maura McInerney, legal director at the state’s Education Law Center, said she considered the panel’s decisions a victory for public school children, as the suit seeks to address “both the inadequacy of school funding as well as inequity we see across the Commonwealth.”Pottstown and Pottsgrove school district representatives are among those who have been particularly vocal during the past year about the need for equitable school funding in the state’s poorest schools, including their own.
The court on Monday also:
§  Allowed for further discovery on an argument by those opposing the suit, who claim education is not an important or fundamental right under the state’s constitution; and
§  Ordered those bringing the suit to address the claim that the state Legislature’s adoption of a new education funding formula in 2016 fixed the school funding problem.
McInerney said the case will be scheduled for trial if the constitutional and school funding formula questions are favorably resolved. She added that education “is one of the only services singled out in (the) state constitution which requires it to be adequately funded.” Lawsuit advocates also contend the Legislature’s 2016 formula applies only to 2 percent of school funding.
http://sanatogapost.com/2018/05/09/school-funding-lawsuit/

96% OF PENNSYLVANIA’S TEACHERS ARE WHITE. DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM?
Philly’s 7th Ward Blog BY SHARIF EL-MEKKI MAY 8, 2018
I recently participated in a Twitter chat, #4percent, with researchers from Research for Action and other educators as a follow up to RFA’s insightful recent report, Patching the Leaky Pipeline: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color in Pennsylvania.
http://phillys7thward.org/2018/05/96-pennsylvanias-teachers-white-anyone-else-think-problem/

Wolf, Casey Oppose White House CHIP, Health Care Cuts
Governor Wolf’s Website May 08, 2018
Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Senator Bob Casey today spoke out against the White House’s plan to cut billions of dollars from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). “CHIP provides high-quality health insurance for over 180,000 children across the commonwealth and it is absolutely appalling that Republicans in Washington would put families at risk,” Governor Wolf said. “Instead of cutting health care funding to appease special interests and extremists, we need the White House and congressional leaders to work towards better health care for our kids and families. Thousands of families rely on CHIP and we shouldn’t be diverting one dollar from this important program.” “This proposal is a shameful betrayal of children,” Senator Casey said. “This Administration and congressional Republicans passed a massive tax giveaway to their donors and big corporations and now they want vulnerable children to pay for it. This is absolutely unacceptable. I will continue to fight for CHIP funding and I hope Republicans will join me.”
https://www.governor.pa.gov/wolf-casey-oppose-white-house-chip-health-care-cuts/

In the absence of legislative action on guns, Wolf's new grant program is welcome progress | Editorial
By PennLive Editorial Board penned@pennlive.com Updated May 9, 2:09 PM; Posted May 9, 12:50 PM
Nearly four months after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead, concrete legislative action on combating gun violence remains frustratingly if unsurprisingly elusive. In March, the Republican-controlled state Senate unanimously passed legislation that speeds up the process of taking weapons away from people with domestic violence rulings against them. The bill, which has the backing of Gov. Tom Wolf, is still awaiting action in the House. In April, the House Judiciary Committee held an unusual series of public hearings on gun violence and school safety measures with an eye toward eventually converting some of them into law. Given the Legislature's historic reluctance to address these issues, we'll give points for effort. But we aren't holding our collective breath on any votes. 
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/05/in_the_absence_of_legislative.html#incart_2box_opinion

Toxic City: Cleaning up Philly's contaminated schools has a huge price tag | Editorial
by The Inquirer Editorial Board Updated: MAY 8, 2018 — 6:40 PM EDT
One common — and infuriating — claim made by critics of public education is that we continue to throw money down a rat hole, with little to show for it but failing students. That’s infuriating because it’s not true, and it shows an ignorance about  the increasing share of education budgets that must go to rising costs over which the School District has little control. The sad reality is that in Philadelphia, the lack of money has actually created too many literal rat holes — aging school buildings that are in dangerous states of decline and disrepair because of deferred maintenance. The Inquirer and Daily News recently conducted testing of  19 schools and found dangerous levels of mold, deteriorated asbestos, flaking, and peeling paint, likely containing lead, and water with unsafe levels of lead contamination. The impact of these toxins is devastating and tragic on children, including cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as physical ailments, like an increase in already-high asthma rates. According to the report, it would require $3 billion to build new schools and fix the problems at others.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/toxic-city-cleaning-up-phillys-contaminated-schools-has-a-huge-price-tag-editorial-20180509.html

Sen. Vincent Hughes: We must act to stop crumbling schools in Philadelphia | Opinion
by Vincent Hughes, For the Inquirer Updated: MAY 9, 2018 — 3:01 AM EDT
Vincent Hughes is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania Senate, representing the Seventh District since 1994.
Our schools are crumbling.
Before the Inquirer reported on the deplorable conditions in Philadelphia schools, I heard that message from parents and students and even viewed it with my own eyes while visiting city schools. Seeing the conditions in which some of our students learn broke my heart but challenged me to act. And my proposal, the “Public School Building Renovation and Rehabilitation Program,” aims to help K-12 public schools fight this infrastructure crisis. Last year, I received a letter from a student at Cassidy Elementary, a school in my district. This young girl, Chelsea Mungo, a fourth grader, wrote that the school feels like “a prison or a junkyard,” and “it is always dirty everywhere. Images from the school last year show broken and missing ceiling tiles throughout the hallways, leaking, exposed pipes, buckets in the middle of the hallway to collect the falling water and debris, and rotting wood floors in the cafeteria. These are health and safety hazards that no child — or adult — should face in a school. School districts throughout the state are struggling with aging infrastructure – these often-grand buildings look impressive from the exterior but have seriously antiquated interiors. Ancient wiring, outdated plumbing, fossilized heating and cooling systems have come to be the norm in many of these buildings.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-schools-lead-poisoning-toxic-city-20180510.html

Hidden peril
Inquirer By Wendy Ruderman, Barbara Laker, and Dylan Purcell / Staff Writers Photos and video by Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer Thursday, May 10, 2018
At aging Philadelphia schools, asbestos is a lurking health threat to children and staff. Tests find alarming levels, even after repair work is done.
The beloved teacher in Room 302 at Lewis C. Cassidy elementary school was out on medical leave. Entrusted to a revolving cast of substitute teachers, her fifth graders started to run amok. By this spring, the 10- and 11-year-olds had turned the narrow closet that stretched the length of Room 302 into an indoor playground. They darted through its doorways, threw play punches, and wrestled on the wood floor. The children didn’t know it, but they were kicking up something invisible and deadly — asbestos fibers. They likely got them on their hands or in their mouths or even worse — inhaled them, which can take a toxic toll.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/asbestos-testing-mesothelioma-cancer-philadelphia-schools-toxic-city.html

Ways to make Philly schools healthier
Inquirer by Wendy Ruderman, Staff Writer  @wendyruderman |  Rudermw@phillynews.com Updated: MAY 9, 2018 — 3:01 AM EDT
At aging Philadelphia schools, asbestos is a lurking health threat to children and staff. Tests by the Inquirer and Daily News at 11 schools found alarming levels of fibers in settled dust, even after repair work was done. There are some easy steps, as well as some more challenging solutions, that could help the district to better protect students and teachers from asbestos hazards. Many of the problems are outlined in the accompanying story, “Hidden Peril.”  Here are some solutions: *Keep the buildings clean. Use vacuums with HEPA filters daily to remove dust from potential deteriorated asbestos and lead paint in all classrooms and student areas. *Require that school districts do periodic surface testing of settled dust to spot-check for potential asbestos contamination. This can be done during the semiannual visual inspections for asbestos conditions, already required by federal law, or when frayed asbestos is spotted.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/asbestos-cancer-solutions-philadelphia-schools-toxic-city-20180510.html

Thank you, teachers for doing a job we couldn't do
Lancaster Online by THE LNP EDITORIAL BOARD May 10, 2018
THE ISSUE: Lancaster County is home to 10 of the best public high schools in the nation, according to the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report. As LNP staff writer Alex Geli reported Wednesday, newspaper records show that’s a record-high number of county schools represented on the annual Best High Schools list since the magazine began publishing rankings in 2007. Penn Manor High School led the county schools, ranking 36th in the state and 1,335th in the country. Manheim Township High School ranked 51st in Pennsylvania; Pequea Valley, 60th; Warwick, 69th; Cocalico, 77th; Manheim Central, 78th; Lampeter-Strasburg, 84th; Ephrata, 88th; Hempfield, 118th; and Conestoga Valley, 134th. Pennsylvania has 952 public high schools. Whoever said there can be too much of a good thing could not have been talking about schools. Every child deserves to go to an excellent school. How great it is for the children of Lancaster County that there are so many of them here. We congratulate the administrators, teachers, students, parents and staff members at the 10 county high schools that rank among the finest in the nation. Penn Manor High School, in particular, deserves kudos for its four-year streak atop the Lancaster County leaderboard. It’s impressive. The U.S. News & World Report rankings factor in whether historically underserved students — minority and low-income students — at a school outperform the state average.
https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/thank-you-teachers-for-doing-a-job-we-couldn-t/article_1b20ab42-53e4-11e8-a6aa-432456870351.html

These are Pa.'s top 25 high schools, says U.S. News & World Report
By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Posted May 09, 2018 at 08:12 AM | Updated May 09, 2018 at 10:30 AM
U.S. News & World Report released its annual 2018 edition of the U.S.'s Best High Schools on Wednesday. The rankings evaluate more than 20,500 public high schools across the nation to find the schools that best serve all students, including historically underserved groups. It also looks at how prepared these students are for college coursework. Six of the top 10 spots are held by Arizona public schools with BASIS Scottsdale taking the top honor for the second year in a row.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/education/index.ssf/2018/05/these_are_pas_top_25_high_schools_says_us_news_world_report.html#incart_most_shared-news

Our view: Zogby, Erie schools find common ground
GoErie By the Editorial Board Posted May 8, 2018 at 2:01 AM
Legitimate concerns stirred when state lawmakers mandated a financial overseer for the Erie School District in exchange for additional funding. Would the district's recovery be tripped up by the state's partisan divide?  Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf was supposed to have three candidates to choose from put forward by Republican state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati of rural Jefferson County. But former GOP state Sen. Jane Earll came with a disqualifying conflict — she had lobbied for the district in Harrisburg. The second person dropped out. That left Charles Zogby, who had been a high-ranking official under three Republican governors, including Erie's Tom Ridge. Zogby, as Erie Times-News reporter Ed Palattella detailed, had played a key role in the creation of the state's charter school law. As education secretary under Gov. Tom Corbett, he helped craft deep education cuts. Pieces of that resume, as we said before, raised concern that Zogby might come to Erie with a "predisposition not helpful" to the city and its public schools. We urged a collaborative, constructive approach when Zogby began his work in March. Early, welcome signs are that Zogby perceives the Erie School District's situation and the strength of its leadership clearly.
http://www.goerie.com/opinion/20180508/our-view-zogby-erie-schools-find-common-ground?template=ampart

“Ammerman said that pensions, charter school tuition and special education services have been the main drivers of increased costs for the district. He noted that in the 2010-11 school year, the total cost of pensions, charter tuition and special education accounted for 29 percent of the budget, but in the 2016-17 school year, those three factors accounted for 44 percent of the budget.”
Coatesville School Board continues budget talks, aims to reduce costs
Daily Local By Lucas Rodgers, lrodgers@21st-centurymedia.com, @LucasMRodgers on Twitter
POSTED: 05/08/18, 6:22 PM EDT | UPDATED: 1 DAY AGO
CALN >> Coatesville Area School Board directors continued ongoing discussions about the district’s proposed 2018-19 budget at their Financial Committee meeting Monday evening. The school board previously passed a draft of the general fund budget at a meeting April 24. The budget is set at about $178 million and includes a tax hike of 8.4 percent, or 2.95 mils, which would increase the property tax bill by about $317 for the average taxpayer in the district, according to a presentation on the district’s website. Business Manager Jeff Ammerman gave a report on the series of town hall meetings the district has been holding to talk to residents about the budget. He said about 80 district residents attended the town hall at Caln Elementary and almost as many people attended the town hall at Kings Highway Elementary last week. Another town hall was set for Tuesday evening at East Fallowfield Elementary.
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20180508/coatesville-school-board-continues-budget-talks-aims-to-reduce-costs

Greensburg Salem School Board proposes budget with no tax increase
Trib Live by JACOB TIERNEY  | Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 11:36 p.m.
Greensburg Salem School District leaders say they're confident the 2018-19 budget will not have a property tax increase. Many of the unanswered questions about construction spending and school security from last month's first draft have been addressed as the school board prepares to present a proposed budget for public discussion. This would be the first year without a tax increase since 2009, and the second since 2001. The district's current property tax rate is 88.22 mills. The proposed $45.8 million budget would use about $265,000 from the district's reserve. An additional $300,000 from the reserves would be moved to the capital fund, which is used for large construction projects. The district would have about $3.6 million left in its fund balance at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Board members tentatively agreed to spend about $94,000 on a new guidance counselor and $60,000 on new security equipment, like improved security cameras. “We still have a healthy fund balance, and we're working towards the things that we need,” said school board President Ron Mellinger.
http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/13634475-74/greensburg-salem-school-board-proposes-budget-with-no-tax-increase

Proposed Unionville-Chadds Ford budget calls for lowest tax hike in 20 years
By Fran Maye, Daily Local News POSTED: 05/09/18, 11:23 AM EDT | UPDATED: 14 HRS AGO
EAST MARLBOROUGH >> Unionville-Chadds Ford School district officials are poised to adopt a $87 million budget that reflects the lowest tax increase in the past 20 years. “I believe this is a budget that meets the needs of our students in both a fiscally responsible and sustainable way,” Superintendent John Sanville said at a public budget meeting Monday night. “This is the lowest tax increase in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District in 20 years.” Chester County homeowners will see a 0.35 percent increase in taxes in the 2018-19 school year, while Delaware County (Chadds Ford Township) homeowners will see a 6.43 percent increase in taxes, for a weighted average of a 1.56 tax hike. Last year, Chester County homeowners saw taxes increase 2.6 percent, and Delaware County homeowners saw taxes increase 0.35 percent. However, over the past 18 years, the average in both counties was around 3.7 percent. If the budget is adopted as presented, the average Chester County homeowner will pay $26 more in taxes per year, while Delaware County homeowners will pay an additional $397 in taxes. Last year, Chester County homeowners got hit with an average $191 increase in taxes, while Delaware County homeowners paid an average of $18 more in taxes per year.
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20180509/proposed-unionville-chadds-ford-budget-calls-for-lowest-tax-hike-in-20-years

Crawford, Erie officials make push for pre-K funding
By Lorri Drumm Meadville Tribune May 9, 2018
ALBION, Erie County — Before a backdrop of towering fences intertwined with barbed wire, a group of officials from Erie and Crawford counties joined forces Tuesday to support the time and resources needed to prevent today's children from ending up behind similar fences. Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary John Wetzel and law enforcement leaders met outside the State Correctional Institution at Albion to support a report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids that says spending $40 million on pre-K education could save the state nearly $150 million and reduce the number of people in jail. "We have a prison behind us," Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri told those gathered Tuesday. "People must be wondering why all these law enforcement officials are here asking that something different be done." Daneri said everyone who works in law enforcement enjoys keeping people safe but does not enjoy putting them behind bars. Daneri, and others gathered on Tuesday, believe investing in children at a young age can not only prevent the chances of imprisonment down the road but also provide them a better chance in life. Statistics in the 2015 Pennsylvania Youth Survey show that there's a fork in the road from third grade on, according to Daneri.  "We have to get to them early so there's a better chance they won't end up here," he said as he pointed toward the fences.
http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/crawford-erie-officials-make-push-for-pre-k-funding/article_dd7df5e6-5321-11e8-97d3-b7163818aa36.html

Forum at MBIT addresses disconnect between education and workforce needs
Intelligencer By Chris English  Posted May 9, 2018 at 9:39 PM Updated May 9, 2018 at 9:39 PM
Educators, business people and others met at the Warwick school to discuss ways of better steering students into the careers they are truly meant for. Educators, business people and government officials from throughout the area met Wednesday to talk about ways to better connect education with the needs of the economy and the workforce. In a three-hour forum held at Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Warwick, participants delved into the problem, what is already being done about it and more possible solutions. The event was moderated by officials from the Columbia, Maryland-based National Center for College & Career Transitions. Too many students are being pigeonholed into either “college material” or “not college material” categories without looking closely enough at each individual’s makeup and talents, NCCCT President Hans Meeder said. “Are we limiting options?” he asked. “Are we steering students away from college or into college when it’s often not the best pathway for that particular person? Are we asking 15-year-olds to get locked into a career decision?” Everyone involved in a student’s development — including the students themselves — need to take a deeper and more thorough approach to evaluating the best career choices, said Meeder and NCCCT facilitator Joann Hudak.
http://www.theintell.com/news/20180509/forum-at-mbit-addresses-disconnect-between-education-and-workforce-needs/1

Philly Council members wonder: With schools deficit further away, why should we pay?
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa and Avi Wolfman-Arent May 9, 2018 — 6:49pm
City Council members grilled Superintendent William Hite and other School District officials Wednesday, using many different ways to ask the same questions: How do we know whether you are spending money wisely? And why do you need a tax increase now if you don’t expect to run a deficit for another two years? “If we have two more years of not going negative, why are we dealing with this now?” asked Councilman Allan Domb, reflecting the tone of the District’s annual budget hearing. In more than four hours of back-and-forth, Council members touched on myriad topics, from the conditions of school facilities, to language translation services, to the recruitment of black male teachers, to efforts to combat truancy. First on the list for Council President Darrell Clarke was an energy- and money-saving initiative in several of the District’s buildings, which he would like to see scaled up. But most of the questions circled back to this: If I am going to risk voting in favor of raising property taxes –Mayor Kenney is asking for a 4.1 percent increase to send more money to the schools – tell me where the money will be going.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/05/09/council-members-wonder-with-schools-deficit-further-away-why-should-we-pay

Council asks Hite: Why do we need a tax increase to pay Philly schools' bills now?
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer  @newskag |  kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: MAY 9, 2018 — 6:12 PM EDT
Councilwoman Cindy Bass looked at School Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. and cut to the chase: She and her colleagues are being asked to vote for a hefty tax increaseto support city schools, and their constituents are wary. “The deficit is a minute away, and people are paying bills to keep their household going,” Bass said Wednesday at a City Council hearing on the Philadelphia School District’s budget. “A large part of my district has seen very large tax increases.” Bass and some other Council members signaled discomfort with the roughly $700 million in additional funding Mayor Kenney and school officials have asked them to come up with as part of a proposed 4.1 percent property tax hike. The school system, which has proposed a $3.2 billion budget for next year, lacks the ability to raise its own revenue, and without an infusion of city cash, it faces a roughly $700 million deficit by 2023. But, some Council members pointed out, that deficit doesn’t show up until 2020.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/philly-public-schools-budget-hearings-city-council-tax-increase-20180509.html

School superintendents learn collaboration in state program
Beaver County Times By Daveen Rae Kurutz Posted at 5:00 PM
Four Beaver County superintendents were among 73 administrators who completed the state’s inaugural Superintendent’s Academy. The program, launched two years ago by Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, is part of the state’s Poverty and Student Achievement Initiative. The program focused on equity and addressing the needs of students in poverty. That appealed to Superintendents Donna Nugent of the Big Beaver Falls Area School District; Joe Guarino, New Brighton Area School District; Jane Bovalino, Rochester Area School District; and Tammy Adams, South Side Area School District, who completed the program Tuesday. “We were looking for more avenues for resources and opportunities and maybe even funding opportunities,” Nugent said. “But it branched out to be so much more. We came to find out that it’s not just about focusing on programs, but on a systematic change in school districts, communities and regions to enhance the educational opportunities for our students rather than relying on funded programs and state funding.” The program was a partnership between the state Department of Education and the National Institute of School Leadership. An additional 60 district and charter school leaders are enrolled in the second cohort of the leadership program. Pennsylvania was the first state to introduce the program, according to the education department. Other states, including Kentucky and Mississippi have followed suit. The superintendents said the program encouraged the districts to work together, rather than independently, to pool resources.
http://www.timesonline.com/news/20180509/school-superintendents-learn-collaboration-in-state-program


Two School Choice Champions in Congress Squared Off for a Senate Seat. Both Lost.
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on May 9, 2018 7:09 AM
In a heated primary battle between two prominent supporters of school choice on Capitol Hill, a third candidate stepped in and beat them.  Indiana GOP Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita lost in a three-way race for the GOP nomination to run for Indiana's U.S. Senate seat to Mike Braun, a businessman. Braun will be the Republican nominee against Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., in the November Senate election. He captured 41.2 percent of the vote on Tuesday with 99 percent of precincts reporting, with Rokita getting 30 percent and Messer earning 28.9 percent. On the section of his campaign website covering his main positions, Braun did not highlight education, although he does advocate for less government spending. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment about his positions on K-12 issues. 
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/05/school_choice_champions_congress_seante_seat_lost.html

Betsy DeVos gets standing ovation from Ave Maria University grads after speech
Naples (FL) Daily News by Annika Hammerschlag, Annika.Hammerschlag@naplesnews.com; 239-213-6066Published 3:09 p.m. ET May 5, 2018 | Updated 6:51 p.m. ET May 5, 2018
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos delivered the commencement address to a welcoming crowd Saturday at Ave Maria University. In her roughly 20-minute speech, DeVos focused on the teachings of religious figures, including Jesus Christ, former Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, and emphasized the importance of service to God, country and neighbor. The speech earned DeVos a standing ovation from the roughly 230 undergraduate students and their relatives and friends. About a dozen graduate and doctoral students also received their degrees at the ceremony, which took place inside the Tom Golisano Field House. The warm welcome was in stark contrast to the disapproving crowds DeVos encountered last year while speaking at the commencement ceremonies of Daytona Beach's Bethune-Cookman University, where she was booed, and the University of Baltimore, where students turned their backs.  Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, DeVos urged the room of graduates to harness their faith and push past life's roadblocks. 
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/education/2018/05/05/standing-ovation-ave-maria-university-commencement-speaker-betsy-devos/574474002/


Tickets: PCCY Celebration of the 2018 Public Citizen of the Year
Elizabeth Murphy and Romona Riscoe Benson of PECO
Wednesday, May 16, 2018, The Franklin Institute, 6:00-8:30pm
On Wednesday, May 16, 2018, Elizabeth Murphy and Romona Riscoe Benson from PECO, will be honored by Public Citizens for Children and Youth as the2018 Public Citizens of the Year.  Join us at the celebration to thank these two amazing women and PECO for their longstanding and visionary commitment to improving the quailty of life for children in our region. 
Tickets are $150 per person.   Event will be held at the Frankin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19103 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm.
Questions: contact Steven Fynes at 215-563-5848 x11 or email:stevenf@pccy.org.
Corporate Sponsorships: click here. 
Thank you for your support!
https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51084/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=11643&_ga=2.220936472.1475321964.1522679885-268812658.1512147954

Our Public Schools Our Democracy: Our Fight for the Future
NPE / NPE Action 5th Annual National Conference
October 20th - 21st, 2018 Indianapolis, Indiana
We are delighted to let you know that you can purchase your discounted Early Bird ticket to register for our annual conference starting today. Purchase your ticket here.
Early Bird tickets will be on sale until May 30 or until all are sold out, so don't wait.  These tickets are a great price--$135. Not only do they offer conference admission, they also include breakfast and lunch on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Please don't forget to register for your hotel room. We have secured discounted rates on a limited basis. You can find that link here. Finally, if you require additional financial support to attend, we do offer some scholarships based on need. Go here and fill in an application. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Please join us in Indianapolis as we fight for the public schools that our children and communities deserve. Don't forget to get your Early Bird ticket here. We can't wait to see you.

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.
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.

Save the Dates PASA/PSBA School Leadership Conference – Hershey, Oct. 17-19, 2018 
Mark your calendar! The Delegate Assembly will take place Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, at 2:30 p.m.
Housing now open!


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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