Monday, June 18, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup June 18: SB 551 Could Save Pennsylvania’s 500 School Districts Up to $400 million Per Year on Tuition Payments to Chronically Failing Cyber Charters


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SB 551 Could Save Pennsylvania’s 500 School Districts Up to $400 million Per Year on Tuition Payments to Chronically Failing Cyber Charters


Family separation policy starts dividing Republicans
Inquirer by JILL COLVIN, The Associated Press Updated: JUNE 18, 2018 — 5:29 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) - The emotional policy of separating children from their parents is also starting to divide Republicans and their allies as Democrats turn up the pressure.
Former first lady Laura Bush called the policy "cruel" and "immoral" while GOP Sen. Susan Collins expressed concern about it and a former adviser to President Donald Trump said he thought the issue was going to hurt the president at some point. Religious groups, including some conservative ones, are protesting. Mrs. Bush made some of the strongest comments yet about the policy from the Republican side of the aisle. "I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart," she wrote in a guest column for the Washington Post Sunday. She compared it to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, which she called "one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history." Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she favors tighter border security, but expressed deep concerns about the child separation policy.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20180618_ap_8e35d6ce73e74227983312e4264f8594.html

Hundreds of children wait in Border Patrol facility in Texas
Trib Live by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Monday, June 18, 2018, 6:57 a.m.
McALLEN, Texas — Inside an old warehouse in South Texas, hundreds of children wait in a series of cages created by metal fencing. One cage had 20 children inside. Scattered about are bottles of water, bags of chips and large foil sheets intended to serve as blankets. One teenager told an advocate who visited that she was helping care for a young child she didn't know because the child's aunt was somewhere else in the facility. She said she had to show others in her cell how to change the girl's diaper. The U.S. Border Patrol on Sunday allowed reporters to briefly visit the facility where it holds families arrested at the southern U.S. border, responding to new criticism and protests over the Trump administration's “zero tolerance” policy and resulting separation of families.
http://triblive.com/usworld/world/13772663-74/hundreds-of-children-wait-in-border-patrol-facility-in-texas

Local clergy to join rally to draw attention to inequitable education funding
Lancaster Online by EARLE CORNELIUS | Staff Writer Jun 17, 2018
On Wednesday, local religious leaders will join students, parents and community activists as they gather on the steps of the main rotunda at the state Capitol in support of full funding for education in Pennsylvania. The “100% for All” rally is sponsored by powerinterfaith.org, an independent organization representing 50 congregations in southeastern and central Pennsylvania. The purpose of the rally is to draw the Legislature’s attention to inequities in school funding across the commonwealth. While the disparity in funding between rural and suburban districts has been known for some time, researchers at the Education Law Center and Philadelphia Organized to Witness Empower and Rebuild found that poverty is a factor statewide in determining how much aid per student a school district gets, but it is actually less of a predictor than race. David Mosenkis, a data researcher and volunteer who put together one of the studies last year for POWER, was among the first to see the connection. He said what the data show “is horrifying.” “On average, the whitest districts get thousands of dollars more than their fair share for each student, while the least white districts get thousands less for each student than their fair share,” he wrote. As part of a video presentation, Mosenkis points out that the School District of Lancaster is underfunded by $40 million. Greg Carey, a professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary, will be among those attending the rally. He said he was approached by seminary alumni in the Philadelphia area who are part of POWER.
https://lancasteronline.com/features/faith_values/local-clergy-to-join-rally-to-draw-attention-to-inequitable/article_ef3cecda-70ca-11e8-b01c-67c4fa6242a4.html

Indiana’s Virtual Charters: “How Long Do We Let Them Fail”?
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch June 15, 2018 //
This is a refreshing development. Republican legislators in Indiana are asking whether it is time to pull the plug on failing virtual charter schools. “As a group of state officials convene for the first time Tuesday to examine virtual charter schools, two prominent Indiana Republican lawmakers are calling for the state to intervene in the dismal performance of the schools. ““Whatever we’re doing is not working, because I don’t see where they’re improving,” said Ryan Mishler, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, adding, “With a virtual, if you’re failing so many years in a row, maybe we need to look at how long do we let them fail before we say you can’t operate.” “Mishler and House education chair Bob Behning told Chalkbeat that the oversight of virtual charter schools needs to be addressed, whether through changes to state law or action by the Indiana State Board of Education.
https://dianeravitch.net/2018/06/15/indianas-virtual-charters-how-long-do-we-let-them-fail/

“In 2016, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the national charter lobbying group 50CAN released a report on cyber charters, which found that compared to traditional public school students, full-time cyber students have poor academic growth. Overall, cyber students make no significant gains in math and less than half the gains in reading compared to their peers in traditional public schools, this report found.”
Pa. cyber charters consistently receive poor academic scores
Several states cracked down on cyber charters this school year, but Pennsylvania was not among them
The notebook by Greg Windle June 14 — 4:40 pm, 2018
No cyber charter school in Pennsylvania have ever received a passing academic score from the state, and very few have come close, according to information recently highlighted in a report from the office of Democratic State Rep. James Roebuck of Philadelphia. Roebuck and other House Democrats have assembled a package of bills that would further regulate charters by reforming how they use reserve funds, rules for leasing buildings, special education payments, contracting, the teacher evaluation system, disclosure in advertising, school building closures, and the transfer of school records. The package would not single out cybers, but other legislation has been introduced that would reduce their per-student reimbursement.  Pennsylvania has 13 cyber charters enrolling more than 34,000 students, or 10 percent of all the cyber students in the country. These schools are authorized not by local districts, but by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. But districts must send per-pupil payments to cyber charters for each local student they enroll, and the payments are the same as for brick-and-mortar charters, even though cybers have fewer expenses. This has proven frustrating not only to the districts and other proponents of traditional public schools, but to several groups that favor school choice and charters.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/06/14/pennsylvanias-cyber-charters-consistently-recieve-poor-academic-scores/

Blogger comment: No school board authorized any of Pennsylvania’s existing cyber charter schools. Cyber education options are available through school districts and intermediate units at significant savings compared to cyber tuition.
SB 551 Could Save Pennsylvania’s 500 School Districts Up to $400 million Per Year on Tuition Payments to Chronically Failing Cyber Charters

(a.1)  If a public school district offers a cyber-based program equal in scope and content to an existing publicly chartered cyber charter school and a student in that district attends a cyber charter school instead of the district's cyber-based program, the school district shall not be required to provide funding to pay for the student's attendance at a cyber charter school.
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2017&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0551

African-American teachers push messages of affirmation, success at Philadelphia school
"I’ve been that child under the desk crying because my father wasn’t around," said one African-American teacher.
NBC News by Ron Allen and Leah Smith / Jun.16.2018 / 3:29 PM ET / Updated Jun.16.2018 / 7:43 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA — "You're great!" That's what every student hears from teacher Herman Douglas when they enter his seventh-grade class at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School in a neighborhood of North Philadelphia plagued with crime, violence and poverty. "I'm great," each student responds. Douglas’ strong positive message is meant to counter the negativity so many students pass by in the streets on their way to school. He also bestows titles on his students, referring them as “king” and “queen" as reminders that they're descendants of African royalty. In addition to Douglas, 12 other African-American male educators work at this school — that's nearly 30 percent of the staff at a school where the students are primarily black and Hispanic. That number stands in contrast to the rest of the nation, where only 2 percent of teachers are African-American men.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/african-american-teachers-push-messages-affirmation-success-philadelphia-school-n883661

Judge: Thackston charter must close at the end of June
York Dispatch Published 9:02 a.m. ET June 15, 2018 | Updated 4:21 p.m. ET June 15, 2018
A York County judge says Helen Thackston Charter School must close by the end of the month. York County Common Please Judge Richard K. Renn ruled Friday that Thackston must take all step to surrender its charter and close by the end of June. The ruling came at the end of a day of testimony in a nonjury trial between Thackston and the York City School District.
Check back for more on this breaking story.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/education/2018/06/15/live-thackston-charter-york-city-school-district-court-trial/704493002/

“Wentzel outlined reasons that are causing increased costs for the district, including $1,092,845 in additional pension costs due to the increasing employer (district) share that shows a 6.55 percent increase.”
Ridley schools OK new budget with a tax increase
Delco Times By Barbara Ormsby, Times Correspondent POSTED: 06/15/18, 8:32 PM EDT
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP >> The Ridley School Board gave final approval at its June meeting to a final 2018-2019 budget listing expenditures of $107,579,727, which is $27,727 more than the proposed budget adopted last month by the board. The real estate millage rate will increase by 0.83 mills for a total millage rate of 40.73 mills, or $4.07 for each $100 of assessed property value. The millage increase means an increase of $84 for a house assessed at the district average of $100,000. District Superintendent Lee Ann Wentzel noted in part that local revenue will increase because interest earnings are going up due to changing investment rates. The new budget also reflects an overall debt service decrease of 2.72 percent. There is also an increase of $3,890,203 in the district’s total taxable assessed value. “Additional revenue streams will be continued through the annual technology fee for families and the resale/recycle collections generated in the technology plan,” Wentzel said in her budget report. “... we continue to aggressively apply for alternative funding streams through grant opportunities. We are pleased to report that our efforts are having positive results. We are seeking additional large sum grants for the 2018-2019 school year.”
http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20180615/ridley-schools-ok-new-budget-with-a-tax-increase

Letters to the Editor: Garnet Valley not alone in budget blues
Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director, Education Law Center POSTED: 06/15/18, 8:36 PM EDT | UPDATED: 5 HRS AGO
To the Times::L Your recent article about the challenges Garnet Valley School District faces in finalizing a budget highlights among the factors driving school costs are mandated expenditures in special education (Taxes and spending rise in proposed Garnet Valley schools budget, May 17, 2018). Garnet Valley is not alone. School districts across the region and the state need more special education dollars to ensure that the 270,000 Pennsylvania students with disabilities receive the high quality inclusive education they need and to which they are legally entitled. A 2009 study showed that there was a $380 million funding gap for special education across the Commonwealth, and we know that gap has grown. Inadequate funding has resulted in an insufficient number of staff to support our students as well as deep cuts to critical resources and services that these students need to make educational progress. Governor Wolf proposes putting $20 million more for special education in the next state budget. That will help but the legislature should increase that amount further in their final state budget to get children the support they need.
http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20180615/letters-to-the-editor-garnet-valley-not-alone-in-budget-blues

Easton Area hopes math x 2 = better outcomes for sixth graders
Morning Call by Michelle Merlin Contact Reporter June 18, 2018
Easton Area’s sixth-graders should know the answer to the equation 2 x 43 + 4.
That’s how many minutes they’ll be spending in math next year, when the school district gives its youngest middle schoolers a double period in math (plus four minutes in passing time between the two periods). The change is part of an effort to improve math performance, smooth the transition between elementary school and middle school and create a more supportive environment for students, said Michael Koch, district director of assessment and accountability. It also allows Easton’s sixth-grade math students to use a model called station rotation in which they break into groups and spend part of the class with the teacher, part working by themselves (usually with an iPad) and part working in a group. School districts around the Lehigh Valley are increasingly using the station rotation model in their classrooms at different age levels and subject areas. Pleasant Valley, Stroudsburg Area, Bethlehem Area and East Penn school districts are among those in the area that have begun using or are implementing station rotation learning.
Easton is adding teachers and removing study halls to make the double blocks possible.
http://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-easton-area-double-sixth-grade-math-20180611-story.html

Salisbury OKs teachers contract with 2.5% raises
Margie Peterson Special to The Morning Call June 18, 2018
Salisbury Township School Board last week approved a contract with the teachers union that grants raises of 2.5 percent each year of the four-year pact. he union, the Salisbury Education Association, which represents the districts’ approximately 135 teachers, approved the contract June 11, according to Salisbury Board President Frank Frankenfield. The school board’s Wednesday vote on the contract was 5-1, with George Gatanis voting no. Sam DeFrank was absent. Directors Carol Klinger and Audrey Frick abstained. Frick’s husband is a Salisbury teacher and Klinger is a retired teacher. The teachers will have one less work day, bringing the school year to 188 days. Medical coverage stays the same and there are no big changes in other aspects of the contract, Frankenfield said.
http://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-salisbury-teachers-contract-20180614-story.html

Downingtown school board adopts $220M budget for 2018-19
By Ginger Dunbar, Daily Local News POSTED: 06/17/18, 5:39 AM EDT | UPDATED: 20 HRS AGO
EAST CALN >> Downingtown school board members approved Wednesday the 2018-19 budget of $220 million without a tax increase. School board members approved the $220,629,805 budget in an 8-1 vote without discussion. Jaime Mehler dissented. School board members had approved of the preliminary budget last month. This is the sixth consecutive year that a Downingtown budget has been approved without a property tax increase. The 2018-2019 Real Estate Tax Millage remains at 27.182 mills. A mill is equal to $1 for each $1,000 of assessed property value. During prior discussions of the budget, Downingtown Superintendent Emilie Lonardi thanked the administration, school board members and others, and said the district will continue to provide students with a top-notch education. The Downingtown Area School District is the largest school district in Chester County and has 16 schools. District officials noted that the budget is fiscally responsible as they continue to plan initiatives such as rebuilding Uwchlan Hills Elementary School, updating security measures and completing the one-to-one device initiative in K-12.
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20180617/downingtown-school-board-adopts-220m-budget-for-2018-19

Lack of high-quality pre-k hampers kids, communities, economy| Opinion
By Express-Times guest columnist Timothy Fallon Updated Jun 17, 8:01 AM
Timothy Fallon is the CEO of PBS39, the Greater Lehigh Valley's public media station. Visit www.paearlylearning.com for an April 2018 ELIC brief on the critical need for high-quality child care. 
In September 2015 I was asked by Gov. Tom  Wolf to join the non-partisan Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission. I felt this was in direct alignment with the educational mission of PBS39.  Since then I have learned about the power of investing in the care and education of young children and have been gratified to see Pennsylvania's commitment to doing so grow.  Still, we can and must do more to realize the individual potential of every child and secure a prosperous future for our region and the commonwealth. Every child is born with innate talents. The question is how, and whether, those talents are unleashed and nurtured. Potential is like a flower that requires sun and water before it can bloom. Give a child the tools and the environment that power imagination, and their talents blossom. Even if scientists hadn't discovered the remarkable growth occurring in the brain from birth to age 5, we would know every moment offers a precious learning experience. In those years, children grow so quickly, learning to walk, speak, and interact with the people around them. Their little brains are hard at work. We know from research that each interaction sparks neural development that builds the pathways for lifetimes of learning, social functioning, and success.
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/06/lack_of_high-quality_pre-k_ham.html#incart_river_index


“This story about school segregation was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, and The Investigative Fund, a newsroom for independent journalists, in partnership with NBC Nightly News/NBCNews.com. Emmanuel Felton is a staff writer at The Hechinger Report and an Ida B. Wells Fellow with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.”
Nearly 750 charter schools are whiter than the nearby district schools
Loose laws let scores of charters create policies that favor white students
Hechinger Report by EMMANUEL FELTON June 17, 2018 This story also appeared in NBC News and The Investigative Fund
GREENSBORO, Ga. — This was clearly no ordinary public school.
Parents of prospective students converged on Lake Oconee Academy for an open house on a bright but unseasonably cold March afternoon for northern Georgia. A driveway circling a landscaped pond led them to the school’s main hall. The tan building had the same luxury-lodge feel as the nearby Ritz-Carlton resort. Parents oohed and aahed as Jody Worth, the upper school director, ushered them through the campus. Nestled among gated communities, golf courses and country clubs, the school felt like an oasis of opportunity in a county of haves and have-nots, where nearly half of all children live in poverty while others live in multimillion-dollar lakeside houses. The school’s halls and classrooms are bright and airy, with high ceilings and oversize windows looking out across the lush landscape. There is even a terrace on which students can work on warm days. After a guide pointed out several science labs, the tour paused at the “piano lab.” The room holds 25 pianos, 10 of them donated by residents of the nearby exclusive communities. The guide also noted that starting in elementary school, all students take Spanish, art and music classes. The high school, which enrolls less than 200 students, has been able to offer as many as 17 Advanced Placement courses. Stunned, one mother, who was considering moving her family from suburban Atlanta to the area, asked how the school could afford it all. Lake Oconee’s amenities are virtually unheard of in rural Georgia; and because it is a public school, they are all available at the unbeatable price of free.
http://hechingerreport.org/nearly-750-charter-schools-are-whiter-than-the-nearby-district-schools/

Standardized Testing Battle in Seattle: Union votes for a complete moratorium on all standardized tests!
Jesse Hagopian’s Blog ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY 
I am bursting with pride for my union. The Seattle Education Association voted at this week’s Representative Assembly to support a resolution calling for a moratorium on all standardized testing!  This vote comes in a long line of organizing and opposition to high-stakes testing in Seattle. In 2013, the teachers at Garfield High School voted unanimously to refuse to administer the MAP test.  The boycott spread to several other schools in Seattle.  When the superintendent threatened the boycotting teachers with a 10 day suspension without pay, none of the teachers backed down.  At the end of the year, because of the overwhelming solidarity from parents, teachers, and students around the country, not only were no teachers disciplined, but the superintended announced that the MAP test would no longer be required for Seattle’s high schools.  In the subsequent years we have seen the movement continue to develop with Nathan Hale High School achieving a 100% opt out rate of the junior class of the Smarter Balance test in 2015, with some 60,000 families opting their kids out of the common core test around Washington State.
https://iamaneducator.com/2018/06/14/standardized-testing-battle-in-seattle-union-votes-for-a-complete-moratorium-on-all-standardized-tests/

“The Walton family—through personal campaign contributions, their non-profit private foundation and a political affiliate group—are leading supporters of the charter school movement in America. Charter schools are run privately but get public dollars to educate students whose families choose to enroll them there instead of traditional neighborhood schools. The Waltons are also prominent supporters of giving scholarship vouchers funded by tax credits to students going to private schools.”
Walmart Heirs Deny Involvement in Ga. Governor's Race After School Choice Comments Surface
Education Week By The Associated Press June 15, 2018
Representatives of the Walmart company heirs deny any involvement in the Georgia governor's race after a candidate was secretly recorded saying he backed a school choice law because campaign money from the family's non-profit foundation was at stake. Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle admits making the remarks that surfaced in the past week. His campaign issued a statement Friday calling it "old news" that stemmed from a "purely political conversation" Cagle had in his campaign office. Cagle is heard saying he supported a bill in the recent legislative session expanding tax credit vouchers for private schools because millions of dollars in Walton foundation money were at stake in the gubernatorial race. "The words that Casey used in that secret recording do not reflect his feelings about the legislation that passed. He was a strong supporter and led to pass it," said Scott Binkley, his campaign manager.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/06/15/walmart-heirs-deny-involvement-in-georgia_ap.html


Apply Now for EPLC's 2018-2019 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program!
Applications are available now for the 2018-2019 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). 
With more than 500 graduates in its first eighteen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants.
Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization. The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 13-14, 2018 and continues to graduation in June 2019.
Applications are being accepted now.
Click here to read more about the Education Policy Fellowship Program.
The application may be copied from the EPLC web site, but must be submitted by mail or scanned and e-mailed, with the necessary signatures of applicant and sponsor.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Fellowship Program and its requirements, please contact EPLC Executive Director Ron Cowell at 717-260-9900 or cowell@eplc.org.


Nominations for PSBA’s Allwein Advocacy Award due by July 16
PSBA Website May 14, 2018
The Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award was established in 2011 by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform. In addition to being a highly respected lobbyist, Timothy Allwein served to help our members be effective advocates in their own right. Many have said that Tim inspired them to become active in our Legislative Action Program and to develop personal working relationships with their legislators. The 2018 Allwein Award nomination process will begin on Monday, May 14, 2018. The application due date is July 16, 2018 in the honor of Tim’s birth date of July 16.
Download the Application
https://www.psba.org/2018/05/nominations-allwein-advocacy-award/

Join with EdVotersPA and PCCY for Capitol Caravan Days and fight for our public schools! When: 9:00-3:00 on June 12 or June 20 (your choice!)
Where: The Harrisburg Capitol
Why: To show state lawmakers that their constituents expect them to support public school students in the '18-19 budget
Education Voters of PA joining together with Pennsylvania Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) for a lobby day in Harrisburg. Join a team and meet with your state legislators and legislative leaders to talk about how the state can support K-12 students in the state budget.
Register Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrk24gH61bp7Zjy_JFpIELPYcEvXx05Ld4-_CPltQYyqLSPw/viewform

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.) 

POWER 100% SCHOOL FUNDING Day of Action Wednesday, June 20th at 1 PM at the PA Capitol
On Wednesday, June 20th at 1 PM, students, parents, community activists, and faith leaders from different traditions will gather on the steps of the State Capitol Main Rotunda for POWER’s 100% SCHOOL FUNDING Day of Action to demand support for legislation to put 100% of the Commonwealth's Basic Education Budget through PA's Fair Funding Formula. We ask you to join us as we stand in solidarity with one another and continue demanding fair and fully funded education for Pennsylvania’s public school students. In addition to a large rally, we will march to Governor Tom Wolfe's office to pray for his support for 100% through the Formula. Join us as we hold meetings that day with our legislators asking each one to speak out in favor of POWER's 100% plan.

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.

2nd Annual National Black Male Educators Convening, Oct. 12-14, Philly
Teacher diversity works. Increasing the number of Black male educators in our nation’s teacher corps will improve education for all our students, especially for African-American boys.Today Black men represent only two percent of teachers nationwide. This is a national problem that demands a national response. Come participate in the 2nd National Black Male Educators Convening to advance policy solutions, learn from one another, and fight for social justice. All are welcome. Register to attend. Nominate a speaker. Propose a workshop. Sponsor the event.

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!

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.


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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