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PA Ed Policy Roundup August 16, 2018

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Newsrooms to Trump: We're not enemies of the people
Trib Live by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, 8:33 p.m.
NEW YORK — The nation’s newsrooms are pushing back against President Trump with a coordinated series of newspaper editorials condemning his attacks on “fake news” and suggestion that journalists are the enemy. The Boston Globe invited newspapers across the country to stand up for the press with editorials on Thursday, and several began appearing online a day earlier. Nearly 350 news organizations have pledged to participate, according to Marjorie Pritchard, op-ed editor at the Globe. In St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch called journalists “ the truest of patriots .” The Chicago Sun-Times said it believed most Americans know that Trump is talking nonsense. The Fayetteville, N.C. Observer said it hoped Trump would stop, “ but we’re not holding our breath .” “Rather, we hope all the president’s supporters will recognize what he’s doing — manipulating reality to get what he wants,” the North Carolina newspaper said. Some newspapers used history lessons to state their case. The Elizabethtown Advocate in Elizabethtown, Pa., for instance, compared free press in the United States to such rights promised but not delivered in the former Soviet Union. The New York Times added a pitch. “If you haven’t already, please subscribe to your local papers,” said the Times , whose opinion section also summarized other editorials across the country. “Praise them when you think they’ve done a good job and criticize them when you think they could do better. We’re all in this together.”
https://triblive.com/usworld/world/13977606-74/newsrooms-to-trump-were-not-enemies-of-the-people

JOURNALISTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY
Boston Globe By the Editorial Board August 16, 2018
A central pillar of President Trump’s politics is a sustained assault on the free press. Journalists are not classified as fellow Americans, but rather “The enemy of the people.” This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country – liberal and conservative, large and small – to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words.
https://apps.bostonglobe.com/opinion/graphics/2018/08/freepress/?p1=HP_special

My father, Ronald Reagan, would never have stood for this
Washington Post Opinion By Patti Davis August 15 at 3:05 PM
Patti Davis is the author, most recently, of the novel “The Earth Breaks in Colors” and the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
Early in my father’s administration, when he and my mother flew to Rancho del Cielo, the ranch they had bought in the 1970s that was his retreat, his nourishment, I drove up to join them for a day or two. We were sitting at the dining table, and my father pointed to the window and the steep hillside in the distance. “The press is probably filming us eating right now,” he said matter- of-factly. “We’re going to have to come to some kind of compromise. I know they need to get their shots, but long lenses into the house is crossing the line.” I squinted to try to see the reporters he was referring to, but the hill was too far away. Still, I was sure he wasn’t inventing it, and I was impressed by how calm he was. He had once said about the ranch, “If it isn’t heaven, it’s at least in the same Zip code.” His piece of heaven was being unreasonably invaded. A compromise was reached. News organizations would be given opportunities to take photos, but long lenses intruding on his and my mother’s personal space were no longer used. The media may have realized that reaching an agreement was a good idea after my father took matters into his own hands. He walked outside the small ranch house, swayed as if something was terribly wrong with him, then stumbled forward, clutched his chest and fell to the ground as if he were having a heart attack. He stayed down for a few seconds, then got to his feet, faced the hillside and waved at the unseen journalists with a big smile on his face. Obviously, his Secret Service agents had been let in on the prank; otherwise, he would probably have given them heart attacks. The verbal sparring between my father and Sam Donaldson of ABC, or Helen Thomas of UPI, is well documented. But there was never vitriol, there was never name-calling, and if anyone had attacked a journalist, my father would have been the first to stand in the way.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/patti-davis-my-father-ronald-reagan-would-never-have-stood-for-this/2018/08/15/7c93e0c4-9fca-11e8-83d2-70203b8d7b44_story.html?utm_term=.ac2d102dc6fc

Hundreds of newspapers denounce Trump’s attacks on media in coordinated editorials
NPR/WHYY By James Doubek August 16, 2018
More than 300 news publications across the country are joining together to defend the role of a free press and denounce President Trump’s ongoing attacks on the news media in coordinated editorials publishing Thursday, according a tally by The Boston Globe. The project was spearheaded by editorial staff at the Globe, who write, “This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country – liberal and conservative, large and small – to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words.” Editorials are typically written by opinion writers and are considered separate from organizations’ news coverage. NPR, for example, has a separate “opinion” category.
https://whyy.org/npr_story_post/hundreds-of-newspapers-denounce-trumps-attacks-on-media-in-coordinated-editorials/

New York Times Editorial: A FREE PRESS NEEDS YOU
New York Times By The Editorial Board AUG. 15, 2018
In 1787, the year the Constitution was adopted, Thomas Jefferson famously wrote to a friend, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” That’s how he felt before he became president, anyway. Twenty years later, after enduring the oversight of the press from inside the White House, he was less sure of its value. “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper,” he wrote. “Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.” Jefferson’s discomfort was, and remains, understandable. Reporting the news in an open society is an enterprise laced with conflict. His discomfort also illustrates the need for the right he helped enshrine. As the founders believed from their own experience, a well-informed public is best equipped to root out corruption and, over the long haul, promote liberty and justice. “Public discussion is a political duty,” the Supreme Court said in 1964. That discussion must be “uninhibited, robust, and wide-open,” and “may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.” In 2018, some of the most damaging attacks are coming from government officials. Criticizing the news media — for underplaying or overplaying stories, for getting something wrong — is entirely right. News reporters and editors are human, and make mistakes. Correcting them is core to our job. But insisting that truths you don’t like are “fake news” is dangerous to the lifeblood of democracy. And calling journalists the “enemy of the people” is dangerous, period. These attacks on the press are particularly threatening to journalists in nations with a less secure rule of law and to smaller publications in the United States, already buffeted by the industry’s economic crisis. And yet the journalists at those papers continue to do the hard work of asking questions and telling the stories that you otherwise wouldn’t hear. Consider The San Luis Obispo Tribune, which wrote about the death of a jail inmate who was restrained for 46 hours. The account forced the county to change how it treats mentally ill prisoners. Answering a call last week from The Boston Globe, The Times is joining hundreds of newspapers, from large metro-area dailies to small local weeklies, to remind readers of the value of America’s free press. These editorials, some of which we’ve excerpted, together affirm a fundamental American institution. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to your local papers. Praise them when you think they’ve done a good job and criticize them when you think they could do better. We’re all in this together.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/15/opinion/editorials/free-press-local-journalism-news-donald-trump.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

Post-Gazette Editorial: No more enemies: Trump and the press must practice mutual respect
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Pittsburgh Post-Gazette AUG 16, 2018 12:00 AM
A number of newspapers in the United States are editorializing today in support of freedom of the press. They are beseeching President Donald Trump to cease characterizing the press as “the enemy of people.” Indeed the president must know that, as a matter of constitutional law — the First Amendment — the press can never be the enemy of the people. For the press’s freedom is the people’s freedom. It derives from them and applies to them. All of them. Freedom of press, speech and conscience are indivisible. The first freedoms are also a matter of tradition as well as law in this country — one might almost say a matter of secular theology. Thomas Jefferson said it best: “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” By informing the people and by scrutinizing those in power, the press guards freedom just as surely as our soldiers do. Without freedom of speech, of thought and of the press, there is no democracy. Freedom dies. So when the president calls the press the enemy of the people, he offends American tradition and the American ethos at its very core.
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2018/08/16/No-more-enemies-Trump-and-the-press-must-practice-mutual-respect/stories/201808160023

Stop the war on a free press | Inquirer Editorial
by The Inquirer Editorial Board August 15, 2018
A war on the press is a war on democracy.
It is a war not just on the American people, but on people throughout the world.
President Trump declared this war soon after taking office. His "fake news" mantra is now weaponized and aimed at any news coverage – and often any fact – with which he disagrees.  Alarmingly, his enmity for the news media continues to escalate. It was not enough to label American journalists as enemies of the people.  Now he has called the entire profession "dangerous and sick." We are proud to join with hundreds of news organizations around the country to call for this dirty war to stop.  This editorial is one of over 200 being published Thursday in a coordinated effort to alert the American people to the dangers inherent in the president's actions, which are intended to undermine the ability of the press to question, examine, and investigate on behalf of all citizens. Criticism of the press is part of healthy debate in a democracy. Media organizations, including ours, sometimes earn the criticism. But demonization of the press is now a calculated White House strategy, intended to impede a process whose purpose is to inform the citizenry.  News is information, and information enables those who live in a democracy to make up their minds. This is what the president is openly threatening.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/newspaper-free-press-editorials-donald-trump-philadelphia-20180815.html

Lancaster Online Editorial: Freedom of the press is essential in every American community, including our own
THE LNP EDITORIAL BOARD August 16, 2018
THE ISSUE -  On July 29, President Donald Trump fired off a series of tweets excoriating the media for what he called their “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” He repeatedly has referred to the media as “the enemy of the people,” and he characterizes news that is unfavorable to him as “fake.” He also has called journalists “horrible, horrendous people.” In response to the president’s attacks on the news media, the opinion pages of some 350 newspapers today are publishing editorials emphasizing the importance of a free press. The effort is being coordinated by the Boston Globe. We’d like to point out that this editorial appears on the Opinion page of this newspaper. As it’s stating the opinion of the LNP Editorial Board, this is where it belongs. Today, on the news pages of LNP, you’ll find local reporting about important issues and developments in Lancaster County, as well as national and international stories about the wider world. At LNP, as at other newspapers, there’s a wall between opinion and news. When a news reporter writes an article that reflects negatively on an elected official, it’s not because the reporter has a hidden agenda. It’s because it’s news. Not fake news. Just news. At LNP, the division between the news and Opinion departments is physical as well as journalistic — we’re actually separated by the library, features and sports departments. We note this because it was the decision of the editorial board — not the news department — to participate in today’s coordinated defense of the freedom of the press.
https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/freedom-of-the-press-is-essential-in-every-american-community/article_22559388-a0e6-11e8-97bc-07911c97f6fb.html

Morning Call Editorial: Why newspapers are not the 'enemy of the people'
The Morning Call Editorial August 16, 2018
Are newspapers truly the “enemy of the people”?
This week, a Morning Call reader stepped up with a huge commitment — two $100,000 annual payments — to provide beds for homeless people when temperatures plummet. The Allentown YMCA wanted to create a warming station in its basement but couldn’t afford it. The reader only learned about the problem from Bill White’s column. “God whispered in my ear,” the anonymous donor told White. An “enemy of the people”? Morning Call journalists have written dozens of stories in a years-long series on how opioid addiction is destroying families. Three reporters — Pamela Lehman, Carol Thompson and Laurie Mason Schroeder — took their involvement to the next level. They trained to administer Narcan, which can save the life of an overdose victim. “As often as we interview people suffering from the disease of addiction, I worry that it’s only a matter of time before I’m present when someone overdoses,” Mason Schroeder wrote. “At least now, I’ll be ready to help.” An “enemy of the people”? The Morning Call’s Be an Angel campaign sparked more than $4 million in donations to hundreds of Lehigh Valley nonprofit organizations. These groups often serve the neediest in our community. “The Be an Angel campaign is like a beam of light showing that good people step forward and, together, we really can make somebody's life even just a little bit better,” said Bev Bradley of Bethlehem’s Cops ’n’ Kids Children’s Literacy Program, which receives thousands of donated books through the campaign. An “enemy of the people”?
http://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-opi-editorial-trump-press-media-20180814-story.html

York Dispatch Editorial: Presidential demonizing obscures value of media
The York Dispatch Published 5:00 a.m. ET Aug. 16, 2018
It turns out we were ahead of the curve when we pointed out earlier this month the increasingly dangerous tone of President Donald Trump's relentless attacks on the media.  Today, news organizations across the nation are speaking out with one voice against this unprecedented presidential drumbeat of inaccurate, unfair and abusive rhetoric. We proudly join them. Not out of a sense of solidarity, though there is that, but out of a sense of what is right. And what the president has been spewing is not right — neither factually nor morally. It is not uncommon for national leaders to develop adversarial relationships with the media. After all, a free press demands transparency, accountability and honesty. It pursues complex issues and asks difficult questions. It pulls back the curtain on patently false and misleading claims. And it spells out the true consequences of the actions, priorities and agendas of elected officials.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/08/16/editorial-presidential-demonizing-obscures-value-media/996898002/

In the face of 'fake news' claims, here's why local news matters more than ever | Penn Live Editorial
By PennLive Editorial Board penned@pennlive.com Updated 7:46 AM; Posted 7:45 AM
Today, more than 200 news organizations across America are accepting the call of the Boston Globe to remind readers that we are not your enemy or purveyors of "fake" news, as some politicians would have you believe.  We're joining them, not to defend ourselves or to preach the First Amendment at you, but to remind you we're on the same side, whether we always agree or not. At its best, a local news organization should both reflect its readership and challenge it at the same time. That means by telling the stories of as broad a spectrum of our readership as we possibly can and representing a wide array of viewpoints on the editorial page.  And we should also be an advocate for your shared interests. And to that end, we're going to let some of our recent work speak for itself
https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/08/free_press_edit_draft.html#incart_river_index

Delco Times Editorial: President Trump, we are not the enemy of the people
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 08/15/18, 8:13 PM EDT | UPDATED: 20 SECS AGO
On May 30, 1783, the Pennsylvania Evening Post and Daily Advertiser published its first daily edition, becoming the first daily newspaper not only in Pennsylvania, but in our young nation. Today, more than 200 daily and weekly newspapers across the commonwealth carry on the ideals of not only that newspaper, but the Constitution and the free press it ensures. That includes the one you are reading right now, the Delaware County Daily Times, which has been in existence since 1876. Today, we stand with many other newspapers across the country to defend our profession and the communities we serve. We are not “fake news.” And we most certainly are not the “enemy of the people,” as President Donald Trump has suggested more than once. Journalists pledge to report real, honest and credible news. We go to school to learn how to tell people’s stories, record history, sift through the haze of propaganda and uncover the truth. We cover the stories and uncover the information citizens in our communities need to make informed decisions on who to vote for, where to eat, and what to buy. We take that essential mission - that of a watchdog for the public - very seriously. A vibrant, free press and fourth estate protects the public and guarantees that the public’s business be conducted exactly that way - in public. The role of the press is to cast light and seek out the facts in reporting on the public’s money, where it is going, who is spending it and on what.
http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20180815/editorial-president-trump-we-are-not-the-enemy-of-the-people

Citizens Voice Editorial: Free press still crucial to democracy
Wilkes Barre Citizens Voice by THE EDITORIAL BOARD / PUBLISHED: AUGUST 16, 2018
An old adage holds that if you pitch, you also have to catch, and it applies especially to journalism. That is, journalists who report news events and columnists and editorialists who offer opinions on them, cannot consider themselves to be above criticism in response to their work. That’s why newspapers offer readers space to respond to news stories, columns and editorials and include comment sections online, and why editors spend a fair amount of time dealing with complaints about coverage, sometimes publishing corrections. All of that back-and-forth always has occurred within a commonly accepted context — that a free and independent press is fundamental to a successful representative democracy. That is embedded in the nation’s DNA through the First Amendment’s admonition that “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”
https://www.citizensvoice.com/opinion/free-press-still-crucial-to-democracy-1.2374103

In case you missed it, PublicSource is doing a great in-depth series on PA school funding.
Failing the Future: Will the school funding crisis in Pa. ever be solved?
Is the way Pennsylvania funds public education the reason some students are left behind?
Public Source August 2018
About this project: In Pennsylvania, a state with 500 school districts, the funding crisis of public education is not a breaking news story. It's been the reality for years. Students study in decaying buildings, can only dream about art classes and fight the stigma of being from "that school." The crisis of funding public education is imminent as the court is set to look into how Pennsylvania funds public education and if it violates the State Constitution. In this series, we explore deepening inequities across school districts and ask: Will the school funding crisis in Pa. ever be solved?
https://schoolfundingpa.publicsource.org/

Upper Darby School Board responds to ‘sanctuary’ status
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin, ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com, @KevinTustin on Twitter POSTED: 08/15/18, 8:11 PM EDT | UPDATED: 28 SECS AGO
UPPER DARBY >> A simple resolution slated for adoption by the Upper Darby School Board at its Aug. 14 meeting was met with public comment about the district serving as a safe haven for migrant children. Resident Jane Dunbar asked the board if the district has been declared a “sanctuary school district” after wording in a Welcome Schools resolution placed special attention to immigrant students. The resolution reads as follows: “Whereas the Upper Darby School Board is committed to the success of all students, regardless of immigration status; all schools within Upper Darby School District will be a welcoming place for students and families to seek help, assistance, information, and safety if faced with feat and anxiety about immigration enforcement.” Jurisdictions with sanctuary status are ones that pass the necessary laws, ordinances or other law-abiding regulation that obstruct public agency compliance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers. Dunbar did not elaborate in asking the board if this was granting legal protection from immigrant children, but the board responded that it is not a sanctuary district, and that the resolution was there to show that they will offer the resources and help immigrant families may need. The board unanimously adopted the resolution as part of its instruction and curriculum report.
http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20180815/upper-darby-school-board-responds-to-sanctuary-status

School safety measures weighed as Act 44 provides $60M to address needs
Johnstown Tribune Democrat By David Hurst dhurst@tribdem.com August 15, 2018
By year’s end, initial $25,000 allocations could be released to Pennsylvania’s 500 public schools that could help them fund efforts to add security scanners or cameras, mental health counselors, school resource officers – or a list of other moves. But a group of Pennsylvania senators said Wednesday that they want to gather input from educators and other stakeholders statewide before they decide how to divvy up the bulk of an unprecedented $60 million earmarked to revamp safety and security inside Pennsylvania’s public schools. Act 44’s $60 million school safety and security program – voted into law in response to a rash of attacks and violent incidents inside the nation’s public schools – became law in June. A bipartisan group of Senate lawmakers told media Wednesday that the goal is to take a flexible approach that addresses security needs at a community level. “We all agree that there’s not a more pressing issue (than school safety),” said state Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland. But before dishing out tens of millions of dollars toward addressing it, “we need to get feedback from all of our stakeholders,” added Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Pittsburgh. 
http://www.tribdem.com/news/school-safety-measures-weighed-as-act-provides-m-to-address/article_aa0ca1c8-a0fe-11e8-b99d-7fc7143a82ae.html

'No one sugar-coated anything:' Philly teachers undergo intense training to improve empathy and inclusion
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer  @newskag |  kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: AUGUST 15, 2018 — 4:56 PM EDT
Kaila DeFrancesco is 23, a brand-new educator about to begin her career as a health and physical education teacher at a North Philadelphia elementary school. She’s bright and eager, and in college had exactly zero formal classroom training in recognizing and responding to students affected by trauma — a subject that will surely have an impact on how effective she can be as a teacher. So when DeFrancesco, who will begin teaching at Meade Elementary this month, sat through a session on that subject during a recent Philadelphia School District teacher-training institute, it felt like a revelation. “Ninety-five percent of our students experience some form of trauma,” said DeFrancesco. “We need to take care of their basic needs before we push ideas and curriculum on them.” First-year physical education teacher Kaila DeFrancesco will teach at Meade Elementary School. In the not-too-distant past, school districts typically gave new teachers a brief and sometimes perfunctory warm-up to the jobs they were jumping into: Here’s how you sign up for health insurance, take a handout on classroom management. Increasingly, though, districts are broadening and deepening that training in an effort to better equip educators. In Philadelphia, part of that effort is a week-long, intensive new-employee institute that featured sessions on trauma-informed care, creating inclusive classrooms, and engaging multilingual families.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/philadelphia-school-district-new-teachers-lessons-in-trauma-and-inclusion-20180815.html

Does 'redshirting' actually benefit kids? Inside the big kindergarten readiness decision parents make
Inquirer by Anna Orso, Staff Writer  @anna_orso |  aorso@phillynews.com Updated: AUGUST 15, 2018 — 1:36 PM EDT
Lisa Larney started researching college when her daughter was 3. She wanted to know everything she could about the long-term impacts of delaying kindergarten enrollment for her daughter, born just a week before her school district’s enrollment cutoff date. Would she benefit from going to college a year later? What if she’s too tall for her grade? Would she perform better academically if held back? After two years of studying her daughter’s social interactions and researching her options, Larney decided to “redshirt” her, the term used for keeping children in prekindergarten instead of enrolling them when they’re first eligible at age 5. Redshirting was originally popularized in college sports: Coaches would keep athletes out of competition for a year to develop their skills and extend eligibility. When it comes to kindergarten readiness, the hotly debated practice is most common among parents of kids with summer birthdays — locally, Sept. 1 is typically the cutoff date — because it decides the difference between being the youngest in their class or the oldest, with all the advantages that come with age.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/academic-redshirting-kindergarten-experts-prek-enrollment-20180815.html

Philly schools are opening earlier this year, and district officials want you to know it
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent August 15, 2018
Monday, Aug. 27.
You’re going to hear that date a lot from Philadelphia officials over the next week and a half.
That’s because it’s the first day of school year for the School District of Philadelphia’s 130,000 students. It’s an earlier start date than usual, and the district has an online campaign called #RingTheBell to remind parents of this shift in the schedule. School officials have even recruited the Philadelphia Phillies — owners of the city’s second most famous bell — to help promote the campaign. Typically, Philadelphia schools have opened after Labor Day. District officials decided to start — and end — a week earlier for a few logistical reasons, said Superintendent William Hite.
https://whyy.org/articles/philly-schools-are-opening-earlier-this-year-and-district-officials-want-you-to-know-it/

Strawberry Mansion community meeting leaves unanswered questions
District says it plans music and culinary programs
The notebook by Greg Windle August 16 — 6:00 am, 2018
Two girls open the community meeting at Strawberry Mansion with a rendition of a song written, produced and sung by students. The lyrics about the beauty of imperfection fill the humid auditorium: What if I think that you’re perfect? Perfectly imperfect What if I don’t see flaws at all, and what if I think that you’re flawless? But they aren’t students at Strawberry Mansion. They attend Hill-Freedman World Academy in Mount Airy, and they’re part of the same music program that is coming to Strawberry Mansion this fall. And that’s what school district administrators were here to talk about—two new programs, music and culinary arts, and the preservation of Mansion’s sports teams. But to the dismay of some community members, administrators were not keen to discuss several other topics such as what the school will become a few years from now after the neighborhood high school is “phased out,” as the District says, or “closed” as it’s termed within the neighborhood. Strawberry Mansion will not enroll a ninth grade class this year, over the objections of many local residents and alumni. The District plans to create a “complex” that includes several alternative education programs, including an accelerated school on the fifth floor operated by the education provider One Bright Ray.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/08/16/strawberry-mansion-community-meeting-leaves-unanswered-questions/

Dallas School District seeking binding arbitration in teachers union dispute
Citizens Voice BY MICHAEL P. BUFFER / PUBLISHED: AUGUST 14, 2018
DALLAS TWP. — The Dallas School District will ask Luzerne County Judge William Amesbury to authorize binding arbitration to end the ongoing contract dispute with the district’s teachers union, according to a motion approved at Monday’s school board meeting. The process would involve final best offers from each, and Amesbury would select a neutral arbitrator to impose a binding contract, school district Solicitor Vito DeLuca said. State law on teacher contract negotiations does not provide a binding arbitration process. The school district and the teachers union on Thursday agreed to resume “good faith” negotiations on Saturday. DeLuca would not comment on the bargaining sessions.
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/dallas-school-district-seeking-binding-arbitration-in-teachers-union-dispute-1.2373108#.W3TChxtZxR0.twitter

Yarger speaks on taking part in program
Juniata one of three Pa. districts selected to pilot program this school year
Lewistown Sentinel by ERIN THOMPSON Education/religion editor ethompson@lewistownsentinel.com AUG 9, 2018
MIFFLINTOWN — Juniata County School District Superintendent Keith Yarger was one of three school superintendents in Pennsylvania to participate in a press conference in Harrisburg, Wednesday morning, that discussed the federal government’s Every Student Succeeds Act, which replaced the previous No Child Left Behind Act in 2015. Juniata County, along with Pittsburgh Public School and Allentown School District, were selected to participate in a pilot program that, after this year, will allocate extra funds to lower performing schools, said Yarger. Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, along with the superintendents, discussed their early participation in Pennsylvania’s comprehensive System for District and School Improvement. The (program) is part of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to help schools and improve education across the commonwealth. “Our new school improvement system is built upon an evidence-based framework to support schools and increase focus on key practices associated with sustained improvement in teaching and learning,”said Rivera. “By engaging with stakeholders, evaluating promising practices from other states, and examining PDE’s own earlier school improvement initiatives, we are setting conditions that empower educators and communities and ensure strong accountability for results.” As part of the pilot, the three participating schools received a grant to be spent in areas such as academic projects, professional development and community outreach.
http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/local-news/2018/08/yarger-speaks-on-taking-part-in-program/

Harrisburg schools to teachers: Pay us back $500k for 'inflated' salaries
Penn Live By Christine Vendel cvendel@pennlive.com Updated Aug 15, 6:54 PM
HARRISBURG--Harrisburg school officials hired more than 65 teachers in recent years at salaries that put their pay beyond experienced veteran city teachers. That prompted veteran school employees to file a union grievance last year, asking to earn the same as out-of-district teachers brought into Harrisburg. Some longtime city teachers fell behind on their "step" schedule of one step per year because of salary freezes as the district faced financial challenges over the years. But their union contract outlined that new hires can't earn more than existing teachers with the same experience. The district recently issued their response to the union grievance, according to union officials who staged a news conference Wednesday. Instead of raising the pay of longtime city teachers to the competitive rate of the newcomers, however, the district wants to cut salaries for the new teachers and force them to pay back the amounts they were "overpaid," in recent years. The amount the district is asking back from teachers is about $500,000 overall, according to union officials.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/08/harrisburg_teachers_union_grie.html

The first day of school in Stoneman Douglas opens with a heavy security presence
Post-Gazette by LOIS K. SOLOMON & TONYA ALANEZ Sun Sentinel AUG 15, 2018 10:30 PM
PARKLAND, Fla. — A new era opened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday, the first day back at school after summer break. For many students, the tragedy that struck the school on Feb. 14, when a shooter killed 17 students and teachers, loomed heavily as they entered their campus. Police officers directed traffic and ensured no strangers came close to the school while helicopters loomed overhead. After a summer of hiring school police officers and adding new fences, gates, alarms and security cameras, Broward County schools still face an abundance of security issues as the school year begins. Students will notice a heavy police presence on many campuses. There will be 18 personnel on the Stoneman Douglas campus each day: Three school police officers provided by the city and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, and 15 campus monitors and security specialists provided by the school district.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2018/08/15/The-first-day-of-school-in-Stoneman-Douglas-opens-with-a-heavy-security-presence/stories/201808150178

Democratic group seeks to register 15,000 student voters in Pennsylvania
Morning Call by Laura Olson Contact Reporter Call Washington Bureau August 16, 2018
Backpack. Textbooks. Quarters for laundry. And a voter registration form?
NextGen America wants to make sure that the college freshmen who will be arriving on campus in Pennsylvania and other states are registering not only for classes but also for casting a ballot. The progressive group launched by Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager turned Democratic political activist, is launching its next phase of voter mobilization ahead of the fall midterm elections. As students return to campus, the group’s staffers and volunteers will be engaging them directly and through ads. In Pennsylvania, NextGen’s team will be deployed on 68 campuses, where they’ll build upon a voter-outreach operation that organizers say already registered 13,000 young voters across the state this year. They’re seeking to more than double that figure in the coming weeks, with a goal of 15,000 additional voters being registered in Pennsylvania. That’s part of a goal to register 100,000 young voters nationally, as he seeks to boost Democrats in their aim of winning a majority in the U.S. House.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/capitol-ideas/mc-nws-nextgen-voter-registration-pa-campuses-20180815-story.html


PSBA Officer Elections: Slate of Candidates
PSBA members seeking election to office for the association were required to submit a nomination form no later than June 1, 2018, to be considered. All candidates who properly completed applications by the deadline are included on the slate of candidates below. In addition, the Leadership Development Committee met on June 17 at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg to interview candidates. According to bylaws, the Leadership Development Committee may determine candidates highly qualified for the office they seek. This is noted next to each person's name with an asterisk (*). Voting procedure: Each school entity will have one vote for each officer. This will require boards of the various school entities to come to a consensus on each candidate and cast their vote electronically during the open voting period (Aug. 24-Oct. 11, 2018). Voting will be accomplished through a secure third-party, web-based voting site that will require a password login. One person from each member school entity will be authorized as the official person to register the vote on behalf of his or her school entity. In the case of school districts, it will be the board secretary who will cast votes on behalf of the school board. A full packet of instructions and a printed slate will be sent to authorized vote registrars the week of August 7. Special note: Boards should be sure to add discussion and voting on candidates to their agenda during one of their meetings in August, September or October before the open voting period ends.
https://www.psba.org/2018/07/psba-officer-elections-slate-candidates/

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.

2nd Annual National Black Male Educators Convening, Oct. 12-14, Philly

by The Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice

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.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-national-black-male-educators-convening-tickets-46322952197

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!

“Not only do we have a superstar lineup of keynote speakers including Diane Ravitch, Jesse Hagopian, Pasi Sahlberg, Derrick Johnson and Helen Gym, but there will be countless sessions to choose from on the issues you care about the most. We will cover all bases from testing, charters, vouchers and school funding, to issues of student privacy and social justice in schools.”
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.