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AASA Issues Statement On Proposal To Arm Teachers
Alexandria, Va. – Aug. 23, 2018 – Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, issued the following statement today in response to reports indicating that U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering to allow schools to use federal funds to purchase weapons to arm educators. “AASA is against the Department’s proposed use of public education dollars to put guns in the hands of classroom teachers. The idea of diverting funds to create an arsenal inside the walls of our school buildings does not align with what is best for the health and well-being of our children. “In the recently authorized funding stream for school safety, known as the STOP School Violence Act, there is explicit prohibition against such a proposal. What the Secretary intends is undeniably against the will of Congress and what the thousands of our school districts and communities want to avoid – more guns in schools. “AASA continues to call on Congress to enact common-sense legislation that can help end gun violence in our schools in our mounting efforts to ensure safe, gun-free communities of learning.” For additional questions, please contact Sasha Pudelski, AASA advocacy director, at spudelski@aasa.org.
http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=42857
NAESP: USE TITLE IV FUNDS FOR ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, NOT GUNS
National Association of Elementary School Principals statement on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s proposal to allow gun purchases and firearm training for educators with funds appropriated under Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act:
"While there are many allowable uses for Title IV (the Student Support and Academic Enrichment program), purchasing guns for educators is not one of them. Allowing funds for this purpose runs counter to the very spirit of the program and does not advance Title IV’s intended goals. The focus of Title IV should remain on providing support to districts and schools to improve access to mental health, student well-being issues, as well as other important priorities like ensuring a well-rounded education for students through the expansion of arts, music, and STEM programs."
https://www.naesp.org/content/use-title-iv-funds-academic-enrichment-and-mental-health-services-not-guns
Firestorm Erupts as Betsy DeVos Weighs If Districts Can Buy Guns With Federal Money
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa and Evie Blad August 23, 2018
News that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is considering whether to let school districts use federal money to buy guns set off a cascade of anger from lawmakers and others, and put the polarizing issue of arming teachers back at the center of the debate over school safety. At the request of officials in Texas, DeVos and her staff are considering an idea that a grant program under the Every Student Succeeds Act could be used by school districts to pay for firearms and firearms training for school-based staff. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, established when Congress passed ESSA in 2015, is a $1.1 billion program for districts to spend on student wellness and health, education technology, and a variety of other priorities. It can also be used to cover costs related to student safety. The statutory language governing the grants does not prohibit using the money for firearms. The idea that DeVos would back plans to use these grants for guns, first reported by the New York Times, has been “blown way out of proportion,” according to Liz Hill, the spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education. A Trump administration official said the potential use of the money did not originate with DeVos, but with Texas education officials who inquired in a letter to DeVos’ department about whether districts could use the support and enrichment grants to purchase firearms.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/08/23/firestorm-erupts-as-betsy-devos-weighs-if.html
“Regardless of the wisdom of arming teachers, this particular policy item is an enormous overreach of power on an insignificant matter. She could be working on finding solutions to things that students in poor schools really need, but instead she is devising strategies to get around Congressional restrictions so she can reallocate federal dollars in ways that no serious and substantial constituency cares about. Why? For a headline. To please constituents who only care about headlines and narrative. To be able to say she did something, when really she did nothing.”
DeVos Effort to Use Federal Education Dollars for Guns Shows Just How Insignificant Her Administration Is
Education Law Professor Blog By Derek Black Thursday, August 23, 2018
So Betsy DeVos wants to spend federal education dollars on guns. Hats off to Erica Green at the New York Times for a detailed explanation of how federal education dollars can and can’t be spent and the focus of a relatively obscure piece of the federal education funding pie. She interestingly points out something I did not know—that most federal education grants specifically prohibit schools from spending them on guns. But there is a larger point to be made here and it is not about federal funding restrictions on gun purchases or the wisdom of guns in school itself. The larger point is about how small this administration has become. Think about the big issues of the past year: education protests, long term trends in school funding and teacher salaries, state accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act, school segregation, affirmative action, declarations that state school systems are constitutionally inadequate, and DeVos’s favorite—school choice. School safety, of course, was among these issues. That debate, however, was about what strategies could make schools safer. More counselors? More school resource officers? Armed teachers?
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/education_law/2018/08/devos-effort-to-use-federal-education-dollars-for-guns-shows-just-how-insignificant-her-administrati.html
Will DeVos let schools use federal funds to buy guns? Here’s the best response to that idea.
Washington Post Answer Sheet By Valerie Strauss Reporter August 23 at 2:42 PM
So now we hear that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her administration have actually considered allowing public schools to use federal funds to purchase guns. (This is, not so incidentally, the same Betsy DeVos who is the head of a federal commission on school security that is refusing to discuss gun control as a possible recommendation for stopping violence at schools.) Exactly how serious a proposal this has been at the department is unclear, but a department official told The Washington Post that the idea originally came in requests from outside the department. (The New York Times first reported the story.) Education entities — either at the district or state level — were, apparently, asking permission to use funds from Title IV, otherwise known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, to purchase guns. If that is the case, then DeVos didn’t originate the idea and may not even like it. But she has long been a supporter of state and local rights, so there is an open question about how comfortable she would be in telling these districts they couldn’t without a federal law or regulation against it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/08/23/will-devos-let-schools-use-federal-funds-buy-guns-heres-best-response-that-idea/?utm_term=.e9f3e04057fc
Education Dept. proposals on guns in schools sparks outcry
WHYY By Maria Danilova Associated Press August 24, 2018
The Education Department says it is weighing whether to allow states to use federal funds to purchase guns for schools, prompting a storm of criticism from Democratic lawmakers and educators. If approved, the plan would likely generate a lot of controversy at a time when a string of especially deadly school shootings earlier this year led to the rise of a powerful student-led gun control movement. A senior Trump administration official told The Associated Press on Thursday that the agency is reviewing legislation governing federal academic enrichment grants to see if the money can be used to buy firearms. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly, said the bipartisan Every Student Success Act, passed in 2015, does not expressly prohibit or allow the use of Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants for the purchase of firearms. The official said the agency received several letters asking it to clarify what those funds could be used for and began researching the issue.
https://whyy.org/articles/education-dept-proposals-on-guns-in-schools-sparks-outcry/
Amid Betsy DeVos’ possible plan to buy school employees guns, PFT’s Jerry Jordan speaks out
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Posted: 15 hours ago
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, according to reports, wants to allow school systems to use federal education dollars to purchase guns for educators' use. Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan said that's a mistake — a "terrible approach to the issue of school safety." Jordan, in a statement, said the issue ignored public schoolchildren's real needs and teachers' wishes. "If school safety is truly a concern of this administration, they should use these funds for school counselors and other services that help children deal with the trauma and violence they experience on a daily basis," Jordan said in the statement. "Once again, Betsy DeVos and her Department of Education are either out of touch or unconcerned with the real needs of our schools, educators and schoolchildren." DeVos and her staff are are considering using academic enrichment grants for schools and districts to buy the guns, officials said. Teachers in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey are now forbidden from carrying weapons to school. In Pennsylvania, an Indiana County lawmaker has introduced legislation for the last three years that would allow school districts to create their own policies on whether trained educators can carry guns. That legislation has never advanced, though it got more attention this year, after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people were murdered.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/education/education-secretary-betsy-devos-buy-school-employees-guns-pfts-jerry-jordan-20180823.html
Arming teachers with federal education money? Are they even thinking?
Washington Post By Editorial Board August 23 at 7:27 PM
HOW MANY public school teachers in the United States end up digging into their own pockets to pay for pencils, notebooks and other classroom supplies? Ninety-four percent of them, according to a survey published in May by the Education Department. Now that same department has a solution: Under the leadership — and we use that term guardedly — of Secretary Betsy DeVos, the department is actually thinking — yes, we use that term guardedly as well — of letting states use federal funds to buy guns for educators. Under consideration is a plan to allow states to tap into a federal fund for education reform and student improvement to purchase firearms and train school personnel in their use. Such a move, as the New York Times reported in disclosing the department’s internal discussions, would appear to be an unprecedented break with federal policy not to pay to outfit schools with firearms. In fact, the school safety bill passed in March by Congress expressly prohibited using any of its money for weapons, and guidance for “school preparedness” grants awarded by the Department of Homeland Security also disallows spending on arms and ammunition. But the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, the program being eyed by education officials, includes no such prohibitions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/arming-teachers-with-federal-education-money-are-they-even-thinking/2018/08/23/c0f63718-a708-11e8-97ce-cc9042272f07_story.html?utm_term=.211ee6117431
What is still needed to keep our students safe?
Lebanon Daily News Published 5:54 a.m. ET Aug. 23, 2018
Lebanon County school districts say they have larger concerns beyond locked doors and police on campus to keep students safe -- what superintendents say they need is human capital - and not necessarily within the districts. A public roundtable earlier this month at Cedar Crest High School, hosted by the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee, included superintendents, district attorneys and legislators to discuss what communities really need to keep schools safe. "There have been incremental changes since Newtown, (the 2012 incident in which 20 children, all 6 or 7 years old, and six adult staff members were killed)," Sen. David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) chairman of the senate majority policy committee, explained in his opening statement. That's when Pennsylvania established the Safe Schools Office. Now, with 23 school shootings in the nation since Jan. 1, according to a CNN story, Pennsylvania legislators this year created a task force of staff, senators and experts in the safety field to help prevent a similar tragedy in the 3,000 public school buildings in the state. There is a $60 million grant program for school safety that goes with the legislation.
https://www.ldnews.com/story/news/2018/08/23/theres-more-keeping-students-safe-than-locked-school-doors/1063689002/
Charleroi school district bolsters security
Observer-Reporter by Beth Hope-Cushey August 23, 2018
Charleroi Area School District will have enhanced security measures this school year, adding one full-time school resource officer and one part-time school resource officer to the full-time school security officer already on staff. School directors approved a three-year contract for Charleroi Regional Police Officers Michael Wylie and Ryan Brand. The three-year contract for the full-time officer, Brand, will be $45,535.887 for the first year, $47,812.67 for the second year and $50,203.30 for the third year. The hourly rate for the part-time officer, Wylie, will be $16.50 for the first year, $17.00 for the second year and $17.50 for the third year. The new officers will be placed at the elementary school and middle school buildings. All three officers will be armed, and the two resource officers will have arrest powers. Superintendent Ed Zelich said there will be an officer in each district building. He added, in light of recent events, security and safety are at the forefront of important decisions for the students and staff. Zelich said the board is committed to students’ safety.
https://observer-reporter.com/news/localnews/charleroi-school-district-bolsters-security/article_c18d3cfc-a60a-11e8-8a5f-bbaabb3dd193.html
Blogger note: When Scott Wagner was in the Senate he was a co-sponsor of the voucher bill, Senate Bill 2. That “Education Savings Account” scheme is estimated to cost Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts up to $500 million.
Republican gubernatorial candidate touts education plan in Johnstown
Johnstown Tribune Democrat By Dave Sutor dsutor@tribdem.com August 23, 2018
Speaking to an audience of about 100 individuals inside Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center on Wednesday, Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial nominee Scott Wagner, along with his running mate Jeff Bartos, focused much of their town hall meeting on the issue of education. Part of their plan calls for eliminating school property taxes. When asked by an audience member how he would proceed with the proposed change, Wagner mentioned his support for the Property Tax Independence Act, along with his preference for zero-based budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for a new spending period. “When I was in the Senate – I resigned about eight weeks ago to devote my full time to the campaign – I was a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 76,” Wagner said when participating in the 90-minute event sponsored by the Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce. “And Senate Bill 76 would tick up the sales tax from 6 to 7 percent and tick up the personal income tax. “I also talked earlier about zero-based budgeting. Zero-based budgeting is something that most of you are probably doing in your homes. You’re sitting down at your kitchen table. “You’re looking at your income and you’re looking at your expenses,” Wagner said. “We need to do that in Harrisburg. And we also need to balance our checkbook. We have not balanced our checkbook in probably 35 years. We have to get our spending under control.” Wagner elaborated on his education plan, saying, “We’re going to put a billion dollars into the education system without raising taxes because this is an investment that we need to make. How that will happen, $700 million will go in through the current funding formula to make sure that all schools have fair and adequate funding.”
http://www.tribdem.com/news/republican-gubernatorial-candidate-touts-education-plan-in-johnstown/article_65bcabd6-a684-11e8-9a28-f75565694bda.html
Wolf’s Investments Makes Pennsylvania a National Leader in Computer Science and STEM Education
Governor Wolf’s Website August 23, 2018
Harrisburg, PA – As students and teachers return to the classroom, Governor Tom Wolf’s PAsmart initiative has made Pennsylvania a national leader in computer science and STEM education. According to Education Commission of the States (ECS), Pennsylvania now ranks second in the country for investments in K-12 STEM and Computer Science initiatives. The governor secured $20 million in the state budget to prepare students to use computers and new technologies in the constantly changing economy, regardless of age, gender and zip code. “Businesses are growing in Pennsylvania and they want skilled and well-educated workers to thrive in the 21st century economy,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “With PAsmart, we’re preparing students and workers to use the latest technology across many industries. These are good, middle-class jobs that employers need to fill today and in the future. Making Pennsylvania a national leader in technology education is good for workers, benefits businesses and strengthens the economy for everyone.” Over the next decade, seven in 10 new jobs in Pennsylvania will require workers to use a computer and an estimated 300,000 jobs in science, technology, engineering and math will be available in Pennsylvania this year.
https://www.governor.pa.gov/wolfs-investments-makes-pennsylvania-national-leader-computer-science-stem-education/
Governors’ panel to be held at Pennsbury Manor in Falls
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf will be joined by four of his gubernatorial predecessors for a special event at Pennsbury Manor next month.
Intelligencer By Christian Menno Posted Aug 23, 2018 at 4:41 PM
Gov. Tom Wolf will be joined by former governors Tom Corbett, Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge on the grounds of Pennsbury Manor in Falls on Sept. 29 for a public discussion panel. The current head of Pennsylvania government, along with his four predecessors, will gather to pay tribute to the legacy of William Penn and mark the 300th anniversary of his death next month. Gov. Tom Wolf will be joined by former governors Tom Corbett, Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge on the grounds of Pennsbury Manor in Falls on Sept. 29 for a public discussion panel. A Quaker known for his forward thinking views on a variety of issues, including religious tolerance, Penn founded Pennsylvania government as a British colony in 1681. Each portion of the three-hour discussion will begin with the reading of a quote from Penn illustrating his thoughts on topics like environmental consciousness, economics and education.
http://www.theintell.com/news/20180823/governors-panel-to-be-held-at-pennsbury-manor-in-falls
OPED: Folmer supports continuing redistricting effort
York Dispatch by State Sen. Mike Folmer, 48th District Published 10:28 a.m. ET Aug. 23, 2018
I believe civility and consensus are essential to solving problems and addressing issues.
However, as American statesman and three-time presidential candidate Henry Clay once lamented: “... (E)veryone wants his own way, irrespective of the interests and wishes of others.” Sadly, little has changed since Mr. Clay’s time. Consider redistricting reform. I support changes to the current system because I believe in the words of Article 1, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution: “All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness. For the advancement of these ends they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think proper.” That’s why I worked with a number of different people and groups to help fashion a consensus that was overwhelmingly accepted by the Senate for an 11-member, independent commission of citizens to draw election maps for both Congress and the General Assembly.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/opinion/contributors/2018/08/23/oped-folmer-supports-continuing-redistricting-effort/1072114002/
Former Pittsburgh Public Schools administrator named head of charter school
ELIZABETH BEHRMAN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Lbehrman@post-gazette.com AUG 23, 2018 8:43 PM
A former Pittsburgh Public Schools administrator has been appointed the new principal and CEO of City Charter High School. Dara Ware Allen, formerly assistant superintendent for student support services at Pittsburgh Public Schools and a former school board member, will assume the role as head of the Downtown charter school effective Monday. She replaces Ron Sofo, who is retiring after more than six years at the school. “I’ve long admired their model from afar,” Ms. Allen said. The high school describes itself on its website as “technology-infused,” and requires students to complete an internship and get “real-world business experience” before they graduate. The school offers courses in such subjects as computer literacy, financial literacy and entrepreneurship and time management. City Charter also employs a practice known as “looping,” which allows the same teachers to work with students all four years of high school.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2018/08/23/Dara-Ware-Allen-princpal-ceo-City-Charter-High-School-Pittsburgh-Public-Schools/stories/201808230176
Palisades School District teachers have new three-year contract
Bucks County Courier Times By Chris English Posted Aug 22, 2018 at 5:21 PM
Salaries will increase between 1 and 2.2 percent in each year of the new deal.
Months of talks have produced a new contract for Palisades School District teachers and other professionals in their union. School district and union officials recently announced they have signed off on a new three-year deal retroactive to July 1 and running through June 30, 2021. The 144-member Palisades Education Association, which includes teachers, guidance counselors, librarians and other professionals, had been working under the terms of a contract that expired June 30. The new contract increases salaries between 1 and 2.2 percent each of the three years and hikes the starting salary from $43,000 to $43,500 in the first year, a district news release said. Teachers at the top step of the salary schedule — those with a master’s degree plus 36 credits and at least 15 years of service — will get salaries of $105,740 in the first year of the deal. That maximum salary will go up $2,000 in the second year and $1,000 in the final year. Union member contributions to their health insurance premiums will go up under the new contract. The contribution for the highest-level plan will go up 1 percent a year, reaching 20 percent in the final year. All other plans will increase 1 percent over the life of the contract, the release said.
http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/20180822/palisades-school-district-teachers-have-new-three-year-contract
Senate Approves Bill Boosting Federal Education Spending
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on August 23, 2018 5:46 PM
Legislation to fund the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal 2019 that increases federal spending on schools by a small percentage was approved by the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 85-7. Total education spending would increase by more than $500 million over fiscal 2018 in the bill, up to about $71.6 billion. The appropriations bill covers fiscal 2019 for the department, and provides funding increases for a variety of elementary and secondary education programs. It moved through the Senate relatively quickly after it was introduced in late June and attracted relatively little controversy. The counterpart bill in the House is still awaiting final action on the floor. The legislation ignores several proposals in the budget blueprint submitted by the Trump administration and championed by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, including new public and private school choice programs. Senators also shrugged off President Donald Trump's push to cut the department's overall budget. And the bill snubs a Trump pitch to merge the Education and Labor Departments, which made waves when it was introduced earlier this year but has been virtually ignored on Capitol Hill since then. Here's how several notable programs are handled in the bill, as we reported nearly two months ago:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/08/senate-federal-education-spending-boosting-approves-bill.html
40 cities in 10 years: Leaked presentation offers more details on new group’s goals to spread charter (and charter-like) schools
Chalkbeat BY MATT BARNUM August 21, 2018
The new organization aiming to spread a mix of charter schools, school autonomy, and unified enrollment across the country wants to reach 5 percent of low-income students in the U.S. within five years, according to a presentation obtained by Chalkbeat. The City Fund, whose formation was announced late last month, has already amassed over $200 million and a well-connected staff, making it poised to influence education policy in cities across the country. The full presentation, used a few months ago to pitch potential funders, offers the most detailed available blueprint of the group’s goals and strategies, which include expanding charter schools or charter-like alternatives. Known as the “portfolio model,” it’s a controversial approach that has faced skepticism from both critics and supporters of charter schools. The academic success of the approach remains hotly debated. “Our goal is to make the model normal,” the presentation says. “After enough adoption we believe the model will transition from being a radical idea to a standard policy intervention.”
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2018/08/21/city-fund-presentation/
Staff Benefits Are Eating Up Bigger Shares of District Budgets, Report Finds
Education Week Teacher Beat Blog By Madeline Will on August 22, 2018 12:03 AM
School districts are spending bigger chunks of their budgets on staff benefits, leaving less money to spend in the classroom, a new study finds. The report, published by the nonprofit Bellwether Education Partners and its project TeacherPensions.org, analyzes the 10 most recent years of school district finance data from the U.S. Department of Education. It found that nationally, from 2005 to 2014, instructional spending increased by 2.6 percent, while spending on benefits for instructional staff members grew by 24 percent. Since education budgets have been largely flat, this means that spending on benefits is eating up more of districts' money, and fewer dollars are making it into the classroom. In 2014, nearly 26 percent of per-pupil instructional spending went toward benefits rather than the classroom. That's a 4.43-percent increase from 2005.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2018/08/benefit_spending_bigger_shares_district_budget.html
Will LeBron James’s new school work well? Here’s what the research says.
Washington Post Answer Sheet By Valerie Strauss Reporter August 24 at 4:00 AM
Basketball great LeBron James is putting millions of dollars from his family foundation into a new public school in Akron, called I Promise, that just opened to great fanfare. The Ohio school offers significant social and academic supports to the students, who are all struggling academically, and advocates of public education have praised James for helping his hometown’s public school system rather than opening a private or charter school. A lot has been written about his support of the school, but there is an open question as to how well the plans line up with what solid education research tell us works. The staff at the National Education Policy Center, which is housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, took a look and concluded that the planners of the school have done a lot of things right. This was written by the staff of the National Education Policy Center, which is housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/08/24/will-lebron-jamess-new-school-work-well-heres-what-research-says/?utm_term=.c6b3dfec320d
IL: Another Voucher Program Launched
Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Thursday, August 23, 2018
This fall, Illinois is launching a hot new neo-voucher program. The Invest in Kids program is a tax credit shell game that allows the state to funnel public tax dollars to private religious schools. This was Governor Bruce Rauner's idea of how to fix Illinois's school funding, which is a little like fixing your house by moving into an apartment. Rauner is not a friend of public education. The program is somewhere between the standard voucher set-up and the upper-voucher system of an Education Savings Account. In Illinois, people can contribute money toward a school "scholarship," which counts as a 75% tax credit for the donor. If I owe the state $1,236 dollars in taxes and I give $1,200 to a "scholarship" fund, I now owe the state $336 in taxes. Under this system, the money is never in the state's hands, so the program is safe from that whole church-state separation thing. The state, however, does end up with less money, so public schools still come up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop on this deal.
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/08/il-another-voucher-program-launched.html?spref=tw
12 Things We Should Have Known About Illinois’ New Private School Scholarships
WBEZ by Linda Lutton August 16, 2018
Kids are about to head back to school, and for the first time ever, thousands of Illinois students will be using state taxpayer money to attend private schools. Last August, with almost no public vetting or debate, Illinois passed a massive school choice program, making it the 18th state to add a “tax credit scholarship” program. Now, at least 5,600 Illinois students are headed to private school with taxpayer help, according to data compiled by WBEZ. Tens of thousands of kids tried for the scholarships, which can pay up to $12,793. Tax credit scholarships aren’t technically vouchers, but for families and schools, there’s little difference. Opponents call them “neo-vouchers.” The $100 million “Invest in Kids” program was insisted on by Gov. Bruce Rauner in as part of a fix to the state's broken public school funding system. Now that it’s up and running, key details of the scholarship program are emerging, including its groundbreaking size compared to other states and the fact that many students who aren’t poor are receiving scholarships. Here are a few things the public might have learned had the plan gotten more scrutiny before it passed:
https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/12-things-we-should-have-known-about-illinois-new-private-school-scholarships/9110669f-7800-442c-beda-2d2537b12fa0?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Web-Share
EdPAC reception helps support election of pro-public education leaders
Do you want to help strengthen public education in the commonwealth? Join with EdPAC, a political action committee that supports the election of pro-public education leaders to the General Assembly. EdPAC will hold a fundraising reception at the 2018 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Cocoa 2-3. More details to come! Visit the conference website to register online.
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
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!
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.
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