PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct. 17: SB1095: PA: Testing Good News & Bad News

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PA Ed Policy Roundup Oct. 17, 2018

SB1095: PA: Testing Good News & Bad News

This is the last scheduled voting day in the PA House and Senate before all bills die and have to start over in January.

Education funding meeting set in Upper Darby October 22nd
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com October 16, 2018
UPPER DARBY — On top of input for what qualities their ideal superintendent should have, the Upper Darby School District is again asking for the community for feedback on investment in schools as part of a survey. A parent information night is scheduled for Oct. 22 at Upper Darby High School so the community can learn about a model developed by Picus Odden & Associates on costing out public education to see if what they’ve research aligns to Upper Darby’s priorities. An organization called Research for Action is managing a project through the PA Schools Work campaign to support a statewide costing out study of public education, the results of which to be used to determine state funding efforts. Harris Sokoloff from the University of Pennsylvania and former Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators Executive Director Jim Buckheit will be speaking at the meeting. Feedback from the Monday night meeting will be collected to see what are the essential resources needed for education in Upper Darby, a district of over 12,000 students from dozens of nationalities and cultures on a $210 million budget. Upper Darby is noted by for being one of the most underfunded school districts in the state by as much as $19 million dollars. Research for Action is also gathering data from the Butler Area and Chambersburg Area school districts, also. A pizza dinner and childcare will be provided at the high school.
The meeting will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and attendees are asked to RSVP. To reserve your spot and get more information go to www.upperdarbysd.org.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/education-funding-meeting-set-in-upper-darby/article_c7e30f0e-d18f-11e8-99a2-973103f7d02b.html

SB1095: After decade of debate, Pa. passes new graduation requirements
After 10 years of delay and deliberation, Pennsylvania lawmakers have finally revamped the requirements for high school graduation. Gov. Tom Wolf intends to sign the measure.
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent October 16, 2018
After much delay and consternation, Pennsylvania will change its high school graduation requirements. But the change won’t be as drastic as initially mapped out when state leaders first committed to revisions nearly a decade ago. Rather than having to pass a set of exams, current freshmen will be eligible to graduate if they check off one of several boxes. Those boxes include SAT or ACT scores above a state-set threshold; an industry certification; a full-time job offer; proof of military enrollment; and acceptance to a four-year college. Students will have to meet locally-determined grade requirements in each of the subjects tested on the Keystone Exams: algebra I, biology, and literature. Students can still pass those exams to get their diplomas or receive a composite score determined by Department of Education officials. The Pennsylvania Senate passed this new framework unanimously Monday, and Gov. Tom Wolf quickly announced he would sign the bill. This latest chapter caps nearly 10 years of delay and deliberation as state leaders struggled to revamp graduation requirements.
https://whyy.org/articles/after-decade-of-debate-pa-passes-new-graduation-requirements/

SB1095: Capitolwire: More graduation options soon to be available for PA high school students.
PSBA Website By Chris Comisac Bureau Chief Capitolwire
HARRISBURG (Oct. 16) – While lawmakers have been unable to eliminate Pennsylvania’s Keystone Exams, they’ve done a fairly effective job during the last few years at limiting their importance. And while that hasn’t saved the state’s taxpayers the hundreds of millions of dollars spent to develop tests in Algebra, Biology and Literature – which at one time were graduation requirements until lawmakers imposed a temporary moratorium on that requirement – it has, according to critics of the tests, helped to improve Pennsylvania’s educational system. Yet another piece of that effort is on its way to the governor after the state Senate unanimously voted on Monday to approve changes made to Senate Bill 1095 by the state House of Representatives late last month. The legislation seeks to offer students who do not score proficient on Keystone Exams alterative pathways to demonstrate their readiness to graduate from high school.
https://www.psba.org/2018/10/capitolwire-sb1095-101618/

SB1095: PA: Testing Good News And Bad News
Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Tuesday, October 16, 2018
As was reported a few months ago, the Pennsylvania legislature has been working on finally lowering the stakes on our high school Big Standardized Tests, the Keystone exams (or rather permanently failing to raise them, as Harrisburg could never quite bring itself to say "Pass these tests or no diploma for you.") Now the bill has passed both houses, and the governor has indicated that he will sign it. This is a good news--bad news situation. Here's why.
Good News - Students will now have a very broad range of methods for proving they are diploma-worthy. Graduation will not depend on their successful score on a lousy standardized test on which the cut score wanders from year to year, essentially norm referenced so that someone must fail, always. This new bill is excellent news for students, who can now graduate based on grades or big-time tests like the ACT or even a college acceptance letter. For high school students, the Keystone exams are now no-stakes, meaningless nothing-tests. And that's a very good thing.
Bad News - The no-stakes meaningless nothing-tests will still be used to evaluate teachers and schools. Teacher professional rankings and school standings will rest on students taking a test that is a complete waste of their time, a game in which they have no skin at all.
https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/10/pa-testing-good-news-and-bad-news.html?spref=tw

SB1095: 1 million-plus students getting a pass: Pa. to delay Keystone graduation requirement, offer alternatives
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: 5 hours ago
Keystone Exams, the controversial Pennsylvania high school graduation requirement, are about to get much less important. State lawmakers this week passed legislation that would push back Keystone graduation requirements until 2022 and allow seniors to demonstrate mastery in other ways, such as gaining acceptance to a four-year college, securing full-time employment post-graduation, completing an internship, or earning a to-be-determined score on the SAT. High school students across the commonwealth now take the exams in English, biology, and algebra. It's a major shift for a state that once put a high priority on the tests, first proposed in 2009, originally supposed to be a graduation requirement for the Class of 2017, then pushed back for the Class of 2019. Pennsylvania spent $70 million developing the exams, which were designed to prove students' readiness for college and career success.
https://www2.philly.com/philly/education/keystone-exams-graduation-pennsylvania-english-algebra-20181016.html

Comfortably ahead, Pa. Gov. Wolf takes low-risk approach in reelection bid
Inquirer by Andrew Seidman, Posted: 56 minutes ago
ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — In a booming voice, the Democrat stood before a roomful of devoted supporters here and addressed the bizarre episode last week that made national news in the Pennsylvania governor's race: "Has anyone seen an angry old white guy in golf spikes in the parking lot?" The line — a reference to Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner's videotaped roadside remarks Friday that he would "stomp" on Gov. Wolf's face with "golf spikes" — drew raucous applause and laughter at a Democratic campaign office here in suburban Pittsburgh Saturday morning, where canvassers had gathered before fanning out to knock on doors. But it was Wolf's running mate, lieutenant governor candidate John Fetterman, who was taking Wagner head-on, declaring "the wheels" had come off Republican's campaign. As for Wolf? The governor reminded supporters of his investments in education and expansion of Medicaid, and declared that "we need to take this democracy back" on Election Day. There was no mention of Wagner, no explicit mention of the man who has energized Democrats throughout the country: President Trump.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/elections/pennsylvania-gov-wolf-golf-spikes-low-key-strategy-scott-wagner-20181017.html

‘I’m a blue-collar guy’: Scott Wagner makes final push for Pa. governor
Candy Woodall, York Daily Record Published 6:00 a.m. ET Oct. 17, 2018
As Election Day nears, a pugnacious Scott Wagner is crisscrossing the state in hopes the same fighting spirit that landed him an unprecedented, write-in win to the state Senate will help him erase Gov. Tom Wolf’s comfortable lead. “This is a mission,” not a campaign, Wagner said during a recent interview with the York Daily Record. Wagner, the Republican nominee for governor, and Wolf, the Democratic incumbent, are both from York County. Beyond that, they have no common ground, according to both candidates. In the battle of two York County millionaires, Wagner has labeled Wolf as an elitist who is out of touch with voters. Wolf calls those claims hypocritical, as Wagner commutes in a private helicopter and luxury vehicles.
https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/10/17/scott-wagner-makes-final-push-pa-governor-blue-collar-guy/1660519002/

Barletta pulls even with Casey on Q3 fundraising, but still trails overall | Tuesday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek jmicek@pennlive.com Updated Oct 16, 8:38 AM; Posted Oct 16, 8:35 AM
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
With just three weeks to go before Election Day, Democratic U.S. Sen.Bob Casey has a campaign war chest six times larger than Republican Lou Barletta, according to new federal filings. Casey, of Scranton, raised $2.2 million in the third quarter of the 2018 campaign cycle and had $6.7 million on-hand, his campaign said in a statement. Barletta, of Hazleton, kept pace at $2.2 million raised in the third quarter, but lagged with just $1.3 million on-hand, according to tallies released by his campaign on Tuesday morning. All told, Casey's raised $21 million over the first 10 months of 2018, compared to the $6.1 million in total receipts reported by Barletta's campaign reported through Sept. 30, according to Federal Election Commission filings.  In a statement, Casey's campaign said it raised that money from 94,000 donors, with nearly nine in 10 contributions coming from those who gave $100 or less. Barletta's campaign said 92 percent of its contributions came from donors who gave less than $100.
https://www.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2018/10/barletta_pulls_even_with_casey.html#incart_2box_opinion

PA-4, 5, 6, & 8: Region’s Democrats pile up cash for congressional races
WHYY By Dave Davies October 16, 2018
Candidates in eight closely-watched congressional races in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have raised more than $36 million as of Sept. 30, according to quarterly campaign finance reports filed Monday.
As Democrats and Republicans battle for control of the House of Representatives, the region is home to several key races. Democrats out-raised and outspent GOP candidates in most of the races, even in cases where Republicans were incumbents (see chart below). In South Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, for example, Democratic challenger Andy Kim raised more than two-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur, despite MacArthur loaning $1.5 million of his own cash to his campaign committee. In a key Pennsylvania battle in Bucks County, Democratic challenger Scott Wallace outspent GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick by more than $6 million, mostly because the independently-wealthy Wallace has invested more than $8 million of his own fortune into the race. In suburban races in the 4th, 5th, and 6th Districts in Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties, three Democratic candidates, all women, have fundraising leads in districts redrawn by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in January. In Senate races, incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has a commanding fundraising lead over his Republican rival, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta.
https://whyy.org/articles/regions-democrats-pile-up-cash-for-congressional-races/

PA-10: There will be two voices: Money race in Pa.'s 10th Congressional District is close, too
The resource (meaning money) battle is pretty even between U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, top, and challenger George Scott, bottom, as they head into the home stretch of PA's 10th District congressional race.
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Oct 16, 7:27 PM; Posted Oct 16, 7:27 PM
Both Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry and Democratic challenger George Scott are entering the home stretch with campaign war chests in excess of $500,000. It's another sign that the race in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District is really a competition of ideas this year. What that means to your life is simple: If you watch television in South Central Pennsylvania over the next three weeks you're likely to see enough campaign commercials for both Perry and Scott to commit them to memory. You're also likely to get plenty of those big, glossy mailers. This intense messaging is new for a district - born in a court-ordered redistricting earlier this year - that's mostly been represented by Republicans in the U.S. House since 1966 and hasn't seen a hotly-contested race in that time.
https://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/10/challenger_scott_out-raises_re.html#incart_river_index

PA-11: In Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District, challenger Jess King shows impressive fundraising chops
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster, has lost his fundraising lead over Democratic challenger Jess King in the race for Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District.
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Oct 16, 7:14 PM; Posted Oct 16, 7:14 PM
Democrat Jess King has forced her way into the conversation in Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District by virtue of a strong fundraising performance through the summer. Third quarter reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show King raised $634,888 through the summer months, virtually all of it through individual donations. Her opponent, incumbent U.S. Rep Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster, added $254,192 to his war chest. King's work through the summer has brought her full-cycle total ($1.42 million) nearly even with Smucker's, ($1.43 million), and in a bit of a surprise, she had more cash on hand heading into the home stretch. The Friends of Jess King committee recorded $601,000 in the bank at the start of October, compared to the Smucker for Congress committee's $161,609. What's most impressive about King's fundraising is that she has, for the most part, eschewed PAC dollars. King collected $15,150 from political committees this summer, led by $5,500 from End Citizens United and $5,000 from Emily's List, the PAC famous for supporting progressive female candidates. Team Smucker, by contrast, has been mostly funded by PACs and political committees. he committees backing Smucker read like a who's who of corporate America: Exelon, Koch Industries, Google, The Vanguard Group, McDonald's, General Electric, as well as a plethora of trade groups.
https://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/10/in_11th_congressional_district.html#incart_river_index

PA-14: Boerio, Reschenthaler campaigns post spending in new 14th Congressional District
Trib Live by DEB ERDLEY  | Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018, 4:42 p.m.
First-term state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler, the Republican candidate in the new 14 ^thCongressional District, outpaced Democrat Bibiana Boerio in campaign fundraising by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio and through September had spent more than Boerio pulled in during that same period, campaign finance reports show. The reports, released Tuesday, showed Guy for Congress, Reschenthaler’s campaign committee, had taken in $825,887 in contributions as of Sept. 30. That compared with $487,549 raised by Boerio for Congress. Through September, Reschenthaler’s campaign spent $572,914 in the district where he, like Boerio, is a political newcomer. Boerio, making her first bid for elected office, spent $253,118. The district includes about two-thirds of Westmoreland County and all of Fayette, Washington and Greene counties. Although Democrats have a voter registration edge of about 36,600, the district as now constituted gave Donald Trump a 29-point margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election.
https://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/14183600-74/boerio-reschenthaler-campaigns-post-spending-in-new-14th-congressional-district

PA-17: Rothfus, Lamb differ on gun control, minimum wage, Blasey Ford
ADAM SMELTZ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asmeltz@post-gazette.com OCT 16, 2018 11:33 PM
Democrat Conor Lamb wanted to clarify his record on health care, rejecting a televised campaign claim by his opponent that he supports Medicare cuts. Republican Keith Rothfus wanted to stress fiscal strength, linking his own tenure in the U.S. House to an economic resurgence and warning against a Democratic takeover in the chamber. Still, in their latest rapid-fire debate, the House nominees in the new 17th Congressional District stayed cordial Tuesday night while illuminating differences including the minimum wage, gun control and the Capitol Hill testimony of Christine Blasey Ford. WTAE-TV hosted the hour-long affair, which C-SPAN carried nationally. “The Senate did not make us proud,” said Mr. Lamb, 34, referring to confirmation proceedings last month for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Ms. Blasey Ford, a California college professor, testified that Mr. Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her three decades ago.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2018/10/16/Conor-Lamb-Keith-Rothfus-17th-congressional-district-race-WTAE-debate/stories/201810160157

Governor Wolf: Grant Brings Sandy Hook Promise to Over 70 Schools
Governor Wolf’s website October 15, 2018
Harrisburg, PA – Governor Wolf announced today that $1 million has been awarded to Pennsylvania for over 70 schools to implement violence prevention programs through the Sandy Hook Promise, which was created after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Parents and students deserve to have confidence that our commonwealth’s classrooms are safe,” said Governor Wolf. “There are many approaches to preventing violence, and this funding builds on holistic efforts, including a $60 million investment from the state, to help schools and communities make our classrooms safe places for children to learn.” The funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (USDOJ) Office of Justice Programs was awarded through the STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program and authorized by the STOP School Violence Act enacted in March 2018.
https://www.governor.pa.gov/governor-wolf-grant-brings-sandy-hook-promise-70-schools/

Black high school students get a taste of teaching
Philly Trib by Darryl C. Murphy October 16, 2018
Black men make up about 4 percent of Philadelphia’s public school teachers, and a city organization wants to raise that by extending the career pipeline. The Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice is working to add more to city schools by identifying potential candidates who are still in high school. Fellowship CEO Vincent Cobb said it’s a way to address the misconceptions young Black males may have about teaching. “We’re trying to change a narrative, and we’re trying to shift mindsets and culture,” he said. “And that has to start early. That can’t start when you’re looking for a job your senior year of college and you’re just trying to get paid.” Fellowship’s Protege after-school mentorship program introduces students to a career in teaching. Participants shadow and observe the work teachers do, while learning about the impact teaching can have on their community. They can take on the role themselves as a student-teacher. Chris McFadden, the dean of students at Mastery’s Shoemaker campus, leads the program there.
http://www.phillytrib.com/news/philly-educators-group-looks-to-high-school-to-introduce-young/article_f19b5a41-0fa6-5df6-be42-389899cb0379.html

Pennsylvania education official is advocate for more community schools
Lancaster Online by JEFF HAWKES | Staff Writer Oct 16, 2018
Pam Smith is a special assistant to state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera and his point person for community schools. Before going to Harrisburg in 2016, Smith worked at the School District of Lancaster as coordinator of school, family and community partnerships. Her duties included developing community schools. The following Q&A has been edited for clarity.
How does the Education Department view community schools?
From our vantage, it’s a strategy to support student success. It went from being nice to do to being necessary. Kids don’t live in a bubble. They live in their environment, and that’s a complex place, and all of those things will never be able to be addressed by one entity, not a parent or teacher. It requires a complex, comprehensive solution. As a clinician (earlier in my career), I got a front-row seat. I would hear from kids what’s impacting them, and to some degree I felt a little bit helpless because I couldn't connect everyone.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/pennsylvania-education-official-is-advocate-for-more-community-schools/article_00bcf8a4-d13f-11e8-988c-3ff2e5eff68f.html

Parkland, Allentown teachers to learn from local manufacturers
Margie Peterson Special to The Morning Call October 16, 2018
It’s a common refrain: Manufacturers complain they can’t find enough skilled employees to do the kind of jobs they have open.  A program called Teacher in the Workplace seeks to introduce educators to local companies so they can better teach their students about career opportunities and what they need to learn to be able to do them. Lehigh Carbon Community College is administering the state grant that allows several teachers from both Parkland and Allentown school districts to spend a day each week with a different manufacturer in the Lehigh Valley. On Tuesday, Parkland School Board approved the agreement with LCCC that enables six Parkland teachers in the fall and six in the spring to take part. The six high school teachers had their first visit Tuesday, according to Brenda DeRenzo, director of students services. They will visit five manufacturers altogether and then do a lesson plan for students. Superintendent Richard Sniscak said the state grant pays the cost of hiring substitutes for the teachers who are visiting work sites. “I think it supports our local economy,” he said. “We have so many manufacturing jobs that are going unfilled at the present time in the Lehigh Valley. From an educational prospective it’s part of our responsibility to prepare students for the workplace.”
https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-parkland-allentown-teacher-workplace-20181016-story.html

PA Cyber special-ed teachers demand new contract
Special-education teachers at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in Midland have been without a contract for more than 2 1/2 years.
Beaver County Times By Jared Stonesifer  Posted Oct 16, 2018 at 5:00 PM
MIDLAND — The 114 members of the Pennsylvania Cyber Special Education Association have been without a contract for more than 2 1/2 years, and about 70 those members attended a board of trustees meeting Monday night to demand a fair contract. Sarah Ochtun, the president of the union representing the special-education teachers, said negotiations began in April 2016, when the contract expired. Since then, the union has alleged the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School board has dragged out contract talks and has failed to discuss the union’s concerns seriously. Unlike most teachers, Ochtun said, the special-education staff at PA Cyber is required to work year round. In addition, those teachers are the lowest paid in all of Beaver County, and the maximum career rate paid to PA Cyber teachers is $13,000 less than the county’s teacher average, according to the union. Ochtun said that only 40 percent of PA Cyber’s annual budget is spent on personnel, whereas other school districts spend between 70 to 80 percent on personnel. “We want to know where that money is going, since it’s certainly not going to their employees,” she said Tuesday. Ochtun said about 70 members showed up to the board meeting Monday night, and a handful spoke about their concerns. She said the board “wasn’t very receptive” to their concerns, and the union is evaluating its next steps. With that said, she said a strike is still on the table, and the union’s members in July voted “overwhelmingly” to call a strike if leadership decides to go that route.
http://www.timesonline.com/news/20181016/pa-cyber-special-ed-teachers-demand-new-contract


“The recording indicates how Mr. Khashoggi was killed in the office of the Saudi consul general, Mohammad al-Otaibi, minutes after he walked into the consulate building on Oct. 2, said people familiar with the matter. Mr. Khashoggi wasn’t interrogated, the people said. Instead, he was beaten up, drugged and killed by Saudi operatives who had flown in from Riyadh earlier in the day, the people said. Then, on the recording, a voice can be heard inviting the consul to leave the room, the people familiar with the matter said. The voice of a man Turkish authorities identified as Saudi forensic specialist Salah Al Tabiqi can be heard recommending other people present to listen to some music while he dismembered Mr. Khashoggi’s body, the people said.”
Turkey Details Alleged Killing of Saudi Journalist
President Trump warns against finding Riyadh ‘guilty until proven innocent’ in the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi
Wall Street Journal By  David Gauthier-Villars,  Jessica Donati and Summer Said Updated Oct. 16, 2018 11:20 p.m. ET
ISTANBUL—Saudi operatives beat, drugged, killed and dismembered a dissident Saudi journalist in the presence of the kingdom’s top diplomat in Istanbul, Turkish officials said Tuesday, as Washington urged Riyadh to provide answers. President Trump cautioned that Saudi Arabia should be considered innocent until proven guilty. His secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, on a visit to the kingdom, said Saudi leaders had “strongly denied” involvement and were conducting “a serious and credible investigation.” The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a former royal insider, has strained U.S.-Saudi tiesand sparked international outrage. He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago. Saudi Arabia has denied any role in his disappearance. Mr. Trump has put Saudi Arabia and its crown prince at the center of a Middle East policy aimed at challenging Iran, Riyadh’s main rival in the region, brokering an end to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and countering extremism. Mr. Trump chose Saudi Arabia as the site of his first overseas presidential trip. The U.S. leader has emphasized the importance for U.S. jobs of the Saudi’s purchasing of billions of dollars of U.S. military hardware.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-seeks-answers-amid-crisis-over-missing-saudi-journalist-1539690270

The Jamal Khashoggi Case: Suspects Had Ties to Saudi Crown Prince
New York Times By David D. Kirkpatrick, Malachy Browne, Ben Hubbard and David Botti Oct. 16, 2018
ISTANBUL — One of the suspects identified by Turkey in the disappearance of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi was a frequent companion of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — seen disembarking from airplanes with him in Paris and Madrid and photographed standing guard during his visits this year to Houston, Boston and the United Nations.
Three others are linked by witnesses and other records to the Saudi crown prince’s security detail. A fifth is a forensic doctor who holds senior positions in the Saudi Interior Ministry and medical establishment, a figure of such stature that he could be directed only by a high-ranking Saudi authority. If, as the Turkish authorities say, these men were present at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul where Mr. Khashoggi disappeared on Oct. 2, they might provide a direct link between what happened and Prince Mohammed. That would undercut any suggestion that Mr. Khashoggi died in a rogue operation unsanctioned by the crown prince. Their connection to him could also make it more difficult for the White House and Congress to accept such an explanation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/world/middleeast/khashoggi-saudi-prince.html


EdPAC reception helps support election of pro-public education leaders
Join EdPAC for an evening reception with lieutenant governor candidates Jeff Bartos and John Fetterman on behalf of EdPAC, a political action committee that supports the election of pro-public education leaders to the General Assembly. The reception will be held during the 2018 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Cocoa Suite 2 and 3. Visit the conference website for details and to register online. Walk-ins are welcome!

“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.

NSBA 2019 Advocacy Institute January 27-29 Washington Hilton, Washington D.C.
Register now
The upcoming midterm elections will usher in the 116th Congress at a critical time in public education. Join us at the 2019 NSBA Advocacy Institute for insight into what the new Congress will mean for your school district. And, of course, learn about techniques and tools to sharpen your advocacy skills, and prepare for effective meetings with your representatives. Save the date to join school board members from across the country on Capitol Hill to influence the new legislative agenda and shape the decisions made inside the Beltway that directly impact our students. For more information contact federaladvocacy@nsba.org. 

2019 NSBA Annual Conference Philadelphia March 30 - April 1, 2019
Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
Registration Questions or Assistance: 1-800-950-6722
The NSBA Annual Conference & Exposition is the one national event that brings together education leaders at a time when domestic policies and global trends are combining to shape the future of the students. Join us in Philadelphia for a robust offering of over 250 educational programs, including three inspirational general sessions that will give you new ideas and tools to help drive your district forward.
https://www.nsba.org/conference

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.