Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
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It's your time to lead! Join other
energetic leaders representing school districts across Pennsylvania at the PA
Schools Work Summit; November 17th at 8 locations around the state.
Change happens when leaders unite
ENGAGE, ORGANIZE, ADVOCATE!
Is it your time to lead?
Message on school safety: Do something!
About 250 people attended the Safe Schools Summit on Tuesday at the Drexelbrook.
Delco Times By Kathleen E. Carey October 24, 2018
UPPER DARBY — A woman burst open a ballroom door at the Drexelbrook Corporate Events Center Tuesday and yelled, "Active shooter! Lockdown! Lockdown!" A group of individuals got up and sat along a wall before the "shooter," armed with a Nerf gun, came in and methodically shot one after another. "Every shot pretty much hit their target," Louis M. Gentile, director of public sSafety for the Upper Darby School District, said. "So, now, we're going to do a little better and we're not going to be as passive next time." Gentile was heading one of the four breakout sessions at the 2018 Safe Schools Summit, where one of the messages to the 250 educators and law enforcement officials attending was — do something. The "Securing and Defending the Classroom" session, and three others, were part of the summit hosted by Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland. The annual event was first established almost two decades ago in response to the Columbine massacre. Copeland explained that the goal was to bring members of the law enforcement and education communities together to share protocols and best practices to keep schools as safe as possible.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/local/message-on-school-safety-do-something/article_57b25cb6-d703-11e8-8af0-035f1e9d4960.html
The prospect of arming officers in Pittsburgh Public Schools draws an emotional protest and 70 speakers
Public Source by Mary Niederberger | 9 hours ago
At a tense meeting about arming officers in Pittsburgh Public Schools Monday night, the head of the school police force changed his story from earlier this month about how many weapons officers had confiscated from students in district schools. Pittsburgh Public Schools Chief of Safety George Brown Jr. told the school board on Oct. 1 that officers had not recovered any weapons from students in the schools. But on Monday, Brown waved a stack of reports that he said showed 20 times his officers have taken weapons from students in the district schools. He did not give a timeframe for the incidents. Additionally, Brown told the school board, roughly 70 speakers in attendance and others watching from a remote room that just two weeks ago, his officers confiscated three firearms from young men at a district football game.
https://www.publicsource.org/the-prospect-of-arming-officers-in-pittsburgh-public-schools-draws-an-emotional-protest-and-70-speakers/
Pittsburgh School Board to vote on arming police in Pittsburgh schools
Trib Live by MEGAN GUZA AND BOB BAUDER | Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, 3:12 p.m.
School board members will vote Wednesday on whether to arm police in Pittsburgh Public Schools, and some have already come out against the idea. The board began mulling the policy change in early October, with school police Chief George Brown telling board members that his officers need guns to do their jobs. Some board members said ahead of the hearing they will vote against the change. School Director Sala Udin of the Hill District said armed police officers in schools would create a dangerous situation. “Too many things can go wrong,” he said. “Somebody can get shot. He said he would vote against the proposal. “I’m opposed to guns on the officers in school,” Udin said. “If a situation occurs where a police officer is needed (Pittsburgh police) have a record of very quick response and so I think that’s sufficient for public schools.” The discussion stemmed from a request to explore the policy change made by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers in 2015, Safety Committee Chair Terry Kennedy said. Pittsburgh Public Schools police officers are represented by the union.
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14206229-74/board-to-vote-on-arming-police-in-pittsburgh-schools
“School-level results on these exams as well as other performance indicators will be released as part of the latest iteration of school report cards, called Future Ready PA Index, that will be released in mid- to late November, according to a news release from the state Department of Education.”
State exam report card is out: science results show improvement but math continues to be a struggle
The state Department of Education on Tuesday released the 2018 statewide results for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams.
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Oct 23, 6:42 PM
The focus on science education seems to be paying off for Pennsylvania's public school students based on their performance on state exams. Statewide results on the 2018 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams released on Tuesday show that the percentage of students achieving passing scores (either proficient or advanced) on those exams improved at least slightly over the prior year in every grade level of students tested. However, the same couldn't be said for the students' performance on the state literature or math exams.
https://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/10/state_exam_report_card_is_out.html#incart_river_index
Results: One-third 11th graders not proficient in algebra, biology
Sunbury Daily Item By John Finnerty jfinnerty@cnhi.com October 23, 2018
HARRISBURG — Roughly one-third of the state’s 11th-graders failed to demonstrate proficiency on the state’s Keystone Exams for algebra and biology, the state Department of Education announced Tuesday. Students did slightly better in literature, with just more than one-quarter of students failing to demonstrate proficiency on the test. The scores might not be good news for those students, but the state’s got good news for them: The Legislature has passed and the governor has indicated he will sign legislation that stops a plan to begin using the Keystone Exams as a graduation requirement. “Preparation for 21st-century success cannot be measured just by performance on high stakes tests,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in announcing his support last week for SB 1095. The statewide scores for 11th-graders in 2018 were largely unchanged from the prior year.
https://www.dailyitem.com/the_danville_news/news/results-one-third-th-graders-not-proficient-in-algebra-biology/article_71ea19d7-8532-5f1a-899b-6a8f8e6cb41c.html
30,000 call for killing school property taxes in Pa. once and for all
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Oct 23, 1:33 PM; Posted Oct 23, 11:11 AM
Armed with eight boxes filled with 30,000 signed petitions, including some from each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, members of the Pennsylvania Liberty Alliance and the Pennsylvania Property Rights Association came to the state Capitol on Tuesday to call for the elimination of school property taxes. Saying more than 10,000 people in Pennsylvania lost their homes through tax sales this year "through this egregious and regressive system of taxation," Ron Boltz of the liberty alliance said, "the people of this state have spoken and it's time for the Legislature to stand up." He and fellow alliance member Jim Rodkey said they understand education must be funded but the revenue source has to come from some place other than a tax on people's property which they called harmful to the commonwealth, its people and the state's overall economy. Sen. Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill County, who has been working on the property tax elimination issue since he was first elected to the Senate in 2009, said attempts have been made over the past decades to tweak, fix, and reform property taxes.
https://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/10/30000_calls_for_killing_school.html
New plan to kill school property taxes emerging at Capitol
Sunbury Daily Item By John Finnerty jfinnerty@cnhi.com October 23, 2018
HARRISBURG — It looks like proponents of eliminating the school property tax are ready to go back to the drawing board. State Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon County said Tuesday he is working on a bill that would create a legislative commission to develop a new plan to replace school property tax revenue with a fair combination of personal income tax, earned income tax and sales taxes. Though it has not yet been officially proposed, Ryan said he's had more than 40 lawmakers express support for the commission. Advocates of eliminating the school property tax have repeatedly failed to get enough support from lawmakers to pass a controversial measure, Senate Bill 76. The challenge, Ryan said, will be for lawmakers to come up with a plan that treats all taxpayers fairly. “Senate Bill 76 gave 100 percent of the benefit to seniors” he said, while working people absorbed the financial pain to make up for it. “When you have winners at that extreme,” it isn’t going to work, he said. Lawmakers have no voting days scheduled prior to the end of the 2017-18 legislative session, meaning any new proposals will need to wait until 2019. Ryan was one of three lawmakers who joined members of the Pennsylvania Liberty Alliance, a group advocating to get rid of school property tax, who came to the Capitol Tuesday with petitions bearing 30,000 signatures of people calling on the governor and lawmakers to re-examine the use of local property tax to help cover the cost of school bills.
https://www.dailyitem.com/news/local_news/new-plan-to-kill-school-property-taxes-emerging-at-capitol/article_1a1e57ea-c0ab-5498-a023-bb98ba4b33cd.html
A Magic School Bus? At Downingtown they call it the Innovation Lab
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Posted: October 23, 2018- 12:40 PM
It won't take kids on a rocket-fueled flight through the solar system or a fantastic voyage inside the human body, but to educators in the Downingtown Area School District, their brand-new, tricked-out science class on wheels is nevertheless something of a magic school bus. "I'm a real-life Ms. Frizzle," said teacher Brittany Schwab, referring to the Lily Tomlin-voiced teacher and driver in the 1990s Magic School Bus cartoon. That will be the likely frame of reference for many parents when they see the white-and-blue bus retrofitted with sleek counters and computer screens, and loaded up with Legos, iPads, and all kinds of high-tech doo-dads that will teach kids coding, robotics, and other science skills. Slated for an official ribbon-cutting on Thursday, the 40-foot Mobile Innovation Lab will visit all 10 elementary schools in the Chester County district during the school year – a novel way to introduce Downingtown kids to state-of-the-art experiments in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) without building new classrooms.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/education/magic-school-bus-downingtown-innovation-lab-20181023.html
“Meanwhile in the GOP, Majority Leader Dave Reed's departure has created an opening most members say is likely to be filled by Bryan Cutler--the Lancaster County Majority Whip. Cutler has been public about his plans to seek the position. And though Reed hasn't formally endorsed him, he did tell the LNP Cutler would be a "natural fit" for the job. Leadership elections are carried out every two years by the newly elected members in each of the legislature's four caucuses. Leaders must win by a simple majority. The House leadership election is tentatively scheduled for November 13th.”
State House members look ahead to leadership elections
Some top positions in the state House's Republican and Democratic caucuses will be open after the midterm election--and members are already positioning themselves to fill them.
WITF Written by Katie Meyer, Capitol Bureau Chief | Oct 23, 2018 8:35 PM
(Harrisburg) -- Though most Pennsylvania politicians up for reelection have their sights set on November 6th, some state House lawmakers are already thinking about the weeks that'll come after. Two top Democrats and a top Republican are leaving the House--and that means their seats are fair game for representatives who want to take on more control. In the Democratic Caucus, Minority Appropriations Chair Joe Markosek of Allegheny County and Minority Whip Mike Hanna of Centre County are stepping down. Both have held their leadership roles since 2011--as has fellow Western Pennsylvanian Frank Dermody, the minority leader from Allegheny County. In that time, the commonwealth's Democratic stronghold has continued shifting steadily southeast, to Philadelphia and its suburbs. Mary Jo Daley, a Montgomery County Democrat and vice-chair of the Southeast Delegation, said she thinks it's time for leadership to reflect that--and other--changes. "We have a lot of talented reps, and I'd like to see some of us in leadership," she said. "I also think we need more women in leadership," she added. A number of women have served as secretaries and chairs of the Republican and Democratic caucuses over the years, but virtually none have risen to leadership positions beyond that.
http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2018/10/state-house-members-look-ahead-to-leadership-elections.php
About the things Gov. Wolf takes credit for | John Baer
Philly Daily News by John Baer | baerj@phillynews.com Updated: October 23, 2018 - 3:30 PM
A recent op-ed pitched to newspapers statewide by a Lancaster County Republican lawmaker caught my eye – for a couple of reasons. It argues that Democratic Gov. Wolf, while seeking reelection, takes credit for stuff that (despite its often-useless self) the GOP legislature did. Here's a sample. "The main accomplishments of the last four years have been driven by Republicans: eliminating a deficit of more than $2 billion WITHOUT raising income or sales taxes, investing in the Rainy-Day Fund for the first time in a decade, restructuring the public pension system, authorizing wine and beer sales in grocery and convenience stores … and much more." It notes that the legislature increased school funding (Wolf's big thing) each year, including in three budgets Wolf allowed to become law without his signature. All true. And interesting, in a politically wonky sort of way.
http://www2.philly.com/philly/columnists/john_baer/john-baer-tom-wolf-legislature-credit-accomplishments-bryan-cutler-20181023.html
Scott Wagner: I really will fix Pa.'s problems (column)
York Daily Record Opinion by Scott Wagner Published 12:48 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2018
“I will fix that problem if you help me get elected.” For decades I heard that phrase from politicians who came to me asking for campaign contributions, only to return year after year without results. The main priority of those politicians wasn’t serving constituents or making the changes they knew in their hearts were right. It was about getting elected and re-elected. It wasn’t about telling the truth or fighting at all costs for their beliefs. It was about saying what had to be said for the sake of serving themselves. When I began my campaign for governor, I did so with those experiences in mind. I promised the people of Pennsylvania that I would be different.
https://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/2018/10/23/scott-wagner-really-fix-pa-s-problems-column/1739409002/
ELECTION 2018: These are the contested state races in the Lehigh Valley
By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com | Posted October 24, 2018 at 06:45 AM
Beyond the headline-grabbing race to pick a new representative in Congress, Lehigh Valley residents will have plenty of choices at the state level in the 2018 mid-term election Nov. 6. Republicans now hold a strong majority in the Pennsylvania General Assembly over Democrats, 121-82 in the House and 34-16 in the Senate. The majority party has the dominant role in setting the legislative agenda, including deciding which bills come up for a vote. All 203 seats in the House are two-year terms and up for election in 2018. State senators serve four-year terms and their elections are staggered, so half of the 50 Senate seats are on the ballot this year. Senators play a role in the redistricting of congressional districts based on the U.S. Census conducted every 10 years. That means the senators elected this year will be in office in 2022 when the next district boundaries are drawn, according to ballotpedia.org. The state Supreme Court redrew congressional boundaries this year, after deciding the old map was too partisan. During the 2017-18 legislative session coming to a close, the House recently killed a proposal to shrink the House to 151 members and the Senate to 38. This is a look at who's running in contested state races Nov. 6, according to the Lehigh and Northampton county ballots.
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/10/7fd5c561504794/election-2018-these-are-the-co.html#incart_river_index
Philly Board of Education accepting applications for Advisory Council
Parents/caregivers and community members are invited to apply by Nov. 9.
The Notebook by Greg Windle October 23 — 5:36 pm, 2018
The city’s new Board of Education is accepting applications for a Parent and Community Advisory Council. Council members will give input and guidance to the board. The council will encourage parents and community members to engage with the board at action and policy meetings. It will also provide feedback by becoming a link between school communities and board members and will produce a yearly report to summarize the board’s progress as the members see it. The Advisory Council will consist of 12 individuals selected by the board. Applicants must be residents of Philadelphia, at least 18 years of age, and either a current parent/caregiver of a student in public schools or a community member with a demonstrated commitment to public schools. Members will serve on the Advisory Council throughout the next school year. That means the first council will serve during the 2019-20 school year. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Nov. 9. Applications can be submitted by completing an online form, emailing a completed application to schoolboardcommittees@philasd.org, or mailing a completed application to the Office of the Board of Education, 440 N. Broad St., Suite 101, Philadelphia Pa. 19130.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/10/23/board-of-education-accepting-applications-for-advisory-council/
Millions Have Voted Early in the Midterms. Here’s What That Means — and What It Doesn’t.
New York Times By Liam Stack Oct. 23, 2018
Early voting for the midterm elections has begun in states across the country, and enthusiasm — and voter turnout — both appear to be high, with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots arriving in Florida and voters lining up around the block in Texas. Turnout has surged among Republicans, Democrats and independents, according to poll data. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than seven million people had voted early, according to data compiled by Michael McDonald, a professor of political science at the University of Florida who studies elections. “If these patterns persist, we could see a turnout rate at least equaling the turnout rate in 1966, which was 48 percent, and if we beat that then you have to go all the way back to 1914, when the turnout rate was 51 percent,” he said. “We could be looking at a turnout rate that virtually no one has ever experienced.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/us/politics/early-voting-midterms.html
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
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