PA Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 27: PPG & Inky Editorials: Tide turning on guns?

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PA Ed Policy Roundup Nov. 27, 2018

PPG & Inky Editorials: Tide turning on guns?


A Big Reward for Writing this Blog
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch November 26, 2018 //
Several weeks ago, I told the story of Arnold and Carol Hillman, who retired as educators in Pennsylvania and moved to South Carolina. Instead of living a life of relaxation and leisure, they threw themselves into volunteer work on behalf of rural schools and created clubs and activities for high school students in a nearby school. I named them to the honor roll of the Blog for their many acts of goodness. I recently received this email from Arnold.
https://dianeravitch.net/2018/11/26/a-big-reward-for-writing-this-blog/

In southwestern Pennsylvania, Democrats gained some ground in the 2018 midterms – but trend towards GOP likely to persist
PoliticsPA Written by Louis Jacobson, Contributing Writer November 26, 2018
WASHINGTON, Pa. – While reporting multipledispatches for PoliticsPA from southwestern Pennsylvania since 2009, I have seen one consistent theme: In the outlying, largely rural counties around Pittsburgh, Republicans have been gaining and Democrats have been losing. “It’s been happening for a long time — a slow migration to the Republicans, people waking up and realizing, ‘I have no place in the modern-day Democratic Party,’” said Mike Ward, a Republican strategist in the region. “Even our Democratic members are pretty conservative,” added Harlan G. Shober Jr., a Democratic commissioner in Washington County, south of Pittsburgh.
http://www.politicspa.com/in-southwestern-pennsylvania-democrats-gained-some-ground-in-the-2018-midterms-but-trend-towards-gop-likely-to-persist/89657/

“Through the week of Nov. 12, detentions at Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. High School are down 82 percent from the same point last year, from 1,013 to 187, according to the superintendent’s weekly report.”
Walking the line between consequences and trust: Woodland Hills officials seek discipline that is fair
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by MATT MCKINNEY  mmckinney@post-gazette.com NOV 26, 2018 6:00 AM
Just after lunch on Tuesday, Eric Graf got an email from a teacher asking for help — she said a 10th-grader had thrown a phone charger in a fit of frustration. Heated and inappropriate, sure. But Mr. Graf, an assistant principal in his first year at Woodland Hills High School, knew the infraction also clocked in fairly low on a misbehavior spectrum that includes fights and controlled substances. And at that point, he had only one side of the story. Mr. Graf gathered more details. The student, who “went wandering around” after the teacher took the charger, was not a member of the class. So who was she? Was she deliberately trying to hit the teacher? In the hallway, two voices echoed from a bathroom nearby. Swearing.
She opened the door … I’m gonna walk in … I just want to get my charger.
“Ladies, let’s go,” Mr. Graf called into the bathroom. “I need to speak to you.” The voices stopped. Mr. Graf buzzed into his walkie-talkie and asked for a female security guard. His work had just begun.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2018/11/26/Woodland-Hills-high-school-district-discipline-restorative-reform-eric-graf-assistant-principal-pittsburgh/stories/201811260016

As Others See It: The tide is turning on guns
Midterm voters expressed their desire to curtail gun violence
Post-Gazette EDITORIAL FROM BLOOMBERG OPINION NOV 27, 2018 12:00 AM
Earlier this year, the National Rifle Association shut down access on its website to the grades it has long awarded lawmakers. It seems those A grades, once a mark of electability, were becoming a liability for politicians. In the recent midterms, advocates of sensible gun regulation demonstrated why. In Washington state, voters easily passed a referendum that will raise to 21 the legal age to purchase semiautomatic rifles. Buyers will also have to pass an enhanced background check, take a training course and wait 10 days after paying to obtain the weapon. To those who believe a weapon of war should be purchased with the same ease as a bottle of aspirin and left loaded where children can readily access it, the new law is a nuisance. But Washingtonians decided that keeping powerful weapons out of the hands of children and the unfit is a priority higher than convenience. Even more remarkable in the midterms was the number of congressional candidates running in swing districts nationwide who advocated gun-safety regulation.
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2018/11/27/As-Others-See-It-The-tide-is-turning-on-guns/stories/201811260019

“Indeed, the Parkland students changed the gun debate with their #NeverAgain movement. They raised millions of dollars, gave speeches, interviews, wrote op-eds, and used social media to take on pro-gun politicians. The difference in this year’s election was money and motivation. Gun-control groups outspent the NRA in the midterm elections. Polls show the majority of Americans support stricter gun measures, including many Republicans.”
Big wins for gun control — but can we maintain the momentum? | Editorial
The Inquirer Editorial Board Posted: November 27, 2018
Lost in all the coverage surrounding the Democrats winning control of the House and the daily chaos wrought by President Trump before and after the election were some big wins for gun control. Across the country, a number of candidates campaigned in favor of stricter gun measures –– and won. For too long, candidates have treated gun control as a third rail of politics for fear of riling up the apparatchiks at the bloody National Rifle Association. But many voters, corporations, and recent candidates are fed up with the NRA’s recalcitrance. Maybe the 49 shooting deaths at a nightclub in Orlando in 2016 caused some to rethink the meaning of the Second Amendment. Or maybe it was the 58 people shot dead at a country music festival in Las Vegas in 2017. Or the 17 who were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in February. Or maybe it was the fact that there have been nearly as many mass shootings in the U.S. this year as there have been days. The horrific killing of 20 kids and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 should have been the mass murder to end all mass murders. But it has taken nearly 2,000 more mass shootings in the U.S. since Sandy Hook for changes on gun control to emerge. At least 17 newly elected Democratic House members support stricter gun laws, including three women in Virginia, who defeated Republican incumbents backed by the NRA. 
http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/guns-nra-mass-shootings-america-2018-midterm-elections-20181127.html

Saucon Valley settles lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, harassment
Michelle Merlin Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call November 26, 2018
The Saucon Valley School District will have to continue its anti-bullying program, provide anti-bias training for the next three years and pay almost $100,000 under a settlement for a federal civil rights lawsuit. The agreement grew out of a legal challenge in which parents alleged their black children were subjected to racial discrimination, racial harassment and a hostile educational environment because of their race. It was approved by the school board in a 6-2 vote last week.
https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-saucon-racism-settlement-20181121-story.html

 “In reality, school nurses do a lot more than deal with tummy aches and kids faking headaches to get out of gym class or a math test. It's a complicated, stressful, busy life making sure students - as well as teachers and administrators - are healthy and ready to learn.”
A more complex world for today's school nurses
There have been many changes in and additions to their duties
Reading Eagle WRITTEN BY DAVID MEKEEL SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2018 06:42 PM
BERKS COUNTY —  It's a question that elicits a smile from Ellen Grossman, and a playful roll of the eyes: What do people think you do as a school nurse? "There are a lot of misconceptions about what we do," Grossman said, seated at the desk inside her office at Wilson West Middle School. "They think we just hand out ice bags and Band-Aids. We do that too, but there's a lot more to it." Quips about handing out Band-Aids are common when talking to school nurses about their public perception. People tend to hold a certain view of school nurses, the nurses say, and it's one that's pretty far from the truth. "If people work in a school they understand what we do," Grossman said. "If not, not so much."
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/a-more-complex-world-for-todays-school-nurses

District's Response to Photo of Apparent Nazi Salute Raises Questions About Free Speech, Discipline
Education Week By Evie Blad on November 26, 2018 5:57 PM | No comments
A Wisconsin school district announced in a letter to parents last week that it wouldn't discipline dozens of boys who appeared to make a Nazi salute in a staged photo taken before last year's junior prom. After a local newspaper wrote about the decision, the same outraged group of internet users that made the photo viral in recent weeks questioned the decision. Shouldn't these students face some consequences for appearing in an image that had been so startling and hurtful? What message does that send to other students, particularly students of color? Is it really true that the district can't discipline these boys? The Baraboo district reached its conclusion after the first phase of an investigation into the photo, which was apparently taken by a parent photographer, who shared it on his website. The photo—taken on the steps of a courthouse before the start of prom—spread quickly when it was shared on Twitter this month and amplified by a journalist, who also collected reports from anonymous students who reported claims of racial discrimination and bullying at Baraboo High School.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2018/11/response_to_photo_of_apparent_nazi_salute_raises_questions_about_free_speech_discipline.html?cmp=soc-li-shr

Paymon Rouhanifard: I Was Wrong About Standardized Testing and Accountability
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch November 26, 2018 //
Payman Rouhanifard was in charge of Joel Klein’s “Office of Portfolio Management” in New York City. He was appointed as superintendent of schools in Camden, New Jersey, by Chris Christie. He arrived in Camden as a “devout believer” in testing, data-based decision making, and accountability. Before he stepped down last June he had a change of mind. He began to see that the schools had turned testing into both means and end, and that testing had crowded out the arts, science, foreign languages, and Global Studies. His reflections are fascinating, as he shows the capacity to examine his beliefs and change them. Here is the speech he delivered at MIT a few weeks ago.
https://dianeravitch.net/2018/11/26/paymon-rouhanifard-i-was-wrong-about-standardized-testing-and-accountability/

OJR task force to study later school start time
Pottstown Mercury By Laura Catalano For Digital First Media November 26, 2018
SOUTH COVENTRY — The Owen J. Roberts School District will form a sleep health task force to help move forward ideas considered during two recent public forums, including the possibility of changing to later school start times. The task force will be charged with, among other things, arranging for a sleep expert to speak to the community, organizing focus groups, and communicating sleep concerns to parents and students. Ultimately, the task force will develop options for the school board for addressing adolescent sleep health, with a focus on schedule changes and possibly changing to later school start times. The decision to create a sleep health task force was made during a recent school board pupil services committee meeting that followed two public forums held earlier this month. Committee Chairperson Leslie Proffitt said the long list of action items devised during the forums would best be addressed by a task force. “There are a lot of action items,” Proffitt said. “We need a committee to spearhead this.” She asked administrators to begin the process of setting up a task force. The task force will likely begin meeting early in the new year, according to Director of Pupil Services Richard Marchini. The committee will be comprised of representatives of various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, administrators, support staff and community members.
https://www.pottsmerc.com/news/ojr-task-force-to-study-later-school-start-time/article_00854ed2-f038-11e8-8363-633dc432c722.html

Public forum takes on Erie-area students’ mental health concerns
GoErie By Valerie Myers  Posted at 12:01 AM Updated at 4:32 AM
Erie Next event will be free to the public at McDowell on Tuesday night.
It’s been described as a pot of boiling water with the lid blown off.
Student mental health and behavioral issues are a growing problem in local schools. More and more students are disrespecting themselves and others, disregarding rules and disengaging from classes, faculty and each other. Beginning in fall 2017 “it seemed like there was an explosion of mental health needs and behavioral problems that we had not experienced before,” General McLane schools Superintendent Rick Scaletta said in February. “It’s like a pot of boiling water that’s had a lid on it, and the lid’s blown off.” The issues, what’s being done to resolve them and what more can be done will be the focus of an Erie Next public forum at McDowell High School auditorium, 3580 W. 38th St., on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Panelists for the free “What’s Troubling Our Kids” program are Scaletta; Amy Eisert, director of the Mercyhurst University Civic Institute; Meghan Easter, community school director, Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School; Tyler Titus, an Erie school director and professional counselor; William Hall, Millcreek schools superintendent, and Stacey Buettner, of Safe Harbor Behavioral Health of UPMC Hamot. The Erie Next initiative launched by the Erie Times-News and www.GoErie.com in January 2016 has been aimed at generating a heightened sense of focus, urgency and collaboration to capitalize on Erie’s strengths, seize its opportunities and address its problems, including student mental health issue
http://www.goerie.com/news/20181127/public-forum-takes-on-erie-area-students-mental-health-concerns

Philly Tribune Education Roundup Nov. 25
Philly Trib by Ryanne Persinger Tribune Staff Writer Nov 25, 2018
Three new charter schools seek approval in Phila.
The Board of Education’s Charter School Office received three applications for new charters schools wanting to open in the 2019-20 school year. The proposed charters are: Joan Myers Brown Academy: A String Theory Charter School, Frederick Douglass Charter High School and Tacony Academy Charter School at St. Vincent’s. “We will rigorously review each application and issue evaluation reports in accordance with the charter school law,” said Christina Grant, interim chief of charter schools and innovation, in a statement. “All materials for public consumption are available on our website.” There will be public hearings for each applicant, as stipulated by the Pennsylvania Charter School Law. A public vote by the board is expected to take place in February. to students, families and community members through a school-based food pantry and food backpack program.
http://www.phillytrib.com/news/education-roundup-nov/article_a8ffbbe0-f8b3-5a2a-ba1e-c55b91f2d42e.html

“A 2004 Fordham Institute study found that in Philadelphia, a staggering 44 percent of public-school teachers with school-age kids sent their own children to private schools.”
Don't let Trump hatred thwart the school choice movement
The Spectrum Opinion by Larry Elder, Creators Syndicate Published 6:03 a.m. MT Nov. 25, 2018
The Detroit school board recently voted 6 to 1 to consider removing Dr. Ben Carson's name from one of its high schools. Carson, a former Detroit student and former head of pediatric neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, pioneered several groundbreaking neurosurgical procedures. He now serves as President Donald Trump's secretary of Housing and Urban Development. But one school board member said Carson's name on the school is comparable to "having Trump's name on our school in blackface." About Detroit public schools, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty's C.J. Szafir and Cori Petersen recently wrote, "In 2017 Detroit ranked last in proficiency out of 27 large urban school districts with a measly 5 percent of fourth-graders proficient in math and 7 percent in reading." Maybe the Detroit school board should invest the time they spent inquiring about Carson's reputation in improving its pupils' education. Let's hope that hatred for Trump does not stall the growing movement for private school choice as an alternative to public K-12 education. A 2015 survey conducted by Knowledge Networks for Education Next found that nationally, 13 percent of non-teacher parents have sent one or more of their school-age kids to private school for at least some of their K-12 schooling. But 20 percent of teachers with children have done the same. The number is much higher for teachers in urban areas.
https://www.thespectrum.com/story/opinion/2018/11/25/larry-elder-dont-let-trump-hatred-thwart-school-choice-movement/2100887002/

Group tied to charter school backers spent thousands in Va. school board election
Washington Post By Debbie Truong November 25 at 3:00 PM
The amounts were eye-popping for a school board election in a system of fewer than 16,000 students. While most contenders for the Alexandria City School Board collected contributions of a few hundred dollars or less, Veronica Nolan and Christopher Suarez outraised some opponents more than tenfold. The source of their financial boost: Leaders in Education Fund, the political giving arm of Leadership for Educational Equity, an organization that trains Teach for America alumni to run for public office and is tied to billionaire donors allied with the charter school lobby. Education experts say the donations may portend an effort to bring more charters to Virginia, a state with restrictive rules governing the publicly funded but independently operated schools. Nolan and Suarez, both of whom won school board seats, condemned assertions that the donations were tied to a charter school push. Nolan, a leadership coach and adjunct professor at Trinity Washington University who was reelected to the board Nov. 6, received $22,300 from the Leaders in Education Fund in 2018, according to finance reports. Suarez, an attorney, received nearly $18,000. Both participated in Teach for America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/group-tied-to-charter-school-backers-spent-thousands-in-va-school-board-election/2018/11/24/2a11fbc0-e696-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html?utm_term=.eb26e36f9a52

What Has This Congress Actually Gotten Done on Education?
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on November 25, 2018 8:43 AM
When the current Congress kicked off at the start of last year, there were a lot of education issues to tackle. So as the first two years of Congress during the Trump administration come to a close, what did the lawmakers accomplish and where did they come up empty?   The to-do list, or at least the list of issues the 115th Congress could have taken a serious look at in January 2017, was topped by a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act—Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., made it clear it was his education priority as Senate education committee boss. A new higher-ed law could impact the K-12 space in a number of ways, such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, Pell Grants, and the Teacher Quality Partnership program.  And here are some other education education (and education-adjacent) topics still up for lawmakers' consideration:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/11/congress-education-session-what-did-lawmakers-do-2017-2018.html?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=campaignk-12


PASBO is looking for leaders! The deadline for board seats is Dec 31st, 2018.
PASBO members who desire to seek election as Director or Vice President should send a letter of intent with a current resume and picture to the Immediate Past President Edward G. Poprik, PCSBO, who is chair of the PASBO Nominations and Elections Committee.
More info: https://www.pasbo.org/election

Build on finance, policy, board culture skills at PSBA’s Applied School Director Training
Four convenient locations in December and January
Take the next step in your professional development with Applied School Director Training. Building upon topics broadly covered in New School Director Training, this new, interactive evening event asks district leaders to dive deeper into three areas of school governance: school finance, board policy and working collaboratively as a governance team. Prepare for future leadership positions and committee work in this workshop-style training led by experts and practitioners. Learn how to:

·         Evaluate key finance documents such as budget and audit materials

·         Review and analyze board policies and administrative regulations

·         Build positive board culture by developing strong collaboration skills

Locations and Dates:
Dec.11, 2018 — Seneca Valley SD
Dec. 12, 2018 — Selinsgrove, Selinsgrove Area Middle School
Jan. 10, 2019 — Bethlehem, Nitschmann Middle School
Jan. 17, 2019 — State College
Cost: This event is complimentary for All-Access members or $75 per person with standard membership and $150 per person for nonmembers. Register online by logging in to myPSBA.
https://www.psba.org/2018/11/applied-school-director-training-state-college/

PSBA Board Presidents’ Panel
Nine locations around the state running Jan 29, 30 and 31^st.
Share your leadership experience and learn from others in your area at this event designed for board presidents, superintendents and board members with interest in pursuing leadership roles. Workshop real solutions to the specific challenges you face with a PSBA-moderated panel of school leaders. Discussion will address the most pressing challenges facing PA public schools.
https://www.psba.org/2018/11/board-presidents-panel-2/

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

Save the Date:  PARSS Annual Conference May 1-3, 2019
Wyndham Garden Hotel, Mountainview Country Club
Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools
https://www.parss.org/Annual_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.