Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
This city program turned high schoolers into auto mechanics and changed their lives
Inquirer by Juliana Feliciano Reyes, Updated: December 17, 2018- 5:30 AM
Otoniel Figueroa likes to say he did 10th grade for three years. The first time, it was taking so long for him to get transferred to Edison High School from Olney that he just dropped out. The second time, after finally making it to Edison, he flunked. But on his third try, he got a reason to keep his grades up: the promise of a job. That year, his autobody teacher had pulled him aside and told him he was good enough to join a new program where the city hired high schoolers to work on cop cars and fire trucks. But he’d have to get at least a C in every class, even gym, or he’d get fired. The only class he liked was autobody. He loved working on cars, often staying at school late into the evening to fix them with his teacher. So Figueroa, who goes by O.T., jumped at the chance. By the time he graduated, in 1999, he had a full-time job at the city garage in South Philly. And he had made the honor roll. At a time when the Kenney administration is developing a slate of on-the-job training programs in hopes of tackling poverty and building a pipeline for an aging city workforce, the Fleet Department’s Automotive Apprenticeship shines.
http://www.philly.com/news/government-jobs-apprenticeships-workforce-development-philadelphia-20181217.html
What makes a school safe?
Over 14 million students attend public schools that have at least one police officer, but no counselor, psychologist, or nurse.
The notebook Commentary by Harold Jordan December 17 — 11:46 am, 2018
Harold Jordan is a senior policy advocate at the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and a member of the Notebook board of directors.
This year has seen a whirlwind of activity on school safety issues, especially in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, school tragedy. Much of the response from public officials has been knee-jerk and symbolic – visible measures to show the public that action is being taken, regardless of whether those measures are effective. But what does make a school safe? Since the Parkland shooting, legislatures have allocated more than $1 billion to school security, with school police funding being one of the big items. In June 2018, the Pennsylvania legislature adopted Act 44, which expanded funding for various school “hardening” measures, such as adding police and hardware to campuses. It also led to the establishment of committees tasked with creating statewide guidelines for assessing school security and safety. I served on one of those committees — the Behavioral Health and School Climate Committee (BHSC) — and experienced firsthand the school-safety debate among professionals.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/12/17/what-makes-a-school-safe/
"Safe2Say
Something" Anonymous Reporting System to Launch in January 2019
PA Principals Association Tweet Monday, December 17, 2018 9:02
AM
In June 2018, Gov. Tom Wolf
signed school safety legislation as part of a response spurred by the Parkland
High School in Florida's horrific shooting in February 2018 that killed 17
people. Act 44 mandates the establishment and use of the "Safe2Say
Something" (S2SS) Anonymous Reporting System by
every Pennsylvania school entity by January 14, 2019. S2SS is a life-saving and
life-changing school safety program that teaches students, educators and
administrators how (1) to recognize the signs and signals of
individuals who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others; and (2) to
anonymously report this information through the S2SS app, website or 24/7
Crisis Center Hotline.
Click here to
view S2SS Frequently Asked Questions.
Click here to
view the PowerPoint presentation.
We
encourage you to review this information and discuss it with other educational
leaders in your school district.
Philly youth vote surges for the fourth year running, report | Monday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com jmicek@pennlive.com Updated Dec 17, 8:28 AM; Posted Dec 17, 8:06 AM
Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
The next time someone tries to tell you that the kids don’t vote, send 'em to Philly. Turnout among 18-34 voters surged by 111 percent during the Nov. 6 general election, our pal Dave Davies of WHYY-FM reports, marking the fourth year in a row that turnout among this critical cohort outpaced that of other city voters. Turnout among all other city voters increased by a not-too-shabby 40 percent, Davies reported. “It is now the fourth election in a row that shows increases among younger voters outpacing everybody else,” City Commissioner Al Schmidt told Davies. “So it’s not a one-off thing we’re seeing. We’re seeing a sustained increase in younger voters participating.”
https://www.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2018/12/philly-youth-vote-surges-for-the-fourth-year-running-report-monday-morning-coffee.html
York City to give Lincoln Charter second chance on untimely audits
Lindsay C. VanAsdalan, York Dispatch Published 5:24 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2018 | Updated 5:36 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2018
The fate of Lincoln Charter School has come into question over the last two years, as the school revealed multiple untimely audits — similar to Helen Thackston Charter School, whose late audits eventually led to its closing. But York City School District, which issued both charters, recently came to a decision about Lincoln — it will not be shutting the school down. Instead, the district plans to draft an agreement, scheduled for a board vote in January, that will address past audit findings and reviews, with an expectation for no more late audits. If all goes well for the charter, it will be renewed for another five years in June 2020.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/education/2018/12/17/york-city-give-lincoln-charter-second-chance-untimely-audits/2282937002/
Doing school work at home on snow days could become more mainstream in Pa.
Geoff Morrow, York Daily Record Published 6:00 a.m. ET Dec. 18, 2018
A three-year pilot program testing Flexible Instructional Days at 12 Pennsylvania school districts expired at the end of the 2017-18 school year. But that does not mean an end to the idea or even to the implementation of the program. In fact, Sen.-elect Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, recently introduced legislation (as a state representative) that, if passed in 2019, would allow school districts the opportunity to use it in the future. The pilot program, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, was also extended into 2018-19. What are Flexible Instructional Days? These allow school districts the option of employing various strategies to provide instruction on days when regularly scheduled class days are canceled, usually because of weather, which is why they're sometimes referred to as cyber snow days. But there are other potential factors, like mold, or security or safety issues, that could lead a school district to engage their use.
https://www.ydr.com/story/news/education/2018/12/18/pennsylvania-cyber-snow-days-school-work-flexible-instruction-closing-weather-delays/2302995002/
North Allegheny eyes later start times, but at more cost
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette SANDY TROZZO DEC 17, 2018 3:57 PM
North Allegheny School District officials would still like to start the high school day later so teenagers can get more sleep. But a decades-old state law requiring public school districts to private transportation for private and parochial students may make that impossible without a large increase in the bus fleet and the budget, board members learned. There are 15 different start times if the private schools are included in the mix, said Jason Corbally, president of Education Logistics Inc. the company that provides the software that North Allegheny uses to schedule buses. The firm provides bus routing software to school districts across North America, according to its website. “I can’t think of another state that requires public schools to transport to private schools,” Mr. Corbally said. North Allegheny officials began studying whether to move the high school start time as one of several initiatives designed to reduce student stress. National experts, including pediatricians, say that high school students do not get enough sleep.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2018/12/17/North-Allegheny-bus-schedules-late-start-times/stories/201812170083
Police: Criminal charges pending in altercation at Chartiers Valley High School where student wearing hijab was attacked
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asmeltz@post-gazette.com ADAM SMELTZ DEC 17, 2018 7:50 PM
Criminal charges are pending as a result of a fight in a bathroom at Chartiers Valley High School that’s drawn wide attention online, Collier police Chief Craig Campbell said Monday. A minute-long video shows a girl trying to avoid being punched while she is wearing what appears to be a hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women. She was treated later for a concussion and severe bruising, said Alexis Work, 18, a Chartiers Valley senior who reported speaking with the girl. Ms. Work understands the fighting continued after the video cuts off, she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on state and federal law enforcement to investigate a possible bias motive in relation to the attack. CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR-Pittsburgh said Monday it is offering legal support to the student's family.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2018/12/17/Chartiers-Valley-High-School-bathroom-fight-social-media-video-investigation-Collier-police/stories/201812170080
New mini-documentary sparks conversation about racism at State College public schools
Centre Daily Times BY SARAH PAEZ DECEMBER 13, 2018 07:14 PM, UPDATED DECEMBER 14, 2018 12:46 AM
The ninth-grader looked at the camera solemnly and said he feels like his teachers see him as a target. “All they’re trying to do is hit it, until that target falls apart,” he said. The student, who was not named, is one of six children and adults featured in a new mini-documentary called “Schooling Narratives,” which discusses the personal experiences of State College Area School District alumni, students, parents and community activists of color who say they’ve dealt with racism and pushback in the school system. There was a public viewing of the film Monday night, followed by a panel discussion with six current and past SCASD parents and graduates, three of whom were featured in the film. Close to 100 people attended the showing in Heritage Hall at the HUB in Penn State.
https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/article222942330.html#navlink=SecList
Trump Officials Plan to Rescind Obama-Era School Discipline Policies
New York Times By Erica L. Green and Katie Benner Dec. 17, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is planning to roll back Obama-era policies aimed at ensuring that minority children are not unfairly disciplined, arguing that the efforts have eased up on punishment and contributed to rising violence in the nation’s schools, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The decision culminates a nearly yearlong effort begun by the Trump administration after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The deaths of 17 students and staff members on Feb. 14 prompted lawmakers in both parties to demand tougher gun laws, but after a brief flirtation with gun control, President Trump abandoned that focus and instead empowered a school safety commission, led by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Almost immediately, the commission turned away from guns and instead scrutinized the Obama administration’s school discipline policies, though none of the most high-profile school shootings were perpetrated by black students. The commission’s focus was part of a broader effort to reject the previous administration’s race-conscious education efforts, which have included siding with Asian students suing Harvard to end affirmative action and delaying an Obama-era rule to prevent disproportionate numbers of minority children from being funneled into special education classes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/trump-school-discipline.html
Pennsylvania meltdown triggers Republican alarms
A GOP collapse threatens to torpedo Donald Trump’s reelection prospects.
Politico By HOLLY OTTERBEIN 12/17/2018 05:17 AM EST Updated 12/17/2018 10:52 AM EST
PHILADELPHIA — A GOP implosion in Pennsylvania has Republicans alarmed about President Donald Trump's reelection prospects in a state that proved essential to his 2016 victory. The enfeebled state party — still reeling after a devastating midterm election where Republicans lost three congressional seats and whiffed gubernatorial and Senate races by double digits — is tangled in a power struggle messy enough to capture the attention of the White House. The chaos threatens the president’s chances in a state where there’s no room for error. Trump, the first Republican presidential nominee to carry the state since 1988, won by less than a percentage point. “He has to win Pennsylvania in order to win the presidency,” said Republican Rep. Ryan Costello, a one-time rising star from the Philadelphia suburbs who is retiring from Congress after just two terms. “And I don’t think he’s the favorite to win against a generic Democrat.”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/17/pennsylvania-republicans-trump-2020-election-1067074?cid=apn
The Teachers' Unions Have a Charter School Dilemma
Can unions continue to criticize charter schools while wooing charter teachers?
Education Week By Arianna Prothero December 14, 2018
A dispute over pay and class size in Chicago boiled over into the nation’s first charter school strike this month, raising questions about how teachers’ unions, going forward, will reconcile their longheld opposition to charters with their need to pick up more dues-paying members. The historic walkout—and the concessions won by the Chicago Teachers Union on behalf of the striking charter school teachers—was welcome news for unions, which are predicted to potentially shed substantial members and revenue after the fateful U.S. Supreme Court Janus decision earlier this year. Soon after the strike started, people began asking whether cracks were starting to show in the charter movement, the first viable public alternative—and challenge—to traditional public schools. For so long the charter movement has steadily expanded in many American cities, propelled by some of the world’s wealthiest philanthropists. The Chicago teachers’ strike has been largely cast in the media as a major symbolic win for teachers’ unions and a warning sign for charter schools and their supporters.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/12/14/the-teachers-unions-have-a-charter-school.html
Sen. Lamar Alexander, Top Capitol Hill Republican on Education, to Retire
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa December 17, 2018
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who has been Capitol Hill’s leading Republican on education issues for years, announced Monday that he’s not planning to run again when his current term ends in 2020. Alexander, the chairman of the Senate education committee, was a chief architect of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015. More recently, he helped write a reauthorization of the federal law for career and technical education that President Donald Trump signed earlier this year. And before ESSA, he also worked on bills dealing with early learning, math and science education, and more. Alexander, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is in his third term. He has one of the lengthiest and most high-profile resumes in public service of anyone in Washington. He served as President George H.W. Bush’s education secretary from 1991 to 1993 and as governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1986, and also was president of the University of Tennessee.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/12/17/sen-lamar-alexander-top-capitol-hill-republican.html
Save the date: PSBA Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg has been scheduled for Monday April 29, 2019
Pennsylvania schools work – for students, communities and the economy when adequate resources are available to give all students an equal opportunity to succeed.
Join A Movement that Supports our Schools & Communities
PA Schools Work website
Our students are in classrooms that are underfunded and overcrowded. Teachers are paying out of pocket and picking up the slack. And public education is suffering. Each child in Pennsylvania has a right to an excellent public education. Every child, regardless of zip code, deserves access to a full curriculum, art and music classes, technical opportunities and a safe, clean, stable environment. All children must be provided a level chance to succeed. PA Schools Work is fighting for equitable, adequate funding necessary to support educational excellence. Investing in public education excellence is the path to thriving communities, a stable economy and successful students.
http://paschoolswork.org/
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/
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
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.
PSBA Board Presidents’ Panel
Nine locations around the state running Jan 29, 30 and 31st.
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/
Annual PenSPRA Symposium set for March 28-29, 2019
Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association Website
Once again, PenSPRA will hold its annual symposium with nationally-recognized speakers on hot topics for school communicators. The symposium, held at the Conference Center at Shippensburg University, promises to provide time for collegial sharing and networking opportunities. Mark you calendars now!
We hope you can join us. Plans are underway, so check back for more information.
http://www.penspra.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.
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