PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 28: Students with behavior problems, low achievement or special needs are sometimes not encouraged to apply to charter schools.

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PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec. 28, 2018

Students with behavior problems, low achievement or special needs are sometimes not encouraged to apply to charter schools.


Tailoring the Charter School Population
Students with behavior problems, low achievement or special needs are sometimes not encouraged to apply to charter schools.
US News By Lauren Camera, Education Reporter Dec. 26, 2018, at 11:25 a.m.
CHARTER SCHOOLS AND public schools of choice – those in school districts that allow students to choose from any number of schools instead of zoning them to just one – are less likely to encourage students with a history of poor behavior, low academic achievement or special needs to apply. Charter schools, in particular, were less likely to encourage students with a potentially significant special need to apply. That's the latest research published Thursday by Peter Bergman, an assistant professor at Columbia University's Teachers College, and Isaac McFarlin Jr., assistant professor at University of Florida's College of Education. The researchers sent emails from fictitious parents to nearly 6,500 schools in 29 states and the District of Columbia, asking whether any student is eligible to apply to the school and how to do so. Each email signaled either a disability status, poor behavior, high or low prior academic achievement, or no characteristic at all. The researchers also varied students' implied race, household structure and gender. "We find that schools respond less often to messages regarding students whom schools may perceive as more challenging to educate," the researchers concluded.
https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-12-26/certain-students-not-encouraged-to-apply-to-charter-schools

When School Choice Means School’s Choice
Parents of students who are “harder to educate” may have a hard time getting schools to reply to their emails about how to apply.
The Atlantic by ADAM HARRIS DEC 27, 2018
Children should have equal access to a high-quality education. It’s a popular talking point among both the left and the right because it’s non-objectionable—yet it’s far from the reality of American primary and secondary education. As the landmark Reagan-administration report, A Nation at Risk, put it 35 years ago, “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.” Advocates for so-called school choice, however, argue that they have a solution: If you provide students and families with a broad range of options—including charter schools, private schools, and traditional public schools—they can choose the one that best suits them. In theory, the schools would compete with one another, vying for students, and the competition itself would spur them all to improve, as Peter Bergman, a professor of economics and education at Columbia University, told me. Ideally, that competition is open to all students equally, as it is that sort of open free-for-all that ought to produce the best results.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/12/school-choice-application-process/579043/?utm_source=feed

PA Legislature sitting on $137.9 million surplus – enough to cover four months of expenses, auditor says
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Dec 27, 12:40 PM; Posted Dec 27, 12:21 PM
The state’s legislative branch closed the books on the 2017-18 fiscal year sitting on a $137.9 million financial cushion, according to an audit released on Thursday. This latest annual review of legislative spending approved by the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission shows the size of the legislative surplus grew from the $94.9 million left over at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year after all commitments were paid. The breakdown of last year’s reserves shows the 203-member House of Representatives ended the fiscal year with $53.2 million in unspent money while the 50-member Senate had $27.2 million left over. The 13 legislative service agencies, such as the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, Independent Fiscal Office, and the Capitol Preservation Committee, ended the year with a combined reserve of $57.4 million. The size of the legislative surplus is the highest it has been in four years.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/12/legislature-sitting-on-1379-million-surplus-enough-to-cover-four-months-of-expenses-auditor-says.html

18 Pa. state legislators who made headlines in 2018
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | Posted December 28, 2018 at 05:55 AM
With 253 people in Pennsylvania who bear the title of state representative or state senator, there clearly are more than 18 who make news in any given year.  But looking back over stories from 2018, PennLive settled on highlighting these 18 or so lawmakers who drew attention to themselves for actions inside or outside the state Capitol. Feel free to offer other notables in the comment section. In no particular order, here are the 18 who grabbed our attention:
https://www.pennlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/12/ab8158b9a83241/18-pa-state-legislators-who-ma.html

Lindsey Williams was elected to the Pa. Senate, but will she be able to serve?
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated 9:48 PM; Posted 5:01 PM
Swearing-in Day for state lawmakers is usually filled with a lot of pomp and circumstance but rarely does it include the drama that is unfolding surrounding a senator-elect from Allegheny County. Sen.-elect Lindsey Williams is supposed to be among the 25 senators and 201 state representatives [there are two House vacancies due to a resignation and a death] taking the oath of office on Tuesday. On that day, they will swear to uphold the constitutions of the United States and the commonwealth in the performance of their legislative duties. But it is how a particular provision in Pennsylvania’s constitution is interpreted that has added controversy to the day over whether Williams is eligible to be seated. The constitution requires members of the General Assembly to be “citizens and inhabitants” of Pennsylvania for four years before they are elected.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/12/swearing-in-day-for-the-general-assembly.html

15 prominent Philadelphians on the changes Philly needs most in 2019 | Opinion
Repair the schools
Inquirer Commentary December 28, 2018 Helen Gym, Philadelphia City Councilmember
We can and should measure the state of our city through the health and wellness of our young people. For the last year, the Philadelphia Inquirer has devoted its pages to the devastating impact of unhealthy aging school buildings. None of us can be complacent when reading stories about a third grader who was poisoned at his school because he ate paint chips off his desk to keep his space clean. Repairing schools is not just a School District concern. These are community investments, job opportunities and a promise to our future. We need equitable, permanent funding sources to do this urgent work, including fixing the tax abatement program, which costs our children hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for their schools while some of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods remain the beneficiaries. We need all entities at the table to figure out solutions — business, higher education, healthcare, educators, and elected officials. We can’t rest until every city school that reflects the promise of the children inside of them. —
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-new-year-malcolm-jenkins-madeleine-dean-john-middleton-20181228.html

PCCY Annual Report 2017-2018
Public Citizens for Children + Youth
Find out how one of our best years was chock full of best days ever for some of the most passionate and dedicated kids, educators, advocates in our region.
https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/0f3dbce1-16a0-48b0-565a-c58c6fc1f111

“Earlier this month, KIPP Philadelphia announced it’s one of four regional KIPP networks that will receive money to start “persistence” funds. With $37,500 in seed money from the Ludwig Family Foundation — co-chaired by Eugene Ludwig, a financial consultant and former Clinton administration official — KIPP Philadelphia will be able to give out “microgrants” to alumni besieged by unexpected money woes.”
To keep its alumni in college, this Philly high school is handing out ‘microgrants’
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent December 27, 2018
It usually starts with a simple message, something like, “Hey, Ms. Days, I was wondering if you could help me.” That message sparks a conversation, which too often leads to a common lament: I’m not sure I have enough money to go back for spring semester. Days runs the KIPP Through College program for KIPP Philadelphia, the local branch of a national charter school chain. Her job is to make sure KIPP Philadelphia alumni stay in college, and earn the degree that, despite its cost, remains a key rung on the climb from poverty to the middle class. It can be a daunting climb for KIPP students, many of whom are among the first in their families to attend college. Lots of little hurdles can pop up, Days said: a tweak in scholarship money or a parent losing a job. Sometimes, students just get lost in the red tape of financial aid. In the past, Days has been only able to offer guidance. She’ll call college administrators on her students’ behalf and ask them to scour the books for any extra money that might help. Now, though, Days will have a new weapon at her disposal — her own pot of cash.
https://whyy.org/articles/to-keep-its-alumni-in-college-this-philly-high-school-is-handing-out-microgrants-2/

New Jersey school district to shun events with referee who forced wrestler to cut dreadlocks
Washington Post By Des Bieler December 27 at 2:07 AM
A New Jersey school district announced Wednesday it will shun any event with a referee who forced a 16-year-old wrestler to cut his dreadlocks during a recent meet. The incident, which caused national headlines and raised questions of racial and cultural bias, is under investigation by the state’s civil rights agency. The announcement was reportedly made during an emergency meeting held by the Buena Regional Board of Education, with superintendent David C. Cappuccio Jr. saying (via CNN) he has informed the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) that his “school district and its athletic teams will not compete in any contest officiated by this referee from this point forward.” A spokesman for the NJSIAA said Monday that the referee, Alan Maloney, will not be assigned to any more events until further notice. In a video that went viral last week, 120-pound wrestler Andrew Johnson of Buena Regional High School was visibly upset as his hair was shorn, following an ultimatum from Maloney that the teenager was to submit to that or forfeit his Dec. 19 match against an opponent from a rival school. Johnson went on to win the match in sudden-victory overtime, earning praise for his willingness to do what it took to help his team win. Maloney, an experienced official who cited a rule against excessive hair length, has come under fire by, among other notable figures, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who tweeted Saturday that he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/12/27/nj-school-district-shun-events-with-referee-who-forced-wrestler-cut-dreadlocks/?utm_term=.f39472c19359

“The judges will select a person to fill the remainder of Shawn Petrisko’s term, which expires in December 2019. After Petrisko resigned in August, a divided school board has been unable to find five members willing to support one candidate to fill the vacant seat.”
Judges to pick Norwin School Board member from 9 candidates
Trib Live by JOE NAPSHA  | Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, 7:30 p.m.
Two former Norwin School Board members are among the nine candidates who will try to convince the Westmoreland County judges on Jan. 7 that they would be the best person to fill a school board seat that has been vacant since September. Among the nine candidates who met Thursday’s deadline for submitting letters of interest to the court were former directors Rebecca Gediminskas of Irwin and Ronald Giuliana of North Huntingdon. Joining them were Jennifer Blasko, wife of North Huntingdon Commissioner Brian Blasko; William Essay, a former North Huntingdon commissioner in the mid-1990s; Parag R. Bedekar, Keith Genicola, Amy Johnson, Cindy Kovacevic, and James S. McGinley, all of North Huntingdon.
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14447172-74/judges-to-pick-norwin-school-board-member-from-9-candidates

Nation's Top Teachers Will Hold 'Teach In' at Child Detention Camp
Education Week By Madeline Will on December 17, 2018 4:38 PM Updated
In February, educators will gather outside a massive detention camp for migrant children and stage a 24-hour "teach in."  The upcoming protest at the Tornillo, Texas detention camp is organized by Mandy Manning, the 2018 National Teacher of the Year, who teaches newly arrived refugee and immigrant students in Washington state. When she met President Donald Trump at the White House in a May ceremony, Manning gave him a stack of letters from her immigrant students. (She also wore buttons supporting women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and other political causes in a silent rebuke.)  Several other state teachers of the year are joining her in speaking out against the separation of families and child detention, Manning said. (One of those teachers is Ivonne Orozco, the 2018 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, who immigrated from Mexico as a child and then received protection by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.) 
https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2018/12/top_teachers_teach_in_child_detention_camp.html

Asking if early-childhood education ‘works’ is the wrong question. Here are the right ones.
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss Reporter December 27 at 12:54 PM
The midterm elections were good for supporters of expanding early-childhood education, with the majority of newly elected governors expressing support for programs targeted at teaching and caring for young people. Though there may be widespread support on the need for early-childhood education programs, there is no consensus over what those programs should focus on and look like. In a long-term effort to try to provide clarity on that issue, Harvard University researchers launched a large-scale, longitudinal study of young children’s learning and development that explores and documents the features of the settings in which young children receive their early education and care. Harvard says its representative sample and longitudinal design enable the study to address key questions that face today’s policymakers and practitioners. In this post, authors Stephanie Jones and Nonie Lesaux, co-directors of the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who are driving the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H), write about the project. They explain why we keep asking the wrong questions about early-childhood education and offer details of the first research findings from the initiative. Jones is the Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Childhood Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Lesaux is academic dean and the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/12/27/asking-if-early-childhood-education-works-is-wrong-question-here-are-right-ones/?utm_term=.e251f973bb9a

Millions of kids fear being killed at school. It’s time for adults to say: enough.
Washington Post By Petula Dvorak Columnist December 27 at 3:49 PM
The voices of those first-graders singing in the holiday show — tiny warbles echoing in the huge gym, nearly drowned out by grandpa coughs and chair-leg scrapes — were unforgettable that year. Usually, I well up when it’s my kid on the stage. But that year, 2012, just a few days after 20 first-graders were gunned down inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., it was impossible not to choke back tears just at the sight of 6-year-olds filing onto the risers. Counting them, there were 18, 19, oh my God, 20. Exactly. It was gut-wrenching trying not to envision those 40 small hands going up to shield against a storm of gunfire. This won’t stand, we thought. It’s the horrific tragedy that will change America. And it did. But not in a way we hoped. Six years later, American schools experienced a record-breaking year for carnage, with 94 people shot, 33 of them fatally, according to The Washington Post database on school shootings. Compared with all the other gun violence, school shootings are rare in number. Our database counted 25 this year. But what that doesn’t account for is the radiating, collateral damage to an entire generation of children.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/millions-of-kids-fear-being-killed-at-school-its-time-for-adults-to-say-enough/2018/12/27/faa0cf62-0a06-11e9-88e3-989a3e456820_story.html?utm_term=.b5ee9fd3ab0f

Testing Resistance & Reform News: December 19 - 26, 2018
Submitted by fairtest on December 26, 2018 - 5:33pm 
It may be a holiday week, but news about campaigns to roll back testing misuse and overuse has not slowed down.
https://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance-reform-news-december-19-26-2018


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 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/

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: PSBA Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg has been scheduled for Monday April 29, 2019

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.