PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 30: 'We're killing our future': Advocates still working on an equitable school funding solution

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

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 30, 2019

'We're killing our future': Advocates still working on an equitable school funding solution

Thank you to the Pennsylvania school directors and administrators who attended the National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Institute in Washington DC this week and spent time on Capitol Hill yesterday meeting with Congressional staff to help kickstart the reauthorization and full funding of IDEA. Sincere thanks to the legislative staffers for their time and attention.

“Delaware County Unites for Education will commence on Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. at the intermediate unit, located 200 Yale Ave. in Morton. To register contact Theresa Marsden at 610-938-900 ext. 258 or by email at tmarsden@dicu.org. More information can also be found at www.paschoolswork.org.”
Community engagement sought for education fight
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com January 29, 2019
MORTON — A Philadelphia-based organization will be helping community members get more involved to get more money into the state’s public schools. Public Citizens for Children and Youth will be teaming with some of the county’s education leaders on Saturday at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit in Morton for the Delaware County Unites for Education meeting, an assembly that will help community members get more involved with the Legislature to continue the work to get public schools fully funded. Currently, Pennsylvania is in the bottom five of states that contribute to public education totaling $7.2 billion for basic and special education in 2018-19, plus $268 million in Ready to Learn block grants. New and already engaged education advocates will learn how they can lend their voices to reach elected officials and how they can prepare to make their case for increased state education funding.  The meeting will form under the PA Schools Work campaign, a non-partisan coalition representing all communities to support significant funding increases for K-12 public education, increases in state funding to districts, the use of the state’s fair funding formula to close funding gaps, and to keep local control of education funding decisions to school districts.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/community-engagement-sought-for-education-fight/article_70e1b01e-2416-11e9-9e9a-abf24235cfe6.html

“We are fortunate to live in a well-funded school district,” said Larry Feinberg, Haverford School Board president. “I introduced this resolution because I firmly believe that our duty and obligation to advocate for students does not end at our township’s borders. You don't need to travel very far to find districts where students simply do not have the resources that we take for granted.” “Continuing to actively advocate for fair and adequate funding for students in all school districts in Delaware County and throughout the state is a priority for me,” Feinberg added. “They are our future employees, coworkers and taxpayers and deserve the same opportunities to succeed that we are able to provide.”
Haverford School Board approves resolution calling for more state school funding
Mainline Times By Linda Stein lstein@21st-centurymedia.com @lsteinreporter Jan 18, 2019
The Haverford School Board Thursday voted 8-0, with one member absent, to approve the PA Schools Work resolution advocating more state funding for the public schools. The resolution, which will be sent to the state legislature and governor, says that Pennsylvania ranks 46th among 50 states in state subsidies for public education with its share at 38 percent and it has the widest funding gap between rich and poor districts. State funding has failed to keep pace with rising mandated special education costs that have increased by $1.6 billion in the last decade while the state’s share of those costs have fallen to 25 percent. And it has also failed to adequately fund career and technical education. These policies put the burden on local taxpayers to pay a greater share of the costs of public education, the resolution states.
http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/mainlinetimes/haverford-school-board-approves-resolution-calling-for-more-state-school/article_5ed8e864-1b61-11e9-8a00-6b76ebc1bf40.html

“For more than a quarter century, Pennsylvania was one of the few states without a reliable school funding formula. Then, in 2015, the Basic Education Funding Commission unveiled its fair funding formula for Pennsylvania’s public schools. It was based on input to a bipartisan commission from more than 110 school leaders, academics, business leaders and parents. The formula takes into account factors such as enrollment, poverty and the number of English language learners in each of the state’s 500 districts. The state General Assembly approved the formula in 2016, but has only applied it to annual increases in education funding. This year, for example, only 8.8 percent of overall school funding goes through the formula, Geli reported.”
Seeking right balance on timeline to fully implement fair funding
Lancaster Online Editorial by THE LNP EDITORIAL BOARD Jan 29, 2019
THE ISSUE: The state House Democratic Policy Committee, chaired by Rep. Mike Sturla of Lancaster, held a hearing last week at an elementary school in Philadelphia on the topic of equitable school funding. Among those in attendance was School District of Lancaster Superintendent Damaris Rau, whose district is among those most adversely affected by Pennsylvania’s inequitable school funding system. In a story by Alex Geli published in Sunday LNP, Sturla said he hopes to see legislation passed this year that would phase in full implementation of the state’s fair funding formula over a period of five to 10 years.
During his second inaugural address Jan. 15, Gov. Tom Wolf highlighted some of the accomplishments of his first four-year term and noted, “We’ve restored $1 billion to our schools and enacted a fair funding formula to make sure that our children’s opportunities are not restricted by his or her ZIP code.” Wolf is partially correct. The fair funding formula was implemented in Harrisburg early in his first term, but it is yet to have its necessary and intended effect on the most disadvantaged school districts in our state. That’s no longer acceptable.
https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/seeking-right-balance-on-timeline-to-fully-implement-fair-funding/article_e798ae84-2352-11e9-9ced-e7d17e2ff791.html

'We're killing our future': Advocates still working on an equitable school funding solution
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer Jan 27, 2019
Fair funding advocates in Pennsylvania are tired of students missing out on educational opportunities simply because of their geographical location, their skin color or their economic status. But a solution won’t come overnight. “We better start doing something about this,” state Rep. Mike Sturla, of Lancaster, said Thursday. “We’re killing our future, and we’re killing the future of kids if we don’t do this.” “This” pertains to equitable school funding, which the House Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing on Wednesday at Eleanor C. Emlen School in Philadelphia. Sturla chairs the committee. LNP on Thursday followed up with several who attended the hearing, including Sturla, School District of Lancaster Superintendent Damaris Rau and a representative of the Commonwealth Foundation to discuss what can be done to balance the scales of education funding in Pennsylvania. The state Legislature implemented an equitable funding formula created by a bipartisan commission in 2014-15. But only new money since the 2013-14 school year has been distributed through the formula each year — and this year, it’s only 8.8 percent, or $538.7 million. Wide funding disparities between the state’s 500 school districts, therefore, are not getting any smaller, advocates say.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/we-re-killing-our-future-advocates-still-working-on-an/article_e6d2539a-2025-11e9-bf42-f37ae7bd5747.html

Pa. school districts stressed over pensions costs, special-ed and charters
WITF Written by Kaity Kline/Keystone Crossroads | Jan 29, 2019 6:40 AM
(Undated) -- Many school districts across Pennsylvania say that budget stress is causing them to raise property taxes and cut school programs, according to an annual survey released by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. The report targets the rise of mandated expenses such as pension obligations, special-education costs and charter school payments as key drivers of budget woes. The annual report is similar to those in years past, and calls for the state to make greater investments in school funding.  to support the education of the state's 1.7 million public school students. "Our budget surveys that have come out have said the same thing from year to year. It's something that school districts continue to struggle with. Every year we're surprised at how many districts are still reporting that they are furloughing staff, not filling positions, outsourcing, or increasing class sizes to save dollars," said Hannah Barrick, Director of Advocacy for PASBO.
The budget report is based on survey responses from 61 percent of school districts, as well as publicly available data.  
http://www.witf.org/news/2019/01/pa-school-districts-stressed-over-pensions-costs-special-ed-and-charters.php

Statewide report shows Pennsylvania districts struggling under mandated costs
Lindsay C. VanAsdalan, York Dispatch Published 12:48 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2019 | Updated 4:42 p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2019
An annual statewide report released Friday shows school districts across Pennsylvania are struggling to pass budgets without scaling back programs and raising property taxes. Continually rising mandated costs are outpacing the rate of education funding increases, leaving districts to foot the bill, according to the report, released Friday, Jan. 25, by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA). “From 2010-11 to 2016-17 mandated costs for pension, charter school tuition and special education alone increased by nearly $4 billion across all school districts," Robert Saul, a business administrator at East Penn School District and PASBO president, stated in a news release.
"During the same time, state support increased by less than $2 billion,” he continued. “This means that districts made up this massive $2 billion shortfall through cuts, increased property taxes — or both." Over the same period, York County saw mandated increases of $130.41 million, but state revenue streams only covered $85.25 million, according to annual financial reports and general fund budgets used for the report. This left about $45 million in additional costs across the county's 16 districts, according to PASBO.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/education/2019/01/26/statewide-report-shows-pennsylvania-districts-struggling-under-mandated-costs/2679306002/

Wait, Harrisburg’s trying to get stuff done? | John Baer
John Baer | @jbaernews | baerj@phillynews.com Updated: January 29, 2019 - 4:55 PM
Maybe it’s the unpleasant (OK, fetid) atmosphere created by a government shutdown, too much partisanship, and a long-playing record of little, if anything, getting done. Maybe elected officials, even in Pennsylvania, finally are sick of being labeled loathsome, listless, nonstarters. Whatever it is, there’s suddenly evidence in Harrisburg of bipartisan efforts that could, if successful, begin to alter the state’s image, the land of low expectations. Look at just this week.
http://www.philly.com/news/columnists/john-baer-harrisburg-legislature-bipartisanship-changes-20190129.html

Another GOP state senator announces he is retiring next month
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Jan 29, 3:17 PM
A five-term state senator from Indiana County announced on Tuesday his plan to step down from his elected post on Feb. 28. Republican Sen. Don White, 68, joins two other Republican senators who have departed or plan to leave in the middle of their four-year terms. White plans to discuss his decision with reporters on Wednesday in Indiana. Messages left with White’s office for comment were not returned on Tuesday. Sen. Rich Alloway, R-Franklin County, announced earlier this month he also is resigning on Feb. 28, saying “his heart has not been in” the post. Sen. Guy Reschenthaler resigned in early January to assume his duties as a newly elected congressman.
With their departures, the Senate Republicans' majority will shrink to 26-21. A special election is scheduled for April 2 to fill Reschenthaler’s seat. Special election dates for Alloway or White cannot be set until their retirements take effect.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/01/another-gop-state-senator-announces-he-is-retiring-next-month.html

Blogger comment: Charter advocates have been lobbying for “independent authorizers” for several years. In Pennsylvania, the PA Department of Education acts as an independent authorizer for all of the state’s cyber charter schools. The lack of oversight clearly demonstrated by PDE over these chronically failing schools points out a major issue with the independent authorizer concept: unlike locally elected school boards, independent authorizers have zero accountability to the taxpayers who are required to fund these schools.
Pennsylvania’s failure to oversee cyber charter schools has wide consequences | Editorial
The Inquirer Editorial Board Updated: January 27, 2019 - 5:50 AM
The majority of cyber charter schools in the state are operating with expired charters. This is the latest black mark in a history of “reform” in the state designed to expand educational choices but, despite some bright spots, has been marked by large-scale indifference and neglect from the state. Five years after lawmakers passed a law authorizing charter schools; the law was amended to allow cyber charters – schools providing online education without brick and mortar buildings. According to an Inquirer report this month, 10 of the state’s 15 cyber charter schools are operating with expired charters. Unlike brick-and-mortar charters which are authorized and overseen by school districts, cyber charters are authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Department officials have offered no good reason why they have failed to properly renew or remove the state’s cyber charters, which include three in Philadelphia that enroll 591 students. That would be bad in any circumstance – especially following a year where the head of one large cyber charter was sentenced to jail for siphoning $8 million from a cyber school — but research consistently finds that cyber schools are less effective than traditional district schools. This costly entry into the educational landscape cost over $463 million in 2016-17 alone; $68 million was spent on Philadelphia cybers. The charter law grants cybers as much money per pupil as brick and mortar schools, a point that Auditor General Eugene Depasquale blasted in a scathing audit of the charter law in 2014.
http://www.philly.com/opinion/editorials/charter-schools-education-pennsylvania-cyber-editorial-20190127.html

SB34: How the legislature could put up to a half billion dollars per year back into school districts without raising any new revenue
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Jan. 30, 2019
https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2019/01/pa-ed-policy-roundup-jan-25-sb34-how.html

Blogger note: The consistently poor results by PA cybers are reflected in national studies. In 2015, Stanford University reported that online schools have an “overwhelming negative impact,” showing severe shortfalls in reading and math achievement. The shortfall for most cyber students, they said, was equal to losing 72 days of learning in reading and 180 days in math during the typical 180-day school year. In math it is as if they did not go to school at all. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter advocacy group based in Washington, said the findings were so troubling that the report should be “a call to action for authorizers and policymakers.”
Guest Opinion: Fact and fiction regarding PA cyber charter schools
Bucks County Courier Times Opinion By Dr. Michael C. Conti Posted Jan 25, 2019 at 5:14 AM
Dr. Michael C. Conti is the chief executive officer of Agora Cyber Charter School, which is based in King of Prussia.
With increasing frequency over the past year, articles appearing in newspapers and online throughout Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Waynesboro, to name a few) have presented highly critical views of cyber charter schools. Many of these accusations leveled at the commonwealth’s 15 cyber charter schools are not only unfair, but unfounded. The celebration of National School Choice Week (Jan. 20-26) provides me a most opportune time to address these far-reaching fallacies that have gone unchallenged for too long. With an active involvement in cyber charter schooling for nearly 20 years, I can no longer remain silent. In specific, two claims are especially galling:
1. Cyber charter schools are “shamefully under-educating” their students.
2. Cyber charter schools are wasting money and less accountable than public schools.
The first charge serves to propagate the myth of sub-par education provided by cyber charter schools. At Agora Cyber Charter School, we have made important progress in academic growth and achievement in recent testing results.
https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/opinion/20190125/guest-opinion-fact-and-fiction-regarding-pa-cyber-charter-schools

After two decades of school choice in Philly, experts share their suggestions for revising charter-school law | Opinion
Compiled by Inquirer staff Updated: January 25, 2019 - 4:36 PM
Sharif El-Mekki, principal at Mastery Charter School-Shoemaker Campus
Donna Cooper, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth
State Rep. Jordan Harris, Pennsylvania Democratic whip
David P. Hardy, senior adviser at Excellent Schools PA
Lisa Haver, retired Philadelphia teacher and cofounder of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools
Samuel Reed, founding educator of the U School
Since 1997, Pennsylvania has offered charter schools as an additional educational choice for parents. Both pro-charter and pro-traditional public school advocates say the law is overdue for reform. Since last week was National School Choice Week, we asked education thinkers, teachers, and experts to outline how they would rewrite the charter law.
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/charter-school-law-philadelphia-school-choice-20190125.html

Nearly 30,000 students apply to Philadelphia charter schools through new website
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Updated: January 29, 2019- 5:33 PM
Nearly 30,000 students submitted more than 120,000 applications for Philadelphia charter schools this year through a new website that allowed families to apply to multiple city charter schools at once. More than half of the applications — 54 percent — came from the Lower and Far Northeast sections of Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia School Partnership, the nonprofit that ran Apply Philly Charter. The application process through the website closed Monday. Philadelphia School Partnership spokesperson David Saenz said the concentration of applications from the Northeast wasn’t surprising, because more than 35 percent of the city’s school-age children live there and some neighborhood schools are overcrowded. He also said the “biggest and best-known” charters that participated in the new website were in the Northeast — including MaST’s three schools, which got more than 27,000 applications. About 12 percent of the applications came from North Philadelphia, and another 12 from the northwest sections of the city, Saenz said.
http://www.philly.com/news/philadelphia-charter-school-applications-waitlist-20190129.html

Blogger note: this $210 million in diverted tax dollars noted below is not available to the general fund when state legislators and the governor are formulating the budget for public education that serves the 1.7 million students in our public schools.
“The most recent state budget allocates $160 million statewide to the EITC program. Another $50 million goes to the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit, for which only about eight percent of Pennsylvania families with school-age children are eligible.”
How a Pennsylvania tax credit program works for Catholic schools
Catholic News Agency Harrisburg, Pa., Jan 29, 2019 / 02:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-
For Catholics sympathetic to Catholic schools, the financial expense of tuition is always a concern. But continuing efforts from donors and recent programs like Pennsylvania’s tax credit system are opening new ways to make tuition affordable for Catholic and other private schools. “Many people who would benefit from a Catholic education are afraid they couldn’t afford it,” Dr. Greg Bisignani, an orthopedic surgeon in the Greensburg area, told the Pittsburgh Tribune. “My personal goal is no one will be able to use the excuse that they can’t afford it again.” Bisignani chairs the advisory council and enrollment committee at Greensburg Central Catholic High School. He said the Diocese of Greensburg doubled its scholarship fund in 2018 and aims to grow it each year. Pennsylvania’s Education Improvement Tax Credit program, which dates to 2001, allows any company that does business in Pennsylvania and owes state taxes to apply to the program for approval to join organizations that Pennsylvania recognizes as “special purpose entities.” If the application is approved, they can divert state taxes to a scholarship organization and receive business tax credits. Donations go directly to a state-approved Opportunity Scholarship Organization which then distributes it to a school or schools. Donors can claim up to a 90 percent tax credit on a two year-commitment against their state taxes, Catholic Philly reports.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/how-a-pennsylvania-tax-credit-program-works-for-catholic-schools-75218

Muzzling the public: West Mifflin board gets poor grade for civics
Democracy can be a dirty business sometimes
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Pittsburgh Post-Gazette JAN 29, 2019 6:00 AM
Thanks to the West Mifflin Area School Board, the community is learning an important civics lesson, albeit a sobering one. The board announced Jan. 10 that it would eliminate the public comment period from its monthly work sessions, which are open to the public. It leaves the public with one monthly opportunity to speak, at the board’s “regular” meeting. There is disagreement as to the legality of the move. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania contends the ban on public comment violates the state’s Sunshine Act. The district’s solicitor and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association disagree. If the letter of the law isn’t being violated, the spirit certainly is. As the late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis observed, “Sunshine is said to be the best of disinfectants.” The Sunshine Act is about transparency and openness, which encourage an informed and engaged constituency. The pertinent question about the board’s decision is why? Why strip from citizens an opportunity to comment on the business of the school district supported by tax dollars?
https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2019/01/29/Muzzling-the-public-West-Mifflin-board-gets-poor-grade-for-civics/stories/201901290019

Elanco's decision to allow transgender student to use boys' restrooms, locker room sparks public outcry
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer January 29, 2019
The Eastern Lancaster County school board is grappling with a public outcry over its decision to allow a transgender student who was born female but identifies as male to use the boys’ restrooms and locker room at Garden Spot High School. Faced with substantial public pressure at a lengthy and well-attended meeting Monday night, the board agreed to form a committee to conduct a monthlong study pertaining to transgender students’ rights. “The board and the administration know how delicate and sensitive this issue is and we are striving earnestly to find a solution that works for all,” Superintendent Bob Hollister told LNP Tuesday morning. About 250 residents, many of whom were parents and grandparents upset over the district’s decision, attended Monday night’s board meeting at the high school. Those unable to find a seat stood in the back of the room or listened from the hallway. Some stood on tables inside the room to see. The meeting lasted about three hours and started with a statement from the district’s solicitor, Jeff Litts of Kegel Kelin Almy & Lord. Then came more than two hours of public comments.
“There is no question that this is a challenging situation,” Litts said in a prepared statement.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/elanco-s-decision-to-allow-transgender-student-to-use-boys/article_31ebbb72-23f6-11e9-9e55-8beeab60d90e.html

Upper Darby teachers OK tentative new contract, pay hikes
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com January 29, 2019
UPPER DARBY— Unionized teachers of the Upper Darby School District have approved a new tentative agreement almost two months after roundly rejecting an initial agreement. Voting members of the 1,000-member Upper Darby Education Association approved Monday a new four-year agreement that retroactively begin July 1, 2018, and lasts through June 30, 2022. Upper Darby Education Association President Melanie Masciantonio did not say what percentage of voting members approved the agreement when reached for comment Tuesday. The measure now goes to the Upper Darby School Board for its approval.  The agreement includes a salary step movement and two lateral movements for each year of the contract and an increased starting salary for the life of the contract. Further, there will be 100 percent tuition reimbursement for up to six credits per year, an increased dollar amount for class coverage vouchers, an increase in medical contributions over the life of the contract, and an implemented employee premium contribution for prescription coverage.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/upper-darby-teachers-ok-tentative-new-contract-pay-hikes/article_18932560-2406-11e9-ae1c-37f4289f4a32.html

Education should be the key issue in Philly’s 2019 elections | Opinion
Charles Ellison, for the Inquirer Updated: January 25, 2019 - 8:02 AM
If it’s one thing Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is famous for, it’s that he’s all about “the kids.” “Doing it for our kids,” or some version of that, is a go-to rationale for many city leaders, including the mayor, particularly when he finds himself boxed in by policy critiques. It’s a major explainer to a city overwhelmed by the legacy of high tax burdens. More prominently, it’s his public reasoning for a controversial “soda tax” to fund universal pre-K and an ambitious half-billion-dollar Rebuild effort to refresh city libraries, parks, rec centers, and playgrounds. But that narrative has yet to fix Philadelphia’s most tragic contradiction: It’s a historic and appealing metropolis with one of the highest concentrations of world-class academic institutions, yet with a sorely lacking public school system. Collectively, both elected officials and voters have failed to do anything about that. Each passing citywide, statewide, midterm, and presidential election becomes another missed opportunity to have a needed Education Election: a moment when the city’s education crisis is the defining issue that voters decide on, recognizing it as the core problem in Philly.
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-school-district-elections-20190125.html

Our view: State deserves credit for Safe2Say
Times Leader January 27, 2019 timesleader Editorials, Our Opinion 0
This time of year as we all sit down to do our taxes, it seems like gripping about the government becomes the true national pastime. Our state legislators in Harrisburg are certainly not immune from this criticism, some of it is quite warranted. But when credit it is due, we feel like it should be given, and this past week credit was certainly due. In case you missed it, the Safe2Say Something Anonymous Reporting System swung into action earlier this month. It’s a statewide program enabling students, teachers, school administrators and others to detect and report potential threats of violence and other problems before they happen. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, according to staff writer Bill O’Boyle’s Capitol Roundup in Sunday’s Times Leader, released statistics on the first week of the program. According to Shapiro, the reporting system received 615 tips and calls from across Pennsylvania. Crisis center analysts processed every tip and referred more than several hundred to local law enforcement and school officials to follow up and interact with students.
https://www.timesleader.com/opinion/editorials/731654/our-view-state-deserves-credit-forsafe2say


Only two percent of teachers are black men, yet research confirms they matter
Teachers explore why so few are in schools
The Undefeated BY CHANDRA THOMAS WHITFIELD @CHANDRAWRITES January 29, 2019
Cedric Jackson knows firsthand the impact that regular exposure to a positive black man can have on impressionable students — especially young black boys. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, he was one of them, yearning to connect with male role models. After the death of Jackson’s mother when he was 8, his father sent him to live permanently with his aunt in a tough Huntsville, Alabama, neighborhood. Jackson said that while he was growing up, it was his black coaches and teachers, especially those at Lee High School, who took an interest in him, pushing the budding football star on and off the field. “I had a tough life; I would go to school just to eat,” Jackson, now 40, recalled of his childhood. “Coming up, it meant the world to me knowing that I had these teachers and coaches in my corner. They had the biggest influence on me; they made me feel like I was somebody.” He said that although he was not the most committed student academically, their investment paid off. With their encouragement, compassionate guidance and thought-provoking teaching, Jackson snagged the coveted quarterback spot on the Lee High Generals team. Just before graduation, the scholarship offers poured in.
https://theundefeated.com/features/only-two-percent-of-teachers-are-black-men-yet-research-confirms-they-matter/

Bolgger note: I attended the National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Institute this week in Washington DC and was present for Secretary Devos’s address.  The 800 locally elected school directors from throughout the country in the room gave her a respectful welcome with a standing ovation. There was no follow-up Q&A. There were no members of the press present; this article was prepared from the Secretary’s written comments, which she read at the conference.
Betsy DeVos Tells School Boards: 'Freedom Is Not a Threat'
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on January 28, 2019 1:42 PM
Students, teachers, and parents—they all need freedom in order to meet their potential.
That was one of the main messages in prepared remarks by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to a National School Boards Association meeting in Washington on Monday. As she has before, DeVos stressed that students sitting in crumbling and dangerous schools, as well as those bored or struggling in their classes, are relying on adults to "rethink" education and let them achieve "education freedom." She urged the crowd to ask themselves why students were still assigned to schools based on their addresses, why students are forced to learn at the same speed, why a college degree is considered the only path to success, along with other questions. "Freedom is not a threat," DeVos said, according to the prepared speech, pointing to what she said were successful stories of school choice in places like the District of Columbia and Florida. "The only folks who are threatened by education freedom are the same ones who have a vested financial interest in suppressing that freedom." That remark echoes DeVos' argument in a speech at the Heritage Foundation last week, when she said that teachers' unions are ultimately what stands in the way of students achieving school choice. 
https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/01/betsy-devos-school-boards-freedom-not-threat.html

Success of Los Angeles Teachers Strike Rocks Charter Schools, and a Rich Supporter
New York Times By Jennifer Medina and Dana Goldstein Jan. 28, 2019
LOS ANGELES — Carrying protest signs, thousands of teachers and their allies converged last month on the shimmering contemporary art museum in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Clad in red, they denounced “billionaire privatizers” and the museum’s patron, Eli Broad. The march was a preview of the attacks the union would unleash during the teachers’ strike, which ended last week. As one of the biggest backers of charter schools, Mr. Broad helped make them a fashionable and potent cause in Los Angeles, drawing support from business leaders like Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix; Hollywood executives; and lawmakers to create a wide network of more than 220 schools. Mr. Broad was so bullish about the future of charter schools just a few years ago that he even floated a plan to move roughly half of Los Angeles schoolchildren — more than 250,000 students — into such schools. In 2017, he funneled millions of dollars to successfully elect candidates for the Board of Education who would back charters, an alternative to traditional public schools that are publicly funded but privately run. His prominence has also turned him into a villain in the eyes of the teachers’ union. Now Mr. Broad and supporters like him are back on their heels in Los Angeles and across the country. The strike is the latest setback for the charter school movement, which once drew the endorsement of prominent Democrats and Republicans alike. But partly in reaction to the Trump administration, vocal Democratic support for charters has waned as the party has shifted further to the left and is more likely to deplore such schools as a drain on traditional public schools.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/us/charter-schools-los-angeles.html

Trump Wants $5.7 Billion for a Border Wall. What Would That Buy for Schools?
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on January 29, 2019 1:53 PM
The U.S. government was partially shutdown for more than a month because President Donald Trump demanded $5.7 billion for a border wall and Democrats refused to give him that amount. Now the government is reopened—at least for three weeks—and congressional negotiators will try to work out a deal on border security.  Obviously, $5.7 billion is a lot of money for virtually anybody. But how much is it really in the context of the federal government? And how does $5.7 billion compare to spending on federal education programs?
We're so glad you asked! Here's a chart with several comparisons:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/01/trump-border-wall-education-department-funding.html


Indiana Area School District Safety & Security Symposium March 15, 2019
Indiana Area School District Website
Background: It’s 2019, and school safety has catapulted as one of the top priorities for school districts around the country. With an eye toward providing educators with various resources and opportunities specific to Pennsylvania, the Indiana Area School District -- in collaboration with Indiana University of Pennsylvania, PA Representative Jim Struzzi, and as well as Indiana County Tourist Bureau-- is hosting a FREE safety and security symposium on March 15, 2019. This safety and security exchange will provide information that benefits all stakeholders in your education community: administrators, board members, and staff members alike. Presenters offer valuable resources to help prepare your organization to continue the discussion on safety and security in our schools.  Pre-registration is required, and you will be invited to choose the breakout sessions that you feel will have the most impact in your professional learning on these various topics, as well as overall impact on your District’s systems of operations. Please take time to review the various course breakout sessions and their descriptions.  Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and learn.
How to Register: Participants attending the Safety Symposium on March 15, 2019, will have the option to select a maximum of 4 breakout sessions to attend on this day.  Prior to the breakout sessions, attendees will hear opening remarks from former Secretary of Education - Dr. Gerald Zahorchak.  We want to empower the attendees to exercise their voice and choice in planning their day!  Please review the various break out session descriptions by clicking on the "Session Descriptions" on the right-hand side of this page.  On that page, you will be able to review the sessions offered that day and register for the symposium.  
https://www.iasd.cc/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1491839&type=d&pREC_ID=1637670

Open Board Positions for 2019 PA Principals Association Election

Thursday, January 10, 2019 9:05 AM

Margaret S. (Peg) Foster, principal, academic affairs, in the Crestwood School District, has been appointed by President Michael Allison to serve as the chairperson of the 2019 PA Principals Association Nominations Committee to oversee the 2019 election. Her committee consists of the following members: Curtis Dimmick, principal in the Northampton Area School District; Jacqueline Clark-Havrilla, principal in the Spring-Ford School District; and Joseph Hanni, vice principal in the Scranton School District.   If you are interested in running for one of the open board positions (shown below) in the 2019 election, please contact Stephanie Kinner at kinner@paprincipals.org or (717) 732-4999 for an application. Applications must be received in the state office by Friday, February 22, 2019.

https://www.paprincipals.org/news/2019-01-10/Open_Board_Positions_for_2019_PA_Principals_Association_Election?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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/

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

PSBA Members - Register for PSBA Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg Monday April 29, 2019

All PSBA-members are invited to attend Advocacy Day on Monday, April 29, 2019 at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. In addition, this year PSBA will be partnering with the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) to strengthen our advocacy impact. The focus for the day will be meetings with legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public education. There is no cost to attend, and PSBA will assist in scheduling appointments with legislators once your registration is received. The day will begin with a continental breakfast and issue briefings prior to the legislator visits. Registrants will receive talking points, materials and leave-behinds to use with their meetings. PSBA staff will be stationed at a table in the main Rotunda during the day to answer questions and provide assistance. The day’s agenda and other details will be available soon. If you have questions about Advocacy Day, legislative appointments or need additional information, contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org  Register for PSBA Advocacy Day now at http://www.mypsba.org/

School directors can register online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you need assistance logging in and registering contact Alysha Newingham, Member Data System Administrator at alysha.newingham@psba.org or call her at (717) 506-2450, ext. 3420

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.