Wednesday, February 20, 2019

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb. 20: PA House Ed Cmte Chairman Sonney introduces bipartisan cyber charter funding reform bill HB526


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
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PA House Ed Cmte Chairman Sonney introduces bipartisan cyber charter funding reform bill HB526



2019 State of Education report now online
PSBA Website February 19, 2019
The 2019 State of Education report is now available on PSBA.org in PDF format. The report is a barometer of not only the key indicators of public school performance, but also the challenges schools face and how they are coping with them. Data reported comes from publicly available sources and from a survey to chief school administrators, which had a 66% response rate. Print copies of the report will be mailed to members soon.



PA House Ed Cmte Chairman Sonney introduces bipartisan cyber charter funding reform bill HB526
“If the student chooses to enroll in a cyber charter school, the student or the student's parent or guardian shall be responsible to pay the cyber charter school a per-student amount calculated in the manner set forth in section 1725-A(a)(2) and (3)”

“State Rep. Curt Somney, the Chairman of the House Education Committee is set to introduce similar legislation. "It's going to take some work on the committee. We're going to visit some cyber schools and we're going to visit public schools and we're going to take a look at the issue and really take a dive into it to just see where we're at," said Rep. Somney. 
This will be the fifth year Rep. Somney introduces his bill.”
Push to reform taxpayer funding of PA cyber charter schools
ABC27 By: Thomas LeClair  Posted: Feb 19, 2019 08:47 PM EST
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - Education Voters of Pennsylvania is calling on lawmakers to eliminate what they call wasteful spending, and save $250 million in taxpayer money.  Proponents of cyber charter schools say they're not looking at the full picture.  Susan Spicka spent the day talking with lawmakers about her organization's new report on cyber charter schools.  "We shouldn't be spending $48,000 for a student from one district to go to the same cyber school that we're spending $7,000 to send a student to," said Spicka.  She says every year Pennsylvanians spend $463 million on tuition bills to cyber schools.  "A lot of the money going into the cyber school just isn't spent educating children because it doesn't cost that much money to educate kids at home on a computer," said Spicka.   Senate Bill 34 was introduced last month, which would require families to pay out of pocket for a cyber charter school if their home district offers a program equal in scope and content.  Ana Meyers with the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools says the bill would eliminate school choice for many families.  "Comparing cyber charter schools to cyber programs that are provided by the districts is apples to oranges. Cyber charter schools provide a much more comprehensive program," said Meyers.

Blogger note: Total cyber charter tuition paid by PA taxpayers from 500 school districts for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 was over $1.6 billion; $393.5 million, $398.8 million, $436.1 million and $454.7 million respectively.
Over the next several days we will continue rolling out cyber charter tuition expenses for taxpayers in education committee members and legislative leadership districts.

In 2016-17, taxpayers in Senate Ed Committee member .@SenatorFolmer’s districts had to send over $16 million to chronically underperforming cybers that locally elected school boards never authorized. SB34 (Schwank) could change that. Data source: PDE via @PSBA


Annville-Cleona SD
$193,336.93
Central Dauphin SD
$4,538,413.84
Central York SD
$778,976.93
Cornwall-Lebanon SD
$712,823.60
Eastern Lebanon County SD
$699,061.43
Lebanon SD
$1,016,566.19
Lower Dauphin SD
$1,005,883.29
Middletown Area SD
$607,746.78
Northeastern York SD
$1,210,230.18
Northern Lebanon SD
$586,560.32
Palmyra Area SD
$875,205.81
Steelton-Highspire SD
$0.00
West Shore SD
$2,982,398.83
York Suburban SD
$856,433.95

$16,063,638.08


It’s time to stop attacking public cyber-charter school education | Both Sides Now
PA Capital Star Commentary By Ana Meyers February 20, 2019
Ana Meyers is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, the state’s largest advocacy organization representing public charter schools.
While parents throughout the state work to find the right educational environment for their children, many in Pennsylvania want to see the expansion of effective charter schools prevented altogether. These special interest groups are driven to protect the system, the traditional way of doing things, and their own pocketbooks rather than providing quality educational options for all students. Recently, legislation was introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate (SB34) that would relieve school districts that provide their own cyber education programs from financial responsibility for resident students who enroll in a public cyber-charter school. hat is not mentioned is that this legislation would eliminate public school choice for parents by forcing students to remain with a district that does not serve and meet the expectations of families. Cyber-charter schools are schools of choice in Pennsylvania whose demand has continued to increase dramatically over the past few years. Parents actively choose to leave a district because it does not meet their child’s needs or has failed their child either academically or from a relationship standpoint. More than 35,000 families have chosen a cyber-charter school education in the Commonwealth for those reasons. The mode of instruction, if they are forced to stay in the school district, does not necessarily overcome these concerns.

How much could your school district and taxpayers save if there were statewide flat tuition rates of $5000 for regular ed students and $8865 for special ed.? See the estimated savings by school district here.
Education Voters PA Website February 14, 2019

“There is a great irony here. If you laid a template over the counties so dependent on state aid over the boundaries of state House and Senate districts, you would see that these areas send deeply conservative lawmakers to Harrisburg, a number of them Tea Party-inspired members who are resolutely anti-tax and anti-government.
For the last eight years, they have formed a solid cadre in the state House in particular to stifle any attempt to raise taxes. As a result, the state is running a structural deficit of $1.5 billion that can be erased only by cutting state spending, raising taxes or some combination of both.
To these legislators government is the problem, not the answer. Less spending is good, more is evil. Taxes are anathema. If government would only get off people’s backs, these politicians say, we would all be better off.
This does not comport with reality. Not at all.”
Who are the biggest ‘Makers’ and ‘Takers’ of Pa. tax dollars? | Analysis
PA Capital Star Commentary By Tom Ferrick Jr.  Capital-Star Op-Ed Contributor February 19, 2019
One popular image of state government is that of a huge, unwieldy bureaucracy with a voracious appetite for taxpayers’ hard-earned money, spending nearly $33 billion this year alone on God knows what. This image does not comport with reality. It’s best to see state government as a redistribution machine, where billions of dollars in tax revenue is fed into a hopper, a switch is flipped, the machine whirs, and the most of the money is sent back out across the 67 counties in the Commonwealth. Some of it pays for state services that are rooted in the counties such as the Pennsylvania State Police (6,076 employees), and the departments of Transportation (11,265 employees) and Corrections (15,132 employees) In 26 counties, state government is among the top three employers. But much of the money – close to $20 billion – is returned directly to counties, school districts and local governments as grants and subsidies, with distribution determined by formulas (designed to promote fairness) and sometimes political whimsy (designed to promote re-election). Inevitably, residents of some counties pay more in taxes than they get in state grants and subsidies; others get more than they give. There are winners and losers.


Charter schools exploit lucrative loophole that would be easy to close | Both Sides Now
Some charter school operators make profits by leasing space to themselves at unusually high rates.
PA Capital Star Commentary By  Capital-Star Op-Ed Contributor Derek W. Black, Bruce Baker, and Preston Green III February 20, 2019
While critics charge that charter schools are siphoning money away from public schools, a more fundamental issue frequently flies under the radar: the questionable business practices that allow people who own and run charter schools to make large profits. Charter school supporters are reluctant to acknowledge, much less stop, these practices. Given that charter schools are growing rapidly – from 1 million students in 2006 to more than 3.1 million students attending approximately 7,000 charter schools now – shining a light on these practices can’t come too soon. The first challenge, however, is simply understanding the complex space in which charters operate – somewhere between public and private.

You can view three new applications for Philadelphia charter schools and their respective analysis reports here:
School District of Philadelphia New Charter School Applications
The 2018-19 application cycle for new charter schools in Philadelphia is underway. Please use the links below to access the new charter application materials for the 2018-19 cycle:

Rachel's Challenge, an anti-bullying program created by Columbine shooting victim's father, starts a 'chain reaction' in Lancaster County
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer February 19, 2019
Twenty years ago, Rachel Scott, a 17-year-old Columbine High School student, described in an essay how one act of compassion can “start a chain reaction.” Six weeks later, she was the first of 13 victims shot and killed at the Colorado high school. Now, her words have traveled 1,500 miles across the country to start a chain reaction in Lancaster County. “I want to think of the power you have,” DeeDee Cooper told students at the McCaskey High School campus Tuesday. “The power you have to make a huge difference in the life of someone else with a small, simple act.” Cooper is a presenter for Rachel’s Challenge, a bullying and violence prevention program founded by Rachel’s father, Darrell Scott, and based on her essays and diary entries. McCaskey students are the latest to take on Rachel’s Challenge. At least a dozen county schools have introduced the program or have plans to introduce it soon. The program offers an emotional presentation highlighting Rachel’s life story, help in creating a FOR — Friends of Rachel — club focused on creating a more positive school climate, and training materials.

‘I wanted to thrive.’ How Kishon Carter found success, and college credits, after leaving high school
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: February 19, 2019
Success didn’t look the way Kishon Carter thought it would: A high school diploma collected on a warm spring day, followed soon after by four years on some college campus. Instead, he graduated in the dead of winter, a few weeks before his planned departure for Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., and Navy boot camp. He already has 39 college credits under his belt. Every year, hundreds of city students for whom traditional school settings are a challenge earn diplomas through alternate routes. This month, 100 young men and women participated in the Philadelphia School District’s mid-year graduation, a ceremony remarkable because it represented 100 second chances. “For some of our young people, the traditional high school just doesn’t work. Kishon is representative of multiple stories that come out of our Opportunity Network,” Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said of the district’s alternative schools.

“Don’t look now, but the boundary lines for the state Legislature and Congress will be redrawn again after the results of the 2020 census are in, and Pennsylvania still has not addressed calls to get this process out of the hands of politicians, who have proved unable to resist carving out turf to suit their needs. In recent years in Pennsylvania this has been a Republican power play, but don’t think for a moment that Democrats are above this kind of political chicanery.”
Editorial: A blueprint for a fair election map
Delco Times Editorial February 20, 2019
It is not by accident that four women – including Swarthmore’s own Mary Gay Scanlon – are now representing southeastern Pennsylvania in Congress. That is exactly four more than were members of the Keystone State delegation in D.C. before last November’s elections. Actually, it is at least in part due to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. That is because after ruling in favor of citizens groups who had sued, claiming the last redistricting effort to redraw Congressional boundaries was an unconstitutional gerrymander, the high court then took matters into their own hands. Since Gov. Wolf and Republican leaders in the Legislature could not come up with a workable plan of their own, the court took on the job itself. Out was the infamous old 7th Congressional District, in some corners mocked as “Goofy Kicking Donald Duck” for its bizarre shape, which would become the poster child in the great gerrymandering debate. This one was pretty obvious. Republicans twisted and contorted the boundaries to include GOP strongholds and isolate Democratic regions.

Virginia school district split over ending transgender bathroom ban
Inquirer by Ben Finley, Associated Press, Updated: February 19, 2019- 11:07 PM
GLOUCESTER, Va. (AP) — A Virginia school district that has drawn national attention for its transgender bathroom ban appeared starkly divided Tuesday over the prospect of ending the policy, provoking citations of scripture and the higher suicide rate among transgender teens. Concerns were also raised about the cost of a yearslong lawsuit. The Gloucester County School Board held a public forum on a proposed policy to allow high school students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. No vote was taken. But the proposal comes just months before a trial over the current policy is scheduled in response to a lawsuit filed by Gavin Grimm, a former student who has become a national face of transgender rights. "I'm sorry that folks are uncomfortable, but they'll get over it," Elizabeth Webster, 50, said in support of transgender students using bathrooms of their choice. Webster said some people in the military had been concerned that “serving with African Africans would disrupt the unit [before desegregation]. And you know what? It did disrupt the unit. And the unit got over it.”  But Kenny Smith, 67, strongly disagreed, holding up a Bible as he spoke to the school board. "These are biological facts about chromosomes and where we came from," Smith said, generating significant applause. He added: "I promise you there is a God who is going to ask you, ‘Did you make your decision by calling on me or did you make your decision by calling on other folks and other court rulings and other judgments?’ "

Penn Hills in line to hike taxes more than 6 percent
Trib Live by MICHAEL DIVITTORIO   | Tuesday, February 19, 2019 10:00 p.m
Penn Hills School District officials moved one step closer to raising real estate taxes by more than 6 percent and becoming one of the highest taxing districts in Allegheny County. Board members Tuesday approved their 2019-20 preliminary budget and authorized the district to seek pension and special education exceptions to raise real estate taxes beyond state limitations through the Act 1 index. The preliminary budget vote was 8-0 and the tax resolution 5-3 with board member Denise Graham-Shealey absent and board President Erin Vecchio and members Evelyn Herbert and Kristopher Wiegand voting against the proposed increase. “I don’t think it should be the taxpayers’ fault that the school district’s screwed up,” Vecchio said. The district’s debt burden of more than $172 million and climbing — mostly due to bond-funded construction projects riddled with cost overruns to build two new schools — is approaching nearly double the amount of the district’s annual budget of about $89 million.

Education groups launch effort to up voter turnout in Pittsburgh school board elections
ELIZABETH BEHRMAN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Lbehrman@post-gazette.com FEB 19, 2019
A coalition of community and education advocacy groups launched a campaign Tuesday urging more city residents to register and vote in school board elections.  At a news conference, A+ Schools and 16 other groups, including the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Promise and the League of Women Voters, launched its Vote School Board First! initiative aimed at encouraging voters to learn about their school board candidates and cast a ballot during the upcoming election.  “We’re trying to increase turnout by raising the importance of the educational issues that are going to be at play here,” said James Fogarty, executive director of A+ Schools. The watchdog and advocacy group calculated that only one in five voters cast ballots for school board members in off-year elections, even though the Pittsburgh Public Schools district maintains a budget larger than the city of Pittsburgh and is responsible for the education of about 27,000 students. 


The Fate of the 2016 Teachers of the Year
I was named one of America’s top teachers. Our career paths since that day tell a story about the state of education in America.
Slate By NATE BOWLING FEB 19, 201912:19 PM
There are moments that stay with you forever. On May 3, 2016, I was parked on a riser in the East Room of the White House behind the president of the United States. My friend Jahana Hayes, the National Teacher of the Year, stood next to President Obama at the lectern as she addressed a cheering crowd. She was terrified but hid it behind a smile. I stood near my fellow National Teacher of the Year finalists, Daniel Jocz from California and Shawn Sheehan from Oklahoma. As a government teacher and civics nerd, it was a lifetime highlight. Three years later, only two of us are still teaching. Only one of us is still at the same school. The paths our careers have taken since that day in the White House speak volumes about the state of teaching in the United States.

Our Public Schools Aren’t Failing; We’re Failing Our Public Schools
Ecletablog by Mitchell Robinson February 2019
I’ve noticed an uptick lately in the number of folks talking about school choice, charter schools, and competition. I’m guessing this is a by-product of the recent swing in public opinion against charter schools, and the attendant backlash against 2020 presidential candidate and big charter school cheerleader, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. The conversation around charters and choice, however, like so many discussions in the public square, is far too superficial. It lacks nuance and depth, and winds up reducing a complex, complicated issue down to isolated images and simplistic terms. And while everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the schools, they are not entitled to their own facts.  For example, one of the most common “talking points” trotted out in these discussions is that of “failing schools”–here’s an example from a recent Facebook thread… If a school is failing that also hurts the neighborhoods. Just because it is a traditional public does not mean its acceptable. Its clear parents are opting to other districts and charters for many reasons. All which seem to be ignored. The reason other school keep opening is because others keep failing. I don’t doubt that this poster believes this rhetoric; I just wish that we’d all dig a little deeper, and be curious as to the reasons that some schools struggle while others are flourishing. Because the reasons that things happen are pretty important, and tell us a lot about what we should believe.

“They are fighting legislation that would take public money from resource-starved traditional districts and use it for charter schools and for private and religious school tuition.”
This time, it wasn’t about pay: West Virginia teachers go on strike over the privatization of public education (and they won’t be the last)
Washington Post Answer Sheet By Valerie Strauss Reporter February 19 at 9:56 PM
This time, it wasn’t about pay.
West Virginia teachers walked off the job across the state Tuesday to protest the privatization of public education and to fight for resources for their own struggling schools. It was the second time in a year that West Virginia teachers left their classrooms in protest. In 2018, they went on strike for nine days to demand a pay increase, help with high health-care costs and more school funding — and they won a 5 percent pay hike. On Tuesday, union leaders said that, if necessary, they would give up the pay hike as part of their protest. They are fighting legislation that would take public money from resource-starved traditional districts and use it for charter schools and for private and religious school tuition. Teachers are willing to forsake their raises for the proposition that public education must be protected and that their voices must be protected,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who went to Charleston, W.Va., for the strike Tuesday. “This was absolutely an effort to defund public education, and teachers fought it.” Barely four hours into the strike, with hundreds of teachers packed into the statehouse, the Republican-led House of Delegates voted down the state Senate’s version of the omnibus education bill — despite pressure to pass it from conservative and libertarian groups, including some connected to the billionaire Koch brothers.

West Virginia Teachers Walk Out (Again) and Score a Win in Hours
New York Times By Dana Goldstein Feb. 19, 2019
The relentless string of teachers’ walkouts continued on Tuesday in West Virginia, where educators held the second statewide walkout in less than a year, denouncing a bill that they said was retaliatory toward educators. Hours later, their action, which shut down schools in all but one of the state’s 55 counties, led to a victory. The State House of Delegates voted to indefinitely table the bill, which would have allowed tax dollars to pay for private school tuition and established charter schools in the state for the first time. Still, union leaders said the walkout would continue on Tuesday, to ensure Republicans in the State Senate would not attempt to revive the measure.
“Teachers have no trust,” said Jay O’Neal, a West Virginia teacher and walkout leader. “We want to make sure they don’t do something shady tomorrow morning.”

House Democrats Prepare to Scrutinize DeVos’s Education Department
New York Times By Erica L. Green Feb. 19, 2019
WASHINGTON — The last face-to-face meeting between Representative Robert C. Scott and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ended in an awkward cliffhanger. At a hearing last May of the House Education Committee, Mr. Scott, Democrat of Virginia, challenged the secretary’s assertion that she was holding states accountable for achievement gaps between white and minority students as required by a new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act. Mr. Scott, unconvinced, asked more pointedly: How can you assure us that you are following the law if you do not even make states calculate the performance of the different student groups we want to measure? Ms. DeVos dodged the question. Mr. Scott is now the chairman of the committee, and he is not taking silence or evasion for an answer. With control of the House and Senate divided, and President Trump in charge of the executive branch, the prospects for the House Democrats’ legislative agenda for education may be limited, but their appetite for oversight of the Education Department appears limitless.


Join PA Schools Work For a Webinar at Noon on Feb. 26!
Do you know how the Governor's proposed budget will impact your school? Do you know how you can effectively advocate for as much funding as possible? Grab a sandwich and join PA Schools Work on February 26 at noon as we unpack the Governor's budget and learn how to be an effective advocate for our schools and students.
What You Need to Know to be an Effective Advocate
During this hour, PA Schools Work's seasoned experts will walk you through the Governor's proposed budget allocation for education and what it means to you and your school. During this hour, we will also hone in on the tools and tips you need to ensure that you are making the biggest impact with your advocacy efforts. Join us to make sure you are equipped with all you need to know. Knowledge is power!

PSBA Members - Register for 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/
PSBA members 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

Board Presidents’ Panel
Learn, discuss, and practice problem solving with school leader peers facing similar or applicable challenges. Workshop-style discussions will be facilitated and guided by PSBA experts. With the enormous challenges facing schools today, effective and knowledgeable board leadership is essential to your productivity and performance as a team of ten.
Locations & Dates
Due to inclement weather, some dates have been rescheduled. The updated schedule is below.
Feb. 28, 2019 — St. Marys Area High School (Section 2)(Rescheduled from Jan. 31)
Mar. 28, 2019 — Crawford Cty CTC (Section 1)(Rescheduled from Jan. 30)

PSBA Sectional Meetings - Ten convenient locations in February and March
School safety and security is a complex, multi-perspective topic impacting school entities in dramatic ways. This complimentary PSBA member meeting featured in ten locations will offer essential updates and information on Safe2Say reporting, suicide awareness related to student safety, school climate, and emergency preparedness planning. Representatives from the Attorney General’s office, PEMA, and a top expert in behavioral health will be presenting. Updates on legislation impacting your schools will be presented by PSBA staff. Connect with the experts, have your questions answered, and network with other members.
Locations and Dates
·         Feb. 20, 2019 — PSBA headquarters, Mechanicsburg Cancelled due to weather
·         Feb. 21, 2019 — St. Marys Area High School, St. Marys, PA Cancelled due to weather
Section Meetings are 6-8 p.m. (across all locations).
Register online by logging in to myPSBA.

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.

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/

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

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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