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
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leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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PSBA Members - Register for PSBA
Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg Monday April 29, 2019
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
Groups meet to discuss education funding challenge
Delco Times By Colin Ainsworth Special to the Times February 3, 2019
It was a packed house Saturday at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit for a discussion on education funding.
MORTON — The PA Schools Work campaign brought its first work group conference to the county since its 2018 formation, “Delaware County Unites for Education,” on Saturday morning at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. Educators, district officials, students and community members from across the county and surrounding region came out Saturday morning through freezing conditions to learn advocacy techniques for increasing state education funding subject to the fair funding formula adopted by the state Legislature in 2016. “I was impressed that so many people from across Delaware County spent their Saturday morning figuring out how every kid in Delco can succeed in school,” said Donna Cooper, following the conference. Cooper is executive director for the Philadelphia-based Public Citizens for Children and Youth, a PA Schools Work partner organization. “I’ve been doing this 1999 … I think this was probably the largest meeting ever held, with residents from across Delaware County, to remedy the funding situation.” Attendees received an “advocacy toolkit” packet with talking points, data resources, and guides for contacting legislators and media outlets. Upper Darby School District Acting Superintendent Daniel P. McGarry served as the “Real World Challenges” speaker for the conference, joined by Upper Darby High School students Zoe Demetriades, Sarah Ibrahim, Chloe Lam and Hanief Wilcox.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/groups-meet-to-discuss-education-funding-challenge/article_233564b8-274b-11e9-bf3f-b3ca462d8960.html
Philly schools, our perpetual underdog, are on a winning streak | Opinion
Ed Rendell, For the Inquirer Updated: February 1, 2019 - 2:55 PM
Ed Rendell was governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011 and mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000.
The results I’ve seen from the School District of Philadelphia over the last few months have given me the belief that our public education system can become successful in its mission. That’s right, the School District of Philadelphia is starting to get results that indicate it is truly possible for all of our students to succeed academically. The much-maligned school district, the perpetual underdog, has been winning and when it wins, our kids win and we win. Last week, the district released its 2017-18 School Progress Report. The annual report evaluates schools on student achievement and growth, school climate, and college and career readiness. For the third consecutive year, the district increased its overall School Progress Report score. More than 200 of 319 district-run and charter schools improved their performance, and 56 schools showed improvement for two years in a row. In November, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Keystone Exams scores showed continued progress by district students. District improvements on the Keystone Exams outpaced those on the state level. About 2,700 third- to eighth-grade students moved from below-basic to higher performance levels on the English Language Arts portion of the PSSA. About 500 students moved from below-basic to higher performance levels on the test’s Science portion.
http://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-school-district-improvements-scores-20190201.html
Blogger note: Senator Aument is the new Chairman of the PA Senate Education Committee
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session
Posted: February 1, 2019 01:53 PM
From: Senator Ryan P. Aument
To: All Senate members
Subject: Educator Evaluation Reform
As the prime sponsor of the teacher evaluation system enacted in Act 82 of 2012, I have been committed to providing school districts, CTCs, and IUs with a system to improve student academic performance by giving our educators useful, meaningful, and actionable feedback to help them improve and share best practices.
The original system was intended to provide districts with the tools they need to identify effective teachers and in turn, identify, provide support to, and in some cases, terminate ineffective educators and principals.
Unfortunately, the current educator evaluation system does not match the original intent of the law. Administrators and teachers alike have expressed the same disappointment with the current system and the need for reform. To that end, I have been collaborating with teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders to create a new evaluation system that is accurate, fair, and meaningful.
The new system reworks the weights of the current system by increasing the observation portion from 50% to 70% of the total score, providing administrators with increased flexibility while also reducing student achievement data in the system.
This change was done in response to the consistent and chief complaint I have heard about the current system: Schools cannot dismiss ineffective teachers in high-performing schools and the overall ratings of effective teachers in low-performing schools are unfairly low due to the weight of the building level scores.
The increased observation and revised building score allows administrators the flexibility needed to provide counsel and supports to low-performing teachers or terminate ineffective teachers, while fairly recognizing high achieving teachers in our troubled schools.
Further, the new system will take into account the impact of poverty on student academic outcomes.
Over the last year, I have been convinced of the need to take into account the challenges that poverty can have on a teacher’s ability to teach and the overall school environment. Unless we account for this factor, low-performing, high poverty schools will not be able to attract high performing teachers, something students in those schools desperately need.
While the revised system is certainly different than the current system, it is built using many of the same goals as we had in 2012 but with the benefit of hindsight and the input of motivated stakeholders that truly want the best teachers in the classroom.
It is vital that we ensure all stakeholders have full confidence in our assessment and accountability systems. I am hopeful you will join me in revising this system and improving Pennsylvania’s accountability measures to the benefit of our schools, teachers, and students.
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20190&cosponId=28157
Watch Governor Wolf’s Budget Address on Tuesday at 11:30 am
PASBO Legislative Update Email February 4, 2019
While it will be a full session week, this week will be primarily devoted to Governor Wolf's budget address, which he will give to the General Assembly on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. We expect that he will continue to prioritize education as an area of increased state investment, and his proposal will set off the lengthy budget hearing process, which begins in the House next week. On Tuesday, click here to watch Governor Wolf's budget address live.
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf to unveil budget with familiar call for a tax on natural gas drillers, but with a twist
Inquirer by Liz Navratil and Angela Couloumbis, Updated: 24 minutes ago
HARRISBURG — When Gov. Tom Wolf delivers his budget address Tuesday, he is expected to call for more money for public schools, a higher minimum wage for Pennsylvania workers, and a new tax on natural-gas drillers. In doing so, the Democratic governor who is now unfettered by reelection concerns — and has been openly showcasing his progressive roots — will have to persuade a more conservative, Republican-controlled legislature to buy in to his plan. Although administration officials have closely guarded details of Wolf’s budget, a few things appear certain: Wolf will not ask for hikes in the income or sales tax, the state’s two biggest revenue-generating levies. He will ask for additional funding for public schools, as he has every budget year since taking office in 2015. He will ask for money for career and technical training, which has been a recent talking point for Republicans. And he will try, for the fifth time, to persuade lawmakers to impose a severance tax on drillers — although with a twist. The governor announced last week that he does plan to seek a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural-gas drilling to help fund disaster recovery and infrastructure projects. But, he said, he is not planning on using that money to balance the state’s books, as he has in past years. Instead, if the measure were approved — a long shot in the historically resistant legislature — the money would funnel through a separate account.
http://www.philly.com/news/wolf-budget-speech-pennsylvania-legislature-20190204.html
Gov. Tom Wolf taking his fifth swing at the budgetary fences
Steve Esack Contact Reporter Morning Call Harrisburg Bureau February 1, 2019
Gov. Tom Wolf will deliver the first budget speech of his second term Tuesday before an audience of lawmakers in the state Capitol. The speech — and the reaction to it — could set the tone for the Democratic governor’s next four years. Wolf can ask for anything he wants in the 2019-20 fiscal year that begins July 1: more education spending, extra criminal justice reforms, higher minimum wage, more workforce development programs, natural gas severance tax, welfare reform. But it’s the Republican-controlled Legislature that holds the purse strings. And those purse strings can get tangled in the monetary and political horse-trading that goes on during budget negotiations among the governor, House and Senate.
https://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pennsylvania-wolf-budget-preview-20190201-story.html
Annual PSBA Budget Briefing: Presented by the Commonwealth Budget Secretary Jen Swails FEB 7, 2019 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Join Commonwealth Budget Secretary Jen Swails and PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer John Callahan for an exclusive, complimentary member webinar on the 2019-2020 state budget plan proposed by Gov. Wolf on Feb. 5. Learn how the budget proposal could impact public education and other highlights, straight from the office that works directly on the budget. Don’t miss this live members-only event.
Presenters: Commonwealth Budget Secretary Jen Swails and PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer John Callahan
Cost: Complimentary for members.
Register online through PSBA’s webconferencing host: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5684265505125889283
Policy Brief: A Tale of Haves and Have-Nots: The Financial Future of Pennsylvania School Districts
Temple University Center on Regional Politics Report January 2019
CORP’s newest policy brief, “A Tale of Haves and Have-Nots,” forecasts the fiscal future for all 500 school districts in PA for the period 2017-18 through 2021-22. The brief and supporting interactive graphics and maps project budget shortfalls for almost 300 districts, requiring them to reduce expenditures through program cuts or raise additional revenue. Additionally, even some districts whose fiscal condition is improving may be doing so from a base that is inadequate to support the needs of their students. Overall fiscal conditions are improving in aggregate, with revenues catching up to expenditures, but that masks continued fiscal stress for most districts and the persistent gulf between those with surpluses (“the Haves”) and those with shortfalls (“the Have-Nots”).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FBgslpdsMzKfYD3PicrHJKh7GTVwsYHV/view
Why a Pa. community where guns are common is divided over arming teachers
WHYY Air Date: February 4, 2019 Audio Runtime: Listen 13:28
Tamaqua became the first school district in Pennsylvania to sanction armed teachers in hopes of preventing school shootings. Now, a legal battle is underway over whether the district has the authority to make such a policy. On this episode of The Why, reporter Jen Kinney takes us inside the big fight going on in this small town, and explains why parents, teachers, and students are so divided on the issue in a community where guns are commonplace.
https://whyy.org/episodes/why-a-pa-community-where-carrying-guns-is-common-is-divided-over-arming-teachers/?utm_source=dlvr&utm_medium=twitterauto&utm_campaign=social-inbound
Lawmakers give Erie School District report good grade
GoErie By Ed Palattella Posted Feb 3, 2019 at 2:00 AM
Plan from Erie School District’s state-appointed financial administrator now goes to the state education secretary for review.
The first stage of the effort to rescue the Erie School District’s finances ended in the fall of 2017, when state Sen. Dan Laughlin led the push to secure $14 million in additional annual state aid for the largest public school system in northwestern Pennsylvania. The rescue effort has now reached its second stage, in which a state-appointed financial administrator has released his report on how the Erie School District can use the $14 million to keep its finances stable over the next five years. Laughlin said he has no issues with how the second stage is proceeding. He said he found the financial administrator’s report, released Thursday, to be reasonable in its recommendations to keep the district solvent. “I think it was accurate,” said Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, R-49th Dist. Among the report’s major recommendations are regular tax increases, starting with a hike of 2.46 percent, and the outsourcing of the district’s custodial service and the services of the district’s building engineers, or boiler tenders. The theme of the 54-page report, by Charles Zogby, who has been in the financial administrator’s post since late March, is that $14 million, while it boosted the Erie School District’s financial outlook, is not enough, by itself, to keep the 11,000-student district from sliding into insolvency. The district and the School Board, Zogby wrote, must make major changes. Laughlin said he agrees with Zogby’s assessment.
https://www.goerie.com/news/20190203/lawmakers-give-erie-school-district-report-good-grade
Pat Howard: Erie district gets reality check
GoErie Opinion by Pat Howard Posted Feb 3, 2019 at 2:01 AM
When the full state Legislature rewarded local legislators’ advocacy with an additional $14 million in annual funding for the Erie School District, it also attached a pretty short leash to the Erie School Board and district administrators. The legislation allocating the new money put the district under the oversight of a state-appointed financial administrator with the power to dictate policy and even take charge of operations if it came to that. The administrator, Charles Zogby, a former state education and budget secretary, on Thursday made public his proposed financial recovery plan and sent it off to Education Secretary Pedro Rivera for review. The plan notes the epic work to survive a tsunami of red ink under former schools Superintendent Jay Badams and his successor, Brian Polito. But it traced the history of the district’s funding crisis back a little further to the last years of longtime Superintendent James Barker’s tenure. While Zogby’s review doesn’t really tell us anything we didn’t already know, the scale of the financial, managerial and political malpractice remains breathtaking. The report notes, for instance, that from 2005 to 2010 the district added 190 employees at a time of static or declining enrollment. And that in 2008, as the economy was crashing and burning, Barker and the School Board signed off on a five-year sweetheart deal with the teachers union. After Barker pulled the chord on his golden parachute in 2010, the house of cards swiftly collapsed on his successor, Badams. His first budget as boss started with a $26 million hole in it.
https://www.goerie.com/opinion/20190203/pat-howard-erie-district-gets-reality-check
Harbor Creek teachers, school board OK new contract
Go Erie By Valerie Myers Posted Feb 1, 2019 at 2:55 PM Updated Feb 1, 2019 at 3:38 PM
Four-year agreement includes 2.75 percent raise for teachers who will teach an additional period each day.
Harbor Creek teachers have a new contract. The Harbor Creek School Board on Wednesday voted 9-0 to approve a contract agreement “overwhelmingly” ratified by teachers Jan. 23. The new contract is retroactive to August 2017 and will expire in August 2021. The agreement adds a daily instructional period for teachers. Faculty will teach seven periods in an eight-period class day. Teachers previously taught six periods per day. Teacher salaries will increase by an average 2.75 percent over the four-year contract term. Teachers had asked for 2.5 percent increases in the first two years of the contract and 3 percent raises in the remaining two years, or an average of 2.75 percent. School directors had offered increases averaging 2.4 percent over the contract term. The new contract will raise the starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree to $49,703 in 2020-21, up from $44,898 in 2016-17. Teachers will pay more for health benefits, including a $480 annual contribution, or $20 per pay period, for health insurance. Teachers previously paid $419.76 a year, or $17.49 per pay period. Teachers will gain bereavement days. The new contract provides teachers with the same number of bereavement days allowed for district administrators.
https://www.goerie.com/news/20190201/harbor-creek-teachers-school-board-ok-new-contract
Charter school not recommended for Upper Darby S.D.
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com February 2, 2019
UPPER DARBY — A group of Upper Darby School District leaders and community members tasked with reviewing a recently submitted charter school application does not recommend the school board approve the applicant’s request to open an arts-based charter school proposed for Clifton Heights. The 14-member review team comprised of district administrators, education supervisors and residents announced its decision at a hearing Thursday night in response to the information provided by representatives of the Upper Darby Charter School for the Arts at a Dec. 18 hearing and a thorough evaluation of their submitted application. Pending board approval, the school was projected to open in September at 4 Rockbourne Road in the borough with an initial 360 students in grades K-5. Deficiencies in the school’s application, lack of student services and lack of supports for students of special education and English Language Learners were just some of the faults found by the review team. Attacking the proposed school’s namesake, the offering of arts and education programs at the charter were said to “not compete” with the school district’s programs. “The purpose of a charter school is to enhance educational experiences, or to provide better opportunities or increased opportunities for the students of the Upper Darby School District,” said District Director of Curriculum Christine Kelley. “This charter application, the review team feels, it does not do at this time.”
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/charter-school-not-recommended-for-upper-darby-s-d/article_5f32527e-25e7-11e9-9b42-2741736f0d2b.html
Latest trend in area schools: Pushing back start times so teens can sleep later
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Updated: February 3, 2019- 6:00 AM
When Unionville-Chadds Ford became the first Philadelphia-area school district to push back the opening bell to 8 a.m. so students could get more sleep, it had to convince naysayers who said the change wasn’t worth the added busing costs or the disruption to people’s well-rooted daily routines. Less than two years later, school leaders say the benefits of starting high school and middle school 25 minutes later — such as teens who are more alert in class and aren’t driving drowsy to school — are so obvious they wonder why it’s taken this long for the idea to catch on. “There’s no question of going back,” said Jeff Hellrung, school board member in the sprawling district that straddles Delaware and Chester Counties. “The only question is when we can get to 8:30” — the start time recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. Other Philadelphia-area districts have taken notice. Phoenixville Area School District just voted to become the second area school system to adopt a later starting time next fall, and a number of districts such as Radnor and Tredyffrin/Easttown are seriously considering such a shift — inspired by growing scientific evidence that teens thrive when they can set their alarms for later in the morning.
http://www.philly.com/education/unionville-teens-sleep-radnor-phoenixville-20190203.html
Make equitable school funding a priority (letter)
Lancaster Online Letter by Bruce Beardsley, Manheim Township February 3, 2019
An open response to state Sen. Ryan Aument's Jan. 13 Sunday LNP op-ed, “Boosting student-centered education policy in Pa.”: Congratulations on being named the chair of the state Senate Education Committee, and thanks for laying out your priorities for public education and higher education. But didn’t you forget an essential priority? Fair and equitable funding for public schools? Recalling Pennsylvania was established as a “commonwealth” — a political entity where we’re all responsible for the common good — and recalling that your oath of office is to uphold the Pennsylvania Constitution, which mandates the General Assembly “shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth,” how can fair and equitable funding not be a priority for you and your committee? Our children deserve the best education Pennsylvania can offer, without regard to their ZIP code. Our children deserve an equal shot at major jobs in the national economy; how can they achieve that if their education is lacking due to inadequate funding? Also, the easiest way to “reduce the dependence on property taxes for school funding” is for Pennsylvania to increase its share of education funding through broad-based taxation. I applaud your intent to de-emphasize the use of standardized tests in teacher evaluation and to make higher education funding a high priority. I would add one additional priority that our nation desperately needs: a requirement for “civic” education, including critical thinking skills.
https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/make-equitable-school-funding-a-priority-letter/article_ba0c58ea-2581-11e9-805b-831a9385e88d.html
Carlisle High School student speaks at Capitol rally
Sentinel staff Jan 30, 2019
Carlisle High School junior Samantha Martin brought her case for increasing funding for public schools to the Capitol Wednesday. Martin was one of several speakers representing teachers, principals and parents in a Pennsylvania Schools Work rally calling for significant increases in state funding for classrooms, including $400 million for basic education, $100 million for special education funding to support students with intellectual disabilities or other health impairments, and $10 million for career and technical education. Martin said she found her life’s passion within the walls of Carlisle High School as she learned about abolitionists, suffragists and labor unionists. She plans a career in politics, and is preparing for that career through an advanced placement seminar, teaching her how to think critically and analyze sources. The seminar is offered in fewer than 1,500 schools nationwide. “Without proper funding for public schools, and without dedicated teachers and administrators, neither I nor any of my friends would be able to find and develop our passions,” she said.
https://cumberlink.com/news/local/communities/carlisle/carlisle-high-school-student-speaks-at-capitol-rally/article_47312144-c406-5980-8f00-f86c5ddca09e.html
Guest Column: There are no magic wands when it comes to education funding
Delco Times By Joseph Batory Times Guest Columnist February 2, 2019
Joseph Batory is the former superintendent of the Upper Darby School District and the author three books and many published articles on politics and education.
Some people believe that there are magic formulas that create miracle school improvements. In this view, all students across the USA are ready to learn, so all schools have to do is simply wave their magic wands and successful educational results for all students will happen. However, with 50 million students from an increasingly diverse and unequal American society attending more than 98,000 public schools, the challenges facing public education are much more complex than such simplistic magical solutions. The reality is that most public schools already do a myriad of innovative things in trying to reach all students. There are certainly many individual success stories with needy and disadvantaged youth but the existing challenge of creating universal achievement for all pupils in the USA is far from being met. That’s because the “built-in” difficulties of learning for millions of students nationally are not easily overcome. Education psychologist David Berliner, one of this country’s most distinguished education researchers, has refuted the “school miracle” philosophy. That’s because Berliner’s research has found that the big problems of building universal student achievement in American education are not in our nation’s schools. Berliner’s bottom line is that schools and the problems of our society are closely linked. His research has found that out-of-school factors (OSFs) play the most powerful role in educational achievement gaps and this is what needs to be addressed and improved.
https://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/guest-column-there-are-no-magic-wands-when-it-comes/article_f054cca6-26d6-11e9-99ea-47dee54a6c1b.html
Safe2Say tip line lets students, staff report potential school threats
Bucks County Courier By Chris English y Marion Callahan Posted at 5:00 AM
On Jan. 14, the Safe2Say Something anonymous tip line went live across all schools in the state. While educators embrace the motive to make schools safe, some say financial resources to support those identified through the tip line are lacking. Educators across the region agree schools need to be a safer place to learn. In January, Pennsylvania added another tool to help safeguard students. Pennsylvania became the first state to mandate all schools — public and private — activate the Safe2Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, a tipline developed by Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit founded by several parents whose children who were killed in the 2012 school shooting. Safe2Say is part of Act 44, a multi-faceted school security and safety law passed by state legislators last spring after the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Over the next few weeks, schools will train staff and students on how to report potential threats of violence, self-harm and other problems through an anonymous app, website, or 24/7 crisis hotline. While districts embrace a measure to identify threats, some area educators worry that the state mandate doesn’t provide the needed follow-up support that an influx of anonymous tips might require. “It has the potential to be an important support system to identity mental health and safety issues that need to come forward and be known,” said Quakertown Community Superintendent William Harner. “But once you identify a problem, you have to have a solution. You are identifying a mental health issue, but where are the funds to support those identified as having a genuine problem through this hotline?”
https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/20190204/safe2say-tip-line-lets-students-staff-report-potential-school-threats
Best Buddies Wing Bowl rocks Haverford High School
Delco Times Pete Bannan Pbannan@21st-Centurymedia.com February 2, 2019
HAVERFORD — The original WIP wing bowl may ended but there was still a chance for fans to enjoy some pre-Super Bowl bacchanal at Haverford High School’s Best Buddies Club 13th Annual Wing Bowl Friday. Best Buddies is an international club that promotes friendship and independence with students with intellectual disabilities with their non-disabled peers. The Haverford chapter has been active for the past 20 years with a membership of more than 150 students. This year there were had 15 potential wingers. The contest began with students and staff decorating a box/bucket promoting their wing name. The top five staff and students who raise the most money made it to the big day.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/best-buddies-wing-bowl-rocks-haverford-high-school/article_74415c28-2678-11e9-9e4a-e78eb403de6c.html
NCES: The Condition of Education 2018
National Center for Education Statistics Annual Congressional Report for 2018
This website contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. The indicators summarize important developments and trends using the latest statistics, which are updated throughout the year as new data become available. In addition, this website has Spotlight indicators that provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics. The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated report that is provided to Congress each year.
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/
DeVos Backtracks on Replacing Education Department Watchdog
Education Week P{olitics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on February 1, 2019 1:21 PM
UPDATED - By Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has backtracked from a move to replace her department's inspector general following an outcry from House and Senate Democratic education leaders. DeVos recently replaced Sandra Bruce, who took over as acting inspector general after Kathleen Tighe retired last year, with Phil Rosenfelt, who had previously served as the department's general counsel. On Friday, however, a spokeswoman for DeVos said that the move had been reversed and that Bruce was back on the job as the department's top watchdog. "After the designation of the Acting IG was made, the matter came to the attention of new personnel in the White House. After they reevaluated the situation, the decision was made, in an abundance of caution, to rescind the designation," Liz Hill said in a statement. The move came shortly after a Friday letterto DeVos sent by Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the chairman of the House education committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who oversees a panel that governs K-12 spending, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Senate education committee. They demanded an explanation from DeVos as to why she had replaced Bruce with Rosenfelt. Rosenfelt also briefly served as acting secretary of education between the time that President Barack Obama's secretary, John B. King Jr. stepped down and DeVos was sworn in.)
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/02/house-senate-congress-devos-department-watchdog.html
Cory Booker, School Choice Fan and Ex-DeVos Ally, Is Running for President
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on February 1, 2019 8:43 AM
A politician with a long track record of supporting vouchers and other forms of school choice will seek the White House in 2020—on the Democratic ticket. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced Friday that he will seek the presidency. When it comes to education policy, Booker has an interesting and perhaps unique track record among the Democrats who will fight to take on President Donald Trump. Although much of that record was established before he was elected to the Senate in 2013, how he talks about that record, and how teachers' unions react to his candidacy, will be worth watching. Before coming to Congress, Booker was the mayor of Newark, N.J., from 2006 to 2013. During that time, he made his support for various forms of choice one of the key issues of his administration. In 2012, for example, we highlighted Booker as an example of how vouchers had gained a political foothold among Democrats at the state and local level. That year, he gave a speech to the American Federation for Children, a group formerly led by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos (more on her in a moment) that supports vouchers, in which he said that many children "by law are locked into schools that fail their genius." And he co-founded a group, Excellent Education for Everyone, that backed charters and vouchers in New Jersey but fell short of its goals.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/02/cory-booker-vouchers-school-choice-devos-ally-president-2020.html
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.
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
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
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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