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
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
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
In charter school bid, Imani Christian Academy looks to become a publicly funded, secular school
Public Source by Mary Niederberger | February 4, 2019
Since its founding in 1993 with 30 students in a Swissvale home, Imani Christian Academy has provided a faith-based education to underprivileged students in grades K through 12. Imani students have come from the adjacent East Hills housing complex and nearby low-income neighborhoods. A strong Christian identity has been embedded in the school since the beginning. It was originally founded by Petra International Ministries and Bishop Donald Clay. But it appears that Imani’s current leadership may now be setting aside its Christian mission in order to qualify for public funding by transforming the private religious school into a public charter school. Imani’s charter application appears to follow a trend by other religious schools nationally in recent years. After struggling financially to stay afloat, some have chosen to transform into charter schools to create a steady revenue flow, even though it requires giving up their religious mission. Such transitions have occurred or are in the process in other states, includingFlorida and Tennessee and in Washington, D.C. Often the schools, like Imani, are those that serve poor or minority communities. Imani CEO and Head of School Paulo Nzambi has filed an application with the Pittsburgh Public Schools board to start the Imani Academy charter school at 2150 East Hills Drive, the location of Imani Christian Academy. The application calls for the charter school to start operation in fall 2019.
https://www.publicsource.org/imani-christian-academy-joins-national-trend-of-religious-schools-considering-charters-to-stay-afloat/
“Becoming a charter school would allow Imani to use taxpayer money — passed through the Pittsburgh school district — to operate. Charter schools receive their funding from the school districts where each individual student lives. The districts pay the charters a “tuition” rate, based on what the district spends per student.”
Pittsburgh school board questions Imani Christian leaders in quest for charter
ELIZABETH BEHRMAN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Lbehrman@post-gazette.com FEB 6, 2019 6:39 AM
A team of administrators tasked with reviewing charter school applications told the board of the Pittsburgh Public Schools at a hearing Tuesday that it had significant concerns with a proposed charter, citing among other issues the school’s religious curriculum. Leaders from Imani Christian Academy, a 22-year-old private Christian school in the East Hills, made their case before the school board this week to become Imani Academy Charter School. But the team of PPS curriculum supervisors and developers highlighted a number of issues with the school’s application, and questioned its ability to transform to a public charter school from a private school with a “deeply embedded” Christian curriculum. “(And) there are concerns from the review team that it would be difficult for families, because they choose a Christian school for a reason,” said Lisa Augustine, the district’s director of charter schools. “The very foundation of this school is the Christian religion.” Among the other concerns the review team cited: Imani’s proposed curriculum does not align with the PA Core Standards; the school would be unable to sufficiently meet the needs of special education students or students with special needs; and it had a prior period of financial instability. Also mentioned was the fact that when Imani Christian Academy bought the former East Hills Elementary building from the city school district, there was a legal agreement that the building would never be used for a charter school.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2019/02/06/Imani-Christian-Academy-Pittsburgh-Public-Schools-charter-application-students-board/stories/201902050004
Editorial: The cold, hard reality of education funding in Pa.
Delco Times Editorial February 6, 2019
Call them the “haves” and the “have-nots.” No, we’re not talking about the Patriots and the rest of the NFL. We’re talking about education, in particular the way it is done here in Pennsylvania, and perhaps even more importantly the way it is funded. This comes in the wake of a new report that suggests there are some massive icebergs ahead, even in the already choppy world of education funding in Pennsylvania. Temple University’s Center on Regional Politics has amassed an exhaustive study that forecasts the fiscal future of all 500 school districts in Pennsylvania. Their conclusion? Nearly 300 districts are staring at deficits that likely will result in a move to cut expenses, likely through program cuts, or a push to do something they do all too often – raise taxes. While that is an option for districts in well-to-do areas with a thriving economy and stable tax base, it doesn’t work nearly as well for struggling school districts, with eroding tax bases. That is in part because Pennsylvania continues to rely overwhelmingly on property taxes to fund education. A tax hike in a district with a solid tax base such as Marple Newtown or Haverford raises a lot more revenue than a similar increase in struggling areas such as William Penn. The result? Haves and Have-Nots. Students penalized with an education that does not match what is offered to students just a few miles away. An uneven playing field. Kids and families penalized for no reason other than their zip code.
https://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/editorial-the-cold-hard-reality-of-education-funding-in-pa/article_9aab2b76-2945-11e9-9348-ff4bd2a64b79.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
Pa. budget winner: Wolf’s commitment to education shines through in his 2019-20 budget
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated 4:51 PM; Posted 11:45 AM
At a glance: Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2019-20 budget unveiled on Tuesday pushes the state’s investment in preschool-to-grade 12 education up nearly 3 percent to a record level of more than $9.6 billion - a little more than 28 percent of the general fund budget. It includes a $200 million increase in direct funding to school districts to cover basic educational costs and moves $242 million from the Ready to Learn block grant program into basic education funding as well, bringing the total to nearly $6.1 billion. It also calls for $50 million more for special education, $50 million more for preschool, and $10 million more for career and technical education. The budget also calls for lowering the state’s compulsory school attendance age to 6 from the current 8 years old, while raising the dropout age from 17 to 18 years old. Wolf also proposes studying the idea of universal free full-day kindergarten for all children, and raising the minimum teacher’s starting salary to $45,000. The governor earmarks some of the funding for basic education to cover the proposed minimum salary mandate.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/02/pa-budget-winner-wolfs-commitment-to-education-shines-through-in-his-2019-20-budget.html
More money for schools, a corporate tax cut: Gov. Tom Wolf's budget at a glance
Steve Esack Contact Reporter Call Harrisburg Bureau
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing to spend $34.1 billion in the next fiscal year.
Wolf unveiled that plan Tuesday when he delivered the first budget address of his second term before a joint session of the Legislature in the Capitol. That is 4.3 percent higher than the enacted 2018-19 budget of $32.7 billion. However, the state is overspending that budget by nearly $495 million, primarily from expected cost overruns at the Department of Human Services, budget records show. The administration expects to cover those extra costs with tax revenue coming in and a transfer from the Lottery Fund. Adding in those extra costs shows Wolf’s 2019-20 budget proposal actually is about 2.8 percent higher than the $33.2 billion the state will need to close out the 2018-19 budget by June 30. Wolf’s plan for the 2019-20 fiscal year, which begins July 1, does not contain proposed broad-based tax increases on workers’ income or consumers’ purchases.
Public school education
·
$13.7 billion
total. That’s a 3.3 percent increase.
·
$200 million more
for the state’s per pupil subsidy, including a $13.8 million earmark to raise
teacher salaries in some urban and rural districts where pay is low. The per
pupil subsidy will total $6.3 billion. That’s about a 3 percent increase.
·
$50 million more
for special education for a total of nearly $1.2 billion. That’s a 4.4 percent
increase.
·
$50 million more
for preschool programs for a total of nearly $301.5 million. That’s a 16.6
percent increase.
·
Mandating a study
on statewide, full-day kindergarten.
·
Lowering the
compulsory age to start school from 8 to 6.
·
Raising the minimum
age in which students can drop out of high school from 17 to 18.
https://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pennsylvania-tom-wolf-budget-pieces-20190203-story.html“Pennsylvania’s students sorely need every dollar that the governor has proposed,” said Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, which is representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking an overhaul of the state’s funding formula to reduce the spending gaps and send more money to poorer districts. “But it will take much more significant investments, targeted to the most disadvantaged school districts, to close our state’s longstanding resource gaps and fix its broken education funding system.”
Gov. Wolf’s budget: good for education, but more is needed, advocates say
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa February 5 — 8:18 pm, 2019
Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal includes significant additional funds for education, which advocates say is welcome but will make only incremental progress in reducing Pennsylvania’s gap between its richest and poorest districts — the largest of any state. Some Pennsylvania districts spend nearly three times as much per student as others. The proposed budget, which must be approved by the Republican-controlled legislature, includes an increase in the Basic Education Formula of $200 million and an appropriation of a Ready-to-Learn block grant of just under $242 million. Of that pot, covering both early childhood and K-12, Philadelphia would get a boost of $88.6 million, according to a spreadsheet on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. Wolf also proposed a $50 million increase in special education aid. Of that sum, Philadelphia would get $8.3 million more, increasing its allocation to $153.7 million. Philadelphia receives $1.2 billion in basic education aid, or about 17 percent of the state’s total allocation of $6.5 billion. The governor also wants $10 million more for career and technical education.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2019/02/05/gov-wolfs-budget-good-for-education-but-more-is-needed-advocates-say/
PA School Funding Coalition Calls on Legislature to Go Further on 2019-20 Education Funding
Advocates Commend Governor Wolf, Ignite Efforts to Persuade Legislature to Invest Further
HARRISBURG, PA (Nov. 8, 2018) — PA Schools Work, a non-partisan coalition of organizations representing urban, suburban and rural communities, called Governor Wolf’s 2019-20 budget proposal a good launching point, but said more funding is needed. PA Schools Work leaders called on its statewide legion of supporters to encourage their local legislators to prioritize public education funding, citing underfunded schools across the state. PA Schools Work 22 partner organizations issued the following statement regarding the 2019-20 PA Budget Proposal:
“The mission of PA Schools Work is to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or where they live, is attending a public school that has the funds necessary to help them succeed—this budget proposal doesn’t get us there. So while we appreciate Governor Wolf’s commitment to our public schools since he took office, in the spirit of advocacy we must move our supporters to push on.
http://paschoolswork.org/pa-school-funding-coalition-calls-on-legislature-to-go-further-on-2019-20-education-funding/
“Republicans also expressed skepticism that educators across Pennsylvania would benefit from Wolf’s proposal to increase minimum teacher salaries. The governor’s budget includes a $200 million increase in basic education funding, a small portion of which would be used to raise the salaries of teachers across the state to a minimum of $45,000 per year. “The first question in my mind is, ‘Is anyone actually paying the minimum salary?’” Cutler said. The Pennsylvania State Educators Association estimates that 5,152 teachers in 288 districts across Pennsylvania earn salaries under $45,000, based on an analysis of 2017-18 data from the state Department of Education and collective bargaining agreements.”
Republican leaders praise Wolf’s proposed workforce initiatives, bristle at spending increases
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison February 5, 2019
State Republicans this afternoon had measured praise for Gov. Tom Wolf’s fifth budget proposal, saying that while they support his initiatives to develop Pennsylvania’s workforce, they may oppose proposals to increase overall spending. “I think we’ll break the normal tradition as the opposition to come out and ridicule or complain about the governor’s proposal,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, said during a press conference after Wolf’s Tuesday address. “There is a lot there we can get behind, at least generically. The governor laid out priorities that I think we all share, workforce development being chief among them.” In a joint address to the General Assembly, Wolf proposed a $34.1 billion budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year that calls for flat taxes and a 2.79 increase in spending.
https://www.penncapital-star.com/featured/republican-leaders-praise-wolfs-proposed-workforce-initiatives-bristle-at-spending-increases/
Democrats are happy with Wolf’s budget proposal — but want to go further
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso February 5, 2019
The reaction from Gov. Tom Wolf’s own party to his Tuesday budget address? It’s a start.
Members of the Democratic minority from both chambers sees Wolf’s proposed budget as an uncontroversial kickoff to negotiations they hope to expand to include more policies in the coming months. “It’s consistent with the previous budgets of the governor, which is steady and sure progress forward,” said Sen. Vincent Hughes, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I think there are a number of us who would like to have seen a much more robust investment in our basic education spending priorities,” the Philadelphia senator added.” I think there are number of us who would have liked to see a much more robust presentation around the natural gas severance tax.” “The governor’s budget moves us in the right direction, but there is still more to go,” Rep. Matt Bradford, Hughes’ House counterpart, added in a floor speech following the address.
https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/democrats-are-happy-with-wolfs-budget-proposal-but-want-to-go-further/
Gov. Wolf calls for salary boost for many rural teachers in new budget
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent February 5, 2019
In terms of education dollars, the first budget of Gov. Tom Wolf’s second term isn’t as ambitious as the one he proposed four years ago. But it does keep education policy at the forefront, with proposals that would set a statewide minimum teacher salary of $45,000; lower the mandatory education age from 8 to 6; and shift more money to programs that help children before kindergarten. Wolf asked lawmakers for an extra $200 million in basic education funding. That’s half of what he requested in his first budget address, but double what he proposed — and got — last year. He also proposed a $50 million increase for special-ed. “We must continue to increase funding for education — starting with pre-K and culminating at the end of a student’s journey,” Wolf said in his Tuesday budget address. In 2014, Wolf campaigned for dramatic boosts to education funding. Through his first term, basic education spending increased by $365 million.
That number rises to more than $800 million when special education, special block grants and money for pre-K are included. But Wolf, a Democrat working with Republican majorities in the state House and Senate, hasn’t secured the $2 billion increase in education spending he promised in his first budget.
https://whyy.org/articles/gov-wolf-calls-for-salary-boost-for-many-rural-teachers-in-new-budget/
“On the spending side, Wolf’s plan calls for an additional $200 million in funding for K-12 instruction in public schools, an extra $50 million for special education and another $7 million for Pennsylvania’s 14 state universities. It also calls for educational policy changes, such as raising the school dropout age from 17 to 18, while lowering the age at which children must begin attending school from 8 to 6. The governor also wants to set a $45,000 minimum salary for public school teachers, up from $18,500. That would affect roughly 3,200 teachers, many in rural districts, administration officials said.”
Gov. Wolf unveils budget: more money for public schools and a higher minimum wage
Inquirer by Liz Navratil and Angela Couloumbis, Updated: 2 minutes ago
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday unveiled a $34.1 billion budget that would boost funding for public schools, raise the minimum wage and help counties update their voting machines, while steering clear of the broad-based tax increases that sank some of his earlier initiatives. The Democratic governor’s budget — his first since reelection — was a return to some of his more progressive wishes and a nod to the realities of negotiating with the Republican-controlled legislature, which has refused to consider increases in the state sales and personal income taxes.
https://www.philly.com/news/wolf-budget-unveil-severance-tax-minimum-wage-20190205.html
It’s Groundhog Day for Governor Wolf & his budget proposal | Editorial
The Inquirer Editorial Board Updated: February 5, 2019 - 6:14 PM
Governor Tom Wolf’s fifth budget address, delivered Tuesday, reminded us of Groundhog Day -- not the day on which we find out if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, but the 1993 film in which Bill Murray wakes up to “I Got You Babe” again and again and again in an endless deja vu. Gov. Wolf seems to be waking up each morning to the belief that the General Assembly will support his revenue proposals -- despite the fact they have failed to do so for years. Wolf’s plan, which would increase the $32 billion state budget by $1.4 billion, is ambitious, and much of it is familiar: increase the minimum wage, invest in schools and special education, fundi the response for the opioid epidemic, assistfarmers, and repair infrastructure. However, it is unclear if there is a path for Wolf to pay for this, since, like President George H.W. Bush, he’s promising “no new taxes.”
https://www.philly.com/opinion/editorials/governor-tom-wolf-budget-address-severance-tax-minimum-wage-20190205.html
“Other Lehigh Valley superintendents said they appreciate Wolf’s call for more funding in education, but wished it went a step further in addressing flaws in the funding system. Bethlehem Area Superintendent Joseph Roy would have liked to have seen a call to reimburse districts for some charter school tuition costs. This year, the district is paying $30 million in charter tuition, and in previous years, the school board has blamed charter schools for raising taxes. “An increase in the Basic Education Formula combined with reinstating the charter tuition reimbursement would balance Bethlehem Area’s budget with no revenue increase necessary,” Roy said.”
What Lehigh Valley school districts would get under Gov. Tom Wolf's budget
Staff and wire reports Of The Morning Call
Most of the new money in Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed 2019 budget would go to public schools, including $200 million for general operations and instruction. About $13 million of that would finance a boost in the state's decades-old minimum wage for teachers from $18,500 to $45,000, a provision officials said would mostly benefit rural school districts. Schools also would get another $45 million for school safety, a higher priority after last February's school shooting in Parkland, Fla., while the state would borrow more money for school construction projects. To try to reverse the loss of younger people moving to other states, Wolf is seeking $8 million to give community college students who remain in Pennsylvania a $2,500 grant to offset tuition or pay down student debt. To enhance skills training, Wolf is seeking $12 million in grants for employers to train workers and $10 million more to encourage apprenticeships. Aside from those changes, Wolf also shuffled larger pots of money in his $13. billion education budget. For intance, he ended the Ready to Learn Block Grant and rolled that money directly into the state's per pupil allocation known as the "basic education funding." That is mainly why the increases look so high for school districts in the Lehigh Valley.
https://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-lehigh-valley-school-district-money-20190205-story.html
Raising minimum teacher pay to $45,000; Is it an idea whose time has come?
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Feb 5, 4:36 PM
Panther Valley School District third-grade teacher Tori Koerbler is among the 5,100 Pennsylvanians who would get a big pay raise under Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to raise the minimum salary for public school teachers. In the 2019-20 state budget that he unveiled Tuesday, Wolf proposed setting Pennsylvania’s new minimum salary for teachers at $45,000. The starting pay for teachers has been stuck at $18,500 for the past 30 years. Koerbler, a married mother of three, said the additional money in her paycheck would help her family’s finances. But more importantly, she said a higher minimum salary would provide something that she sees as lacking in the public perception of those in the teaching profession: respect.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/02/raising-minimum-teacher-pay-to-45000-is-it-an-idea-whose-time-has-come.html
Remarks by Governor Wolf at 2019 Budget Address (Transcript)
Governor Wolf’s Website February 05, 2019
https://www.governor.pa.gov/remarks-by-governor-wolf-at-budget-address/?fbclid=IwAR3lMNptY3AnVXoVbfWBBmYe_92PyR1vGxiwW_wdHpq6mwd-9uaySVkpXn4
Philly’s fight over charter schools is over | Opinion
Anthony Hardy Williams, For the Inquirer updated: February 5, 2019 - 12:25 PM
State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams represents the Eighth Senatorial District in West Philadelphia.
In the bitter debate about “charter schools vs. District schools,” here’s a question: Why are we still arguing about this? The fight is over. Families all over Philadelphia have chosen, and charter schools now educate nearly 40 percent of Philadelphia’s school children. Like it or not, there’s no point in debating the question any longer: Charter schools are here to stay, and let’s remember, charter or District, they’re all public schools. Let’s stop wasting energy on that issue, and instead focus on what really matters when we examine the schools our children attend. In every case, we should be asking one fundamental question: Does this school add value? Adding value means that the school provides a quality education for children, and that it is accountable to the families it serves and to the taxpayers of Philadelphia. Every school, in every neighborhood, should provide the same quality education that wealthier families fight over when it comes to getting their kids admitted to Masterman, or Central, or S.L.A., or Jackson Elementary School. That’s the real problem: Depending on your zip code, Philadelphia can offer an education that is world class. But if you’re poor and a person of color, the “choice” too often means being stranded in neighborhood public schools that wealthy (mostly white) people wouldn’t tolerate for 10 seconds.
https://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-charter-schools-public-education-school-choice-20190205.html
Grand jury report on Penn Hills School District: 'Catastrophic financial condition'
Report does not recommend criminal charges, but urges legislative action
MATT MCKINNEY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mmckinney@post-gazette.com FEB 5, 2019 11:34 AM
Nearly a decade after the Penn Hills School District moved forward with two costly construction projects, an Allegheny County grand jury released a report Tuesday blaming the school board and district officials for poor leadership, mismanagement, inept decision-making and favoritism that has left the district in a “catastrophic financial condition.” The district is now $172 million in debt, with the third-highest property tax rate in Allegheny County. The district’s financial situation makes it unclear how it will recover or even continue to operate, the report said. The 75-page report released Tuesday describes how board members, district leaders and vendors made decisions that showed a lack of understanding of future costs and obligations related to the projects. Meanwhile, the state Department of Education failed to provide proper oversight, the report said.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2019/02/05/Penn-Hills-School-District-Grand-Jury-report-budget-mismanagement/stories/201902040125
“But some “givens” are that the district’s required contributions to the retirement system for teachers continue to rise and the rate of increase in health-care costs for employees. “As you can see, the pension (the tab that must be paid to the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement System, or PSERS) has been the single largest driver of increases in our budget over the last decade,” she said. PSERS requires that the district pay out 34 cents on every dollar of wages, though it gets back 17 cents, according to Kew. While pension reforms have been passed by the state Legislature, they do not take effect until July 1, she said. New hires will be affected. And due to an increase to cover the higher initial cost of the new plans, districts are not expected to begin to realize savings until 2034-35.”
Wallingford-Swarthmore eyes 3.2 percent tax hike
Delco Times By Neil Sheehan Times Correspondent February 5, 2019
NETHER PROVIDENCE — Taxes in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District would increase by 3.2 percent starting July 1 under a proposed budget for fiscal year 2019-20. The school board is expected to vote on the preliminary plan during its meeting on Feb. 11. Final adoption of the budget is scheduled for June 10. During a presentation of the spending blueprint on Jan.14, district Business Administrator Martha Kew said Wallingford-Swarthmore was permitted under the state’s Act 1 Index to boost taxes by 2.3 percent. However, the district will make use of 0.9-percent exception for special education costs that would clear the way for the higher rate. For a home assessed at the district average of $179,000, with a current annual school tax bill of $8,109, the change will result in additional $260 in taxes. Meanwhile, for a homeowner with a property assessed at $337,000, with an annual bill of $17,079 at present, the new rate would tack on another $549 in taxes.
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/wallingford-swarthmore-eyes-percent-tax-hike/article_e0a1e34a-2995-11e9-9f17-679b8928a420.html
Trump talks education policy in State of the Union — one sentence of it
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss February 5 at 11:46 PM
President Trump addressed education policy in his 2019 State of the Union speech Tuesday night — in one 16-word sentence: “To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America’s children.” The president did not mention any other issue about education policy — including the recommendations of his federal school safety commission headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. But the secretary issued a statement in support of Trump’s school choice comment.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/02/06/trump-talks-education-policy-state-union-one-sentence-it/?utm_term=.b7a74a2e4e34
Trump in State of the Union Speech: 'Pass School Choice,' Fund Family Leave
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on February 5, 2019 10:20 PM
President Donald Trump used his second State of the Union address to call on Congress to enact new school choice legislation—without offering any details on what it would look like—and fund paid family leave for new parents. "To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America's children," Trump said. "I am also proud to be the first president to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child." The school choice pitch is likely to be a tough sell in a Democratically controlled House of Representatives. And while Trump called for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws and increased border security, he did so without mentioning the so-called Dreamers, who face an uncertain future since Trump rescinded President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program back in 2012. That program gave temporary legal status to 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/02/trump-sotu-paid-family-leave-infrastructure-immigration.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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