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PA Ed Policy Roundup August 8, 2019
If school districts
could deduct their charter school tuition from the tuition calculation to
ensure that it didn't unfairly ratchet up the tuition rate from year to year,
it would save them $450 million.
If school districts
could use their actual percentage of special education students in the special
education charter school tuition calculation instead of a fictitious number, it
would save them $65 million.
If school districts
could cap the annual charter school tuition rate growth at their Act 1 index to
mitigate annual cost increases, it would save them $96 million.
If the state would take
on the cost of cyber charter school tuition since the state is responsible for
authorizing and overseeing cyber charter schools, it would save school
districts $520 million.
Rep. Dan Williams to host Policy Committee hearing on
Fair Education Funding Monday in Coatesville on Monday August 12 at 1:00 pm
PA House Democratic Policy Committee
August 7, 2019 | 2:32 PM
COATESVILLE, Aug. 7 – State Rep.
Dan Williams, D-Chester, announced today that he will host a House Democratic
Policy Committee Hearing next week on fair education funding.
The event is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 12, at The Spackman Center, 215 Reeceville Road, Coatesville,
19320. Media and the public are invited to attend.
Williams requested the hearing to discuss
ways to improve the allocation of education funds for school districts
throughout Pennsylvania. Fellow state legislators, including Policy Committee
Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, will also attend and participate.
Testifiers will include:
- Dr.
Cathy Taschner,
superintendent, Coatesville Area School District
- Pam
Brown,
president, PSEA Southeastern Region
- Henry
Assetto,
school board director, Coatesville Area School District.
- Tomea
Sippio-Smith,
K12 policy director, Public Citizens for Children and Youth
- Local
senior citizens about increasing property taxes.
This hearing is among a series being held
across the commonwealth on House Democrats’ Plan4PA, which focuses on putting
people first by growing good jobs, providing health care access, creating
quality schools and providing training for jobs in a fair economy. More
information about the plan is available at www.plan4pa.com, and
hearing materials can be found at www.pahouse.com/policycommittee.
In 2017-18, taxpayers in Senate Ed Committee Members’
school districts had to send over $149 million to chronically underperforming
cyber charter schools that they never authorized.
Data Source: PDE via PSBA.
|
Wayne Langerholc
|
R
|
Bedford
|
$10,352,558.79
|
|
Andrew Dinniman
|
D
|
Chester
|
$15,672,638.25
|
|
John DiSanto
|
R
|
Dauphin
|
$21,154,163.29
|
|
Joseph Scarnati
|
R
|
Potter
|
$11,443,339.56
|
|
Ryan Aument
|
R
|
Lancaster
|
$9,175,841.22
|
|
Patrick Browne
|
R
|
Lehigh
|
$10,444,374.84
|
|
Mike Folmer
|
R
|
Lebanon
|
$19,387,881.10
|
|
Robert Tomlinson
|
R
|
Bucks
|
$10,432,488.25
|
|
James Brewster
|
D
|
Allegheny
|
$15,897,374.62
|
|
Daylin Leach
|
D
|
Montgomery
|
$5,799,084.60
|
|
Lindsay Williams
|
D
|
Allegheny
|
$19,569,080.20
|
|
$149,328,824.72
|
PA Senate Education Committee Public Hearing on Charter
School Funding
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 1:00 PM
Everett Area H. S. 1 Renaissance Cir.
Everett, PA
Pennsylvania Council of Churches Ministry of
Public Witness August 7, 2019
by s.strauss@pachurches.org | posted
in: Education, Uncategorized | 0
From Education Voters of Pennsylvania (http://www.educationvoterspa.org/):
Please take a few minutes to ask your state
lawmakers about their positions on cyber charter school funding and
accountability reforms athttps://actionnetwork.org/letters/do-your-lawmakers-support-cyber-charter-school-funding-and-accountability-reform.
Right now, lawmakers are in their districts
enjoying summer vacations. They are away from Harrisburg and have time to
reflect on issues they will prioritize in the fall. Emails from constituents
querying their positions on cyber charter schools will keep this issue on their
radar and ensure that they know their constituents are watching them and
expecting them to take action. Click HERE to email your state senator
and representative to ask them about their positions on cyber charter school
funding and accountability reforms.
As you know, in February, Education Voters of
PA issued a report about cyber charter
school funding. We detailed how capping cyber
charter school tuition rates at the actual cost of educating a child at home on
a computer would eliminate wasteful spending and save more than $250 million in
taxpayer dollars. We also detailed serious issues with cyber charter
accountability and performance.
“And there is one area were the law is strikingly specific: who
can apply.
To apply for this designation, the school must be located in a
federal promise zone, have partnered with behavioral health specialists, and be
within “the bottom 5% of all schools in this Commonwealth based on the percent
of enrollment that is economically disadvantaged.” There is only one federal
promise zone in Pennsylvania, and it’s in West Philadelphia. Within that
promise zone, there are just seven schools, six of which are run by the School
District of Philadelphia. The district said it did not advocate for this law
and only found out about it shortly before the legislature approved it. The
seventh school is Belmont Charter School, whose founder, Michael Karp, is a
prominent real estate developer and political donor. Belmont Charter Network
CEO, Jennifer Faustman, makes no secret: it was her school that lobbied for
this law and her school that intends to apply for the innovation schools
designation.”
Public schools, charter schools and…innovation schools?
Why a new category of school in Pa.?
WHYY By Avi
Wolfman-Arent August
8, 2019
Amid a flurry of action before summer recess
this year, state lawmakers created a new category of public school — with little
warning or open debate — that seems designed to benefit one charter school in
Philadelphia. They’re called “innovation schools.” Backers say the new category
is a good-spirited attempt to cut through red tape and test a model that blends
academics with behavioral health supports. Skeptics think it’s a political
hand-out that could create a dangerous precedent for other schools who want
special favors. It’s hard to define what an innovation school is at this point.
An eight-page insert into
Pennsylvania’s school code says applicants can apply to the state Department of
Education and submit annual plans about their work. One part of this law seems
to be about giving schools extra flexibility. If the state education department
approves the application and the annual plan submitted by the innovation
school, it must then waive any state regulations that would conflict with the
implementation of that plan. The department must also seek federal waivers for
any federal regulations that could get in the way of the approved annual plan.
Blogger comment: Charter supporters recently took umbrage at Governor
Wolf characterizing them as “private”. However, IMHO it appears that a
significant distinction between “public schools” and “public charter schools”
is that if you are a charter operator and are able to contribute enough money
to legislative leadership you can shape public policy without the usual
inconveniences of the democratic process.
Vahan Gureghian’s 10 year charter reauthorization for his Chester
Community Charter School is another recent example. This July 10th
KEYSEC posting detailed Michael Karp’s campaign contributions…..
Follow the Money: Charter Operator Cost of Doing Business?
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup July 10, 2019
In an effort to gain a better understanding
of the dynamics in Harrisburg, from time to time over the years we have
published “Follow the Money” charts using data from the PA Department of
State’s Campaign Finance Reporting website: https://www.campaignfinanceonline.pa.gov/Pages/CFReportSearch.aspx
We’ll leave it up to our readers to draw
their own conclusions regarding how such contributions may or may not influence
policymakers as they go about the people’s business in Harrisburg. Michael Karp is the founder and board chair
of the Belmont Academy and Belmont Elementary Charter Schools in West
Philly. He is also the principal at University Housing Company
(UCH), which owns and manages 4000+ apartment units.
The chart below lists over $600,000 in
campaign contributions made by Mr. Karp and UCH for PA state offices from 2016
through 2019.
Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Monday,
August 5, 2019
When Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf trotted out his budget last month,
he made it a point to note that he was raising money for public schools-- and
that he had some definite ideas about which schools are public and which
schools are not.
He wants to see more of those basic education dollars to school districts get distributed through the state’s fair funding formula. He also wants to address concerns related to cyber charter schools, which he referred to as “the growing cost of privatization of education in our public schools.”
And just in case that wasn't clear enough, a press release from the governor's office was even more direct:
Pennsylvania must help school districts struggling with the problem of increasing amounts of school funding siphoned by private cyber and charter schools. Funding reform would increase transparency so all schools that receive state dollars are accountable to the taxpayers.
This made Ana Meyers sad.
He wants to see more of those basic education dollars to school districts get distributed through the state’s fair funding formula. He also wants to address concerns related to cyber charter schools, which he referred to as “the growing cost of privatization of education in our public schools.”
And just in case that wasn't clear enough, a press release from the governor's office was even more direct:
Pennsylvania must help school districts struggling with the problem of increasing amounts of school funding siphoned by private cyber and charter schools. Funding reform would increase transparency so all schools that receive state dollars are accountable to the taxpayers.
This made Ana Meyers sad.
Where does all that cyber charter tuition
money go?
Blogger rant: Ever wonder just where all those public tax
dollars go that are spent paying inflated cyber charter tuition (remember, cybers
are paid the same rates as brick and mortar charters, even though they do not
have the same staffing, facility and transportation costs)? Yes, we know that Nick Trombetta spent a good
bit on an airplane and condos. Yes, we know that a great deal is spent on
advertising, but over the years K12, Inc. has put the “P” in privatization.
They helped write the laws that enabled cyber charters, lobbied heavily to get
those laws passed, and continue to support “friendly” legislators who protect
their business. Unfortunately, the lion’s share of funding sent to chronically
underperforming cyber charters comes from our most underfunded school
districts, so it is reassuring to know that our neighbors’ tax dollars are also
going to support a good cause: corporate profits and generous executive
compensation.
K12 Inc. Tops $1
Billion in Revenues for Fiscal 2019, Even as Georgia Charter School Fight Looms
Education Week
Market Brief Michele Molnar Associate Editor August 7, 2019
K12 Inc., the
Herndon, Va. public company that provides online curriculum and manages virtual
schools for students in pre-K-12, topped $1 billion in annual revenues for
the first time in fiscal 2019, according to its annual results announced
Tuesday. But a dispute with Georgia Charter Academy over the company’s contract
for serving 10,000 public school students added a sobering note to the
otherwise upbeat report. The company’s revenue growth of 10.7 percent year
over year was “based on the managed public schools program,” said Nate Davis,
CEO and chairman of the board, who spoke in a conference call for investors
after the New York Stock Exchange closed yesterday. It “again demonstrates
the strength of our core public schools business and the underlying demand for
blended and online school options.”
Morningstar: K12,
Inc. Key Executive Compensation for 2018 tops $18.2 million
KEYSEC Reprise March 2013: Collection of articles on
Pennsylvania cybers and charters, including some additional history on K12,
Inc. and (former) Pennsylvania Budget Secretary Charles Zogby’s involvement
with them.
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed
Policy Roundup March 9, 2013
“The dispute is yet another example of the messy process that
can surround closing a charter school in Pennsylvania, leaving not just
taxpayer money in limbo, but the education of students — whose prospects for
the coming year remain unclear.”
Philly charter school on the brink of closing after
losing payments from School District
Inquirer by
Maddie Hanna, Updated: August 8, 2019-
5:14 AM
Philadelphia’s Eastern University Academy
Charter School is suing the School District for stopping its payments after a
state appeals board vote in June to close the charter.
“The School District is not allowing the
legal process to run its course. This is a de facto closure, and it’s illegal,”
said the charter’s CEO, Omar Barlow, who has accused the district of targeting his school
and other minority-led charters. The
charter still has the right to go to court. But it might not have money to do
so — or to open in September, potentially leaving several hundred students in
limbo. Under Pennsylvania law, school districts send money to charter schools
each month. Eastern hasn’t received payments since June from the School
District, which has faulted the charter for poor standardized test scores and
compliance issues. The former School Reform Commission voted to close the
school in April 2018, a decision affirmed by the appeals board in
June. Eastern says it intends to appeal that decision, but the board hasn’t yet
issued a written order. The district, meanwhile, says the charter will no
longer be in effect once the appeals board issues its order. At that point, the
district said, it would have “no realistic method” of getting back money paid
before the order was released. “A
substantial sum of public money paid to the [charter school] would be lost and
never recovered,” the district said in a response to the charter’s lawsuit.
Tackling property tax relief on Pa. lawmakers’ minds
again; work group formed to find a solution
A workgroup of House and Senate members,
along with representatives from Gov. Tom Wolf's administration, has been formed
to try to identify a path forward for solving the burdensome school property
tax issue.
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated
6:41 AM; Today 5:15 AM
Pennsylvania state lawmakers are making
overtures once again about attempting to address the intractable issue of
school property tax relief this fall. A bicameral, bipartisan group of
lawmakers along with administration officials are meeting behind closed doors
later today to informally discuss possible pathways to lead to a new way to
fund public schools. “Governor Wolf continues to be open to reforming property
taxes. He proposed significant property tax
relief in his first budget as governor. He looks
forward to seeing what the working group comes to consensus on,” said J.J.
Abbott, a spokesman for Wolf.
Pa. state rep crafts a plan to eliminate school property
taxes
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated
6:43 AM; Today 5:10 AM
Plenty of ideas for solving the problem of
burdensome school property tax bills over the years, but state Rep. Frank Ryan
is offering a novel one that he stops the practice of school districts using
your home as collateral to support their spending. The Lebanon County
Republican’s proposal seeks to completely eliminate school property taxes while
keeping local the majority of the new revenue it would raise. He is open to
tweaking the plan which has yet to be introduced but he said right now he
envisions it this way. It would:
“More than 10,000 tips statewide related to student bullying and
cyber-bullying, suicide, depression, anxiety, and self-harm, the data show.
Just 607 tips — three percent of the total — were threats of violence against
schools.”
Pennsylvania set up a tip line for school threats.
Instead, students overwhelmingly called with mental health concerns
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison August
8, 2019
Middletown Area High School, which enrolls
650 students in a rural part of Dauphin County, was designed with security in
mind. The school is surveilled with more than 115 security cameras, according
to its principal Michael Carnes. And while natural light floods the hallways,
most of it comes from glass walls enclosing a courtyard at the center of the
building — for security reasons, there aren’t many windows on the exterior,
Carnes said. But Carnes knows that top-of-the-line safety features can only go
so far in protecting students. “We’re never going to be 100 percent [safe],”
Carnes said Monday, when his school hosted a threat response training for
educators delivered by the U.S. Secret Service. “There’s no Fort Knox for a
school, and we don’t want a prison. So how do you make it nice, but safe?” The
answer, Carnes said, is to hire the right people. In the past decade, the
Middletown campus has bolstered its ranks of mental health professionals,
hiring its first social workers, doubling the number of school psychologists,
and contracting with a private company to provide in-school counseling
services, Carnes said.
While demand for mental health services
outstrips access in Pennsylvania, state lawmakers in recent years haven’t
increased spending, WITF-FM in Harrisburg reported in December.
“Census data show that about 12 percent of Americans age 16-24
are not in school and not working. In Philadelphia, the rate is nearly 20
percent, which ranks it among the worst for big cities nationally.”
Last Chance High: 'Beautiful band of misfits' fight to
graduate
WHYY By Kevin
McCorry August 7, 2019 Listen
Joshua Martinez started selling drugs at 14.
It was the summer before 8th grade, and the first lesson he learned was a
survival tactic, a lesson for the here and now: don’t get caught. “You
got to hide your material somewhere. Like you never have it on you. Why? Cause
if the cops do come, all they catch you with is money,” he said. “They don’t
catch you with the work.” Josh was born on Hope Street, in Kensington, a
neighborhood in Philadelphia notorious for open air drug markets that’s been
ravaged by the opioid crisis. Like most families in the area, Josh’s lives in
poverty, and, as a kid, the drug trade offered some semblance of relief. “Mom
didn’t have a job. Pop was locked up. So you know I had to do some things for
money. Nothing nice,” he said, “but, that’s just how I grew up.” This was not
the life Josh wanted to live. But he saw his mom struggling to raise five kids
on her own and felt obligated to help. “My brother sold it. My brother-in-law
sold it,” he said. “I knew what I was doing was bad and sometimes I would be
scared. But at the end of the day, it helped my mom pay the bills.” Living hand
to mouth, school did not seem like a big priority. “Always had a problem
getting up,” he said. “And my mom never forced me to go to school so I would
miss a lot of days.” He made it to nearby Edison High School, but felt
completely disconnected. “When I was there, I felt out of place,” he said. “I
didn’t talk to nobody.”
So, at 16, he dropped out — becoming one of
about 3,500 students in Philadelphia who quit school during the 2014-15 year. For
many dropouts, that’s where the academic journey ends.
After El Paso, Dayton, Franklin & Marshall poll finds
strong support for new gun laws | Thursday Morning Coffee
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek August
8, 2019
Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Mirroring the national mood, a new Franklin & Marshall College poll finds Pennsylvanians well ahead of policymakers when it comes to support for new laws regulating gun ownership. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the 627 respondents contacted by the Lancaster County-based school say they “strongly” or “somewhat” favor “new laws that regulate gun ownership,” compared to 33 percent who oppose new controls. Three percent of respondents were undecided. The survey, conducted from July 29 to Aug. 4, falls within the weekend of deadly shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, that left 31 people dead, and wounded dozens more. The polling sample includes 295 Democrats, 251 Republicans and 81 independent voters. The poll had an overall margin of error of 6 percent. The results are all-but-unchanged from a March F&M poll that found respondents favoring new gun laws 62-35 percent, with 3 percent undecided. “The support for gun control is there — and it’s been there,” F&M pollster Terry Madonna said Wednesday. “The real question is whether there’s going to be pressure on lawmakers in their districts,” to act.
Mirroring the national mood, a new Franklin & Marshall College poll finds Pennsylvanians well ahead of policymakers when it comes to support for new laws regulating gun ownership. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the 627 respondents contacted by the Lancaster County-based school say they “strongly” or “somewhat” favor “new laws that regulate gun ownership,” compared to 33 percent who oppose new controls. Three percent of respondents were undecided. The survey, conducted from July 29 to Aug. 4, falls within the weekend of deadly shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, that left 31 people dead, and wounded dozens more. The polling sample includes 295 Democrats, 251 Republicans and 81 independent voters. The poll had an overall margin of error of 6 percent. The results are all-but-unchanged from a March F&M poll that found respondents favoring new gun laws 62-35 percent, with 3 percent undecided. “The support for gun control is there — and it’s been there,” F&M pollster Terry Madonna said Wednesday. “The real question is whether there’s going to be pressure on lawmakers in their districts,” to act.
Franklin & Marshall College Poll - The 28th year of consecutive
polling in Pennsylvania
Below are the highlights of the September August, 2019, Franklin & Marshall College Poll. Complete results can be found at http://www.fandm.edu/fandmpoll
Below are the highlights of the September August, 2019, Franklin & Marshall College Poll. Complete results can be found at http://www.fandm.edu/fandmpoll
- Half
(51%) of the state’s registered voters believe the state is “headed in the
right direction.”
- Most
(61%) registered voters in Pennsylvania believe that the state’s tax system
needs a fundamental overhaul and three in five (60%) believes that
property taxes should be replaced by broader, state-wide taxes.
- Most
(65%) also believe that the state spends “too little” on services for
people with mental health issues. One in four (27%) voters feel it would
be hard to access mental health services.
- Former
Vice President Joe Biden (28%) is the top choice for president among
Pennsylvania’s registered Democrats, followed by Senator Elizabeth Warren
(21%).Bernie Sanders trails at (12%, and Kamala Harris at (8%).
- About
one in three (37%) registered voters in Pennsylvania believe President
Trump is doing an “excellent” or “good” job as president, which is
consistent with recent F&M polls.
- Only
one in three (34%) registered voters believes that the United States is
“headed in the right direction.
- Two
in five (38%) registered voters believe President Trump has done a good
enough job to deserve re-election and most (78%) of these respondents say
they will vote for him no matter who runs against him.
- Three
in five (61%) voters say it is time for a change and four in five (85%) of
these voters say they will vote against the president no matter who runs
against him.
Wolf calls for ‘swift passage’ of red flag law, universal
background checks in wake of El Paso, Dayton shootings
PA Capital Star By Sarah Anne Hughes August
7, 2019
At the end of a Wednesday rally held in the
wake of the latest high-profile mass shootings in America, Gov. Tom Wolf
invited questions from the press about his call for additional gun control
measures. After the assembled journalists were finished, Robert Woodkey of
Uniontown wanted to make a statement. Woodkey, who said he learned about the
event on a message board for Firearms Owners Against Crime, a Pennsylvania-based
pro-gun group, told Wolf he represented “the other side of this.” “I know some
of you have first-hand experience with loss of life. I understand that,” he
said. “But there are laws in place that have not and cannot be enforced on gun
control. I don’t think it’s going to accomplish anything.” Wolf stopped the
man. “What we’re trying to say here, sir, is we all live in the same country,”
Wolf replied. “We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. … We’re not trying to take anybody’s rights away. We’re trying to
preserve our own.” Less than a week after 31 people were killed by gunmen in El
Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Wolf gathered in the Capitol rotunda with U.S.
Sen. Bob Casey, state lawmakers, and dozens of supporters to demand action on
gun control.
'It's just common sense,' Toomey says, calling for
background checks to pass Congress
Lancaster Online by GILLIAN McGOLDRICK | Staff Writer August 7,
2019
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey on Tuesday issued a
renewed call for the Senate to pass two pieces of bipartisan gun control
legislation that he has sponsored. At a news conference in Philadelphia, the
Allentown Republican pushed for action on the Manchin-Toomey background check
bill he first introduced six years ago with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Toomey
also called for action on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
Notification Act, which would require the FBI to notify state and local law
enforcement when someone prohibited from buying a gun tries to do so. Toomey
introduced the legislation with Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
‘Symbolic steps on guns don’t save lives,’ Top Senate
Republican says she’ll hold hearings on gun safety measures
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek August 7,
2019
(*This
post has been updated)
Good Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
A key legislative voice on gun-control is
speaking out this Wednesday morning, and it voice belongs to Senate
Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, whose word not only
matters because her panel has a big say on any new gun legislation, it also matters
because of who she is. Baker’s is one of the more deliberative in the
Senate GOP caucus. If you remember her moving floor speech a
few years back on a bill that would have restricted
access to abortion, then you know what we’re talking about here. She’s also emerged as a thoughtful voice on
criminal justice reform. So with calls mounting for a special session on gun
violence, and with Gov. Tom Wolf set to hold a major event later this
Wednesday afternoon on gun violence, the timing of Baker’s decision
to speak up is the first real signal of what a future debate might look
like. “The Senate Judiciary Committee will be holding a series of public
hearings intended as a prelude to action. Advocates and opponents will
have the chance to make their respective cases in full spotlight and answer the
hard questions about their positions,” *Baker said in a statement Tuesday.
After mass shootings, some Pa. Democrats urge Gov. Wolf
to call for special session
Penn Live By Ed Mahon and Katie Meyer | PA Post
Posted Aug 6, 2:37 PM
Some Pennsylvania Democrats are urging Gov.
Tom Wolf to call the legislature back to Harrisburg for a special session on
gun violence, even as other legislators concede it’s unlikely such a session
would produce any meaningful action. State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a Democrat who
represents Philadelphia and part of Montgomery County, was the first to take to
Twitter to call for the emergency session in the wake of two mass shootings
in Texas and Ohio. Other
members of his caucus chimed in. Philadelphia representatives Malcolm Kenyatta
and Brian Sims, and Chester County’s Danielle Friel Otten all said they were on
board. Katie Muth, a Democratic senator from Montgomery County, gave the idea
her blessing as well. Under the Pennsylvania constitution, the governor can
call a special session “whenever in his opinion the public interest
requires.” But while the governor can force
legislators to return to Harrisburg, he can’t force an up or down vote on
specific bills.
Scott Perry joins conservatives citing mental health
issues as factor in mass shootings; research says otherwise
By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com Posted Aug
6, 5:48 PM
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry on Tuesday reaffirmed
his take on mental health issues and mass shootings. The 10th Congressional
District Republican reiterated a point of view increasingly common among the
ranks of conservative lawmakers, tying mental health issues to the country’s
mass shooting crisis. On Tuesday, Perry tweeted: “The recent events of cowardice
and domestic terrorism this weekend point out, once again, our desperate need
to address mental health issues in our Country, as well as our need to enforce
firearms laws, which were written, passed and enacted for a reason.”The recent events of cowardice and domestic terrorism
this weekend point out, once again, our desperate need to address mental health
issues in our Country, as well as our need to enforce firearms laws, which were
written, passed and enacted for a reason.
PennLive requested an interview with Perry
seeking to have him elaborate on the correlation between mental health issues
and the latest spate of mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio. Another
mass shooting took place last week in northern California. Mental health
professionals show the correlation is erroneous.
Legislature must act on assault weapons ban
Post-Gazette Letter by REP. ED GAINEY, Lincoln-Lemington
AUG 7, 2019
The writer, a Democrat, represents the 24th
House District.
This weekend was a wrenching reminder of the
grief and heartache that have pierced too many communities across our nation, a
shared trauma that leaves us wondering not if a mass shooting will happen
again, but when and where. The names are a roll call through the heart of
America: Dayton, El Paso, Virginia Beach, Squirrel Hill, Santa Fe, Parkland,
Charleston — the list goes on. We should be moved to tears, roused to action,
and yet all too often we are left with a sense of impotent hopelessness, the
feeling that despite our cries — and those of the families who have lost a
cherished loved one — things will never change. But we are not powerless. There
is legislation sitting in committee in the state House in Harrisburg that would
address many of the issues that lead to and enable these tragedies, including a
bill to ban assault weapons. They are sitting because the Republican leadership
— including Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai, who represents parts of
Allegheny County — refuses to bring them to a vote, despite the support of Gov.
Tom Wolf. I understand and respect Pennsylvania’s long-held support of gun
rights, particularly for outdoor sportsmen. However, we cannot sit idly by and
wait for another Tree of Life, or another Parkland to occur.
Secret Service teaches local educators techniques for spotting
‘kids in crisis’ in quest to keep schools safe
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Posted Aug
6, 1:29 PM
Teaching educators how to stop violence
before it occurs is a lesson U.S. Secret Service officials shared with
educators on Tuesday in the unending effort of bolstering school safety. John
Bullwinkel, assistant to the special agent in charge of the Secret Service,
said it comes down to recognizing what he calls “concerning behaviors” and
intervening. If a student is depressed or not interacting with others, not
acting the way they normally do, or seems obsessed with other school shootings
or weapons or some troubling ideology, those are examples he offered as times
when it would be appropriate to ask questions and connect them with community
or school professionals who can help.
“Locally, Internet Essentials has connected 72,000 households in
Philadelphia in the last year, a nearly 47% increase from last year. Now, about
288,000 individuals are connected. Statewide, Internet Essentials has connected
170,000 households in Pennsylvania, a 50% increase from last year and bringing
the total to 680,000 individuals. Philadelphia is the poorest of the country’s
10 most populous cities.”
Comcast announces biggest expansion of low-income
internet access
Recipients can also access training and
education about the internet and a low-cost computer.
the
Notebook August 6 — 3:59 pm, 2019
Comcast announced Tuesday that it has
expanded its low-cost online access program Internet
Essentials to a wider pool of people,
adding eligibility to families who receive SNAP benefits, Medicaid,
Social Security Disability, low-income seniors and several other categories —
effectively offering broadband connection to all low-income people in its
service area. These changes, the largest since the program was founded, will
make three million households newly eligible, officials said. In its eight
years of existence, the program has connected eight million people from two
million households. “This expansion is the culmination of an audacious goal we
set eight years ago, which was to meaningfully and significantly close the
digital divide for low-income Americans,” said David L. Cohen, senior executive
vice president and chief diversity officer of Comcast NBCUniversal, in a
statement. “The internet is arguably the most important technological
innovation in history, and it is unacceptable that we live in a country where
millions of families and individuals are missing out on this life-changing
resource. Whether the internet is used for students to do their homework,
adults to look for and apply for new jobs, seniors to keep in touch with
friends and family, or veterans to access their well-deserved benefits or
medical assistance, it is absolutely essential to be connected in our modern,
digital age.”
No surprise here; could just as well be titled “Pennsylvania’s
Wealthiest School Districts.”
Pennsylvania's Best School Districts: New 2020 Rankings
Released
A new ranking of the Pennsylvania's best
school districts has been released. See the top 100 here:
Patch By Kara
Seymour, Patch Staff Aug 5, 2019 11:01 am ET
PENNSYLVANIA — Data compiler Niche has ranked
Pennsylvania's best school districts for the 2019-2020 school year. The
rankings were released Monday as part of the website's 2020 K-12 rankings. Each
Pennsylvania district received a letter grade in the following categories:
Academics; Diversity; Teachers; College Prep; Clubs & Activities; Health
& Safety; Administration; Sports; Food; and Resources & Facilities. To
arrive at the rankings, Niche looked at data from the U.S. Department of
Education as well as test scores, college data, and ratings collected from Niche
users. (You can read more about
the methodology here.)
America's School Funding Struggle: How We're Robbing Our
Future By Under-Investing In Our Children
Forbes by Linda Darling-Hammond Contributor Aug 5, 2019,
01:43pm
I work to foster equitable and empowering
education for all children.
This week, U.S. lawmakers will gather for the
annual National Conference of State Legislators meeting to tackle a range of
issues, including school funding, which they identified
as their top priorityearlier this year. Although there has
been an upsurge in school
funding since 2015, it comes on the
heels of years of budget cuts during the Great Recession that left nearly half
the states spending less on
schools in 2016 than they were spending
in 2007. Low-wealth districts, especially those serving concentrations of
students from low-income families, were hardest hit by these cuts. In many
cases, they experienced teacher layoffs, increased class sizes, and reduced
services in areas ranging from counseling to after-school programs. These
growing inequalities are rooted in the way American schools are funded,
primarily through local property taxes that produce significant disparities.
Although states try to offset inequalities, they rarely succeed in eliminating
these funding gaps. The top-spending states
spend about three times what the lowest-spending states
allocate to education and, in many states, the wealthiest districts spend two to
three times what the poorest districts can
spend per pupil.
Toni Morrison, a Writer of Many Gifts Who Bent Language
to Her Will
New York Times By Dwight
Garner Aug. 6, 2019
Once upon a time in America, Toni Morrison
wrote in “Beloved,” her masterpiece, the presence of a black face in a
newspaper would induce something close to horror in certain readers. That face
wasn’t there for any happy or noble reason. It wasn’t even there because the
black person had been killed or “maimed or caught or burned or jailed or
whipped or evicted or stomped or raped or cheated,” because those things didn’t
qualify as news. The purpose of the photo had to be more unusual. Over the
course of her long and exceptional literary career, which included the Nobel
Prize in Literature in 1993, Morrison, who died on Monday at 88, brought a
freight of news about black life in America (and about life, period) to
millions of readers across the globe. Much of this news was of the sort that,
in terms of its stark and sensitive awareness of the consequences of racism,
opened an abyss at one’s feet and changed the taste of the saliva in one’s
mouth.
Toni Morrison, Author of 'Beloved' and 'Song of Solomon,'
Dead at 88
Education Week By Catherine Gewertz on August
6, 2019 1:55 PM
Toni Morrison, the Nobel laureate who
explored black history and identity, and whose novels were staples in classrooms across
the United States, has died at 88. Morrison won the 1993 Nobel Prize in
Literature for her work, which included 11 novels, and essays and children's
books. Her novel Beloved won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize and
American Book Award, and Song of Solomon won the 1977 National
Book Critics Circle Award. President Barack Obama awarded Morrison the
Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, and in 2016, she was awarded
the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction. Beloved, Song
of Solomon, and many of Morrison's other novels—including Sula, Jazz,
and The Bluest Eye—were centerpieces in high school English
classes around the country. To read
samples of what high school students have written in response to Morrison
novels, click here and here.
“In 2000, Booker was brought to Michigan
to tout a ballot initiative called Proposal 1 that would have made private
school vouchers a constitutional right in the state. He was invited to speak in
Grand Rapids at the Wealthy Theater (really) by Betsy DeVos and Richard DeVos
Jr., who were leaders of the school choice movement in their home state of
Michigan and around the country.”
Cory Booker’s close ties to Betsy DeVos go back a long
way, including a campaign donation from her husband
Inquirer by Valerie Strauss, The Washington
Post, Updated: August 6, 2019- 9:20 AM
WASHINGTON — Sen.
Cory Booker of New Jersey had a big night Wednesday during the debate among 10
Democratic presidential candidates, with many pundits saying he won the night.
That means there will be more focus on him and his record — and that includes
his long-standing ties to controversial Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Sabrina
Singh, a Booker campaign spokeswoman, said in an email that Booker "has
been very critical of DeVos and remains consistent on that" — but that
depends on your definition of "consistent." Booker voted against
DeVos becoming President Donald Trump's education secretary in 2017, but that
followed more than a decade of a consistently close association between them. Early
in his political career, Booker was a supporter of the DeVos agenda on
education reform, which focused on expanding alternatives to traditional public
school districts, including charter schools and voucher programs that use
public money for private and religious education. While many Democrats have
supported charter schools — with something of a backlash now being seen — most
oppose vouchers and voucherlike programs, and see the DeVos agenda as an effort
to privatize the public education system. Not Booker. In 1999, Booker was a
member of the Municipal Council of Newark and worked with conservatives to form
an organization that sought to create a voucher program and bring charter
schools to New Jersey.
Inside The NAACP’s
Civil War Over Charter Schools
Leaders of
the nation’s oldest civil rights group say that members are being paid by
right-wing groups to infiltrate the organization and sow chaos.
Huffington Post By Rebecca
Klein 08/06/2019 02:59 pm ET
When three local NAACP branches in California passed April resolutions opposing the national
group’s call for a charter school moratorium, school choice advocates greeted
the news with glee. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos voiced her support in an
interview. The Wall Street Journal published a flattering editorial about the
move, describing it as a welcome “revolt.” But leaders at the California state
NAACP say this so-called “revolt” is fake news. They say the main member who
pushed these actions ― a woman named Christina Laster ― is being paid by a
right-wing group connected to the Koch brothers to infiltrate the organization
and sow chaos. They also note that, despite the media attention, these resolutions
were dead on arrival at the national organization for failure to follow proper
submission protocol or rejection by higher committees.
Network for Public
Education: Report of the Grassroots Education Network
Diane Ravitch’s
Blog By dianeravitch August 7, 2019 //
The Network for
Public Education is fortunate to have Marla Kilfoyle as director of its
Grassroots Education Network. Marla previously was national executive director
of the Badass Teachers Association and a full-time teacher. Would your group
like to join the Grassroots Education Network? Contact Marla Kilfoyle at
marlakilfoyle@networkforpubliceducation.org.
Here is her report on
current activities:
Grassroots
Education Network- July 2019 Newsletter
The NPE Grassroots
Education Network is a network of over 130 grassroots organizations nationwide
who have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public
schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this powerful network,
please go here to sign up.If you have any questions about the NPE Grassroots
Education Network please contact Marla Kilfoyle, NPE Grassroots Education
Network Liaison at marlakilfoyle@networkforpubliceducation.org
IU1 and The
Consortium for Public Education: Rachel's Challenge Presentation - Aug. 14 9:00 – 3:30 California University of
PA
IU1 and the
Consortium for Public Education are joining forces to bring you a FREE
professional development opportunity, Rachel's Challenge, presented by Darrell
Scott. The mission of Rachel's Challenge is to equip and empower adults and
students to sustain a positive culture change in their organization and
communities by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. Rachel's
inspiring story provides a simple, yet powerful example of how small acts of
kindness and acceptance motivates us to consider our relationships with people
we come in contact with every day. Rachel's story gives us permission to start
our own chain reaction of kindness and compassion, which positively affects the
climate in our schools and communities. For more information, please visit https://rachelschallenge.org/.
To receive Act 48
hours for this event, you must complete all areas of the registration form
below, including entering your PPID number. Each person from your team must
register individually.
EPLC/DCIU 2019 Regional Training Workshop for PA School
Board Candidates Sept. 14th
The Pennsylvania
Education Policy and Leadership Center will conduct a regional Full Day
Workshop for 2019 Pennsylvania School Board Candidates at the DCIU on September
14, 2019.
Target Audience: School Board Directors and
Candidates, Community Members, School Administrators
Description: Full Day Workshop for 2019 Pennsylvania School Board Candidates. Incumbents, non-incumbents, campaign supporters and all interested voters are invited to participate in this workshop. The workshop will include Legal and Leadership Roles of School Directors and School Boards; State and Federal Policies: Implications for School Boards; School District Finances and Budgeting; Candidates and the Law; Information Resources; "State and Federal Policies" section includes, but is not limited to:
K-12 Governance
PA Standards, Student Assessment, and Accountability
Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
K-12 State Funding
Early Education
Student Choices (Non-Public, Home Schooling, Charter Schools, Career-Technical, and more)
Teacher Issues
Linking K-12 to Workforce and Post-Secondary Education
Linking K-12 to Community Partners
***Fee: $75.00. Payment by Credit Card Only, Visa or Mastercard, PLEASE DO NOT SELECT ANY OTHER PAYMENT TYPE*** Registration ends 9/7/2019
Description: Full Day Workshop for 2019 Pennsylvania School Board Candidates. Incumbents, non-incumbents, campaign supporters and all interested voters are invited to participate in this workshop. The workshop will include Legal and Leadership Roles of School Directors and School Boards; State and Federal Policies: Implications for School Boards; School District Finances and Budgeting; Candidates and the Law; Information Resources; "State and Federal Policies" section includes, but is not limited to:
K-12 Governance
PA Standards, Student Assessment, and Accountability
Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
K-12 State Funding
Early Education
Student Choices (Non-Public, Home Schooling, Charter Schools, Career-Technical, and more)
Teacher Issues
Linking K-12 to Workforce and Post-Secondary Education
Linking K-12 to Community Partners
***Fee: $75.00. Payment by Credit Card Only, Visa or Mastercard, PLEASE DO NOT SELECT ANY OTHER PAYMENT TYPE*** Registration ends 9/7/2019
Register for Federal Focus: Fully funding IDEA at William
Tennant HS Wednesday August 21st, 7-9 pm
PSBA News July 30, 2019
Join U.S. Representative Brian
Fitzpatrick (R-01) and other IDEA Act co-sponsors at this complimentary focus meeting to
talk about the critical need to modernize and fully fund the federal
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Learn about bipartisan
efforts now in the U.S. Congress to ensure that special education funding is a
priority in the federal budget, and how you can help bring this important
legislation to the finish line. Bring your school district facts and questions.
This event will be held Aug. 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Centennial School District in
Bucks Co. There is no cost to attend, but you must register through myPSBA.org. Questions
can be directed to Megan McDonough at (717) 506-2450, ext. 3321. This
program is hosted by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and the
Centennial School District.
“Each member entity will have one vote
for each officer. This will require boards of the various school entities to
come to a consensus on each candidate and cast their vote electronically during
the open voting period (Aug. 23 – Oct. 11, 2019).”
PSBA Officer
Elections: Slate of Candidates
PSBA members
seeking election to office for the association were required to submit a
nomination form no later than June 1, 2019, to be considered. All candidates
who properly completed applications by the deadline are included on the slate
of candidates below. In addition, the Leadership Development Committee met on
June 15th at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg to interview candidates. According
to bylaws, the Leadership Development Committee may determine candidates highly
qualified for the office they seek. This is noted next to each person’s name
with an asterisk (*).
Take the four-week PSBA advocacy challenge
POSTED ON JULY
22, 2019 IN PSBA NEWS
Calling all public
education advocates! Even though students are out for the summer, we need you
to continue your efforts to share your district's story, and the needs of
public schools across the state, with your legislators. Follow the four easy
steps on the challenge to increase your engagement with lawmakers this summer
and you'll receive some PSBA swag as a thank-you. We've also included some
talking points to help inform you on the latest issues. Contact Advocacy
Coordinator Jamie Zuvich at jamie.zuvich@psba.org with questions. Click here to see the challenge and talking points.
In November, many boards will be
preparing to welcome new directors to their governance Team of Ten. This event
will help attendees create a full year on-boarding schedule based on best
practices and thoughtful prioritization. Register now:
PSBA: Start Strong:
Developing a District On-Boarding Plan for New Directors
SEP 11, 2019 • 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
In November, many
boards will be faced with a significant transition as they prepare to welcome
new directors to their governance Team of Ten. This single-day program
facilitated by PSBA trainers and an experienced PA board president will guide
attendees to creating a strong, full year on-boarding schedule based on best
practices and thoughtful prioritization. Grounded in PSBA’s Principles for
Governance and Leadership, attendees will hear best practices from their
colleagues and leave with a full year’s schedule, a jump drive of resources,
ideas for effective local training, and a plan to start strong.
Register online at MyPSBA: www.psba.org and click on “MyPSBA” in the upper right corner.
The deadline to
submit a cover letter, resume and application is August 19,
2019.
Become a 2019-2020 PSBA Advocacy Ambassador
PSBA is seeking
applications for two open Advocacy Ambassador positions. Candidates
should have experience in day-to-day functions of a school district,
on the school board, or in a school leadership position. The purpose of the
PSBA Advocacy Ambassador program is to facilitate the education and engagement
of local school directors and public education stakeholders through the
advocacy leadership of the ambassadors. Each Advocacy Ambassador will
be responsible for assisting PSBA in achieving its advocacy goals. To
achieve their mission, ambassadors will be kept up to date on current
legislation and PSBA positions on legislation. The current open
positions will cover PSBA Sections 3 and 4, and
Section 7.
PSBA Advocacy
Ambassadors are independent contractors representing PSBA and serve
as liaisons between PSBA and their local elected officials. Advocacy
Ambassadors also commit to building strong relationships with PSBA members with
the purpose of engaging the designated members to be active and committed
grassroots advocates for PSBA’s legislative priorities.
PSBA: Nominations for The Allwein Society are open!
This award program
recognizes school directors who are outstanding leaders & advocates on
behalf of public schools & students. Nominations are accepted year-round
with selections announced early fall: http://ow.ly/CchG50uDoxq
EPLC is accepting applications
for the 2019-20 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
Education Policy & Leadership Center
PA's premier education policy leadership program for education, policy
& community leaders with 582 alumni since 1999. Application with program
schedule & agenda are at http://www.eplc.org
2019 PASA-PSBA School
Leadership Conference Oct. 16-18, 2019
WHERE: Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center 325 University Drive, Hershey, PA
WHEN: Wednesday, October
16 to Friday, October 18, 201
Registration is now open!
Growth from knowledge acquired. Vision inspired by innovation. Impact
created by a synergized leadership community. You are called upon to be the
drivers of a thriving public education system. It’s a complex and challenging
role. Expand your skillset and give yourself the tools needed for the
challenge. Packed into two and a half daysꟷꟷgain access to top-notch education
and insights, dynamic speakers, peer learning opportunities and the latest
product and service innovations. Come to the PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference to grow!
NPE Action National
Conference - Save the Date - March 28-29, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA.
The window is now open for workshop proposals for the Network for Public
Education conference, March 28-29, 2020, in Philadelphia. I hope you all sign
on to present on a panel and certainly we want all to attend. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBCNDKK
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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