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,
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agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
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PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 11, 2019
Blogger note: Although they are
responsible for raising taxes that are sent as tuition payments to cybers, no elected
school boards authorized cyber charters and school boards get virtually no information
back from cybers besides their invoices. We will continue pushing out cyber
charter 990 forms so all stakeholders might have a better understanding of how their
neighbors’ tax dollars are being spent.
AGORA CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL FORM 990 for FYE JUNE 2017
590 N GULPH RD, KNG
OF PRUSSA, PA 19406-2800 | TAX-EXEMPT SINCE FEB. 2006
ProPublica Full text of "Form 990"
for fiscal year ending June 2017
Tax returns filed
by nonprofit organizations are public records. The Internal Revenue Service
releases them in two formats: page images and raw data in XML. The raw data is
more useful, especially to researchers, because it can be extracted and
analyzed more easily. The pages below are a reconstruction of a tax document
using raw data from the IRS.
Source: Data and stylesheets from the Internal Revenue Service. E-file
viewer adapted from IRS e-File Viewer by Ben Getson.
Representing charters and Muslim women: Meet Philly’s
newest school board members
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, September 11, 2019
Doha Ibrahim came
to the United States four years ago, and, like most teenagers in the city,
attends a high school with no admissions requirement. Imere Williams will be
the first member of his family to graduate from high school; like one-third of
all city students, he attends a charter school. Meet the newest members of the
Philadelphia school board. Ibrahim, 17, is a senior at Abraham Lincoln High
School in the Northeast. Williams, 17 and also a senior, attends Boys’ Latin of
Philadelphia Charter School in West Philadelphia. Later this month, they’ll
formally become the student
representatives to the board, and though they won’t be sitting in on executive sessions or voting on
resolutions, the youngest members of the Philadelphia School District’s
governing body will be briefed on all matters germane to the board and, most
important, be expected to speak
for some
200,000 students in district and charter schools throughout the city for the
2019-20 school year.
PPS must clean its mess: Suspect spending embarrasses
district
The PPS
school board must demand self-discipline and accountability
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Pittsburgh Post-Gazette SEP 9, 2019 6:00 AM
Questions and
criticism from Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale should be all the
motivation the Pittsburgh Public Schools board requires to hold accountable
those who have embarrassed the district with spending on travel, the value of
which is suspect. Chief among Mr. DePasquale’s “initial observations” from a
financial review of the district, was PPS’ ballooning travel budget, which
increased from $162,258 in 2016 to $453,231 in 2019. And, notably, the lack of
energy in the district’s defense of the need for this triple-digit expansion in
spending. Travel for professional development is not uncommon. But
Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and former Assistant Superintendent Anthony
Anderson made 21 out-of-state trips in the past year, traveling to cities like
Las Vegas and Los Angeles. PPS has claimed these trips were related to
professional development, weakly noting the cost amounts to a mere fraction of
the district’s budget. That attitude doesn’t sell with taxpayers who foot the
bill.
Pennsylvania raises
age students must start and stay in school
Herald Mail By Sherry
Greenfield sgreenfield@herald-mail.com Sep 9, 2019
WAYNESBORO, Pa. —
Starting in the 2020-21 school year, children in Pennsylvania will be required
to enter school by the age of 6. The Pennsylvania State Board of Education
enacted a resolution that will lower the current age children must start school
from 8 to 6 starting next year. “Pennsylvania is just one of two states in the
nation (the other being Washington state) that permit children to wait until
age 8 to enter school,” the resolution states. “Lowering the compulsory age
would bring Pennsylvania in line with the vast majority of other states.” Since
children in Pennsylvania are not required to enroll in kindergarten, the resolution
likely will affect children entering first grade. “Nobody has to go to
kindergarten in Pennsylvania,” school board Vice President Cynthia Sullivan
said at a policy meeting Monday, when the change was discussed. The state board
of education contends that lowering the compulsory school age helps improve
language and literacy skills.
Dinniman Named to Special Education & Higher
Education Funding Commissions
WEST CHESTER, PA — Two legislative commissions will travel the state this fall to
hear concerns about how Pennsylvania pays for special education and higher
education, respectively, state Senator Andy Dinniman said. Dinniman, who serves
as minority chair of the Senate Education Committee, has been appointed to
serve on both the 15-member Special Education Funding Commission and the
19-member Higher Education Funding Commission. “Education is the largest
expenditure in the state budget and one that touches and shapes the lives of so
many of our residents, children, young people, and families,” Dinniman said.
“It’s our duty to revisit and establish funding models that ensure state dollars
are being utilized effectively and efficiently when it comes to both educating
those with disabilities and ensuring that higher education is affordable and
accessible to all.” The Special Education Funding Commission, which was
established by Act 3 of 2013, has reconvened this fall to review and reassess
the formula that was established based on its initial recommendations. The
commission will compile its findings in a report due by November 30, which may
include recommendations to change the way special education dollars are
distributed to the Commonwealth’s nearly 3,300 public schools.
When test scores drop, enrollment rises at Chester
Community Charter School
Chester Matters Blog Date: September 10, 2019Author: SERoots4 Comments
When the Washington
Post throws you under the bus, you know you’ve made the big leagues. That’s the
case with Chester Community Charter School in the Washington Post’s article ‘How
Big a Mess is Pennsylvania’s Charter School Sector…’I’ll honestly admit that the whole charter school thing has confused me
from the beginning. Apparently, I’m not the only one confused because there
always seems to be drama with charter schools in every city they operate. Pennsylvania
has argued for decades that the funding formula is destroying the traditional
public school base while doing nothing but lip service to change the funding
formula. School boards approve charter schools to operate in their districts
knowing it will siphon funds from the schools they are elected to serve on as
board members while the charters operate with their own set of rules hidden
from school board members view. Students who attend charters take the money
with them that would have gone to their neighborhood public school and politely
give it to the new charter school and the charter school doesn’t have to
account for the money like the public school had to. Educated people could not
have come up with this confusing charter school concept, could they?
Your View: Why we
need more mental health professionals in schools
THE MORNING CALL
OPINION By STATE REP. MALCOLM KENYATTA SEP 09, 2019| 8:00 AM
East Penn school
board members in May approved a three-year contract with Communities in Schools
to provide mental health services for students. The program runs provides
education for the community on mental health issues and does group and
individual counseling at Emmaus High School. State and local officials assert
many districts don't have the number of mental health workers they need.
(Morning Call file photo) In a Pennsylvania where our children have the mental
health resources they need, Phillip Spruill Jr. would be entering sixth grade
this school year. In that Pennsylvania, Phillip’s laughter would mingle in the
hallways of Benjamin B. Comegys School in Philadelphia with that of his
classmates, as a new academic year flush with possibilities begins. In that
Pennsylvania, Phillip would feel supported, he would have the proper guidance
to work through the bullying that many children his age endure, and maybe the
bullying would be lessened, because other children in his public school would
have the resources they need, too. In a Pennsylvania where children have the
mental health resources they need, Phillip’s parents, Phillip Sr. and Lindarise
Spruill, would get to see their oldest child celebrate his 12th birthday in
January 2020, and many, many more birthdays after that one. In such a
Pennsylvania, Phillip’s younger siblings wouldn’t grow up without the guidance
and protection of their big brother.
Bethlehem Area School
District starts to roll out program giving every student a laptop
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | SEP 10, 2019 | 12:58 PM
When the school
year started in the Bethlehem Area School District, more than 3,000 students
across six schools received Chromebooks. Every student in eighth through 10th
grade in Bethlehem Area received the laptop as part of the district’s
one-to-one program — named for the ratio of laptops to students — that ensures
every child is eventually able to work digitally. Next fall, the district will
increase the number of Chromebooks given so every secondary student has one.
About 85% of elementary students in Bethlehem Area have access to a digital
device in the classrooms. Unlike secondary students, elementary students aren’t
allowed to bring the devices home. Having access to a digital device doesn’t
guarantee every student may be able to use it at home to complete homework
since about
1 in 5 households in Bethlehem do not have internet access and others might have low speed. About 60 percent of the district’s
14,000 students are considered low-income, according to state numbers.
Steps to applying online – 2019 Philly High School Guide
To use the
School Selection process, here’s what you should do and when.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa September 9 — 10:22 am, 2019
The District’s
online School Selection application process is for families who wish to apply
to schools other than their neighborhood elementary, middle or high school. For
families who do not have internet access, computer kiosks will be available at
regionally based Network Offices and at the Office of Student Enrollment &
Placement, 440 N. Broad St., Suite 111. Parents can also use the computers at
their local Free Library branch. As usual, the District’s process includes
neighborhood schools with available seats, citywide middle schools, and
citywide and special admission high schools. Charter schools have a variety of
application timelines and processes. For more information about a specific
charter school’s timeline and application process, contact the respective
charter school directly.
The 40 Best Public High Schools in Philadelphia and the
Suburbs
We crunched the
numbers on academic performance and learning environment to bring you the
schools at the top of their class.
by PHILLY MAG STAFF· 9/7/2019,
9:00 p.m.
Testing Resistance
& Reform News: September 4 - 10, 2019
Submitted by
fairtest on September 10, 2019 - 12:30pm
Grade retention and
diploma denials are among the worst politically motivated misuses of
standardized tests. That's why assessment reform activists have made
repealing these counter-productive policies a top priority. Check out
these FairTest fact sheets for ammunition to use in your local campaigns.
Grade Retention: https://fairtest.org/arn/retenfct.htm
Graduation Tests: https://www.fairtest.org/graduation-test-update-states-recently-eliminated
Grade Retention: https://fairtest.org/arn/retenfct.htm
Graduation Tests: https://www.fairtest.org/graduation-test-update-states-recently-eliminated
What: Informal
discussion on cyber charter schools
When: 9 a.m.
refreshments, 9:30 a.m. panel, Oct. 7
Where: Central
Pennsylvania Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, 800 E. Park Ave., State College
AAUW State College
Branch invites you to attend an informational panel discussion to learn more
about background and issues connected with cyber charter schools. Join us on
Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau,
800 E. Park Ave., State College (visitor center off Porter Road). Refreshments,
9 a.m.; panel discussion, 9:30 a.m.
The American Association
of University Women State College Branch is part of a nationwide network of
about 1,000 branches that are dedicated to advancing equity for women and
girls.
Adolescent Health and
School Start Times: Science, Strategies, Tactics, & Logistics
Workshop Nov 13, Exton
Join school administrators and staff, including superintendents, transportation directors, principals, athletic directors, teachers, counselors, nurses, and school board members, parents, guardians, health professionals and other concerned community members for an interactive and solutions-oriented workshop on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
Join school administrators and staff, including superintendents, transportation directors, principals, athletic directors, teachers, counselors, nurses, and school board members, parents, guardians, health professionals and other concerned community members for an interactive and solutions-oriented workshop on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
Clarion Hotel in
Exton, PA
The science is clear. Many middle and high school days in Pennsylvania, and across the nation, start too early in the morning. The American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other major health and education leaders agree and have issued policy statements recommending that secondary schools start no earlier than 8:30 am to allow for sleep, health, and learning. Implementing these recommendations, however, can seem daunting. Discussions will include the science of sleep and its connection to school start times, as well as proven strategies for successfully making change--how to generate optimum community support and work through implementation challenges such as bus routes, athletics, and more. Register for the workshop here: https://ssl-workshop-pa.eventbrite.com Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are able to offer early bird registration for $25, which includes a box-lunch and coffee service. Seating is limited and early bird registration ends on Friday, September 13.
For more information visit the workshop website www.startschoollater.net/workshop---pa or email contact@startschoollater.net
The science is clear. Many middle and high school days in Pennsylvania, and across the nation, start too early in the morning. The American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other major health and education leaders agree and have issued policy statements recommending that secondary schools start no earlier than 8:30 am to allow for sleep, health, and learning. Implementing these recommendations, however, can seem daunting. Discussions will include the science of sleep and its connection to school start times, as well as proven strategies for successfully making change--how to generate optimum community support and work through implementation challenges such as bus routes, athletics, and more. Register for the workshop here: https://ssl-workshop-pa.eventbrite.com Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are able to offer early bird registration for $25, which includes a box-lunch and coffee service. Seating is limited and early bird registration ends on Friday, September 13.
For more information visit the workshop website www.startschoollater.net/workshop---pa or email contact@startschoollater.net
“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 (*).
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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