Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
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PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 27, 2019
Blogger commentary: connecting some dots
this morning…..
With $130 million in reported revenue
for FY2018, Commonwealth is one of the largest cyber charters in PA. The majority of that $130 million comes from
our 500 school districts, none of whom authorized cyber charters. Locally elected
school boards, who are responsible for taxing their neighbors to raise that
revenue, have virtually no oversight. There is zero accountability to the
people paying the bills.
This 990 shows $7.9 million spent on
advertising with the Bravo Group in Harrisburg.
Chris Bravacos, the President and CEO of
the Bravo Group is also the President of the REACH Foundation
Board of Directors. REACH is Pennsylvania’s
long-time premier school privatization advocacy group, primarily responsible for
the creation and ongoing expansion of our EITC and OSTC tax credit programs
that divert tax dollars to unaccountable private and religious schools.
BTW, Matthew Brouillette, who just
announced his candidacy for the Senate seat vacated by Mike Folmer, has also
served on the REACH board for many years.
Form 990: COMMONWEALTH CHARTER ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
1 INNOVATION WAY,
HARRISBURG, PA 17110-1171 | TAX-EXEMPT SINCE DEC. 2005
ProPublica Full text of "Form 990"
for fiscal year ending June 2018
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.
Mental health issues top the list of tips logged on anonymous
school safety app
Penn Live By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com Updated Sep 25, 6:46 PM; Posted Sep 25, 4:37 PM
In the year since
the Office of Pennsylvania Attorney General launched an anonymous school safety
tip program, some 28,000 tips have been received. The vast majority of the tips
were unrelated to specific threats to a school or threat of violence at an
individual, instead they dealt with the mental health of students. That’s the
message Attorney General Josh Shapiro shared on Wednesday as he met with
officials and students from the Cumberland Valley School District to talk about
the “Safe2Say Something” school safety initiative. “As both the attorney
general and the father of four, I was not exactly sure what to expect,” Shapiro
said. “I wasn’t sure whether students would actually use the app, whether they
would feel comfortable sharing information. I have just been blown away by the
response.” More than 90 percent of all the tips delivered to the anonymous
program pertained to mental health issues, in particular related to talk of
suicide. Shapiro said that throughout his listening tour with school districts
across the country one pattern emerged constant regardless of the demographics
of the districts:
How one Pa. school
district drives home our destructive paralysis on gun laws | John L. Micek
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek September 26, 2019
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — So here’s another one of those times when you get to see the
unintended through-lines of policy. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Attorney General
Josh Shapiro held a roundtable with students in the sprawling Cumberland Valley
School District, about 25 minutes from Harrisburg, to discuss the effectiveness
of the state’s new “Safe2Say” hotline program, and how they’d been using it. We
didn’t get a chance to hear what the students had to say — journalists were
ushered out of the room before that happened. But we do know this: According to an
Aug. 1 report by Shapiro’s office, the hotline logged some 23,490 reports in the 2018-19 school year. And
while it was originally intended to prevent the kind of mass casualty events
that we’ve seen at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.,
students are more often using it to report incidents of harassment and
bullying. And critically, students are using it to let authorities know that
they’re worried that a friend or fellow student might be thinking about harming
themselves. The majority of these calls, district Superintendent David
Christopher told me, are coming after school hours. That’s an unusual extension
of the already all-consuming role that school plays in students’ lives. Not
only are we asking school officials to keep our young people safe during the
school day, now that oversight extends, in a measurable way, well into the
night — in those dark hours when students are looking for someone to turn to,
either for themselves or for a friend.
CHARTER SCHOOL AND PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE SAME
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, REPORT FINDS
Newsweek BY ANDREW WHALEN ON 9/26/19 AT 4:44 PM EDT
Anew report from
the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics
(NCES) finds that charter school and public school students have the same
academic performance in testing conducted at the fourth- and eighth-grade
level. "In 2017, at grades 4 and 8, no measurable differences in average
reading and mathematics scores on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) were observed between students in traditional public and public
charter schools," the "School Choice in the United States: 2019"
report found. The report also noted a decrease in private school enrollment,
which are predominantly religious schools, while enrollment in charter schools
has increased by more than 500 percent, from 0.4 million in 2000 to 3 million
in 2016. Over the same period, public school enrollment grew to 47.3 million
students, educating 69 percent of all students—a 5 percentage point drop since
1999.
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA’s new resource
for data and ongoing information on charter schools.
PSBA Member Training:
Navigating Charter Authorization
Hershey Lodge OCT 15, 2019 • 10:00 AM - 3:00
PM
As the local
authorizing body, the school board is responsible for approving and evaluating
brick-and-mortar charter schools. This day of training allows district
leadership to learn from experienced Pennsylvania school solicitors as well as
others familiar with authorization, application review and renewal processes.
Attendees will be provided with actionable steps and useful tools for leading
their district through review processes and charter negotiations to ensure district
dollars are being used to offer high-quality educational options to students.
Registration: Space
is limited, so register today! To register, please log in to myPSBA.org.
If this is your
first time registering for a PSBA event, please contact PSBA Registrar Janelle
Hoch. She will respond within 24 hours during the business week to ensure you
are able to successfully register for this event. janelle.hoch@psba.org (717) 506-2450, ext. 3437
12 National Blue Ribbon Schools recognized for excellence
in Philadelphia region
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: September 26, 2019- 3:43 PM
Twelve local
schools won the U.S. Department of Education’s top honor Thursday, designated
by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos as National
Blue Ribbon Schools. Less than
one percent of schools nationwide receive the award, given in recognition of
overall academic excellence or success in narrowing achievement gaps. In all,
DeVos named 362 winners. “We recognize
and honor your important work in preparing students for successful careers and
meaningful lives,” she said in announcing the 2019 honors. The Philadelphia
School District’s winners — George Washington Carver High School of Engineering
and Science and Joseph Greenberg Elementary School — were in a state of joy
Thursday.
Philly’s Carver, Greenberg win National Blue Ribbon
Awards
They are
among 12 schools in the region honored for academic excellence.
The notebook by Bill Hangley Jr. September 26 — 6:36 pm, 2019
The celebration at
Carver E&S was underway and the microphone was on, but suddenly Aziz
McDaniels couldn’t continue. He’d been
describing what the North Philadelphia magnet school had meant to him. “Many of
you know me as a basketball player,” the slender senior had said. “But I’ve
grown so much. I’ve been put in many positions to thrive, thanks to the staff
around me …” At first he spoke with quiet confidence, but as he described the
impact of a favorite teacher, McDaniels paused and his voice grew uncertain.
“He gives me tons of advice, even if I don’t need it. Wait, I mean – I do need
it,” McDaniels corrected himself. “He gives me tons of advice even when I don’t
want it.”
The list of all Pennsylvania blue ribbon
schools begins on page 27 of this list.
2019 National Blue
Ribbon Schools
Growing unified sports movement taking off in York County
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 3:05 p.m. ET Sept. 25, 2019 | Updated 3:14 p.m. ET
Sept. 25, 2019
When York County
School of Technology's unified track and field team won second
place regionals in 2018, its athletes dumped the cooler
over coach Alex DiMarzio's head. "It was just so sweet, and they
all laughed, and they were all holding hands," he said, joking that
normally he would have been mad, but the students really do mean a lot to him. DiMarzio's
squad was one of York County's first unified sports teams — in
which high school students with intellectual disabilities compete
alongside their general education peers in a special league. This
spring, York Tech's team will be competing against four other unified track
teams in York County. And there are at least seven unified track and
field teams in Lancaster County — part of a movement
that’s taken off in the state in the last five years.
Lancaster County
students to stage walkout, demand action on climate change
Lancaster Online by
ALEX GELI | Staff
Writer September
27, 2019
Dozens of Lancaster
County students frustrated with state and federal lawmakers’ so-called
dismissal of climate change and its consequences will stage a walkout today. Students
from McCaskey, Hempfield and Lancaster Catholic high schools, as well as Stone
Independent School, are expected to leave class at noon and gather at Penn
Square in downtown Lancaster. The protest, organizer Danny Aubry said, is meant
to bring attention to the issue of climate change and spark action among the
country’s leaders. “It’s disappointing
to see everything that’s happening and how little people seem to care,” Danny,
15 and a junior at Stone, told LNP. “And so if they’re not going to do
something, I should.” The event is part of an international movement, the Global Climate Strike, that began Sept. 20. and ends today. About 30 people gathered
last Friday at
Penn Square for the same purpose.
Aliquippa Elementary School robotics team ready to build
a better world
Beaver County Times By Marsha
Keefer Posted at 2:01 AM September 27, 2019
ALIQUIPPA — Myahna
Walker and Jah’Nauri Riggins hovered over a laptop, double-checking coding they
programmed to maneuver an autonomous robot through a series of missions. They
placed the Legos-on-wheels contraption on a rectangular table and set it in
motion to capture, transport or activate objects likewise constructed of Legos.
The girls, part of Quip-Bots — a seven-member robotics team at Aliquippa Elementary
School — fine-tuned their robot earlier this week in preparation for a FIRST
Lego League educational scrimmage to be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in
the Aliquippa High School gymnasium, where 10 other teams, most from Allegheny
County, will compete. Dean Kamen, an American engineer and inventor of Segway,
founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) 30
years ago to spark student interest in STEM education. Robotics competitions
are “right in that STEM wheelhouse,” said Robert Signorelli, sixth-grade
science teacher and robotics coach at Aliquippa Elementary. “This is STEM to
the nth degree. It’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They
need it all to be successful at this.” Quip-Bots is one of the few robotics
teams affiliated with a public school, said A’Frica Sheppard, elementary school
principal. Most are associated with private schools or independent clubs.
Bethel Park school board member uses Right to Know
request to get financial information he was denied
Post-Gazette by DEANA CARPENTER SEP 26, 2019 1:38 PM
A Bethel Park
school board member whose request for financial information from district
officials was denied by the board president found another way to get the
information he wanted by submitting a Right to Know request as a private
citizen. Board member Ken Nagel in July made a request to Superintendent Joseph
Pasquerilla for regarding long term-plans for building maintenance, staffing
levels and related financial information. But board President Donna Cook
intervened, and directed the superintendent not to provide the information. At
a meeting Tuesday, Mr. Nagel said he no longer was making a request for that
information as a board member because the district provided it under his right
to know request. Mr. Nagel requested the information shortly after the
board voted in June 6-3 to cut taxes by 8 percent with no public
discussion. He said he wanted the information so he could better
understand the long-term impacts of the board vote to cut taxes, which will
reduce revenue.
Report: Pa’s Perry,
Fitzpatrick among Congress’ most-endangered incumbents | Friday Morning Coffee
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek September 27, 2019
Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We know, we know.
We’re supposed to hate the horse race aspect of our politics. We’re supposed to
loathe the Who’s Up, Who’s Down nature of our elections. We’re supposed to be
talking about the issues, the life and death stuff that makes up the lifeblood
of our Republic. But if we can tear you away from checking out your Fantasy
Football team for this Sunday for just 10 seconds, we have a bit of news to
share …Confirming what most political prognosticators already knew, but
reaffirming it in no uncertain terms, GOP U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick,
of Bucks County’s 1st District, and Scott Perry, of
central Pennsylvania’s 10th District, are officially on
the endangered species list for 2020. Or at least one compiled by the National Journal, and
that’s as close to official as it gets in D.C. circles.
Education in the 2020
Presidential Race
Education Week
Feature
The 2020
presidential campaign has put key education issues in the spotlight, sometimes
in unexpected ways. This interactive Education Week tracker gives you one-click
access to where the Democratic and Republican candidates stand on nearly a
dozen major education topics including school safety, civil rights, teacher
pay, charter schools, education funding, and more, along with biographical
detail on each of those seeking the White House. You can search either by topic
or candidate. This tracker will be updated throughout the campaign based on
what the candidates say and do.
Grading the States: A
Report Card on Our Nation’s Commitment to Public Schools
Network for Public
Education 2018
This report
examines our nation’s commitment to democracy by assessing the privatization
programs in the 50 states and the District of Columbia with the goal of not
only highlighting the benefits of a public school education, but comparing the
accountability, transparency and civil rights protections offered students in
the public school setting versus the private school setting. States are rated
on the extent to which they have instituted policies and practices that lead
toward fewer democratic opportunities and more privatization, as well as the
guardrails they have (or have not) put into place to protect the rights of
students, communities and taxpayers. This is not an assessment of the overall
quality of the public education system in the state — rather it is an analysis
of the laws that support privatized alternatives to public schools. This report
card, therefore, provides a vital accounting of each state’s democratic
commitment to their public school students and their public schools, by holding
it accountable for abandoning civil rights protections, transparency,
accountability and adequate funding in a quest for “private” alternatives. It
is designed to give citizens insight into the extent of privatization and its
intended and unintended consequences for our students and our nation.
Declassified Trump whistle-blower complaint: Read the
document and 5 takeaways
Inquirer by Aaron Blake, The Washington Post, Updated: September
26, 2019- 3:16 PM
We now have the
declassified whistleblower complaint alleging misdeeds by President Donald
Trump with regard to Ukraine. Below are the document and some of the key
takeaways and allegations in it.
According to state
law, all school directors must complete training. How many hours are required
if you are a new school director? What about if you’re re-elected? Get the
answers to these and other related questions in this episode of PSBA’s #VideoEDition.
Information about the
education sessions for the 2019 @PasaSupts @PSBA School Leadership Conference are now live on our
website! We hope to see you there! #PASLC2019
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 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
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!
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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