Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept. 9 2019
We will be offline
tomorrow, Tuesday, September 10th
Charter school advocates fume as Pa. says it will charge
fees to consider payment disputes
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Updated: September 6, 2019- 3:28 PM
After fielding
13,500 requests last year from Pennsylvania charter schools seeking payment
from school districts, the state will soon charge fees to consider them,
outraging charter advocates. Under state law, charter schools are to be paid
monthly by school districts, but disputes can arise over the bills. In some
cases, districts simply don’t pay them, charters say. To recoup staff costs in
sorting out payment problems, the department this month will begin charging
charter schools $15 per request, Gov. Tom Wolf announced this week. Next year,
it will also begin charging applicants seeking to open a cyber charter school
$86,000, which officials said would cover the costs of evaluating the
application. Notice of the fees — which Wolf first proposed last month while
touting a plan to
increase accountability for charters — infuriated charter advocates, who said their schools were being
penalized for unfair actions by school districts, and that the cyber charter
application fee would prevent anyone from trying to open a new cyber school. District
officials, meanwhile, cheered the governor, saying they have little recourse
for inaccurate billing by charters, which receive payment from districts based
on the number of enrolled students.
Charter School Reform
High Among Governor’s Priorities
Intelligencer By Chris English Posted at 7:00 PM
September 8, 2019
While saying there
are good charter schools in the state, Gov. Tom Wolf says too many are not
providing quality education and are falling short in other areas. Claiming that
too many Pennsylvania charter schools are not making the grade in quality
education, transparency and other areas, Gov. Tom Wolf is pushing for reform
and asking for input on what changes would yield improvements. And while some
local school district superintendents agree reform is needed, some charter
school officials said Wolf is going too far in his criticism. “Pennsylvania’s
charter school law is one of the worst in the country and is failing students,
teachers, school districts and taxpayers,” Wolf said in a statement. “We cannot
wait any longer to take action. Improving transparency and holding
under-performing charter and cyber-charter schools accountable will level the
playing field with school districts and help to control costs for taxpayers.” Brick-and-mortar
charter and cyber- charter schools, and for-profit companies that manage many
of them, are not held to the same ethical and transparency standards of
traditional public schools, according to the governor’s office. At the direction
of the governor, the state Department of Education is developing new
regulations for charter schools that will include:
- allowing school districts to limit student
enrollment at charters that do not provide a high quality, equitable
education to students;
- requiring more transparency with charter school
admission and enrollment policies to prevent discrimination;
- holding charter schools and the for-profit
management companies to the same transparency standards as public schools;
- requiring regular financial audits and public
contract bidding.
“There are good
charter schools in Pennsylvania, but we must do more to hold under-performing
charter schools — especially cyber-charter schools — accountable to students,
parents and taxpayers,” Wolf said.
PENNSYLVANIA CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL Form 990 for FY 2017
652 MIDLAND AVE,
MIDLAND, PA 15059-1433 | TAX-EXEMPT SINCE SEPT. 2014
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.
Walmart’s move on guns and ammunition sends an important
message to Congress: People want action | Editorial
Inquirer by the Editorial Board Updated: 32
minutes ago
After
Walmart’s welcome
announcement last week that
it would immediately stop
selling certain types of ammunition and would also request that customers in “open carry” states not
carry their weapons into the company’s stores, the National Rifle
Association’s response was as implacable as it was predictable. What was essentially a
reaffirmation of its longstanding declaration of war against even the most
commonsense efforts to improve public safety attested to how loyal the NRA
remains to the firearms
manufacturers that are its
most valuable and valued constituency. "It is shameful to see Walmart succumb
to the pressure of the anti-gun elites,” thundered the NRA, adding that the
retailer “has chosen to victimize law-abiding Americans.” The attempt to
rhetorically transform into elitists everyone concerned about the frequency and
ferocity of mass shootings in America, and the effort to elevate the alleged
victim status of the “law-abiding Americans” the NRA purports to speak for
above that of the law-abiding Americans being shot to death in schools, stores,
synagogues, garlic festivals, and on the streets, were telling in the way a
whiff of bottom-line fear can be telling. Like the decision in March by the
Dick’s Sporting Goods chain to end
guns and ammo sales at 125
of its 720 stores nationwide, Walmart’s move surely was market-tested, even
market-driven. This is not to denigrate the wisdom and fortitude behind these
corporate actions, but rather to emphasize that both Dick’s and Walmart are
being responsive and responsible to customers of their 5,000 stores nationwide.
Report: This is what
happened to the 1M kids who lost Medicaid/CHIP coverage | Monday Morning Coffee
PA Capital Star
Commentary By John L. Micek September 9, 2019
Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
The late Hubert
Humphrey once famously remarked that the moral test of government is
how it treats those in the dawn, the shadows and the twilight of life. The
U.S. Census Bureau is expected to release data this week from its
annual American Community Survey on the ranks of America’s
uninsured — putting that maxim to the test. As a new report by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown
University’s Health Policy Institute makes clear, that data will cast
some badly needed light on the number of American children who receive coverage
through Medicaid/CHIP. Nationwide, child enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP “declined
by half a million children in the first 10 months of 2018. That number has now
more than doubled to more than 1 million children in the 17-month period
between December 2017 and May 2019,” the report indicated. “As we have analyzed
the monthly data, we consistently have seen about two-thirds of states with net
child enrollment losses in Medicaid/CHIP although a few states
have switched from gains to losses and vice versa.”
Here’s how a Montco school district created a tax relief
program that others want to copy
Inquirer by Laura McCrystal, Updated: September 7, 2019
Pennsylvania school
board members are accustomed to hearing complaints about rising property taxes,
especially from senior residents. But it’s rare that a district acts on those
concerns and offers a relief measure. The North Penn School District in Montgomery
County last year became one of just a few districts in the state that
offers relief
to senior taxpayers. Based on a
statewide program that is funded by the lottery and offers rebates of up to $650
for seniors, the district created its own rebate offer. Similar programs could
soon pop up in other Philly-area districts; since North Penn won an award for
its rebate this year, several school leaders around the state have contacted
the district in hope of reproducing it. Some state lawmakers and taxpayer
groups have pushed
for reform or elimination of school property taxes, which account for the majority of homeowners’
tax bills. While that movement has not been successful in Harrisburg,
initiatives such as rebate programs can offer some relief at the local level,
said Steve Skrocki, North Penn’s chief financial officer.
Pennsylvania lawmakers look into broadband challenges in
education, farming sectors
By Kim Jarrett
| The Center Square September 6, 2019
Students are
sitting in school parking lots hours before and after school begins to complete
homework. Farmers are relying on slow dial-up connections to complete transactions.
These situations and more are the result of Pennsylvania’s lack of high-speed
broadband access, according to testimony at a public hearing this week at Penn
State’s Fayette campus. The Federal Communications Commission estimated about
800,000 Pennsylvania residents don’t have access to high-speed internet, said
Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, who chairs the Senate Communication and Technology
Committee. But that number is likely in the millions because many connections
don’t meet the national standards for high speed internet, she said. Lack of
broadband access is a problem for many industries, but the Senate hearing, the
third of four, focused on education and agriculture. Students in the
commonwealth’s K-12 schools and colleges often cannot complete online
assignments due to the lack of access, a group of panelists testified. Rep.
Ryan Warner, R-Lemont Furnace, said lack of access is not the only barrier.
Broadband is expensive, and he considered cutting off his broadband service due
to cost, he told the panel. He questioned education requirements for broadband.
“Are we pushing, ‘You have to have broadband’ because it’s the next phase of
education before we are actually ready for the next phase of education?” Warner
asked. “I don’t think it’s fair to the kids who don’t have access or can’t
afford it.” Gary Seelye, who is retired from the Brownsville Area Board of
Directors, agreed that affordability was an issue. He said that 100 percent of
students in his district are reimbursed for school lunches. But the digital
divide needs to be addressed even if affordability is an issue, he said.
Active shooter trainings in PA: What have Allegheny
County school districts spent?
Pennsylvania
schools are required to hold security drills. Most local schools are avoiding
big expenses.
Public Source by Brittany
Hailer | August 28, 2019
High-profile mass
shootings have been driving investment in school security across the country.
In 2017, schools spent $2.7 billion
nationwide on
safety and security services and equipment. How much are school districts in
Allegheny County spending on active shooter training? PublicSource filed
Right-to-Know requests to a majority sample of the 43 school districts in the
county, inquiring the cost of contracts entered into for school safety and
security training as it pertains to active shooters, intruders or other threats
to school safety. The requests specified contracts that include — but were not
limited to — training by the ALICE Training Institute. ALICE stands for Alert,
Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. The institute instructs students of all
ages how to fight back, or counter, a shooter — a controversial and concerning
notion to some students, parents and teachers. The ALICE Training Institute,
which was founded by Greg Crane after the Columbine High School shooting in
1999, has trained 3,700 K-12 school districts, according to its website. The
institute did not respond to requests for comment. PublicSource requested
contracts that were in effect for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. Of
the 12 school districts that replied, eight districts provided records and four
districts said they had no contracts or other records during the two-year
period. Only four districts reported costs that totaled more than a few
dollars. Several reported having free trainings and one reported spending
$10. Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] spent about $68,850 on contracts that
trained employees for an active shooter event in those two school years
combined. More than $49,000 of that budget went to the ALICE Training
Institute.
“Many of the concerns the board had
related to the seemingly small amount of support the charter school had in the
community. While the charter school submitted a document listing 65 parents who
supported the school, only two lived in CV, Litts said. Of the 14 organizations
that expressed support, Litts added, eight had existing connections to the
school’s founding members.”
School District of
Lancaster urges Conestoga Valley to deny charter school
Lancaster Online by
ALEX GELI | Staff
Writer Sep 6, 2019
Officials with the
School District of Lancaster are urging the Conestoga Valley school board to
deny an application from a charter school that says 75% of its students will
come from Lancaster city. “It appears that the TLC Leadership Charter School
has deliberately bypassed our school district to seek approval from you
instead,” Lancaster board President Edith Gallagher said during a public
meeting at Huesken Middle School Thursday night. Gallagher, speaking during the
public comment period toward the end of the meeting, said this “disqualifies”
the charter school for approval. If approved, TLC
Leadership Charter School — an
arm of The Lincoln Center, a Montgomery County-based nonprofit that offers
education, coaching and counseling services in southeast Pennsylvania — would
serve up to 200 students in kindergarten through 12th grade with an emphasis on
students who suffer from anxiety, school phobia or other mental health issues. The
school applied to Conestoga Valley, yet its application states only 25% of its
students would be from CV. The CV school board peppered the charter school’s
leadership with questions about this and other topics during a two-hour meeting
Thursday.
Lincoln Charter looking to add grades with charter
renewal
Lindsay C. VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 3:57 p.m. ET Sept. 7, 2019 | Updated 6:20 p.m. ET Sept.
7, 2019
Lincoln Charter
School officials are planning to request a shift from an elementary grade
structure to incorporate middle school — a group of students they say are
missing out on critical support before high school. "Lincoln is, in many
ways, a cocoon," said Anne Clark, director of community outreach. Students
who excelled within the structure and culture of Lincoln no longer have
that academic, behavioral and social support in middle school, which are
difficult coming of age years, she said. President and CEO Leonard Hart said he
doesn't want to look back at the violence in York City — in which many of
the youth have been involved — and wonder what the school could have done
differently. Hart announced at a monthly school improvement meeting Saturday,
Sept. 7 that Lincoln's five-year charter renewal is coming up this
fall and officials plan to ask for a restructure to from K-5 to
pre-K-8. The restructure request is due Oct 1, and the charter renewal
application is due to chartering district York City Oct. 31. "I don't pull
punches," Hart said. "There's not going to be a pat on our back to
expand because we'll be pulling students from other districts." But Clark
said the reason behind the expansion is not to take away from other districts,
but to be able to offer its current students the opportunity to remain at
Lincoln after fifth grade.
"It's not an
'us against them,'" Hart said. It's about creating a systemic
approach to education with a community of schools, he said, not about which
entity is getting the money.
Trinity High School
Uses Smartflowers to Support Students and Community
Smartflowers
Website Sep 04, 2019
Trinity High School
believes in using technology to address and solve real-world problems, which is
why they installed three Smartflowers on their campus in Washington,
Pennsylvania earlier this spring. The Trinity Area School District received
funding from the Local Share Account (LSA) grant that provided a way to
purchase their very own Smartflowers as well as their wind turbine project. While
Trinity High School’s Administration researched other options for solar, such
as traditional rooftop static solar panel systems, the Smartflower was
ultimately chosen. “We decided to pursue the dynamic Smartflower to incorporate
more technology and expand the curricular basis as well as career options for
students,” said Donald Snoke, Assistant Superintendent of the Trinity Area
School District. Trinity High School’s Smartflowers aren’t just used as a clean
energy power source—they’re used as an educational tool for students. The
Smartflowers have been integrated into the school’s curriculum in order to
benefit AP students, college prep students, and students who plan on attending
tech and trade schools or are entering directly into the vocational arena.
Courses such as AP Environmental Science, Physics, Industrial Technology, and
Vocational Agriculture will utilize Smartflower technology as part of their
curricular focus. “The rigor and relevance of the secondary curriculum have
expanded greatly. The bar has been raised and our students, staff and community
members have been the beneficiaries,” said Snoke.
Learning a lesson: Increase wages for crossing guards,
cafeteria workers
If
Pittsburgh Public Schools wants more crossing guards and cafeteria workers,
it’ll have to pay
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Pittsburgh Post-Gazette SEP 8, 2019 7:00 AM
As children were
returning to Pittsburgh Public Schools, the district was struggling to fill
positions important to the day-to-day operations of the schools. And this
district should learn this lesson: You get what you pay for. A shortage of
crossing guards and cafeteria workers forced the district to confront difficult
situations like asking existing personnel to do more work and bringing in
police officers to ensure school safety. Although PPS budgeted for 102 crossing
guards, it has only 83 on staff. Retirements have thinned the ranks and a
lackluster pay rate — just $72.60 per day, according to the district — has
failed to attract enough candidates. Similarly short-staffed are the PPS
cafeterias, according to the manager of the program. And, similarly, the
maximum wage of $74.47 per day, according to a job listing, was not enticing
applicants. The proof is in the pudding: The wages being offered for these
positions don’t offer enough financial incentive for the community in an
economy with unemployment at a near historic low.
Teacher-Drivers Keep Wheels on the Bus Going Round
Education Week By Corey Mitchell September 3, 2019
As school systems
around the country struggle to fill vacant bus driver jobs, more districts have
turned to familiar faces: their own employees. In suburban school systems near
Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., teachers are signing up to drive routes
before and after classes. A school district in rural North Carolina has begun
requiring newly hired support staff—including cafeteria workers, classroom
aides, and custodians—to complete bus driver training. And in western
Pennsylvania, superintendents in two districts earned their state certification
and commercial licenses over the summer in case they're needed in a pinch. More
than 90 percent of school districts across the country reported bus driver
shortages in a survey released this year by the National Association for Pupil
Transportation. One-third of those districts described it as "desperate or
severe" in the recent survey, said Mike Martin, the association's
executive director.
Educator: There's A
Mass Teacher Exodus, Not Shortage
Tim Slekar,
Dean Of The School Of Education At Edgewood College, Says Testing
Accountability To Blame
Wisconsi Public
Radio By Mary Kate McCoy Published: Thursday, September 5, 2019, 5:35am
For years, stories
about the teacher
shortage have
made the news in Wisconsin and around the country. But Tim Slekar, dean of the
School of Education at Edgewood College, says it’s actually a teacher exodus. Slekar
recently spoke with Wisconsin Public Radio "Central Time" host Rob
Ferrett about the issue and the role of accountability and standardized
testing.
The interview has
been edited for brevity and clarity.
Rob Ferrett: So a teacher exodus. Why do you
call it that?
Tim Slekar: When we have a shortage, say of nurses, pay goes up, conditions get
better and enrollment in nursing programs skyrockets. So if we have a teacher
shortage, pay would go up. It's not. Conditions would get better. They're not.
And enrollment in teacher education would go up. It's declining. That can't be
a shortage then.
When you talk about
the fact that nobody wants to do this job, that parents are telling their kids
right in front of me in my office that they don't support their child becoming
a teacher, this is a real issue that needs to be talked about quite differently
and that's why exodus is much better because you have to ask why are they
leaving and why aren't they coming.
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 (*).
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.
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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