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Thursday, October 31, 2019

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Oct. 31: Segregation in Pennsylvania schools: How a ZIP code determines the quality of a child’s education


Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors, principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

If any of your colleagues would like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Oct. 31, 2019
Segregation in Pennsylvania schools: How a ZIP code determines the quality of a child’s education

“Where you live determines what type of education you receive in the Lehigh Valley and elsewhere in Pennsylvania. This story is part of The Morning Call's ongoing series about poverty in the Lehigh Valley. Where the tax base is high, the educational offerings tend to be many. Where it is low, the options decline.”
Segregation in Pennsylvania schools: How a ZIP code determines the quality of a child’s education
THE MORNING CALL | By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO, SARAH M. WOJCIK and MICHELLE MERLIN OCT 30, 2019 | 7:00 AM
Students at Allentown’s Harrison-Morton Middle School look forward to hearing the squeaky wheels of the technology cart approaching their classroom, though the iPads they hold may not be the latest models and time with them is limited. A luxury in Allentown schools, such technology has become a necessity for many suburban students — something they’re accustomed to tapping at-will and often. Technology is one of the many things that separate students in Pennsylvania’s school districts, where wealth equates to quality. Food is another. That’s why the staff at Donegan Elementary School on Bethlehem’s South Side sends students home with a bag of healthy snacks on weekends. Because clothing also can divide students who have from those who have not, the Bethlehem Area School District installed a washer and dryer at Donegan, ensuring children have access to clean clothes. Language sets students or schools apart, too. And so do ZIP codes, education reformers say, effectively segregating students by income and race.
https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-education-poverty-20191030-uexghohk6jdoxovj56hsuxxrwe-story.html

“We’re going to continue to see the same results until the disparity in school funding is fixed. And the crazy thing is, we already have the tool to fix it. It’s just being used too sparingly. In 2016, the state Legislature passed a school funding formula that was the product of exhaustive work by a bipartisan commission (yes, there’s been such a thing in our polarized state Capitol). The formula wisely accounts for factors such as poverty, enrollment and a district’s tax base. But in their infinite wisdom, lawmakers decided that only new state funding each year would be disseminated through the funding formula. The reason? The “hold harmless” provision in state educational funding law.”
Editorial: Remedying the school funding gap would help to fix the school achievement gap
Lancaster Online Editorial by THE LNP EDITORIAL BOARD October 30, 2019
THE ISSUE: Last week, the state Department of Education released the results of the latest standardized tests — the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and the Keystone exams. Among the top performers were Hempfield, Lampeter-Strasburg, Manheim Township, Penn Manor and Cocalico. Manheim Township alone had three of the highest-performing schools: Neff, Nitrauer and Reidenbaugh elementary schools. As LNP’s Alex Geli reported, Columbia Borough School District was one of the three lowest performing in Lancaster County; the other two: School District of Lancaster and La Academia Partnership Charter School. Once again, standardized test scores confirm a tough reality.
“A significant gap still exists between Lancaster County’s high- and low-performing schools,” as Geli wrote. “One noticeable difference between the two groups: poverty.” He noted: “School districts like Hempfield, Lampeter-Strasburg and Manheim Township have historically performed well. Meanwhile, Columbia Borough, La Academia Partnership Charter School and School District of Lancaster — schools with far higher rates of economically disadvantaged students — consistently fall below average.” This surprises no one, least of all the educators who teach our county’s poorest children
https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2019/10/pa-ed-policy-roundup-for-oct-30-in.html

Picasso Project supports innovative arts programs in Philly schools
“We’ve provided almost like a Band-Aid, which is the grant funding, but working towards a bigger vision of full, equitable arts funding for all students in the District,” said the program's director.
The notebook by Amber Denham October 30 — 8:59 am, 2019
When Fairhill Elementary School closed in 2013 due to budget cuts, Tim Gibbon lost his job as a K-8 out-of-school-time coordinator, the staff member responsible for after-school and summer programming. What he didn’t lose was his passion for arts education. “For me personally, growing up, art and the music classroom was like a sanctuary in my school,” Gibbon said. “They were the things that got me excited about school. Because I loved those spaces, I could get excited about the rest of learning.” After Fairhill’s closure, Gibbon earned his master’s degree in art education at Temple University. During his program, he worked on a project focused on inadequate and inequitable school funding, specifically about the Fairhill Elementary closure. “We actually were able to take out the old furniture and ceiling tiles and things from Fairhill School and install [them] in an art installation classroom on the campus of Temple,” Gibbon said. After working on this project, Gibbon said, his dedication to advocacy continued through his work for Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY). PCCY was founded in 1980 as a youth advocacy organization focused on education, health care, and other issues that affect young people in and around Philadelphia. Its Picasso Project began 17 years ago in response to substantial cuts to funding for the arts, especially within the School District of Philadelphia.
https://thenotebook.org/articles/2019/10/30/arts-picasso-project-supports-innovative-programs-in-philly-schools/

Pa. quietly reverses ‘lunch shaming’ ban as school district debt grows
WHYY By Emily Rizzo October 31, 2019
In a reversal of a 2017 ban, Pennsylvania quietly reinstated a “lunch shaming” policy over the summer that allows schools to give cheaper, alternative meals to students who can’t afford food in the cafeteria. Language within this year’s school code bill allows districts to withhold hot meals from students who accrue more than $50 in lunch debt. “Lunch shaming exists because you got the cheese sandwich. We all know what the cheese sandwich means,” said State Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Philadelphia, who helped lead the 2017 effort to ban lunch shaming. The practice typically affects students who don’t qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs but still struggle to pay for school meals. “School districts are using tools that are not just bullying to these children but shaming families and parents that may be in a difficult situation. And oftentimes, it’s for very small amounts — a couple hundred dollars at most,” said Bullock. So why the law change? In part, because districts are on the hook for lunch debts that in some cases have doubled since shaming was banned.
https://whyy.org/articles/pa-quietly-reverses-lunch-shaming-ban-as-school-district-debt-grows/

Teachers’ pension fund has a secret plan for urban renewal in Harrisburg. They won’t talk about it.
Inquirer Joseph N. DiStefano | @PhillyJoeD | JoeD@inquirer.com October 31, 2019
Last summer, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System, which has $57 billion invested around the world and needs a $4.8 billion “employer contribution” from public-school and state taxpayers this year, bragged it won a “Transparency Award” from a government finance officers’ group pleased with the charts and graphs of its annual report. Transparent, for whom? PSERS trustees met for hours behind closed doors and agreed to spend another $5 million in the third year of their $13.5-million-so-far campaign to buy up and demolish city blocks along Market Street east of the agency’s headquarters. The millions are “for use in the site preparation and development of real property located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as more fully set forth in the confidential recommendation memorandum of Glen R. Grell, Executive Director," according to the agenda. What’s in the memo? Can’t tell you: That’s confidential, said Steve Esack, a PSERS spokesman.
https://www.inquirer.com/business/phillydeals/pensions-pennsylvania-teachers-public-psers-harrisburg-real-estate-20191031.html

Quakertown school district to sue vaping manufacturers
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Updated: October 30, 2019- 1:39 PM
The Quakertown school board has authorized litigation against e-cigarette manufacturers, joining school districts around the country taking legal action in response to the rapid rise of vaping among students. Lawyers for the Bucks County school district plan to file a lawsuit next week. Other school districts in the county may join the suit, Quakertown officials said. While a number of school districts have sued e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs amid mounting vaping-related illnesses and deaths, Stephen Corr, a lawyer representing Quakertown, said he believes this lawsuit will be the first by a Pennsylvania district. A resolution approved by the Quakertown board last week said the district “has and continues to experience significant problems with student use of Juul e-cigarettes" that “has created a substantial and ongoing interruption of and disturbance to its educational mission." It also says use of e-cigarettes “has resulted in the diversion of substantial resources in an attempt to abate and prevent such use” and “poses a significant risk to the health and well-being of its students.”
https://www.inquirer.com/education/vaping-lawsuit-school-district-quakertown-pennsylvania-juul-20191030.html

'Investment in our future' | Foundation awards grant money to early education programs
Johnstown Tribune Democrat By David Hurst dhurst@tribdem.com Oct 30, 2019
SOMERSET – Inside Trinity Lutheran’s Child Care and Learning Center, classrooms often get creative to encourage preschool children to embrace the core building blocks of literacy. Sometimes that means tracing ABC’s in a plate of foamy shaving cream or dried rice, rather than pencil to paper to foster letter recognition, Trinity’s director, Jody Jurgevich said. But for the early education providers behind the classwork in Cambria and Somerset counties, it isn’t all fun and games. Oftentimes they’re working on shoestring budgets to prepare children for kindergarten – inside outdated and under-equipped classrooms with under-trained teachers, Jurgevich and Learning Lamp CEO Leah Spangler said. Community Foundation for the Alleghenies officials launched the first of a long-term investment aimed at changing that Tuesday, awarding $235,000 to eight agencies representing 50 early learning centers across Cambria and Somerset counties.
https://www.tribdem.com/news/investment-in-our-future-foundation-awards-grant-money-to-early/article_5e1dd462-fac6-11e9-9a2d-3fbd8a6d07eb.html

PA Department of Labor & Industry Announces $2.5 Million to Connect Businesses and Schools, Boost Job Training Opportunities
October 30, 2019 - by MyChesCo - Leave a Comment
HARRISBURG, PA — Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak is urging local workforce development boards (LWBDs) to apply for $2.5 million in new Business-Education Partnership (BEP) grants that will connect businesses and school districts and expand career opportunities throughout Pennsylvania. “This funding supports one of Governor Tom Wolf’s key workforce development objectives to provide students with the technical training they need to get good-paying jobs when entering the workforce,” Secretary Oleksiak said. “These business and education partnerships give students the skills to succeed in today’s economy, while simultaneously creating new generations of highly-skilled workers for Pennsylvania employers.” A total of $2.5 million in funding is available through L&I to LWDBs to implement Business-Education Partnership programs. These programs help increase awareness of in-demand technical careers for students, parents, guardians, and school faculty. Each of the 22 statewide LWDBs are strongly encouraged to apply.
https://mychesco.com/a/news/pennsylvania/pa-department-of-labor-industry-announces-2-5-million-to-connect-businesses-and-schools-boost-job-training-opportunities/

Read the Latest F&M Poll Results
October 21 - 27, 2019 Franklin & Marshall College Poll 
The October 2019 Franklin & Marshall College Poll finds that Pennsylvania voters are generally satisfied with the direction of the state and their personal finances. Half (57%) of the state’s registered voters believe the state is “headed in the right direction.” Most voters report they are “better off” (30%) or the “same” (52%) financially compared to last year and most expect to be “better off” (31%) or the “same” (51%) financially next year—these sentiments are virtually unchanged since our last Poll. Contrasting with their feelings about the state, only one in three (35%) registered voters believes that the United States is “headed in the right direction.” About one in three (35%) registered voters in Pennsylvania believes President Trump is doing an “excellent” or “good” job as president, which is consistent with recent Franklin & Marshall College Polls. Two in five (37%) registered voters believe President Trump has done a good enough job to deserve re-election, while three in five (59%) voters say it is time for a change. More than half (57%) of registered voters in the state support an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, although this support differs along party and ideological lines. Nearly half (47%) express “strong support” for the inquiry while nearly two in five (37%) registered voters “strongly opposes” it. Only one in five (21%) registered voters believes it is acceptable for a president to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political opponent, regardless of how they feel about the impeachment inquiry itself.
https://www.fandm.edu/fandmpoll

Twitter bans all political advertisements
Inquirer by Associated Press, Updated: October 30, 2019- 4:16 PM
SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter is banning all political advertising from its service, saying social media companies give advertisers an unfair advantage in proliferating highly targeted, misleading messages. Facebook has taken fire since it disclosed earlier in October that it will not fact-check ads by politicians or their campaigns, which could allow them to lie freely. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress last week that politicians have the right to free speech on Facebook. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted the change Wednesday, saying the company is recognizing that advertising on social media offers an unfair level of targeting compared to other mediums. The majority of money spent on political advertising in the U.S. goes to television ads. Twitter’s policy will start on November 22.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/nation-world/twitter-bans-all-political-advertisements-20191030.html

Elizabeth Warren made charter school supporters mighty angry. Now they are targeting her.
Washington Post Answer Sheet By  Valerie Strauss  Oct. 30, 2019 at 3:32 p.m. EDT
(Update: Adding reaction from charter supporters)
Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts running for her party’s presidential nomination, struck a deep nerve with charter school supporters when she released her plan for pre-K-12 education and called for a freeze on federal funds for new charters. Now they are targeting her. Last week, Warren spelled out a detailed plan that would spend hundreds of billions of dollars to improve public schools from prekindergarten through 12th grade, saying she would pay for it by taxing America’s wealthiest people.
Elizabeth Warren calls for billions of new dollars to reform pre-K-12 schools and fight privatization. Here’s how she plans to pay for it.
She calls for, among other things, quadrupling federal Title I funding for schools in high-poverty neighborhoods, which would add $450 billion over the next 10 years — and change the way that funding is implemented so that the neediest students benefit. The plan would also fund the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act at the level the federal government originally promised — 40 percent of the total cost of educating students with disabilities. But this is what set off supporters of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated: She said she would end federal investment in charter school expansion, ban for-profit charter schools and ensure existing charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability requirements as that of traditional public school districts. Warren also said she wants to ensure that only school districts can authorize the opening of charter schools.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/10/30/elizabeth-warren-made-charter-school-supporters-mighty-angry-now-they-are-targeting-her/


Register now for PSBA’s Sleep & Student Performance Webcast OCT 31, 2019 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 IN PSBA NEWS
Our students face many issues today, but who would have imagined sleep deprivation could be a significant issue? The Joint State Government Commission established an advisory committee to study the issues, benefits and options related to school districts instituting later start times in secondary schools. Register now to hear from the executive director of the Commission, Glenn Pasewicz, commission staff and David Hutchinson, PSBA’s appointee to the commission, on the results of their study and work.
https://www.psba.org/2019/09/register-now-for-the-sleep-student-performance-webcast/

PSBA New and Advanced School Director Training
Do you want high-impact, engaging training that newly elected and reseated school directors can attend to be certified in new and advanced required training? PSBA has been supporting new school directors for more than 50 years by enlisting statewide experts in school law, finance and governance to deliver a one-day foundational training. This year, we are adding a parallel track of sessions for those who need advanced school director training to meet their compliance requirements. These sessions will be delivered by the same experts but with advanced content. Look for a compact evening training or a longer Saturday session at a location near you. All sites will include one hour of trauma-informed training required by Act 18 of 2019. Weekend sites will include an extra hour for a legislative update from PSBA’s government affairs team.
New School Director Training
Week Nights: Registration opens 3:00 p.m., program starts 3:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m., dinner with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., program starts at 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Advanced School Director Training
Week Nights: Registration with dinner provided opens at 4:30 p.m., program starts 5:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Registration opens at 10:00 a.m., program starts at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Locations and dates

Film Screening: PERSONAL STATEMENT with director Julie Dressner Penn C89 Sat, November 9, 2019, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Location: Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Please join us for a free screening and panel discussion of PERSONAL STATEMENT. This award-winning documentary film created by a Penn alumna features three inspirational high school seniors who are working as college counselors in their schools and are determined to get their entire classes to college, even though they are not sure they are going to make it there themselves. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Julie Dressner (C’89), cast member Enoch Jemmott, Netter Center founding director Dr. Ira Harkavy (C'70 GR'79), and others. Free and open to the public! (Registration strongly encouraged but not required.)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-personal-statement-with-director-julie-dressner-penn-c89-tickets-75871253963

Webinar: Introduction to PSBA’s Equity Toolkit
NOV 12, 2019 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
The equity toolkit supports school entities as they incorporate equity into district practice. This webinar will offer a walk-through of the components of the toolkit, from the equity lens approach to the equity action plan. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and share experiences throughout the webinar.
Facilitator: Heather Bennett J.D., Ph.D., director of equity services
Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1261156731797681154
*Note: registration closes one hour prior to the event.
https://www.psba.org/event/webinar-introduction-to-psbas-equity-toolkit/

UPDATE:  Second Workshop Added Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:30 am to 3:00 pm: Adolescent Health and School Start Times:  Science, Strategies, Tactics, & Logistics Workshop in Exton, PA
The first workshop on November 13 sold out in less than 4 weeks.  Thanks to recent additional sponsorships, there will be a second workshop held on Thursday, November 14. Register HERE.
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 a second interactive and solutions-oriented workshop on Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:30 am to 3:00 pm  Clarion Hotel in Exton, PA. The science is clear. Many middle and high schools 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.   
For more information visit the workshop website www.startschoollater.net/workshop---pa  or email contact@startschoollater.net

Congress, Courts, and a National Election: 50 Million Children’s Futures Are at Stake. Be their champion at the 2020 Advocacy Institute.
NSBA Advocacy Institute Feb. 2-4, 2020 Marriot Marquis, Washington, D.C.
Join school leaders from across the country on Capitol Hill, Feb. 2-4, 2020 to influence the legislative agenda & shape decisions that impact public schools. Check out the schedule & more at https://nsba.org/Events/Advocacy-Institute

Register now for Network for Public Education Action National Conference in Philadelphia March 28-29, 2020
Registration, hotel information, keynote speakers and panels:
https://npeaction.org/2020-conference/

Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call for Charter Change!
PSBA PA Charter Change Website September 2019
https://www.pacharterchange.org/

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.


at No comments:

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Oct. 30: In Pennsylvania, property taxes pay for cyber charter school “trade secrets”


Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors, principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

If any of your colleagues would like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Oct. 30, 2019
In Pennsylvania, property taxes pay for cyber charter school “trade secrets”


“We’re going to continue to see the same results until the disparity in school funding is fixed. And the crazy thing is, we already have the tool to fix it. It’s just being used too sparingly. In 2016, the state Legislature passed a school funding formula that was the product of exhaustive work by a bipartisan commission (yes, there’s been such a thing in our polarized state Capitol). The formula wisely accounts for factors such as poverty, enrollment and a district’s tax base. But in their infinite wisdom, lawmakers decided that only new state funding each year would be disseminated through the funding formula. The reason? The “hold harmless” provision in state educational funding law.”
Remedying the school funding gap would help to fix the school achievement gap
Lancaster Online Editorial by THE LNP EDITORIAL BOARD October 30, 2019
THE ISSUE: Last week, the state Department of Education released the results of the latest standardized tests — the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and the Keystone exams. Among the top performers were Hempfield, Lampeter-Strasburg, Manheim Township, Penn Manor and Cocalico. Manheim Township alone had three of the highest-performing schools: Neff, Nitrauer and Reidenbaugh elementary schools. As LNP’s Alex Geli reported, Columbia Borough School District was one of the three lowest performing in Lancaster County; the other two: School District of Lancaster and La Academia Partnership Charter School. Once again, standardized test scores confirm a tough reality.
“A significant gap still exists between Lancaster County’s high- and low-performing schools,” as Geli wrote. “One noticeable difference between the two groups: poverty.” He noted: “School districts like Hempfield, Lampeter-Strasburg and Manheim Township have historically performed well. Meanwhile, Columbia Borough, La Academia Partnership Charter School and School District of Lancaster — schools with far higher rates of economically disadvantaged students — consistently fall below average.” This surprises no one, least of all the educators who teach our county’s poorest children. They know that too many of their students came to kindergarten already behind their middle-class peers. Their students have fewer resources at home: fewer books, fewer visits to museums, fewer vocabulary-enriching trips and, in the most heartrending instances, fewer of the basic necessities such as nutritious food and safe housing. These are students whose parents or guardians cannot afford time off from work to attend school meetings, let alone private tutors. That eye-glazing bit of legalese essentially means that schools, once granted a certain share of funding, must continue receiving at least that share. Even if their enrollments decline. Even if their needs can be met by a thriving tax base. Even if the needs of other schools far outpace theirs.
https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/remedying-the-school-funding-gap-would-help-to-fix-the/article_e5d04eb8-faa7-11e9-8cc6-63ed0c6e546e.html

In Pennsylvania, property taxes pay for cyber charter school “trade secrets”
Education Voters PA Published by EDVOPA on October 28, 2019
On Tuesday, October 22nd, the PA Senate Education Committee held a public hearing on charter school entities. The CEOs of charter and cyber charter schools were invited to testify along with representatives from the School District of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth Foundation, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), PA Partnerships for Children (PPC), and Education Voters of PA. In the Ed Voters testimony, I primarily addressed the need for cyber charter school funding reform that will match the tuition payments school districts make to state-authorized cyber charter schools with the actual cost of educating a student at home on a computer. It widely recognized that tuition payments to cyber charter schools far exceed the cost of educating a child at home on a computer. In the testimony, I shared what I learned from a single 990 form from a single cyber charter school. See their 990 form HERE.
It was deeply troubling.
http://educationvoterspa.org/blog/your-property-taxes-pay-for-cyber-charter-school-trade-secrets/

NOTICES - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Cyber Charter School Application; Public Hearings
Pennsylvania Bulletin [49 Pa.B. 5712] [Saturday, October 5, 2019]
 The Department of Education (Department) has scheduled five dates for public hearings regarding cyber charter school applications that it receives on or before October 1, 2019.
 The hearings will be held on November 5, 2019, November 6, 2019, November 12, 2019, November 14, 2019, and November 19, 2019, in Heritage Room A, lobby level, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, at 9 a.m. on each day.
 The hearings pertain to applicants seeking to operate a cyber charter school beginning in the 2020-2021 school year. The purpose of the hearings is to gather information from the applicants about the proposed cyber charter schools as well as receive comments from interested individuals regarding the applications. The names of the applicants, copies of the applications and a listing of the dates and times scheduled for the hearing on each application can be viewed on the Department's web site after October 1, 2019, at www.education.pa.gov.
 Hearing agendas will be posted under Charter School Applications on the Department's web site at http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.
 For questions regarding these hearings, contact the Division of Charter Schools at ra-charterschools@pa.gov.
https://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol49/49-40/1477.html

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education Cyber Charter Application 2019
Virtual Prep Academy of Pennsylvania
https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Cyber%20Charter%20School%20Applications/Virtual%20Prep%20Academy%20of%20PA.pdf

“Just nine Philadelphia public schools have certified school librarians; about a dozen have functioning libraries opened and staffed by volunteer organizations, or kept open by other means. Decades ago, nearly every city school employed a librarian, but budget cuts decimated librarians’ ranks in Philadelphia and in urban districts nationwide.”
Just 9 Philly schools have certified librarians. Here’s how one school pulled off a miracle.
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: October 30, 2019- 5:00 AM
When the number of certified Philadelphia School District librarians dwindled to the single digits, Penny Colgan-Davis sprang into action. She had spent a long, distinguished career as a teacher and administrator in city public, private, and charter schools, working to build community and solve problems, and wanted to do the same in retirement. So in 2015, Colgan-Davis, who had spent years at Friends Select, Miquon, and Frankford Friends, set her sights on reopening a public school library.  “Most Philadelphia schools do not have libraries. It’s criminal,’” her husband, John, recalled her saying. The effort led by Colgan-Davis is the reason an enthusiastic group of kindergartners was able to buzz around the colorful John B. Kelly School library on a recent day: Volunteers have made possible what school budgets can no longer stretch to pay for. (School District officials say principals are still free to budget for librarians, but virtually none can afford one.)
https://www.inquirer.com/education/school-library-philadelphia-kelly-germantown-volunteer-librarian-20191030.html

“The bill has the support of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, but other groups expressed some concerns. The Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) is neutral on the bill because it removes the “gross deficiency” clause in the evaluation process. “Prior to 2012, superintendents had the authority to issue an overall unsatisfactory rating to any professional employee if just one category of the evaluation was marked unsatisfactory,” testified Eric Eshbach, superintendent of the Northern York County School District. “This was an effective tool for superintendents that assisted in removing professional employees who should not be working in schools with children. We continue to advocate for the reinstatement of this clause.” The bill will erode the authority of administrators by limiting additional reviews of employees rated as “failing” or “needs improvement” to two times, said Kathy Swope, who represented the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and is board president of the Lewisburg Area School District. “For those individuals who are being rated as 'needs improvement,' this change would result in a time period of approximately 2½ years before an underperforming educator could be removed from the classroom,” Swope said. The PSBA is also concerned about a provision that allows an employee to create part of their improvement plan, Swope said.”
Bills to alter teacher evaluations in Pennsylvania garner some tentative support, with caveats
By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square October 29, 2019
Bills that would change the way Pennsylvania teachers are evaluated were supported by some educators, but some concerns were also raised during a Pennsylvania House Education Committee meeting. The bills introduced by Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, and Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Mount Joy, would make changes to 2012’s Act 82. Senate Bill 751 and House Bill 1607 aim to increase the weight of the teacher observation portion from 50 percent to 70 percent of the overall evaluation. The scores will focus less on building level scores that access the overall score of the school. The change is supported by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA). “What we've discovered since 2012 is that student achievement data for an entire school building has overshadowed the performance of individual educators, causing artificially inflated or deflated scores,” said Rich Askey, president of the PSEA. “As a result, great teachers in challenging school buildings oftentimes have lower ratings than struggling teachers in higher performing buildings.”
https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/bills-to-alter-teacher-evaluations-in-pennsylvania-garner-some-tentative/article_114391c2-fa7b-11e9-99f7-bf8012f7c919.html

A new policy would level the playing field for educators whose students live in poverty. Why isn’t Philadelphia on board?
PA Capital Star By  Elizabeth Hardison October 30, 2019
If a pair of Republican state lawmakers get their way, Pennsylvania could become the first state in the nation that considers student poverty levels when judging teacher performance. The proposal sponsored by Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, and Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, would change teacher evaluation standards to include a “poverty multiplier” to account for the detrimental effects of poverty on students’ standardized test scores.  The lawmakers say it would usher in fairer accountability for Pennsylvania’s teachers, who are evaluated each year based, in part, on their students’ performance on standardized tests.  The bill has the support of the state Department of Education and the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the union representing more than 180,000 public school teachers across the state. But it hasn’t won over teachers in the Philadelphia school district, which enrolls more poor students than any other school system in the state. Leaders in the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, the union that represents public school teachers in Pennsylvania’s largest city, say that the proposed reforms don’t do nearly enough to ameliorate the effects of poverty on student achievement. 
https://www.penncapital-star.com/education/a-new-policy-would-level-the-playing-field-for-educators-teaching-students-who-live-in-poverty-why-isnt-philadelphia-on-board/

Upper Dublin School District settles racial discrimination complaint
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Updated: October 29, 2019- 7:01 PM
The Upper Dublin School District will scale back its use of academic tracks as part of a settlement with African American parents over allegations of discrimination against black students. The school board approved the settlement at a meeting Monday night, according to the Public Interest Law Center, an advocacy group that represented the parents in a complaint filed in 2015 with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The complaint alleged the district had been disproportionately suspending black students and placing them in lower-level classes. Under the settlement, with the exception of eighth-grade math, the Montgomery County district will phase out tracked classes — which group students based on ability — over the next four years at the middle-school level, according to the law center. By the 2022-23 school year, the high school level will have no more than two academic tracks, and students won’t be required to have taken honors courses to enroll in Advanced Placement classes. Parents also will be able to override teacher recommendations for class placements. The district will provide data annually to the school board on the representation of African American students in higher-level classes.
https://www.inquirer.com/education/upper-dublin-school-district-racial-discrimination-settlement-20191029.html

Delaware County elementary school named a National School Of Character
FOX 29's Jenn Fred reports from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where Chestnutwold Elementary School has been named a National School of Character.
Posted October 29, 2019 Video Runtime 3:35
https://www.fox29.com/video/619838

Jason Reynolds is on a mission
Philly Trib by Concepción de León October 29, 2019
When the writer Jason Reynolds speaks to young people, he rarely starts by talking about books. “They’ve been hearing that all day, all year,” he said. Instead he talks about ramen noodles, Jordan 11s, the rapper DaBaby, “whatever it takes to get them engaged.” Earlier this month, when Reynolds’ “Long Way Down” was selected as Baltimore’s “One Book Baltimore” pick, he came to the city to field questions about the book and sign copies for hundreds of middle school students. They listened to him as he compared hip-hop to poetry — “There’s a direct connection between Tupac and Langston Hughes” — and said that early rappers should’ve been considered “teenage geniuses.” These events — he’s done about 50 this year — are a driving part of his work as a writer: to make Black children and teenagers feel seen in real life as well as on the page. “I can talk directly to them in a way that I know they’re going to relate to because I am them,” Reynolds said, “and I still feel like them.” If his book sales and literary accolades are any indication, his approach is working. Reynolds, 35, is a finalist for the National Book Award in young people’s literature for “Look Both Ways,” which came out this month.
https://www.phillytrib.com/lifestyle/jason-reynolds-is-on-a-mission/article_0ecca6bb-0ff9-525f-ad20-7cadcf97655d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Standardized tests like SAT and ACT favor students with family wealth | Opinion
Ezekiel J. Dixon-Román, for the Inquirer Updated: October 29, 2019 - 1:18 PM
The season of college admissions testing is upon us once again. High school students across the country have recently taken or are preparing to take one of the two high-stakes standardized tests for college admissions: the ACT and SAT. This educational ritual happens annually — as do discussions of how fair these tests are. Last year, the College Board proposed and then quickly abandoned adding an “adversity score” to the SAT assessing students’ educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Just this month, ACT officials announced that test-takers can retake individual sections of the test to improve their overall score, starting next September.
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/sat-act-standardized-tests-equity-socioeconomic-status-wealth-20191029.html

Pa. House bill would scrap cross-filing for school board, county judge candidates
PA Capital Star By  John L. Micek October 29, 2019
*This post has been updated.
When you step into the voting booth on Nov. 5, the chances are pretty good that you’ll see local school board or judicial candidates who are running on both the Democratic and Republican tickets. And unless you’re studied up on the races, or know the candidate personally, the chances are also pretty good that you’ll be asking yourself, “Are they a Democrat? Are they a Republican?”  And maybe you’ll fall back on tribal and party loyalties to make your decision. Two Republican lawmakers — one from southwestern Pennsylvania, the other from the Lehigh Valley — want to end that practice. On Tuesday, they rolled out a bill that would scrap cross-filing by school board, county judicial, and district magistrate candidates. Rep. Justin Simmons, R-Lehigh, who’s been working on the issue for the past few legislative sessions, said the bill is also intended to address the increasingly partisan nature of campaigns for public offices that have traditionally been nonpartisan. “We’re kidding ourselves if we don’t think [these races are partisan],” Simmons said. “It’s human nature. People should know who [these candidates] are.”
https://www.penncapital-star.com/blog/pa-house-bill-would-scrap-cross-filing-for-school-board-county-judge-candidates/

Judge strikes down Pittsburgh’s controversial gun bills
TRIBUNE-REVIEW by BOB BAUDER   | Tuesday, October 29, 2019 6:06 p.m.
An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday struck down Pittsburgh’s controversial gun control ordinances, ruling the city is prohibited by state law from regulating firearms. Common Pleas Judge Joseph James issued a five-page opinion granting three Second Amendment rights groups and three individuals a summary judgment that declared the ordinances illegal. The city vowed to appeal. Pittsburgh City Council in April approved three bills signed by Mayor Bill Peduto. One would ban possession and use of certain semiautomatic weapons, including assault rifles. A second would ban the use of ammunition and accessories, such as large capacity magazines capable of holding 10 rounds or more of ammunition. A third bill, dubbed “extreme risk protection,” would permit courts to temporarily remove guns from a person deemed to be a public threat. “The city and its outside legal counsel have always expected this would be a long legal fight and will continue to fight for the right to take common sense steps to prevent future gun violence,” said Peduto spokesman Tim McNulty.
https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/judge-strikes-down-pittsburghs-controversial-gun-bills/

Bill that overhauls how Pennsylvanians can vote is headed to Gov. Tom Wolf
PA Capital Star By  Elizabeth Hardison| Stephen Caruso October 29, 2019
A bill that allows any Pennsylvanian to vote by mail, provides millions of dollars in state funding for new voting machines, and eliminates straight-ticket ballots is headed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.  The proposal passed the state House on Tuesday by a vote of 138-61. The state Senate granted its approval that evening with a 35-14 vote. The bill includes a number of changes to Pennsylvania’s elections code. By the 2020 primary election, the commonwealth will allow:
  • Any voter to cast a ballot by mail, at least 50 days before the election
  • New voter registration up to 15 days before an election, rather than 30 days
  • Absentee or mail-in ballots to arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day, rather than by 5 p.m. the Friday before Election Day
Republicans and some Democrats hailed the bill as a historic rewrite of outdated laws, with Wolf calling the bill “a major advancement for elections in Pennsylvania.”  Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, echoed that sentiment, saying the legislation is “the most significant modernization of Pennsylvania’s elections code in decades.”  But some Democrats fumed about the elimination of straight-ticket voting and criticized the private negotiating process between Wolf and Republican legislative leaders. Democratic lawmakers also said the elimination of straight-party voting would confuse voters and increase wait times at polling places, especially since the reforms will take effect as many Pennsylvania counties roll out new voting machines.
https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/bill-that-overhauls-how-pennsylvanians-can-vote-is-headed-to-gov-tom-wolf/

Pa. moves a step closer to first major overhaul of election rules in more than 80 years
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Posted Oct 29, 2019
Pennsylvania’s election rules could be in for their first major overhaul in more than 80 years if bipartisan-backed legislation approved by the state House of Representatives on Tuesday reaches Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk. The House voted 138-61 to approve an election reform legislation that has Wolf’s support as well as the Senate’s majority Republicans that not only provides a new voting option starting with next year’s elections but also provides counties with $90 million to help cover the cost of replacing their voting machines with ones that have a paper trail. The bill, which now goes to the Senate for concurrence which may happen before day’s end, would:
  • Allow any voters to mail-in their ballots.
  • Eliminate straight party voting, so voters would have to cast votes for candidates individually.
  • Shorten the voter registration deadline from 30 days before the election to 15 days.
  • Ban stickers from being used for write-in votes on paper ballots.
  • Extend the deadline for voting an absentee ballot to 8 p.m. on the day of the election, Currently, absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m, on the Friday before the election and 8 p.m. on the day of the election for emergency absentee voters.
  • Allow permanently disabled absentee voters to submit a single absentee ballot application each calendar year that is applicable for all elections held that year.
The measure also addresses concerns that county officials had particularly as it relates to covering the cost of election reforms. Namely, it authorizes borrowing $90 million through the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority to provide up to 60 percent of the cost of buying new voting machine to comply with a Wolf Administration’s mandate. 
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/10/pa-moves-a-step-closer-to-first-major-overhaul-of-election-rules-in-more-than-80-years.html

Youth vaping rates rise amid health fears; data confirms continued trend among teens, even as related illnesses multiply
Beaver County Times By Jayme Fraser and Dian Zhang, GateHouse Media Posted at 4:00 AM
The rate of teens using electronic cigarettes has doubled in two years, the largest and quickest increase in the popularity of any substance since tracking began 45 years ago. That data was published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine — months ahead of schedule — just as national health officials try to pinpoint why at least 530 people have been hospitalized and several others have died after using vaping products. The rate of teens using electronic cigarettes has more than doubled in two years, the largest and quickest increase in the popularity of any substance since tracking began 45 years ago. That data was published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine — months ahead of schedule — just as national health officials try to pinpoint why at least 530 people have been hospitalized and several have died after using vaping products. Most hospitalized were male and under age 35. One in six were under 18. Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday that she is “very concerned about the occurrence of life-threatening illness in otherwise healthy young people.” “We are working closely with state and local health departments, the FDA and the clinical community to try to learn as much as we can to try to stop this outbreak,” she said. “I wish we had more answers.” To date, federal authorities say they have not identified a single vaping product, ingredient, device or brand that is consistent across all the cases. Nor do they expect clear answers anytime soon.
https://www.timesonline.com/news/20191030/youth-vaping-rates-rise-amid-health-fears-data-confirms-continued-trend-among-teens-even-as-related-illnesses-multiply


“But based on my research on school safety practices, I believe that — in addition to doing more to regulate access to automatic weapons — what’s actually needed is more funding for mental health services in communities and schools to help heed and address warning signs before someone becomes violent.”
Expert: There’s no evidence that the fortune being spent to ‘harden’ schools against shooters will work. But here’s what will.
Washington Post Answer Sheet By  Valerie Strauss  Oct. 29, 2019 at 12:50 p.m. EDT
Last April, a study came out from researchers at the University of Toledo and Ball State University that said the fortune being spent to “harden” public schools to make students safer from gun violence is creating a “false sense of security.” The study, published in the journal Violence and Gender, looked at the literature on the subject from 2000 to 2018 and could not find any program or practice with evidence that it reduced firearm violence. So what should schools do? John S. Carlson, professor of school psychology at Michigan State University, answers that question in the following post. Carlson is also a licensed psychologist in Michigan and a nationally certified school psychologist. This first appeared on the Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts, and I was given permission to publish it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/10/29/expert-theres-no-evidence-that-fortune-being-spent-harden-schools-against-shooters-will-work-heres-what-will/

Reading Scores on National Exam Decline in Half the States
The results of the test, which assesses a sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students, will inevitably prompt demands for policy change.
New York Times By Erica L. Green and Dana Goldstein Oct. 30, 2019Updated 1:11 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON — The average eighth-grade reading score on a nationally representative measure of student achievement declined in more than half of the states, according to data released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics, the research arm of the Education Department. The dismal results were part of the release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the “nation’s report card.” The test assesses a sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students in public schools — more than 290,000 in each subject in 2019 — every other year. “Over the past decade, there has been no progress in either mathematics or reading performance, and the lowest performing students are doing worse,” Peggy G. Carr, the associate commissioner of the center, said in a statement. Such findings will inevitably prompt demands for policy change. In a statement, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who is championing a $5 billion school choice program, said that the results “must be America’s wake-up call.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/us/reading-scores-national-exam.html


Register now for PSBA’s Sleep & Student Performance Webcast OCT 31, 2019 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 IN PSBA NEWS
Our students face many issues today, but who would have imagined sleep deprivation could be a significant issue? The Joint State Government Commission established an advisory committee to study the issues, benefits and options related to school districts instituting later start times in secondary schools. Register now to hear from the executive director of the Commission, Glenn Pasewicz, commission staff and David Hutchinson, PSBA’s appointee to the commission, on the results of their study and work.
https://www.psba.org/2019/09/register-now-for-the-sleep-student-performance-webcast/

PSBA New and Advanced School Director Training
Do you want high-impact, engaging training that newly elected and reseated school directors can attend to be certified in new and advanced required training? PSBA has been supporting new school directors for more than 50 years by enlisting statewide experts in school law, finance and governance to deliver a one-day foundational training. This year, we are adding a parallel track of sessions for those who need advanced school director training to meet their compliance requirements. These sessions will be delivered by the same experts but with advanced content. Look for a compact evening training or a longer Saturday session at a location near you. All sites will include one hour of trauma-informed training required by Act 18 of 2019. Weekend sites will include an extra hour for a legislative update from PSBA’s government affairs team.
New School Director Training
Week Nights: Registration opens 3:00 p.m., program starts 3:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m., dinner with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., program starts at 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Advanced School Director Training
Week Nights: Registration with dinner provided opens at 4:30 p.m., program starts 5:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Registration opens at 10:00 a.m., program starts at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Locations and dates

Film Screening: PERSONAL STATEMENT with director Julie Dressner Penn C89 Sat, November 9, 2019, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Location: Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Please join us for a free screening and panel discussion of PERSONAL STATEMENT. This award-winning documentary film created by a Penn alumna features three inspirational high school seniors who are working as college counselors in their schools and are determined to get their entire classes to college, even though they are not sure they are going to make it there themselves. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Julie Dressner (C’89), cast member Enoch Jemmott, Netter Center founding director Dr. Ira Harkavy (C'70 GR'79), and others. Free and open to the public! (Registration strongly encouraged but not required.)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-personal-statement-with-director-julie-dressner-penn-c89-tickets-75871253963

Webinar: Introduction to PSBA’s Equity Toolkit
NOV 12, 2019 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
The equity toolkit supports school entities as they incorporate equity into district practice. This webinar will offer a walk-through of the components of the toolkit, from the equity lens approach to the equity action plan. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and share experiences throughout the webinar.
Facilitator: Heather Bennett J.D., Ph.D., director of equity services
Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1261156731797681154
*Note: registration closes one hour prior to the event.
https://www.psba.org/event/webinar-introduction-to-psbas-equity-toolkit/

UPDATE:  Second Workshop Added Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:30 am to 3:00 pm: Adolescent Health and School Start Times:  Science, Strategies, Tactics, & Logistics Workshop in Exton, PA
The first workshop on November 13 sold out in less than 4 weeks.  Thanks to recent additional sponsorships, there will be a second workshop held on Thursday, November 14. Register HERE.
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 a second interactive and solutions-oriented workshop on Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:30 am to 3:00 pm  Clarion Hotel in Exton, PA. The science is clear. Many middle and high schools 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.   
For more information visit the workshop website www.startschoollater.net/workshop---pa  or email contact@startschoollater.net

Congress, Courts, and a National Election: 50 Million Children’s Futures Are at Stake. Be their champion at the 2020 Advocacy Institute.
NSBA Advocacy Institute Feb. 2-4, 2020 Marriot Marquis, Washington, D.C.
Join school leaders from across the country on Capitol Hill, Feb. 2-4, 2020 to influence the legislative agenda & shape decisions that impact public schools. Check out the schedule & more at https://nsba.org/Events/Advocacy-Institute

Register now for Network for Public Education Action National Conference in Philadelphia March 28-29, 2020
Registration, hotel information, keynote speakers and panels:
https://npeaction.org/2020-conference/

Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call for Charter Change!
PSBA PA Charter Change Website September 2019
https://www.pacharterchange.org/

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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