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. 15, 2019
The Roundup may be intermittent
this week due to the PSBA/PASA School Leadership Conference in Hershey. If you
are in Hershey come say hello on Wednesday, Oct. 16th - I’ll be at
the PSBA booth from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. with the other PSBA Advocacy
Ambassadors. Find out how we can assist you
with engaging your legislators, scheduling Show Them What it Takes
school visits, and taking advantage of free statewide advertising to share
positive news about public education via the Success Starts Here
campaign.
Pa. needs a well-designed, well-funded special education
funding formula
The state's
share of funding has not kept pace with the growing need. Recurring annual
increases in state aid of $100 million or more are needed.
The notebook by Reynelle
Brown Staley Commentary October 14 — 11:10 am, 2019
Reynelle Brown
Staley is policy director for the Education Law Center, a nonprofit, legal
advocacy organization with offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, dedicated to
ensuring access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania.
The Special
Education Funding Commission wrapped up a series of four public hearings to
evaluate how special education money is distributed in Pennsylvania last week. The
commission was originally established by Pennsylvania lawmakers in 2012 and
came up with a formula that is sensitive to the special education needs and
costs of various districts. In 2014, the commission’s formula was adopted as a
method to distribute new state special education funding to school districts. Earlier
this year, five years after the formula’s adoption, the commission was
reconstituted to “determine if the formula and the factors used are meeting
their intended goals.”Making sure that special education funding meets its
intended goal of serving the needs of students with disabilities is a matter of
critical concern to the Education Law Center (ELC). Fulfilling our mission of
ensuring that all Pennsylvania’s children have access to quality public schools
requires that the students with the greatest educational need receive the
resources they need to succeed, regardless of the educational or societal
advantage with which they enter school.
Education Law
Center: Changes in special education expenditures and revenues for all 500
Pennsylvania districts are provided in the spreadsheet found at:
School Funding in
Pennsylvania - A Community Meeting in Philly October 22nd
Hosted by Friends
of H.A. Brown and Friends of Adaire Tues, Oct. 22, 2019 at 6:30 PM – 8 PM
Coral Street Arts
House 2446 Coral St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19125
On Tuesday, October
22, come to @NKCDC's Coral St. Arts House to learn why Pa's school funding system is so
broken, and hear about the lawsuit aimed at giving all kids the resources they
need and deserve.
Asbestos that closed Philly high schools exposed deep
rifts
WHYY Air
Date: October 15, 2019 Listen 16:52
Listen to The Why
wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | TuneIn
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | TuneIn
About 1,000
students are finally back in class this week after construction delays and the
discovery of asbestos forced a building housing two Philadelphia high schools
to close for more than three weeks. While officials scrambled to find a
space for them, parents pushed back hard on the district’s proposals. WHYY
education reporter Avi Wolfman-Arent explains why this fiasco exposed parents’ anxieties about the safety of Philly’s schools.
The Ben Franklin and SLA asbestos crisis is a symptom of
a bigger disease | Opinion
Commentary by AJ Ernst, for the Inquirer Updated: October 14, 2019 - 1:56 PM
Don’t be fooled by
the headlines. The city’s big education story right now is that almost 1,000
district students cannot go to school, thanks to construction delays and
asbestos contamination in the Benjamin Franklin High School building where
Science Leadership Academy students were also to matriculate this fall. The
district’s failure to preempt this problem deserves attention. But this is not
a one-off disaster. It reflects a much deeper issue facing our education
system. This disruptive start to the school year illustrates the farce of the
high school selection process, ironically branded “Find Your Fit.” Annually every eighth-grade student in Philadelphia can apply to a
handful of prestigious Special Admission high schools and opt out of their
designated neighborhood high school. To gain admission, students must
demonstrate strong character and academic performance. Advertised as a system
that rewards the hardest-working students, the selective admissions process is
a civil rights violation hidden in plain sight.
Educators in
Interboro make the case for pre-K education
Teachers,
parents, students and education advocates praised Interboro's efforts to expand
pre-K in the district. It started with 16 half-day students in 2017-18 and is
now up to 51 full-day students in three classes.
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin
ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com Oct 10, 2019
PROSPECT PARK —
Extending access to pre-kindergarten education access in Interboro School
District was lauded by early-education advocates and state lawmakers Wednesday
morning. Over 50 district students are enrolled in full day pre-K at the
district’s Kindergarten Center in Prospect Park, up from 34 in the last school
year and 16 half-day students in 2017-18. A state grant worth $446,240 helped
to establish three full-time classes for the year which goes to pay for three
teachers and three paraprofessionals. “We truly embrace pre-K and know and
recognize the valuable role it plays in supporting our youngest students,” said
Interboro Superintendent and former Kindergarten Academy Principal Bernadette
Reiley. “I have always wanted to provide pre-K. With the help of Dr. Valerie
Eckman, our curriculum director, and the support of the board we had a vision
that if there was ever an opportunity to apply and bring pre-K to Interboro that
is something we wanted to do.” A roundtable discussion about the benefits of
the district’s program yielded feedback about student’s having better social
and emotional development, comprehensive learning skills and, quite simply,
being ready “to school” ahead of the full-day kindergarten program that
follows.
California dreamin’: The state becomes the first in the
nation to mandate later start times for middle and high schools. Here’s why.
Washington Post Answer
Sheet By Valerie Strauss Oct. 14, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
California just
became the first state to require most middle and high schools to start later
in the morning, bringing them in line with research showing that teenagers
benefit academically and in other ways. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed
legislation Sunday that would, over three years, phase in a change in start
times so middle schools could not begin earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no
earlier than 8:30 a.m. Some rural schools are exempt. The measure was not
universally embraced, and Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown (D), had vetoed
similar legislation in 2018. Brown said local districts should set their own
start times and noted that the California School Boards Association and the
California Teachers Association, a large union, opposed it. Other critics
opposed the measure for a number of reasons, including parents being unable to
adjust work schedules, the consequences for after-school activities and some
students still needing to get up very early to get to school by 8:30 a.m.
On the Table: We Count in Delco 2020! Thursday, October
17 @ 1:00 PM
Delaware County
Intermediate Unit (DCIU) 200 Yale Avenue Morton, PA 19070
On The Table,
Greater Philly, is a one-day event on October 17, when communities all over the
region are having conversations about important local issues. Along
with our local sponsor, The Community Foundation for Delaware County, we invite
community leaders and partners for lunch and conversation on the 2020 census right
here in Delaware County. We want to make sure everyone gets
counted. Please help us find and connect with underrepresented
communities and brainstorm ideas on how we can facilitate access and
completion. We know there are other local events happening this
week. We’re working with Congresswoman Scanlon and the Delco Counts
Committee to make sure we accommodate schedules and get a complete count.
Registration Link
(space is limited): https://www.senatorkearney.com/event/census-roundtable/
Career, Trades & Labor
Apprenticeship Fair Saturday • October 26, 10 a.m.– 2 p.m.
Delaware County
Intermediate Unit (DCIU) Marple Education Center • 85 N. Malin Road • Broomall,
PA
Sponsors: Senator
Kearney’s Office, Delco AFL-CIO and DCIU
This event will be
open to students from grades 8 – 12, along with their parents and guardians. We
are also inviting school administrators and teachers, local businesses and
trades, and all community stakeholders who are interested in preparing today’s
students for tomorrow’s opportunities. The 26th Senate District
has a wide range of career, technical, and labor apprenticeship training
programs for young people seeking careers in growing fields where they can earn
living wages and, in some cases, even Associate degrees during their training.
We hope to connect students with these opportunities and to build new
relationships between everyone invested in our young people’s educational and
career paths. Please RSVP no later than October 25, 2019. You can RSVP online
at https://www.senatorkearney.com/apprenticeship-fair/ or by contacting Gina Curry, my Constituent Relations
Associate, at Gina.Curry@pasenate.com or 610-352-3409 (ext. 222). We look forward to seeing you at the
fair!
Experience an evening
of high-energy, top-quality public school student performances! Join us for
the 2019 Student Showcase, October 17 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the
Chocolate Ballroom at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center.
PSBA Website
Congratulations to
those selected to perform at this year’s Showcase:
Master of Ceremonies: Sofia Mains, Cumberland Valley SD
Easton Area Middle School Jazz Band, Easton Area SD
The Dr. Kistler Handbell Choir, Wilkes-Barre SD
Washington High School Steel Drum Band, Washington SD
New Hope-Solebury High School Chamber Strings, New Hope-Solebury SD
Cheltenham Twp. High School Choir, Cheltenham Twp. SD
Eisenhower Select Musicians, Norristown Area SD
The Meistersingers, Southern Lehigh SD
Canon-McMillan High School Jazz Band, Canon-McMillan SD
Student Showcase Artistic Director: Sal
Scinto, Radnor Township
SD band director and Haverford Twp. SD school director
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA PA Charter
Change Website September 2019
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.
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
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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