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. 18, 2019
Joint State
Government Commission issues report: Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: The Case
for Delaying Secondary School Start Times
Great seeing so many of you at the
PSBA/PASA School Leadership Conference in Hershey this week!
PA Senate Education Committee
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 9:00 a.m.
Public hearing on
charter school entities.
Room 1, North
Office Building
HB1897: Sonney’s Pa. cyber charter bill aims to partner
with, not compete with districts
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 11:41 a.m. ET Oct. 16, 2019
A new bill would
aim to alleviate the tension between cyber charters and school districts in
Pennsylvania by allowing the entities to partner with each other — while
still preserving the option of school choice. HB 1897, referred to the
House Education Committee Sept. 30, would require public school districts in
the state to both establish their own full-time cyber education programs,
and also offer two cyber options through outside contractors. It
would not provide additional state funding for the mandate. "The
only problem with the mandate that I see is the upfront costs and, 'What if
we lose the students anyway'," said West York Area school board
treasurer George Margetas. The district does not have a full cyber program
right now because it costs money to implement, and there's no guarantee
students would stay, he said. If students enroll in the cyber program, it would
definitely be a cost saver, but if the district loses them to the other two
options, it could be a financial drain, he said.
“Public Education is not perfect. We
certainly need some change. Pennsylvania taxpayers could save almost $300
million annually with Governor Wolf’s proposed changes. Money that could be
spent on educating our kids, not buying a new boat for a Charter School
operator or funding some legislator’s campaign to keep this racket going. It’s
time to hold PA Charter Schools accountable, and I applaud Governor Wolf’s
efforts. Know the facts before you declare it an “attack” on anyone, as the PA
taxpayer has been played as a fool for 20 years by these schools. I think
they’re upset that their party and gravy train is coming to an end.”
Pennsylvania
taxpayers deserve better
Wellsboro Gazette Letter
by Lisa Lightner October 17, 2019
Lisa Lightner is an
award-winning Special Education Advocate and blogger who lives in southeastern
Pennsylvania with her family.
Recently, Governor
Wolf has announced pending executive actions with the goal of some charter
school reforms. Many think tanks and pundits across the Commonwealth have
attacked him for this, stating that his agenda is to protect the status quo. Several
papers ran an op-ed piece from Lowman Henry titled “The Education Establishment
targeting Charter Schools.” I suppose that since it was on the op-ed page, I
shouldn’t be surprised that the essay was very heavy on the “op” part. However,
Mr. Henry offered no facts to support his argument that Governor Wolf is
targeting charter schools with his proposed reforms to “protect the wealth and
power of the education establishment.” I, for one, support Governor Wolf’s
reforms, and I see this as a politician (finally!) stepping up and holding
charter schools responsible and accountable. Finally, Pennsylvania taxpayers
are having their tax money protected instead of some wealthy charter school
owners and private interests. Before one leaps to judgement and agrees with Mr.
Henry, please read the following facts about Charter Schools. I’d also like to
remind all taxpayers that school choice does not automatically equal a better
option. Statistically, charter schools are not holding their own.
Blogger note: The Commonwealth
Foundation has historically been the recipient of significant funding by the
Koch Brothers, providing funding for Research Associates, Communications
Associates, Development/Marketing Associates. See Valerie Strauss’ piece on the
Koch Brothers Network in the national news section at the end of this morning’s
Roundup.
Letter: Gov. Wolf's
reforms designed to cripple charter schools to protect his donors
Pottstown Mercury Letter by Nate Esbenshade Public
Policy Intern Commonwealth Foundation Oct
15, 2019 Updated Oct 16, 2019
Lisa Lightner
purports to share “facts” about charter schools, but she then goes on to spread
half-truths and outright lies. (https://www.dailylocal.com/opinion/letter-charter-schools-pa-taxpayers-deserve-better/article_89621f8e-de06-11e9-b46c-cb3bedaa0c70.html). Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed reforms are meant to cripple charter schools
to protect his biggest donors: teachers’ unions. He has gone on record several
times saying that all students should be taught in public schools — by which he
clearly means district schools. If Wolf truly cared about improving charter
schools, he would have involved the charter school community in his proposals
several weeks ago. At the very least, he would have visited at least one
charter school in his five years as governor. Ms. Lightner’s claim that
charters collect more than a quarter of public education funding is simply not
true. They receive about $1.8 billion — which is a lot of money — but it’s only
6% of total public school funding, which is $30.2 billion. Ms. Lightner then
falsely claims charters do not get results. Yet Stanford—the very university
she cited — found charters are outperforming their corresponding district
schools for minority students in poor, urban districts. It is true that
Pennsylvania’s charter school law needs to be updated. Pa.’s charter school
coalition has pushed many reforms, including a funding commission. Four charter
reform bills passed the House in June and are awaiting action in the Senate.
Wolf should encourage the Senate to pass those reforms; then he should sign
them when they reach his desk. Charter schools are another option that allows
parents — not bureaucrats — to make the best decision for their kids. Perhaps
Ms. Lightner should re-examine her “facts” before she condemns thousands of
students to failing districts.
PA Senate Majority
Leader warns policies on charter schools, energy could hold commonwealth back
Pennsylvania Business
Report BY DEBRA FLAX | OCTOBER 16, 2019 |
COMPANIES
Pennsylvania Senate
Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-34) said recent policies and executive actions
from the Wolf administration could stifle economic growth and impinge on
progress the commonwealth has made in education and the energy sector. In an
interview with Pennsylvania Business Report, Corman shared particular concern
with several of Gov. Tom Wolf’s policy actions, including the governor’s recent
introduction of measures that will reform the charter school system in
Pennsylvania. “The fact that parents have an option when picking schools for
their children is incredibly important,” Corman said. Charter schools “are
public schools and the fact that we have them in Pennsylvania is a good thing.
What the governor is looking at, however – caps on enrollment – I don’t think
is the right course of action.” Among the Democratic governor’s reforms are
several fees paid by the charter schools to the state to defray Department of
Education costs in overseeing charter school performance. Proponents say that
such fees will hold charter and cyber schools to the same level of
accountability as traditional state schools, while opponents are concerned the
extra financial burden will have a negative impact on charter school expansion.
INTRODUCTION TO THE
PLUS CAUCUS OF PASA BY STEPHEN RODRIGUEZ, CAUCUS PRESIDENT AND SUPERINTENDENT
OF THE POTTSTOWN SD
PASA Flyer October
2019 (see page 8 of this pdf)
As the newly
elected president of the PLUS (Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools) Caucus of
PASA, and on behalf of all superintendents who participate in the caucus, I
want to thank you for reading the first ever PLUS Caucus article in the monthly
PASA newsletter! For those of you who may be unfamiliar with us as a group,
here is a very short history. For many years urban superintendents across the
state participated in an independent organization (PLUS) that had very similar
goals as PASA, but focused exclusively on the urban setting. In 2015, the
leaders of PLUS realized it would be better to join forces with PASA instead of
duplicating efforts. Soon thereafter, we became a caucus. We bear the same name
but now serve under a united PASA banner.
Dinniman Shares
Results of Study on Delayed School Start Times
Senator Dinniman’s
Website October 17, 2019
HARRISBURG (October 17, 2019) – State Senator Andy Dinniman shared today the results of a
comprehensive sleep study advocating for the delay of secondary school start
times. The study was conducted by a special Pennsylvania Joint State
Government Commission (JSGC) advisory committee. The report highlights that
delaying secondary school start times has the “greatest potential to impact
large numbers of students at the same time,” giving students more time to
sleep, and helping prevent the health concerns brought with sleep deprivation. This
marks the first time Pennsylvania has studied this issue and includes an
assessment of the health, academic and safety benefits associated with delaying
secondary school start times, as well as the costs associated with this change.
<>
It was established
under Senate Resolution
417,
legislation introduced by Dinniman that unanimously passed the Senate Education
Committee last fall. Dinniman said the findings should serve as a guide for
school districts that are looking at pushing back their start times.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION IN
ADOLESCENTS: THE CASE FOR DELAYING SECONDARY SCHOOL START TIMES JOINT STATE
GOVERNMENT COMMISSION REPORT
General Assembly of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Report of the Advisory Committee on Later
School Start Times at Secondary Schools October 17, 2019
Updates to Required
School Director Training
PSBA Website October
16, 2019
The Pennsylvania
General Assembly passed two acts amending the PA School
Code, Act
55 of 2017 and Act 18 of 2019. These acts mandate that school board directors complete training
programs, direct who can provide this training and detail how districts and
school directors will be held accountable. While PSBA did not create
these training requirements, the Pennsylvania Department of Education
(PDE) has named the organization as an approved provider of required director
training. Utilizing expertise in school law, policy, finance and ethical
governance, PSBA provides high-quality learning to facilitate this training for
our members. PSBA offers in-person and online training to
accommodate all learning styles and schedules. All online learning that is
part of the 3-hour training requirements for re-seated school board directors
and the 5-hour requirements for newly-elected school board directors
is complimentary and free-of-charge to school board members. In-person
training to meet these requirements can be completed as part of New
School Director Training or Advanced School Director Training
programs, which will be offered on weeknights and Saturdays at numerous
locations statewide during December and January. For more
details on the requirements and both training options: https://www.psba.org/education-training/required-school-director-training/
Pennsylvania
lawmakers likely to propose cutting or killing property taxes by increasing
sales, income taxes
By FORD TURNER THE MORNING CALL | OCT 17, 2019 | 3:40 PM
A bipartisan group
of lawmakers put together by General Assembly leaders is likely to recommend
cutting or eliminating school property taxes by seeking a combination of state
sales tax and income tax increases, the group’s leader said Thursday. State
Sen. David Argall was asked earlier this year by Senate Majority Leader Jake
Corman to lead the group, which has met repeatedly since mid-summer to come up
with a plan to eliminate to reduce the much-despised school property tax. The
Schuylkill County Republican, speaking Thursday to real estate professionals in
his home county, said the group wanted to get a plan to the Senate or House
floor this year in order to avoid the intense political feelings of next year’s
presidential election. Although the group is still working, Argall said the
recommended sales tax increase would likely be less than 1 percentage point ―
meaning the current rate of 6 percent across much of the state would go to a
level of less than 7 percent ― because Philadelphia’s sales tax rate already is
8 percent. Argall said Philadelphia’s block of 7 senators likely would oppose
an increase of 1 percentage point. Out of 50 senators total, Argall said, “That
is a pretty significant block to say, ‘Oh, we don’t need your help.’” No clear
consensus has emerged in the group on how much of increase should be
recommended for the state’s personal income tax, currently at 3.07 percent.
“One expert estimates that Pennsylvania
may have the oldest science standards in the United States.”
Tempers warming: Will
a debate over climate change stall a long-overdue update of Pa.’s science
standards?
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison October 16, 2019
LANCASTER, Pa. — Jeff Remington was nearly a decade into his teaching career when
Pennsylvania set out to create a new set of guidelines for science education. That
was in 1996, the same year that the first USB port appeared on computers and
that a pair of Palo Alto programmers launched the internet search engine that
would become Google. Dolly the sheep was born, making mankind’s first
successful clone of a life-form, and Nintendo 64 reigned supreme among gamers. Those
milestones have come and gone. But the science education standards that
Pennsylvania adopted remain in place to this day, informing school curriculum
and statewide standardized tests for nearly 2 million children. “We’re still
testing kids in Pennsylvania from this era,” Remington, a middle school science
teacher in Palmyra, Lebanon County, said in early October, when he and a
hundred other science educators convened for an annual statewide conference in
Lancaster. “It’s absolutely crazy.” At a time when Pennsylvania is
injecting more money than ever into STEM programs, experts and educators say
the standards that guide their teaching are wildly outdated, and fail to
account for recent scientific developments or contemporary understandings of
how children learn.
“For the first time since it began
turning neighborhood schools over to charter operators, the School District of
Philadelphia’s Board of Education has voted to return two of those schools back
to district control.”
Philly school board votes against two charter renewals —
a major blow to heralded reform effort
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent October 17, 2019
For the
first time since it began turning neighborhood schools over to charter
operators, the School District of Philadelphia’s Board of Education has voted
to return two of those schools back to district control. After years of deliberation, the board voted 8-1 Thursday night to not
renew the charters of ASPIRA Charter School at Olney and ASPIRA Charter School
at Stetson. The schools — which are both run by the North Philadelphia
nonprofit — can appeal the decisions to a state board and continue operating in
the interim. If they fail to win those appeals or any subsequent lawsuits, the
charters will officially dissolve and the district will resume control. That
prospect left some Olney and Stetson community members outraged. Many said the
school, while not perfect, had made major strides under ASPIRA’s management. “Olney
will go to the way it used to be and it wasn’t great,” said Doris Thayer, who
attended Olney High School when it was under district management and now has
children there. “If y’all failed me, y’all gonna fail them by letting ASPIRA
out,” she added. While some school board members expressed agony over the vote,
most decided that ASPIRA had too many signs of organizational rot and had not
produced the kind of academic improvement necessary to earn approval. Board
chair Joyce Wilkerson was resolute.
After years and amid protest, Philly Board of Ed revokes
two ASPIRA charters
It also approved a billion in financing for
major building upgrades
The notebook Bill
Hangley Jr. October 17 — 10:47 pm, 2019
The Board of Education voted Thursday to
revoke the charters of two long-embattled charter schools, while renewing the
charter of a third on the condition that it entirely revamp its special
education programming and enrollment. The board also approved over a billion
dollars in new financing, including what officials say was the largest new loan
in over a decade, laying the groundwork for what it hopes will be three years
of major infrastructure upgrades. The Board’s 8-1 votes to revoke the nonprofit
ASPIRA’s charters for Olney High and Stetson Middle School followed a long
session of passionate testimony the schools’ parents, students and staff. “You can keep a great school open by giving
us more time,” said Olney staffer Dan LaSalle “Give us a chance.” ASPIRA’s
financial controller Xin Li told the board that the nonprofit’s books are in
considerably better shape than in years past. “I have witnessed striking
improvements in internal controls,” he said. “The schools have turned around.” And
parent Doris Thayer warned that removing ASPIRA would bring back the bad old
days of fights, truancy and general disorder. “If you take them out, you’re
going to regret it,” she said. “Olney is going to go back to the way it used to
be.” Several board members expressed great reluctance to close a program has
drawn praise for improving school climate and boosting enrollment.
Philly school board to vote on ending charter agreements
for two Aspira-run schools
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Staff Writer, Updated: October 17, 2019- 5:00 AM
The Philadelphia
School Board is expected to vote Thursday night on whether to take back two
schools run by Aspira Inc. of Pennsylvania, more than three years after the
district recommended ending the charter agreements due to academic and
financial issues. The votes on Olney Charter High School and John B. Stetson
Charter School, which received more than $38 million in district funds in 2018,
represent a significant step in the
lengthy charter nonrenewal process. As former district schools that were turned over to Aspira to manage,
Olney and Stetson, a middle school in Kensington, won’t close if the board
votes to non-renew their charters. But whatever Thursday’s outcome, the schools
may not return to district control anytime soon. The charter schools could
appeal to the
state Charter Appeals Board. Aspira,
meanwhile, has
sued the district and school board, alleging the nonrenewal process has violated its rights as a
charter-management organization.
Missed asbestos, dangerous dust: How Philadelphia’s Ben
Franklin H.S. project went wrong
Inquirer by Wendy Ruderman, Staff Writer and Kristen A. Graham,
Staff Writer, October
18, 2019
A few weeks into
the school year, Benjamin Franklin High and Science Leadership Academy parents
received an urgent note: Damaged asbestos had been discovered inside ducts in
the boiler room and first-floor SLA commons. The Philadelphia School District shut
the building to students on Oct. 1, and Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said he was surprised the $37
million project had run into asbestos problems. “We were caught
off guard,” Hite
said. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. The district’s own inspection reports,
going back years, show that asbestos lined the air ducts running from the
boiler room to the other parts of the building and had been flagged as a
hazard. Workers had been removing sections of damaged asbestos insulation on
the ducts for years, the records show. The blunder was one of several in a
project marked by confusion and a lack of communication, records show. The
district and its outside environmental firms, for one, failed to provide a full
picture of the asbestos hazards, as required by law. As a result, construction
crews began dismantling the school’s old air ducts in the boiler room and first
floor without adequate protections and spread carcinogenic asbestos fibers in
those areas with students and staff in the building. The district ignored early
warnings from contractors, alarmed by the extent of the asbestos, and pushed an
untenable deadline to complete the work by the start of the 2019-20 school
year.
Bethlehem Area
looking at policies to cut down on hurdles minority students and low-income
students face
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | OCT 15, 2019 | 8:49 PM
When Bethlehem
students who live in the Five Points area of South Side don’t have a ride to
school, they have to cross one of the bridges going into the North Side and
walk almost 2 miles to Liberty High School. On rainy and snowy days, attendance
is an issue at Liberty, Superintendent Joseph Roy said at Monday’s school board
meeting. That’s why the district is looking at ways to provide transportation, such
as through shuttle buses or a partnership with LANTA, for those 120 students
who live in that South Side neighborhood, which has a high poverty rate. Busing
is available for Bethlehem Area high school students who live beyond two miles
of Liberty or Freedom High, the district’s other high school. The district’s
boundary lines mean that most of the South Side’s high school students attend
Freedom in Bethlehem Township, and therefore are bused. But a small number of
South Side students are in Liberty’s catchment, which is not far enough to be
bused. It’s proposals like that — eliminating transportation hurdles for
students — that Bethlehem Area is looking at to eliminate barriers that could
hinder minority students and low-income students’ educations. The plans are
part of the district’s equity policy. “Sometimes I feel like conversations can
go on forever and ever around inequalities and inequities,” Roy said. “So I
wanted to find things that we can take action to make a difference over the
next couple of years.”
Emmaus High School
mulls ‘school within a school’ program, but board members have doubts
By MARGIE
PETERSON THE MORNING CALL | OCT 17, 2019 | 6:29 PM
East Penn School
District is considering establishing “a school within a school” in Emmaus High
School as a program that emphasizes project-based learning. At Monday’s school
board meeting, Mike Mihalik, supervisor of secondary curriculum and instruction
for STEM, asked school directors to consider allowing the administration to
introduce a pilot project of the school within a school learning model, in
which for some subjects students would work on projects together, sometimes
with partners in the community. Mihalik has visited schools that operate
similar programs, including the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia,
which partners with the Franklin Institute on project-based learning. He said
there has been lots of interest from the East Penn community in partnering with
schools, but they have not identified one main partner to work on projects with
students. Mihalik and Laura Witman, assistant superintendent, said they are
passionate about the program. “We have teachers who already want to jump on
board,” Witman said. East Penn administrators said they would be looking for
between 32-48 students for the pilot group. If the program is approved, they
would launch the first freshmen cohort in the 2020-2021 school year.
ELC files suit against Math, Civics and Sciences charter
for denying admission to student with IEP
Parent
alleges school founder denied her daughter entry after learning she requires
emotional support services.
The notebook by Bill Hangley Jr. October 17, 2019
The Education Law
Center has filed a suit against the Mathematics Civics and Sciences Charter School (MCSCS)
on behalf of a parent who believes her child was illegally denied admission
based on her disability. Georgette Hand, parent of a first-grader who
previously attended Pennypacker Elementary, claims that MCSCS founder Veronica
Joyner denied her daughter entry after learning that the child has an
Individual Education Program (IEP) calling for emotional support. The suit was
filed on the same day that the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on
renewing MCSCS’s charter. with conditions. At the heart of the suit is a
meeting between Joyner and Hand, in which Hand alleges Joyner rejected the student’s
admission while the student – referred to in the suit as “D.W.” – sat quietly
and listened. “When they left,” the suit alleges, “D.W. asked her mother why
Ms. Joyner did not want her to attend the charter school.” Joyner said the
suit, filed Thursday in Pennsylvania’s Court of Common Pleas, is the result of
a “misunderstanding.” She said she recalls meeting the parent and student, but
all they discussed were the student’s problems at her District-run school.
Heeding criticism
from educators, Aument takes another swing at teacher evaluation reform
Lancaster Online by
ALEX GELI | Staff
Writer Oct 16,
2019
State Sen. Ryan
Aument has a confession: He missed the mark on teacher evaluations.
But now, with the
help of local educators, the Republican senator from Landisville is trying to
correct a 2012 reform he authored that fundamentally changed how teachers are
evaluated in Pennsylvania. He introduced his latest proposal, which tweaks the
2012 measure to de-emphasize the role standardized tests play in evaluations
and account for poverty in student achievement, in June. It passed the Senate
less than two weeks later and now rests in the House Education Committee. A
companion bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford). Aument,
Eastern Lancaster County Superintendent Bob Hollister, McCaskey High School
teacher Bryan Hower and Pennsylvania State Education Association President Rich
Askey sat
down with the LNP Editorial Board Tuesday to discuss the proposal. Here are four
takeaways from the conversation.
Elanco's $2.4M locker
room plan features non-gender-specific changing areas, showers
Lancaster Online by
ALEX GELI | Staff
Writer Oct 15,
2019
Eastern Lancaster
County School District is one step closer to replacing its high school locker
rooms with what the superintendent calls a “ready area,” featuring individual
changing rooms and showers, in an effort to boost student privacy and safety. The
Elanco school board on Monday night unanimously approved the design for a
projected $2.4 million plan to renovate its locker rooms. The step forward
represents a “huge win” for Elanco students, district Superintendent Bob
Hollister said. “I think the privacy is going to be well-received,” he said. Privacy
has been a major issue of late. Elanco school board members, administrators and
residents had debated for months a student
privacy policy following community
backlash over
the district’s decision to allow a transgender boy to use the boys’ facilities
at the high school. Board President Glenn Yoder said the locker room project is
about more than one student. “This is going to be for the good of all
students,” he said, adding that he predicts this design will become popular as
more school districts evaluate privacy matters.
Keeping students safe
is a growth industry struggling to fulfill its mission | Opinion
By John S. Carlson Capital-Star Op-Ed
Contributor October 17,
2019
John S. Carlson< is a professor of school
psychology, a licensed psychologist, a health service psychologist and a
nationally certified school psychologist at Michigan State University. He wrote
this piece for The Conversation, where it
first appeared.
In the 25 years
I’ve spent working as a school psychologist and professor of school psychology, I’ve never seen so much federal, state and local money spent to “harden” school buildings and campuses. The term encompasses a wide array of
steps being taken to keep students safe amid increasingly frequent mass
shootings. Examples
include arming teachers, conducting active-shooter drills and installing surveillance
systems. It’s a
booming business that by 2017 had become an estimated US$2.7 billion industry with about $1.5 billion directed toward K-12 school
safety. 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.
Perk Valley and
teachers union ink 3-year pact
Pottstown Mercury
October 17, 2019
COLLEGEVILLE —The
Perkiomen Valley School District Board of Directors has reached a three-year
agreement with the district's teachers union that provides cumulative raises of
nearly 9.5 percent, it was announced Wednesday. The union, the Perkiomen Valley
Education Association, approved the agreement Oct. 11, and the agreement was
ratified by the school board on Oct. 14. The new three-year agreement will last
through the 2021-22 school year and will be retroactive to Aug. 25, when the
previous agreement expired. The contract includes salary increases of 2.6
percent in the first year, 3.18 percent in the second year, and 3.67 percent in
the final year. Along with annual increases, the contract includes significant
changes to salaries for co-curricular positions (such as coaches and club
advisors), according to a news release issued by the district administration. Teachers
are not required to increase their contributions toward the most commonly used
health insurance plan during the first year of the contract, however
contributions will increase from 18 percent in year one to 19 percent in years
two and three.
Who is Fethullah Gülen, the Turkish cleric in the Poconos
who Rudy Giuliani pushed to extradite?
Inquirer by Joseph A.
Gambardello, Staff Writer, Updated: October
17, 2019- 10:18 AM
According to the
Washington Post, Rudy
Giuliani privately urged President Donald Trump in 2017 to return a Turkish
cleric living in exile in the Poconos back to Turkey to face criminal charges. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
has repeatedly sought the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, saying the one-time
associate turned foe has plotted to overthrow his government. Who is
Fethullah Gülen? Gülen, who is in his late 70s or early 80s, is a Muslim
cleric who teaches a philosophy based in Islamic mysticism mixed with advocacy
for education and democracy. He has attracted many followers who have run
universities, hospitals, and a large media empire in Turkey and, in the United
States, a loosely affiliated network of professional associations and charities
in addition to charter schools funded by millions of taxpayer dollars,
including some in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. One of those schools was
the now-closed
Truebright Science Academy in Philadelphia’s Olney section.
Juul suspends sales of flavored vapes and signs
settlement to stop marketing to youth
NPR By Allison
Aubrey October 17,
2019
E-cigarette maker
Juul Labs announced Thursday it will suspend sales of most of its flavored
products, including mango, fruit and cucumber. These types of flavors are
considered an on-ramp to vaping for teenagers. The move comes as the industry
faces immense scrutiny. Several states have instituted bans on flavored
products, and the Trump administration has signaled that a federal ban
may be in the works. Juul Labs
new CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said the company is focused on “earning the trust of
society” and is working to “combat underage use while providing an alternative
to adult smokers,” according to a company release announcing the change.
At a time when 25%
of high school seniors surveyed in the U.S. say they’ve vaped within the last
30 days, the company is also under pressure to limit marketing and advertising
to youth.
Top Special Education Official Leaving His Post at
Education Department
Education Week By Evie Blad on October 16, 2019 1:53 PM
The U.S. Department
of Education's top official in charge of special education services is leaving
his post, Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Wednesday. Johnny Collett, assistant
secretary for the office of special education and rehabilitative services, has
served in the Trump administration for nearly two years. Mark Schultz, who has
been commissioner of the rehabilitation services administration, will take
on Collett's duties, an Education Department spokesperson said. The position
requires Senate confirmation. The office for special education and
rehabilitation services oversees programs and policies that support people with
disabilities, including transitions to adulthood. Collett, who is respected in the
special education community, previously
served as special education director for Kentucky and as the director of
special education outcomes for the Council of Chief State School Officers. He
also served on the board of the National Association of State Directors of
Special Education.
The Koch network says it wants to remake public
education. That means destroying it, says the author of a new book on the
billionaire brothers.
Washington Post Answer
Sheet By Valerie Strauss Reporter Oct. 16, 2019 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
Early this year,
the Koch network committed to starting an effort to transform public education.
What would that look like? The author of a new book on the billionaire Charles
Koch and his late brother, David, says it would amount to the destruction of
public education as we know it. The Koch network is the influential assemblage
of groups funded by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch and more than 600
wealthy individuals who share his pro-business, anti-regulation view of
economics and positions on social policy, such as climate change denial. The
focus on K-12 education follows long involvement by the Koch brothers in higher
education. As leaders of a conservative movement that believes U.S. higher
education is controlled by liberals who indoctrinate young people, they spent
as much as an estimated $100 million on programs at hundreds of colleges and
universities that support their views. Now the network says it is going to try
to transform K-12 education, though the details are unclear. The Kochs and
their allies have long supported the school choice movement — which seeks
alternatives to traditional public school districts — as well as the use of
public funds for private and religious school education, as does Secretary of
Education Betsy DeVos.
'Backpack Full of
Cash' Screening Wednesday, October 23, 2019, 5 – 7:30pm St. Joseph’s University
Narrated by Matt
Damon, this feature-length documentary explores the growing privatization of
public schools and the resulting impact on America's most vulnerable children.
Filmed in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Nashville and other cities, it takes viewers
through the tumultuous 2013-14 school year, exposing the world of education
"reform" where public education - starved of resources- hangs in the
balance.
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!
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.
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
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.