Thursday, October 24, 2019

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Oct. 24, 2019 Pottstown superintendent tapped to head Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools (PLUS)


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PA Ed Policy Roundup for Oct. 24, 2019

Pottstown superintendent tapped to head Pennsylvania urban schools group
POTTSTOWN — Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez will go anywhere and talk to anyone about the fight for fair public school funding. Given that the Pottstown School District is underfunded by more than $13 million every year by a state funding system that favors districts with more white students over districts with fewer white students, that's not too surprising. But his outspokenness has resulted in him being elected to a position that will give him a broader state-wide platform for his advocacy. Rodriguez is the new president of the Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools, often referred to as PLUS. And he is not alone in representing Southeast Pennsylvania in the organization. Christopher Dorner, the superintendent of the Norristown Area School District, is the group's new secretary. Joseph Roy, the superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, is the group's new treasurer. Once an independent organization, PLUS merged with a larger statewide organization known as the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators or PASA in 2015. The two groups felt it was better to pool resources and not duplicate efforts, said Rodriguez.

“Steve Esack, spokesman for PSERS, said the the moves already made by the state have set PSERS on the right path to deal with its unfunded liability — calculated on an actuarial basis at $44.85 billion as of June 30, 2018, the most recent data PSERS could provide — within two decades. An estimate for June 30, 2019, won't be available until December.”
Watchdog: Pa. not doing enough to overcome pension-funding crisis
Pottstown Mercury By David Mekeel MediaNews Group October 22, 2019
Barry Shutt's clock, much like the potential financial time bomb it represents, keeps on ticking. The clock doesn't tell time or count down seconds and minutes and hours. It's a debt clock, tracking Shutt's up-to-the-minute calculation of Pennsylvania's unfunded pension liability — the money owed to employees and retirees in the state's two pension programs that the programs don't have. It not dollars and cents that are due immediately, but payments the pension systems still ahead. The clock sits in the East Wing Rotunda of the Capitol, near the cafeteria, a reminder to all who pass that the debt is still there. Shutt sits beside it on a lawn chair several days a week. Right now the numbers on Shutt's clock are growing by about $177 per second, he said. Last week it hit a total of more than $77 billion. Pennsylvania has had a pension problem for years. It's been a hot topic in Harrisburg, the subject of debate and legislation — including some set to be introduced this week — aimed at stemming the tide and solidifying the systems. It's also been on the minds of taxpayers in Berks County. Reader Marty Reisch wanted to know what the state is doing to address the shortfalls in the state's two public pension systems, Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS).

Bucks, Montco educators hear case for later HS start times
A new report from a state commission lays out the case for later secondary school start times.
Bucks County Courier Times By Chris English Posted Oct 23, 2019 at 5:15 PM
Bensalem, Bristol Township, Centennial, Central Bucks, Hatboro-Horsham, Pennsbury and Quakertown Community are all examining the issue of later school start times and could decide to make a move as early as next school year. Research on the benefits of later secondary school start times is robust and instituting them is a very worthy goal. That’s the verdict from one of the main authors and project manager of a new Joint State Government Commission report “Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: The Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times.” Yvonne Hursh spoke about the report in depth Tuesday night during a school start time forum at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit in Doylestown Township. It was attended by residents, administrators and school board members from many area school districts, including Bristol Township, Central Bucks, Council Rock, New Hope-Solebury, Pennridge and Quakertown Community. Those and other districts in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties are studying whether it’s possible to start their secondary schools later in the day and give adolescents more sleep. Bensalem, Bristol Township, Centennial, Central Bucks, Hatboro-Horsham, Pennsbury and Quakertown Community are all examining the issue and could decide to make a move as early as next school year.

Pa. legislature abruptly abandons attempt to limit public access to campaign expenses
Spotlight PA by Angela Couloumbis, Updated: October 23, 2019- 5:36 PM
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.
The Republican-controlled legislature abruptly reversed course Wednesday and said it would abandon a controversial measure that could make it harder to find out how lawmakers and other elected officials spend millions of dollars in campaign cash. The change comes a day after the Caucus and Spotlight PA reported on the proposal. On Tuesday, the news organizations published the results of a year-long investigation into how lawmakers hide sometimes lavish campaign expenditures from the public. Hours later, a House committee, at the request of Senate Republican leadership, inserted language into a larger voting reform bill that would make it even harder to hold them accountable. But on Wednesday, House Republicans bucked their Senate counterparts and said they would strip out the new provision. Mike Straub, a spokesman for the House Republican Caucus, said several members raised concerns about the language in the provision, including the fact that it was tacked onto a bill that dealt with voting reforms rather than one dealing with the state’s campaign finance laws.

“Eighty school districts in Pennsylvania have their own police department.”
Pa. Senate approves legislation to restore school police arrest powers
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Oct 23, 2019; Posted Oct 23, 2019
Legislation aimed at restoring arrest powers for school police that was inadvertently taken away in a school safety law enacted last summer won passage in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, which passed by a 28-20 vote, now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. The House could consider voting on it as soon as next week, according to a House Republican leadership spokesman. A spokesman for Gov. Tom Wolf said he will make a determination as to whether he will sign it if or when it reaches his desk. The provision to return arrest powers was added to a non-controversial school code bill that allows for students to receive course credit upon the successful completion of a personal financial literacy course during grades 9 through 12. Sen. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland/York counties, who advocated for the legislative fix to the earlier enacted school safety law, said, “I am pleased that the Legislature acted quickly to reinstate arrest powers for school police officers so they can continue to do their jobs protecting our children.”

The achievement gap among Lancaster County schools on display in 2019 PSSA/Keystone results
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer October 24, 2019
At least this is clear according to the latest batch of standardized test scores released this week by the state: A significant gap still exists between Lancaster County’s high- and low-performing schools. One noticeable difference between the two groups: Poverty.
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 year is no exception. Here’s what we learned from the results of 2019’s Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams.

Philly schools’ test scores mostly rising, but just 36% of children meet state English standards
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: October 23, 2019- 3:42 PM
Students in the Philadelphia School District generally continue to make progress on state exams, but still lag state averages considerably. Overall, 36% of city third through eighth graders met state standards in English language arts on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in the 2018-19 school year. That’s up from 35% the previous year. In math, 22% of Philadelphia children scored proficient or advanced, up from 20% in 2017-18. Forty percent of city students hit the mark on science exams, up from 35% the prior year. Across the state, 61% of students scored proficient or advanced in English, 42% in math, and 68% in science, though under Gov. Tom Wolf, the state has deemphasized state exams, reducing the amount of time students spend taking the tests. Philadelphia high school students’ Keystone Exams scores dropped. Twenty-eight percent of students were proficient or better in biology, down one point from 2017-18. Algebra scores dropped 2 percentage points to 20%, meeting state standards. And in literature, 41% of students met state standards.

Pennsylvania to Invest $10 Million to Support Early Childhood Educators in Career Development
HARRISBURG, PA — Governor Tom Wolf announced today that his administration will make a $10 million investment in Pennsylvania’s children through a workforce development program that will help early childhood workers gain valuable credentials and advance their professional careers. “It’s imperative that we support early childhood workers with career training and advancement opportunities,” Gov. Wolf said. “For their own fulfillment, to retain skilled employees and, most importantly, to provide the youngest Pennsylvanians with the very best start on their educational and developmental journey.” Two professional development organizations that specialize in access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for the early childhood education (ECE) workforce have been selected to work with the departments of Human Services’ and Education’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) on this priority. Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) was selected for the Philadelphia and Southeast (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties) regions. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania was selected for the Central, Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest regions.

“Unfortunately, in Pittsburgh there are still nearly 500 income-eligible children who cannot access high-quality, publicly funded pre-K due to a lack of investment. Across the state, there are nearly 97,000 children who are missing out. We are encouraged by the additional investments in pre-K this year, and we hope that Gov. Tom Wolf and our state legislators will continue this momentum in the next budget.”
Additional state funding for pre-K helps more students
Post-Gazette Letter by ANTHONY HAMLET, Superintendent Pittsburgh Public Schools OCT 24, 2019
Recently, we were pleased to celebrate new pre-K classrooms at Pittsburgh Linden K-5. Thanks to $30 million in additional state funds for pre-K in the most recent state budget, Pittsburgh Public Schools and its early childhood partners are serving 47 additional children this school year in pre-K classrooms. Our local legislators have been supportive of public investment in pre-K, and this event was evidence that it remains a legislative priority. We thank Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills and Reps. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, and Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, who attended and echoed the need to invest broadly across early learning programs from pre-K to those serving infants and toddlers, such as PPS Early Head Start classrooms and child care partners like Shady Lane School, who also attended our celebration. Early childhood is a big part of the district’s strategic plan in order to eliminate the achievement gap. We know we must get to children earlier because their brain architecture is built long before kindergarten begins. The goal is to eventually get to children at birth to ensure they can access positive interactions with parents and caregivers, consistent relationships, and high-quality environments.

York County districts, private schools benefit from Safe Schools grants
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York Dispatch Published 7:25 p.m. ET Oct. 22, 2019
The state released its 2019-20 Safe Schools grant recipient list on Thursday, and four of the county’s 16 public school districts received grants, along with two private schools. The competitive grants target specific needs, which are broken down in four categories: equipment, program, school police officer and school resource officer. About $1.75 million in total was awarded for security-related equipment grants, including three in York County: $24,862 for Dallastown Area, $18,224 for Dover Area and  $24,946 for York City. West York Area School District was the only public school district in the county to receive a grant for programs. The district received $17,473 out of a total of ​about $1.04 million awarded.

‘Silver tsunami’ of manufacturing retirements pushes Pa. to prioritize STEM education
WHYY By Robby Brod October 23, 2019  Listen 4:47
In Matthew Derr’s “discovery classroom,” third graders watch tornadoes swirl around their classroom using augmented-reality technology. As they view their desks through the screen of a tablet, a powerful F-5 tornado sends cows and fences blowing through the air. “We roll in a cart with cellphones that are virtual reality and augmented reality, and the classes are just super excited. They’re asking, ‘When are we doing this again?’ Because they want to see things, but they also want to learn more,” said Derr, who teaches at Whitfield Elementary School in the Wilson School District in Berks County. Having access to cutting-edge technology gives kids a hands-on, interactive way to learn complex concepts that goes beyond showing a video on a projector, Derr said.

From wizards to mentoring, Allegheny County’s public libraries are vital, sometimes noisy spaces
Books still reign, but local libraries offer hands-on learning and gathering places for Pittsburgh-area residents.
Public Source by Meg St-Esprit | October 23, 2019
Editor's note: This story was produced in partnership with Pittsburgh City Paper.
Paranormal tours, African drum lessons and video-game tournaments that have kids leaping from their seats with shouts of victory may not seem like typical library activities. Yet they’re all happening in Pittsburgh-area libraries.  Library usage is declining in America according to a 2015 Pew Research Center poll. More than half of Americans have not visited a library in the past year, but many local libraries are thriving community spaces. The main focus is still reading, but these spaces are often far from the stuffy stereotype that discourages any talking louder than a whisper. Patrons learn art, play computer games and get help with homework or applying to jobs. Librarians sometimes dress as wizards and, more often, work as real-world mentors for children in the community.  Caitie Morphew, library services manager for Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny location, said libraries can empower children to explore new things with hands-on learning. 

“Catanzarite says the CTE courses being developed by Lincoln Park and Certify-ED will help form the basis of the curriculum and instruction to be offered by the recently-announced Midland Innovation and Technology Charter School, and will also be piloted by The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School beginning in 2020.”
Locally-Developed Digital Curriculum Garners International Recognition
Beaver County Times By Scott Tady Posted Oct 23, 2019 at 8:04 PM
The W3 Awards, which honors and celebrates outstanding websites, web marketing, video, mobile sites/apps & social content, bestowed the honor on the Midland-based center for its Career Technical Education course in FAA Drone Pilot Certification. Other courses in welding and culinary arts developed by Lincoln Park and its partnering Certify-ED took home several W3 “Silver” Awards. “We are grateful for this recognition by W 3 because it validates the vision we have for creating rigorous, real-world, and relevant education opportunities for today’s students,” Stephen Catanzarite, managing director and chief executive officer at Lincoln Park, said in a press release. “Lincoln Park is fortunate to be connected with the world-class team of subject experts, content specialists, programmers, and developers assembled by our partners at Certify-Ed, which shares our commitment to creating courses that provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful, and which use the kinds of technology and processes they will encounter in the contemporary workplace.”

Penn Manor renews partnership with Hempfield for online classes
Lancaster Online by EMILY GERTENBACH | LNP Correspondent October 24, 2019
When: School board meeting, Oct. 21.
What happened: The board voted to approve a new memorandum of agreement for student participation in Open Campus PA, a program allowing flexibility around internships, work opportunities and early graduation.
Background: Open Campus PA is a collaboration between Penn Manor and Hempfield school districts. The program allows students to take online courses on their own schedule. Open Campus includes courses that may not be offered at a student’s home high school.
The cost: The agreement establishes compensation rates for teachers facilitating Open Campus courses outside of their contracted daily schedule. In 2019, instructor compensation is set at a base rate of $262 for every one credit an individual student receives in a class. This rate will increase to $284 in 2020 and $306 in 2021. If a student earns a partial credit in the class, teachers will receive a partial payment. Student enrollment rates vary by course.

Charter Schools Senate Hearing: Giving Parents Options Should Not Be Optional
Commonwealth Foundation Website Oct 22, 2019 Colleen Hroncich
For low-income and minority families, charter schools are often the only education alternatives.
Do charter schools work? That was the focus of a Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee hearing today. The 3-hour meeting featured five different panels discussing various aspects of charter schools in Pennsylvania. With charter proponents and opponents testifying—including the Commonwealth Foundation—there were some fireworks. No one disputes that Pennsylvania’s charter school law needs to be reformed. An important package of reforms passed the House in June, but it awaits action in the Senate. Similarly, a Senate bill establishing a funding commission sits in the House. However, some of the panelists at today’s hearing go much farther than commonsense reform. They, like Gov. Wolf, want to cut funding, ban new schools, and cap enrollment. When families choose a school, they consider a multitude of factors to determine if that school “works.” When people are trying to dictate schools for other parents, though, they usually focus on one definition: test scores. But test scores are poor indicators of future life outcomes, and studies have found parents know better than standardized tests which school is best for their children.

Former Pa. GOP congressman Charlie Dent to Republicans: Stop kissing Inquirer Trump’s butt
by Justine McDaniel, Updated: October 23, 2019- 12:07 PM
Former Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Charlie Dent defended his frequent criticism of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, and added a dig at his former GOP colleagues who won’t do the same. “People ask me: Why do I push back against this administration and the president?” Dent said on CNN. “Because my nose is not a heat-seeking missile for the President’s backside, and people have to stand up and say, and talk clearly, to the American people." Dent’s remarks came as House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into Trump gains steam. William Taylor Jr., Trump’s top diplomat in Ukraine, told impeachment investigators on Tuesday that Trump clearly tied aid for Ukraine to a demand for the country to investigate Trump’s political rivals. “This is wrong,” Dent said Wednesday. "You cannot use your official resources, official resources of the government, to investigate your political opponent.” Dent, a moderate who represented the Lehigh Valley from 2005 to 2018, was a rare Trump critic among House Republicans before joining a wave of lawmakers who retired rather than face reelection amidst an anti-Trump wave in the midterm elections.

THE NOMADS: The 28th annual Philadelphia Film Festival culminates on Sunday with a so-Philly film that explores our schools, our sports and our underdog spirit
The Philadelphia Citizen BY JESSICA PRESS OCT. 23, 2019
Reading the local morning headlines each day can sometimes feel like an exercise in Groundhog Day: Has nothing improved with our schools? Are students still finding themselves displaced and scrambling for resources? So it is in 2019 as, most recently, more than 1,000 students found their schools closed due to toxic levels of asbestos; and so it was in 2013 when, facing a $1 billion-plus budget deficit, officials voted to close 23 schools, forcing students to relocate and stretching the City’s limited resources with oversize class sizes and the upheaval of students’ and teachers’ daily lives. But from this 2013 turmoil came at least one silver lining: A group of teachers, who’d been rerouted to teach at Benjamin Franklin High School (which is, incidentally, one of the two schools now shuttered for asbestos abatement), banded together to create a rugby team comprised of some of the student body’s most troubled students. Reading about the team, dubbed the North Philly Nomads, in 2013, Havertown native Brandon Eric Kamin was immediately captivated.


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.)

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.

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 
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

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:


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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