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
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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. 25, 2019
Students First PAC
tosses another million in campaign contributions into funding school privatization
Cyber Charter Trivia:
@CommCharterAcad website says they serve about 10,000 students; their 2017 990
says CEO salary was $248K plus $89K other benefits.
Philly Superintendent @SDPHite salary is listed as $317,902, serving 203,225 students as of
Sept 2017 in 214 district operated schools.
'More parents want charters': Pennsylvania senators
grapple with school reform proposals
By Dave Fidlin
| The Center Square October 24, 2019
With possible
reforms on the way, a Pennsylvania Senate panel is hearing testimony from a
number of speakers working in the charter and public school arena. The Senate
Education Committee this week took testimony from more than a dozen educators
during a three-hour hearing on the status of charter schools across
Pennsylvania. The hearing comes as Pennsylvania legislators are considering
changes to the state’s laws related to charter school requirements. House
Bill 355, authored
by state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Mount Pleasant, is a piece of legislation that
would place stricter requirements on advertising, the composition of boards
overseeing charter schools, and stipulations on outside financial audits, among
other possible provisions. State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland, said he
called the hearing because he considered it “a very, very important topic.” “I
understand that this is a passionate subject,” said Langerholc, who chairs the
committee. The committee’s minority chairman, state Sen. Andrew Dinniman,
D-West Chester, offered up criticism of the gulf between charters and public
schools. When Pennsylvania first adopted legislation in support of charters,
Dinniman said, the goal was to foster an innovative setting that would work
hand-in-hand with traditional public schools. I think you’ve done some great
things in charter schools, but the failure has been to share that,” Dinniman
said.
When it comes to charter schools, Pennsylvania taxpayers
deserve better
Chestnut Hill Local by Lisa Lighter Posted on October
24, 2019
Recently, Gov. Wolf
announced pending executive actions with the goal of some much-needed 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. Henry,
however, offered no facts to support his argument that Wolf is targeting
charter schools with his proposed reforms to “protect the wealth and power of
the education establishment.” I, for one, support the governor’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 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.
“Students First — a pro-voucher,
pro-charter school nonprofit that Chavous ran between 2010 and 2013 — has also been drawn into the probe, sources close to the
investigation said. The organization’s financial backers — the billionaire
partners at the Bala Cynwyd financial trading company, Susquehanna
International Group — are among the most deep-pocketed school-choice advocates
in the state and pumped millions into Williams’ campaigns. During the period in which Chavous was at the helm of their
nonprofit, she took home a $125,000 annual salary for 20 hours of work a week,
according to Students First’s tax filings. Meanwhile, its affiliated PAC
donated more than $22,000 to her husband’s campaign and $130,000 to Williams’.”
Inside the FBI investigation into Philly Councilman
Kenyatta Johnson, his wife, and Kenny Gamble’s nonprofit
Inquirer by Jeremy Roebuck and Chris Brennan, Updated: 44 minutes ago
City Councilman
Kenyatta Johnson has found himself dogged for the past three years by FBI
scrutiny of his tenure representing South and Southwest Philadelphia. But while
much of that investigation has taken place behind closed doors, details are
beginning to emerge. In interviews with The Inquirer over the last month,
sources familiar with the probe described a sweeping examination into
everything from the councilman’s involvement in the bargain-rate
sales of city-owned land to the
work of his wife, Dawn
Chavous, as an education consultant, campaign adviser and charter school
advocate. More than a dozen people who have either been approached by agents or
testified before a grand jury since 2016 said they were questioned about
Chavous’ level of involvement at her husband’s office and the couple’s
connections to Universal
Companies, the
Southwest Philadelphia nonprofit founded by music producer Kenny Gamble.
Blogger note: According to PA’s Campaign
Finance Reporting website, The Students First PAC continues to be a major player
in supporting school privatization candidates, with an August 6, 2019
contribution of $1 million to the Commonwealth Children’s Choice Fund, whose chairman
is Matthew Brouillette, formerly of the Koch Brothers-funded Commonwealth
Foundation. Of that $1 million, thus far $25,000 went to Friends of Mike Turzai
on September 3, 2019,
Here’s more info from the Inky’s April
2010 edition:
“Yass, Greenberg, and Dantchik live in
Main Line houses short drives from their office. But their political interests
span the country. A longtime registered Libertarian, Yass sits on the board of
the Cato Institute, which also gets more than $500,000 a year from
Susquehanna's nonprofit foundation. Five years ago, according to a report by
the election watchdog group Center for Public Integrity, he gave $225,000 to
the Legislative Education Action Drive, which has backed candidates around the
nation who, like Williams, support school choice. School choice typically
refers to publicly financed programs that enable students to attend specialized,
private, or charter schools. Williams favors making publicly funded vouchers
available to families opting for private education. Dantchik, 52, is not
registered with a party and rarely votes, according to county records, but he
serves on the Institute for Justice, a self-styled libertarian Washington law
firm that favors school choice and other causes, and that has received more
than $700,000 from Susquehanna's foundation since 2006. The foundation has made
six-figure donations to Baldwin, Haverford, and Friends' Central Schools,
public records show. It also gave $976,000 to Boys Latin of Philadelphia, a
charter school begun by Yass' wife, Janine, and where Williams' campaign
manager, Dawn Chavous, is secretary to the board of directors.”
Reprise April 2010: Why three big donors got behind
Williams
The Bala
Cynwyd investors, who gave $1.5 million to the Democrat's gubernatorial
campaign, stress education.
Inquirer by John P. Martin, Inquirer Staff
Writer, Posted: April 11, 2010
To Joe Watkins,
it's no surprise that three Bala Cynwyd businessmen he knows would bet a lot of
money on the long-shot gubernatorial campaign of a Democratic state senator
from Philadelphia. Watkins recalls attending a charity fund-raiser in Fairmount
Park a year or so ago where the senator, Anthony Hardy Williams, spoke
passionately about a favorite issue: education reform and school choice. One of
the businessmen was there, Watkins said, and he left no doubt that he and his
partners shared Williams' views. "This is the civil-rights issue that they
talk about," Watkins said. "This is all they talk about." The
three donors, founding partners in the Susquehanna International Group, do more
than talk. Campaign records filed last week showed that they put $1.5 million
into Williams' campaign, instantly elevating the Philadelphian's profile and
sending mild shock waves through the race to become the Democratic nominee for
governor. Though seemingly historic by state standards, the donation was
neither new nor particularly extravagant for Joel Greenberg, Jeff Yass, and
Arthur Dantchik.
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.
Property tax forum
draws 800 in Berks County
Pottstown Mercury
by Ron Devlin MediaNews Group October 25, 2019
Sponsored by
Stout Associates Realtors, the town hall meeting sought support for a bill that
would eliminate property taxes and replace them with a higher sales and state
income tax.
If the turnout at a
town hall meeting on a rainy Tuesday night, Oct. 22, is any indication, there's
a lot of support for eliminating property taxes in Pennsylvania. A crowd, at
least 800 strong, packed the Inn at Reading banquet hall in Wyomissing for a
two-hour session that denounced property taxes as immoral vehicles that push
seniors on fixed incomes out of their homes. During an hour-long slide
presentation, moderator Shane Klopp characterized school taxes as taxation
without representation, sounding a theme as old as the American Revolution.
‘Tools to create an impact now.’ Centre County school
districts to launch IDEA Hub
Centre Daily Times BY MARLEY PARISH OCTOBER 24, 2019 02:27 PM, UPDATED OCTOBER 24, 2019 02:27 PM
In an effort to
enhance students’ learning experience, local school districts have partnered with
institutions and businesses to create the IDEA Hub — one of three youth innovation centers in
Pennsylvania —
aimed to empower and encourage kids to think in innovative ways. The IDEA Hub —
an acronym for innovation, design, entrepreneurship and action — is a
collaborative program between three area school districts, Bellefonte, Bald
Eagle and Penns Valley. The hub, located on Central
Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology’s campus, will host opportunities for idea development and networking,
entrepreneurial activities and STEAM programs. “It will be a place where our
students can go to conceptualize, design and build real world solutions from
start to finish,” Penns Valley Assistant Superintendent Sherri Connell said in
a statement. “Instead of just learning through solving hypothetical problems,
students can manage projects and collaborate with others to address issues and
themes that have meaning to them. Then there really is no limit to what
directions our students can take.” The collaborative space will be available
for students grades 6 through 12 and will be open after school for teachers to
use as a classroom extension. An entrepreneurship program, D3, is scheduled to begin next year and will be housed in the hub.
How the Pa.
electorate has changed since 2016 and what that means for 2020 | Analysis
PA Capital Star By Nick Field October 25, 2019
Ever since the
Keystone State was called for Donald Trump in the early morning hours after
Election Day 2016, it’s been clear that the road to the White House in 2020
runs through Pennsylvania. So how does today’s landscape compare to what
it was then? To find out, I studied the county voter registration numbers
from October 2016 to October 2019. As you’ll see, every section of the commonwealth
tells a unique story of the past three years.
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
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
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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