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://
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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@
PA Ed Policy Roundup for Jan. 13, 2020
Charters/Vouchers: “taxpayer dollars flowing to schools with no publicly elected governance and no public accountability”
“Charter schools and voucher advocates literally lobby for the thing American colonists fought against: “taxation without representation.” They want taxpayer dollars flowing to schools with no publicly elected governance and no public accountability.”
Dr. John Kuhn, Superintendent, Mineral Wells School District, Texas
School Leaders: Register today for @PSBA @PASA @PAIU Advocacy Day at the Capitol on March 23rd and you could be the lucky winner of my school board salary for the entire year. Register now at http://mypsba.org
For more information: https://www.psba.org/event/
“Joining Smart Talk to discuss the challenges and performance of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania are Susan Spicka, President of the Education Voters of Pennsylvania, and Ana Meyers, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.”
Performance of Cyber Charter schools in Pennsylvania
WITF Smart Talk JANUARY 7, 2020 | 4:00 AM
**This is an encore broadcast**
More than 33,000 Pennsylvania students attend cyber charter schools. These online education programs are public schools and receive $463 million in state funding each year, money that comes from the budgets of the public school districts in which the cyber charter students reside. In addition, cyber charter schools tend to have poorer educational outcomes than their public school counterparts, research from both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University shows. A comprehensive assessment on charter school performance in Pennsylvania released earlier this year found that students in cyber charter schools lag “dramatically” behind their peers in both traditional public schools and in brick-and-mortar charter schools when it comes to performance in reading and math. Supporters of cyber charter schools counter, however, that they educate students who enter their programs already well behind and that they keep students who would otherwise drop out altogether in the public school system. And some school districts have developed their own online education options.
Map: 100 Pa. schools found lead in their drinking water. Here’s how they responded.
Public health experts all agree that there’s no such thing as a safe level of lead exposure for children. But new state data show that thousands of children across Pennsylvania have likely been exposed to the toxic metal in their school drinking water. Water at more than 100 buildings in 32 school systems across Pennsylvania had unsafe levels of lead in the 2018-2019 school year, according to a list the Pennsylvania Department of Education published in late November. From center city Philadelphia to rural Jefferson County, the test results forced school officials to replace plumbing fixtures, disable drinking fountains, and distribute bottled water to protect students and staff from contamination, according to reports they submitted to the state.
Your cheat-sheet to Tuesday’s special election in the 48th Senate District
Voters in York, Dauphin and Lebanon counties will choose between a county prosecutor and an historian on Tuesday in a special election that will send its winner to the state Senate. The Jan. 14 race in the 48th Senate district pits Republican nominee Dave Arnold, the Lebanon County District Attorney, against Democrat Michael Schroeder, a history professor at Lebanon Valley College. The victor will replace former senator Mike Folmer, the Republican who resigned from the Senate in September after being charged with possession of child pornography. The new senator will serve the remainder of Folmer’s term, which expires in 2022.
Advocacy Groups Say Pennsylvania Underfunds Special Education
The proportion of special education costs covered by the state of Pennsylvania has steadily declined over the last decade, according to analysis from the Education Law Center and Research For Action. The state used to cover a third of costs and now pays for a fourth of what districts spend on services for students with disabilities. At the same time, advocates and school district leaders say costs for special education supports and services are rising. That’s why more than two dozen organizations and lawyers asked Gov. Tom Wolf last week to increase spending by $100 million – or about 8 percent. Many of the groups asked for the same increase last year. Cheryl Kleiman with the Education Law Center in Pittsburgh says a larger share of the funding should come from the state. “Because it allows there to be both enough money for our students to have what they need, but a more equal playing field so that students with disabilities aren’t harmed if they’re in a community that’s not able to generate that revenue locally,” she said.
School closings can hit rural communities hard — without any benefit | Opinion
Mara Casey Tieken is an associate professor of education at Bates College. She wrote this piece for The Conversation, where it first appeared.
The school bus begins picking up children before 6 a.m. in Elaine, Arkansas, a small, mostly African American town on the Mississippi River floodplains about 120 miles east of Little Rock. It crawls past long stretches of oxbow lakes, acres of soybean and cotton fields, and two closed schools to arrive – nearly two hours later – in another small Arkansas town called Marvell. At 3:30, the bus begins its winding return trip. While researching rural education, I have seen how these kinds of school closures are causing as much, if not more, upheaval as what’s going on when public schools in Chicago and other cities close. And more of this disruption might be imminent: Measures are being debated or implemented in several states, including New Jersey and Vermont, that I believe would lead more rural schools to close.
Allentown school directors blast Building 21 over low test scores: ‘That’s embarrassing’
During a review of Building 21, Allentown’s innovative high school, city school directors grilled the school’s leaders on why its students post some of the lowest state assessment exam scores in the Lehigh Valley. Building 21 leaders acknowledged the test results need to improve, but noted the school is successful in other areas, including high graduation and low dropout rates. The lengthy and sometimes heated discussion Thursday night came after the Allentown School District board received an analysis of the school the board had been promised for more than a year. The contract with the Building 21 consulting group that is based out of Philadelphia will expire in June. But it was the 2019 Keystone standardized test results that some school directors focused on: 27% of the school’s students passed English, 17.6% passed algebra and 6.9% passed biology. The biology result was the lowest among Lehigh Valley high schools. Only Innovative Arts Academy Charter School in Catasauqua scored lower than Building 21 on the algebra and English tests. Building 21 had the lowest cores among Allentown’s high schools.
Secret Service alerts Bucks officials to commonalities in school attacks, shootings
On Thursday, Secret Service officials met with Bucks County law enforcers and educators from across the region at Council Rock High School South, alerting them to commonalities learned in 41 violent attacks since 2008. Threats made against a school or a student in Bucks County come in about once a week. That is the estimate Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub shared with an audience of school and law enforcement officials Thursday morning at Council Rock High School South as they gathered with national security experts from the Secret Service to discuss commonalities among school attackers and ways to better identify potential threats. Two months ago, a Central Bucks West High School football game was nearly canceled after a threat came through on social media that spanned two counties, he said. “Every utterance on social media that’s of a threatening nature, especially if it’s going to be a populated venue like a football game, can have deadly consequences,” said Weintraub, who added that the suspected was identified and the threat was discredited. “There was no actual threat but we had to take is seriously as if there were.”
“My bucket of preparation speaks for all to hear: “Shooting in schools is here to stay, so let's just accommodate.”
Commentary: My classroom’s latest equipment for school lockdowns - a poop bucket
Morning Call By THOMAS SMITH TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE | JAN 12, 2020 | 12:00 PM
As my students return to class this week, the newest equipment needed for school lockdowns will be there to greet them. It was delivered to my 11th-grade Advanced Placement Language and Composition class in the fall during a lesson on how to construct a thesis. My juniors cheered its arrival and everyone jokingly asked for the right to try the “safety device” first. My public school classroom, like many others in Ventura County ― and most counties in California ― now has its very own poop bucket. There are few indicators of public surrender that can be applied to an entire country, but it seems clear that the placing of primitive portable toilets in classrooms speaks volumes regarding the mindset of U.S. officials on the issue of gun violence in schools.
Local school districts get ‘Teacher in the Workplace’ grants
Gov. Tom Wolf announced on Monday that 92 “local education agencies” across the state, including four school districts in Cambria County, will receive “Teacher in the Workplace” grants, designed to “enable teachers to visit local employers and learn the skills and industry trends to enhance their classroom instruction, student learning and career readiness.” Cambria Heights, Central Cambria, Greater Johnstown and Penn Cambria school districts were awarded $25,000 each through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, according to a list distributed by Wolf’s office. A total of $2.2 million in funding was announced state-wide. “It’s critical that we connect our schools to local businesses so we can prepare students with the skills they need for in-demand jobs,” Wolf said in a press release. “By connecting directly with employers, teachers can learn first-hand about the skills and industry trends that will enhance their classroom instruction, student learning and career readiness.” Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera said in the press release that the “Teacher in the Workplace” program “enables educators to participate in real-world, employer-based experiences that they can use to inform classroom instruction and prepare students for career, college and community success.” “Local business leaders know what skills are needed for their employees to be successful in the workplace, so they can provide valuable insight to school administrators and teachers,” Rivera said.
Many Pa. and N.J. schools no longer teach cursive. Are students missing out on a useful tool?
With their heads bent and posture perfect one afternoon last month, the students in Kate LaMonaca’s third-grade class at the Indian Mills School in South Jersey focused intently on writing the alphabet in cursive on worksheets. “They love it,” said LaMonaca, who teaches at the Shamong school. “It’s almost a rite of passage.” But in many districts, it is a skill that has largely fallen by the wayside, amid a tech era when most students use electronic devices and rarely use a pen or pencil to complete assignments. Many states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have eliminated instruction in cursive writing. Critics say it is an antiquated skill no longer needed. Time spent in the classroom developing an attractive, legible handwriting style could be better used on other subjects, opponents say. “I want good grammar. I want capitalization. I want periods. I could care less if it’s cursive,” said Suzanne Newman, a fifth-grade teacher at McCloskey Elementary in East Mount Airy. Students there are taught just enough cursive to sign legal documents. A growing number of states, however, are reconsidering the need for cursive instruction. At least 14 now mandate that students learn it, according to the website mycursive.com. New Jersey has proposed legislation that would require it. And for several years running, Philadelphia City Council members have questioned the absence of cursive instruction in city schools.
East Pennsboro music teacher announces bid for Pa. Senate seat
An East Pennsboro Area School District music teacher has announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for a state Senate seat representing parts of Cumberland and York counties in the April 28 primary. Shanna Danielson, 33, of Dillsburg, is vying for the seat held by Republican Sen. Mike Regan. Regan announced on Thursday his intention to seek re-election to a second four-year term. Danielson said her experiences as an educator, mother, and gun violence prevention advocate has opened her eyes to the struggles Pennsylvania families face as a result of inadequate school funding, high healthcare costs, and unchecked gun violence. “We need a new type of leadership in Harrisburg – leaders of the people, who will work for the people. We need leaders in Harrisburg who will champion the needs of the people of our district and will fight on their behalf. This is why I am running,” she said in a news release announcing her candidacy.
Majerczak is latest teacher nominated as Grammy's top music teacher
UPPER DARBY — For the second year in a row a Delaware County music teacher has been named a finalist for the Grammy’s highest honor for music teachers. Drexel Hill Middle School’s Jason Majerczak is one of 10 teachers from across the country in the running for the 2020 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, following up Penncrest High School’s Craig Snyder, who was a finalist last year. Before the Recording Academy publicly released their list of finalists on Jan. 6, Majerczak found out he made the cut from an initial pool of 3,300 applicants right before the start of the winter break on Dec. 20. “There are so many incredible teachers all around the country and I’m happy to be thought as one of the many in our schools,” said Majerczak during a Friday morning phone call to discuss his finalist ranking. Majerczak has been a 23-year teacher with the Upper Darby School District, teaching at the high school for 16 years before moving to Drexel Hill Middle School. He says he teaches about 150 students today in two bands, an orchestra, jazz band and by providing instrumental lessons. Outside of the classroom he assists the Ridley High School Marching Band.
Daylin Leach was a #MeToo moment for Pennsylvania Democrats. But beating him won’t be easy.
For two years, Pennsylvania Democratic leaders have tried to get rid of Daylin Leach.
Officials as prominent as the governor and as obscure as local party committee members have called on the state senator to resign. Those calls, which started amid allegations that he inappropriately touched female former staffers and made highly sexualized jokes, snowballed after a more serious allegation and his combative response. In Harrisburg, Senate Democrats haven’t let him participate in their caucus meetings. At home, he’s been shunned from some party events. This year, Leach is facing voters for the first time since the allegations roiled progressives who had long seen Leach as a champion for women — and gave Pennsylvania politics one of its first #MeToo moments. But his detractors are still having trouble getting rid of him. At least seven Democrats are running against Leach in the 17th District, which encompasses parts of Montgomery and Delaware Counties. Some who oppose him are growing anxious that the challengers will end up splitting the anti-Leach vote and enable him to win reelection, according to interviews with about a dozen party officials, operatives, and activists. These Democrats say that with such a big field, no candidate will be able to win important endorsements at county party conventions. Efforts have failed to recruit a blue-chip candidate who could clear the field for a head-to-head primary against Leach, such as State Rep. Mary Jo Daley of Narberth. And they question whether any candidate can raise enough money to convince voters that Leach should get the boot, especially because he still has the support of influential Democratic donors such as Connie Williams, his predecessor in the Senate and an heir to the Hess oil fortune. “There are a lot of people that respect Daylin and appreciate the work he’s done,” Williams said.
Why the Feds Still Fall Short on Special Education Funding
Calls to fully fund IDEA heard on campaign trail
When Congress passed a broad law on educating children with disabilities in 1975, it agreed to kick in federal dollars to help cover the excess costs of meeting students' individual education needs. In the time since, federal funding for what's now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has consistently fallen short of the target included in the law, leaving state and local officials on the hook. Education groups, who call that shortfall an unfulfilled promise, have long campaigned for "fully funding" IDEA, which underpins services for nearly 7 million students with disabilities. More federal funding for IDEA, which gets $13.6 billion in the current budget, would help special education programs, they say, but it would also more broadly affect all students as schools would no longer have to pull as much from their general education budgets to meet the law's mandates. That plea has gotten the attention of candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, many of whom have included pledges to "fully fund" IDEA in their education plans alongside calls to dramatically expand federal education spending across the board.
Blogger note: HR1878 would set up a 10 year flight path for funding IDEA at the 40% level. Eight Pennsylvania congressional representatives have cosponsored thus far. Is your congressperson one of them? If not, why not?
H.R.1878 - IDEA Full Funding Act 116th Congress (2019-2020)
Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories.
We analyzed some of the most popular social studies textbooks used in California and Texas. Here’s how political divides shape what students learn about the nation’s history. The textbooks cover the same sweeping story, from the brutality of slavery to the struggle for civil rights. The self-evident truths of the founding documents to the waves of immigration that reshaped the nation. The books have the same publisher. They credit the same authors. But they are customized for students in different states, and their contents sometimes diverge in ways that reflect the nation’s deepest partisan divides. Hundreds of differences — some subtle, others extensive — emerged in a New York Times analysis of eight commonly used American history textbooks in California and Texas, two of the nation’s largest markets. In a country that cannot come to a consensus on fundamental questions — how restricted capitalism should be, whether immigrants are a burden or a boon, to what extent the legacy of slavery continues to shape American life — textbook publishers are caught in the middle. On these questions and others, classroom materials are not only shaded by politics, but are also helping to shape a generation of future voters.
PA SCHOOLS WORK: Special Education Funding Webinar Tue, Jan 14, 2020 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM EST
Charter Schools; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
PENNSYLVANIA BULLETIN PROPOSED RULEMAKING DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [ 22 PA. CODE CH. 711 ]
PSBA New and Advanced School Director Training in Dec & Jan
Additional sessions now being offered in Bucks and Beaver Counties
Do you want high-impact, engaging training that newly elected and reseated school directors can attend to be certified in new and advanced required training? PSBA has been supporting new school directors for more than 50 years by enlisting statewide experts in school law, finance and governance to deliver a one-day foundational training. This year, we are adding a parallel track of sessions for those who need advanced school director training to meet their compliance requirements. These sessions will be delivered by the same experts but with advanced content. Look for a compact evening training or a longer Saturday session at a location near you. All sites will include one hour of trauma-informed training required by Act 18 of 2019. Weekend sites will include an extra hour for a legislative update from PSBA’s government affairs team.
New School Director Training
Week Nights: Registration opens 3:00 p.m., program starts 3:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m., dinner with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., program starts at 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., program starts at 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Advanced School Director Training
Week Nights: Registration with dinner provided opens at 4:30 p.m., program starts 5:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Registration opens at 10:00 a.m., program starts at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Saturdays: Registration opens at 10:00 a.m., program starts at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., lunch with break included
Locations and dates
- Saturday, January 25, 2020 — Bucks County IU 22, 705 N Shady Retreat Rd, Doylestown, PA 18901
- Monday, February 3, 2020 — Beaver Valley IU 27, 147 Poplar Avenue, Monaca, PA 15061
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/
All school leaders are invited to attend Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) are partnering together to strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center around meetings with legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public education. Click here for more information or register at http://www.mypsba.org/
School directors can register online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you need assistance logging in and registering contact Alysha Newingham, Member Data System Administrator at alysha.newingham@psba.org
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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