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 Jan. 27, 2020
Blogger note: Tuscarora IU11will be live streaming this event at
http://tiu11.org/live
“These potential solutions can be found within the white papers
released by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA), which
are available at pasa-net.org/papers. Aside from superintendents, district
business managers, several board members from the districts, members of other
organizations that support charter school reform and several community members,
including a representative from The Daily News, have been invited to
attend the conference. Members of the public are welcomed and encouraged to
attend. Though Estep coordinated the event, the initial suggestion came from
the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS) to spread
awareness of the issue during National School Choice Week.”
Charter school reform topic of conference for Huntingdon,
Fulton, Mifflin and Juniata counties
Huntingdon Daily News By JOSHUA BLATTENBERGER
Staff Writer Jan 25, 2020
Monday, Jan. 27, the superintendents from the
Huntingdon County school districts attend a press conference in the TUI 11
building at 2527 US-522 in McVeytown along with administrators from at least
eight other area school districts between Fulton,
Mifflin and Juniata counties. The press conference, set to begin at 11
a.m., aims to not only outline the negative impacts of charter schools on local
districts but to also spread awareness of the need for charter school reform.
“Primarily, the conference aims for each district
in attendance to outline the impacts through specific stories,” said James
Estep, superintendent of Mifflin County School District, who coordinated the
event. “But, more importantly, we want the public to be aware of how much
funding is being siphoned away from public schools.” Charter schools have been
an often-debated issue within the state in recent years. Publicly funded yet
privately owned, resources given to these facilities have only increased,
leading public school districts that fund the tuition of each student who
attends a brick-and-mortar or cyber school to struggle. “The funding formula
used by the state to determine tuition rates for charter schools does not
reflect the cost of educating that child,” Estep said. “Because of how the law
is written, any increases to the cost of special or regular education lead to
increased tuition, meaning the more we have to spend. Taxpayers need to be made
aware of how much money is going to charter schools and taken away from us.” Over
the course of an estimated 30 minutes, present superintendents and other
district representatives will review the negative impacts charter schools have
had on their districts. Following the discussion of impacts, superintendents
will present potential solutions that have been previously discussed.
Press Advisory: Thirty Regional School Superintendents To
Come Together to Defend Public Education, Joining Public District Leaders from Across
the State to Urge Reform of Pennsylvania’s Charter
School Law
When: Monday, January 27, 2020 10 a.m.
Where: Whitehall Elementary, 399 North Whitehall Road Norristown,
PA 19403
Leaders Form Coalition and Support a
Moratorium on New Charter Enrollment Until Laws Can be Reformed
Leaders from public school districts in the
five-county Greater Philadelphia region are joining with others from across the
state in calling for meaningful, substantive reform of Pennsylvania’s charter
school laws. They also support a moratorium on new charter school applications
and a freeze on additional seats for students at existing charters until reform
is enacted. Public school superintendents and other top school administrators
recently formed LEARN, Leaders for Educational Accountability and Reform
Network, as a way to coalesce around urgent issues impacting public schools,
such as charter reform. They are calling for reform to the way charters are
funded, as well as an improvement in accountability and oversight. Citing an
extremely inequitable funding system, LEARN says charter schools, which are
often among the worst performing schools in the state, are straining public
systems. Extreme increases in charter costs are sending an increasingly greater
amount of public tax dollars to charters, over which locally elected school
boards have little-to-no authority or oversight. LEARN wants to bring charter
tuition payments in line with actual school district costs and provide more
accountability.
Contact: Dr. Frank Gallagher, Superintendent
in the Souderton Area School District
“School choice advocates argue that every child learns
differently, and parents have a right to choose the kind of school best suited
to their child’s needs. But the public education system was designed as a
public benefit, with a different purpose in mind: to provide education to every
person, despite their special or specific needs and limitations. Those
advocates aren’t wrong in demanding better options for public education and its
current failures. We all should be demanding that. Schools supported by all
should work for all. Parents can make a different choice, but shouldn’t rely on
the rest of us to pay for it.”
Who should pay for private and religious schools? |
Editorial
The
Inquirer Editorial Board | opinion@inquirer.com Updated: January
24, 2020 - 2:04 PM
What rights do parents have when it comes to
how their children get educated? That question is at the crux of a case before
the U.S. Supreme Court that could alter the landscape of public education —
especially in Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments
in Espinoza v. Montana, prompted by
a mother who tried to send her daughters to a Christian school using a tax
credit-funded scholarship program. The Montana Department of Revenue, reacting
to the state’s ban on providing aid for religious education, barred credits
from being used for religious schools. The Montana Supreme Court’s decision to
invalidate the entire program is now being challenged.
School fair funding lawsuit update expected Wednesday
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com January 24,
2020
PHILADELPHIA — An update by the education
advocacy groups representing over a dozen petitioners in a public school
funding lawsuit against the state is expected in the coming days. Representatives
from the Education Law Center and the Public Interest Law Center — the latter
serving as counsel for the petitioners led by the William Penn School District
— will host a webinar press conference for journalists Wednesday afternoon to
provide an update on current litigation in the on-going fight that asks the
Commonwealth Court to declare the current state funding system of schools does
not comply with the state constitution. Public Interest Law Center staff
attorney Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, Education Law Center-PA Executive Director
Maura McInerney and William Penn School Superintendent Jane Ann Harbert are all
expected to make comments at the progress of the case. The press conference
comes less than a week before Gov. Tom Wolf, one of the named defendants in the
case who has vocally supported the petitioners in the case, is expected to
deliver his annual budget address to legislators outlying what he wants to see
in the 2020-21 budget. Wolf has added over $1 billion to basic and special
education funding since taking office in 2015, but all of these new dollars are
argued to not be enough.
Five Of The Country’s Most Economically Segregated School
District Borders Are In Western PA
WESA by Sarah Schneider January 27, 2020
Five of the country’s 50 most economically
segregated neighboring school districts are located in Western Pennsylvania. That’s
according to a
national study by New Jersey-based think tank Ed Build that
was updated with new data last week. It identified Western Pennsylvania as an
“inequality belt” where several districts’ students are isolated in a
high-poverty school district and a neighboring affluent community is supported
by a healthy local economy. The report highlights Allegheny County's wealthier
West Jefferson Hills, which sits next to poorer Clairton City, Beaver County's
Hopewell Area alongside Aliquippa, and Cambria County's Conemaugh Township,
Westmont Hilltop and Richland bordering less prosperous Greater Johnstown. The
students in Clairton, Greater Johnstown and Aliquippa are mostly nonwhite and nearly 40 percent of
students at each district are living in poverty.
“Pennsylvania, beset by post-recession budget deficits, shut
down a roughly $300 million-a-year school construction program five years ago,
leaving even the poorest school districts since then to pay for improvement
projects themselves.”
Governor to seek school construction aid amid health
issues
Penn Live By Marc
Levy | The Associated Press Today 6:52 AM
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — With budget season
approaching, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is developing a plan to help deal
with aging school buildings plagued by environmental problems, including lead
paint and asbestos insulation, his office said. Wolf must deliver a budget
proposal to the Legislature on Feb. 4, and lawmakers who are pressing for state
aid to address what they call a massive and growing problem have asked the
Democratic governor to include money in the spending package. Wolf has
discussed the need in the past, saying that a sprawling infrastructure plan he
floated last year could have been a source of help. But that plan — a $4.5 billion
infrastructure proposal to be paid off by imposing a tax on Marcellus Shale
natural gas production — never saw a vote in the Republican-controlled
Legislature, and Wolf's office said he will try a new strategy to deal with
deteriorating school buildings.
HB1897: New legislation could bring radical change to
Pennsylvania's cyber education system
Bradford Era By Alan Krawitz | The
Center Square Jan 24, 202
A bill that could potentially remake
Pennsylvania’s system of cyber education was the topic of a public hearing this
week in the House Education Committee, and it galvanized reactions from both
proponents and critics alike. In effect, the bill, proposed by state Rep. Curt
Sonney, R-Erie, would shutter all cyber charters in the commonwealth by the
2020-2021 school year. Also, all traditional school districts would be required
to offer their own, full-time virtual education programs. "Cyber education
is an important choice parents should be able to make for their children, but
local accountability to our taxpayers and students is imperative," said
Sonney, chairman of the committee. "It should be about quality, not
quantity." Pennsylvania's cyber charter system is among the largest in the
nation, serving more than 24,000 students statewide, according to Jennifer
Beagan of the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit, a regional educational
agency. The proposal could result in the removal of thousands of students from
14 state-sanctioned, privately run and publicly funded cyber schools, sending
them to virtual programs run by their home school districts. At the hearing,
Sonney said he introduced the legislation due to "concerns from constituents
related to the cost and accountability of cyber charter schools."
HB1897: Sonney legislation would alert Pa. cyber
education
GoErie By Alan Krawitz | The Center Square Posted
Jan 24, 2020 at 3:34 PM
The bill was proposed by state Rep. Curt
Sonney, of Harborcreek Township, R-4th Dist.
HARRISBURG -- A bill that could potentially
remake Pennsylvania’s system of cyber education was the topic of a public
hearing this week in the House Education Committee, and it galvanized reactions
from both proponents and critics alike. In effect, the bill, proposed by state
Rep. Curt Sonney, of Harborcreek Township, R-4th Dist., would shutter all cyber
charters in the commonwealth by the 2020-2021 school year. Also, all
traditional school districts would be required to offer their own, full-time
virtual education programs. “Cyber education is an important choice parents
should be able to make for their children, but local accountability to our
taxpayers and students is imperative,” said Sonney, chairman of the committee.
“It should be about quality, not quantity.” Pennsylvania’s cyber-charter system
is among the largest in the nation, serving more than 24,000 students
statewide, according to Jennifer Beagan of the Allegheny County Intermediate
Unit, a regional educational agency. The proposal could result in the removal
of thousands of students from 14 state-sanctioned, privately-run and
publicly-funded cyber schools, sending them to virtual programs run by their
home school districts. At the hearing, Sonney said he introduced the
legislation because of “concerns from constituents related to the cost and
accountability of cyber charter schools.”
HB1897: House bill under fire from school choice
proponents
Mon Valley Independent By JEFF STITT jstitt@yourmvi.com January
27, 2020
National School Choice Week has begun, and
cyber-charter school leaders in Pennsylvania are pushing to stop state
lawmakers from “taking away choice” from their students. Agora Cyber Charter
School, a public cyber school based in King of Prussia, Pa., that educates
students from all parts of the state, is making a push to recruit students by
advocating for school choice while simultaneously trying to defeat a state
House bill. The School District Cyber Education Law, formally known as House
Bill 1897, was posted in September by state Rep. Curtis G. Sonney, R-Erie. In a
memo attached to the bill, Sonney writes that its passage would “require all
school districts in the Commonwealth to offer full-time cyber education
programs accountable to local communities.” In 2002, the General Assembly
authorized the creation of cyber charter schools. “None of these schools are
accountable to local communities, even though local taxpayer dollars are used
to support them,” Sonney wrote. “Under my legislation, the constant tension
between school districts and cyber charter schools will be eliminated. “Cyber
charter schools, instead of being separate school entities, will be able to
serve as third-party vendors and work with school districts to offer full-time
cyber education programs.
“State lawmakers here led the way around state Blaine amendments
in 2001. That year, Pennsylvania lawmakers established a multimillion-dollar
tax credit program that allowed businesses, and later individuals, to write off
state tax bills in return for donations to scholarship funds at private
schools. Supporters have successfully maintained that the money does not
represent public support for students attending religious or private schools
because it never touches the public treasury, going instead directly to scholarship
organizations. Over the years, other states adopted the model. Pennsylvania’s
pool of tax credits has grown more than six fold over the years. This year, the
state is foregoing $190 million in taxes — money that was diverted to the
scholarship program even as lawmakers struggled to balance the budget.”
Pennsylvania watches as Supreme Court considers public
support for parochial schools
Trib Live by DEB
ERDLEY | Monday,
January 27, 2020 12:01 a.m.
Pennsylvanians on both sides of the school
choice debate watched the U.S. Supreme Court last week for hints of how it
could rule in a pivotal case that has implications for the way K-12 education
is funded across the nation. Justices heard arguments in Espinoza v. Montana
Department of Revenue, a case that challenges whether a
scholarship fund underwritten by state tax credits can bar aid to children
attending parochial schools. A group of Montana parents argue in the case that
state laws barring public support for parochial schools are discriminatory. The hearing came as school choice advocates
prepared for a weeklong celebration of their victories in advancing such
programs — as Monday marks the beginning of National School Choice Week. It
also is the start of Catholic Schools Week. Pennsylvania is among 37 states
with so-called Blaine amendments that bar public support for religious schools.
Plan for new teacher evaluations would limit impact of
standardized tests
Pottstown Mercury By David
Mekeel dmekeel@readingeagle.com @dmekeel on Twitter January 27,
2020
Ryan Aument brushed off the complaints. No
one likes change, he told himself, the kinks will eventually work out. The
state senator from northern Lancaster County was proud of the bill he had
authored in 2012, while a member of the House of Representatives. It created a
statewide system for evaluating public-school teachers, something he felt was
much-needed. Shortly after the system was implemented, he began to hear
grumbles. Administrators and teachers weren't thrilled with it, thought it
needed to be changed. "I have to confess, originally as I began to hear
those concerns I dismissed them," Aument admitted.
"I had pride in authorship. And any time you have change you know there
are going to be some bumps along the way. My thought was: It's going to take
some time." But Aument kept hearing from teachers, kept hearing from
administrators. They were patient with him, he said, showing him data that
demonstrated flaws in the system. Their biggest concern, Aument said, was that
the system relied too heavily on the results of standardized testing. "They
convinced me," Aument said. "I've now learned that humility in
authorship is important. We have a responsibility to continue to revisit the
work we've done and to make adjustments as needed."
“The state Department of Education created the option for
schools to bring in guest substitutes — or substitutes without teaching
certificates — as the number of certified teachers in Pennsylvania has dropped
significantly over the past two decades. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the
state typically would issue about 14,000 teaching certificates every year,
according to Alice Gillenberger, who assists several school districts with
their guest substitute teacher programs as part of her job at the Allegheny
Intermediate Unit. As recently as 2016-17, she said, that number dropped to
around 4,400.
Guest substitutes help fill the gap as the number of
teachers declines
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com JAN 27,
2020
6:15 AM
Sylvia Famosa likes to begin her Spanish
classes at Mt. Lebanon High School by starting a conversation with her
students. She will ask them in Spanish about their weekend or whether they’re
ready for the start of a new semester. “That kind of grabs their attention
immediately,” Ms. Famosa said. “Sometimes they may not understand 100
percent of what I’m saying, but they know that they’re supposed to start paying
attention.” Ms. Famosa is a substitute teacher, but she has taught her Spanish
classes all year while filling in for a teacher who is on a leave of absence.
Ms. Famosa, though, is not a certified teacher. She is one of 46 teachers who
have qualified for Mt. Lebanon’s guest substitute teacher program. Mt.
Lebanon is just one of the school districts in Allegheny County and beyond that
have taken advantage of guest substitute teachers as a way to fill gaps when a
full-time substitute is unavailable.
The guest substitutes help school districts
while at the same time giving a flexible option to people who seek part-time
work, are potentially interested in pursuing careers in education or want to
work with children in their communities.
Philly’s got the worst school librarian ratio in the U.S.
This group is protesting
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: January
24, 2020- 6:16 PM
Kayla Johnson is a library kid — the kind who
gobbles up books and relishes time spent in the stacks of her school library
and interacting with the librarian at the Masterman School. But Johnson, a
senior at the elite Philadelphia magnet school, knows how privileged she is.
Just seven certified school librarians are left in the city’s public schools,
according to the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association. Libraries, Johnson
said, are a “simple necessity, a fundamental basic.” To underscore that
statement, Johnson and 150 others gathered on the steps of the Philadelphia
School District’s headquarters Friday to rally for school libraries and
certified school
Michelle Weld cheers and holds up a sign
behind State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.) while he speaks at a rally for
more school libraries. State Rep. Thomas Murt (R., Montgomery County), a former
teacher, is a cosponsor of legislation that would require every school in
Pennsylvania to have a certified librarian. Research shows that students with
access to certified school librarians perform better, especially in low-income
areas.
Lancaster County students speak more than 70 different
languages; what are they?
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer Jan 24, 2020
To realize how much of a melting pot
Lancaster County is, look no further than its schools. Lancaster’s 17 school
districts are home to more than 3,600 students who speak a language other than
English. Together, they speak over 70 different languages. While some schools
pride themselves on their diversity, more students not speaking English means
more money spent on language support services such as English language learner
programs. LNP | LancasterOnline recently analyzed 2018-19 ELL data, the most
recent available, from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to find out
more about the languages students here speak. Here’s what we found.
‘We’re struggling’: McClure Elementary parents cope with
the practical fallout from Philly’s asbestos crisis
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: January
25, 2020- 5:00 AM
Jessika Roche doesn’t want her 8-year-old
back inside his school until all asbestos is removed from McClure Elementary in
Hunting Park. But the Philadelphia School District’s asbestos crisis has raised
immediate, practical concerns beyond her and other parents’ fears for their
children’s long-term health. As in: What do you do with your child or children
when they’re unexpectedly out of school for the better part of a month, as
Roche’s son and other McClure students have been? “We’re pulling our hair out,
we’re struggling,” said Roche, whose son, Cassius, is in third grade at
McClure. The school is closed as officials tackle areas of damaged asbestos
throughout the building. “It’s taken a huge toll on our family.”
Asbestos cleanup continues; McClure closure extended
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: January
24, 2020- 6:48 PM
McClure Elementary, the Hunting Park school
closed for the better part of a month to deal with the cleanup of damaged
asbestos, will remain shut Monday and Tuesday. Still, students will be engaged
in learning for part of the day. District officials announced Friday night that
McClure pupils “will participate in educationally focused off-site activities
and field trips aligned with curriculum.” On Monday, children will visit the
Franklin Institute. On Tuesday, some will visit the Simeone Foundation
Automotive Museum in Southwest Philadelphia, others the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Drexel University, and another group the National Constitution
Center. Parents will be expected to pick them up at 1:30 p.m. both days.
“Valentini works with at
least 600 homeless Allentown students every year. He makes daily visits to places
such as the Salvation Army, Sixth Street Shelter and hotels to connect with
families and children. Valentini provides items such as school supplies, uniforms,
hygiene products and gift cards to students and their families. Part of his job
includes helping families enroll their children in school.”
He’s spent more than 30 years helping homeless students
in the Lehigh Valley. Now, ‘Rooster’ is ready to retire
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | JAN 24, 2020 | 5:14 PM
'Rooster' is ready to retire
Even in his retirement speech, Russell
“Rooster” Valentini was thinking of the Lehigh Valley’s homeless children, whom
he has been helping for the last 35 years. Thursday night, when the Allentown
School Board approved his retirement as a “home and school visitor" at the
end of this school year, Valentini addressed the board. He shared a story of a
girl whose family just received a furnished house after years of being
homeless, and the girl’s response when she was asked how she liked her bed. "And
she goes, ‘I don’t know. I’ve never slept in a bed,’” Valentini said.
“So we can’t underestimate … what these
children are not exposed to. It’s so important for us to give them that shot.” A
tireless advocate for homeless students and their families throughout the
Lehigh Valley, Valentini received a standing ovation from a crowded room and
praise from each of the nine school board members. We can’t underestimate …
what these children are not exposed to. It’s so important for us to give them
that shot. “I’ve admired you from afar
for a long time,” Director Nancy Wilt said. “When I first became a mom in
Allentown, you were one of the first names that I heard of.”
This Lehigh Valley high school has 7 students, 3 teachers
and a whole lot of faith
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | JAN 26, 2020 | 5:14 PM
After 16-year-old Gabe came home high one
night and accidentally set off the security alarm, his father decided his son
needed help. It wasn’t the first time Gabe did drugs. And it wasn’t the first
time he got caught, Gabe said. So, in October, Gabe left Liberty High in
Bethlehem to attend Kolbe Academy, the Lehigh Valley’s first recovery high
school, in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Operated by the Allentown
Diocese and housed in the former St. Francis Academy on Bridle Path Road, Kolbe
Academy looks like any other high school. Lockers and student artwork line the
hallways. The library is stacked with familiar young adult books like “The
Hunger Games” and the “Harry Potter” series. Students joke around in anatomy
class. But the school isn’t a typical high school. At Kolbe, students work to
lead lives of sobriety while they earn diplomas. The school enrolls just seven
students — six boys and one girl — and has three teachers, providing an
intimate environment in which students can freely discuss with teachers their
struggles.
The Philadelphia school board is getting at least one new
member
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: January
24, 2020- 11:21 AM
Wayne Walker, vice president of the
Philadelphia Board of Education, will not seek reappointment, officials
announced Friday. That means the nine-member school board will have at least
one new member this year. Walker was one of Mayor Jim Kenney’s first
nine picks to the school board, which
took over running the Philadelphia School District in 2018 after a state
takeover that lasted 17 years. Walker,
61, a turnaround management and corporate governance specialist who has also
served as a leader on the boards of Habitat for Humanity and the National
Philanthropic Trust, said he was stepping down because of a family situation
that will require him to spend “significant time outside of Philadelphia.” He
will remain on the board until Kenney names and City Council approves his
replacement. Kenney, newly sworn into his second term as mayor, must name a new
board, but it’s expected that most members of the current board will stay — all
of Walker’s colleagues on the board are seeking reappointment.
Why is Philadelphia’s poverty rate sky high, and what can
be done about it? | Mark Zandi
Inquirer Mark
Zandi | help@economy.com Updated: January
26, 2020 - 8:00 AM
Philadelphia is a great American city, and it
is thriving. Unemployment is about as low as it has ever been. Jobs and wages
are up. Housing and commercial real estate development is in full swing in many
neighborhoods. So why does Philadelphia have one of the highest poverty rates
of any major city in the country? Close to one-fourth of the city’s residents
have incomes below the poverty line — an astounding figure. And to be in
poverty is to be very poor, indeed. A family of four is in poverty if its annual
income is less than $26,000. For context, the big U.S. city with the next
highest poverty rate is Houston, with one-fifth of its population under the
line. Nationwide, the poverty rate is about half that of Philadelphia’s.
Silicon Valley in California is the gold standard, with less than one-tenth of
its population in poverty. Disentangling the causes of Philadelphia’s sky-high
poverty rate is no easy feat. Poverty is due to a number of conflating factors,
and causality is hard to determine. Is poverty high because of high
incarceration, for example, or is incarceration high because of high poverty?
School Choice Options In Pennsylvania
National School Choice Week 2020 will be held
from January 26 – February 1, 2020
There are a variety of school choice options
available for many of the 2.7 million children living in Pennsylvania. Families
in Pennsylvania can choose from traditional public schools, public charter
schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and
homeschooling. National School Choice Week 2020 will be
held from January 26 – February 1, 2020. Pennsylvania will celebrate with a
record-breaking 2,915 events and activities across the state.
“Ed Fuller, Pennsylvania State University professor, found in
one of his studies of a particular charter network that when considering the
number of students starting in the ninth grade as a cohort, the percentage of
charter cohort students who graduated and went on to college was at best 65
percent. In other words, 35 percent of ninth-graders at a charter network
didn’t make it to their graduation. The charter network discounts these
students by claiming a legacy of 100 percent college acceptance rates. Who are
the students that fail to graduate from charters? According to Fuller, certain
charters lose a greater proportion of lower-performing students than
higher-performing students, which has a positive impact on their overall state
exam scores at school and district levels.”
What public isn’t told about charters’ 100 percent
college acceptance rates: José Espinoza
El Paso Times by José Espinoza, Guest
columnist Published 4:48 p.m. MT Nov. 8, 2018
When something sounds too good to be true, it
probably is.
Dating back to 1954, the Better Business
Bureau used this catchphrase to alert the public of shady business practices. In
the new era of school choice, this catchphrase can be used to alert the public
of misleading business practices by charter schools in order to protect our
most prized possessions — our children. Every year, certain charters tout a 100
percent college acceptance rate as their major marketing pitch to lure parents
away from traditional public schools. The reality is the public isn’t told
acceptance to a four-year university is actually a graduation requirement at
some charter schools. It specifically states in certain charters’
student/family handbooks that a student may graduate and receive a diploma ONLY
if the student is accepted into a four-year university and has completed 125
hours of community service. Reading lengthy student/family handbooks carefully
before considering charters is just as important as reading the fine print
before signing contracts. We must also ask, “Why is Corporate America bashing
our traditional public schools, yet it doesn’t demand transparency or
accountability from charter schools?” While 100 percent of charter seniors get
accepted to college as required, the public has a right to know the percentage
of charter students who didn’t make it to their senior year.
Church-Run Charter Schools? Supreme Court Argument Stirs
the Discussion
Education Week By Evie Blad on January
26, 2020 10:58 AM
Could a closely watched U.S. Supreme Court
case clear the way for charter schools run by churches and other religious
organizations? Justice Stephen Breyer raised the question this week at
arguments for Espinoza v. Montana Department of
Revenue, one of the most significant K-12
cases before the high court in years. The debate over religious charter schools
has been active in a small corner of the school choice advocacy world for
years. "Overriding all objections is America's woeful lack" of space
in quality schools, the Thomas B. Fordham
Foundation's then-President Chester E. Finn, Jr. wrote in a
2003 Education Week commentary.
"Every possible asset should be brought to bear on the creation of more.
Religious charter schools deserve consideration." Here's what you need to
know about the discussion.
PSBA Announces Completion of Commonwealth Education
Blueprint
We are happy to announce the Commonwealth
Education Blueprint is complete! The project is a statewide vision for the
future of public education in Pennsylvania and is a collaborative effort of
individuals that represent the many faces of public education.
Read it here: https://edblueprintpa.org/blueprint
School Finance & Budget Town Hall
This event is set for Jan. 28 at Bensalem
High School
By Lower Bucks Times January 21,
2020
The Bensalem community is invited to a Town
Hall Forum to learn about school funding, finance and the district’s budget on
Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at Bensalem High School North Wing Audion, 4319
Hulmeville Road, Bensalem.
Speakers include:
Susan Spicka, executive director, Education
Voters of PA
Dr. Samuel Lee, district superintendent
John Steffy, director of business operations.
Everyone is welcome to attend this
interactive presentation and question and answer session.
PARSS Annual Conference April 29 – May 1, 2020 in State
College
The 2020 PARSS Conference is April 29 through
May 1, 2020, at Wyndham Garden Hotel at Mountain View Country Club in State
College. Please register as a member or a vendor by accessing the links below.
Allegheny County Legislative Forum on Education March 12
by Allegheny Intermediate Unit Thu, March
12, 2020 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
Join us on March 12 at 7:00 pm for the
Allegheny Intermediate Unit's annual Allegheny County Legislative Forum. The
event will feature a discussion with state lawmakers on a variety of issues
impacting public schools. We hope you will join us and be part of the
conversation about education in Allegheny County.
Five compelling reasons for .@PSBA .@PASA .@PAIU school leaders to
come to the Capitol for Advocacy Day on March 23rd:
Charter Reform
Cyber Charter Reform
Basic Ed Funding
Special Ed Funding
PLANCON
Register at http://mypsba.org
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/advocacy-day-2020/
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
- Monday, February 3,
2020 — Beaver Valley IU 27,
147 Poplar Avenue, Monaca, PA 15061
PSBA Sectional
Meetings
Hear relevant
content from statewide experts, district practitioners and PSBA government
affairs staff at PSBA’s annual membership gathering. PSBA Sectional Advisors
and Advocacy Ambassadors are on-site to connect with district leaders in their
region and share important information for you to take back to your district.
Locations and dates
- Wednesday,
March 18, 2020 — Section 7, PSBA
Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Blvd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 1, General
McLane High School, 11761 Edinboro Rd, Edinboro, PA 16412
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 4, Abington
Heights School District, 200 East Grove Street, Clark Summit, PA 18411
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 3, Columbia-Montour
AVTS, 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg, PA 17815
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 6, Bedford
County Technical Center, 195 Pennknoll Road, Everett, PA 15537
- Thursday,
March 26, 2020 — Section 2, State
College Area High School, 650 Westerly Pkwy, State College, PA 16801
- Monday,
March 30, 2020 — Section 5, Forbes
Road Career & Technology Center, 607 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA
15146
- Monday,
March 30, 2020 — Section 8, East Penn
School District, 800 Pine St, Emmaus, PA 18049
- Tuesday,
April 7, 2020 — Section 5, Washington
School District, 311 Allison Avenue, Washington, PA 15301
- Tuesday,
April 7, 2020 — Section 8, School
District of Haverford Twp, 50 East Eagle Road, Havertown, PA 19083
Sectional Meetings
are 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. (across all locations). Light refreshments will be
offered.
Cost: Complimentary for PSBA member entities.
Registration: Registration is now open. To register, please sign into myPSBA and look for Store/Registration on the left.
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
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.