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PA Ed Policy Roundup for Feb 17, 2020
"It would be great to get fair funding implemented, that
would be a touchdown for us," said Rodriguez, who is also this year's
president of the Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools. "It would mean an
additional $13 million in state aid every year." "But if we can't do
that, getting charter school tuition reform is a good first down," he
said.”
Pa. education secretary's visit to Pottstown focuses on
fair funding, charter tuition reform
Pottstown Mercury by Evan Brandt ebrandt@21st-centurymedia.com
@PottstownNews on Twitter February 15, 2020
POTTSTOWN — When it comes to advocating
for fair public school funding, Pedro Rivera is playing the long game. Rivera,
who has been Gov. Tom Wolf's education secretary for six years, knows only too
well the struggles urban schools like Pottstown face under Pennsylvania's
nationally recognized imbalanced funding system. Although Pennsylvania adopted
a formula for funding public schools more fairly — adjusting for things
like local tax effort and poverty levels — nearly 90 percent of education
funding still gets distributed outside that formula. As a result, despite the
adoption of the formula, this practice has left Pennsylvania with the dubious distinction of
having one of the most inequitable public education funding systems in the
nation, creating the widest funding gaps between rich and poor districts. Worse yet,
research by fair funding education advocates has demonstrated that the more white students a
district has, the more funding it gets on a per-student basis. Each year,
that disparity grows, despite additional money being put into the education
budget. "Think of it like a pizza," said Pottstown Schools
Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez. "The pizza is getting bigger, but our
slice keeps getting smaller." "At this rate, districts like Pottstown
will never catch up," said Lawrence Feinberg, a member of the Haverford
School board for more than 20 years and a long-time fair funding advocate. During
an interview with MediaNews Group Friday, Rivera, a former Lancaster Schools
Superintendent, said the surest way to convince legislators to route more than
just 11 percent of the state's education budget through the fair funding
formula is for them to reach that conclusion on their own.
“And hot the heels of that address, state Rep. Joe Ciresi,
D-146th Dist., who represents part of Pottstown, said a bill he is sponsoring
would set cyber-charter tuition at $9,500 per student per year rather than the
much higher amount now paid by local taxpayers. During Friday's roundtable
Maureen Jampo, business manager for Pottstown's schools, told Rivera that while
"the charter school enrollment of Pottstown School District students has
remained relatively flat over the past three years, the total tuition has
increased an average of 20 percent per year. Pottstown is not alone in this
dilemma.”
Pottstown parent highlights cyber-charter tuition debate
Pottstown Mercury by Evan Brandt ebrandt@21st-centurymedia.com @PottstownNews
on Twitter Feb 14, 2020
POTTSTOWN — Debate about traditional
public schools versus charter and cyber-charter schools often pits the two
sides as absolutes. But Pottstown parent Karah Hoefel represents all of the
above. The Pottstown native, who recently returned to her hometown after a
stint in New Jersey, has her oldest daughter in an Arizona-based cyber charter
school called Insight Academy. Her middle
child is a student at Lincoln Elementary School, and her youngest is in the
cyber kindergarten run by the Pottstown School District. "I try to meet my
kids wherever they are," said Hoefel. For example, "my youngest was
ready academically for school. He was already doing simple math, but he was
born in August so he would be one of the youngest in the class and he wasn't
ready socially," Hoefel said. Hoefel, who was invited to a Friday roundtable with
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera by the
school district, said she is happy with the program provided to all three of
her students, all of which are funded in large part by Pottstown taxpayers,
even the school in Arizona. "All three are honor roll students," she
said. So she gets concerned as the rhetoric surrounding current efforts to
reform charter funding in Pennsylvania heats up. Gov. Tom Wolf highlighted charter school
funding reform in his Feb. 4 budget address, saying:
"Our charter school system is in desperate need of reform. It’s time to
close the loopholes, it’s time to establish real standards, and it’s time to
level the playing field," said Wolf. "By doing so, we can continue to
provide parents with real choices, we can empower charter schools to focus on
their mission of innovation, and we can save $280 million a year that we can
put right back into improving our public school system."
Pa. lawmakers hoarding $172M surplus
Pottstown Mercury by The Associated Press Feb
4, 2020
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania
Legislature’s budget reserve for its own operations is continuing to rise,
reaching $172 million for the fiscal year that ended last June, according to a
financial review released Tuesday. The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission
approved the annual spending report that reported the legislative branch spent
$362 million over that year, up slightly from $355 million during the 2017-2018
fiscal year. The reserve has grown from $95 million in 2016-17 to $138 million
in the year ending in June 2018. Lawmakers justify carrying such a large
surplus as a reserve fund if the governor would ever cut off funding for the
Legislature. The largest type of expenses, by far, was payroll and benefits,
which cost slightly over $299 million. Other spending categories included $4
million for transportation, $2.4 million for travel and $2.5 million for
postage. Salaries for the 50-member Senate were $8.6 million, while the much
larger House paid its elected members $31.4 million. State lawmakers’ budgetary
reserve peaked at $215 million in 2006.
Key decisions to be made on charter school funding
West Chester Daily Local Opinion by Susan
Spicka February 14, 2020
In the upcoming months, school districts will
prepare budgets for the next fiscal year and make the hard decision about
whether to increase property taxes to deal with rising costs. One of the
fastest growing costs for all school districts is charter schools—publicly
funded, privately operated schools that offer education wholly online or at a
site within a community. School districts pay 100 percent of charter school
tuition bills, and rapidly increasing tuition payments are a top reason that
property taxes continue to rise. Although charter school students represent
only 8% of all public school students, in 2017-18, 37 cents of every new
property tax dollar raised was sent to a charter or cyber charter school. Pennsylvania
taxpayers are spending more than $1.8 billion on tuition bills for students to
attend charter and online cyber charter schools. Tuition rates are set by the
state, but flawed calculations in Pennsylvania’s 22-year-old charter school law
mandate payments well beyond the cost to educate a child. After more than 20
years, the time has come to retool charter funding to bring payments in line
with the costs, eliminate questionable and wasteful spending by charters, and
bring property tax increases under control.
“One of Sonney’s first proposals was a change to the state’s
system of privately operated but state-funded cyber charter schools. Nearly
35,000 students statewide were enrolled in the 14 cyber charter schools last
school year. Those virtual schools, which differ from bricks-and-mortar
charters, receive $500 million annually from public school districts for
tuition. While cyber charter operators have claimed they are underfunded,
public school administrators have argued the funding they divert to cyber
charters is not proportional to the educational outcomes they deliver. They
also argue that cyber charter schools are being paid far more than what it
costs to educate a student and that cyber charters lack accountability.”
Erie leader driving state education reforms
GoErie By Matthew
Rink Posted at 12:02 AM
State Rep. Curt Sonney has the high-profile
role of chairing the House Education Committee. A year after being named chairman of the
House Education Committee, state Rep. Curt Sonney finds himself in the thick of
several efforts to reform Pennsylvania’s system of education at multiple
levels. “I often tell people that as a rank and file (House member), you just
ride on the bus,” said Sonney, a Harborcreek Township Republican who represents
the 4th Legislative District. “As a chairman, you get to drive it. “And quite
frankly, it’s up to the individual chairman if he wants to drive aggressively
and really try to shake up the system or not if he doesn’t want to step into
that arena of total controversy. And believe me, I’ve been swimming in
controversy since I became chairman.” Since being handed the keys to that bus,
Sonney has proposed a major overhaul of the state’s cyber charter school
system. He’s introduced legislation that would enable the chancellor and board
of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to enact
changes that would create efficiencies and save money at the 14 universities in
the system. And he holds a key vote as a member of the state Board of Education
on Erie County’s community college application.
Saucon Valley approves charter for Lehigh Valley Academy,
which plans to build $80 million school
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | FEB 15, 2020 | 4:21 PM
The Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter
School is one step closer to moving into a new building. On Tuesday, the Saucon
Valley School Board approved a five-year charter for the school. It still needs
approval from the Bethlehem Area School Board, where most of the school’s 1,700
students come from. The K-12 school’s charter expires next year. The school,
which rents space in Hanover Township, Northampton County, wants to move to a
200,000-square-foot building in Bethlehem Township in 2023. Saucon Valley
expects to pay $517,000 for its 27 students attending the charter, said
business manager David Bonenberger. LVA CEO Susan Mauser said the vote brings
the school closer to construction, which is expected to cost about $80
million, nearly twice the original estimate.
“With most school buildings in Pennsylvania built while asbestos
was still used in construction, asbestos remains a concern, said Mark DiRocco,
Ph.D., executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School
Administrators. Instead of renovating buildings and removing asbestos, districts
have had to deal with skyrocketing pension costs, steep increases in special
education spending, charter school tuition that could increase to $2 billion
statewide next year and health care costs that continue to grow. A moratorium
continues on the state’s PlanCon program, which provided partial reimbursements
for some construction and renovation projects. The moratorium has many
districts delaying projects, DiRocco said.”
With little oversight, asbestos issues challenge Pa.
schools
Wilkes Barre Citizens Voice BY SARAH HOFIUS
HALL, STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 17, 2020
A potentially cancer-causing material
could exist in wall insulation, ceiling plaster or floor tiles in more than
2,000 Pennsylvania schools. Across the state, with limited money for
renovations and little state or federal oversight, asbestos remains a hidden
danger. As Scranton’s Northeast Intermediate School remains closed indefinitely
and concerns remain about a dozen other city schools, districts statewide
struggle with similar issues. Many problems across Pennsylvania have yet to be
discovered. After years of neglect, asbestos caused the School District of
Philadelphia to close nine different buildings this school year. One teacher in
the state’s largest district is undergoing treatment for mesothelioma, a cancer
caused by asbestos exposure.
“Wolf told the Philadelphia Inquirer on
Thursday that he hadn’t been given a specific proposal, but agreed that the
toxin issue “has to be addressed quickly.” Money from the Rainy Day Fund can
only be spent with the approval of two-thirds of the Republican-controlled
legislature – a heavy lift for Wolf, a Democrat. Wolf’s proposed budget
includes $1 billion for toxin cleanup statewide, but approval is months away,
if it comes at all.”
Officials, PFT call for ‘disaster declaration’ for Philly
schools
The coalition’s latest demand comes as two
elementary schools – Barton in Feltonville and Sullivan in Frankford – were
closed and Richmond Elementary in Port Richmond faces a weekend inspection.
The notebook by Bill
Hangley Jr. February 14 — 7:21 am, 2020
A coalition of state and local lawmakers,
along with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, called on Gov. Wolf to
issue a formal “disaster declaration” for the School District of Philadelphia,
freeing up cash to clean up asbestos and other toxins in the city’s aging
schools. “We have a Rainy Day Fund – and it’s raining in many of our schools,”
said State Rep. Sharif Street, a member of the Fund our Facilities Coalition,
which made its demands Thursday at the Cione Recreation Center in Port
Richmond. “We have repairs we’ve waited 30 years to make.” State Sen. Vince
Hughes said: “If the court was warped, the Sixers wouldn’t play,” but
Philadelphia students have to attend dangerous schools or be declared truant.
“We’re approaching a situation where we have to shut the whole thing down.” Also
on hand were State Sen. Larry Farnese, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, State Rep.
Elizabeth Fiedler, and City Council members Isaiah Thomas and Mark Squilla.
Asbestos delays students’ return to Feltonville school
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: February
14, 2020- 7:53 PM
The asbestos-related closure of a Feltonville
elementary school will be extended into next week. Philadelphia School District officials said
Friday night that Barton Elementary, 4600 Rosehill St., will be closed on
Tuesday and beyond. Students will report to Martin Luther King High School on
Stenton Avenue beginning on Wednesday. Students were scheduled to have the day
off Monday for Presidents Day. The school was closed Thursday
and Friday after damaged
asbestos-containing materials were discovered in the attic. On Friday,
officials determined that damaged insulation in the boiler room represents an
imminent hazard and must be closed off and abated, effectively cutting off the
school’s heat. “Safely addressing both of these imminent hazards and conducted
the needed testing is expected to take about one week,” spokesperson Megan
Lello said in a statement. Students will be bused to King from Feltonville.
Charter school reform topic of debate at Pine-Richland
board of supervisors meeting
Trib Live by Karen
Price Friday, February 14, 2020 | 11:00 AM
The Pine-Richland board of supervisors
discussed the issue of charter school reform at its February meeting and is
expected to take an official stance on the topic next month. “This has been
gaining a lot of attention (with the Pennsylvania School Board Association),
and for very good reason,” school board member Carla Meyer said. The
Pennsylvania School Board Association has called on its members to adopt a
resolution calling for charter school funding reform. School board President
Peter Lyons asked Meyer to draft their own version instead of adopting the
generic version produced by the PSBA in advance of the March 2 planning
meeting. Gov. Tom Wolf last year called for an overhaul to Pennsylvania’s
charter school funding and recently reiterated the need to examine the way
district payments to charter schools are calculated in his 2020-21 state budget
plan. Over the past several years, Meyer said funding to charter schools has
continued to grow with fewer services available while data both nationally and
locally shows that the graduation and academic success rates at these schools
do not differ from and “definitely do not” outperform standard public schools.
Strayer Middle School students training as “upstanders”
Bucks County Herald by GARY WECKSELBLATTT,
Feb 13, 2020
Nine Strayer Middle School students have been
selected to form a leadership group that educators believe can help lessen
discrimination and bullying in school. The students – Dylan Chauhan, Cailyn
Cineas, Thomy Codja, Ariana Krum, Nathalia McMillan, Morgan Murray, Brendan
Padmanabhan, Shaylen Carmona Rivera, and Meghan Steiert – were chosen by
assistant principal Kim Finnerty, who inspired the team’s creation. “I want to
make Strayer Middle School the best it can be,” she said. “Students here should
feel safe, comfortable and want to be here. When people don’t feel that way,
that’s a problem for me. “These students have diverse perspectives. They’re
different colors, they’re males, they’re females, some are new to the district,
and some have been in the district for years. But they’re all here for positive
reasons. They have come to this conference with a bunch of other students from
the region because it’s really important to learn lessons from the past, and to
have an open mind in how we think and deal with each other.” To help them
develop into “ambassadors,” Finnerty brought them to a “Youth and Prejudice:
Reducing Hatred” conference for middle school students at Muhlenberg College.
The program is designed to connect the atrocities of Nazi Germany to modern-day
actions of hate and teach students to be “upstanders” vs. “bystanders.”
PA educators: “Our students are hurting”
Beaver County Times By Marion
Callahan Posted
Feb 16, 2020 at 4:46 AM
State
lawmakers heard testimony during a hearing in Bucks County about the growing
mental health crisis in schools. Rep. Wendi Thomas, R-173, Northampton,
discussed the need for schools to staff more mental health professionals to
help the rising number of students struggling with anxiety, depression and
suicidal thoughts.
A week before the anniversary of the suicide
death of a Council Rock middle school student, district social worker Mike
Fiore stood before a panel of state lawmakers and shared the realities of the
mental health crisis in schools today. “We had never lost a middle schooler
before ... it’s still hard for me to talk about it,” said Fiore, addressing the
bipartisan panel that came together at Washington Crossing United Methodist
Church on Thursday to address the crisis and support a bill to put more mental
health professionals in schools. “Suicidal ideation is probably the most
difficult issue relating to mental health in schools today, and that
unfortunately includes nearly all grade levels.” Last year, he said, Council
Rock School District provided support for 261 students who reported thoughts of
suicide. He expects that number to reach 300 by the end of this year. State
Reps. Wendi Thomas, R-178, of Northampton, and Malcolm Kenyatta, D-181, of
Philadelphia, hosted the event, calling on mental health professionals,
educators, officials with the state’s attorney general’s office and leaders of
community support organizations to discuss how schools can better identify and
treat kids with mental health needs. “The Pennridge School District released
the results of an anonymous survey of its students that revealed 40 students
from the class of 2020 had attempted suicide one or more times in the previous
years,” Thomas said. “They also reported an increase in suicide attempts from
3% to 4% among the district’s sixth-graders.”
Toomey promotes a federal tax credit for school choice,
while visiting an Allentown Diocese school
By ANDREW WAGAMAN THE MORNING
CALL | FEB 14, 2020 | 9:23 PM
Parents should be empowered to decide what
school is the best fit for their child, Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey told a
like-minded audience Friday at Sacred Heart School in Allentown. “I’ll never be
convinced that there’s anyone who cares more about a child than the parent of
that child,” he said. “They’ll make a good decision for their child if they
have the opportunity to do so.” Toomey visited the school Friday to promote a
school-choice bill that was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, nearly a year
ago but has not garnered any support from congressional Democrats. The federal
Educational Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act would establish a $5
billion federal tax credit for businesses and individuals that contribute to
school choice scholarship programs. The bill also would create a separate tax
credit for those who provide scholarship money for vocational training. About
2,800 families send their children to Allentown Diocese schools by tapping $3.4
million from two existing state scholarship programs supported by
Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship
Tax Credit. But both tax credits are capped, and there are many more families
seeking the same opportunity, according to Philip Fromuth, the diocese’s
superintendent for Catholic education. He estimated the unmet demand in the
Allentown diocese alone exceeds $8 million.
Turzai, Scarnati step down on top facing uncertain
political waters
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso February
16, 2020
Twice in two weeks, powerful Pennsylvania
politicians have achieved a rare feat — willingly stepping down from power. Over
the two decades, most Pennsylvania legislative leaders have either been forced
out under indictment, lost reelection, had their own allies turn on them or die
in office. But House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, and Senate President Pro
Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, both announced they would retire this year,
when the odds of either chamber flipping are so-so. One former GOP Senate
staffer, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said that the choice could
lie in political reality. Scarnati governed with one of the biggest majorities
in a half-century before Democrats made in-roads in the 2018 midterms. Facing
political headwinds, “do you want to be the [leader] who loses the majority for
the first time in 20 or 30 years?” the staffer asked.
With Joe Scarnati’s retirement, who is next in line to
lead the Pa. Senate?
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Feb
14, 2020; Posted Feb 13, 2020
State Senate President Pro
Tempore Joe Scarnati’s announcement on Wednesday that he is retiring at the end
of the year opens the door for someone new to fill the third highest office in
Pennsylvania government. Who will it be? That answer in part rests on what the
voters say in this year’s election to fill 25 Senate seats. If the Democrats
manage to win four seats to win majority control, that would cause a sea change
in the Senate, which has been under Republican control for the past 26 years. But
if the Republicans hold their majority in the chamber, it creates the
possibility that Centre County could see one of its own elected as president
pro tempore for the first time since 1935. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman,
who represents Centre County, is the one most people are betting would occupy a
GOP-controlled Senate’s top leadership post. Centre County is home to Penn
State University’s flagship campus, which is also Corman’s alma mater.
“There are 203 seats in the Pa. House. Right now the breakdown
is 109 Republicans, 92 Democrats and two seats vacant. The Dems gained 14
seats, almost all in the Southeast, in the last election. They need to flip
nine more to take control. In the Senate, Republicans still hold a 28-21 edge,
with one Independent. Democrats say they are targeting 40 House races and
several in the Senate, with Killion's seat being one of the biggest battles. It
doesn't take a lot to see the trend here. Is that why Turzai and Scarnati are
getting out now? Nobody wants to be the guy at the helm when his party loses
control.”
A change at the top for GOP in Harrisburg
Delco Times Herons Nest Blog by Editor Phil
Heron February
17, 2020
You get the feeling that Mike Turzai and Joe
Scarnati know something the rest of us don't?
They are two of the most powerful Republican officials in Pennsylvania. But
not for much longer. Turzai, from Allegheny County, is the Speaker of the
House. Scarnati, of Jefferson County, is Senate president pro tempore. Both
have announced that they will not seek re-election and will leave the
Legislature in Harrisburg. The GOP has controlled both chambers in the state
Capitol for years. But their reign could be coming to an end. Need proof? Just
look at the 2018 mid-terms, when Democrats made some serious inroads into the
Republican majority in the House.
Pa. congressmen in vulnerable seats having some success
in fundraising
Penn Live By Katie Meyer | PA Post Updated
8:17 AM; Today 8:14 AM
(Harrisburg)
— As they enter the last several months before primary elections, the two
incumbent congressmen in Pennsylvania’s most competitive seats both have more
cash on hand than their opponents. Republican Scott Perry, who represents the
10th Congressional District, has been neck-and-neck with his likely Democratic
opponent, Eugene DePasquale. DePasquale is in his second term as state auditor
general. DePasquale had an edge over Perry in last year’s third fundraising
quarter, outraising him by about $60,000. But in the fourth quarter, from
October to December 2019, Perry came out ahead. As of their last filings, Perry
had $621,928 on hand, while DePasquale had $468,461. All told, Perry has
outspent DePasquale $427,078 to $195,596. Perry also reported $42,409 in debt,
while DePasquale said he has none. The other congressman considered
particularly vulnerable, Democrat Matt Cartwright, of Pennsylvania’s eighth
district, ended 2019 with $1.28 million on hand. He has spent $428,472 so far. Six Republicans have filed to compete for the
nomination to run against Cartwright in the general election. The one with the
most cash raised is former police officer Teddy Daniels, with a little over
$118,296.
“There’s a shortage of sports officials in the WPIAL, a problem
that extends across Pennsylvania and stretches nationwide. The profession needs
to add more young officials to its ranks, but persuading millennials like
Strednak to don black-and-white stripes has proven difficult.”
Dwindling number of high school officials part of
troubling nationwide trend
Trib Live By: Chris
Harlan Saturday, February 15, 2020 | 12:38
PM
As a high school basketball official in his
early 20s, Joe Strednak wasn’t much older than the athletes on the court.
Occasionally, someone would test his poise as the youngest ref on his crew. To
him, that came with the job. The 25-year-old from North Braddock is now
finishing his fifth season of WPIAL varsity basketball and already has
officiated two boys championship games at Petersen Events Center, including the
Class 6A final last year. He’s quickly become one of the area’s top young
officials, but admits this job isn’t for everyone. “Many people around my age
have a problem with handling confrontation,” said Strednak, who earned his PIAA
official’s card at 18 and now works college games as well. “Walking out on the
floor, I know I’m going to make mistakes. I know that I’m going to have to deal
with a coach and a player. In the digital, social-media age, people don’t enjoy
being able to handle person-to-person conflict.” Along with memorizing the rule
book, a steady demeanor is always a good trait for any sports official, but
nowadays it’s probably more important than ever.
Maryland House approves more than $2 billion to repair
and build schools
Washington Post By Ovetta Wiggins Feb.
14, 2020 at 2:23 p.m. EST
A bill that would provide more money to
repair and build schools to ease crowding and replace aging buildings received
final approval in the Maryland House of Delegates on Friday. The legislation, a
top priority of Democratic leadership, authorizes the Maryland Stadium
Authority to issue up to $2.2 billion in school construction bonds, beginning
in fiscal 2022, giving priority to districts with the oldest buildings, the
highest number of classroom trailers and the most students from poor families. The
bill, which had bipartisan support, passed with a vote of 128 to 6. Gov. Larry
Hogan (R), who included a similar proposal in his legislative agenda, praised
the House of Delegates for approving the bill. Under the measure, Baltimore
City, Baltimore and Montgomery counties would each receive $420 million.
Anne Arundel would get $250 million; Howard would receive $132 million; and
Frederick would get $102 million. Prince George’s County would receive $25
million a year for as long as 30 years to supplement local investment as part
of a public-private partnership to build new schools. Rural counties would
share $230 million. The Maryland General Assembly at the Maryland Statehouse
(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post) The investment is intended to address a
growing backlog of school construction projects that has forced students in
districts with surging enrollment to learn in portable
classrooms and students in aging schools to
learn in substandard environments.
Trump's 'education freedom' plan is an attack on public
schools. That's un-American.
Trump and DeVos are peddling a dangerous
vision of private education and individual freedom that undermines a
fundamental pillar of our democracy.
USA Today by Derek W. Black Opinion
contributor February 14, 2020
"Education freedom" — the Trump administration’s
new buzzwords — is not about good education for the public. It’s about
ending all that public education stands for. The administration won’t
claim that precise goal because it’s politically toxic, including with a huge
chunk of its own base. Instead, President Donald Trump and Education Secretary
Betsy DeVos have carefully aimed at core aspects of public education without
ever formally declaring war. But peel away the coded language and
convoluted tax schemes, and the only thing left is an agenda incompatible with
public education. That coded language was on full display in Trump's State of the Union address: “American
children have been trapped in failing government schools.” Private school
choice, he said, will “rescue these students.” "Government schools"
refers to public schools in general. The administration hasn’t reserved
the phrase for struggling schools. It paints the entire public school
system. It resuscitated the phrase from a multidecade effort to get government
to subsidize religious
education. After the movement faltered,
voucher advocates began using this language under the banner of helping
disadvantaged students. In both cases, the point is to equate public
schools with all the negative connotations government conjures —waste,
bureaucracy and liberty-crushing control.
Preserving John Coltrane’s house can help save Philly’s
soul | Opinion
Faye Anderson, For The Inquirer Updated: February
16, 2020 - 5:00 AM
The jazz saxophonist and composer John
Coltrane had a storied career, much of it in Philadelphia. But without
intervention, the story of his Strawberry Mansion rowhouse — where he
experienced a spiritual awakening, kicked his heroin addiction, and composed
the album Giant Steps — will not have a happy ending. His home
is deteriorating right before
our eyes. The front steps are crumbling.
Drone photos show damage to the chimney, and rotting materials and holes in the
exterior wall. The John Coltrane House, built in 1903, was added to the
Philadelphia Register of Historic Places on Dec. 18, 1985. The house was
designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest level for a historic
property, by the secretary of the interior on Jan. 20, 1999. While there are
thousands of properties on the local register, only 67 are National Historic
Landmarks, including the Academy of Music, where Coltrane first heard Charlie
Parker perform in person. But neither designation has kept the property from falling
into disrepair. The John Coltrane House was recently listed on
Preservation Pennsylvania’s 2020 roster of “at risk” sites, a
designation intended to “draw
statewide attention to the plight of Pennsylvania’s historic resources; promote
and support local action to protect historic properties; and encourage funding
and legislation that supports preservation activities,” according to the
organization. If we care about Philadelphia’s future, we must preserve this
important part of the city’s past.
So, you want to watch the geese at Middle Creek Wildlife
Management Area?
Lancaster Online by KEVIN STAIRIKER | Staff Writer February
15, 2020
It takes a lot to get me out of bed before
the sun rises, or so I thought. Who could have guessed that, of all things, it
would be the shrill, unmistakable honk of 100,000 snow geese? Let's back up. Every
year, snow geese make their way from arctic areas such as Canada and Alaska
down to the warmest areas of North America, namely Texas and Mexico. Along the
way, the roving pack of Anser caerulescens are kind enough to
make a stop in Lancaster County to flap around for goose gawkers young and old.
From mid-February through mid-March, these geese can be found at Middle Creek
Wildlife Management Area, which is right on the edge of Lancaster and Lebanon
counties. Since moving to Lancaster years ago, this bizarre ritual has remained
on my bucket list. I decided earlier this year that I would no longer ignore
the siren honk of these migratory birds. After talking with folks who have made
the trek in the past, I was presented with two choices - to see the geese at
sunrise, before they took to the skies to scour for food, or at sunset, when
the geese return from stuffing their beaks. Though I fight waking up early for
nearly any reason, I considered whether I would want people staring at me on my
way to eating food, or after I consumed a lot of food.
Blogger note: support Governor Wolf’s proposed charter reforms:
Reprise: PA Ed Policy Roundup for Feb 10, 2020
1. Adopt resolution for charter funding
reform
2. Ask your legislators to cosponsor HB2261
or SB1024
3. Register for Advocacy Day on March 23rd
Adopt: the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
PSBA Website POSTED ON FEBRUARY 3,
2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
In this legislative session, PSBA has been
leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s
Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to
join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school
boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your
next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.
Cosponsor: A 120-page charter
reform proposal is being introduced as House Bill 2261 by Rep. Joseph
Ciresi (D-Montgomery), and Senate Bill 1024, introduced by Senators
Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) and James Brewster (D-Allegheny). Ask your
legislator to sign on as a cosponsor to House Bill 2261 or Senate Bill
1024.
Register: 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
For more information: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
Volunteer your time and talents.
Register Today to Help transform education in
Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Education Fund
Learn More at PEF's Information Session
Tuesday, February 25, 2020 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Philadelphia Education Fund, 718 Arch Street,
Suite 700N Philadelphia, PA 19106
Do you have a willingness to engage with the
students we serve through our college access and college persistence
programming? The Philadelphia Education Fund supports nearly 6,000 students and
serves 16 schools. As a result, we produce and host hundreds of sessions for
students on a range of topics that are intended to help our young people
navigate a successful journey through high school and college.
This Information Session will explain how you
can help!
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.
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.
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:
PSBA Board Presidents Panel April 27, 28 and 29; Multiple
Locations
Offered at 10 locations across the state,
this annual event supports current and aspiring school board leaders through
roundtable conversations with colleagues as well as a facilitated panel of
experienced regional and statewide board presidents and superintendents. Board
Presidents Panel is designed to equip new and veteran board presidents and vice
presidents as well as superintendents and other school directors who may pursue
a leadership position in the future.
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.
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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