Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
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These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
If any of your colleagues would
like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and
affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com
PA Ed Policy Roundup for March 4, 2020
Webinar: Rising
Mandated Costs for School Districts
PASchoolsWork Lunch
& Learn Webinar Tuesday, March 10th 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
Mandated costs are rising for school
districts across PA. Join us next Tuesday at Noon to learn more about what
exactly these costs are and what their impact is on school districts. Register
for our Lunch & Learn webinar here:
“We in York County also subsidize many smaller school districts,
most in western Pa., which have been losing population and students for years,
even decades. A clause in the state education funding formula, known as “hold
harmless,” means these schools that serve fewer students this year than last
must get no fewer state tax dollars than they did last year. A legislative
report shows these 320 school districts got $1 billion extra in state funding
in 2018, money taken from taxpayers in the 180 growing districts, including
most of our schools in York County.”
Opinion: Rural towns & counties in PA are revenue
vampires — sucking tax $ from suburbs, cities
York Daily Record by Ron Ruman Opinion Published
10:03 a.m. ET March 3, 2020 | Updated 10:09 a.m. ET March 3, 2020
In his March 1 column, University
of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds writes rural parts of several
states want to secede and join neighboring, more conservative states, because
they feel their current states are dominated politically by more populous urban
centers, whose residents know little and care less about the lives of their
rural neighbors. Reynolds says gun control, logging restrictions, and high
taxes have rural folks upset. I can’t speak for other states, but in
Pennsylvania, those of us living in suburban townships, as well as small cities
such as York or even larger cities such as Pittsburgh, may want to think about
secession. While Reynolds argues cultural issues are driving rural residents to
seek political emancipation, here suburban and urban taxpayers in counties such
as York, and municipalities such as my home of West Manchester Township, are
subsidizing many services used by residents in Pennsylvania’s small towns and
rural counties and townships. Big time. In a column last year, reporter Tom
Ferrick Jr., who runs the Facing the Future website, produced research showing
what residents of each county get back in relation to state taxes paid. Turns
out residents of Pennsylvania’s smallest county, Forest, population 7,340, get
$2.62 for every dollar they send to Harrisburg. The city we all love to hate,
Philadelphia, is second, getting a return of $2.57 for each dollar paid. One
could argue Philly deserves a good deal, as it provides 15-and-a-half percent
of the state’s GDP, according to the Census Bureau, with 12 percent of the
population. But the next four in return on state taxes are among the state’s
smallest counties: Cameron, McKean, Clarion and Fulton.
General McLane SD to use flexible day to prepare for
virus
GoErie By Ed
Palattella
@etnpalattella Posted
Mar 3, 2020 at 10:03 AM
School district will teach students online on
March 13, which had been set as regular day to make up for recent snow day.
Students in the General McLane School
District will learn from home on March 13 as the district practices for a
school closing due to a possible outbreak of the coronavirus. The district will
use a “flexible instructional day” on March 13. The district’s 2,110 students
will stay home but will get instruction online. The day will count as a regular
school day. The General McLane School District had planned to use March 13 as a
makeup day due to a snow day the district used on Thursday, General McLane
schools Superintendent Rick Scaletta said. Students were originally scheduled
to be off on March 13 until the district needed to make up the snow day. But
instead of having students go to school on March 13, as the district had
initially planned for the makeup day, the district decided to use one of five
flexible instructional days that it was allotted for 2019-20 under a new state law, Scaletta
said. “Although we were approved for
flexible instructional days this year, we had determined that any snow days
would be made up by coming in on a snow makeup day, if possible,” Scaletta said
in a statement on Tuesday. “However, given the recent call to prepare for a
possible pandemic, we decided the February snow day would offer a good
opportunity to ‘practice’ a flexible instructional day.”
‘We’re ready for some change’: Pa. educators want to see
climate change included in new Pa. science standards
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison March 3,
2020
Educators submit comments in a group activity
on Tuesday, during a Department of Education stakeholder event for its science
standards review. Capital-Star photo by Elizabeth Hardison. When more than 100
educators and school administrators showed up in suburban Harrisburg on Tuesday
to talk about science education in Pennsylvania, they didn’t get to leave
without a homework assignment. The instructions: Go home, jot down what
they’d learned, and give their state legislators a call. “The General
Assembly is invited to take part in this process, and if they don’t show up,
we’ll make sure we do,” educational consultant Beth Ratway told the crowd of
educators, school administrators and business leaders, who had spent three
hours sharing their hopes and concerns about science education in
Pennsylvania. The session was one of 13 that the Department of Education
will host this spring to collect public input as a committee drafts new science
education standards for the Commonwealth. It’s been more than 20 years
since Pennsylvania last took a comprehensive look at the laws that guide
science education and standardized testing in Pennsylvania. Many of
Pennsylvania’s science educators welcome the opportunity to revamp the
standards, saying Tuesday that the guidelines governing their work are
out-of-touch with current technology and environmental science research.
West Chester Daily Local Mar 2, 2020
The American ethos is built around the idea
that anyone can achieve success. For that to be the case, students must have
access to the best possible public education regardless of where they live. Pennsylvania
has fallen short of that goal, as have many other states. A big part of the
problem is the tremendous difference in circumstances from one school district
to the next. Many communities are filled with economically stable families and
have strong tax bases to fund robust school systems. But others, some of them
right next door to more affluent communities, have large populations of
students who need plenty of help, and not just in the classroom. Typically
these poorer districts lack the sort of financial resources that would better
enable them to overcome these challenges. A look at Reading and its immediate
neighbors offers a clear illustration of the problem.
Governor Wolf: Modern Science Education Standards and
PAsmart will Prepare Students for Good Careers in Pennsylvania
Governor Wolf’s Website 03/03/2020
Harrisburg, PA - Governor Tom Wolf
thanked educators, parents and businesses for sharing their input today on
modernizing the state’s science education standards which determine how science
is taught in schools. The governor also discussed his groundbreaking PAsmartOpens In A New
Window initiative which has invested
$40 million in science and technology education. “Science is increasingly part of our everyday
education, work, and lives in a changing economy,” said Governor Wolf.
“Businesses need workers with the problem solving and analytical skills that
are developed by studying science. Updating the state’s science education
standards will prepare students with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to
succeed at many different jobs in the future. A good science education also is
the foundation of a strong workforce and will help the state to compete in the
global economy.” The governor spoke to stakeholders in Dauphin County as part
of a series of public meetingsOpens
In A New Window the Department of Education is
holding to gather feedback. The state Board of Education last fall directed the
department to update the state’s science education standards to align them with
current research and best practices, including a review of the Next Generation
Science Standards.
“Gerrymandering, though, feeds something far worse: the
hyper-polarization that causes so much other dysfunction in our system. A
healthy political system is center-seeking. Since the largest bloc of citizens
is found in the middle, democracy tends towards moderation and compromise as
elected officials seek to maximize their odds of winning by appealing to that
large middle bloc. Gerrymandering destroys that incentive, worsening in the
legislature and the electorate as a whole. Gerrymandering does more than make
elected officials “safe” — it drives them away from the middle.”
Guest column: Gerrymandering drives polarization
Pottstown Mercury By Joshua J. Weikert Guest
columnist March 3, 2020
Joshua J. Weikert, Ph.D., is an assistant
professor of politics in the Department of Civic Engagement at Immaculata
University.
It should seem strange that, in Pennsylvania,
the state Legislature draws the lines for electoral districts which will elect
its own members. It should not seem strange that legislatures draw districts
that make it easier for those currently elected to the legislature to remain
there — especially for the majority party. That practice —
gerrymandering — is the subject of two bills before the state House, which
would take this power out of the hands of legislators and give it instead to a
commission made up of independent citizens. This is not only a basic point of
fairness, it has the potential to reduce what have become caustic levels of
partisanship and polarization. First, the elected shouldn’t be able to choose
their own voters. The opportunity for corruption is patent, and gerrymandering
also distorts the voice of the people by enabling a minority faction to put a
stranglehold on majority control — see Wisconsin, where 49% of the vote gave
Republicans 65% of the state’s legislative seats. A staggering and unnatural
overperformance. Some inefficiency is normal. After all, voters of certain
parties will naturally cluster in certain areas, and “wasted” votes occur in
any system — but the Wisconsin result (and others, nationwide) was fueled by
computers and a deliberate effort to draw a biased electoral map. Pennsylvania
faces similar challenges.
Kenney nominates 8 education veterans and a public school
grad with charter ties for his new Philly school board
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: March
3, 2020- 6:03 PM
Mayor Jim Kenney wants eight education
veterans and a newcomer with charter school bona fides to sit on his
second-term school board. Julia Danzy, Leticia Egea-Hinton, Mallory Fix Lopez,
Lee Huang, Maria McColgan, Christopher McGinley, Angela McIver, and Joyce
Wilkerson were all nominated for second terms, the city announced Tuesday. The
mayor chose the nominees from among 27 names
submitted for consideration by the city’s education
nominating panel in February. For the ninth seat on the board, Kenney nominated
Ameen Akbar, a graduate of Philadelphia public schools who has worked as a
mentor, dean, and coach in city charters. Akbar would take the board seat
vacated by Wayne Walker, who for personal reasons did not wish to be
reappointed. Kenney said that he was proud of the direction the district has
gone under the current board’s leadership, and that Akbar’s skill set would
serve the school system well.
Mayor selects charter school mentor, coach as new school
board member
Ameen Akbar, a Philadelphia School District
graduate, worked for 14 years at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School.
the
Notebook March 3 — 4:35 pm, 2020
For the Board of Education’s new term
starting May 1, Mayor Kenney has named the eight current board members and one
newcomer as his appointees. The ninth seat on the board was open because Vice
President Wayne Walker decided to step down for personal reasons. The new
appointee is Ameen Akbar, a graduate of the Philadelphia School District who
worked for 14 years at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School in mentoring and
service learning. YouthBuild is a school that helps young adults get their high
school diplomas while connecting them in one intensive year with job training
and career opportunities in the construction industry. The Philadelphia native
is now a senior associate at Grovider, a consulting firm that supports
organizations in developing learning and development strategies. He also is the
lead facilitator of Universal Companies’ BoysToMen program and an assistant
basketball coach at Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School
Central student’s racist social media post roils Philly
and suburbs
WHYY By John N. Mitchell, The Philadelphia
Tribune March 3, 2020
This article originally appeared on The Philadelphia Tribune.
A social media post by a white
student-athlete from Central High School that uses racial slurs to refer to a
Black opponent sent tremors across the internet in Philadelphia and the suburbs
over the weekend. The post targeted Cheltenham High School wrestler Isaiah
Stehman after a match between him and Central’s Grigol Khochiashvili on Dec.
28, 2019 at the Ralph Wetzel Classic at Hatboro-Horsham High School.
Khochiashvili, the top-ranked wrestler at 152 pounds in District 12, won 5-4. It
shows Stehman crumpled on the mat after the match with a wrestler two sources
confirmed is Khochiashvili walking toward the camera. A caption reads, “dumb a
— monkey deserved it.” Part of a song by Uncle Dave Macon called “Run, N—–,
Run” was playing in the background. The post was an Instagram Story, which
disappears after 24 hours, so it is unclear when it was made. Another person
took a screenshot of the Instagram Story 30 minutes after it was posted and
shared it in a Tweet that has since been deleted. Sources could not confirm
whether Khochiashvili was the creator of the Instagram Story.
Exeter School District pioneers stop-arm cameras to
monitor other drivers; Wilson conducting trial run
Pottstown Mercury By Mike Urban
murban@readingeagle.com @MikeUrbanRE on Twitter Mar 3, 2020 Updated
It happened in a flash: An SUV zooming past
an Exeter School District bus while it was dropping off children after school,
and a video camera on the bus captured the whole infraction. That occurred in
February, and it was far from an isolated occurrence, district officials said. At
least two dozen times this school year the district has called police to
report drivers passing its stopped school buses, officials said. The drivers
either ignored or didn't see the extended stop sign and flashing red lights.
Once it was a tractor-trailer that sped past. A number of those drivers have
been cited by Exeter Township and Central Berks Regional police, the two
departments that cover the district, and what's helped police make sure the
charges stick are the videos from cameras mounted on the stop-arms of each of
the district's 50 buses. "The video gives us a solid case," said
Central Berks Chief Ray Serafin. Exeter is the only one of Berks' 18 public
school districts to place stop-arm cameras on all its buses. Wilson recently
installed exterior cameras on two of its buses in a test before deciding
whether to add them to its entire fleet.
Blogger note: your tax dollars at work….
Chart a New Course: Agora Cyber Charter School is Ready
to Help Families Enroll for the 2020-2021 School Year
Yahoo Business Wire March 3, 2020
Agora Cyber Charter School (Agora),
an accredited, full-time online public school, is ready to welcome students in
K through 12 to enroll for the 2020-2021 school year. Authorized by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, and delivered entirely online, Agora
combines online instruction, rigorous curriculum and
the support of state-licensed teachers. With over 15 years as a trusted education
program, Agora is designed to give your student a personalized learning
experience, especially for those who seek alternative pathways to education.
Agora tuition is paid by Pennsylvania taxpayers. In addition to working towards
their high school diplomas, Agora students can participate in the Destinations Career
Program, which allows them to discover
exciting options for their future in career fields like Business, IT, and
Health and Human Services. "No matter where your student’s academic level,
our goal is to ensure that they graduate as productive citizens," said
Agora CEO Dr. Michael Conti. "We don’t want to be the biggest, we want to
be the best, and we’ll support your student wherever they are, and wherever
they want to go."
PSBA: Coronavirus Preparedness Guidance
In the last few weeks, the novel coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2), which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, has become a topic
of concern nationwide. Although the virus is not widespread in Pennsylvania at
this time, that status could change. Being proactive is key to prevention and
mitigation. Below, you will find a list of resources on all aspects of
preparedness, including guidance on communication planning, policy, emergency
management and disease control. Use these resources to help you make decisions
regarding the safety and health of those in your school district.
Bucks County Intermediate Unit: FLU AND CORONAVIRUS
RESOURCES
Resources for School Leaders; Bucks County
Intermediate Unit Website
This page contains a collection of news
articles, health agency resources, and school system templates related to the
Flu and Coronavirus. This page is by no means exhaustive and in no way
serves as an endorsement for specific resources. Instead, it
serves as a collection point for school leaders seeking resources and
exemplars. Please contact Dr.
Mark Hoffman with any additional documents or
links to post!
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
For more
information: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
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.
Event: Transparency
in Pennsylvania Cyber Charter Schools
A Free Educational Event Hosted at Capitol
Building in Harrisburg, March 16, 2020
CONTACT Holly Lubart EMAIL HollyL@PANewsMedia.org PHONE 717-703-3032
A Free Sunshine Week Educational Event Hosted
at Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa.
Guest Speaker: Sarah Hofius Hall, Education
Reporter, The Times-Tribune
Guest Speaker: Representative Curt
Sonney, Chairman, House Education Committee
Guest Speaker from the Wolf Administration
To register for this event, please complete
the form below.
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:
NSBA annual conference -- April 4-6, 2020 Chicago
Registration for the 2020 NSBA Annual
Conference is now open. The event will be held April 4-6 in Chicago
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.
Register today for the 2020 PASA/PA Principals
Association PA Educational Leadership Summit, August 2-4, at the Lancaster
Marriott at Penn Square
(hosted by the PA Principals Association and
the PA Association of School Administrators). Participants can earn up to 80
PIL hours (40 hours for the Summit and - for an additional cost of $50 -
40 hours for EdCamp) for
attending the conference and completing program requirements. Register
early to reserve your seat! The deadline to take advantage of the Early Bird
Discount is April 24, 2020.
Click here to
register today!
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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