Showing posts with label ALEC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ALEC. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 13: SB2: Trump & DeVos love ‘Education Savings Accounts.’ You should know how they really work.

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
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SB2: Trump & DeVos love ‘Education Savings Accounts.’ You should know how they really work.

Trump Seeks to Cut Education Budget by 5 Percent, Expand School Choice Push
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on February 12, 2018 1:05 PM
President Donald Trump is seeking a roughly 5 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Education's budget for fiscal 2019 in a proposal that also mirrors his spending plan from last year by seeking to eliminate a major teacher-focused grant and to expand school choice. Trump's proposed budget, released Monday, would provide the Education Department with $63.2 billion in discretionary aid, a $3.6 billion cut—or 5.3 percent— from current spending levels, for the budget year starting Oct. 1. That's actually less of a cut than what the president sought for fiscal 2018, when he proposed slashing $9.2 billion—or 13.5 percent—from the department. In order to achieve those proposed spending cuts, the president copied two major education cuts he proposed last year: the elimination of Title II teacher grants and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Those two cuts combined would come to about $3.1 billion from current levels. Overall, 39 discretionary programs would be cut, eliminated, or "streamlined." "Decades of investments and billions of dollars in spending have shown that an increase in funding does not guarantee high-quality education," the Office of Management and Budget states in the budget document. "While the budget reduces the overall federal role in education, the budget makes strategic investments to support and empower families and improve access to postsecondary education, ensuring a future of prosperity for all Americans." On the other side of the ledger, Trump is seeking $1 billion in grants for states for private and public school choice programs called Opportunity Grants.

Almost Three-Quarters of Superintendents Say Schools Inadequately Funded: Survey
Education Week District Dossier Blog By Denisa R. Superville on February 12, 2018 2:20 PM
Seventy-three percent of superintendents say their school districts are inadequately funded, and about 62 percent say that they do not have a way to make up the shortfall if federal and state aid are cut in the upcoming school year. Forty-percent said they expected state and local revenues to be cut. Those are some of the highlights from a brief released Monday by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which surveyed superintendents and other district leaders on district finances a decade after the start of The Great Recession. The brief was released before the Trump administration unveiled its spending plan for the 2019 fiscal year, which proposes $63.2 billion in discretionary spending for the federal education department—or a 5 percent reduction from the previous year.

“Of all the various school privatization programs, Educational Savings Accounts are the most market-based and the least accountable. What they ultimately do is reduce society’s obligation to educate our nation’s youth to the dropping of tax dollars onto a debit card.”
SB2: Trump and DeVos love ‘Education Savings Accounts.’ You should know how they really work.
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss February 12 at 4:30 PM Email the author
The Trump administration’s 2019 budget proposal for the U.S. Education Department was just released, and it shows the continuing support that President Trump and Secretary Betsy DeVos have for expanding school choice, or alternatives to traditional public education. For the second year in a row, the administration has proposed slashing the department’s budget while spending more than $1 billion on vouchers — which use public money for private and religious schools — and other choice programs. Congress may not approve the request, but it shows Trump’s and DeVos’s priorities. Charter schools and vouchers are well-known choice alternatives, but there are others that are less familiar, including what’s called “Education Savings Accounts,” or ESAs. They may become more popular in states as the billionaire Koch brothers and their network plan to spend millions of dollars to push them and other efforts to privatize public education. ESAs are personal accounts created by a state for parents to use for a range of educational costs — including private school tuition and fees as well as private tutoring — with state education funds. The trend in ESAs is that there is no means test, part of a larger shift in some parts of the school choice movement from advocating for choice being for low-income students to escape failing traditional public schools to choice being for all families.

Wolf Says He'll Send The PA Supreme Court A Fair Congressional Map, Even If He Has To Draw His Own
WESA By KATHLEEN J. DAVIS • February 12, 2018
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is promising he'll send a politically impartial congressional district map to the state Supreme Court by its Thursday deadline if the Republican-controlled legislature cannot draw one themselves. "What happens next, in any case, is that I take a look at this map and have a panel of objective experts look at it," Wolf said Monday. His statement was in response to the redistricted map the GOP submitted last week, which House and Senate Democrats said was still too partisan. Last month, the state's 18 congressional boundaries were struck down by the state Supreme Court, who said the map had an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander that favored Republicans. According to the court order, Wolf does not have to accept the GOP map. If he rejects it, he can submit his own by the same deadline. Since the Supreme Court dismissed the state's congressional map three weeks ago, Wolf has sought public input on how to create fair districts. He went on a series of "listening tours" at universities across the commonwealth, stopping at Point Park University on Feb. 1.

Democrats prepare to take turn at drawing US House districts
Inquirer by MARC LEVY, The Associated Press Updated: FEBRUARY 12, 2018 — 6:20 PM EST
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Top Democratic state lawmakers said Monday they want to work with Gov. Tom Wolf on a consensus Democratic plan of congressional districts to present to state Supreme Court justices who are poised to impose new boundaries. Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa and House Minority Leader Frank Dermody said they hope to meet with Wolf as early as Tuesday to begin cooperation on a map, and have urged Wolf to reject a map given to him on Friday by the GOP-controlled Legislature's top Republicans. A redrawn map of Pennsylvania districts could boost Democrats nationally in their quest to take control of the U.S. House. With the 6-year-old map of GOP-drawn districts struck down in a gerrymandering case, the boundaries of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts for May's primary election are up in the air. Members of Congress, dozens of first-time candidates and millions of registered voters may find themselves living in a new district, a month before the deadline to file paperwork to run in congressional primaries. Neither Wolf nor Democrats have made public a map that they plan to submit.

New map is just as gerrymandered as the last one, analysis says | Monday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek jmicek@pennlive.com Updated Feb 12, 8:14 AM; Posted Feb 12, 8:00 AM
Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
It wasn't talk of Sidney Crosby's 400th goal or state party endorsements for governor or United States Senate that ate up all the oxygen in Pennsylvania's politosphere this weekend. Instead, the Keystone State's political and chattering classes were consumed by a Washington Post analysis concluding that a Republican-authored remap of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts was just as gerrymandered as the state's current political topography. The new, court-ordered map, which landed on Gov. Tom Wolf's desk on Friday, contains the same bias toward Republicans as the current map, experts consulted by The Post concluded.

“The map submitted by Scarnati and Turzai creates 55 splits of counties, municipalities and precincts, but 16 of the 17 municipal splits can be avoided, Holt said. Still, she said it’s an undeniable improvement over the 2011 version.
Her map, below, creates just 23 splits.”
Proven right before, Amanda Holt weighs in with her own map in Pennsylvania gerrymandering case
Morning Call By Katherine Reinhard and Carol Thompson Contact Reporter February 12, 2018
Top of Form
Equal vote, equal voice. Or, that’s the way it should be, Amanda Holt said. Sometimes unfair voting districts get in the way. “When your voice is diluted, no matter what the topic, you just don’t have as strong of a say in what’s happening in your government,” she said. Holt, a Lehigh County Commissioner, took issue with a newly drawn congressional map that Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Mike Turzai submitted to Gov. Tom Wolf after the state Supreme Court ordered Pennsylvania’s congressional district map be redrawn. But rather than complain, Holt spent days drafting her own. She contends she did a better job drawing fair congressional lines that create districts with near-equal populations, avoid splitting municipalities and maintain minority voter representation. The map drawn by Scarnati, R-Jefferson, and Turzai, R-Allegheny, unnecessarily splits municipalities and unfairly values having equal-sized districts, Holt said. “When you start to break those [municipalities] apart it starts to break that representative voice,” she said.

Why Black Families Support Charter Schools; Evidence from the Latest Survey
Great School Voices Blog February 2018
Black families are more dissatisfied with their neighborhood school options than other groups, and the more segregated the neighborhood, the more dissatisfied they are. Those were two big takeaways highlighted in a recent Brookings Institute summary of a new survey by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The data provide strong background for the consistent Black support for charter schools. Let’s be clear this isn’t because of some magic in the word “charter.” Many charters underserve and disserve Black families in the same way many district schools do, and in the way that society does. But given the fact that we tend to have lower-performing neighborhood schools, many of our families hustle for the best options they can access, with little care about the governance model. They just want a good school that treats them with respect, pretty simple.

Rebuild roads, yes, but what about our schools? | Opinion
Opinion by Vincent Hughes, James Brewster & Joe Markosek, For the Inquirer Updated: FEBRUARY 12, 2018 — 3:01 AM EST
State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.) is the minority chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; State Sen. James Brewster (D., Allegheny) is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Education Committee; and State Rep. Joe Markosek (D., Allegheny) is the minority chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
President Trump’s  recent State of the Union address set forth a vision and agenda for America in the next year, highlighting key priorities for the administration and the Congress, including infrastructure. Hopefully, Congress and the president understand that fixing the nation’s infrastructure deficit involves more than roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways.  It must include other essential community infrastructure, particularly public school buildings and their grounds—where nearly 55 million children and adults are every school day. School facilities have a direct impact on the education, health, safety, and security of our nation’s students and teachers. Deteriorated school buildings and grounds with maintenance issues and legacy toxins, like lead and asbestos, detrimentally affect our children and teachers. Trump recognized the importance of safe, healthy, and modern public school facilities throughout his 2016 campaign. On Election Night, he stated, “We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals.”

Pa.'s wealthiest school districts mapped. How the Lehigh Valley stacks up
Lehigh Valley Live By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Posted February 13, 2018 at 07:02 AM | Updated February 13, 2018 at 07:52 AM
While a child's zip code should not be a key factor in the education they receive, it is an unfortunate reality for millions of children across the country and in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's 500 school districts rely on local real estate taxes to fund their operations, so the wealth of a community's residents and the health of its local economy can dramatically affect a school district's available resources. And strong school districts can raise property values. The wealth of a community does not automatically translate into higher-quality schools -- strong educational systems cannot be quantified by one data point. But the affluences of a community does often translate into more resources and opportunities for students. We've tracked the median household income of every school district in Pennsylvania through U.S. Census Bureau data. Figures are listed in 2016 inflation-adjusted dollars. The Census' American Community Survey gives a snapshot of each school district from 2012-16.

York City district orders Thackston to surrender charter, close in June
York Dispatch by Junior Gonzalez, 717-505-5439/@EducationYD Published 9:47 p.m. ET Feb. 12, 2018 | Updated 10:19 p.m. ET Feb. 12, 2018
Less than two weeks after the Helen Thackston Charter School submitted unverifiable financial audits, the York City School District has said enough. “It is the school district’s position that Helen Thackston Charter School has failed to comply with its obligation under the Settlement Agreement” reached last October, said York City School District Superintendent Eric Holmes in the final few minutes of a committee meeting Monday night, Feb. 12. “Therefore, Helen Thackston Charter School must...surrender its charter, close and cease all operations by no later than June 30, 2018,” Holmes stated. The York City School District has sent a letter to Thackston requesting the school set “its position as to its compliance regarding audit completion and approval and its intention to close at the end of this school year,” Holmes added. If Thackston fails to acknowledge noncompliance or fails to notify the district on its position, the district will find Thackston in breach of its dissolution agreement and will request an authorization from the school board to file a lawsuit against Thackston for breach of contract. If the district were to resort to litigation, Holmes said, the York City School District would seek for Thackston to compensate the district for its expenses — including legal fees — in enforcing the closure agreement.

York County districts would get $3.6M boost under Wolf budget plan
York Dispatch by Junior Gonzalez, 717-505-5439/@EducationYD Published 1:34 p.m. ET Feb. 12, 2018 | Updated 6:00 p.m. ET Feb. 12, 2018
York County school districts would see a $3.6 million boost in basic education funding under Gov. Tom Wolf’s recently released budget proposal. Unveiled Feb. 6, the governor's 2018-19 state budget proposal includes a basic education increase of $100 million compared with the 2016-17 budget, along with increases in special education, career and technical education and pre-K funding. The boost in aid will vary by district under the state’s funding formula, which was revamped in 2016 to take student poverty levels, charter school enrollments and English proficiency levels into account. Most York County districts saw relatively small increases, but a few suburban districts, which are heavily funded through property taxes, saw the biggest gains.

“Having a financial administrator monitor its finances is a condition of the district receiving $14 million from the state’s Educational Access fund.”
Three chosen as possible Erie schools financial administrators
GoErie By David Bruce Posted Feb 12, 2018 at 5:54 PM Updated Feb 12, 2018 at 5:54 PM
The candidates include former state Sen. Jane Earll.
Former state Sen. Jane Earll is one of three people recommended to become the Erie School District’s new financial administrator. Gov. Tom Wolf was given three names by state Sen. President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati: Earll, Jude Abraham and Charles Zogby. The names were first reported by Erie News Now and confirmed by district officials. “I’m confident the Department of Education will select the right person,” Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito said. “They have been a great partner for us the last one-and-a-half years.” Having a financial administrator monitor its finances is a condition of the district receiving $14 million from the state’s Educational Access fund. The district will also receive a $15 million annual subsidy increase starting with the 2018-19 school year. The $14 million will come from the state’s $21.15 million Educational Access account, while the subsidy increase will be part of the annual state budget. There is no timetable for Gov. Wolf to select an administrator, who will be an employee of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Polito said. The salary, believed to be around $100,000, will be paid by the state.

What is the best way to choose a (Philly) school board?
South Philly Review By Gloria C. Endres Feb 9
By this time, almost every family with school-aged children is aware there has been a major change in the governance of Philadelphia’s public school system. On Nov. 16, the five-member School Reform Commission voted to abolish itself. For the last 17 years, thanks to PA Act 46, the SRC has had almost unlimited power to close schools, permit or cancel charters, sign or not sign workers’ contracts, and generally exercise authoritarian control of the entire school system. They never had to answer to the citizens of Philadelphia for any decision. Citizens could attend meetings, demonstrate, make speeches and ask questions, but that was it. Unlike every other school district in Pennsylvania, the parents and citizens of this city were denied any decision making power over their own schools. Act 46 was written with only Philadelphia in mind. It was a takeover by the state of a school district that lawmakers judged to be “in distress.” Anyone who paid attention during the first few years of the SRC witnessed unprecedented upheaval as they experimented with one governing model after another. They tried education management organizations, charter schools and other privatization models that split the district into numerous subsections with different rules, little to no oversight, and subject to arbitrary changes. William Hite is the third appointed superintendent, and his contract will extend beyond the SRC. All the while, school taxes were levied and funds spent with absolutely no accountability to the people who paid the bills. All that is about to change. Mayor James Kenney just announced a panel of 13 city residents to nominate a list of 27 candidates from which the mayor will appoint a nine-member school board.

Pittsburgh teachers union authorizes leaders to call strike
ELIZABETH BEHRMAN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Lbehrman@post-gazette.com FEB 12, 2018  
6:37 PM
Members of the Pittsburgh teachers’ union Monday voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike if negotiators are unable to reach a contract agreement with the school district. The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers announced the results of the strike authorization vote Monday night. The union voted 2,309 in favor and 144 against striking, as 94 percent of the union members voted in favor of the authorization. The union’s executive board will decide how to proceed at a meeting Thursday, president Nina Esposito-Visgitis said. The next negotiation session with the district is scheduled for Friday.  "Our members do not take this vote lightly," Ms. Esposito-Visgitis said in a statement. "It has been more than 40 years since the PFT has gone on strike. We want to be in the classroom with our students. This is clearly a demonstration that our members feel strongly about the items that we are still negotiating and want a contract that is good for students and fair to educators." School board president Regina Holley said district officials recognize the hardship a strike would pose to students and the city. She said the district is continuing to work toward a resolution of contract issues.

Commentary: Philadelphia’s children deserve human teachers, not algorithms and data-mining
The notebook Commentary by Alison McDowell February 12, 2018 — 3:27pm
On Thursday, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission will vote on two resolutions.One (B-12) allocates $10 million for virtual classes and adaptive learning systems, and the other (A-7) awards Pearson $9.5 million for cloud-based services that collect data and deliver educational content to students. Online curriculum is gradually replacing face-to-face instruction in schools, and it appears the SRC intends to cement this trend firmly in place before disbanding. For our underfunded district to devote these enormous sums to cyber education when so many other pressing needs remain unmet amounts to a hostile takeover. Philadelphia has become a hub for educational technology development. Wharton School-affiliated venture capital, combined with research support from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, and Temple fuel growth in this sector. Many ed-tech companies have positioned themselves as vehicles for social impact investments, which ImpactPHL promotes as a tactic to expand our regional “impact economy.” Digital education will greatly benefit telecommunications companies that build skyscrapers with tax abatements that undermine tax revenue for neighborhood schools. One such company recently sponsored a closed-door event where Chamber of Commerce members discussed the future of business in schools while public school parents, teachers, and community members protested outside.

Students and community members have a family talk during Black Lives Matter Week of Action
From social justice lessons to personal stories, organizers sought to reinforce the movement's 13 guiding principles.
The notebook by Daryl C. Murphy February 12, 2018 — 10:41am
Family was the emphasis when students and community members gathered at Martin Luther King High School as part of the Black Lives Matter Week of Action. The Caucus of Working Educators organized last week’s event to promote racial justice and equality in education.  The event — "It Takes a Village: Black Families" — was “all about building a commitment to creating strong villages, strong families, strong communities,” said Kendra Brooks, a caucus member. “It’s all about reflecting on the past and thinking toward what’s next for the future.” Brooks invited the racially diverse, intergenerational group of attendees to share their fondest family memories, the impact their families have had on them, and ways to improve their family relationships. Stories emerged about long road trips, family disputes, traditions, and communication. The event reinforced several of the 13 guiding principles of Black Lives Matter that center on community and a strong bond through the generations. The discussion “helped reveal a common thread that we often don’t see,” said Eric Marsh, a parent at Edward T. Steel Elementary: “We’re all part of the same family.”

President Trump returning to Ambridge for campaign rally next week
Beaver County Times By J.D. Prose Posted Feb 12, 2018 at 6:10 PM Updated Feb 12, 2018 at 6:18 PM
AMBRIDGE — President Donald Trump will make a return visit to Ambridge Area High School for a campaign rally Feb. 21, just 16 months after his first rally there when he was running for the White House. The rally is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in the field house. It will be Trump’s 20th rally in the state and fifth in the Pittsburgh area since he started running for president in June 2015, according to a campaign release. “This rally will provide an excellent opportunity for the president to connect once again with hard working Americans in the local community,” said Michael Glassner, the executive director of Trump’s campaign, in a statement. Registration for tickets can be done at www.donaldjtrump.com/rallies/ambridge-pa-feb-2018. “President Trump looks forward to an exciting visit to the Pittsburgh area to deliver the amazing news about our booming economy now that America is once again open for business,” Glassner said. “As more and more businesses across Pennsylvania, and the country, report new bonuses, wage increases and investments in our economy, this rally will be a great moment to celebrate the success of the president’s historic tax cuts, and look ahead to more great victories for the American people under the president’s fearless leadership.” Trump is not up for re-election until 2020, but there are mid-term congressional races this year and events such as this can allow the president to rally the party’s base in a political climate that increasingly favors Democrats making heavy gains. The president was last in the area Jan. 18 when he spoke to about 600 supporters at H&K Equipment about the recently passed Republican tax plan. Trump did not tout Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone’s campaign in the 18th Congressional District’s March 13 special election, but that appearance was followed by a trip to the district by Vice President Mike Pence, who campaigned for Saccone. Democrat Conor Lamb, a Marine veteran and former prosecutor, and Air Force veteran Saccone, R-39, Elizabeth Township, are running in the special election. Beaver County is in the 12th Congressional District represented by U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-Sewickley, under the state’s current congressional districts map that could change following a state Supreme Court ruling.

Early-Childhood Programs Go From Famine to Feast in New Budget Deal
Education Week Early Years Blog By Christina Samuels on February 9, 2018 3:34 PM
Federal early-childhood programs that were hanging by a thread, such as home visiting, are set to receive a new infusion of money thanks to the budget deal signed by President Donald Trump on Friday. Other programs that support families and young children would also see additional funds under the bill, which calls for $300 billion in new military and domestic spending over two years. There's still a lot to be worked out, and the deal gives Congress six weeks to hammer out the final details. But congressional leaders have already signaled what they plan to give to certain domestic programs:

The Education Department Says It Won't Act On Transgender Student Bathroom Access
NPR by CORY TURNER and ANYA KAMENETZ February 12, 20185:39 PM ET
Do transgender boys or girls have the right to use the restroom at school that corresponds with their gender identity? The U.S. Education Department said Monday that it won't hear complaints about or take action on this question. Almost one year ago, the department under Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made national headlines by rolling back Obama-era steps on transgender student protections. While the Trump administration rescinded that guidance, the department never made clear how it would handle future discrimination cases filed by transgender students. Last month, the Huffington Post reported that the Education Department had recently dismissed several such cases. And on Monday, BuzzFeed reported and department spokeswoman Liz Hill confirmed to NPR that the department is taking that rollback a step further. "Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, not gender identity," Hill stated.


Save the Date: PA School Funding Lawsuit Wed. March 7, 2018 9:30 A.M.
Commonwealth Court Hearing on Legislative leaders motions to Dismiss the Wm Penn SD challenge to state funding.
Before the Court en banc sitting in Court Room No. 1 Ninth Floor, Widener Building, 1339 Chestnut Street, One South Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA 19107
All members of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court will hear oral argument on motions to dismiss filed by legislative leaders in the school funding lawsuit William Penn School District, et al. v. Pennsylvania Dept. of Education, et al.  The Legislators are arguing that the Petition challenging the inadequacy and inequity of Pennsylvania’s funding of schools is moot because the new school formula has supplanted the funding scheme existing when students and school districts filed their Petition in 2015.  In addition, Legislators also contend that the Petition failed to allege that insufficient state funding caused any harm such as poor PSSA results or lack of sufficient instructional resources.   In September, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the Commonwealth Court to hold a trial on whether state officials are violating the state’s constitution by failing to adequately and equitably fund public education.  The Legislators objections have delayed efforts to bring this case to trial.   

Snooze or Lose: Promoting Sleep Health in Adolescents
Dr. Wendy Troxel Mon., March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Radnor High School auditorium 
The Radnor Township School District Adolescent Sleep & School Start Time Study Committee will welcome licensed clinical psychologist and certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist Dr. Wendy Troxel for a presentation to the Radnor community on Mon., March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Radnor High School auditorium (130 King of Prussia Road, Radnor). Dr. Troxel is a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation and Adjunct Faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. A licensed clinical psychologist and certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Troxel been widely cited by the media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR and BBC. Dr. Troxel was also one of the featured sleep experts in the National Geographic documentary “Sleepless in America.” Her TED talk on the impact of school start times on adolescent sleep has received more than 1.4 million views.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Help draft a plan to implement a statewide vision for the future of public education in PA!
PSBA Member Roundtables/Receptions – February and March Dates
Join your PSBA Member Roundtable and Reception to hear the public education advocacy and political updates affecting your school district. Take this opportunity to network, learn and develop your leadership skills. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and networking with fellow school directors in your area, then provide your input on the future vision for public education in PA. Roundtable Discussion: Help draft a plan to implement a statewide vision for the future of public education in PA! PSBA would like to capture your thoughts on what education should look like in the coming decades. We will compile your expertise with the perspectives of others from across the state to develop the Commonwealth Education Blueprint. The Blueprint will then serve as our guiding resource and will set milestones for creating the best public education experience for future generations of students. Don’t miss your opportunity to weigh in!
Agenda:
·         6:00 -6:15 pm – Association update
·         6:15 -7:00 pm – Governor’s budget address recap
·         7:00 -7:45 pm – Networking Reception
·         7:45 -8:30 pm – Member Round Table Discussion



Registration is now open for the 2018 PASA Education Congress! State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018
Don't miss this marquee event for Pennsylvania school leaders at the Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018.
Learn more by visiting http://www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Join the PA Principals Association, the PA Association of School Administrators and the PA Association of Rural and Small Schools for PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA.  
A rally in support of public education and important education issues will be held on the Main Rotunda Steps from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Visits with legislators will be conducted earlier in the day. More information will be sent via email, shared in our publications and posted on our website closer to the event.
To register, send an email to Dr. Joseph Clapper at clapper@paprincipals.org before Friday, June 8, 2018.
Click here to view the PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day 2018 Save The Date Flyer (INCLUDES EVENT SCHEDULE AND IMPORTANT ISSUES.) 

SAVE THE DATE for the 2018 PA Educational Leadership Summit - July 29-31 - State College, PA sponsored by the PA Principals Association, PASA, PAMLE and PASCD.  
This year's Summit will be held from July 29-31, 2018 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA.

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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Wednesday, August 30, 2017

PA Ed Policy Roundup Aug 30: In the last 3 school years, 12 of PA's 14 cyber charters spent over $21M in taxpayer $$$ promoting their schools

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, 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

Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup Aug 30, 2017:



Reminder: public comment on PA’s proposed Every Student Succeeds Act (#ESSA) Consolidated State Plan closes 8/31



National groups can donate supplies to Houston Independent School District students and families
Many HISD families have been devastated by the catastrophic flooding in the Houston area caused by Hurricane Harvey, and HISD welcomes assistance from national groups or corporations that would like to help our students recover and prepare for the coming school year. The district is accepting donations of new and unused clothing, shoes, underwear, socks, uniforms and school supplies, as well as canned food and water.

“In the last three school years, 12 of the state’s 14 cyber charter schools spent more than $21 million combined in taxpayer dollars promoting their schools”
Pa. charter schools spend millions of public dollars in advertising to attract students
PublicSource By Stephanie Hacke and Mary Niederberger AUG. 29, 2017
PART OF THE SERIES The Charter Effect|
If you’re a parent, it’s likely Facebook knows it.
If you’re not happy with your child’s current school, Facebook probably knows that, too. And you are likely to be hit with paid, highly targeted ads offering alternatives. That’s why when you scroll through your news feed on Facebook you may see a sponsored photo of a wide-eyed child and parent thrilled about their tuition-free, personalized education at a Pennsylvania cyber charter school.  If you pay property taxes, you likely paid for this ad campaign. See the ad on the side of the Port Authority bus that shows happy students and a message that Propel Montour High School has spaces available in grades 9 and 10. Your property taxes paid for that, too. Television ads, radio promotions, social media ads and billboards promoting cyber and brick-and-mortar charter schools are everywhere. Some charter operators pay for online keyword searches that prompt their school’s websites to show up first when a parent searches for certain terms related to charter schools or a student’s need for an alternative education setting. In the last three school years, 12 of the state’s 14 cyber charter schools spent more than $21 million combined in taxpayer dollars promoting their schools, PublicSource found through Right-to-Know requests.

OPED: Charter school bill will remain a priority
York Dispatch OP/Ed by Reps. Seth Grove and Mike Reese, Pennsylvania House of Representatives Published 10:21 a.m. ET Aug. 28, 2017 | Updated 4:28 p.m. ET Aug. 28, 2017
As members of the House Education Committee, we applaud the Senate’s passage of House Bill 97 — an important charter-education reform measure that proposes to revise Pennsylvania’s funding formula for charter schools as well impose new academic, accountability and ethics standards. These topics have needed addressed for some time, and we are fortunate to have like-minded colleagues in Sens. John Eichelberger, R-Blair/Cumberland/Franklin/Fulton/Huntingdon, and Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, who have been equally dedicated to this topic. Pennsylvania’s history with charter education dates back to 1997, when the commonwealth passed legislation allowing public charter schools to set up shop and offer families alternatives when considering their children’s education. This was considered groundbreaking not only because parents were enabled with more choices, but because charter schools were afforded some leeway regarding curriculum and teaching methodologies. A few years later, a growth in computer technology led to yet another method of education — teaching children over the internet. Currently, there are 14 cyber charter schools using a model that allows their students to log on to the school’s website and go to school “online.”

More state budget work, no solutions yet, at Pennsylvania Capitol
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com  Updated on August 29, 2017 at 8:54 PM Posted on August 29, 2017 at 8:20 PM
A group of rank-and-file House Republicans charged up Pennsylvania's Capitol Hill Tuesday with a plan to use a litany of special fund transfers to deal with the state's $2.2 billion budget hole. Will they get enough soldiers to follow them? That may be evident by the end of the week, as the 121-member majority House caucus continues to work out its counter to a tax-and-borrowing plan passed by the state Senate and endorsed by Gov. Tom Wolf. "I think today is kind of the last segment of hearing the different members' reaction to it (the fund transfer plan)," House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana County, said. "After we get through today, we'll do a vote count, and if we have 102 votes we'll run it." More likely, several sources said after Tuesday's closed-door, Republicans only workshop, is that a some portion of the fund transfer plan will be folded into a broader revenue package being developed by House Appropriations Committee's GOP members.

“An internal administration document shows one dire scenario could cut 12 percent from nearly every department’s budget, including more than $700 million from public schools and nearly $282 million from the Departments of Health and Human Services for homeless assistance, mental health, and other programs. That plan also would eliminate state funding for the state-related universities: Temple, Pennsylvania State, Lincoln, and Pittsburgh.”
As Pa. budget impasse persists, Wolf warns of dire consequences
Inquirer by Liz Navratil, HARRISBURG BUREAU Updated: AUGUST 29, 2017  6:54 PM EDT
HARRISBURG — Gov. Wolf on Tuesday urged House Republicans to take swift action to balance the budget or risk putting Pennsylvania in a “much more dire financial situation” that could include painful spending cuts. With a budget impasse about to drag into a third month, the Democratic governor has remained mum about what he would cut should the legislature not send him a plan to fund the $32 billion budget it passed two months ago. But his budget office has been quietly churning out plans to deal with the financial difficulties. An internal administration document shows one dire scenario could cut 12 percent from nearly every department’s budget, including more than $700 million from public schools and nearly $282 million from the Departments of Health and Human Services for homeless assistance, mental health, and other programs. That plan also would eliminate state funding for the state-related universities: Temple, Pennsylvania State, Lincoln, and Pittsburgh.

“Wolf said the loan from the Motor License Fund will provide for a major payment to public schools that is due later this week. But he noted that the state treasurer has said he won’t allow further short-term borrowing without a balanced budget.”
Wolf to GOP: State’s finances will soon be ‘much more dire’
Delco Times By Mark Scolforo, The Associated Press POSTED: 08/29/17, 9:46 AM EDT
HARRISBURG >> Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf warned House Republican leaders Tuesday that failing to fully fund the state budget will put Pennsylvania in “a much more dire financial situation” in the coming  weeks. Wolf’s letter to Speaker Mike Turzai, Majority Leader Dave Reed and six other House GOP leaders urged them to act quickly to fill the budget’s $2.2 billion revenue gap. Wolf announced he authorized what he called “a very short-term” loan this week from the state’s Motor License Fund but expects that a lack of action will affect state programs and cause outside agencies to downgrade Pennsylvania’s credit rating, increasing borrowing costs. “There has been robust debate about how to meet this challenge,” said Wolf, who is expected to seek a second term next year. “Time is not on our side, and now is the time to put statesmanship before anything else. There is too much at stake.” A spokesman for House Republicans said Wolf’s release of the letter “speaks volumes” about his intentions to work with the caucus. “His continuing to spend when the revenues aren’t there is what put us in the situation to begin with,” said House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin.

“Skeptics steal a line from the movie “Jerry Maguire” and say, “show me the money.” They insist that all of those pots of money that Moul and his friends want to raid are protected, and the money is raised from a specific source and must be spent on a specific project, not the whims of the legislature.”
House GOP members say they can balance budget without borrowing or taxes
Abc27.com By Dennis Owens Published: August 28, 2017, 6:17 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – “What we’re doing is probably the last rabbit in the hat,” state Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) said Monday afternoon. The magic act to which Moul is referring is a balanced budget without borrowing and without tax increases. He says he and a handful of fellow conservative Republicans can make money appear out of thin air; enough, they say, to put the 2017-18 spending plan to bed. No sleight of hand, no illusion; Moul says he and his cohorts pored over pots of money, funds, and idle accounts and discovered the state’s sitting on billions of dollars. He refused to release specifics but promised to in the very near future. “Why would you go borrow the money and pay interest on money and raise taxes if you have taxpayer money sitting right there?” Moul asked. The Senate passed a $32 billion revenue plan that included borrowing, an extraction tax on Marcellus Shale drillers, and a tax on utility bills and cell phones. Moul says it has no home in the House. “Some people say the Senate budget was DOA, dead on arrival. I say it was DBA, dead before arrival,” he said. “It was dead before it even got out of there.”

In charged climate, Philly teachers learn how to keep immigrant students safe
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer  @newskag |  kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: AUGUST 30, 2017 — 3:01 AM EDT
For many of the 700 students at Furness High School, the hours spent in the building at Third and Mifflin represent the safest they will feel all day. More than half of Furness’ pupils are immigrants, and beginning last November, some were so frightened they did not come to school. In the new world order, would authorities come for them? And if they did, would their teachers protect them? “A lot of my students are in crisis right now,” said Tiffany Lorch, a Furness teacher of English as a second language. “Their parents are not sending them to school, because they’re afraid. And if they’re not feeling well emotionally, they can’t learn.” Responding to pleas from teachers, advocates, and students, the Philadelphia School District this year is implementing mandatory training in keeping the system’s tens of thousands of immigrant children safe and supported in the current political climate. Every school-based employee, from principal to cafeteria worker, is to receive instruction in everything from what information to release if immigration agents arrive at a school (none) to how to communicate with parents who speak another language. Last year, Philadelphia counted more than 14,000 English-language learners, about 11 percent of the School District’s 130,000 pupils. The current number of immigrant students, while unknown, is higher.

Used to shaping lives, teachers now must save them
Inquirer by Jason Nark, Staff Writer  @jasonnark |  narkj@phillynews.com Updated: AUGUST 29, 2017 — 11:11 AM EDT
Physical science textbooks were stacked neatly on desks in Prep Charter’s hallways Monday, and parents held navy polos up to their kids’ frames, remarking on how much they’d grown. Amid all the back-to-school buzz in the South Philly high school, though, a hundred teachers and administrators were reminded that many incoming students will be fighting inner battles in their classrooms this year. In the auditorium, just after noon, presenters from Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine discussed the gantlet of depression, anxiety, bullying, and substance abuse that many teens run before getting out of school. Teachers took notes and nodded their heads as slides changed from symptoms to causes and, perhaps most important for them, how they can help decode them, figure out what’s mere angst and what’s suicidal. When given the chance to ask questions, the faculty presented the complicated scenarios they face daily. Susan Lyons, a science teacher, said it’s difficult to gauge how serious teens are being when they make seemingly casual remarks about suicide in front of friends.

Pa. urges parents to hurry up, have kids vaccinated for school
WHYY Newsorks  BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT AUGUST 30, 2017
If you're a Pennsylvania public school parent hemming and hawing over when to bring your child in for a vaccination shot, the commonwealth has a message for you: hurry up. For decades, Pennsylvania has given parents an eight-month window to make sure their kids have all the proper shots. This year, for the first time, that window has dwindled to five days. That dramatic revision is one of a few changes Pennsylvania made to its vaccination rules this year. They include:
·         Requiring that students receive four doses each of the polio vaccine and the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. The state used to require three or more doses.
·         Requiring that all students receive a dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) before entering seventh grade and again before entering 12th grade. Prior rules required an MCV shot only before seventh grade.
You can read a full list of the updated requirements here.

Lancaster County districts will spend nearly $44M to take students to school this year
Lancaster Online by LINDSEY BLEST | Staff Writer August 30, 2017
In the mostly rural Solanco School District, a fleet of buses travels nearly 6,000 miles each day getting students to class on time and back home again. “It’s like our buses travel from Quarryville to Los Angeles, Los Angeles back to Quarryville — and then to Indianapolis,” says Matt Kirchoff, Solanco’s transportation coordinator. In the daily miracle that is the average public school day, parents shuffle their children out the door before daybreak, teachers prepare the day’s lesson plan and grade stacks of pop quizzes, and the cafeteria cooks up thousands of warm lunches. But the most fundamental part of that day — the safe transport of tens of thousands of students to schools across Lancaster County — is often overlooked. And it is a Herculean task requiring lots of coordination among staff, drivers and parents, not to mention tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money. The 16 school districts here will spend nearly $44 million on transportation this school year, according to budget documents. That cost covers busing students to and from school, but not to sporting events and extracurricular activities.

Back to school, cyber charters & lead in one district's water: 5 things to know today
Trib Live by JAMIE MARTINES  | Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, 10:21 a.m.
A few schools are still getting up and running this week, but for the most part, the school year is in full swing across the Greater Pittsburgh region! The TribLIVE Education Team is ready. Are you? Be sure to check in with us every day for education highlights from our region. Questions? Story ideas? Send them to: schooltips@tribweb.com or call 724-850-2867. Here are five things you need to know about education today.

Teachers' union to pay president's salary, not district
Inquirer Updated: AUGUST 29, 2017 — 8:05 AM EDT
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania teachers' union will begin paying the $84,000 salary plus benefits of its president - who has not taught classes since taking that post in 2009 - instead of the school district. The (Allentown) Morning Call (http://bit.ly/2xJlmXF ) says the move comes in wake of a lawsuit filed last year by a former Allentown School Board member. The suit contends the district is owed $1.3 million in pay and benefits for union President Debbie Tretter. Tretter became president and under a 25-year-old practice was relieved of her teaching duties, but still paid by the district, so she could handle union duties full-time. The lawsuit contends that violates laws prohibiting public resources, like school taxes, from being spent on private organizations, like teachers' unions. The agreement for the union to pay Tretter going forward doesn't settle the lawsuit.

MAP: Where are the best-paid public school teachers in Pennsylvania?
By Eugene Tauber The Morning Call August 29, 2017
How much were Pennsylvania’s public school teachers paid in the 2016-2017 school year? An analysis of U.S. Census and Pennsylvania Department of Education data by The Morning Call answers these questions. Average teacher salaries are compared from district to district, as well as within each district to the average earnings of a full-time worker. Teachers are expected to have higher salaries since they are highly educated and average more than 13 years experience in their jobs while being compared to workers of any educational attainment and job experience. The map is color coded: dark red districts are the bottom five percent for full-time teacher pay in the state's 500 districts; light red are the remaining bottom half of districts; light green are the top half of districts up to the top five percent; and dark green are the top five percent throughout the state.

Blogger note: not one state in the country has eliminated the property tax.
Senate GOP Policy Committee Aug. 30 Forum On School District Property Taxes In Lancaster County
PA Capitol Digest by Crisci Associates August 29, 2017
The Senate Republican Policy Committee will hold a public forum on August 30 on Alternative Solutions To School Property Tax System and Senate Bill 76 (Argall-R-Schuylkill) at the Pequea Valley High School Auditorium at 4033 E. Newport Road in Kinzers, Lancaster County starting at 7:00 p.m. Click Here for the Forum agenda.             Rep. David Argall (R-Schuylkill) serves as Chair of the Committee.  Senators Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) and Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster will host the hearing. Related Story: Plan To Eliminate School Property Taxes, Except Taxes Earmarked To Pay Off Debt, Introduced In Senate

ALEC: How an eight-page memo ruined our political system
Intelligencer Letter by By WAYNE KROGER August 29, 2017
The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, held its 44th annual conference in Denver on July 21st of this year. Trump Administration Education Secretary Betsy DeVos addressed the convention and discussed “educational choice.” This is typical since, to its critics, ALEC represents a dangerous corporate influence on public policy and a way for corporate America to write and disseminate laws to be introduced to state legislatures across the country. The group is funded primarily by Charles and David Koch, longtime libertarians and billionaire brothers who inherited family fortunes and have spent millions on behalf of Republican political candidates.
So how did ALEC come into being, and why should you care? I’ll try to answer.


Minority Students Still Missing Out on Special Education, New Analysis Says
Education Week By Christina Samuels on August 28, 2017 12:55 AM
The research team whose work runs counter to conventional wisdom about minority enrollment in special education has released a new study that looks at a different, larger data set and comes to the same conclusion as its previous work: black and Hispanic children, as well as children of other races, are enrolled in special education at rates significantly lower than those of their white peers.  Federal policy, including a new set of regulations set to take effect in the 2018-19 school year, are built around the idea that minority students are at particular risk of being pushed into special education, and that states and school districts should be aware of such disparities and take efforts to fix them.  Researchers Paul L. Morgan, an education professor at Pennsylvania State University, and George Farkas, an education professor at University of California-Irvine, have argued that when comparing minority children to otherwise similar white peers, it is the white children who are getting services at a higher rate while minorities may be missing out on the help they need. Their 2015 New York Times commentary, "Is Special Education Racist?" prompted a flurry of responses and counterreponses.

“It’s obvious that the secretary and our federal government have very little respect for our traditional public school system," Hanna said. "And it’s insulting that she’s going to visit the capital of the state of Florida, to visit a charter school, a private school and a voucher school."
Superintendent Rocky Hanna blasts Betsy DeVos visit as 'insulting'
Tallahassee Democrat by Ryan Dailey, Democrat staff writer Published 12:42 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2017 | Updated 3:16 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2017
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reportedly will spend a second day in Tallahassee visiting schools, with her Wednesday stop again bypassing a traditional public school. DeVos is scheduled to visit Bethel Christian Academy, a voucher school run by Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, the church confirmed. Her public schedule does not include the stop. DeVos made two school stops Tuesday, at Holy Comforter Christian School and Florida State University School, a research school run by Florida State University.  Superintendent Rocky Hanna did not mince words Tuesday morning when asked for his thoughts on DeVos' visiting Tallahassee without making an effort to set foot on a Leon County School campus.


PSERS accepting nominations for open board position
The PSERS Board of Trustees will be conducting an election for the seat that is to be elected by the members of PA’s public school boards. This election will be for a three-year term on the PSERS Board commencing Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2020. School directors who desire to run must:
·         Submit nominating petitions with 25 signatures of school directors from at least five different school districts
·         Submit a completed biographical form and candidate affidavit
To receive a nomination packet and additional information on the duties and responsibilities of Board of Trustees members, interested school directors may contact Lori Koch at lorkoch@pa.gov or write to this address: Lori Koch, PSERS Election Coordinator, 5 N. 5th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101-1905.

CONSIDER IT: SCHOOL CHOICE AND THE CASES FOR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CHARTER SCHOOLS
September 19 @ 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Hilton Reading
Berks County Community Foundation
Panelists:
Carol Corbett Burris: Executive Director of the Network for Public Education
Alyson Miles: Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the American Federation for Children
James Paul: Senior Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation
Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig: Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the Director of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership at California State University Sacramento
Karin Mallett: The WFMZ TV anchor and reporter returns as the moderator
School choice has been a hot topic in Berks County, in part due to a lengthy and costly dispute between the Reading School District and I-LEAD Charter School. The topic has also been in the national spotlight as President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos have focused on expanding education choice.  With this in mind, a discussion on school choice is being organized as part of Berks County Community Foundation’s Consider It initiative. State Sen. Judy Schwank and Berks County Commissioners Chairman Christian Leinbach are co-chairs of this nonpartisan program, which is designed to promote thoughtful discussion of divisive local and national issues while maintaining a level of civility among participants.  The next Consider It Dinner will take place Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at 5 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Reading, 701 Penn St., Reading, Pa. Tickets are available here.  For $10 each, tickets include dinner, the panel discussion, reading material, and an opportunity to participate in the conversation.


Apply Now for EPLC's 2017-2018 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program!
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Applications are available now for the 2017-2018 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). Click here for the program calendar of sessions.  With more than 500 graduates in its first eighteen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants. Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.  The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 14-15, 2017 and continues to graduation in June 2018.

Using Minecraft to Imagine a Better World and Build It Together.
Saturday, September 16, 2017 or Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the University of the Sciences, 43rd & Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia
PCCY, the region’s most influential advocacy organization for children, leverages the world’s greatest video game for the year’s most engaging fundraising event for kids. Join us on Saturday, September 16, 2017 or Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the University of the Sciences, 43rd & Woodland Avenue for a fun, creative and unique gaming opportunity.

Education Law Center’s 2017 Annual Celebration
ELC invites you to join us for our Annual Celebration on September 27 in Philadelphia.
The Annual Celebration will take place this year on September 27, 2017 at The Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. The event begins at 5:30 PM. We anticipate more than 300 legal, corporate, and community supporters joining us for a cocktail reception, silent auction, and dinner presentation.  Our annual celebrations honor outstanding champions of public education. This proud tradition continues at this year’s event, when together we will salute these deserving honorees:
·         PNC Bank: for the signature philanthropic cause of the PNC Foundation, PNC Grow Up Great, a bilingual $350 million, multi-year early education initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life; and its support of the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, which enables new lawyers to pursue careers in public interest law;
·         Joan Mazzotti: for her 16 years of outstanding leadership as the Executive Director of Philadelphia Futures, a college access and success program serving Philadelphia’s low-income, first-generation-to-college students;
·         Dr. Bruce Campbell Jr., PhD: for his invaluable service to ELC, as he rotates out of the chairman position on our Board of Directors. Dr. Campbell is an Arcadia University Associate Professor in the School of Education; and
·         ELC Pro Bono Awardee Richard Shephard of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP: for his exceptional work as pro bono counsel, making lasting contributions to the lives of many vulnerable families.Questions? Contact Tracy Callahan tcallahan@elc-pa.org or 215-238-6970 ext. 308.

STAY WOKE: THE INAUGURAL NATIONAL BLACK MALE EDUCATORS CONVENING; Philadelphia Fri, Oct 13, 2017 4:00 pm Sun, Oct 15, 2017 7:00pm
TEACHER DIVERSITY WORKS. Increasing the number of Black male educators in our nation’s teacher corps will improve education for all our students, especially for African-American boys.  Today Black men represent only two percent of teachers nationwide. This is a national problem that demands a national response.  Come participate in the inaugural National Black Male Educators Convening to advance policy solutions, learn from one another, and fight for social justice. All are welcome.

Save the Date 2017 PA Principals Association State Conference October 14. 15, 16, 2017 Doubletree Hotel Cranberry Township, PA

Save the Date: PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 18-20, Hershey PA

Registration now open for the 67th Annual PASCD Conference  Nov. 12-13 Harrisburg: Sparking Innovation: Personalized Learning, STEM, 4C's
This year's conference will begin on Sunday, November 12th and end on Monday, November 13th. There will also be a free pre-conference on Saturday, November 11th.  You can register for this year's conference online with a credit card payment or have an invoice sent to you.  Click here to register for the conference.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PASCD-Conference-Registration-is-Now-Open.html?soid=1101415141682&aid=5F-ceLtbZDs

Save the Date! NSBA 2018 Advocacy Institute February 4-6, 2018 Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Registration Opens Tuesday, September 26, 2017


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