Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
If any of your colleagues would
like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and
affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com
PA Charter School Coalition Leader Steps Down Following
Social Media Post
PCCY Teen Town Hall:
Race – Let’s Talk About It
Friday, June 12th at 11 am, we invite the
region’s teens to join in a virtual conversation focusing on the most important
issue of our time - RACE. We are inviting adults to join the conversation to
hear what our young people have to say.
Register: http://pccy.org/letstalkaboutit
Pa. charter school group cuts ties with its leader over
her social media post about George Floyd protesters
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Today 12:11
PM
The outspoken leader of the state’s largest
charter school organization is parting ways with the advocacy group after
posting on Facebook that the civil rights protests “disgust me” and later
apologized for her statement. The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter
Schools’ board of trustees on Monday announced following weekend discussions,
it was cutting ties with Ana Meyers, of Mechanicsburg, who has led the
organization for the past three years. “We have determined that new leadership
is in the best interests of our member schools and the families they serve
across the state,” according to the board’s statement. It went on to credit
Meyers for “her tireless efforts over the past three years to create more
educational opportunity for students in Pennsylvania, especially minority and
economically disadvantaged students, in public charter schools.”
Pa. charter school leader ousted after criticizing George
Floyd protestors
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent June 5, 2020
Update: Monday 6/8/20 11:13 a.m.
The head of an influential Pennsylvania
charter school advocacy group has been ousted after making a social media post
about the ongoing civil rights protests in which she said: “these protesters
disgust me. All lives matter!” She later called her comments “insensitive and
inappropriate” and said she meant to imply that the looting and violence that
had occurred disgusted her. Ana Meyers, head of the Pennsylvania Coalition of
Public Charter Schools, posted — and then deleted — a statement on her personal
Facebook page in which she called the protests spurred by the killing of George
Floyd “not okay.” Meyers’ original post, from Saturday May 31, linked to an
emergency alert that mentioned “violent protests” in Philadelphia.
Head of Pa. charter schools group steps down after
posting that Floyd protesters ‘disgust me’
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, June 8, 2020 5:42 p.m.
The executive director of a Pennsylvania
charter school advocacy group has stepped down after posting on Facebook that
George Floyd protesters “disgust me,” and “all lives matter.” Ana Meyers had
apologized on Friday night for the comments, saying that "as the wife of a
retired state trooper, my instinct was to defend the many good and honorable
law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania." On Monday, the Pennsylvania
Coalition of Public Charter Schools said in a statement, "We have
determined that new leadership is in the best interests of our member schools
and the families they serve across the state. We thank Ana Meyers for her
tireless efforts over the past three years to create more educational
opportunities for students in Pennsylvania, especially minority and
economically disadvantaged students, in public charter schools.”
Pa. charter school coalition leader departs after
'insensitive' Facebook post about protests
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com JUN 8, 2020
12:02 PM
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter
Schools has parted ways with its executive director after she posted what she
later called “insensitive” comments on Facebook about protests in the wake
of George Floyd’s death in police custody. The coalition announced Ana Meyers’
“departure” on Monday. It was unclear if she resigned or was fired. “This is a
personnel matter, and I must refer you to the board’s statement,” said Sean
Connolly, a public relations professional hired by the coalition. The original
Facebook post and a subsequent apology were first reported by WHYY, Philadelphia’s
NPR station. Ms. Meyers, who led the coalition for three years, posted the
comments May 30 on her personal Facebook page in reaction to protests in
Philadelphia.
A Message from the PCPCS Board of Directors
Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter
Schools Press Release June 8, 2020
HARRISBURG (June 8, 2020) – The
following is a statement from the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania
Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) regarding the departure of Ana
Meyers as executive director.
We have determined that new leadership is in
the best interests of our member schools and the families they serve across the
state. We thank Ana Meyers for her tireless efforts over the past three years
to create more educational opportunities for students in Pennsylvania,
especially minority and economically disadvantaged students, in public charter
schools.
We will begin a search for a new executive
director to lead the organization and advocate on behalf of more than 143,000
public charter school students. The Board and staff of PCPCS remain committed
to serving charter schools and their students and supporting the mission and
goals of the organization.
School budget deadlines are looming. Here’s what Lehigh
Valley school districts are proposing, including tax hikes, in wake of
coronavirus
By MORNING CALL STAFF THE MORNING CALL |
JUN 08, 2020 | 7:39 PM
Around the time many districts would normally
be firming up budgets for the coming school year, a pandemic hit that sent
students home and finance directors back to the drawing board. The potential
financial ramifications of the business shutdown — massive job loss and ensuing
threat to the tax base — are a daily-evolving challenge for those in charge of
public school districts’ fiscal futures. The Pennsylvania Association of School
Business Officials expects a $1 billion loss in local tax revenue across the
state in next year’s budgets. For many school districts, the proposed final
budget — which by law must be passed by June 30 — looks quite different from
preliminary versions of just three or four months ago. Here are the proposed
final budgets of Lehigh Valley school districts, and the deadline for providing
your input. Some districts did not respond to messages to get more details.
Bethlehem school district to hold the line on taxes
despite pandemic’s economic toll
By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated Jun
08, 2020; Posted Jun 08, 2020
The Bethlehem Area School
District was bracing itself for a tough
2020-21 budget after the COVID-19 pandemic brought
the local economy to a standstill. But instead on Monday night the district
administration brought forward a $302 million budget that doesn’t increase
taxes for the second year in a row. A majority of the school board indicated
next week they’d approve a final spending plan that relies on $2 million of
fund balance to close the deficit. The district’s financial fortune’s shifted
so much that Chief Financial Officer Stacy M. Gober interrupted her own budget
presentation to remark on what a pleasure it was to deliver the current
spending plan. The budget proposal was bolstered by a state budget that keeps
education funding level, along with $3.2 million in federal stimulus dollars
and $1.17 million in school health and safety funds.
About 500 Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers, staff march
to protest George Floyd's death
MARYLYNNE PITZ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mpitz@post-gazette.com JUN 8, 2020
10:17 AM
About 500 Pittsburgh educators marched
peacefully Monday, walking two miles from Sterrett Classical Academy in Point
Breeze to Colfax Elementary in Squirrel Hill, to protest the Memorial Day
police killing of George Floyd, a black unarmed Minneapolis man. Organized by
Tamara Saunders-Woods, principal of Colfax, and MiChele Holly, principal of
Sterrett, the march began at 8:46 a.m. The start time reflected the amount of
time — 8 minutes and 46 seconds — that Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis
police officer, kept his knee on the neck of George Floyd, a black unarmed man
who died while handcuffed and face down in the street. All four officers
involved in his arrest were fired and face felony charges in connection with
his death. "We should not have to see a man murdered on film to be
outraged," Ms. Woods told the demonstrators. "Every week we turn
around and there's another murder and no accountability."
Former Eagle Malcolm Jenkins delivering keynote at
Philadelphia schools virtual graduation
KYW by MIKE DENARDO JUNE 09,
2020 - 4:00 AM
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Because
in-person celebrations are still out, the School District of Philadelphia is
holding a virtual graduation ceremony for its high school graduates Tuesday,
and the main speaker is a popular voice for social justice. It's been a
tumultuous year for the Class of 2020, with a pandemic and civil unrest
rattling their final months. Because the city's 54 high schools can't
gather right now for their own ceremonies, the district is holding an online
graduation ceremony starting at 11 a.m., with a prominent commencement speaker,
said Superintendent William Hite. "Given all that has happened, it is most
appropriate to have Malcolm Jenkins as the keynote speaker,” he said. The
former Eagles safety is returning to the New Orleans Saints, but he remains
part of the Philadelphia community, having marched in Philadelphia over the
weekend. "He's an outspoken advocate for social justice, racial injustice,
and we look forward to him addressing our graduates as our keynote speaker,”
Hite added. The ceremony also features student performances, a speech
from Mayor Kenney, and "Pomp and Circumstance" courtesy of the
Philadelphia Orchestra.
Black Dems take over Pa. House floor; Turzai calls for
special session on police reform
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek| Stephen Caruso June 8,
2020
(*This story has been updated to include
comment from Senate Republicans and Reps. Stephen Kinsey, D-Philadelphia, and
Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny)
The most powerful Republican in the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives said Monday that he “[stands] in
solidarity,” with Black lawmakers who have called for votes on long-delayed
police reform bills, and proposed a special legislative session on those bills.
The remarks by state House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, came as the
chamber’s Black members, all Democrats, occupied the House chamber and refused
to allow Monday’s voting session to begin until there was a guarantee of action
on the legislation. The measures include a ban
on chokeholds, expanding public access to police footage and adjusting use of force guidelines.
“In the matter of peaceful civil disobedience. They have expressed their anger.
Their frustration. Certainly the issues they raise are legitimate,” Turzai, who
is retiring at year’s end, said in remarks that stretched about nine minutes. Turzai
told the Black lawmakers, who were joined Monday by some white colleagues, that
House leadership would meet to discuss the legislation, and send a joint letter
to Gov. Tom Wolf to call for the special session.
Corporations are looting public dollars, at students’
expense
If you have to pay to access public school
online, is it still public?
The notebook Commentary by Adam
Sanchez June 8 — 3:19 pm, 2020
As the explosive protests of the last week
have made clear, the anger at racism in Philadelphia runs deep. This anger is
about much more than the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis — or even police
brutality. The disturbingly regular police killings of black people across the
country is the sharpest edge of a society that devalues black lives. One of the
clearest examples of systemic racism in our city is the chronic underfunding of
Philadelphia’s public schools. With a majority black student population and 86%
students of color, the District faces a constant struggle for basic supplies
and staffing. This sends a clear message to students that their education is
not a priority. Although many people have condemned the looting of storefronts
last week, far fewer have condemned the decades of systematic looting of public
dollars by large corporations. And Comcast is one of Philadelphia’s biggest
looters. Comcast and other large corporations have promoted tax policies at the
city, state, and federal levels that have increasingly robbed public schools of
needed revenue. The Comcast Technology Center, built with $40 million in public
subsidies, received the largest share of Philadelphia’s
10-year tax abatement in 2019. Comcast is
one of the main investors in the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, a
key opponent of ending this tax break. According to the Our City, Our Schools Coalition, this tax
abatement stole $61 million from public schools in 2018.
Hasan Minhaj Breaks Down Why We Need to Save Local
Newspapers From Extinction
New York Vulture By Megh Wright@megh_wright LAST NIGHT ON LATE NIGHT 11:36
A.M.
Here’s a clip from yesterday’s new episode of Patriot Act during which
Hasan Minhaj shines a spotlight on how one of the most important areas of the
media — local newspapers — is currently in danger of being destroyed
completely. Not only did the coronavirus prompt layoffs at papers across the
country, but Google and Facebook have been siphoning ad money off local
journalism for years. Plus, the private-equity firms (a.k.a. the vulture funds
that now control most of local media) are bleeding the papers dry with their
“rape and pillage strategy,” an approach that guts local papers for profit. The
biggest offender, Alden Global Capital, has been called “the grim reaper of
American newspapers” by Vanity Fair. “Make no
mistake: Racking up debt, selling off assets, laying off staff — these aren’t
business tactics; it’s basic shit Alden does to pay themselves more, and it
works,” Minhaj says. Need proof? Minhaj notes that Alden founder Randall Smith
currently owns 16 mansions in Palm Beach, Florida, alone.
Minhaj points out that while local newspapers
only make up 25 percent of the country’s media outlets, they are responsible
for half of the country’s original reporting — reporting that’s picked up and
covered by the bigger outlets every day. So without local journalists, Minhaj
warns, it’s impossible to know how much corruption is happening out there right
now if no one is around to uncover it. Take, for example, the city of Bell,
California, which hasn’t had a local paper since the early 2000s. In 2005, city
officials eliminated their own salary caps, and the police chief upped his
salary to over $450,000 while the city manager upped his salary to nearly
$800,000, and there were no reporters to inform the city about it or hold the
officials accountable for a whole five years. “If we don’t want a steady diet
of high-fructose bullshit, we need strong local papers. We need to treat them
like the essential services they are,” Minhaj says. “With everything that’s
going on in this country right now, from the pandemic to the protests, we
cannot let local papers die. Whether it’s funding them with tax dollars,
turning them into nonprofits, or just supporting them.”
When 511 Epidemiologists Expect to Fly, Hug and Do 18
Other Everyday Activities Again
New York Times By Margot Sanger-Katz, Claire Cain Miller and Quoctrung
Bui June 8, 2020
Many epidemiologists are already comfortable
going to the doctor, socializing with small groups outside or bringing in mail,
despite the coronavirus. But unless there’s an effective vaccine or treatment
first, it will be more than a year before many say they will be willing to go
to concerts, sporting events or religious services. And some may never greet
people with hugs or handshakes again. These are the personal opinions of a
group of 511 epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists who were asked
by The New York Times when they expect to resume 20 activities of daily life,
assuming that the pandemic and the public health response to it unfold as they
expect. Their answers are not guidelines for the public, and incorporate
respondents’ individual life circumstances, risk tolerance and expectations
about when there will be widespread testing, contact tracing, treatment and
vaccination for Covid-19. They said it’s these things that will determine their
actions, because the virus sets the timeline. “The answers have nothing to do
with calendar time,” said Kristi McClamroch of the University at Albany.
Celebrating 125 years at PSBA
POSTED ON JUNE 5, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
Over the past 125 years, a lot has
happened at PSBA. From its founding in 1895 by H.H. Quimby to serving
nearly 100% of Pennsylvania’s school
districts by 1970 to hosting the first fully virtual conference
in 2020, time and technology have presented opportunities
for growth as well as challenges. To learn more about how
PSBA has evolved over the years, watch this brief video celebrating
the association's monumental anniversary!
Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
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.
Over 245 PA school boards adopt charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 245 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution
calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law
to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality
and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from
school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform.
Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from
the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions
of dollars to charter schools.
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:
The Network for Public Education Action Conference has
been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel
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.
