Showing posts with label What Works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What Works. Show all posts

Friday, February 10, 2017

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 10: How can schools keep kids fed and focused in Philly, which has the highest poverty rate among big U.S. cities?

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4000 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
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 10, 2017
How can schools keep kids fed and focused in Philly, which has the highest poverty rate among big U.S. cities?



EPLC's "Focus on Education" TV Program on PCN - this Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. 
Part 1: Guest will be: Pedro A. Rivera, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education
Part 2: Guests will be:
Dr. Mark DiRocco, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators
Jay D. Himes, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials
Dolores M. McCracken, Vice President, Pennsylvania State Education Association
Mark B. Miller, President, Pennsylvania School Boards Association



Food for thought
How can schools keep kids fed and focused in Philly, which has the highest poverty rate among big U.S. cities?
The notebook by Dan Hardy February 9, 2017 — 2:22pm
Wayne Grasela, head of the District's Food services program, says that for many children, school breakfasts and lunches are the only meals they get for the day.  Imagine a Philadelphia family of four trying to pay for food, housing, transportation, clothes and utilities on an income of just $24,300, or $16,020 for a family of two. That’s the federal poverty limit.  And that’s the reality facing thousands of the city’s children. About 37 percent of them live at or below the poverty line.  Now, imagine trying to get by on half that.  “Deep poverty” is half the poverty limit, and 17.8 percent of Philadelphia’s children – 63,500 – live in families at that income level. Philadelphia has long had the unhappy distinction of having the highest child poverty rate of any large city in the country.  Given that grim reality, the breakfasts, lunches and afterschool meals served by the District – free to all children since the 2014-15 school year – are vital ways for children to stave off hunger. All public schools and students are automatically included; parents don’t have to fill out any paperwork.

Pension crisis draining away school resources educators say
Pottstown Mercury By Bob Keeler, bkeeler@21st-centurymedia.com, @bybobkeeler on Twitter POSTED: 02/08/17, 7:33 PM EST | UPDATED: 8 HRS AGO
SOUDERTON >> Few issues facing public schools are more vexing than escalating pensions costs.  During a recent press conference at Souderton Area School District’s E. M. Crouthamel Elementary School, school officials from around the region offered their views on, among other things, how rising pension costs are handicapping their district’s finances and drawing resources away from educating children.  Lawrence Feinberg, a board member in Delaware County’s School District of Haverford Township and a “circuit rider” for The Campaign for Fair Education, said pension costs have “skyrocketed,” to more than a billion dollars statewide.  Worse yet, pension reform proposals that have been raised thus far — most often altering future pension plans for new hires from a ‘defined payment’ to a ‘defined contribution’ 401-K-type plan — do not have an immediate impact to cut the costs, he said.  Yearly pension costs for the Upper Moreland Township School District have increased from $1.3 million a decade ago to $6.9 million of the district’s $63 million budget and are continuing to rise, Matthew Malinowski, the district’s business manager, said.  The increased pension costs are equal to the cost of the district hiring 129 more employees, he said.  “It’s clear pension reform must take place,” Malinowski said.  Attendees at the press conference also included representatives of the Cheltenham, Colonial, Upper Perk, Upper Merion, Pottsgrove and Springfield Township school districts and Montgomery County Intermediate Unit 23.

Area educators call for reform of charter school funding
Pottstown Mercury By Bob Keeler, bkeeler@21st-centurymedia.com, @bybobkeeler on Twitter POSTED: 02/08/17, 7:33 PM EST | UPDATED: 7 HRS AGO
SOUDERTON >> A recent gathering of education officials in Souderton addressed a number of troubling trends and one of them was charter schools.  During the press conference, held at the district’s E. M. Crouthamel Elementary School, Souderton Schools Superintendent Frank Gallagher said the General Assembly needs to reform the laws governing charter schools — particularly the funding of charter schools.  The Souderton district pays $2.5 million per year for students attending the brick and mortar Souderton Charter School Collaborative, he said. “This amounts to millions of dollars coming out of our operating budget,” Gallagher said. “I’m not suggesting they close. They do good work. They get good results,” Gallagher said. If the charter school were to close, though, the district would probably only have to hire two more teachers at a cost of about $200,000 per year, compared to the $2.5 million per year now being paid, he said.  Along with reforming the way charter schools are funded, there should be changes to increase the amount of oversight, he said.

Palisades school board will oppose passage of SB76
Bill would replace property tax with income and sales taxes
Bucks County Herald by CLIFF LEBOWITZ February 9, 2017
Citing major unresolved state-based issues regarding pensions and charter school costs, Palisades School District board members have called for active opposition to proposed state legislation that would have property tax funding be replaced by increases in state income and sales taxes.  Board Treasurer Bob de Groot, during his Pennsylvania School Board Association liaison report at the district’s Feb. 1 public meeting, called for residents to telephone state Sen. Bob Mensch at 215-541-2388 to voice their opposition to Senate bill SB76.  Board Vice President Bob Musantry added that while he was “not at all against looking into other ways of funding” public school districts, the primary need was instead to address serious “money drains out there that have not been fixed.” No other board member added any comment about the proposed legislation.  Regarding charter schools, de Groot claimed they had been remiss in responding to state Department of Education information requests related to the state School Performance Profile (SPP) and the state’s plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
“We make ours public, and they hide theirs,” he stated. 
http://www.buckscountyherald.com/news_stories/2-9-17/Palisades-will-oppose-passage-of-SB76.html

Educators at forum question drive to kill school property taxes
Pottstown Mercury By Bob Keeler, bkeeler@21st-centurymedia.com, @bybobkeeler on Twitter
POSTED: 02/08/17, 2:42 PM EST | UPDATED: 7 HRS AGO
SOUDERTON >> Proposed state legislation to do away with school property taxes has “laudable objectives,” including helping senior citizens and others on a fixed income, according to Wissahickon School District Superintendent James Crisfield.  “But it’s mixed in with a really nefarious, unstated subtext, which is a desire on the part of some to reduce spending on education. Both aspects need to be recognized and addressed separately in the open,” Crisfield said.  He was speaking Monday, at press conference at Souderton Area School District’s E. M. Crouthamel Elementary School featuring officials from area school districts who want to address the rarely discussed impacts of eliminating property taxes, among other things. A proposal to replace school property taxes with an increase to state income tax and sales tax rates and adding to the items on which the sales tax is paid was narrowly defeated in the Pennsylvania Senate last year, but is believed to have enough votes to pass this year.

EITC/OSTC: OPED: PA should prioritize public education students
York Dispatch Opinion by Eric Wolfgang, Springettsbury Township12:56 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2017
As Pennsylvania faces continued budget challenges for the coming fiscal year, every dollar matters, particularly for students in our public schools. Yet, legislators are trying to tinker with the budget in a way that would negatively impact public schools across the commonwealth. House Bill 250 would add $50 million (to $175 million) to the existing Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and $25 million (to $75 million) to the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs.  The state is challenged to close an estimated $716 million revenue on this year’s budget, and is looking at a growing structural deficit at nearly $3 billion. Now is not the time for the General Assembly to redirect tax dollars into programs that largely benefits private, nonpublic schools.  These programs shift limited state funds away from public school districts, by siphoning valuable dollars from the general fund, via tax credits that could otherwise be used for public schools. As a result, millions of dollars will not be available to fund the basic education subsidy that goes to school districts to provide instruction and educational services for the 1.8 million students in public schools.

Wolf seeks student transportation savings
Times Tribune BY ROBERT SWIFT, HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF / PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 10, 2017
HARRISBURG — State spending can be trimmed by $50 million if school districts control student transportation costs better and put bus contracts out for competitive bidding, Wolf administration officials say.  Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed state budget for fiscal 2017-18 would provide nearly $500 million for student transportation, which is $50 million less than the current level. School districts, intermediate units and career and technology centers transport more than 1 million students a year.  State Budget Secretary Randy Albright said the $50 million cut reflects potential savings from changing a distribution formula dating to the 1970s, in an effort to reward efficiency. The governor hasn’t proposed a specific replacement formula yet. Mr. Albright said the existing one doesn’t reflect lower gasoline prices and a decline during the past decade in the number of students being transported. Meanwhile, the number of buses has increased, according to budget documents.

IFO says some revenues in Wolf's budget would be volatile
WITF Written by Katie Meyer, Capitol Bureau Chief | Feb 8, 2017 10:48 PM
 (Harrisburg) -- Governor Tom Wolf's budget plan relies heavily on $2 billion in cuts and savings, as well as a slew of new tax revenues the administration says will add up to about $1 billion. Like any initial plan, those numbers are estimates. Some GOP leaders in the legislature have already raised early concerns about the accuracy of Wolf's projections.  Independent Fiscal Office director Matthew Knittel said some concerns might be valid.  The IFO puts out a formal budget report in April, but Knittel said based on some cursory analysis, there are a few areas where revenues could definitely be inconsistent.  One is the governor's proposed severance tax on natural gas drilling. Estimated at nearly $300 million, it's a significant part of the revenue package.

Education Funding - Where Will the Money Go?
WBRE/WYOU By: Jayne Ann Bugda  Posted: Feb 09, 2017 06:05 PM EST
Updated: Feb 09, 2017 06:45 PM EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  State lawmakers are going over the spending package offered up by Governor Wolf earlier this week. That plan increases funding for education..but does it go far enough?..Some local school district officials say no..lead I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick.  The Wilkes-Barre Area School District will see an increase  in state funding this year but, much of that money will not be spent on educating students..  Brian Costello- is the Superintendent of Wilkes-Barre Area School District, he told Eyewitness News "This upcoming school year we expect to see approximately $1.6 million dollar increase from charter schools, pension and healthcare. Although we welcome additional increase in money the district will receive unfortunately it does fall short to be able to cover those expenses."   The Hazleton Area School District is in a similar situation.. it too will see about  a one million dollar increase in state funding .But like Wilkes-Barre, a big chunk of that will go toward pensions...

“While DeVos may not have explicitly endorsed teaching intelligent design in public schools, there is ample evidence that she and her family cotton to the notion. DeVos and her family have donated millions of dollars to organizations that are still pushing intelligent design, despite it being discredited in federal court. Her husband, Dick, advocated the teaching of intelligent design when he ran for governor of Michigan in 2006. (He lost.) They have donated money to the Thomas More Law Center, a Christian law group that represented the Dover school board. The idea that promoting intelligent design to allow students to exercise critical thinking is something that promoters of this idea have pushed from Day One. Of course, Stough said, it does the opposite by short-circuiting critical thinking by muddying the very definition of science.”
Dover ID case plaintiff worries about DeVos (column)
York Daily Record by Mike Argento , margento@ydr.com 9:04 a.m. ET Feb. 9, 2017
Ten years after Dover School District in York County was brought into the national spotlight in a federal trial involving science, religion and education, the implications of the Dover trial are still being felt in science classrooms across the US.
Steve Stough thought it had been settled more than a decade ago.  It certainly seemed that way. After a 40-day trial in federal court, the notion of intelligent design as a substitute for, or alternate theory of, evolution was sent home in a body bag, eviscerated by U.S. Middle District Judge John Jones III.  He had attended the trial; he was among the 11 parents who brought the suit against the Dover Area School Board, which had tried to introduce the idea that some supernatural force was responsible for designing life on this planet. The board had an administrator read a statement to students that there were "gaps" in the theory of evolution and recommended the book "Of Pandas and People," a poorly written and researched tome promoting intelligent design.

Ambridge Area, teachers union enter into nonbinding arbitration
Beaver County Times By Katherine Schaeffer kschaeffer@timesonline.com
AMBRIDGE -- More than two years of contentious contract negotiations could be drawing to a close for the Ambridge Area School District and its teachers union. The two parties have opted to start a process designed to break bargaining stalemates by giving a panel of three arbitrators a chance to weigh in with a final contract recommendation. During the process, called last best offer, nonbinding arbitration, both parties submit what they deem their last best contract offer to a panel of three arbitrators: one selected by the district, another selected by the union and a third, neutral arbitrator chosen by the other two. The arbitration panel will review the contract offers and recommend one of three options: the school district's proposal, the union’s proposal or last year's fact-finding result. The district’s 189 teachers have been working under the terms of an expired contract since June 30, 2015, and the two groups have been bargaining since January 2015.

Millcreek schools reject contract recommendations
Millcreek Township School District has been negotiating with custodians since January 2016 but proposes subcontracting all custodial services.
GoErie By Valerie Myers valerie.myers@timesnews.com February 9, 2017
Millcreek Township School District has rejected a fact finder's recommendations for a contract agreement with custodians. The central issue in negotiations has been whether the district will continue to employ custodians. The school district has proposed subcontracting custodial services beginning in 2018. The district currently employs 47 full-time and four part-time custodians represented by the Millcreek Education Support Professionals Association PSEA/NEA union. A provision in their contract prohibits the district from subcontracting custodial jobs. The district hopes to hire a private custodial firm to save money, said Mark Wassell, attorney for the school district. "Based on our research, we believe that subcontracting services could save $900,000 per year. That's obviously something the school board is taking a look at," Wassell said.

Butler schools maintenance director resigns amid lead contamination controversy
By Elizabeth Behrman / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette February 9, 2017 4:19 PM
The director of maintenance for the Butler Area School District is the latest person to resign amid a controversy surrounding lead and E coli contamination in an elementary school well.  Glenn Terwilliger resigned today, according to a statement posted to the district website. Superintendent Dale Lumley resigned Sunday night. No explanation was given in either case.  The contaminants were discovered in the water well serving Summit Elementary School in Summit Township, and many have expressed concerns about timely reporting of the problem.  On Jan. 20, the school district announced that students and staff at the elementary school were instructed not to drink the water from the well on the property due to lead contamination. Subsequent testing also discovered that E coli, an infectious bacteria, also was contaminating the water.

Lindback Foundation celebrates 10 years of honoring Philly District teachers and principals
The notebook by Amy Xu February 9, 2017 — 10:12am
This year, the Lindback Foundation will celebrate 10 years of honoring District teachers and principals through its annual awards.  The Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation will grant seven awards to principals and 60 awards to teachers.  District teachers of all grades will be eligible this year, a move that expands eligibility from previous years, when the award was only given to high school teachers.  Applications for the Lindback awards are now open.  Nominations for the Lindback Distinguished Principal Award are due by 5 p.m. Feb. 10, and nominations for the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teachers are due by 5 p.m. March 10.  Since 2007, the Lindback Foundation has given about $2.7 million to outstanding principals and teachers in the District. This year's awards will increase the total to more than $3 million.  The Distinguished Principal Award includes a $20,000 stipend for the school community, and the Award for Distinguished Teachers includes a $3,500 stipend.  “No one enters this profession to receive an award, but it is important to honor these incredible principals and teachers for their commitment to our students,” said Sheldon Bonovitz, a Lindback Foundation trustee. “Many teachers actually use their no-strings-attached stipends to help students in their classrooms, which adds to the profound impact they have had on their school communities.”

Fired employee files whistle-blower suit against Aspira, says federal probe underway
Inquirer by Martha Woodall, Staff Writer  @marwooda |  martha.woodall@phillynews.com Updated: FEBRUARY 9, 2017 — 6:42 PM EST
A former accounts payable coordinator at Aspira has filed a federal whistle-blower suit that claims she was wrongfully fired by the charter school operator after refusing to manipulate bookkeeping entries.  Juanita Way also alleges that Aspira Inc. of Pennsylvania  fired her in retaliation for talking to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an investigation into Aspira’s financial practices, including a plan to use charter school funds to pay medical insurance premiums for people who were not school employees.  The suit, which was posted on the federal court website Wednesday, was first reported by  Fox 29.  In a statement Thursday, Aspira called the allegations “outrageous and completely false,” and said it was “prepared to vigorously defend itself against these frivolous claims in court, and we expect to be fully vindicated.”


D.C. elementary school students perform with Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell
Washington Post By Alejandra Matos February 8 at 2:36 PM 
The orchestra students at Bunker Hill Elementary School plucked and bowed their violins, violas and cellos one afternoon this week as they performed Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues” for classmates at an assembly.  But this was no ordinary concert. Two special guests joined in: violinist Joshua Bell and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.  The world-famous musicians spent Tuesday afternoon swaying to the rhythmic sounds of first-graders beating sangba drums. They watched students act out stories. And the orchestra students learned how Bell and Ma get rid of nerves during performances: Ma pretends it’s his birthday party. Bell imagines everyone in the audience sitting on toilets.  “You played so well,” Ma told about 20 orchestra students during rehearsal for the assembly. “I love the energy. It was great.”  Ma and Bell visited the Northeast D.C. school through a program known as Turnaround Arts, which aims to give underperforming schools more resources for arts and music.

States' ESSA Plans Now Entering the Legislative Phase
Education Week State Ed Watch Blog By Daarel Burnette II on February 7, 2017 9:01 AM
As state legislative sessions forge ahead, you'll start to see states' Every Student Succeeds Act accountability plans vetted by lawmakers as the new law requires.    Unlike for waivers from ESSA's predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act, or applications for the Race to the Top program, the federal government requires state boards of education to show that state education agencies have conducted "meaningful" consultation with state legislatures over their ESSA plans. In addition, governors have 30 days to review a plan before it's submitted to the federal Department of Education.   The meaningful consultation clause is one both the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Governors Association pushed for after the battles over the Common Core State Standards led to many state politicians complaining that the standards were implemented without their knowledge.  

Integration Works. Can It Survive the Trump Era?
New York Times Opinion by Thomas B. Edsall FEB. 9, 2017
The 2016 election deepened the chasm between those voters who believe that the government should address the problems of the poor and those who are convinced that the government already provides disadvantaged minorities with too much help, at the expense of the white working and middle classes.  While the polarized belief systems that exploded in the battle between Trump and Clinton are driving both policymaking and an invigorated opposition, researchers continue to provide empirical evidence on the difficult issues of race, poverty and intergenerational mobility.  Rucker C. Johnson, a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, has followed two generations of black families and concluded that integration has been an effective tool for raising educational levels and living standards.

Is There an Upside for Democrats in DeVos as GOP's Face of K-12 Policy?
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on February 9, 2017 7:53 AM
Democrats could spend a lot of time fighting brand-new U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her initiatives over the next few years, especially if she tries to make good on the $20 billion voucher initiative President Donald Trump pitched on the campaign trail. But her time in the spotlight also has a big potential upside for them. For one thing, it could energize Democrats and those who support their vision to open their wallets and pound the pavement for local, state, and federal Democratic candidates. And that energy would serve Democrats best where they may need it most right now: in rural, red states with Democratic senators that are up for re-election in 2018. Democrats have 25 seat to protect in the mid-term election, including 10 in states that President Donald Trump won, including Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia.  DeVos' favorite K-12 policy—vouchers—won't do much good in those states, where students have transportation challenges just getting to regular public schools. (More on that issue here.) And the vulnerable senators—all of whom joined their Democratic colleagues in voting against DeVos Tuesday—were more than happy to point that out, setting up the DeVos nomination as an example of Trump betraying his most-loyal voters. 

“Our friends and allies also continue to plan their work at the state and local levels, while seeking opportunities to impact federal policy. Our mission at Schott is constant and our work remains as a funder and advocate to support the systemic changes needed to address the opportunity gaps faced by poor children and children of color in our public education system. The massive mobilization, awareness raised over legitimate concerns about this nominee, and ultimately bipartisan agreement over those concerns are a testament to the tireless efforts of the education justice community. Many of the gains we’ve made in public education have come through such organizing, and our vigilance and continued boots on the ground are needed as ever.”
After the DeVos Vote: the Fight for Public Education Continues
Schott Foundation Blog FEBRUARY 8, 2017
Yesterday the Senate voted 50-50, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote, to confirm Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education. The vote—which followed an overnight session of protest and some support of DeVos—marked the first time in history a vice president has been called upon to break a tie on a presidential nomination. The historic vote also followed a widely publicized groundswell of grassroots opposition to the nomination, citing among other issues, DeVos’s lack of experience, support of privatization and unfamiliarity with education policy and practice.  At the Schott Foundation we were clear that DeVos is dangerously unqualified for such an important position governing our nation’s public schools.  Following yesterday’s confirmation, our grantees and allies in education justice are speaking loud and clear: the fight for public education and equity in opportunity for all students continues.

The DeVos Apocalypse
Charters are eroding the Democratic urban base of teachers and black parents.
Wall Street Journal by DANIEL HENNINGER Feb. 8, 2017 6:44 p.m. ET
The extraordinary battle over Betsy DeVos’s nomination to be secretary of education is the defining event of the Trump presidency’s early days.  As presented, the DeVos confirmation appeared to be a standard partisan conflict between Democrats and Republicans, or in the conventional update, all that’s good and all that’s Trump.  But something deeper was at stake here, which is why the Democrats raised the nomination for a second-level cabinet post to a political apocalypse. The person who introduced Mrs. DeVos at her confirmation hearing was former Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman from Connecticut, arguably the last of the unequivocal Democratic moderates. In the confirmation vote, every Democrat opposed Mrs. DeVos, including Joe Manchin of West Virginia andHeidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. The issue presumably at the center of this nomination fight is the future of the education of black children who live in urban neighborhoods.


City of Philadelphia Hiring: Join the PHLpreK team! The Mayor’s Office of Education in Philadelphia is hiring a Pre-K Initiatives Director.
Learn more and apply here: https://t.co/jMVOJ71xGI

Drexel University Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day will be held on February 11 from 10:00AM-2:00PM at the ExCITe Center

New PSBA Winter Town Hall Series coming to your area
Introducing a new and exciting way to get involved and stay connected in a location near you! Join your PSBA Town Hall meeting to hear the latest budget and political updates affecting public education. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and networking with fellow school directors. Locations have been selected to minimize travel time. Spend less time in the car and more time learning about issues impacting your schools.
Agenda
6-6:35 p.m.         Association update from PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains
6:35 -7:15 p.m. Networking Reception
7:15-8 p.m.         Governor’s budget address recap
Dates/Locations
Monday, February 20     Forbes Road Career and Technology Center, Monroeville
Tuesday, February 21    Venango Technology Center, Oil City
Wednesday, Feb 22       Clearfield County Career and Technical Center, Clearfield
Thursday, February 23   Columbia Montour AVTS, Bloomsburg
Monday, February 27     Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, Jamison
Tuesday, February 28    PSBA, Mechanicsburg
Wednesday, March 1     Bedford County Technical Center, Everett
Thursday, March 2         West Side CTC, Kingston
Registration:

Ron Cowell at EPLC always does a great job with these policy forums.
RSVP Today for a Forum In Your Area! EPLC is Holding Five Education Policy Forums on Governor Wolf’s 2017-2018 State Budget Proposal
Forum #1 – Pittsburgh Thursday, February 23, 2017 – Wyndham University Center – 100 Lytton Avenue, Pittsburgh (Oakland), PA 15213
Forum #2 – Harrisburg Area (Enola, PA) Tuesday, February 28, 2017 – Capital Area Intermediate Unit – 55 Miller Street (Susquehanna Room), Enola, PA 17025
Forum #3 – Philadelphia Thursday, March 2, 2017 – Penn Center for Educational Leadership, University of Pennsylvania, 3440 Market Street (5th Floor), Philadelphia, PA 19104
Forum #4 – Indiana University of Pennsylvania Tuesday, March 14, 2017 – 1011 South Drive (Stouffer Hall), Indiana, PA 15705
Forum #5 – Lehigh Valley Tuesday, March 28, 2017 – Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21, 4210 Independence Drive, Schnecksville, PA 18078
Governor Wolf will deliver his 2017-2018 state budget proposal to the General Assembly on February 7. These policy forums will be early opportunities to get up-to-date information about what is in the proposed education budget, the budget’s relative strengths and weaknesses, and key issues.  Each of the forums will take following basic format (please see below for regional presenter details at each of the three events). Ron Cowell of EPLC will provide an overview of the Governor’s proposed budget for early education, K-12 and higher education.  A representative of The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will provide an overview of the state’s fiscal situation and key issues that will affect this year’s budget discussion. The overviews will be followed by remarks from a panel representing statewide and regional perspectives concerning state funding for education and education related items. These speakers will discuss the impact of the Governor’s proposals and identify the key issues that will likely be considered during this year’s budget debate.
Although there is no registration fee, seating is limited and an RSVP is required.
Offered in partnership with PASA and the PA Department of Education March 29-30, 2017 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg - Camp Hill, PA .    Approved for 40 PIL/Act 48 (Act 45) hours for school administrators.  Register online at http://www.pasa-net.org/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=3/29/2017&eventid=63

PA Educational Technology Exposition & Conference (PETE&C), February 12-15, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

PASBO 62nd Annual Conference, March 21-24, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
Register now for the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference March 25-27 Denver
Plan to join public education leaders for networking and learning at the 2017 NSBA Annual Conference, March 25-27 in Denver, CO. General registration is now open at https://www.nsba.org/conference/registration. A conference schedule, including pre-conference workshops, is available on the NSBA website.

Register for the 2017 PASA Education Congress, “Delving Deeper into the Every Student Succeeds Act.” March 29-30

SAVE THE DATE LWVPA Convention 2017 June 1-4, 2017
Join the League of Women Voters of PA for our 2017 Biennial Convention at the beautiful Inn at Pocono Manor!
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/SAVE-THE-DATE--LWVPA-Convention-June-1-4--2017.html?soid=1102026610927&aid=sie1JiXCxws

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


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Monday, February 22, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 22: Badams: Erie school funding a moral issue

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3850 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, 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 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 February 22, 2016:
Badams: Erie school funding a moral issue



RSVP Today for EPLC’s Education Policy Forum Series on Governor Wolf’s 2016-17 State Budget Proposal in Pittsburgh
Thursday, February 25, 2016 - Pittsburgh
http://www.eplc.org/2016/01/education_policy_forums/



The Keystone State Education Coalition will be compiling a list of current and former school board members and educators who have decided to run for state office for the first time in the primary election April 26th.  Please let us know of any such candidates.  Thanks!


Did you catch our weekend postings?
PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 20: Community Schools: Transforming Struggling Schools into Thriving Schools
http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2016/02/pa-ed-policy-roundup-feb-20-community.html


Wolf begins defense of spending plan in budget hearings
AP State Wire By MARC LEVY February 22, 2016
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Tom Wolf's administration will begin defending his $33.3 billion budget proposal to the Republican-controlled Legislature, as the Democrat confronts Pennsylvania government's worst budget gridlock in decades.  The first House and Senate Appropriations Committee meetings on Wolf's latest proposal were scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Monday.  Wolf calls the state's finances a ticking time bomb and wants a nearly $3 billion, election-year tax increase to wipe out a long-term deficit and narrow a huge funding disparity between wealthy and poor school districts.  Top Republican lawmakers say they're committed to dealing with the deficit without raising taxes. The sides are still fighting over billions of dollars eight months into the current budget year after House GOP leaders helped block a tax increase. That's left school districts to borrow to stay open.
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=2seepgmE

Budget work starts (again) in Harrisburg
BY ROBERT SWIFT, HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF Published: February 22, 2016
HARRISBURG — The start of budget hearings today will signal a new and likely contentious phase of a political fight that started a year ago.  For the next three weeks, members of the House and Senate appropriations committees will grill members of the Wolf administration and other state agency heads about their spending priorities for the next year and handling of their offices.  The hearings give committee members an opportunity to ask about specific programs, and in some cases, pet projects back in their districts.  This year’s hearings will likely have a retroactive twist.  Republican lawmakers plan to ask questions about spending decisions made by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf while Pennsylvania was without a budget from July through late December.  The purpose of the hearings is to get testimony on Mr. Wolf’s new proposal for a $33.3 billion budget for fiscal 2016-17. 
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/budget-work-starts-again-in-harrisburg-1.2010201

Badams: Erie school funding a moral issue
By Erica Erwin  814-870-1846 Erie Times-News February 21, 2016 01:01 AM
ERIE, Pa. -- How the state allocates education funding to school districts isn't just a budget issue.  Erie schools Superintendent Jay Badams believes it's also a moral issue.
The Erie School District ranks among the lowest in annual median household income -- 485th out of 500 districts, in the bottom 3 percent -- and among the highest in the percentage of poor students (80.1 percent), English language learners (9.2 percent) and special-education students (16.9 percent) it serves.  But when it comes to how much money the district receives to teach its students, the district ranks among the lowest in state and local revenue per pupil: just $11,143 in state and local revenue per pupil, according to the latest figures available. That puts the district in the bottom 4 percent of all districts in the state, 484th out of 500.  "If we can document that (Erie School District students) have so much more need than the average student, ... why do they get the least funding?" Badams said. "I have to start to wonder, is it because they're poor? Is it because we have over 50 percent minority students? Is that why they're getting less? Is it because they don't have advocates in Harrisburg that they can be treated this way?
http://www.goerie.com/badams-erie-school-funding-a-moral-issue

Editorial: The Wolf at the door in Pa. budget war
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 02/20/16, 8:08 PM EST
Tom Wolf, the “new style” of governor, continues to run into some decidedly old problems.
Gridlock. It’s something of a Harrisburg tradition. And the election of the Democrat Wolf to replace one-term Republican incumbent Tom Corbett has not changed that.  Wolf has been at loggerheads with Republican leaders in the House and Senate for a record seven months, unable to agree on spending and taxes for a new state budget.  Last week, only because he was required to do so by the state constitution, Wolf delivered his second budget address, this despite the painfully obvious fact that he and the Legislature have not yet delivered his first spending plan.  Wolf doubled-down on his first year fiscal blueprint, again calling for some fairly steep increases in spending for education. Of course to do that, he needs more revenue. In other words, he would raise taxes.  But he also did something else, something that raised more than a few eyebrows. Instead of offering an olive branch to his fellow Republicans, the big, bad Wolf decided to pour a little gas on the fire.  Wolf’s budget speech carried a tough tone, one that could be interpreted as ratcheting up the partisan rhetoric.  Wolf made his case for the state’s increasingly dire financial straits, laid out his plan to attack the problems, and then curtly suggested that if Republicans are not willing to do their job, they should consider seeking employment elsewhere.
http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20160220/NEWS/160229983

“School districts spent approximately $1.4 billion last year on charter schools and this year could be even higher.”
Supreme Court Hamstrings Districts–February 19, 2016
Cost of charters in Philly suburbs over $203 million FY 2014-2015
Move over Budget Impasse: Supreme Court hamstrings school districts
Ruling makes fiscally responsible budget impossible especially in Southeast PA
PCCY February 19, 2016
The aftershocks of this week’s stunning decision on the Philadelphia SRC could very well be felt in school districts across the Commonwealth. Brace yourselves.  The state Supreme Court ruled that the Philadelphia SRC did not have the legal authority to suspend parts of the state charter law and school code. Imposing limits to charter school enrollment have been found to be unconstitutional.  Outside of Philadelphia, districts have been working with charter operators that run charters to establish agreed upon limits to how many students they can enroll, and thus, how much they can bill (or be reimbursed by) the districts per student.  Without enrollment caps, districts are at the mercy of charter operators who can fill charter schools with as many students they can handle, creating a financially disastrous predicament where unchecked charter spending will mean siphoning even more money from already cash-strapped public schools.
http://www.pccy.org/news/move-budget-impasse-court-hamstrings-districts/

In the last year No Child Left Behind was still the law in Pennsylvania, 2012, the school was given Corrective Action II- Fifth Year status, meaning it was not making its Academic Yearly Progress for a fifth year.  Fast forward a few years and the school was ranked on the College Board’s AP District Honor Roll for academic achievement on Advanced Placement exams, sitting side-by-side with two of the most affluent districts in the county: Marple Newtown and Radnor. Only 425 districts across the U.S. and Canada made the list.  Less than five years ago Penn Wood was another struggling school district. Now, it’s making academic strides and having students learning at a rate higher than state standards.
Penn Wood principal leads school to new academic heights
Delco Times By Kevin Tustin, ktustin@21st-centurymedia.com, @KevinTustin on Twitter
POSTED: 02/21/16, 10:37 PM EST | UPDATED: 54 SECS AGO
Penn Wood High School stands alone as a secondary education institution in Delaware County.  For one, there are two campuses: The Cypress Street Campus in Yeadon for ninth and 10th graders, and the Green Avenue Campus in Lansdowne for juniors and seniors.  Penn Wood also has the highest population of African-American students of any non-charter public high school in the county, at 93 percent, and is the second-poorest high school in the county after Chester, with 72 percent of its students deemed economically challenged in the 2014-15 school year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20160221/penn-wood-principal-leads-school-to-new-academic-heights

BAER: What can Tom Wolf do?
by John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist. Updated: FEBRUARY 22, 2016 — 3:01 AM EST
SITTING IN the gallery above the state House floor listening to Gov. Wolf's budget address two weeks back, I wrote myself a note in the margins of his speech.  I wrote, in capital letters, "WHAT NOW?"  Two weeks later, I can't find an answer.
Nobody seems to have a starter for the now-eight-months-stalled state budget, and the new budget message sure didn't help.  Wolf's speech angered and annoyed many members of the Republican legislature (who already were angered and annoyed) because it re-served stuff, including taxes, that they couldn't stomach last year.  And Wolf's jab that they should find other jobs was viewed as KO-ing possibilities that peace could be at hand.  So this week, lawmakers start hearings on a new budget without a current budget in an environment best described as venomous.  Pennsylvanians, normally numb to state doings, might be starting to pay attention. The latest Franklin and Marshall College poll says 67 percent of registered voters see the state "on the wrong track."  That's the highest number since the poll started asking the question 20 years ago.  Seems like a good time for some sort of reset.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20160222_What_can_Tom_Wolf_do_.html#xkAHUi5q3PmK4uvd.99

Pottstown Schools seek public input on budget, super search
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 02/20/16, 12:35 PM EST
POTTSTOWN >> The school board wants to hear from you.  There will be two opportunities next week for the public to share its thoughts on opinions on two extremely important subjects — the budget and the new superintendent.  At Monday night’s board meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the high school cafeteria, 750 N. Washington St., the board has invited the public to offer ideas on ways to contain costs.  It is the first of several Monday meeting nights the board has scheduled to hear input from residents on this subject.  The other nights are Monday, March 21; Monday, April 25 and Monday, May 23.  School board member Ron Williams bemoaned the public’s lack of participation in public discussions such as this during Thursday’s board meeting.  “It’s as frustrating as talking about people going to the polls,” Williams said of public participation. “The only time we get people at meetings is when a rumor goes out that we are cutting programs, and even then it’s only the parents of kids affected who show up.”
http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20160220/pottstown-schools-seek-public-input-on-budget-super-search

Opt Out 101: For Parents and Students of the Philadelphia School District
POSTED BY THE CAUCUS OF WORKING EDUCATORS BLOG 5SC ON FEBRUARY 21, 2016
Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states where the right of parents to opt their children out of state-mandated testing is written into law. That right is described in 022 PA Code 4.4. This law says that you may only opt out on religious grounds. However, you do NOT need to offer any proof of religion or discuss anything about your religion or how it relates to testing, nor can school officials ask. 
http://www.workingeducators.org/opt_out_101

Phila. interfaith group expands POWER
Inquirer by Jeremy Roebuck, Staff Writer. Updated: FEBRUARY 22, 2016 — 1:07 AM EST
Fresh off recent successes rallying urban Jewish, Muslim, and Christian congregations to enter the political fray, one of Philadelphia's largest interfaith coalitions has now set its sights on the region.  On Sunday, Philadelphians Organized to Witness Empower and Rebuild (POWER) welcomed members from 16 congregations in Montgomery and Delaware Counties to publicly launch POWER Metro - a new chapter of the social advocacy group out to prove that problems of poverty, crime, homelessness, and poorly funded public education are not just the concerns of city dwellers.  "People think the suburbs don't suffer from the same problems," said Dwayne D. Royster, POWER's executive director and pastor at Living Water United Church of Christ in Oxford Circle. "A lot of politicians want to segment these issues as 'urban problems.' But they are issues that affect the boroughs and townships, too."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160222_Phila__interfaith_group_expanding_reach.html#gLfcxFLiHb66p3vX.99

Energy Lessons: Educated guesses in energy futures fuel more stable school budgets
Joseph Cress The Sentinel February 22, 2016
Andrew Glantz, director of buildings and grounds for South Middleton School District, shows off one of the computer terminals at the maintenance building that allows them to monitor the amount of electricity that is being used.  School districts routinely use educated guesses on the market trends of future commodities to stabilize energy costs within their annual budgets.  Most districts participate in some form of consortium where multiple agencies join together to pool their collective energy needs to leverage discount prices on large volumes.  Typically cooperative purchasing groups include such nonprofits as school districts, hospitals, nursing homes and churches, said Mike Willis, director of business and support services for Cumberland Valley School District.  Group members then project future needs over a period of time before seeking out bids on such commodities as natural gas, electricity, fuel oil and gasoline, Willis said.
http://cumberlink.com/news/local/closer_look/energy-lessons-educated-guesses-in-energy-futures-fuel-more-stable/article_8fa481a5-a5a9-54e4-b1e3-a8ffe29fd4aa.html


"The three economists found that those who received vouchers and moved to private schools had worse test scores in maths, reading, science and social studies than those who missed out. Hunting for an explanation, they wondered whether the weakest private schools had mopped up voucher pupils to fill their seats. But this hypothesis did not stand up."
School choice - A lottery to lose
An enlightened scheme to benefit poor children seems to do the opposite
The Economist Feb 6th 2016 by Atila Abdulkadiroglu, Parag A. Pathak and Christopher R. Walters
IN THEORY it works perfectly. Rather than oblige parents to send their children to the nearest state-run or –funded school, give them a voucher to be spent at a private school of their choice. “The adoption of such arrangements”, argued Milton Friedman in 1955, “would make for more effective competition among various types of schools and for a more efficient utilisation of their resources.” As part of its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed many schools in New Orleans, Louisiana undertook one of America’s largest school-choice schemes. According to a new paper by Atila Abdulkadiroglu of Duke University, Parag Pathak of MIT and Christopher Walters of Berkeley, it has not gone well.*  Increasing school choice is a favourite policy of Republican governors and state legislatures. Since the party’s bumper election year in 2010 the number of voucher schemes has increased from 25 to 59, according to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. The thinking behind this is sound: the well-off already exercise school choice by moving into neighbourhoods with better schools. Why not allow poorer families to do the same? Yet the evidence from the voucher programmes that have been evaluated has been underwhelming: parents like them, but they often do little for their children’s test scores.
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21690052-enlightened-scheme-benefit-poor-children-seems-do-opposite-lottery-lose

John King is trying to repair the Obama administration’s frayed relationship with teachers
Washington Post By Emma Brown February 20 at 8:00 AM  
In one of his first major speeches as acting U.S. secretary of education, John King apologized to teachers for the role that the federal government has played in creating a climate in which teachers feel “attacked and unfairly blamed.”  To many teachers, King’s remarks at a Philadelphia high school late last month was an astonishing and welcome acknowledgment that the Obama administration, in pushing states to link teacher evaluations to student test scores, had helped create systems that seemed as if they were designed to punish teachers instead of help them get better.  For King, it was the beginning of what he describes as an important chance -- thanks to the new federal education law that President Obama signed in December — to reset the tone of conversation about teachers, teacher evaluation and the future of public schools in America.
“I think there’s just such an urgency around making sure that teachers feel valued in our society. It’s one of the things I worry a lot about,” King said in an interview with The Washington Post. “I want young people to see a future for themselves as teachers.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/john-king-is-trying-to-repair-the-obama-administrations-frayed-relationship-with-teachers/2016/02/19/a28b88de-d666-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

The State That Pulled The Plug On Computer Testing
NPR.org by BLAKE FARMER February 20, 20167:00 AM ET
Tens of thousands of Tennessee students steadied their clammy, test-day hands over a keyboard several days ago. And, for many, nothing happened.  It was the state's first time giving standardized exams on computers, but the rollout couldn't have gone much worse.  In lots of places, the testing platform slowed to a crawl or appeared to shut down entirely. Within hours, Tennessee scrapped online testing for the year.  The move comes after schools spent millions of dollars to buy additional PCs and to improve their wi-fi networks.  The failure wasn't entirely surprising. Tennessee had already managed several bumpy trial runs. There was the time the state asked students to try to break the system, and boy did they. State officials later said the resulting server overload led to a complete re-engineering.  Even in recent weeks, system testing uncovered new problems. But still, the state pushed ahead, leading to its test day debacle.
"All Tennessee students deserve a positive testing experience every time they log in, not one that is slow to load or fails periodically due to too many users or poor judgment on the part of the vendor," Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said at a hearing before state legislators on Wednesday.
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/02/20/467202640/the-state-that-pulled-the-plug-on-computer-testing

Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 2-21-16
https://edubloggers.org/2016/02/21/education-bloggers-daily-highlights-2-21-16/


PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM
“Western Region Forum Series” – Thursday, February 25, 2016
Wyndham Pittsburgh University Center – 100 Lytton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Continental Breakfast – 8:00 a.m. Program – 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
An Overview of the Proposed 2016-2017 State Budget and Education Issues Will Be Provided By:
Representative of The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center
Statewide and Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By:
Karina Chavez, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education
Dr. Jeffrey Fuller, Superintendent, Freedom Area School District
Cheryl Kleiman, Staff Attorney, Education Law Center
Nathan Mains, Executive Director, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
RSVP for the Pittsburgh forum by clicking here.
While there is no registration fee, seating is limited and an RSVP is required.

'Beyond Measure' to be shown Feb. 24 at Bucks County Community College
Bucks County Courier Times Joan Hellyer, staff writer Sunday, February 14, 2016 11:45 pm
The general public is invited to a free screening of "Beyond Measure," a documentary about education reform, on Feb. 24 at Bucks County Community College, organizers said.  The movie, from Vicki Abeles, director of the award-winning film "Race to Nowhere," begins at 7 p.m. in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the BCCC campus at 275 Swamp Road in Newtown Township.
In "Beyond Measure," Abeles examines public schools across the country that are working to "create a more equitable, empowering, student-centered education culture from the ground up," event organizers said.  The college’s Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Future Teachers Organization, and Amy McIntyre, founder of the Council Rock Parents Facebook page, are sponsoring the free event.  Register online at tinyurl.com/BCCCBeyondMeasure. For more information call 215-504-8545 or send an email to Kate.DAuria@bucks.edu.
http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/local/beyond-measure-to-be-shown-feb-at-bucks-county-community/article_6c79d84e-d1ee-11e5-b54e-9b339a770cc6.html

Blogger note: this conference is SOLD OUT
Attend the United Opt Out Conference in Philadelphia February 26-28
By dianeravitch January 24, 2016 //
United Opt Out: The Movement to End Corporate Reform will hold its annual conference on Philadelphia from February 26-28.
Sign up, attend, and join the movement

The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host its Annual Budget Summit on Thursday, March 3, 2016 9:00 - 3:30 at the Hilton Harrisburg.
PA Budget and Policy Center website
Join us for an in-depth look at the Governor's 2016-17 budget proposal, including what it means for education, health and human services, and local communities. The Summit will focus on the leading issues facing the commonwealth in 2016, with workshops, lunch, and a legislative panel discussion.  Space is limited, so fill out the form below to reserve your spot at the Budget Summit.
Thursday, March 3, 2016 Hilton Hotel, Harrisburg Pennsylvania
The event is free, but PBPC welcomes donations of any size to help off-set costs.
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6751/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=80562

PASBO 61st Annual Conference and Exhibits March 8 - 11, 2016
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
http://files.pasbo.org/conf_annual.asp

PenSPRA's Annual Symposium, Friday April 8th in Shippensburg, PA
PenSPRA, or the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association, has developed a powerhouse line-up of speakers and topics for a captivating day of professional development in Shippensburg on April 8th. Learn to master data to defeat your critics, use stories to clarify your district's brand and take your social media efforts to the next level with a better understanding of metrics and the newest trends.  Join us the evening before the Symposium for a “Conversation with Colleagues” from 5 – 6 pm followed by a Networking Social Cocktail Hour from 6 – 8 pm.  Both the Symposium Friday and the social events on Thursday evening will be held at the Shippensburg University Conference Center. Snacks at the social hour, and Friday’s breakfast and lunch is included in your registration cost. $125 for PenSPRA members and $150 for non-members. Learn more about our speakers and topics and register today at this link:
http://www.penspra.org/AnnualSymposium.aspx

The Network for Public Education 3rd Annual National Conference April 16-17, 2016 Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Network for Public Education is thrilled to announce the location for our 3rd Annual National Conference. On April 16 and 17, 2016 public education advocates from across the country will gather in Raleigh, North Carolina.  We chose Raleigh to highlight the tremendous activist movement that is flourishing in North Carolina. No one exemplifies that movement better than the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who will be the conference keynote speaker. Rev. Barber is the current president of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the National NAACP chair of the Legislative Political Action Committee, and the founder of Moral Mondays.
http://www.networkforpubliceducation.org/2016-national-conference/

2016 PA Educational Leadership Summit July 24-26 State College
Summit Sponsors: PA Principals Association - PA Association of School Administrators - PA Association of Middle Level Educators - PA Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development 
The 2016 Educational Leadership Summit, co-sponsored by four leading Pennsylvania education associations, provides an excellent opportunity for school district administrative teams and instructional leaders to learn, share and plan together at a quality venue in "Happy Valley." 
Featuring Grant Lichtman, author of EdJourney: A Roadmap to the Future of Education, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera (invited), and Dana Lightman, author of POWER Optimism: Enjoy the Life You Have... Create the Success You Want, keynote speakers, high quality breakout sessions, table talks on hot topics and district team planning and job alike sessions provides practical ideas that can be immediately reviewed and discussed at the summit before returning back to your district.   Register and pay by April 30, 2016 for the discounted "early bird" registration rate:
https://s3.goeshow.com/seee/PAEdLeadershipSummit/ereg312499.cfm?clear

Interested in letting our elected leadership know your thoughts on education funding, a severance tax, property taxes and the budget?
Governor Tom Wolf, (717) 787-2500

Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Turzai, (717) 772-9943
House Majority Leader Rep. Dave Reed, (717) 705-7173
Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati, (717) 787-7084
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377
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