Keystone State Education Coalition

Established in 2006, the Keystone State Education Coalition is a growing grass roots, non-partisan public education advocacy group of several hundred locally elected, volunteer school board members and administrators from school districts throughout Pennsylvania. Our mission is to evaluate, discuss and inform our boards, district constituents and legislators on legislative issues of common interest and to facilitate active engagement in public education advocacy.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 28: Quadrillion to one: no fallout; no charges for Gureghian managed CCCS

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3500 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, 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

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

The Keystone State Education Coalition is pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public Education. Are you a member?

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for September 28, 2014:

Quadrillion to one: no fallout; no charges for Gureghian managed CCCS

KEYSTONE EXAMS: Not Just Another Standardized Test

What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s NEW High School Graduation Requirement

Join the Radnor, Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion & Narberth Leagues of Women Voters October 7 @ 7:00 pm in Radnor

http://lwvccpa.org/event/keystone-exams-not-just-another-standardized-test/

How to Register to Vote - Deadline is October 6th

PA Department of State

Once you know you are eligible to vote, the next step is to register. In Pennsylvania, you can register in person, by mail and at various government agencies. Below you will find information about how to register, as well as links to voting registration forms and applications.

http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1174117&parentname=ObjMgr&parentid=1&mode=2

Upcoming PA Basic Education Funding Commission Meetings*

PA Basic Education Funding Commission website

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 11 AM, Clarion University
Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 10 AM, Perkiomen Valley
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 11 AM, Pittsburgh
* meeting times and locations subject to change

http://basiceducationfundingcommission.pasenategop.com/

Basic Education Funding Commission with State Senator Rob Teplitz

Comcast Newsmakers September 24, 2014

Jill Horner speaks with Pennsylvania State Senator Rob Teplitz (www.senatorteplitz.com ) about the Basic Education Funding Commission and its efforts to find a more equitable funding formula for the state’s public schools.

http://comcastnewsmakers.com/2014/09/24/basic-education-funding-commission/

Plancon: Corbett Administration Approves More Than $21.6 Million in Reimbursement for Construction Projects in 41 Schools
PDE Press Release September 26, 2014
Harrisburg – Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced that more than $21.6 million has been approved for reimbursement of construction projects in 41 schools in 27 school districts and one career and technology center across the commonwealth.

“This much-needed funding will help to free up dollars that can be directed into the classroom to support student achievement,” Dumaresq said. “I am hopeful that as we progress through the current fiscal year, the department will be able to approve additional projects as more funding becomes available.”

If charters are recommended for York city schools, what if the school board says 'no'?

If outside operators are recommended, rejection could lead to other state action

York Daily Record By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1 on Twitter UPDATED: 09/27/2014 03:29:10 PM EDT

Teachers and other community members rallied outside a school forum last week, urging the York City School Board to "say no" to two charter operators being considered to run schools.

The companies, Mosaica Education and Charter Schools USA, have visited York's schools, hosted local representatives at their schools and had discussions with the district's state-appointed chief recovery officer about potential draft agreements for operating district buildings starting next year, which is an option under the district's recovery plan. (Read ongoing coverage of York City School District considering using charter operators.) At least one school board member, Michael Breeland, has publicly said he doesn't want charter operators, and board President Margie Orr said Friday she's not sure she sees what more the operators can offer the district. But if David Meckley, the recovery officer, were to recommend one of the charter operators, the board's rejection of the notion could raise at least the possibility that a receiver would be appointed to carry out the plan. The state recovery law — which triggered the appointment of Meckley and development of the recovery plan — states that the board must not take any action inconsistent with its recovery plan. If the board did, the state could petition the county court to appoint a receiver for the district.

http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_26618097/if-charters-are-recommended-city-schools-what-if

Did 27,000 Pennsylvania educators get laid off under Gov. Tom Corbett? (Pa. Fact Finder)

York Daily Record By Ed Mahon emahon@ydr.com @edmahonreporter on Twitter UPDATED: 09/26/2014 10:38:24 PM EDT

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, left, shakes hands with challenger Tom Wolf after their debate Monday in Hershey. A second debate is scheduled to take place in the Philadelphia media market on Oct. 1, followed by an Oct. 8 debate in the Pittsburgh media market. (Jason Plotkin — Daily Record/Sunday News) An ad from Democrat Tom Wolf's campaign criticizes Republican Gov. Tom Corbett on the issue of education and says that because of the governor's cuts, "27,000 educators were laid off." The issue got brought up again in Monday's general election debate, and Wolf's supporters have made a similar claim before.

PA Families First released a TV ad earlier this year, saying "Gov. Tom Corbett cut nearly a billion from education, forcing school districts to fire 20,000 teachers and staff," according to the Associated Press. Tom Wolf makes a point during the Pennsylvania Governor's debate Sept. 22. (Jason Plotkin - Daily Record/Sunday news) The Wolf campaign previously used the 20,000 figure. But the campaign and other critics of the governor increased it after the Keystone Research Center released a report with updated figures. Katie McGinty, the head of a committee supporting Wolf, said during a Sept. 2 news conference in York County that Pennsylvania is "firing 27,000 teachers."

So what's true?

http://www.ydr.com/pafactfinder/ci_26612757/did-27-000-pennsylvania-educators-get-laid-off

So the charter funding formula is unfair – but to whom?

Many observers agree that the overall pot of Pa. education aid is too small. But debate over fixing the rules fairly is fierce.

the notebook By Dan Hardy on Sep 24, 2014 01:24 PM

With education funds scarce in the commonwealth, the debate over how charter schools get their money has never been more polarized. The stakes are huge: Last school year, 176 charter schools educated 129,000 students statewide, at a cost to Pennsylvania school districts of more than $1.2 billion. About half those schools and students are located in Philadelphia; they consume 30 percent of the District’s operating budget. Charter schools are independently run public schools paid for by tax dollars, authorized and primarily funded by the school districts from which their students come. Districts send charters a per-student payment, based on a state-established formula.

http://thenotebook.org/october-2014/147728/so-charter-funding-formula-unfair-to-whom

State's special education funding rules are slow to change

the notebook By Dan Hardy on Sep 24, 2014 01:29 PM

Pennsylvania’s special education funding system is complicated and in flux. But it has generally discouraged districts from identifying too many special education students while rewarding charters that do so. Until this year, state special education funding for school districts assumed that 16 percent of their students had special needs, allocating money based on that percentage of total enrollment. A legislative special education funding commission late last year recommended that districts get funding based on the actual numbers, with three tiers of payments based on the severity of a student’s disability. That concept was applied only to the small amount of new special education funding in the 2014-15 state budget.

http://thenotebook.org/october-2014/147730/states-special-education-funding-rules-are-slow-change

Answers to common questions on Philly funding needs

the notebook By Paul Jablow on Sep 26, 2014 10:33 AM

Doesn’t Philadelphia get a huge share of state education aid already?

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai made the point when he met with District Superintendent William Hite in August that the city has 12 percent of the state’s school population but receives 18 percent of the state’s basic education subsidy. But Matthew Stanski, Hite’s finance director, says that these numbers alone don’t capture the reality. He gives several reasons. First, Pennsylvania chips in a smaller share of education funding than most other states, so there is less state aid to balance out inequities between districts. But more important, he said, Philadelphia educates more children from low-income backgrounds than any other district. More than 80 percent of Philadelphia students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, almost twice the statewide average of 43 percent. Such a high concentration of poverty comes with added costs to a school district

http://thenotebook.org/october-2014/147731/answers-common-questions-philly-funding-needs

Fallout of Pa. cheating scandal continues with charges against two Philly principals

WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

Early in the morning, before anyone else arrived, former Communications Technical High School principal Barbara McCreery would sit in her office and redo some of her students' standardized test booklets – 15 at a time, she admits, with an answer key in hand. McCreery details that routine in a grand jury report released this week by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, as she and former Bok Technical High School principal Arthur "Larry" Melton were arrested on charges of forgery and tampering with public records.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/73265-fallout-of-pa-cheating-scandal-continues-with-charges-against-two-philly-principals?linktype=hp_topstory

Quadrillion to one: no fallout; no charges for Gureghian managed CCCS

"A state forensic analysis found that the odds that erasure patterns were random on the reading portion of Chester Community Charter School seventh-graders’ 2009 PSSAs were between one in a quadrillion and one in a quintillion. Analyses done in 2010 and 2011, according to the Department of Education, also found “a very high number of students with a very high number of wrong-to-right erasures.” But the state left the charter to investigate itself."

Citypaper July 2013: How Pennsylvania schools erased a cheating scandal

Tainted scores throw an entire way of running schools into question.

Citypaper By Daniel Denvir Published: 07/18/2013

The odds that 11th-graders at Strawberry Mansion High School would have randomly erased so many wrong answers on the math portion of their 2009 state standardized test and then filled in so many right ones were long. Very, very long. To be precise, they were less than one in a duodecillion, according to an erasure analysis performed for the state Department of Education.

In short, there appeared to be cheating — and it didn’t come as a total surprise. In 2006, student members of Youth United for Change protested being forced out of class for test-preparation sessions and won concessions from the district. In 2010, principal Lois Powell-Mondesire left Strawberry Mansion; after her departure, test scores dropped sharply.

http://citypaper.net/article.php?How-Pennsyl-vania-schools-erased-a-cheating-scandal-41

"CCCS was founded by Gladwyne lawyer and entrepreneur Vahan Gureghian, who is also the founder and CEO of Charter School Management, Inc. (CSMI), a for-profit management company that operates CCCS under contract. The school has attracted attention in part because Gureghian is an influential power broker in both Delaware and Montgomery counties and a major Republican campaign donor. According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, Gureghian has in recent years contributed almost half a million dollars to state Republican candidates and committees, including over $300,000 – more than any other individual donor – to the campaign of Gov. Tom Corbett. A strong proponent of charter expansion and school choice, Gureghian played a significant role on Corbett’s transition team, including as a member of its education committee."

the notebook July 2011: Two of Pa.'s largest charters part of test score probe

by Benjamin Herold for the Notebook/NewsWorks on Jul 21, 2011 12:07 PM
Two of the largest charters in Pennsylvania, Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) and the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber), are among the 89 schools across the state that are to be investigated for statistical irregularities on 2009 standardized tests.

In all, 10 Pennsylvania charters were found to have 2009 test scores warranting further inquiry, according to a recently revealed state report meant to identify "potential test results that may have been earned unfairly." The rest of the 89 schools are spread over 38 school districts. State Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis has directed those districts to conduct investigations in all their traditional public schools that were heavily flagged in the study. The charters with unusual results will investigate themselves, according to Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) spokesperson Tim Eller.

http://thenotebook.org/blog/113889/two-pa-largest-charters-part-test-score-probe

A proposal before state lawmakers would require public colleges and universities to agree on uniform guidelines for accepting credits, not only from AP exams, but also from International Baccalaureate or College-Level Examination Program exams, which are less common in Pennsylvania.
HB2076: AP classes put college-bound students on fast track

Trib Live By Kari Andren Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, 9:00 p.m.
When Alexandra Piampiano stepped onto the lush, 200-acre campus of St. Vincent College in the fall, she was considered an upperclassman. Piampiano earned 24 college credits in subjects ranging from psychology to world history through Advanced Placement exams she took in high school in Webster, N.Y. Piampiano is one of 10 first-year students who entered St. Vincent as sophomores. The students, part of an incoming class of 450, earned between 23 and 47 credits through AP exams, programs offering college courses in high school or a combination of the two, school officials said.

Palmyra Area School District figuring out how to calculate GPA for online courses

PennLive By Monica Von Dobeneck | Special to PennLive on September 25, 2014 at 10:01 PM, updated September 26, 2014 at 11:18 AM

The Palmyra Area School District is trying to be more flexible in its academic requirements, and that includes letting students take extra courses online. But that is posing a dilemma in how to calculate grade point average. High school Principal Benjamin Ruby brought the issue to the school board Thursday night. He said some students are taking extra courses because they want to graduate early or just because they want the extra challenge. But the online courses cost $400, and some parents might be unwilling to spend that money.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/09/palmyra_school_district_tackli.html

DePasquale right on DOE

Pottsville Republican Herald EDITORIAL Published: September 26, 2014

Even though the Corbett administration has failed to produce any work product from former Education Secretary Ron Tomalis, who was kept on as an adviser after the governor sacked him, it also contends there is something wrong with Auditor General Eugene DePasquale continuing to look for it. A DOE spokesman contended that DePasquale is playing politics, after the auditor general announced that he would expand an ongoing routine audit of the department to examine the performance of its paid advisers, including Tomalis.

http://republicanherald.com/opinion/depasquale-right-on-doe-1.1760271?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Judge orders Palmer charter to pay back $1.5 million

MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Saturday, September 27, 2014, 1:08 AM POSTED: Friday, September 26, 2014, 5:17 PM

The Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter School has received more bad news. The charter - which has said it might have to close because it cannot pay its bills - has been ordered to repay the School District of Philadelphia the $1.5 million it has received over the last several years for students it was not authorized to enroll.

Commonwealth Court Judge James Gardner Colins issued the order Thursday. It stemmed from a state Supreme Court decision in May that the school was bound by the terms of the charter it signed in 2005, which limited enrollment to 675 students.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20140927_Judge_orders_Palmer_charter_to_pay_Phila__school_district__1_5_million.html#UKFvYh4sl3VVYm6W.99

Why Don’t We Have Real Data on Charter Schools?

Charters were supposed to be laboratories for innovation. Instead, they are stunningly opaque.

The Nation by Pedro Noguera September 24, 2014

In several cities throughout the country, there is a fierce conflict raging over the direction of education reform. At the center of this increasingly acrimonious debate is the question of whether or not charter schools—publicly funded schools that operate outside the rules (and often the control) of traditional public-school systems—should be allowed to proliferate. Given their steady growth (from no more than a handful twenty years ago to over 6,000 today), charter schools and their advocates appear to have the upper hand. A new bipartisan bill—the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act, sponsored by Republican senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Mark Kirk of Illinois, and Democratic senators Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana and Michael Bennet of Colorado—would provide new funds to launch, replicate and expand charter schools nationwide.

http://www.thenation.com/article/181753/why-dont-we-have-real-data-charter-schools

"Indeed, K12 Inc.’s spectactular growth over the years stems largely from the extraordinary amount the company spends on lobbying, as well as on marketing and advertising, with promises in some areas that enrollment comes with a free computer. USA Today found that the company spent $21.5 million on advertising in the first eight months of 2012. The company sponsors billboards, radio advertisements, and spots on children’s cable television.

K12 Inc.’s lobbyists helped author model legislation to develop sweeping voucher laws through the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that provides state lawmakers with template legislation. Though state by state lobbying figures are difficult to come by, given the patchwork of varying laws, K12 Inc. has hired dozens of local officials to ensure that these voucher laws are quickly passed with few amendments. “We have incurred significant lobbying costs in several states,” K12 Inc. noted in a filing with the SEC.

“The stockholders benefit from those students’ enrollments, but the students get stuck with a lousy education that will follow them the rest of their lives,” says Jeff Bryant, the director of the Education Opportunity Network."

Venture Capitalists Are Poised to ‘Disrupt’ Everything About the Education Market

Venture capitalists and for-profit firms are salivating over the exploding $788.7 billion market in K-12 education. What does this mean for public school students?

The Nation by Lee Fang September 25, 2014

This story was reported in partnership with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute.

In his book, Finding the Next Starbucks: How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow, Michael Moe, describes how carefully crafted business strategies have transformed markets to create huge profits in unlikely sectors. The title relates to how Starbucks became a global corporation of almost $15 billion in revenue by capturing and streamlining the café experience. Moe, a former director at Merrill Lynch, wrote that at one point in the United States, even healthcare was an undesirable and difficult industry for investment, and that bankers once worried if profit-making in such a realm was worth their effort. In 1970, healthcare spending comprised 8 percent of GDP, yet market capitalization in healthcare stood at less than 3 percent. That shifted quickly not only as the boomer generation aged, but as a wave of privatization hit hospitals, insurers, and other segments of the healthcare system. More than thirty years later, Moe wrote, healthcare companies are among the largest in the world, and represent more than 16 percent of US capital markets. “We see the education industry today as the healthcare industry of 30 years ago,” Moe predicted.

http://www.thenation.com/article/181762/venture-capitalists-are-poised-disrupt-everything-about-education-market

Health Issues in Schools: "Mom I can't find the Nurse"

October 21, 2014 1:00 -- 4:00 P.M.

United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103

Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

Philadelphia has one of the worst childhood asthma rates in the country. We need more nurses in Philadelphia's schools to aid children suffering from this and other health issues. Join us to discuss Pennsylvania laws governing nursing services.

Tickets: Attorneys $200 General Public $100 Webinar $50

"Pay What You Can" tickets are also available
Click here to purchase tickets

LWV Panel:KEYSTONE EXAMS Not Just Another Standardized Test Oct 7th Radnor

What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s NEW High School Graduation Requirement

Join the Radnor, Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion & Narberth Leagues of Women Voters October 7 @ 7:00 pm in Radnor

In partnership with your area schools’ Parent Organizations and supported by your area School Districts

Moderator: Susan Carty, President, League of Women Voters of PA
Panelists Will Include:
Pennsylvania State Senator, Andy Dinniman
Lower Merion School District Board of Directors Member, Lori Actman
Conestoga High School Principal, Dr. Amy Meisinger
Education Lawyer, Josh Kershenbaum, Esq.
Additional Panelists To Be Announced

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014 at 7:00 PM Radnor Municipal Building, 301 Iven Ave., Radnor
Questions? Please Call 610-446-8383 or e-mail katederiel@verizon.net

http://lwvccpa.org/event/keystone-exams-not-just-another-standardized-test/

What About the Schools? A Community Forum on the Next Governor's Education Agenda Oct. 15 7:00 pm WHYY Philly

Pennsylvania's public schools, especially in Philadelphia, are in dire straits. Many hope that the upcoming gubernatorial election will help shine a light on the state's education issues. But how will Harrisburg politics and financial realities limit the next governor’s agenda for education?

Join Research for Action, WHYY, and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey for an interactive community forum designed to suggest an education agenda for the next administration—and to assess the politics of achieving it. Hear from local educators about what they see as priorities for the schools, and from seasoned policy practitioners on the political realities of Harrisburg. Then, make your voice heard. Discuss your thoughts and perspectives with other event guests and interact with the panelists. You’ll come away from this spirited discussion with a more nuanced view of the politics of education in both Philadelphia and at the state level.

Admission

This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is required.

When

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Where

WHYY, Independence Mall West, 150 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19106

Contact

Questions? Call 215-351-0511 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

https://www.whyy.org/events/nw_education.php

Save the date: Bob Herbert book event! Pittsburgh October 9th

Yinzercation Blog September 17, 2014

Save the date – you don’t want to miss this! We are hosting the national launch of Bob Herbert’s new book, Losing Our Way: An Intimate Portrait of a Troubled America. You might remember Mr. Herbert as the award winning and longtime columnist for the New York Times. This book is especially exciting for us because Bob came to Pittsburgh several times to interview parents and teachers in our local grassroots movement and wound up writing three chapters on our fight for public education!

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2014 Time: 5:30 – 6:30PM, moderated discussion and Q&A.
Doors will open at 5 with student performances. Followed by book signing.

Location: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15213. Free parking in the garage.

Hosted by: Yinzercation (we are profiled in the book!)

Moderator: Tony Norman, columnist and associate editor,Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/save-the-date-bob-herbert-book-event/

PUBLIC Education Nation October 11
The Network for Public Education will hold a historic event in one month's time.

PUBLIC Education Nation will deliver the conversation the country has been waiting for. Rather than featuring billionaires and pop singers, this event will be built around intense conversations featuring leading educators, parents, students and community activists. We have waited too long for that seat at someone else's table. This time, the tables are turned, and we are the ones setting the agenda. This event will be livestreamed on the web on the afternoon of Saturday, October 11, from the auditorium of Brooklyn New School, a public school. There will be four panels focusing on the most critical issues we face in our schools. The event will conclude with a conversation between Diane Ravitch and Jitu Brown.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=45305347-7561-4ca1-b463-479b98e9d39b&c=a95c1760-7e38-11e3-8fc6-d4ae52724810&ch=aa33d9c0-7e38-11e3-9025-d4ae52724810

Please join us for a symposium on:

“Funding Pennsylvania's Public Schools: A Look Ahead”

This event is co-sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics and the Temple University Center on Regional Politics.

Click here to view the program agenda.

When: Friday, October 3, 2014, 8:30 am to 12 pm

Where: Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh in Green Tree, PA

Session I: "Forecasting the Fiscal Future of Pennsylvania's Public Schools"

A panel of legislators and public officials will respond to a presentation by Penn State Professor William Hartman and Tim Shrom projecting the fiscal trajectory of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts over the next five years and by University of Pittsburgh Professor Maureen McClure discussing the implications for school finance of an aging tax base.

Session II: "Why Smart Investments in Public Schools Are Critical to Pennsylvania's Economic Future"

Following an address by Eva Tansky Blum, Chairwoman and President of the PNC Foundation, a panel of business and labor leaders will discuss the importance of public school funding reform to the competitiveness of regional and state economies.

We look forward to your participation!

Register Here

Pennsylvania Arts Education Network 2014 Arts and Education Symposium

The 2014 Arts and Education Symposium will be held on Thursday, October 2 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA. Join us for a daylong convening of arts education policy leaders and practitioners for lively discussions about the latest news from the field.

The Symposium registration fee is $45 per person. To register, click here or follow the prompts at the bottom of the page. The Symposium will include the following:

http://www.artseducationpa.org/2014-arts-and-education-symposium/

Register Now – 2014 PAESSP State Conference – October 19-21, 2014

Please join us for the 2014 PAESSP State Conference, “PRINCIPAL EFFECTIVENESS: Leading Schools in a New Age of Accountability,” to be held October 19-21 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa. Featuring Keynote Speakers: Alan November, Michael Fullan & Dr. Ray Jorgensen. This year’s conference will provided PIL Act 45 hours, numerous workshops, exhibits, multiple resources and an opportunity to network with fellow principals from across the state.

Click Here to Register Now!

PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference (Oct. 21-24) registration forms now available online
PSBA Website

Make plans today to attend the most talked about education conference of the year. This year's PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference promises to be one of the best with new ideas, innovations, networking opportunities and dynamic speakers. More details are being added every day. Online registration will be available in the next few weeks. If you just can't wait, registration forms are available online now. Other important links are available with more details on:

· Hotel registration (reservation deadline extended to Sept. 26)

· Educational Publications Contest (deadline Aug. 6)

· Student Celebration Showcase (deadline Sept. 19)

· Poster and Essay Contest (deadline Sept. 19)

Voting for PSBA officers and at-large representatives opens Sept. 9

PSBA Website 9/8/2014

The slate of candidates for 2015 PSBA officer and at-large representatives is available online. Photos, bios and videos also have been posted for candidates. According to recent PSBA Bylaws changes, each member school entity casts one vote per office. Voting will again take place online through a secure, third-party website -- Simply Voting. Voting will open Sept. 9 and closes Oct. 6. One person from the school entity (usually the board secretary) is authorized to register the vote on behalf of the member school entity and each board will need to put on its agenda discussion and voting at one of its meetings in September. Each person authorized to cast the school entity's votes received an email on Aug. 13 and a test ballot was sent to them on Aug. 28. In addition, a memo from PSBA President Richard Frerichs will be mailed in the coming days to all board secretaries and copied to school board presidents and chief school administrators.

- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=8465#sthash.faopm8Xr.dpuf

EduCon 2.7

January 23rd–25th, 2015 at The Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia

EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.

It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the big dreams.

http://2015.educonphilly.org/

Friday, September 26, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 26: "the odds that erasure patterns were random … were between one in a quadrillion and one in a quintillion. …But the state left the charter to investigate itself."

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

The Keystone State Education Coalition is pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public Education. Are you a member?

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for September 26, 2014:

"the odds that erasure patterns were random … were between one in a quadrillion and one in a quintillion. …But the state left the charter to investigate itself."

KEYSTONE EXAMS: Not Just Another Standardized Test

What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s NEW High School Graduation Requirement

Join the Radnor, Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion & Narberth Leagues of Women Voters October 7 @ 7:00 pm in Radnor

http://lwvccpa.org/event/keystone-exams-not-just-another-standardized-test/

How to Register to Vote - Deadline is October 6th

PA Department of State

http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1174117&parentname=ObjMgr&parentid=1&mode=2

Upcoming PA Basic Education Funding Commission Meetings*

PA Basic Education Funding Commission website

http://basiceducationfundingcommission.pasenategop.com/

"Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign against incumbent President George H.W. Bush featured the famous line, “It’s the economy, stupid.” In Pennsylvania this election cycle, “it’s education, stupid.”

It’s Education, Stupid

Yinzercation September 26, 2014

Is it any surprise that Governor Tom Corbett is woefully trailing his opponent, Tom Wolf, in the polls? The latest numbers released last week show Tom W. ahead of Tom C., 49% to 31%. With 60% of registered voters saying that Pennsylvania is “off on the wrong track,” survey respondents continue to name education as their number one concern. [Franklin & Marshall poll, Sept. 2014] In fact, education is now far ahead of “the economy,” which has traditionally been voters’ primary concern (going back to at least 2006 in these polls).

Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign against incumbent President George H.W. Bush featured the famous line, “It’s the economy, stupid.” In Pennsylvania this election cycle, “it’s education, stupid.” (Now, my mother taught me not to call people stupid; so please note, I am not calling you stupid, dear reader, I know you get this point – which is exactly the point!)

In fact, I said this very thing last week when I appeared on “Get to the Point,” a PCNC Friday night talk show. I had the chance to sit across from Bob Bozzuto, the Executive Director of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, and Katie McGinty, former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and now chair of the Fresh Start PA campaign supporting Tom Wolf. And for an hour, I did my best to steer the conversation back to education, education, education.

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/its-education-stupid/

Pennsylvania hit by 5th debt downgrade in 2 years

Philly.com by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POSTED: Thursday, September 25, 2014, 6:25 PM

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Standard and Poor's Ratings Services is following through on its warning that it would lower Pennsylvania's debt rating if it didn't see strides on deficits and pension debt. The credit ratings agency said Thursday that it downgraded Pennsylvania's approximately $11 billion in general obligation debt from AA to AA minus.

That puts Pennsylvania in the bottom seven of states rated by Standard and Poor's. Pennsylvania was last at AA minus in 1998.

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140925_ap_4c0e3b33a8254b73b89f22a8fa64c555.html#PphxDfCWHuOSKM1E.99

Two former principals charged in state cheating investigation

the notebook By David Limm on Sep 25, 2014 03:09 PM

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has filed criminal charges against two more former Philadelphia principals. Barbara McCreery, 61, former principal of Communications Technology High School, and Arthur "Larry" Melton, 70, former principal of Bok Technical High School, were arrested Thursday as part of the state's ongoing probe into adult cheating on standardized tests.

They were taken into custody and charged with crimes of "tampering with public records or information, forgery, and tampering with records or identification," according the attorney general's office. A grand jury presentment said that Melton admitted to making an answer key and to personally changing students' answers on test sheets as early as 2008 or 2009. In an interview with investigators, Melton had cited an "intense" pressure on principals from the District with respect to PSSA test performance.

http://thenotebook.org/blog/147747/two-former-principals-charged-state-cheating-investigation

2 more Philly educators charged in cheating probe

KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER AST UPDATED: Thursday, September 25, 2014, 4:50 PM POSTED: Thursday, September 25, 2014, 10:45 AM

Two more principals have been snared in a Philadelphia School District cheating scandal, criminally charged Thursday with manipulating standardized tests to boost their schools' scores.

Barbara McCreery and Arthur "Larry" Melton, the former leaders of now-closed Communications Tech and Bok High Schools, are the latest to be arrested in an ongoing grand jury investigation into widespread cheating in Philadelphia and other parts of the state.

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane's office said that McCreery, 61, of Philadelphia and Melton, 70, of Cherry Hill, were both charged with three counts of tampering with records and forgery.

A state grand jury recommended the charges after the Pennsylvania Department of Education referred the case. The principals will be prosecuted in Philadelphia.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20140926_2_more_Philly_principals_charged_in_cheating_probe.html#AbwReE35c5C5qlJD.99

As additional Philadelphia educators are charged in this cheating scandal it is worth noting that charter operators were "left to investigate themselves" and have not been charged. Here's three prior postings well worth reading:

"In Pennsylvania, the 2009 statistical analysis that was unearthed by The Notebook has provided many good leads. Chester Community Charter, one of the state’s biggest schools, with 2,700 students, was among those most often flagged for suspicious erasure results. It also was flagged for questionable test scores: in 2009, 65.4 percent of eighth graders were proficient in math, compared with 22 percent the year before."

NYT July 2011: Pa. Joins States Facing a School Cheating Scandal

New York Times By MICHAEL WINERIP Published: July 31, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — In April, Dale Mezzacappa attended a panel discussion on cheating sponsored by the Education Writers Association. At the time, she was one of three staff reporters for The Notebook, a community newspaper and Web site that covers the Philadelphia public schools. While few know of The Notebook, many know of Ms. Mezzacappa. For 27 years, until the newspaper industry’s near collapse, she was a reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer. She is also a former president of the Education Writers Association.

People trust Ms. Mezzacappa to get it right. After the panel discussion, an executive for a testing security company suggested she ask state officials if they had done a study flagging schools with suspicious numbers of erasures on state tests. In May, the state responded, sending Ms. Mezzacappa a file so large she needed technical assistance to download it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/education/01winerip.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Citypaper July 2013: How Pennsylvania schools erased a cheating scandal

Tainted scores throw an entire way of running schools into question.

Citypaper By Daniel Denvir Published: 07/18/2013

http://citypaper.net/article.php?How-Pennsyl-vania-schools-erased-a-cheating-scandal-41

the notebook July 2011: Two of Pa.'s largest charters part of test score probe

The rest of the 89 schools are spread over 38 school districts. State Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis has directed those districts to conduct investigations in all their traditional public schools that were heavily flagged in the study. The charters with unusual results will investigate themselves, according to Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) spokesperson Tim Eller.

http://thenotebook.org/blog/113889/two-pa-largest-charters-part-test-score-probe

"Palmer is a lesson in the dire need for reforming the charter system in the state. Virtually every attempt at "charter reform" at the state level has been to grant more independence to charters, not less, and to expand the numbers of charters without the proper framework for managing them well. Right now, the district oversees "bricks and mortar" charters, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education oversees cyber charters. But the district's thin ranks makes this oversight problematic. And the PDE's involvement sometimes hinders that oversight."
DN Editorial: Charter reform, anyone?

Philly Daily News Editorial Friday, September 26, 2014, 3:01 AM

MAYBE the Walter Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter School should be renamed the "Palmer Chutzpah Academy." The charter school claims that the school district owes it $1.3 million, and without that money the 1,290-student school might close.

The problem is, the charter under which Palmer is operating allows it to have only 675 students. The money coming from the school district is based on that number, not on the higher number.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20140926_DN_Editorial__CHARTER_REFORM__ANYONE__Without__1_3M_more__Palmer_school_says_it_s_over__leaving_1_290_kids_adrift.html#mvmAiZlrX4AcJUAQ.99

State official: York City charter school decision soon

York Dispatch By ERIN JAMES 505-5439/@ydcity POSTED: 09/25/2014 11:16:57 PM EDT

The York City School District's state-appointed chief recovery officer said Thursday he could make a recommendation to the school board as early as next month about the district's financial and academic future. When that happens, David Meckley will likely recommend the district choose one of two paths. One option is moving forward with the district's current transformation model, which went into effect during the 2013-14 academic year.

However, Meckley has repeatedly said that plan is not financially viable without significant wage and benefit concessions from teachers, support staff and administrators.

Negotiations between the district and the teachers union have been ongoing for more than a year. As of Thursday, a new collective-bargaining agreement had not been reached, Meckley said.

Charter conversion: The district's other option — outlined in the financial recovery plan approved by the school board in June 2013 — would be to convert the district to charter schools through a contract with an outside provider.

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_26608249/state-official-york-city-charter-school-decision-soon

Charter operator Mosaica Education fields questions in York

Community asked what Mosaica Education would do differently in schools

York Daily Record By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1 on Twitter UPDATED: 09/25/2014 11:08:08 PM EDT

Representatives of Mosaica Education took questions from a small crowd Thursday night, including some about what the company would do differently in York City schools.

Thursday's meeting was the third in a series of public forums as the school board considers bringing in a charter operator — either Mosaica or Charter Schools USA — to run district schools next year. Mike Johnson, who serves on the district's Community Education Council, asked the officials to be frank about what they've seen in their visits to York and what might be different if the company was selected to run schools.

http://www.ydr.com/News/ci_26607872/Charter-operator-Mosaica-Education-fields-questions-in-York

Charter school founder heads to prison, temporarily

JULIE SHAW, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER SHAWJ@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-2592

POSTED: Thursday, September 25, 2014, 3:01 AM

CHARTER SCHOOL founder Dorothy June Brown voluntarily agreed yesterday to go to a federal prison for up to 30 days to undergo a mental-competency evaluation, as requested by federal prosecutors. The government's request followed a defense motion that asked for a competency hearing for Brown, 77. The defense motion was filed the week before Brown was to face a Sept. 8 retrial on charges that she defrauded two of the four charter schools she founded of about $6.3 million. U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick postponed the retrial and ordered Brown to submit to a psychiatric and mental-competency evaluation, and then an additional psychological examination.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20140925_Charter_school_founder_heads_to_prison__temporarily.html#sqs83SoT8OFGpb2V.99

'Crushing' school taxes

As Pa. districts struggle for money, residents find their rising tax bills alarming.

the notebook By Connie Langland on Sep 25, 2014 12:23 PM

On Duncan Avenue in Yeadon, owning a modest home means paying several thousand dollars in real estate taxes. Taxes in the William Penn School District are among the highest in the state. Yet the district’s spending level per student is among the lowest in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

If Gwenevere Washington and her husband lived in the Marple-Newtown School District in the western suburbs, whose property tax rate is the lowest in their county, the school tax bill that arrived in their mailbox midsummer would have totaled about $1,700, even less with the state discount given to senior citizens. But the Washingtons own a home in Yeadon, a borough less than 10 miles away, down Darby Creek. It is one of six communities that make up the William Penn School District in Delaware County.

The tax bill that arrived in July hit like a hammer. It was $4,000 for the year, less a $400 discount.

Add to that borough and county taxes, and their total tax tab tipped well beyond $5,000 a year, on a property that might sell for $150,000. “We’re talking about downsizing. It costs too much, with these high taxes,” Washington said. “When you retire, you get less money, and all of our money goes to taxes.” Despite tax bills a neighbor calls “crushing,” her school district is struggling for funds.

http://thenotebook.org/october-2014/147714/crushing-school-taxes

Bethlehem, Allentown schools expand full-day kindergarten at expense of pre-K

By Colin McEvoy | The Express-Times on September 25, 2014 at 9:09 AM, updated September 25, 2014 at 9:17 AM

Even despite state funding cuts, tax hikes and positions getting eliminated this budget season, the Lehigh Valley's two largest public school districts have increased their full-day kindergarten offerings this year. But they did so by either scaling back on prekindergarten programs they previously offered, or declining to seek new pre-K grant money so they could focus on offering more full-day kindergarten classes.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2014/09/bethlehem_allentown_schools_ex.html#incart_river

The Philadelphia School District’s Ongoing Financial Crisis

Why the district has a money problem

Education Next By John Caskey and Mark Kuperberg

Each year, as predictably as classes end in June, the School District of Philadelphia faces a budget crisis for the coming school year. In 2014, the School Reform Commission, the school district’s state-imposed governing body, for the first time and in violation of the city charter, refused to pass a budget, arguing that there were insufficient funds to run the schools responsibly. Philadelphia’s mayor Michael Nutter said, “It is a sad day in public service that we find children being held on the railroad tracks awaiting some rescue to come from somewhere.” And yet, casting the school children of Philadelphia in the Perils of Pauline has become a yearly ritual.

http://educationnext.org/philadelphia-school-districts-ongoing-financial-crisis/

Tom Wolf and PennLive talk 'fair' taxes, shale, schools, and data

Penn Live By Christina Kauffman | ckauffman@pennlive.com on September 25, 2014 at 5:35 PM

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf left the Jeep at home and arrived for his Thursday PennLive editorial board meeting in a staff-accommodating Dodge minivan. Readers submitted an overwhelming number of questions to be asked of the wonkish candidate, more than the hour-long meeting afforded.

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/09/tom_wolf_and_pennlive_editoria.html

"They still haven't done what no state has really done adequately, which is to set up a review system to keep the original bargain of charter schools, which was if they weren't outperforming the public model, they weren't supposed to get their charter renewed."

Bill Clinton Weighs In on Charter School Accountability

Education Week Charters and Choice Blog By Arianna Prothero on September 25, 2014 4:39 PM

Former President Bill Clinton is wading into the charter school accountability debate, noting at an event earlier this week that charters have great potential, but the movement isn't totally delivering on its promises, according to The Huffington Post. Although charter schools can claim many successes—Clinton pointed specifically to New Orleans—he told a group of international philanthropists and businesspeople in New York City that states have failed to set up comprehensive accountability systems. Here's Clinton's exact quote from the Huffington Post's story: "They still haven't done what no state has really done adequately, which is to set up a review system to keep the original bargain of charter schools, which was if they weren't outperforming the public model, they weren't supposed to get their charter renewed."

Clinton later told the Huffington Post that he was an early supporter of charter schools, but his backing always came with the caveat that poorly performing schools would be shuttered. That idea—that charter schools consent to greater accountability in exchange for greater autonomy—is generally called the charter promise or compact.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/charterschoice/2014/09/bill_clinton_charter_schools_have_potential_but.html

Judges Rule that Washington State School Funding Is Inadequate

By dianeravitch September 25, 2014 //

The Education Law Center reports on a major ruling in Washington State:

WASHINGTON SUPREME COURT HOLDS LEGISLATURE IN CONTEMPT ON SCHOOL FUNDING

Orders State to Comply in 2015 Legislative Session

On September 11, 2014, in McCleary v. State, the Washington Supreme Court held the State in contempt for failing to obey a court order for a phase-in schedule for fully funding the components of “basic education” by the 2017-18 school year. The Court ruling was unanimous.

As reported by the Associated Press, Thomas Ahearne, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said Thursday’s order “wipes out all the excuses that legislators tell themselves as to why they don’t have to do anything. I think the attorney general is now going to be telling legislators, ‘Guys you are in a box.'”

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/09/25/judges-rule-that-washington-state-funding-is-inadequate/

Health Issues in Schools: "Mom I can't find the Nurse"

October 21, 2014 1:00 -- 4:00 P.M.

United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 19103

Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

Tickets: Attorneys $200 General Public $100 Webinar $50

"Pay What You Can" tickets are also available
Click here to purchase tickets

LWV Panel:KEYSTONE EXAMS Not Just Another Standardized Test Oct 7th Radnor

What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s NEW High School Graduation Requirement

Join the Radnor, Haverford, Chester County, Lower Merion & Narberth Leagues of Women Voters October 7 @ 7:00 pm in Radnor

In partnership with your area schools’ Parent Organizations and supported by your area School Districts

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014 at 7:00 PM Radnor Municipal Building, 301 Iven Ave., Radnor
Questions? Please Call 610-446-8383 or e-mail katederiel@verizon.net

http://lwvccpa.org/event/keystone-exams-not-just-another-standardized-test/

What About the Schools? A Community Forum on the Next Governor's Education Agenda Oct. 15 7:00 pm WHYY Philly

Admission

This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is required.

When

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Where

WHYY, Independence Mall West, 150 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19106

Contact

Questions? Call 215-351-0511 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

https://www.whyy.org/events/nw_education.php

Save the date: Bob Herbert book event! Pittsburgh October 9th

Yinzercation Blog September 17, 2014

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2014 Time: 5:30 – 6:30PM, moderated discussion and Q&A.
Doors will open at 5 with student performances. Followed by book signing.

Location: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15213. Free parking in the garage.

Hosted by: Yinzercation (we are profiled in the book!)

Moderator: Tony Norman, columnist and associate editor,Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/save-the-date-bob-herbert-book-event/

PUBLIC Education Nation October 11
The Network for Public Education will hold a historic event in one month's time.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=45305347-7561-4ca1-b463-479b98e9d39b&c=a95c1760-7e38-11e3-8fc6-d4ae52724810&ch=aa33d9c0-7e38-11e3-9025-d4ae52724810

Please join us for a symposium on:

“Funding Pennsylvania's Public Schools: A Look Ahead”

This event is co-sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics and the Temple University Center on Regional Politics.

Click here to view the program agenda.

When: Friday, October 3, 2014, 8:30 am to 12 pm

Where: Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh in Green Tree, PA

Session I: "Forecasting the Fiscal Future of Pennsylvania's Public Schools"

Session II: "Why Smart Investments in Public Schools Are Critical to Pennsylvania's Economic Future"

We look forward to your participation!

Register Here

Pennsylvania Arts Education Network 2014 Arts and Education Symposium

The Symposium registration fee is $45 per person. To register, click here or follow the prompts at the bottom of the page. The Symposium will include the following:

http://www.artseducationpa.org/2014-arts-and-education-symposium/

Register Now – 2014 PAESSP State Conference – October 19-21, 2014

Click Here to Register Now!

PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference (Oct. 21-24) registration forms now available online
PSBA Website

· Hotel registration (reservation deadline extended to Sept. 26)

· Educational Publications Contest (deadline Aug. 6)

· Student Celebration Showcase (deadline Sept. 19)

· Poster and Essay Contest (deadline Sept. 19)

Voting for PSBA officers and at-large representatives opens Sept. 9

PSBA Website 9/8/2014

- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=8465#sthash.faopm8Xr.dpuf

EduCon 2.7

January 23rd–25th, 2015 at The Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia

EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.

http://2015.educonphilly.org/

Keystone State Education Coalition

Pages

Sunday, September 28, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 28: Quadrillion to one: no fallout; no charges for Gureghian managed CCCS

Friday, September 26, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 26: "the odds that erasure patterns were random … were between one in a quadrillion and one in a quintillion. …But the state left the charter to investigate itself."

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