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Experts disagree on impact of gambling
revenue on school tax bills
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh
In 2004, during the
debate over whether to legalize gambling in Pennsylvania
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12032/1207301-298-0.stm#ixzz1l7uYJYQe
Submit your Questions About the State's Education Budget
PA SchoolTalk Posted
by Brett
Schaeffer on January 31, 2012
On Feb. 7, Gov. Corbett
will make his annual budget address, indicating his funding priorities for
2012-13. Education funding and reform issues will play an important role in the
Governor’s new proposals. In the weeks
that follow, several hearings will be held in the Capitol to review the
Governor’s education budget. Members of the General Assembly will have the
opportunity to ask both Budget Secretary Zogby and Education Secretary Tomalis
detailed questions about the priorities outlined in the Governor’s budget. The
legislature will use the hearings to gather information, before presenting
their own budget proposals.
TheEducation Law Center Law Center
The
http://paschooltalk.org/forum/topics/questions-about-the-state-s-education-budget
PA House Democratic
Caucus Website
UPDATED DAILY –
STATEWIDE PRESS COVERAGE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUDGETS
As districts consider their preliminary budgets and we await the
Governor’s February 7th budget
announcement, the PA House Democratic Caucus has begun daily tracking of press
coverage on school district budgets statewide:
http://www.pahouse.com/school_funding_2011cuts.asp?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pahouse.com%2fschool_funding_2011cuts.asp&utm_campaign=Crisis+in+Public+Education
Latest Updates on Chester
Upland February 1, 2011
Chester Upland
teacher set for ‘Ellen’ appearance
Published: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Delco Times By PAUL LUCE, pluce@delcotimes.com
The Columbus
Elementary School
After being invited to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union
address as Michelle Obama’s guest Jan. 24, Sara Ferguson was invited on to “The
Ellen DeGeneres Show” for an episode airing Thursday.
http://delcotimes.com/articles/2012/01/31/news/doc4f28b67554557587076192.txt
USDA school nutrition regs add major
costs for food services
NSBA School January 31, 2012
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rules for nutrition
standards for the school lunch and breakfast programs still fail to provide
adequate funding for schools, NSBA says.
The USDA estimates that the new rules will cost schools an additional
$3.2 billion to implement, a more than 50 percent decrease from its initial
$6.7 billion estimate. However, NSBA is concerned that the new estimate is
based on faulty accounting. http://schoolboardnews.nsba.org/2012/01/usda-school-nutrition-regs-add-major-costs-for-food-services/
Building a better evaluation system: At a glance
Includes
questions for school board members
Center for Public
Education by Jim Hull, Senior Policy Analyst
The push to change
teacher evaluation systems, and especially to include statistical measures of
teachers’ effect on student learning, is here. In 2005, 13 states were able to
link teachers to their students’ performance data; in 2010, 35 states were able
to do so and the number is expected to grow. The Obama administration’s Race to
the Top effort urged states and districts to use this teacher-student link in
teacher evaluations in order to be eligible for grants. In response, 17 states
reportedly changed their evaluation systems to improve their chances of
receiving RTTT funds. Private foundations like the Gates Foundation have also
used their resources to examine teachers’ effectiveness and encourage the use
of such measures. Clearly, this is a fast-moving train that will likely affect
many if not most school districts eventually. In order to prepare, here’s what
you should know
http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Building-A-Better-Evaluation-System/default.aspx
Does President Obama Know What Race to the Top
Is?
I don't know about you, but I am growing
convinced that President Barack Obama doesn't know what Race to the Top is. I
don't think he really understands what his own administration is doing to
education. In his State of the Union address last week, he said that he wanted
teachers to "stop teaching to the test." He also said that teachers
should teach with "creativity and passion." And he said that schools
should reward the best teachers and replace those who weren't doing a good job.
To "reward the best" and "fire the worst," states and
districts are relying on test scores. The Race to the Top says they must.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2012/01/does_president_obama_know_what.html
Can Khan
Move the Bell
Math
instruction goes viral
Spring 2012
Salman
Khan’s short videos remain the centerpiece of Khan Academy
The data
that the web site churns out and the site’s gaming features seem to be the real
learning motivators. Youngsters become “proficient” in a concept by answering a
“streak” of 10 consecutive computer-generated questions: miss one and the
computer sends you back to the start. Youngsters earn “energy points” for
correct answers, and badges for accomplishments as diverse as working speedily
(that’s a meteorite badge) or becoming proficient in the Pythagorean theorem
(that’s a moon badge).
http://educationnext.org/can-khan-move-the-bell-curve-to-the-right/
These legislative guides list contact information, committee
assignments and school districts for PA State Representatives and State
Senators. They also include tips on
being an effective advocate for public education: contacting your elected
officials and writing letters to the editor
Map of Pennsylvania School
Districts
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