Daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 3250 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, 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 and Twitter
These daily emails are archived and
searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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
Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup
for April 28, 2014:
Tax gas drillers to pay for
education, PA Democratic candidates for governor say
PSBA members - Come hear
former Assistant US Secretary of Education, author and education historian
Diane Ravitch.
PSBA Buxmont
Region 11 and Penns Grant Region 15 Combined Region/Legislative Meeting --
Thursday, May 15, at William Tennent High School
-
Buffet dinner/registration, 6 p.m. ($8 charge for dinner) - Program, 7:30 p.m.
-- Minority Senate Education Committee Chair Hon. Andy Dinniman will
introduce guest speaker Diane Ravitch, author and education historian, and
former Assistant Secretary of Education.
Retiring House Education Committee Chairman Paul Clymer will also be
honored for his long time (1981) public service.
EPLC
Education Notebook – Friday, April 25, 2014
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Did you catch our weekend postings?
PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 26, 2014:
Waltons: Save more, live better, dismantle democratically governed American
public schools….
·
Motoko Rich at NYT covers the over 1 billion
dollars spent by the Waltons to privatize democratically governed American
public education.
·
Walton money flows to Pennsylvania
·
Also includes "PDE announces 2014 List
of Low Achieving Schools which define eligibility for OSTC tax credit
scholarships."
"Corbett, too, has seen the polls, which show his low
approval rating stems largely from the 2011-12 education cuts. In a campaign commercial that started airing
last week, Corbett's wife, Susan, touts their joint belief in public education
and claims her husband increased education spending by $1.5 billion since
coming into office."
Tax gas drillers to pay for
education, Democratic candidates for governor say
By Steve Esack, Call Harrisburg Bureau 7:18 pm, April 26,
2014
They have pledged to put back $1 billion in education funding
that was lost in 2011-12 when Corbett did not replace temporary federal funds
and cut state dollars to help close an estimated $4.2 billion budget hole. With
state revenue coming up short and tax hikes on workers or shoppers unappealing
options, the Democrats have vowed to enact a severance tax on natural gas
drillers to pay for that extra spending, and to install a new funding formula
for public schools and charter schools, among other ideas.
Editorial: A consensus
forms to tax energy firms
Delco Times Editorial POSTED: 04/26/14, 9:32 PM EDT
Some weeks ago, when we suggested that Pennsylvania’s property
tax problem could be helped — if not fully “solved” — by imposing a severance
tax on Marcellus Shale drillers and using that revenue to fund schools, we were
engaging in a bit of idealism: Advocating what should or could happen, not
necessarily what will happen. That can
be a fun game to play — kind of like imagining what you’d do with a Powerball
jackpot. But like the lottery, the Pennsylvania General Assembly usually
disabuses us of such fantasies. But now
it turns there might be hope for a fracking tax after all.
Inquirer Editorial: Use sales
tax to help schools
POSTED: Sunday, April 27, 2014, 1:10 AM
Every year, Mayor Nutter
and City Council must decide how much of the city's budget should be given to
public schools. It's a tough decision, because by law, whatever they commit
cannot be reduced later. Their decision
has been made more difficult as the state, which effectively took over the
School District in 2001, has time and again in recent years failed to
adequately fund all of the schools' needs.
If Philly will provide more
money, council president wants more control
WHYY Newsworks BY TOM
MACDONALD APRIL 27, 2014
As the Philadelphia School District is warning of drastic cuts
if the state and city can't provide another $216 million, the head of city
council would like more fiscal control if he's going to provide more for
schools. Council President Darrell
Clarke says he understands that the School District of Philadelphia is in need,
but he wants a stick to accompany the carrots the city supplies. That stick, he
says, would be some sort of control over any new money that comes from the
city.
"I just don't think it's fair or appropriate for the City
Council of Philadelphia to simply each year be asked to raise taxes on the
citizens of Philadelphia
although it is for a very important issue, the schools," Clarke said.
"But the reality is there is no level of fiscal oversight on behalf of the
city council of Philadelphia and I think that needs to be changed."
Educational needs of homeless
Pa. kids targeted
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A task force charged with studying the educational
needs of homeless youth in
Pennsylvania has issued a report that includes establishing a statewide
advisory council as one of 13 recommendations on how to best serve homeless
students. The report also recommends the
state provide some funding to supplement the $2.3 million it receives in
federal funding for services to homeless children and for a more
effective system of transportation to be
developed to ensure homeless students can attend their schools of origin if
they are forced to move. The task force
was created within the Pennsylvania
Department of Education by state legislation in July 2012 and was made
up of representatives from public and private sectors, including education, advocacy
groups, religious organizations, housing and community services, and state
officials. It was chaired by the state secretaries of education and welfare.
needs of homeless youth in
Pennsylvania has issued a report that includes establishing a statewide
advisory council as one of 13 recommendations on how to best serve homeless
students. The report also recommends the
state provide some funding to supplement the $2.3 million it receives in
federal funding for services to homeless children and for a more
effective system of transportation to be
developed to ensure homeless students can attend their schools of origin if
they are forced to move. The task force
was created within the Pennsylvania
Department of Education by state legislation in July 2012 and was made
up of representatives from public and private sectors, including education, advocacy
groups, religious organizations, housing and community services, and state
officials. It was chaired by the state secretaries of education and welfare.
Its report, titled “Meeting the Educational Needs of
Pennsylvania’s Homeless Children and Youth,” was disseminated to the governor,
state Legislature and school districts last month.
Delco Times by Leslie
Krowchenko POSTED: 04/27/14,
10:33 PM EDT |
Delco Times By SUSAN L. SERBIN, Times Correspondent 04/26/14, 8:44 PM EDT
"At a moment when everything
seems so broken and seems so unfixable ... this story tells you something
completely different," said John Gomperts, president of America 's Promise Alliance
Study: 4 in 5 students
graduate high school in U.S.
Post-Gazette By
Kimberly Hefling / Associated Press April 27, 2014 11:33 PM
Their report, based on
Education Department statistics from 2012, was presented today at the Building
a GradNation Summit. The growth has been
spurred by such factors as a greater awareness of the dropout problem and
efforts by districts, states and the federal government to include graduation
rates in accountability measures. Among the initiatives are closing
"dropout factory" schools.
NYT Sunday Dialogue: Our
Choices for Schools
New York Times Opinion APRIL 26, 2014
Readers react to a letter
calling for greater support of public schools rather than “school choice.”
To the Editor:
A prevailing belief in the United States is that education is
the great opportunity equalizer — a silver bullet that can lift kids out of
poverty and transform them into productive citizens. Yet the reality of our
“make or break” education system is that race and social class largely determine
the quality of one’s educational life, from pre-K to graduate school.
“Global cities” like New York , Washington , Chicago and Los Angeles boast diverse
populations and cultural depth, but their public school systems remain highly
segregated. Much of this has to do with housing and rapid rates of
gentrification. But it also has to do with the slow repeal of public policy
focused on school integration in favor of privatization, accountability schemes
and school choice. A recent University
of California , Los
Angeles study,
for example, argues that in New York
City , private and charter schools are exacerbating the
problem of “apartheid” schooling.
"And I must reiterate my disappointment that The Times,
the only paper of record as far as I am concerned, totally missed the point:
that parents and students and educators are ALL up in arms about the Common
Core, not just extremist politicians on both sides, because to us, the Common
Core standards are not even standards. They are vague ideas being developed
(for huge personal profit) by billionaires and testing companies, imposed upon
teachers, students and parents with complete disregard for education, learning
and progress."
Introducing the Reader
Spotlight: A Teacher’s View of Common Core
New York Times By MARGARET SULLIVAN APRIL 22,
2014, 11:05 AM 17 Comments
As I’ve noted, I
get mail. Fairly often, a reader’s view, sent to me, stands quite well on
its own and deserves a wider audience. Toward that end, I’ll occasionally
feature here a letter – possibly lightly trimmed or edited for style – that
fits that description. This one, from
Heidi Reich, a public school teacher in New York State, is a response to
Sunday’s front-page article on the education standards known as Common Core.
This was also the subject of aDavid
Brooks column last week. Reader mail has been heavy on the subject,
mostly expressing unhappiness with how the opposition to the standards has been
depicted as political, rather than because of their flaws
as educational tools. (The Times has written a number of stories on this
subject; not
all of the coverage has focused on politics.)
Kindergarten show canceled so
kids can keep studying to become ‘college and career ready.’ Really.
An annual year-end kindergarten show has been canceled at a New York school because
the kids have to keep working so they will be “college and career” ready.
Really.
That’s what it says in a letter (see below) sent to parents by
Ellen Best-Laimit, the interim principal of Harley
Avenue Primary
School in Elwood ,
N.Y.
INVITATION: Live Twitter chat with PA's
major education leadership orgs Tuesday, April 29 at 8 p.m
PSBA
Steve Robinson, Director of Communication 4/25/2014
The
next live chat on Twitter with Pennsylvania's major education leadership
organizations is set for Tuesday, April 29 at 8 p.m. The April
chat will focus on public school funding and the Planning and Construction
(PlanCon) process. Use hashtag #PAEdFunding to follow along.
On the
last Tuesday of each month at 8 p.m., the following organizations go to Twitter
to discuss timely topics, ask questions and listen to the public's responses:
- The Pennsylvania Association of School
Administrators (PASA);
- The Pennsylvania School Boards
Association (PSBA);
- The Pennsylvania Association of School
Business Officials (PASBO); and
- The Pennsylvania Association of Rural and
Small Schools (PARSS)
Join
the conversation. Share your ideas, lurk, learn and let us know what you think
about the state of support for public schools. It's a simple, free and
fast-paced way to communicate and share information. If you've never tweeted
before, here are directions and a few tips:
- See
more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=7604#sthash.P7z9UOa6.dpuf
Deadline
for PSBA officer nominations is April 30th
PSBA Leadership Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association.
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April 30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and communication, and who have vision for PSBA. Complete details on the nomination process, links to the Application for Nomination form, and scheduled dates for nominee interviews can be found online by clicking here.
PSBA Leadership Development Committee seeks strong leaders for the association.
Members interested in becoming the next leaders of PSBA are encouraged to complete an Application for Nomination no later than April 30. As a member-driven association, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is seeking nominees with strong skills in leadership and communication, and who have vision for PSBA. Complete details on the nomination process, links to the Application for Nomination form, and scheduled dates for nominee interviews can be found online by clicking here.
Public Citizens for Children and Youth
(PCCY) will Host an Education Funding Forum in Delaware County on May 7th
On May
7th, PCCY will host a forum that discusses the state of school
funding in Delaware
County 501 Bywood Avenue ,
Upper Darby PA 19082 from 6:30pm-8pm.
Attendees will get a budget update from Sharon Ward of the Pennsylvania
Budget and Policy Center , hear from School Board members representing
Upper Darby, William Penn, and Haverford
School Districts
Please
RSVP by clicking here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OjFpJwTHnZwRqh0Q5Tdp0KHYaI1Jg0XNvGpmeYMmIyA/viewform
Educating the Voter: A Forum on Public
Education featuring Democratic gubernatorial candidates - April 30th 6:00 pm
Phila Central Library
Presented by Committee of Seventy, Congresso and
Philadelphia Education Fund
Wednesday,
April 30, 2014 at 6:00PM
Join Democratic gubernatorial candidates Katie McGinty, Tom Wolf, Allyson Schwartz and Rob McCord for a discussion on public education.
Please
click here to
register.
PSBA members in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware
Counties
PSBA Buxmont Region 11 and Penns Grant
Region 15 Combined Region/Legislative Meeting -- Thursday, May 15, at William
Tennent High School
-
Buffet dinner/registration, 6 p.m. ($8 charge for dinner) - Program, 7:30 p.m.
-- Minority Senate Education Committee Chair Hon. Andy Dinniman will
introduce guest speaker Diane Ravitch, author and education historian, and
former Assistant Secretary of Education.
Retiring House Education Committee Chairman Paul Clymer will also be
honored for his long time (1981) public service.
PSBA Advocacy Forum and Day on the Hill
May 5-6, Mechanicsburg & Harrisburg
Make an impact on the legislative process by attending PSBA’s Advocacy Forum and Day on the Hill, May 5-6. Day one will provide legislative insights on pensions, training on being an effective advocate, and media relations. Dr. G. Terry Madonna, leading Pennsylvania political analyst, will discuss the legislative landscape in his usual lively and informative style. How to Be an Effective Advocate -- Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Larry Feinberg, Roberta Marcus and Tina Viletto on how to successfully support your issues. At noon, Rep. Dave Reed, Majority Policy Chairman, will address participants. On day two, participants will start with a breakfast at the Harrisburg Hilton with Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley as guest speaker and then hit the ground running with visits to legislative offices in the State CapitolSpace is limited so register early. Click here for more details and to register online.
Make an impact on the legislative process by attending PSBA’s Advocacy Forum and Day on the Hill, May 5-6. Day one will provide legislative insights on pensions, training on being an effective advocate, and media relations. Dr. G. Terry Madonna, leading Pennsylvania political analyst, will discuss the legislative landscape in his usual lively and informative style. How to Be an Effective Advocate -- Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Larry Feinberg, Roberta Marcus and Tina Viletto on how to successfully support your issues. At noon, Rep. Dave Reed, Majority Policy Chairman, will address participants. On day two, participants will start with a breakfast at the Harrisburg Hilton with Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley as guest speaker and then hit the ground running with visits to legislative offices in the State CapitolSpace is limited so register early. Click here for more details and to register online.
Registration
fee of $50 includes lunch and dinner on May 5 and breakfast on May
6.
How the Business Community Can Lead on
Early Education
Economy
League of Greater Philadelphia
Join
business and community leaders to learn about how you can help make sure every
child arrives in kindergarten ready to succeed. On April 29th, the Economy
League of Greater Philadelphia and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and
Southern New Jersey will host a forum featuring business leaders from around
the country talking about why they’re focused on early childhood education and
how they have moved the needle on improving quality and access in their states.
Featured
Speakers
- Jack Brennan, Chairman Emeritus of The
Vanguard Group
- Phil Peterson, Partner, Aon Hewitt and
Co-Chair of America’s Edge/Ready Nation
- And more to be announced!
- Date & Time Tuesday, April
29, 2014 | 5-7 PM
Registration begins at 5 PM;
program from 5:30 to 7:00 PM
- Location Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia
10 North Independence Mall West Philadelphia,
PA 19106
Registration:
http://worldclassgreaterphila.org/worldclasscouncilforum
PILCOP Special Education Seminars 2014
Schedule
Public
Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
Tuesday, April 29th,
12-4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 14th,
1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
2014 PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education
and Arts/Culture in PA
Education Policy and Leadership Center
Below is an alphabetical list of the 2014
Gubernatorial Candidates and links to information about their plans, if
elected, for education and arts/culture in Pennsylvania. This list will be updated, as more
information becomes available.
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