Sunday, February 22, 2015

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 22: Pennsylvania part of growing standardized testing opt-out movement

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3525 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, 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

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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for February 22, 2015:
Pennsylvania part of growing standardized testing opt-out movement



Education Voters of PA holding public forums on school funding
Lancaster County: Tuesday, March 17, at 7:00 pm at Millersville University
York County: Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30pm at the York Learning Center
Cumberland County: Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 pm at the Grace Milliman Pollock Performing Arts Center




Under Pedro Rivera, a new direction for Pennsylvania education policy
Wolf's picks arrives with a full career in urban school districts
By Mary Niederberger / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette February 22, 2015 12:00 AM
Pedro Rivera was raised by a single mother in a poor neighborhood of North Philadelphia.
He could have become a statistic.  Instead, he’s set to become the next state secretary of education, chosen by Gov. Tom Wolf on Jan. 20 and awaiting confirmation by the state Senate.  “I guess I’ve been blessed, in a sense,” said Mr. Rivera, 42, the former superintendent of the School District of Lancaster.  In a recent interview, Mr. Rivera, now serving as acting education secretary, made it clear that he has not forgotten where he came from and the challenges faced by students and families in impoverished neighborhoods.  And his conversations with the governor have been about providing opportunities for success for all students.  “It’s all about finding ways to engage and bring about greater equity to school districts,” he said.  Mr. Rivera’s selection by the governor indicates a change in educational philosophy and funding.  While former Gov. Tom Corbett and his administration reduced education funding by nearly $1 billion when federal stimulus money dried up in 2011, Mr. Wolf is proposing a natural gas extraction tax that would raise $1 billion, of which he has said the “lion’s share” would go to education.

Man tapped to lead PA Education Dept. wants to restore faith in system
By Jacqueline Palochko Of The Morning Call February 21, 2015
Gov. Tom Wolf has pledged to make education a priority, and for his top education official, he's tapped a bilingual educator who brought national recognition to an urban, once-struggling school district.  Pedro Rivera, former superintendent of the Lancaster School District, will take over the Education Department at a time when teachers and administrators are feeling resentment toward the state for budget reductions that led to staff and program cuts in schools.  Rivera, 42, wants to fix that.  "I want to work with educators, school leaders and policy makers to restore Pennsylvania's confidence in our public education system," he said.

Next up on Philly charters: Appeals
MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Sunday, February 22, 2015, 1:09 AM
Late Wednesday night, after the Philadelphia School Reform Commission approved five of 39 charter applications, KIPP Philadelphia CEO Marc Mannella gave his assessment of the decisions.  "One way to look at tonight was that it was a night only lawyers could love," Mannella told reporters after the SRC approved one KIPP proposal and turned down two others.  Meaning, next on the agenda: appeals.  Wednesday's SRC meeting was not only the first time the SRC had considered new proposals for traditional charter schools since 2007. It also was the first time in 14 years that rejected applicants can seek reversals in Harrisburg.

Testy over testing: More students snub standardized exams
Philly.com by KATHY MATHESON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAST UPDATED: Friday, February 20, 2015, 9:54 AM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The backlash against high-stakes testing is kicking into high gear this spring as millions of students start taking new, more rigorous exams.  Officials say the standardized assessments are crucial to evaluating student progress and competitiveness. But a growing cohort of parents, students and teachers are rebelling against what they consider a toxic culture of testing.  They're concerned the exams distract from real learning, put added stress on students and staff, and waste resources. And an increasing number are opting their children out of the assessments.  Officials have begun to listen. Pittsburgh officials cut about 33 hours of testing this year for some elementary students. And U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he's urging Congress to make states set limits on the volume of exams.

"In 2012, only 260 Pennsylvania students opted out of the math and reading PSSAs.  That jumped to more than 1,000 of the 803,468 students eligible to take each of the tests in 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Education reports."
Pennsylvania part of growing standardized testing opt-out movement
Sara K. Satullo | The Express-Times Email the author | Follow on Twitter  on February 20, 2015 at 6:18 PM, updated February 20, 2015 at 8:31 PM
A small but growing number of Pennsylvania families are eschewing state standardized tests, opting for their kids to sit out the annual exams.  This mirrors a national boycott of high stakes standardized testing as millions of students are preparing to take exams aligned to the Common Core -- standards adopted by 43 states outlining the math and language skills students should master in each grade.  In New Jersey on Friday, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams began for some high school students. The exam debuts in 12 states this year and is part of a new generation of tests aligned with the Common Core. Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSAs) testing starts in April.  Responding to the growing clamor, New Jersey lawmakers have introduced legislation that would allow parents to decline their child participate in PARCC exams.  A provision of Pennsylvania law allows parents to opt their children out of standardized testing for religious reasons. Districts cannot deny an opt-out request and families can't be forced to prove how the testing violates their religious beliefs.

Hite: District to Share “Opt Out” Info on Testing
Announcement comes weeks after teachers threatened with discipline for doing the same.
Philly Mag BY JOEL MATHIS  |  FEBRUARY 20, 2015 AT 5:32 AM
The Philadelphia School District is preparing to share information with parents on how to opt their children out of standardized tests.  The announcement came several weeks after teachers at Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences were threatened with discipline for helping students and their families there opt out of the tests. A reported 17 percent of the school’s students had opted out of testing.  Kelly Collings, a teacher at Feltonville, said in an email Thursday night that an "investigatory conference" scheduled at the school for late January had been canceled because of an administrator's illness — and never rescheduled. "There has been no communication whatsoever from the district to the teachers since the original memo was issued on January 21," she said.  Hite said the opt-out information would be distributed to parents in the form of a FAQ. "Individuals will be free to share that information, but we want to be sure it's the accurate information about the opt-out provision," he said.

"Several groups, including the Caucus of Working Educators, Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, Teacher Action Group, Philadelphia Student Union, Parents United for Public Education and Action United, are sponsoring a Feb. 24 forum aimed at finding alternative uses for standardized exams. Parents, teachers, administrators, students, community members, university faculty, and politicians have been invited to participate in the session, which will be held at the central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St."
Opting out of standardized tests popular in Philly
Philly Trib by Wilford Shamlin III Tribune Staff Writer  Sunday, February 22, 2015 12:00 am
Philadelphia Schools Superintendent William Hite attempted to address fallout at Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences after teachers distributed materials explaining parents’ right to “opt out,” or allow their child to skip high stakes testing.  An awkward situation developed at the public school after teachers were asked by administrators to explain their role in sending information on opt out home with students without the principal’s consent. Teachers were asked to attend a fact-finding meeting on the issue. The meeting never took place and there’s no word yet on when it might be rescheduled, according to Kelley Collings, who teaches at the school.
She worried the fact-finding session, though described as informal, could have a chilling effect on teachers in acting as advocates for students and their families.

N.J.'s new standardized test gets F in South Jersey
RITA GIORDANO, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Saturday, February 21, 2015, 12:00 AM POSTED: Thursday, February 19, 2015, 7:45 PM
From a Washington Township third grader to grandparents, educators, and parents, speaker after speaker at a public hearing Thursday rose to voice displeasure - or worse - with New Jersey's emphasis on high-stakes standardized tests.  Most had come to complain about the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), a new and controversial exam aligned with Common Core curriculum standards. It will be given to third through 11th graders statewide starting March 2.

N.J. opposition to new standardized test growing
RITA GIORDANO, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER POSTED: Sunday, February 15, 2015, 11:59 PM
opting their children out of the exam are growing, as is the number of school districts scrambling to draft policies on how to deal with the budding revolt.  It's all about PARCC - the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, one of two tests developed with $360 million in federal funds and aligned with the Common Core curriculum standards.

Testing/Opt Out Refusal Guide for Pennsylvania 2015
United Opt Out 2015

Public screening: Standardized - Lies, Money, and Civil Rights: How Testing is Ruining Public Education
Church of the Redeemer, Wednesday, February 25, 7-9pm 230 Pennswood Road, Bryn Mawr, Parish House, Assembly Room
The Redeemer Moms will follow up with a Q & A session with parents who have been researching this topic for over a year. All are welcome and invited to bring a friend. RSVP by Feb. 23 to Cheryl Masterman.

Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 11 - 17, 2015
Submitted by fairtest on February 17, 2015 - 1:05pm 
The "spin" on today's first story may be a bit ahead of the curve. But the testing resistance and reform movement is making significant progress, as this week's clips from half of the nation's 50 states clearly demonstrate. To win even more tangible victories, we have to ratchet up the pressure on policymakers at the federal, state and local levels to significantly reduce testing overuse and end high-stakes standardized exams.

First Lady, Frances Wolf, spreads message of fair funding on visit to Lancaster city school
Lancaster Online By KAREN SHUEY | Staff Writer Posted: Thursday, February 19, 2015 12:01 pm | Updated: 7:00 pm, Thu Feb 19, 2015.
Frances Wolf, who is still adjusting to her new life in the public eye as first lady of Pennsylvania, was grilled with questions Thursday afternoon.  “How long have you lived in Pennsylvania?” Miguel Quinones asked.  “What’s your favorite part about living in Pennsylvania?” Angelina Contegiancomo followed up with.  “Why was your husband chosen to be governor?” Divenit Cruz-Rodriguez wondered.  This was the scene inside a classroom at King Elementary School in the city during Wolf’s visit to promote the governor’s plan to raise money for schools. And the people seeking answers were third-grade students in Amanda Aiken’s class.
Wolf, sitting on a chair in front of the blackboard, happily obliged.

First lady Frances Wolf defines balancing public role with private profession
By CHRISTINA KAUFFMAN 505-5436/@shewritesitdown 02/20/2015 08:35:41 AM EST 
…Wolf made her first official public appearance as first lady Thursday during a visit to Lancaster City's 500-plus-student Martin Luther King Elementary School, where she and the school's administration and staff squeezed into child-size chairs and gathered around child-sized tables for a roundtable discussion in the library.  Their problems were full-size, such as managing achievement for students who speak 39 different languages, some of whom are grade levels behind the target in reading.  One teacher told her he gets only $100 per year to buy classroom supplies, so he ends up spending his own money, and another said she has to tape her books together.  A third said the books the school does have are outdated, and he found one from 1957 that referenced "when we get to the moon."

PA House Ed Committee Chairman Saylor blasts York City School Board
During a talk with Central York students, legislators addressed the city district issues
York Daily Record By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1 on Twitter UPDATED:   02/20/2015 06:10:02 PM EST
During a visit with students at Central York High School, state Rep. Stan Saylor took aim at the York City School Board, blasting them for problems in the district and suggesting they all need to resign.  As he talked to the students on Friday, Saylor, R-Windsor Township, brought up the York City School District, saying it was "second worst in the state" and noting that proposals for improvement have included splitting the district up among suburban districts, including Central. Saylor, who is House education committee chairman, said he opposes the idea of "just shipping kids around" and said instead the city district needs to be made better.  He asked the Central students if they thought city students should be sent there, prompting a student to ask, "What exactly makes York City that bad?"

Here's the best and most direct way to help schoolkids in need: Ryan Riley
PennLive Op-Ed  By Ryan Riley on February 20, 2015 at 1:00 PM, updated February 20, 2015 at 1:04 PM  Ryan Riley is president and state director of Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania.  
Parents, educators and community leaders, now is the time. Want to improve our schools?  Want to help our children?   In the next few weeks the Congress is going to consider the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  This is the federal government's single largest funding pool for K-12 education. The bill represents the best opportunity to address not only poverty but to close the achievement gap and improve our schools for kids, educators and the community.  In our community we know that to improve the performance of our lowest performing students, we need to address poverty. A child with a toothache is not going to care about math.   A child who is hungry does not care about history.  The best teachers and most gifted school leaders cannot eliminate this pain or alleviate the hunger.  Yet the solution exists in communities across this country. 

Law Center Testifies on Charter School Approval
Staff attorney Michael Churchill testified on behalf of the Law Center on Wednesday, urging the School Reform Commission not to approve 39 new Philadelphia charter schools.  The Law Center believes that now is not the time to approve the charter schools for two reasons: first, because there are insufficient protections to ensure that these applicants will equitably serve students with disabilities and second, because opening these new charters will imperil the thorough and efficient education of the 140,000 students in traditional district schools.
The charter applications are deeply flawed especially in regard to the needs of students with disabilities. Mr. Churchill said, “Philadelphia charter schools received more than $175 million last year to educate special education students but spent only about $77 for that purpose. This is unconscionable.”

Philly schools revise cost of charter expansion after NewsWorks analysis
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY FEBRUARY 20, 2015
We went down the rabbit hole on this one.  And in the end, the Philadelphia School District revised its own math.  After the Philadelphia School Reform Commission voted Wednesday night to approve five new charter schools, SRC chairman Bill Green said the decision would have a "very minimal" impact on the school district's budget.  The commission granted conditional three-year charters to: Independence Charter School West, KIPP DuBois, MaST-Roosevelt, Mastery Gillespie and Tech Freire.  In fact, the SRC's action does not drive up the district's $80 million budget gap for next year.  Over five years, the district said Thursday that the decision to create these 2,684 new seats would cost $13 million.  Fact checking by WHYY/NewsWorks found that this cost estimate was actually overinflated by almost double.  Matt Stanski, the district's chief financial officer, verified this oversight Friday, saying the true cumulative cost of expanding these charters is $6.8 million.

Lawmakers discuss state issues with Central York students
Saylor, Gillespie, Folmer visited the high school on Friday
York Daily Record By Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1 on Twitter UPDATED:   02/20/2015 03:45:15 PM EST
Local lawmakers visited Central York High School students on Friday to offer some insight on how they make decisions on state issues.  State Reps. Stan Saylor and Keith Gillespie, later joined by state Sen. Mike Folmer, spoke with Central York students in law and civics classes Friday. They offered an overview of their backgrounds and then discussed some issues being debated at the state level.

8 Chester County high school teams to participate in ‘Governor’s JOBS1st PA STEM’ competition
By Staff Report , news@dailylocal.com@WCdailylocal on Twitter  02/19/15, 7:14 PM EST
EAST CALN >> Eight Chester County high school teams will compete Friday in the inaugural “Governor’s JOBS1st PA STEM” Competition.  The competition, which was rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, will run from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. The teams of students will compete for a chance to advance to the state competition in May.  Teams will present projects made in advance, as well as participate in a 30-minute “project in a box” competition.

"For the coming school year, districts are facing a 20.7 percent increase in PSERS (Public School Employees’ Retirement System). Springfield’s total cost is $7.6 million and a net cost of $3.8 million, which is an increase of $709,000. Forecasting this several years ago, the board established committed fund balance (now at $5.6 million) to help “smooth” the PSERS impact."
Springfield (Delco) draft budget hikes taxes 3.19 percent
Delco Times By Susan L. Serbin, Times Correspondent POSTED: 02/20/15, 11:10 PM EST |
SPRINGFIELD >> The school board approved a preliminary proposed budget for 2015-16 at just less than $61 million that has an 3.19 percent tax increase. Over the next few months, the board and administration will be working to reduce the taxes increase, according to Don Mooney, executive director of operations, who presented the budget.  Local real estate taxes account for about 72 percent of all revenue. At the proposed rate, taxes on the median assessment of $146,050 are $4,515, an increase of $137 annually. Mooney said the budget was prepared based on the current state funding formula with no assumptions of changes which may be developed by the new governor’s administration.

Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch February 20, 2015 //
Thanks to the Keystone State Education Coalition for sending daily updates, including these.
Governor Wolf complained that Philadelphia public schools could not afford the loss of revenue to charters. The public schools have an $80 million deficit, and more charters will increase rhe deficit. Charters complained because they wanted more approvals.

The bizarre war against AP U.S. history courses
Washington Post By Catherine Rampell Opinion writer February 19 at 8:30 PM
It seems strange to organize an educational system around what can’t be taught to children.
But for large chunks of the country, that is exactly how public educational standards seem to be set: by demarcating and preserving blind spots rather than promoting enlightenment.
It started at least 90 years ago with evolution, when Tennessee banned the teaching of any theory that contradicted the biblical story of the divine creation of man, leading to the infamous Scopes monkey trial. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down such laws, but battles over teaching, or not teaching, evolution in public schools continue to this day. Many parts of the country that have relaxed their objections to teaching evolution have now pivoted to try to ban or sabotage teaching about climate change. Sex ed — at least the kind that actually educates kids about sex, rather than its absence — has come under similar attacks. Now, more recently, states have started trying to ban the teaching of U.S. history.

The State of Public Education Funding in Pennsylvania
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia Tuesday, March 17, 2015 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM United Way Building, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA
Join Law Center attorneys for a briefing on the basics of education funding, a recap of the March 11th oral arguments in the school funding lawsuit, information on the new administration’s budget proposal and more.  There are limited spots available for this free event. 1.5 CLE credits will be offered to participating attorneys.

Education Voters of PA will hold a forum about public school funding in Lancaster County Tuesday, March 17, at 7:00 pm at Millersville University
Education Voters of PA and the Millersville University Education on Location program will be co-hosting a forum about public school funding in Lancaster County on Tuesday, March 17, at 7:00 pm at Millersville University, the Lehrer Room in the Bolger Conference Center.
This event is free and open to the public. It will give Lancaster County residents the opportunity both to learn more about how state funding issues impact their own school districts and to learn about how they can make a positive difference for their schools and communities by advocating for a state system of funding schools that is fair, adequate, and predictable and will provide all students with an opportunity to learn.
Panelists for the forum include:
Dr. Brenda Becker, Hempfield Area SD, Superintendent
Dr. Bob Hollister, Elanco SD, Superintendent
Dr. Mike Leichliter, Penn Manor SD, Superintendent
Dr. Tim Shrom, Solanco SD, Business Manager
Ms. Idette Groff, Conestoga Valley SD, School Board Member    
Mr. Tim Stayer, Ephrata Area SD, School Board Member
Ms. Susan Gobreski, Education Voters of PA

Education Voters of PA will hold a forum about public school funding in York: Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30pm to 8pm at the York Learning Center, 300 E. 7th Avenue, York.

This forum will give York County residents the opportunity both to learn more about how state funding issues impact their own school districts and to learn about how they can make a positive difference for their schools and communities by advocating for a state system of funding schools that is fair, adequate, and predictable and will provide all students with an opportunity to learn.
Panelists for the forum include:
Dr. Emilie Lonardi, West York SD, Superintendent
Dr. Scott Deisley, Red Lion Area SD, Superintendents
Mr. Brian Geller, Northeastern York SD, Director of Operations
Mr. Troy Wentz, Hanover Public SD, Business Manager    
Mrs. Ellen Freireich, York Suburban SD, School Board Member    
Mr. Eric Wolfgang, Central York SD, School Board Member
Guest Panelist: Mr. Jim Buckheit, Executive Director, PA Association of School Administrators
Moderated by: Ms. Susan Spicka, Education Voters of PA

Education Voters of PA will hold a forum about public school funding in Cumberland County: Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 pm at the Grace Milliman Pollock Performing Arts Center, 340 North 21st Street, Camp Hill.
This forum will give Cumberland County residents the opportunity both to learn more about how state funding issues impact their own school districts and to learn about how they can make a positive difference for their schools and communities by advocating for a state system of funding schools that is fair, adequate, and predictable and will provide all students with an opportunity to learn.
Panelists for the forum include:
Mr. Richard Fry, Big Spring SD, Superintendent
Mr. John Friend, Carlisle Area SD, Superintendent
Dr. Mark Leidy, Mechanicsburg Area SD, Superintendent
Ms. Christine Hakes, Camp Hill Area SD, Business Manager
Mr. Matt Franchak, school board member, East Pennsboro SD, School Board Member    
Guest Panelist: Mr. Dave Patti, President and CEO, Pennsylvania Business Council
Moderated by: Ms. Susan Spicka, Education Voters of PA

PSBA 2015 Advocacy Forum
APR 19, 2015 • 8:00 AM - APR 20, 2015 • 5:00 PM
Join PSBA for the second annual Advocacy Forum on April 19-20, 2015. Hear from legislative experts on hot topics and issues regarding public education on Sunday, April 19, at PSBA headquarters in Mechanicsburg. The next day you and fellow advocates will meet with legislators at the state capitol. This is your chance to learn how to successfully advocate on behalf of public education and make your voice heard on the Hill.
·         Schedule of Events
·         Day One –PSBA headquarters
·         10 a.m. — Early Bird Arrival and Registration
·         10:30-12 p.m. — The State Education Agenda
The chairman of the Senate and House Education Committees will share their perspectives on the education agenda for the 2015-16 session of the General Assembly. Speakers: Senator Smucker, chairman, Senate Education Committee; and Representative Saylor, chairman, House Education Committee
·         Noon-1:15 p.m. — Welcome Lunch
·         1:00-12:15 p.m. — Special Welcome and Introduction: Nathan Mains, PSBA Executive Director and William LaCoff, PSBA President
·         12:30-1 p.m. — Speaker: Diane Ravitchnationally known education historian, policy analyst and author of Reign of Error.
·         1:15-2:00 p.m. — Education Priorities will be discussed with the Education Secretary Pedro Rivera
This session provides the latest information on the governor’s proposed state funding plans, the pension crisis and the latest on special education.
·         2:00-2:30 p.m. — Federal Education Update: NSBA
Director of National Advocacy Services Kathleen Branch will join Director of Federal Programs Lucy Gettman from NSBA, to speak about federal advocacy.
·         2:30-3 p.m. — Social Media Training (Speakers to be announced)
·         3-3:15 p.m. — Break
·         3:15-3:45 p.m. — Grassroots Advocacy: How to be an Effective Advocate
Hear from former Allwein Advocacy Award winners Shauna D’Alessandro, school director from West Jefferson Hills SD and PSBA Allegheny Region 14 director, and Mark B. Miller, board vice president of Centennial SD and PSBA BuxMont Region 11 director.
·         3:45-4:15 p.m. — Legislative Update and Lobby Day Coordination
PSBA’s Senior Director of Government Affairs John Callahan will walk you through legislative issues and priorities that might be addressed the next day during legislative visits by members.
·         4:15-5 p.m. — Roundtable Discussion
Network with your fellow board members before visiting your legislator
·         5:00-5:15 p.m. — Break
·         5:15-6:30 p.m. — Dinner Buffet
Enjoy a legislative discussion on the 2015-16 budget and appropriations with Senator Browne
·         6:30 p.m. — Adjourn

Campaign for Fair Education Funding Seeks Campaign Manager
Campaign for Fair Education Funding February 2, 2015
The Campaign for Fair Education Funding seeks a campaign manager who is a strategic thinker and an operational leader. This position could be filled by an individual or firm. The manager will lead the day-to-day operations of the campaign and its government relations, communications, mobilization and research committees and work in partnership with the campaign governing board to set and implement the campaign’s strategic direction.

Sign-up for weekly email updates from the Campaign
The Campaign for Fair Education Funding website

PA Basic Education Funding Commission website

Thorough and Efficient: Pennsylvania Education Funding Lawsuit website
Arguing that our state has failed to ensure that essential resources are available for all of our public school students to meet state academic standards.

Sign up for National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Network
Friends of Public Education

Register Now! EPLC 2015 Regional Workshops for School Board Candidates and Others
The Education Policy and Leadership Center, with the Cooperation of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), will conduct A Series of Regional Full-Day Workshops for 2015 Pennsylvania School Board Candidates.  Incumbents, non-incumbents, campaign supporters and all interested voters are invited to participate in these workshops.
Pittsburgh Region Saturday, February 21, 2015 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA  15120
Harrisburg Region Saturday, March 7, 2015– 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Philadelphia Region Saturday, March 14, 2015 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, 2 W. Lafayette Street, Norristown, PA 19401

NPE 2015 Annual Conference – Chicago April 24 - 26 – Early Bird Special Registration Open!
Early-bird discounted Registration for the Network for Public Education’s Second Annual Conference is now available at this address:
These low rates will last for the month of January.
The event is being held at the Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago, and there is a link on the registration page for special hotel registration rates. Here are some of the event details.
There will be a welcoming social event  7 pm Friday night, at or near the Drake Hotel — details coming soon.   Featured speakers will be:
§         Jitu Brown, National Director – Journey for Justice, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Network for Public Education Board of Directors
§         Tanaisa Brown, High School Senior, with the Newark Student Union
§         Yong Zhao, Author, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?
§         Diane Ravitch in conversation with
§         Lily Eskelsen Garcia, NEA President and
§         Randi Weingarten, AFT President
§         Karen Lewis, President, Chicago Teachers Union

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