Friday, July 17, 2015

PA Ed Policy Roundup for July 17, 2015: Coverage of Senate Passage of NCLB/ESEA Rewrite

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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for July 17, 2015:
Coverage of Senate Passage of NCLB/ESEA Rewrite



PA House Education committee hearing on PA State Assessments is scheduled for 10:00 am July 29, Room 250 Irvis office bldg.



Bears Repeating 1: Pa. schools are the nation’s most inequitable. The new governor wants to fix that.
Washington Post By Emma Brown April 22, 2015 
PHILADELPHIA — At Martin Luther King High, a hulking half-full school here, there aren’t enough textbooks to go around. If teachers want to make a photocopy, they have to buy paper themselves. Though an overwhelming majority of students are living in poverty, no social worker is available to help. Private donations allow for some dance and music classes, but they serve just 60 of the school’s 1,200 students.
At Lower Merion High, 10 miles away in a suburb of stately stone homes, copy paper and textbooks are available but are rarely necessary: Each student has a school-provided laptop. A pool allows for lifeguarding classes, and an arts wing hosts courses in photography, ceramics, studio art and jewelry making. The campus has a social worker.

Bears Repeating 2: Poor schools hit hardest by budget cuts in Pennsylvania
By The Associated Press on August 07, 2011 at 8:12 PM, updated August 07, 2011 at 8:28 PM
Cutbacks in state aid for public schools hit Pennsylvania’s poorer school districts the hardest, slashing nearly three times as many dollars in aid per student compared with wealthier districts, according to an analysis of state data.  All told, the poorest 150 school districts, or 30 percent of the state’s total, lost $537.5 million in five key program lines. That works out to $581 per student, the analysis found. The wealthiest 150 school districts, as measured by the number of children who qualify for subsidized school lunches, lost $123 million, or $214 per student.
Of the remaining money in the programs, almost $3 per student went to the 150 poorest districts for every $1 per student that went to the 150 wealthiest.  The hardest-hit districts, such as Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Reading and York, lost more than 10 times the money per student as some other districts, such as Cumberland Valley in Cumberland County, Council Rock School District in Bucks County, North Allegheny in suburban Pittsburgh and Tredyffrin-Easttown in Chester County.

"Pennsylvania's school funding crisis has often been discussed as if it is just an urban problem or a "Philadelphia" problem.  But a new report shows that 49 out of all 50 State Senate districts have school districts that are getting less than their fair share of state funds."
Bears Repeating 3: 49 out of 50 Pennsylvania Senate Districts have Underfunded School Districts
POWER Press Release July 15, 2015 
A new report shows that 49 of out of Pennsylvania's 50 State Senate Districts have school districts that are not getting their fair share of state education dollars.  The data analysis demonstrates how unfair and underfunded public education is a statewide problem that spans rural, urban, and suburban areas, and proves that nearly every Senate district will benefit from the application of a fair funding formula.  However, lawmakers in Harrisburg have largely gone home for the summer without finishing a budget that addresses school funding and current inequities in the funding system.   Having led a "Moral Takeover" of the State Capitol in June, faith communities across the state have showed major concern over the problem, which they say is an urgent moral crisis.   

No new budget negotiations with Gov. Tom Wolf, says spokesman
Penn Live By Christian Alexandersen | calexandersen@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on July 16, 2015 at 4:00 PM, updated July 16, 2015 at 4:12 PM
Gov. Tom Wolf's Spokesman Jeff Sheridan said there's nothing new to report on Thursday regarding ongoing budget negotiations.  The governor was scheduled to have a press conference on education funding in Williamsport Thursday afternoon and then deliver remarks at the mayor's conference in BethlehemSheridan said the governor spent a "good portion of the day" on Wednesday calling lawmakers by phone. He also spoke to House Speaker Mike Turzai by phone yesterday, Sheridan said.

GOP House member unveils budget alternative
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Thursday, July 16, 2015
Standing alone Thursday, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) unveiled what he called a “middle of the road” budget alternative.  “I’ve been here a long time, I’ve been through a lot of these debates on the budget and I think it’s time we start to get serious about doing this,” he said at Thursday morning’s news conference unveiling his proposal. “It doesn’t appear to me that much progress is being made.”  He said his plan will raise $1.137 billion in new revenue for FY 2015-2016 by placing a 3.2 percent tax on natural gas extractions above the impact fee and raising the personal income from 3.07 to 3.32 percent.  It would remove from the budget proposal vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf what Rep. DiGirolamo called $637.4 million in “unsustainable revenue sources” like liquor privatization, a delay in the school employees’ Social Security payment, a delay in the child welfare payment to counties, the use of the nursing home assessment account balance, and cuts to DHS managed care.  It would also invest $484.2 million in education and human services programs, leaving a total surplus of $15.9 million going into FY 2016-2017.
“Maybe nobody will be happy with what I’m going to propose,” he said.
Rep. DiGirolamo said he has introduced the proposal in an attempt to move negotiations along due to his position as Majority Chairman of the House Human Services Committee.

GOP lawmaker proposes income tax increase, severance tax to break impasse
Trib Live By Brad Bumsted Thursday, July 16, 2015, 1:33 p.m.
HARRISBURG — Saying it's time to break the impasse, a Republican lawmaker on Thursday offered a budget package that he claimed would meet Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and GOP leaders halfway in the 17th day of a stalemate.  “I think it needs to stop,” said Rep. Gene DiGirolamo of Bucks County. “The rhetoric has to stop.”  DiGirolamo's proposal includes a personal income tax hike.  Media campaigns by both sides need to end because they make matters worse, he said during a Capitol news conference.  Wolf proposed a 3.7 percent income tax rate; DiGirolamo would increase it to 3.3 percent, from 3.07 percent.  GOP leaders of both chambers say a broad-based tax increase is off-limits.  The governor wants to impose a 3.2 percent severance tax on natural gas on top of an existing impact fee for municipal revenue of 1.7 percent to 2 percent. He suggested a state sales tax of 6.6 percent, extended to more items.
Wolf's taxing budget
Trib Live Opinion By Gene Barr Wednesday, July 15, 2015, 9:00 p.m.
Pennsylvania
The 2015-16 fiscal year is officially underway, and with no state spending plan in place, it seems as if we are reverting to the old days of budget impasses and standoffs.  Despite the General Assembly meeting its constitutional obligation of getting a budget to the governor's desk by the June 30 deadline — a $30.2 billion plan that included a $1 billion increase in state spending, invested more in education and didn't raise taxes — Gov. Wolf chose to veto the measure and is sticking to his proposal that includes broad-based tax increases and nearly $5 billion in new spending.  This massive tax-increase plan failed to garner a single vote when it was brought up for consideration by the House of Representatives.  The Legislature-approved budget would have made historic state investments in education funding, including a $100 million increase to basic education. It's important to note that Pennsylvania already invests more than $27 billion in education (in total local, state and federal funds). According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, the commonwealth ranks among the top 10 states in the nation in per-pupil spending.  Clearly, Pennsylvania doesn't suffer from a lack of dedicated education funding. What we do suffer from is the ability to ensure those education dollars are being invested in student achievement and the classroom. That's why pension reform is so critically important.
Falling scores, changing test increase focus on Pa. exams
KATHY BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: July 16, 2015, 5:56 PM
A tougher test - coupled with harsher standards for evaluating the students who take it - has prompted a steep decline in this year's scores on the state's main school-achievement exam as well as a surge in the number of kids failing to earn a "proficient" rating.  The news that the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test scores fell for the fourth consecutive year has also sparked a growing debate over the fairness of using the falling scores from a changed test to evaluate teachers and struggling public schools.  State officials acknowledge that the test questions have grown harder, to align Pennsylvania with the national learning standards known as Common Core. But they say the lower 2014-15 scores - from English and math tests of students in grades 3 through 8 - aren't an "apples-to-apples" comparison with past years and that the Wolf administration doesn't want standardized exams to be the sole measure of teacher and student performance.

Test scores drop due to more 'rigorous' standards, says Pa. Department of Education
Penn Live By Christian Alexandersen | calexandersen@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on July 16, 2015 at 10:58 AM, updated July 16, 2015 at 2:23 PM
The standardized test scores for math and language arts by Pennsylvania kids in elementary and middle schools have dropped -- by a lot.   The Pennsylvania Department of Education confirmed to WHYY/Newsworks that the number of students who scored "proficient" or "advanced" on the 2015 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test fell significantly compared with scores in 2014. The tests are taken annually by students in third through eighth grades.  An analysis by WHYY/Newsworks found that proficiency rates dropped on average by 35.4 percentage points in math and 9.4 percentage points in English language arts.  The Department of Education said in a prepared release that the past school year was the first time the tests aligned to the more "rigorous" Pennsylvania Core Standards. So, comparing 2015 scores to the ones in 2014, isn't an apples to apples comparison, it said.  It is important to remember that Pennsylvania's students haven't changed -- the assessment has changed - PDE

Blogger note: this piece provides a good overview of the provisions, issues, reactions and amendments to the bill.
Senate Passes ESEA Rewrite With Big Bipartisan Backing, 81-17
Education Week Politics K-12 Blog By Lauren Camera on July 16, 2015 2:28 PM
Washington
For the first time since 2001, the U.S. Senate Thursday passed a sweeping overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the country's federal K-12 law, which if enacted would significantly roll back the role of the federal government in public education and give states more flexibility in the process.  The legislation, the Every Child Achieves Act, proved a rare example of bipartisan politicking, with co-authors Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., carefully ushering the measure through the amendment process and floor debate with little to no drama. In the end, they held their caucuses together to pass the bill, which would overhaul the law now known as the No Child Left Behind Act, with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle, 81-17.  "Consensus among experts is not easy, but consensus is necessary in the U.S. Senate if we're going to deal with a complex problem like this, and that's exactly what we did," Alexander said. "We found a consensus not only on the urgent need to fix the law, but also on how to fix No Child Left Behind."  Murray relayed similar sentiments. "I've been very glad to work with Chairman Alexander on our bipartisan bill," she said. "It gives states more flexibility while also including federal guardrails to make sure all students have access to a quality education."

NSBA Hails Senate Passage of Every Child Achieves Act Affirming Local Governance in Public Education
NSBA News Release July 16, 2015
Alexandria, Va. (July 16, 2015) --  In light of the U.S. Senate’s passage of its fix for No Child Left Behind, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) applauds the bipartisan consensus to restore local governance in public education. NSBA has worked closely with senators on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177) includes provisions to underscore the importance of local governance and community ownership so that our nation’s 90,000 school board members can offer all students a world-class public education.  By a vote of 81-17, the Senate passed S.1177, to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Chairman, Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, hailed this vote as a “remarkable consensus” achieved by Senate lawmakers. Multiple amendments were considered (by either recorded vote or voice vote) and roughly half were agreed to, including a tri-partisan measure offered by Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) to restore local governance and greater flexibility to local school boards. Senator Fischer, a former school board member and past president of the Nebraska Association of School Boards, introduced the amendment with Senators King and Tester to “ensure that communities have ultimate authority over their school districts,” and “strengthen the relationship among local school board members and parents.”

Senate passes No Child Left Behind rewrite, would shrink federal role in education
Washington Post By Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown July 16 at 2:38 PM
The Senate on Thursday passed a bipartisan rewrite of No Child Left Behind, the main federal education law, that would shrink the federal role in the nation’s 100,000 public schools and yield greater power to states to judge student achievement and school performance.  The measure passed 81-17, an unusual level of agreement in a hyperpartisan era on Capitol Hill. It was a victory for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who each navigated divides within their parties to push the measure to passage, something that lawmakers have been unable to do for eight years.  Alexander dryly called it “a remarkable accomplishment for a U.S. Senate filled with 100 experts on education.”  But the bill lacked a key accountability measure important to Democrats and the Obama administration — an amendment that described struggling schools and required states to take action to improve them. That could threaten the bill’s fate. Under the Senate’s version of the legislation, states would be expected to do something about low-performing schools and struggling students, but the bill leaves it up to states to define “struggling”and what to do about such schools.  Conservatives called it a victory for state and local control.

Senate Approves a Bill to Revamp ‘No Child Left Behind’
New York Times By JENNIFER STEINHAUER JULY 16, 2015
WASHINGTON — For the first time in 14 years, the Senate on Thursday approved a revised version of No Child Left Behind, the signature Bush-era education law that ushered in an era of broadly reviled, high-stakes standardized testing.  But the passage of the bill on a vote of 81 to 17, coming just a week after the House narrowly passed its own version, sets up a showdown between the two chambers, and leaves the fate of a final measure in doubt.  Both bills return some key power to local governments but differ over the role of the federal government and funding allocations.   Congress has repeatedly failed in its efforts to rewrite the law over the last several years.  At the heart of the debate between Democrats and Republicans is the appropriate role for the federal government in education programs, which are largely a function of state and local governments.  Leaders from both sides insist they can come to an agreement that can make it to President Obama’s desk.

No Child Left Behind rewrite passes U.S. Senate, without Casey pre-K amendment
Lancaster Online By TIM STUHLDREHER | Staff Writer Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2015 3:09 pm | Updated: 4:06 pm, Thu Jul 16, 2015.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would roll back significant parts of the much-criticized No Child Left Behind education law.  However, senators voted down U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's proposed amendment to expand public pre-kindergarten education.  The Every Child Achieves Act passed by an 81-17 vote. Casey's amendment was defeated by a vote of 45 to 52.
In a statement, Casey noted he has introduced pre-K legislation in every Congress since 2008, and this is the first time it has received a full Senate vote.  "While I had hoped for a better result I will continue to work to ensure that a substantial investment in Pre-K becomes law," the Pennsylvania Democrat said.  Casey's amendment would have provided more than $30 billion nationwide over five years for full-day education for 3- and 4-year-old children. Pennsylvania would have received $817 million.

Casey Statement Following Vote on Pre-K Amendment
Senator Casey Press Release July 16, 2015 Contact: John Rizzo 202-228-6367
Washington DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a statement following a vote on his Strong Start Pre-K amendment to the No Child Left Behind rewrite currently on the Senate floor. The amendment was not added by a vote of 45-52.
“Today some Senators voted against making our tax code more fair for the middle class and making a substantial investment in locally driven Pre-K programs that would aid more than three million children across our nation, including over 93,000 Pennsylvania children. The facts are clear that if children learn more earlier in life they will earn more later. Investing in Pre-K isn’t just good for children and families it’s central to strengthening our economy and working to fix one of our nation’s most profound economic challenges- the lack of wage growth over the last 40 years. Numerous authoritative studies show that kids who receive high quality early learning have higher wages as adults. Early learning has touched the lives of countless children across Pennsylvania. One mother from Washington County said of her daughter that before Pre-K “She couldn’t write any of her letters or even recognize them. She has improved so much since the first day of class.” Another mother from Montgomery County said of her child’s experience with Pre-K, “He came into this program shy and with little verbal communication. He now talks nonstop and loves learning!” Each Congress since 2008, I’ve introduced Pre-K legislation and this is the first time it’s received a vote on the Senate floor. I appreciate the work that Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member on the Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, did to boost this measure and bring it to a vote. Senator Murray is a tireless advocate for our nation’s children and investments in early learning. While I had hoped for a better result I will continue to work to ensure that a substantial investment in Pre-K becomes law.”

Toomey Fights to Preserve Education Funding For Pennsylvania
Senator Toomey Press Release: July 15, 2015 Contact: Bill Jaffee (202) 228-6837
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) today successfully fought to preserve education funding for Pennsylvania and take education spending cuts off the table.
An amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, originally proposed by Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), would have cut Pennsylvania’s education funding by over $120 million each year. Senator Toomey worked to undercut this effort, working across the aisle with his colleagues in the Senate and with Pennsylvania educators, including the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District William R. Hite, Jr. and the Superintendent of the Pittsburgh School District, Linda A. Lane.  Due to Senator Toomey’s efforts, the formula for allotting education funds will not change, and there will be no effect on Pennsylvania funding in the immediate future. Unfortunately, the compromise amendment could reduce the rate of increase in funding for Pennsylvania in future years. And for this reason, Toomey said in his speech today, he will vote no on the compromise amendment. 

Senate approves No Child Left Behind overhaul; tough talks ahead with House on compromise
US News and World Report By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press July 16, 2015
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted Thursday to roll back significant parts of the much-criticized No Child Left Behind law, keeping the annual testing requirement but reducing the federal role in education.  The 81-17 vote comes a week after the House passed its own rewrite and sets the stage for what could be contentious negotiations over the federal government's influence in education policy.  The Senate version would leave in place the law's annual testing schedule. But, in a major shift, it would give states and districts more control over whether and how to use those tests to assess the performance of schools, teachers and students.
The legislation, sponsored by Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, would prohibit the federal government from requiring or encouraging specific sets of academic standards, such as Common Core.

Senate Passes Education Bill, But Tough Talks Lie Ahead With House
Both chambers back sweeping changes to Bush-era’s ‘No Child Left Behind,’ though versions differ
Wall Street Journal By ISAAC STANLEY-BECKER July 16, 2015 2:51 p.m. ET (paywall)
WASHINGTON—For the first time in 14 years, both chambers of Congress have backed sweeping changes to federal education law, but stark differences between the House and Senate bills portend difficult negotiations to produce final legislation to replace the Bush-era “No Child Left Behind.”

Senate passes overhaul of No Child Left Behind
The Hill By Jordain Carney July 16, 2015, 02:43 pm
The Senate on Thursday passed an overhaul of the No Child Left Behind education law, an action that senators on both sides of the aisle agreed was long overdue.   Senators voted 81-17 to pass the Every Child Achieves Act, which transfers more decision-making power to state and local authorities.   While No Child Left Behind was passed under former President George W. Bush, the weeklong debate in the Senate over changes to the law was among the least divisive of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) six-month tenure as majority leader.  He touted the legislation as the latest example that his party has been able to get the Senate working again ahead of the 2016 elections.  "The pundits told us it would never happen. Republicans and Democrats will never agree on a way to replace No Child Left Behind, they said. But a new Senate that’s back to work is proving them wrong," McConnell said.  Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who spearheaded the bill, repeatedly thanked Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) for their cooperation.

Senate passes education bill that shifts power to states
Politico By MAGGIE SEVERNS and KIMBERLY HEFLING 7/16/15 2:56 PM EDT
Congress is finally on its way to rewriting the long-outdated — and widely hated — No Child Left Behind education law.  The Senate on Thursday passed an update to the country’s overarching education law that greatly rolls back the federal say in thousands of public schools.  The chamber, with a vote of 81-17, cleared its bill just a week after the House eked out passage of its proposed rewrite of the 2002 law, a victory it took Republican supporters months to achieve. Now the two chambers and the White House must negotiate a bill that can satisfy the president and House Republicans — who passed their bill with no Democratic support and under the threat of a veto.  Unlike the original No Child Left Behind, which laid out the moonshot goal of all students eventually reading on grade level, the new Every Child Achieves Act is measured. It responds to widespread unrest about testing and the Common Core academic standards, diminishes federal oversight of schools and doesn’t set any new, ambitious goals for the education system as the original law did.

AASA Applauds Senate Vote On ECAA
AASA Press Release James Minichello Alexandria, Va. – July 16, 2015
Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, issued the following statement today following the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Every Child Achieves Act.  “AASA applauds the Senate for its broad support for our nation’s schools and the students they serve, voting 81-17 to pass the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA). In this act, the effort to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, going on its 8th year) has reached the furthest point yet. Today’s vote maintains the core focus of ESEA, targeting resources and support to students most in need while providing robust educational opportunities for all students. ECAA is long past due and ensures continued support for our nation’s public schools.  “We applaud ECAA for being a bipartisan solution to the federal overreach and punitive measures in current law, restoring a more proper balance between federal, state and local government in public education. By returning autonomy to the state and local level, ECAA recognizes the importance of empowering state and local leaders to use their professional knowledge and proximal location to make the decisions necessary to successfully adhere to their educational missions. We look forward to the conference committee process to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate proposals.”

Senate’s “Every Child Achieves Act” Passes by 81-17
Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch July 16, 2015 //
Minutes ago, a bipartisan majority of the Senate approved the Every Child Achieves Act, which is the bill forged by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) and Patty Murray (D-WA). This is the long-overdue reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, the legislation passed by Congress in 2001 and signed into law on January 8, 2002. The underlying legislation is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, whose purpose was to authorize federal aid to education targeted to schools that enrolled significant numbers of children living in poverty. The original bill was about equity, not testing and accountability.  The Senate bill retains annual testing, but removes federal sanctions attached to test results. Any rewards or sanctions attached to test scores will be left to states. The Senate rejected private school vouchers; nine Republican Senators joined with Democrats to defeat the voucher proposal. The bill also strengthens current prohibitions against the Secretary of Education dictating specific curriculum, standards, and tests to states, as well as barring the Secretary from tying test scores to teacher evaluations. The bill repudiates the punitive measures of of NCLB and RTTT.  The House of Representatives has already passed its own bill, called the Student Success Act. A conference committee representing both houses will meet to iron out their differences and craft a bill that will then be presented for a vote in both houses.



Nominations for PSBA's Allwein Advocacy Award now open
PSBA July 7, 2015
The Timothy M. Allwein Advocacy Award was established in 2011 by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and may be presented annually to the individual school director or entire school board to recognize outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education and students that are consistent with the positions in PSBA’s Legislative Platform.  The 2015 Allwein Award nomination process will close on Aug. 28, 2015. The 2015 Allwein Award Nomination Form is available online. More details on the award and nominations process can be found online

Register Now – PAESSP State Conference – Oct. 18-20 – State College, PA
Registration is now open for PAESSP's State Conference to be held October 18-20 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA! This year's theme is @EVERYLEADER and features three nationally-known keynote speakers (Dr. James Stronge, Justin Baeder and Dr. Mike Schmoker), professional breakout sessions, a legal update, exhibits, Tech Learning Labs and many opportunities to network with your colleagues (Monday evening event with Jay Paterno).  Once again, in conjunction with its conference, PAESSP will offer two 30-hour Act 45 PIL-approved programs, Linking Student Learning to Teacher Supervision and Evaluation (pre-conference offering on 10/17/15); and Improving Student Learning Through Research-Based Practices: The Power of an Effective Principal (held during the conference, 10/18/15 -10/20/15). Register for either or both PIL programs when you register for the Full Conference!
REGISTER TODAY for the Conference and Act 45 PIL program/s at:

Apply now for EPLC’s 2015-2016 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
Applications are available now for the 2015-2016 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC).  With more than 400 graduates in its first sixteen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants.  Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, charter school leaders, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders.  Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.  The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 17-18, 2015 and continues to graduation in June 2016.
Click here to read about the Education Policy Fellowship Program.

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