Thursday, September 29, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 29: US DOE Releases Another $245M for Privatization of Public Schools

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3950 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, School Solicitors, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, 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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup September 29, 2016
US DOE Releases Another $245 Million for Privatization of Public Schools


Accountant pleads guilty to conspiracy to divert Pa Cyber school funds
TribLive BY BRIAN BOWLING  | Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, 1:18 p.m.
The accountant for former Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School CEO Nick Trombetta admitted Wednesday in federal court that he helped Trombetta illegally divert about $8 million in public money from the Beaver County school.  Neal Prence, 61, of Koppel pleaded guilty to a charge of tax conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti scheduled his sentencing for Jan. 6.  Prence had been set to plead Sept. 19 but backed out at the last minute because of some legal technicalities connected with his plea agreement, said his lawyer, Stanton Levenson.

Former PA Cyber accountant pleads to tax conspiracy
Beaver County Times By Kirstin Kennedy kkennedy@timesonline.com September 28, 2016
PITTSBURGH -- A Koppel accountant federally indicted along with Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School founder Nick Trombetta pleaded guilty Wednesday to tax conspiracy, according to online court records.  Neal Prence was indicted in August 2013 alongside Trombetta, was also was charged with mail fraud, theft and bribery concerning a federal program, tax conspiracy and filing false tax returns.  Trombetta pleaded guilty to tax conspiracy in August.  The sole charged brought against Prence was tax conspiracy for assisting Trombetta in a tax fraud scheme which prosecutors allege siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars through the Rochester-based National Network of Digital Schools (NNDS), now known as Lincoln Learning Solutions, and Avanti Management Group in Koppel.  Prence is scheduled for sentencing in January, according to federal officials. Initial reports indicate he could face up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

“While it is admirable that legislators are concerned that high school students don’t know enough about civics, it’s unfortunate that they think the solution is another standardized test.
The Measure of Citizenship isn’t an Exit Exam – It’s Participating in Our Democracy
Gadfly on the Wall Blog September 29, 2016  by stevenmsinger , 
Pennsylvania legislators just flunked civics – big time.  Once again, instead of offering real solutions to eradicate the ignorance of the coming generation, they clothed themselves in their own.  A bi-partisan group of 47 state lawmakers is proposing forcing all public school students to   pass a test on citizenship in order to qualify for a diploma.  House Bill 1858 would require all K-12 schools receiving tax dollars — including charters schools and cybercharters — to give their students the same 100-question test that immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship will have to pass starting in 2020. Any student who doesn’t get a sufficient score will not receive a diploma or GED equivalency. 

Could you pass a basic civics quiz? Answer these 10 questions
Morning Call September 28, 2016
A bill in Harrisburg would require Pennsylvania high school students to pass a civics test to graduate. The exam would be the same one immigrants must pass to earn naturalized U.S. citizenship.  Here are 10 sample questions. How many answers do you know?

Editorial: Civics exam should be required for graduation
Wilkes Barre Citizens Voice by THE EDITORIAL BOARD / PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
For all the furor about immigration in this particularly mean election season, the sad irony is that many immigrants know far more about U.S. history and government than native citizens. Unlike natives, immigrants must prove it on a test when they choose to become citizens.  Survey after survey shows that high percentages of Americans are ignorant of basic civics, the structure and functions of the government and the meaning of the Bill of Rights.  Yet in Pennsylvania, the cradle of American democracy, the state government does nothing to ensure that citizens of the commonwealth have at least a rudimentary understanding of how that democracy works.  The legislature has taken up a bill to require high school seniors to demonstrate very basic civics literacy to qualify for graduation. A pending bill would require seniors to pass a 100 question test derived from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services test for naturalized citizens. Passing would require a score of just 60, and students would be able to take it until they passed. The objective, after all, is for them to depart school with some understanding of civics. It is not a punitive process.

Many Americans know nothing about their government. Here’s a bold way schools can fix that.
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss September 27 
You probably didn’t notice, but Sept. 17 was Constitution Day. What is that, you ask?
It’s a day that commemorates the signing of the final version of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention who created a new U.S. government — about which most Americans know embarrassingly little. Congress created Constitution Day in 2004, requiring all schools that receive federal funding to offer some type of “educational program” on the U.S. Constitution on or close to Sept. 17 every year.  A single day is not anywhere nearly enough — certainly not at a time when the country is facing ocean-deep political divisions and when the Republican presidential candidate,Donald Trump, has stoked racial fears and encouraged violence while displaying profound ignorance of how the government that he wants to lead works.  How little do Americans know about the workings of their own government? And does it really matter to the continued workings of that government?

“Penn Alexander has been a closely watched experiment since its inception 15 years ago. The school was conceived as a partnership between the School District of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and the University of Pennsylvania.  Penn provides supplemental staff and extra funding to the school on the order of $1,330 per child. The project is part of Penn’s ongoing efforts to reach beyond the ivory tower and into the largely low-income swaths of Philadelphia that extend beyond its borders.  The teachers union, meanwhile, helped plan the school and agreed to staff work rules that — at the time — were unusually flexible. “
Penn Alexander in Philadelphia wins major national education award
WHYY Newsworks BY AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
The Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia has been called many things since it opened in 2001: success story, ground breaker, gentrifier.  Now it can add a new label: national award winner  The K-8 school — located on the western edge of University of Pennsylvania’s campus — was named a National Blue Ribbon School Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Education.  First awarded in 1982, the honor goes to schools that are extraordinarily high achieving or — as in Penn Alexander’s case —  have done a notable job closing the achievement gap. Just 11 public schools in Philadelphia have earned the distinction, and Penn Alexander is the only district winner this year.  Penn Alexander is also a notable recipient in one other regard — it’s a neighborhood elementary school. Of the 10 prior district schools to win the National Blue Ribbon prize, eight are special-admission schools. The list includes perennial top performers Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School, Central High School, and the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

York Suburban named Blue Ribbon School
York Dispatch by Alyssa Jackson, 505-5438/@AlyssaJacksonYD12:40 a.m. September 29, 2016
On Wednesday, York Suburban High School was named a Blue Ribbon School by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.  According to a news release sent out by the school district, the school is among 279 public schools and 50 private schools that received the award this year.  According to the U.S. Department of Education website, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes private and public schools based on overall academic excellence or their work in closing the achievement gap. So far, more than 7,500 schools have become Blue Ribbon Schools since the start of the program in 1982.

“Across the nation, 329 schools were singled out for excellence. Schools win the honor either for strong academic performance or for work in narrowing the achievement gap among groups of students.”
10 Philly, suburban schools win national honor
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham and Martha Woodall, STAFF WRITERS SEPTEMBER 29, 2016
Confetti cannons rained blue paper on 550 eager boys and girls as Principal Michael Farrell trumpeted the news Wednesday: Penn Alexander, a West Philadelphia K-8, had been named one of the best schools in the nation.  U.S. Secretary of Education John King designated Penn Alexander and nine other local schools as "shining examples" for others around the country, winners of the 2016 National Blue Ribbon.  For Penn Alexander, a Philadelphia School District elementary that operates in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, it was especially sweet.  "We talk about collaboration and group work with our kids all the time," Farrell said. "They see that this school is different, and it's unique. And now it's being celebrated because of its collaboration - that's a big takeaway."

Pennsylvania 2016 Blue Ribbon schools are listed on pages 25-26
2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Non-Public
US Dept. of Education September 28, 2016

Gerald Zahorchak | Pennsylvania has pressing need for teachers
Johnstown Tribune Democrat By Gerald Zahorchak jzahorch@pitt.edu September 28, 2016
Gerald Zahorchak of Johnstown is interim chairman of Pitt-Johnstown’s education division. He formerly was superintendent of Greater Johnstown School District and Pennsylvania Secretary of Education.  How many students were in your English or history classes in eighth grade? Imagine twice that many. How much attention could the teacher have given to you? How would this have impacted your grades? We very well could be facing this reality as a teacher shortage is upon us.  Pennsylvania needs teachers, especially in the areas of math, science, world languages, special education, speech and language, and bilingual education, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s “Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing, 2016-17.”  Parents of high school students should be sharing real career facts with their children. This message is intended to help parents and high school students steer toward the field of education, a most promising place for tomorrow’s young professionals.

Western Pa. schools' $20K STEAM grant creations put on display
Trib Live BY ELIZABETH BEHRMAN  | Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, 10:21 p.m.
Stephanie Bonifield stroked her dog Marvin under the chin, and he wagged his tail.
The orange pooch, made of duct tape and cardboard, also blinked his light bulb eyes and shook paws with people who stopped to greet him.  “He's got a gimpy leg, but it works,” said Bonifield, 17, a senior at Carlynton Junior-Senior High School. Marvin is her second robot — she also made Fred, a dinosaur.  She and other Carlynton students showed off their work at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's annual STEAM Showcase this week. Twenty-eight school districts from Western Pennsylvania sent students to the event to show off what they did with their $20,000 STEAM grants from the AIU in the past year.

“OJR becomes the third district in Chester County to consider altering start times. Unionville-Chadds Ford and Phoenixille Area districts are looking at the logistics of changing start times for the next school year.”
OJR to study altering school start times
Daily Local By Nancy March, For Digital First Media POSTED: 09/28/16, 11:43 AM EDT
SOUTH COVENTRY >> Answering the concerns of some parents and a Chester County-wide study, Owen J. Roberts School District is forming a committee to consider early school start times at the middle and high schools.  Several parents had addressed the board in May to raise the issue of sleep deprivation in teens caused by early school start times. Currently, high school and middle school classes begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:15 p.m.  The speakers in May, including three parents, a doctor and one teen, suggested changing to a start time no earlier than 8:30 a.m., based on a 2014 recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Superintendent Michael L. Christian told the school board Monday night that a committee is being formed to study the issue. He said the students who completed a study last year for the Chester County Intermediate Unit will make a presentation at the next board committee-of-the-whole meeting Oct. 10.  Christian said after the meeting that an email went out to parents inviting their participation in the committee. Board members, school staff and members of student government will also participate.


U.S. Department of Education Awards $245 Million to Support High-Quality Public Charter Schools
U.S. Department of Education Press Office September 28, 2016
The U.S. Department of Education announced today new grants totaling approximately $245 million under its Charter Schools Program (CSP), which funds the creation and expansion of public charter schools across the nation. Today’s grants are being awarded to state educational agencies and charter management organizations.  The CSP supports the creation of high-quality public charter schools by providing start-up funds for new charter schools, strengthening accountability for charter school performance, sharing leading practices that enable school success, and ultimately, improving educational outcomes for students from high-need communities. The CSP has invested over $3 billion since the program’s inception in 1995 to states and charter school developers. In the past decade, CSP investments have enabled the launch of over 2,500 charter schools, serving approximately one million students. Through the CSP, the Department is committed to supporting the continued growth of excellent public charter schools that are closing equity gaps and improving student outcomes, and these schools’ community engagement and public accountability. ….. Please see below for the list of grantees, first year grant amounts, and total recommended funding (contingent on future Congressional appropriations).

US Department of Education Releases Another $245 Million for Privatization of Public Schools
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch September 28, 2016 //
John King awards $245M to charters incl $8M to the Uncommon Schools charter chain, a chain he previously ran that is known for outrageously high suspension rates. Jersey Jazzman called him the King of Student Suspensions. (His own children never attended a no-excuses charter school; when he lived in New York, they were enrolled in a Montessori school.)  http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2015/10/john-king-new-seced-is-king-of-student.html?m=1
Research accumulates that charters don’t necessarily outperform public schools. That they drain resources from public schools, thus harming the great majority of children who attend public schools. That they fail to be accountable or transparent. That their sponsors and advocates are funded by billionaires and hedge fund managers. That even the best of them, according to a new study by Dobbie and Fryer, have no long-term effects. That they open and close with alarming frequency. That many are abject failures.  Yet John King is using his brief tenure to hand over hundreds of millions to continue the Public School Demolition Derby.
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-awards-245-million-support-high-quality-public-charter-schools

Why California’s charter school sector is called ‘the Wild West’
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss September 28 at 12:06 PM 
This is the second of four posts on the state of the charter school sector in California.
The charter school sector has grown over the last few decades amid a debate about its virtues and drawbacks — and even whether the publicly funded schools are actually public. Some charters do a great job, but even some advocates (though not all) are finally admitting that too many states allowed charters to open and operate without sufficient oversight.  Ohio and Utah have vied for the distinction of having the most troubled charter sector, along with Arizona, where there are no laws against conflicts of interest and for-profit charters do not have to open their books to the public. There’s also Michigan, where 80 percent of the charters are for-profit. And Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale recently issued a report and declared his state’s charter school law the “worst” in the nation.  It’s a race to the bottom.

An education reform civil war in the Black community?
Cloaking Inequity Blog September 28, 2016 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig in Charter Schools
I have begun thinking about the education reform dispute as a civil war in the Black community.  Incidentally, at my uncle funeral in Saginaw Michigan this past weekend, I met a fourth cousin who told me that our great great great grandfather fought in the US Civil War for the Union Army in the 110th colored. I learned he was captured at Fort Henderson in Athens, Alabama by General Nathan Bedford Forrest and was a POW until his escape 8 months later. Probably one of the most, most profound things that has happened to me this year.  Returning to the civil war that is occurring in 2016. I spoke at a Journey for Justice Alliance conference at SUNY Old Westbury on Monday before the first presidential debates. I discussed my perspective on the education reform civil war in the Black community. A draft of my remarks is below the video.


Basic Education Funding workshops coming to your area
PA now has a permanent Basic Education Funding formula. Learn more about how it works, what it measures and why it's important. Workshops sponsored by PASA, PSBA, PAIU, PARSS, PA Principals Association and PASBO are coming to an area near you.
Register and see more details and dates here.

EDUCATION LAW CENTER invites you to our ANNUAL CELEBRATION
Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 5:30 PM
The Crystal Tea Room, The Wanamaker Building
100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, PA
Honoring: Pepper Hamilton LLP, Signe Wilkinson, Dr. Monique W. Morris
And presenting the ELC PRO BONO AWARD  to Paul Saint-Antoine & Chanda Miller
of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

The Public Interest Law Center invites you to its 2016 Annual Event: “Of the People, By the People, For the People.” Thursday, Oct 6, 2016 at 6:00 PM
FringeArts 140 N. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA
Honoring: Soil Generation, Nicholas Chimicles, and Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
http://www.pubintlaw.org/2016event/

PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM  Wednesday, October 12, 2016  SUBJECT:  EPLC's 2016 Report:  High School Career and Technical Education: Serving Pennsylvania's Workforce and Student Needs
Coffee and Networking - 9:30 a.m.  Program - 10:00 a.m. to Noon   

Technical College High School (Brandywine Campus) - 443 Boot Rd., Downingtown, PA 19335
 RSVP by clicking here. There is no fee, but a RSVP is required. Please feel free to share this invitation with your staff and network. 
SPEAKERS:
An Overview of the EPLC Report on High School CTE will be presented by:
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center
Statewide and Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By
Dr. Lee Burket, Director, Bureau of Career & Technical Education, PA Department of Education
Jackie Cullen, Executive Director, PA Association of Career & Technical Administrators
Dan Fogarty, Director of Workforce Development & COO, Berks County Workforce Development Board
Kirk Williard, Ed.D., Director of Career, Technical & Customized Education, Chester County Intermediate Unit 


Registration for the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference Oct. 13-15 is now open
The conference is your opportunity to learn, network and be inspired by peers and experts.
TO REGISTER: See https://www.psba.org/members-area/store-registration/   (you must be logged in to the Members Area to register). You can read more on How to Register for a PSBA Event here.   CONFERENCE WEBSITE: For all other program details, schedules, exhibits, etc., see the conference website:www.paschoolleaders.org.

The Sixth Annual Arts and Education Symposium – October 27, 2016
The 2016 Arts and Education Symposium will be held on October 27 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center.  Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Arts Education network and EPLC, the Symposium is a Unique Networking and Learning Opportunity for:
·         Arts Educators
·         School Leaders
·         Artists
·         Arts and Culture Community Leaders
·         Arts-related Business Leaders
·         Arts Education Faculty and Administrators in Higher Education
·         Advocates
·         State and Local Policy Leaders
Act 48 Credit is available.
Program and registration information are available here.

REGISTER NOW for the 2016 PA Principals Association State Conference, October 30 - November 1, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.
PA Principals Association website Tuesday, August 2, 2016 10:43 AM
To receive the Early Bird Discount, you must be registered by August 31, 2016:
Members: $300  Non-Members: $400
Featuring Three National Keynote Speakers: Eric Sheninger, Jill Jackson & Salome Thomas-EL

SAVE THE DATE LWVPA Convention 2017 June 1-4, 2017
Join the League of Women Voters of PA for our 2017 Biennial Convention at the beautiful Inn at Pocono Manor!


Wednesday, September 28, 2016

PA Ed Policy Roundup Sept 28: More $$$, spent in the right way, reduces achievement gap, study says

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3950 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, School Solicitors, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, 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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup September 28, 2016
More money, spent in the right way, reduces the achievement gap, study says



SuccessStartsHere ‏@SuccessStartsPA 
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Check out our website at:  https://www.successstartshere.org/ 



When's the deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania and New Jersey?
By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on September 27, 2016 at 5:17 PM, updated September 27, 2016 at 6:23 PM
If you want to vote in the presidential election Nov. 8, but you're not yet registered to vote, time is running out.  Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline is Oct. 11, while in New Jersey it is Oct. 18. The mail-in absentee ballot deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Pennsylvania and Nov. 1 in Jersey.  If you are now 17 but will turn 18 on or before election day you can register to vote in either state.  Pennsylvanians can register online with the Department of State here or send a form postmarked by Oct. 11 to their county voter registration office. Download a blank form here. (Active duty military or hospitalized or bedridden veterans can register at any time.)

Another View: Cash-starved schools but over $1B for testing?
Daily Local Opinion by Senator Andy Dinniman POSTED: 09/27/16, 3:07 PM EDT
State Senator Andy Dinniman, of West Whiteland, is minority chair of the Senate Education Committee.
While school funding is in crisis and property taxes continue to rise, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) since 2008 has signed contracts for more than $741 million for PSSA and Keystone Exam testing. All of this money went to one company, Data Recognition Corporation (DRC), who received three contracts, two of which had no-bid extensions.  While a testing company is making big bucks, some of our schools do not even have the funds to purchase textbooks that contain the Common Core standards upon which the students are tested. Doesn’t PDE understand that it’s simply unconscionable to stamp failure on the backs of students who don’t even have access to the materials on which they are being tested?  The costs to school districts for testing and supervising the required Project Based Assessment (PBA) for those not passing the Keystone is conservatively estimated to be over 300 million dollars. This means between the state and school districts, Pennsylvania’s testing programs in the past eight years have cost the taxpayers almost $1.1 billion.

“So much of the state’s new revenue — meaning new tax dollars — goes directly to fund pensions. “Mandated state contributions for public employees and school employee pensions are consuming a growing share of the state’s budget,” the chamber bosses wrote. “More than 60 cents of every new dollar in state revenue — revenue generated by taxpayers — goes toward the state’s required pension payments.”
Editorial: Pension reform, before anything else
Sunbury Daily Item Editorial Sep 25, 2016
As elected officials return to Harrisburg the 500-pound gorilla in the commonwealth’s corner remains. Until lawmakers from both parties find the courage to stand up and replace, repair or rehabilitate Pennsylvania’s pension system, it will remain the anchor grounding any significant state financial reforms moving forward.  With the November election less than seven weeks away, there are just nine official session days scheduled for the state House and Senate. Is that enough time to hammer out a deal? Probably not, but that is enough time to revisit proposals, adjust and take real steps toward a resolution especially considered pension reform has been a key agenda item for several years already.  The state needs to transition to a more taxpayer-friendly 401(k) style system for all new hires and re-elected — or newly elected — officials. Monies already earned by former retirees or those already in the current system must be protected as well. This transition won’t offer an immediate fix, but instead flattens the existing steep upward curve.

 “Actually, as a country, we spend quite a bit on average in education,” Johnson said at the event, “but our distribution and the inequality in spending across districts is undermining our ability to realize the longstanding ideal of equal educational opportunity.”  Johnson explained that this inequity is caused, in large part, by the “the historical reliance on the local property tax base to raise revenue for our local schools and the consistent residential segregation by both economic status and race.”
More money, spent in the right way, reduces the achievement gap, study says
The notebook by Greg Windle September 27, 2016 — 1:11pm
Money does matter in education, when spent on the right investments and when allocated in ways that respond more directly to need, according to public policy expert Rucker Johnson.
Last week, Johnson, associate professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, presented the findings of his work on the effects of fair funding and school finance reforms at City Hall in an event that was organized by the Education Law Center.  Johnson's work on school funding made headlines in the Washington Post last year.  The study, conducted by Johnson and his co-authors, found that among students graduating from low-income school districts, an increase in per-pupil funding of 10 percent throughout K-12  increased student’s adult earnings 13.4 percent by age 45. His research also found that school finance reforms have led to increases in high school graduation rates and academic proficiency.

Erie School District enters financial watch status
GoErie By Valerie Myers  814-878-1913  etnmyers September 27, 2016 08:07 PM
ERIE, Pa. -- The Erie School District is officially on the state's "financial watch" list.  And that's a good thing, schools Superintendent Jay Badams said.  The district on Tuesday received $2 million in emergency funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The payment triggers "financial watch status" and a process in which the district will work with the department to solve continuing financial problems.  "It's an opportunity to make our case to the state," Badams said. "We'll put together a plan to show what we're able to do locally to try to make the district solvent, and what we'll likely have to ask of the state. It's also an opportunity to show what we'd have to do to cut our way to solvency."  Cuts on the table for the 2017-18 school year could include art and music programs, full-day kindergarten, school libraries, sports and extracurricular activities and closing all four district high schools. The district kept those cuts at bay this school year with a $3.3 million increase in state basic education funding and a $4 million emergency allocation that balanced its 2016-17 budget.  The $2 million payment received by the district Tuesday is the first half of the $4 million emergency money.

Changes Ahead For SRC Panel Running Philadelphia Schools
CBS Philly September 24, 2016 9:00 PM By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The state panel running Philadelphia’s schools could have a much different look in a few months.  The terms of three of the five members of the School Reform Commission expire in January. They include governor’s appointee Feather Houstoun, and city appointees — chair Marge Neff and Sylvia Simms.  “We want not just people. We want the right people,” says Governor Wolf. “And so I’m making sure we’re vetting folks — making sure this process is done correctly.”  Wolf says a candidate’s position on charter schools is only one element:  “I don’t have any litmus test. I mean, the charter school issue here is just a dollars and cents issue.”  The governor says he’s considering a number of candidates for Houstoun’s seat:  “Absolutely. Working through that, and I should have an announcement soon.”  The governor’s choice will need to be confirmed by the state senate.  Wolf says he continues to support a return to local control for Philadelphia schools.

"You can't yo-yo educational investments," Monson said. "You can't give a nurse and a counselor one year, and then take them back."
Philly school superintendent Hite says district in great shape now, but deficits loom
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer Updated: SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 — 1:08 AM EDT
Several weeks into a new school year, William R. Hite Jr. has his elevator pitch perfected: The Philadelphia School District is in the best shape he's seen during his superintendency.
The 130,000-student system carried a small financial surplus into the new school term. Officials were able to buy new textbooks for the first time in years, and they were able to restore nurses, counselors, and some art and music teachers.  But Hite and district chief financial officer Uri Monson told a room full of Center City businesspeople Tuesday that what they lack is the ability to guarantee that condition in the long term.  "It's a lot more stable - for right now," Hite told members of the Central Philadelphia Development Corp. who gathered at the Union League.

Pennsylvania high schoolers might face same civics exam as immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship
Morning Call by Steve Esack Contact Reporter Call Harrisburg Bureau September 27, 2016
Pa students might have to take and pass mandatory civics test to get diploma
HARRISBURG — The first Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump debate is getting national attention, but only a quarter of Americans fully understand the electoral powers the debaters are seeking.  A recent study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvaniafound that just 26 percent of Americans could name the three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial.  That's the worst score, by far, in half a dozen years.  But there's a national movement to put a greater emphasis — with the help of a big stick — on civics education in schools.  A state House panel debated Monday whether Pennsylvania should join 14 other states in mandating that high schoolers, to get a diploma, must pass the same civics test immigrants must pass to earn U.S. citizenship.

TEACHERS ARE HEROES AND WE NEED MORE BLACK ONES
Philly’s 7th Ward Blog BY SHARIF EL-MEKKI SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
Sharif El-Mekki is the principal of Mastery Charter School–Shoemaker Campus, a neighborhood public charter school in Philadelphia that serves 750 students in grades 7-12. From 2013-2015, he was one of three principal ambassador fellows working on issues of education policy and practice with U.S. Department of Education under Secretary Arne Duncan.
Christopher Emdin, author of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… And the Rest of Y’All Too. , recently wrote an article that brought up a lot of great points. He is concerned that people are using the lack of diversity in teaching and the need for more Black men to mask other more pressing issues.  Emdin acknowledges that there is a need for diversity but believes that “tough love” meted out to Black children and the poor preparation/professional development of Black and other teachers play a larger role in the issue.  I don’t disagree with many of his points. However, he believes that highlighting that only 2% of teachers are Black males is a cop out, even if well-intentioned.  This is where our paths diverge.

Allegheny Valley School District, teachers ratify five-year labor contract
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette September 26, 2016 12:06 PM
​The ​Allegheny Valley School District and its teachers union have ratified a new five-year agreement to take effect July 1, 2017, that includes average total raises of 3.1 percent over the life of the contract.  Although collective bargaining was not scheduled to begin until January, both parties agreed to early-bird negotiations in May and met weekly over the summer to reach a tentative agreement earlier this month.  “The teachers are happy with the agreement. Overall, I’m very pleased with how well we were able to work together to reach a contract that is fair for both sides and that the district, taxpayers, and the union can all be proud of," Jennifer Novich, president of the Allegheny Valley Education Association, said in a news release sent by the Pennsylvania State Education Association.  In addition to the raises, the teachers' healthcare contributions will increase to 10 percent of the premium cost of the insurance plan. The issues discussed were limited to salary and healthcare, the PSEA said.

The Governor’s STEM Competition
Please fill in all the information on the form and submit by October 31, 2016.
There will be a limit of 150 schools participating on a first come first serve basis. Registration packets containing key information and permission slips will be online immediately after registration and must be returned to the IU by October 31, 2016.  To register, each team member must have a signed permission slip from his/her parent and/or guardian sent to the participative IU by November 30, 2016Parent Permission Slip/Media Release (PDF)  Regional competitions will be held at each of the Commonwealth’s Intermediate Units (IU) during the month of February at a date and time identified by each IU. The winners from each IU will be competing at the state level at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology on May 19, 2017. It is anticipated that food will be available for all participating teams and lodging will be provided for state finalists and teacher sponsors traveling great distances. More information will be shared as it becomes finalized.   Teams are responsible for their transportation to and from all competitions.
http://www.pastemcompetition.com/participate.html

One year after substitute teacher crisis, Philly schools see improvement with new contractor
Kelly Services was named in May by the School Reform Commission.
Newsworks by Avi Wolfman-Arent September 27, 2016 — 12:27pm
So far this school year, Building 21, an experimental high school in North Philadelphia, has requested substitute teachers to cover three school days.  Much to the school’s delight, substitute teachers have showed up all three times.  “We have been thrilled to get subs every time we’ve had a teacher call out,” said principal Laura Shubilla.  During the first two-and-a-half months of the 2015-16 school year, Building 21 received a sub just 6 percent of the time it requested one. In fact, so far this school year, Building 21 has covered more absent teacher days (three) than it did in the entire run up to winter break last year (two). The school’s struggles were part of a district-wide substitute teacher crisis that drew headlines and criticism.  One year later, Philadelphia schools appear to be in much better shape.

Joyner-Kersee, Comcast and city and school leaders tout internet program for Philly low-income families
The notebook by Lane Whitman September 27, 2016 — 9:40am
Community leaders and representatives from Comcast and the School District of Philadelphia came together Monday at Olney Elementary School to talk about the impact that the Internet Essentials program has had on helping to close the digital divide among families of different incomes.   Internet Essentials, a national Comcast initiative launched five years ago, offers affordable broadband internet service to a number of different residents and users including: low-income families who have at least one child and who qualify for the District’s free- and reduced-priced lunch program; public housing residents and HUD-assisted residents in Comcast’s service area; children in parochial, private, charter, and cyber schools; students who are homeschooled; low-income seniors and low-income community college students; and public housing residents in Philadelphia, Miami, Nashville, and Seattle.    Families can get internet access for just $9.95 a month, and subscribers have the opportunity to purchase a laptop for $150. Since 2011, 33,000 families in the Philadelphia area have signed up for the program, and nearly 132,000 individuals have been affected.

The Philly school district’s GreenFutures plan has a ton of great partners on board
Here's how it got everyone from the Franklin Institute to the EPA into the same room.
Generocity By Julie Zeglen / STAFF September 26, 2016
Over 130,000 students attend Philadelphia’s 218 public schools. Now, use your imagination to figure out how much energy is needed to fuel those 218 schools.
Yeah, it’s a lot.  In May, the School District of Philadelphia announced GreenFutures, a five-year sustainability plan modeled after the city’s GreenWorks plan and other school districts’ and universities’ plans. There are five focus areas with 65 individual actions:
·         Education — Incorporate sustainability lessons into the school day.
·         Consumption and waste — Reduce intake and output.
·         Energy and efficiencies — Save money and energy. 
·         School greenscapes — Green schools’ outdoor learning areas. 
·         Learning environments — Make every school “well-resourced, safe, healthy, clean and comfortable.” 
Check out the full plan 
One example goal of the plan is to reduce the school district’s energy consumption by 20 percent in the next five years. So how the heck will it do that?  The school district will only achieve its goals with the help of dozens of partners — from The Food Trust to thePhiladelphia Zoo to Youth United for Change to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society  — that guide the school district on meeting its goals and attend monthly subcommittee meetings, Francine Locke, the school district’s environmental director, said.


Boston brings the music back by boosting arts education
PBS.org September 27, 2016 at 6:25 PM EDT
At a time when schools across the country are cutting arts education, this city is aiming to make it universal. Myran Parker-Brass, a classically trained mezzo-soprano who sang for the Boston Symphony, is working to provide weekly arts education to all middle and elementary Boston public school students. And she’s not stopping there. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports.

“There are now nearly 80 charter schools in Massachusetts, where no more than 120 charter schools are currently allowed to operate. Question 2 would allow 12 new or expanded charter schools to open every year anywhere in the state, a move that supporters say will give more parents choices about where to send their children to school and help close the achievement gap. Critics say that charters typically underserve the highest-needs students, are not accountable to the local communities in which they are located and end up hurting students in traditional schools.”
Elizabeth Warren comes out against raising cap on charter schools in Massachusetts
Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss September 27 at 1:35 PM 
There is a pitched battle underway in Massachusetts over charter schools, with proponents pouring money into an initiative on the November ballot that would raise the state cap on their growth and opponents arguing that charters are draining resources from traditional public schools. Now critics have gotten a big boost: Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she was going to vote against Question 2.  Warren, who has been viewed somewhat warily by many public-education activists because of her past support for charter schools, now says she does not support unfettered charter growth in Massachusetts because local school districts can be harmed. Just a few weeks ago, local media noted that Warren, highly popular in Massachusetts, had not declared her position on the charter cap.

Social Media Creates a 'Sickly' Presidential Campaign, High School Students Say
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on September 27, 2016 7:51 AM
Las Vegas - Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump haven't spent a lot of time sharing their thoughts about what should happen in public schools—but what do public school students think about Clinton, Trump, and the presidential campaign?  I got a chance to get at least a few answers to that question when I sat down with some students on the debate team at Green Valley High School in Henderson, just outside of Las Vegas, on Monday afternoon. They were slated to attend a debate watch party at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Based on what they told me, it's safe to say that despite the adeptness at social media assigned to their generation, these 15- and 16-year olds are largely unhappy with (if not repulsed by) how Facebook, Twitter, and other similar platforms have affected the 2016 race. But they also believe that the two campaigns are guilty, in turn, of cultivating simplistic and image-obsessed portraits of their candidates that thrive on social media.

Ohio’s ECOT attendance inflated by 9,000 students, audit finds; $60 million in state funding in jeopardy
By Patrick O'Donnell, The Plain Dealer Email the author | Follow on Twitter on September 26, 2016 at 1:32 PM, updated September 26, 2016 at 6:00 PM
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's largest online charter school, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), was paid for 9,000 more students than it should have last school year, an Ohio Department of Education enrollment audit has found.  In a letter to the school today, the department tells the school that it has proper documentation for only 6,300 of its 15,300 students - a 59% gap.  The letter does not spell out how much money ECOT could be forced to return, but with ECOT receiving $109 million last year for the 15,300, $64 million in money is at risk.


Basic Education Funding workshops coming to your area
PA now has a permanent Basic Education Funding formula. Learn more about how it works, what it measures and why it's important. Workshops sponsored by PASA, PSBA, PAIU, PARSS, PA Principals Association and PASBO are coming to an area near you.
Register and see more details and dates here.

EDUCATION LAW CENTER invites you to our ANNUAL CELEBRATION
Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 5:30 PM
The Crystal Tea Room, The Wanamaker Building
100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, PA
Honoring: Pepper Hamilton LLP, Signe Wilkinson, Dr. Monique W. Morris
And presenting the ELC PRO BONO AWARD  to Paul Saint-Antoine & Chanda Miller
of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

The Public Interest Law Center invites you to its 2016 Annual Event: “Of the People, By the People, For the People.” Thursday, Oct 6, 2016 at 6:00 PM
FringeArts 140 N. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA
Honoring: Soil Generation, Nicholas Chimicles, and Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
http://www.pubintlaw.org/2016event/

PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION POLICY FORUM  Wednesday, October 12, 2016  SUBJECT:  EPLC's 2016 Report:  High School Career and Technical Education: Serving Pennsylvania's Workforce and Student Needs
Coffee and Networking - 9:30 a.m.  Program - 10:00 a.m. to Noon   

Technical College High School (Brandywine Campus) - 443 Boot Rd., Downingtown, PA 19335
 RSVP by clicking here. There is no fee, but a RSVP is required. Please feel free to share this invitation with your staff and network. 
SPEAKERS:
An Overview of the EPLC Report on High School CTE will be presented by:
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center
Statewide and Regional Perspectives Will Be Provided By
Dr. Lee Burket, Director, Bureau of Career & Technical Education, PA Department of Education
Jackie Cullen, Executive Director, PA Association of Career & Technical Administrators
Dan Fogarty, Director of Workforce Development & COO, Berks County Workforce Development Board
Kirk Williard, Ed.D., Director of Career, Technical & Customized Education, Chester County Intermediate Unit 


Registration for the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference Oct. 13-15 is now open
The conference is your opportunity to learn, network and be inspired by peers and experts.
TO REGISTER: See https://www.psba.org/members-area/store-registration/   (you must be logged in to the Members Area to register). You can read more on How to Register for a PSBA Event here.   CONFERENCE WEBSITE: For all other program details, schedules, exhibits, etc., see the conference website:www.paschoolleaders.org.

The Sixth Annual Arts and Education Symposium – October 27, 2016
The 2016 Arts and Education Symposium will be held on October 27 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center.  Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Arts Education network and EPLC, the Symposium is a Unique Networking and Learning Opportunity for:
·         Arts Educators
·         School Leaders
·         Artists
·         Arts and Culture Community Leaders
·         Arts-related Business Leaders
·         Arts Education Faculty and Administrators in Higher Education
·         Advocates
·         State and Local Policy Leaders
Act 48 Credit is available.
Program and registration information are available here.

REGISTER NOW for the 2016 PA Principals Association State Conference, October 30 - November 1, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.
PA Principals Association website Tuesday, August 2, 2016 10:43 AM
To receive the Early Bird Discount, you must be registered by August 31, 2016:
Members: $300  Non-Members: $400
Featuring Three National Keynote Speakers: Eric Sheninger, Jill Jackson & Salome Thomas-EL

SAVE THE DATE LWVPA Convention 2017 June 1-4, 2017
Join the League of Women Voters of PA for our 2017 Biennial Convention at the beautiful Inn at Pocono Manor!