Tuesday, February 20, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 20, 2018 Call Members of Congress Today


Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 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, principals, charter school leaders, 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, Instagram and LinkedIn.

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Call Members of Congress Today



In addition to calling your member of Congress to urge them to take meaningful action now to protect our children, please consider calling the following members of Congress who are in leadership positions or who serve on the Congressional committees that may consider such action:

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan Washington DC Office: (202) 225-3031

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Washington DC Office: (202) 224-2541

Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Washington DC Office: (202) 224-4944

Pennsylvania Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions: Senator Robert Casey Washington DC Office: (202) 224-6324

Congresswoman Virginia Fox, Chairwoman, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Washington DC Office: (202) 225-2071

Pennsylvania Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce:
Glenn “GT” Thompson Washington DC Office: (202) 225-5121
Lou Barletta Washington DC Office: (202) 225-6511
Lloyd Smucker Washington DC Office: (202) 225-2411



Editorial: Children step up in war against gun violence
Delco Times POSTED: 02/19/18, 8:26 PM EST | UPDATED: 54 SECS AGO
The nation is hearing a voice not often heard from in the great gun debate. We’re hearing from those with the target on their backs. Students. Our children. In the wake of the latest school mass shooting, this time in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead, most of them students, young people are doing more than mourning. They are asking questions. Serious questions. They are wondering how this can be allowed to happen again and again. And they want to know why this country is not doing more to protect them. It has now been more than five years since America’s psyche was shattered by the “slaughter of the innocents,” when a troubled young man with a semi-automatic rifle walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and opened fire. He left 20 children and six adults dead in his murderous wake. Since that time there have been more than 1,600 incidents that would be classified as a mass shooting in the U.S. Many of the targets in those shootings have been students, in the once place where they rightfully expect to be safe – their schools.
http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20180219/editorial-children-step-up-in-war-against-gun-violence

Lehigh Valley students joining call for walkouts, marches and protests to end gun violence
Binghui Huang and Katherine Reinhard Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call February 19, 2018
Parkland High School sophomore Claire Todaro hopes that 3,200 of her classmates will walk out of class on March 14 for 17 minutes — one minute for each person killed by alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. “After every shooting you see hashtags, and you see ‘thoughts and prayers,’ but how much can thoughts and prayers do? They don’t actively change the law,” Todaro said. Tough talk by students who lived through last week’s mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., have ignited nationwide plans for marches, sit-ins and walkouts in a collective effort to do what other anti-gun activists have yet to do — get tougher gun laws passed. Parkland, Liberty in Bethlehem and Nazareth Area are among the high schools in the Lehigh Valley listed as places where people are mobilizing to join the National School Walkout on March 14. Others include Pennridge, North Penn and Central Bucks high schools.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-florida-shooting-student-marches-protests-walkouts-20180219-story.html

School administrators prepare for potential gun violence protests in March, April in response to school shootings
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer February 20, 2018
Enough. That’s the message students, teachers, administrators and parents across the United States hope to spread on March 14 as part of a national school walkout sponsored by the Women’s March Network. Participants will stage a 17-minute walkout — one minute for each person killed in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last week — at 10 a.m. to demand Congress pass legislation combating gun violence in schools. According to a webpage created by the Women’s March Network titled, “ENOUGH: National School Walkout,” Conestoga Valley High School is the only Lancaster County school that has organized a walkout. But with more local schools likely to follow, administrators must decide to what extent they’ll support a protest.  “I would be hard-pressed to find an argument against school safety,” Conestoga Valley Superintendent David Zuilkoski said in a phone interview Monday. Student safety is always a concern, he said. So is a student’s free speech. But when it comes to protesting, Zuilkoski said, structure and planning are key. “Any time you have a common vision and goal, and there’s a purpose behind it, then I think that, in general, those protests are more likely to be heard.” Manheim Central Superintendent Peter Aiken said he’d support a protest that is both civil and well-informed. “It’s always good for our kids to be involved … and to think critically,” Aiken said, adding that healthy debate must take precedence over divisive behavior.
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/school-administrators-prepare-for-potential-gun-violence-protests-in-march/article_ad214bd4-15bc-11e8-9f72-038ac64229c5.html

NPE: Join us in a Day of Action April 20th to Stop Gun Violence in our Schools
Network for Public Education February 16, 2018 by Darcie Cimarusti
After the slaughter of students and staff in Parkland, Florida, the time for action has never been more urgent. The politicians sit on their hands as our children and their teachers are murdered in their schools. We will be silent no more! The failure to enact rational laws that bar access to guns designed for mass shootings is inexcusable. It is past time to speak out and act. Pledge your support to stop gun violence here. We call for mass action on April 20, the anniversary of the horrific shootings at Columbine High School. We urge teachers, families, students, administrators and every member of the community to engage in acts of protest in and around their schools. Create actions that work best in your community.  Organize sit-ins, teach-ins, walkouts, marches–whatever you decide will show your school and community’s determination to keep our students safe. One elementary teacher suggested that teachers and parents link arms around the school to show their determination to protect children.
https://networkforpubliceducation.org/2018/02/join-us-day-action-stop-gun-violence-schools/

Editorial: Adults haven't managed to stop school shootings; it's time to listen to what students have to say
Lancaster Online by The LNP Editorial Board February 20, 2018
THE ISSUE: A 19-year-old former student shot and killed 14 students and three adults at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last Wednesday in Parkland, Broward County, Florida. In the aftermath of the shooting, a new movement has been gathering strength, and it’s being led by the student survivors of the Parkland shooting.
To be honest, we’re sick to death of our own, adult voices on the issue of school shootings. And we’re sick of politicians’ empty words and broken promises. We’ve had plenty of time to come to some agreement about what measures might reasonably be taken to stop school shootings. Remember all those discussions in the wake of October’s Las Vegas massacre about banning bump stocks, the devices that turn legal semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic killing machines? Those discussions came to naught. Remember the tears we shed after Sandy Hook in December 2012, when a 20-year-old man killed 20 children ages 6 and 7 — babies, really — and the six adults who died trying to protect them? Our tears eventually dried, and no measures were taken. Remember the Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting in Marysville, Washington, in October 2014? We didn’t, either, probably because there were five deaths, including that of the shooter, and apparently there needs to be a higher death toll than that for a school shooting to leave a lasting mark on people outside the affected families and community. As Tom Mauser, whose 15-year-old son Daniel was killed in the Columbine shootings, noted on Facebook, there “are just so many shootings, so many school and town names to remember.” Remember Columbine? Twelve students and a teacher were fatally shot by two Columbine students, in April 1999.
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/adults-haven-t-managed-to-stop-school-shootings-it-s/article_af9f270a-15c1-11e8-bff2-c75faa421dab.html

Did you catch our Presidents Day posting?
Children are dying from gun violence and Congress is failing to act
Keystone State Education Coalition PA Ed Policy Roundup Feb 19, 2018

As a teacher, shooter drills were bad. Being expected to die for my students was terrifying.
I’d do anything to protect my students. Diving in front of bullets shouldn’t be necessary.
Vox.com By De Elizabeth  Feb 19, 2018, 9:40am EST
It was 9:15 am on a Tuesday, right in the middle of third period. The students in my eighth-grade English class were working on projects, poster paper and crayons scattered across the floor. Suddenly, the loudspeaker crackled, and our principal’s voice was heard throughout the school. “Attention, all students, faculty, and staff,” she said, loudly but calmly. “There is an active shooter in the Challenger wing of the building.” Then the briefest of silences, followed by a semi-orderly stampede. My students knew what to do. My entire class made a beeline for the door, speed-walking down the hall toward the exit and then out onto the field at the base of the stairs. They knew they weren’t supposed to run, but some of them couldn’t help themselves. Once outside, they formed lines with their classmates, awaiting their teachers’ instructions. I trailed behind them with a few other teachers, ready to locate the kids who would inevitably take this drill as an opportunity to goof off. After lining up my class outside, we shuffled back into the building, preparing for round two. There were at least three rounds for each drill, in order to cover several different scenarios, allowing students to experience what to do in each. Each round included a shooter in different areas of the building, which would prompt students to respond by either exiting the building or preparing to barricade and “counter,” should the shooter enter the classroom.

Editorial: It's time to stop enabling massacres
Reading Eagle Editorial TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2018 12:01 AM
We continue to to call upon Congress to ban semiautomatic, military-style weapons for sale to, or purchase by, civilians.
How many people must die before we restrict ownership of semiautomatic weapons outside of the military? How many families must be torn apart? How many hopes and dreams will be shattered before we establish that these weapons of mass murder have no place among civilians? This isn't an attack on the Second Amendment. That's a critical part of our form of government and to our freedoms. We, the people, must have the right to defend and protect ourselves and our families. But our Founding Fathers couldn't have envisioned a weapon that could be carried into a school and fired at children at the rate of about 90 rounds per minute. Nor is it a restriction on game hunting. It is a matter of common sense. More important, it's a matter of life and death among innocent, non-threatening people.

Opinion: An urban teacher’s response to the suburban school shooting crisis
The notebook Commentary by Zachary Wright February 19, 2018 — 4:06pm
It may be strange to say, but, as a teacher, I feel totally disconnected from the seemingly weekly occurrence that is the horror of mass murder in our nation’s schools. I shouldn’t feel disconnected.  After all, my daily life is spent in classrooms and hallways, surrounded by young people, picking up new slang and learning about the latest type of social media. I should be able to imagine my school when I see Columbine, Sandy Hook, or Parkland. I should be able to imagine my students and their families when I see the memorials and protests. But I don’t. And the reason is simple. I don’t teach in the suburbs. Generally, the phenomenon of school shootings has been a primarily white, suburban experience.  It has become a common refrain in my classroom, which serves a nearly all-black population in West Philadelphia, that after one of these school shootings happens, it will no doubt be in the suburbs and the shooter will be white. This is, of course, not an indictment, but simply an observation rooted in truth. 

Congressional map raises Democrats' hopes, legal test ahead
AP State Wire By MARC LEVY Published: Today
The court overturned the existing boundaries in a gerrymandering case.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The map of congressional districts imposed by Pennsylvania's high court for the state's 2018 elections will set off a new legal battle, reconfigure perhaps dozens of campaigns and give Democrats a boost in their mission to wrest control of the U.S. House. The map of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts is to be in effect for the May 15 primary and substantially overhauls a Republican-drawn congressional map widely viewed as among the nation's most gerrymandered. The Democratic-majority state Supreme Court voted 4-3 on Monday to impose the new map it drew. New boundaries will usher in changes to Pennsylvania's predominantly Republican delegation already facing big changes in a year with six open seats, the most in decades. Republicans vowed to immediately challenge it in federal court. Meanwhile, candidates finding themselves in a new political landscape are rethinking campaigns a week before they can start circulating petitions to run. Most significantly, the new map gives Democrats a better shot at winning a couple more seats, particularly in Philadelphia's heavily populated and moderate suburbs. There, Republicans have held seats in bizarrely contorted districts, including one labeled "Goofy Kicking Donald Duck."

League of Women Voters, et al. v. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, et al. – 159 MM 2017
PA Supreme Court Website - The Unified JUDICIAL SYSTEM of PENNSYLVANIA
Order Adopting Remedial Plan

In boost for Democrats, Pa. Supreme Court dramatically overhauls state’s congressional map [updated]
WHYY By Emily Previti, WITF Lindsay Lazarski, WHYY Katie Meyer, WITF Jim Saksa February 19, 2018 Update: 9:08pm
In a decision which could have national ramifications, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has enacted a new congressional district map that onlookers say is much more favorable to Democrats, replacing one the court overturned and deemed an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander last month. Justices described the new map in their 48-page decision as “superior” to other proposals filed for their consideration. It’s more compact, they wrote, and splits only 13 counties — fewer than half the number divided in the 2011 map drawn in a process controlled by Republicans. The court’s version also splits fewer counties than the proposals it received in the past 10 days from Gov. Tom Wolf, GOP leaders, and House and Senate Democrats. Minutes after the map was released, political analysts began declaring it a victory for Democrats. Since the 2011 map was adopted, Republicans have held a 13-5 advantage in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation. The court-drawn map is expected to upend that tilt.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court's new congressional map reunites Lehigh Valley, sets stage for another legal fight
Tim Darragh, Steve Esack and Laura Olson Contact Reporters Of The Morning Call February 19, 2018
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, making good on a promise to do the job itself, released a new congressional map on Monday that reunites the Lehigh Valley as it reshuffles 18 districts a little more than a week before candidates begin circulating nominating petitions. Under the new map, all of Northampton and Lehigh counties would be reunited, along with a southern slice of Monroe County, and renumbered as the 7th congressional district. The old 7th District in southeast Pennsylvania was the notorious “Goofy Kicking Donald Duck” district, which showed the contortions the 2011 mapmakers went through to protect the seat for congressional Republicans, critics said. The court issued the new map after Democrats and Republicans came to a standstill over redrawing the 2011 map that the court ruled illegal for its gerrymandered boundary lines. If they couldn’t agree on a map, the court said in its order last month, it would bring in expert help to get the job done.

New Pa. Congressional map is out with the old, in with the new
Penn Live By Charles Thompson cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Feb 19, 11:06 PM; Posted Feb 19, 9:43 PM
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court offered up a new Congressional map Monday that easily bests the old one on traditional redistricting principles like geographic compactness and avoiding border splits. But it also got some hard reminders that fairness is always in the eye of the beholder, as at least one independent analyst tagged the majority with making "conscious, pro-Dem mapping choices." The new maps will, most observers reached Monday agreed, usher in an era of modestly greater competitiveness for the state's 18 U.S. House seats. "Pennsylvanians are used to being at the center of the universe when it comes to presidential races," said J.J. Balaban, a media consultant for the Democratic-leaning, Philadelphia-based Campaign Group. "Now we're going to be close to the center of the universe when it comes to control of Congress, too."

Pa. gerrymandering case: State Supreme Court releases new congressional map for 2018 elections
Inquirer by Jonathan Lai & Liz Navratil, STAFF WRITERS Updated: FEBRUARY 19, 2018 8:07 PM EST
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday imposed a new congressional district map that upends previous boundaries, renumbers districts across the state, and gives a potential boost to Democrats in the 2018 House elections. Under the court’s redrawn map, districts more closely align with county lines, and only 13 counties are split among two or three districts. By contrast, under the last map, enacted by the legislature in 2011, more than twice as many counties were split among multiple districts. In striking down that map last month as unconstitutional, the justices said the new districts should be as compact and contiguous as possible. Their new map, they wrote in an order, is “superior or comparable” to proposals submitted by the participants and interested groups during the legal challenge that led to the historic ruling. The reconfigured map prompted a sharp rebuke from top Republican legislators, who said honoring it would create a “constitutional crisis.” Extending a political clash that has roiled the state for months, they said they might challenge the map — or the justices’ authority to impose it — in federal court as early as Tuesday.

“Notably, the legislative intent of Pennsylvania’s charter school law was to create and improve public school options for all pupils, including students living in poverty, children with disabilities,  English learners, and other vulnerable student populations.  However, analysis of the ACEs data reveals that many Philadelphia charter schools are excluding rather than serving our vulnerable students.” 
Open Letter to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission on Charter School Equity
The Education Law Center February 15, 2018 
The Education Law Center sent an open letter to Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission expressing renewed concern about issues of equity and universal access at Philadelphia charter schools. Data from the District’s Annual Charter Evaluations indicate that vulnerable student populations are underserved by the charter sector. The letter endorses the School District’s efforts to build a more robust Charter School Office.
To the members of the School Reform Commission,  The Education Law Center is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring  that all Pennsylvania’s children have access to quality public education. For over 40 years, ELC has successfully advocated on behalf of students historically underserved by public education,  including students in poverty, students of color, LGBT students, students involved in the juvenile  justice and foster care systems, English learners, students with disabilities, pregnant and  parenting teens, and students experiencing homelessness.  Much of our advocacy for underserved students has focused on the School District of Philadelphia. We write today to address concerns about Philadelphia’s charter school sector,  which is easily the second largest constellation of schools in the state, serving more than 70,000  students. Specifically, we want to bring attention to continued serious concerns about universal  access and equity in Philadelphia’s charter sector.   Our analysis of issues of access and equity has been aided by the publication in 2016 and 2017  of the Annual Charter Evaluations (ACEs) produced by the Charter School Office. These  evaluations provide important information for ensuring accountability of charter schools –  ensuring that the city’s most vulnerable students can access a high‐quality education. 

At Bucks high school, guitar-building hooks kids on STEM
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer  @Kathy_Boccella |  kboccella@phillynews.com Updated: FEBRUARY 20, 2018 — 5:29 AM EST
The sound of guitars in Matt Peitzman’s tech-ed classroom at Pennridge High School isn’t a wailing Hendrix-style solo or crushing power chords, but rather the steady grind of kids sanding, cutting, and clamping together pieces of maple or cherry wood, slowly hand-crafting the instruments of every teenager’s musical dreams. “It’s hard at first if you don’t know what you’re doing, but once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy,” said 18-year-old senior Brian Kennedy, one of 18 students making their own guitars in a fast-growing, popular course at the Bucks County high school. Before making a guitar, Kennedy crafted a ukulele in Peitzman’s class two years ago, though the only string instrument he has ever played is the cello. But then, most of his classmates don’t know how to play a guitar; nor does their teacher. And that’s not really the point of the guitar-building class, unlike any other in the Philadelphia region. The Pennridge class uses the STEM Guitarcurriculum, developed by a group of college professors a decade ago to use guitar-making as a fun way to hook kids on learning the basics of science, technology, engineering and math – the physics of the sound waves from a carefully crafted acoustic model, or the math behind hitting just the right notes.

How a suburban Philly school practices for active shooter scenarios | Perspective
by Marisa Porges, For the Inquirer Updated: FEBRUARY 19, 2018 — 4:23 PM EST
Marisa Porges is head of school at the Baldwin School, an all girls’ independent school in Bryn Mawr, and a former naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy.
Parents, teachers, and students across the area are still reeling after last week’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla. With 17 students, teachers, and coaches killed, it was one of the deadliest such attacks in modern American history – and comes on the heels of at least seven known school shootings since the start of the year, bringing the total number killed while at school to 22. Yes, since Jan. 1. It’s a stark reminder that our schools are particularly vulnerable to these acts of violence. This tragedy has understandably rekindled contentious debates over gun control. But with no clear outcome in sight, every parent and teacher is left wondering how can we best protect our children in the interim? What can we do to keep our students safe? As a former military officer turned school administrator, one of the first things I consider is a campus’s physical security, particularly at entry and exit points, and the perimeters of school grounds. This remains a critical area of focus for school leaders, as we find improved ways to limit access to our facilities and develop easy-to-follow protocols for monitoring visitors – all while ensuring school remains a warm, welcoming environment for students and their families.

Most Americans say Trump, Congress not doing enough to stop mass shootings, Post-ABC poll finds
Washington Post By Scott Clement and Emily Guskin February 20 at 12:01 AM Email the author
More than 6 in 10 Americans fault Congress and President Trump for not doing enough to prevent mass shootings, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, with most Americans continuing to say these incidents are more reflective of problems identifying and addressing mental health issues than inadequate gun laws. In the poll conducted after a gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school last week, more than three-quarters, 77 percent, said they think more effective mental health screening and treatment could have prevented the shooting. The Post-ABC poll also finds that 58 percent of adults say stricter gun control laws could have prevented the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, but there is no rise in support for banning assault weapons compared with two years ago and the partisan divide on this policy is as stark as ever. On the issue of whether allowing teachers to carry guns could have deterred the rampage, a proposal Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said is an option for schools, 42 percent said they agreed. While the poll illustrates the differences in the country over how to respond to gun violence, it also highlights the intense frustration with the lack of any policy response coming out of Washington despite a series of horrific shootings in recent years.

“NSBA appreciates Congress’ diligence in keeping the budget process moving forward and encourages federal lawmakers to disregard areas of the proposed budget that fall short on a strong investment in public education. The nation's state school boards associations and their 90,000 local school board members rely on lawmakers to support keeping federal tax dollars in public schools and public programs.”
NSBA Statement on the Trump Administration's Budget Proposal
NSBA Press Release February 16, 2018
Alexandria, Va. (February 16, 2018) - NSBA Executive Director & CEO Thomas J. Gentzel today released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s proposed FY 2018-19 budget: “Programs that support teacher and principal recruitment, preparation and retention, and student academic enrichment should not be sacrificed as proposed in the Trump Administration’s budget. These programs lay the foundation of the nation’s future workforce and global competitiveness.  “As Congress moves forward with a new appropriations package we hope federal lawmakers will disregard the Administration’s proposed approach to eliminate funding entirely for teacher and principal support and student enrichment programs. Over 50 million children attend public schools and supporting their education through robust teaching and learning must be a national priority. Indeed, funding for teacher training and student support services are of utmost importance to the innovation that will boost college and career readiness in America.  


Save the Date: PA School Funding Lawsuit Wed. March 7, 2018 9:30 A.M.
Commonwealth Court Hearing on Legislative leaders motions to Dismiss the Wm Penn SD challenge to state funding.
Before the Court en banc sitting in Court Room No. 1 Ninth Floor, Widener Building, 1339 Chestnut Street, One South Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA 19107
All members of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court will hear oral argument on motions to dismiss filed by legislative leaders in the school funding lawsuit William Penn School District, et al. v. Pennsylvania Dept. of Education, et al.  The Legislators are arguing that the Petition challenging the inadequacy and inequity of Pennsylvania’s funding of schools is moot because the new school formula has supplanted the funding scheme existing when students and school districts filed their Petition in 2015.  In addition, Legislators also contend that the Petition failed to allege that insufficient state funding caused any harm such as poor PSSA results or lack of sufficient instructional resources.   In September, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the Commonwealth Court to hold a trial on whether state officials are violating the state’s constitution by failing to adequately and equitably fund public education.  The Legislators objections have delayed efforts to bring this case to trial.   

Updated: Snooze or Lose: Promoting Sleep Health in Adolescents
Dr. Wendy Troxel Mon., March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Radnor High School auditorium 
The Radnor Township School District Adolescent Sleep & School Start Time Study Committee will welcome Dr. Wendy Troxel for a public presentation on Mon., March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Radnor High School auditorium (130 King of Prussia Road, Radnor). Dr. Troxel is a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation and Adjunct Faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. A licensed clinical psychologist and certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Troxel been widely cited by the media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR and BBC. Dr. Troxel was also one of the featured sleep experts in the National Geographic documentary “Sleepless in America.” Her TED talk on the impact of school start times on adolescent sleep has received more than 1.4 million views.
THIS EVENT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED at http://bit.ly/RTSDSnoozeorLose

Help draft a plan to implement a statewide vision for the future of public education in PA!
(Updated) PSBA Member Roundtables/Receptions – February and March Dates
Member Roundtable and Receptions
Join your PSBA Member Roundtable and Reception to hear the public education advocacy and political updates affecting your school district. Take this opportunity to network, learn and develop your leadership skills. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and networking with fellow school leaders in your area, then provide your input on the future vision for public education in PA.
Roundtable Discussion: Help draft a plan to implement a statewide vision for the future of public education in PA! PSBA would like to capture your thoughts on what education should look like in the coming decades. We will compile your expertise with the perspectives of others from across the state to develop the Commonwealth Education Blueprint. The Blueprint will then serve as our guiding resource and will set milestones for creating the best public education experience for future generations of students. Don’t miss your opportunity to weigh in!
Agenda:
6:00 pm – 6:15 pm Association Update
Learn the latest news, initiatives and upcoming events from your association.
6:15 pm – 7:00 pm Government Affairs
Bring knowledge back to your district of how the commonwealth budget will fiscally impact it. Discuss the top legislative issues affecting public education. Learn how you can advocate for your school district taxpayers, students and public education success.
7:00 pm – 7:45 pm Networking
Enjoy productive conversation with your school leader colleagues. Boost your network, share your experiences and build a stronger voice for public education.
7:45 pm – 8:30 pm Commonwealth Education Blueprint: Developing a vision for public education
This focus group is your opportunity to share your input in drafting a blueprint for the future of public education. The Commonwealth Education Blueprint is a multiyear effort founded and managed by PSBA to develop and implement a statewide vision for the future of public education. Through this comprehensive project, education stakeholders from across the state and from many areas of expertise are coming together to proactively determine what education should look like in years to come. Having a clear and comprehensive statewide vision will ensure that we provide an increasingly excellent public education experience for children. This is your opportunity to get involved, share your feedback, and help draft the plan for the future of education!
Pricing: This is a complimentary PSBA member event.
Locations/dates:
·         Feb. 26, Parkway West CTC (Section 5)
·         Feb. 27, A. W. Beattie Career Center (Section 5)
·         Feb. 28, Crawford Co. CTC (Section 1)
·         Mar. 1, Seneca Highlands IU 9 (Section 2)
·         Mar. 5, Central Montco Technical HS (Section 8)
·         Mar. 6, Lehigh Carbon Community College (Section 8)
·         Mar. 7, West Side CTC (Section 4)
·         Mar. 8, Montoursville Area HS (Section 3)
·         Mar. 12, PSBA (Section 7)
·         Mar. 13, Altoona Area HS (Section 6)


Registration is now open for the 2018 PASA Education Congress! State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018
Don't miss this marquee event for Pennsylvania school leaders at the Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA, March 19-20, 2018.
Learn more by visiting http://www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Join the PA Principals Association, the PA Association of School Administrators and the PA Association of Rural and Small Schools for PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA.  
A rally in support of public education and important education issues will be held on the Main Rotunda Steps from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Visits with legislators will be conducted earlier in the day. More information will be sent via email, shared in our publications and posted on our website closer to the event.
To register, send an email to Dr. Joseph Clapper at clapper@paprincipals.org before Friday, June 8, 2018.
Click here to view the PA Education Leaders Advocacy Day 2018 Save The Date Flyer (INCLUDES EVENT SCHEDULE AND IMPORTANT ISSUES.) 

SAVE THE DATE for the 2018 PA Educational Leadership Summit - July 29-31 - State College, PA sponsored by the PA Principals Association, PASA, PAMLE and PASCD.  
This year's Summit will be held from July 29-31, 2018 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA.

Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may be affiliated with.



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