Friday, March 30, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup March 30: Despite 112 Cosponsors, Turzai, Metcalfe Stymie Redistricting Reform Legislation


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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

Despite 112 Cosponsors, Turzai, Metcalfe Stymie Redistricting Reform Legislation


Blogger comment: Senator Boscola’s bill, SB22, has 21 cosponsors.
Despite the fact that the House version of the bill, Rep. Samuelson’s  HB722, has 112 cosponsors, (more than the104 needed to pass the bill). it is my understanding that House State Government Committee Chairman Metcalfe and Speaker Mike Turzai have shown no interest in moving the bill out of committee.

“But Folmer and Boscola question the appetite for reform in the House of Representatives, where State Government Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe has shown less interest in reform legislation, they said. Metcalfe did not return a call for comment. Carol Kuniholm, founder of the redistricting reform organization, Fair Districts PA, said the group will be calling out “the utter dysfunction in the House leadership” and pressing for Boscola’s bill at a rally at the Capitol April 16.”
Legislators racing clock to reform redistricting
Tim Darragh Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call March 30, 2018
Hoping to capitalize on weariness following a bruising redistricting battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania are racing the clock to come up with a plan to reduce political influence over how legislative boundary lines are drawn. Legislators have to race because several proposals, including one sponsored by State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, require amending the state Constitution. That process requires passing the exact same bill in two consecutive Legislative sessions before it can be put before voters. State legislators would need to get a bill passed by July 6 to have any chance of amending the Constitution in time for the redistricting cycle that will follow the 2020 Census, State Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said this week at a legislative hearing on redistricting reform. Boscola’s bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe, would create a non-partisan commission to take over the once-a-decade job of redrawing state and congressional district maps.
http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-redistricting-commission-boscola-20180328-story.html

Sentencing set for Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School founder Nick Trombetta
Trib Live MEGAN GUZA  | Thursday, March 29, 2018, 12:06 p.m.
The long-delayed sentencing hearing of former Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School CEO Nick Trombetta on charges of tax fraud and conspiracy is set for July, according to information filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The July 10 sentencing will come nearly five years after Trombetta, 62, was indicted by a grand jury on 11 counts of tax fraud and conspiracy in August 2013. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the IRS in August 2016. He faces up to five years in federal prison. Trombetta siphoned $8 million from the Midland-based public school and used the money to stockpile retirement money and buy personal luxury goods for himself, his girlfriend and his family — including multiple homes and a twin-engine airplane. The conspiracy involved Trombetta and several others – including his accountant, Neal Prence - moving the money to other companies created or controlled by Trombetta and filing false tax returns.
http://triblive.com/local/regional/13477147-74/sentencing-set-for-pennsylvania-cyber-charter-school-founder-nick-trombetta

Sentencing for PA Cyber founder Trombetta, convicted in tax scheme, set for summer
TORSTEN OVE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tove@post-gazette.com MAR 29, 2018 3:55 PM
More than four years after he was indicted, Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School founder Nick Trombetta still hasn't been sentenced because the parties have been haggling over restitution, tax liabilities and how much prison time he deserves. Now it looks like he and his accountant, Neal Prence, will finally be sentenced this summer. U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti, after yet another hours-long evidentiary hearing on Wednesday, said she'll sentence Prence on July 9 and Trombetta the next day. Trombetta, 62, is already a federal felon. He pled guilty in 2016 to tax conspiracy related to siphoning some $8 million from the school to a series of other corporate entities he created and secretly controlled through straw owners.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2018/03/29/Sentencing-PA-Cyber-founder-Nick-Trombetta-convicted-theft-scheme-summer/stories/201803290111

In GOP governor's race, Laura Ellsworth seeks to strike a different tone
Inquirer by Liz Navratil Updated: MARCH 28, 2018 — 5:38 PM EDT
HARRISBURG — When Laura Ellsworth stepped to the microphone Wednesday at a Press Club luncheon here, she said she hoped to talk about policies, economic development and compromise in more detail than she could at recent Republican gubernatorial debates. In a race where her opponents — State Sen. Scott Wagner (R., York) and former healthcare consultant Paul Mango of Allegheny County — have drawn attention for their boisterous jabs at one another or at Democratic Gov. Wolf, Ellsworth has consciously decided to strike a different tone. “I don’t believe in it,” she said Wednesday, noting that she thinks voters want “decency, candor [and] honesty” rather than “30-second attack ads.” And Ellsworth thinks that’s one reason she’d have the best shot at winning the November general election, though even she acknowledges some don’t agree with that assessment. Recent polls have shown Ellsworth trailing the other candidates but also suggest a large number of Republican voters are still undecided ahead of the May 15 primary.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/pennsylvania-gop-primary-governor-laura-ellsworth-scott-wagner-paul-mango-20180328.html

Reading School Board denies application for arts charter school
Vote was unanimous
WFMZ By: Megan Carpenter Posted: Mar 28, 2018 11:49 PM EDT
READING, Pa. - In a move many saw coming, the Reading School Board denied the application for Berks Arts Academy Charter Elementary and Middle School during Wednesday evening’s regular board meeting. Following a motion by board member Robin Costenbader-Jacobson, the board unanimously voted for the denial. The school, proposed by Dr. Thomas Lubben, was targeted for a location at the former Central Catholic High School. This is the third time a charter school proposed by Lubben has been voted down by the school board. The board followed that vote with another unanimous “yes” approving the adjudication in support of their denial. The document basically states their formal opinion on the matter and reasoning for the vote. They similarly released an adjudication after the most recent charter denial in 2017.
http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/reading-school-board-denies-application-for-arts-charter-school/722408265

Two commissioners leave fading SRC to seek spots on new Philly school board
Estelle Richman will chair the body for the rest of its term.
The notebook/WHYY by Avi Wolfman-Arent and Dale Mezzacappa March 29, 2018 — 11:36am
As Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission limps toward its demise, two of the remaining four members resigned Thursday in order to seek positions on the incoming school board that will take over July 1. SRC Chair Joyce Wilkerson and Commissioner Christopher McGinley had to leave their posts before Mayor Kenney could appoint them to serve on the new, nine-member school board. Kenney has not yet made his final selections, but McGinley and Wilkerson are among 45 finalists. Kenney must make his choices by April 5, next Thursday. McGinley said in an interview that he is meeting with Kenney tomorrow, "but nothing  was promised to me." He added, "I'm willing to do it." Because Kenney initially appointed Wilkerson and McGinley to the SRC, he also gets to name their replacements, and he did so Thursday. They will be replaced by former SRC Chair Marjorie Neff and former District Chief Operating Officer Fran Burns. In the same swoop, Pennsylvania's Gov. Wolf promoted one of his appointees, Estelle Richman, to chair the School Reform Commission.  Absent an unexpected development, the SRC's main task before June 30 is to approve a final budget for the 2018-19 school year, and its members will be required to appear before City Council to defend the budget's priorities –although, presumably, newly appointed Board of Education members could also make their priorities known. The state-controlled SRC passed a lump sum budget at its last meeting. 
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/03/29/two-commissioners-leave-fading-src-to-seek-spots-on-new-philly-school-board

Two resign from SRC as the shift to a Philly school board begins
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Staff Writer  @newskag |  kgraham@phillynews.com Updated: MARCH 29, 2018 — 10:06 AM EDT
Two School Reform Commission members have resigned their seats, officials announced Thursday, a move signaling that the transition to local control of Philadelphia’s school district is well underway. Chair Joyce Wilkerson and Commissioner Christopher McGinley are both on the short list for seats on the new nine-member school board, and  apparently will get them. They resigned, presumably to clear the way for board appointment; they could not simultaneously serve on the SRC and seek another office, such as on the new board. Gov. Wolf named Estelle Richman, a current commissioner, as SRC chair. Two familiar names are returning to fill the vacant seats. Mayor Kenney named Marjorie Neff, a former SRC chair, and Fran Burns, the district’s former chief operations officer, who recently left to teach at Villanova University. Burns and Neff will serve until June 30, when the commission ceases to exist. “In this time of transition from the SRC to the new Board of Education, it is important to have two voices on the SRC who are ready from day one,” Kenney said in a statement. “Marge Neff and Fran Burns need no introduction to the issues that face the School District of Philadelphia.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/two-resign-from-src-as-the-shift-to-a-philly-school-board-begins-20180329.html

A church and school district's literacy program shows what cooperation can accomplish
Lancaster Online Editorial by The LNP Editorial Board March 30, 2018
THE ISSUE: Grace Point Church in Paradise has hired a literacy teacher instead of a second assistant pastor after learning about the Pequea Valley School District’s need to have children better prepared for school, LNP’s Jeff Hawkes reported Monday. Literacy coach Katie Beiler visits homes in the district to help children get ready for kindergarten. Beiler reports regularly to the school district but officially she’s on the staff of the 250-member church. Every once in a while, we’re reminded that there are people in our community responding to urgent needs. Often — too often — we write about elected officials who can’t agree on much of anything that benefits the people they represent. But not today. Today, we celebrate community and creativity, and we laud those who saw a void and developed a solution. Often, such innovators operate under the radar. If not for LNP and Jeff Hawkes, you might have never heard about what a relatively small church has done for the children of Pequea Valley and how a school district opened its mind to a unique partnership with a local church. “Our church doesn’t just exist for ourselves,” Tim Rogers, lead pastor, told Hawkes. “Our vision is being a transforming presence in the town square.”  Amen. Other school districts have home visitors. What makes this particular arrangement unique is that the visiting teacher is employed by a church.
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/a-church-and-school-district-s-literacy-program-shows-what/article_0afc515e-3381-11e8-91fa-47e90ca03f09.html

Community members feel left out as Philly’s Strawberry Mansion HS is phased out
The notebook by Darryl C. Murphy March 29, 2018 — 6:30pm
Tensions were high Wednesday night as the District unveiled for local residents its plan to phase out Strawberry Mansion as a comprehensive high school. Inside the auditorium of the 54-year-old complex, Eric Becoats, assistant superintendent of the Turnaround Network, stood before about 40 community members, many of whom were alumni, to discuss the future of the struggling school. To make better use of the building, which now serves fewer than 300 students, Mansion will host accelerated learning programs and an evening high school starting in September that could accommodate up to 500 students. Officials pointed out that the vast majority of students in the Mansion catchment area don’t attend there, choosing other options instead. The District is also considering a new skills-based high school in 2019-2020 similar to the Workshop School, and/or YouthBuild, a one-year program for 12th graders that focuses on academics and construction skills. In developing those long-term plans, Becoats said, the District will work with the community. There will also be space available in the building, which has a capacity of 1,800, for “expanded recreational” and other programs, he said. However, this was all decided with minimal community input. 
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/03/29/community-members-feel-left-out-as-strawberry-mansion-hs-is-phased-out


Here's How Changes to the U.S. Census Could Impact Education Funding
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on March 28, 2018 3:45 PM
The Trump administration has decided to add a question to the 2020 U.S. Census about whether respondents are U.S. citizens, and it's causing quite a stir. But how exactly is census information used in education? And how could a question about citizenship impact schools? Let's tackle that first question. The decennial census results impact the two biggest pots of federal money for K-12 schools: Title I aid for disadvantaged students, which receives $15.8 billion in fiscal 2018, and special education grants to states, which receive $12.3 billion.  For example, the decennial census data is used—along with other data collected by the Census Bureau—to produce "single-year estimates of income and poverty for all U.S. states and counties as well as estimates of school-age children in poverty" for the nation's school districts in the Small Area Income Poverty and Estimates Program (SAIPE). This program, in turn, impacts Title I.  "The Title I and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) formulas factor in Census data that is informed by the decennial census," said Sheara Krvaric, an attorney at the Federal Education Group, a legal and consulting firm in Washington.  The decennial data collected by the Census Bureau are far from the only factor in determing these allocations, because that information is only collected once a decade. So there are other sources of information as well as projections that are used for funding decisions made by the U.S. Department of Education. But it's not just at the federal level where this type of data is used.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/03/us_census_changes_education_funding_impact.html

Amid Concerns About School Security, Federal Data Show Schools Have Actually Gotten Safer
Education Week By Evie Blad on March 29, 2018 12:00 AM | No comments
U.S. schools have significantly increased security measures and preparation for events like school shootings in the last 20 years, the newest federal data show. Meanwhile, rates of student victimization at school have continued to decline, fewer students have brought weapons to school, and fewer students report fear of harm in school, according to a report released ThursdayFewer students report having access to an unlocked gun in the most recent data, and, contrary to popular perception, rates of violent deaths at school have not trended significantly upward in recent years. "Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning free of crime and violence," says Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2017, an annual report released by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. "Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community." 
The newly released data take on particular relevance as local, state, and federal policymakers seek to improve school safety following the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 students and educators were killed. Since that shooting, newly passed state and federal bills have provided increased funding for violence prevention measures, like training teachers to idenitify threatening student behavior, and physical school security measures, like metal detectors.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2018/03/amid_concerns_about_school_security_federal_data_show_schools_have_actually_gotten_safer.html?cmp=RSS-FEED

Facing boycott, Laura Ingraham apologizes for taunting Parkland teen
Inquirer by Amy B Wang & Allyson Chiu, Washington Post Updated: MARCH 30, 2018 6:24 AM
When Fox News host Laura Ingraham taunted a Parkland shooting survivor in a Wednesday-morning tweet about his college applications being rejected, Twitter users hit back where it hurt most: among her advertisers. David Hogg, the 17-year-old high school senior turned gun control activist, mustered the collective power of social media – and his more than 630,000 Twitter followers – and urged them to “tweet away” at her top sponsors to call on them to boycott her TV show, “The Ingraham Angle.” Within 24 hours, several companies responded – among them the pet food brand Nutrish and the home goods retailer Wayfair – announcing on Twitter and in media interviews that they would pull their ads from the show. Stitch Fix and Hulu also announced via Twitter that they would no longer advertise on Ingraham’s show. The #GrabYourWallet campaign reported that Johnson & Johnson has also pulled its ads from the show. By Thursday afternoon, Ingraham apologized. “On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland,” she tweeted.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/facing-boycott-laura-ingraham-apologizes-for-taunting-parkland-teen-20180330.html


2018 PSBA Advocacy Day April 16, 2018 Harrisburg
Join PSBA and your fellow school directors for the annual Advocacy Day on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. PSBA is partnering with Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units to have a stronger voice for public education. Hear how advocacy makes a difference in the legislative process and the importance of public education advocacy. Government Affairs will take a deeper dive into the legislative priorities and will provide tips on how to be an effective public education advocate. There will be dedicated time for you and your fellow advocates to hit the halls to meet with your legislators on public education. This is your chance to share the importance of policy supporting public education and make your voice heard on the Hill. This event is free for members; registration is required.
Register online here: 
http://www.mypls.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3753

https://www.psba.org/event/2018-psba-advocacy-day/

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/

PASA Women's Caucus Annual Conference "Leaders Lifting Leaders"
May 6 - 8, 2018 Hotel Hershey
**REGISTRATION NOW OPEN**

Featured Speakers...
*Dr. Helen Sobehart - Women Leading Education Across Continents: Lifting Leaders from Here to There
*Dr. Tracey Severns - Courageous Leadership
*Dr. Emilie Lonardi - Lead and Lift: A Call for Females to Aspire to the Superintendency
*Deputy Secretary Matt Stem - Update from the PDE

Registration: https://www.pasa-net.org/wcconf


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.


Thursday, March 29, 2018

PA Ed Policy Roundup March 29: F&M poll: Support For Gun Control At All-Time High; 86% of registered PA voters favor expanded background checks for gun purchases


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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

F&M poll: Support For Gun Control At All-Time High; 86% of registered PA voters favor expanded background checks for gun purchases



2018 PSBA Advocacy Day April 16, 2018 Harrisburg
Join PSBA and your fellow school directors for the annual Advocacy Day on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. PSBA is partnering with Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units to have a stronger voice for public education. Hear how advocacy makes a difference in the legislative process and the importance of public education advocacy. This event is free for members; registration is required.
Register online here: 
http://www.mypls.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3753



Pennsylvania feels the Parkland effect: Big majorities support gun law fixes in new poll
Penn Live By John L. Micek jmicek@pennlive.com Updated 6:05 AM; Posted 6:00 AM
Last month's deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., and the extraordinary push for gun-control that followed it by the nation's school students is apparently having an effect in Pennsylvania. Huge majorities of respondents to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll say they'd support tighter background checks; a ban on assault weapons and raising the minimum purchasing age from 18 to 21. "I don't think there's any doubt that," this is a reflection of "what we've seen nationally," veteran political analyst G. Terry Madonna, director of the Keystone Poll, said Wednesday. The poll of 423 registered voters found that:
·         Nearly 9 in 10 respondents (86 percent) favor "enhancing" the existing gun background check system.
·         More than 6 in 10 (61 percent) support a ban on assault-style weapons
·         Nearly 6 in 10 (59 percent) support raising the minimum purchasing age.
The Franklin & Marshall canvass was conducted from March 19 through Monday, meaning pollsters were in the field when hundreds of thousands of people, including Parkland survivors, rallied across the country for stricter gun-control laws.
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/03/fm_polls_with_gun_stuff.html#incart_river_index

F&M Poll: Support For Gun Control At All-Time High
CBS3 By Tony Romeo March 29, 2018 at 4:30 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) — The latest Franklin and Marshall College Poll shows more Pennsylvania voters support gun control than at any time in the poll’s history. Franklin and Marshall College Poll Director Terry Madonna says 72 percent of registered Pennsylvania voters believe there should be more general regulation of guns. “And we’ve asked that question for more than a decade,” Madonna said. “That’s the largest percentage who said that since we began asking that question.” Eighty-six percent favor enhanced background checks, 61 percent favor banning assault-style weapons, and almost as many,  59-percent, favor raising the minimum age for gun purchases to 21. And while his approval numbers may have ticked up nationally in recent weeks, in the F&M Poll, the block of Pennsylvania voters who believe President Trump is doing a good or excellent job remains mired at just 30 percent.
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/03/29/fm-poll-support-for-gun-control-at-all-time-high/

March 2018 Franklin & Marshall College Poll SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Prepared by: Center for Opinion Research Floyd Institute for Public Policy Franklin & Marshall College
https://www.fandm.edu/uploads/files/708725106986767486-f-m-poll-release-march-2018.pdf

“In other findings, the poll showed broad support for increased restrictions on firearms following the Parkland, Fla., school shootings and the anti-gun-violence youth protests – 86 percent of registered voters favored expanded background checks for gun purchases, 61 percent backed a ban on assault-style weapons, and 59 percent said the minimum age to purchase a gun should be raised to 21.”
New Pa. F&M poll finds positive signs for Gov. Wolf, Democratic U.S. House candidates
Inquirer by Thomas Fitzgerald, Political Writer  @tomfitzgerald |  tfitzgerald@phillynews.com Updated: MARCH 28, 2018 — 10:07 PM EDT
Nearly half of Pennsylvania registered voters, 46 percent, believe the state is “headed in the right direction,” according to a new Franklin and Marshall College poll released Thursday — the first time since 2009 that more respondents chose that option than said the state was on the wrong track. “That’s primarily driven by improvements in the economy. Compared to even a few years ago, a lot more people are working,” said Terry Madonna, poll director and public-affairs professor at the Lancaster college. The recession of 2008-09 was deeper and the recovery was slower in Pennsylvania than in some other parts of the nation. Forty percent of respondents in the new poll agreed with the proposition that the state was on the wrong track. The survey, conducted for the Inquirer and Daily News and other news outlets across the state, found a high level of interest in this year’s midterm elections, with 48 percent of voters saying they were very interested and paying close attention to the campaigns. In addition, 60 percent of Democrats, compared to 41 percent of Republicans, placed themselves in the “very interested” category — often used by pollsters as a measure of relative partisan enthusiasm.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/pennsylvania-poll-tom-wolf-scott-wagner-laura-ellsworth-20180329.html

F&M poll shows no clear favorite in GOP gubernatorial contest has emerged yet to take on Gov. Wolf
Penn Live By Jan Murphy jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated 4:00 AM; Posted 4:00 AM
With about seven weeks to go until the May 15 gubernatorial primary, none of the three Republican candidates have yet to show they are making any significant inroads to pose a serious threat to Gov. Tom Wolf's bid for a second term of office. The latest Franklin & Marshall College poll suggests that perhaps endorsed GOP candidate Scott Wagner may do a little better against Wolf than his Republican primary opponents Paul Mango and Laura Ellsworth but a lot of voters remain undecided. Poll director G. Terry Madonna said one of the problems Wagner and Mango are having is they are "tearing the hide off of each other" in their ads. Others that all three Republicans must combat is an energized Democratic base of likely voters and the lack of any big negative against Wolf to make him appear as undeserving of another term.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/03/poll_shows_no_clear_favorite_i.html#incart_river_index

Elected officials could learn from the Lancaster County teens who took part in LNP Opinion discussion on school safety
Lancaster Online by The LNP Editorial Board  March 29, 2018
THE ISSUE:  dozen students from high schools around Lancaster County gathered in the LNP studio Tuesday afternoon to discuss school safety, shootings, gun regulation and the #NeverAgain movement. LNP Opinion Editor Suzanne Cassidy and Deputy Opinion Editor Rich Manieri moderated the 70-minute conversation. The students came from Hempfield, Lancaster Mennonite, Manheim Central, Manheim Township, McCaskey, Penn Manor and Solanco high schools, and held a mix of views on gun regulation. The kids are not just all right. The kids are magnificent. That was the primary takeaway from Tuesday’s LNP Opinion discussion with 12 area high school students. The subject before them — school safety and gun regulation — was a complicated one. They faced squarely the issues of mental health, school security, arming school employees, race, gun access and what one student termed “the societal glorification of violence.” They spoke thoughtfully, earnestly, eloquently, passionately — and with civility. When they disagreed with one another, they did so politely. They were firm without being cutting. They listened to one another. If our elected officials in Harrisburg and Washington could conduct themselves in a similar manner, our nation would be better for it. We’d urge our politicians to watch and learn from the video, which can be viewed on LancasterOnline.
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/elected-officials-could-learn-from-the-lancaster-county-teens-who/article_f83cf1fa-32e4-11e8-b9b9-7fd43d001893.html

Gun violence summit grapples with where to go from here
Politicians struggled to answer the logical, heartfelt questions of children – why aren't there better laws?
The notebook by Jane M. Von Bergen March 28, 2018 — 10:27am
Sixth-grader Samantha Sandhaus' question was so innocent – simple and logical – that, for one brief moment, it silenced two seasoned, and loquacious, politicians. Why, the 12-year-old wondered, if the city of Philadelphia can't legally make laws to curb access to guns, then "why doesn't the federal government do it?" Aaah, why indeed? Where to even begin? That was the look that crossed the faces of State Rep. Jordan Harris,  (D, Phila.), and Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson. The two had been tapped to deliver a primer on gun laws Tuesday at #PHLYouthTalks: Gun Violence from Parkland to Philly, a gathering at South Philadelphia High School. The session, which was sponsored by the Philadelphia Youth Commission and the Mayor's Millennial Advisory Committee and took place three days after the anti-gun violence march in Center City, drew about 80 people; about half of them were students.  They listened to the politicians, including Mayor Kenney, before dividing into smaller sessions on trauma, creating safe spaces, and anti-violence programs – all in response to the Valentine's Day shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2018/03/28/gun-violence-summit-grapples-with-where-to-go-from-here

Study: Armed security officers are on the rise in US schools
AP By MARIA DANILOVA and LARRY FENN Mrch 29, 2018
WASHINGTON (AP) — Armed security officers are becoming more prevalent at America’s schools, according to a federal study released Thursday amid a heated debate over whether teachers and other school officials should carry guns. Armed officers were present at least once a week in 43 percent of all public schools during the 2015-16 school year, compared with 31 percent of schools a decade before, according to data from a survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. Last month’s mass shooting at a Florida high school put renewed focus on the role of armed school security guards, after a video showed that a sheriff’s deputy at the school approached but did not enter the building where the attack was taking place. The study came out a day after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos kicked off a federal school safety panel. DeVos has said that schools should have the option to arm teachers. She’s being criticized by teachers’ unions for not including educators, students and experts in the panel, which consists only of her and three other Cabinet secretaries. The percentage of schools with a security guard, a school resource officer or other sworn law enforcement officer on campus at least once a week has gone up from 42 percent in 2005-06 to 57 percent a decade later. While security at schools of all grade levels increased, the shift is clearer among elementary schools, where the share with security staff has gone from 26 percent to 45 percent in the same time period.
https://apnews.com/8609138b5c2a43588658c58ea83af887

Greensburg Salem brings on architect to study school safety improvements
Trib Live by JACOB TIERNEY  | Wednesday, March 28, 2018, 7:09 p.m.
Greensburg Salem School District has wanted to improve security at the entrances to its five schools for a long time, but last month's school shooting in Florida and a recent break-in at Greensburg Salem Middle School sent the project to the top of the to-do list, officials said.
An architect with New Kensington firm Canzian/Johnston & Associates visited the districts' schools Tuesday to see how much it would cost to install mousetrap entrances. These entrances have become the gold standard for schools, said Don Macek, a project manager with Canzian/Johnston. “Lots of the school districts we work with, some have put it in, some have been phasing it in over time,” he said. With a “mousetrap” setup, anyone coming into the school through the main entrance must first be let in through a set of locked doors, which lead into a secure vestibule which adjoins the reception area.
http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/13474122-74/greensburg-salem-brings-on-architect-to-study-school-safety-improvements

Stroudsburg High Rifle Team flush with cash after NRA grant rejection spurs competing fundraisers
The board voted 6-2 at Monday's meeting to not accept the grant.
Jacqueline Palochko and Daniel Patrick Sheehan Contact Reporters Of The Morning Call March 28, 2018
A decision Monday by the Stroudsburg Area School Board not to accept National Rifle Association money for the high school rifle team has spurred two fundraising efforts as well as accusations that the issue has been politicized. A GoFundMe campaign by state Rep. Maureen Madden, D-Monroe, brought in $8,700 by midafternoon Wednesday. A separate effort by some local business leaders raised $6,750. Each fundraiser surpassed the amount of the NRA grant, which was $4,730 and offered to the team for the first time this year. The Stroudsburg High rifle team has been using equipment from the 1970s. It intends to use the money for new rifles and vests for its 21 members.
http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-stroudsburg-rifle-team-gofundme-nra-grant-20180328-story.html

Pa. school district looks at student discipline and race
Morning Call by ED PALATTELLA, Erie Times-News Associated Press March 28, 2018
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Through the development of its strategic plan, the Erie School District is trying to address an achievement gap, in which black students typically are less proficient in math and language arts than their white counterparts. The district is also trying to address its discipline gap. In 2016-17, black students in the Erie School District were disciplined about 2.3 times more often than their white counterparts — 889 black students compared with 394 white students. Also in 2016-17, according to district figures, black students comprised 57.2 percent of the district's disciplinary referrals — suspensions, expulsions and other sanctions — though black students make up 25.3 percent of the district's 11,500 students. White students were subject to 25.4 percent of the referrals while making up 52.5 percent of the student population. “This has always been an underlying issue in the district,” Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito said. “This is something we need to call out in our plan.” In some ways, the district already has. One of the goals in the draft of the strategic plan, and a goal expected to be in the final plan, due in May, is to ensure all district students receive “proportional treatment.”
http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc--nws-pa-school-discipline-race20180328-story.html

$63M Pottstown school budget draft has $2.4M deficit
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 03/27/18, 6:28 PM EDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO
POTTSTOWN >> The preliminary Pottstown School District budget for the 2018-2019 school year is looking a little short. During the March 15 school board meeting, board member Kurt Heidel reported that the budget — which now stands at $63,226,970 — also carries a $2.4 million deficit between anticipated revenues and expenditures. For the last three years, the school board has held the line and not raised property taxes. But Heidel said even if the board does decide to raise taxes this year, the maximum hike allowed by the state — the “state index” — is 3.5 percent. Even with that additional revenue, the budget revenues would still be about $1 million short of projected expenses. “There is still work to do,” said Heidel. The board is hoping to get some help with some of that work. Since the beginning of the year, the board and administration have been tossing around the idea of a budget advisory committee, modeled on the one established by Pottstown Borough Council and which, to date, has produced no budget savings.
http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20180327/63m-pottstown-school-budget-draft-has-24m-deficit?platform=hootsuite

Know your rights as parents when it comes to standardized testing | Letter
By Express-Times Letters to the Editor by Becka Bossons, Williams Township, PTA president of Wilson Area Intermediate School
It is the time of year again when schools across Pennsylvania are preparing for the PSSAs. For those who are unfamiliar with this test, it is a high stakes standardized test that Pennsylvania kids in grades 3-8 take each year. There are several reasons that these tests are harmful to our students and schools. The pressure that is put on the students, teachers and school districts is really astronomically. There are plenty of resources online and documentaries available for anyone who wishes to understand more about these tests.   I am writing today to let parents know that they are legally allowed to review the PSSAs at any time to decide whether there is anything on the test that goes against their religious beliefs. This right is granted to parents via Public School Code of 1949 (24 P. S. SS SS  1-121, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B). No school is allowed to make this process more difficult or impose its own rules. Most districts in the Lehigh Valley are now very familiar with the law and are very accommodating to this process. There is at least one new charter school that does not seem to understand what the law states. I want every parent to know that if they have any issues, they can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help them navigate the process. No parent should be made to feel that they are wrong for wanting to understand each and every test their child takes.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/03/parents_need_to_know_their_rig.html#incart_river_index

Thackston Charter approves latest audit, cites improvement
York Dispatch by Lindsay C. VanAsdalan, 717-505-5450/@lcvanasdalan Published 8:55 a.m. ET March 28, 2018 | Updated 2:42 p.m. ET March 28, 2018
In the midst of a lawsuit concerning its last three audits, the Helen Thackston Charter School board approved its audit for the previous school year in a meeting Tuesday night. The vote was unanimous between board members Danyiell Newman, Frank Hawkins, Marcia Glover and Nacole Gaines to approve the audit for the 2016-17 school year. Board solicitor Brian Leinhauser did not attend the Tuesday, March 27, meeting, but was present via a conference call. "It does show some improvement," Newman, the board president, said of the latest audit, acknowledging she was pleased with the results compared to previous years. Thackston business manager Thomas Taylor reviewed findings from the audit for board members over the phone.
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2018/03/28/thackston-charter-approves-latest-audit-cites-improvement/464380002/

A vanity gift? Complaints bubble after Abington agrees to rename high school for billionaire donor Schwarzman
Inquirer by Kathy Boccella, Staff Writer  @Kathy_Boccella |  kboccella@phillynews.com Updated: MARCH 28, 2018 — 4:15 PM EDT
When Wall Street billionaire Stephen Schwarzman announced he was donating $25 million to Abington Senior High School, he said in a release that investing in public education “yields one of the best returns imaginable – a new generation of creative, capable and collaborate future leaders…”For the Blackstone CEO there was another, far more personal, return – his name on his alma mater, which the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday night to rename Abington Schwarzman High School. Shortly after the board vote, the news exploded on a Facebook forum where residents vented over the move, calling it “insane,”  “egotistical,” and “stupid.” “The stadium is already named after him. That’s enough. Too much ego,” wrote one commenter. “Maybe they’ll give the school directors little team schwarzman shirts at the next meeting,” another wrote. According to the action item on the school board agenda, “the Grantor (the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation) agrees to make a total contribution to the Foundation and District of $25,000,000 in return for, among other things, naming and recognition rights for the Abington Senior High School, to be renamed the Abington Schwarzman High School.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/stephen-schwarzman-abington-high-school-name-change-gift-20180328.html


“If the net result of eleven years of Success Academy is to get 9 low-income students into college, that’s a lot of hype and a lot of money to be spent for that, not to mention all the loss of resources to the 1,099,991 other students in New York City schools who had to suffer a loss of resources as Success used their influence and marches and wealthy donors money to stage publicity stunts in Albany and to get the Governor to go to battle with the Mayor about having the city pay charter school rents.”
Who Survives Success?
Gary Rubenstein’s Blog Posted on March 27, 2018 by garyrubinstein
Success Academy opened in 2006 with 156 students — 83 kindergarteners and 73 first graders.  Now, eleven years later, they have their first graduating seniors, though just 17 of them.  In my last post I wondered what can be learned about the Success model by examining who exactly those 17 students are. A big question, and one that might never be answered, is how many of those 17 students were actually among the original 73 first graders.  Since Success allows transfers up until 4th grade it is possible that some of those 17 students transferred in which would make their attrition rate even worse than the 77% that it is at a minimum. New York State has a pretty good data site which I used to look at the most recent data from the 2016-2017 school year.  I then compared the data about the 10th and 11th grade from 2016-2017 to the data of their kindergarten and 1st grade from 2006-2007. According to the state data (which can be found here), out of the 156 students (83 Kindergarten and 73 1st grade) in 2006-2007, 113 — which is 72% — of them qualified for either free or reduced lunch.  Though there was not data of the breakdown by gender, I think it is a fair assumption that the boys and girls were likely equally split, more or less.
https://garyrubinstein.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/who-survives-success/

Here's How Changes to the U.S. Census Could Impact Education Funding
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on March 28, 2018 3:45 PM
The Trump administration has decided to add a question to the 2020 U.S. Census about whether respondents are U.S. citizens, and it's causing quite a stir. But how exactly is census information used in education? And how could a question about citizenship impact schools? Let's tackle that first question. The decennial census results impact the two biggest pots of federal money for K-12 schools: Title I aid for disadvantaged students, which receives $15.8 billion in fiscal 2018, and special education grants to states, which receive $12.3 billion.  For example, the decennial census data is used—along with other data collected by the Census Bureau—to produce "single-year estimates of income and poverty for all U.S. states and counties as well as estimates of school-age children in poverty" for the nation's school districts in the Small Area Income Poverty and Estimates Program (SAIPE). This program, in turn, impacts Title I.  "The Title I and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) formulas factor in Census data that is informed by the decennial census," said Sheara Krvaric, an attorney at the Federal Education Group, a legal and consulting firm in Washington.  The decennial data collected by the Census Bureau are far from the only factor in determing these allocations, because that information is only collected once a decade. So there are other sources of information as well as projections that are used for funding decisions made by the U.S. Department of Education.  But it's not just at the federal level where this type of data is used.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/03/us_census_changes_education_funding_impact.html

As DeVos School Safety Panel Meets, Educators Blast Exclusion of School Voices
Education Week Politics K12 Blog By Alyson Klein on March 28, 2018 8:04 PM
The White House school safety commission chaired by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos held its first, closed-door meeting Wednesday, amid a chorus of concern about its makeup and process among educators and advocates.  The commission will make policy recommendations in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead. In addition to DeVos, its membership consists includes Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, but no educators or experts. Wednesday's meeting was not open to the public, or press. But the department has told advocates it plans to reach out to the education community, and hold forums around the country in the future. No word yet on where and when these meetings will take place.  The commission discussed staffing, coordination with state and local authorities, and plans for getting input from people impacted by school safety issues, according to a summary of the meeting released by the department.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/03/school_safety_commission_advocates_unhappy.html

Testing Resistance & Reform News: March 21 - 27, 2018
FairTest Submitted by fairtest on March 27, 2018 - 1:38pm 
Entering the peak weeks of school testing season, pressure from students, educators and community leaders for genuine assessment reform is accelerating as more people recognize how much classroom learning time is undermined by standardized exam overkill. 
http://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance-reform-news-march-21-27-2018


2018 PSBA Advocacy Day April 16, 2018 Harrisburg
Join PSBA and your fellow school directors for the annual Advocacy Day on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. PSBA is partnering with Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units to have a stronger voice for public education. Hear how advocacy makes a difference in the legislative process and the importance of public education advocacy. Government Affairs will take a deeper dive into the legislative priorities and will provide tips on how to be an effective public education advocate. There will be dedicated time for you and your fellow advocates to hit the halls to meet with your legislators on public education. This is your chance to share the importance of policy supporting public education and make your voice heard on the Hill. This event is free for members; registration is required.
Register online here: 
http://www.mypls.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3753

https://www.psba.org/event/2018-psba-advocacy-day/

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/

PASA Women's Caucus Annual Conference "Leaders Lifting Leaders"
May 6 - 8, 2018 Hotel Hershey
**REGISTRATION NOW OPEN**

Featured Speakers...
*Dr. Helen Sobehart - Women Leading Education Across Continents: Lifting Leaders from Here to There
*Dr. Tracey Severns - Courageous Leadership
*Dr. Emilie Lonardi - Lead and Lift: A Call for Females to Aspire to the Superintendency
*Deputy Secretary Matt Stem - Update from the PDE

Registration: https://www.pasa-net.org/wcconf


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.