Keystone State Education Coalition

Established in 2006, the Keystone State Education Coalition is a growing grass roots, non-partisan public education advocacy group of several hundred locally elected, volunteer school board members and administrators from school districts throughout Pennsylvania. Our mission is to evaluate, discuss and inform our boards, district constituents and legislators on legislative issues of common interest and to facilitate active engagement in public education advocacy.

Showing posts with label Sequestration. Show all posts

Friday, January 17, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup for January 17, 2014: Sources: Corbett to propose boost in education funding

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3060 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

The Keystone State Education Coalition is pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public Education. Are you a member?

The Top Five Reasons Your State Senator Should Oppose SB 1085

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/top-5-reasons-state-senators-should-oppose-sb-1085/

NAACP Public Discussion on PA Charter School Expansion Bill SB1085.

January 18th, 12:30 pm Campbell AME Church 3rd&Olive Streets Media PA.

Keystone State Education Coalition

Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for January 17, 2014:

Sources: Corbett to propose boost in education funding

AMY WORDEN AND ANGELA COULOUMBIS, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU

POSTED: Thursday, January 16, 2014, 8:08 PM

HARRISBURG - Gov. Corbett will propose hundreds of millions of dollars in new education funding as the centerpiece of the budget he unveils next month, according to sources familiar with the plan. Addressing one of his perceived political liabilities, the governor will call for what one source described as a "major investment" in basic education with more modest investments for colleges. The details, including where the money will come from, remain under wraps. But one source estimated the plan will call for $200 million in new funds, and others said the governor hopes to rely on pension reform to net $100 million.

Auditor General will review the Department of Education, saying mismanagement has been missed

By Jeff Frantz | jfrantz@pennlive.com on January 16, 2014 at 5:06 PM

Pennsylvania's Auditor General announced Thursday he will audit the state Department of Education after school district audits uncovered fiscal mismanagement he says the department should have caught. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said he wants to make sure the department has the "structure, staff and resources to fulfill its oversight of schools."

DePasquale's office has audited more than 300 school districts. Most revealed no serious issues.

"In some we found problems complying with laws and regulations that fall under PDE’s oversight," DePasquale said in a statement. "In the worst cases, we found wasted money that should have gone toward classroom education."

In response to DePasquale's announcement, Tim Eller, spokesman for the department, said "We welcome it."

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/01/auditor_general_department_of.html

Pa. auditor general faults education department's charter oversight

WHYY Newsworks by Kevin McCorry JANUARY 16, 2014

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale of York, Pa. (Emma Lee/NewsWorks Photo, file)

Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale intends to hold a series of public meetings in February and March at locations across the state to "explore ways to improve accountability, effectiveness and transparency of charter schools."

DePasquale, who took office in January 2013, said his office audited more than 300 school entities during the first year of his tenure. In a radio interview (listen above), DePasquale argued that charters have been able to get away with misusing public funds largely because the state Department of Education has lacked oversight and been unwilling to hold "bad actors" accountable. As a leading example, he described how some charter operators abuse the system through "improper lease reimbursements." Some charter operators put the deed of a building they own in the name of a separate foundation, DePasquale explained. Then, they name themselves the heads of said foundation, and, in a sense, lease the building to themselves.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/63965-pa-auditor-general-depasquale-highly-critical-of-state-department-of-education?linktype=hp_topstory

Schools funding study in sight in Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review By Megan Harris Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014, 11:39 p.m.
A school funding bill passed the state House on Wednesday, despite ongoing partisan debate over whether a funding formula even exists.

Widely supported by school administrators, teachers unions and advocacy groups, House Bill 1738 would establish a commission to study and recommend a more equitable way to distribute state dollars to districts. The commission would be comprised of House and Senate majority and minority leaders; Department of Education representatives; and a gubernatorial appointee.

A 2013 Education Law Center report said that Pennsylvania, Delaware and North Carolina are the only states without education funding formulas.

LMSD Board approves resolution in opposition to Senate Bill 1085

Lower Merion School District website Announcements Posted: January 13, 2014

The Lower Merion School District Board of School Directors unanimously approved a resolution to oppose Senate Bill 1085, a charter school reform bill that will create new and substantial costs for taxpayers, take control of public schools away from local communities, and limit the ability of school districts to effectively plan for student enrollment changes and staffing needs. The resolution, initially discussed in the Board’s legislative committee, was presented and approved at the start of the Board’s education meeting on Monday, January 13.
At the heart of Senate Bill 1085 is a provision that enables colleges and universities to siphon local tax dollars to create under-regulated charter schools. The schools would not be subject to the accountability standards of locally-elected school boards. A college/university could open and fund a new school entirely through dollars previously allocated for existing public schools, without any evidence to support that the school would be more effective than existing schools.

http://www.lmsd.org/news/article/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=2065&ModuleID=22&&NEWSPID=1

Green to be nominated as SRC chair; 3 fired in cheating probe

KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER January 17, 2014, 1:07 AM

As it heard news Thursday night that a stunning 138 educators had been implicated in a widespread cheating scandal, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission prepared for two new members. On Friday, Gov. Corbett will nominate City Councilman Bill Green and People's Emergency Center chief Farah Jimenez to the SRC, sources said. Green, who would have to resign from Council, is to be chairman.

The governor is scheduled to visit Central High School on Friday morning.

If confirmed by the state Senate, Green and Jimenez will have to deal with the fallout of the cheating probe. The SRC fired three principals Thursday night, but more investigations and discipline are to come.

Corbett to visit Central HS today amid angry protests

REGINA MEDINA, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER MEDINAR@PHILLYNEWS.COM, POSTED: Friday, January 17, 2014, 3:01 AM

IT WILL BE a day of firsts for Gov. Corbett when he steps inside Central High School this morning: First visit to a Philadelphia public school since assuming office in 2011; first sitting Pennsylvania governor to visit Central; and, probably, the first time Corbett will be greeted by angry protesters inside and outside a school. Student protesters will rally at 7:45 a.m. outside the Olney school, reading their Declaration of Students' Rights written by senior organizer Afaq Mahmoud. They will display photos of teachers who have gone "missing" during the Corbett administration.

Why we march

Parents United for Public Education Posted on January 16, 2014 by HELENGYM

Tomorrow, Governor Tom Corbett – the least popular incumbent governor in the country – will make his first ever visit into a Philadelphia public school. He’s coming to Central High on Friday to give achievement awards to Central, Masterman and Carver High Schools – all three of which have seen their budgets decimated since Corbett’s taken office. Pennsylvania Education Secretary Caroline Dumaresq will accompany Corbett in a photo-op sure to rival the alternate reality of any science fiction fantasy. …We assume that Governor Corbett will deliver a message of personal responsibility and accountability, a message where students can and should achieve no matter what the circumstances. And that’s a message to be heard – except when the person who should be held accountable and responsible is the deliverer of that speech himself.

Under Governor Corbett, consider what’s happened to these three elite Philadelphia schools:

Masterman has lost 30% of its staff and has seen its extracurricular budget dwindle to a fraction of what it was before Gov. Corbett took office. As a result, programs like the school’s national championship chess team run on pure volunteers and almost no funding.
Central High School went from eight counselors down to two, resulting in a two week wait to see a counselor and counselors unable to turn in letters of recommendation. The loss of more than $1.4 million from the school based budget alone means that Central educates its top notch students on just $5,177 per child, the lowest ratio in the entire School District.
Carver, meanwhile has retained less than 10% of its pre-Corbett books and supply budget. Today it spends just $19 per child per year for all books, materials and supplies.

http://parentsunitedphila.com/2014/01/16/why-we-march-2/

Few minorities sat for AP Computer Science test in Pa.

Written by Ben Allen, Morning Edition Host | Jan 15, 2014 4:00 AM

(Harrisburg) -- New data shows many Advanced Placement tests in Pennsylvania are almost exclusively taken by white and Asian students. In 2008, just one Hispanic student sat for the AP Computer Science test, compared to 181 white students. But the most recent numbers from the College Board show 522 white students took the test in 2012 .

That's more than 65 times the eight Hispanics who took part.

"If we don't have the right kind of challenging curriculum, and appropriate counseling to go along with it, then students who may be well-motivated and may have lots of support from parents, may simply not be positioned academically to take the Advanced Placement courts and be eligible to take Advanced Placement testing," says Ron Cowell is president of the nonprofit Education, Policy and Leadership Center in Harrisburg, which advocates for more effective state-level education policies.

http://www.witf.org/news/2014/01/few-minorities-sat-for-ap-computer-science-test-in-pa.php

Process Questions: Why are some city charter schools approved over others?

"The charter-school process is a very political one in Pittsburgh."

Pittsburgh Citypaper by Rebecca Nuttall @PghReporter January 15, 2014

As Pittsburgh Public Schools considers closing another school to help avert a million-dollar budget deficit in 2016, three new charter schools are clamoring for their own share of students ... and of public tax dollars. But getting approval for a charter school — a school run by an outside group that nevertheless gets public money from the district itself — can be difficult. Between 2008 and 2012, the district has approved only two charter schools out of 15 proposed.

"The charter-school process is a very political one in Pittsburgh," says Randall Taylor, a former school-board director who's been involved in two charter applications. Getting approved can depend on who you know, he contends.

The outcome of the latest round of charter applications may test that proposition.

http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/process-questions-why-are-some-city-charter-schools-approved-over-others/Content?oid=1722882

Federal Spending Plan Aims to Ease 'Sequester' Pain

Education Week By Alyson Klein Published Online: January 17, 2014

The massive spending bill headed for passage in Congress Monday aims to largely restore federal aid for most schools after the biggest cuts to K-12 funding in history, while including a more than $1 billion down payment on the Obama administration’s proposal to ramp up existing early-childhood programs. But two initiatives high on the administration’s wish list—a Race to the Top for higher education and $750 million in new grants to help states improve their preschool programs—aren’t slated to receive funding in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. And the bill would flat-fund, or even cut, the marquee competitive-grant programs that form the bedrock of the administration’s education-redesign strategy.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/01/16/18budget.h33.html?tkn=MRWFRhXC4mpnnAqxcXVtoBkGWTURbyA2v9qI&cmp=clp-edweek

Senate approves $1.1 trillion spending bill

Politico By DAVID ROGERS | 1/16/14 4:07 PM EST Updated: 1/17/14 6:15 AM EST

A landmark $1.1 trillion spending bill cleared Congress Thursday evening after conservative resistance collapsed in the Senate and tea party favorite Ted Cruz dropped his insistence on a vote on funding for President Barack Obama’s health care plan.

On back-to-back 72-26 roll calls, senators voted to cut off debate and then quickly adopted the bill, which keeps the government funded through September. Seventeen Republicans backed passage, but as with the December budget accord, a majority did not. The divisions show again how much the Senate –even more than the House—has become a partisan battleground. Once again Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opted to be a “nay” despite the overwhelming support of House Republicans for the measure.

Texas Public Schools Are Teaching Creationism

An investigation into charter schools’ dishonest and unconstitutional science, history, and “values” lessons.

Slate by By Zack Kopplin January 16, 2014

When public-school students enrolled in Texas’ largest charter program open their biology workbooks, they will read that the fossil record is “sketchy.” That evolution is “dogma” and an “unproved theory” with no experimental basis. They will be told that leading scientists dispute the mechanisms of evolution and the age of the Earth. These are all lies.

The more than 17,000 students in the Responsive Education Solutions charter system will learn in their history classes that some residents of the Philippines were “pagans in various levels of civilization.” They’ll read in a history textbook that feminism forced women to turn to the government as a “surrogate husband.” Responsive Ed has a secular veneer and is funded by public money, but it has been connected from its inception to the creationist movement and to far-right fundamentalists who seek to undermine the separation of church and state.

The opening line of the workbook section declares, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” Infiltrating and subverting the charter-school movement has allowed Responsive Ed to carry out its religious agenda—and it is succeeding. Operating more than 65 campuses in Texas, Arkansas, and Indiana, Responsive Ed receives more than $82 million in taxpayer money annually, and it is expanding, with 20 more Texas campuses opening in 2014.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/01/creationism_in_texas_public_schools_undermining_the_charter_movement.single.html

Teach For America Spinoff Helps Alumni Gain Influence

Education Week By Stephen Sawchuk Updated: January 15, 2014

A spinoff of the controversial Teach For America teacher-placement program has expanded rapidly in recent months, pursuing a goal both specific and dizzyingly broad: helping TFA's 32,000 alumni rise to civic-leadership roles. Leadership for Educational Equity has grown from just a handful of staff members a few years ago to nearly 60 today. The Washington-based group, known as LEE, now boasts a $3.9 million annual budget. In 2011, it launched a series of national workshops for TFA alumni eyeing careers in policy and advocacy, and in 2013 expanded it to include community organizing. The ambitions of LEE are bolder, though, than to serve as a development center of sorts for those alumni: The group also puts campaign muscle behind members who decide to seek elected office.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/01/15/17lee_ep.h33.html?tkn=WLPFMk4jowHdh2zirc37mqgHUxrUTnVV9%2B9z&cmp=clp-edweek

Education Week to Adopt 'Metered' Subscription Model

Education Week By Mark Walsh on January 17, 2014 5:00 AM | No comments

Education Week is turning to a so-called metered-access subscription model on its website, edweek.org, beginning next week, following a direction taken by some prominent publications.

Paid subscribers will continue to have full access to the national newspaper that focuses on precollegiate education, while more casual visitors will be nudged toward becoming registered users who will be able to read 10 free articles, blog posts, and commentaries per month before being prompted to subscribe.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_and_the_media/2014/01/education_week_to_adopt_metered_subscription_model.html

Come to Harrisburg February 4^th for the Governor's Budget Address

Show your School Spirit with PCCY!

In 25 days the Governor will introduce his budget plan for 2014-2015. Based on past performance, the next budget may do little to meet the needs of Pennsylvania’s public school students. School districts in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery remain underfunded by the state by a combined $161 million. That is why we need YOU to stand up for your school in Harrisburg on February 4th to demand equitable funding for our schools. To really make our point, please wear local school colors, jackets or sweatshirts to show your school spirit!

Click here to sign-up and get details. For more information please email Shanee Garner-Nelson at shaneeg@pccy.org.

http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51084/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=75391

PDE chief Dumaresq LIVE budget presentation, PSBA Conference Center, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m

PSBA’s website 1/13/2014

Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq will be at the PSBA Conference Center on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. to present a special state budget overview.

Find out how the proposals of the fiscal year 2014-15 Pennsylvania budget impact your school district the day after the governor delivers his address to the General Assembly. Secretary Dumaresq will review the governor's plan and answer your questions. In addition to the live presentation, members across the state also can participate through streaming media on their computers.

To register for the LIVE event, Wed., Feb. 5, 2 p.m., at the PSBA Conference Center, Mechanicsburg: https://www.psba.org/workshops/register/?workshop=150

To register for the WEB event: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7884287076736574210

- See more at: http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=6842#sthash.6jG84BK0.dpuf

NAACP: Public Discussions Scheduled on PA Charter School Expansion Bill – SB1085. January 18^th, 12:30 pm Media PA.

NAACP Press Release January 9, 2014

Open and public discussion of PA Senate Bill 1085, a charter school expansion plan now due third consideration in the PA General Assembly, will be held on January 18, 2014 in the community room of Campbell AME Church, at 3^rdand Olive Streets in Media, PA. The event is free. The discussion will last from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. A light lunch will be available between 12:30 and 1:00 PM “Local control of public education through the elected school board is under threat for each of the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania,” stated Bettie McClarien, a member of the Media Area NAACP Education Committee, and coordinator of this event. “Senate Bill 1085 is specifically structured to allow charter school authorization by colleges and universities or by the Department of Education and without local school board input. The bill is written so as to eliminate tax payer participation in approval of the opening of charter schools in their school districts,” McClairen said. “Even voters in successful suburban districts such as Radnor, Garnett Valley, Nether Providence and Rose Tree Media will be subject to an influx of charters run by educational management organizations with no knowledge of or concern for the community.”

A panel of informed education experts has been assembled to enlighten the public concerning the contents and implications of SB 1085. Sue Tiernan, school board member from West Chester Area School District and David Lapp of the Education Law Center will serve on the panel. Other officials knowledgeable on the bill have been invited to the panel as well.

More info contact: Bettie McClairen at Urban_parent@yahoo.com

2014 PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education and Arts/Culture in PA

Education Policy and Leadership Center

Below is an alphabetical list of the 2014 Gubernatorial Candidates and links to information about their plans, if elected, for education and arts/culture in Pennsylvania. This list will be updated, as more information becomes available.

http://www.eplc.org/2014-gubernatorial-candidate-plans-for-education-and-artsculture-in-pa/

2014 PICASSO PROJECT SCHOOL AWARDS

Representatives from winning schools and partner organizations are invited to join us for the grants award ceremony on Monday, January 27, 2014 at the World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. RSVP to info@pccy.org or call 215-563-5848 x11.

https://www.pccy.org/?page=PicassoProjectGrantWinners__172

EduCon 2.6

January 24th – 26th, 2014 at The Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia

EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.

It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the big dreams.

http://educonphilly.org/

DELAWARE COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT - GOOGLE SYMPOSIUM 2014

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014

The DCIU Google Symposium is an opportunity for teachers, administrators, technology directors, and other school stakeholders to come together and explore the power of Google Apps for Education. The Symposium will be held at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. The Delaware County Intermediate Unit is one of Pennsylvania’s 29 regional educational agencies. The day will consist of an opening keynote conducted by Rich Kiker followed by 4 concurrent sessions.

https://sites.google.com/site/dciuchromesymposium/home

NPE National Conference 2014

The Network for Public Education

The Network for Public Education is pleased to announce our first National Conference. The event will take place on March 1 & 2, 2014 (the weekend prior to the world-famous South by Southwest Festival) at The University of Texas at Austin. At the NPE National Conference 2014, there will be panel discussions, workshops, and a keynote address by Diane Ravitch. NPE Board members – including Anthony Cody, Leonie Haimson, and Julian Vasquez Heilig – will lead discussions along with some of the important voices of our movement.

Details and registration here: http://www.networkforpubliceducation.com/conference/

The National School Boards Association 74^th Annual Conference & Exposition April 5-7, 2014 New Orleans

The National School Boards Association 74^th Annual Conference & Exposition will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. Our first time back in New Orleans since the spring of 2002!

General Session speakers include education advocates Thomas L. Friedman, Sir Ken Robinson, as well as education innovators Nikhil Goyal and Angela Maiers.

We have more than 200 sessions planned! Colleagues from across the country will present workshops on key topics with strategies and ideas to help your district. View our Conference Brochure for highlights on sessions and focus presentations.

· Register now! – Register for both the conference and housing using our online system.

· Conference Information– Visit the NSBA conference website for up-to-date information

· Hotel List and Map - Official NSBA Housing Block

· Exposition Campus – View new products and services and interactive trade show floor

Questions? Contact NSBA at 800-950-6722 (NSBA) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Join the National School Boards Action Center Friends of Public Education

Participate in a voluntary network to urge your U.S. Representatives and Senators to support federal legislation on Capitol Hill that is critical to providing high quality education to

America

’s schoolchildren

http://nsbac.org/?page_id=1873

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

PA Ed Policy Roundup Dec 11, 2013: …state increases have gone largely to pay for state-mandated contributions to the pension system, not services for students. “The reality is that school districts opened their doors this Sept 2013 with about $700 million less from the state in support of academic programs and services for students than was the case in Sept 2010”

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

The Keystone State Education Coalition is pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public Education. Are you a member?

Keystone State Education Coalition

Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for December 11, 2013:

…state increases have gone largely to pay for state-mandated contributions to the pension system, not services for students. “The reality is that school districts opened their doors this Sept 2013 with about $700 million less from the state in support of academic programs and services for students than was the case in Sept 2010”

SB1085 would create an 18-member Charter School Funding Advisory Commission, consisting of the secretary of education; six legislators, four of them from the majority party; and, appointed by the governor, 11 representatives of charters, school districts, and a university. ….the commission is not bipartisan. Sixteen of the 18 members come from, or will be appointed by, the majority party."

Prosecution urges jury to convict in Dorothy June Brown fraud trial

MARTHA WOODALL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, December 11, 2013, 2:01 AM POSTED: Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 6:19 PM

A federal prosecutor Tuesday asked jurors in the fraud trial of charter school founder Dorothy June Brown to recall the testimony and evidence presented over 15 days.

In a three-hour closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank R. Costello highlighted the statements made by phantom members of charter school boards, fabricated minutes for meetings that had never occurred, and phony contracts with Brown's management firms - documents that had been backdated, that no boards had ever approved, that contained forged signatures.

SB1085: Pa. Charter-School Bill Cuts Cyber-Charter Funding, But Angers District Advocates

Education Week State Ed Watch Blog By Andrew Ujifusa on December 10, 2013 2:46 PM

One of the relatively long-running state K-12 policy battles has been the fight over how to overhaul Pennsylvania's charter-school law. The existing law has been on the books since 1997, and it hasn't been altered significantly since then. I reported on a bill that would have revamped charter-school regulations last year, but it ultimately flopped. Once again, there's proposed legislation making its way through the Keystone State legislature that would dramatically alter the law, but it creates clear winners and losers in the process.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2013/12/pa_charter-school_bill_cuts_cyber-charter_funding_but_angers_district_advocates.html

Here’s the description and purpose of SB1085 in relatively clear narrative

Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Note for SB1085

Pennsylvania General Assembly

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/SFN/2013/0/SB1085P1597.pdf

“From his point of view, Tim Eller, spokesman for the state Department of Education, said state support of public schools has increased by $1.17 billion since Mr. Corbett took office. “Unfortunately, the AFT, as well as other traditional public education establishment organizations, continues to misinform the public about the governor’s record of education funding in Pennsylvania,” Mr. Eller said.

Ron Cowell, president of the Harrisburg-based Education Leadership and Policy Council, who was not part of the National Day of Action event, said in a phone interview, “I very much agree with those who argue that state financial support to districts to support academic services for students has been cut and cut substantially.”

He said state increases have gone largely to pay for state-mandated contributions to the pension system, not services for students. “The reality is that school districts opened their doors this September 2013 with about $700 million less from the state in support of academic programs and services for students than was the case in September 2010,” he said, noting that takes into account about $160 million of lost funding that was restored.

He said the cuts had the biggest financial impact on the poorest districts.”

Demonstrators seek more education funds from state

By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 9, 2013 11:43 PM

Pittsburgh teachers, parents and community members were among demonstrators in one of 60 rallies nationwide for what the American Federation of Teachers called a National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education. More than 100 people listened to speakers, chanted slogans such as “Tom Corbett’s got to go” and marched Monday, some holding signs that said “Education Not for Sale” and “Support Funding for Public Education.” The Pittsburgh rally took place at Wood Street and Fifth Avenue outside the regional office of Gov. Tom Corbett.

Who’s Crazy?

Yinzercation Blog December 10, 2013

There were at least 117 people standing on a downtown street corner yesterday in the freezing cold to tell Governor Corbett what his budget cuts have done to our schools. Parents, students, teachers, and community members stood shoulder to shoulder, huddled against the wind, while speaker after speaker rattled off the devastation we’ve witnessed over the past two years right here in Pittsburgh. The gutting of art, music, library, tutoring, and other education programs. Increased class sizes. Cuts to sports, activities, transportation, field trips, textbooks and supplies. School closures. Hundreds of furloughed teachers.

Yet the Governor’s office says we must be seeing things, since it claims to have increasedstate support for public schools by $1.17 billion. [Post-Gazette, 12-10-13] So are we crazy?

After two years of devastating cuts, this year’s budget did increase the “basic education” funding line (one of many education funding categories) by 2%. But overall funding for public schools remains far below where it was a few years ago. Compared to the 2010-11 budget – the year before Gov. Corbett’s historic attack on our schools – this year’s budget is still short over $681 million. [See “Budget Failure” for details.]

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/whos-crazy/

Updated Pa. school report cards to be unveiled Wednesday

Bucks County Courier Times By Natasha Lindstrom Staff Writer

Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 6:35 pm | Updated: 7:54 pm, Tue Dec 10, 2013.

HARRISBURG -- After fixing data reporting errors, the state Department of Education is set to release Wednesday the statewide results of Pennsylvania's new school report card system.

The state has developed a formula-based method of grading schools that replaces the former No Child Left Behind system and assigns schools a rating on a 100-point scale.

In October, the state launched a website,paschoolperformance.org, to showcase the new scores -- but school reporting problems caused officials to withhold results for 626 schools, or about one-fifth of Pennsylvania's 3,000 public schools.

The partial results made it difficult to make any statewide findings about how schools were measuring up. The department also limited temporarily several of the website's functions, including a tool to compare up to four schools side by side and downloadable files to access complete data sets.

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/local/updated-pa-school-report-cards-to-be-unveiled-wednesday/article_9b0dcbb9-e63c-5433-9a94-2376566e1277.html

The perpetual funding crisis for Philly public schools

Philly.com By Chris Brennan POSTED: December 06, 2013

THE PHILADELPHIA School District is caught in a funding-crisis cycle - and that is likely to be a factor in the 2015 race for mayor.

Nobody has more to gain or lose from that than state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, an expected candidate in the Democratic primary election and proponent of alternative options for students in failing schools.

Consider the fuss this week from education activists about pending state Senate legislation that would impact the management of charter and "cyber" schools.

Nothing happened with the legislation - Williams is the only Democratic co-sponsor - which is not expected to be acted on until next year.

http://articles.philly.com/2013-12-06/news/44869015_1_charter-schools-cyber-schools-failing-schools

Pa. board rejects proposed K-6 charter school in Duquesne

By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 10, 2013 5:00 PM

The state Charter School Appeal Board today rejected a proposed K-6 charter school in Duquesne on a 5-0 vote. The board voted today against a school that had been proposed by Connie Lucas, who resigned from the Duquesne school board to submit the application to the former state board of control that oversaw the district. The board of control did not act on the request before it was discontinued and a chief recovery officer was named for the district.

Governor Corbett Congratulates Delaware County Educator for Earning Pennsylvania’s 2014 Teacher of the Year
PDE Press Release December 09, 2013
Hershey – Governor Tom Corbett today announced Anthony Grisillo, a teacher in the Rose Tree Media School District, Delaware County, as Pennsylvania’s 2014 Teacher of the Year at the Keystone Awards of Excellence event in Hershey.

“As a former teacher, I extend warm congratulations to Anthony for achieving this significant honor. Anthony’s ability to inspire creativity, encourage innovation and engage his students has had a positive impact on all who have spent time in his classroom. Our children deserve great teachers, and I appreciate all Pennsylvania educators who share Anthony’s commitment to both the education profession and their students,” Corbett said.

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Martin Schmotzer at center of Baldwin-Whitehall school controversy

Quit Baldwin-Whitehall board for paid job, then reversed stand

By Janice Crompton / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 10, 2013 11:42 PM

Martin Schmotzer is no stranger to Democratic politics. He's served as a committee member, school board member in Baldwin-Whitehall and even eight months as a state representative when Chelsa Wagner resigned to become Allegheny County's controller.

But now Mr. Schmotzer, 57, of Whitehall is at the center of a firestorm over some controversial actions taken by himself and fellow Baldwin-Whitehall school board members recently.

At a special school board meeting Nov. 19, the board accepted Mr. Schmotzer's resignation and promptly appointed him to a newly created, $120,000-per-year position of supervisor of projects for the school board and special assistant to the superintendent. They did so with no public discussion or input, outraging residents who say the district can't afford such a position, especially one that was never advertised or placed on an agenda.

Second Opinion: Power of PISA

Philly Daily News Editorial POSTED: Wednesday, December 11, 2013, 3:01 AM

THE standardized tests known as the Program for International Student Assessment are considered so important that, when the latest results were released last week, the U.S. Department of Education participated in a so-called PISA Day. The leaders of the nation's teachers unions immediately fired off news releases asserting that the mediocre PISA scores of American students showed that more than a decade of testing-based reform had failed our schools. Prominent reform leaders, by contrast, concluded from the test results that the U.S. was failing to change schools radically enough to aid its most disadvantaged students. Still others predicted that the U.S. economy would crash and burn because of our students' unimpressive math scores.

A saner interpretation of the PISA results came from researchers who have studied international rankings in great detail, and their message goes something like this: Calm down, everyone. The results on this and other international tests are more complicated than they look, and in this case, nuance makes a difference.

“If we are committed to evidence, though, there's one area where we ought to be able to agree: early-childhood education.”

WSJ: Pre-K Education Is a Long-Term Winner

At $10,000 per child yearly, high-quality early education is a bargain.

Wall Street Journal Opinion By AUSTAN GOOLSBEE Dec. 8, 2013 (PAYWALL)

Most of us watching the looming budget showdown do so with a sense of dread. The last one left congressional approval at 9%, the president's popularity at a new low, and consumer confidence at levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. The trouble, of course, is finding common ground on a 10-year budget framework or even on a six-week punt. Hopefully, they will find common ground.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304096104579238604245143082

“In the majority of OECD countries, more than three quarters (79%) of 4-year olds are enrolled in early childhood education programs. And according tothe report on 2012 PISA scores released last week, across OECD countries, students who attended early childhood programs performed better—a full year ahead of their peers.”

The link between early childhood education and PISA scores

Washington Post The Answer Sheet BY VALERIE STRAUSS December 10 at 11:15 am

There’s an interesting connection between early childhood education and the results released last week from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment, on which American 15-year-old students performed about average in reading, math and science among some 65 countries and school systems. Here to explain is Kris Perry , executive director of the First Five Years Fund, a nonprofit organization that advocates for comprehensive, high-quality early childhood education systems, programs and supports.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/10/the-link-between-early-childhood-education-and-pisa-scores/

Budget Deal Could Offer School Districts Relief from Sequestration

Education Week Politics K-12 Blog By Alyson Klein on December 10, 2013 8:45 PM

School districts would get some relief from the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration under an agreement announced Tuesday by a bipartisan pair of House and Senate negotiators.

The plan would roll back most of the so-called sequester cuts for the next two years, leaving the door open for federal lawmakers to boost spending on disadvantaged children and students in special education. The proposal, which was crafted by the top budget lawmakers in each chamber, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would restore about 87 percent of total spending on domestic discretionary programs, the giant category that includes education, according to an analysis by Joel Packer, the executive director of the Committee for Education Funding, a Washington lobbying coalition. The coalition began trying to get rid of the sequester cuts to education programs even before they were implemented last March.

"Obviously, this isn't the ideal situation we'd hoped for, but to be honest, it's better than we could have expected," Packer said

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2013/12/budget_deal_could_offer_school.html

This One Chart Shows Why Congress Needs to Step Up for Special Education

National Center for Learning Disabilities By: NCLD Editorial Team, December 5, 2013

Want to see why Congress needs to step up for special education? The chart below from NDD United shows how sequestration has cut the federal share of special education funding to its lowest level in 12 years. That's a result of Congress cutting $579 million from the Individuals With Disabilies Education Act (IDEA) this year. Because education funding is being cut, local schools are having an even a harder time providing services for Individualized Education Programs.
When Congress passed IDEA, it promised to pay for 40 percent of the extra cost of education for children with disabilities. But Congress has never fully funded IDEA and, as the chart shows, the situation is getting even worse. In fact, if nothing changes, sequestration will cause more cuts. It's time for you tell Congress that you've had enough. Join more than 3,000 other LD.org users in saying: No More Cuts!

http://www.ncld.org/ld-insights/blogs/one-chart-shows-why-congress-needs-to-step-up-for-special-education#.Uqc87-Mq8Y0.twitter

“A study of a million users of massive open online courses, known as MOOCs,released this month by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education found that, on average, only about half of those who registered for a course ever viewed a lecture, and only about 4 percent completed the courses.”

After Setbacks, Online Courses Are Rethought

New York Times By TAMAR LEWIN Published: December 10, 2013

Two years after a Stanford professor drew 160,000 students from around the globe to a free online course on artificial intelligence, starting what was widely viewed as a revolution in higher education, early results for such large-scale courses are disappointing, forcing a rethinking of how college instruction can best use the Internet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/us/after-setbacks-online-courses-are-rethought.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

'Hour of Code' Aims to Get Students Programming

Education Week Teaching Now Blog By Liana Heitin on December 10, 2013 10:59 AM

A new campaign for Computer Science Education Week is attempting to get 10 million K-12 students to spend an hour learning how to code.

According to Code.org, a nonprofit founded by Ali and Hadi Partovi and the event's sponsor, 90 percent of K-12 schools do not currently teach computer science. The "Hour of Code" aims to raise awareness about the importance of computer programming skills—and seemingly to make code-writing cool. A high-profile cast of characters has come out to support the campaign, including President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, will.i.am, Ashton Kutcher, and Shakira. The pump-you-up PSA is below. The Code.org site has tutorials for drag-and-drop programming (for beginners as young as 6), Javascript, Python, and app-building, among other coding skills. Microsoft and Apple are offering in-person tutorials at their stores as well.

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2013/12/hour_of_code_aims_to_get_students_programming.html

Chicago Public Schools Adding Computer Science To Core Curriculum

Huffington Post No byline Posted: 12/10/2013 1:33 pm EST

The Chicago Public School district is elevating computer science from an elective to part of its K-12 core curriculum while simultaneously laying groundwork to become the first urban school district in the nation to add the subject to its elementary core.

Components of the five-year plan include adding a survey course in computer science to every CPS high school (at least half of which will ultimately offer AP Computer Science); creating a computer science pathway for elementary students (K-8) and allowing computer science to count as a graduation requirement, potentially for subjects like math, science or foreign language.

CPS is getting the new computer science curriculum as well as professional development for staff free of charge thanks to a partnership with the non-profit group, code.org, the Tribune reports.

http://ht.ly/rDXFO

New Orleans leads nation in percentage of public charter school enrollment

Washington Post By Lyndsey Layton, Tuesday, December 10, 3:51 PM

New Orleans led the nation last year as the city with the greatest percentage of students enrolled in public charter schools, followed by Detroit and the District of Columbia, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

According to the non-profit organization, 79 percent of public school students in New Orleans attended charters in the last school year, followed by 51 percent in Detroit, 43 percent in D.C., 36 percent each in Flint, Mich. and Kansas City, Mo. and 35 percent in Gary, Ind.

The school district with the largest number of students enrolled in public charter schools was Los Angeles, where more than 120,000 students attended charters. L.A. was followed by New York, Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago, the survey found.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/new-orleans-leads-nation-in-percentage-of-public-charter-school-enrollment/2013/12/10/cb9c4ca6-61d6-11e3-bf45-61f69f54fc5f_story.html

2014 PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education and Arts/Culture in PA

Education Policy and Leadership Center

http://www.eplc.org/2014-gubernatorial-candidate-plans-for-education-and-artsculture-in-pa/

PBPC Webinar: Investing in a 'Thorough and Efficient System of Education'
What It Will Take and How to Get There
Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center

Join our next webinar on Thursday, December 12 at 12 p.m.

The only service that Pennsylvania is required to provide in the state Constitution is a “thorough and efficient system of education.” Yet in recent years cuts in state funding and the abandonment of an equitable school funding formula have undermined that principle.

Join our next webinar on Thursday, December 12 at 12 p.m. to hear the latest from experts on school funding and to find out what parents, teachers, and all Pennsylvanians can do to fully fund our schools and ensure that every child can be successful after graduation.

Parents as Advocates for Children and Education -
EPLC "Focus on Education" TV Program on PCN - December 11th at 9 p.m.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 11, tune in to the re-airing of the EPLC's Parents as Education Advocates episode of its "Focus on Education" series, which will air at 9:00 p.m. on PCN television. This very successful show initially aired in September. The panel included:

Ron Cowell, President of The Education Policy and Leadership Center;
Corinna Vecsey Wilson, PCN Host of the "Focus on Education" programs;
Deborah Dunstone, President, Pennsylvania PTA;
Sylvia P. Simms, Founder and President of PARENT POWER and Commissioner, School Reform Commission, The School District of Philadelphia;
Bonita Allen, Former Member, Pennsylvania Title I State Parent Advisory Council and now a SPAC Parent Involvement in Education Consultant; and
Kurt A. Kondrich, M.Ed., Chair, Pennsylvania State Interagency Coordinating Council and Director of Family and Community Outreach, Early Intervention Specialists

EPLC and PA Cable Network (PCN) have partnered for a monthly program focusing on education issues in Pennsylvania. Past episodes have covered School Safety Issues, Student Testing, The Work of School Boards, How Public Education is Funded in Pennsylvania, the School Dropout Crisis,Parents as Education Advocates, Arts Education, and Special Education.

Recordings of all past episodes are available on the PCN web site.

PA SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULA COMMISSION

Public Meeting, 12/11/2013, 10:00 AM Hearing Room 1, North Office Building

Public hearing to consider final recommendations and release final report)

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/cms/index.cfm?chamber=S

DELAWARE COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT - GOOGLE SYMPOSIUM 2014

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014

https://sites.google.com/site/dciuchromesymposium/home

NPE National Conference 2014

The Network for Public Education November 24, 2013

In the coming weeks, we will release more details. In the meantime, make your travel plans and click this link and submit your email address to receive updates about the NPE National Conference 2014.

Congratulations! Getting elected to the school board was the easy part…..

PSBA New Board Member Training: Great Governance, Great Schools!
November 2013-April 2014

Register Online »

Print Form »

Announcing School Board Academy’s New Board Member Training: Great Governance, Great Schools!

You will need a wealth of information quickly as you jump out of the starting block and hit the ground running as a newly elected member of the board of school directors. New board members, as well as veterans who might like a refresher, will want to make the most of the opportunity to attend PSBA's New Board Member Training Program: Great Governance, Great Schools! .

http://www.psba.org/workshops/?workshop=148

EPLC is recruiting current undergraduate or graduate students to serve as part-time interns

EPLC is recruiting current undergraduate or graduate students to serve as part-time interns beginning January or May of 2014 in the downtown Harrisburg offices. One intern will support education policy work including the Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign. The second intern position will support the work of the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network. Ideal candidates have an interest/course work in political science/public policy, social studies, the arts or education and also have strong research, communications, and critical thinking skills. The internship is unpaid, but free parking is available. Weekly hours of the internship are negotiable. To apply or to suggest a candidate, please email Mattie Robinson for further information at robinson@eplc.org.

The National School Boards Association 74^th Annual Conference & Exposition April 5-7, 2014 New Orleans

General Session speakers include education advocates Thomas L. Friedman, Sir Ken Robinson, as well as education innovators Nikhil Goyal and Angela Maiers.

· Register now! – Register for both the conference and housing using our online system.

· Conference Information– Visit the NSBA conference website for up-to-date information

· Hotel List and Map - Official NSBA Housing Block

· Exposition Campus – View new products and services and interactive trade show floor

Questions? Contact NSBA at 800-950-6722 (NSBA) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Join the National School Boards Action Center Friends of Public Education

Participate in a voluntary network to urge your U.S. Representatives and Senators to support federal legislation on Capitol Hill that is critical to providing high quality education to

America

’s schoolchildren

http://nsbac.org/?page_id=1873

Keystone State Education Coalition

Pages

Friday, January 17, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup for January 17, 2014: Sources: Corbett to propose boost in education funding

NPE National Conference 2014

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

NPE National Conference 2014

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