Gingrich, Romney, Obama--education triplets

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

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Income, Parental Education Linked To Pre-School Learning Gaps

Joy Resmovits, Huffington Post, Posted: 12/20/11 05:35 PM ET

Just as Obama awarded over $500 million in state grants to improve pre-K, the Brookings Institutionreleased a report arguing more attention paid to family background factors such as poverty and maternal education would help improve educational outcomes for our littlest learners.

The report argued that gaps in children's ability to learn begin long before they enter the classroom -- and that those gaps can have lasting effects on class mobility.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/income-inequality-education_n_1161362.html

 

About 15 Percent of Charter Schools Shut Down, Group Says

Education Week State Ed Watch By Sean Cavanagh on December 21, 2011 10:30 AM

About 15 percent of the nation's charter schools close—and that's not a bad thing, according to a newly released report, which argues that those shutdowns are proof that the system weeds out institutions that can't cut it for one reason or another.

Of roughly 6,700 charter schools that have opened in the United States, 1,036 have closed since 1992, says a report unveiled today by the Center for Education Reform, in Washington.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2011/12/about_15_percent_of_charter_schools_close_group_says.html

 

Posted at 09:58 PM ET, 12/21/2011

Gingrich, Romney, Obama--education triplets

Washngton Post By Jay Mathews

If school policy were a prime issue and we judged the three principal contenders of the moment — former House speaker Newt Gingrich, President Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney — on that basis, the race would be dull three-way tie.

The president and the two Republicans each have some unique ideas for schools, but by and large they support the test-driven, school-rating, pro-charter-school policy that has ruled the United States for more than a decade, no matter which party controlled the presidency or Congress.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/gingrich-romney-obama--education-triplets/2011/12/21/gIQAHM6PAP_blog.html

More on cybercharter funding and accountability

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

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Outlook bleak for next year's state budget

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

By Laura Olson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- The state's budget secretary has outlined a bleak picture for the upcoming fiscal year, projecting during a briefing today that the commonwealth will be searching for at least $750 million in cuts to balance next year's spending plan

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11354/1198166-100.stm#ixzz1h70Nb6eC

 

Philadelphia's collaborative school effort wins a grant

By Susan Snyder, Inquirer Staff Writer, Posted: Wed, Dec. 21, 2011, 3:01 AM

Philadelphia's new education compact among the School District, city, state, and two charter school coalitions has attracted the attention of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which pledged $100,000 in funding and a chance at millions more.

Under the compact, all parties said they would work to set common academic standards and then expand schools that meet them and close those that do not, whether they are charter schools, district schools or something else. The project also is designed to reduce tension between the city's 80 charter schools and the district.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20111221_Philadelphia_s_collaborative_school_effort_wins_a_grant.html

 

Your tax dollars at work: if you view this Washington Post piece check out the banner ad above it for K12 Inc. – “tuition free individualized learning”

Posted at 02:37 PM ET, 12/20/2011

The stories behind the story of K12 Inc.

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss

This post was written by my colleague Emma Brown, and it first appearedon her Post blog, Virginia Schools Insider. Brown co-wrote a November Post story, with Lyndsey Layton, about the growing influence of K12 Inc. of Herndon, the country’s largest provider of full-time public virtual schools.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-stories-behind-the-story-of-k12-inc/2011/12/20/gIQAyQsS7O_blog.html

 

Charter School Proponents Focus On Accountability In Word If Not In Deed

Huffington Post by Joy Resmovits, First Posted: 12/20/11 09:02 AM ET

The most recent call to close underperforming charter schools came not from a teachers' union or a school district, but from a charter-school trade association.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/charter-schools-accountability_n_1159036.html

 

Real Concerns About Costly Virtual Schools

December 20, 2011 City School Stories Blog

Notes from the Field, Submitted by Frank Murphy on December 20, 2011

The state of Pennsylvania spends a large amount of taxpayers’ money financing the operations of cyber charter schools.  In the 2009- 2010 school year, just four of these virtual schools received more than $231 million from the state’s education budget.  This sum is about eighty percent of the amount of money that the School District of Philadelphia lost in state aid this last budget year.

http://cityschoolstories.com/2011/12/20/real-concerns-about-costly-virtual-schools/

 

Cyber Charter Schools Receive Lion’s Share Of School Funds

May 19, 2011 City School Stories Blog

Notes from the Field, Submitted by Frank Murphy, May 19, 2011

In its 2009-2010 School Finance Revenue Report, the Pennsylvania Department of Education included 113 charter schools in its inventory of public revenue-supported institutions.  The total amount of local, state, federal, and other funding received by these schools was listed at $835,424,755.   This averages out to  $7,304, 643 per charter school.

The charter school receiving the smallest share of revenue was Nitney Valley Charter School at $707,684.   The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School took in the largest portion of charter revenue at  $95,331,379.  The next three highest funded charter schools in the state are also cyber schools: Agora Charter School ($55,189,011), Commonwealth Connections Academy Charter School ($42,150,046) and Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School ($39,170,182).

http://cityschoolstories.com/2011/05/19/notes-from-the-field-40/

“We have to still do a reform package on charter and cyber charters,” said state Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, chairman of the House Education Committee

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

 

Legislators spar over vouchers, spending for charter schools

By Ed Mahon — State College - Centre Daily Times Posted: 12:01am on Dec 19, 2011
A proposal to create taxpayer-funded school vouchers in Pennsylvania may have suffered a fatal blow for this legislative year. But Republican lawmakers hope they can revive another one of Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed education initiatives in the coming months. “The issue is not dead. We have to still do a reform package on charter and cyber charters,” said state Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, chairman of the House Education Committee. “The whole idea is to have a fair and balanced package sometime this year that we can present to the committee and then to the General Assembly.”
Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2011/12/19/3024894/lawmakers-push-for-reform.html#storylink=cpy

 

"You absolutely must have accountability, and in some cases, it's not there," Patrick said.

That's starting to change. The Utah law that expanded students' online school options also set new compensation rules for online schools - they get half the money up front, but the rest only for those students who finish the courses. Florida also pays only for completed courses, not by students enrolled. Oregon set up a task force to come up with better governance for virtual schools, and Washington passed a 2009 law setting up an agency within the Department of Education to vet applicants wanting to set up online schools.

Dec 16, 2:15 PM EST

Virtual schools booming as states mull warnings

By KRISTEN WYATT and IVAN MORENO, Associated Press

DENVER (AP) -- More schoolchildren than ever are taking their classes online, using technology to avoid long commutes to school, add courses they wouldn't otherwise be able to take - and save their school districts money.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ONLINE_SCHOOLS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

With cyber charter competition, school districts start to advertise

Scranton Times-Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL (STAFF WRITER)

Published: December 18, 2011

An electronic billboard on Business Route 6 in Dickson City flashes an image of smiling students and teachers.

The advertisement for the Mid Valley School District promotes student achievement and district accomplishments. At $900 a month, officials hope it saves thousands in lost tuition.

As online charter school enrollment continues to grow, public school districts across the region and state are facing competition like they never have before. When students leave public school districts, their state funding follows them to cyber schools. Districts are now advertising, holding recruitment nights and thinking about public relations.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/with-cyber-charter-competition-school-districts-start-to-advertise-1.1246396#ixzz1h1yLEXYY

 

Published Online: December 19, 2011

Indiana Schools Grapple With Voucher Law’s Impact

Education Week By Jaclyn Zubrzycki

Premium article access courtesy of Edweek.org.

As the 3,919 students who participated in the first year of Indiana’s new, wide-reaching school voucher program near the end of the first semester in their new schools, the program faces up to its next challenge: A state court hearing opens today on a lawsuit arguing the program violates Indiana’s constitution.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/19/15indiana.h31.html?tkn=YXMFuQoK4uuhKwrVgPcfR/1U6Gf3CBUePUIW&cmp=clp-edweek

 

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Blog December 13, 2011

Ravitch: Whose Children Are Left Behind?

I thought testing would help diagnose the problem and help teachers identify kids' needs and that charters would serve the underserved and collaborate with public schools. I was wrong on all accounts, said Diane Ravitch in her Friday keynote speech at the Opportunity to Learn Summit, in Washington, D.C.

http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2011/12/ravitch.html

 

NY - 10 Years of Assessing Students With Scientific Exactitude

New York Times By MICHAEL WINERIP, Published: December 18, 2011

We have emerged from the Education Stone Age. No longer must we rely on primitive tools like teachers and principals to assess children’s academic progress. Thanks to the best education minds in Washington, Albany and Lower Manhattan, we now have finely calibrated state tests aligned with the highest academic standards

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/education/new-york-city-student-testing-over-the-past-decade.html?_r=3&ref=michaelwinerip

 

NY State Tests Extended to About Three Hours

New York Times By WINNIE HU, Published: December 19, 2011

New York State math and language arts tests for elementary and middle school students will each be lengthened to about three hours beginning this April.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/education/new-york-state-tests-to-grow-to-three-hours.html?_r=1&ref=education

 

Schools race teaches states a hard lesson

Losers reap nothing for time, money

By Ben Wolfgang The Washington Times, Sunday, December 18, 2011

Every race has losers, and the Obama administration’s Race to the Top education grant competition is proving to be no exception.  As nine states await their prize money after coming out on top late last week in the Education Department’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, the rest are left empty-handed, having spent thousands of hours carefully crafting plans that ultimately fell short.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/18/schools-race-teaches-states-a-hard-lesson/

Broke Chester Upland School District asks state for $18.7M advance/ Vahan Gureghian Drops $28.9 Million In Palm Beach

Voucher lobbyists were not able to garner enough support for vouchers among House Republicans to bring a bill to the floor.  If you have not already done so, please thank your legislators for actually putting ALL of our students first.

WITF.org by Mary Wilson Thursday, 15 December 2011 20:01

The push stops here:

Turzai says vouchers and Shale “never our issue”

Governor Corbett said he wanted to pass school vouchers and a Marcellus Shale impact fee this year. Neither one of those is going to happen. 

There were rallies.  There were platform roll-outs.  There was the governor, who hesitated to rank his legislative priorities.  But he ceded that at the top of his to-do list was passing a bill creating vouchers for the poorest students in the lowest-performing schools, as well as passing a Marcellus Shale impact fee.

House Republicans said this week there weren’t enough votes for a vouchers bill, or even the less-divisive expansion of education tax credits

http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/the-push-stops-here-turzai-says-vouchers-and-shale-never-our-issue

 

Roebuck unveils alternative to vouchers:

'All Students Can Succeed'

Proposal would help 100 percent of kids in lowest-performing schools instead of just 3 percent, for about same cost as voucher plan

Press release HARRISBURG, Dec. 14 – State Rep. James Roebuck, D-Phila., Democratic chairman of the House Education Committee, today announced his alternative to private-school voucher plans that have been floated in Harrisburg.

 "I call my plan 'All Students Can Succeed' because it is designed to help 100 percent of students in Pennsylvania's lowest-performing schools through targeted improvements rather than handing tax-funded private-school vouchers to 3 to 9 percent of the children in those schools and hoping they find private schools that will accept them," Roebuck said.

"All Students Can Succeed would help 100 percent of the kids in these schools for about the same cost of the voucher plans that only cover 3 to 9 percent of the kids, and without violating the state constitution. This would be a win-win for these children and for taxpayers. I believe it can and should receive bipartisan support."

http://www.pahouse.com/PR/188121411.asp

 

“Some will argue that poverty is not an excuse for poor academic performance. They are correct; poverty is not the excuse, it is the cause”
Don't blame the teachers for the racial achievement gap

Poverty is the main culprit, argues Pitt professor LARRY E. DAVIS

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Opinion Sunday, December 18, 2011

For more than a decade now, blame for the racial achievement gap has been laid almost solely on the failure of teachers and schools. I believe this focus to be both incorrect and unfair.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11352/1197401-109-0.stm?cmpid=newspanel#ixzz1gtCnxWYO

 

Scranton School District: $2.2 million hacked from Scranton schools budget, more cuts remain

BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL (STAFF WRITER)

Published: December 16, 2011

More than $2.2 million has been trimmed from the Scranton School District's 2012 budget without eliminating programs or personnel, officials announced Thursday night during a hearing that featured little discussion - from the board or public.
Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/district-2-2-million-hacked-from-scranton-schools-budget-more-cuts-remain-1.1245749#ixzz1gi7UveT9

 

“The district of 17,855 students, most of whom live in poverty, is operating with a leaner staff than in years past. The 2011-12 budget, which runs through June, eliminated 204 positions through vacancies, attrition, transfers and 112 layoffs.”

Allentown school taxes could rise

School board passes preliminary budget, accepts principals' retirement notices.

By Steve Esack, Of The Morning Call, 12:19 a.m. EST, December 17, 2011

On the same night the Allentown School Board approved a proposed preliminary budget with a tax hike for 2012-13, it accepted the retirements of four principals and a central administrator.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-allentown-schools1216-20111216,0,7805706.story

 

Broke Chester Upland School District asks state for $18.7M advance (With Video)

Published: Friday, December 16, 2011

Delco Times By JOHN KOPP, jkopp@delcotimes.com

CHESTER — Chester Upland School District officials made a public appeal Thursday asking Gov. Tom Corbett for $18.7 million to ensure the district meets its payroll beyond December.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/12/16/news/doc4eeabeeccbd0d265187345.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

Phillymag.com by Victor Fiorillo December 7, 2011

Vahan Gureghian Drops $28.9 Million In Palm Beach

 Good ol’ Vahan Gureghian, the controversial, ridiculously wealthy, and famously mysterious attorney-entrepreneur who owns that 30,000-square foot-thing in Gladwyne, founded a charter school in the impoverished city of Chester, and donates a heck of a lot of money to Republicans in this state, recently paid $28.9 million for an oceanfront property in Palm Beach.  

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2011/12/07/ahan-danielle-gureghian/

 

It is not clear what year the following article was published.  However, to my knowledge, to date no details requested in the Inquirer’s Right to Know request have been made available and there are no provisions in any pending charter school reform legislation that would require public disclosure of such financial information and transparency by private management companies contracted to run charter schools funded by Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars.

Inquirer wins appeal; Chester charter school must produce records

Published on AllBusiness.com

Because Charter School Management is a private company that hires all school employees and manages the school's finances, it has been able to keep many details of its financial operations secret.  That contrasts with most charter schools, which don't contract out all operations and typically disclose extensive information about their finances through their federal nonprofit earnings statements, which all nonprofits must make public.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/12477019-1.html#ixzz1gykv9aSD

 

Say 'no' to publicly funded tuition vouchers

Doylestown Intelligencer Opinion by George Bonekemper

Posted: Friday, December 16, 2011 12:15 am

The Pennsylvania General Assembly should not support publicly funded tuition vouchers because they are unconstitutional, unwanted, unaccountable, unproven and untimely. Article III, Section 15, of the Pennsylvania Constitution clearly states that "no public funds shall be appropriated for sectarian schools." A recent decision in Colorado struck down vouchers in a similar situation.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/quakertown/say-no-to-publicly-funded-tuition-vouchers/article_b9f78bf5-6cc5-5ff0-b1f4-b0290689fd3e.html

 

Education Policy and Leadership Center

EPLC Education Notebook  for Friday, December 16, 2011

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs043/1103584053062/archive/1108971599758.html

 

Federal issues: RTTT, NCLB, Waivers: NO GRANTS FOR "OUR BABIES" FROM PA AND NJ

 

Federal issues: RTTT, NCLB, Waivers: NO GRANTS FOR "OUR BABIES" FROM PA AND NJ

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

 

 

NO GRANTS FOR “OUR BABIES” FROM PA AND NJ

"Nothing is more important than getting our babies off to a good start," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said.  Nothing, perhaps except the whole absurd notion of the Obama/Duncan/Gates “Race” to the Top….LAF

Pennsylvania, New Jersey lose out in race for education grant

By Rita Giordano Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Sat, Dec. 17, 2011, 3:01 AM

Pennsylvania and New Jersey were among the losers in the latest competition for federal Race to the Top education grants.New Jersey, which placed 15th, could have received up to $60 million and Pennsylvania, at 16th, up to $70 million, according to a federal Education Department spokesman.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20111217_Pennsylvania__New_Jersey_lose_out_in_race_for_education_grant.html

 

 There is no concrete evidence that any of the Race to the Top reforms actually improve student achievement, but when has education policy paid attention to research?”

Posted at 01:04 PM ET, 12/16/2011

Jon Stewart takes on Obama’s school reform — again

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss

Jon Stewart showed considerable restraint this week when he welcomed Melody Barnes, President Obama’s chief of domestic policy, on The Daily Show and she spoke about the administration’s education reforms in a way that revealed how out of touch the White House is on the subject.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/jon-stewart-takes-on-obamas-school-reform--again/2011/12/15/gIQATwwayO_blog.html

 

Duncan's Dilemma: What will be Done to States without NCLB Waivers?

Education Week Living in Dialogue Blog By Anthony Cody on December 16, 2011 3:10 PM

As No Child Left Behind becomes an ever bigger disaster, Secretary Duncan faces a major dilemma. How can he continue to enforce this law he has declared a train wreck?

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2011/12/duncans_dilemma.html

“instead of improving oversight, Corbett’s proposal places oversight in the hands of a politically appointed state commission that may well be paid by those whom they are charged with regulating – charter school operators.”

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

 

Chester Upland High spent 2011-12 money in advance

By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer, Posted: Fri, Dec. 16, 2011, 3:01 AM

Delaware County's Chester Upland schools, on course to run out of money in January, fell millions of dollars short last school year and used this year's funding to make up the deficit, documents released Thursday show.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20111216_Chester_Upland_High_spent_2011-12_money_in_advance.html

 

“instead of improving oversight, Corbett’s proposal places oversight in the hands of a politically appointed state commission that may well be paid by those whom they are charged with regulating – charter school operators.”

Proposed charter law changes unlikely to improve schools

The Notebook by Guest blogger on Dec 15 2011 Posted in Community voices

The state House rejected a voucher bill last night, but concerns remain about the charter law changes Governor Corbett proposed as part of the bill. In this guest blog post, Susan DeJarnatt and Theresa Glennon, professors of law at Temple University Beasley School of Law, describe the proposed changes and their shortcomings.

http://www.thenotebook.org/blog/114361/proposed-charter-law-changes-unlikely-improve-schools

 

Education Law Center

Analysis of New Charter School Reform Legislation

http://www.elc-pa.org/pubs/CharterSchoolReformAnalysis.06.11.pdf

 

two months later…still waiting…..

State slow to provide information on PSSA probe

by Benjamin Herold on Oct 21 2011 Posted in Latest news

for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks

Pennsylvania's inquiry into suspicious state test score results appears to have slowed to a crawl.

http://www.thenotebook.org/blog/114180/state-refuses-release-pssa-probe-reports

 

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 12/16/2011

What research exposed about market-based ed reform in 2011

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Matthew Di Carlo, senior fellow at the non-profit Albert Shanker Institute, located in Washington, D.C. This post originally appeared on the institute’s blog.

By Matthew Di Carlo

If 2010 was the year of the bombshell in research in the three “major areas” of market-based education reform – charter schools, performance pay, and value-added in evaluations – then 2011 was the year of the slow, sustained march.

 

PSBA applauds efforts of lawmakers regarding vouchers

12/15/2011

PSBA would like to thank state lawmakers for listening to their constituents by not creating an expensive and unproven taxpayer-funded tuition voucher program.

http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=2261

 

 

Lawrence A. Feinberg

Keystone State Education Coalition

Visit us online at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

PA State House rejects all of Gov. Corbett's school reform package

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 1000 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators and members of the press via emails, website, Facebook and Twitter.

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

 

Thank you for your advocacy efforts!!

Limited voucher plan unable to garner enough support for a floor vote.

Expansion of charters and EITC then voted down 105-90.

State House rejects school-voucher proposal

Published: Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 11:39 PM

By The Patriot-News 

BY JAN MURPHY AND CHARLES THOMPSON, The Patriot-News 

Gov. Tom Corbett wanted a school voucher program in his Christmas stocking this year, but the legislators decided against giving it to him.

On Wednesday night, the House, following a lengthy debate, voted 105-90 to reject a scaled-back education-reform plan that would expand the state’s Education Improvement Tax Credit program and overhaul the state’s charter school law.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/state_house_rejects_school-vou.html

House GOP unveils late-night surprise charter-school reform plan

Pittsburgh Tribune review By Associated Press, Thursday, December 15, 2011

HARRISBURG -- House Republicans unveiled a late-night surprise charter-school reform plan on the last day this year that both houses of the Legislature are in session.
Read more: House GOP unveils late-night surprise charter-school reform plan - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_772136.html#ixzz1gbJQSChQ

"We put together several variations and the votes just weren't there [on either side of the aisle]," House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin said tonight

No Vouchers For You: House Doing Charters, EITC Tonight.

Morning call Capitol Ideas Blog By John Micek December 14, 2011

Looks Like Gov. Corbett ...
... can bid a teary adieu to his goal of a school voucher for every kid this Christmas.

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2011/12/no-vouchers-for-you-house-doing-charters-eitc-tonight.html

How your legislator voted on SB560 (Killion) that would have expanded charters and the EITC program:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/RC/Public/rc_view_action2.cfm?sess_yr=2011&sess_ind=0&rc_body=H&rc_nbr=1002

Please call your legislator and express either your gratitude or displeasure with his/her vote. Let them know that we ARE paying attention to how they do vote. Contact information for legislators:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/representatives_alpha.cfm

Delco's Chester Upland School District may not be able to meet payroll by next month

By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Thu, Dec. 15, 2011, 3:01 AM

The Chester Upland School District, hammered by state budget cuts and the loss of students to charter schools, is running out of money and may not be able to meet its payroll as early as next month.  That's despite starting the school year with 35 percent of the teachers and half of the support staff it had in June.

Part of the district's long-term financial problems come from its losing many children to the charters. More than half its students in kindergarten to eighth grade now attend them.

Chester Upland is paying the charter schools an estimated $39.4 million this year for educating its students; that's about 40 percent of the budget. The money is paid directly to the schools by the state, drawing on allocations to the district, Avery said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20111215_Delco_s_Chester_Upland_School_District_may_not_be_able_to_meet_payrollby_next_month.html

Charter school should reveal deal, court says

February 17, 2006|By Dan Hardy INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The management contract between the Chester Community Charter School and a for-profit charter-management company headed by Main Line lawyer and businessman Vahan H. Gureghian should be made public, Commonwealth Court has ruled.

http://articles.philly.com/2006-02-17/news/25409726_1_public-schools-state-appointed-board-ruling

Palm Beach Florida Daily News

By DARRELL HOFHEINZ. DAILY NEWS HOME & LOGGIA EDITOR

Posted: 4:04 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

Owners on the record — There’s finally word about who bought 1071 N. Ocean Blvd. and the lot next door for a combined $28.9 million — the year’s second-largest Palm Beach residential purchase by a single buyer.

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/beyond-the-hedges-k2-realty-opens-office-in-1949286.html?printArticle=y

Follow the Money: Contributions by Vahan Gureghian 1/1/07 - 5/31/11

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/06/follow-money-contributions-by-vahan.html

Dec. 15, 2011 4:11 AM ET
Report: half of schools fail to meet federal AYP targets
DORIE TURNER, AP Education Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Nearly half of America's public schools didn't meet federal achievement standards this year, marking the largest failure rate since the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Law took effect a decade ago, according to a national report released Thursday.

The Center on Education Policy report shows more than 43,000 schools — or 48 percent — did not make "adequate yearly progress" this year. The failure rates range from a low of 11 percent in Wisconsin to a high of 89 percent in Florida.

http://hosted2.ap.org/PAPRI/e28a81d332e24969a4356b622d3ea5d2/Article_2011-12-15-Education%20Scores/id-059e6b5d04f047d687a2c9efd61902e6

Florida Charter Schools Failing Disabled Students

NPR.org by JOHN O'CONNOR and SARAH GONZALEZ, December 14, 2011

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December 14, 2011

Tres Whitlock is stuck in a public school where he feels ignored. He wants out.

The 17-year-old would-be video game designer researched his options online and found his perfect match – Pivot Charter School.

"It's computer-based and I think I will do better," he says.

But when Whitlock tried to enroll in the school, he found a series of barriers in his way.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143659449/florida-charter-schools-failing-disabled-students