Governor Corbett Pays Homage to Mr. Gureghian in Chester Today

Governor Corbett Pays Homage to Mr. Gureghian in Chester Today

Today the Governor is coming to visit the state's largest charter school, Chester Community Charter School, owned by Vahan Gureghian, one of his largest campaign donors.

 

It is noteworthy that the Governor is NOT visiting any of the school districts in Delaware County, which are collectively slated to lose over $44 million in state funding under his budget.

 

The Governor should go visit Chester Upland SD, look them in the eyes and explain to the good people there how reducing their budget by $19 million will help their children, or to William Penn SD, which stand to lose over $4 million, or Upper Darby at $5.7 million or Southeast Delco at $2.9 million.

 

Chester-Upland SD	$19,042,458
Southeast Delco SD	$2,945,003
Upper Darby SD	$5,714,999
William Penn SD	$4,246,777
15 Delco Districts	$44,560,304

 

Here's a December 2010 Post-Gazette article that describes Mr. Gureghian's relationship with the Governor:

 

Corbett's team jingles with donors

Two-thirds of members have financial ties to campaign

Sunday, December 19, 2010

By Tracie Mauriello, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

"The transition team member who provided the most to Mr. Corbett -- $334,286 over the past three years -- was Vahan Gureghian, a Gladwyne lawyer who operates the state's largest charter school and owns a billboard company.

Mr. Gureghian was tapped to serve on the education committee and to lead the 27-member transportation committee, along with two former PennDOT administrators."

Read more: http://postgazette.com/pg/10353/1111963-454.stm#ixzz1KufEATau

 

The Heron's Nest: Mr. Corbett goes to Chester

Delco Times Editorial, Published: Friday, April 29, 2011

By Phil Heron, editor@delcotimes.com

Gov. Tom Corbett is coming to Chester today. That's a good thing.
The governor, who just completed his first 100 days in office, will visit the Chester Community Charter School. It's part of what Corbett says is an ongoing review of the effectiveness of both public and charter schools across the Commonwealth.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/04/29/opinion/doc4dba9c2850843079352391.txt

Concerned about the Education Budget? Let Governor Corbett Know

Governor Tom Corbett Phone: 717-787-2500, Fax: 717-772-8284, Email: governor@state.pa.us

Take action here to oppose PA's billion dollar education cuts

"The effect of such language would be to hide details of the financial operations of charter schools from public scrutiny."

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This is an excerpt from an article by Jason Fagone in the August issue of Philadelphia Magazine. According to Pennsylvania's Campaign Finance Reporting website, Mr. Gureghian has made over $1.3 million in political contributions since 2007 and was the largest individual donor to Governor Corbett.

http://www.phillymag.com/articles/what_would_ronnie_say_about_montco_republicans_now/page1

"The way Gureghian's charter school in Chester works, the school itself is public. It receives taxpayer money. But a private, for-profit company—Gureghian's Charter School Management Inc.—manages the school's finances. It owns the buildings, leases them to the school, pays the teachers and, according to a 2008 report by the Inquirer, has collected $60.6 million in public funds since the school was started in 1999. Gureghian wanted to make sure the bill (SB 904) would exempt charter-school management organizations like CSMI from state sunshine laws. According to Republican State Representative Mike Vereb, who considers himself a friend of Gureghian, "The language that Vahan was looking to do had to do with vendors of a school … contractors." The effect of such language would be to hide details of the financial operations of charter schools from public scrutiny. Presumably, this would make it harder for Gureghian's competitors to copy his financial "recipe.""

Here's a pertinent ruling in a similar situation in Ohio:

A ruling to promote charter school accountability: editorial

Published: Sunday, August 21, 2011, 6:34 PM

By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board The Cleveland Plain Dealer

It took a Franklin County judge to make Ohio law perfectly clear to for-profit charter school operators: Despite years of lax oversight by Ohio education officials, they must follow the law.

Although Ohio's community schools are privately operated, their finances -- which come from taxpayers -- cannot be shielded from public scrutiny or oversight.

That ruling in early August, from Franklin County Common Pleas Judge John Bender, in favor of 10 governing boards that sued Akron-based charter school operator White Hat Management Co., holds that the company must "provide their governing authorities with a detailed accounting of how public funds were spent." The rest of their case continues.  Bender ruled that White Hat, owned by David Brennan, a major donor to Republican causes, must detail all public money it spent on school property, teacher salaries, books, equipment and funds paid to lobbyists.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/08/a_ruling_to_promote_charter_sc.html

NAACP Public Meeting on State Budget Cuts

When:  Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

Where: St. Luke's Community Christian Church - 320 Tilghman Street - Chester, PA

Doors open at 5:30 - Testimony begins at 6:00 PM and ends at 8:00 PM

The state budget cuts to education have had a devastating impact of on the students of Chester Upland School District.  The situation has led parents and the NAACP to organize a public meeting to bring this situation to light.

Elected and appointed state officials have been asked to attend. A seasoned panel will hear testimonies and present followup questions to the witnesses.

The goal of this public meeting is to clearly identify the ways in which the state budget cuts to education are harming children and to seek a remedy for the children.  If you are available, please attend the hearings and sit as a public witness to this injustice.

 

Education coalition, parents to meet to talk over U.D. budget cuts

Delco Times, Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011

By Giovanni S. Balthazar
GBalthazar@delconewsnetwork.com

The Keystone Education Coalition, a public education advocacy group, and Delaware County parents will meet with legislators next month to share their concerns about the budget cuts to the Upper Darby School District. The Education Coalition believes the state has undermined the funding of public schools. The Upper Darby School District believes the cuts have adversely and disproportionately affected their schools compared to the schools in wealthier districts. The state disagrees.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/09/20/news/doc4e77aa339cf84788705602.txt?viewmode=default

Posted on Tue, Sep. 20, 2011

Bristol's new school chief faces big job in small district

By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer

As Jerome Mead, Bristol Borough High School Class of 1968, and daughter Selma Mead, Class of '95, sat in the auditorium of the district's elementary-middle school at a back-to-school night for Selma's sixth-grade daughter last week, it felt like home.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20110920_Bristol_s_new_school_chief_faces_big_job_in_small_district.html

Public Schools Face the Rising Costs of Serving Lunch

New York Times By FERNANDA SANTOS, Published: September 19, 2011

The federal government is making school meals more nutritious this year, but also more expensive.  Under a little-noticed provision of the child nutrition bill signed by President Obama in December, which brought more fresh produce and less whole milk to cafeterias nationwide, school districts are required to start bringing their prices in line with what it costs to prepare the meals, eventually charging an average of $2.46 for the lunches they serve.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/education/20lunch.html?_r=1&hp

COMMENTARY: Public Schools; Public Dollars Public Right-to-Know; Public Criticism

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COMMENTARY:

Public Schools; Public Dollars

Public Right-to-Know; Public Criticism

This week the Philadelphia Public School Notebook ran a piece covering the fact that two of the largest charters in Pennsylvania, Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) and the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber), are among the 89 schools across the state that are to be investigated for statistical irregularities on 2009 standardized tests.

The article notes that CCCS was founded by Gladwyne lawyer and entrepreneur Vahan Gureghian, who is also the founder and CEO of Charter School Management, Inc. (CSMI), a for-profit management company that operates CCCS under contract. The school has attracted attention in part because Gureghian is an influential power broker in both Delaware and Montgomery counties and a major Republican campaign donor. 

According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, Gureghian has in recent years contributed almost half a million dollars to state Republican candidates and committees, including over $300,000 – more than any other individual donor – to the campaign of Gov. Tom Corbett. A strong proponent of charter expansion and school choice, Gureghian played a significant role on Corbett's transition team, including as a member of its education committee.

Click here for a link to some related articles and a detailed list of contributions by Mr. Gureghian posted on the Keystone State Education Coalition website.

Any taxpayer is entitled to request information on the compensation of their public school district's employees.  Although CCCS is a public school funded by public tax dollars nobody seems to know what Mr. Gureghian's compensation is as CEO of CSMI, which is responsible for running the school.  Right-to-know filings by the Philadelphia Inquirer have been tied up in litigation for several years.

While charter school proponents are quick to point out that charters are, in fact public schools, some are apparently not quite as comfortable with the public criticism component that goes hand in hand with accepting public monies. The notebook article goes on to report that "In response to requests for comment made over several days, attorney Frank Catania, a CCCS representative emailed to a Notebook reporter a "notice to cease and desist all defamatory communications concerning alleged PSSA 'cheating' at CCCS."

The core mission of public schools in our democracy is to create informed American citizens.  Locally elected school board members are acutely aware that traditional public schools are subject to virtually unlimited public dialogue, scrutiny and criticism. There is no shortage of review by the press and by citizens.  These are an integral part of the democratic process.  Any taxpayer is entitled to speak publicly on any topic at a school board meeting. 

Sunshine laws, right-to-know and transparency don't shine quite so brightly in the private world of business, where any negative publicity might cut into the core mission of increasing market share, increasing revenue and maximizing profits.

“The public be damned” SB1115 Charter Reform Bill would gut public's right-to-know provision

“The public be damned”

SB1115, the charter school reform bill scheduled to be considered by the PA Senate Rules Committee on Monday October 15^th includes a provision that would exempt companies (“vendors”) doing business with charter schools (“local education agencies”) from Pennsylvania’s right-to-know laws.

No vendor who performs a governmental function and receives public taxpayer dollars should be exempted from PA’s Right-to-Know law.  Ask your state legislators why this provision is in this bill and urge them to vote NO on SB1115.

What possible reasons could there be for including such a provision in the charter school reform bill?  Why would anyone lobby for that exemption?

Here’s 384,000 possible reasons:

Governor Corbett received $384,000 in campaign contributions from Vahan Gureghian, whose Charter School Management Company (“vendor”) runs the state’s largest brick and mortar charter school.

According to an August 2011 Philadelphia Magazine article:

“….Gureghian wanted to make sure the bill (SB 904) would exempt charter-school management organizations like CSMI from state sunshine laws. According to Republican State Representative Mike Vereb, who considers himself a friend of Gureghian, "The language that Vahan was looking to do had to do with vendors of a school … contractors." The effect of such language would be to hide details of the financial operations of charter schools from public scrutiny.”

Mr. Gureghian has not complied with a 2012 PA Commonwealth Court right-to-know decision affirming that those financial records are, in fact, public information.

Here’s 28.9 million possible reasons:

While the Chester Community Charter School serves some of the highest poverty level populations of students in the state, Mr. Gureghian reportedly spent $28.9 million in 2011 for two beachfront lots in Palm Beach Florida

Here’s 1,320,653 possible reasons:

Mr. Gureghian reported over $1.3 million in PA political campaign contributions from 2007 through May of 2011, including generous contributions to Senate leadership.

Here’s 5 million possible reasons:

K12, Inc. is a “vendor” doing business with Agora Cyber Charter.  It’s CEO Ron Packard received $5 million in compensation last year.  Agora has never made AYP.  Prior to his appointment as PA Budget Secretary, Charles Zogby was a highly paid executive for K12.

Here’s 10 million possible reasons:

When Nick Trombetta was CEO at PA Cyber, the state’s largest cyber charter school, he used $10 million from the schools excess fund balance to finance construction of a performing arts center.  Mr. Trombetta and his related companies (“vendors”) are now under investigation by the IRS and FBI.

Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for October 26, 2013: Just in case you were wondering who really sets PA education policy……

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3000 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 October 26, 2013:

Just in case you were wondering who really sets PA education policy……

SB 1085: Taxation without Representation

http://educationmattersinthecv.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/bad-charter-school-legislation-on-the-move-in-harrisburg-2/

“Gureghian, founder and CEO of CSMI Education Management, a charter school management company, is one of the largest individual donors to Republican candidates in Pennsylvania. CSMI manages the largest charter school in Pennsylvania, Chester Community Charter School.”

Corbett witnesses while Vahan Gureghian gets key post as Montgomery County Republican Committee unites after decades of discord

By BRENDAN WILLS, bwills@timesherald.com POSTED: 10/25/13, 9:12 AM EDT |

WEST NORRITON — After more than 20 years of discord, the Montgomery County Republicans united with a peace agreement that became public Tuesday when the Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairman Robert J. Kerns announced that Vahan Gureghian, a major donor to Pennsylvanian Republicans, and Robert Asher, Pennsylvania's Republican National Committeeman, will serve as co-chairs of the Finance Committee of the Montgomery County Republican Committee.  Kerns made the announcement at the Montgomery County Republican Committee's fall dinner. Gov. Tom Corbett witnessed the agreement, attending the dinner at Westover Country Club as the committee's distinguished guest.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20131025/vahan-gureghian-gets-key-post-as-montgomery-county-republican-committee-unites-after-decades-of-discord

This collection of articles on Mr. Gureghian continues to be one of the most visited pages on the Keystone State Education Coalition’s website:

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

“This legislation represents a giant leap toward the creation of a parallel, costly and largely redundant public school system in Pennsylvania, squarely on the backs of taxpayers struggling mightily to support the one we already have.

The way to address dissatisfaction with public schools - to the extent that it exists beyond profit-mongers and malcontents - is to improve the system we already have instead of making taxpayers subsidize a second system of private schools.”

SB1085: Charter school reform seems to be anything but (Editorial)

Chambersburg Public Opinion Online Editorial October 24, 2013

By Matthew Major, Public Opinion opinion editor, on behalf of Digital First Media Pennsylvania editorial board
The campaign for unfettered expansion of charter schools in Pennsylvania has greatly intensified given a bill pending in the state Senate that would give life to a large number of deeply ill-advised proposals.  Senate Bill 1085 is being sold as a comprehensive reform of Pennsylvania's charter schools, and it truly puts forward a number of game-changers. Whether they amount to reforms, however, largely depends on how one feels about drastically undermining the state's public school system and placing an even greater burden on taxpayers.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/opinion/ci_24388999/charter-school-reform-seems-be-anything-but-editorial

Philadelphia School Partnership responds to Helen Gym's commentary on universal enrollment

 thenotebook by Kristen Forbriger  on Oct 25 2013

If the Notebook is going to delve into the proposed universal enrollment process, it should begin with the facts.   ose of universal enrollment: to simplify the process of applying to schools for families and make access to the city's best schools more equitable. Also note that universal enrollment is a goal of the Great Schools Compact, which was signed by Mayor Nutter, the School District, charter and Catholic school leaders, and the state secretary of education. Philadelphia School Partnership serves as project manager to the Compact Committee, which includes representatives from all of these.

The Compact states:  We will pursue a system of “universal enrollment” – i.e., aligning schools’ application procedures, from public announcements to application materials to lottery dates and other timing, as uniformly as possible. Expanding the number of high performing schools will only truly serve parents and students if they are more readily able to access, understand and apply for the options available to them.

Here are other important clarifications to Helen Gym's commentary:

http://thenotebook.org/blog/136591/psp-responds-helen-gym-commentary-universal-enrollment

'In God We Trust' being sought for Pennsylvania schools

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review By Bobby Kerlik Published: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, 11:24 p.m.
People see “In God We Trust” on currency, so why not display the words in Pennsylvania schools?  A Republican lawmaker's proposal to do just that is likely to touch off fierce debates within communities and courtrooms.  Education officials and others question the need for the bill authored by Rep. Rick Saccone of Elizabeth Township that would require school districts to post the phrase — America's national motto — within 60 days of passage.

The idea drew immediate criticism from Vic Walczak, head of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, who said it would inject religion into public schools.

Read more:http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4941049-74/academy-god-motto#ixzz2ijYlX1ru

New York State Seeks to Scale Back Student Testing

New York Times By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ Published: October 25, 2013

The New York State Education Department, responding to concerns that standardized exams in reading and math have become excessive and unwieldy, will seek to ease the burden of testing.

Under the plan, students struggling in English would be given exams in their native languages. A math test would be eliminated for some eighth graders. Students with disabilities would take tests matched to their level of instruction, not their age.  The proposals are modest, but they represent a rare concession from state leaders, who have faced attacks from parents and teachers in recent weeks over the rollout of a tougher set of standards known as the Common Core.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/26/nyregion/new-york-state-seeks-to-scale-back-student-testing.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=education&adxnnlx=1382787475-3nCCCXH27aQ391bJO756AQ

PCCY hosting a funding formula event in Philly October 28, 5:00 pm

On Monday, October 28^th 2013, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) is hosting a funding formula event starting at 5pm.  Pennsylvania is one of three states without a funding formula. We invite parents, community leaders, and other stakeholders to come and help develop strategies that push for a fair and well-funded school funding formula.  The event will take place at the United Way Building, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19103.  You can RSVP by visiting the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GQ1jWulrmhbv0TgC3uxP1XyfuPh5bcCeV_82le4m2Yo/viewform

Register TODAY for the 2013 Arts and Education Symposium Wednesday, October 30, 2013

PA Arts Education Network

The State Museum of Pennsylvania 300 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120

Registration, Networking, and Refreshments-8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Program-8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.; Lunch-12:00 p.m.; $40 Per Person
Details and registration: http://www.artseducationpa.org/events/the-arts-and-education-symposium-2013/

PA Budget and Policy Center Fall Webinar Series to Tackle Property Taxes, Marcellus Shale, Health Care, Education

Posted by PA Budget and Policy Center on October 9, 2013

Pack your brown bag lunch and join the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center for a great series of noontime webinars this fall — starting Friday, October 18 from noon to 1 p.m. Learn more about the problems with legislative proposals to fully eliminate property taxes and proven strategies to provide property tax relief where it is needed. Other topics include the countdown to new health care options in 2014, the latest on jobs in the Marcellus Shale, and what we can do to restore needed education funding in Pennsylvania. Each webinar is designed to provide you with the information you need to shape the debate in the State Capitol.

More info and registration here: http://pennbpc.org/webinars

PAESSP State Conference October 27-29, 2013

The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA

The state conference is PAESSP’s premier professional development event for principals, assistant principals and other educational leaders. Attending will enable you to connect with fellow educators while learning from speakers and presenters who are respected experts in educational leadership.

 Featuring Keynote Speakers: Charlotte Danielson, Dr. Todd Whitaker, Will Richardson & David Andrews, Esq. (Legal Update).

 Click Here To Register Now!

Click Here To View and Print the Conference Registration Brochure.

PASCD Annual Conference ~ A Whole Child Education Powered by Blendedschools Network November 3-4, 2013 | Hershey Lodge & Convention Center

We invite you to join us for the Annual Conference, held at an earlier date this year, on Sunday, November 3^rd, through Monday, November 4^th, 2013 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.  The Pre-Conference begins on Saturday with PIL Academies and Common Core sessions.  On Sunday and Monday, our features include keynote presentations by Chris Lehmann and ASCD Author Dr. Connie Moss, as well as numerous breakout sessions on PA’s most timely topics.

Click here for the 2013 Conference Schedule

Click here to register for the conference. 

DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES - DR. PEDRO NOGUERA, NOV 5th

Where: Abington Senior High School

When  November 5, 2013 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Contact Lynn Murphy, Delaware Valley College

http://www.delval.edu/events/event/distinguished-lecturer-series-dr.-pedro-noguera#.UmUDg3BMV2g

Philadelphia Education Fund 2013 EDDY Awards November 19, 2013

Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm WHYY, 150 North 6th Street, Philadelphia
Invitations coming soon!

Register: http://tinyurl.com/m8emc4m

http://www.philaedfund.org/news-events/special-events/eddy-awards

Building One Pennsylvania Fourth Annual Fundraiser and Awards Ceremony, November 21, 2013 6:00-8:00 PM

IBEW Local 380   3900 Ridge Pike  Collegeville, PA 19426

Building One Pennsylvania is an emerging statewide non-partisan organization of leaders from diverse sectors - municipal, school, faith, business, labor and civic - who are joining together to stabilize and revitalize their communities, revitalize local economies and promote regional opportunity and sustainability. BuildingOnePa.org

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

Governor Corbett’s stark naked school choice: some moving out, some moving in

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

Governor Corbett’s stark naked school choice: some moving out, some moving in

NO SOUP FOR YOU, CHESTER UPLAND

Some moving out of troubled Chester Upland School District

By Dan Hardy Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Tue, Jan. 10, 2012, 3:01 AM

With Delaware County's beleaguered Chester Upland School District nearing insolvency, some parents are moving out of the city or placing their children in other schools.

Ieasa Nichols Harmon, the mother of three children and until last month a school board member, moved to Wilmington two weeks ago, wary of what might happen after Wednesday. When the district's 508 employees collect their paychecks, there will be only $100,000 left in the bank, with no immediate prospects for an infusion of cash.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20120110_Some_moving_out_of_troubled_Chester_Upland_School_District.html

Since for-profit management companies that contract to run charter schools in Pennsylvania have virtually no fiscal transparency requirements, taxpayers have no idea how much they have contributed to the $28.9 million Palm Beach purchase by Charter School Management Company owner Vahan Gureghian, Governor Corbett’s largest individual campaign donor.  His Chester Community Charter School, the state’s largest brick and mortar charter, already enrolls about half of Chester Upland’s students.  On the 2009-2010 PSSA they performed better than some and worse than some of the regular CUSD elementary schools.

On July 21, 2011 Benjamin Herrold reported in the Notebook that the Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) was among the 89 school across the state that are to be investigated for statistical irregularities on the 2009 PSSA.  Almost six months later we are still waiting for the results of that investigation.

In the August 2011 issue of Philadelphia Magazine, Jason Fagone reported that “According to Republican State Representative Mike Vereb, who considers himself a friend of Gureghian, "The language that Vahan was looking to do (in a pending charter school reform bill) had to do with vendors of a school … contractors." The effect of such language would be to hide details of the financial operations of charter schools from public scrutiny. Presumably, this would make it harder for Gureghian's competitors to copy his financial "recipe.""

Some moving in: Palm Beach Florida Daily News, November 3, 2011

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

Pottstown SD Budget draft: 4.1% tax hike

Pottstown Mercury by Evan Brandt Published: Saturday, January 07, 2012 ebrandt@pottsmerc.com
POTTSTOWN — Closing the projected budget gap for the 2012-13 school year could cost the average taxpayer more than $113, according to the preliminary budget presented to the school board Thursday night.

http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2012/01/07/news/srv0000016588719.txt?viewmode=fullstory

BTW, Pottstown could be next…….

"Should that new paradigm involve Gureghian's takeover of Pottstown's elementary education, it would also have meant, by Lindley's estimates, a $19.2 million windfall in Pottstown tax dollars for Gureghian's company."

The Pottstown Mercury, Published: Sunday, May 29, 2011

By Evan Brandt, ebrandt@pottsmerc.com

Andrew Dinniman, D-19th Dist. told The Mercury that with Harrisburg battling over school vouchers and a difficult state budget that it is unlikely any action would be undertaken on the charter school reform bill before the fall. ...

http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/05/29/news/srv0000011831727.txt

FYI, Jeffrey S. Yass, Managing Director, Susquehanna International Group, LLP who funded the pro-voucher Student’s First PAC to the tune of $1,727,166.00 is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cato Institute.

JANUARY 9, 2012

EITC: An Alternate Way to School Choice

Wall Street Journal Letters By Adam Schaeffer, Cato Institute, Washington

Your editorial "Republicans for Monopoly" (Dec. 31) lamenting Pennsylvania's school-choice deadlock misses the real story: The Pennsylvania House passed a massive expansion of the state's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program—already the largest private choice program in terms of the number of students—by 190 votes to seven.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203513604577142571175911712.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet#articleTabs%3Darticle

Report Finds No Accountability in Existing State EITC Program Funneling Tax Credits to Private Schools

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/

Despite receiving roughly a third of a billion dollars in taxpayer funds over the past decade, a state program that funds scholarships for students attending private and religious schools lacks fundamental accountability measures.

The Keystone Research Center made this finding in a new report assessing the state's decade-old Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. View the Executive Summary and the full report, No Accountability: Pennsylvania's Track Record Using Tax Credits to Pay for Private and Religious School Tuition, at http://keystoneresearch.org/EITC-accountability.

The report is designed to help guide a growing debate around a plan to offer taxpayer-funded vouchers to all low-income school-age children for tuition at private and religious schools — and what accountability measures will be put in place in such a voucher program.

"With no educational or financial accountability in EITC scholarships for private school tuition, the state is simply not ready for a new voucher program with a price tag to taxpayers that is at least 10-times as big," said Stephen Herzenberg, PhD, the report's author. "Policymakers instead should focus on strengthening accountability in the EITC."

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/no-accountability-in-existing-state-program-funneling-tax-credits-to-private-schools-119412944.html

What is Pennsylvania’s EITC program and which organizations received contributions through this tax credit program for FY 2011?

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-is-pennsylvanias-eitc-program-and.html

Lehigh Valley educators warn legislators about state's cuts to school funding

Published: Saturday, January 07, 2012, 4:15 AM

Lehigh Valley Live.com By Sara K. Satullo | The Express-Times 
The Bethlehem school community stepped up when state budget cuts decimated local schools and social services.  But local educators warned state legislators Friday that the well is running dry and trouble looms if the state doesn’t step up and fulfill its responsibilities.
Educators shared the ramifications of Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget cuts with Lehigh Valley state Reps. Steve Samuelson and Joe Brennan Friday during a roundtable talk at the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2012/01/educators_tell_lehigh_valley_l.html

WHAT WORKS: “The school's success is all the more remarkable because its pass rate as late as 2008 was just 53 percent. …."What it all added up to is: We created a culture shift that led to everything being focused on student achievement," he said.

Delaware County Tech rates among Pennsylvania's best

By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Mon, Jan. 9, 2012, 12:08 PM

In the region, school districts and schools such as Lower Merion, Tredyffrin/Easttown, Unionville-Chadds Ford, and Philadelphia's Masterman School are widely regarded as among the top public academic achievers in the state.

In the less-noticed area of career and technical education, the region can now boast of a school with a comparable ranking.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20120109_Delaware_County_Tech_rates_among_Pennsylvania_s_best.html

Alternet.org By Rania Khalek, January 8, 2012

Why Is Public Education Being Outsourced to Online Charter Schools?

Virtual charter schools are educating kids on computer screens, instead of in classrooms.

Virtual charter schools, which offer classes online instead of in a classroom, have become the fastest-growing segment of the charter school industry. And while data on their effectiveness is scarce, state legislators across the country are passing laws to expand cyber schools at the behest of privatization advocates and online education companies at an alarming rate, with little regulation.

http://www.alternet.org/education/153680/why_is_public_education_being_outsourced_to_online_charter_schools/