Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for September 14, 2013: It’s not just the Basic Education Subsidy. There was almost $227 million in the PA budget’s Charter Reimbursement line before it was zeroed out. Zero, zip, zilch…..

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, 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 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 September 14, 2013: It’s not just the Basic Education Subsidy. There was almost $227 million in the PA budget’s Charter Reimbursement line before it was zeroed out.  Zero, zip, zilch…..

Pennsylvanians Want a School Funding Formula

Press Event Monday September 23^rd, 11:30 am Capitol Rotunda, Harrisburg

Every child in Pennsylvania deserves an opportunity to learn, whether they are from large or small, rich or not-so-rich, urban, suburban or rural school districts, charter schools or cyber schools; whether their legislator is a freshman state representative or a senate officer.

Grassroots Advocacy by Education Voters PA; Education Matters in the CumberlandValley and the Keystone StateEducation Coalition

More details here

Sign up here if you may be able to join us to represent your schools and community: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/104e0endYpVYcPxSyfG9V_DOIVAB0J3AVI0-20Q8Yylw/viewform 

Have you signed this petition yet?

One thing that all sides in the education debate in PA seem to agree upon is the need for a fair and adequate funding formula

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/a-fair-funding-formula?source=s.fwd&r_by=473539

Are you getting too much done at work or perhaps spending too much quality time with your family at home?  We can help!

Here’s a solution for you: sign up for a twitter account and follow the Keystone State Education Coalition at @lfeinberg

It’s not just the Basic Education Subsidy

In 2008-2009 (before the federal ARRA stimulus money) there was just under $227 million in the PA budget’s charter reimbursement line; it was zeroed out in 2011-12

http://senatorhughes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2006-07.comparison.pdf

“Noting his office has released more than 150 school district audits in his first nine months, Mr. DePasquale said, "One thing we see over and over again, especially in districts with limited tax base, is that the elimination of the charter school reimbursement funding in 2011 was devastating."
Audit: End of charter reimbursements hurting school districts

By Eleanor Chute / PittsburghPost-Gazette September 13, 2013 1:36 pm

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today highlighted the financial difficulties of the Duquesne and Sto-Rox school districts as he released their performance audits.

In a news release, he said, "Our most recent audits show that DuquesneCity School District is over the cliff financially; and the Sto-Rox School District is teetering on the edge."

He said one challenge for both districts was the state's discontinuation in 2011-12 of its partial reimbursement for charter school payments. That cost each of the two districts hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/audit-end-of-charter-reimbursements-hurting-school-districts-703229/#ixzz2eoAOSQrE

“When the level funding in the basic education subsidy is combined with the loss of charter tuition reimbursements from the state; the freezing of construction reimbursements from the state; flat funding in special education funding and the huge increase in retirement payments, the bottom line loss is in the millions for both districts, Adams and Nester both said.

“Education funding for the last three years has been about dismantling public education and to me, that’s a crime,” Sparagana said.”

Property tax hearing highlights problems, solutions

By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 09/11/13, 3:20 PMEDT | UPDATED: 1 DAY AGO

POTTSTOWN — Property taxes and education funding — two inseparable subjects of debate in Pennsylvania for more than a decade — were front and center when the House Democratic Policy Committee brought its regional road trip to the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College.

Over the course of the three-hour hearing, the school officials used their particular challenges to illustrate what they say is under-funding of public education by the state; Democratic legislators used their time primarily to criticize Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s education funding policies and advocates from AARP and the PA Budget and Policy Center offered potential solutions that they said could stabilize both education funding and decrease dependence on property taxes.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20130911/property-tax-hearing-highlights-problems-solutions

“There are also mixed messages in data about whether the Maryland model would actually save money.  A U.S. Census Bureau study of per pupil spending from 2011, for example, showed combined spending for general administration and school administration in Maryland that year at $1,110 per student.  The corresponding figure in Pennsylvania? Just $941.”

York County lawmakers to seek school consolidation study

By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com  on September 13, 2013 at 8:15 AM

A group of York County Republican lawmakers have asked a state fiscal office to run the numbers on what would happen to costs and tax rates if the administration of York's 15 separate school districts was joined into one, county-wide entity.

It is the latest step, several representatives said Thursday, in their ongoing quest to do everything possible to keep school property taxes - the main local funding mechanism for Pennsylvaniaschool districts - in check.

"We keep trying to find, as a delegation, any way address the property tax issue in York County," said Rep. Ron Miller, R-Jacobus.  "A lot of this is driven by their impact on our senior citizens," Miller said, adding "If we can't eliminate property taxes, we need to find other ways that we're going to be able to control costs."

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/09/york_county_lawmakers_to_seek.html#incart_river_default

York County school consolidation to get a deeper look

Lawmakers say the question often arises: 'Why do we have 16 school districts?'

By ANGIE MASON Daily Record/Sunday News Updated:   09/13/2013 10:07:54 PM EDT

York County's Republican state representatives have asked a state office to look at whether merging school district administrations would save money for taxpayers.

At a news conference Friday, the legislators said they have asked the state's Independent Fiscal Office, which is charged with providing impartial analysis on issues, to examine the issue. Rep. Seth Grove, R-Dover Township, said the study aims to address the questions that come up all the time from residents.

"Why do we have 16 school districts? Why do we have 16 administrations?" he said.

Grove said that the state office will look at the potential cost savings of merging administrations, as well as the effects of merging tax bases and combining debt, and the impact on state funding.

http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_24090947/york-county-school-consolidation-get-deeper-look

Former head of school intermediate unit IV charged with theft, fraud

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review By Bill Vidonic  Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, 9:03 p.m.
Police charged the former head of Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV on Friday with theft and access device fraud, accusing her of using a company credit card for personal expenses over several years.  Cecelia Yauger, 55, of Grove City waived a preliminary hearing when Grove Citypolice charged her with one count each of theft and unauthorized access device use, both felony charges. She remains free on $10,000 unsecured bond. A formal arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 12 in Mercer County Court.

Read more:http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/4703010-74/yauger-unit-related#ixzz2etQ8BpSV

Districts, teachers at loss over solving strikes

Philly.com by MARY NIEDERBERGER, The Associated Press Saturday, September 14, 2013, 12:05 AM PITTSBURGH (AP)

Gone are the days when teachers stayed on strike until their contracts were settled and school boards could raise taxes to fund the agreements. Now, it's not uncommon for negotiations to go far beyond the expiration dates -- in some cases several years -- before a settlement is reached. The reason: financial pressures on districts that include drops in state and federal funding, large hikes in pension contributions and state-imposed limits on raising taxes, coupled with a state law governing contract negotiations that has no real teeth.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130914_ap_1e80c0ee2b14451c851768053cfe6f88.html#4MgPcmG4s0Y8qqV8.99

Budget crisis shutters libraries at 2 top Philly schools

Susan Snyder, Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: Friday, September 13, 2013, 1:08 AM When Central High School opened its new library in 2005 - a $4.5 million research and media hub funded by alumni - Apple named it a national model. Students visited it more than 147,000 times last year, more than 800 visits a day. Masterman School's library, also bolstered by fund-raising, bustled with students, too, from early morning till late afternoon. But now both libraries - the academic hearts of two of Philadelphia's most prestigious schools - have been shuttered.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130913_Budget_crisis_shutters_libraries_at_2_top_schools.html#STuc6TdfmKRZu3Eo.99

Closings prompt big adjustments at Philly receiving schools

South Philadelphia High, Lea Elementary, and many others raced to prepare for a major influx of students from 24 shuttered schools.

The notebook by Dan Hardy October 2013

Dan Hardy is a freelance reporter who writes about education in the region.

South Philadelphia High principal Otis Hackney welcomed members of the Bok Technical High School community to his school at an event in August aimed at smoothing the transition.

As South Philadelphia High School opens its doors this fall for the new school year, it is a dramatically different place than it was in June. 

More than half the estimated 1,400 students enrolled by late August to begin classes in the building on Sept. 9 would have been enrolled at the nearby Bok Technical High School, if Bok had remained open. 

Instead, Bok and 23 other schools were ordered shut down by the School Reform Commission this spring, as a cost-saving measure.

As a result, thousands of children are heading for new schools this fall, creating new opportunities for some and the danger of chaos and disruption for others, as administrators already overtaxed by the District’s recent draconian cutbacks work to cope with the transfers

http://thenotebook.org/october-2013/136417/closings-prompt-big-adjustments-receiving-schools

ROBOLANCERS PLATFORM TO SAVE ROBOTICS PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION IN PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia’s Central High School Robotics Team September 11, 2013 · by Thomas D. 

We, the members of Central High School’s RoboLancers, FIRST Robotics Team #321, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the “RoboLancers”), recognize the impact of inadequate funding to public schools and the deficits caused by the budget crisis in education.  The current budget crisis negatively impacts every public school student and educator in the City of Philadelphia.  As an organization affected by this crisis, we wish to make a statement to our School District and our local and state government:

http://robolancers.com/robolancers-platform/

“Unlike a traditional business whose product or service is targeted to a specific consumer, school systems serve everyone. For students and parents, our product is an education. For employers, our product is a skilled and knowledgeable worker. For the taxpayer, our product is frugal stewardship of public money. For society, it’s an informed and responsible citizen. For our employees, the product is a satisfying career with opportunities for growth and a reliable income.

Each of these customer groups also has varying and often competing interests and priorities.”

The Complicated Layers of Competing Interests 

In addressing Erie, Pa.’s, dire fiscal state, a superintendent discovers what it takes to find common ground and mutually agreeable solutions.

AASA School Adminstrator Sept. 2013 BY JAY D. BADAMS

Anyone who has served in the role of superintendent, no matter the size of the district, has had those moments at day’s end when rather than reflecting, you simply shake your head and try to recall everything that happened since you walked into your office that morning.

While thinking about the complexity of district leadership, a number of metaphors come to mind, but no matter how skilled I think I am at organizational leadership, there are days when I am simply the shiny steel ball in the pinball machine. Other days, I am the chef at a busy restaurant, the referee at a particularly contentious and combative ice hockey game, a firefighter, police officer, judge, sales representative, diplomat and even a teacher. In some districts, we assume the title of CEO, just like leaders in the corporate world.

http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=29594

Pennsylvania is spending about 6% less per student than in 2008….

K-12 School Funding Remains Below Pre-Recession Levels in at Least 34 States

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities September 13, 2013 at 9:34 am

States have made widespread and very deep cuts to education formula funding since the start of the recession, and those cuts linger in most states, our updated analysis of state school funding shows.  The reduced levels reflect not only the recession’s lingering effects but also continued austerity in many states; indeed, despite some improvements in overall state revenues, schools in about a third of states are entering the new school year with less state funding than they had last year.

http://www.offthechartsblog.org/k-12-school-funding-remains-below-pre-recession-levels-in-at-least-34-states/

“Tennessee media have reported that nearly half of the superintendents in the state have signed the letter. Lawson is still collecting signatures.”

Tennessee school superintendents protest against state ed chief

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 13 at 1:59 pm

A number of school superintendents in Tennessee have signed on to a letter that asks Gov. Bill Haslam (R) to force the state’s education commission to stop implementing controversial school reform measures and take time to evaluate what has already been put in place.

The Tennessean reports that the letter written and circulated by Dan Lawson,  director of Tullahoma City Schools, says in part: We are not content with the current leadership and feel that we are not best serving our state in this manner.

Kevin Huffman, a former Teach For Americaofficial and the former husband of school reformer Michelle Rhee, has instituted a number of controversial reforms since he became education commissioner of Tennesseein April 2011. Among them is the linkage of student standardized-test scores to teacher evaluations and to teachers’ licensing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/13/tennessee-school-superintendents-protest-against-state-ed-chief/

Just in case you think we only send out bad news….

Pat Metheny- September fifteenth

Youtube video runtime 8:14

Beautiful performance by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3lSTDPPuE

Forbes: Charter SchoolGravy Train Runs Express To Fat City

Forbes by Addison Wiggin, Contributor9/10/2013 @ 5:31PM 2,245 views

On Thursday, July 25, dozens of bankers, hedge fund types and private equity investors gathered in New Yorkto hear about the latest and greatest opportunities to collect a cut of your property taxes. Of course, the promotional material for the Capital Roundtable’s conference on “private equity investing in for-profit education companies” didn’t put it in such crass terms, but that’s what’s going on.

Charter schools are booming. “There are now more than 6,000 in the United States, up from 2,500 a decade ago, educating a record 2.3 million children,” according to Reuters.

Charters have a limited admissions policy, and the applications can be as complex as those at private schools. But the parents don’t pay tuition; support comes directly from the school district in which the charter is located.   They’re also lucrative, attracting players like the specialty real estate investment trust EPR Properties EPR -0.97% (EPR). Charter schools are in the firm’s $3 billion portfolio along with retail space and movie megaplexes.

Charter schools are frequently a way for politicians to reward their cronies. In Ohio, two firms operate 9% of the state’s charter schools and are collecting 38% of the state’s charter school funding increase this year. The operators of both firms donate generously to elected Republicans

http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/09/10/charter-school-gravy-train-runs-express-to-fat-city/

Fat City in PA #1? – You decide; here’s info on the man behind Pennsylvania’s largest brick and mortar charter school:

Follow the Money: Contributions by Vahan Gureghian

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

Fat City in PA #2? – You decide; here’s info on the man behind Pennsylvania’s largest cyber charter school:

Former cyber CEO Trombetta allegedly directed funds to campaign contributions

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/donations-from-ex-cyber-school-raise-concerns-701539/#ixzz2eiTYn9EV

OPM:  School boards are far from perfect but they provide 9 pairs of eyes to review budgets, check registers and contracts.  School board members see the folks that elected them every day.

Charter schools may be “public”, but they receive “shrink-wrapped” tax dollars and never have to look the taxpayers in the eye….As Vince Fumo said, “it’s other people’s money”…..

PA Charter Schools: $4 billion taxpayer dollars with no real oversight

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2012/05/pa-charter-schools-4-billion-taxpayer.html

The Colbert Report hosts Arne Duncan September 17th

Tuesday's Guest. 11:00pm / 10:00c Arne Duncan. U.S. Secretary of Education, TEACH Campaign.

Education Law Center Annual Event Sept. 18^th, 2013

Featuring Morris Dees and honoring education advocates Barbara Minzenberg and the Philadelphia Student Union.  Wednesday, Sept. 18^th at 5:30 p.m., Crystal Tea Room, Wanamaker Building 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia

Details and registration: http://elc-pa.givezooks.com/events/copy-of-morris-dees-a-passion-for-justice

PA Special Education Funding Formula Commission Upcoming Meeting Has Been Rescheduled to Sept 26^th in Reading

Was originally scheduled for September 19.  No venue announced yet

To consider charter and cyber special education funding

Diane Ravitch will be speaking in Philly at the Main Branch of the PhiladelphiaFree Library on September 17 at 7:30 pm..

Diane Ravitch | Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools
When: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 7:30PM 
Where: Central Library
Cost: $15 General Admission, $7 Students
Ticket and Subscription Packages 
Tickets on sale here:

http://libwww.freelibrary.org/authorevents/index.cfm?ID=40337&type=2

Yinzers - Diane Ravitch will be speaking in Pittsburgh on September 16^th at 6:00 pm at Temple Sinaiin Squirrel Hill.

5505 Forbes Avenue  Pittsburgh, PA 15217 

Free and open to the public; doors open at 5:00 pm

Hosted by Great Public Schools (GPS) Pittsburgh: Action United, One Pittsburgh, PAInterfaith Impact Network, PittsburghFederation of Teachers, SEIU, and Yinzercation.
Co-sponsored by Carlow Univ. Schoolof Education, Chatham Univ. Department of Education, DuquesneUniv. Schoolof Education, First Unitarian ChurchSocial Justice Endowment, PA State Education Association, Robert Morris Univ. School of Education & Social Sciences, Slippery RockUniv. Collegeof Education, Temple Sinai, Univ.of Pittsburgh School of Education, and Westminster College Education Department.
Children’s activities provided by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University’s HearMe project. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=504288506307495&set=oa.155123638016809&type=1&theater

Join the National School Boards Action CenterFriends 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

PSBA members will elect officers electronically for the first time in 2013

PSBA 7/8/2013

Beginning in 2013, PSBA members will follow a completely new election process which will be done electronically during the month of September. The changes will have several benefits, including greater membership engagement and no more absentee ballot process.

Below is a quick Q&A related to the voting process this year, with more details to come in future issues of School Leader News and at www.psba.org. More information on the overall governance changes can be found in the February 2013 issue of the PSBA Bulletin:

http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=5787

Electing PSBA Officers: 2014 PSBA Slate of Candidates

Details on each candidate, including bios, statements, photos and video are online now

PSBA Website Posted 8/5/2013

The 2014 PSBA Slate of Candidates is being officially published to the members of the association. Details on each candidate, including bios, statements, photos and video are online at http://www.psba.org/elections/.

PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference
October 15-18, 2013 | Hershey Lodge & Convention Center

Important change this year: Delegate Assembly (replaces the Legislative Policy Council) will be Tuesday Oct. 15 from 1 – 4:30 p.m.

The PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference is the largest gathering of elected officials in Pennsylvaniaand offers an impressive collection of professional development opportunities for school board members and other education leaders.

See Annual School Leadership Conference links for all program details.

Registration: https://www.psba.org/workshops/?workshop=17

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. 

Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for September 5, 2013: School Funding shouldn't depend upon how powerful your legislator is – Join us in Harrisburg Sept. 23rd

shouldn'tDaily 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, 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 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 September 5, 2013:

School Funding shouldn't depend upon how powerful your legislator is – Join us in Harrisburg Sept. 23rd

Pennsylvanians Want a School Funding Formula

Sign up to join us in Harrisburg on September 23^rd!

Press Event Monday September 23^rd, 11:30 am Capitol Rotunda, Harrisburg

Every child in Pennsylvania deserves an opportunity to learn, whether they are from large or small, rich or not-so-rich, urban, suburban or rural school districts, charter schools or cyber schools; whether their legislator is a freshman state representative or a senate officer.

Grassroots Advocacy by Education Voters PA; Education Matters in the CumberlandValley and the Keystone StateEducation Coalition

Sign up here if you may be able to join us to represent your schools and community: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/104e0endYpVYcPxSyfG9V_DOIVAB0J3AVI0-20Q8Yylw/viewform more details will follow.

“According to the Philadelphia Public School Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks, 33 of the 37 lawmakers who represent the 21 districts that received extra funds are legislative leaders, committee chairs, vice chairs or secretaries.”
Legislators give $30.3M to 21 school districts behind closed doors

Lancaster gets $2.4 million surprise but cash-strapped Columbia doesn't get a dime

Lancaster Online By JEFF HAWKES  Staff Writer Originally Published Jul 21, 201306:00

Twenty-one of Pennsylvania's 500 school districts got a nice surprise in the state's new budget: extra cash for these tough times.  Districts large, small and in-between benefited, including the Allentownschools, with nearly 19,000 students, the School District of Lancaster, with 11,200, and a rural Potter County district, with only 184 pupils.
But cash-strapped Columbia School District was not among the lucky 21. Because the district struggles to meet the needs of nearly 1,000 poor children in a borough with a weak tax base, Laura Cowburn wonders why it was left out.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/874030_Legislators-give--30-3M-to-21-school-districts-behind-closed-doors.html#ixzz2e10gU6oo

PA One of Only Three States Without Education Funding Formula

No accuracy, fairness, or transparency possible without sound formula

Education Law Center Press Release February 28, 2013

http://www.elc-pa.org/schoolfundingreport_2013.html

PA Special Education Funding Formula Commission Upcoming Meeting

Save the date: September 19 tentative meeting date in Reading; no venue announced yet

To consider charter and cyber special education funding

“The critics scoffed when Shannon and Watkins announced their plans to lure kids back into district schools. They’re not laughing anymore.”

Editorial: Persuasive power fills desks of Chester Uplandschools

Delco Times Published: Thursday, September 05, 2013

They rang in a new era in the Chester Upland School District on Tuesday.  Literally.
The glorious sound of bells marked the start of another school year in the district that is struggling mightily to reverse decades of declines.  A small group of school officials and dignitaries were on hand to greet students as they headed back to the classroom.  Among them was new Superintendent Gregory Shannon. If the new boss was smiling, it was with good reason.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/09/05/opinion/doc5227ee582f117203196045.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Can for-profit education rescue Camden's kids?

WILLIAM BENDER, Daily News Staff Writer benderw@phillynews.com, 215-854-5255 POSTED: Thursday, September 5, 2013, 12:16 AM
CSMI, the firm that runs the Chester and Camden schools, is a for-profit company founded by Vahan Gureghian, a politically connected Gladwyne lawyer who donated more than $300,000 to Gov. Corbett's gubernatorial campaign and served on the education committee of his transition team. CSMI has fought to prevent public disclosure of its finances - including how much taxpayer money ultimately goes to company officials. The company has argued that, unlike public schools or some other charter schools, its finances are a "trade secret" or "confidential information," because CSMI is a private company managing a school, and not a school itself. In 2009, Gureghian attorney Edmond George - listed in public records as a founder of the Camden Community Charter School - sought to silence the Inquirer by asking a judge to order the paper to "refrain from public comments" about the company, the school or Gureghian. The motion was denied. In a separate matter, a CSMI lawyer tried unsuccessfully to bar a reporter from an arbitration hearing in open court.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130905_Can_for-profit_education_rescue_Camden_s_kids_.html#YVROcSIqysY3hbDl.99

Over the past 3 years this has been one of the most frequently visited links on the Keystone StateEducation Coalition website:

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

NAACP joins fight against Keystone Exams

By JOHN KOPP jkopp@delcotimes.com @DT_JohnKopp September 04, 2013

The Pennsylvania State Conference of NAACP Branches became the latest group to oppose the use of state exams as graduation requirements, arguing they are a human rights violation that denies students the opportunity to develop their potential.
The NAACP mailed a statement Tuesday to the Pennsylvania Board of Education, urging it to reject a proposal requiring that students pass a series of Keystone Examinations before graduating. The board is expected to vote Sept. 12 on the proposal, which mandates students pass state exams in algebra, biology and English literature in order to graduate.
“One examination cannot identify whether or not a human being has learned well,” said Joan Duvall-Flynn, chair of the state NAACP Education Committee. “One test cannot do that. Some people don’t do well on paper and pencil tests, but they can demonstrate knowledge and they can use the information.”

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/09/04/news/doc5227ef497a6a3102012081.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Letter from the Education Committee of the Pennsylvania State Conference of NAACP Branches regarding the Keystone Exams

http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.blogspot.com/2013/09/letter-from-education-committee-of.html

Philly teachers' union to pull new ad attacking Mayor Nutter

WHYY Newsworks By Holly Otterbein, @hollyotterbein September 4, 2013

The Philadelphia teachers' union said it is putting on hold a new ad that blasts Mayor Nutter and Gov. Corbett over the school district's budget woes.  George Jackson, spokesman for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said the union has made the decision because Nutter and PFT president Jerry Jordan have scheduled a private meeting this week.

"We think we got [Nutter's] attention," said Jackson. "In the interest of fostering a productive dialogue, for right now, we're going to suspend the ads."

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/59335-philly-teachers-union-to-pull-new-ad-attacking-mayor-nutter?linktype=hp_impact

School districts, teachers at a loss for solution to labor strikes

Laws, tax limits hinder negotiations

By Mary Niederberger / PittsburghPost-Gazette September 5, 2013 12:27 am

Gone are the days when teachers stayed on strike until their contracts were settled and school boards could raise taxes to fund the agreements.  Now, it's not uncommon for negotiations to go far beyond the expiration dates -- in some cases several years -- before a settlement is reached.

The reason: financial pressures on districts that include drops in state and federal funding, large hikes in pension contributions and state-imposed limits on raising taxes, coupled with a state law governing contract negotiations that has no real teeth.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/districts-teachers-at-a-loss-for-strike-solution-702084/#ixzz2e0xlTt00

Seven facts you should know about new Common Core tests

Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 4 at 2:21 pm

The Common Core State Standards now being implemented in most states and the District of Columbia will soon be accompanied by new standardized tests being developed by two multi-state consortia — the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) — with $360 million in federal funds. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said repeatedly that he expects these exams, due to be rolled out in 2014-15, to go beyond the familiar multiple-choice standardized tests students have been forced to take for more than a decade and to be an “absolute game-changer in public education.”

Is he right? Not so much. Here are seven myths and realities about the new tests, from FairTest, or The National Center for Fair & Open Testing,  a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the misuse of standardized tests. You can find more here on FairTest’s website.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/04/seven-facts-you-should-know-about-new-common-core-tests/

The Wrong Kind of Education Reform

Three new books decimate the case for charter schools and vouchers.

Slate By David L. Kirp Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, at 1:16 PM

The case for market-driven reforms in education rests on two key premises: The public school system is in crisis, and the solution is to let the market pick winners and losers. Market strategies—high-stakes teacher accountability, merit pay, shuttering “failing” schools—are believed to be essential if public schools are ever going to get better. And these maxims underlie the commitment to charter schools and vouchers. Freed from the dead hand of bureaucracy and the debilitating effects of school board politics, the argument runs, schools are free to innovate.

If you follow education debates, you’ve heard that again and again. Here’s what’s new: A spate of new books undercuts both propositions, simply decimating the argument for privatizing education.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/science/2013/09/charters_schools_and_vouchers_decimating_the_case_for_privatizing_public.html

“Education Nation is a magnificent concept, and always has been. But so long as the very FACTS that guide the discussions are drawn from the Gates Foundation, and Gates grant recipients are the chief experts featured, we do not have a true dialogue, a real debate about the future of education in America. We have instead a showcase for test-driven school reform, with some cameo appearances by real educators who sometimes are allowed to strike a note of skepticism.”

Education Nation, 2013: Will NBC News Use the Gates Foundation's Facts Again? Or Can We Get a Real Dialogue Going?

Education Week Living in Dialogue Blog By Anthony Cody on September 4, 2013 10:57 AM

NBC News will be presenting, for the fourth time, several days of programming focused on education. Education Nation will take to the airwaves from October 6 to 8, broadcasting from the New York Public Library.

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/09/education_nation_2013_will_nbc.html

Mexico Passes a Weakened Bill to Evaluate Teachers

New York Times By KARLA ZABLUDOVSKY Published: September 4, 2013

MEXICO CITY — Mexico took a major step this week toward instituting evaluations of public schoolteachers and ending their practice of buying and inheriting their posts, but analysts said violent protests by teachers had led Congress to include provisions in the new legislation that might undermine the overhaul.  Shoring up the flagging education system has been a pillar of PresidentEnrique Peña Nieto’s efforts to advance the country economically and move more people into the middle class. Analysts had closely watched the progress of the legislation as a sign of his ability to move forward on revamping the telecommunications and energy industries.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/world/americas/mexico-passes-a-softened-bill-to-evaluate-teachers.html?ref=education&_r=0

Diane Ravitch will be speaking in Philly at the Main Branch of the PhiladelphiaFree Library on September 17 at 7:30 pm..

Diane Ravitch | Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools
When: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 7:30PM 
Where: Central Library
Cost: $15 General Admission, $7 Students
Ticket and Subscription Packages 
Tickets on sale here:

http://libwww.freelibrary.org/authorevents/index.cfm?ID=40337&type=2

Yinzers - Diane Ravitch will be speaking in Pittsburgh on September 16^th at 6:00 pm at Temple Sinaiin Squirrel Hill.

5505 Forbes Avenue  Pittsburgh, PA 15217 

Free and open to the public; doors open at 5:00 pm

Hosted by Great Public Schools (GPS) Pittsburgh: Action United, One Pittsburgh, PAInterfaith Impact Network, PittsburghFederation of Teachers, SEIU, and Yinzercation.
Co-sponsored by Carlow Univ. Schoolof Education, Chatham Univ. Department of Education, DuquesneUniv. Schoolof Education, First Unitarian ChurchSocial Justice Endowment, PA State Education Association, Robert Morris Univ. School of Education & Social Sciences, Slippery RockUniv. Collegeof Education, Temple Sinai, Univ.of Pittsburgh School of Education, and Westminster College Education Department.
Children’s activities provided by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburghand Carnegie Mellon University’s HearMe project. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=504288506307495&set=oa.155123638016809&type=1&theater

Join the National School Boards Action CenterFriends 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

PSBA is accepting applications to fill vacancies in NSBA's grassroots advocacy program. Deadline to apply is Sept. 6.

PSBA members: Influence public education policy at the federal level; join NSBA's Federal Relations Network

The National School Boards Association is seeking school directors interested in filling vacancies for the remainder of the 2013-14 term of the Federal Relations Network. The FRN is NSBA's grassroots advocacy program that provides the opportunity for school board members from every congressional district in the country who are committed to public education to get involved in federal advocacy. For more than 40 years, school board members have been lobbying for public education on Capitol Hill as one unified voice through this program. If you are a school director and willing to carry the public education message to Washington, D.C., FRN membership is a good place to start!

More info: http://www.psba.org/issues-advocacy/advocacy-services/frn.asp

PSBA members will elect officers electronically for the first time in 2013

PSBA 7/8/2013

Beginning in 2013, PSBA members will follow a completely new election process which will be done electronically during the month of September. The changes will have several benefits, including greater membership engagement and no more absentee ballot process.

Below is a quick Q&A related to the voting process this year, with more details to come in future issues of School Leader News and at www.psba.org. More information on the overall governance changes can be found in the February 2013 issue of the PSBA Bulletin:

http://www.psba.org/news-publications/headlines/details.asp?id=5787

Electing PSBA Officers: 2014 PSBA Slate of Candidates

Details on each candidate, including bios, statements, photos and video are online now

PSBA Website Posted 8/5/2013

The 2014 PSBA Slate of Candidates is being officially published to the members of the association. Details on each candidate, including bios, statements, photos and video are online at http://www.psba.org/elections/.

PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference
October 15-18, 2013 | Hershey Lodge & Convention Center

Important change this year: Delegate Assembly (replaces the Legislative Policy Council) will be Tuesday Oct. 15 from 1 – 4:30 p.m.

The PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference is the largest gathering of elected officials in Pennsylvaniaand offers an impressive collection of professional development opportunities for school board members and other education leaders.

See Annual School Leadership Conference links for all program details.

Registration: https://www.psba.org/workshops/?workshop=17

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.