FYI – This is Not How Democracy Should Work – The Underlying Problem with the Charter Appeals Board
from a recent post on Diane Ravitch’s blog: Recently, the elected School Board of Pittsburgh unanimously rejected a charter school called Catalyst Academy because of concern about its proposed disciplinary policy and its ability to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The School Board’s decision was overturned by the state’s Charter Appeals Board, which was appointed…
Read MoreICYMI – Stop the Charter School Expansion Bills!
From Our good friends at Education Voters of PA! Last week Republican members of the House Education Committee advanced two charter school expansion bills that deliver the charter school industry’s wish list. We anticipate that the House will vote on these bills in early June. Click HERE to send a letter to your state representative telling…
Read More$100 million more for PA’s “secret school tax”
From our friends at Education Voters of PA: The PA House Education Committee passed what appears to be a top education priority for many lawmakers this year: a massive increase in taxpayer-funded school vouchers that benefit wealthy families. These lawmakers are not prioritizing an additional $100 million to help schools meet extensive safety needs. They are…
Read MoreA Call to Action from Pennsylvania’s Urban School Superintendents
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, one thing is clear: For Pennsylvania to prosper, its largest cities must thrive.” Read this great Op-Ed from lehighvalleylive.com co-authored by 12 school superintendents, including Dr. Joseph Roy of Bethlehem and Thomas Parker of Allentown. You can read it here: A Call to Action from Pennsylvania’s Urban School Superintendents…
Read MoreYet Another Reason for Adequate Funding for Public Schools
Neighborhood schools strengthen communities and our state’s current education funding schemes play a role in that, for better or for worse. Here is a great article on delcotimes.com on a new report released Friday enforcing the notion that property values are contingent on student achievement in local schools. You can read the entire article here: Report: Good schools…
Read MoreICYMI–PETITION–End Tom Corbett’s influence over education in PA
From our good friends at Education Voters of Pennsylvania http://educationvoterspa.org/: Tom Corbett was voted out of office more than four years ago, yet his appointees continue to control the Charter School Appeal Board (CAB), a powerful body that can overturn school board decisions to deny charter school applications and strip communities of control over their…
Read MorePA Schools Work – Communications and Advocacy “Lunch and Learn”
On Tuesday, February 26 at noon, Education Voters and their partners from the PA Schools Work coalition will be unpacking the Governor’s budget proposal and sharing tips on how to be an effective advocate for our public schools and students. Click HERE to register for the webinar. During this webinar, which should last for an hour or less,…
Read MoreCyber Charter Funding Reform Needed Now
Recently, our friends at Education Voters of PA issued a report that examines Pennsylvania’s flawed cyber school funding system and provides recommendations for a new system that will more closely match the funding sent to cyber charter schools with the actual cost of providing students with an online education. This proposal would help control property tax…
Read MoreHow Much Would Your School District Receive in Gov. Wolf’s Proposal?
Recently, Governor Wolf gave his budget address and proposed the following increases in K-12 funding in the 2019-2020 state budget: $10 million for career and technical education funding $50 million for special education funding $168 million for Basic Education Funding that will be distributed to school districts through the formula* $45 million in grant funding…
Read MoreKnow Your House and Senate Education Committee Members
House Education Chair: Representative Curt Sonney Democratic Chair: Representative James Roebuck Majority members: Minority members: ◾ Brown, Rosemary M. ◾ Gainey, Ed ◾ Gaydos, Valerie S. ◾ Hill-Evans, Carol ◾ Gillen, Mark M. ◾ Isaacson, MaryLouise ◾ Gleim, Barbara ◾ Kim, Patty ◾ Hickernell, David S. ◾ Madden, Maureen E. ◾ Jones, Mike ◾ McCarter, Stephen ◾ Kail, Joshua D. ◾ Miller, Dan L. ◾ Knowles, Jerry ◾ Mullery, Gerald J. ◾ Ortitay, Jason ◾ Solomon, Jared G. ◾ Puskaric, Michael…
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