Wednesday, February 19, 2014

PA Ed Policy Roundup for February 19, 2014: Mayor Nutter calls on business community to lobby for school funding

Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 3100 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
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Keystone State Education Coalition
Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for February 19, 2014:
Mayor Nutter calls on business community to lobby for school funding


Nutter calls on business community to lobby for school funding
Philly.com PhillyClout Blog by Sean Collins Walsh TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014, 2:37 PM
Mayor Nutter today closed his annual address to the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce with an impassioned plea for the business community to help the city lobby Harrisburg for more education funding.   "I'm asking this chamber to make education funding - full and fair funding - your No. 1 priority for 2014," Nutter said. "Every meeting, every lobbying day, every fundraiser, every survey - education funding must bet at the top of the discussion."
Nutter wants the state to rewrite the way it distributes basic education funds, saying that Pennsylvania is one of only three states without a "student-weighted funding formula."

Governor Corbett Announces Revamped, User-Friendly Campaign Finance Website
FOX43.com by Paul Smith Content Manager February 18, 2014
Gov. Tom Corbett today announced his administration has launched a revamped, more user-friendly website for Pennsylvanians to view the campaign finance reports of candidates for state legislative and statewide offices.   “Part of my pledge to make government more open and transparent includes making it easier for Pennsylvanians to see who is contributing to political campaigns, and how campaign money is being spent,” Corbett said.  “Citizens have a right to know who is funding campaigns, and this redesigned website will make that much easier.”

Revamped PA Dept. of State Campaign Finance Website

Corbett education plan proving a tough sell to Pa. Dems
WHYY Newsworks BY MARY WILSON FEBRUARY 18, 2014
Gov. Tom Corbett's top education official is defending the administration's plan for funding Pennsylvania's schools in the next fiscal year.  But the administration is finding it hard to persuade Democrats who, for years, have hammered the governor for not spending as much as they'd like on education.  Corbett's latest proposal to boost education funding for certain programs and with a new block grant hasn't led to a ceasefire.

PBPC Analysis: Governor's 2014-15 Budget Funds New Initiatives by Relying on Uncertain Savings and One-Time Revenues
Posted by PA Budget and Policy Center on February 18, 2014
Governor Tom Corbett proposed a 2014-15 budget of $29.4 billion — $927 million, or 3.3%, more than the current fiscal year.   The proposal provides $240 million in additional funding for Pre-K-12 education, but restricts funds in a way that will make it hard to restore cuts made to the classroom in recent years.  For the third year, the budget level funds higher education, while adding $25 million for a new scholarship fund for middle-class families. 

"We elected to put the money in the block grant because one of the concerns is that the basic instructional subsidy formula is broken," Dumaresq said Feb. 6 after an event presenting the Governor's Award for Excellence in Academics to Wycallis and Dallas elementary schools.  Corbett supports "a piece of legislation moving" that would take "a look at a new funding formula" that relies on factors such as growth, shrinkage and poverty, Dumaresq said.”
Acting education secretary explains why subsidy is unchanged
Hazelton Standard Speaker BY MICHAEL P. BUFFER (STAFF WRITER) February 17, 2014
DALLAS TWP. - Gov. Tom Corbett did not propose an increase in the basic education subsidy for school districts because the state needs a new formula to determine the subsidy, Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq said.  The $12 billion proposed education budget shows a $387 million increase over the current year. The majority of the increase, $241 million, would be added to the existing $100 million Accountability Block Grant to create a Ready to Learn Block Grant that schools could spend on specific programs.

State giving school districts an extra week for PSSA testing, due to snow days
PennLive By Barbara Miller | bmiller@pennlive.com on February 17, 2014 at 2:23 PM
Due to the amount of school days missed with recent snowstorms, the state Department of Education is giving school districts an additional week in which to administer PSSA tests this spring.  The window for PSSA Math/Reading testing had been March 17-28, and is being changed to March 17-April 4. The makeup period will be April 7-11.  The PSSA Writing testing period had been March 31-April 4, and is being changed to March 31-April 11. The make-up period will be April 14-25.

Districts can request to count school hours instead of days to make up snow days
By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com  updated February 19, 2014 at 2:47 AM
School districts will be receiving a letter from the state Department of Education either today or Wednesday offering guidance about what they can do about making up all that time lost to snow days.   The letter will advise district officials that they have the option of making a request to the department to have their school days counted in hours, rather than days, Acting Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

Green, Jimenez sworn in to SRC
Philly.com Philly School Files Blog by Kristen Graham FEBRUARY 18, 2014, 1:52 PM
The School Reform Commission has two new members. Farah Jimenez and Bill Green were sworn in as commissioners at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Green is chairman of the five-member volunteer panel.  They were sworn in by Family Court Judge Kevin Dougherty, who reminded them that "education is the vaccine against violence." Dougherty said that with the addition of Green and Jimenez, he believed that "we are truly on the right path. We have two great advocates."

As Philly teacher contract talks drag on, superintendent keeps tough stance on work rules
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY FEBRUARY 13, 2014
For Philadelphia school district superintendent William Hite, it's a classic managerial quandary:
Either, grab some quick savings that could free up money for services that the city's school children could really use.  Or, hold off on that deal in hopes of securing the long-term structural changes that you bet will strengthen the system overall.  The short-term money would come if the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers agreed to pay into their health care coverage.  The school district says that these concessions would generate "tens of millions" of dollars that could return "significant resources" to Philadelphia School District schools with the stroke of a pen.

Inquirer Editorial: Hite plan gets muted response
POSTED: Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 1:08 AM
There has been very little excitement about Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.'s Action Plan v2.0 for Philadelphia public schools. But that's understandable. It's not that people don't like Hite or what he is trying to do. But they have been down this road before, and this time there's even less reason for optimism.  It's the School District's little money problem - a deficit that at one point exceeded $300 million - that makes people skeptical. Hite's predecessors, Paul Vallas and Arlene Ackerman, got mixed results even when the district could get its hands on more cash. In comparison, Hite's main job since being hired 18 months ago has been to beg for alms.

10 things we learned from Hite's new Action Plan 2.0
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa on Feb 18 2014 Posted in Latest news
Superintendent William Hite’s Action Plan 2.0 is full of interesting facts and statistics. A few that caught our eye:

School District of Lancaster rejects charter school, approves preliminary budget
By KARA NEWHOUSE | Staff Writer Posted: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 10:40 am | Updated: 10:59 pm, Tue Feb 18, 2014.
The second time wasn’t a charm for the Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship Charter School.  Repeating a decision made last March, the School District of Lancaster board unanimously rejected ABECS’ proposal for an entrepreneurship-focused charter school on Tuesday night.

Here is some background on the lead applicant for the ABECS Charter School which was rejected by the School District of Lancaster for the second time last evening.  The Gulen charters are the largest charter chain in the country.  This piece is one year old…
Parent Leaders in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Oppose Gulen Charter School
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch February 18, 2013 //
Two parent leaders in Lancaster, Pennsylvania–John MGrann and Dennis Deslippe–are organizing opposition to a Gulen charter in their community. The Gulen charters are the largest charter chain in the nation. They are associated with a reclusive Turkish imam who lives in the Poconos but has a powerful political movement in Turkey.

Pittsburgh school finances attract much interest
Three more sessions are slated
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette February 18, 2014 11:56 PM
Caleb Coleman, a program manager for a social service agency, understands the financial challenges facing Pittsburgh Public Schools are serious enough that the public can't get the whole cake.  But he wants a slice.  "You need to give us something," said the graduate of Pittsburgh Peabody High School who works for YouthPlaces, which offers after-school programs to high-risk youth.  Mr. Coleman was among about two dozen people -- some from community service agencies, others from the general public -- who participated Tuesday in the first public community conversations around the "Whole Child, Whole Community: Building a Bridge to the Pittsburgh Promise" report issued by the Pittsburgh Public Schools in December.

West York schools cut staff by 29
York Dispatch By NIKELLE SNADER 505-5431/@ydschools 02/18/2014 09:26:25 PM EST
The "feeling of sadness" in the West York Area School District that one high school student described may continue this week, as the school board approved the furloughs of 19 professional staff and the layoffs of 10 support staff members at its meeting Tuesday.  Several students, parents and community members pleaded with the board to find another way to cover the district's deficit, without approving the cuts.  "I have always been a proud West York alumni, resident and parent," said resident Nicole Sanderson. "However, at this point I am disappointed in our direction."  But the district had little choice, said Superintendent Emilie Lonardi. While some districts have been able to cut 30 to 40 positions through retirement, the staff at West York is young, Lonardi said. She added state and federal funding has dropped in the past several years, and the district has lost millions of dollars in commercial property reassessments.

Harrisburg needs more time to figure out school finances
By Emily Previti | epreviti@pennlive.com  on February 17, 2014 at 8:29 PM
HARRISBURG – School officials say they need more time to mull over proposed changes to the capital city district’s recovery plan to adjust for possible increases in state funding and figure out how to give back more to unions.   A fund balance last year well in excess of the anticipated amount - $10 million or so versus a nearly $5 million deficit – prompted the revisions.  But after meeting last week with Public Financial Management consultants, officials decided they wanted more time. 

It's time for businsses to have a say in how schools are run: Keith Naughton
By PennLive Op-Ed  By Keith Naughton  updated February 18, 2014 at 11:10 AM
Property tax reform is the longest running joke in Pennsylvania. For the last 30 years, we've heard the same tedious rhetoric promising reform.   Two basic problems stop property tax reform: First, to the average voter, property tax reform means: “I pay less, right?” 
Of course, without someone else paying more, you can’t pay less – and that someone else is not going to like that at all. Whether handing out exemptions, raising income taxes or raising sales taxes, cutting property taxes will be hard to accomplish.   The only way to cut property taxes is to cut education spending which leads to the second problem: there isn’t much room to cut. 
Education is an investment in the future. Considering the parlous state of public education, cutting back on that investment does not seem to be a good idea.

Snow forces student into cyber school
KATHY BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED:February 19, 2014, 1:08 AM
Last week, when a foot of snow piled up and kept buses off slippery streets, some schools plowed ahead and stayed open, using the one road that wasn't shut down.  The information superhighway.  Several schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey whose students had laptops or tablets conducted impromptu cyber classes Thursday and Friday, a trend that will only grow as schools continue to invest in technology, educators said.

Cyber-Charter Applicants Face Tougher Times in Pa.
Governance is a concern
Education Week By Benjamin Herold and Sean Cavanagh February 18, 2014
In rejecting a recent group of applications to open cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania, state officials cited a litany of shortcomings, and one overriding concern: Who, ultimately, would be running the show?  All six plans to open new online schools were denied, and, in five of those cases, the state raised concerns that the schools' governing boards would not act independently of the organizations they planned to hire to provide services to students. Those organizations in some cases were identified as for-profit companies.

“If a regular-education student from Lower Merion school district attended a cyber-charter in 2011-2012, Lower Merion (which then had a per-pupil expenditure of $22,140.70) sent the cyber charter about $17,000.
If a regular-education student from the Philadelphia school district attended the same cyber-charter, Philadelphia (which then had a per-pupil expenditure of $12,351.74) sent the cyber charter about $8,500.
Same cyber school. Same cyber-education. Outrageously different price tag.”
Temple prof: Pa. cyber charters turning huge profits, sending tax dollars out of state | NewsWorks
Network for Public Education 18 Feb 2014
Fewer teachers. No school building. No heating bill. Same cost.
You’d think Pennsylvania’s 16 cyber-charter schools, which teach home-based students via the Web, would spend a lot less per student than bricks and mortar schools.  Not so.
They collect as much money per student as the state’s brick-and-mortar charter schools. Despite a call from Governor Tom Corbett to do otherwise, the state still doesn’t ask how much it actually costs to educate students in cyber-charters to proficiency standards (nor does it, actually, for any of its schools).  Instead — as it does for brick-and-mortar charters — the state simply demands that school districts turn 70 percent to 80 percent of their normal per-pupil costs over to the cybers. (School districts are allowed to deduct certain expenses such as debt-service and transportation costs from their payments to charter schools.)
Those costs, of course, differ greatly from one school district to another. And since the state’s cyber charters can take students from any of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts, they receive wildly different funding rates depending on a student’s home base.

From Junk Bonds to Junk Schools: Cyber Schools Fleece Taxpayers for Phantom Students and Failing Grades
Center for Media and Democracy’s PRWatch Posted by MARY BOTTARI on October 02, 2013
The data is in and K12 Inc.'s brand of full-time public "cyber school" is garbage. Not surprising for an educational model kicked off with a $10 million investment from junk-bond king Michael Milken.  Milken was the Wall Street financier who virtually invented junk-bonds -- high-risk securities that were used to leverage hostile buyouts in the "go-go" 1980s. Milken came to symbolize Wall Street excess, serving as inspiration for the Michael Douglas character Gordon Gekko in the 1987 movie Wall Street. Milken spent almost two years in a federal penitentiary for securities fraud.
After he was released from prison, Milken set his sights on the $600 billion public education "market," forming new companies including Knowledge Universe and Knowledge Learning, parent company of the KinderCare child care chain. With his $10 million stake in K12 Inc., Milken aided one of his Vice Presidents and another junk dealer, Ron Packard, who specialized in mergers and acquisitions for Goldman Sachs back in the '80s.  The duo prepped to exploit the public education sector, and boy, have they. His various educational ventures have made Milken one of the richest men in America, and Packard raked in over $16 million in compensation from 2008 to 2012 as CEO of K12 Inc.  Almost all of that money came from U.S. taxpayers.

Workshop: For the Love of Schools: Be a Public Education Advocate  
Join us in Philly at Arch St. United Methodist Thursday, Feb 27, 6-8 pm OR Saturday March 1, 10 am - 2 pm in the chapel of the church.
Public Citizens for Children and Youth and Education Voters PA is  offering two  duplicate workshops designed to support parents, community members, and advocates in their efforts to improve public education.  The workshop will provide leaders with information on the state of public education  funding in our region and what they can do to get involved.  Participants will learn advocacy best practices and develop individualized action plans.
Participants should enter through the door on Broad St.
This event is free and open to the public.. Childcare and light refreshments will be provided. 

The Joy of Teaching Computer Science in the Age of Facebook
"When people see companies like Google and Facebook being founded by relatively young people, they feel empowered and think: I can do that."
The Atlantic by HOPE REESE FEB 18 2014, 8:48 AM ET
Over the last two decades, it can be argued, no area of study has seen larger growth in span and general application than computer science. Today, computer science encompasses everything from bio-statistics to computer animation to start-ups. Mehran Sahami, a professor and Associate Chair for Education in Computer Science at Stanford University (where he earned both his undergrad degree and Ph.D.) has loved computers since he was ten years old. I spoke with Professor Sahami about the changes he’s seen in the field since he first started studying computer science, his time working at Google (before the rest of us knew what “googling” was), and whether computer science is for everyone.

NEPC policy brief finds strong evidence for the benefits of making classes smaller
National Education Policy Center Press Release
BOULDER, CO (February 18, 2014) – While a series of high-profile and often controversial school reforms has gotten the lion’s share of attention from policymakers over the last decade or two, one reform appears to have been consistently ignored and marginalized: reducing the size of classes.  Yet, as Professor Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach points out in a new policy brief released today, the evidence that class size reduction helps raise student achievement is strong. Schanzenbach’s report, published today by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) at the University of Colorado Boulder, provides a comprehensive review of class-size research.

“The announcement of the Kalamazoo Promise reversed a long decline in Kalamazoo Public Schools enrollment and stabilized the district’s ethnic makeup.”
The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship
College funds boost grades of African American students
Education Next By Timothy J. Bartik and Marta Lachowska SPRING 2014 / VOL. 14, NO. 2
The Kalamazoo Promise provides college scholarships to graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS), a midsized urban school district in Michigan that is racially and economically diverse. Anonymous donors promise to pay up to 100 percent of college tuition for any KPS graduate who attends a public college or university in Michigan. Scholarships start at 65 percent of college tuition for students who enrolled in KPS in 9th grade and stay until graduation, and increase to 100 percent for students who have attended since kindergarten. The scholarship is not limited to students with strong academic records or demonstrated financial need. Students must simply get into college and maintain a 2.0 grade-point average (GPA) while enrolled. Announced in 2005, the Kalamazoo Promise is unusual among scholarship programs in its universality and generosity.  As a model for revitalizing an urban school district and its community, the Promise, as it is called, has attracted much attention and many imitators. At least 24 other areas around the country have launched or are trying to launch Promise-style programs, with private or public funding. In part because of the Promise, President Obama delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of Kalamazoo Central High School in 2010.

 “Hiss found that there was virtually no difference in grades and graduation rates between test "submitters" and "non-submitters." Just 0.05 percent of a GPA point separated the students who submitted their scores to admissions offices and those who did not. And college graduation rates for "non-submitters" were just 0.6 percent lower than those students who submitted their test scores.”
College Applicants Sweat The SATs. Perhaps They Shouldn't
NPR Morning Edition by ERIC WESTERVELT February 18, 2014 3:29 AM (runtime 8 min 51 sec)
Standardized tests are an important consideration for admissions at many colleges and universities. But one new study shows that high school performance, not standardized test scores, is a better predictor of how students do in college.  With spring fast approaching, many American high school seniors are now waiting anxiously to hear if they got into the college or university of their choice. For many students, their scores on the SAT or the ACT will play a big role in where they get in.  That's because those standardized tests remain a central part in determining which students get accepted at many schools. But a first-of-its-kind study obtained by NPR raises questions about whether those tests are becoming obsolete.

“Duncan's office has been the moving force behind a concerted effort to conceal the reality of what charter schools have, and have not, accomplished. The truth is not very pretty. Overall, the performance of their students on standardized tests, and graduation rates, are marginally worse on than those of the country's public schools. The drop-out rate among minorities is actually higher.** This dismal record is despite the preferential treatment that charter schools' receive: subsidies above and beyond the budgets of counterpart public schools; the cherry-picking of students that excludes many of those with chronic learning and/or discipline problems and/or from non-English speaking families; etc.”
The American Public School Under Siege
Huffington Post by Michael Brenner Senior Fellow, the Center for Transatlantic Relations; Professor of International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
Posted: 02/17/2014 3:03 pm EST Updated: 02/17/2014 3:59 pm EST
A feature of the Obama presidency has been his campaign against the American public school system, eating way at the foundations of elementary education. That means the erosion of an institution that has been one of the keystones of the Republic. The project to remake it as a mixed public/private hybrid is inspired by a discredited dogma that charter schools perform better. This article of faith serves an alliance of interests -- ideological and commercial -- for whom the White House has been point man. A President whose tenure in office is best known for indecision, temporizing and vacillation has been relentless since day one in using the powers of his office to advance the cause. Such conviction and sustained dedication is observable in only one other area of public policy: the project to expand the powers and scope of the intelligence agencies that spy on, and monitor the behavior of persons and organizations at home as well as abroad.



Senate Ed Committee Chairman Folmer Holding Town Hall Meetings on Education
Senator Folmer’s Facebook Page February 10, 2014
Parents, I want to hear your thoughts on education! Join me for a parent town hall meeting Tuesday, February, 19, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 203 of the Neidig Garber Building, on the campus of Lebanon Valley College.
A similar meeting is planned for Monday, February 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Quiet Study Room of Penn State Harrisburg’s Capitol Union Building.
Seating is limited - please RSVP to (717) 787-1347 or fbinner@pasen.gov.

Have you considered signing this petition yet?
PENNSYLVANIA PROPERTY TAX PAYERS: OPPOSE PROPOSED SB1085 CHARTER SCHOOL LAW REFORM
Petition by Denise Kurnas
To be delivered to The Pennsylvania State House, The Pennsylvania State Senate, and Governor Tom Corbett
This petition is designed to keep charter school oversight in local district control instead of allowing other entities or the Pennsylvania Department of Education to spend our property tax dollars without input from our locally elected school board officials. 

Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center 2014 Pennsylvania Budget Summit
Harrisburg Hilton Thu, Feb 20, 2014 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host its Annual Budget Summit on Thursday, February 20th to provide an in-depth look at the Governor's spending plan and an update on the federal budget — and what it all means for communities and families across Pennsylvania.
As in previous years, the Budget Summit will be at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Harrisburg
Additional information, agendas, and workshops will be posted in the new year.

Register Now! EPLC’s Education Policy Forums on Governor Corbett’s 2014-2015 State Budget Proposal for Education
The next EPLC education policy forums will be held on the following days and in the following locations.  These forums will take place shortly after Governor Corbett’s February 4th presentation of his proposed 2014-15 state budget and will focus on his plans for education.
Monday, February 24, 2014 – Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, February 26, 2014 – State College, PA
Thursday, February 27, 2014Harrisburg, PA
Space is limited for each event and an RSVP is required. Anyone wishing to receive an invitation should inquire by contacting The Education Policy and Leadership Center at staff@eplc.org or 717-260-9900.

PSBA White Paper: The costs of charter and cyber charter schools
Updated January 2014
Research and policy implications for Pennsylvania school districts
White Paper by PSBA’s Education research & Policy Center
This week PSBA’s Education Research and Policy Center issued an update to its charter school funding white paper this week, originally published in October 2010. The net cost to districts for students attending charter schools increased from $434 million in 2006-07 to $1.145 billion in 2011-12. The financial analysis indicates the need for several changes to the current charter law related to funding.

Register Now! EPLC’s 2014 Education Issues Workshops for Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff, and Interested Voters
EPLC’s Education Issue Workshops Register Now! – Space is Limited!
A Non-Partisan One-Day Program for Pennsylvania Legislative Candidates, Campaign Staff and Interested Voters
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 in Harrisburg, PA
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 in Monroeville, PA
Thursday, March 27, 2014 in Philadelphia,PA

Auditor General DePasquale to Hold Public Meetings on Ways to Improve Charter Schools
Seeks to find ways to improve accountability, effectiveness, transparency
The public meetings will be held:
  • Allegheny County: 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 25, Commissioners Hearing Room, Ross Township Municipal Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Rd., Pittsburgh
  • Northampton County: 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27, City Council Chambers, 6th Floor, City Hall, One South Third St., Easton
  • Cambria County: 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, March 6, Commissioners Meeting Room, Cambria County Court House, 200 South Center St., Ebensburg
  • Bucks County: 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, March 7, Township of Falls Administrative Building, Suite 100, 188 Lincoln Highway, Fairless Hills
  • NEW: Philadelphia: 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, March 14, City Council Chambers, Room 400, City Hall
Time is limited to two hours for each meeting. Comments can be submitted in writing by Wednesday, Feb. 19, via email to Susan Woods at: swoods@auditorgen.state.pa.us.

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

Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia February Seminars
Dear Parents and Advocates:
This month we are offering TWO great special education seminars. 
Learn about special education provisions in charter schools, 
including how one's rights differ from school to school. 
Tuesday, February 11, 2013 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Audience members will learn about the legal needs of children with dyslexia, and other learning disabilities, and hear from expert presenters on the latest research and trends. 
Tuesday, February 25, 2013 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Full Session 
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Abbreviated Session 

NPE National Conference 2014

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

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

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