Monday, August 31, 2009

A New School Year

The first day of school, a new beginning. What will we all get out of this new year? It will simply be what we make it.

Benjamin Marasco

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No threat of teacher strikes now

Area unions with expired contracts have notified their districts that they intend to work as long as negotiations are ongoing.
Unions for Washington, Canon-McMillan, Fort Cherry, Charleroi Area, McGuffey, Southeastern Greene and West Greene are still negotiating new contracts. The Intermediate Unit 1, Greene County Career and Technology Center and Jefferson-Morgan teachers unions agreed to new contracts earlier this year.

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Friday, August 28, 2009

The latest on teacher union negotiations in Washington and Greene counties

My story about it will run in Monday's Observer-Reporter. So if you want the latest about Fort Cherry, Canon-McMillan, Charleroi, McGuffey, Washington, West Greene and Southeastern Greene, make sure you look for it Monday.

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Want to blog?

As the new school year starts, I thought I would throw the idea of blogging to our readers. When we started this blog, we wanted to create a community conversation about education. We asked a variety of community members to participate - teachers, administrators, parents, students and school board members.
If you would like to blog here weekly or if you know someone who you think would be good at that, please e-mail me at dgoodman@observer-reporter.com.

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

How much should youth sports pay to use public school athletic facilities?

That issue has come up in the California Area School District. The board approved a policy updating how much an outside group has to pay to use district facilities. Outside groups must pay $1,000 if they charge admission and $750.
But how much should the youth sports pay if they aren't affiliated with the school?

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Canon-Mac board discusses problems at Wylandville

The Canon-McMillan School Board discussed potential problems at Wylandville Elementary this week. The board is getting quotes for a structural engineer to determine whether it wants to hire an engineer now or wait until it hires an architect later this fall.

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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Strike or deal?

Fort Cherry's teachers union contract is up Monday. If a deal isn't reached by Monday, they could work under the expired contract or strike.
What do you think is going to happen?

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Judge rules against Trinity injunction

By Dawn Goodman
Staff writer
dgoodman@observer-reporter.com
Washington County Judge Paul Pozonsky denied a request this week to stop a majority of Trinity School Board members from approving early-bird employee contracts that are not up until at least the summer of 2010.
Four current board members and four presumptive board members filed for the injunction, saying that the sitting board should not make decisions about the early-bird contracts that tie the hands of the new board.
Pozonsky disagreed in his ruling, saying that they did not show immediate and irreparable harm, “given that the incoming board of directors will have the opportunity to review or rescind any early-bird employee contracts enacted by the current board.”
Scott Day, who won both party nominations in the primary and, barring any write-in challenges, should be elected in November, said he was disappointed. However, he said he expected it because that’s what Pozonsky said in court two weeks ago when he ruled against a preliminary injunction. During the hearing, Pozonsky asked for both sides to file legal briefs so he could make this week’s decision.
“It’s still a shot we had to take,” Day said.
Day said he’s concerned Trinity will face legal challenges if it rescinds any contracts. He said any of the approved contracts will have to be reviewed to determine if it’s something the district can afford.
“It just something that we’re going to have to wait and see,” he said.
Day, Tamara L. Salvatori, Colleen Interval and Sandra S. Clutter are the four presumptive board members who supported the injunction. All four won both party nominations in the primary. If they win in November, they will be seated in December.
Board members Tom Bodnovich, William Clemens, Jack Keisling and Dennis McWreath are the four sitting board members who support the injunction.
Bodnovich said Tuesday that nine contracts likely will be up for approval at Thursday night’s meeting. That doesn’t mean they will stay in effect if they are approved, he said.
“We are going to revisit all of it,” Bodnovich said about the new board.
In May, board President Sam Puglisi and directors Jennifer Fetcko and Jeffrey Miller lost re-election bids. James Knapp and Gerald Chambers are the other two members of the sitting board. All five were named as defendants in the legal action. Puglisi could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Schools gear up for swine flu

Schools are finding a variety of ways to prepare for the possibility of swine flu.
An Associated Press review of swine flu planning suggests there are nearly 3 million students in districts where officials want to offer the vaccine once federal health officials begin shipping it in mid-October.
What is your district doing?

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Friday, August 14, 2009

Budget impasse delays tuition grants

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Hundreds of millions of dollars in tuition grants for Pennsylvania college students is stuck in limbo because of a six-week-old state government budget impasse.
That means an anticipated 172,000 students do not know exactly how much money they will receive from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
Republican legislators are advocating $386 million, while Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell wants $460 million in grants.
Last year, the agency distributed $407 million, down from a record $454 million the year before, although that figure was pushed up by income from the student-loan agency.
The maximum individual grant award is $4,120.
For now, Penn State and many other schools say they will front the students' grant money for the fall semester if the budget is not finished by then.
© 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

State school board endorses Keystone tests

Now that the state board voted for it, I wonder what the state Legislature will do. It stopped the tests the last time around. Do you think that will happen again?

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

State panel endorses Keystone high school exams

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s proposed Keystone Exams cleared another hurdle Wednesday as a state Board of Education panel urged the entire board to approve the new high school graduation competency tests.
The 7-1 vote by the board’s Council of Basic Education followed about two hours of discussion over an issue that has already received two years of debate.
Board Chairman Joseph Torsella, who secured endorsements for the plan from key legislators and education advocacy groups, said he was optimistic the full board would approve the latest version when it meets Thursday. That would clear the way for a final regulatory review of rules to use the new tests.
“It is not perfect,” but represents a compromise among divergent viewpoints, he said.
The new tests would be phased in starting in 2010, and would replace the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests now administered in the 11th grade. Students would take the Keystone Exams in grades nine through 12 as they complete their course work. Their exam scores would count toward their final grades.
Proponents said the plan would more effectively measure student progress toward meeting statewide academic standards, while allowing local districts to substitute their own tests with state approval. Critics insist the new tests are too costly and could unfairly penalize students who do poorly on them.
Several opponents objected to counting the test scores as at least one-third of the final grade, as well as a provision that would assign a zero to any student who scores below the lowest proficiency level.
Shauna D’Alessandro, speaking for two groups that represent many school districts in southeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania, said flunking the Keystone Exam could mean failing a course even for a student who has high grades.
“We’re not rewarding the hard work that’s done in the classroom,” she said.
A major goal of the new tests is to promote uniformity in the methods used to test students’ progress.
A Penn State study released earlier this year concluded that many of the graduation tests currently being used in local school districts fail to adequately measure student performance in math and reading. It also found wide variations among the tests and how they are administered and applied.
Under the proposal, exams in English literature, algebra I and biology would be introduced in the first school year. From 2011-12 to 2015-16, exams in English composition, algebra II, geometry and U.S. History would be added. Exams for chemistry, civics and world history would complete the list in 2016-17.
© 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Canon-Mac taking steps to end deficit spending

A report from the Pennsylvania Auditor General shows that Canon-McMillan had deficits for three straight years, which is against the state school code. Find out what the district is doing about it in Wednesday's Observer-Reporter.

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Temple hopes math, science pros turn to teaching


PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Despite a 20-year career in biochemistry, Trevor Selwood recently found his appreciation for science being overshadowed by the constant uncertainty of research funding — so much so that he began looking at alternative careers.
He found one through Temple University, where the Transition to Teaching program helped Selwood combine his science smarts and real-world experience with the educational skills needed to teach middle school.
Selwood, among the program’s first class of graduates in July, is slated to start teaching science this fall in Philadelphia, where he did his student teaching.
“Most of the kids were really nice and they really want to learn,” Selwood said. “I had a good time interacting with them.”
Funded through a $3 million, five-year federal grant, the Temple program is aimed at mid-career science and math professionals who think they might want to teach. It’s designed so that people like Selwood can keep their day jobs — in his case, at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia — while they pursue a teaching certificate at an accelerated pace.
The hope is that by bringing in people with real-world experience to the classroom, students will see how the subjects apply to daily life, said Temple assistant professor Diane Jass Ketelhut, who helped design the program.
“The authenticity of their knowledge is blatantly clear to kids, and they really respond to that authenticity,” Ketelhut said.
Nicknamed “E=mc2” — Educating Middle-Grades Teachers for Challenging Contexts — the program is part of a national effort to address a shortage of math and science instructors and to improve U.S. students’ lagging performance in those subjects, said program director Heidi Ramirez.
Participants learn how to teach students with varying academic skills, how to develop a style that keeps kids interested, and how middle schools are structured. Their Temple tuition is subsidized and, in exchange, they promise to teach for three years in one of three struggling urban districts: Philadelphia, Harrisburg or Chester-Upland.
“I was surprised going through the teaching course how little I knew about teaching. I learned a lot,” said Selwood, 48. “You’ve got to be almost like a movie star — you’ve got to keep them entertained.”
Middle school is when students begin identifying themselves as either science people or non-science people, said Ketelhut, a former science teacher. And their confidence in their ability to do science drops fairly dramatically over the K-12 years, she said.
“Kids are born curious about their world, and that is science,” she said. “Somewhere along the way, when they get a more regimented or structured view of science ... they start to turn off slowly but surely.”
The federal government funds about $44 million in Transition to Teaching programs nationwide, but this one is unique in Pennsylvania, said Michael Race, spokesman for the state Department of Education.
The department is advocating state legislation that would create similar alternative certification for professionals who want to teach in any subject where there is a teacher shortage, Race said.
The Temple program is rigorous; the inaugural class started with 10 people but graduated only five. Ramirez said the retention rate is not surprising considering the demands on working adults’ schedules. And some come to realize that they aren’t cut out for teaching, she said.
“And that’s OK,” said Ramirez. “We’d much rather they figure that out at the front end.”
Still, Ramirez is hoping that 25 to 35 people enroll in this year’s class. Only 9 percent of Pennsylvania teaching certificates are issued in math and science each year, she said.
Tomas Hanna, chief of school operations for the Philadelphia district, said officials are thrilled to be the beneficiaries of the program.
“Someone who’s been in a career in the real world can explain ... ’Solving this equation means you can do these kinds of things,”’ said Hanna. “We’re really psyched about them coming on board.”
© 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Friday, August 7, 2009

The first big test: Watching expenses

The Washington Post has a story about how college students, and their parents, are dealing with the recession. It seems like a lot of common sense, such as take things from home instead of buying new, determine your wants from your needs.
Have you been more careful in what you are buying for college? If so, please share some tips.

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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Judge doesn't rule on Trinity injunction request

Washington County Judge Paul Pazonsky didn't rule on the injunction request. Instead he asked both sides to file legal briefs about the matter so he could better review it before making a decision.
That means the Trinity board can vote on the early bird agreements tonight if it so chooses.
Update: The Trinity board did not vote on employee group contracts.

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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

More Summer Education

Simply because it is summer does not mean that learning takes a break. In fact, I believe that summer is an excellent opportunity for the learning experience. It is then that educational experiences expand and opportunity abounds.


One such experience was City on the Hill Youth Leadership Conference sponsored by Pennsylvania Family Institute. Fifty-five high school attendees surrendered their common title of student to State Senator for a week. Renowned speakers were brought in to address the "Senators". In addition, each student was assigned one bill to support and two bills to oppose. Each of these bills were actual pieces of recent legislation of the PA General Assembly.


The students learned all about the PA Senate, elected their own Majority and Minority Leaders, Whips and President Pro-Tempore. Learning how to work together was vital. They also saw first hand the process of how a bill becomes law in PA, and the “Senators” actually presented their bills and debated on the Senate floor at the PA State Capitol. Now that's hands on learning.


Benjamin Marasco

By 2017-18, nine area districts projected to grow, 10 projected to decline

Each year, the state releases enrollment projections for every Pennsylvania district. The projections are based on live birth data, the Public School Enrollment Report and the Pennsylvania Information Management System.

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Monday, August 3, 2009

Early bird contracts spur legal challenge

Eight people, four current Trinity School Board members and four prospective board members, say they will file an injunction to keep the board from voting on employee contracts. The latest I've heard is that their attorney could file it this afternoon or Tuesday morning.
Do you think that's a good idea?

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