Parents, Dept. of Education Address Concerns with PA Core
This was the second year for the new PSSA exam which tests students in grades 3-8 in math, English, language arts and science. Matt says the new assessments are aligned… Read More
News
Vast Majority of Americans want Failing Schools Fixed, not Closed, Poll Finds
Results of the annual Phi Delta Kappa International poll about K-12, released Monday, reported that 84% of Americans want officials to overhaul those struggling schools in some fashion, while just… Read More
The State is the Real Culprit in the Fallout of Rising Pension Costs, not Teachers
After publishing our first story on school pensions last week, some readers felt we had blamed teachers for rising pensions costs and property taxes. In fact, we made a chart… Read More
A New School Year Brings Renewed Focus on Attendance
Chronic absence — defined as missing more than 10 percent of the school year (or just two days a month) — is one of the most destructive forces in a… Read More
PlanCon Letter Delivered to Governor
The PA Principals Association is one of six education associations that signed a letter regarding building additional capacity into the PlanCon borrowing, which was hand-delivered to the Governor on Friday,… Read More
Study: Cyber Charter Students Don’t Keep Pace with Counterparts in Regular Classrooms
A study released this summer by 50CAN, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the National Association of Charter School Organizers — typically advocates for school choice and charter… Read More
Commentary: PA Has More to Do on School Funding Fairness
Pennsylvania needs to take a crash course in school funding fairness. That’s one conclusion drawn from the 2016 National Report Card (NRC), which gave the Keystone State a “D” for… Read More
Some School Districts Leery as Pennsylvania Law Lets Students Carry, Inject Own Insulin
New state legislation allows diabetic students to manage their own care during school, but not all public school officials are ready to jump into the program. Click here for… Read More
Pennsylvania Schools See Increase in Unsolved Bomb Threats
Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education shows an increase in unsolved bomb threats in its public schools over the last three academic years, but a general decrease in terroristic… Read More
‘Demand is Still There’: New State Law Expands Pool of Available Substitute Teachers
In 2015, approximately 6,000 people pursued teacher certification in Pennsylvania, down from 16,000 just three years earlier. The need for substitute teachers, however, hasn’t lessened at all, experts say. Click here… Read More