http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/10/13/news/doc4e972b785f932860816808.txt?viewmode=fullstory

By Evan Brandt ebrandt@pottsmerc.com

To be certain, it is the state legislators who will have to decide what to keep and what to change from the education reform agenda released this week by Gov. Tom Corbett that features tax-funded vouchers to pay for non-traditional public schools as its centerpiece.

But two distinct sides of the debate released timely studies this week that not only support their position on these issues, but seem to be an attempt to influence that legislative debate by influencing public opinion.

The Commonwealth Foundation, a self-described “free-market think tank,” released a “comprehensive report” on Pennsylvania cyber-schools that “conclusively found that these public school alternatives save children’s education while saving taxpayers millions of dollars.”

“If Pennsylvania education is really about finding what is best for children, then one-size fits all, brick and mortar with its skyrocketing costs and stagnating results just isn’t going to get it done,” Nate Benfield, director of policy analysis for the Commonwealth Foundation and co-author of the report said in a prepared release.

Two days later, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association issued its own release trumpeting its latest “white paper, titled ‘Raising achievement in underperforming public schools.’”

If there was any doubt that the title is aimed at the primary rationale given for allowing school vouchers for private and charter schools, PSBA Executive Director John Gentzel quickly dispelled it.

“In reality, vouchers only pull a small number of students from struggling schools and leave the rest in a building that is still underperforming and now also underfunded because tax dollars have been siphoned to the private, parochial or public school where the student moves,” Gentzel said.

Anticipating this argument, the Commonwealth Foundation report “found that contrary to those who support only the traditional public school model, cyber schools do not drain resources from public schools, as districts retain about 25 percent of funding for a cyber school student it no longer has to educate.”

It should be noted that cyber-schools are only one type of charter school, which can also be housed in a “brick and mortar building.” Cyber schools educated children at home over the Internet with computers.

The PSBA paper and release, on the other hand, seemed aimed at vouchers which could be used not only at various types of charter schools, but also at parochial and private schools — or even better-performing public schools.

“A voucher program could potentially cost more than $1 billion, creating an expensive entitlement program the state cannot afford, for a relatively few students, without doing anything to address the real problem of why the schools are underperforming,” Gentzel said.

This argument is countered in the Commonwealth Foundation’s “Policy Points on Charter School Funding,” issued Monday.

It notes that charter school funding currently “represents less than 4 percent of tax dollars on public education” — exceeding $944 million.

“In comparison, school districts spent $2.8 billion on construction and debt payments, $1.4 billion on administration, $600 million on business and central office support and $2.1 billion on facilities operations,” the talking points memo noted.

Of course, these lobbying arms of different philosophies were not the only ones to offer their opinions.

However, when we asked our readers on Facebook Tuesday what they thought of Corbett’s proposals, their responses seemed to fall into the same two camps.

“The Pennsylvania School Board Association is nothing more than a pro-spending, tax-payer funded lobbying group,” wrote Connor Kurtz, a resident of Douglassville and candidate for the Daniel Boone School Board.

“I’m not surprised that PSBA is opposed to the governor’s reform plan. PSBA has repeatedly stood in the way of any meaningful school reform–including fighting against the elimination of tax-hiking loopholes that school boards use to raise property taxes year after year,” Kurtz wrote.

“PSBA is part of the problem when it comes to school reform. Governor Corbett’s proposal has the potential to monumentally improve education for children who attend failing schools while preserving education for children who attend schools that are performing well,” he wrote.

Patty Fetterman of Pottstown, on the other hand, thinks the problem is the unequal way the state funds education.

“Why don’t they look for ways to equalize/redistribute money between school districts?” she wrote. “The school districts near where I work (Malvern, Bryn Mawr) have A TON of money and low income districts have nothing. I don’t understand what the voucher system is and how it will improve education for all. They should also merge districts to eliminate administrative costs,” she posted.

“Sooo… if all the children flee from my (low income) public school district and my kids stay, what fate will they have? Probably a charter school (aka Corbett’s BFF and huge election donor) hmmm… is that equity?” Fetterman asked.

She was referring to Vahan Gureghian, who operates the state’s largest charter school in Chester, and who is a major player in both Montgomery County Republican politics and Corbett’s election campaign.

“Corbett is pushing charters because his biggest contributors runs a charter,” agreed Jim Prendergast of Lower Pottsgrove.

Gureghian made headlines in Pottstown this spring when he authored a letter indicating an interest in opening a charter school here. His letter also noted that if enabling legislation is enacted, his company would consider taking over all elementary public education in Pottstown.

Pottstown Schools Superintendent Reed Lindley also made headlines when, in the wake of that letter, it was revealed he and several administrators had met private with Gureghian, state Sen. John Rafferty, R-44th Dist. and the primary senate sponsor of a bill to enact vouchers in Pennsylvania.

But for other readers, the politics of the matter were less important than the policy and its impacts.

“How about PA’s overpaid government comes up with an equal way to fund education in PA!, posted Carleen Parsons Markoski of Pottstown. “Stop raping the taxpayers and the elderly with property taxes. I also feel PA needs to find new ways to fund education and provide equality for all school districts.”

And others were completely in Corbett’s camp.

Debra Rutkowski of Royersford posted, “Love the idea! Do it! I have to pay for more and more things for (FREE) public school anyway to get a break on education and send my kids to a school I want them in would be awesome.”

http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/09/22/news/srv0000014009476.txt?viewmode=fullstory

By Phil Ellingsworth Jr., pellingsworth@pottsmerc.com

ROYERSFORD — Recently released data from the state Department of Education shows the Spring-Ford Area School District exceeded adequate yearly progress targets on the 2010-11 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment standardized exams.

In a PowerPoint presentation given by Johnna L. Weller, supervisor of curriculum and instruction, during Monday night’s school board workshop meeting, she announced the state revealed its 2010-11 adequately yearly progress results for school districts around Pennsylvania, which revealed that Spring-Ford met advancement standards set forward by the education department.

In the district’s numbers, Spring Ford received a 99 percent for test participation, 96.19 percent for school attendance and 96.39 percent for student graduation. State standards for those categories are 95 percent, 90 percent and 85 percent, respectively.

“Obviously we strive for 100 percent of our students,” Weller said.

Weller then talked in-depth about the district’s results on the math and reading sections on the state standardized exam, revealing that in each of the grade levels — three through eight and 11th — students exceeded Pennsylvania’s 2010 marks.

“The good news is that our students are not performing at a proficient level, but an advanced level,” she said.

The numbers showed that in the math section of the state test, students in third-grade scored a 91 percent; fourth-graders scored a 93 percent; those in fifth-grade pulled an 86 percent; sixth-graders scored 93 percent; seventh-grade students tallied up a 97 percent; eighth-graders scored a 95 percent; and 11th-grade students wrapped up with a score of 76 percent.

Under the state guidelines, school districts are required to score at least 67 percent to make adequate yearly progress.

Weller said that in the reading section of the state exam results, scores showed that students either ranked proficient or advanced.

In the numbers, third-grade students scored 87 percent on the exam; fourth-graders earned 84 percent on the test; fifth-grade students pulled a 77 percent; students in sixth grade scored an 87 percent; seventh-graders earned a 94 percent; eighth-grade students scored a 98 percent; and 11th-graders rounded out the results with 78 percent.

The state education department requires that districts score at least 72 percent on the reading section to meet annual progress standards.

Though the district sees the results as an accomplishment, Weller said the standards going forward will get harder, as by 2014 all districts will be required to achieve 100 percent on both the reading and math sections of the test.

“This spring, the bar gets a little bit higher,” she said.

The only section of students that did not make annual progress was the math individual education program subgroup in 11th-grade, Weller said.

Weller revealed two other sections of the test to board members — writing and science — that the state does not take into account for adequate yearly progress. Given in grades five, eight and 11, the writing section of the exam saw higher marks than what was reported by the state in 2010, Weller explained.

The results showed that fifth-grade students scored a 77 percent, eighth-graders scored a 94 percent and 11-grade students rounded out the results with a 90 percent.

In the science section, fourth-, eighth- and 11-grade students are tested on several different subject areas, including earth, life and other sciences that they learn over the course of their education career.

The results show that in fourth-grade, students received a 95 percent on the test, eighth-graders received a 91 percent on the exam, and 11th-grade students earned a 59 percent.

One the reasons that 11th-grade students may have earned such a lower score compared to other grades on the science portion of the exam is because the test quizzes children on all of their science knowledge, not just information they learned that specific year, Weller explained.

Board member Thomas J. DiBello commented on science results, saying that the Keystone Exams, which are slated to replace the PSSAs, will possibly eliminate specific testing problems because it will be administered at the end of each school year.

Weller also addressed a report released this summer by the state that flagged schools for possible cheating and other unusual behavior on the 2009 PSSA exam. What caused the state to flag the 11th-grade results three times were students’ scores on the math and reading sections of the test, which were at one level, dipped then rebounded, she said.

In Spring-Ford’s reading results, students scored a 75 percent in 2007-08, 68 percent in 2008-09 and 78 percent in 2009-10. Students scored a 76 percent, 65 percent and 76 percent in math in their respective years.

That kind of behavior caused the state to flag the school for “abnormalities,” Weller added.

Follow Phil Ellingsworth Jr. on Twitter @PottsMercPhil

http://berksmontnews.com/articles/2011/09/13/southern_berks_news/news/doc4e6f726680412643841777.txt?viewmode=fullstory

By Denise Larive
For Journal Register News Service

The Amity Township Board of Supervisors said Aug. 17 they are okay with good graffiti on the graffiti wall at the Skateboard Park, Lake Drive, and that there isn’t a problem at the site.

Township Manager Charles E. Lyon told the board that a resident has asked him if he is “okay with it” and the occasional slurs and gang symbols that are painted on it.

Lyon said the wall does sometimes contain slurs and gang symbols but they are immediately painted over by township road crew members.

He said all other graffiti is left on the wall.

“I didn’t see anything offensive on it [the wall] at all,” said Supervisor Paul R. Weller. “If the kids start painting equipment, then shut the park down.”

“We have been very fortunate with our skateboard park,” said Supervisor Terry L. Jones. “I don’t feel our teens have abused it and feel it’s working. I had to walk to see the board and there isn’t a problem.”

The park was constructed in 2005 following a petition with 350 local signatures and funds raised by the Skateboard Park Committee.

Over the years township police said there have been reports of vandalism and drug and alcohol use at the park by older teens who don’t use the park for its intended purpose.

Amity Township Police Chief Kent A. Shuebrook told the Amity Township Crime Watch in November 2009 that police had 15 reports of violence and two drug offense arrests in the area of the Skateboard Park within that last year.

“It doesn’t mean it had anything to do with teenagers,” said Shuebrook at that meeting. “Let’s not blame all the kids that hang out there. Let’s not create a mountain out of a molehill that the park is in jeopardy of being closed. There are probably more drugs at the Daniel Boone Middle School than at the Skateboard Park in the whole year.”

Township Police and Crime Watch members said at that meeting that they wanted the Skateboard Park to remain open and be improved with new funds.

Former Skateboard Park Committee Chairman Brent S. Frampton, Douglassville, said he initiated the idea of the park and started the committee but other committee members have resigned and he couldn’t do it alone.

“The kids are using the park, but if it isn’t maintained, the equipment won’t be safe to use,” said Frampton. “Increase taxes $200 a year? I don’t think so. Maybe an annual competition with prizes? We need more parents to be involved.”

He said his survey on www.amityskatepark.home stead.com indicated that 37 percent (238) of the kids wanted a mini half pipe installed. Other equipment on the survey were a pyramid, bench, stairs, launch ramp, bank, and spine that together received 397 votes.

Frampton said a Pottstown skateboard store was interested in sponsoring annual competitions to raise funds.

“Funding could also get improved lighting and a security camera,” said Frampton. “The annual competition could be a fun, family time and it could be a real valuable area to do things with the playground there.”

Follow The Southern Berks News on Twitter at @sthrnberk snews

Originally Published: 9/16/2011

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=332754

Daniel Boone school officials will look into the $1.95 service charge students pay when using a credit card to replenish their cafeteria food accounts.

The students are limited to charging only $100 per transaction, and members of a subcommittee of the school board want a higher limit.

“It would be more efficient and cost-effective if they could charge more than $100 at a time,” director of technology Bryan Campbell said Wednesday night. “The district understands that there are costs involved in credit card processing, but a $100 limit means the students or their parents could be hit with several service charges over the school year. It’s something we’ll try to do.”

Campbell said the district was concerned especially with families with more than one student at Daniel Boone.

“A family with three or four students could end up with a substantial number of service charges throughout the school year,” Campbell said. “We’re going to see if we can modify the agreement.”

Personal checks are accepted with no service or processing fees and can be used to prepay any amount.

- By Dan Andrews

Published: Thursday, September 15, 2011; Last Updated: Thu. Sep 15, 2011, 5:46pm

By Matthew Reichl, mreichl@journalregister.com

BOYERTOWN –– The members of the School Board seem split on a decision to reorganize the district’s three voting districts.

During the school board meeting Tuesday, the decision sparked debate amongst board members.

The board voted down a motion to accept the Voting Region Review Committee’s recommendation that no changes be made to the voting regions.

The vote was made 5-4. John R. Crossley (Region 1), Barbara W. Hartford (Region 2), Joseph M. Nichols (Region 1), vice president Donna L. Usavage (Region 3) and president GwenW. Semmens (Region 3) voted against accepting no changes.

“I’m not pleased with how we are, so I will not be voting for this,” Crossley said. “What bothers me most is Region 3 is being under represented and it will be more underrepresented in 10 years from now.”

He asked the board to refer the vote back to the review committee for revision.

Usavage said she would be voting against the motion due to the growing population within Montgomery County.

Region 1 comprises Berks County municipalities, including the boroughs of Bally and Bechtelsville as well as Colebrookdale, Earl and Washington townships.

Region 2 comprises the Borough of Boyertown and both Montgomery and Douglass (Berks) townships (Districts 2, 3 and 4).

Region 3 comprises (District 1) Douglass (Montgomery) Township, New Hanover and Upper Frederick townships.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=327326

The Exeter School Board learned Tuesday of two grants received for Owatin Creek Elementary School.

The first was a $2,000 grant awarded by Target Corp. for the “I Can Read” program.

Librarian Sally Lamb and Deb Bitler, intervention specialist, applied for the grant that will be used to buy books.

The second was a $500 grant for solar energy education from Arkema Inc., a national chemical company with a facility in Birdsboro.

The donation is to be used to buy mini-solar panels for the science curriculum.

Owatin teachers Joseph Bertolet and Margie Haines received solar education from Arkema.

Environmental features of the $33 million school along Route 562 include solar panels, a geothermal heating system and an outside wall covered with plants.

In other business, the board voted to hire Patricia Dahl as assistant principal at Reiffton School at a salary of $75,000 for 10 months.

- By Carole Duran

Originally Published: 8/23/2011

The Daniel Boone School Board voted 8-0 Monday night to freeze expenses.

Last year, when the district was facing a possible $6.9 million budget shortfall, the board instituted a similar budget freeze in November.

The move freezes all expenses, except for essential bills such as utility payments, and expenses necessary for students, such as books, Business Manager Danielle S. Penza said.

Before the board meeting, there was a meeting of the finance committee.

During that meeting, board member Walter P. Sheehan said the freeze won’t save a lot of money because of the exceptions.

In the finance meeting, Penza pointed out the state’s mandated budget schedule is earlier this year.

Preliminary budgets need to be completed in December, which is earlier than usual.

Board President Andrew G. Basile asked Penza to send board members a budget calendar.

- Erin Negley

Daniel Boone activity and club fees.