HARRISBURG, Pa., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Governor Tom Corbett today announced that Ronald J. Tomalis will leave his post as Secretary of Education on May 31 to become Special Adviser to the Governor on Higher Education. Tomalis, who has been with the administration since January 2011, will be responsible for overseeing, implementing [...] More »
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Secretary Tomalis may be stepping down. Click Here for Story More »
Truebright Science Academy Charter School. — Photo courtesy Great Philly Schools.org When the leadership of the School District of Philadelphia recently announced the system would not expand charter school options for the ensuing school year, thoughts turned to the existing charter schools that are up for renewal at the end of the year, and to [...] More »
Like many parents, I have concerns about my children’s education. This isn’t an indictment of their teachers or school district. However, as an educator, I am astutely aware of the fact that people have different learning styles. What works for one of my students doesn’t always work for another. Public schools have become highly bureaucratized [...] More »
An 18-year-old cyber charter school student barred from attending her senior prom will be allowed to go after all. Eleanor Lohry picked up her tickets to the Cedar Cliff High School prom Friday after school officials called to let her know they’d reversed their original decision to keep her out of the event. West Shore [...] More »
To be honest, the prospect of Internet-based education was not intuitive to me at first, either. And if fate had given me different kids, or no kids, or enough cash to send my kids to private school when the going got tough, I’d probably be part of the shrill chorus decrying the use of public [...] More »
Public schools have become highly bureaucratized and are not capable of adapting to individual children’s needs. While teachers are knowledgeable about learning, they often find that their hands are tied when it comes to making adaptations for a struggling student. Some children are diagnosed with a learning disability and qualify for “accommodations.” Within the public [...] More »
The School District of Philadelphia’s school closures, although 10 years too late, are a step in the right direction. The School Reform Commission and Hite seem to be generating responsible change and changing their tune. These movements will help to correct the district’s fiscal position over the next decade. The public will not accept this [...] More »
For the Cribbs family, school is a top priority in their home. For them, home is where the classroom is. “One of my favorite things about cyber school,” commented Tim Cribbs. “I would say is you can sleep in!” 11-year-old Tim and his nine-year-old brother Trenton are cyber school students, both attending Commonwealth Connections Academy. [...] More »
Throughout last week, PCPCS reported to members a disturbing incident in which the West Shore School District illegally refused to allow a cyber charter school student who resides in the district to attend the prom at Cedar Cliff High School. News of the situation caused quite a backlash as it spread throughout the charter school community and [...] More »
Eleanor Lohry, 18, already has the dress and the shoes, but the West Shore School District is not allowing the cyber student to attend Cedar Cliff High School’s prom. The Lemoyne teenager attended Cedar Cliff High School her Freshman year, but after several medical issues caused her to fall behind in classes, her family decided [...] More »
WE ALL KNOW the school district is in bad shape. But it could actually get worse, because Gov. Corbett’s assumptions about revenue coming into the state have not panned out. That could jeopardize the $120 million in state aid the schools are counting on to help fill its own $300 million hole. Unlike the schools, [...] More »
By Anthony Hardy Williams The School District of Philadelphia is tipping toward the brink of absolute collapse. That’s reality. Yet that hasn’t jostled most of us from our assumptions about the district’s budgeting process as a Chicken Little-style extortion attempt that will feature a miraculous recovery. That’s unconscionable. Still, the respective corners – City Hall, [...] More »
Citing a $304 million shortfall, the Philadelphia School District announced Thursday that it would recommend against expanding any charter schools in 2013-14. “Given our dire financial prospects, we must ask for shared sacrifices from our partners,” Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said in a statement Thursday evening. “It would be irresponsible for the district to [...] More »
The board of Pittsburgh Public Schools approved renewing the charter of the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park for five years beginning July 1, 2013. The school, which opened in 2008 in the former Regent Square School, has expanded to include the former Park Place School. The grades served also have increased to K-7, with [...] More »
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On Earth Day, Spectrum Charter School was awarded a PA Department of Environmental Protection Education Grant by Governor Corbett. These funds will be used to teach students about watersheds and related fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We will be purchasing rain barrels, seeds, gardening tools, mini greenhouses, and water conservation books. Also, in [...] More »
I’ve been at Pennsylvania Virtual Charter Schools since kindergarten, and now I’m in ninth grade. My school is considered a public cyber charter school, which is different than homeschooling. In this letter, I’m going to state why I love this school, explain the difference between homeschooling and public charter schools, and why public cyber charter [...] More »
Hattie Henderson, a 2012 Achievement House Cyber Charter School graduate, attended a House education hearing to advocate for cyber schools. “I felt like I was able to put a face on what cyber school was like for some students,” said Henderson, who graduated as valedictorian from Achievement House. “Cyber school…made a huge impact on my life [...] More »
Presently, it is parents who decide to enroll their children in cyber schools (or other schools). Parents should make such decisions: They know best what’s best for their children. I don’t think government – any government – should interfere with these rights – ever. This will be my guiding principle whenever the General Assembly deliberates [...] More »
By Jeffrey Piccola Cyber charter schools are meeting unique needs in public education—needs defined by 38,000 parents who view cyber schooling as the best, and sometimes only, alternative for their children. Parents, better than anyone, know when they see failure and know when they see hope. Cyber charter schools provide that hope, save taxpayers money, [...] More »
Public school districts try to provide new opportunities through varied curricular choices and enhanced programs. But a different model exists charter schools. “The future looks bright,” Dr. Doug Allen, chief educational officer of Tidioute Community Charter School said of both TCCS and the charter movement, generally. “TCCS will prosper because it serves a community as [...] More »
The governor and state lawmakers have a pretty crowded agenda up there in Harrisburg, with pension reform, lottery and liquor store privatization and a number of other issues, but one thing state leaders really need to accomplish this year is reform of the charter school system in Pennsylvania. From funding to authorization and accountability, lawmakers [...] More »
Recap House Education Committee Hearing on Devastating Cyber Charter Legislation On Thursday, March 14, the House Education Committee held a hearing on proposed legislation that, if passed, will negatively impact the future of every Pennsylvania cyber charter school. Links to the bills and testimony follow: Committee(s): House Education Committee Meeting type: Public hearing Subject: Cyber charter school [...] More »
On Thursday, March 14 at 10 AM, the House Education Committee will hold a hearing in the House Majority Caucus Room on proposed legislation that, if passed, will negatively impact the future of every Pennsylvania cyber charter school. Bills under consideration are: HB 759 (Reese Bill) Pennsylvania School Districts currently take 21 deductions in the [...] More »
An antiquated charter school law in need of updates led to a fall in national rankings released recently by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS). More »
After the 2011-2012 results for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA) scores were released, the contrast between traditional district schools and charter schools is striking. A higher percentage of charter schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) statewide. In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the percentages of charter schools that made AYP were much greater than the traditional district schools in those cities. More »
The following is a letter from Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools Executive Director, Robert Fayfich, in response to the article “State Charter, Public Schools Not Always Bound to Same Rules” that ran in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette on Sunday, August 12, 2012. More »
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools would like to congratulate the newly elected 2012 Leadership Council. The Leadership Council were nominated and voted on by their peers to represent the diverse geographic regions of Pennsylvania More »
Accountability for results and freedom from union rules attract the best teachers into the profession. More »
PCPCS is excited to announce that 20th Century Fox in conjunction with Walden Media will be releasing a feature film about a group of Pennsylvania parents and teachers who work together against the odds and opposition to create a neighborhood charter school. About the film: Once in a great while, a film is made that combines honest, [...] More »
Funding will help drive quality and accountability in Pennsylvania charter schools The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) announced today that it has received a $1.14 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation. The three-year grant was made with the goal of expanding efforts to drive quality and accountability in Pennsylvania charter schools, and [...] More »
Visit www.ChildrenPA.com and take two minutes to let your legislator know you want to see an independent authorizer in Pennsylvania. After more than 14 years of operation and experience in Pennsylvania and from educators in 39 other states, we know what makes for high-performing charter schools – dedicated teachers, involved parents, individualized attention, exceptional curriculums, [...] More »
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools is very pleased to report that on April 3, 2012 the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the March 4, 2011 decision of the Secretary of Education which previously awarded the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partner Charters School $1,253,225.82 in its enrollment cap dispute with the School District [...] More »
Rock Center Special Correspondent Chelsea Clinton visits Central Falls, R.I., where a public school and charter school have formed a unique partnership to better serve their students. Rather than compete with one another, a group of public school teachers are working with teachers from The Learning Community charter school to devise programs that have already raised [...] More »
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a Proposed Regulation titled “Determination of Government Plan Status.” This regulation would force states to prohibit charter school teachers from participating in state retirement plans. Presently, every single state that authorizes charter schools either requires or permits charter school participation in the state’s retirement system. Therefore, this regulation would [...] More »
Joined by Philadelphia education, business and philanthropic leaders, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced today that he and other education leaders have signed a historic agreement to increase the number of high-performing schools in the City. The Philadelphia Great Schools Compact unites the mayor, school district and charter school leaders in a bold, collaborative plan to focus [...] More »
The December 2 issue of the Morning Call contained an article on a “report” announced to have been released on November 25 in which 26 school superintendents from Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Pike counties blasted charter schools. We have read the original document, the press release, and the story and have found there are [...] More »
The results are in: The majority of PA residents support public school choice. The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools in partnership with Susquehanna Polling and Research recently conducted a statewide survey to determine how taxpayers view charter and cyber charter schools. The survey results indicate that residents across the Commonwealth recognize the value of [...] More »
West Chester, PA — The Pa Senate Education Committee voted today to include into a key education bill (SB 1) much of what was in charter school reform bill SB 904, and to move SB 1 to the full Senate for consideration. SB 1 previously contained proposals focusing only on Opportunity Scholarships and Educational Investment [...] More »
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools applauds Governor Tom Corbett for addressing the Commonwealth’s need for public education reform. The Governor has made it clear that providing Pennsylvania K-12 students with public school choice is one of his top priorities. The reforms supported by Governor Corbett, which reflect companion bills in the Pennsylvania Senate [...] More »
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has been awarded $38 million through the United States Department of Education’s Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program. The states winning the Striving Readers Grant are: Pending legislative approval, the program is projected to span five years with matching awards each consecutive year. Pennsylvania was one of 35 states that [...] More »
The following is a transcript of the testimony of Lawrence F. Jones, President of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools, given to the the PA House Education Committee in Philadelphia on Thursday July 28th. Good afternoon Chairman Clymer, Chairman Roebuck, members of the Education Committee, members of the legislature, and audience members. My name is Lawrence F. [...] More »
The following is a letter sent to The PA Department of Education Director of Budget and Fiscal Management, Barbara Nelson, concerning a recent development at the May 24th summit between Charter School CEO’s and the PA Department of Education. In the overflowing room, the Department verbally explained to the Charter School community that a charter [...] More »
“I don’t see how the success of a program like this threatens a traditional K-12 district,” Tomalis said. “What you see in this building is what public education should really be about.” The education secretary was at [the Lincoln Elementary Charter School in York] shoulder-to-shoulder with Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, a Republican representing a portion of [...] More »
Gov. Corbett and Mayor Nutter headline Boys Latin Charter School first graduation in West Philadelphia this past Monday. “In many ways you – the first graduating class – are the founders of your school,” Corbett told the 79 young men who received their diplomas before a cheering audience of parents, friends, and supporters who packed [...] More »
by Michelle Rhee As we work to improve our neighborhood public schools, we also have to expand the educational choices available to children and families. Pennsylvania must make it easier for good public charter schools to expand in the state. Charter schools are public schools, but they operate with more freedom than traditional schools and [...] More »
According to the Washington Times and the Washington Post, a new study from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that in the 2008-09 school year, 1.4 million students across the country attended public charter schools, up from 340,000 a decade earlier. NCES Commissioner Jack Buckley called the rising enrollment [...] More »
“What you are doing here needs to be reported to all the people of Pennsylvania so that they can understand what can be accomplished if there’s a vision, if there’s a commitment, and if there’s determination and if there’s choice,” Corbett said to students who filled the bleachers in the CCCS gymnasium. “Because that’s what [...] More »
Senate Bill 904 is a tremendous step in the right direction, not only for charter schools, but for all public education in Pennsylvania. It legitimizes the charter school option as a fundamental part of the fabric of public education in Pennsylvania; removes political shackles from high quality charter school operators; and provides fair, transparent, and [...] More »
PHILADELPHIA – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the Department of Education to pay the Philadelphia-based Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter School $1.3 million the School District of Philadelphia had previously refused to pay the charter school. Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Education affirmed that the School District of Philadelphia had no authority [...] More »