Thanks to the emailer for this news tip.
Our 4th and 5th grade "Grandview Greats" won a blue ribbon at tonight's reading olympics, held at Bensalem High School, with a total 60 points! Please post the good news.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Philly Schools Plan Released
From the Inquirer
School district reform plan released
By MENSAH M. DEAN
Philadelphia Daily News Posted on Tue, Apr. 14, 2009
After fielding ideas and concerns at more than a dozen meetings attended by an estimated 3,000 people since the first week of March, the Philadelphia School District has released the final draft of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's signature reform plan.
"Imagine 2014, a 64-page document containing the "strategic direction for our schools for the next five years," was posted on the district's Internet site - www.phila.k12.pa.us - last night.
Due to community input, the number of reforms contained in the final plan has grown since Ackerman made public the rough draft on Feb. 18.
Added to the plan are: a call to decrease the student-to-counselor ratio to 500-to-1 in elementary schools; request to expand opportunities for middle school students to take world languages; and changes in class schedules at high schools to create smaller class sizes.
In addition, the plan says English language arts, math, science and social studies courses will be updated so that they are more integrated, rigorous and relevant in preparing students for college and careers.
The core curriculum will be linked to real-world and field experiences to provide students with instruction that is relevant to their everyday lives and reflects the diversity of the student population, the plan says.
School communities will be "integrally involved" in the process of reforming failing schools, the report says. The plan calls for placing 10 such schools under new management by September 2010, and a total of about 30 schools by 2014.
While the plan states that the district has made steady progress over the last seven years under state control, major problems remain.
Just 43 percent of schools are making adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act; just 33 percent of 11th graders are proficient in reading on the state's annual exam; and in math, a 28 percent point gap exist with white and Asian students outpacing African-American and Latino students.
The School Reform Commission is scheduled to review the plan during its 2 p.m. meeting tomorrow at the district's headquarters, 440 N. Broad St. The commission will vote on the plan at its April 22 meeting.
School district reform plan released
By MENSAH M. DEAN
Philadelphia Daily News Posted on Tue, Apr. 14, 2009
After fielding ideas and concerns at more than a dozen meetings attended by an estimated 3,000 people since the first week of March, the Philadelphia School District has released the final draft of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's signature reform plan.
"Imagine 2014, a 64-page document containing the "strategic direction for our schools for the next five years," was posted on the district's Internet site - www.phila.k12.pa.us - last night.
Due to community input, the number of reforms contained in the final plan has grown since Ackerman made public the rough draft on Feb. 18.
Added to the plan are: a call to decrease the student-to-counselor ratio to 500-to-1 in elementary schools; request to expand opportunities for middle school students to take world languages; and changes in class schedules at high schools to create smaller class sizes.
In addition, the plan says English language arts, math, science and social studies courses will be updated so that they are more integrated, rigorous and relevant in preparing students for college and careers.
The core curriculum will be linked to real-world and field experiences to provide students with instruction that is relevant to their everyday lives and reflects the diversity of the student population, the plan says.
School communities will be "integrally involved" in the process of reforming failing schools, the report says. The plan calls for placing 10 such schools under new management by September 2010, and a total of about 30 schools by 2014.
While the plan states that the district has made steady progress over the last seven years under state control, major problems remain.
Just 43 percent of schools are making adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act; just 33 percent of 11th graders are proficient in reading on the state's annual exam; and in math, a 28 percent point gap exist with white and Asian students outpacing African-American and Latino students.
The School Reform Commission is scheduled to review the plan during its 2 p.m. meeting tomorrow at the district's headquarters, 440 N. Broad St. The commission will vote on the plan at its April 22 meeting.
Some Officials Not Following Open Records Law
From WGAL-TV
Some Officials Not Following Open Records Law
Legislation Allows Citizens To Request Information From Any State Agency
POSTED: 5:47 pm EDT April 14, 2009
UPDATED: 9:19 am EDT April 15, 2009
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The state's new open records law is designed to help citizens better understand how government works in Pennsylvania, and in many ways it is working. But some officials are still going out of their way to keep information from the public.
Nearly every day, the public can take a tour of the state Capitol building to learn about its architecture and history. But there is a lot that goes on in the Capitol that Pennsylvania residents never hear about. That's where Terry Mutchler comes in.
"There are public officials that view the Right To Know law as a nuisance," said Mutchler.
Mutchler is executive director of the state's newly created Office of Open Records, which is tucked away in a corner of the Keystone office building in Harrisburg. She said the law has only been in effect for a few months, but that hasn't stopped some public agencies from misusing it.
"I will sometimes hear from public officials who are following the letter of the law and the spirit of the law," said Mutchler. "But I'll also hear from folks who say they'll hide their Right To Know officer so they can never receive a Right To Know request," said Mutchler.
The law allows anyone to request information from any government agency in the state, from local municipalities all the way to the governor's office.
Agencies Must Copy, Mail Records
A recent dispute involved whether government agencies are required to make copies and mail records that are requested. Some have refused to do so.
"When the law talks about postage and photo copiers, the intent is that you do, as a government official, have the obligation to photocopy and mail records," said Mutchler.
She said workers in state agencies were also recently directed by the governor's office not to answer her calls because they felt requests from her office should be handled in writing. Mutchler said her office has been busy handling these types of concerns.
"Now that we have open government, we actually have a lot of work to do within that framework to see the actual results," said Mutchler. "I think there has to be a better balance struck."
A balance that, she said, would make open government in Pennsylvania a priority.
Open Records Resources
* For a "citizen's guide" with information about how to use the law, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/rtkcitizensguidefinal.pdf
For a link to a generic form needed to file a request, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/Form-Uniform_Request.pdf
For a list of open records contacts in local government agencies across the state, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/orolist.pdf
For a list of open records contacts in state agencies, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/aoroList.pdf
For a list of open records contacts in school districts, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/orolist_sd.pdf
Some Officials Not Following Open Records Law
Legislation Allows Citizens To Request Information From Any State Agency
POSTED: 5:47 pm EDT April 14, 2009
UPDATED: 9:19 am EDT April 15, 2009
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The state's new open records law is designed to help citizens better understand how government works in Pennsylvania, and in many ways it is working. But some officials are still going out of their way to keep information from the public.
Nearly every day, the public can take a tour of the state Capitol building to learn about its architecture and history. But there is a lot that goes on in the Capitol that Pennsylvania residents never hear about. That's where Terry Mutchler comes in.
"There are public officials that view the Right To Know law as a nuisance," said Mutchler.
Mutchler is executive director of the state's newly created Office of Open Records, which is tucked away in a corner of the Keystone office building in Harrisburg. She said the law has only been in effect for a few months, but that hasn't stopped some public agencies from misusing it.
"I will sometimes hear from public officials who are following the letter of the law and the spirit of the law," said Mutchler. "But I'll also hear from folks who say they'll hide their Right To Know officer so they can never receive a Right To Know request," said Mutchler.
The law allows anyone to request information from any government agency in the state, from local municipalities all the way to the governor's office.
Agencies Must Copy, Mail Records
A recent dispute involved whether government agencies are required to make copies and mail records that are requested. Some have refused to do so.
"When the law talks about postage and photo copiers, the intent is that you do, as a government official, have the obligation to photocopy and mail records," said Mutchler.
She said workers in state agencies were also recently directed by the governor's office not to answer her calls because they felt requests from her office should be handled in writing. Mutchler said her office has been busy handling these types of concerns.
"Now that we have open government, we actually have a lot of work to do within that framework to see the actual results," said Mutchler. "I think there has to be a better balance struck."
A balance that, she said, would make open government in Pennsylvania a priority.
Open Records Resources
* For a "citizen's guide" with information about how to use the law, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/rtkcitizensguidefinal.pdf
For a link to a generic form needed to file a request, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/Form-Uniform_Request.pdf
For a list of open records contacts in local government agencies across the state, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/orolist.pdf
For a list of open records contacts in state agencies, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/aoroList.pdf
For a list of open records contacts in school districts, go to:
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/orolist_sd.pdf
New Hope-Solebury: We're In This Together
From the BCCT.
District strives to cut more
By: FREDA R. SAVANA
Bucks County Courier Times
Like everyone else, the New Hope-Solebury School District is feeling the squeeze from the rough economy.
Wrestling to bring down costs, without damaging the small district's strong reputation, New Hope Superintendent Raymond Boccuti said Wednesday his staff has found another $287,000 to slash from next year's budget.
In an impassioned and somewhat frustrated tone, Boccuti detailed cuts ranging from $144,000 from a teacher's retirement and a resignation, to $1,000 in professional books. Part-time custodians, consultants and new computers are being axed. Updated textbooks are being pushed off for another year.
"We've looked and looked at this budget. We're doing a lot of dramatic things while preserving the integrity of the school district," Boccuti told the school board.
If the new reductions make their way out of the budget, taxpayers are still facing a 4.98 percent tax hike, or a $217 increase for the owner of a home assessed at the district average. That's down from the $314 it projected earlier this year for a $33.3 million spending plan.
"To get it to zero," said the superintendent, "you'll have to gut the fund balance and cut staff and programs."
Among the proposed cuts is the "Artist in Residence" program, which brings art into schools, for a savings of $6,500. Cutting the district's school resource officer, a New Hope police officer who visits the campus periodically, would save another $45,000, according to Boccuti.
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The superintendent pointed out the officer has rarely been at the school in recent months, as he's been needed by the borough's police department, which is also struggling with budget cuts.
"I don't want us to be penny wise and pound foolish," said school director Laurence Fieber, expressing concern about the cuts. He suggested maybe the home and school association and the nonprofit New Hope Education Fund, which supports various school-related projects, could pick up some of the slack.
Board President Rebecca Malamis said parents offered to help when the district stopped running late buses to cut costs and would probably do it again.
"This is a time for our community to come together," she said.
Boccuti and the board agreed to discuss the program cuts with the local organizations and parents.
Parents, volunteers and community groups will be asked to help with some school programs.
April 16, 2009 02:20 AM
District strives to cut more
By: FREDA R. SAVANA
Bucks County Courier Times
Like everyone else, the New Hope-Solebury School District is feeling the squeeze from the rough economy.
Wrestling to bring down costs, without damaging the small district's strong reputation, New Hope Superintendent Raymond Boccuti said Wednesday his staff has found another $287,000 to slash from next year's budget.
In an impassioned and somewhat frustrated tone, Boccuti detailed cuts ranging from $144,000 from a teacher's retirement and a resignation, to $1,000 in professional books. Part-time custodians, consultants and new computers are being axed. Updated textbooks are being pushed off for another year.
"We've looked and looked at this budget. We're doing a lot of dramatic things while preserving the integrity of the school district," Boccuti told the school board.
If the new reductions make their way out of the budget, taxpayers are still facing a 4.98 percent tax hike, or a $217 increase for the owner of a home assessed at the district average. That's down from the $314 it projected earlier this year for a $33.3 million spending plan.
"To get it to zero," said the superintendent, "you'll have to gut the fund balance and cut staff and programs."
Among the proposed cuts is the "Artist in Residence" program, which brings art into schools, for a savings of $6,500. Cutting the district's school resource officer, a New Hope police officer who visits the campus periodically, would save another $45,000, according to Boccuti.
Advertisement
The superintendent pointed out the officer has rarely been at the school in recent months, as he's been needed by the borough's police department, which is also struggling with budget cuts.
"I don't want us to be penny wise and pound foolish," said school director Laurence Fieber, expressing concern about the cuts. He suggested maybe the home and school association and the nonprofit New Hope Education Fund, which supports various school-related projects, could pick up some of the slack.
Board President Rebecca Malamis said parents offered to help when the district stopped running late buses to cut costs and would probably do it again.
"This is a time for our community to come together," she said.
Boccuti and the board agreed to discuss the program cuts with the local organizations and parents.
Parents, volunteers and community groups will be asked to help with some school programs.
April 16, 2009 02:20 AM
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