From the Philadelphia Daily News. A big urban district has problems that Morrisville will never experience. They do have the same mix of students, staff, school board members, and parents. The last few lines of this story caught my eye. It's good advice for the Emperor and the board of chosen accomplices.
"Parents have a right to be engaged in this process of educating their children and they should exercise it. But they can't exercise it if we turn them away," she said.
"So, the school district has a responsibility to say, 'We want you here.' "
While you're beating down $35.00 expenditures and running up charges on your own tabs, think about the people you'll need later on. The procurement card witch hunts are the most hilarious. Check out Channel 28 for the most recent installment.
Nutter: Parents, city have education roles
By MENSAH M. DEAN, Philadelphia Daily News, Posted on Thu, Sep. 11, 2008
Now that school is back in session, children should not be out after dark as so many often are, Mayor Nutter believes.
They should be at home getting help from their parents with homework, eating nutritious meals and going to bed early enough to be rested and ready for school.
Nutter, the father of a daughter in middle school, plans to say as much this evening during a back-to-basics education speech at South Philadelphia High School, Broad Street and Snyder Avenue.
"I believe that the most critical element to the success of young people in Philadelphia is what adults do," Nutter said yesterday in an interview. "Of course, their first, longest and most consistent teacher will be their parents.
"The schools - teachers, principals and administrators - have a tremendous impact. The business community as well, and certainly elected officials, all have roles to play," he added.
"So I'm going to talk to the citizens of Philadelphia about everyone's different but collective role in improving educational outcomes for kids."
Since taking office in January, Nutter has spoken frequently of two key education goals, and will stress them again this evening: to halve the 45 percent dropout rate within seven years, and to double the number of adults with college degrees over the next decade. Just 18 percent of adults in the city now have four-year degrees.
Toward the dropout goal, Nutter will announce that the school district and the city are preparing to implement an "early-warning system" to stem dropping out among 6th-graders - identified by research as a vulnerable year.
To fund that program and others for at-risk youth, the city will realign more than $200 million now used for after-school, summer and prevention programs, according to a draft of the speech provided by the mayor's office.
On the college front, Nutter will announce the creation of CollegeReady Philadelphia, which will link high-school students to college-preparation programs. Foundation funding is being sought for the program, according to the speech.
To institutions of higher learning, Nutter will propose, as he has previously, that they commit to providing 1,000 scholarships each year to graduating city high-school students.
"If we can get it together and work on our respective tasks, a decade from now, people will be talking about the Philadelphia Miracle, and we'll be more than happy to tell anyone how we did it," according to Nutter's draft.
Education-watchers said the mayor's words are admirable, but he and other city officials must continue working to get more funding for the 165,000-student district.
"He's on the right track," said Greg Wade, president of the Philadelphia Home and School Council, the largest parent group in the city. "Parents need to get involved and get their kids to school on time. But when they get there we need to make sure they are safe and they have books on those desks. That takes an investment."
Gerald Wright, a founding member of Parents United for Public Education, said:
"For what I've heard him say, and the fact that he has appointed people to an education office, it appears that he is serious about education.
"But I'm still waiting for the concrete plan as to how we get more more money to the educational system."
Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, who will introduce Nutter tonight, said parental involvement at schools is welcomed and necessary.
"Parents have a right to be engaged in this process of educating their children and they should exercise it. But they can't exercise it if we turn them away," she said.
"So, the school district has a responsibility to say, 'We want you here.' "
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Schools News Around the Blogosphere
A Good School Can Revitalize a Downtown
Wall Street Journal By KANE WEBB
Fifth and sixth grades are in the newsroom, middle school dominates the Clinton campaign's War Room, and seventh-graders have the run of the sports department.
Get Pad and Pen: The School Supply List Is Long
New York Times By LISA W. FODERARO
Many schools both poor and prosperous are asking parents to purchase more, and more particular, school supplies.
Students and Schools in Double Blow
New York Times
By SAM DILLON
While school districts struggle with financial problems, record numbers of students turning up for classes this fall are homeless or poor enough to qualify for free meals.
Charter Grade School Documents Its Success
New York Times
By WINNIE HU
One of New Jersey's first charter schools went looking for some of its first students to see if their early experience at a charter school made a difference.
Add It Up: Math Matters
Washington Post
From arithmetic to algebra and beyond, mathematics absorbs a huge amount of class time, and students are pushed to learn more math than ever -- and sooner.
Raising the Bar: How Parents Can Fix Education
The Wall Street Journal
At the start of yet another school year, it's time for some radical change in your local schools -- a specific change that only parents can bring about. What is this miracle that lies within the reach of nearly every family? It's simple. All you have to do is to start insisting that your children fully apply themselves to their studies -- and commit yourself to doing your part. That means making sure they do all the work expected of them as well as their abilities allow. It also means making sure everything at home stands behind these principles and supports the idea of learning.
Wall Street Journal By KANE WEBB
Fifth and sixth grades are in the newsroom, middle school dominates the Clinton campaign's War Room, and seventh-graders have the run of the sports department.
Get Pad and Pen: The School Supply List Is Long
New York Times By LISA W. FODERARO
Many schools both poor and prosperous are asking parents to purchase more, and more particular, school supplies.
Students and Schools in Double Blow
New York Times
By SAM DILLON
While school districts struggle with financial problems, record numbers of students turning up for classes this fall are homeless or poor enough to qualify for free meals.
Charter Grade School Documents Its Success
New York Times
By WINNIE HU
One of New Jersey's first charter schools went looking for some of its first students to see if their early experience at a charter school made a difference.
Add It Up: Math Matters
Washington Post
From arithmetic to algebra and beyond, mathematics absorbs a huge amount of class time, and students are pushed to learn more math than ever -- and sooner.
Raising the Bar: How Parents Can Fix Education
The Wall Street Journal
At the start of yet another school year, it's time for some radical change in your local schools -- a specific change that only parents can bring about. What is this miracle that lies within the reach of nearly every family? It's simple. All you have to do is to start insisting that your children fully apply themselves to their studies -- and commit yourself to doing your part. That means making sure they do all the work expected of them as well as their abilities allow. It also means making sure everything at home stands behind these principles and supports the idea of learning.
10 Coolest Small Towns
Courtesy of msnbc.com
Imagine if we had a borough council with vision AND the concerned citizenry to support any of these objectives.
Here's the top five. Check out the link to see the next five. This is what Morrisville COULD be like. Instead, we settle for less than even second best.
10 coolest small towns
updated 9:58 a.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 12, 2008
These towns all have fewer than 10,000 people—but they can rival larger cities when it comes to good food, culture, and quality of life.
1. Port Jervis, N.Y.
By Karen Tina Harrison
Population: 9,161
Nearest city: New York, 93 miles
Priced out of New York City by rising rents, many artists and shopkeepers are moving to this old railroad and canal hub on the Delaware River. "You can own a house with real character at a price that's unheard of downstate," says Mark Washburn, who opened an arts and crafts furniture store, Bungalow Antiques & Unusuals, with his partner, Billy Stephens, last year (80 Front St., 845/858-8021).
Cheap commercial real estate also attracted Gordon Graff and Debbie Raia. They started a gallery, UpFront Exhibition Space, four months ago to showcase the works of emerging artists and to host poetry and short-story readings (31 Jersey Ave., 845/856-2666, upfrontexhibitionspace.blogspot.com). The couple also owns Twenty Seven Gallery, an antiques store up the street (27 Front St., 845/856-2727).
Visitors can stay at the 1880s Erie Hotel, which has nine single rooms (9 Jersey Ave., 845/858-4100, $70). The best dining option is Restaurant at 20 Front, housed in a neoclassical former bank. Chef Daniel Weber cooks American dishes like chorizo-stuffed pork chops and butternut squash risotto (20 Front St., 845/856-8955, twentyfront.com, pork chops $24).
2. Manitou Springs, Colo.
By Sharlene Johnson
Population: 5,038
Nearest city: Colorado Springs, 6 miles
One of the things Fred Mutter loves most about Manitou Springs, where he relocated three years ago, is that its residents come from all walks of life. "There's a huge range of people who live here, from scientists and businessmen to new-age hippies," he says. "It's really an eclectic group." His store fits right in: Kinfolks Mountain Shop sells outdoor gear, but it's also a bar and live-music venue (950 Manitou Ave., 719/685-4433, kinfolksmanitou.com). In fact, you won't find any chain stores in the Victorian-era buildings crammed into the narrow valley at the foot of Pikes Peak.
WeUsOur Artists Market has unusual art on display, such as giant pottery teapots and portraits painted with coffee (10 Ruxton Ave., 719/685-9702), while Cripple Creek Dulcimers & Guitars is run by a tie-dye-wearing former mayor, Bud Ford, who bears a striking resemblance to the late Jerry Garcia (740 Manitou Ave., 719/685-9655, dulcimer.net).
At The Maté Factor café, wraps of hormone-free turkey share the menu with maté, a beverage popular in South America (966 Manitou Ave., 719/685-3235, matefactor.com, wrap $5). Last year, the town's 19th-century former bathhouse was renovated into lofts and a restaurant, Adam's Mountain Café, which offers a hodgepodge of cuisines, including African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian (934 Manitou Ave., 719/685-1430, adamsmountain.com, jerked chicken $19).
3. Yellow Springs, Ohio
By Peter Mandel
Population: 3,675
Nearest city: Dayton, 21 miles
Yellow Springs has been a beacon for artists, activists, and creative thinkers since progressive Antioch College opened in 1852. "You can breathe here and feel very comfortable expressing yourself," says Kim Korkan, co-owner of The Winds Cafe & Bakery, which serves dishes using ingredients mostly from local farms (215 Xenia Ave., 937/767-1144, windscafe.com, rhubarb halibut $24).
Although the college was forced to close this summer because of financial problems, Yellow Springs is thriving: The main drag, Xenia Avenue, is lined with shops, cafés, restaurants, and galleries. No Common Scents sells more than 250 varieties of herbs and spices from across the globe (1525 Xenia Ave., 937/767-4261, nocommonscents.com), and Clemente Ullmer's shop, La Llama Place, is stocked with crafts from South America (224 Xenia Ave., 937/767-8650, lallamaplace.com).
Across town, the Yellow Springs Dharma Center, a Buddhist retreat draped in Tibetan prayer flags, holds meditation and chanting sessions (502 Livermore St., 937/767-9919, ysdharma.org). Public art has taken on a new meaning in the town, as well. One day, knitting appeared wrapped around a tree downtown, and soon passersby were bringing yarn to add to it. Now, the signposts up and down Xenia Avenue are covered with knitted "graffiti."
4. Mazomanie, Wis.
By Erik Torkells
Population: 1,522
Nearest city: Madison, 24 miles
"I got tired of driving through a ghost town," says Bob Brumley when asked why he founded his artists' co-op, the Iron Horse Gallery (18 E. Hudson St., 608/795-2789, ironhorsegallery.org). The co-op began in 2006 with five artists and now has 18—as well as a café, A Better Buzz. Mazo (may-zoh) is chockablock with artists, many of whom were drawn here by the historic downtown and cheap real estate. "You can't swing a stick in these hills without hitting an artist," says Brumley.
Along with galleries, Mazo boasts the Mazomanie Historic Arts Center (103 Crescent St., 608/575-9390, mazoart.com) and Mazomanie Movement Arts Center, a dance studio with a circus camp (2 Brodhead St., 608/795-0014, mazomac.com). Even the Wall Street Gallery & Bistro exhibits artwork (14 Brodhead St., 608/576-6694, wallstreetgallery.com, pastas from $15). But there's more to life than art.
You can buy Wisconsin-made souvenirs at Walter's General Store (34 Brodhead St., 608/795-4455); stay at the Walking Iron B&B, an 1865 Italianate house (21 State St., 877/572-9877, walkingiron.com, from $90); and rent bicycles at ProCycle (30 Brodhead St., 608/795-0019, procyclebikes.com). Ask politely and the staff might tell you how to get to the clothing-optional Mazo Beach—or Bare-Ass Beach, as it's known among some in town.
5. Point Reyes Station, Calif.
By Scott Hutchins
Population: 818
Nearest city: San Francisco, 39 miles
The dilemma in Point Reyes Station is what to do first: explore Point Reyes National Seashore (415/464-5100, nps.gov/pore) or just wander around and eat. At Toby's Feed Barn, second-generation owner Christian Giacomini runs a farmers market, gallery, and yoga studio, while still selling hay and salt licks. Also inside, the baristas at Toby's CoffeeBar pour cappuccinos with rippled hearts in the foam (11250 Hwy. 1, 415/663-1223, tobysfeedbarn.com).
Nearby, Cowgirl Creamery produces excellent soft-ripened cheeses, such as the Pierce Point, which is made from organic whole milk, washed in organic Riesling, and rolled in herbs (80 Fourth St., 415/663-9335, cowgirlcreamery.com). When you're ready to experience some nature, Chicago native Laurie Manarik leads hiking trips to see seal pups and conducts nighttime kayaking excursions to check out bioluminescence in nearby Tomales Bay (Point Reyes Outdoors, 11401 Hwy. 1, 415/663-8192, pointreyesoutdoors.com).
The bay's oysters, it must be said, are the best around. Eat them where locals do—up the road at The Marshall Store (19225 Hwy. 1, 415/663-1339, themarshallstore.com). The beautiful scenery may make you want to put down roots. "After my first visit after college, I spent the rest of my life figuring out how to live here," Manarik says.
Imagine if we had a borough council with vision AND the concerned citizenry to support any of these objectives.
Here's the top five. Check out the link to see the next five. This is what Morrisville COULD be like. Instead, we settle for less than even second best.
10 coolest small towns
updated 9:58 a.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 12, 2008
These towns all have fewer than 10,000 people—but they can rival larger cities when it comes to good food, culture, and quality of life.
1. Port Jervis, N.Y.
By Karen Tina Harrison
Population: 9,161
Nearest city: New York, 93 miles
Priced out of New York City by rising rents, many artists and shopkeepers are moving to this old railroad and canal hub on the Delaware River. "You can own a house with real character at a price that's unheard of downstate," says Mark Washburn, who opened an arts and crafts furniture store, Bungalow Antiques & Unusuals, with his partner, Billy Stephens, last year (80 Front St., 845/858-8021).
Cheap commercial real estate also attracted Gordon Graff and Debbie Raia. They started a gallery, UpFront Exhibition Space, four months ago to showcase the works of emerging artists and to host poetry and short-story readings (31 Jersey Ave., 845/856-2666, upfrontexhibitionspace.blogspot.com). The couple also owns Twenty Seven Gallery, an antiques store up the street (27 Front St., 845/856-2727).
Visitors can stay at the 1880s Erie Hotel, which has nine single rooms (9 Jersey Ave., 845/858-4100, $70). The best dining option is Restaurant at 20 Front, housed in a neoclassical former bank. Chef Daniel Weber cooks American dishes like chorizo-stuffed pork chops and butternut squash risotto (20 Front St., 845/856-8955, twentyfront.com, pork chops $24).
2. Manitou Springs, Colo.
By Sharlene Johnson
Population: 5,038
Nearest city: Colorado Springs, 6 miles
One of the things Fred Mutter loves most about Manitou Springs, where he relocated three years ago, is that its residents come from all walks of life. "There's a huge range of people who live here, from scientists and businessmen to new-age hippies," he says. "It's really an eclectic group." His store fits right in: Kinfolks Mountain Shop sells outdoor gear, but it's also a bar and live-music venue (950 Manitou Ave., 719/685-4433, kinfolksmanitou.com). In fact, you won't find any chain stores in the Victorian-era buildings crammed into the narrow valley at the foot of Pikes Peak.
WeUsOur Artists Market has unusual art on display, such as giant pottery teapots and portraits painted with coffee (10 Ruxton Ave., 719/685-9702), while Cripple Creek Dulcimers & Guitars is run by a tie-dye-wearing former mayor, Bud Ford, who bears a striking resemblance to the late Jerry Garcia (740 Manitou Ave., 719/685-9655, dulcimer.net).
At The Maté Factor café, wraps of hormone-free turkey share the menu with maté, a beverage popular in South America (966 Manitou Ave., 719/685-3235, matefactor.com, wrap $5). Last year, the town's 19th-century former bathhouse was renovated into lofts and a restaurant, Adam's Mountain Café, which offers a hodgepodge of cuisines, including African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian (934 Manitou Ave., 719/685-1430, adamsmountain.com, jerked chicken $19).
3. Yellow Springs, Ohio
By Peter Mandel
Population: 3,675
Nearest city: Dayton, 21 miles
Yellow Springs has been a beacon for artists, activists, and creative thinkers since progressive Antioch College opened in 1852. "You can breathe here and feel very comfortable expressing yourself," says Kim Korkan, co-owner of The Winds Cafe & Bakery, which serves dishes using ingredients mostly from local farms (215 Xenia Ave., 937/767-1144, windscafe.com, rhubarb halibut $24).
Although the college was forced to close this summer because of financial problems, Yellow Springs is thriving: The main drag, Xenia Avenue, is lined with shops, cafés, restaurants, and galleries. No Common Scents sells more than 250 varieties of herbs and spices from across the globe (1525 Xenia Ave., 937/767-4261, nocommonscents.com), and Clemente Ullmer's shop, La Llama Place, is stocked with crafts from South America (224 Xenia Ave., 937/767-8650, lallamaplace.com).
Across town, the Yellow Springs Dharma Center, a Buddhist retreat draped in Tibetan prayer flags, holds meditation and chanting sessions (502 Livermore St., 937/767-9919, ysdharma.org). Public art has taken on a new meaning in the town, as well. One day, knitting appeared wrapped around a tree downtown, and soon passersby were bringing yarn to add to it. Now, the signposts up and down Xenia Avenue are covered with knitted "graffiti."
4. Mazomanie, Wis.
By Erik Torkells
Population: 1,522
Nearest city: Madison, 24 miles
"I got tired of driving through a ghost town," says Bob Brumley when asked why he founded his artists' co-op, the Iron Horse Gallery (18 E. Hudson St., 608/795-2789, ironhorsegallery.org). The co-op began in 2006 with five artists and now has 18—as well as a café, A Better Buzz. Mazo (may-zoh) is chockablock with artists, many of whom were drawn here by the historic downtown and cheap real estate. "You can't swing a stick in these hills without hitting an artist," says Brumley.
Along with galleries, Mazo boasts the Mazomanie Historic Arts Center (103 Crescent St., 608/575-9390, mazoart.com) and Mazomanie Movement Arts Center, a dance studio with a circus camp (2 Brodhead St., 608/795-0014, mazomac.com). Even the Wall Street Gallery & Bistro exhibits artwork (14 Brodhead St., 608/576-6694, wallstreetgallery.com, pastas from $15). But there's more to life than art.
You can buy Wisconsin-made souvenirs at Walter's General Store (34 Brodhead St., 608/795-4455); stay at the Walking Iron B&B, an 1865 Italianate house (21 State St., 877/572-9877, walkingiron.com, from $90); and rent bicycles at ProCycle (30 Brodhead St., 608/795-0019, procyclebikes.com). Ask politely and the staff might tell you how to get to the clothing-optional Mazo Beach—or Bare-Ass Beach, as it's known among some in town.
5. Point Reyes Station, Calif.
By Scott Hutchins
Population: 818
Nearest city: San Francisco, 39 miles
The dilemma in Point Reyes Station is what to do first: explore Point Reyes National Seashore (415/464-5100, nps.gov/pore) or just wander around and eat. At Toby's Feed Barn, second-generation owner Christian Giacomini runs a farmers market, gallery, and yoga studio, while still selling hay and salt licks. Also inside, the baristas at Toby's CoffeeBar pour cappuccinos with rippled hearts in the foam (11250 Hwy. 1, 415/663-1223, tobysfeedbarn.com).
Nearby, Cowgirl Creamery produces excellent soft-ripened cheeses, such as the Pierce Point, which is made from organic whole milk, washed in organic Riesling, and rolled in herbs (80 Fourth St., 415/663-9335, cowgirlcreamery.com). When you're ready to experience some nature, Chicago native Laurie Manarik leads hiking trips to see seal pups and conducts nighttime kayaking excursions to check out bioluminescence in nearby Tomales Bay (Point Reyes Outdoors, 11401 Hwy. 1, 415/663-8192, pointreyesoutdoors.com).
The bay's oysters, it must be said, are the best around. Eat them where locals do—up the road at The Marshall Store (19225 Hwy. 1, 415/663-1339, themarshallstore.com). The beautiful scenery may make you want to put down roots. "After my first visit after college, I spent the rest of my life figuring out how to live here," Manarik says.
“But that’s politics in this area.”
From the BCCT today. I regretfully expect that in the not too far distant future, an article similar to this will use the words "Morrisville" and "Yonson".
Superintendent finalist for job
Neshaminy’s superintendent appears to be the lone finalist for an identical position in Connecticut, and he says he plans to continue his job hunt.
“It is important that both the superintendent and board share similar expectations and priorities, and lacking those similarities, it is in my and the board’s best interest that I move on to another school district,” Paul Kadri said in an e-mail Friday.
On Tuesday, Kadri, 43, notified the school board he is a superintendent finalist in the 5,200-student Groton Public School district, roughly half the size of Neshaminy.
No details were available Friday. Groton board members are planning to visit Neshaminy on Monday, according to a Connecticut newspaper.
Earlier this year, Kadri was a finalist for a superintendent position in Michigan.
The district hired Kadri in 2006 under a four-year contract. His salary last year was $170,000.
“I have tremendous respect for all who make up the Neshaminy community,” he wrote in the e-mail. “Over the past two-plus years, we have been able to achieve much success in helping to strengthen the present condition of the school system and position it for success in the future.
Recently, Kadri has expressed frustration with board members over what he described as a lack of direction and job expectations.
Kadri said he and the school board regret the process of his seeking a job in another district will become public. He assured his job hunt will not become a “detrimental distraction” to the district.
Board member William O’Connor said he’s saddened Kadri feels he must leave.
“Despite being successful in his job and having tremendous community support, Mr. Kadri has been undermined in his efforts for the past two years,” O’Connor said. “But that’s politics in this area.”
Superintendent finalist for job
Neshaminy’s superintendent appears to be the lone finalist for an identical position in Connecticut, and he says he plans to continue his job hunt.
“It is important that both the superintendent and board share similar expectations and priorities, and lacking those similarities, it is in my and the board’s best interest that I move on to another school district,” Paul Kadri said in an e-mail Friday.
On Tuesday, Kadri, 43, notified the school board he is a superintendent finalist in the 5,200-student Groton Public School district, roughly half the size of Neshaminy.
No details were available Friday. Groton board members are planning to visit Neshaminy on Monday, according to a Connecticut newspaper.
Earlier this year, Kadri was a finalist for a superintendent position in Michigan.
The district hired Kadri in 2006 under a four-year contract. His salary last year was $170,000.
“I have tremendous respect for all who make up the Neshaminy community,” he wrote in the e-mail. “Over the past two-plus years, we have been able to achieve much success in helping to strengthen the present condition of the school system and position it for success in the future.
Recently, Kadri has expressed frustration with board members over what he described as a lack of direction and job expectations.
Kadri said he and the school board regret the process of his seeking a job in another district will become public. He assured his job hunt will not become a “detrimental distraction” to the district.
Board member William O’Connor said he’s saddened Kadri feels he must leave.
“Despite being successful in his job and having tremendous community support, Mr. Kadri has been undermined in his efforts for the past two years,” O’Connor said. “But that’s politics in this area.”
Friday, September 12, 2008
Comic Relief
Thanks to the emailer who noticed this story. It explains the school board pretty well.
'Emperor' arrested in court
by The Associated Press
Friday September 12, 2008, 10:03 AM
The Trenton man who calls himself Emperor El Bey is not making diplomatic immunity claims to authorities after his latest arrest.
The emperor, known to authorities as William McRae, has been bickering with authorities who say he can't keep horses in his backyard. He says the laws don't apply to him because his home is an embassy of something called the Abannaki Aboriginal Nation.
Bey was arrested Wednesday while appearing in municipal court in Bordentown.
He is charged with driving without a license and other offenses. Authorities also say he also owes three women more than $50,000 in child support.
For now, he's in the Mercer County Jail.
'Emperor' arrested in court
by The Associated Press
Friday September 12, 2008, 10:03 AM
The Trenton man who calls himself Emperor El Bey is not making diplomatic immunity claims to authorities after his latest arrest.
The emperor, known to authorities as William McRae, has been bickering with authorities who say he can't keep horses in his backyard. He says the laws don't apply to him because his home is an embassy of something called the Abannaki Aboriginal Nation.
Bey was arrested Wednesday while appearing in municipal court in Bordentown.
He is charged with driving without a license and other offenses. Authorities also say he also owes three women more than $50,000 in child support.
For now, he's in the Mercer County Jail.
Neshaminy isn’t ‘flunking’
From the BCCT. How odd to see a school board member defending their district...
Neshaminy isn’t ‘flunking’; overall performance is strong
I was very disappointed to see the Courier Times headline on Aug 15 proclaiming that the Neshaminy School District “flunked” goals related to state PSSA exams and the No Child Left Behind Act. It is obvious from both the headline and the article itself that the newspaper was trying to generate controversy; but it reflected a deep misunderstanding of the meaning of the districtwide AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) designations.
If a District “makes AYP” in one year, but does not do so the following year, its AYP status is changed to “Warning”; this is what happened in Neshaminy. If you had taken the time to look on the Pennsylvania AYP Web site (www.paayp.com), you would have found that this is not meant to indicate “passing” or “failing” (or “flunking”), but is better thought of as a flag that tells the district to look more carefully at specific areas that may warrant attention.
In Neshaminy’s case, we had several individual schools where small groups of special education students did not pass at sufficient rates, particularly in the Reading area. Consequently, we are undertaking new initiatives this year across the District, including reorganization and expansion of our reading coach program, and implementation of a K-12 writing program.
To see how unrelated AYP status is to overall district performance, consider the following:
Based on our combined District Math and Reading scores, in 2007 Neshaminy would be ranked 142nd out of 500 districts statewide, and we “made AYP”. In 2008, Neshaminy raised its combined scores and would be ranked 10 spots higher (132nd), but we failed to make AYP.
In 2007, Neshaminy’s combined scores were lower than Pennsbury’s and Centennial’s; all three districts made AYP. In 2008, Neshaminy’s combined scores were higher than Pennsbury’s and Centennial’s, but both of those districts “made AYP” while Neshaminy did not.
Downingtown is one of the top performing school districts in the state, ranking 36th out of 500 (93rd percentile) based on its combined scores in 2008, but did not make AYP.
Bensalem School District’s combined scores are ranked 345th out of 500, and the district made AYP.
Bristol Township School District’s combined scores are ranked 431st out of 500, and the District made AYP.
The point is not to judge any individual district’s performance. Instead, what this all makes clear is that district AYP status often has very little to do with overall performance on the PSSA exams. Certainly Neshaminy can do better, and we will continue to strive to improve our test results. But maybe next time the Courier Times will take just a little bit of time to look at what’s really happening, rather than printing misleading headlines that are worthy of the National Enquirer. Such irresponsible journalism not only fails to educate the public, but it plays into the hands of those who look to further political agendas rather than support efforts to improve our schools.
WILLIAM SPITZ
Middletown, is a member of the Neshaminy school board
Editor’s note: Use of the word “flunked” in the headline accurately reflected the school district’s “failure” to meet AYP goals.
Neshaminy isn’t ‘flunking’; overall performance is strong
I was very disappointed to see the Courier Times headline on Aug 15 proclaiming that the Neshaminy School District “flunked” goals related to state PSSA exams and the No Child Left Behind Act. It is obvious from both the headline and the article itself that the newspaper was trying to generate controversy; but it reflected a deep misunderstanding of the meaning of the districtwide AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) designations.
If a District “makes AYP” in one year, but does not do so the following year, its AYP status is changed to “Warning”; this is what happened in Neshaminy. If you had taken the time to look on the Pennsylvania AYP Web site (www.paayp.com), you would have found that this is not meant to indicate “passing” or “failing” (or “flunking”), but is better thought of as a flag that tells the district to look more carefully at specific areas that may warrant attention.
In Neshaminy’s case, we had several individual schools where small groups of special education students did not pass at sufficient rates, particularly in the Reading area. Consequently, we are undertaking new initiatives this year across the District, including reorganization and expansion of our reading coach program, and implementation of a K-12 writing program.
To see how unrelated AYP status is to overall district performance, consider the following:
Based on our combined District Math and Reading scores, in 2007 Neshaminy would be ranked 142nd out of 500 districts statewide, and we “made AYP”. In 2008, Neshaminy raised its combined scores and would be ranked 10 spots higher (132nd), but we failed to make AYP.
In 2007, Neshaminy’s combined scores were lower than Pennsbury’s and Centennial’s; all three districts made AYP. In 2008, Neshaminy’s combined scores were higher than Pennsbury’s and Centennial’s, but both of those districts “made AYP” while Neshaminy did not.
Downingtown is one of the top performing school districts in the state, ranking 36th out of 500 (93rd percentile) based on its combined scores in 2008, but did not make AYP.
Bensalem School District’s combined scores are ranked 345th out of 500, and the district made AYP.
Bristol Township School District’s combined scores are ranked 431st out of 500, and the District made AYP.
The point is not to judge any individual district’s performance. Instead, what this all makes clear is that district AYP status often has very little to do with overall performance on the PSSA exams. Certainly Neshaminy can do better, and we will continue to strive to improve our test results. But maybe next time the Courier Times will take just a little bit of time to look at what’s really happening, rather than printing misleading headlines that are worthy of the National Enquirer. Such irresponsible journalism not only fails to educate the public, but it plays into the hands of those who look to further political agendas rather than support efforts to improve our schools.
WILLIAM SPITZ
Middletown, is a member of the Neshaminy school board
Editor’s note: Use of the word “flunked” in the headline accurately reflected the school district’s “failure” to meet AYP goals.
Local School Honored
From the Philadelphia Daily News. This is the US DOE's Blue Ribbon School Award. One of the schools honored was St. John the Evangelist School in Morrisville.
Schools are selected based on one of two criteria: those with at least 40 percent of their students from low-income families that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests; and those whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on standardized tests.
Feds honor 2 city schools for achievement
By MENSAH M. DEAN, Posted on Wed, Sep. 10, 2008
Two Philadelphia schools were among 320 schools nationwide that U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings yesterday named "2008 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools."
Russell Conwell Middle School in Kensington and George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science in North Philly were among those honored for the high level of achievement of their students.
"These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve," Spellings said in a statement. "Now our challenge is to help other schools follow their lead."
For the past 26 years, the federal award has been given to public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
Schools are selected based on one of two criteria: those with at least 40 percent of their students from low-income families that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests; and those whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on standardized tests.
Other area schools honored are Chadds Ford Elementary School; St. Aloysius Academy, in Bryn Mawr; and St. John the Evangelist School in Morrisville, Bucks County.
Each schools' principal and a guest will be invited to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony Oct. 20-21 at which they will receive a plaque and flag signifying their Blue Ribbon status. *
Schools are selected based on one of two criteria: those with at least 40 percent of their students from low-income families that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests; and those whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on standardized tests.
Feds honor 2 city schools for achievement
By MENSAH M. DEAN, Posted on Wed, Sep. 10, 2008
Two Philadelphia schools were among 320 schools nationwide that U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings yesterday named "2008 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools."
Russell Conwell Middle School in Kensington and George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science in North Philly were among those honored for the high level of achievement of their students.
"These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve," Spellings said in a statement. "Now our challenge is to help other schools follow their lead."
For the past 26 years, the federal award has been given to public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
Schools are selected based on one of two criteria: those with at least 40 percent of their students from low-income families that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests; and those whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on standardized tests.
Other area schools honored are Chadds Ford Elementary School; St. Aloysius Academy, in Bryn Mawr; and St. John the Evangelist School in Morrisville, Bucks County.
Each schools' principal and a guest will be invited to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony Oct. 20-21 at which they will receive a plaque and flag signifying their Blue Ribbon status. *
Stunning achievement gap in Phila schools
From the Inquirer
SRC stunned by achievement gap in Phila schools
By Kristen A. Graham, Posted on Wed, Sep. 10, 2008
Philadelphia School District officials have known they had an achievement gap on their hands for years.
Today, they saw the raw data, and were collectively horrified.
One in 10 white students is classified as mentally gifted; just 3 in 100 black students are.
Black and Latino students make up 79 percent of the district's 165,000 students, but make up just 54 percent of students in the district's prestigious magnet schools. Those groups make up 90 percent of all children labeled "emotionally disturbed," and most of the students at the district's lowest-performing schools.
"Steady progress is not enough," said new superintendent Arlene Ackerman, who has told district employees they must accelerate their efforts to help students. "Why do you think I'm talking about urgency?"
School Reform Commission member James Gallagher said the numbers were "extremely disturbing, but very important."
Each school will receive data on its own specific gaps, and principals will have to meet performance targets tied to narrowing them, Ackerman said. The district will also conduct professional development, and has already earmarked $12 million in resources for the lowest-performing schools.
Ackerman, who came to the district three months ago, has said she will introduce a weighted student funding formula that gives more money to schools that educate certain students, such as special education or low-income pupils.
To counter low participation rates and low scores on the SAT and PSAT, Ackerman and commission chair Sandra Dungee Glenn said the district would also find $163,608 to pay for every student to take the exams. The district has paid for the exams in the past but in recent years, that money was cut.
The superintendent also took aim at some of the district's special admittance schools. She said she can't understand why the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, which opened last week in Northeast Philadelphia, requires students not only to audition but also score in the 85th percentile on state exams.
"We know the numbers of African American and Latino students who are scoring at that level," Ackerman said. "We are keeping these people out."
Meanwhile, on a visit to the Kensington Creative and Performing Arts Academy, Ackerman discovered the students there have no art classrooms or place to dance.
Ackerman, who said she was not targeting all special admittance schools, was not sure who in her central office made the decision on admittance criteria. But she said she would ask the School Reform Commission to revisit the criteria in the near future.
"We have lots of inequities that are causing these numbers," Ackerman said of the achievement gap.
Also at the commission meeting, members of the Germantown High community highlighted problems at that school.
The school has had four principals in four years, most recently losing Michael Silverman, who had earned the respect of the community, when Ackerman tapped him to be a regional superintendent.
Students did not have rosters on the first day of school, a glitch that will take weeks to sort out. Rev. Bryant Robinson, a member of the Germantown Clergy Initiative, was there on the first day.
"It was dysfunctional. It was chaos," Robinson said. Students were roaming the halls, unsure where to go, he said.
Ackerman said she had monitored the rostering situation before school began, and apologized for the chaos. She said it's a problem that schools don't begin scheduling students until August. Rosters should be sent home by July, she said.
Rev. Kevin Porter, another member of the clergy group, said he was most concerned by Silverman's abrupt departure, and that the community, which had input on the last two principal searches, was not consulted.
"So much of what makes a principal's success is relationships," Porter said, adding that Silverman quickly won over the community by building strong relationships.
Ackerman admitted she made a mistake in removing Silverman. She said does not regret moving Silverman, but said she should have left him at Germantown until a permanent principal was selected.
The final issue the clergy raised was a lack of African American teachers at Germantown, a predominately black school. An old school district policy still in place means that there are caps to how many black teachers can work at one school.
Two qualified African American male teacher candidates were turned away from Germantown because it had already reached its quota of black teachers, the clergy said.
The policy was devised to keep racial balance at a time when black teachers were effectively kept out of white schools, but now, it is blocking student achievement, officials said.
"This is crazy," Ackerman said. "I pledge to you to bring back to the SRC a policy that will change this."
SRC stunned by achievement gap in Phila schools
By Kristen A. Graham, Posted on Wed, Sep. 10, 2008
Philadelphia School District officials have known they had an achievement gap on their hands for years.
Today, they saw the raw data, and were collectively horrified.
One in 10 white students is classified as mentally gifted; just 3 in 100 black students are.
Black and Latino students make up 79 percent of the district's 165,000 students, but make up just 54 percent of students in the district's prestigious magnet schools. Those groups make up 90 percent of all children labeled "emotionally disturbed," and most of the students at the district's lowest-performing schools.
"Steady progress is not enough," said new superintendent Arlene Ackerman, who has told district employees they must accelerate their efforts to help students. "Why do you think I'm talking about urgency?"
School Reform Commission member James Gallagher said the numbers were "extremely disturbing, but very important."
Each school will receive data on its own specific gaps, and principals will have to meet performance targets tied to narrowing them, Ackerman said. The district will also conduct professional development, and has already earmarked $12 million in resources for the lowest-performing schools.
Ackerman, who came to the district three months ago, has said she will introduce a weighted student funding formula that gives more money to schools that educate certain students, such as special education or low-income pupils.
To counter low participation rates and low scores on the SAT and PSAT, Ackerman and commission chair Sandra Dungee Glenn said the district would also find $163,608 to pay for every student to take the exams. The district has paid for the exams in the past but in recent years, that money was cut.
The superintendent also took aim at some of the district's special admittance schools. She said she can't understand why the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, which opened last week in Northeast Philadelphia, requires students not only to audition but also score in the 85th percentile on state exams.
"We know the numbers of African American and Latino students who are scoring at that level," Ackerman said. "We are keeping these people out."
Meanwhile, on a visit to the Kensington Creative and Performing Arts Academy, Ackerman discovered the students there have no art classrooms or place to dance.
Ackerman, who said she was not targeting all special admittance schools, was not sure who in her central office made the decision on admittance criteria. But she said she would ask the School Reform Commission to revisit the criteria in the near future.
"We have lots of inequities that are causing these numbers," Ackerman said of the achievement gap.
Also at the commission meeting, members of the Germantown High community highlighted problems at that school.
The school has had four principals in four years, most recently losing Michael Silverman, who had earned the respect of the community, when Ackerman tapped him to be a regional superintendent.
Students did not have rosters on the first day of school, a glitch that will take weeks to sort out. Rev. Bryant Robinson, a member of the Germantown Clergy Initiative, was there on the first day.
"It was dysfunctional. It was chaos," Robinson said. Students were roaming the halls, unsure where to go, he said.
Ackerman said she had monitored the rostering situation before school began, and apologized for the chaos. She said it's a problem that schools don't begin scheduling students until August. Rosters should be sent home by July, she said.
Rev. Kevin Porter, another member of the clergy group, said he was most concerned by Silverman's abrupt departure, and that the community, which had input on the last two principal searches, was not consulted.
"So much of what makes a principal's success is relationships," Porter said, adding that Silverman quickly won over the community by building strong relationships.
Ackerman admitted she made a mistake in removing Silverman. She said does not regret moving Silverman, but said she should have left him at Germantown until a permanent principal was selected.
The final issue the clergy raised was a lack of African American teachers at Germantown, a predominately black school. An old school district policy still in place means that there are caps to how many black teachers can work at one school.
Two qualified African American male teacher candidates were turned away from Germantown because it had already reached its quota of black teachers, the clergy said.
The policy was devised to keep racial balance at a time when black teachers were effectively kept out of white schools, but now, it is blocking student achievement, officials said.
"This is crazy," Ackerman said. "I pledge to you to bring back to the SRC a policy that will change this."
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9/11 +7
From the BCCT
Reflecting on a tragedy
A memorial service marking the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks will be held at the Garden of Reflection this morning.
By CHRIS ENGLISH
After losing her husband in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Lower Makefield resident Ellen Saracini needed outlets for her grief and anger.
She found a big one in the Garden of Reflection Bucks County Sept. 11 Memorial. Located in Memorial Park at 1950 Woodside Road in Lower Makefield, the Garden will host a public ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of the attacks starting at 8:46 a.m. today.
For Saracini, whose husband, Victor, was the pilot on one of the planes hijacked by terrorists and flown into New York’s World Trade Center, it will be another chance to reflect on and appreciate the project that has occupied so much of her time and energy since that tragic day.
The Garden of Reflection was dedicated Sept. 30, 2006. But a committee, which includes Saracini and several others who lost loved ones in the attack seven years ago, continues to raise money for additions and maintenance.
“The Garden met every expectation I ever had,” Saracini said. “It brings in all the elements. In the beginning, you see the fragments from the Trade Center wreckage. Then, you come to the fountains and feel revived and that life can go on. The whole thing was such a senseless tragedy, but I think you can see from coming to the Garden that good prevails.”
Soon after the attacks, Saracini and others formed a committee to raise money and plan the Garden of Reflection. Other members included former Lower Makefield Supervisor Grace Godshalk, who lost her son William in the attacks, and township resident Tara Bane, who lost her husband, Michael.
Using a large federal grant and numerous fundraisers, the group raised more than $1 million for construction of the memorial and continues fundraising for maintenance and adding elements to the Garden.
Designed by Lower Makefield architect Liuba Laschcyk, the Garden of Reflection includes a statue made of steel beams and other wreckage from the Trade Center. There’s a pool with two fountains representing the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were destroyed in the attacks, along with the inscribed names of the 2,973 victims. The names of the 18 Bucks County victims are inscribed in bigger letters on a railing surrounding the pool.
Since the dedication, the committee has raised money for several additions to the Garden of Reflection. They include a 135-plant arboretum and memorial benches with epitaphs for the Bucks County victims. Several other benches sit near the Garden and were donated by various area residents in memory of loved ones.
Saracini said the committee is working on security cameras for the Garden, and with Verizon for wireless Internet access, which would allow people to work on laptop computers while sitting in the Garden. All Garden of Reflection expenses are handled by the committee, though the bidding process goes through Lower Makefield since the memorial is on township land.
Saracini is also working with state Rep. Dave Steil, R-31, and PennDOT on obtaining signs to be placed along I-95 and other nearby roadways directing visitors to the Garden.
Countless individuals, organizations and businesses have donated and continue to donate money, labor and materials for the Garden of Reflection, Saracini said.
Realty Landscaping of Wrightstown provides maintenance at a drastically discounted rate of about $13,000 a year, she said. To get an idea of how big a discount that is, one firm submitted a bid of about $30,000 a year.
“Realty also donated a lot of plants,” she said. “The people there just feel a real heartfelt commitment to keeping the Garden looking beautiful, and so they do it for a lot less money than they could charge.”
A 2006 estimate from the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau indicates the Garden of Reflection gets about 100,000 visitors a year. Saracini said she hopes visitors steadily increase as the 62-acre township park surrounding the Garden is developed. So far, Memorial Park includes volleyball and basketball courts, and the township supervisors recently awarded a contract for construction of a softball field.
“We’ve found that after people visit the Garden of Reflection once, they keep coming back,” said Saracini. “People tell us they are thrilled to come to a place where they can feel so respectful and yet so relaxed. They feel at peace sitting in the Garden. The comments are always that it’s beautiful.”
For more information on the Garden of Reflection, call 215-493-3646 or visit www.9-11MemorialGarden.org on the Web.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
DVHS opens Bucks Campus
From the BCCT.
New school for at-risk students opens
The Delaware Valley High School, a private alternative school for at-risk students celebrated its grand opening with a reception and open house Monday.
The school, which will educate approximately 250 students this year, is a branch of a campus that has operated in the Bustleton section of Philadelphia for almost 40 years.
DVHS contracts with school districts to educate students and takes referrals from families. The new campus includes a 25,000-square-foot facility on 4 acres off Jacksonville Road. It will serve students in Bucks and Montgomery counties. The Bustleton location will provide services to Philadelphia students exclusively.
The high school educates each student for $8,750 per year and boasts a teacher-student ratio of 17-to-1. It works with a technical institute, psychological center and service organization to steer students toward a vocational school or college education.
“We're going to facilitate that the moment they arrive,” said Davie Shulick, DVHS president. “What we're trying to teach these kids is how important education is and how important civic responsibility is.”
Shulick said the DVHS student-management services software was designed by school administrators to track every student's emotional and behavioral issues and automate a report that is forwarded to parents and school districts.
DVHS has a 93 percent graduation rate, a figure that includes 24 William Tennent High School students referred by the school district in the last three years.
New school for at-risk students opens
The Delaware Valley High School, a private alternative school for at-risk students celebrated its grand opening with a reception and open house Monday.
The school, which will educate approximately 250 students this year, is a branch of a campus that has operated in the Bustleton section of Philadelphia for almost 40 years.
DVHS contracts with school districts to educate students and takes referrals from families. The new campus includes a 25,000-square-foot facility on 4 acres off Jacksonville Road. It will serve students in Bucks and Montgomery counties. The Bustleton location will provide services to Philadelphia students exclusively.
The high school educates each student for $8,750 per year and boasts a teacher-student ratio of 17-to-1. It works with a technical institute, psychological center and service organization to steer students toward a vocational school or college education.
“We're going to facilitate that the moment they arrive,” said Davie Shulick, DVHS president. “What we're trying to teach these kids is how important education is and how important civic responsibility is.”
Shulick said the DVHS student-management services software was designed by school administrators to track every student's emotional and behavioral issues and automate a report that is forwarded to parents and school districts.
DVHS has a 93 percent graduation rate, a figure that includes 24 William Tennent High School students referred by the school district in the last three years.
An update on the Souderton strike from thereporteronline.com
Teachers walk the line, By Dan Sokil 09/10/2008
The second week of the Souderton Area Education Association's strike has brought some changes to where the district's teachers are walking the picket lines, and Tuesday's showers brought a bit of an interruption, too.
"Today, because of the hazardous weather condition, we had to cancel our picketing; it wasn't able to take place because of the weather," said SAEA president Bill Lukridge on Tuesday.
The soaking rainfall that started around 10 a.m. caused teachers on those picket lines to pack up their strike signs and seek shelter, but only from four strategic sites due to a change in picket policy.
"We are now picketing four major spots: the high school, Franconia Elementary, Indian Valley Middle School, and West Broad Street," Lukridge said, "because they appear to be getting the most traffic, and we want to make the most obvious presence we can."
Last Tuesday when the strike began, teachers picketed at all nine district public schools, and the construction site of the future Souderton Area High School, but not this week.
"We were out there one day, where the new high school is under construction, but we found out that most of the laborers there were non-union and were not going to honor our picket line anyway," said Lukridge.
Teachers are out on the picket lines in three different shifts from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., but if bad weather like Tuesday's rain storms happens, they are free to seek safety.
"There are no rules about the number of days we have to be out there, just as long as we're picketing because we're on strike," Lukridge said.
"Regarding being on the school property, there are some laws we can't violate, but as far as picketing there are no laws that we are aware of," he said.
And if their numbers look a little smaller than that 448-17 strike vote taken two Thursdays ago, that's because teachers are up to other things too.
"Other teachers are performing non-picketing tasks, such as communications. We have a task force committee that has multiple jobs in it, and some of our members who are not out on the strike lines are members of our settlement task force, who are trying to get information out to people," Lukridge said.
Some of those committee members have been helping update the SAEA's Web site,
www.saea.info, which now features a Q&A section, salary and health-care facts, and updates on negotiation progress.
"Let's face it, we're at a disadvantage here. We don't have a public TV channel like the school district has, we don't have the opportunity to mail to everybody in the district, we don't have that database, so what we have to do is try to get that information out in other ways," Lukridge said.
For example, Lukridge said that statistics provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education show that the district collects the sixth-highest tax revenue in Montgomery County, but spends the least per student of the 22 county school districts.
"We can prove our side of the story by the PDE information," Lukridge said. "This is incontrovertible, the numbers that the school district has to supply to the PDE, and we're hoping that people can have that information that will back our position, or their position."
Are they seeing much support from the public? From some, but not from all, he said.
"We have bashers and we have backers, there are people who are supportive and people who aren't," he said.
"Striking is never a pleasant thing, and it's not what we really set out to do, but we think it's necessary to get us past this labor impasse," Lukridge said.
Teachers walk the line, By Dan Sokil 09/10/2008
The second week of the Souderton Area Education Association's strike has brought some changes to where the district's teachers are walking the picket lines, and Tuesday's showers brought a bit of an interruption, too.
"Today, because of the hazardous weather condition, we had to cancel our picketing; it wasn't able to take place because of the weather," said SAEA president Bill Lukridge on Tuesday.
The soaking rainfall that started around 10 a.m. caused teachers on those picket lines to pack up their strike signs and seek shelter, but only from four strategic sites due to a change in picket policy.
"We are now picketing four major spots: the high school, Franconia Elementary, Indian Valley Middle School, and West Broad Street," Lukridge said, "because they appear to be getting the most traffic, and we want to make the most obvious presence we can."
Last Tuesday when the strike began, teachers picketed at all nine district public schools, and the construction site of the future Souderton Area High School, but not this week.
"We were out there one day, where the new high school is under construction, but we found out that most of the laborers there were non-union and were not going to honor our picket line anyway," said Lukridge.
Teachers are out on the picket lines in three different shifts from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., but if bad weather like Tuesday's rain storms happens, they are free to seek safety.
"There are no rules about the number of days we have to be out there, just as long as we're picketing because we're on strike," Lukridge said.
"Regarding being on the school property, there are some laws we can't violate, but as far as picketing there are no laws that we are aware of," he said.
And if their numbers look a little smaller than that 448-17 strike vote taken two Thursdays ago, that's because teachers are up to other things too.
"Other teachers are performing non-picketing tasks, such as communications. We have a task force committee that has multiple jobs in it, and some of our members who are not out on the strike lines are members of our settlement task force, who are trying to get information out to people," Lukridge said.
Some of those committee members have been helping update the SAEA's Web site,
www.saea.info, which now features a Q&A section, salary and health-care facts, and updates on negotiation progress.
"Let's face it, we're at a disadvantage here. We don't have a public TV channel like the school district has, we don't have the opportunity to mail to everybody in the district, we don't have that database, so what we have to do is try to get that information out in other ways," Lukridge said.
For example, Lukridge said that statistics provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education show that the district collects the sixth-highest tax revenue in Montgomery County, but spends the least per student of the 22 county school districts.
"We can prove our side of the story by the PDE information," Lukridge said. "This is incontrovertible, the numbers that the school district has to supply to the PDE, and we're hoping that people can have that information that will back our position, or their position."
Are they seeing much support from the public? From some, but not from all, he said.
"We have bashers and we have backers, there are people who are supportive and people who aren't," he said.
"Striking is never a pleasant thing, and it's not what we really set out to do, but we think it's necessary to get us past this labor impasse," Lukridge said.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Ban Teacher Strikes?
From publicopiniononline.com
Pennsylvania bill to ban strikes by teachers stalls
By RICHARD FELLINGER Public Opinion Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- Teachers in three Pennsylvania school districts have hit the picket line so far this school year, but that won't be enough to convince state lawmakers that school strikes should be banned.
Bills to prohibit teacher strikes remain stuck in the Legislature with no apparent plans to move them.
Supporters of a ban say it's because teachers' unions exert too much control over lawmakers.
Critics of a ban say the bills languish because a majority of lawmakers realize teachers need a last resort to negotiate fair pay and benefits.
The only teachers to strike this year in central Pennsylvania were in Franklin County's Tuscarora School District. They began striking Sept. 2, but a tentative deal struck on Sunday will send them back to work today.
Teachers in Montgomery County's Souderton Area School District walked out last week and remain on strike. Teachers in Allegheny County's Duquesne City School District struck for three days last week before settling and heading back to work.
Rep. Todd Rock, R-Mont Alto, authored a bill to ban school strikes and said dozens of people contacted him inquiring about the status of it during the Tuscarora strike. He blames the power wielded by teachers' unions.
"It's not an easy fight to win, but I think it's the right thing to do for the schoolchildren," Rock said.
His bill is expected to die when the legislative term ends in November, but he promised to re-introduce it in the new term that begins in January.
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, said they have as much of a right to participate in the legislative process as anyone, and the legislation to ban strikes "fails a basic test of fairness."
PSEA spokesman Wythe Keever said banning strikes would give school boards the advantage when negotiating teacher contracts.
"It's in the interest of all Pennsylvanians to have adequately paid, fairly paid teachers," Keever said.
Rock's bill would ban strikes and settle contract disputes through a process involving public disclosure of contract proposals, non-binding arbitrations and regular town hall meetings.
Rep. Bob Bastion, R-Somerset, has introduced companion legislation that would put language banning strikes in the state constitution.
Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, has sponsored a bill that would ban strikes but calls for a different process for settling disputes.
Mellow's plan would require both sides to submit their last best offer to a county Common Pleas judge, who would pick one of the two plans.
Teacher strikes this year in Pa.
- Tuscarora School District, Franklin County. Teachers due back today after striking last week.
- Souderton Area School District, Montgomery County. Teachers still on strike.
- Duquesne City School District, Allegheny County. Teachers back at work after striking last week.
Pennsylvania bill to ban strikes by teachers stalls
By RICHARD FELLINGER Public Opinion Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- Teachers in three Pennsylvania school districts have hit the picket line so far this school year, but that won't be enough to convince state lawmakers that school strikes should be banned.
Bills to prohibit teacher strikes remain stuck in the Legislature with no apparent plans to move them.
Supporters of a ban say it's because teachers' unions exert too much control over lawmakers.
Critics of a ban say the bills languish because a majority of lawmakers realize teachers need a last resort to negotiate fair pay and benefits.
The only teachers to strike this year in central Pennsylvania were in Franklin County's Tuscarora School District. They began striking Sept. 2, but a tentative deal struck on Sunday will send them back to work today.
Teachers in Montgomery County's Souderton Area School District walked out last week and remain on strike. Teachers in Allegheny County's Duquesne City School District struck for three days last week before settling and heading back to work.
Rep. Todd Rock, R-Mont Alto, authored a bill to ban school strikes and said dozens of people contacted him inquiring about the status of it during the Tuscarora strike. He blames the power wielded by teachers' unions.
"It's not an easy fight to win, but I think it's the right thing to do for the schoolchildren," Rock said.
His bill is expected to die when the legislative term ends in November, but he promised to re-introduce it in the new term that begins in January.
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, said they have as much of a right to participate in the legislative process as anyone, and the legislation to ban strikes "fails a basic test of fairness."
PSEA spokesman Wythe Keever said banning strikes would give school boards the advantage when negotiating teacher contracts.
"It's in the interest of all Pennsylvanians to have adequately paid, fairly paid teachers," Keever said.
Rock's bill would ban strikes and settle contract disputes through a process involving public disclosure of contract proposals, non-binding arbitrations and regular town hall meetings.
Rep. Bob Bastion, R-Somerset, has introduced companion legislation that would put language banning strikes in the state constitution.
Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, has sponsored a bill that would ban strikes but calls for a different process for settling disputes.
Mellow's plan would require both sides to submit their last best offer to a county Common Pleas judge, who would pick one of the two plans.
Teacher strikes this year in Pa.
- Tuscarora School District, Franklin County. Teachers due back today after striking last week.
- Souderton Area School District, Montgomery County. Teachers still on strike.
- Duquesne City School District, Allegheny County. Teachers back at work after striking last week.
The teacher sucks!
Just like Labor Day is followed by opening day at the education emporium, the plaintive cry of "the teacher sucks!" is soon to be heard. It's usually after the first quiz or test is provided to the student and is spawned by a grade lower than expected.
Just like everywhere else, there are good teachers and bad, as well as good and bad parents, and good and bad school board members. Sometimes "good" and "bad" are a matter of incontrovertible fact; sometimes they're a matter of perspective.
"The cop gave me a ticket!" Yeah, sometimes you're on the losing side of that speed trap argument, and sometimes you're pedal-to-the-metal bat-out-of-hell speeding too.
"The boss gave me a bad review!" Yeah, sometimes personalities just don't mix and even Mother Theresa would be rated as needing to work on her people skills, and sometimes a quiet introspective moment would reveal that, yeah, you're not doing it right.
The comic strip Frazz reminds us this morning that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's darkest before the dawn, and education is the responsibility of the RECEIVER to obtain the education they need.
Channeling our intrepid lyric quoters for a moment, think about this snip from "Nothing", part of the "A Chorus Line" soundtrack. It's OK to say "the teacher sucks". Maybe they do. Would someone looking in from the outside say "the student sucks!"?
And Karp kept saying,
"Morales, I think you should transfer to Girl's High,
You'll never be an actress, Never!" Jesus Christ!
Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria,
Send me guidance, send me guidance,"
On my knees.
Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria,
Help me feel it, help me feel it.
Pretty please!"
And a voice from down at the bottom of my soul
Came up to the top of my head.
And the voice from down at the bottom of my soul,
Here is what it said:
"This man is nothing!
This course is nothing!
If you want something,
Go find another class.
And when you find one
You'll be an actress."
And I assure you that's what
Fin'lly came to pass.
It's a two way street, between the educator and the student and both of them need to be doing their part.
Just like everywhere else, there are good teachers and bad, as well as good and bad parents, and good and bad school board members. Sometimes "good" and "bad" are a matter of incontrovertible fact; sometimes they're a matter of perspective.
"The cop gave me a ticket!" Yeah, sometimes you're on the losing side of that speed trap argument, and sometimes you're pedal-to-the-metal bat-out-of-hell speeding too.
"The boss gave me a bad review!" Yeah, sometimes personalities just don't mix and even Mother Theresa would be rated as needing to work on her people skills, and sometimes a quiet introspective moment would reveal that, yeah, you're not doing it right.
The comic strip Frazz reminds us this morning that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's darkest before the dawn, and education is the responsibility of the RECEIVER to obtain the education they need.
Channeling our intrepid lyric quoters for a moment, think about this snip from "Nothing", part of the "A Chorus Line" soundtrack. It's OK to say "the teacher sucks". Maybe they do. Would someone looking in from the outside say "the student sucks!"?
And Karp kept saying,
"Morales, I think you should transfer to Girl's High,
You'll never be an actress, Never!" Jesus Christ!
Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria,
Send me guidance, send me guidance,"
On my knees.
Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria,
Help me feel it, help me feel it.
Pretty please!"
And a voice from down at the bottom of my soul
Came up to the top of my head.
And the voice from down at the bottom of my soul,
Here is what it said:
"This man is nothing!
This course is nothing!
If you want something,
Go find another class.
And when you find one
You'll be an actress."
And I assure you that's what
Fin'lly came to pass.
It's a two way street, between the educator and the student and both of them need to be doing their part.
PSBE Seats Two Students
Meet the new members of the state board of education: two students.
High School Students to Advise State Board of Education
Last update: 1:00 p.m. EDT Sept. 8, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept 08, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Two Pennsylvania high school students have been selected to advise the State Board of Education by serving a one-year term as non-voting student representatives.
"We are thrilled about having real student voices on the State Board of Education," Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak said. "The board's decisions have direct implications on students across the commonwealth; therefore it makes perfect sense to have representation from these young people."
The addition of student representatives to the board is a historic step for Pennsylvania. The students will serve as diplomats from the student community, gathering concerns from students across the state and sharing them with the board.
Elizabeth Williams, a senior from Pocono Mountain West High School, who is active in student government, was selected to serve as the high school student member. Additionally, Gardiner Kreglow, a junior from Bethlehem Area School District, will serve as the high school student member-elect. Kreglow will shadow Williams, with plans to be her successor next year.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for the students to impact the policies that directly affect what happens in their classrooms and those of their fellow classmates," State Board of Education Chairman Joseph Torsella said. "I have no doubt that their participation will add valuable perspective to the board's deliberations and the views of the other board members."
The student representatives' first meeting will be at the State Board of Education's Sept. 17 meeting. The representatives were selected from a pool of nearly 50 applicants. Additionally, the board is in the process of appointing a college student member and college student member-elect to the board. The announcement of these candidates will be made in the fall.
This opportunity was made possible through a grant provided by the National Association of State Boards of Education and funded by the MetLife Foundation.
High School Students to Advise State Board of Education
Last update: 1:00 p.m. EDT Sept. 8, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept 08, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Two Pennsylvania high school students have been selected to advise the State Board of Education by serving a one-year term as non-voting student representatives.
"We are thrilled about having real student voices on the State Board of Education," Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak said. "The board's decisions have direct implications on students across the commonwealth; therefore it makes perfect sense to have representation from these young people."
The addition of student representatives to the board is a historic step for Pennsylvania. The students will serve as diplomats from the student community, gathering concerns from students across the state and sharing them with the board.
Elizabeth Williams, a senior from Pocono Mountain West High School, who is active in student government, was selected to serve as the high school student member. Additionally, Gardiner Kreglow, a junior from Bethlehem Area School District, will serve as the high school student member-elect. Kreglow will shadow Williams, with plans to be her successor next year.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for the students to impact the policies that directly affect what happens in their classrooms and those of their fellow classmates," State Board of Education Chairman Joseph Torsella said. "I have no doubt that their participation will add valuable perspective to the board's deliberations and the views of the other board members."
The student representatives' first meeting will be at the State Board of Education's Sept. 17 meeting. The representatives were selected from a pool of nearly 50 applicants. Additionally, the board is in the process of appointing a college student member and college student member-elect to the board. The announcement of these candidates will be made in the fall.
This opportunity was made possible through a grant provided by the National Association of State Boards of Education and funded by the MetLife Foundation.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Neshaminy: Fewer accusations and more solutions
We brought noodles from China. Gunpowder too.
The French provided their wines and cheeses.
The Germans sent over their schnitzles, Schwartzwalder kirschtorte, and beers.
Now Morrisville can lay claim to exporting something: A bullying and dysfunctional school board.
I know it's not a local phenomenon. I've profiled a number of school boards where the village idiots, the chronically uncooperative, the obviously veracity-challenged, and even the downright stupid, run the local education train.
We'd like to welcome Neshaminy to the party. It's a dark day when the school board cannot find the time to watch a school football game, visit a class, read on Dr. Seuss day, or even, for God's sake, attend graduation in June. When the school board views the administration as corrupt, the teachers as inept, the aides as superfluous, and the students as stupid, it's a sad way to run a school system. Some contemplative time in front of the mirror might be in order.
Flowers for the seniors at the sports ball are scrutinized and disapproved as wasteful and extravagant spending of $35.00. Yet these same people attend the prom on the district's dime, spending well over that amount---each. We cannot afford to buy batteries for the calculators in the schools, but we can afford to perform major repairs without Plan Con reimbursement.
Wake up people. Get involved. Get active. Bring real leadership to the table. Vote out the bozos.
From the BCCT.
Power struggle: Fewer accusations and more solutions
Linda Brookshaw Middletown
As a parent in the Neshaminy School District, I acknowledge there are numerous issues that need to be addressed. I believe Superintendent Paul Kadri can lead the district in the right direction if the school board stops its power struggle.
The Aug. 26 school board meeting started with Kadri celebrating student performance. While the audience cheered, board President Rick Eccles sat with scowl on his face, setting a negative tone for the entire meeting. How terrible for those high school students to believe the board did not feel proud of their accomplishments.
It is obvious that Eccles’ goal is to make Kadri look unprofessional. Of course, a bully has no power on his own, so he needs board members Koziol and Webb to join in on the campaign.
For Eccles to say, “This is the darkest day in Neshaminy’s history,” shows his lack of knowledge. Does he not want to educate himself on state and federal policies? Kadri patiently explained PSSA results to the board with a detailed power point presentation.
Now that the board has the results, I urge members to create a strategic action plan to improve the education of each Neshaminy student. Instead of coming to meetings with accusations, come to the meetings with solutions! The Neshaminy board needs to understand that those who fail to plan — plan to fail. The board is failing our children.
I urge the public to become involved. Parents need to be aware of Eccles’, Koziol’s and Webb’s agenda to push Kadri out of the district. This is setting a course to destroy public education.
I applaud board member Cummings for standing up to Eccles, and I ask the rest of the school board to stop this cycle of embarrassing, nonproductive school board meetings. Parents need to vote this board out of office. Our children’s best interests are not being served.
The French provided their wines and cheeses.
The Germans sent over their schnitzles, Schwartzwalder kirschtorte, and beers.
Now Morrisville can lay claim to exporting something: A bullying and dysfunctional school board.
I know it's not a local phenomenon. I've profiled a number of school boards where the village idiots, the chronically uncooperative, the obviously veracity-challenged, and even the downright stupid, run the local education train.
We'd like to welcome Neshaminy to the party. It's a dark day when the school board cannot find the time to watch a school football game, visit a class, read on Dr. Seuss day, or even, for God's sake, attend graduation in June. When the school board views the administration as corrupt, the teachers as inept, the aides as superfluous, and the students as stupid, it's a sad way to run a school system. Some contemplative time in front of the mirror might be in order.
Flowers for the seniors at the sports ball are scrutinized and disapproved as wasteful and extravagant spending of $35.00. Yet these same people attend the prom on the district's dime, spending well over that amount---each. We cannot afford to buy batteries for the calculators in the schools, but we can afford to perform major repairs without Plan Con reimbursement.
Wake up people. Get involved. Get active. Bring real leadership to the table. Vote out the bozos.
From the BCCT.
Power struggle: Fewer accusations and more solutions
Linda Brookshaw Middletown
As a parent in the Neshaminy School District, I acknowledge there are numerous issues that need to be addressed. I believe Superintendent Paul Kadri can lead the district in the right direction if the school board stops its power struggle.
The Aug. 26 school board meeting started with Kadri celebrating student performance. While the audience cheered, board President Rick Eccles sat with scowl on his face, setting a negative tone for the entire meeting. How terrible for those high school students to believe the board did not feel proud of their accomplishments.
It is obvious that Eccles’ goal is to make Kadri look unprofessional. Of course, a bully has no power on his own, so he needs board members Koziol and Webb to join in on the campaign.
For Eccles to say, “This is the darkest day in Neshaminy’s history,” shows his lack of knowledge. Does he not want to educate himself on state and federal policies? Kadri patiently explained PSSA results to the board with a detailed power point presentation.
Now that the board has the results, I urge members to create a strategic action plan to improve the education of each Neshaminy student. Instead of coming to meetings with accusations, come to the meetings with solutions! The Neshaminy board needs to understand that those who fail to plan — plan to fail. The board is failing our children.
I urge the public to become involved. Parents need to be aware of Eccles’, Koziol’s and Webb’s agenda to push Kadri out of the district. This is setting a course to destroy public education.
I applaud board member Cummings for standing up to Eccles, and I ask the rest of the school board to stop this cycle of embarrassing, nonproductive school board meetings. Parents need to vote this board out of office. Our children’s best interests are not being served.
2004: "Morrisville brimming with potential"
Almost four years later, other than Cloverleaf, where are any of these items?
Borough Council members? Anything you would like to say? This was two whole election cycles ago.
Waterfront study: Morrisville brimming with potential
By: JEFF WERNER 12/16/2004
A marina with retail shops and moderately priced living units and a transportation hub in the center of the downtown area are just a few of the ideas included in a vision for Morrisville Borough being put forth as part of a comprehensive study of the Bucks County waterfront.
Representatives from Urban Design and Planning, a consulting firm hired by the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority to draft a visioning plan for the corridor, met with Morrisville leaders during a special meeting.
The plan could be a potential boon to the long overlooked Manor Park section of town, located south of Route One, with the potential for major access to the Delaware River and close to 100 acres of redevelopable property.
"The first ward of Morrisville is going to be the renassiance of Morrisville," predicted council president Jane Burger. "This is where you have the opportunities for access to the river, where you have some open space, a walkway along the river and development potential. I just want to jump up and down with excitement. This could be tremendous for us."
If everything comes together as planned, Burger said the plan envisions people walking along the river passed a conglomeration of new businesses, recreational uses and higher end housing in the Manor Park section of the town.
Specifically, the riverfront plan incorporates several major ideas put forth by borough officials, including the potential of a transportation hub supported by a complementary transit-oriented development at the Toll Brothers site on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"A transit station there would certainly enhance our property values, provide easy transportation and bring in more retail development. That would be exciting for us to see in our downtown area," said Burger.
The transit hub envisions both a SEPTA and New Jersey Transit stop and the potential of an exclusive access road linking the hub with express Route One to lessen the traffic impact on local roads. In addition, a parking garage could produce revenue for the borough, said Burger.
The hub would be a particular boon to the nearby downtown Bridge Street area.
"Because we're a borough, we have a town center that can be developed and we have a downtown," said Burger. "We don't have a lot of blocks, but we can be very concentrated and very visible."
Burger points to the recently enhanced corner of South Pennsylvania Avenue and Bridge Street where the statue of Robert Morris now stands. "It's just another enhancement for our downtown. It's another gateway for the town."
Much of the riverfront plan, however, is targeted south of Bridge Street in the Manor Park neighborhoods.
There, the plan envisions opening up the Morrisville Borough riverfront to public access, with new pedestrian and bicycle routes along the entire waterfront from Bridge Street to Falls Township.
According to the plan, "New marinas, with nearby mixed use development, would give residents recreational access to the river. An over-50 housing complex would be located nearby. The park along West Post Road will be enhanced. New residential development, as well as a small amount of mixed use, would occur along South Pennsylvania Avenue in Falls Township. Public open space would be located along the Delaware River from Morrisville's northern border to Biles Island, and a riverwalk would extend the length of the redevelopment area."
"Bringing the public to the river is important," said Burger. "We already have the walk along the river levee," said Burger. "With this, we would continue it southward and tie it into Falls. It would make a very nice walk."
The study also recommends opening the Manor Park riverfront to potential redevelopment, with new retail outlets, recreational opportunities and housing units.
A major component of that puzzle is the Staley property, which the plan envisions as one day being replaced by a marina with retail shops, residential units and access to the Delaware River.
The next step, said Burger, will be to decide what is the best mix of retail, recreational and housing.
"It's a dream for us in the future if it becomes available," said Burger, of the Staley site, "but we have to put our plans and ideas on paper now. This is putting a plan in place for how we would like to see it developed. We have $2 million available. We know there is a price tag. We just need to get things into place before you go to the table with an option."
Already in the works is the redevelopment of the Cloverleaf Diner site into between 40 and 80 units of age-restricted units. The council has already heard several development proposals for the site and is expected to hear at least one more at its December 14 meeting before making a decision.
Also on the radar screen in Manor Park is the future of the Piciotti's property. The potential exists for the development of housing around what is now a landlocked borough-owned lake.
"If there's housing around there, what a beautiful view it would make," said Burger. "We could put some public access in there so people can go in there and fish or maybe have a few little paddle boats."
In addition, Falls Township is working closely with Morrisville to change the nature of South Pennsylvania Avenue from industrial to residential and commercial to complement adjacent areas of Morrisville Borough.
"Falls is rethinking this whole area," said council president Jane Burger, pointing to a map of South Pennsylvania Avenue. "It certainly will enhance Pennsylvania Avenue which is really not inviting right now."
Borough Council members? Anything you would like to say? This was two whole election cycles ago.
Waterfront study: Morrisville brimming with potential
By: JEFF WERNER 12/16/2004
A marina with retail shops and moderately priced living units and a transportation hub in the center of the downtown area are just a few of the ideas included in a vision for Morrisville Borough being put forth as part of a comprehensive study of the Bucks County waterfront.
Representatives from Urban Design and Planning, a consulting firm hired by the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority to draft a visioning plan for the corridor, met with Morrisville leaders during a special meeting.
The plan could be a potential boon to the long overlooked Manor Park section of town, located south of Route One, with the potential for major access to the Delaware River and close to 100 acres of redevelopable property.
"The first ward of Morrisville is going to be the renassiance of Morrisville," predicted council president Jane Burger. "This is where you have the opportunities for access to the river, where you have some open space, a walkway along the river and development potential. I just want to jump up and down with excitement. This could be tremendous for us."
If everything comes together as planned, Burger said the plan envisions people walking along the river passed a conglomeration of new businesses, recreational uses and higher end housing in the Manor Park section of the town.
Specifically, the riverfront plan incorporates several major ideas put forth by borough officials, including the potential of a transportation hub supported by a complementary transit-oriented development at the Toll Brothers site on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"A transit station there would certainly enhance our property values, provide easy transportation and bring in more retail development. That would be exciting for us to see in our downtown area," said Burger.
The transit hub envisions both a SEPTA and New Jersey Transit stop and the potential of an exclusive access road linking the hub with express Route One to lessen the traffic impact on local roads. In addition, a parking garage could produce revenue for the borough, said Burger.
The hub would be a particular boon to the nearby downtown Bridge Street area.
"Because we're a borough, we have a town center that can be developed and we have a downtown," said Burger. "We don't have a lot of blocks, but we can be very concentrated and very visible."
Burger points to the recently enhanced corner of South Pennsylvania Avenue and Bridge Street where the statue of Robert Morris now stands. "It's just another enhancement for our downtown. It's another gateway for the town."
Much of the riverfront plan, however, is targeted south of Bridge Street in the Manor Park neighborhoods.
There, the plan envisions opening up the Morrisville Borough riverfront to public access, with new pedestrian and bicycle routes along the entire waterfront from Bridge Street to Falls Township.
According to the plan, "New marinas, with nearby mixed use development, would give residents recreational access to the river. An over-50 housing complex would be located nearby. The park along West Post Road will be enhanced. New residential development, as well as a small amount of mixed use, would occur along South Pennsylvania Avenue in Falls Township. Public open space would be located along the Delaware River from Morrisville's northern border to Biles Island, and a riverwalk would extend the length of the redevelopment area."
"Bringing the public to the river is important," said Burger. "We already have the walk along the river levee," said Burger. "With this, we would continue it southward and tie it into Falls. It would make a very nice walk."
The study also recommends opening the Manor Park riverfront to potential redevelopment, with new retail outlets, recreational opportunities and housing units.
A major component of that puzzle is the Staley property, which the plan envisions as one day being replaced by a marina with retail shops, residential units and access to the Delaware River.
The next step, said Burger, will be to decide what is the best mix of retail, recreational and housing.
"It's a dream for us in the future if it becomes available," said Burger, of the Staley site, "but we have to put our plans and ideas on paper now. This is putting a plan in place for how we would like to see it developed. We have $2 million available. We know there is a price tag. We just need to get things into place before you go to the table with an option."
Already in the works is the redevelopment of the Cloverleaf Diner site into between 40 and 80 units of age-restricted units. The council has already heard several development proposals for the site and is expected to hear at least one more at its December 14 meeting before making a decision.
Also on the radar screen in Manor Park is the future of the Piciotti's property. The potential exists for the development of housing around what is now a landlocked borough-owned lake.
"If there's housing around there, what a beautiful view it would make," said Burger. "We could put some public access in there so people can go in there and fish or maybe have a few little paddle boats."
In addition, Falls Township is working closely with Morrisville to change the nature of South Pennsylvania Avenue from industrial to residential and commercial to complement adjacent areas of Morrisville Borough.
"Falls is rethinking this whole area," said council president Jane Burger, pointing to a map of South Pennsylvania Avenue. "It certainly will enhance Pennsylvania Avenue which is really not inviting right now."
Sunday, September 7, 2008
School Nurses
From the Pittsburgh Tribune. Here's a look at one of the unsung heroes of the educational system: The school nurse.
PA state laws on school nurses are not tightly defined. That's probably not the best response, but with so many other fish to fry, like equitable funding of school systems, I could see how the nurse could be an afterthought. After all, who really needs the nurse anyway? A teacher or someone can slap bandages on the skinned knees. It's all about the money.
Just wait until you need the nurse.
School nurse plays vital role
By Carol Hackenbracht
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Not long ago, a school nurse was called away from her Montgomery County elementary school to give medication to a student in a school a few miles down the road. Not wanting to leave her building because of the number of children with medical problems, she delayed her departure for a few minutes.
As she prepared to leave, a young student entered her office, scratching his stomach. Aware that the student had a food allergy, she instinctively checked him for hives while asking him if he had eaten anything he shouldn't have. He shook his head no. Within a matter of 30 seconds, he grabbed for his throat, and the nurse again asked him if he had eaten anything he shouldn't have. This time he nodded his head yes.
Taking the epinephrine out of the medication closet, she injected the youngster with the life-saving medication. She felt chilled by the realization that she could have been en route to the other school during the child's anaphylactic reaction instead of being there to save his life.
This true story brings up some very important questions. Do you know if there is a school nurse in your child's school? Is the nurse there every day? For how many students is the nurse responsible? Is it a reasonable number? Will the nurse be there for your child, should he or she need emergency medical help?
There are no laws in Pennsylvania that require a school nurse to be in your child's building on a daily basis. The current mandate, established in 1964, states that a school nurse may serve up to 1,500 students. Realize that if your school district has three elementary schools with fewer than 500 students each, your district could potentially direct the school nurse to be responsible for all three buildings. Or your district could assign just one nurse to care for all 1,500 students in a single school.
Every day, more and more students with special health-care needs and chronic illnesses enter the school population. School nurses, who provide specialized care for students dependent on medication and medical technology, develop, implement and monitor health care plans for these students. In Pennsylvania many school nurses regularly provide technical medical procedures, including nebulizer treatments, blood sugar testing, insulin-pump management and bladder catheterization.
Children with special needs often require additional services, including tracheotomy care, intravenous therapy, tube feedings, suctioning, rectal Valium administration and oxygen therapy.
School nurses serve a unique role in the school setting. They assist children and their families in obtaining needed medical and social services. They also address the physical and emotional needs of students suffering from cancer, infectious diseases, anxiety, eating disorders, physical and sexual abuse, homelessness, mental health problems, teen pregnancy and substance abuse.
The National Association of School Nurses and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend a maximum school nurse-to-student ratio of 1 to 750 students, with a decreasing ratio as the population of children with special health needs increases. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American School Health Association and the American Nurses Association also support a maximum ratio of one school nurse for every 750 students.
Will there be a school nurse for your child, should he or she need emergency medical help? Does your child's school nurse have a safe, reasonable assignment? If you have any questions about your school's nursing services, don't hesitate to contact your school district.
PA state laws on school nurses are not tightly defined. That's probably not the best response, but with so many other fish to fry, like equitable funding of school systems, I could see how the nurse could be an afterthought. After all, who really needs the nurse anyway? A teacher or someone can slap bandages on the skinned knees. It's all about the money.
Just wait until you need the nurse.
School nurse plays vital role
By Carol Hackenbracht
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Not long ago, a school nurse was called away from her Montgomery County elementary school to give medication to a student in a school a few miles down the road. Not wanting to leave her building because of the number of children with medical problems, she delayed her departure for a few minutes.
As she prepared to leave, a young student entered her office, scratching his stomach. Aware that the student had a food allergy, she instinctively checked him for hives while asking him if he had eaten anything he shouldn't have. He shook his head no. Within a matter of 30 seconds, he grabbed for his throat, and the nurse again asked him if he had eaten anything he shouldn't have. This time he nodded his head yes.
Taking the epinephrine out of the medication closet, she injected the youngster with the life-saving medication. She felt chilled by the realization that she could have been en route to the other school during the child's anaphylactic reaction instead of being there to save his life.
This true story brings up some very important questions. Do you know if there is a school nurse in your child's school? Is the nurse there every day? For how many students is the nurse responsible? Is it a reasonable number? Will the nurse be there for your child, should he or she need emergency medical help?
There are no laws in Pennsylvania that require a school nurse to be in your child's building on a daily basis. The current mandate, established in 1964, states that a school nurse may serve up to 1,500 students. Realize that if your school district has three elementary schools with fewer than 500 students each, your district could potentially direct the school nurse to be responsible for all three buildings. Or your district could assign just one nurse to care for all 1,500 students in a single school.
Every day, more and more students with special health-care needs and chronic illnesses enter the school population. School nurses, who provide specialized care for students dependent on medication and medical technology, develop, implement and monitor health care plans for these students. In Pennsylvania many school nurses regularly provide technical medical procedures, including nebulizer treatments, blood sugar testing, insulin-pump management and bladder catheterization.
Children with special needs often require additional services, including tracheotomy care, intravenous therapy, tube feedings, suctioning, rectal Valium administration and oxygen therapy.
School nurses serve a unique role in the school setting. They assist children and their families in obtaining needed medical and social services. They also address the physical and emotional needs of students suffering from cancer, infectious diseases, anxiety, eating disorders, physical and sexual abuse, homelessness, mental health problems, teen pregnancy and substance abuse.
The National Association of School Nurses and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend a maximum school nurse-to-student ratio of 1 to 750 students, with a decreasing ratio as the population of children with special health needs increases. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American School Health Association and the American Nurses Association also support a maximum ratio of one school nurse for every 750 students.
Will there be a school nurse for your child, should he or she need emergency medical help? Does your child's school nurse have a safe, reasonable assignment? If you have any questions about your school's nursing services, don't hesitate to contact your school district.
Community Growth and School Funding
From the BCCT. The graphics from the story are pretty compelling. Take a look at the Bucks districts vs. the Montgomery districts.
Growth at issue in talks
At the heart of Souderton’s contract dispute is whether its growth is helping or hurting its ability to pay teachers more.
By RICH PIETRAS
When weighing the salary issue that remains a big part of the Souderton school strike, the district and the teachers union are telling taxpayers to look at two different things.
The teachers point out that Souderton is growing, and its residential tax base is growing with it. The district argues that while more people are moving in, the school district does not have the commercial tax base that other school districts in Montgomery County enjoy.
That disagreement lies at the heart of the salary dispute that has kept teachers and students out of school for a week. A fruitless negotiating session held Friday lasted only an hour and no new talks are scheduled.
“We acknowledge the school district is growing,” Jeffrey Sultanik, the district’s solicitor and chief negotiator said. “But in comparison to the other districts, we don’t receive the same commercial taxes as others.”
To bolster its case, the district points to the state’s “aid ratio,” a number that combines the number of students in a district, the amount of taxable real estate it has and how much income its residents report and puts it through a formula to help determine how much state aid it will get.
Michael Race, of the state department of education, said that while the aid ratio isn’t the sole factor for determining funding, it is a number that is useful in determining the rank of a district’s residential and commercial wealth.
According to the state, the aid ratio for the Souderton Area School District puts it 16th out of 21 Montgomery County school districts.
Gary Smith, who is representing the teachers union, said solely looking at the aid ratio today does not take into account incoming growth.
“There are certainly a lot of people moving in, but there’s a huge amount of commercial growth occurring right now along the 309 corridor. Souderton is going to be one of the busiest places.”
Smith also contends that the district pleading the case that it is a poorer district is simply not true.
While Souderton ranks 16th in the taxable real estate portion of the aid-ratio formula, it ranks 13th in the personal income category.
While the district says it can’t afford the teachers’ 8.2 percent average salary increase proposal over the next four years, Smith contends the total taxes collected in the district rank seventhhighest in Montgomery County.
The union also contends the school board, which has offered the teachers 2.5 percent over three years, has refused to dip into a nearly $17 million reserve fund to help with new teacher contracts.
“What we’ve found out is Souderton has somewhere between $17 [million] and $20 million in reserved funds, which is around 20 percent of their expenditure. But the Pennsylvania Department of Education advises school districts to hold between 5 and 7 percent of their expenditure in a rainy day fund.”
Sultanik agreed Souderton has a large reserve fund and said the district was willing to spend “some” of that money on new contracts.
“This money is allocated for specific purposes,” Sultanik said. “When you have 7,000 students housed in many buildings that need money for upkeep, and you are also building a new high school, all districts need a fund balance to deal with.
“The fact that we have a savings account, does not mean we spend it all on teachers.”
And if all the statistics, reserve funds and salary demands seem high, the stakes might be higher.
“We have three contracts up, not just one,” Smith said addressing the situation with the teachers, secretaries and aides that have been without contracts since June. “If any of those contracts are not settled, they won’t be opening that new high school next year.”
Growth at issue in talks
At the heart of Souderton’s contract dispute is whether its growth is helping or hurting its ability to pay teachers more.
By RICH PIETRAS
When weighing the salary issue that remains a big part of the Souderton school strike, the district and the teachers union are telling taxpayers to look at two different things.
The teachers point out that Souderton is growing, and its residential tax base is growing with it. The district argues that while more people are moving in, the school district does not have the commercial tax base that other school districts in Montgomery County enjoy.
That disagreement lies at the heart of the salary dispute that has kept teachers and students out of school for a week. A fruitless negotiating session held Friday lasted only an hour and no new talks are scheduled.
“We acknowledge the school district is growing,” Jeffrey Sultanik, the district’s solicitor and chief negotiator said. “But in comparison to the other districts, we don’t receive the same commercial taxes as others.”
To bolster its case, the district points to the state’s “aid ratio,” a number that combines the number of students in a district, the amount of taxable real estate it has and how much income its residents report and puts it through a formula to help determine how much state aid it will get.
Michael Race, of the state department of education, said that while the aid ratio isn’t the sole factor for determining funding, it is a number that is useful in determining the rank of a district’s residential and commercial wealth.
According to the state, the aid ratio for the Souderton Area School District puts it 16th out of 21 Montgomery County school districts.
Gary Smith, who is representing the teachers union, said solely looking at the aid ratio today does not take into account incoming growth.
“There are certainly a lot of people moving in, but there’s a huge amount of commercial growth occurring right now along the 309 corridor. Souderton is going to be one of the busiest places.”
Smith also contends that the district pleading the case that it is a poorer district is simply not true.
While Souderton ranks 16th in the taxable real estate portion of the aid-ratio formula, it ranks 13th in the personal income category.
While the district says it can’t afford the teachers’ 8.2 percent average salary increase proposal over the next four years, Smith contends the total taxes collected in the district rank seventhhighest in Montgomery County.
The union also contends the school board, which has offered the teachers 2.5 percent over three years, has refused to dip into a nearly $17 million reserve fund to help with new teacher contracts.
“What we’ve found out is Souderton has somewhere between $17 [million] and $20 million in reserved funds, which is around 20 percent of their expenditure. But the Pennsylvania Department of Education advises school districts to hold between 5 and 7 percent of their expenditure in a rainy day fund.”
Sultanik agreed Souderton has a large reserve fund and said the district was willing to spend “some” of that money on new contracts.
“This money is allocated for specific purposes,” Sultanik said. “When you have 7,000 students housed in many buildings that need money for upkeep, and you are also building a new high school, all districts need a fund balance to deal with.
“The fact that we have a savings account, does not mean we spend it all on teachers.”
And if all the statistics, reserve funds and salary demands seem high, the stakes might be higher.
“We have three contracts up, not just one,” Smith said addressing the situation with the teachers, secretaries and aides that have been without contracts since June. “If any of those contracts are not settled, they won’t be opening that new high school next year.”
Punishment over Negotiations?
From the Inquirer. It looks like a long series of meetings ahead in Souderton.
But wait. Why should they have all the rancor and angst? There's a second story from the BCCT, and it looks like Morrisville can witness some of the Souderton tough love negotiations right here in our backyard. The Souderton solicitor is going to be representing the Pennsbury school board during this year's contract negotiations.
One of the comments left on the BCCT article provided some food for thought: "How is $77,000 a year, with a master's degree & 15 years of experience, making too much?" It's too much only to the people who wasted their own opportunity at gaining an education and now know it's too late. Bringing others down to their level of knowledge makes then feel better about their own poor choices.
Talks break down in Phila. area school strike
By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted on Sat, Sep. 6, 2008
Talks between striking Souderton Area School District teachers and the school board broke down yesterday morning after one hour, with no progress reported.
Negotiations likely will resume next week, said Bill Lukridge, president of the Souderton Area Education Association, but no date has been set. The strike began Tuesday.
The sides are far apart; the main issues in the 5,900-student district are wages and health-care benefits.
Each side blamed the other for the stalemate.
School board attorney and negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik said that because the strike is in progress, the school board brought up proposals at the session on how many teacher days would be made up, salary retroactivity, and health care payments.
"We had also requested that the union counter our salary proposal that we made on Labor Day, which they had never countered," Sultanik said. After state mediator Jill Leeds Rivera told the board that the union was not countering the salary proposal and not responding to the new strike-related proposals, "she suspended the talks," Sultanik said.
Rob Broderick, a staffer with the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said in a statement that "the school board came in and instead of negotiating what was on the table, threw new items onto the table related to what happens after the strike." He added: "The board is obviously more interested in punishing teachers than in negotiating."
The 512-member union's last wage proposal was for a 5.98 percent wage increase in the first year of a four-year agreement, 9.40 percent in the second year, 7.14 percent in the third and 6.90 percent in the fourth. The school board has proposed a three-year contract with increases of 2.5 percent each year.
The school board wants to eliminate the teachers' highest-tier health plan, and to institute higher premium contributions and more co-pays for the remaining two plans. The union wants to leave all three plans in place with the same percentages of premium contributions that are now in effect, and wants improvements.
Even if no agreement is reached, under Pennsylvania law the teachers must return to work by Sept. 24, in time for students to receive 180 days of instruction by June 15, 2009.
The Souderton strike is the only one in the Philadelphia area this fall, but on Wednesday, teachers in Delaware County's Springfield School District authorized their leadership to call a strike if necessary. No strike deadline has been set; a bargaining session Thursday night did not result in an agreement. No further talks have been scheduled.
----------------------------------------------
Souderton solicitor tapped for negotiations
By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times
Jeffrey Sultanik, the solicitor involved in Souderton's tense contract negotiations, will represent Pennsbury's school board during this year's teacher contract negotiations.
The district's previous contract negotiation in 2005 resulted in a 21-day teacher strike over a salary and benefits dispute.
Contract negotiations in Souderton, where Sultanik is representing the school board, have likewise come to a standstill.
Teachers there are on strike in part because their starting salaries are lower than those of other Montgomery County school districts. The strike has forced schools to remain closed.
The Souderton school board is concerned that teachers in the top tiers of the salary schedule will be overpaid if the union's proposal wins.
According to the union proposal, teachers with a master's degree at step 14 of a 15-step pay scale will receive a $17,280 pay increase.
The board proposed adding further steps to the salary schedule to prevent large differences in pay from one year to the next.
About 40 percent of district teachers are at the highest step.
If a resolution is not reached by Sept. 23, teachers will have to go back to work while arbitration proceedings begin.
At $77,524, Pennsbury's average teacher salary ranks within the top 10 of 727 school districts in the state.
In Souderton, the average teacher salary was $63,158, ranking at 55th in the state in 2006-07, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The district hired Sultanik in late spring after interviewing three attorneys. He is a labor relations lawyer for municipal and school organizations.
“We were very impressed with him when we interviewed him. He seemed to be very well versed in contract negotiations and had a good reputation,” said Gregory Lucidi, Pennsbury's school board president.
Lower Makefield resident Simon Campbell, who closely follows teachers union activities, is pleased with Pennsbury's choice.
“I know a lot of the lawyers that negotiate these contracts, and he has a reputation for being a tough negotiator, which is a good thing. The local school boards are the last line of defense for taxpayers,” he said.
Campbell is president and founder of Stop Teacher Strikes Inc., a group that advocates making teacher strikes illegal in Pennsylvania, one of the 13 states that allow them.
He argues that teachers get paid too much and that union proposals for higher pay are a drain on taxpayers.
Lucidi anticipates starting some negotiation sessions with the Pennsbury Education Association in January so both sides can present their proposals. “We might even start with just a sit-down session to throw ideas around,” he said.
The Courier Times was unsuccessful in reaching union representatives after several attempts Friday afternoon.
But wait. Why should they have all the rancor and angst? There's a second story from the BCCT, and it looks like Morrisville can witness some of the Souderton tough love negotiations right here in our backyard. The Souderton solicitor is going to be representing the Pennsbury school board during this year's contract negotiations.
One of the comments left on the BCCT article provided some food for thought: "How is $77,000 a year, with a master's degree & 15 years of experience, making too much?" It's too much only to the people who wasted their own opportunity at gaining an education and now know it's too late. Bringing others down to their level of knowledge makes then feel better about their own poor choices.
Talks break down in Phila. area school strike
By Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted on Sat, Sep. 6, 2008
Talks between striking Souderton Area School District teachers and the school board broke down yesterday morning after one hour, with no progress reported.
Negotiations likely will resume next week, said Bill Lukridge, president of the Souderton Area Education Association, but no date has been set. The strike began Tuesday.
The sides are far apart; the main issues in the 5,900-student district are wages and health-care benefits.
Each side blamed the other for the stalemate.
School board attorney and negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik said that because the strike is in progress, the school board brought up proposals at the session on how many teacher days would be made up, salary retroactivity, and health care payments.
"We had also requested that the union counter our salary proposal that we made on Labor Day, which they had never countered," Sultanik said. After state mediator Jill Leeds Rivera told the board that the union was not countering the salary proposal and not responding to the new strike-related proposals, "she suspended the talks," Sultanik said.
Rob Broderick, a staffer with the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said in a statement that "the school board came in and instead of negotiating what was on the table, threw new items onto the table related to what happens after the strike." He added: "The board is obviously more interested in punishing teachers than in negotiating."
The 512-member union's last wage proposal was for a 5.98 percent wage increase in the first year of a four-year agreement, 9.40 percent in the second year, 7.14 percent in the third and 6.90 percent in the fourth. The school board has proposed a three-year contract with increases of 2.5 percent each year.
The school board wants to eliminate the teachers' highest-tier health plan, and to institute higher premium contributions and more co-pays for the remaining two plans. The union wants to leave all three plans in place with the same percentages of premium contributions that are now in effect, and wants improvements.
Even if no agreement is reached, under Pennsylvania law the teachers must return to work by Sept. 24, in time for students to receive 180 days of instruction by June 15, 2009.
The Souderton strike is the only one in the Philadelphia area this fall, but on Wednesday, teachers in Delaware County's Springfield School District authorized their leadership to call a strike if necessary. No strike deadline has been set; a bargaining session Thursday night did not result in an agreement. No further talks have been scheduled.
----------------------------------------------
Souderton solicitor tapped for negotiations
By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times
Jeffrey Sultanik, the solicitor involved in Souderton's tense contract negotiations, will represent Pennsbury's school board during this year's teacher contract negotiations.
The district's previous contract negotiation in 2005 resulted in a 21-day teacher strike over a salary and benefits dispute.
Contract negotiations in Souderton, where Sultanik is representing the school board, have likewise come to a standstill.
Teachers there are on strike in part because their starting salaries are lower than those of other Montgomery County school districts. The strike has forced schools to remain closed.
The Souderton school board is concerned that teachers in the top tiers of the salary schedule will be overpaid if the union's proposal wins.
According to the union proposal, teachers with a master's degree at step 14 of a 15-step pay scale will receive a $17,280 pay increase.
The board proposed adding further steps to the salary schedule to prevent large differences in pay from one year to the next.
About 40 percent of district teachers are at the highest step.
If a resolution is not reached by Sept. 23, teachers will have to go back to work while arbitration proceedings begin.
At $77,524, Pennsbury's average teacher salary ranks within the top 10 of 727 school districts in the state.
In Souderton, the average teacher salary was $63,158, ranking at 55th in the state in 2006-07, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The district hired Sultanik in late spring after interviewing three attorneys. He is a labor relations lawyer for municipal and school organizations.
“We were very impressed with him when we interviewed him. He seemed to be very well versed in contract negotiations and had a good reputation,” said Gregory Lucidi, Pennsbury's school board president.
Lower Makefield resident Simon Campbell, who closely follows teachers union activities, is pleased with Pennsbury's choice.
“I know a lot of the lawyers that negotiate these contracts, and he has a reputation for being a tough negotiator, which is a good thing. The local school boards are the last line of defense for taxpayers,” he said.
Campbell is president and founder of Stop Teacher Strikes Inc., a group that advocates making teacher strikes illegal in Pennsylvania, one of the 13 states that allow them.
He argues that teachers get paid too much and that union proposals for higher pay are a drain on taxpayers.
Lucidi anticipates starting some negotiation sessions with the Pennsbury Education Association in January so both sides can present their proposals. “We might even start with just a sit-down session to throw ideas around,” he said.
The Courier Times was unsuccessful in reaching union representatives after several attempts Friday afternoon.
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