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Friday, January 6, 2017

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/6/17


Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/6/17

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Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs | Truth in American Education





Protest the Confirmation of Billionaire Betsy DeVos - New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members | Truth in American Education
by mike simpson / 10min
New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members | Truth in American Education : New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members Just an FYI, there have been some changes on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee due to the election. These committee members will hold their hearing for Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos on January 11th . I’d encourage you to contact
Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education | Politics | Chicago Reader
by mike simpson / 47min
Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education | Politics | Chicago Reader : Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education Local experts warn that Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education will wage war on “government schools.” Betsy DeVos, president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Education, might not be the worst of the megabucks donors and r
Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs | Truth in American Education
by mike simpson / 2h
Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs | Truth in American Education : Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs Over the last several years, a major point of contention between parents and the education establishment (both federal and state) has been the issue of testing. Especially as states have responded to federal mandates by administering unvalidated assessments a
Public Education and the Spectre of Fascism | BustED Pencils
by mike simpson / 2h
Public Education and the Spectre of Fascism | BustED Pencils : The Spectre of Fascism “Fascism is capitalism in decay”, said Lenin. We’ve seen this before. When the traditional capitalist system is failing, there are cracks within the ruling class, and its accompanying political structures are in turmoil, a section of that class backs a strongman for its own protection. These strongmen have a pop
The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy) | The Huffington Post
by mike simpson / 2h
The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy) | The Huffington Post - Linkis.com : The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy) During my first semester teaching in the inner city , Davina (as I will call her) did not ask permission to interrupt when I was in the middle of a sentence; she just got up and walked across the room. I wondered what
Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT. - Wait What?
by mike simpson / 2h
Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT. - Wait What? : Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT. When it comes the Connecticut General Assembly and education policy, one of the most important developments was the passage, last year, of a new Connecticut Student Data Privacy Act that requires school distr
Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media | Diane Ravitch's blog
by mike simpson / 2h
Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media | Diane Ravitch's blog : Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media This is a stunner. Facebook has hired Campbell Brown to smooth over bad feelings with the mainstream media. To friends of public education, Brown is known as a propagandist for privatization. Will she give up her billion
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: The Property Tax Problem
by mike simpson / 5h
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: The Property Tax Problem : PA: The Property Tax Problem AP's Marc Levy reports this week that Pennsylvania's legislature ( one of the largest and most expensive ones in the country ) is expected this year to once again tackle one of the great third rails of Pennsylvania politics-- property taxes. This system is part of the mechanism that gives Pennsylvania one of the country's
Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed - Lens
by mike simpson / 5h
Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed - Lens : Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed Opening and running a charter school isn’t for the faint of heart , but in Washington their ranks will grow this year with three more starting up in the fall. Eight are already running – six under state supervision in King and Pierce counties, and two under the Spokane School District’s purview .
Coleman: Trump’s schools pick is scary
by mike simpson / 5h
Coleman: Trump’s schools pick is scary : Coleman: Trump’s schools pick is scary Few of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks frighten me more than Betsy DeVos as education secretary. Sure, his foreign policy team is suspect and potentially dangerous. His nominee for attorney general, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, is a throwback to pre-Civil Rights era Jim Crow days. But DeVos, a former Michigan
Trump’s education nominee and her family members are major donors to the senators who will vote on her confirmation - The Washington Post
by mike simpson / 5h
Trump’s education nominee and her family members are major donors to the senators who will vote on her confirmation - The Washington Post : Trump’s education nominee and her family members are major donors to the senators who will vote on her confirmation Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary, is not just a prospective Cabinet member seeking confirmation from th
Schools Matter: Ed Deform 2.0 in Less than Five Minutes
by mike simpson / 6h
Schools Matter: Ed Deform 2.0 in Less than Five Minutes : Ed Deform 2.0 in Less than Five Minutes Published on Jan 5, 2017. This is a summary for the one-hour talk "Ed Reform 2.0-Personalized Learning in Orwellian Times" available for viewing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0quQS .... For additional information visit Wrench in the Gears at https://wordpress.com/stats/day/wrenc... . Schools
How testing practices have to change in U.S. public schools - The Washington Post
by mike simpson / 6h
How testing practices have to change in U.S. public schools - The Washington Post : How testing practices have to change in U.S. public schools Florida teachers protest in Tallahassee against state’s education policies. (Photo by Mike Archer, Used with permission) There has been some testing reform progress made in the last year or so as state and federal officials finally began to acknowledge a
Ed Notes Online: Aim Of School Choice Is To Limit Choice - Norm in The WAVE
by mike simpson / 6h
Ed Notes Online: Aim Of School Choice Is To Limit Choice - Norm in The WAVE : Aim Of School Choice Is To Limit Choice - Norm in The WAVE http://www.rockawave.com/news/2017-01-06/School_News/Aim_Of_School_Choice_Is_To_Limit_Choice.html AIM OF SCHOOL CHOICE IS TO LIMIT CHOICE School Scope By Norm Scott I’m continuing my series of columns on the voucher/school choice issue which will come to the for
DeVos would set precedent as secretary of education without strong commitment to public schools | EdSource
by mike simpson / 6h
DeVos would set precedent as secretary of education without strong commitment to public schools | EdSource : DeVos would set precedent as secretary of education without strong commitment to public schools Betsy DeVos may well be the first U.S. secretary of education to come to office without expressing a strong belief in the importance of traditional public schools as a core democratic institutio
Stabenow Opposes Betsy DeVos For Education Department Secretary | News/Talk 94.9 WSJM
by mike simpson / 6h
Stabenow Opposes Betsy DeVos For Education Department Secretary | News/Talk 94.9 WSJM : Stabenow Opposes Betsy DeVos For Education Department Secretary Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D), Mich. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow says she will vote against Betsy DeVos as the next head of the U.S. Education Department. The Michigan Democrat says she talked to DeVos. Stabenow says DeVos’ support for charter schools
AFT President Weingarten to Give Major Education Speech Livestreamed On Facebook
by mike simpson / 7h
AFT President Weingarten to Give Major Education Speech : AFT President Weingarten to Give Major Education Speech WASHINGTON , Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the nomination of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education, President-elect Donald Trump has signaled that the one bipartisan consensus on public education—the Every Student Succeeds Act—should be ignored, choosing instead the mos
How 2012 Chicago Teachers Strike Changed Fight Over Public Education | Chicago Tonight | WTTW
by mike simpson / 7h
How 2012 Chicago Teachers Strike Changed Fight Over Public Education | Chicago Tonight | WTTW : How 2012 Chicago Teachers Strike Changed Fight Over Public Education The Chicago teachers strike of 2012 made international headlines and marked a major shift in the fight over public education reform. After seven days on the picket lines, 26,000 teachers went back to the classroom with a new contract,
The American Teacher vs. Betsy DeVos
by mike simpson / 7h
The American Teacher vs. Betsy DeVos : The American Teacher vs. Betsy DeVos They are asking me the question, ‘Is the American Dream dead?’ And the American Dream is in trouble. But we’re going to get it back and do some real jobs. –Donald Trump, Rochester, NH Town Hall, September 17, 2015 The appointment of Betsy DeVos as education secretary will offend every teacher in this country who has studi
Connecticut Congressional Delegation has raised more than $100 million - Wait What?
by mike simpson / 8h
Connecticut Congressional Delegation has raised more than $100 million - Wait What? : Connecticut Congressional Delegation has raised more than $100 million “Money is the mother’s milk of politics .” – Jesse Unruh, California Politician As California politician, Jesse Unruh, famously observed, money is the primary nourishment for American politicians. Big donors and lobbyists curry favor and buy
New research shows broad academic benefits for students taking ethnic studies classes | 89.3 KPCC
by mike simpson / 8h
New research shows broad academic benefits for students taking ethnic studies classes | 89.3 KPCC : New research shows broad academic benefits for students taking ethnic studies classes Public school districts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach and about a dozen others have started ethnic studies classes in recent years. But they’ve done so without a key ingredient: academic res
Democrats Who Oppose Betsy DeVos Have Nothing To Lose
by mike simpson / 8h
Democrats Who Oppose Betsy DeVos Have Nothing To Lose : Democrats Who Oppose Betsy DeVos Have Nothing To Lose In “an unprecedented break” from tradition, Democrats in the US Senate are expected to challenge as many as eight of Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, including Betsy DeVos for US Secretary of Education, according to a report by the Washington Post . The opposition to DeVos, Politico repor
Addressing the Recent Increase in Bullying: A Webinar for Parents - Education Law Prof Blog
by mike simpson / 8h
Education Law Prof Blog : Addressing the Recent Increase in Bullying: A Webinar for Parents On Wednesday, January 11, 2017, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Parental Readiness and Empowerment Program (PREP) in partnership with the Center for Safe Schools and the Center for Education Equity will host a free webinar for parents and advocates on school bullying in response to a su
Small Local Group Uncovers Widespread Opposition to Confirmation of DeVos as U.S. Education Secretary | janresseger
by mike simpson / 8h
Small Local Group Uncovers Widespread Opposition to Confirmation of DeVos as U.S. Education Secretary | janresseger : Small Local Group Uncovers Widespread Opposition to Confirmation of DeVos as U.S. Education Secretary On Tuesday, January 3, as everybody crawled out from under holiday cooking, gifting and celebrating, leaders of our local Heights Coalition for Public Education met to consider mo
Badass Teachers Association: Trenton Deserves Board Members Capable of Selecting a Qualified Superintendent (NJ)
by mike simpson / 9h
Badass Teachers Association: Trenton Deserves Board Members Capable of Selecting a Qualified Superintendent (NJ) : Trenton Deserves Board Members Capable of Selecting a Qualified Superintendent (NJ) The state capital of New Jersey has been under attack from education reformers for years. Following reformer playbook moves time and time again that seek to minimize the voice of the community and tak
Join me in Ann Arbor January 10 - Bill Ayers: Demand the Impossible! | Literati Bookstore
by mike simpson / 9h
Bill Ayers: Demand the Impossible! | Literati Bookstore : BILL AYERS: DEMAND THE IMPOSSIBLE! Literati welcomes Bill Ayers to Ann Arbor as part of a national tour to celebrate the release of his latest book, Demand the Impossible!: A Radical Manifesto . Demand the Impossible! is a manifesto for movement-makers. In an era defined by mass incarceration, endless war, economic crisis, catastrophic env
“Say it Ain’t So” NEA and AFT | tultican
by mike simpson / 9h
“Say it Ain’t So” NEA and AFT | tultican : “Say it Ain’t So” NEA and AFT In 1919, the biggest baseball star in Chicago and possibly all of America was “Shoeless Joe” Jackson. After “Shoeless Joe” and seven other members of the Chicago White Sox were convicted of fixing the 1919 World Series, the Chicago Daily News headline – “Say it ain’t so, Joe” – was the anguished plea from fans and especially

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/5/17
by mike simpson / 23h
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/5/17 Featured Post The Rotten State of Charter Schools in Michigan: A For-Profit Bonanza, Sponsored by the DeVos Family | Diane Ravitch's blog Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: U.S. schools 

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Protest the Confirmation of Billionaire Betsy DeVos - New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members | Truth in American Education

New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members | Truth in American Education:

New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members


Just an FYI, there have been some changes on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee due to the election. These committee members will hold their hearing for Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos on January 11th. I’d encourage you to contact them with questions they can ask of the nominee. I have eleven questions of my own here if you need some ideas.
New U.S. Senate Education Committee Members | Truth in American Education:



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Big Education Ape: The NPE Toolkit: Stop Betsy DeVos - Network For Public Education - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-npe-toolkit-stop-betsy-devos.html
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Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education | Politics | Chicago Reader

Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education | Politics | Chicago Reader:

Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education 
Local experts warn that Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education will wage war on “government schools.”

Betsy DeVos, president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Education, might not be the worst of the megabucks donors and right-wing crusaders in Mr. Trump's prospective cabinet.
There's Scott Pruitt, the EPA head who's sued the EPA. Rick Perry, the energy secretary who wanted to dump the Department of Energy. Andrew Puzder, the labor secretary and fast-food mogul who opposed a $10 minimum wage. And Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state who heads the world's biggest oil company and is Russia's decorated BFF. That's just to mention a few.
But the DeVos appointment, like all the others, is causing alarm. Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis told me DeVos is "a nightmare." University of Illinois College of Education professor Pauline Lipman, in an interview last week, said she'll be "a really significant threat." And American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten issued a statement claiming that Trump has selected "the most ideological, anti-public education nominee" in the Department of Education's history.
"Betsy DeVos is everything Donald Trump said is wrong in America—an ultra-wealthy heiress who uses her money to game the system and push a special-interest agenda," Weingarten wrote. By nominating her, "Trump makes it clear that his education policy will focus on privatizing, defunding, and destroying public education in America."
DeVos, as you've no doubt gathered by now, is not a friend of teachers' unions. Nor of what she calls "government schools"—traditional public neighborhood schools—though she has no personal experience with them. She's never been a teacher or a school administrator, and she never attended public school herself. Neither did any of her four children. So what, besides millions of dollars in campaign contributions, is leading her to the federal government's top education job?
A native of Holland, Michigan, DeVos is industrial royalty—daughter of the founder of Prince Manufacturing, a maker of machines and parts for the auto industry. Descended from Dutch-German immigrants who came to America to escape government interference in the Dutch Reformed Church, Betsy was educated at private Christian schools and graduated Betsy Devos’s presumed agenda: Dismantle public education | Politics | Chicago Reader:



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Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs | Truth in American Education

Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs | Truth in American Education:

Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs


Over the last several years, a major point of contention between parents and the education establishment (both federal and state) has been the issue of testing. Especially as states have responded to federal mandates by administering unvalidated assessments aligned to the Common Core national standards, parents across the country have begun, with varying degrees of success, to opt their children out of those assessments. The new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) perpetuates the federal testing mandates, so the opt-out movement will continue.
But the education establishment is now colluding with Big Data to obliterate opting out. How? By promoting “embedded assessment” within the digital-learning platforms that are gradually replacing teacher-led instruction. As students interact with these sophisticated platforms, the software collects millions of data points on each child and can assess exactly what “skills” he has mastered and where he needs further training. (Modern progressive education is about skills rather than knowledge, and training rather than education.) Embedded assessment means each student’s performance will be assessed every moment, in real time, through analysis of keystrokes and perhaps even physiological reactions. Because ultimately the periodic “summative assessment” – the end-of-course or end-of-year test — will disappear, so will parents’ ability to protect their children from the testing.
The concept of embedded assessment has a certain appeal. If students are being assessed Embedded Assessments: An End Around Parental Opt-Outs | Truth in American Education:


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Public Education and the Spectre of Fascism | BustED Pencils

Public Education and the Spectre of Fascism | BustED Pencils:

The Spectre of Fascism


“Fascism is capitalism in decay”, said Lenin. We’ve seen this before. When the traditional capitalist system is failing, there are cracks within the ruling class, and its accompanying political structures are in turmoil, a section of that class backs a strongman for its own protection. These strongmen have a populist appeal, yet they are married to the interests of big business. They do not always come to power by coup d’etat or machine gun politics. The potential for fascism is built into the capitalist system itself. Adolf Hitler, fascism’s poster boy was elected as chancellor of Germany in 1933.
Today, we see all these pieces of fascism coming together with the election of Donald Trump. This does not necessarily mean that death camps and forced labor are next, but we should be prepared for what is to come. It is pretty clear that among other things, the traditional fascist xenophobia, expansion police power, dismantling of unions and accompanying corporatism will be accelerated based on his rhetoric and his cabinet full of corporate pirates and gangsters. How will this affect our jobs and our students?
Modern Day Fascists and Education
The popular depiction of public education from the right wing is as a cesspool of liberal, quasi radical, godless teachers indoctrinating children instead of educating them, promoting homosexuality and atheism. Public education, then is at the root of the decline of America. Part of the fascist narrative is that traditional values are under attack and need to be Public Education and the Spectre of Fascism | BustED Pencils:


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The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy) | The Huffington Post

The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy) | The Huffington Post - Linkis.com:
The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy)


During my first semester teaching in the inner city, Davina (as I will call her) did not ask permission to interrupt when I was in the middle of a sentence; she just got up and walked across the room. I wondered what was in Davina’s mind as she went to the far back corner. She acted as if she owned the place, but then again, there are worse things than students taking over their own classroom. She took a seat next to the only white kid in the room, a new transfer. Davina put her hand on the girl’s hand and said, “Honey, you look scared. Don’t worry. You will be alright.”
So, as we enter the Trump presidency and anticipate its assault on public education, we should draw upon our students’ strengths when envisioning a new approach to school improvement. If America will listen to our kids, our democracy will be alright.
The corporate school reform edu-politics of destruction failed to improve our schools, as it divided progressives, pitting civil rights advocate against civil rights advocate. Before the election, a Trump victory seemed unlikely, so both sides often devoted much of the energy, which should have been used against the Trump threat, to our education civil war. While Democrats fought Democrats over Massachusetts charter expansion, an advocate for racism, sexism, and xenophobia was elected.
To improve schools, we need a politics of inclusion. After all, one of our fundamental purposes as educators is to prepare children for life in a democracy, and we teach every child who walks through the door, regardless of their political beliefs. We should borrow a phrase from Governor Al Smith, and produce happy political warriors. To educate children for life in the 21st century, we should build upon the best of American society.
These would be the rocks on which I would build the next era of school reform:
A Culture of Peer Review and Collaboration
The first rock which I would use to improve teacher quality would be peer review. Peer review represents the best way to get out of the most destructive battle in our The Rocks On Which We Can Build Better Schools (and a Better Democracy) | The Huffington Post - Linkis.com:


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Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT. - Wait What?

Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT. - Wait What?:
Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT.
When it comes the Connecticut General Assembly and education policy, one of the most important developments was the passage, last year, of a new Connecticut Student Data Privacy Act that requires school districts to institute reasonable safeguards when selling, sharing or providing outside entities access to student information, student records, or student-generated content.
Without this law, many school districts had failed to adopted appropriate policies associated with contracts between school districts and corporations that are interested in collecting, buying, selling or using what should obviously be confidential student data.
Now, in an astonishing, baffling and extremely disturbing move, State Representative Stephen Harding (R-107th District) has introduced legislation (HB 5233) to repeal this important law (Public Act 16-189)
Representative Stephen Harding was elected to the Connecticut House of Republican legislator introduces bill to repeal Connecticut’s STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT. - Wait What?:


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Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media | Diane Ravitch's blog

Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media | Diane Ravitch's blog:
Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media


This is a stunner. Facebook has hired Campbell Brown to smooth over bad feelings with the mainstream media.
To friends of public education, Brown is known as a propagandist for privatization.
Will she give up her billionaire-funded role at The 74?
In recent years, Ms. Brown has emerged as a major player in the pitched political battles over charter schools, prominently clashing with teachers unions while advocating against teachers tenure. She is married to Dan Senor, a Republican foreign policy adviser and former White House adviser, who is making his own media foray with a bid to buy the Israeli financial newspaper Globes. And, during the campaign Ms. Brown was critical of Donald J. Trump.
But Facebook executives said they were hiring Ms. Brown for her understanding of the news industry as a one-time White House correspondent, co-anchor of “Weekend Today” and primary substitute anchor of “Nightly News” at NBC News, and prime-time anchor on CNN, which she left in 2010.
She served on Betsy DeVos’ board at the American Federation for Children (a pro-voucher organization of right-wingers) and DeVos held to fund Brown’s anti-union activities.Facebook Hires Campbell Brown to Help Smooth Relations with Mainstream Media | Diane Ravitch's blog:


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CURMUDGUCATION: PA: The Property Tax Problem

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: The Property Tax Problem:

PA: The Property Tax Problem

Image result for PA: The Property Tax Problem

AP's Marc Levy reports this week that Pennsylvania's legislature (one of the largest and most expensive ones in the country) is expected this year to once again tackle one of the great third rails of Pennsylvania politics-- property taxes.



This system is part of the mechanism that gives Pennsylvania one of the country's largest funding gaps between rich and poor districts. The state provides around 36.1% of public school funding, putting it around 45th in the nation. That means that local districts depend heavily upon local funding, and that's where the huge inequality slinks in. On the bottom end of the scale we find districts collecting $3,100 in local property tax dollars per student, while on the top end, the figure is around $13,000. Attempts were made in 2016 to fix things, a bit, but Democratic Governor Tom Wolf and the hugely GOP legislature have, well, some issues to sort out.

Levy writes that sponsors are expected to once again introduce House and Senate Bills 76, a bill that died a narrow death in the State Senate back in 2015 (a not-along-party-lines tie was broken by Democratic Lt. Governor Mike Stack), but the GOP thinks the math has changed and this year will be different (that's just the Senate, though-- this could all still tank in the House).

The goal, as usual, is to get rid of property taxes entirely. In this case, the plan is to replace them with increased sales tax and income tax revenue. Income tax would climb from 3.07% up to 4.95 %, while sales tax would jump from the already-hefty 6% to 7%-- and extended to more types of items and services that are not currently taxed at all.

The Property Tax Independence Act has plenty of fans and detractors, because it creates a whole CURMUDGUCATION: PA: The Property Tax Problem:



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Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed - Lens

Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed - Lens:

Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed

Opening and running a charter school isn’t for the faint of heart, but in Washington their ranks will grow this year with three more starting up in the fall. Eight are already running – six under state supervision in King and Pierce counties, and two under the Spokane School District’s purview. The kicker? More operator applicants may enter the pipeline, even as a second legal challenge to Washington charters unfolds in the courts.
March 31 Deadline
This week and next in Seattle and Vancouver, Washington, potential new applicants to run state-authorized charter schools are meeting with officials to boost their odds for success. Under the state’s timeline, notices of intent to file a 2017 application are due February 17. The applications are required by March 31. The State Charter School Commission, which reports to Governor Jay Inslee, will decide at a June 29 meeting which applications to accept.
The Spokane District does not expect new applicants this year due to a pending lawsuit against charters statewide, said board president Deanna Brower.
State law authorizes 40 charter schools. The first eight came from a pool that included 26 applicants to the state between 2013 and 2015, and an additional three to Spokane.
One possible application this year stems from Cascade Micro Schools, a Sammamish-based non-profit led by Christine Wright, a former teacher in Issaquah, Seattle and The Bronx. She also served as a founding lead teacher for the charter school organization KIPP, in New Jersey, and as a Teach For America corps member. Cascade’s niche is small K-5 schools that prepare students for demanding middle school and high school courses, and then competitive colleges and rewarding careers.
Cascade is merging into a new non-profit, Impact Public Schools. It includes in its Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed - Lens:


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