Inside...Executive Director’s Message ...2

WC: Leading Learning in the21st Century Workplace ...........4

7th Annual PA Arts and Education Symposium ..............5

New PASA Employee ...............6

Aspiring to Leadership ..............7

Education Congress .................7

Directions..................................8

NSA 2 Recap and NSA 3 ..........9

AASA News/Advocate .......10-11

Education Technology ...........12

Vol. 60, No. 1October 2017

At the CapitolPage 3

Page 14MEMBERNEWS

Page 14

From the President’s Pen

Watch for the “sparkling moments”By dr. emilie lonArdi, 2017-18 PAsA President

It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce myself as this year’s President of PASA. I am both humbled and honored to serve in this capacity.

I have been a member of the PASA Board of Governors for the past 12 years and have always been a strong advocate for the work that PASA does in support of superintendents across the Commonwealth. I have also served on the Resolutions Committee, AASA Gov-erning Board and as PASA’s representative to PIAA.

Serving on the PASA board for this length of time has provided me with the opportunity to work with Stinson Stroup, Jim Buckheit, and now, Dr. Mark DiRocco. Both Stinson and Jim had significant influence on our organiza-tion, and now I have the pleasure of working with Mark through his first full year as our Executive Director. The first several months of his tenure were excellent, and I am certain he will be an outstanding leader and strong advocate for us going forward.

As I begin my 20th year serving as a su-perintendent (19 years in the West York Area

School District and my 1st in the Downingtown Area School District), I am reminded of just how refreshing a new school year can be – and in my case, in a new district. It is absolutely invigorating!

While we as superintendents concern ourselves with uncertain budgets, political unrest, and a host of other big issues, I encourage all of us to take time as we begin our new school year to enjoy those moments unique to our profession: the unabashed excitement of our elementary children starting their first day, observing our seniors beginning to accept their role as school leaders, or how energizing it is to be a part of Friday night games.

Author Suzette Lovely used the phrase “sparkling moment” to describe the perfect counterbalance of our daily realities, and in education, we have many. So be mindful of those sparkling moments and, in doing so, brag about your colleagues as often as you can, promote your district’s brand, and always profess the positivity of the incredible role we play in the lives of our students and the health of our organizations. We really do have the greatest jobs in the world!

Wishing you your best year yet!

members to Vote this month on Proposed PAsA resolutions

During the PASA Recognition Luncheon on Wednesday, October 18 in Hershey, part of the PASA/PSBA School Leadership Conference, the PASA members present will vote to accept the draft 2017-18 Resolutions. The updated document will offer guidelines for PASA’s positions on both ongoing and “new” education issues. To review the draft and a summary of proposed changes, see the PASA website at:

www.pasa-net.org/resolpriorities

In the november Issue: recap of the PAsA/PsbA school

Leadership Conference (oct. 18-20)

PASA Flyer October 20172

The PASA Flyer is published monthly by the

Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.

PresidentDr. Emilie Lonardi, Superintendent Downingtown Area School District

treasurerDr. John Bell, Superintendent

Delaware Valley School District

Past PresidentDr. Patrick O’Toole, Superintendent

Upper St. Clair Township School District

executive directorDr. Mark DiRocco

Assistant to the executive directorBarbara W. Jewett

design editorSuzanne K. Yorty

Correspondence regarding the PASA Flyer can be mailed to:

PAsA2608 Market Place

Harrisburg, PA 17110(717) 540-4448

(717) 540-4405 faxemail to pasa@pasa-net.org

Visit our web site atwww.pasa-net.org

PASA Members: Please report your appoint-ments, renewals, awards or special achievements, or that of others in your region to Barbara Jewett at PASA either by phone (717) 540-4448, by fax (717) 540-4405, or via email at pasa@pasa-net.org. Copy deadline is the 8th of each month.

From the executive director...dr. mark diroccothe Fiscal impact of Charter school expansion

See Executive Director’s Message, page 3

A recent study by Research for Action revealed what every public school superintendent has known for the past twenty years: the charter school law has created a negative fiscal impact on traditional public school districts.

The study was funded through a grant by the William Penn Foundation with technical assistance provided by PASA, the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS). The study design and calculation model was reviewed by the above partnering organizations for input and concurrence.

Data from six school district across the state representing large, medium, and small sized school systems was used to create a cross-section of school systems for data review and comparison.

The study found that, when students transition from traditional public schools to char-ter and cyber charter schools, the cost of tuition to the charter schools that must be paid by the public school district creates additional new expenditures above what the district would have spent on the child had they remained in the district. In addition, it creates tremendous redundancy in the educational system, as traditional public schools must continue to maintain physical structures, staff, and programs at a level needed to educate the students that remain in the district even though some students choose to leave.

The end result is that taxpayers are underwriting a dual system of public education that costs more to administer than is necessary.

Proponents of Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law have claimed that districts can achieve savings when a child leaves the district for a charter school by appropriately downsizing staff, reducing programs, and in some cases, closing buildings to offset the cost of tuition paid by the school district to the charter schools.

The facts show otherwise. School districts are only able to recoup 44-68 percent of the cost of charter school tuition

for each student that leaves the district for a charter school. The market place theory that so many charter school proponents adhere to, that “the money should follow the student,” doesn’t work in reality.

The data shows that simple answers to complex issues can create significant financial problems.

As the report points out, tuition paid for students who enroll in a charter school creates a financial hole for taxpayers and school officials back in the local school district that can never be fully recouped, causing years of financial losses. Those losses are especially difficult for small and rural districts.

Here are the five High-Level Findings from the study:• The fiscal impact of charter school expansion is consistently negative across all school districts studied both in the short-term and the long run.• The total annual fiscal impact grows each year as more students depart for charter schools.• With a consistent rate of charter growth, the fiscal impact decreases in the longer term. The per pupil impact in Year Five is less than in Year One as district’s downsize staff and programs as they are able.• Yet the impact never reaches zero. Even by Year Five, districts will only recoup 44-68 percent of charter school tuition cost.• Small districts generally show a higher per pupil fiscal impact than large districts. Smaller districts must see a higher percentage of students leave for charter schools in order recoup significant dollars through downsizing efforts.

You can read the entire study on the PASA website. Superintendents and school officials have claimed for

years that the tuition rate for charter school enrollment is exceedingly high for regular education students in Penn-sylvania compared to other states and ridiculously high for

PASA FlyerOctober 2017 3

At the Capitol...

Executive Director’s MessageContinued from page 2special education students, sometimes costing more than $20,000 per student. This study shows that Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law has created an inequitable funding system that negatively impacts traditional school districts and adversely impacts the vast majority of students in the commonwealth who attend a traditional public school systems each day.

As stated in the recently published PASA White Paper on Char-ter School Reform (June 2017), “The conversation around charter schools continues to split the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This is based on the deeply flawed assumption that the same amount of money can appropriately fund two separate and distinct systems of education. The collaboration between charter schools and public education has not occurred because of the inherent competitive structure built into the legislation. Recently, the conversation has shifted somewhat to the notion of choice as a means of supporting charters. However, the underlying flaws of the charter school legislation are cause for serious concern and prompt action.”

PASA will use this new study as we continue to press for rea-sonable and realistic charter school law reform in the legislature. We ask that YOU also use the information from this study to educate your board, staff, parents, community, and local legislators about the inequities of the current law and to advocate for reasonable and equitable change.

Our children deserve better!

NEWS RECAP Don’t forget to check the PASA website for the weekly Educa-tion Update that provides a summary of up-to-date legislative, state and national education news. For more information on the following news briefs, see the PASA Web site at www.pasa-net.org. (Click on “News and Advocacy” to access the current and archived updates.) And follow us on Twitter for the latest updates @PASASupts.

State Budget NewsContinuing Impasse: House Republicans remain the holdouts to a final deal on budget revenues, rejecting and failing to vote on a proposal last week that relied on borrowing, an increase in the hotel tax and other fund transfers. To date, they also have rejected any possible shale tax. As a result, Gov. Wolf announced that, until they can come to an agreement on a final plan, he would be managing the commonwealth’s finances, securitizing $1.25 billion in state liquor assets to provide necessary cash flow to the general fund, looking for ways to reduce costs in the short-term, and prioritizing and protecting education until a revenue plan is passed. Bond Rating: Standard & Poor’s recently downgraded PA’s bond rat-ing from AA- to A+. The reduction was based on the state’s failure to finalize a budget that includes sustainable revenue to cover liabilities and obligations going forward. The reduction now places the Keystone States in the bottom five states for credit ratings.Revenue Update: Pennsylvania collected $2.7 billion in General Fund revenue in September. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collec-tions total $6.9 billion. The Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) recently reported that, through the first three months of FY 2017-18, total General Fund revenues were $25.3 million (0.4 percent) above the IFO’s official estimate.

In Legislative NewsGoing Home: With the budget impasse continuing and another possible revenue plan rejected by the House, both the House and Senate stand in recess and are not sched-uled to return to Harrisburg until October 16. Meanwhile, code bills accompanying the budget, including a School Code bill, remain in limbo.

State NewsSchool Funding Lawsuit: Breaking precedent, the PA Supreme Court in late September remanded back to Commonwealth Court a school funding lawsuit that seeks judicial remedy to address inequity in school funding distribution in the commonwealth. The high court held that the claims brought by the plaintiffs, which included several school districts, were “justiciable” – that is, representative of issues that the court can review. In previous rulings, the Supreme Court had rejected judicial review of the issue.State ESSA Plan: The PDE last month submitted to the U.S. Depart-ment of Education its proposed ESSA Consolidated State Plan, which outlines how Pennsylvania will implement the requirements of the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA). The USDE must now review the plan and can either make recommendations for changes or approve the plan as submitted.PSSA/Keystone Results: The PDE this month released 2016-17 PSSA and Keystone Exams results. This year’s PSSA scores in English Lan-guage Arts and math slightly increased. While Keystone Exam scores remained relatively flat over last year’s scores, the department reported a noticeable reduction in retests administered.Charter School Appeals Decision: A federal appeals court recently dismissed a lawsuit brought by a York County charter school against the York City SD over the district’s refusal to renew the charter. The court found that the school board’s decision had a “rational” basis for nonrenewal. Both the PA State Charter School Appeal Board and Commonwealth Court previously rejected the charter school’s appeal.

National NewsCongressional Action: While Congress has been unable to garner suf-ficient votes for any healthcare repeal/replace bill, the U.S. House last month approved an education funding bill that would cut the USDE budget by about $2.3 billion (about 3.5 percent from current levels). The plan eliminates $2 billion in Title II funding for teacher training/class size reduction, cuts $100 million from after-school aid, and level-funds Title I funding. Passage of the bill, which does not include any of the Trump administration’s school choice proposals, is the first step in the congressional budget process.

COMING UP They came, they talked, they argued, they rejected, they went home. Despite the recent downgrading of Pennsylvania’s bond rating due to an incomplete budget and nonrecurring revenues to address liabilities, the budget impasse continues, as a divided House Republican Caucus cannot come to agreement on a revenue plan. As a result, nothing has made it to the House floor for a vote. Patience is wearing thin in the Governor’s office and in the Senate as the impasse goes on. What to do? Go home. The House and Senate are scheduled to come back to Harrisburg next Monday, Oct. 16. But will there be any movement on the budget? Could this impasse be déjà vu all over again? As always, stay tuned for the latest information by following us on Twitter @PASASupts.

PASA Flyer October 20174

What You Need to Know!If you are a PASA member as a Commissioned Of-ficer or District/Cabinet/Central Office Adminis-trator, find what you need to know in the weekly “Education Update.” Watch your email on Mondays for the E-Update and link to this weekly report, a source for the latest in education and budget news from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the nation. AND...

Check the PASA website at www.pasa-net.orgfor reports, testimony, the program and meet-ing schedule, archived Updates, the PASA Career Center (job postings)…and more!

SAVE THE DATE!

2018 Women’s Caucus ConferenceMay 6-8, 2018 at Hotel Hershey

From the Women’s CaucusLeading Learning in the 21st

Century WorkplaceBy dr. miCheLLe sayLor, CauCus president

Registration Remains Open!Southeast Region Women’s

Caucus Annual DinnerOct. 30, 2017 in King of Prussia

Early bird price ends October 18!

www.pasa-net.org/sedinner

As I reflect on our challenges and opportunities (every challenge is an opportunity in the making), I believe that one of the most significant we face as school leaders is helping our mul-tigenerational workforce understand what makes each other tick.

Our districts often include staff representing a wide range of ages, with teams inclusive of Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials (Generation Y). Some of us may have begun to employ individuals from Generation Z. They are all coming to us with varied life experiences, perspectives, values, and skill sets.

In the grand scheme of things, this is exactly what we want. We want people who look at problems through different lenses, who bring new ideas to the table, who can innovate and iterate, whose vast array of experiences broaden the context in which we learn.

Yet with this can emerge misunderstanding, skewed perspectives of each other, and frustration with the differing communication styles, work habits, and values we all must engage.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to hear rumblings of resent-ment because the Baby Boomers think the Millennials are less com-mitted, and conversely, younger employees comment that their older colleagues are stubborn or not open to new ideas. And of course, our Generation Xers are sandwiched somewhere in between.

These are negative stereotypes, and, like all stereotypes, they don’t define every individual within our systems. Too often they can become an excuse to not engage. They do however, remind us that each generation and more importantly each individual, brings to our organizations a different context of what should frame their communi-cation style, work habits and environment, relationship development, and performance.

As leaders, it is incumbent upon us to bridge these divides and help our employees understand that each of us has our own way of ap-proaching these behaviors and that different approaches do not mean we are not working toward collec-tive goals. Providing opportunities for team building, honoring each person’s contributions, acknowledging each person’s need for affir-mation and to be valued, helping each person work to their strengths, providing constructive feedback that aligns with an individual’s pref-erences, and consciously encouraging everyone (including ourselves) to let go of preconceived notions can go a long way toward shifting perspectives and worldviews and building a harmonious culture that empowers your multigenerational workforce to come together as an intergenerational team.

Within our Women’s Caucus, we are proud to share that we embrace diverse views and encourage the intersection of multigen-erational perspectives and ideas. Take a moment to reach out to the women around you, women from every generation, those you men-tor, those you meet, and those with whom you work. Support them in their innovation and urge them to take the risks necessary to create the changes we need to see within our system. Encourage them, if they haven’t already, to join our organization and engage a network that is eager to help them grow.

Find out more about our organization by stopping in to see us Thursday afternoon, October 19, at the PASA/PSBA School Leader-ship Conference in Hershey. And save the date for our 2018 Women’s Caucus Annual Conference: May 6-8 also in Hershey. These are great opportunities to make connections with other female leaders across the state.

In order to ensure your membership in the Women’s Caucus, you must select “Women’s Caucus” membership when you join PASA or renew your PASA membership. There is no additional fee to be a part of the Women’s Caucus. Membership information can be found at: http://www.pasa-net.org/wcabout.

PASA FlyerOctober 2017 5

Seventh Annual Pennsylvania Arts and Education Symposium

Thursday, November 2, 2017Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center

Camp Hill, PA

Registration Still Open!

“Students in schools that offer arts-integrated learning are more likely to show better academic outcomes, transfer knowledge from arts to non-arts domains, and demonstrate greater motivation and engage-ment in learning.” (from Education Week, 10/2/17)

Learn more about the public policy agenda of the PA Arts Edu-cation Network, and what you can do to support its implementation by registering for or encouraging your staff to attend this year’s Pennsylvania Arts and Education Symposium.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network and EPLC, the one-day Symposium is a unique networking and learning opportunity for arts educators, school leaders, artists, arts and cul-ture community leaders, arts-related business leaders, arts education faculty and administrators in higher education, advocates, and state and local policy leaders.

Plenary sessions at this year’s Symposium include: The Arts and Social Justice, Arts Education and the PA ESSA Plan, Town Hall with Policy Leaders, 2017 PA Poetry Out-Loud Winner and other student performance.

session toPiCs inClUde: w Media Arts Standardsw The WIREWorks: the Results of an Experiment in STEAMw Apollo: A Customizable Fusion of Art, English & Social Studiesw Arts in Education Opportunities Provided by PA Council for the Artsw Arts in an Urban Settingw Free and Easy Ways to Market Advocate) for Your Arts Education Programw So You Think You Can Dance … in Physical Educationw Governor’s Institutes for Arts Educators: Past Investments Yield Positive Returnsw Understanding the Importance of Integrating the Arts into Afterschool Programsw To Be or Not To Be: NCAA’s Role in Student Learning Choices in the Arts & Humanitiesw The Economic Impact of the Artsw Developing Innovative Programs for Gallery Education Outreachw Advocacy in 2017: Articulating the Connection Between the Arts and Democracy

For information on this year’s program and registration, go to: https://www.eplc.org/2017/09/register-now-7th-annual-

pennsylvania-arts-and-education-symposium/

How do you create and sustain a culture that commits to a common belief, confronts impediments, and adapts to ever-increasing changes? How do you grow a flourishing garden?

During a recent presentation, Dr. An-thony Mohammed, author of Second Edition Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division, compared a school leader to a gardener, and the culture of the leader’s school(s) to the condition of the gardener’s soil. The growth of seeds requires nurtured soil, and a culture in which innovations prosper requires an environment in which the professional growth of the people is prioritized.

To develop and sustain a culture in which innovation is welcomed, attention must consistently be given to the professional growth of all who are involved. The people must understand the need for change. Philosophical discussions about mission, vision, values, and goals must be facilitated. Frustrations must be managed. Support must be provided. Toxic people and practices must be challenged. Reflective habits must be institutionalized. Task overload must be avoided. All must understand the rationale for change, what the expected results will be, and how to facilitate these outcomes.

According to the “New Media Consortium (NMC)/Consortium for School Network (CoSN) Horizon Report: 2017 Edition,” short and mid-term technology adoption trends include robotics, makerspaces, coding as a literacy, STEAM learning and similar developments. Dur-ing our 2016-17 Leadership for Learning presentations, participants provided evidence of these and other practices. Also, during our most recent session, Mrs. Lisa Royek, the principal of Hydetown Elementary School in the Titusville School District, shared her school’s progression through the replacement of grade level groupings with flexible groups matched to students’ evolving needs. Her school’s journey has been arduous, but her unwavering attention to the professional growth of her teachers is working.

Most school leaders strive to create cultures of innovation in which people grow and flex to rapidly changing technologies and workforce needs. They want to replace antiquated practices, systems and structures with ones that will assure that their students have the attributes and competencies necessary to work in an ever-changing mobile, networked and global world.

While many schools are implementing noteworthy innovations, resolutions to the cultivation of others are often elusive. How do we systemically change the role of teachers? How do we redesign learn-ing spaces that invite communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking? How do we sustain innovations through leadership changes? How do we move beyond the barriers?

These and other challenges will persist. Yet, we must persevere and respond to our rapidly changing world.

Similar to a gardener who must consistently tend to the soil, we must nurture our people. Continuous professional growth is the nutri-ent necessary for our seeds of innovation to grow. Leaders must pull the weeds that impede growth and sustain the healthy sprouts. Just like a well- maintained garden, a nourished culture will facilitate the replacement of wilted plants with new seeds that cultivate and thrive.

Learn more about the NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2017 Edi-tion and cultures of innovation occurring across the State at our 2017 Education Congress (www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress).

Growing a GardenBy Connie r Kindler, PAsA ConsUltAnt For

ProFessionAl deVeloPment

PASA Flyer October 20176

2017 PASA/PSBA Annual

Leadership Conference

October 18 – 20, 2017Hershey Lodge & Convention Center

KEyNOTE SPEAKERS:Nadia Lopez and Paul Brandus

Register the whole Team of 10 online for this profes-sional development opportunity designed specifically

for school administrators and board members.

DID yOU REMEMBER TO REGISTER FOR…?PASA Recognition Luncheon –

Wednesday, October 18A time to recognize and celebrate recipients of the

2017 PASA Awards of Achievement, thank PASA President Patrick O’Toole for his year of service to

the association, and network with your peers

For program information, see the Conference website at

https://www.paschoolleaders.org.

LAST CHANCE

new PAsA employee

PASA welcomes deborah Banks, who assumed the duties of part-time Administrative Assistant on September 15.

Deborah comes to PASA with extensive experience in both the insur-ance and medical sectors with office support and management, as well as executive communications and coor-

dination of meetings, presentations and special events. Most recently she served as executive assistant for Pinnacle Health Medical Group.

As PASA’s administrative assistant, she is responsible for coor-dination of workshops and programs, and general office communica-tions and management support.

Welcome, Deb!

PAsA Committee Update…The following PASA members have been appointed chairs of

PASA committees for 2017-18:legislative: dr. eric eshbach, Northern York Countymembership: dr. Amy sichel, Abingtonresolutions: dr. richard Fry, Big Spring (President-Elect)elections: dr. Jay Burkhart, South WesternProfessional development: dr. Francine endler, Hollidaysburg Arearesearch & development: dr. david Baugh, Centennialtechnology: dr. randy Ziegenfuss, Salisbury Twp. Updated lists of members serving on these committees are

maintained on the PASA website. Click on the “About” button on the home page at www.pasa-net.org.

Representatives to the Legislative, Membership and Resolutions committees are elected by I.U. Appointments to at-large committees* are made as needed by the PASA President.

Thank you to all PASA members who served on the PASA Board of Governors and PASA committees in 2016-17!

*Thank you to all who expressed an interest in serving on the Elec-tions, Professional Development, Research & Development, and Technology committees this year. Appointments were made from among very qualified candidates to ensure equitable geographic/demographic representation on each committee. We appreciate your interest!

2017-18 PASA WEBINAR SERIESspecifically addressing concerns of school administrators

SCHEDULE:October 25: Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent

Contracts

November 8: Superintendent Evaluations

January 17: Collective Bargaining

February 21: Digital Learning

March 28: Pennsylvania's ESSA Implementation Plan

HOW TO REGISTER:Register for one, two or all webinars in the series!

PASA Members: $29 per webinar or $100 for the series. Non-members: $39 per webinar, $150 for the series.

PAYMENT IS DUE IN ADVANCE OF EACH WEBINAR. Connection instructions will be sent to paid participants only.

See the PASA website for links to registration at www.pasa-net.org/webinars.

Beginning this

month...

PASA FlyerOctober 2017 7

Do you have a school administrator in your district who is thinking about moving forward in their education journey into central office administration and/or the superintendency? Do you know of someone who should do that?

Or are YOU thinking about that?The “Aspiring to leadership” workshops are what you or

school administrators in your district need in that journey, designed specifically to provide practical information and tools to assist those considering a future career as a district cabinet-level leader and/or superintendent.

The scheduled workshops will be held in two convenient loca-tions:Westmoreland i.U. 7 – 102 Equity Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601• Wednesday, nov. 1: Aspiring to the Superintendency• thursday, nov. 2: Aspiring to Cabinet Level/Central Office Leadership

Still Time to Register: Two Sites!A ‘don’t miss’ Workshop…Growing Future leaders

PASA Office – 2608 Market Place, Harrisburg, PA 17110• Wednesday, Jan. 31: Aspiring to Cabinet Level/ Central Office Leadership• thursday, Feb. 1: Aspiring to the Superintendency

About Each Workshop…Aspiring to the superintendency: This workshop will provide

an overview of the role, responsibilities and rewards of serving as a superintendent; the balancing of responsibilities in order to prioritize instructional leadership; knowing yourself as a leader and finding the right match; negotiating a sound contract; and entry planning and transition.

Aspiring to Cabinet Level/Central Office Leadership: This workshop will provide an overview of cabinet positions; team build-ing via varied attributes, skill sets and work styles; best practices, and related interview questions and interview simulations; and actions for transitioning to the new role.

Workshop Schedule…8:00 a.m. – Check-in/Continental breakfast8:30 a.m. – Program begins (includes lunch)4:15 p.m. – Program concludes

Registration…Cost for each one-day session is $159. Register for one – or both!Pennsylvania needs strong educational leaders to manage

and direct our public schools moving forward. see the PAsA web-site for details at www.pasa-net.org/aspiring - and register today!

2018 edUCAtion ConGress“the Challenging role of school leaders in Complex times”

march 19 and 20, 2018nittany lion inn, state College, PA

Program begins at 9:30 am on March 19 and ends at 1:00 pm on March 20.

RegistRation is open!

About this Program… The challenges for school leaders are greater than ever. Competi-

tion is growing. Financial resources are limited. Political pressure is at an all-time high. In spite of these challenges, school leaders must implement the transformations necessary for personalized student success.

The 2018 PASA Education Congress will provide school leaders with opportunities to hear from and interact with experts, network with colleagues, and retool resources for the energizing of strong leader-ship during these complex times. Attendees will acquire strategies to support the shift to personalized learning and digital content, learn tactics for aligning resources, create plans for engaging community understanding and support – and much more.

Keynote Presentations…w Jamie Vollmer J.d, President of Vollmer, Inc., author of Schools Cannot Do It Alone, writer and producer of the video series The Great Conversation

w tom ryan, Ph.d., Chief Information and Strategy Officer of the Santa Fe Public School District in New Mexico, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the eLearn Institute, and Chairman of the Board for the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN)

w noelle ellerson ng, Associate Executive Director, Policy & Advocacy, AASA: The School Superintendents Association

see the PAsA website at www.pasa-net.org/2018edcongress

for program, registration and hotel information!

PASA Flyer October 20178

resolutions Corner: directionsBy BArBArA W. JeWett, AssistAnt to the exeCUtiVe direCtor

Quick Glance: 2017-18 Programs/Events

2017October 18-20 PASA/PSBA School Leadership Conference (Hershey)October 25 PASA Webinar: Supt./Asst. Supt. ContractsOctober 30 Southeast Region Women’s Caucus Dinner (King of Prussia)November 1-2 Aspiring to Leadership Workshops (I.U. 7)November 8 PASA Webinar: Superintendent EvaluationsDecember 5 Leadership for Learning* Module 3

2018January 11-12 New Superintendents’ Academy Part 2*January 17 PASA Webinar: Collective BargainingJan. 31 – Feb. 1 Aspiring to Leadership Workshop (PASA office)February 15-17 AASA National Conference on Education (Nashville)February 21 PASA Webinar: Digital LearningMarch 19-20 Education Congress with Jamie Vollmer (State College)March 28 PASA Webinar: PA ESSA PlanMay 6-8 Women’s Caucus Conference (Hershey)July 12-13 New Superintendents’ Academy Part 1* (PASA office)July 29-30 PA Educational Leadership Summit (State College)Sept. 26-27 New Superintendents’ Academy Part 2* (PASA office)

*PIL-approvedSee the PASA website at www.pasa-net.org for more

information on the PASA Professional Development Program.

Have you planned any long trips lately? If you are the typical driver, you do your advance work by looking up hotels and restau-rants, scenic spots and tourist destinations, not necessarily driving routes. Most of us rely on a GPS to provide directions and warn us about hazards ahead. The days of relying on the AAA Trip-Tik or the old fold-out maps interpreted by a front-seat passenger are history.

And the GPS works – most of the time. Sometimes it takes us on the “scenic” rather than the direct route. And, if we don’t put in our destination information exactly right, we could end up in a very different place. (For example, using “2608 Market Street” instead of the PASA address of “2608 Market Place” will get you to a different place in Harrisburg.)

Regardless of our destination, we need to have good, clear direc-tions to get there and continually check to make sure we are on the right track.

The PASA Resolutions provides that kind of direction for our advocacy efforts. Just as Google needs to keep sending out its street-view cars every year to reflect the changing geographic landscape,

we need to revisit the resolutions every year to reflect the changing educational and political environment.

Next week, during the PASA Rec-ognition Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Hershey, part of the PASA/PSBA School Leadership Conference, the PASA members present will vote to accept the draft 2017-18 Resolutions. The draft and a summary of proposed changes are available for review on the PASA website, http://www.pasa-net.org/resolpriorities.

The Resolutions Committee made several changes to this year’s road map to reflect member concerns:

• Focusing on implementation of the new ESSA and Future Ready Index

• Supporting a more realistic approach to the PSSAs and Keystones, and assessment in general

• Emphasizing the need for local control and decision-making in curriculum, management, assessment, finance (including property taxes), and administrative contracts and salaries

• Calling for increased state and federal support for mental health and special education services

• Emphasizing the need for charter school reform in funding, finance and management

• Confirming opposition to “choice” that moves funds for public schools to private schools

Concerning implementation of the new ESSA, the PA Department of Education recently submitted its state plan to the U.S. Department of Education. Once that review is complete, the USDE will either approve the plan or make recommendations for changes. Eventually, implementing the requirements and obligations of a final state plan is something that will require effort on both the state and local level.

There also is the looming possibility that the next federal bud-get could bring significantly reduced funding for many important programs and services in public schools, limits on how those funds can be used – or diversion of some of that badly needed funding to nonpublic schools. That, coupled with ongoing debates in Harrisburg not only on finalizing the still unresolved 2017-18 state budget but also on future budget priorities, complicates the road map for public schools seeking to fulfill their ultimate goal: student achievement and educational equity.

Rather than “winging it” in advocacy, PASA relies on the Resolu-tions to provide more detailed guidance as we work in Harrisburg on these and other issues, and with AASA in Washington, to support the work of public school administrators in their crucial leadership role. A general destination plugged into the GPS may eventually get us where we need to go, but, in advocacy, we still need detailed, updated directions to be effective advocates for public education.

The PASA Resolutions will continue to give all of us the direc-tions we need in that important effort.

PASA FlyerOctober 2017 9

new superintendents’ Academy Part 2 recap

Thirty-six new and aspiring superintendents/CEOs participated in Part 2 of the 2017-18 New Superintendents’ Academy, held September 14-15 in the PASA office.

The program focused on “systems leadership,” and featured nu-merous sessions: building systems to implement the vision; assuring high-quality instructional aligned systems; creating and maintaining high performance management systems; performance evaluation systems (principals, teachers and non-teaching professionals); gover-nance, policy development and personnel systems; and instructional and management systems in your district (panel).

Superintendents and other professionals who served as presenters during the program included:• Brent Frey and Peter oyler of Apple, Inc.• dr. Gene Freeman, Fox Chapel Area• dr. shane hotchkiss, Bermudian Springs• dr. Fred Withum, Cumberland Valley• dr. Caroline Johns, Northgate• dr. ella musser, Cocalico• dr. michael loughead, Hampton• dr. Paul healey, Exec. Dir., and dr. Joseph Clapper, Asst. Exec. Dir., of the PA Principals Association• dr. mark dirocco, PASA Executive Director• dr. Christopher Adams, Hempfield• dr. Jay Burkhart, South Western• dr. nick Guarente, Greenwood• dr. sybil Knight-Burney, Harrisburg City

dr. Alan lonoconus, retired superintendent of the Great Valley SD and now with PASA sponsor Kades-Margolis, also offered a presen-tation on building systems to assure financial and retirement security.

FOR:new superintendents

superintendents new to PAaspiring superintendents

superintendents in their early years as school system leaders

New Superintendents’ Academy Part 3:Professional and Community Leadership

FOCUS:Inherent in professional and community leadership are effective and ongoing communication, collaboration and empowerment of others inside and outside of the organization in the pursuit of excellence in student learning. New superintendents will learn

strategies that engage all stakeholders.

January 11-12, 2018PASA office, Harrisburg(snow dates: April 5-6)

SESSIONS:Professionalism and Communications

Communication Strategies for Creating a Positive Image of Your District

Communication Strategies During and After a Tragedy or Crisis

Policy and Legislative Matters and Communications

Equitably Serving ALL Students through Professionalism & Effective Communication

Communications in Support of Children and Public Education

Planning, Budgeting and Communicating the Budget

**NOTE**Each session in the Academy is approved for 25 PIL credits.

Take one, two or all three sessions as you are able. Sessions do NOT have to be attended in order.

See the PASA website at www.pasa-net.org/workshopnsa for details.

Part 3 of the Academy is set for January 11-12, 2017. The program will focus on “Evaluating Goals, Programs and Per-formance.”

Connie Kindler leads a group discussion during the Academy.Academy Graduates Connie Kindler, PASA Director of Professional Development, and Dr. Mark DiRocco, PASA Executive Director, presented certificates to three program participants for completing all three parts of the New Superintendents’ Academy. Congratulations!

Pictured LEFT (L-R): Dr. DiRocco, dr. tara Will (Southern Fulton), dr. Amy martell (Towanda Area), dr. timothy Williams (Westmont Hilltop) and Connie Kindler

PASA Flyer October 201710

Federal Policy triple threat: ChiP, e-rate and sAlt

By noelle ellerson nG, AAsA AssistAnt exeCUtiVe direCtor, PoliCy & AdVoCACy

They say when it rains, it pours. And to kick off October, we have three distinct policy proposals that all stand to negatively impact public schools.

We don’t like to have multiple calls to action in the field at the same time, but the overlap is not something we can avoid. Now is the time for action, and this month’s Advocate is a one-stop shop for all you need to understand the issues and how to respond. Children’s Health Insurance Program

The CHIP Program expired on September 30. If Congress does not act quickly to extend funding for CHIP, then school districts will lose funding for the critical health services provided to low-income children that ensure they are healthy enough to learn.

AASA supports a five-year extension of the program. CHIP provides essential funding to support states to cover uninsured chil-dren. Any delay or a failure to immediately extend funding for CHIP will jeopardize coverage for children who are eligible for school-based health-related services, leading to immediate and lasting harmful ef-fects for America’s most vulnerable citizens.

A school’s primary responsibility is to provide students with a high-quality education. However, children cannot learn to their fullest potential with unmet health needs. The health services these children receive ensure they are healthy enough to learn. School districts depend on CHIP to finance many of these services and have already committed to the staff and contractors such services require to provide mandated services for this school year. The failure to continue funding CHIP would merely shift the financial burden of providing services to the schools and the state and local taxpayers who fund them.

The full call to action is on the blog.

State and Local Tax DeductionThe president’s tax reform plan includes a proposal to eliminate

the state and local tax deduction (SALT-D). AAsA is opposed to the elimination of sAlt-d, and it is

our single biggest item of engagement in the overall tax reform package. We believe any comprehensive tax reform legislation must preserve this deduction.

As one of the six original deductions allowed under the original tax code, SALT-D has a long history and is a critical support for invest-ments in infrastructure, public safety, homeownership and, specific to our work, our nation’s public schools. SALT-D prevents double taxation for local residents and reduces the pressure taxpayers feel/face when it comes to paying state and local taxes, which represent the lion’s share of public education funding. elimination of this deduction would increase tax rates for certain tax payers, reduce disposable income, limit ability and support for local taxes, and damage local, state and national economies.

The full call to action is on the blog.

E-RateThe FCC is considering a policy change which would deeply

cut – if not eliminate – support for Category 2 (internal connections) within the E-Rate program.

Adopted as part of the 2014 modernization, this is a premature policy consider that would undermine the intent of the 2014 vote and threaten the ability of schools and libraries to access and af-ford high speed connectivity in their classrooms. We need to create

a groundswell of feedback from schools and libraries! Please take the time to file comments. The full call to action (including a template response) is on the blog.

Your Advocacy Is Crucial!We’ve called 2017 the “Year of Superintendent Advocacy” and

encourage superintendents to commit to making contact with the members of their delegation once per month. For the month of Octo-ber, we ask you to consider to take one advocacy step each week. One week, reach out to your delegation about CHIP. The next week, file comments on ERate and why it matters. To complete your hat-trick of October advocacy, let your delegation know you oppose any tax plan that changes/eliminates the SALT deduction.

As always, reach out to Sasha, Leslie or Noelle for additional information, including contact information for congressional staff.

• Sasha Pudelski (spudelski@aasa.org)• Leslie Finnan (lfinnan@aasa.org)• Noelle Ellerson Ng (nellerson@aasa.org)

Pennsylvania’s 2017 Blue Ribbon Schools…

Nine Pennsylvania schools recently were recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as “National Blue Ribbon Schools.”

The program, established in 1982, recognizes schools based on overall academic excellence or progress in closing achieve-ment gaps among student subgroups. In 2017, 292 public and 60 private schools across the country received the distinction.

The public and private Pennsylvania schools named as this year’s “Blue Ribbon Schools” include:PublicBerwick Area High School – Berwick SD (I.U. 16)Donald H. Eichorn Middle School – Lewisburg Area SD (I.U. 16)Falling Spring Elementary – Chambersburg Area SD (I.U. 12)Franklin Elementary School – North Allegheny SD (I.U. 3)General George A. McCall Elementary – Philadelphia SDGood Hope Middle School – Cumberland Valley SD (I.U. 15)Greenville Junior/Senior High School – Greenville Area SD (I.U. 4)Laurel Junior/Senior High School – Laurel SD (I.U. 4)Lemont/Houserville Elementary – State College Area (I.U. 10)MaST Community Charter School – PhiladelphiaShiloh Hills Elementary – Wilson SD (I.U. 14)Sunrise Estates Elementary – Penn-Trafford (I.U. 7)West Chester East Senior High School – West Chester Area (I.U. 24)PrivateGwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary (private) – Montgomery CountySt. Joseph School (private) – PhiladelphiaSt. Maximillian Kolbe Parish School (private) – PhiladelphiaSaint Teresa of Calcutta School (private) – PhiladelphiaSaints Simon and Jude School (private) – Philadelphia See the USDE website for more information on Blue Rib-bon Schools at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html. Congratulations!

PASA FlyerOctober 2017 11

NewsWomen in School Leadership

TwoPennsylvaniaeducatorshavebeenidentifiedasamongthesixfinalistsforAASA’s2018WomeninSchoolLeadershipAwardshonoringexceptionalfemaleeducators.

Karen Rubican, a counselor in theCanon-McMillanSD, isafinalist for theSchool-BasedAward,which isgiven to a femaleclassroomteacherorschool-basedspecialist,andSharon Suritsky, assistant/deputysuperintendentintheUpperSt.ClairTwp.SD,isafinalistfortheCentralOffice/PrincipalAward.

Candidatesarejudgedbasedonleadershipinmeetingthelearn-ingneedsof students, personal andorganizational communicationstrength,constantprofessionalimprovementofknowledgeandskills,andactivecommunityinvolvement.

ThefinalawardrecipientsineachcategorywillbeannouncedduringtheAASANationalConferenceonEducationinFebruary.

Congratulations!

AASA Guest Blog Dr. Amy Sichel,superintendentoftheAbingtonSDandAASA

pastpresident,sharesherexperienceat theallgirls’MaryErskineSchoolinScotlandasaguestAASAblogger.Click here to read her observations.

Equity ResourcesAASAhaslaunchedawebpagecompilingAASAprograms,poli-

cies and other resources related to equity, as well as equity resources producedbyresearchersandpractitioners.The site willbeupdatedwitharticles,whitepapers,publications,webinars,conferencepre-sentations,videosandaudioclips.

Reminder: Campaign to Support Public SchoolsInJuly,AASAlaunchedthe“ILovePublicEducation”campaign,

anongoingefforttohighlightthesuccessandopportunitiesofpubliceducationanddemonstratehowpublicschoolsdevelopfuturegenera-tionsofsuccessfulstudents.AASAisworkinginconcertwithothernationalandstateorganizationsinthiseffort,andstronglyencouragesmemberstoamplifythemessageonthelocallevel.Click hereforinformationonthiscampaign.

2018 National Conference on Education: Registration Remains Open!

Registrationremainsopenforthe2018conference,scheduledfor February 15-17 inNashville. See the conferencewebsite at http://nce.aasa.orgtoaccessregistrationandprogramupdates.Don’tmissthisyear’sconference!

JoinAASAtodayandbecomepartofasupportedcommunityofschoolleadersnationwidewhoadvocateforpubliceducation!SeetheAASAwebsitefordetailsatwww.aasa.orgorcontactthePASAoffice.

REMINDER: PASA Website Career Center

Asacourtesytoschooladministrators,thoseseekingpositionsinschooladministrationandpublicschoolemployers,PASApro-vides on its website the “PASA Career Center,”alistingofjobopenings,bothinPennsylvaniaandintheMid-Atlanticregion.

Job openings are grouped into several categories:• Superintendent/Asst.Supt./ExecutiveDirectorvacancies inPA

• PublicK-12,I.U.,Career-Tech,CharterSchool administratorvacanciesinPA

• OtherProfessionalVacancies:PAandNational (professionaleducationvacanciesinpublichigher educationinstitutions,associationsandotherorganizations inPA,andnon-superintendentpublicschoolpositionsin other states)

• Northeast/Mid-AtlanticRegionalPositions(superintendent andotherexecutivevacanciesinpublicschoolsout-of- state,particularlytheNortheast/MidAtlanticregion)

Vacanciesandavailablepositionsforpublicschoolsarepostedat no chargeuponrequestandreview. Torequestavacancyannouncementpostingonthiswebsite,sendamessagetopasa@pasa-net.org.Pleaseincludeyourphonenumberwithyoure-mail request. Informationneededincludes: position, entity, contact name/address, descriptionof theposition,applicationdeadlineandapplicationprocess.Additionalposition informationmaybe included,dependingonlength. (PASA reserves the right not to publish an open position or to modify submitted information.)

PASA Flyer October 201712

“Is education technology actually delivering in our schools?” Education leaders in the UK are asking this question we’ve all been wondering, but after the crazed rush toward advanced education technology solutions and the immense portion of budget dollars al-located that way, we’ve been a bit hesitant to dwell on it for too long.

The question came to the forefront in 2015, after the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) released a global study hypothesizing that computers can sometimes be associ-ated with negative results in the classroom. The topic was recently discussed in a UK panel debate called Technology: Money Saver or Money Waster on June 15.

A theme that emerged was perhaps an obvious one: that Tech-nology’s success in the classroom is dependent on the curriculum that drives it.

For example, in 2013, when former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent John Deasy promised an iPad to each of the 640,000 students in the district in a proposed $1.3 billion initiative, it was the beginning of the end of his superintendency. Amidst other issues, such as accusations of improprieties in the bidding process and the students’ abilities to work around the ActiveSync profile restrictions on the devices, the initiative was doomed to fail from the moment the iPads began to arrive in schools with no plan in place for how they would be used to support the curriculum.

“It’s very important that a district goes through a rigorous process before devices are even introduced,” says Jeffrey Main, Questeq CEO. “Curriculum engagement isn’t the same in every school.

“For example, in some of our schools, the teachers lead the curriculum change. In others, it’s the superintendent or the assistant superintendent. Making changes to curriculum is a difficult task re-gardless who is doing it, but it is absolutely vital when introducing a new technology process in schools.”

Schools in Singapore, which emerged as the #1 education system in the world according to the 2015 PISA results, have already perfected this process. “Future schools” were established all over Singapore in 2007 to act as education technology test labs. The program was a huge success and continues to grow, and the published findings have allowed all Singaporean educators to understand the marriage between curriculum and technology.

Here in the U.S., we are only just scratching the surface. Recently in Pennsylvania, Big spring school district decided

to take a step toward digital transformation by beginning a Questeq partnership. Superintendent dr. richard W. Fry and Assistant Su-perintendent dr. Kevin roberts shared a vision for how to evolve the district’s pedagogy. They wanted students to learn the core standards that appear in PSSA and Keystone exams by using technology to col-laborate and solve “problem-based assessments” with peers, rather than memorizing facts through drill and kill methods.

After engaging the district’s tech leaders to create a curriculum, Dr. Fry turned to Questeq to help with planning and implementation. They instituted an ongoing training program for all teachers, improved staffing within the technology department, acquired nearly 1,000 new devices for the district and much more. Dr. Fry finally had the tools in place to begin the new technology-powered curriculum with the 2016-2017 school year.

His plan was robust, and it included all grade levels¬—from third grade, where students are using tablets, desktops and technol-

ogy carts to solve problems like bumble bee extinction, to twelfth, where students can team up with local business owners to learn about becoming an entrepreneur in a technology-fueled Incubator program.

The teachers at Big Spring never saw the students so engaged. And now, Big Spring reportedly has even bigger things planned for this new school year.

“For years, districts have been scrambling to get the newest, coolest gadgets in students’ hands, hoping that it will improve student outcomes,” says Main. “But now we know that there is a curriculum-driven process that must be followed to achieve true success.”

Visit Questeq News, http://www.questeq.com/news/, for similar content and education technology news.

soUrCes:The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/jul/04/is-technology-delivering-in-schools-our-panel-debates BBC- http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34174796

Ars technica - https://arstechnica.com/information-technolo-gy/2015/02/after-ipad-initiative-failure-school-supe-says-la-cant-buy-computers-for-all/

LA Times - http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-school-district--computers-20150220-story.html

Newville Valley Times - http://www.shipnc.com/valley_times_star/vts_news/article_8396636a-c178-11e6-a0d2-8f731c3976c2.html

From Questeq, a PASA “Platinum” Sponsor

education technology: endless Potential, Curriculum-driven strategy required

JOIN AASA TODAy and become part of a supported community of school

leaders nationwide who advocate for public education!

AdvocacyInformation

Learning OpportunitiesLeadership Services

Networking on the National Level…And more!

See the AASA website for details at www.aasa.org OR contact the PASA

office. (Remember: When you join both PASA and AASA, AASA provides $1

million in professional liability insurance and monetary support of legal fees!)

PASA FlyerOctober 2017 13

Noteworthy Quotes…On the School Funding Lawsuit…

“It is settled beyond peradventure that constitutional promises must be kept. Since Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803), it has been well-established that the separation of powers in our tripartite system of government typically depends upon judicial review to check acts or omissions by the other branches in derogation of constitutional requirements. That same separation sometimes demands that courts leave matters exclusively to the political branches. Nonetheless, ‘[t]he idea that any legislature . . . can conclusively determine for the people and for the courts that what it enacts in the form of law, or what it authorizes its agents to do, is consistent with the fundamen-tal law, is in opposition to the theory of our institutions.’ Smyth v. Ames, 169 U.S. 466, 527 (1898). Thus, we must be skeptical of calls to abstain from a given constitutional dispute. We hold that this is not a case that requires such abstention. Accordingly, we reverse the Commonwealth Court’s contrary ruling.” – from the September 28 Pennsylvania Supreme Court majority opinion document issued in the school funding lawsuit, in which the high court, in a 4-2 deci-sion, determined that Commonwealth Court should hear arguments in the case, a decision that breaks precedent from rulings in the past in which the court consistently excused the judiciary from hearing challenges to education funding

“[The decision] validates my long-held position that the common-wealth must further examine the equity and adequacy of public school funding.” – Gov. Tom Wolf, in response to the decision

“You have a court that is not just trying to interpret the law, but they’re trying to legislate.” – Steve Miskin, spokesman for House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny)

On the State Budget…

“The commonwealth’s structural deficit remains manageable, but its reliance on one-time revenues has stressed its available cash, making internal resources insufficient to timely meet certain obligations.” – Standards & Poor’s credit analyst Carol Spain, in a written statement accompanying news that S&P had again lowered Pennsylvania’s bond rating

“The significance of this downgrade is something that we grasp and is part of why the Senate worked to finalize a responsible budget package in July. We agree with S&P’s concerns about the need for stability in our financial plans to address the ongoing structural deficit.” – from a statement issued by Senate Republican leaders

“Pennsylvanians are paying taxes and it is very disappointing Com-monwealth budget costs will increase thanks to a small group of unknown people at Standard & Poor’s who make decisions based on interviews with a governor and press releases from the state’s fiscal officers.” – Rep. Dave Reed, House Republican Majority Leader, from a press release on September 20

"I said, ‘Stan, you cannot let this severance tax get through and it gets to the governor’s desk, because if that happens the governor is going to get re-elected. Stan, you take that to the bank.’” – Sen. Scott Wagner (R-York), captured on audio speaking at a York County event on Sept. 14, and referring to Rep. Stan Saylor, Republican chair of the House Republican Appropriations Committee, concerning the possibility of a shale tax being part of the revenue package in the state budget. (Sen. Wagner has announced he is running for governor.)

“They have made it clear that they would rather see me fail than Pennsylvania succeed. In the absence of a compromise revenue plan getting to my desk, I am going to take action to manage our state’s finances.” – Gov. Tom Wolf, during a press conference on October 4 following failure of the House to pass a revenue package

On the State ESSA Implementation Plan…

“Pennsylvania’s ESSA Consolidated State Plan presented the depart-ment with an opportunity shape education in the commonwealth for years to come, a charge we did not take lightly. Our extensive efforts to engage in meaningful discussions with everyone from parents to educators to community members helped inform decision-making, and ultimately create a comprehensive plan that recognizes and ad-dresses the needs of schools and students across the state.” – Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, on the state’s ESSA implementation plan, submitted to the U.S. Department of Education this month

“Unfortunately, the plan kicks the can down the road, and appears to benefit the education establishment and its consultants more than the children of Pennsylvania. We intend to notify Secretary DeVos of the Legislature’s specific concerns about accountability and school improvement in Pennsylvania’s submitted plan, and we hope to open dialogue about our recommendations for changes during the federal review process.” – Sen. John Eichelberger (R-west/central PA), chair-man of the Senate Education Committee, responding to the plan

On the Impact of Charter Schools on School District Finance

“Using an accounting-based projection model of charter expansion, we estimated a significant, negative fiscal impact of charter expansion in all six participating Pennsylvania school districts in both the short and long term. This is true for districts of all sizes, and does not vary significantly by the rate of charter expansion. Pennsylvania can offset these costs, as it has in the past, by providing districts an additional state funding reimbursement for charter enrollment.” – conclusion in the recently released report “The Fiscal Impact of Charter School Expansion” conducted by Research for Action at the request of PASA, PASBO and the PA Coalition of Public Charter Schools

PASA Flyer October 201714

MEMBERNEWS

Please report member news to PASA at pasa@pasa-net.org. Announcements of professional vacancies across Pennsylvania and in neighboring states are posted on the PASA Web site at www.pasa-net.org (Click on the “Leadership Development” button and look for “Career Center.”)

OCtOber18-20 PASA/PSBA School Leadership Conference (Hershey)19 Women’s Caucus Board meeting (Hershey)25 PASA Webinar: Supt./Asst. Supt. Contracts30 Southeast Region Women’s Caucus Annual Dinner (King of Prussia)

NOvember1-2 Aspiring to Leadership Workshops (Westmoreland I.U. 7)8 PASA Webinar: Superintendent Evaluations10 Women’s Caucus Board meeting (PASA office)16 Superintendent of the Year Luncheon (Harrisburg)16-17 Board of Governors’ meetings (PASA office)21 PASA Technology Committee meeting (virtual)23-24 PASAofficeclosed

DeCember5 Leadership for Learning Module 3 (PASA office)6 Professional Development Committee meeting (virtual)25 PASAOfficeclosed26 PASAOfficeclosed29 PASAOfficeclosed

JANuAry1 PASAofficeclosed11-12 New Superintendents’ Academy Part 3 (PASA office)15 PASAofficeclosed16 PASA Technology Committee meeting (virtual)17 PASA Webinar: Collective Bargaining23 Women’s Caucus Board meeting (PASA office)25 Joint Boards Dinner (Harrisburg)26 Board of Governors’ meeting (PASA office)31 - Aspiring to Leadership Workshops

FebruAry1 Aspiring to Leadership Workshop (PASA office)15-17 AASA National Conference on Education (Nashville)19 PASAofficeclosed21 PASA Webinar: Digital Learning

PASA CALeNDAr OF eveNtS 2017-18For more information, see the PASA web site at www.pasa-net.org.

regiON 6Amy glasl is now serving

as superintendent in the Clar-ion-Limestone Area SD. She previously served as elemen-tary principal in the Brockway Area SD. Glasl replaces mike Stimac, who resigned and ac-

cepted the position of elementary principal with the Karns City Area SD (I.U. 4).

regiON 8 Dr. vincent DiLeo has retired from his position as superintendent

of the Central Cambria SD.

regiON 23 Dr. michael Christian is now serving as superintendent of the

Colonial SD. He previously served as superintendent in the Owen J. Roberts SD (I.U. 24). Christian replaces Dr. maryellen gorodetzer, who retired in August.

regiON 24 Dr. thomas Newcome, superintendent of the Octorara Area

SD, has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the school year. Newcome has served as the district’s superintendent for 15 years.

regiON 29 Dr. Shawn Fitzpatrick is now serving as superintendent of the

Schuylkill Area SD. He previously served as middle school principal in the Hamburg Area SD (I.U. 14). Fitzpatrick replaces Lorraine Felker, who has retired.

Communication tip of the month

“Every school building tells a story. In the same way that product marketers create brand stories that engage and motivate customers and employees, K-12 school adminis-trators are intentionally transforming buildings, classrooms and hallways to serve as branded environments – messaging platforms – that communicate their organization’s personality, aspirations, values and expectations.” – Keith Curtis, from “Building a School’s Brand,” as published in the October 2017 issue ofSchoolAdministrator. The October issue examines fresh thinking about how classroom setup and facility design impact student engagement.