Thursday, February 14, 2013
The superintendent expressed frustration Monday night.
The Upper St. Clair School Board reviewed the increasing costs of cyber charter and charter schools Monday night. In 2007-08, the district had to pay more than $80,000 in charter school tuition for 10 Upper St. Clair students. In 2011-12, the district had to spend more than $285,000 in charter school tuition for 29 Upper St. Clair students. Two of the students in 2011-12 were in special education cyber charter school programs. Home-schooled students switching to cyber schools might be attributing to the increase of charter school students in Upper St. Clair, Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said. The district must pay tuition for the students who decide to go to charter school instead of Upper St. Clair schools, according to Upper St. Clair …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Not one cyber charter school in the state and fewer than one-third of 'brick-and-mortar' charter schools made Adequate Yearly Progress last year.
Charter schools have been touted as a way for students to escape underperforming local public schools ever since Pennsylvania passed legislation in 1997 establishing them as a independent public schools. Cyber charter schools followed in 2002. One of the key selling points used by charter schools has been that their students outperform their public school counterparts. But according to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, historical data indicate that a consistently lower percentage of charter schools make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) than traditional public schools. Last fall, the state Department of Education implemented a new way of determining whether charter schools have met student achievement milestones for AYP under the …
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
'There's money to be made shortchanging kids' educations,' letter writer says.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
For the second straight year, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed massive education budget cuts. For the second straight year, Corbett has proposed massive cuts to colleges, universities and K-12 public schools. For the second straight year, Corbett has proposed the state do less for its citizens and more for big business. Why? It’s all about profits. There’s money to be made shortchanging kids’ educations. States throughout the country spend the majority of their budgets on schools. On average, states spend about 40 percent of their tax revenues on K-12 and colleges, according to The National Association of State Budget Officers. That’s some $400 billion every year. Pennsylvania comes in somewhat below the national average with …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Teacher Steven Singer suggests voting out legislators who vote against public education.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
“Almost.” It’s a scary word sometimes. Like when you put freshly brewed coffee too close to the edge and it ALMOST spills over ... Like when you’re running late to work, gun that yellow light and ALMOST get clipped by an oncoming minivan ... Like when your tiny toddler teeters at the top of the steps and ALMOST tumbles down ... At times like these, ALMOST is both a terror and a relief. That’s how all of Pennsylvania feels now that our state legislators ALMOST passed a bill to enact school vouchers and expand charter schools. We feel sick that it ALMOST happened, yet relieved that in the end common sense prevailed. Vouchers failed to muster enough support to make it to the floor, and later, a score of Republicans sided with nearly all House…
Friday, December 2, 2011
State Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, said he also opposes tuition vouchers.
State Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, said he received and read through the resolution opposing vouchers that the Upper St. Clair School Directors adopted on Monday night and responded to board President Harry Kunselman. "I thanked him and the board for providing the resolution. It's nice to hear from liked-minded neighbors," Maher said. "I've been against vouchers since its conception." Tuition vouchers would allow children of low-income families at failing public schools to transfer to private or parochial schools. The state-funded vouchers would cost anywhere from $5,000 to $14,000 a child, depending on the school district. The Upper St. Clair School Board's concern is that the program would take money away from public education. …
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
T.E.A.C.H. representative asks a Jimmy Olsen question: 'If public schools are broken, why not fix them?'
- OPINION
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Superman, where are you? Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim tells us America’s waiting for a caped crusader to solve our education crisis. We regular Joes just aren’t up to the task. Well, look up in the sky, it’s a bird ... it’s a plane ... no, it’s a Republican governor! Fresh from slashing $860 million from public schools budgets, Gov. Tom Corbett has swept in to finish the job of “saving” Pennsylvania’s school kids with his new education proposals. Just in the nick of time, too. This year alone, Pennsylvania’s public schools have increased class sizes, stopped tutoring those children who fall behind, eliminated electives like music and art, stopped replacing crumbling textbooks or outdated computers, started charging fees to participate in …
John Jahigglewitz
10:13 am on Friday, March 22, 2013
What about the cafeteria at the high school being called a "nutrition" center? I don't understand that at all? Probably because of the IB program or the charter schools. more ›