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The Board is engaged in a
strategic communication planning process that will help PCCS develop
important messages that tie into the Coalition's goals. Part of that
process includes networking with other nonprofit, civic, and commercial
organizations. Should you belong to any such organizations, please drop PCCS
President Larry Jones an email at ljones@rapcs.org about how we might
become introduced to your group or affiliation.
Charter Spotlight
Congratulations to
Manchester Academic Charter School in Pittsburgh for being named a
2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of
Education!
Click
here for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article
Got News?
If you'd like to share exciting news about your school through this
newsletter or through the media, contact PCCS Director of Publicity Ken
Kilpatrick at ken@sylviamarketing.com or through PCCS at 484-356-0191
Mark your Calendars!
Mark
your calendar TODAY for the 2009 Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter
Schools Conference. Click here for details!
Up and Coming
PCCS remains engaged in the process of developing the Coalition's new
Resource Center to provide services, support, and professional
development opportunities for your charter school.
Keep an eye out for more information!
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Welcome back! We hope your 2008-2009 school year is off to a
great start.
The new school year has brought with it a number of changes for the Pennsylvania
Coalition of Charter Schools (PCCS) and its members. Bill Tomasco, former
Director of Charter Schools for the School District of Philadelphia has
joined PCCS as the Coalition's new Interim Executive Director. Bill will
be out and about over the next few weeks visiting charter schools
throughout the state. With PCCS now at 130 charter schools strong, it'll
take quite some time for Bill to visit all of our member schools. In the
interim, please feel free to reach out to him at 484-356- 0191 if he can
be of any help.
The PCCS Board of Directors reorganized during last year's annual
conference, and some changes have been made over the summer. Click
here to learn who's who on the PCCS Board.
Other important changes are in the works as detailed throughout this
newsletter. We'll continue to keep you updated throughout the school year
through upcoming newsletter issues and email advisories.
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· Legal And
Legislative Updates
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LEGAL UPDATE
This summer, the state government passed HB 1067, important legislation
that includes key items critical to PCCS member schools. Those items
include:
- Charter
School enrollment caps have been lifted for all charter schools-both
cyber and bricks and mortar charter schools!
- Defeat
of HB 446-the perennial attempt of State Representative Karen Beyer
(R-131) to radically change cyber charter school funding was not
included in HB 1067
- Reinstatement
of the Alternative Education Grants application process
- Establishment
of a Virtual High School Commission
- Other
important administrative, financial, and legal information.
Click
here to access the entire summary prepared by Latsha Davis Yohe &
McKenna, P.C.
LEGISLATIVE CORNER
PCCS Government Affairs Director Dennis Giorno of Malady
& Wooten, LLP has been on the lookout for the interests of both
brick and mortar and cyber charter schools. This service is essential
because state government dictates what school code laws apply to charter
schools as excess regulatory burdens can strangle a charter school's
ability to properly govern itself.
Many of the changes Malady & Wooten has advocated for PCCS are
reflected above in the "Legal Update" section. However,
sometimes the value of government relations can be seen in things that don't
become law. For example, a proposal that was considered in June would
have mandated that all charter schools submit to an annual special
education audit. Under this proposal, if the audit turned up any
"unused" special education money, the charter school would have
been required to return those funds to the school district(s). Malady
& Wooten's quick mobilization on this important issue saved every
school a great deal of time and money!
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· New Schools on
the Block
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Three new charter schools opened their doors this month, keeping
Pennsylvania in pace as the fastest growing charter school state in the
Northeastern U.S.
Those schools are:
Pan
American Academy Charter School, (K- 8), Philadelphia
Antonia Pantoja Charter School (K-8), Philadelphia
The
Environmental Charter School at Frick Park (K-3), Pittsburgh
Up and Coming
The School Reform Commission of Philadelphia conditionally approved these
seven charter school applications starting July 1, 2009 and ending June
30, 2012:
Arise Academy Charter High School
Eastern University Charter School
Franklin Towne Elementary Charter School
Kipp West Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School
Philadelphia Polytechnic Charter School
Sankofa Freedom Charter School
Tacony Academy Charter School
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