Forums and Special Events

Agenda:

8:00 a.m.  Registration, Refreshments and Networking

8:45 a.m. Introduction – EPLC’s PA School Choices Project
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center

9:00 a.m. Panel Discussion: Vision for School Choices in Pennsylvania
Stanley W. Thompson, Director of The Heinz Endowments’ Education
    Program
Jeremy Resnick, Executive Director and Founder, Propel Schools
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center

10:15 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Panel Discussion: Public School Choices in Pennsylvania
Jennifer R. Beagan, Senior Program Director, Educational Services, Allegheny
    Intermediate Unit
Robert Fayfich, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools
Dr. Lawrence C. Korchnak, Superintendent, Baldwin-Whitehall School District
Marianne LeDonne, Director, Regional Choice Initiative, Beaver Valley Intermediate
    Unit
Dr. Patrick O’Toole, Superintendent, Upper St. Clair School District

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: What Parents Want to Know About School Choices in Pennsylvania?
Bonita Allen, Former Chair, Title I State Parent Advisory Council
Tara Purcell, Legislation and Advocacy Chair, Pennsylvania PTA
Mark Conner, Former Director of Family and Community Engagement, Pittsburgh Public Schools
Cindy Duch, Director of Parent Advising, PEAL Center

2:30 p.m. Adjourn

Please register for the School Choices Forum.  Registration is free of charge

EPLC’s School Choices Forum in Harrisburg

The School Choices Forum in Harrisburg was held on Tuesday, November 29, 2011.  The program included the following presentations:

Introduction – EPLC’s PA School Choices Project
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Panel Discussion: Vision for School Choices in Pennsylvania
Senator Jeffrey Piccola, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Panel Discussion: Public School Choices in Pennsylvania
Marianne LeDonne, Director, Regional Choice Initiative, Beaver County Intermediate Unit
Brian Griffith, Director of Curriculum Services, Capital Area Intermediate Unit
Mark D. DiRocco, Superintendent, Lewisburg Area School District
Oscar Rossum, Sr., Past President and Co-Founder, Lincoln Charter School (York County) and CEO of Full Circle Inc. (Charter School Management Company)
Martin J. Hudacs, Superintendent, Solanco School District

Panel Discussion: What Parents Want to Know About School Choices in Pennsylvania?
Bonita Allen, Former Chair, Title I State Parent Advisory Council
Quibila Divine, Former Director, Parent and Family Engagement, The School District of Philadelphia; and President and Founder, The Educational Advocates Reaching Today’s Hardworking Students
Tara Purcell, Legislation and Advocacy Chair, Pennsylvania PTA
Annie Clark, Chairperson, Parent Advisory Committtee, Lincoln Charter School

2011 Pennsylvania Education Finance Symposium

The 2011 Pennsylvania Education Finance Symposium was held on Thursday, November 17, 2011.  The program included the following presentations:

“Promoting Student Achievement in Tough Budget Times” – Allan Odden, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, School of Education at University of Wisconsin; Co-Director, Consortium for Policy Research in Education at Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin; Co-Director at Strategic Management of Human Capital

Panel Discussion – “Effects of 2011-2012 State Budget”
Jim Buckheit, Executive Director, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Jim Estep, Superintendent, Mifflin County School District
Wayne McCullough, Director of Administrative Services, Southern York County School District

“A National Perspective: Education Finance in the States and the National Equity and Excellence Commission” – Michael Rebell, Professor and Executive Director of The Campaign for Educational Equity, at Teachers College, Columbia University

Legislative Panel: “Significant Education Funding Issues Looking Forward to the 2012-2013 State Budget”
Jeffrey Miller, Budget Analyst (R), House Appropriations Committee, Office of Representative Adolph
Debbie Reeves, Senior Budget Analyst (D), House Appropriations Committee, Office of

The 2011 Education Finance Symposium was supported by grants from William Penn Foundation, Falk Foundation, and the Fulfilling the Dream Fund.

2010 Pennsylvania Education Finance Symposium

Click here to view information about EPLC’s 2010 Education Finance Symposium

Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum

The Policy Forum Breakfast Series includes a Harrisburg-based Capital Breakfast Series, a Pittsburgh-based Western Pennsylvania Breakfast Series, and a Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Breakfast Series. These forums offer a valuable opportunity for an invited audience of state policymakers, educators, and other community leaders to hear from important speakers about significant education policy issues. Space is limited for each event and an RSVP is required. Anyone wishing to receive an invitation should inquire by calling The Education Policy and Leadership Center.
Click here for more information.