Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum
The Policy Forum Series includes a Harrisburg-based Capital Series, a Pittsburgh-based Western Pennsylvania Series, a Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Series, and occasional events in State College. 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.
Click here for information about past EPLC Education Policy Forums.
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
EPLC’s Pennsylvania Education Policy Forum Series receives general support from:
Benedum Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
AFT Pennsylvania
OnHand Schools
Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators Pennsylvania Association of Federal Program Coordinators
Pennsylvania Association of Pupil Services Administrators
Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators
Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials
Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Pennsylvania State Education Association
School Choices Forum in State College
EPLC’s School Choices Forum in State College was held on Wednesday, April 4, 2012. The program included the following presentations.
Introduction – EPLC’s PA School Choices Project
Ron Cowell, President, The Education Policy and Leadership Center
Panel: Vision for School Choices in Pennsylvania
Erica Frankenberg, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Education Policy Studies, College of
Education, Penn State University
Panel: Public School Choices in Pennsylvania
Richard Daubert, Executive Director, Tuscarora Intermediate Unit
Mark D. DiRocco, Superintendent, Lewisburg Area School District
Bob O’Donnell, Superintendent, State College Area School District
Jennifer Donohue, Education Director, Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools
Panel: 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
Nina Jenkins, Parent, Nittany Valley Charter School
School Choices Forum in Pittsburgh
EPLC’s School Choices Forum in Pittsburgh was held on Tuesday, February 1, 2012. The program included the following presentations:
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
10:30 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
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
EPLC’s School Choices Forum in Harrisburg
EPLC’s 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
