Exelon-fueled Grants to Improve Water Quality in the Manatawny

Photo provided

Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl announces the 2012 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant recipients on the Russell Guntz Farm, in Oley, on Thursday. Looking on are (l to r) PA House Rep. David Maloney, Exelon Generation representative Chris Gerdes, Delaware River Basin Commission Planner Jessica Sanchez, and farm owner Russel Guntz.

Blogger's note: The following was submitted by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

OLEY -- The Schuylkill River Heritage Area distributed over $200,000 in grants Thursday to nine projects that will improve water quality in the Schuylkill River and its tributaries.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grants were funded by Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station, the Philadelphia Water Department and Aqua PA, and administered by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA). 

Manatawny Creek at Memorial Park in Pottstown

The grant announcement took place at the Russell Guntz Farm, in Oley, a Restoration Fund recipient for a recently completed agricultural remediation project.

Speakers included Christopher Crockett, Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department; Kurt Zwikl Executive Director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area; Jessica Sanchez, River Basin Planner with the Delaware River Basin Commission; Chris Gerdes, representative of Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station; and state Rep. David Maloney, R-130th Dist.

Maloney presented certificates of recognition to property owner Russell Guntz and Berks County Conservancy Senior Ecologist Larry Lloyd for their work in significantly reducing the agricultural run-off from the Guntz dairy farm, located along Manatawny Creek.

Following the grant announcements, Guntz and Lloyd led a tour of the farm, highlighting the agricultural remediation projects. 

Among the projects completed as a result of the grant were: construction of a manure storage tank, a new roof over the barnyard, rain gutters, stream bank fencing and a stoned animal walkway. All the projects help prevent manure and other pollutants from washing into the Manatawny Creek, which is a tributary of the Schuylkill River.

This is the seventh year the grant program has been available. 

This year, money was distributed to five projects that will mitigate stormwater runoff and agricultural pollution. There are also four land transaction grants, totaling $4,000 each, to assist with costs associated with permanent protection of priority watershed parcels. (Please see 2012 Grant Awards list for recipients and project descriptions).

All the projects will benefit the entire watershed because they reduce the amount of pollution that enters creeks, and ultimately, the river, which is a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people.

“Over the past seven years, the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund has helped fund 30 projects, effectively reducing the amount of pollutants entering the river and its tributaries,” said Zwikl. “We are grateful to the unique partnerships that have formed to support this fund, which is helping us improve water quality throughout the watershed.”

This year, Exelon Generation contributed a total of $211,092 to the fund, while the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) donated $100,000. Aqua PA, a first time contributor, provided $2,500. All funds not distributed for 2012 projects will be rolled over into the 2013 grant round.

The Land Transaction Assistance Grants program, introduced last year, provides for matching grants of up to $4,000 per project. It will pay for costs associated with property purchases and conservation easements, in order to facilitate preservation of high priority lands for water quality and habitat protection. A total of $16,000 in land protection transaction grants were distributed to assist with protection of four properties.

Exelon has provided $1.6 million to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund since it was established in 2005. The annual fund began as part of a demonstration project for what is known as the water supply program at Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station. That program is under the purview of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).

For the past several years, the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) has been working to grow the program by seeking additional funders. This is the third year the Philadelphia Water Department has contributed, and the first year Aqua PA has donated, so that more projects can be undertaken. SAN continues to seek additional contributors in an effort to further expand the fund.

Zombies! Run! .... or, Zombie Run!

The Zombie Apocalypse is here!

No.

Wait.

Sorry.

It's the Zombie Fitness Test, which is a little less disconcerting.

It's all the brain-child of Rob Matthews, the proprietor of CrossFit on North Hanover Street in Pottstown.

(Notice how I got the brains in there? Clever huh? In case you didn't know the lore, zombies eat brains.....anyway...)

His first annual "Zombie Run" is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 3 and will be a 5K plus WOD or "workout of the day" stations.

See the poster below for details and RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ....

Shooting Yourself in the Foot?

So, um, this is not my usual kind of post.

But I received this e-mail in my in-box yesterday and it kind of astounded me, so I thought I would share it.

It's from a Washington, D.C. group called the American Life League, which, not surprisingly is an anti-abortion/pro-life group.

To be clear, this is not a post about policy or abortion -- two things on which I have been known to shoot my mouth off .

This is about logic.

Read the contents of the letter and then I'll explain my puzzlement:

Judie Brown, a pro-life activist is,
apparently, slamming the GOP for
abandoning Todd Akin.

Washington, DC – Responding to the controversy concerning Congressman Todd Akin's remarks on the right to life for all human beings from creation to natural death, Judie Brown, president of American Life League, issued the following statement:

It is astounding that the media has created such a circus over the awkward comments of Congressman Todd Akin on the subject of "legitimate rape."

While I am not quite sure what he meant to say, I can guess that he was attempting to define an actual criminal act in contrast to the rape claims sometimes attributed to dating experiences gone wrong, when the female in question changes her mind and decides she never said yes in the first place.

Regardless, that is not the point. Akin's position is that when a child is conceived as the result of a criminal sexual assault on a woman, the baby should not have to pay for the sins of his father by dying a violent death at the hands of an abortionist.

This is really not about Akin at all; it is about the red herring that pro-abortion forces have used for years to define genuine pro-life apologists as zealots, fanatics and unrealistic Pollyannas.

For my money, being squarely out in front in defense of preborn children is precisely the right place to be, whether your name is Akin, Ryan or Obama. This is not about political posturing; it is about truth. Preborn children are always and in every case worthy of our respect, no matter how they were created.

Personally, I am grateful that Akin brought the snakes out of their pit so that we can see clearly who they are and what their game is.Bring it on.

So setting aside the remarks about "when the female in question changes her mind" -- a right "the female in question" is apparently not allowed to exercise once she has said 'yes' -- I guess it was this last line, about snakes coming "out of their pit," that has me shaking my head.

For the rest of this statement, she is forcefully stating her position, which is fine, although I'm not in agreement with it.

But the e-mail came Wednesday.

So as the "largest grassroots Catholic pro-life education organization in the United States," as they define themselves on their web site, I can't believe that they don't know that nearly every Republican who has championed their cause for years has condemned Akin's remarks and they want him to drop out of the Missouri Senate race.

And she has to know that the Democrats are not in their corner on this issue.

So here's my question: Who is Judie Brown referring to when she says "snake comings out of their pit?"

Presuming she knows the Democratic platform on this subject, I am left to conclude Mrs. Brown (I doubt she is a "Ms.") is likening the Republicans who are shunning Akin, and who are her organization's single best opportunity to enact her pro-life agenda, to Satan.

Given it is a Catholic organization, I don't think I'm out of line in making an assumption that this is a biblical reference to the snake in the Garden of Eden. 

If I'm wrong, sorry, but the point is the same.

I mean it makes no difference to me, once way or the other, but why would you attack in such a public way, those most likely to give you what you want?

I did occur to me that she is that principled, in which case, my hat is off to Mrs. Brown for sticking to her guns in the most absolute fashion.

But it sure seems like an odd way for a lobbyist to behave...

A Marriage of Natural and Historic Preservation

Photo by Dulcie Flaharty

The Daniel Hiester house was built in 1757 and will be preserved as a result of this effort.

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by Dulcie Flaharty of Montgomery County Lands Trust about the successful completion of a long sought-after protection project.

Montgomery County Lands Trust has announced the permanent protection of the 78-acre Rogers-Hiester property, a long sought-after landscape in Upper Salford and Marlborough Townships that is rich in both natural and historical resources.

Photo by Dulcie Flaharty

Ridge Valley Creek, one of two high-quality streams preserved.

The property is the gateway to the Unami Forest, one of the largest remaining intact forests in southeastern Pennsylvania, and is home to the 1757 Georgian-style Daniel Hiester House.

Plans for the property include restoration of the historically significant structure, the creation of a 75-acre park, and the future development of hiking trails that will connect the property to other regional trails and open space.

The group’s $1.6 million purchase of the property followed a 30-month campaign to raise the needed funds. A wide variety of public and private donors contributed to the effort, including Charles and Maureen Rogers, whose family had owned the property since 1929.

Upon purchase, the land was transferred to Upper Salford Township, which will maintain it as a publicly accessible park. MCLT will hold a conservation easement on the property that ensures it will be forever protected from development.

“This is a capstone project for Montgomery County Lands Trust’s two decades of work in the region,” said Dulcie Flaharty, MCLT’s executive director. “During a time when funds for open space are scarce, we are grateful to have partners recognize the significance of this project, one that combines protection of both natural and cultural gems.”

The property is located off Route 63 just south of Sumneytown. Its visual prominence, natural resources, rich history, and potential access to public trails and parkland make Rogers-Hiester one of the most significant acquisition projects in Montgomery County.

Photo by Dulcie Flaharty

Many of the original features of the Daniel Hiester house remain
untouched by subsequent restorations, making it a 'high priority'
for restoration in Montgomery County.

The 78-acre property contains diabase geology, prime agricultural soils, and the confluence of Montgomery County's only two high-quality streams: Unami Creek and Ridge Valley Creek.

A large portion of the property consists of mature woodlands that are part of the Unami Forest, a notable section of the nationally recognized Pennsylvania Highlands.

The land is ideally situated to serve as the linchpin for future connection to both Montgomery County's 3,400-acre Green Lane Park and the 19-mile Perkiomen Trail just west of the property.

With 50,000 users monthly, the Perkiomen Trail connects with the Schuylkill River Trail, linking Philadelphia to Pottsville.

The wooded property is a picturesque setting for a 255-year-old brick manse, originally the residence of Daniel Hiester, noted patriot and statesman.

Because it was never remodeled, the house is in remarkable condition, retaining exceptional, unaltered period features. The prominence of this estate was so significant that it was noted on the first official map of Pennsylvania in 1759.

Photo by Geoff Patton

The stairway of the Heister house. 

The rare combination of natural and historic resources elevates Rogers-Hiester landscape to a status of unprecedented importance, not only regionally but statewide.

Montgomery County Lands Trust was attracted to the project, recognizing that it had ranked for three decades as “highest priority” by the Montgomery County Parks and Heritage Services Department but had not yet been protected.

Over the course of several years, Montgomery County Lands Trust worked with property owners Charles and Maureen Rogers to develop a preservation strategy, which was complicated by the necessity of finding funding to protect both the land and the structures.

Funding partners brought substantial resources to the project, including: $678,000 from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, $342,000 from Montgomery County’s Green Fields/Green Towns Open Space Program, $150,000 from the Open Space Institute, $20,000 from Upper Salford Township, and more than $60,000 in community support rallied by Montgomery County Lands Trust.

Photo by Dulcie Flaharty

Another view of the Hiester House. It was included on the very first
Colonial map of Pennsylvania.

“This property was a 'Critical Habitat' acquisition,” said Carolyn Wallis, natural resource program supervisor for DCNR. “The land has the highest conservation value in the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape. Two high-quality streams run through it, the diabase geology supports rare and unusual plants, and it is within the Unami Forest Important Bird Area as identified by the National Audubon Society. In other words, it is an exceptional place that needed desperately to be preserved.”

Photo by Dulcie Flaharty

In addition to Valley and Unami creek's the deal preserves a 'critical habitat in the Schuylkill Highlands.

As a nonprofit conservancy, Montgomery County Lands Trust works to preserve and connect the natural areas, farmland, and neighborhood green spaces which contribute to the quality of life, to a clean and abundant water supply, and to the health of the region’s economy.

Below is a video about the Hiester House made by Brian Bingaman of The Mercury's sister paper, The Reporter. (If the embed code did not work, click here to see the video.)

Living and Dying By the Test

Pottstown High School

Pottstown High School's inclusion on the state's list of "under achieving" schools is certainly nothing to ignore, but it's also something that requires a little more understanding than simply acknowledging its presence on the list, Superintendent Reed Lindley explained to the school board Thursday night.

In other words, what does the school's presence on the list say about the school?

In measuring school performance in Pennsylvania, the line everyone wants to cross is called AYP.

This stands for Adequate Yearly Progress and it is the measure of success set up in the federal No Child Left Behind law enacted during the presidency of George W. Bush.

In Pennsylvania, scores on the PSSA test, or Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, are used to measure AYP, a definition of success which requires higher score each year in order to meet the goal.

In addition to the school's overall scores, sub-groups of low-income and minority students also must meet these goals in order for the school to be considered to be making AYP.

While Pottstown High School' math scores did not meet the bar on the PSSA test conducted in 2010, which is the basis for the school's inclusion on the list, it does not mean student scores are not improving, Lindley said.


Equally as important to whether the students are earning "advanced" or "proficient" ratings on the PSSA, Lindley said, is whether Pottstown student are making progress -- whether their scores are improving from one year to the next.

According to information he presented to the board Thursday -- they are.

He noted that despite falling short of the math mark, Pottstown's PSSA scores would have crossed the line into "achievement" territory with the difference of "just a few students' scores."

Lindley then presented a series of charts with each PSSA "data point" mapped in relation to the PSSA score which determines AYP, shown in this chart as the horizontal line, and the expected improvement from previous year's scores, represented by the vertical line.

The "expected improvement" is measured by the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment Score, or PVAAS.

This chart, which shows state-wide test results of
students the same age as the Pottstown students
taking the PSSA, shows scores in all  four quadrants.

As the chart shows, in the top left corner, it is possible to be a "high-achieving" school but still have your scores not improving, or even getting worse.

That is not the case in Pottstown, Lindley said.

In Pottstown, the scores show students making progress, or to the right of the "growth index" line, but falling short of the PSSA achievement bar, or the horizontal line.

In other words, Lindley said, while PSSA scores are certainly useful in helping to paint the assessment picture of how any district or school is doing, "they don't tell the whole story."

For example, part of the story not told by looking only at PSSA scores is the fact that Pottstown's career and technical students currently have a 100 percent graduation rate, Lindley said.

This chart shows test results for Montgomery County
students the same age as the Pottstown students taking
the PSSA. It shows most making AYP, but many with
little improvement, even among those passing.

As The Mercury reported earlier this month, Lindley  also pointed out when compared to other career and technical students statewide, Pottstown's scores are between 15 percent and 20 percent higher than their peers statewide.

"The PSSA is not the only definition of quality," Lindley said.

"Yes, it's correct to say we did not score well on math in that year, but what it doesn't say is we have students who are scoring exceedingly well and going on to do great things," Lindley said.

"We know that it was our math scores that got us in trouble, and we were already moving aggressively to address that before" the high school was put on the list, Lindley said.


But despite those efforts, its possible Pottstown High School will be off the "under achieving" list next year, before those efforts get a chance to be tested in the PSSA arena.

"That is the dot that got us in trouble," Lindley told the
School board when he showed this graph, which
illustrates that Pottstown's scores are improving more
than expected given its demographics, but not enough
to make Adequate Yearly Progress on the PSSA.

"We already know we did better in the next year" on the PSSA tests Lindley told the school board.


The test itself, Lindley said, "was never designed to compare schools. I remember quite clearly when they announced the test, and they said it would never be used to compare schools, but instead to give teachers the information they needed to help students."

"And now, look where we are today, using it to compare schools," Lindley said.

Lindley said he is not arguing that educators should not be held accountable; quite the opposite. But Lindley said he would like that accountability to be based on an accurate assessment of educational success.

"And that is a fault of educators, that we have not come up with an assessment method that we can all agree is a fair measure of success," he said.

Franklin Elementary School teacher Lindi Vollmuth also reminded the board that several years ago, the district conducted a study of its PSSA scores and tracked students who had been part of the Pottstown School for their entire school career "and they did very well on these tests."

However, she said, because of Pottstown's high transient rate -- students who enter or leave the district in any given year -- "we are held accountable for gaps in their learning that may have occurred elsewhere," Vollmuth said.

Lindley noted that this year, students will take the state "Keystone Exams" in math and science. "It's an end of course exam, this year it's in biology, but it will be given to students who took biology last year. So the students who took biology last (school) year, will take the final this year. I don't know about you, but I think I would have forgotten some things" from the last day of school in June to taking the test in September.

"I can see why there is such a focus on being ready for exams," said board member Andrew Kefer. "I wish there was a better way to measure, but like Winston Churchill said about Democracy, it's the worse form except for all the other forms we've tried."

Turning to the Dark Side

The PA Outdoor Lighting Council wants to limit light pollution in the Hopewell Big Woods.

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by Stan Stubbe on behalf of the PA Outdoor Lighting Council.

Is there anything that can be done to control the ever increasing light pollution in the Hopewell Big Woods?  

 Plenty, says the PA Outdoor Lighting Council, and to that end they hope to protect the area as Pennsylvania's first "Night Skies Conservation Area."  

The night sky within the 110 square mile Hopewell Big Woods, which includes French Creek State Park and Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, used to be dark enough for viewing of the stars and Milky Way. 

Increased development, and number of shopping centers and other overly lit venues has added a glow to the sky that denies plants and animals the natural darkness they need each night.  The unwanted glare from floodlights on homes robs neighbors of a restful night of sleep.  

The aim of the Night Skies Conservation Area designation, as stated by POLC member Stan Stubbe, "is to support the preservation aims within the 73,000-acre Hopewell Big Wood's.  Outdoor lighting that is excessive, improperly aimed, unshielded or on when not needed is bad for the environment, bad for our wallets, bad for our neighbors, and spoils the natural beauty of Pennsylvania's night sky." he said. 

Using the Night-Skies Conservation Area designation as the theme, the POLC plans to inform homeowners, businesses and municipal officials about the ill effects of light pollution and to provide solutions on how it can be reduced or prevented.   

The Hopewell Big Woods Partnership is administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Natural Lands Trust.  

According to Dr. Jim Thorne, Coordinator of the Partnership, "the aim of the project is to have the area preserved and protected from further uncontrolled development. It encompasses the last large, unbroken forest left in southeastern Pennsylvania and one of the most important natural areas in the region. The area is an exceptional resource with hundreds of plant and bird species, pristine forest, unique wetlands and clean streams providing open space, drinking water, and unique scenic, cultural and natural resources.  It is greatly valued as an asset for public recreation."  

Eric Brown, Manager of French Creek State Park and Marsh Creek State Park, has expressed his enthusiasm in supporting the effort to control light pollution within the Parks. 

Just two weeks ago, Hopewell Furnace hosted Starfest

Lisa Miller, instructor at the Park, is taking steps to increase awareness of campers and visitors by holding night walks to point out the beauty of the star-filled sky and to explain the ill-effects of light pollution on the environment. 

According to Edie Sheehan Hammond, Superintendent of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, "We take our role to control light pollution within the park very seriously. Our outdoor lights are shielded and on only when needed. In the Visitor Center we have available for purchase special shields for floodlights that make them neighbor and dark-sky friendly.  In support of amateur astronomers, we host Chesmont Astronomical Society's StarFest and other stargazing events."  

Crow's Nest Preserve, a 612 acre land set-aside within Hopewell Big Woods and owned and maintained by Natural Lands Trust, adheres to the principles of good lighting. 

Dan Barringer, Preserve Manager, observed that their outdoor lighting throughout the Preserve uses energy-efficient LED shielded sources that  is motion-sensor controlled so on only when needed. 

Of the nine municipalities within Hopewell Big Woods -- East Vincent, East Nantmeal, North Coventry, South Coventry, Union, Robeson, Warwick, West Vincent, and West Nantmeal -- eight have effective outdoor lighting ordinances and they enforce them, especially when developers of commercial establishments propose to use bad lighting practices.  

The following legislators who represent the municipalities and residents within Hopewell Big Woods have provided letters in support of the movement to bring light pollution under control:  U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist., State Senators John Rafferty, Jr. and Andy Dinniman, and State Representatives Curt Schroder and Mark Gillen.  

The PA Outdoor Lighting Council is a volunteer non-profit organization whose aim is to protect the environment, the night sky and neighbors from abusive and wasteful outdoor lighting. 

Visit the POLC website at www.polcouncil.org. 

For additional information contact Stan Stubbe, 610 972-9803 or polcouncil@gmail.com

Double-Dips and Double Standards, the Farce that is School 'Competition' in Pennsylvania

I have to hand it to the newspapers in Pittsburgh.

They are really doing some excellent reporting on the difference between the two kinds of public schools in Pennsylvania -- the kind you and I attended and charter schools.

This first came to my intention through daily e-mails I must have signed up for somewhere along the way. They come from Lawrence Feinberg on behalf of the Keystone State Education Coalition and are a round-up of the day's coverage of education issues in Pennsylvania.

Their links are archived here.

The first article that caught my eye was in the July 13 edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and was coverage of a really dry subject that adds up to big public dollars.

Here are the first two paragraphs:

"Pennsylvania charter schools are reaping a multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-funded bonus on pension reimbursements at the expense of public school districts, a coalition of school groups contends.

The associations, representing urban and rural schools, school boards, business managers and administrators, say the state’s calculation for the tuition that districts must pay for charter school students requires them to pay double the amount they should for employee pensions."

Public schools and charter schools alike both pay 50 percent of their state-sponsored pension costs, and the state pays the other 50 percent.

"But in addition, school districts must include the state and the local pension payments in their calculations for charter school tuition, a formula that theoretically provides charter schools with 150 percent of pension costs," reporter Debra Erdley wrote.

This is just one way that obscure funding formulas and non-existent oversight make for a skewed playing field in the "competition" between traditional public schools and charters -- particularly cyber-charter schools which receive the same "per student" tuition from school districts as regular charters which, like public schools, have buildings, heat, electricity, water and sewer and, usually, higher personnel costs to cover.

Not to be outdone by its cross-town rival, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has been doing some digging as well.

In addition to detailed coverage of the FBI investigation into entities with ties to Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, the state's largest cyber charter operation, reporter Eleanor Chute filed this Aug. 12 objective report about the different rules that govern the two types of public schools.

The most recent and most blatant of these is the latest state requirement that student performance make up at least one-half the measurement for evaluating teacher performance.

That requirement, however, does not apply to charter schools where, by what I'm sure is pure coincidence, most teachers are not unionized.

Ira Weiss

Ira Weiss, solicitor for Pittsburgh Public Schools, told Chute he believes the current exemptions are so significant that it's like having two basketball teams, one with eight players and the other with 11.

"Everybody likes to talk about competition. Competition really means playing by the same rules," Mr. Weiss said.

"Various charter school proposals -- such as exclusion of charter school vendors from the state Right to Know Law, a commission to study funding and financial report requirements -- were debated up until the last minute when the state budget was passed in June and may surface again for debate next month," according to the Post-Gazette.

Exclusion from the state's Right to Know law is particularly worrisome and counter-intuitive to the cry for "accountability" from Harrisburg. Already given minimal oversight by the school districts which authorize them, charter schools of either type are spending public money to educate our students. Don't we have a right to know how that money is being spent?

Certainly the FBI investigation of Pennsylvania Charter's links suggests a close eye is needed, despite the efforts of some of the major players in the field.

Gov. Corbett with one of his most effective fund-raisers,
Vahan Gureghian, who also just happens to operate the state's
largest charter school and may try to open one in Pottstown.

One of Corbett's largest fundraisers, Vahan Gureghian, runs the state's largest brick and mortar charter school and has made overtures to open an operation in Pottstown.

Gureghian's Chester Community Charter School recently lost a years' long court battle with The Philadelphia Inquirer in which it fought a Right-To-Know request for salaries in the operation.

It should come as no surprise to Pennsylvanians that Tom Corbett's administration is friendly to charters. He has made no secret of it.

Pennsylvania's Budget Secretary, Charles Zogby served the commonwealth as the Secretary of Education under Governors Ridge and Schweiker from 2001 to 2003, and as the Director of Governor Ridge's Policy Office from 1995 to 2001.

Budget Secretary Charles Zogby was previously
a K12 Inc. executive.

But most recently, prior to his nomination, Zogby, served as the Senior Vice President of Education and Policy for K12 Inc, an online school curriculum developer and provider with ties to Pennsylvania Cyber Charter.

For those of a cynical nature, it's worth noting that the finances at K12 Inc. have raised a few eyebrows at the Post-Gazette as well.

The foxes truly are watching the hen house.

And, as an added bonus, researchers at National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado recently reported that only 27.7 percent of K12 schools in the study met standards for adequate yearly progress, known as AYP, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act in 2010-11.

Again, this thanks to the Post-Gazette, the researchers said K12's scores were nearly identical to other full-time virtual schools operated by private education management organizations but below the estimated 52 percent of public schools as a whole making AYP that year.

So some virtual charter schools are falling away behind in AYP.

Surely, they too are on an "under-achieveing schools" list like the one to which Pottstown High School was just named.

Yes?

Anyone?

Nope.

In fact, as I understand the "voucher lite" program we've been writing about this month in The Mercury, a parent wanting to "save" their children from the failures at Pottstown High School could get a scholarship to send them to one of K12's schools, which are failing as badly or worse than Pottstown High School.

But given the absence of a similar state list for charter schools which are, you know, public schools too, how would a parent know this?

Why is this important? 

Statewide, charter school enrollment increased from 67,100 in 2007-08 to 105,000 in 2011-12. That enrollment jump is coupled with the elimination of $130 million in state reimbursements to districts for charter school costs, and pension costs that are expected to triple to $3.67 billion by 2015, the Trib reported.

 As as the state slices more and more out of public school funding, more and more of those schools are being declared "failed." Then state rules require local taxpayers to send more and more of their money to charter schools to handle more and more enrollment as the result of parents who understandably don't want their children going to "failing" schools.

Problem is, the rules that declare traditional public schools  as "failing" don't apply to the charters parents are sending their children to, which may be just as bad. You just don't know it because the people writing the rules, are people who have gained or stand to gain financially from increased charter school enrollment.

That's the American we live in today.

As more and more of our tax money gets funneled to charter schools, we need to know more about them, not less. And if they are to be held up as alternatives to traditional public schools, let's hold them to the same standards and rules as those public schools so apples can be compared to apples.

But cynics might argue this will never happen because too many important people are champions of this unfair contest not just for philosophical reasons, but for financial reasons.

Here are a few of the statistics the state likely will not go out of its way to tell you about those school alternatives to which we're supposed to be sending our children to save them from the "failures" like those at Pottstown High School They are courtesy of the Keystone State Education Coalition:

• 2 of 12 -- Of 12 PA cyber charters only two made AYP for 2011, while eight were in corrective action status under No Child Left Behind and seven have never made AYP.
• 18 -- Philadelphia charter schools are reportedly under federal investigation. Several charters have involvement of legislators, family members and staffers.
• 100%.-- The 2011 Stanford/CREDO study found that in 100 percent of Pennsylvania cyber charters, students performed “significantly worse” in math and reading than students at traditional public schools.
• $1,000 -- What it reportedly costs a home schooled student’s parents for online curriculum through a cyber charter school.
• $9,000 -- What a representative school district is required to pay in tuition to a cyber charter for each regular education student. 
• $0 -- What it would cost Pottstown taxpayers in borrowing to refurbish its elementary schools if not for the $1 million annual tuition paid to cyber charter schools. (That one courtesy of Superintendent Reed Lindley.)
• $86 million -- taxpayer dollars. The PA Auditor General’s Office reported that taxpayers and school districts could have saved approximately $86 million in 2009-2010 if cybers received funding based on what they spent per student. Despite this and the fact that most cybers have never made AYP, the State’s response was to authorize seven more new cyber schools for 2012-2013. 
• $384,000 -- in campaign contributions to Governor Corbett reported by Vahan Gureghian, whose management company runs the state’s largest brick and mortar charter school and has eyed Pottstown as possible location for another.
• $1,320,653.69 -- Pennsylvania political contributions reported by Vahan Gureghian from 1/1/2007 through 5/31/11. Mr. Gureghian has been a strong proponent of legislation making it easier for new charter schools to be authorized by the state without the involvement of local school districts, who would still have to pay the bills. He has also filed and lost a lawsuit to keep his operation from being subject to the Right to Know Law. Public money for his schools, but no public oversight please.



"Follow the money" -- Deep Throat

• $5 million -- taxpayer dollars: last year’s bonus to K-12 Inc.’s CEO Ron Packard. K-12’s Agora cyber charter has never made AYP. Prior to his appointment as PA Budget Secretary, Charles Zogby was a K-12 executive.

So it turns out, that excellent advice "Deep Thorat" gave all those years ago in a dark Washington, D.C. parking garage to Bob Woodward still holds true -- Follow the money.

That's what the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette did.

Have look below and you'll see what they did -- if you can follow it.