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Running the School Funding Numbers in the State Budget (Or, I Hope You Like Charts)

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Michael Stoll is not particularly happy with me.

Stoll is the communications director for the House Appropriations Committee and he contacted me last week to express his displeasure with The Mercury's story analyzing the House of Representatives budget, and how it affected local districts, which first ran on our web site on June 13.

"Your story and the headline are incredibly misleading and fails to accurately explain how school funding is distributed to school districts," he wrote in a June 14 e-mail to me after the story appeared in print.


The print headline read "$28.3B House budget stiffs poorer school districts in Pa."

The story ran with this spread sheet I put together with information released every year by the House Appropriations Committee.


As you can see, the largest increase in total dollars, as well as the largest percentage increase, went to the Perkiomen Valley School District, not exactly a poor district, but also twice the student population of Pottstown or Pottsgrove. 


The smallest increase, again by dollars and percentage, went to Upper Perkiomen, followed by Pottstown in a close second.

I have conducted this analysis over the past several years as a way to localize the state budget's impact on the school districts we cover. 

But, quite understandably, Stoll has a different job and he has a Harrisburg perspective on these things. 

I imagine he sees things from the standpoint of who gets the largest share of the state budget pie on a more state-wide scale.

We, on the other hand, look at things from the standpoint of how much does the budget provide to the school districts we cover? Which of those got the most/least? How does that compare to last year?

But Stoll raised an excellent point.

"As you see in the attachment, Pottstown gets the largest per-student amount of any Montco school (Aside from Bryn-Athyn and their 7 students) and receives the largest percentage of their total funding from the state," Stoll wrote in his e-mail to me.


This is the attachment that he is referring to:


The figures he is pointing to are the $4,647 per student figure and line that shows Pottstown gets 33.6 percent of its revenue from the state under the budget passed by the House.

Two other local districts, Upper Perkiomen at 33.3 percent and Pottsgrove at 26.7 percent, come in right behind Pottstown.

(We will ignore, for the sake of brevity, the fact that the state once funded 50 percent of most school budgets, because that will further complicate an already complicated discussion.)

The other districts, as the chart above shows, must raise much more of their revenue from local sources, which means mostly property taxes.

"As I am sure you know, school funding is driven out by a funding formula that takes into account a district’s wealth and their ability to raise money locally. This formula delivers a larger amount of state funds to poorer school districts," Stoll wrote.

I had believed this to be true under Gov. Rendell, a change which came about as the result of the "costing out study," which looked at how much successful school districts spend per student, and trying to apportion state funding along the same lines.

The Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign, described it like this: the study "was to determine what it costs for all of our students -- no matter where they live -- to attain state academic standards. The study of equity was to address the growing gap between high- and low-spending districts."

To no one's surprise, the study, completed in December 2007, "concluded that Pennsylvania was under-funding K-12 education by more than $4 billion and that the system then in place relied too heavily on local property taxes."

The result of the change in formula was that Pottstown began getting a larger share of funding, funding which was applied largely to early education efforts and which bore fruit with higher test scores in the elementary grades, all of which made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2009.

However when Gov. Corbett took office, through no fault of his own he inherited a budget that had plugged a very large revenue hole drive by the financial crisis with about $700 million in federal stimulus funding, a gap that had to be closed. 

No one envied him that task.

But his solution was a little ham-handed. He proposed to "level-fund" schools with the same amount of state money spent the year before.

This solution had the Harrisburg view, not the local view. Because locally, it was anything but "level."

As we reported in May, 2011, Corbett’s initial budget proposal, when analyzed by Good Schools Pennsylvania, "showed each Pottstown School District student will get $609 less in state funding under the plan. Each classroom in the district will lose more than $15,000 in state funding."

"At the other end of the spectrum, each Lower Merion student will lose only $83.81 — or $2,095 per classroom — under Corbett’s plan," we reported in 2011.

That may have been because, as Stoll has pointed out, Pottstown was getting more state funding per student to begin with, but it sure didn't seem like "level-funding" to local school officials scrambling to balance budgets.

Ultimately, the impact that year was less severe than Corbett had first proposed, but Pottstown and other districts still had to cut a number of teaching and administrative positions and toyed with shutting down music and art programs as a way to close its budget gap.

I had the impression that the 2011 budget did away with the funding formula that steered more money, proportionally, to lower-income districts.

But Stoll tells me that is not the case and I have no reason to doubt him.

After all, as a staffer in the House Appropriations Committee, he is surely in a better position to know than I am. 

However, it is hard to square with information I put together in this chart for a story last year on Corbett's budget proposal.



I suppose the difference must be between what Corbett initially proposes, and what the General Assembly finally adopts. 

But even that possibility is undermined by how things shook out locally last year after all the dust had settled:





I think I may be forgiven, after several years of such budget analysis, to have been under the impression that the trend of less school funding for poorer schools was accurate.

Nevertheless, in the battle between what I believed and what the facts are, the facts should win. Trouble is, depending on which set of numbers you use, the fact seems to be mutable.

In a June 17 email, Stoll put it this way:
I understand how the percentages you cite in your story may lead you to think one thing, but as you can see when you look at the details behind the simple percentages, it is a much different story than you portray in your story. “Poorer school districts” clearly receive the lion’s share of state funding. By only talking percentages as you do in your story, you ignore two very important facts — the number of students in the district and the amount of total revenue the districts receives from the state. When you only talk percentage you are ignoring that “poorer districts” receive more of their total revenue from the state.

That is one another thing Stoll and I agreed upon;  that truly the most accurate way to measure state aid is on a "per-student" basis. Ultimately, what reaches each student is what is supposed to make the difference and provide that "level playing field" we all crave for our kids.

I complained that "per-student" information had rarely been provided to us through any state mechanism, and he replied all we had to do was ask. 

Which I did.

This brings us to the next chart (yes, another one), and the second point of discussion between Stoll and myself.

If it is true that poorer school district are getting more state aid than richer districts overall, it sure seems like the increases are tipping in favor of the richer districts.

I made the point to Stoll that the point of the most recent story was in fact to compare increases; and the information we had seen over the past several years suggesting the largest increases were going to richer districts. 

Once we agreed that funding on a per-student" basis is the fairest comparison, surely a comparison of local state aid on a per-student basis would dispel this belief on my part.

So I ran the numbers Stoll sent and put together this chart and I came away feeling undispelled.









Certainly, it does not show the broad disparities that the previous numbers show, although there is a $60 per-student difference from the lowest per-student increase (Phoenixville) and the largest (Daniel Boone).

But notice that Perkiomen Valley's increase per student is only $1 less per student than Pottsgrove's, another struggling district, and only $7 per student less than Pottstown's.

And when you look at the percentage of the increase per student under the House budget plan, notice that again, Upper Perkiomen and Pottstown share the lowest increases.

So color me unconvinced on that score.

Of course (for all of you have read this far without falling asleep, or gone chart-blind) all of this is moot to a large extent.

Corbett's budget proposal is not the final budget.

The House's budget proposal is not the final budget.

Not until the Senate passes a budget, it gets reconciled with the House plan and Gov. Corbett signs it do we get to argue about who got what. 

Up until then, it's all rhetoric.

Even more sobering is that fact that all a final budget truly resolves in these debates is where you point the finger.

The bigger question about the success of an education funding regimen is the final product; what kind of students are we turning out? 

Are we doing all we can to ensure they prepared for the world they will inherit? 

I haven't found a chart yet which answers that question.








15 Years of Service, Tradition

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Photo by John Armato

Pottstown Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana, in tan jacket at right, reads the resolution recognizing Pottstown High School's Air Force Junior ROTC program as a distinguished unit.





Blogger's Note: I have a confession to make dear readers. I was at this school board meeting and had an iPhone camera and took some photos. But John Armato's are better, so I'm using his. At least he didn't take video, so I can contribute that...

Pottstown High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) recently received the 2012-2013 Distinguished Unit Award.

The award recognizes Air Force Junior ROTC units that have performed above and beyond normal expectations and that have distinguished themselves throughout outstanding service to their school and community while meeting the Air Force Junior ROTC Mission of producing better citizens for America. 

This award which goes to only the top performing units of the over 900 units based throughout the United States is not a first for Pottstown High School.
Photo by John Armato

Unit 951 Commander Col. Jake Porter, left, accepts a 
certificate of recognition from Superintendent Jeff Sparagana.

The cadets of Pottstown High School Unit PA951 have earned this recognition 15 years in a row.

Col. Jake Porter said, “I am extremely proud of our 121 cadets for distinguishing themselves as outstanding citizens and cadets. 

"I knew when I first arrived in Pottstown that the unit had a longstanding tradition of excellence and I am proud to be able to be part of that continued commitment to building better citizens for America,” he said.

Recently, the unit was honored at a School Board meeting where Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Sparagana said, “Our entire school community is proud of the efforts of our ROTC unit. Our cadets have distinguished themselves as leaders and role models for their fellow classmates.”

Here is some video of Sparagana reading the resolution:


“The objectives of the Junior ROTC Program are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills; promote community service; instill responsibility, character, and self-discipline through character education; and to provide instruction in air and space fundamentals,” said Sgt. Alex Bolar. 

Enrollment in the program is open to male and female students in Grades 9 – 12.

School Board President Judyth Zahora listed a few of the many activities in which this year’s unit has participated. 

They included providing support and Honor Guard presentations at the Pottstown Airport Community Day and Carousel of Flavors; presentation of colors at all home football games; flag folding ceremony for the Daughters of the American Revolution; support services for the YMCA Halloween Safe House; participation in the Edgewood Elementary Veterans’ Day program; support for the hometown Holiday Christmas events; assisting the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority in beautification of the High Street area; presentation of colors at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic State Football Championships; support services for the 2013 Swing Dance Program; participation in the National Make A Difference Day program; and most recently cleanup of the Manatawny Park Vietnam Veterans Memorial site.

The honor guard leaving the meeting:


Between the Pages

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If you're looking for an inexpensive way to keep your child engaged this summer, then the Pottstown Regional Public Library is your one-stop location.

We're a little late in bringing you news of the summer programs at the library.

For the younger set, the library's summer reading program, Dig Into Reading, began last week. It is open for younger children from toddlers to middle school age and there are prizes to be earned, although registration is required.

For a full listing of youth programs, click here.

Performances (for all ages) take place on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. and each other day of the week has special events planned.

  • Marvelous Mondays has events at 10:30 a.m. ages 3 and older; 
  • Tales on Tuesdays has events for all ages at 6:30 p.m.;
  • Thunder Thursdays features events for ages 10 to 17 at 4 p.m.;
  • Double Fun Fridays for all ages has events at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.;
  • Super Duper Silly Saturdays has events for all ages at 11 a.m.
A Popcorn Slumber Part is scheduled for July 18 at 11 a.m., bring your P.J.s and an appetite.

An appetite would also help on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when Lunch at the Library offers a free lunch at 12 noon for ages 18 and younger.

And on July 2, July 30 and Aug. 13, the library will hold Brown Bag Book Talks for ages 6-12. Those who sign-up for the event, sponsored by the Soroptimist Club, will receive a free copy of the books and be invited to return with a packed lunch from 12 to 1 p.m.

The books are "The Case of the Green Guinea Pig;" "The Twits", by Roald Dahl and "The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story."

An end of summer bash for those who earn their reading certificate by Aug. 1 will be held on Aug. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.

For teens, several programs are set up along with the reading program, called "Beneath the Surface, and  prizes for participating include McDonald's food, Rita's water ice and even a Kindle Fire.

Open to ages 12 to 19, teens can sign up at the library; Facebook.com/prplibrary or ppl.mclinc.org.

Programs include:
  • Monday Night Madness at 6:30 p.m. with silhouette art, life-sized Clue and more;
  • Whatever Wednesday at 6 p.m. for ages 12 to 17 with foam rockets, and movie night or winking origami;
  • Slammin' Saturdays are at 11 a.m. for ages 10 to 17 on June 29, July 13, July 27 and Aug. 10;
  • ill Style and Peace, a hip-hop dance group, will be at the library on July 17 at 10:30 a.m.;
  • Kawaii Creatures, for ages 12 to 17, will be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 13.
  • Cave Council: on June 26 and July 10 at 5 p.m., is open for teens ages 12 to 17, where students are invited to offer input on what they want to see in the library.
The teens' "end of summer bash," will be held on Aug. 8 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Click here for a full listing of teen events for the summer.

This seems like as good a place as any to provide some information out of the Pottstown Regional Public Library's annual report, delivered recently to Pottstown Borough Council by library board member Arthur Green.

In 2012, the library had 79,848 cataloged items; had a circulation of 113,531, split almost evenly between adults and children.

It was visited 103,222 times and hosted 499 programs, attended by 9,916 people; answered 23,371 reference questions and saw its computers used 40,411 times.

All of this is accomplished on a budget of $527,397.

Revenue sources are as follows:
  • State: $109,422; (21%)
  • Pottstown: $163.500 (31%)
  • Lower Pottsgrove: $62,125 (12%)
  • Upper Pottsgrove: $27,500 (8%)
  • West Pottsgrove: $20,000 (4%)
  • Fundraising: $71,541 (13%)
  • Library generated: $73,308 (14%)
Expenses are straightforward:
  • Personnel: $348,559 (72%)
  • Collection: $73,151 (15%)
  • Other: $130,973 (13%)

The Clean-Up Meeting Electronicized

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Photo (such as it is) by Evan Brandt
The planning meeting at the Ricketts Community Center Tuesday night. (Notice the woman sitting at the far left with the notebook? That's Cat Coyle, our intern. She will be writing the real story for the newspaper.)

So as some of you no doubt have noticed, one of our charges as avatars of Digital First Media, is to familiarize ourselves with all the gizmos and gadgets the kids use these days.

One of them is Twitter.

Yes, I have a Twitter account and you can "follow me" (a term that continues to creep me out) @PottstownNews.

I mostly re-tweet the tweets of others (hard to think of a sillier sentence), and links to my own stories in The Mercury.

But lately, my co-worker Frank Otto (@fottojourno) has been "live tweeting" from his meetings.

So, in a fit of envy and old-guy panic, I have begun doing the same.

Last night, I joined the dozen or so residents at the Ricketts Community Center to hear their input for an event being planned for October called "PottstownCares."

And, although it was conceived of as a kind of clean-up event, last night's meeting suggests it may soon grow into something more substantial.

However, I will not be writing a story for The Mercury, or writing one here.

That task will be undertaken by our most excellent intern, Cat Coyle, a Boyertown Area Senior High School   graduate now attending West Chester University.

(We are working diligently to persuade her against a career in newspaper journalism. There's no future in it.)

Nevertheless, you can't intern at The Mercury and NOT cover a meeting and write a story from said meeting. So we decided she would cover this one and write it up.

Look for the story in a couple days. (Hey she makes her REAL money as a lifeguard, so give her a break for goodness sake.)

I, on the other hand, set a different goal.

I "live-tweeted" the meeting. That means sending out 140-character messages in real time as the gripping events of the meeting unfold.

Live-tweeting is probably best-suited for spontaneous citizen uprisings in Turkey. That's exciting.

If you've ever watched grass grow, then you know how exciting "live-tweeting" from a school board or community meeting is. But that makes it no less important.

Having mastered live-tweeting on my nifty new iPhone (thanks Digital First Media), I now present to you the next demonstration of my digital expertise.

There is a program out there in the cyber-maelstrom called "Storify," that allows you to collect these tweets (as well as posts from Facebook and, no doubt, pins from Pintrest and Tumbles from Tumblr) and string them together into a story (of sorts).

Personally, I think it sounds like a Harry Potter spell and I surreptitiously wave my wand and whisper "storify" whenever I put one of these together.

For the record, this is only the second one I've done.

Anyway, I present here the totally un-dramatic storified tweets of the #PottstownCares meeting.

(You will no doubt want to tell your grandchildren of this day...)





Canal Days Cometh

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Blogger's Note:This notification just in from the good folks at the Schuylkill Canal Association.

Anyone looking for something fun to do this summer should mark their calendars for June 30th, the date of this year’s Canal Day celebration/fundraiser, hosted by the Schuylkill Canal Association (SCA). 

Young and old alike will find countless activities and events planned from morning to late afternoon, and food vendors make sure no one goes hungry, so plan to spend the day!



Visit Lock 60 and St. Michael’s Park in Mont Clare, Pa. for the SCA’s 31st Canal Day on Sunday, June 30, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Canal Day is the SCA’s biggest annual fundraiser, and the money raised goes toward our operating budget as we continue our stewardship of the Schuylkill Canal Park. Thanks to the help of numerous dedicated volunteers and sponsors, this event is now in its 31st year, and continues to be a success.


All are welcome to come out and enjoy a day of family-oriented fun along the Schuylkill Canal. 

The day is packed with exciting activities such as storytellers, kids yoga, games and crafts, a horseshoe tournament, the Schuylkill River Trail Run/Denny Porrini Memorial Run, a canoe/kayak five-mile water trail race, jousting over the canal, live music and much more! 

Attendees are also encouraged to visit the various vendors and flea market tables. 

Admission is $5 per person; children 12 and under are FREE. 

A courtesy shuttle will be available for those who need assistance getting around.



Sponsors for this community-wide fundraiser are still needed. 

Depending on the level of sponsorship, you could get your name and logo listed on the back of the trail run t-shirt; in the Canal Day program booklet, which will end up in the hands of the anticipated 3,000 visitors; and on the website, as well as other lists displayed throughout the area that day. 

We also still have room for crafters, vendors and flea marketers, and all businesses and non-profits are invited to participate in our business expo. 

Spaces cost $25 for local businesses and are FREE for non-profits. Please contact us if you are interested or visit our website: www.schuylkillcanal.comfor more information.

School Work

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Photo by Evan Brandt
A worker watches a dumspter of debris being removed from the second floor of Lincoln Elementary School.


You would be hard pressed this summer to argue with the assertion that Pottstown is making an investment in education — certainly educational facilities.

Not only is work progressing on the multi-million-dollar improvement to athletic fields at The Hill School — along with the construction of new faculty housing there — but the final phase of construction is underway at Barth Elementary School.
Photo by Evan Brandt
Work is progressing on The Hill School's Far Fields project.

At the June 24 school board meeting, the board was informed that the $5 million in construction work on Barth, which now include s a new roof as well, is “a little ahead of schedule.”

School Board Vice President Robert Hartman Jr., who is also the chairman of the board’s facilities committee, said the recommendation to replace Barth’s roof came from Vic Lasher, the district’s interim facilities manager and an engineer.

In May, the board was informed of Lasher’s recommendation, along with the $665,662 price tag.

Hartman said the board decided to act on Lasher’s recommendation because of his expertise and the need to undertake the work over the summer while the Barth project is completed in order to ensure the new work was not damaged by leaks in the old roof.

It took more than one moving truck to empty Rupert 
Unlike the current roof, which is routinely overlaid with new layers of foam, the replacement roof will not need constant maintenance and will last for 20 years.

In addition to the work at Barth, this is the summer that expansion/renovation work is to begin at Lincoln, Franklin and Rupert elementary schools in Pottstown.

And, in fact, it has already begun.

No sooner had the students left on their final school day, and the teachers packed up in preparation, then the contractors arrived, bulldozers and dumpsters in tow, and began their work.

Plans call for expansion of several classrooms at all three school buildings, in addition to extensive renovations and the addition of elevators at all three.

Students will return to two of the buildings in September and work will continue while the students are at school at both Lincoln and Franklin schools.

The bulldozers are already on-site at Lincoln.
At Rupert Elementary School, the students and staff will be out of the building for the entire school year because work there is more extensive and will progress faster without having the students and staff there.

Instead, Rupert’s classes will be moved to Edgewood Elementary School which is the building the district has decided to close and potentially sell.

Taken together, the work at the four schools comes out to $24.2 million.

Relevant to the construction projects was the board’s approval Monday of spending up to $48,000 to an engineering firm to examine the roofs and building envelopes of all the district’s building except the middle school.

That report is due back within about one month, Hartman said.

In it, the consultants are likely to recommend not only the replacement of the roofs of all three elementary buildings, but also, potentially brick work at Rupert and perhaps even at the high school.

Outside Franklin Elementary, the construction fence is up and a large mound of earth is ready for use.




This Saturday in Science in the Summer @ The Library

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So rather than me tell you about some fancy new scientific invention or discovery today, instead I'm going to

tell you about a program you can send your kids to which may help them develop an appreciation for science.

Each year, the Pottstown Regional Public Library hosts a program for young scientists organized around a different theme and sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and administered by The Franklin Institute.

This year's theme is Genetics.

I can vouch for the quality of this program as my son participated in it until he grew too old.

It will be held at the Pottstown Regional Public Library from July 22 through July 25.

Registration began on June 17 and ends on July 9.

Morning sessions for grades 2-3 are from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and from 11:15 to 12 p.m. for grades 4-6.

Afternoon sessions for grades 2-3 are from 2 to 2:45 p.m. and for grades 4-6 from 3:15 to 4 p.m.

The program is free and taught by certified teachers and features hands-on experiments.

Classes are small with 15 students each, so don't dawdle and register today.

For more information call the library at 610-970-6551, click this link, or visit www.scienceinthesummer.com.



Have We Changed?

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U.S. Supreme Court building
Well it's been an interesting week for Supreme Court news.

Many of those who believe you should be able to marry whomever you want cheered the decision undermining the Defense of Marriage Act and overturning California's Proposition 8, both of which opposed same-sex marriage.

Others also cheered the decision in which the justices refused to undo decades of Affirmative Action for minorities at the nation's major colleges and universities.

Both laudable in the extreme.

Of course it wasn't all good news.

President Lyndon Johnson and The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. after the signing of the Voting Rights Act
While the court helped the advance of civil rights in some quarters, it dealt a blow in others.

The decision overturning a portion of the landmark Voting Rights Act -- the portion which required nine states with a history of discrimination at the polls from to get federal approval before making changes to their voting procedures -- was a step back.

(For those who may have missed it, I had a very interesting conversation with Bethel AME Pastor the Rev. Dr. Vernon Ross on this subject. Click here to read The Mercury article that resulted from that interview.)

But the door was left open on that decision as well.

The theory behind the law was not declared un-Constitutional, just the manner in which it was most recently re-authorized by Congress, in 2006.

When Congress acted that year, it used data from 1975 to justify the need for
Chief Justice John Roberts
continued federal oversight. Chief Justice John Roberts, in writing the majority opinion, in essence said "stop being so lazy congress. Do the work."

While "Congress" and "work" may indeed be the worst kind of antonyms and not much of a foundation for hope, Pennsylvania's senior senator is already pushing to do just that.

In reaction to the ruling, Sen. Bob Casey issued a letter to the Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urging that the Senate immediately begin work on re-authorizing the portion of the Voting Rights Act the court struck down.
Pennsylvania Sen. Robert Casey

"There have been multiple reauthorizations of the VRA, most recently in 2006 with overwhelming bipartisan support, with the Senate voting 98-0 to reauthorize the Act," Casey wrote to Leahy.

In writing, Casey also took aim at Robert's rationale for his decision -- that "the nation has changed" since the law was first enacted in 1965:
While we have made significant progress as a nation, it is simply not the case that the protections of Sections 4 and 5 are no longer needed. In fact, since 2000, the Department of Justice has objected to proposed changes to state and local election laws 74 times, with ten objections taking place in 2012 alone.
We should not allow the successes of the VRA to be used to justify stripping the very provisions that allow for effective protection of the rights it guarantees. It is now the responsibility of Congress to pass legislation that will enable enforcement through Section 5 and continue to secure the right to vote to all of our citizens, regardless of race, national origin or language.
Already, states subject to the rule and which had attempted changes to state voting conditions the U.S. Justice Department had extreme doubts about, have announced their intention to move ahead; in the case of Texas, almost immediately.

Perhaps, that's just the kick in the pants our complacent nation needs.

Perhaps, the potential injustice of the changes Texas and South Carolina want to enact can be the key that unlocks Congressional grid-lock and displays the need for those protections to continue.

Consider that the Republican National Committee is already worried about the demographic changes that are coming, changes that will make former minorities the new majority.

They have tried to forestall those changes with exactly the kind of electoral tampering -- inherent in Pennsylvania's undecided voter ID law -- the Voting Rights Act was enacted to prevent; the kind of changes that minimize voices so long denied a voice proportional to their presence.

Some, like Jeb Bush, have recognized the Republicans have to deal with the reality on the ground instead of trying to create their own. 

Witness the passage of immigration reform in the Senate, a bill passed with the partial purpose of demonstrating to the coming Hispanic majority that Republicans are not united against them.

Can they really afford to make war on another minority; to, in essence, take back voting rights so dearly earned and enjoyed these last 50 years?

Is it possible that this decision could be a blessing in disguise; one that forces the nation to put Justice Roberts' belief that the country has changed to the ultimate test?

After all, if we truly have changed; if the need for that law was so universally obvious to 98 senators just seven years ago, is it not possible that Congress actually could act?

Could this be the basis of bi-partisan agreement?

That would indeed be evidence that the nation has changed; change we could believe in ....



And the Silver Medal Goes To....

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Blogger's Note:Yesterday we wrote about civil rights, and today we offer you this latest from Montgomery County Community College's Alana Mauger of civil rights for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender community. Be warned, there are a LOT of acronyms:

OUTforWORK’s (OFW) Career Center Certification Program (CCCP) recently designated the Student Success Center at Montgomery County Community College’s West Campus in Pottstown as a Silver Level LGBTQ Certified Career Center.
 
OFW is a non-profit organization that offers programs, services and other assistance to LGBTQ students, as well as staff training and webinars. 

The certification program focuses on developing career resources specially designed for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their allies.
 
Last year, MCCC earned a bronze level certification, which granted students and alumni access to OFW resource materials through the College’s online portal. 

As a certified institution, counselors, advisors and career coaches also have access to a library of OFW information.
 
MCCC’s Office of Career Services is part of the College’s Student Success Centers at both the Central Campus in Blue Bell and the West Campus in Pottstown. 

The centers offer programs, activities, and services that equip students and alumni with lifetime tools to explore careers, select career paths and conduct successful job searches in a rapidly changing world. To learn more, become a fan of Career Services on Facebook at facebook.com/Mc3CareerServices.
 
OFW launched its Career Center Certification Program in 2009. Since its inception, 317 career centers across the country have earned certification. To learn more about the program, visit outforwork.org.

Rupert Relating to Humans

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Blogger's Note: Yes, even as we enter July dear reader, there is so much that happens at the end of the school year that John Armato is still sending information through our mail slot. At this rate, The Digital Notebook will be reporting school news all the way through August....we sure hope so.....

Rupert Elementary students demonstrated they understood the meaning and value of integrity through their participation in the Pottstown Human Relations Commission Essay and Art Contest. 

The mission of the Human Relations Commission is to promote through collaboration with organizations a mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation among all racial, cultural, religious, ethnic, and diverse groups within the Borough of Pottstown. 
Winners,, from left, Nyris Dowling, Madison Qualtino and
Jayden Pray with, rear, from left, Rupert teacher Sarah Noska,
Rita Paez, Pottstown Human Relations Commission, and
Rupert teacher Shannon Wagner
The commission sponsors a yearly essay and art contest that serves as a vehicle to assist young people in understanding that as individuals they need to learn to work with, study, and appreciate people with backgrounds that may be different from theirs.

Through the years the essay contests have been chosen from the core values of integrity, justice, sensitivity, and unity. Chosen this year as the essay and art competition topic was the value of integrity.

First grade students Madison Qualtino received recognition for the best essay; while Nysir Dowling earned the art award; and recognized for best content was Jayden Pray.

“Laying the foundation of core values for our youngest citizens will lead to a better community in the coming years,” said Rupert Elementary Principal Matthew Moyer.

“Through our collaboration with the Pottstown School District, it is our hope that young people will understand the positive values of diversity, integrity, and how these values work together to build strong character and leadership,"  said Human Relations Commission Chairperson Rita Paez.. "The Human Relations Commission strives to accomplish its goals through education of our community’s youngest citizens.”

Pottstown Heroism Recognized

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Three complete strangers who came to aid of another complete stranger being attacked by dogs along Wilson Street in March were honored Tuesday night for their heroism.

It was just after 4 p.m. on March 15 when Kaitlyn Fadely of Royersford was visiting her boyfriend in the 600 block of Wilson Street and was "viciously attacked by three large dogs" inside the home.

She ran outside where Sarah Pecharo of Schwenksville was driving by and pulled over and distracted the dogs, whereupon they came after her.

Kurt Buchler of Foxtail Drive in North Coventry was at the YMCA on North Adams Street when he heard the commotion and ran over to help.

Buchler then tried to distract the dogs and ran a short distance to direct their attention to him and away from Pecharo.

He was successful, but they caught up to him and began to attack him.

That's when Franklin Street resident Nicole Jordan saw what was happening and drover her car toward the dogs, honking her horn, and scaring them off.

"Sarah, Nicole and Kurt came to the aid of a complete stranger, while risking their own lives" said Mayor Bonnie Heath, in reading the civilian Service Award commendations bestowed on all three. "Their actions are  both heroic and courageous."

As Heath read a description of the attack, Fadely, who was also present with them during the presentation, became visibly upset at the memory and was comforted by Pottstown Police Segeant Brian Rathgeb.

The three dogs have since been euthanized.

Founding a Friendship Over the Fourth

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Today is the day the nation celebrates the signing of Declaration of Independence.

(It was actually approved by a vote on July 2, which was the day John Adams always thought would be the one celebrated, but I digress.)

But it is also the day we should celebrate two men, without whom the Declaration would never have been written or adopted, and who poetically died 50 years after its adoption, within hours of each other.

It would be hard to find two men more different in character than John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Adams: irascible, brilliant and often over-compensating for his inexplicable self-confidence problem.

Jefferson: urbane, equally brilliant and with the unusual capability of believing two opposing things at the same time without being destroyed by the conflict between them.

The two men shared two things -- a common belief in the need for independence, and a common experience both in Philadelphia and Paris.
John Adams

For most friendships, this is an either/or situation, but Adams and Jefferson had both, this despite having personalities which did not exactly mesh.

In political circles at least, Jefferson almost exclusively acted through others, most famously James Madison, his chief political operative, and James Callender, the scurrilous scribe who turned on Jefferson and alerted the world to his affair with slave Sally Hemmings after Jefferson refused to get him out of jail.

Adams, on the other hand, was more hands-on and addressed political matters in a head-on manner, often a bull-headed, head-on manner.

As Benjamin Franklin, who had the work of the American delegation in Paris in common with both, once said of  Adams: "always an honest man, often a wise one, but sometimes and in some things, absolutely out of his senses."

Perhaps not surprisingly, it was not the drive for independence, nor the conduct of the war to ensure it, that drove a wedge between the two presidents.

It was the more difficult problem of how the country should be governed, and by whom.

And isn't that always the way.

It's easy enough to rally around an idea, but much harder to find constant agreement over how that idea should be implemented, particularly if it has never been done before.

After the apex of their friendship -- their time together in Paris as emissaries working to get French troops and money to the fledgling United States -- came the nadir, the inexorable growth of political parties.
Thomas Jefferson

Both said they hated what they called "factions," but both ended up as the leaders of one; Adams the aristocratic Federalists, whose avatar was Alexander Hamilton, a man Adams did not trust; and Jefferson the Republicans.

Both men were, arguably better patriots then they were presidents, although each managed to make a major contribution to the young nation while in office.

Adams had the unenviable task of following in George Washington's footsteps and, unsure of the protocol of doing so, made the mistake of keeping much of Washington's cabinet, men kept in check largely by their loyalty to Washington, a feeling they did not extend to Adams.

But that did not excuse his approval of the Alien and Sedition Act against his better judgement, which outlawed speech against the government and which is what put Callender in jail, who had all the time been doing Jefferson's bidding.

It occurred during a panic when most of the country was convinced we were about to be invaded by France, but principles ignored during times of stress are not principles at all.

However, Adams refusal to succumb to popular opinion, a trait often on display with Adams, resulted in his skillful handling of the XYZ Affair and an agreement that kept the young nation out of a war with France.

Jefferson's election in 1800 essentially spelled the end of the Federalists' time in power and, never one to pass up an opportunity to coin a phrase, Jefferson insisted on calling it America's second revolution.

Unfortunately for the American economy, Jefferson believed that diplomacy and national interests could be conducted economically rather than militarily.

So his 1807 trade embargo with Britain, America's primary trading partner, nearly crippled the economy, particularly New England where manufacturing was beginning to take hold.

And of course the primary contradiction within Jefferson, a freedom fighter who held slaves, also manifested itself with his temporary dissatisfaction with the Constitution, written while he was serving in France, which evaporated when as president he realized that its three-fifths clause gave disproportionate power to the south.

As outlined in Garry Wills' convincing treatise, "Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power," it resulted in seven of the first 10 presidents and 14 of the first 25 Speakers of the House being from the south; this despite significantly smaller populations of eligible voters.

But of course, without Jefferson, we would not have expanded as we did through the Louisiana Purchase, a move Jefferson himself thought to be outside of his Constitutional authority. Like Adams, his principles could be flexible depending on circumstances.

By the time both had left office, they were bitter enemies, each having committed crimes against the other that each considered unforgivable.
Benjamin Rush

It was Philadelphia physician Benjamin Rush, also a signatory to the Declaration, who finally cajoled the two of them to begin corresponding again.

Adams went first, sending Jefferson a letter on New Year's Day, 1812, wishing him many happy new years to come -- a wish which was fulfilled -- and Jefferson wrote back recalling them being soldiers in a common cause.

What resulted was just one more gift to the nation from these two remarkable men -- 14 years of correspondence by two people who really knew how to do it.

Subjects ranged from the current governments, to old friends, to philosophy, religion and science.

I came to my fascination with this period and these people through the David McCullough biography of Adams which was the basis for the excellent HBO series.

At the same time, my father was editing a book on Jefferson's letters and diary writings while serving in Paris called "Travels."

We discovered that each was an advocate for our chosen subject.

While my father admired Jefferson's facility of intellect, his love of books and his nearly universal array of interests; I admired the constant self-examination of motives and methods to which Adams subject himself and the self-awareness if brought. He was a flawed human being, he knew it, but achieved greatness anyway.

We exchanged several months of e-mails in mock debate and I've been hooked ever since.

(As a bow to Adams willingness to examine all sides of an argument, I allowed my father to recommend several books on Jefferson, including his own of course, through which I began to see some of Jefferson's admirable qualities.)

As everyone knows, in a a mythic coincidence which cemented their legend in American history, the two men died within hours of each other, each in his beloved home, on the Fourth of July at the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration's release upon the world.

Adams was 90. Jefferson was 82.

And so when I watch the parade go down High Street today, I will be thinking not only of the Declaration of Independence, that singular product of Enlightenment thinking, but also of two men whose deep, unexpected friendship was nearly broken by running the nation they had helped to found.





Telling the Storify of Pottstown's Fourth of July Parade

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Even though I wasn't supposed to be working, I could not resist Tweeting, Touting and Texting video, photos and witty remarks from the sideline during yesterday's Fourth of July parade down High Street. Here, if I have been successful, is a "Storified" collection of some of those.




Marcia Levengood: TV Star
Now, since it would appear that the links to the "tout" videos are not live here in a storify format (sometimes, I think we don't even speak English anymore) I will post a link to my Tout channel here, so you can watch those videos too. Some of them are quite cute, if I do say so myself.

Finally, as the dying battery on my iPhone, which I foolishly forgot to charge the night before, gave up the ghost, I quickly grabbed the phone of a perfect stranger (to whom I happen to be married) to get this photo of Fourth of July Committee Co-Chairperson Marcia Levengood being interviewed in Smith Family Plaza by the film crew from the "Brew Dogs" TV show.

If, like faithful Mercury subscriber Levi Wolf, you just happened to have missed the wonderful story I wrote for Sunday's Mercury explaining what exactly the Brew Dogs float and TV show were all about, shame on you.

Here's a link to the story explaining it all.

Here is a link to one video I sent out through Twitter, for which the Storify links may not work. Be warned, the hill these marchers had to climb was very steep (almost 90 degrees, and that ain't farenheit!).

(Keep your eyes peeled for a guest appearance by frequent Digital Notebook contributor John Armato!)

To all those who joined me along High Street, here's hoping you enjoyed the parade as much as I did.

To all those who weren't there, you missed a good parade.

Happy Day-After-Independence-Day everyone.

Make Way for the 'Super-Earths!'

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They're in there somewhere around the center of the picture....


Lest you think, dear readers, that the summer doldrums would stop the march of science; and thus the march of science news with which we fill ...

This Saturday in Science...

...fear not, unless of course you're afraid of alien life forms....

The habitable zone of a nearby star is filled to the brim with planets that could support alien life, scientists announced today on June 25.

According to this story posted in Yahoo News:
An international team of scientists found three potentially habitable planets around the star Gliese 667C, a star 22 light-years from Earth that is orbited by at least six planets, and possibly as many as seven, researchers said. The three planet contenders for alien life are in the star's "habitable zone" — the temperature region around the star where liquid water could exist. Gliese 667C is part of a three-star system, so the planets could see three suns in their daytime skies.
The three potentially rocky planets in Gliese 667C's habitable zone are known as super-Earths — exoplanets that are less massive than Neptune but more massive than Earth. Their orbits make them possible candidates for hosting life, officials from the European Southern Observatory said in a statement.
Photo Stolen Shamelessly from The New York Times
How cool is this? Turanor Planetsolar, a 100-foot catamaran with solar panels covering the flat top deck, made a stop in New York City as it followed the Gulf Stream.

Meanwhile, back here on earth, a vehicle that makes use of our old familiar sun is going to be put to work doing research on our old familiar Earth.

We hear about it from this June 24 article in the venerable New York Times:
Last year, after it became the first solar-powered boat to circumnavigate the globe, the Turanor Planetsolar could have taken its 5,500 square feet of photovoltaic cells and eight tons of lithium-ion batteries and sailed off into the sunset.
Instead it is becoming a scientific research ship, at least for the summer. The boat, a 100-foot, $17 million catamaran that was dreamed up by a Swiss eco-adventurer and bankrolled by a German businessman, will cruise the Gulf Stream studying the role of atmospheric aerosols and phytoplankton in regulating climate, under the direction of Martin Beniston, a climatologist at the University of Geneva.
In some ways the boat is suited to research. Being completely powered by the sun — the high-efficiency solar cells charge the batteries that power electric motors connected to the craft’s twin propellers — it produces no emissions of carbon dioxide or other gases that could contaminate air samples. And the boat has no problem going slowly, if necessary, as it samples the water — average speed is a sluggish five knots.
And finally, in the category of well, do we have global warming or don't we? Is weather getting worse because of industrial pollution or despite it?

It's getting hard to keep track.

Check out this June 24 Times article by Justin Gillis in which he writes:
To the ever-growing list of ways humanity seems to have altered the earth, add another candidate: Air pollution may have had a major soothing influence on storm cycles in the North Atlantic.
Well, which is it? Pollution causes ocean warming;
or ocean cooling?
That is the finding of a paper published this week, suggesting that industrial pollution from North America and Europe through much of the 20th century may have altered clouds in ways that cooled the ocean surface. That, in turn, may have suppressed storms, and particularly major hurricanes, below the level that would have existed in a purely natural environment.
If the authors are right, the upturn in storms over the last couple of decades may be no accident. It could, instead, be at least partly a consequence of the clean air acts that have reduced pollution around the North Atlantic basin, thus returning the storm cycles to their more natural state....
As many people will recall, the North Atlantic was quiescent in the 1970s and 1980s, especially for major hurricanes, creating a false sense of security and encouraging coastal development. But starting in the 1990s, storminess increased sharply, and the new study says that may be because clean air laws had started to take effect.....
The main effect on storm patterns would have come from particles of sulfur dioxide that entered the air from the combustion of sulfur-laden fuels like coal and diesel. Water can condense on these particles, and a surfeit of them in the air can change the properties of clouds, causing them to be made up of finer droplets.
To which the scienctifically sophisticated among the Digital Notebook staff say: "what the what?"

Maybe the solar-powered research vessel can finally answer this.....

Barth Only PA School to Receive Laura Bush Library Grant

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Photo by John Armato

Barth Elementary School Principal Ryan Oxenford reads to students.
Blogger's Note:More good news from information maven John Armato:

Barth Elementary School has received a $5,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries and is the only school in all of Pennsylvania to receive a grant from the former First Lady’s foundation.

Principal Ryan Oxenford was recently notified of the award.

In 2013, the foundation awarded over $1 million in grants to schools to update and diversify their library book collections. 

“This is an incredible opportunity to expand the resources in our library. The grant approval could not have come at a better time with the unveiling of our newly renovated library this fall,” said Oxenford. 

“Our librarian Mrs. Fazioli has worked incredibly hard to find additional resources to support our students in moving forward in the 21st century. I am proud that Barth Elementary School is the only school in Pennsylvania to be awarded this grant. This is another step in helping to provide quality educational opportunities for our community’s most precious resource – our young people,” Oxenford said.

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries was founded in 2002 as a fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. 
 
Since its inception, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded more than 10.5 million dollars to schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. 
 
In addition to these yearly grants, the foundation has also awarded more than 6.3 million dollars to school libraries in the Gulf Coast region to rebuild their library book collections that were lost or destroyed by hurricane storms.

The mission of the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries is to support the education of our nation’s children by providing funds to update, extend, and diversify the book and print collections of America’s school libraries. Further information is available at www.laurabushfoundation.org.


Cooperative Purchasing Program Explained

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Mark Painter
Blogger's Note: This from the office of state Rep. Mark Painter, D-146th Dist.

State Rep. Mark Painter will host a seminar for local businesses, governments, public authorities and nonprofit organizations to learn about COSTARS, the state cooperative purchasing program.


The event for potential purchasers and suppliers is slated for 1 p.m. July 15 in Painter's office at 600 Heritage Drive, Sanatoga. 

Those interested in attending the seminar may contact Painter's office at 610-326-9563.

"This innovative program helps small businesses learn about new sales opportunities and strengthens our local economy," Painter said. 

"For small governments and nonprofits, COSTARS is a great tool for stretching more value from every dollar by leveraging the purchasing power and discounts of the state."


During the seminar, officials in the Pennsylvania Department of General Services COSTARS office will explain the program and provide details on how to become part of it.


The COSTARS approach to cooperative purchasing uses the buying power of local entities to obtain more competitive pricing and choice than individual purchasers might be able to obtain on their own.



DGS estimates that more than 10,000 entities within Pennsylvania are eligible to become COSTARS members.

Pottstown High School Tightening their (Seat) Belt

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Look, a giant check! From left, Katie Minger PHS Telecommunications teacher, Pottstown High School students Joseph Borders, Richard Couch, Alexander Felts of the GVF Transportation Management Association, Katie Kucz  of the Montgomery County Health Dept., Dave Mull, Pottstown School District's Resource Officer, Pottstown Police Chief Richard Drumheller and Pottstown High School Principal Stephen Rodriguez.


Blogger's Note:News from Pottstown High School, where safety comes first!

Pottstown High School was awarded a $250.00 prize for showing the most improved use of seat belts during the year-long “Seat Belt Challenge” conducted by the Montgomery County Health Department in partnership with the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association. 

Participating schools in Montgomery County included Pottstown, Upper Merion, Spring-Ford, Methacton, Pope John Paul, and Wissahickon. 

The purpose of the seat belt challenge was to determine how many students and staff members driving to school are wearing seat belts through a survey conducted during the 2012-2013 school year. 

The results indicated that Pottstown High School had the greatest improvement of seat belt use during the year. Raising the percentage of use from 42 to 59%, the 17% increase will help save lives and prevent injuries in the future.

Pottstown High School Principal Stephen Rodriguez said, “I would like to thank students Joseph Borders and Richard Couch for creating, editing, and producing student videos which were broadcast throughout the school. The videos helped to emphasize to our students and staff the lifesaving value of the use of seat belts.”

Katie Kucz from the Montgomery County Health Department MOVES Team (Making Occupant and Vehicle Environment Safe) along with Alexander Felts from the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association were on hand to present the check to Mr. Rodriguez and student representatives Borders and Couch. 

Kucz said, “The MOVES Project is focused on safety programming regarding seat belt use, school bus safety and etiquette, teen driving, impaired driving and pedestrian safety. Through making educational opportunities available to our schools, we hope to play an important role in saving lives and preventing injuries. I would like to thank Chief of Police Rick Drumheller and the Pottstown Police Department for their partnership in providing the monitoring stations during our year-long program.”

“The Pottstown Police Department is proud to work with the Montgomery County Health Department and the Pottstown School District on this very important, educational mission to emphasize the importance of seat belt use at all times. Buckling up truly saves lives,” said Drumheller.

Katie Minger, Pottstown High School Telecommunications teacher, who worked with the students to develop the educational videos, indicated that the $250.00 award would be used to develop other educational tools to emphasize the importance of seat belt safety.

Building Better Justice

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Blogger's Note: The following via Alana Mauger over at MC3

Montgomery County Community College’s Board of Trustees took action in June to approve modifications to the College’s Criminal Justice Studies program (CJS) to better align it with industry and transfer trends.

The modification will transition CJS from a 63-credit Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) career-track program to a 64-credit (A.S.) transfer-track program.

“Most Criminal Justice career paths today require a bachelor’s degree, either explicitly or as a marketplace reality,” explained Benn Prybutok, director of Criminal Justice Studies, Fire Science and Emergency Management programs at MCCC.


For example, a bachelor’s degree is required to secure work at most federal investigative agencies, probation or parole officer positions, and as a minimum credential for technical or criminal intelligence analyst positions. Increasingly, municipal and state law enforcement candidates must have an associate’s degree in hand for employment consideration, but they won’t be competitive on promotion lists without a bachelor’s degree.

“Approximately two-thirds of MCCC’s CJS graduates go on to pursue four-year degrees, if not immediately upon graduating, then at a later point in their careers,” said Prybutok. “We also see many mid-career law
enforcement professionals returning to college to complete an associate’s degree or to progress toward a bachelor’s degree.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook cites that protective service occupations are expected to grow by 11 percent through 2020, with the fastest growing jobs occurring in the areas of private security and private detective and investigation.

Enrollment in MCCC’s CJS program has more than doubled over the last decade and is popular among both traditional and non-traditional (adult) students.

The program is offered at both MCCC’s Central Campus in Blue Bell and West Campus in Pottstown, as well as online. In addition, CJS classes are popular among high school students at several dual enrollment partner schools.

According to Prybutok, the CJS curriculum modification will help the College to identify and prepare all students who intend to study criminal justice, and not just those who declare a CJS major.

“We know that an additional and significant number of MCCC students are Criminal Justice majors in everything but name, having declared themselves as Liberal Studies A.S. majors in order to facilitate eventual transfer to a four-year institution,” he explained.

To further facilitate seamless transfer, the modified CJS program is designed to comply with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s new Transfer Agreement Oversight Committee (TAOC) template for two-year institutions.

For more information about the Criminal Justice Studies program at MCCC, visit mc3.edu/academics.

Heavy Metal Tales at Pottsgrove Manor

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Blogger's Note:News of an interesting program being offered at Pottsgrove Manor comes from Pottsgrove's Museum Educator, Lynn Symborski.

Historic Pottsgrove Manor will host a symposium on the production of iron in early Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 20, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

The symposium, entitled “Making Iron in Colonial America,” is being held in conjunction with Pottsgrove Manor’s current exhibit, “Forging a Lifestyle: Ironworking with the Potts Family,” which explores the early Pennsylvania iron industry and the Potts family’s integral industry involvement.

Those interested in the area’s early industrial roots will not want to miss this symposium.

At 10 a.m., Rick Brouse, one of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site’s most experienced colliers, will give a talk on the process of making charcoal, the fuel of early American ironworks. 

After his presentation, a tour of the mansion and Pottsgrove Manor’s iron exhibit will be offered. Participants will enjoy a boxed lunch, provided by Pottstown’s own Positively Pasta, and have time to shop in the museum store before the afternoon presentation. 

At 1:30 p.m., local historian Robert Wood will give an illustrated presentation on the process of making wrought iron in early charcoal-powered ironworks, describing the steps involved and giving a sense of the huge expenditure of resources that went into iron production in the colonial era.

The symposium is open to participants ages 12 and up.

There is a fee of $20 per person, which includes a boxed lunch with a choice of sandwich. Spaces are limited. Registration and payment are required by July 16, 2013. Registration forms are available at Pottsgrove Manor or can be downloaded from http://montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4379.

The “Forging a Lifestyle” exhibit can also be viewed on a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3 p.m.. 

The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of ten or more should preregister by calling (610) 326-4014.

Pottstown Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown.

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. 

For more information, please call (610) 326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor

Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Market Forces at Work (Or Future 'Mad Men?')

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Photo by John Armato
The Pottstown High School Marketing class.

Blogger's Note:More on the success of the program at Pottstown High School.

Pottstown High School Marketing students, under the direction of Kevin Pascal, demonstrated their skills by taking on a real-life marketing challenge and winning top prize. 

Through a partnership with Epps Advertising, students are given real businesses and are challenged to create marketing campaigns that will allow the business to reach new levels of success. 

 The categories of competition included: new logo, slogan, flyer, brochure, social media strategy, website, and 30 second web video commercial.

Bianca Kelly and Anthony Oglesby earned top prize in the web video commercial division and were awarded a $250 prize. 

Their video demonstrated the quality services that could be provided by their client OrthoPets Clinic of Denver, Colo.


Photo by John Armato
Linda Jacobs, senior art director for Epps Advertising, talks to
the Pottstown High School marketing students.
“I am delighted to see our students do so well. Opportunities likes this are beneficial. Anything can happen in theory but reality takes experience," Pascal said. "This project gives students a real-life scenario that they need to work through to satisfy the customer’s wants and needs as an advertising client.”

Epps Advertising has been a partner of the Pottstown School District over the past five years and provided real-life marketing experiences for students.

Each year Epps gives the students a client and challenges them to develop a marketing campaign.

Students participating in this year’s challenge included: Tyler Gebhard, Carmelo Calano, Samir Roberts, DeVaughn Frederick, Ty Wolfel, Jarisma Mauras, Aaliyah Ford, Bianca Kelly, Justine Jeter, Tessa Bridges, Miranda Swinehart, D.J. Kurtz, Dakota Robinson, Auston Jones-Debnam, Denzel Harvey, and Anthony Oglesby.

The Marketing Department of Pottstown High School has seen many of its students go on to begin successful careers in the business world. 

A few examples include: 
  • Jessica Brogley who is presently a senior accountant for Penske Truck Leasing; 
  • Brock Morgan attended Montgomery County Community College and earned a degree in business administration and is now employed with Wal-Mart Customer Service; 
  • Jordan Boone is a senior at Shippensburg University and has interned with Foot Locker; 
  • Janelle Fritz is a graduate of St. Joseph University receiving a bachelor of science degree in business administration in the field of sports marketing and she recently completed internships with Independent Blue Cross, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the St. Joseph University Athletic Department.
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