PAVCS Newsroom

Name: Jessica Ansel
Introduction: I'm from Lancaster County PA. I always tell people that I am surrounded by cornfields and the outlets in Reading and Lancaster are nearby. I taught in Maryland for 5 years and then I came back to the cornfields. I have been with PAVCS since 2002. I currently work with SOAR students. I have two children. Wesley is in 3rd grade and Izabella is in 1st grade. We love to keep busy and like to go hiking in the fall. 
Birthplace: Ephrata, PA
Hometown: Ephrata, PA
Position at PAVCS: Elementary SOAR Teacher
Experience prior to coming to PAVCS: Highland Elementary-HeadStart Program (Pre K) PaintBranch Elementary (3rd grade and 1st grade)
Education: Indiana University of PA (Education), University of Maryland University College (Masters in Instructional Technology in Education)
Family: Wesley James 3rd Grade, Izabella Rose 1st Grade, Kira Siberian Husky
Top Ten
10 out 10 almost describes my passion for: Baby Parades. We work on them for months and attend parades in the fall.
9 times out of 10 I'd eat (calories aside): Mexican Food with Cheese and Sour Cream and Guacamole
8 hours a day at my dream job (besides PAVCS) would be: I would love to travel and start up new schools around the world in underdeveloped areas.
7 days on a dream vacation would be spent: Italy
6 seconds after I launch my Internet browser I'm on: I'm an Ebay Junkie
5 minutes is all the time I have for (pet peeve): Grouchy People (especially if they are out in public working with people) My favorite sign hanging up at my house is : Be Nice or Leave
4 stars is my rating for (TV/Movie/Book): Margaret George Books/ I watch too many Shows to List
3 things always on my desk: Water, Ton of Papers and many pens
2 people (living or dead) I wish I could meet: I love meeting people that are gifted in entertainment. I would consider myself lucky to meet any good musician, actor, actress on a local level or worldwide.
1 thing that might surprise most people about me: I have 1 sister and 3 brothers. 2 of us have dark blonde hair, 1 has super light blonde hair, 1 has beautiful red curly hair and the youngest has dark, dark brown hair. I call us the Rainbow Kids.

With the permission of the PA Families for Public Cyber Schools, we are posting the response to a three-part series The Express-Times recently ran on cyber charters. The series can be viewed by following the links for these dates, Feb. 28, March 1 and March 2.

In response to the Express-Times' recent series on public cyber charter schools:  Cybers are public schools that are free for all families and are covered by the state’s Sunshine Law.  When a child leaves to attend a cyber, the district keeps 28% on its per pupil payment from the state and then receives an additional subsidy of up to 30% of its costs.  That means school districts receive well over 50% of its per pupil payment for essentially doing nothing.

Bangor Area School Board President Joseph Boyle certainly should know that all audits and budgets of cybers are a matter of public record, as are their annual reports.  They are there if school boards want to look at them.

The Times concluded that performance standards strongly suggest the money being spent at cybers would be better spent in Northampton County school districts.  This indicates a failure to understand how AYP works.

For example, if Bangor were evaluated as a cyber, it would not make AYP. Conversely, if cybers were evaluated as a district, many would have attained AYP. It’s easier for districts to attain AYP than cyber schools, since students in only one grade span need to attain the required minimum test scores.  Cybers must meet the requirement in all grades.

Despite this advantage, three of Bangor’s five schools individually did not make AYP for 2008-09, including the high school and the middle school.  The Domenick DeFranco Elementary School is in Corrective Action II status, a status worse than all but one cyber school.

Cybers face unique challenges in meeting AYP.  Some schools have as many as 65% of their students from low-income households (vs. 34% of Bangor’s students).  More than one-third of their students come from districts that didn’t attain AYP and many new students are one or more grade levels behind because their districts failed them.  Cybers typically get less than nine months to prepare these students for the PSSA test. 

It should be noted the closing of Einstein Academy, the state’s first cyber, shows the system worked.  A school failed to produce, and it was closed.  That’s should be a refreshing thought for taxpayers.

Maybe it’s time for critics like state Rep. Karen Beyer and other state legislators to hold district schools to the same standard.  After all, 21% of these schools statewide failed to make AYP, yet none of them have been closed, reconstituted or returned money to taxpayers for their poor performance.

That kind of performance is disappointing when you consider how much money has been spent on public education since Gov. Ed Rendell took office.  Despite your assertion that state subsidies have “wilted,” Gov. Rendell recently stated in his final budget address that his biggest accomplishment is increasing funding for education by over $3 billion and has proposed a $354 million basic education formula increase for 2010-11. 

After all of the criticism public cyber school suffered in your series, one might think these schools are grabbing the lion’s share of this.  In truth, cybers account for far less than 1 percent of all public school funding.  Pennsylvania taxpayers should see cybers for what they are: Great bargains that provide a tremendous public education for children of all different backgrounds at a fraction of the price.

Cindy Strausburger, of Wyomissing, Pa., is president of Pennsylvania Families for Public Cyber Schools.

The Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School visited with hundreds of families in the Pittsburgh area by participating in Kidapalooza 2010 on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh and hosting the "R U Smarter Than Your Kid?" game.

Participants in the game were challenged by Star 100.7 morning show host Bubba with questions like "who is SpongeBob SquarePants' best friend?" (Patrick) and other kid-friendly questions. Bubba had help on stage from PAVCS mascot Super Squirrel, who greeted contestants when they came on stage and occasionally gave a hint or  two. It was a fun day to forget about the winter weather and get out and enjoy a day of fun and activities.

Name: David Tasker
Since graduation I have been: working 30-40 hours a week and full time college student
Where? CollegePlus! and Harrisburg Area Community College
What do you miss most about PAVCS? Teachers, and more friend time, with all of us at different colleges our schedules conflict a lot
On a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest), how do you feel PAVCS prepared you for life after high school? 4
How do you hope the PAVCS family remembers you? I don’t know, I guess that I was part of the first graduating class
What advice do you have for this year's graduates? I had a friend that wanted to drop out of school around January of her senior year. Through a lot of hard work, and support from all her friends, she continued on to graduate with us. Whatever you do, don’t give up on your friends, and don’t let them give up on you. The friends you make won't only get you through the day, but help you get through life as well. Even though we all have different school schedules, the friends that I made at PAVCS still keep in contact with each other; whether it’s just to say 'hi' or to request a favor, we can always count on each other to be there the rest of our lives.
Career Plans: I leave for the Air Force in March