Dear Families,

As a reminder, tomorrow the House Education Committee will be voting on two bills.  HB 483 and HB 2320 begin the effort to kill cyber charter schools!

Please contact your legislator and also the members of the House Education Committee.  Call them and let them know you oppose these bills and want to protect public cyber education! Below is a list of members of the House Education Committee and their contact information. We must remain vigilant against attacks on our schools!

Our message needs to be loud and clear, that our public cyber schools must be protected!  

If you do not know who your legislator is, you can go to our website www.pacyberfamilies.org and click on useful links.  Click on “Find Your Legislator”.  On the next page enter your zip code in the upper right corner.  It will bring up a listing of your representative.

Below is a list of contact information for all members of the House Education Committee.

Cyber student hits it big on American Idol

Also I wanted to take a moment to congratulate Aaron Kelly of PA Cyber Charter School.  Aaron is on of the 12 remaining contestants on American Idol.  Below is an brief article about Aaron from a press release provided to us by PA Cyber.  Good Luck Aaron!

Keep moving forward!

Cindy Strausburger

President


American Idol semifinalist Aaron Kelly does school at own pace through PA Cyber Charter School

PA Cyber Charter School’s flexibility allows American Idol contestant Aaron Kelly of Sonestown, Pa., to pursue his country music dream while working toward a Pennsylvania high school diploma.

High-performing young athletes and artists such as Aaron Kelly would find it physically impossible to keep up with demanding practice, training and performance schedules if they had to sit in a traditional school classroom five days a week, said PA Cyber CEO Dr. Nick Trombetta.

“We’re so proud of Aaron,” said Dr. Trombetta. “He is a genuinely nice person, a good student and an outstanding singer who has sacrificed a lot to chase his dream. We hope everyone will vote for him in Wednesday night’s performance to keep that dream alive.”

Kelly, 16, enrolled in PA Cyber as a high school freshman in order to aggressively pursue a career in country music. He mentions cyber school in website videos posted by the American Idol television show.

“I’m actually in cyber school, which is on the computer so it’s at home,” he said in a video. “I’m working so far ahead that I’ll probably be finished pretty soon.”

“This is Aaron’s third year with PA Cyber. I’ve had regular contact with him and his mom, Kelly. He’s a fine student,” said Bill Haas, Kelly’s instructional supervisor. “Knowing what was ahead of him, Aaron did a significant amount of advance school work in the first part of this year.”

Kelly is part of the final 12 contestants still “alive” in American Idol competition.

He said part of the reason he’s still in the competition is that the judges like him as a person. “I was raised Southern. I believe in that southern hospitality,” he said. “I’m a very grounded person. I believe you should just respect everybody.”

Kelly’s difficult life story touched viewers as his talent carried him through auditions and Hollywood week with Idol. He was adopted by his aunt after his biological parents could not take care of him and his brother.

Kelly previously won Disney World's American Idol Experience. At his young age he is a veteran stage performer who counts among his musical influences Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. A high school junior who likes to play soccer, he has a pet parrot and recently took up photography as a hobby.

Here is a list of House Education Committee Members:

 

Majority members:                                    Capitol Number                             District Number

 

Rep. James Roebuck                                   717-783-1665                              215-724-2227

Rep. Ken Smith                                           717-780-4757                             570-372-2845

Rep. Richard Grucela                                  717-705-1878                              610-614-1312

Rep. Barbara McIvaine-Smith                      717-705-1922                              610-696-4990

Rep. John Yudichak                                     717-787-1751                              570-740-7031

Rep. Mike Carroll                                        717-787-3589                              570-655-4883

Rep. H. Scott Conklin                                  717-780-4764                              814-238-5477

Rep. Lawrence Curry                                   717-783-1079                             215-572-5210

Rep. Patrick Harkins                                    717-787-7406                             814-459-1949

Rep. Mark Longietti                                     717-772-4035                             724-981-4655

Rep. Michael O’Brien                                    717-783-8098                            215-503-7850

Rep. John Pallone                                        717-783-1819                            724-339-1990

Rep. Chelsa Wagner                                     717-783-1582                           412-343-2094

Rep. Jake Wheatley                                     717-783-3783                            412-471-7760

Rep. Rosita Youngblood                               717-787-7727                             215-849-6426 

Minority Members: 

Rep. Paul Clymer                                        717-783-3154                            215-257-0279

Rep. Will Tallman                                        717-783-8875                            717-633-1721

Rep. Bernie O’Neill                                      717-705-7170                            215-441-2627

Rep. Thomas Quigley                                  717-772-9963                            610-718-5787

Rep. Kathy Rapp                                        717-787-1367                            814-728-3564

Rep. Bryan Cutler                                       717-783-6424                            717-786-4551

Rep. Mike Fleck                                          717-787-3335                            814-644-2996

Rep. Duane Milne                                        717-787-8579                           610-251-1070

Rep. Thomas Murt                                        717-787-6885                          215-674-3021

Rep. Mike Reese                                           717-783-9311                          724-423-2812

Rep. Todd Rock                                            717-783-5218                           717-749-7384