Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
If any of your colleagues would
like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and
affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com
PA Ed Policy Roundup for March 19, 2020
School officials and school directors please check your email for .@PSBA Critical Legislative Alert regarding emergency policy changes to help schools
deal with the impact of coronavirus.
.@PSBA with .@PASBO_org .@PasaSupts .@PSEA .@PAPRINCIPALS .@PAIU .@AFTPA .@afscmecouncil13 and .@32BJSEIU call upon legislators to
implement state-level policy for next steps in coming back from the battle
against coronavirus
Read their March 18th joint letter
to PA Legislative Leadership here:
PSBA FAQ Sheet Regarding Closure of School Due to
Coronavirus
PSBA has compiled answers to your most
pressing questions surrounding school closures due to the #coronavirus
outbreak. View this resource here:
“Several Lancaster County superintendents told LNP |
LancasterOnline Tuesday it’s been chaotic trying to navigate the ripple effects
of Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to close all public schools for two weeks. When
schools close, they said, learning is merely one of the losses that take place.
School is a place where students eat, receive medical treatment, access
technology and even do laundry. When school goes away, it’s up to
superintendents and their administrative teams to figure out how those services
continue.”
'It's getting harder and harder': Superintendents
navigate school closures amid coronavirus shutdown
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer March 19, 2020
Unprecedented situations require
unprecedented decisions.
At around 9 p.m. one week ago, School
District of Lancaster Superintendent Damaris Rau was on her living room couch
preparing for work the next day when she got a call from one of the district’s
directors of schools, Josh Keene. A Wickersham Elementary School employee’s
spouse, Keene said, was potentially exposed to another person believed to have
been exposed to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. The person was tested, but
results weren’t in yet. A half-hour – plus a few more phone calls – later, the
district announced it was closing schools districtwide Friday. That decision,
which came with major consequences, was one of the first of many Rau, and other
Lancaster County superintendents, would need to make amid the COVID-19 pandemic
that’s infected nearly 100 people in Pennsylvania – none in Lancaster County –
and shuttered public schools statewide until March 30. “It’s getting harder and harder,” Rau said of
the pressure school officials face in making swift decisions and communicating
them with an increasingly fearful community.
'There Is No Guidebook': Being the Principal in the Age
of Coronavirus
Education Week By Denisa R. Superville on March
18, 2020 5:21 PM
Virtual calming corners for students. Online
staff hangouts instead of in-person team meetings. Student advisory groups on
Zoom. Video morning greetings for students. This is what the principal's job is
looking like right now in the age of coronavirus. "These are things that
pop into our heads when we are trying sleep at night," said Kelly Corbett,
the principal of Otsego Elementary School in Otsego, Minn., listing of a stream
of ideas that she and her staff are knitting together to keep their colleagues
and students connected while schools are closed because of the coronavirus
pandemic. "What else do we need to do? How can we make this better?
Because there is no guidebook." With nearly 40 million K-12 students
across the country out of school, principals will play a pivotal role in
ensuring that student learning can continue in some form—and there are vast
unknowns with that—and that students can still get some of the mental health
and social-emotional supports they would have had access to if they'd been in
school.
U.S. Department of Education March 16, 2020 Fact Sheet:
Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of
Students
DeVos Exploring Broad Waiver Authority for States to Help
Deal With Coronavirus
Education Week By Evie Blad on March
18, 2020 5:39 PM
By Evie Blad and Andrew Ujifusa
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos could
soon move beyond her stated approach of issuing narrow waivers to states
tackling the impact of the novel coronavirus on schools from certain provisions
of federal education rules. As coronavirus-related school closings stretch
on—some through the end of the school year—state school chiefs have urged
federal officials to create an expedited process for waiving state testing
requirements, as well as further direction on ensuring equity for students with
disabilities in online learning environments. And on Wednesday, the U.S.
Department of Education indicated that new waiver powers to address the impacts
of the virus would soon be forthcoming. "Secretary DeVos asked our K-12
team to work on broad waiver authority for the states, and it will be ready to
be pushed out to education leaders in the coming days," said Angela
Morabito, a spokeswoman for the Education Department. She did not specify what
exactly this waiver authority would cover. DeVos released guidance
March 12 that said the Education
Department would consider a "targeted one-year waiver of the assessment
requirements for those schools impacted by the extraordinary
circumstances."
“This is when the inequity between funding and resources for
districts becomes the most prevalent," said Mark DiRocco, executive
director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
As coronavirus closes schools, wealthier districts send
laptops home with students. What about poorer districts?
Inquirer by
Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham and Melanie
Burney, Updated: 52 minutes ago
As school districts from Lower Merion to
Cherry Hill prepared to give students Chromebooks this week, Shaxi Ortiz picked
up worksheets and reading materials from a Camden elementary school for her two
daughters. “I only have one computer,” said Ortiz, as she left the Wiggins
School on Tuesday with Shaxielys, a second grader, and Jeanielys, a
kindergartner. “If they both need to go online, what would I do?” Across the
nation, school districts are facing the unprecedented challenge of educating
millions of children at home in isolation while communities work to stem the
spread of the coronavirus — a mission that is laying bare the divide between
wealthy and poorer districts. “The digital divide is something we struggle
with,” said Katrina McCombs, superintendent in Camden, where a survey found
only 30% of families in the nearly 6,000-student district have internet access
and electronic devices for each student. The shutdown “has just exacerbated the
inequalities.” n some communities, children are getting laptops and their
teachers are posting videos of lessons, giving assignments and responding to
students’ questions and messages. In others, students are being asked to pick
up packets of schoolwork, largely to navigate themselves or with parents.
With schools closed because of coronavirus, Lehigh Valley
districts hand out laptops for home learning
By KAYLA DWYER, JACQUELINE PALOCHKO and MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | MAR 18, 2020 | 1:16 PM
On Tuesday afternoon, the second day students
were home because of the coronavirus spreading across Pennsylvania, Parkway
Manor Elementary School Principal Scott Bartman traded suit and tie for
pullover and plastic gloves to direct traffic. He wasn’t directing buses, but
parents who drove up one-by-one, as they did at the district’s seven other
elementary schools on Monday and Tuesday, to collect Chromebook laptops from a
gloved staffer. Across the Parkland School District, 450 families requested
Chromebooks, and about 50 requested mobile hot spots, said Tom Derhammer,
supervisor of information technology. At Parkway Manor, which had 88
Chromebooks to give out, Bartman and Derhammer made phone calls to reach the 30
or so families who had not yet come to get them. “We’re just trying to keep kids connected to
the classroom,” Derhammer said. “We’re not talking just a winter break here. We
don’t know how long this could be.”
PDE: Is a school required to continue to provide FAPE to
students with disabilities during a school closure caused by COVID-19 response
efforts?
PDE Website
- When
a school is closed because of COVID-19 response efforts and does not provide any educational
services to the general student population, the school is not required to provide
services to students with disabilities during that closure period.
Once school resumes, the district/school must provide special education
and related services to the child in accordance with the child’s
individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan.
- When
a school is closed because of COVID-19 response efforts and does provide educational services to
the general student population, the school must ensure that students
with disabilities have equal access to the same opportunities, including
the provision of FAPE. In addition, districts/schools must ensure
that, to the greatest extent possible, each student with a disability can
be provided the special education and related services identified in the
student’s IEP or Section 504 plan. Once school resumes, a child’s
IEP team (or appropriate personnel under Section 504) must make an
individualized determination whether and to what extent compensatory
services may be needed, consistent with applicable requirements, including
to make up for any skills that may have been lost during the closure
within a reasonable timeframe.
“PDE told school districts they do not need to offer instruction
during the shutdown. But if districts do offer education services, they “must
ensure full access to learning for all students, with particular attention to
free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities and
English as a second language (ESL) services for English Learners.”
Hite clarifies ban on ‘remote instruction’ during
shutdown
Due to equity concerns, teachers can't take
attendance or distribute grades, but they can offer online lessons and courses.
The notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa and Avi
Wolfman-Arent March 18
12:27 pm, 2020 UPDATED 8
p.m.
The School District of Philadelphia will not
allow teachers to do “remote instruction” with students while schools are
closed during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a letter sent to
principals Tuesday night. Because the District cannot ensure equal access to
technology among students, it’s barring individual schools from
providing graded virtual instruction. “To ensure equity, remote
instruction should not be provided to students, including through the internet,
technology at home, by phone, or otherwise,” the letter read. On Wednesday
afternoon, after backlash and confusion among teachers, Superintendent William
Hite clarified the District’s position, saying that teachers cannot require
students to do work remotely or grade them on that work. At a city press
briefing on COVID-19, Hite said that the District would update its guidance and
stressed that it is not prohibiting teachers from contacting students and their
families, but rather encouraging it. However, due to access concerns, the
District would prohibit “a requirement to log in, a requirement to take
attendance, and a requirement to distribute grades. If that’s not available to
all children, we cannot make that available to some,” Hite said. In the Tuesday
letter to principals, the District said: “Students should not be required to
complete new assignments or homework activities. Schools may not make independent
decisions to offer remote instruction at this time. As guidance and
circumstances continue to unfold, we will provide updates when necessary.” The
letter was signed by Naomi Wyatt, the district’s chief of staff, and Malika
Savoy-Brooks, chief of academic support. Philadelphia’s decision comes as
school districts across the state grapple with what they are legally allowed to
do during an unprecedented wave of school closures. Those decisions are laden
with potential legal snags — including every school’s legal mandate to meet the
needs of special-education students under federal law.
Philly schools forbid ‘remote instruction’ during
shutdown for equity concerns
WHYY By Avi
Wolfman-Arent March
18, 2020
The School District of Philadelphia will not
allow teachers to do “remote instruction” with students while schools are
closed during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a letter sent to
principals Tuesday night. Because the district cannot ensure equal access to
technology among students, it’s barring individual schools from providing any
virtual instruction. “To ensure equity, remote instruction should not be
provided to students, including through the internet, technology at home, by
phone, or otherwise,” the letter read. “Students should not be required to
complete new assignments or homework activities. Schools may not make
independent decisions to offer remote instruction at this time. As guidance and
circumstances continue to unfold, we will provide updates when necessary.” The
letter was signed by Naomi Wyatt, the district’s Chief of Staff, and Malika Savoy-Brooks,
chief of academic support. Wyatt and Savoy-Brooks cited guidance from the state
and federal departments of education, saying that the district could not offer
“remote instruction to some students unless we can serve all children.”
English-Learners May Be Left Behind as Remote Learning
Becomes 'New Normal'
Education Week By Corey Mitchell on March
17, 2020 4:30 PM
UPDATED: As the
nation shifts to online learning during the novel coronavirus outbreak,
language and access barriers may shut many of the nation's nearly
English-learner students out of the learning process. A December 2019 report
from the U.S. Department of Education found that few teachers reported
assigning English-learners to use digital learning resources outside of class,
in part because of concerns about students' lack of access to technology at
home. The same report also revealed that teachers who work with
English-language learners are more apt to use general digital resources rather
than tools designed specifically for English-learners and that English-learner
educators reported fewer hours of professional development with digital
learning resources than did mainstream teachers. Those findings suggest the
spread of outbreak-related school closures could have severe consequences for
the millions of students with limited access to digital devices or the internet,
limited understanding of English, and limited ability to work independently
without support. "This crisis has emphasized the inequities and gaps that
exist in our [education] system," said Kristina Robertson, the
English-learner program administrator for the Roseville, Minn., schools.
"This is a wakeup call about the value of having technology for all."
Evictions, student loans, PSSAs, and more: What Pa.
lawmakers are proposing in response to the coronavirus
Inquirer by Cynthia Fernandez and Gillian
McGoldrick of LNP | LancasterOnline, Updated: March
18, 2020- 6:13 PM
This story was produced as part of a joint
effort among Spotlight
PA, LNP
Media Group, PennLive, PA
Post, and WITF to
cover how Pennsylvania state government is responding to the coronavirus. Sign
up for Spotlight PA’s newsletter.
Pennsylvania’s lawmakers may be working from home, but
they’re still introducing a number of bills to deal with the fallout from the
coronavirus. Here’s a rundown of what they’ve proposed so far.
Limiting disaster powers
When Gov. Tom Wolf declared a disaster
emergency on March 6, he was able to claim expansive powers. Rep. Russ
Diamond (R., Lebanon) plans to issue a resolution to terminate Wolf’s
COVID-19 emergency declaration “if the need arises.”
Privacy
Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin) is
drafting a resolution that
would call on the federal government to suspend privacy regulations for people
who have tested positive for COVID-19. There should be “full disclosure of
anyone who came within immediate contact of any contaminated citizen,”
Mastriano said in a statement, “until the COVID-19 crisis passes.”
Rent
Lawmakers are drafting a bill to
limit landlords’ right to evict tenants when a governor declares a state of
emergency. The measure, from Reps. Mary Isaacson (D., Phila.) and Summer Lee
(D., Allegheny), would “provide an exemption from eviction for workers who are
unemployed, separated from their employment, or unable to find employment.”
Schools
Sens. Andy Dinniman (D., Chester) and Scott
Martin (R., Lancaster) are drafting a bill that would cancel the state PSSA and Keystone exams for
the remainder of this school year. The measure would also require the state
Department of Education to waive federal testing requirements. Dinniman is also
drafting a measure that
would give school districts authority to deliver online instruction until the
end of the academic year.
Pittsburgh Public Schools considering longer shutdown,
cancellation of graduation ceremonies
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com MAR 18,
2020 1:14 PM
Pittsburgh Public Schools are making
preparations in case the district or the state decides to keep schools closed
beyond the initial two-week period amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools in
the city and elsewhere have been providing meals during the shutdown, but many
districts, including Pittsburgh Public, have not required continued instruction
for students. That could change if the shutdown is extended, which Pittsburgh
Public Schools spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said the district
was “contemplating.” Ms. Pugh said the district will have to receive
direction from the state Department of Education on certain matters, including
what will be required of students who are eligible to graduate. Also “under
consideration,” Ms. Pugh said, is the cancellation of high school commencement
ceremonies — scheduled for June 13 and 14 — as well as other major events
toward the end of the school year.
Options limited for students as schools, other
educational outlets remain closed
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com MAR 18,
2020 6:04 PM
Last week’s order by Gov. Tom Wolf closing
all Pennsylvania K-12 schools to
help slow the spread of COVID-19 came with the notice that districts would not
be penalized if they failed to meet the required amount of days or hours of
instruction. While that was a relief to some districts that did not have the
capability to ensure all students would receive lessons outside of school,
others had been preparing to implement flexible methods that could have counted
as instructional days outside the classroom. Some local districts have
continued with their remote learning plans, but other schools that had the
ability made it voluntary. That’s because some schools were still waiting for
direction from the governor’s office. “I think the challenging part
is that the governor’s direction has not been crystal clear,” Randal Lutz,
superintendent of the Baldwin-Whitehall School District, said Monday in a phone
interview. Mr. Wolf’s order left some school officials wondering if districts
should try to make up the days that are missed or if the last day of school
will be pushed back, Mr. Lutz said. Schools are required to have completed 180
days or 990 hours of instruction by June 30, but the final day for instruction
is usually weeks earlier.
State auditors will stop school visits during COVID-19
shutdown
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com MAR 18,
2020 2:29 PM
State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said
his auditors will cease school business office visits during the shutdown to
prevent the spread of COVID-19. School districts, he said, should focus on the
health and safety of their communities and do not need the distraction that his
office’s auditors would cause. “School districts already have their hands full,
and we are not going to add to their operational challenges,” Mr. DePasquale
said in a statement. “My team will continue to work on audits that are already
underway, but we will do so remotely and without making in-person contact.” Mr.
DePasquale said his department continues to operate through teleworking, and
said districts should call his office if they have any questions.
Area school boards, others mull public meeting
alternatives
Scranton Times Tribune BY DAVID SINGLETON,
STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: MARCH 18, 2020
Area school boards and other government
bodies are exploring alternatives to traditional public meetings amid growing
worries that conducting the people’s business as usual could help spread the
new coronavirus. For public officials, it would mean finding a way to comply
with Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act and its requirement for open public
participation while safeguarding the health and safety of that same public.
Health officials have repeatedly warned against holding large public gatherings
in the face of the COVID-19 virus. “We have to look at all of our options,”
Scranton School Board President Katie Gilmartin said. The school board is among
those reviewing the possibility of conducting meetings by electronic means,
such as a virtual meeting platform like Zoom or Go To Meeting. Gilmartin said
the board will consult with its solicitor and seek direction from the
Pennsylvania School Boards Association, which issued guidelines for virtual
meetings Friday, the same day Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all schools in the
commonwealth to close for two weeks. Although the school board is in “uncharted
territory” with the coronavirus outbreak, the well-being of everybody who would
attend a public meeting has to be the board’s top priority, she said. “At this
point, we are looking at a lot of questions,” Gilmartin said.
Dealing with coronavirus crisis, midstate districts offer
students new versions of school lunches
Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Updated
Mar 17, 8:35 PM; Posted Mar 16, 1:13 PM
A growing number of midstate school districts
are launching food pick-ups
for students, and in some cases all resident children who need the meals while
schools are closed, starting as early as this
evening. For details about specific programs, such as addresses of pick-up
sites and other specific requirements, please refer to the district’s website. In
most cases, the districts are requiring that the child being serviced be
present at the time of pick-up. This list includes those districts that have
announced plans thus far. It will be continually updated as more information
becomes available.
Centre County meal programs for kids are up and running.
Here’s where you can find them
Centre Daily Times BY
MARLEY PARISH MARCH 18, 2020 08:06 AM
Note: The Centre Daily Times and McClatchy
news sites have lifted the paywall on this developing story, providing critical
information to readers. To support vital reporting such as this, please consider a digital subscription.
While Pennsylvania K-12 schools remain closed until the
end of the month as officials monitor the coronavirus, the YMCA is making sure
Centre County kids are fed. After
store shelves were left bare across the region, Moshannon Valley YMCA Executive
Director Mel Curtis wasn’t sure the YMCA could get through a week of
maintaining its weekly Backpack Program and also start its summer lunch program
early. But with help from community members and local businesses, both programs
will continue, kicking off with lunch at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Businesses, volunteers serving lunches to kids stranded
by shutdown 'as long as school is out'
Johnstown Tribune Democrat By
Joshua Byers jbyers@tribdem.com March 18,
2020
Slowly but surely, one child turned to
several under a pavilion Tuesday at Johnstown's Coopersdale Homes as John Kovac
and Dave Trotz set up meals and served them with smiles. The youngsters were at
home with schools closed during the coronavirus. After helping unload coolers
and crates filled with food and drinks, Kovac organized the children in an
orderly line to receive their lunches. "This means a lot," he said. During
the second day of the statewide school shutdown, local districts and businesses
continued to provide meals for area students. Kovac and Trotz are with The
Nutrition Group Food Service, which handles food service for several school
districts around the area, including Greater Johnstown. Trotz, Nutrition
Group's director, said he traveled around the city before lunchtime, rolling
out the meal program for Johnstown students. By noon, when the first station at
the Coopersdale Homes was set to begin, Trotz said he had already set up three
other locations – at Solomon, Prospect and Oakhurst homes. The company is
serving both breakfast and lunch at all four spots
How Lehigh Valley school districts are making sure kids
don’t go hungry
By Sara
K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com Posted
Mar 17, 8:00 AM
More than 30,000 children in the Lehigh
Valley don’t have access to plentiful, healthy food each day. Many local
educators’ minds first went to those kids -- the ones whose only meal all day
might be a school lunch -- when Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced the 10-day
shutdown of the state’s K-12 public schools Friday. Wolf is now ordering a statewide shutdown to try
to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Lehigh
Valley’s school districts -- from Pen Argyl to western Lehigh County --
scrambled into action to set up grab-and-go meal locations for the duration of
the school closures to keep children from going hungry. And in Bethlehem a
volunteer group that provides students with bags of food to
sustain them over the weekend sprung into
action. All Allentown School District students receive a free lunch due to the
district’s high poverty rate, so Andrea Stock, the district’s child nutrition
services director, knew she needed a plan in place immediately. Her staff rose
to the challenge and distributed 1,100 meals on Monday.
“Food service employees are superheroes,”
Stock said Monday evening.
Amid coronavirus crisis, the Pa. General Assembly is now
equipped to assure continuity of government
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated
Mar 18, 2020; Posted Mar 18, 2020
Pennsylvania’s General Assembly did not have
the framework in place to ensure continuity of government while observing
recommendations about social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. Now
they do. The Senate on Wednesday in an abbreviated session approved by a 48-0
vote a temporary rule change
to operate remotely using technology during the COVID-19
pandemic. The House on Monday voted 181-0 on a rule change to allow
it to continue operating in a
different way without requiring members to travel to the state Capitol during
this crisis. These changes will allow the central law-making function of the
legislative branch to continue in an unconventional fashion and even in another
location.
Coronavirus didn’t halt special elections in Pa.; GOP
picks up 3 House seats
Penn Live By The
Associated Press Posted
Mar 18, 2020
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans are
claiming victory and Democrats conceding defeat in three special elections
Tuesday to fill empty seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
All three seats had been held by Republicans
who vacated them after winning elections to county offices last November, and
Tuesday's election maintains the 110-93 Republican majority in the state House.
Eric Davanzo won in a Republican-leaning district in Westmoreland County and
Tim Bonner won in a Republican-leaning district based in Mercer County, while
K.C. Tomlinson won in a district in politically divided Bucks County.
Hampton school board supports charter school reform
Trib Live by Natalie
Beneviat Wednesday, March 18, 2020 | 11:00 PM
The Hampton Township School Board members
unanimously voted to support a Charter School Funding Reform Resolution at
their March 9 voting meeting. HTSD School Board Member Robert Shages, who is
also chair to the district policy and legislative affairs, read the
Pennsylvania School Boards Association resolution to fellow board members prior
to the vote. The PSBA resolution claims that the average Pennsylvania school
districts heavily fund annual mandatory payments to brick-and-mortar and cyber
charter schools … and “are calculated in a manner which requires districts to
send more money to charter schools than is needed to operate their programs”
placing the financial burden on district resources and taxpayers. Schools that
operate under a charter are divided into three general categories—charter
schools, regional charter schools, and cyber charter schools. The resolution
states the formula for regular education programs is unfair because it is based
on a school district’s expenditures and not what it actually costs to educate a
child in the charter school, per the resolution. Also, it claims the
calculation for charter special education tuition is unfair because it is also
based on the special education expenditures of the school district rather than
the charter school.
2,500 Museums You Can Now Visit Virtually
If you’re feeling hungry for art while you’re
stranded at home, here are our 12 selections out of 2,500 world-class museums
and galleries that are now offering virtual tours and online collections.
Hyperallergenic.com by Hakim
Bishara
March
16, 2020
There’s no point in sugarcoating it — things
are bad and they’re about to get worse before they get any better. COVID-19
virus has brought the world to a halt, shuttering all art and
cultural institutions in affected countries, and
putting millions worldwide in quarantine, self-imposed or not. Meanwhile, if
you’re feeling hungry for art while you’re stranded at home, you might be
pleased to know that 2,500 world-class museums and galleries are now offering
virtual tours and online collections on Google’s Arts & Culture pages.
(And for opera fans, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City is streaming concerts for
free.) Google Arts & Culture’s
collection includes many of the world’s biggest museums: Tate Modern and the
British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam,
and the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum in NYC, among hundreds of
others. In most, you can browse through entire exhibitions online, and in many,
you can also walk through the museum using Google’s street view.
Here are 12 museums that you can visit
virtually right now:
PSBA: Coronavirus Preparedness Guidance
In the last few weeks, the novel coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2), which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, has become a topic
of concern nationwide. Although the virus is not widespread in Pennsylvania at
this time, that status could change. Being proactive is key to prevention and
mitigation. Below, you will find a list of resources on all aspects of
preparedness, including guidance on communication planning, policy, emergency
management and disease control. Use these resources to help you make decisions
regarding the safety and health of those in your school district.
The former Sectional Meetings have been converted to a webinar
format. PSBA will be hosting six webinars (starting today), presented by an
expert on critical and timely topics related to #Coronavirus (COVID-19).
PSBA: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools:
Webinar Series
As PSBA announced in an email on
March 12, the former Sectional Meetings have been converted to a webinar format
to comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
Each of the six upcoming virtual sessions will be offered as a one-hour
webinar: a 45-minute presentation by an expert on critical and timely topics;
communication practices during the coronavirus pandemic; the business of boards
during shutdown; facilities restoration and clean-up, and other essential
topics. Each session will include 15 minutes of direct Q&A at the
conclusion of the 45-minute content presentation.
Members are welcome to register for any of
the six complimentary webinars.
All webinar sessions are 6:00 p.m. to 7:00
p.m.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 Prepare. Don’t
Panic. Responding to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Medical Guidance for Schools
Presenter: Raghavendra Tirupathi, MD, FACP – Medical Director, Keystone Infectious Diseases; Chair, Infection Prevention, Wellspan Chambersburg & Waynesboro Hospital and member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society
Presenter: Raghavendra Tirupathi, MD, FACP – Medical Director, Keystone Infectious Diseases; Chair, Infection Prevention, Wellspan Chambersburg & Waynesboro Hospital and member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Legislative Updates
Presenter: John Callahan, PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer
Presenter: John Callahan, PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Topic 1:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Communication Practices: How to Address Your School
Community and the Media
Presenters: Annette Stevenson PSBA Chief Communications Officer & Liam Goldrick, Donovan Group
Presenters: Annette Stevenson PSBA Chief Communications Officer & Liam Goldrick, Donovan Group
Topic 2: The Business of School Boards:
Operations & Meetings During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shutdown
Presenters: Stuart L. Knade, PSBA Senior Director of Legal Services & Heather Masshardt, Director of Policy Services
Presenters: Stuart L. Knade, PSBA Senior Director of Legal Services & Heather Masshardt, Director of Policy Services
Thursday, March 26, 2020 An Update from PIAA:
Addressing Coronavirus (COVID-19) Concerns
Presenter: Dr. Robert A. Lombardi, PIAA Executive Director
Presenter: Dr. Robert A. Lombardi, PIAA Executive Director
Monday, March 30, 2020 Facilities
Restoration: Coronavirus Clean-up
Presenter: SERVPRO, expert presenter
Presenter: SERVPRO, expert presenter
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 Risk Mitigation:
Strategy for Operational Continuity and Reducing Adverse Impacts
Presenter: CM Regent Insurance, expert presenter
Presenter: CM Regent Insurance, expert presenter
Registration here: https://www.psba.org/2019/10/coronavirus-webinar-series/
Blogger note: support Governor Wolf’s proposed charter reforms:
Reprise: PA Ed Policy Roundup for Feb 10, 2020
1. Adopt resolution for charter funding
reform
2. Ask your legislators to cosponsor HB2261
or SB1024
3. Register for Advocacy Day on May 11th
Adopt: the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
PSBA Website POSTED ON FEBRUARY 3,
2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
In this legislative session, PSBA has been
leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s
Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to
join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school
boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your
next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.
Cosponsor: A 120-page charter reform
proposal is being introduced as House Bill 2261 by Rep. Joseph
Ciresi (D-Montgomery), and Senate Bill 1024, introduced by Senators
Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) and James Brewster (D-Allegheny). Ask your
legislator to sign on as a cosponsor to House Bill 2261 or Senate Bill
1024.
Register: Five compelling reasons for .@PSBA .@PASA .@PAIU school leaders to come to the Capitol
for Advocacy Day on May 11th:
Charter Reform
Cyber Charter Reform
Basic Ed Funding
Special Ed Funding
PLANCON
For more
information: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
Rescheduled: Join us for Advocacy Day in Harrisburg to support public
education Monday May 11, 2020!
All school
leaders are invited to attend Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in Harrisburg.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), Pennsylvania Association of
Intermediate Units (PAIU) and the Pennsylvania Association of School
Administrators (PASA) are partnering together to strengthen our advocacy
impact. The day will center around meetings with legislators to discuss
critical issues affecting public education. Click here for more information or register
at http://www.mypsba.org/
School
directors can register online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you need
assistance logging in and registering contact Alysha Newingham, Member Data
System Administrator at alysha.newingham@psba.org
PSBA Board Presidents Panel April 27, 28 and 29; Multiple
Locations
Offered at 10 locations across the state,
this annual event supports current and aspiring school board leaders through
roundtable conversations with colleagues as well as a facilitated panel of
experienced regional and statewide board presidents and superintendents. Board
Presidents Panel is designed to equip new and veteran board presidents and vice
presidents as well as superintendents and other school directors who may pursue
a leadership position in the future.
PARSS Annual Conference April 29 – May 1, 2020 in State
College
The 2020 PARSS Conference is April 29 through
May 1, 2020, at Wyndham Garden Hotel at Mountain View Country Club in State
College. Please register as a member or a vendor by accessing the links below.
Register today for the 2020 PASA/PA Principals
Association PA Educational Leadership Summit, August 2-4, at the Lancaster
Marriott at Penn Square
(hosted by the PA Principals Association and
the PA Association of School Administrators). Participants can earn up to 80
PIL hours (40 hours for the Summit and - for an additional cost of $50 -
40 hours for EdCamp) for
attending the conference and completing program requirements. Register
early to reserve your seat! The deadline to take advantage of the Early Bird
Discount is April 24, 2020.
Click here to
register today!
Network for Public Education 2020 Conference in Philly Rescheduled
to November 21-22
NPE Website March 10, 2020 7:10 pm
We so wanted to see you in March, but we need
to wait until November!
Our conference will now take place on November
21 and 22 at the same location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please
read the important information below.
Registration: We will be rolling over our
registration information, so there is no reason to register again. You will
be automatically registered for the November dates. If you cannot attend in
November, we ask that you consider donating your registration to absorb some of
the costs associated with rescheduling the conference. If you feel you cannot
make such a donation, please contact: dcimarusti@networkforpubliceducation.org.
Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization
that I may be affiliated with.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.