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
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PA Ed Policy Roundup for March 20, 2020
PDE Cancels Statewide PSSA & Keystone Exams;
Districts Struggle with FAPE Concerns for Online Offerings
School officials and school directors please
check your email for yesterday’s .@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:
PSBA establishes channel to answer COVID-19 questions
POSTED ON MARCH 19, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
In light of statewide school closings and as
the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, PSBA is here to provide support to
members and answer questions regarding how schools will operate, meet
instructional requirements and provide services both now and in the future.
Please send your questions to request@psba.org with
your name, district and contact information. A member of PSBA staff will
respond directly or will funnel your inquires to the Pennsylvania Department of
Education. PSBA will act as your voice and ensure you receive the answers and
information you need to make decisions at this crucial time.
Pennsylvania Department of Education Cancels Statewide
Assessments
PDE Press Release 03/19/2020
Harrisburg, PA - The
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced today the cancellation of
all PSSA testing and Keystone exams for the 2019-20 school year as a result of
COVID-19. This includes the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA).
“Our school communities are operating within unprecedented conditions,” said
Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “Schools are making extraordinary
efforts to remain connected to students and families, to provide food service
and to put appropriate systems in place to continue student learning.
Assessments should not be the focus of school leaders right now. “To be clear,
all assessments are cancelled for this year,” he added. “The department will
submit the requisite waivers to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), but no
schools in the Commonwealth will be administering these tests this year.” PSSA
testing was scheduled to begin April 20. Keystone testing was scheduled to
begin May 11. The PASA testing window is open; however, all testing was halted
on Monday, March 16, when all public schools closed. Secretary Rivera said the
department is monitoring emerging federal guidance, working with other states
to advocate for flexibility, and will pursue appropriate waivers to the fullest
extent allowable as soon as the USDE guidance is clarified. The USDE has
already stated that it will consider a “targeted one-year waiver of the
assessment requirements for those schools impacted by…extraordinary
circumstances.” Secretary Rivera added that PDE will continue to release information
on the effects on accountability and school reporting as it becomes available.
“But ditching these annual exams will also cause ripple effects
across an education system that relies on testing data in myriad ways. Now,
state and local leaders will need to find workarounds for a lot of different
items.”
Pa. cancels standardized testing because of coronavirus
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent March 19, 2020
The extraordinary decision to close schools
statewide due to the coronavirus outbreak has prompted Pennsylvania to make
another extraordinary decision: The state will not administer standardized
tests this year. That includes the PSSA tests given to students in grades 3
through 8, the Keystone Exams given to high school students, and the
Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment. Annual testing is mandated by
federal law. Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said Pennsylvania will apply
for a waiver from the federal government. “Our school communities are operating
within unprecedented conditions,” said Rivera in a statement. “Schools are
making extraordinary efforts to remain connected to students and families, to
provide food service and to put appropriate systems in place to continue
student learning. Assessments should not be the focus of school leaders right
now.” The decision comes amid national pressure to cancel high-stakes testing —
an annual tradition in America’s public schools. Figures as divergent as the Chicago Teachers Union and
the right-wing American Enterprise Institute have
called for for a testing hiatus.
PSSA, Keystone tests canceled this year because of
coronavirus
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | MAR 19, 2020 | 8:52 PM
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessments
and Keystone Exams will be canceled this year because of the coronavirus that
has forced schools to close for at least two weeks. The Pennsylvania Department
of Education made the announcement Thursday afternoon. Last Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered
schools to shut down until Monday, March 30, to try to slow
the spread of the coronavirus. “Our school communities are operating within
unprecedented conditions,” state Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said in a
statement. “Schools are making extraordinary efforts to remain connected to
students and families, to provide food service and to put appropriate systems
in place to continue student learning. Assessments should not be the focus of
school leaders right now." The department will be seeking waivers from
federal rules requiring states to conduct the tests, Rivera said. Students in
grades three to eight take the PSSAs each April. High school students were
scheduled to take the Keystones in algebra, English and biology in May. Other
states, including Indiana, Texas, Georgia and Florida also canceled their
standardized tests this year. While the tests aren’t as heavily stressed as
they were in past years, the PSSA and Keystone results are still used partially
by the state to determine how much extra money schools should receive for
interventions. Local educators applauded the state’s decision to cancel the
high-stakes standardized tests that are mandated by federal law and often
stress out students.
Pennsylvania cancels school assessment tests
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com MAR 19,
2020 5:39 PM
The Pennsylvania Department of Education on
Thursday said it would cancel all statewide school assessment testing this year
because of COVID-19. The cancellations include PSSA and PASA tests as well as
the Keystone exams. “Our school communities are operating within
unprecedented conditions,” state education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera said in a
statement. “Schools are making extraordinary efforts to remain connected to
students and families, to provide food service and to put appropriate systems
in place to continue student learning. Assessments should not be the focus of
school leaders right now.” Mr. Rivera said the Department of Education was
awaiting guidance from the federal government and was working with other states
to advocate for flexibility. According to the Department of education,
the federal government has already said it would consider a “targeted one-year
waiver of the assessment requirements for those schools impacted
by…extraordinary circumstances.” PSSA testing was scheduled to begin April 20.
The Keystone exams were set for May 11. PASA testing had already started when
the statewide K-12 school closure was announced, but it will be discontinued.
Mr. Rivera said the Department of Education
will release information about accountability and school reporting as it
becomes available.
“Districts face the potential loss of federal funding if they
fail to provide accommodations for students with disabilities. They also face
the risk of complaints, and potential legal action, from parents
and disability rights advocates for running afoul of federal civil rights
laws.”… “The Philadelphia school district, which
educates more than 200,000 students, will not offer remote instruction during
its two-week coronavirus shutdown, because many students lack equal access to
technology.”
'Are We Going to Get Ourselves in Trouble?': Districts
Struggle With Special Education
Education WEEK By Corey Mitchell on March
19, 2020 5:15 PM
With a pandemic pressing tens of thousands of
the nation's school districts into extended closures, special education
administrators across the nation are wrestling with a weighty dilemma: how to
provide services to students with disabilities. Federal law mandates that
individuals with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in
everything schools provide—including online learning. But a mix of factors—lack
of clarity in state laws, unclear guidance from the U.S. Department of
Education, and a reluctance to run afoul of federal law—has left some school
districts struggling to get their online learning programs off the ground. Uncertainty
has handcuffed some districts, forcing them to shut down their online learning
operations, at least temporarily. The Northshore School District in suburban
Seattle—a hotspot in the national coronavirus outbreak—managed to roll out its
districtwide distance learning plan for 25,000-plus students ahead of a
mandatory five-week statewide shutdown. In the weeks since campuses closed
there, staff got thousands of tablets and hundreds of internet hotspots into
the hands of students—only to suspend operations because school leaders
fear they could be in violation of state and federal mandates for providing
equitable services.
“Woodland Hills High School Principal Phillip Woods sent a
message to students and their families saying the Pennsylvania Department of
Education had directed districts to stop new assignments. Eddie Willson,
director of curriculum and grants, also sent a letter, explaining that from now
on, all assignments would be completely voluntary. The state’s directive,
Harris said, was because students who would normally receive special assistance
or are involved in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) could not get the
same support through online assignments. Continuing instruction online could
present an equity problem, Harris said. “Since we can’t do it for all, we can’t
do it for any,” Harris said. Of the district’s approximate 3,400 students,
Harris said around 1,000 have various needs that cannot be provided online. He
said most school districts in Allegheny County have the same dilemma.”
Some Pa. school districts told to stop mandatory
instruction, grading during closure
Trib Live by TEGHAN SIMONTON | Thursday,
March 19, 2020 4:57 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education on
Thursday appears to have told some school districts to stop all instruction
during a mandatory 10-day closure even if the districts are prepared for online
instruction. State school officials had a call with some districts to tell them
to stop all mandatory instruction and grading taking place during the closure. The
Pennsylvania Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment.
It is not known which or how many schools were on the call. Following Gov. Tom
Wolf’s announcement last week that schools should close to help stop the spread
of the coronavirus, Woodland Hills Superintendent James Harris sent a letter to
students instructing them to log in to the school’s online portal for
assignments. Teachers in grades K-12 would be posting 10 days’ worth of
assignments. Harris was not alone. Many area districts sought to make resources
available to minimize the disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic. But
Harris had to backtrack that decision Thursday after the call with state
officials.
“These decisions seemingly trace back to guidance issued by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education. The department told districts it would not penalize them if they
weren’t able to hold the mandatory 180 days of school this year. It added that
if districts wanted to attempt “continuity of education” they would have to
“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.”
Schools across Pa. are wary of offering online
instruction during coronavirus closures
The notebook/WHYY NEWS by Avi
Wolfman-Arent March 19 — 5:59 pm, 2020
From big cities to little towns, many
Pennsylvania school districts are trying to offer some form of virtual
instruction while schools are closed. But there are limits to what school
districts feel they can require students to do — often because they’re worried
they can’t ensure equal access to technology or meet the requirements laid out
under the federal special-education law. “I think a lot of superintendents
initially wanted to have kids prepared to have some work and do some things
online,” said Edward Albert, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association
of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS). “But then all of a sudden, somewhat of a
trainwreck happened.” In particular, Albert said, many school officials became
wary that they could open themselves up to lawsuits under federal special
education law if they provide virtual classes, but don’t do so in a way that
meets the needs of each student with a special-education plan. “With that, a
lot of school districts retreated back and said, ‘We’re just going to sit and
ride out this storm a little bit,’” Albert explained. Some of the school
districts Albert represents are not doing instruction at all, he said. Other
districts seem to be coalescing around a middle ground: offer online enrichment
opportunities for students and families, but be absolutely clear that these are
not required assignments and won’t be graded.
“As districts scramble to establish distance learning plans for
long-term school closures, they're struggling to provide services to
students with disabilities and those with other exceptional circumstances.
It's a challenge with broad implications, tied to financial consequences
for districts and developmental consequences for the most vulnerable
students in America. At issue: Federal law calls for people with
disabilities to have an equal opportunity to participate in everything schools
provide. If districts don't accommodate students, they risk losing federal aid
– and facing complaints from parents and disability rights advocates
for violating federal civil rights laws.”
Is online school illegal? With schools closing from
coronavirus, special education concerns give districts pause
USA Today by Erin Richards March 19,
2020
Patrick Riccards received an email
Tuesday from his New Jersey school district about its plan for
special-education services during the coronavirus shutdown. But what
should have brought him comfort instead caused dismay. The district wrote that
its special-education teachers would modify online lessons and
host virtual check-ins with students in the new world
of distance learning. But to Riccards, an education
advocate, that wasn't enough. He'd already watched his wife struggle for
two days to help their 13-year-old son, who has severe dyslexia and is
several grade levels behind in reading, access the district's online
materials. The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School also announced
it was canceling all government-mandated meetings for special-needs students
until schools reopen – which might not be until
fall. "I get that this is the first
week. But everything we have fought for in my son's
(individualized education plan) now gets put on hold," Riccards
said.
Restarting kids’ education amid coronavirus won’t be
easy: ‘It’s putting superintendents in a tremendous bind’
Penn Live By Christine
Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com Today 5:15
AM
It’s looking more and more likely that
Pennsylvania schools will be closed beyond the initial 2-week shutdown mandated
by Gov. Tom Wolf to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus. But are school
districts prepared to offer remote learning for weeks or months? Many districts
currently are not. And even for ones that are: There are several legal
obstacles that could delay or prevent them from starting to teach kids again
during a prolonged shutdown. Districts across the country are grappling with
similar problems. The Kansas governor made the call to cancel in-person classes
for the rest of the school year and in Florida, the governor canceled all remaining
testing and grading. Graduating students will be evaluated without testing, the
Florida governor said, and parents of students in other grades will have the
choice to keep their child in the same grade for the 2020-2021 school year. Under Wolf’s order, school
buildings are closed through Friday, March 27 and districts only may offer
optional academic enrichment, either online or through packets of handouts. The
material must review topics previously covered in class, not new academic
territory. It’s unclear what will happen on Monday, March 30.
Lancaster's school districts step up to meet students'
needs amid crisis [opinion]
THE LNP | LANCASTERONLINE EDITORIAL BOARD March
20, 2020
THE ISSUE: Several Lancaster County
superintendents spoke to LNP |
LancasterOnline’s Alex Geli earlier this week about
how they’re handling Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to close all of the
state’s public schools for two weeks (from
March 16-27). “It’s been chaotic trying to navigate the ripple effects,” Geli
wrote. “When schools close ... learning is merely one of the losses that take
place.” Those ripple effects must address the reality that school is where many
students eat, get basic medical treatment and access technology.
Indeed, the ripple effects are immense. And
our school districts might be dealing with them for a long time. The governor
noted that, at the conclusion of the two-week closure, he “will reevaluate and
decide whether continued closure is needed.” With that in mind, we should all
extend our appreciation to the superintendents, educators and staff members who
are working incredibly hard during this emergency to ensure that students’
needs are being met. They are certainly feeling the enormity of their roles. “It
really is eye-opening,” Penn Manor Superintendent Mike Leichliter told Geli. “It’s just
been a constant adjustment to stay up to speed,” Eastern Lancaster County
Superintendent Bob Hollister said. “It’s getting harder and harder,” School
District of Lancaster Superintendent Damaris Rau said. We hear you. For those
who might have missed Geli’s reporting, here’s a look at some of the important
issues our school administrators are facing.
From reading wars to virtual museum tours, kids are still
learning despite the coronavirus shutdown
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer March 20,
2020
“Hi,
Manheim Central,” Tracy Fasick said as she sat in her sunroom at home, the New
York Times bestselling novel “Before We Were Yours” resting on her chest. Fasick,
Manheim Central School District’s director of curriculum and instruction, was
filming a video introducing a districtwide reading contest amid Pennsylvania’s
two-week school shutdown sparked by the global coronavirus pandemic. “We’re
going to have a reading war and see who can read the most books during this
time that were stranded indoors,” Fasick said on the video. The contest goes like
this: Students in prekindergarten and kindergarten go up against students in
first grade. Second grade faces third grade and so on, until you get to 12th
grade, which competes against faculty and staff. The contest was introduced on
Tuesday. By Thursday, students, faculty and staff read a combined 170 books. It’s
one of the many seemingly simple but significant efforts being made by
Lancaster County schools as they try to stay connected with families and
provide enrichment activities that help students stay engaged in learning. None
of the 17 county school districts are assigning their students mandatory work
during the temporary shutdown, but school officials say providing fun,
voluntary challenges for students to do at home with family is the least they
can do.
Mt. Lebanon School board members take part via
teleconference amid COVID-19 concerns
Post Gazette by DEANA CARPENTER MAR 19, 2020 4:08
PM
The Mt. Lebanon School Board held its regular
meeting Monday, although eight of the nine members participated via telephone
at the recommendation of district administration to practice social distancing
because of COVID-19. Board President Sarah Olbrich and district Superintendent
Tim Steinhauer conducted the meeting while sitting a safe distance from each
other. “We have balanced the need for a public meeting with the unique concern
around the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic by limiting the number of people present,”
Ms. Olbrich said. She then made a motion to waive the board’s policy that a
majority of the board must be physically present at a meeting, which passed
unanimously. “This is a very fluid and changing situation,” Ms. Olbrich said in
her board president’s report. She urged everyone to “please heed the suggestion
of social distancing.” “We know this is hard, but if we all work together, we
can truly help protect our community.”
Feeding the children: More midstate school districts step
up with stopgap lunch programs during coronavirus closures
Penn Live By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com Updated Mar
19, 2020
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.
Here is where school meals will be available in Lehigh
Valley during coronavirus closures
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO and MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | MAR 19, 2020 | 9:59 PM
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday
that all school districts will shut down for two weeks because of the
coronavirus that continues to spread across Pennsylvania, Many students and
families are dependent on the meals that schools provide. The state said
federal officials granted approval for schools to serve meals and
snacks at no-cost to low-income students. Here’s
where students can receive meals. The Morning Call will update this information
as more districts post their locations:
Senate Coronavirus Bill Would Give DeVos Sweeping Power
to Waive Education Law
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on March
19, 2020 6:43 PM
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos would
be given broad power to waive the federal law for public schools, under
emergency coronavirus legislation introduced Thursday by Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security Act gives
the education secretary the power to grant "national emergency educational
waivers" from the Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as the Higher
Education Act and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
Specifically, the legislation gives DeVos the power to "waive any
statutory or regulatory requirement (such as those requirements related to
assessments, accountability, allocation of funds, and reporting), for which a
waiver request is submitted ... if the Secretary determines that such a waiver
is necessary and appropriate."
Separately, states, districts, Indian tribes,
and colleges and universities could submit waiver requests in which they
identify the programs that would be affected and why the spread of the
coronavirus prevents or restricts them from complying with the relevant section
of the law. DeVos would have 15 days to approve or reject the waiver requests,
and the waivers would last for up to a year, although extensions would be allowed
under certain circumstances.
However, DeVos would be barred from waiving
"applicable civil rights laws under the legislation." Within 30 days
after the bill becoming law, DeVos would also have to tell Congress whether she
believes waivers should also be made available from the Individuals With
Disabilities Education Act, the federal law governing special education, in
order to provide "limited flexibility."
The legislation could give the education
secretary unprecedented powers over federal education law, since she could
waive any section of the law if she sees fit as well as approve waivers for
states and districts dealing with the fallout of the virus. The bill, must
still pass the GOP-controlled Senate and the House, which is run by Democrats,
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
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.
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