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
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principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
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PA Ed Policy Roundup for March 9, 2020
PA House Democratic
Policy Committee
Public hearing on
Understanding Charter School Funding
Monday, March 9, 2020 2 pm Bucks
County Admin Bldg Rm 110, 55 E Court St, Doylestown, PA
PSBA Webinar: Prepare
for Advocacy Day – A discussion on charter reform, PlanCon; school funding
MAR 11, 2020
• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Info and registration: https://www.psba.org/event/webinar-prepare-for-advocacy-day/
“Wolf's reforms would include applying the special
education funding formula to all charter schools — a change many districts
and public school advocacy organizations have been vocal in supporting —
and establishing a statewide cyber charter tuition rate.”
York County districts among 100 across state supporting
charter reform
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 10:18 a.m. ET March 6, 2020 | Updated 12:55 p.m. ET
March 6, 2020
Three York County school districts have thrown
their support behind Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed overhaul of the
state's charter school funding formula. A resolution, drafted by
the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, is calling for the General
Assembly to "meaningfully revise" charter school law, which was
enacted in 1997. West York, York Suburban and Southern York County joined
more than 100 other districts across the state in approving the resolution. "Right
now, charter school funding is not a level playing field," said West York
Area school board member Lynn Kohler. "We’re spending way more money to
cyber charter schools than they actually take to educate the student." Though
PSBA's resolution does not note specific reforms, it follows Wolf's
controversial budget proposal last month, which
cites revisions that governor says would save $280 million
that could be reinvested in classrooms. On Thursday, Wolf's office
championed the districts' support on social media.
l
“A recent 2020 State of Education survey conducted by PSBA
determined that more than 70% of Pennsylvania’s public school districts
identified mandatory charter school tuition costs as one of their biggest
sources of budget pressure, exceeding, for the first time in four years, the
pressures affiliated with pension costs.”
PSBA Press Release (Mechanicsburg, PA) Thursday, March 5,
2020 –
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association
(PSBA) announces today that more than 100 school districts have now voted to
adopt the resolution calling for charter school funding
reform. PSBA has been working to rally school board
directors on this issue and bring strength to the collective voice. School
districts from across the state (100+ and growing) have passed this resolution,
supporting the much-needed change to an outdated funding equation. A recent
2020 State of Education survey conducted by PSBA determined that more than 70%
of Pennsylvania’s public school districts identified mandatory charter school
tuition costs as one of their biggest sources of budget pressure, exceeding,
for the first time in four years, the pressures affiliated with pension costs. We
congratulate these 100+ school districts for taking an actionable step to
support and voice their need for change: https://www.psba.org/adopted-charter-reform-resolutions
The school districts are paying costs aligned
to the district's expenses and not the actual costs of the charter school or
the dollars being dedicated by the charter school to the education of each
student. In many instances, districts are spending millions of dollars in
mandated payments paid annually to charter schools. We are appreciative of
Governor Wolf's attention paid to this rising issue in his proposed budget. The
support of the Governor and legislature will help right the imbalance and we
will continue pushing forward until that occurs. – Nathan G. Mains, PSBA chief executive
officer
Go to PACharterChange.org for more data and details
Governor’s charter school initiative has area support
Mon Valley Independent by ERIC
SEIVERLING eseiverling@yourmvi.com March 9, 2020
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed
Charter School Law reforms that would change the way the schools receive funding.
Several Mon Valley school districts are among the more than 100 across
Pennsylvania that have called on legislature to enact Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed
Charter School Law reforms. The changes would allow school districts to
reinvest an additional $280 million into classrooms while ensuring charter
schools are held accountable for the quality of education they provide. “Every
child in Pennsylvania deserves the opportunity to receive a high-quality
education, but our current law allows some charter schools to perform poorly at
the expense of students enrolled in traditional district schools,” Wolf said in
a statement. “My charter school law proposal will benefit all students while
helping to ensure all schools are held to the same quality and ethics
standards.” Mon Valley districts supporting the reform include Belle Vernon
Area, California Area, Charleroi Area, Ringgold and West Jefferson Hills.
Wolf’s package of policy and budget initiatives includes applying the special
education funding formula to all charter schools, establishing a statewide
cyber charter tuition rate and improving the tuition redirection process. The
governor claims the changes will better align payments made to charter schools
with the actual cost of educating students and clarification of the redirection
process will increase fairness, accountability and transparency.
Longietti comments on charter funding legislation
Sharon Herald By DAVID L. DYE Herald Staff
Writer March 8, 2020
With public school districts paying anywhere
from $8,000 to $20,000 per student in charter school tuition, state Rep. Mark
Longietti said reforming the charter school funding process is becoming a
priority in Harrisburg. “The way the formula determines funding for charter
schools now doesn’t make a lot of sense,” said Longietti, D-7, Hermitage. Longietti
made that statement Friday during a tour of local school districts, including
West Middlesex and Reynolds. The seven-term representative said he’s aware that
school officials are concerned over the disparity between what school districts
pay for charter school tuition and that he is open to re-evaluating the charter
school funding formula. The school boards in more than 100 school districts --
including Jamestown Area, Sharon City and West Middlesex in Mercer County --
have approved a resolution calling on the state legislature to review
Pennsylvania’s charter school law and change the mechanism by which charter
schools receive funding. Pennsylvania’s charter school law, adopted in 1997,
ties charter school funding to a public school’s per-student spending. When a
public school student enrolls in a charter school, the public school sends its
per-student average cost to the charter schools. That rule holds, even for
cyber charter schools, which might not have the same costs as public schools
for transportation and maintaining brick and mortar classrooms.
Several Beaver County School Districts Call for Charter
Reform
Several Beaver County school districts are calling
for charter school reforms. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy
Giordano has details. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…
SOME PA SCHOOLS CALL FOR CHANGES IN CHARTER SCHOOL LAWS
Indiana, PA WCCS AM1160 & 101.1FM March
07, 2020 07:27 am
One fifth of all school districts in
Pennsylvania are calling for changes to the state law regarding charter
schools. Leaders in 108 of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts are calling for
charter school reforms advocated by Gov. Tom Wolf. One of the key reforms would
better align payments made to charter schools with the actual cost of educating
students resulting, according to the Governor, in savings of up to 280 million
dollars. The Governor points to a recent survey by the Pennsylvania School
Boards Association, which determined that more than 70 percent of districts
identified mandatory charter school tuition costs as one of their biggest
sources of budget pressure.
Get the Facts: Cyber Charters in Pennsylvania
WHY ARE CYBER CHARTERS SO HARMFUL?
@RoseTreeMedia School
District Website
Runaway costs; excessive tuition; lack of
transparency; poor performance
Education Advocates Say Cyber Charters Spend Millions on
Ads
Cyber charter schools receive the same public
funding per student as do brick-and-mortar schools
Public News Service March 9, 2020
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Cyber charter schools
appear to be spending millions of dollars in taxpayer money on advertising, but
at least one refuses to show the details. Commonwealth Charter Academy is one
of the biggest cyber charters in the state and recruits students through
extensive and expensive advertising.But the school responded to a Right to Know
request by claiming details about those expenses are "protected trade
secrets" and turned over documents that were heavily redacted. According
to Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters of
Pennsylvania, those documents still revealed some
disturbing numbers. "The cyber charter school is spending, on average,
probably $7 million to $8 million a year on contracts with lobbying and public
relations firms and on services," she points out. Spicka says state law
needs to be changed to require transparency in the way charters spend nearly $2
billion of taxpayer money every year. Cyber charters receive the same amount of
taxpayer money per student as brick-and-mortar public schools. Spicka calls the
advertising budget excessive and says the public has a right to know how those
funds are being spent.
Beyond Toxic: Navigating a public health crisis in our
schools
Join us on March 25th for a community
conversation to discuss what we know about Philadelphia’s $4.5 billion school
infrastructure problem, what we don’t, and what we can do about it. Tickets are
free
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:00-8:00
p.m.
Location: WHYY 150 North 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
The headlines keep coming. Asbestos in the
air. Chipped paint on students’
desks. Lead in the
drinking water. Schools in Philadelphia — and across Pennsylvania — are
confronting distressing, often scary news about potential threats living within
aging buildings. Are students, parents and teachers putting themselves in
harm’s way in our places of learning? WHYY is hosting a community conversation
to discuss what we know about Philadelphia’s $4.5 billion school infrastructure
problem, what we don’t, and what we can do about it. Join us for a panel
discussion including parents, teachers, students, health experts and WHYY
journalists. If you know someone impacted by this issue, please encourage them
to attend.
Bucks County residents react to coronavirus school
closures
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent March 6, 2020
The mood outside F.D. Titus Elementary School
Friday morning was buoyant — even if the inside was barren. About a dozen
children raced around the school playground and preened for an assembly of
reporters. COVID-19 may be on the minds of administrators in the Central Bucks
School District, but, for these kids, the viral scare seemed less important
than an unexpected day off. “No math today,” exclaimed one child Added another:
“They might move the test back!” F.D. Titus — located in Warrington, Pa. —
was one of five schools shuttered
Friday by administrators in Pennsylvania’s third-largest school district. Officials
said staff and children from the five closed schools had attended a “private
gathering” with a person who has since been diagnosed with COVID-19. Neither
the patient nor those affiliated with Central Bucks knew about the illness when
the gathering took place. Administrators decided to close the schools Friday “out
of an abundance of caution.” There’s no word yet on when the schools might
reopen or if further closures are under consideration. The district’s other 18
schools were not affected. There are also no reports, to date, of a confirmed
COVID-19 case in Bucks County.
Philly-area schools grapple with coronavirus, closing,
cleaning, reopening and canceling trips
Inquirer by Bob Fernandez, Updated: March 8, 2020-
11:32 PM
As the region reacts to the fast-spreading
coronavirus, one of the Philadelphia region’s top private schools, Germantown
Academy, informed more than 1,000 students, parents and staff on Sunday that
its Fort Washington campus would close for most of March. A Montgomery County
resident presumed to be infected with the covid-19 virus is a family member of
a Germantown Academy student, which could have exposed the student to the
virus. While the Germantown Academy student has “no symptoms,” the student will
“self-quarantine at home for at least two weeks,” the head of school, Rich
Schellhas, said in a letter. School officials, responding to fears by parents
and seeking to protect the health of students and staff, are reacting to the
virus as the U.S. death toll, now at 21, mounts, and as new presumed cases of
infection are reported. Malvern Prep, for instance, announced on Sunday that it
was canceling all domestic travel. But officials in the Central Bucks School
District, which abruptly closed five schools on Friday, said that they would be
reopened Monday after a deep cleaning of the buildings, and no students or
staff who came into contact with an infected person from out of state two weeks
ago have exhibited symptoms or tested positive for the respiratory illness
caused by the virus.
School officials: Team effort needed to prevent
coronavirus outbreak in Lancaster County
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer March 7, 2020
Wash hands frequently with soap and water for
at least 20 seconds.
Avoid touching your face.
Keep sick children at home.
These are some of the reminders Lancaster
County school districts are sharing with families as the coronavirus,
specifically COVID-19, spreads across the globe, including in Pennsylvania. With two cases now
presumed statewide — in Delaware and Wayne counties — schools are trying to
ensure families that they’re taking the disease seriously and they have
precautions in place if there’s an outbreak close to home. Schools say they’re
closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19, keeping up to date with the latest
guidelines from the state Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and others, while prioritizing cleaning and sanitizing in their
buildings. But preventing an outbreak, they say, is a team effort. “It is
important right now that we work together to remain focused on what we can
control,” Penn Manor Superintendent Mike Leichliter said this week in a letter to
parents. “We will remain vigilant in monitoring the status of all illnesses
that could present a threat to our staff and students.” Good hygiene and other
commonsense measures, such as keeping children at home until they’re fever-free
for 24 hours without medication, are perhaps the most important ways to prevent
the spread of respiratory infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, school
officials say. The CDC’s guidance for
schools prioritizes these preventive measures. It also suggests schools communicate
regularly with families, perform routine cleaning, monitor and plan for
absenteeism and establish procedures to ensure the continuity of education for
students with prolonged absences.
‘It’s best to take as many precautions as possible’:
Parents and students react to school closings over coronavirus
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Bethany Ao, Vinny Vella and Bob Fernandez, Updated: March 6, 2020- 7:13 PM
The announcement out of Bucks County early
Friday was less a surprise than an inevitability. Across the region, school
officials knew some would have to confront coronavirus concerns. The questions
were who, where, and when. The answer — the Central Bucks School District
closing five schools after fear of exposure — set in motion a new wave of
assurances and action. “Everybody starts to think about how this might affect
them,” said Jennifer Polinchock, assistant superintendent in the Centennial
School District, another Bucks County district, which put out an alert to
families Friday after the Central Bucks news broke. Polinchock said the
district has been fielding calls from parents and is planning to assemble a
list of frequently asked questions, including about keeping students home from
school and the prospect of turning to online learning during school closures. The
Great Valley School District in Chester County told parents in a message that
if schools closed, the district would provide resources “to allow students to
work on their skills at home” — but that the activities would not count as
in-school instruction.
‘Just think of all the what-ifs:’ Lehigh Valley schools
keep close eye on coronavirus as Central Bucks closes buildings
By CHRISTINA TATU THE MORNING
CALL | MAR 06, 2020 | 7:01 PM
Lehigh Valley officials are doing their best
to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus, but they are also considering
measures like online curriculum so students can continue their education if
schools are forced to close. That possibility was at the forefront of Lehigh
Valley administrators’ minds after news Friday that
five schools in the Central Bucks School District would be closed for the day because
a number of employees and students had been exposed to someone carrying
coronavirus. Gov. Tom Wolf also reported the first two suspected
cases of coronavirus in Delaware and Wayne counties on Friday,
though they are not connected to the exposure in Bucks County. So far there are
no cases confirmed in the Lehigh Valley, but school officials said they are
closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation. For now, they said their
districts’ contingency plans would be managed on a case-by-case basis. “Certainly,
Central Bucks closing schools has caught superintendents’ attention. I think
it’s really critical that no medical authority is recommending we close schools
here in Bethlehem,” said Bethlehem Superintendent Joseph Roy. “We have to be
clear-headed and we have to work with the facts and advice we get from the
Bethlehem Health Bureau and state Department of Health,” he said.
Capital-Star’s reporting prompts Pa.’s teacher pension
fund to audit travel expenses to L.A.
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso March 6,
2020
Pennsylvania’s largest pension fund is
auditing its travel expenses after reporting by the Capital-Star revealed
opaque expense records for cross-country travel. The Pennsylvania Public School
Employees’ Retirement System board’s audit committee approved the deep dive
Friday during a meeting in Harrisburg. “We’re trying to make sure there is no
independence question,” Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon, and chair of PSERS’ audit
committee, said. Ryan said the report should focus on “operational red flags”
in the travel, paid for by taxpayers and booked by an investment partner. The
committee’s request follows reporting by the Capital-Star that revealed limited
expense records of travel to Los Angeles. There, pension officials met
with Platinum Equity, a private equity fund that has been the beneficiary of $1
billion in pensioners’ dollars over the past decade. The trips included at
least one unaccounted for stay at a five-star hotel in 2017. Platinum
reimburses PSERS for parts of the travel, while other costs are covered by fees
included in the pension fund’s contract with Platinum. Reimbursed travel
expenses are fair game for public records requests, PSERS spokesperson Steve
Esack said at the time, but costs paid for by fees are not. Public records for
seven trips to Los Angeles revealed just $1,392 in expenses, less than
PSERS’s own cost estimate for two trips alone. PSERS spokesperson
Steve Esack and pension staff at Friday’s meeting both claimed the system
followed the governor’s gift and travel rules.
Pa. lawmakers need to try this fairer, more equitable
approach to property tax reform | Ray E. Landis
PA Capital Star Opinion By Ray Landis March 8,
2020
Is it time to again have a debate about
eliminating property taxes in Pennsylvania? Senate Republicans think so,
because they’ve held public policy meetings on the
topic. This renewed discussion does provide
an opportunity to take a clear-eyed look at the issue. While rising property
taxes threaten to make it unaffordable for some to remain in their homes, for
many Pennsylvanians the “cure” of property tax elimination is worse than the
problem. But there is a way to help those who are truly in danger of being
forced from their homes without jeopardizing public education or creating
hardships for working families. Let’s begin with an uncomfortable truth – many
of those who complain the loudest about property taxes aren’t really in danger
of losing their homes because they can’t afford the tax rates. They often have
an ideological opposition to property taxes, and some seem to be motivated by a
resentment of paying taxes for public education when they have no children in
school and sense that spending on things like teacher salaries is out of
control. Educational costs have risen, but the reasons stem more from what
public schools are asked to do in today’s world than teacher pay. Special
education costs are a major factor, not to mention pensions, school security,
and meeting the requirements established by various governmental bodies.
OJR panel to study delayed school start time
Pottstown Mercury By Laura Catalano For
MediaNews Group March 8, 2020
SOUTH COVENTRY — The Owen J. Roberts School
Board has begun the process of forming a steering committee to study changing
secondary school start time from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. The new committee, which
will be formed on March 23, will be headed by board member John Diehl. It will
be comprised of four sub-committees tasked with investigating various impacts
of a later start time. Those will include traffic and transportation,
extracurricular and athletics, family and community impact, and staff and
students subcommittees. Each subcommittee will have administrative and board
liaisons, as well as any other interested stakeholders. Leslie Proffitt,
chairwoman of the board’s pupil services committee, said the board will reach
out to teachers, students, coaches, parents, support staff, employers, and
other school and community members to serve on the subcommittees. Diehl told
the board and administrative liaisons that they should seek to include both
parents who support the idea of a moving to an 8:30 a.m. start time, as well as
those who oppose it. “I ask that we recruit parents on both sides of the issue
with the understanding that no is not an answer,” Diehl said. “Were going to
fully explore this to find out what would have to happen to make this happen.
I’m not saying we’re going to do it, but that’s the assumption.”
Obama Academy's parents, students concerned over proposed
budget cuts
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com MAR 9, 2020
5:30 AM
Parents, students and staff at Obama 6-12
found themselves in a dilemma while trying to lower class size in the East
Liberty school. To combat concerns about high student-to-teacher ratio at the
academy — a magnet school because of its rigorous International
Baccalaureate Diploma Program — the principal decided to lower student
enrollment. But the slash in enrollment caused a cut in the proposed budget,
which parents and students claim will do further harm to a school that has
issues that go beyond class size. “We want to try to lower our class size,
which is what the principal is trying to do,” said Lisa Harris, president of
Obama’s Parent Teacher Student Association. “And when you lower your class
sizes, you lower your numbers, you lower your budget. So you get shot in the
foot for trying to make smaller class sizes.”
Philadelphia School District holds first Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Expo
Mike DeNardo/KYW Newsradio March 7, 2020
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The
Philadelphia School District is making a special effort to connect its hard of
hearing students with the help and services available to them. The
school district has special programs for deaf and hard of hearing students at
three of its buildings: Bache-Martin Elementary, and Hancock Elementary and
Lincoln High School. There are also teachers who move from building to
building, says the district's Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson. "We have
three buildings that have specialized programs. But we also have a model in
which we have interpreters and deaf and hard of hearing teachers working across
different buildings to support students in their least restrictive environment,"
Francis-Thompson said. But on Wednesday, there was more. It was the
district's first Deaf and Hard of Hearing Expo. Two dozen tables were set up at
school headquarters, where students could learn about community services,
hearing aids and captioning devices. It was also an opportunity for students to
discover help inside and outside school. District sign language interpreter
Thea Tynes says perhaps the most popular table was the one for Gallaudet
University. "But when they came to Gallaudet, the crowd was amazing.
People were signing up — 'There's a college! There's a college for me!
There's a college for deaf people!' And every one of them signed that
paper," Tynes said. There are about 500 deaf or hard of hearing
students in Philadelphia schools.
Learning the rules of business-lunch etiquette 59 stories
up in Philly’s Four Seasons
Inquirer by Jenn Ladd, Updated: February 26, 2020
Fork on the left, knife on the right, water
on the … whichever seems closest? “There’s so many times I’m at a round table,
but it’s set for 10, so you’re sitting on top of one another,” Ben Fileccia
recounted at the Four Seasons on a recent afternoon. “And it’s like, ‘Whose
plate is this?’ Or ‘where’s my water glass?’” Read the table from left to right
and think of BMW, proclaimed Fileccia, the director of operations and strategy
for the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodgings Association. “Bread, meal,
water.” Place-setting anatomy, good manners, and dining decorum were the order
of the day inside this 59th-floor conference room, where Fileccia and Pyramid
Club private events director Angie Gruver addressed high school students over
the course of an impeccably presented three-course meal. The event was part of
a PRLA program that partners with the Philadelphia School District to teach
high school culinary students the etiquette of a business lunch.
LGBTQ Issues Roil Florida School-Choice Debate
Private school policies get advocate scrutiny
Education Week By Evie Blad March 3,
2020
Even as Florida lawmakers consider an
expansion of the state's voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs, a fierce
debate simmers over how participating private schools treat LGBTQ students and
families. A small group of lawmakers' perennial push to require
anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
queer students in the programs gained fresh momentum after a January Orlando Sentinel investigation. The
newspaper found 83 participating private schools had written policies barring
attendance by LGBTQ students and, in some cases, the children of gay and
lesbian couples. It found that 73 other religious schools that accept students
through the state programs call being gay or transgender a sin, but that their
published policies aren't clear about how that view affects admissions or
student discipline. The uproar surrounding the country's largest private school
choice programs provides a window into debates that are flaring around the
country on respect for religious freedom, protections for student civil rights,
and what states should require of private schools that
receive public funding. And those conversations are likely to intensify as the
Trump administration touts a federal plan for tax-credit scholarships.
Philadelphia loses a native-son jazz giant:
Groundbreaking pianist McCoy Tyner dies at 81
by Dan DeLuca, Updated: March 6, 2020- 8:49 PM
Philadelphia and the world have lost a titan
of modern jazz.
McCoy Tyner, 81, the profoundly influential
pianist who gained renown as a key member of saxophonist John Coltrane’s
trailblazing early 1960s quartet and went on to an adventurous and successful
solo career, has died. His nephew Colby Tyner, a radio executive and former
Philadelphia DJ, said Friday afternoon that his uncle had died at his home in North
Jersey. No cause of death was announced. On Friday, the Philadelphia bassist
and bandleader Christian McBride called Mr. Tyner “a giant among giants” and
wrote on Facebook: “May the pride of West Philadelphia rest easy.” Mr. Tyner
was one of jazz piano’s great stylistic innovators, a mild-mannered man known
not only for the rumbling physicality of his sound — and the bass notes that
emanated from his powerful left hand — but also for the stylistic grace and
harmonic invention in his playing.
EdVotersPA: Take action now to support charter school reform
in PA!
Education Voters PA Published by EDVOPA on February 25, 2020
We have helped build a movement to fix
Pennsylvania’s worst charter school law in the nation in every corner of the commonwealth.
Now it is time to take this movement to Harrisburg!
Please click HERE and sign a letter to
your state representative and senator calling on them to support charter school
reform. Ed Voters’ volunteers will hand deliver each constituent letter to
state lawmakers’ offices in mid-March. Make sure yours is included!
We will need to deliver thousands of letters
to send a strong message that Pennsylvanians expect lawmakers to take action
this legislative session.
PSBA Board Presidents Panel April 27 & 28; 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.
Info and registration: https://www.psba.org/2020/01/board-presidents-panel/
Webinar: Rising Mandated Costs for School Districts
PASchoolsWork Lunch & Learn Webinar Tuesday, March 10th
12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
Mandated costs are rising for school
districts across PA. Join us next Tuesday at Noon to learn more about what
exactly these costs are and what their impact is on school districts. Register
for our Lunch & Learn webinar here:
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.
Bucks County Intermediate Unit: FLU AND CORONAVIRUS
RESOURCES
Resources for School Leaders; Bucks County
Intermediate Unit Website
This page contains a collection of news articles,
health agency resources, and school system templates related to the Flu and
Coronavirus. This page is by no means exhaustive and in no way serves as
an endorsement for specific resources. Instead, it serves as a
collection point for school leaders seeking resources and exemplars.
Please contact Dr. Mark Hoffman with
any additional documents or links to post!
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 March 23rd
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 March 23rd:
Charter Reform
Cyber Charter Reform
Basic Ed Funding
Special Ed Funding
PLANCON
For more
information: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
Hear relevant content from statewide experts, district practitioners and
PSBA government affairs staff at PSBA’s annual membership gathering. PSBA
Sectional Advisors and Advocacy Ambassadors are on-site to connect with
district leaders in their region and share important information for you to
take back to your district.
Locations and dates
- Wednesday,
March 18, 2020 — Section 7, PSBA
Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Blvd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 1, General McLane
High School, 11761 Edinboro Rd, Edinboro, PA 16412
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 4, Abington
Heights School District, 200 East Grove Street, Clark Summit, PA 18411
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 3, Columbia-Montour
AVTS, 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg, PA 17815
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 6, Bedford County
Technical Center, 195 Pennknoll Road, Everett, PA 15537
- Thursday,
March 26, 2020 — Section 2, State College
Area High School, 650 Westerly Pkwy, State College, PA 16801
- Monday,
March 30, 2020 — Section 5, Forbes Road
Career & Technology Center, 607 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146
- Monday, March 30, 2020 — Section 8, East Penn School District, 800 Pine St, Emmaus,
PA 18049
- Tuesday, April 7, 2020 — Section 5, Washington School District, 311 Allison
Avenue, Washington, PA 15301
- Tuesday, April 7, 2020 — Section 8, School District of Haverford Twp, 50 East Eagle
Road, Havertown, PA 19083
Sectional Meetings are 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. (across all locations). Light
refreshments will be offered.
Cost: Complimentary for
PSBA member entities.
Registration: Registration is
now open. To register, please sign into myPSBA and look for
Store/Registration on the left.
Allegheny County Legislative Forum on Education March 12
by Allegheny Intermediate Unit Thu, March
12, 2020 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
Join us on March 12 at 7:00 pm for the
Allegheny Intermediate Unit's annual Allegheny County Legislative Forum. The
event will feature a discussion with state lawmakers on a variety of issues
impacting public schools. We hope you will join us and be part of the
conversation about education in Allegheny County.
Event: Transparency
in Pennsylvania Cyber Charter Schools
A Free Educational Event Hosted at Capitol
Building in Harrisburg, March 16, 2020
CONTACT Holly Lubart EMAIL HollyL@PANewsMedia.org PHONE 717-703-3032
A Free Sunshine Week Educational Event Hosted
at Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa.
Guest Speaker: Sarah Hofius Hall, Education
Reporter, The Times-Tribune
Guest Speaker: Representative Curt
Sonney, Chairman, House Education Committee
Guest Speaker from the Wolf Administration
To register for this event, please complete
the form below.
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
Register now for
Network for Public Education Action National Conference in Philadelphia March
28-29, 2020
Registration, hotel
information, keynote speakers and panels:
NSBA annual conference -- April 4-6, 2020 Chicago
Registration for the 2020 NSBA Annual
Conference is now open. The event will be held April 4-6 in Chicago
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!
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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