Wednesday, April 1, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 1: For Better or Worse, Coronavirus Puts Cyber Charters in the Spotlight


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.

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PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 1, 2020

Editorial: No, the coronavirus pandemic is not going away anytime soon
Delco Times Editorial April 1, 2020
No, this is not an April Fools’ joke. We wish it were.
So much for April. And so much for anyone who believed we could escape this deadly coronavirus pandemic in a few weeks, or that the nation could return to normal by Easter. That was the word driven home Monday by Gov. Tom Wolf. His message was somber, a cold slap in the face to anyone who might still be doubting the severity of the outbreak of COVID-19, the illness brought on by the novel coronavirus. If the numbers themselves did not do it – with Pennsylvania now dealing with more than 4,000 cases of coronavirus infections and a death toll now approaching 50 – the governor issued a fairly stark forecast: Get used to it.

Trump Confronts a New Reality Before an Expected Wave of Disease and Death
Under the best-case scenario presented on Tuesday, more Americans will die from the coronavirus in the weeks and months to come than died in the Korean and Vietnam Wars combined.
New York Times By Peter Baker April 1, 2020, 5:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Five weeks ago, when there were 60 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, President Trump expressed little alarm. “This is a flu,” he said. “This is like a flu.” He was still likening it to an ordinary flu as late as Friday. By Tuesday, however, with more than 187,000 recorded cases in the United States and more Americans having been killed by the virus than by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the president’s assessment had rather drastically changed. “It’s not the flu,” he said. “It’s vicious.” The grim-faced president who appeared in the White House briefing room for more than two hours on Tuesday evening beside charts showing death projections of hellacious proportions was coming to grips with a reality he had long refused to accept. At a minimum, the charts predicted that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans would die — and only if the nation abided by stringent social restrictions that would choke the economy and impoverish millions.

Pa. schools offered resources to educate students and ‘position us to successfully return for the next school year’
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com March 31, 2020 1:59 PM
With Monday’s announcement by Gov. Tom Wolf that school buildings would be closed indefinitely as part of the COVID-19 mitigation efforts, state education officials are stepping up to assist schools to get back to educating students. The state Department of Education on Tuesday released a set of statewide resources educators can use to provide continued instruction to students to position them until they can return to their classrooms either in the final weeks of this school year or next year. Additionally, the department announced it is allocating up to $5 million in equity grants for schools to buy computer equipment, such as laptops, tablets and internet hot spots, or to use towards providing instructional materials such as paper lessons and coursework. The department said it will add new federal dollars to this grant program as that money becomes available.

Pa. Dept. of Education Offers Resources to Schools During Extended Closure
There is no cost to schools or students for the resources.
ErieNewsNow Tuesday, March 31st 2020, 1:14 PM EDT
As children across the country, and right here in Pennsylvania, continue to face extended school closures, educators are addressing the challenges of the situation by providing resources to schools and students.  The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced the release of a set of resources available to educators in a statement Tuesday: Continuing its efforts to provide guidance to schools during the COVID-19 closures, the Pennsylvania Department of Education today released a set of statewide resources educators can use to provide continued instruction to students. “The decision to extend school closures is a difficult one, but we must take the necessary steps to protect the health and safety of all citizens of the commonwealth,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “These are unprecedented times that call for extraordinary measures. We must do everything we can to create equitable learning environments for our students under these circumstances. “To meet these needs, the department has developed a collection of educational resources to support schools and students in this new environment,” he said. 

Education Week By Mark Lieberman March 31, 2020
The extended shutdown of most K-12 schools nationwide is putting cyber charter schools in a spotlight few could have imagined before the coronavirus outbreak. But that attention could come with good and bad consequences. Several of the most prominent online school providers in the country have seen a surge of interest from parents looking to enroll their students for the rest of the school year. Cyber charter teachers and administrators have been sharing the expertise they’ve honed over years with educators struggling to hastily throw together remote learning strategies. And free online learning platforms and resources abound for regular schools, at least for the moment, from providers that typically charge. “In an ideal world, if I was a school leader in a brick and mortar school, and I had to close for a month, having the ability to access tools that I need to do that, but yet still use my own teachers to help facilitate the students getting through that online content—that would be a wonderful marriage,” said Michael K. Barbour, an education professor at Touro University California and an expert on virtual learning. But some education observers say virtual charters represent an imperfect model for what districts should be striving to provide for students at a distance.

For high school seniors, coronavirus brings a sad ending and unexpected lessons
Post-Gazette by JOE HEIM The Washington Post MAR 31, 2020 10:59 AM
In mid-March, on what turned out to be the last day of school, Annalisa D’Aguilar walked the hallways of her performing arts high school in Manhattan. The subway had been mostly empty on the way to school that morning. Many of her fellow students had stopped showing up as fears of the novel coronavirus swept New York City, the hardest-hit area of the country so far. On that day, the school’s typically packed halls were empty. “It just felt insane to walk around and have no one there,” D’Aguilar said in a phone interview from her Brooklyn home. “My friend said it felt like we were in a war. The next day they canceled school for everyone.” D’Aguilar is a senior at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She’s a drama major and had spent most of the year working on two productions that were set to stage in March and April. She’d learned her lines, hit her marks, knew every scene. Tickets were already sold. One play included a choreographed dance to an instrumental version of the Lorde song “Royals.” When she listened to the song this weekend, she began to cry. “I recognize that although these are all big things to me, it’s small in comparison to what’s going on in the world,” she said.

Adapting to coronavirus: The ‘second first day of school’
Trib Live by PATRICK VARINE   | Tuesday, March 31, 2020 9:35 p.m.
On Monday, students in many areas across Pennsylvania had their “second first day of school,” in the form of school districts’ online learning plan going into effect amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the Franklin Regional School District, parents and students said this new way of learning has taken some adjustment, but overall has gone well. “I would say the second day went better than the first,” said Amanda Faher, whose three boys would normally be in fourth grade at Heritage Elementary. Instead, the kitchen table or the den is the new classroom. “My son Nathan’s teacher set up a video chat so he was able to chat with his classmates and play a learning game today, which he really enjoyed,” Faher said. Stephanie Santiago, mother to four FR students, said she was initially a little worried how online learning would go. “I used FR’s schedule guide and created colorful schedules for my children,” Santiago said. “They know what to expect each day. And if they finish their work early then they know which subject to do extra work in.”

Remote learning set to begin in Centre County school districts, but access still a problem for some
Centre Daily Times BY MARLEY PARISH MARCH 28, 2020 05:00 AM, UPDATED MARCH 28, 2020 04:51 PM
Note: The Centre Daily Times and McClatchy News Sites are offering most coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to all, with no payment required. We want to ensure our readers can make critical decisions for themselves and their families. To continue supporting vital reporting like this, please consider a digital subscription. For more coverage, subscribe to our daily coronavirus newsletter.
As Pennsylvania schools prepare for the third week of mandatory closures, State College Area School District will launch required remote learning Monday while other area school districts work to implement learning plans for students with and without internet access. On March 23, Gov. Tom Wolf extended the closure of all K-12 classes through at least April 6 as officials monitor the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Here is what area school districts have planned for students.

Philly District guidance says teaching of new material will not begin until May 4
Teachers and counselors are asked to hold daily "office hours."
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa March 31 — 10:26 am, 2020 UPDATED 2:15 p.m. 
A detailed memo from the Philadelphia School District that lays out plans for completion of the school year online tells teachers to keep in daily touch with students for both academic and emotional needs, but specifies that all instruction will consist of “review and enrichment” until May 4, when new content may be introduced. The nine-page document says that, as of now, all teachers and school counselors should be holding “office hours” for an hour-and-a-half each day “for student questions about enrichment activities and to check-in with their students.” In addition, principals should assign each adult in the school an advisory-like group of students to contact regularly, at least once or twice a week. Office hours should include “a variety of activities,” including help with skills and problem-solving “aligned to lessons,” feedback to students’ work, additional support for students with special needs and English learners, and general family contact of students who have not been engaging via Google Classroom, which is the District’s means for conducting the online teaching.

COVID-19 in PGH: City teachers get remote education training; Classes start April 16
By Mary Niederberger  Special to the Capital-Star March 31, 2020
PITTSBURGH — Some 1,700 Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers started training Tuesday so they can provide remote education to the district’s 23,000 students starting on April 16. That announcement came from the district Monday evening, hours after Gov. Tom Wolf announced the indefinite closing of schools across the state in response to the spread of COVID-19. The Pittsburgh district, along with all other public schools in Pennsylvania, has been closed by the governor’s previous orders since March 16. While some local districts have initiated online learning during the closure, Pittsburgh and others have not while awaiting direction from the state. While student instruction will start In Pittsburgh on April 16, orientation for remote learning and the distribution of materials will take place on April 14 and 15. Because not all students have access to computers and/or internet service, learning will take place both online and through instructional packets.

With school called off indefinitely in PA, how can parents help their children?
FOX43 asked local experts how parents can keep their children educated and engaged as they adjust to new ways of learning at home
Author: Jamie Bittner (FOX43) Published: 3:53 PM EDT March 31, 2020 Updated: 5:48 PM EDT March 31, 2020
Parents, students, and school districts are finding themselves in a unique position as the state has called off classes indefinitely amid the COVID-19 crisis.  In many instances, for students that means adjusting to learning from home. For parents, it means keeping their children engaged, educated, and on task. “First thing I think they need to look at is getting them a workspace. A quiet space for them to study,” said Alexis Pollack, a learning coach who has experience in cyber-schooling. Pollack’s 11-year-old son, Henry, is a student at PA Virtual Cyber School. Many districts are working to give students education opportunities while navigating what devices to use and what devices students have access to. Harrisburg School District partnered with WITF to provide free curriculum in order to provide educational programming for students without access to internet. Meantime, districts such as Central York are providing online instruction in the same way it has provided flexible instruction in the past with students in grades K-8 having access to iPads and students in grades 9-12 having access to laptops.

LCTI donating 9,000 masks to Lehigh Valley health care workers during coronavirus crisis
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | MAR 31, 2020 | 6:23 PM
Lehigh Career and Technical Institute is donating 9,000 face masks to Lehigh Valley health care workers during the coronavirus crisis. The N95 masks were donated to LCTI’s Supply Chain Management and Logistics Technology program about 10 years ago but never used, according to a news release Tuesday from LCTI. The masks will be distributed to organizations that need them, including Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21, Fellowship Community, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, HCR ManorCare, Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s University Health Network. “We understand how important it is that EMTs, paramedics, doctors and nurses have everything they need to stay safe on the front lines of this pandemic," Kurt Adam, LCTI’s director of career and technical education, said in the release. LCTI is also donating 22,600 pairs of nitrile gloves, 1,712 safety glasses and 17 safety goggles. LCTI has personal protective equipment to train students in its career and technical education programs, such as criminal justice, dental technology, emerging health professionals, health occupations, and exercise science and rehabilitation services.

Ken Burns joins Constitution Center for online education
WHYY By Peter Crimmins March 31, 2020
PBS documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will join Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center this Friday for an online lesson about history and the American Constitution. The live-streamed session is part of a special home-schooling program developed during the coronavirus pandemic. Last week the Constitution Center quickly cobbled together resources to launch an eight-week series of educational livestream sessions for children and adults, every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, taking on different aspects of the Constitution. The center’s president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen co-hosts the series, hopscotching through the document. “The first week was the free speech clauses of the First Amendment, the next week will be the religious clauses,” he said. Subsequent lessons will focus on Fourth Amendment rights regarding search and seizure, which also address rights to privacy; and the 14th Amendment which enshrined rights of citizenship and the dismantling of slavery.

Call and email volume up at local representative's offices
Pottstown Mercury by BILL RETTEW Apr 1, 2020
NORTH COVENTRY — During the coronavirus pandemic, state representatives and senators say their offices are busier than ever. According to state Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-26, of North Coventry, his offices are receiving 200 emails per day, which is up from the regular amount of 120 to 130. Hennessey is still manning his North Coventry office, has sent staffers home and is keeping in touch via phone. “I’m learning how to hunt and peck,” he said. “I’m learning how to type. “This is a baptism by fire.” State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, of West Whiteland is also busy answering 50 percent more emails and calls. “My office is going through the busiest time in the last 15 years I’ve been a state senator in terms of calls and questions,” Dinniman said. Twenty four hundred constituents, a 100 percent increase, attended a recent virtual town hall. The senator said his staff consults contacts for answers in Chester County and the Commonwealth, including several state agencies, and Sen. Casey’s office.

Fierce Debate as DeVos Weighs Schools' Obligations to Students With Disabilities
Education Week By Evie Blad on March 31, 2020 9:21 PM
A provision in the massive coronavirus stimulus bill President Donald Trump signed into law last week has set off a fierce debate between schools, education groups, and advocates for students with disabilities: It gives U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos 30 days to tell Congress if she needs additional authority to waive parts of the nation's primary special education law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act outlines an array of specific requirements for identifying, supporting, and equitably educating children with disabilities. As schools around the country have shuttered their buildings to slow the spread of the coronavirus, they've reported unforeseen challenges in meeting those mandates while quickly navigating the unprecedented and sometimes rocky transition to online learning. But advocates for students with disabilities say waiving some of those requirements may let schools off the hook for meeting the needs of students with disabilities. And that might put students at risk of falling far behind their educational goals. The deliberations put DeVos between two consituencies she's clashed with in the past. Since her divisive confirmation hearings, she's faced heavy criticism from civil rights advocacy groups and disabilities rights organizations that have questioned her commitment to civil rights enforcement. On the other hand, she's faced distrust from organizations that represent public school administrators and educators as they question her advocacy of private school choice through publicly funded vouchers and tax-credit scholarships. 

“California is one of several states that closed school buildings recently without setting dates to reopen; the others are New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Six states had previously announced they would keep school buildings closed for the rest of the semester: Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Virginia and Vermont.”
Growing number of states say they are closing schools for rest of 2019-2020 year
Washington Post By Valerie Strauss March 31, 2020 at 11:37 p.m. EDT
California’s schools should plan to keep their campuses closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic year, the education chief said Tuesday, as the state moved closer to joining a growing number of others that have already decided to do so to stem the coronavirus outbreak. With infectious-disease experts saying that the spread of the disease will become worse, it is likely that many other states also will keep students at home, doing distance learning for the rest of the school year. Tony Thurmond, California’s state superintendent of public instruction, released a statement late Tuesday saying that “it currently appears that our students will not be able to return to school campuses before the end of the school year” because of safety concerns and the continuing need for social distancing. With the country engaged in an unprecedented shift to distance learning — with much of it online — Thurmond said California schools should prepare to have curriculum delivered to students through distance learning for the rest of the school year.
“From what we know right now, our schools will be closed longer than we originally thought,” he said, “and it will be best if our schools are prepared for that extension, by having their distance learning models prepared to go until the end of the school year.”

FBI issues warning about ‘hijacking’ of online classes by intruders after schools report serious disruptions
Inquirer by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, Updated: March 31, 2020- 3:59 PM
The FBI just issued a warning to the public about the "hijacking" of online classrooms and teleconferences after it received reports of disturbances by people shouting racist and threatening language and displaying hate messages. Concerns about online security have been rising as most of the nation has moved to online education as school buildings have closed to try to stem the spread of a novel coronavirus that has stopped public life around the world. Schools have rushed to put together online lessons and programs, sometimes without strict security filters. The FBI said in its new warning that it has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic images and other things, while two schools in Massachusetts reported intruders signing into online classes.

John Prine, Gene Shay, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne….
Coronavirus is hitting the music world hard as John Prine and others are diagnosed
Inquirer by Dan DeLuca, Updated: March 30, 2020
Coronavirus has already shut down the concert industry. Now the pandemic is making its impact felt more personally as musicians and other notable figures in the industry are being diagnosed with COVID-19. On Sunday, the family of John Prine shared news that the songwriting great had been hospitalized “after a sudden onset" of COVID-19 symptoms. Music social media immediately filled up with posts pulling for the 73-year-old singer-songwriter. Known for “Hello In There” and “Angel From Montgomery," Prine lives in Nashville and is a patron saint of the Americana roots music scene. His condition was initially described as critical. But his wife, Fiona, who also tested positive, posted an update on Monday that she had recovered and that her husband was stable. “Sing his songs. Stay home and wash hands. John loves you. I love you.” For Philadelphia music fans, word of Prine‘s condition came on top of news about Gene Shay, the beloved folk music DJ and cofounder of the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

Tony Norman: The ballad of John Prine and COVID-19
American culture can't afford to lose John Prine right now
TONY NORMAN Post-Gazette Columnist tnorman@post-gazette.com MAR 31, 2020 5:00 AM
The last time I checked, John Prine was still with us. The 73-year-old country-folk singer-songwriter is hospitalized with COVID-19 in critical condition. Like many of a certain age, my gateway drugs into Mr. Prine’s world were “Sam Stone,” “Angel From Montgomery” and “The Missing Years.” “In Spite of Ourselves,” a duet he recorded with Iris DeMent in 1999, hooked the generation that wasn’t around when he made his debut in the early ’70s. Despite major assaults to his health in the last decade, including two bouts of potentially career-ending cancer, he’s maintained both a touring and recording career when others would’ve called it a day. He has one less lung and a lot less neck tissue than what he started with during the first term of the Nixon administration. Perhaps it’s because he spent five years as a mail carrier during his formative years that he mastered the habit of showing up to perform no matter what. It’s in his blood, which is why much of his music will remain in America’s blood long after he’s transitioned from this world.

"I'll Remember April" (DePaul/Johnston/Raye), performed by Sonny Rollins, Elvin Jones, and Wilbur Ware, and recorded live at the Village Vanguard for Blue Note Records, November 3, 1957.

Billie Holiday - April In Paris (1956)


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:

Request@PSBA.org: 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.

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.
Monday, March 30, 2020 Facilities Restoration: Coronavirus Clean-up
Presenter:
 SERVPRO, expert presenter
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 Risk Mitigation: Strategy for Operational Continuity and Reducing Adverse Impacts
Presenter:
 CM Regent Insurance, expert presenter

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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