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PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 16, 2020
'It's about being together': Superintendents discuss
prom, graduation and path forward amid coronavirus pandemic
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer April 16,
2020
The coronavirus pandemic is sure to
drastically change the education landscape in Pennsylvania. But, first, school
officials must continue to navigate what has been a school year full of unforeseen
obstacles and unprecedented challenges. Five Lancaster County superintendents –
Damaris Rau, from School District of Lancaster; Brian Bliss, Solanco; Mike
Bromirski, Hempfield; Bob Hollister, Eastern Lancaster County; and Mike
Leichliter, Penn Manor – virtually joined LNP | LancasterOnline Opinion Editor
Suzanne Cassidy Wednesday to discuss these challenges, now and to come. Here
are four takeaways from the conversation.
Signs among ways to honor Erie-area high school seniors
GoErie By Ed
Palattella @etnpalattella By Christopher
Millette @etnmillette Posted
at 12:06 AM Updated at 5:49 AM
Millcreek yard signs praise McDowell seniors
as schools countywide plan to celebrate students graduating during outbreak.
Signs of support are ready to pop up across
Erie County for high school seniors, that group of students whose lives the
pandemic has particularly upended. Starting Thursday, the principal and teachers
at Millcreek Township’s McDowell High School are honoring the school’s 470
seniors by placing signs in each of their yards. “Celebrating Our McDowell
Senior,” the signs declare. Other area school districts and schools are
planning similar efforts to bring attention to seniors, according to
superintendents and other school officials the Erie Times-News was able to
reach on Wednesday. The school districts and schools are making arrangements to
create pleasant memories for those students whose final year in high school
will be known for COVID-19; stay-at-home orders; the school shutdown for the
rest of the academic year, which Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a week ago; remote
learning; social distancing and canceled capstone celebrations including
in-person commencements.
School leaders say it will take a long time for students
to make up for COVID closures
WITF By Sarah Schneider/WESA APRIL 15, 2020 |
6:11 AM
Almost a month after states began shutting
down schools, virtually every U.S. school building is closed. Seventeen states,
including Pennsylvania, have said they won’t reopen this year. Like in many
areas of the country, Pittsburgh education leaders and advocates say the
closure is exacerbating inequities like the digital divide between wealthy and
poor communities. Families that already had access to the internet and enough
devices for kids were able to transition to learning from home quickly. Others
are waiting for districts to provide those resources and move to remote
learning for the remaining weeks of the academic year. Pittsburgh Public
Schools began training teachers to use online platforms like Microsoft Teams on
March 31. So far it has spent $1.5 million to purchase devices for students in
need. Of the district’s 23,000 students, 69 percent are considered economically
disadvantaged. When schools closed March 16,
Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said it had to make sure the most essential need
was met – feeding students.
Special education at home yields mixed results
Unabridged Press by MARY NIEDERBERGER April 15, 2020
During the coronavirus outbreak, Tiffany
Hartsfield has worked long, stressful days at Giant Eagle, splitting her time
between cashier, curbside pickup and whatever other duties she’s
assigned. Upon return to her New Kensington home, she changes, showers,
and disinfects everything she’s touched before starting her second job: Working
through the remote school assignments received for her son Treshayn, 12, who
has autism. “It is a lot. We are doing homework at 9 o’clock at night. I just
feel bad. It’s late and he should be relaxing and going to bed,” Hartsfield
said. It’s a lot for her too, she admits. She’s worried Treshayn may fall
behind in academic, social and life skills while out of the classroom, away
from his peers, teachers and speech and occupational therapists. “I hope
that he doesn’t get behind. I really don’t think he is, but I don’t want it to
happen. I’m kind of on him with stuff. I correct his speech a lot. I have him
writing and I have him reading,” Hartsfield said. “He retains information for a
while. But he loses it quick.”. Hartsfield isn’t alone in her worries.
Time out of school negatively affects learning by all students. But for
students with special needs, academic as well as speech, behavior, motor and
social skills can decline when they are away from their teachers, therapists
and peers.
“Also, we’ll hear from Nathan Mains, CEO of the Pennsylvania Schools Boards Association about what local schools are going
through at this time.”
Coronavirus on Smart Talk Wednesday: Pa. Education
Secretary Rivera; College towns without students
School closings, distance learning,
continuity of education to be addressed
WITF Smart Talk with Scott LaMar APRIL
14, 2020 | 9:05 PM Audio Runtime 49:51
Until the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 classes
were disrupted in Pennsylvania for only days at a time by a snowstorm, mold or
a plumbing problem in a school building or maybe a teachers’ strike. Students
attended classes physically for the last time in March and last week Gov. Tom Wolf announced schools would closed
for the remainder of the school year. In the
meantime, educators are making what the state called “good faith” efforts to
educate students who are now out of class. Whatever transpires between now and
when classes open normally in the future, it is unprecedented. Some students
are continuing classes online, if they have internet access, while others are
having materials sent to their homes. WITF launched Learning at Home — an
initiative designed to augment the education of children utilizing public TV
programs and resources on a website. Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education Pedro
Rivera appears on Wednesday’s Smart
Talk along with Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary
Education Matthew Stem to discuss how students are
continuing to learn during the pandemic.
Opinion: Remote Learning Task Force needed to address
barriers in Pennsylvania
Centre Daily Times Opinion by Susan Spicka
April 16, 2020
Susan Spicka is the executive director of
Education Voters of PA, a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan education policy and
advocacy organization.
For many Pennsylvanians, the COVID-19
pandemic became real on March 13 when Gov. Tom Wolf ordered Pennsylvania’s
schools to close. The governor’s recent announcement that schools will not
reopen this school year has brought sadness and deep sense of loss to students,
families and educators, who will be wholly reliant on remote education until
school is out for summer. Fortunately, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed
legislation to provide stability and clarity for Pennsylvania’s 500 school
districts. Schools remain funded at pre-pandemic levels; school employees
remain on duty for teaching, counseling and food distribution activities; and
the Secretary of Education has flexibility to respond quickly in the
ever-changing environment. School leaders and educators have been working
tirelessly to transform to a new system of remote learning. Consider the
challenge — keeping fidgety first graders engaged, helping fourth and fifth
graders, old enough to feel their parents’ anxiety, remain interested in
science and social studies, and keeping high schoolers on track for graduation.
We should acknowledge the urgency and creativity of teachers and administrators
responding to this challenge. We must also acknowledge the tremendous
inequities in school districts’ ability to provide remote learning to students
in Pennsylvania’s urban and rural school districts.
Addressing the needs of English learners during the
pandemic
The move to online instruction could provide
a chance to refine long-term strategies.
The notebook Commentary by Cheryl
Micheau April 15 — 2:52 pm, 2020
During the coronavirus crisis, staff and
administration in the Philadelphia School District have been understandably
concerned about equitable access to online/virtual instruction for all
students, including those with special needs. I am sure that the public
applauds its plan, in this rapidly changing and unpredictable situation, to buy
and distribute Chromebooks, work with service providers to ensure that all
students have internet connections, and produce educational packets and online
resources. Instructional approaches will inevitably evolve, and the outbreak
provides an opportunity to consider how, and how well, the District has been
addressing the learning needs of English learners (ELs) and how it will meet
their instructional requirements online. This attention could pay off in more
appropriate instructional approaches and policies, both now and in the long
term. I have long advocated, from both inside and outside the District,
for high-quality, thoughtful English learner education. It has been clear to me
that the needs of English learners have been poorly understood and only
superficially addressed by the District for decades.
Educational television when Pittsburgh needs it most
Post-Gazette Opinion by MILDRED S. MYERS, Squirrel
Hill APR 16, 2020 12:00 AM
The writer is the chair of the board of
directors for WQED Multimedia.
During this coronavirus outbreak, WQED is
providing emergency at-home learning services for students, families, teachers
and school systems in southwestern Pennsylvania. This crisis response reflects
WQED’s 66 years as the “school of the air.” Our early childhood programming has
proved to help close achievement gaps between children from lower-income
families and their more affluent peers. We directly serve elementary and
secondary school teachers through PBS LearningMedia, a collection of thousands
of interactive digital learning objects curated from decades of public
television programming. Today, WQED is working with unbudgeted resources to
carry our education mission even further, broadcasting grade-appropriate
instructional programming, creating and curating educational games and other
online content, and extending learning beyond the screen through hands-on
family activities. Along with our six PBS member stations across Pennsylvania,
WQED is partnering with the state Department of Education to provide
instructional programming to 12.4 million Pennsylvanians, including rural and
underserved audiences. These free “Learning at Home” resources are available to
families and educators at www.wqed.org/education/online-learning-resources.
Pittsburgh City schools prioritize student engagement as
remote learning begins
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com APR 15,
2020 7:32 PM
The Pittsburgh Public Schools will begin
remote instruction for high school seniors on Thursday, but many challenges lie
ahead for Pennsylvania’s second-largest school district. Efforts to mitigate
the spread of COVID-19 also will force the district to make many changes,
including holding a virtual commencement ceremony for graduating students. “I’ve
had the opportunity to engage with some of our seniors this week as we
distributed laptops to them, and while many are understandably disappointed
with what the pandemic has brought for senior year, I was encouraged by their
spirit and commitment to a strong finish,” Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said
Wednesday during a video conference with reporters. “We, too, in PPS are
committed to finishing the school year strong.” The district will continue to
roll out remote instruction to other grade levels over the course of the next
week. In the plan, which will be published Friday on the district’s website,
expectations for students and teachers will remain high. The district wants
student engagement and teacher feedback to be a priority.
Are Philly schools waiting too long to get students
online after the coronavirus closures?
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: April
15, 2020- 7:06 PM
Philadelphia School District students will
begin formal remote, computer-based instruction next week — 38 days after they
were last in classrooms. They won’t begin learning new material until May 4, 52
days after in-person school was dismissed March 13 because of the coronavirus
pandemic. That gap, officials say, is due in large part to a lack of technology
and internet access for many in a school system where roughly 75% of students
live below the poverty line. Inventorying existing technology, then purchasing
Chromebooks and putting them in students’ hands, was cumbersome and
complicated. But an article published this
month in the national research and
opinion journal Education Next took issue with the district’s count of students
who lacked internet access, and said the long lag time between in-person and
digital instruction has disadvantaged impoverished students, a point echoed by
some advocates and parents.
At Philly’s Sayre High, pandemic puts the brakes on
college aspirations
The notebook by Bill
Hangley Jr. April 15 — 8:07 pm, 2020
Neya Foster is aiming high – she wants to go
to Harvard. In a normal spring semester, the Sayre High junior would be
scheduling college admissions tests, planning her campus visits, working on
essays and considering financial aid packages that could help her achieve a
lifelong goal. Now, the coronavirus shutdown has stalled Foster’s college
dreams. Exactly when and how they’ll start up again, she’s not sure. “I wanted
to come back to school, but I can’t, as you can see,” said Foster, as she stood
outside Sayre in West Philadelphia, her brand-new laptop in hand. College
remains a core goal, and Foster is counting on the Philadelphia School
District’s online learning program, slated to start next week, to help
her stay on track. As a proud member of Sayre’s honors society, Foster is
committed to doing what she needs to do to keep her dream alive even as the
coronavirus shuts the school’s doors. “It’s disappointing to me that I missed
my SATs – but I know I can work my way up,” said Foster. Online learning is
“something I’m willing to do, rather than go to summer school”.
“In 2013, 69% of the district’s kindergarten through third grade
students were reading at or above grade level, according to data from the
district. That number has increased over the years to 89% in 2020.”
New practices bring reading gains to Bangor elementary
students
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | APR 15, 2020 | 6:22
PM
“Word?” asks Amanda Borger to her first grade
class, tapping beneath the letters that spell out “windmill” on the board. There’s
a moment of silence and then she slides her fingers below the word as her class
chants “windmill.” They repeat the rhythmic exercise over more words — brand,
father, railroad, roast — always with the tap, pause and slide. It’s one of
several exercises the Five Points Elementary School class does through its
reading lessons, some of which involve saying words and sounds without looking
at how they’re spelled, learning letter combinations and breaking words into
their basic parts. Over the last eight years, the Bangor Area School District has
been improving students’ literacy, said Five Points Principal Courtney Lepore.
While the district recently was involved in new learning initiatives and an
expansion of a pilot program using
practices for dyslexic students, there’s no
one initiative that led to the improved results, she said. Another change was
turning Five Points into a school that serves the district’s kindergarten
through second graders, instead of a more traditional elementary population
that includes older children.
The coronavirus exposed inequities across Pittsburgh
Public Schools. To parents like me, it also revealed the district’s inability
to imagine learning outside of schools.
Public Source First-person essay by Marijke Hecht | 19
hours ago
Marijke Hecht is a PPS parent who completed
her Ph.D. in education at the University of Pittsburgh and spent nearly 20
years as an educator, both in and out of schools.
My daughters are spending their stay-at-home
days watching a lot of TV. But they are also drawing sketches of their rooms,
exploring old hip-hop, and listening to audiobooks they checked out from the
library. They may not be in their seventh- and 10th-grade classrooms at
Pittsburgh Public Schools CAPA, but they are learning. Unfortunately, all
of this learning is happening without guidance or support from our school
district. By the time most children in the district re-engage with their
teachers and peers through “remote learning” on April 22, nearly six weeks will
have passed since their last day of school. According to Pittsburgh
Public Schools [PPS], the main obstacle to jumpstarting remote learning is
the troubling lack of access to technology for
many families in the district. In the Home Technology Survey conducted by PPS,
41% of families responded that they did not have a device for each child in
their home, while 5% said they didn’t have internet access. This scarcity is a
serious issue that reveals stark inequities in our district. My daughters both
already had district-issued laptops that they had been using long before the
COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, not all PPS students are given these tools,
and the current challenges brings this inequity into sharp relief. The district
has been scrambling to address this major pre-existing weakness in our public
school system. But the focus on educational technology obscures another major
obstacle to remote learning – our district leaders’ inability to envision
learning as something other than what happens in school. Our educational
leaders do not appear to recognize the rich learning opportunities that exist
in our homes and communities.
PSBA remembers Gerald Welch
POSTED ON APRIL 15, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
Gerald Welch passed away early this morning
after contracting COVID-19 and being hospitalized earlier
this week. Welch was a Harrisburg school
board director and a social worker who specialized in drug and alcohol
rehabilitation. He was an active member of PSBA, and the association mourns his
loss with the Harrisburg community and Welch family. Harrisburg School District
and fellow school board directors will recognize Welch’s
service and dedication to his community during their
April 20 virtual school board and receiver’s business meeting.
College Board Ready to Offer At-Home SAT
The move comes at a crucial time for the test
administrator, which is working to stay relevant as many schools turn away from
the admission requirement.
US News By Lauren Camera, Senior
Education Writer April 15, 2020, at 2:45 p.m.
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE to take the SAT at
home if school doesn't resume this fall, College Board officials announced
Wednesday, outlining a new timetable and digital format for the college
entrance exam. "We know students and educators are worried about how the
coronavirus may disrupt the college admissions process, and we want to do all
we can to help alleviate that anxiety during this very demanding time,"
College Board CEO David Coleman said during a press call Wednesday. "In
the unfortunate and unlikely possibility that schools do not open this fall,
the College Board will be ready to provide a digital SAT at home." Coleman
characterized the scenario as "increasingly unlikely" and one that
would require at-home proctoring on a scale never before seen. "We would
much rather see schools reopen," he said. "But we will be
ready."
College Board officials said they are
experimenting with a variety of security software that can, for example, lock
the entire computer other than the software that allows students to take the
test, as well as use the device's camera and microphone to monitor any movement
and noise.
College Board officials compared an at-home
digital administration of the SAT to how the organization is currently allowing
3 million students to take modified versions of AP
exams at home.
When Schools Get Green Light To Open, They Must Be Ready
To Go
Forbes by Frederick Hess Senior Contributor Apr 15, 2020,06:40am
EDT
Some state and local education leaders are
quietly hinting that they may not be planning to open schools this fall, even
as public health authorities say they expect schools to have a green light by
then. Much of this has been murmured, but there have been a few notable, very
public examples. When public health officials give schools the green light,
schools need to be ready to go. Last week, for instance, Washington state
superintendent Chris Reykdal said, “Short of
a vaccine, which people continue to tell us is 12-18 months away, we have to
figure out if it’s safe to come back even in the fall.” In Fort Wayne, Indiana,
spokeswoman Krista Stockman told Chalkbeat
Indiana, “This could just keep going on, and we may not start in the fall.”
Look, we obviously need to turn to the public health community for leadership
here. It was the right move to shutter schools when public health officials
recommended doing so a month ago. But listening to public health experts also
means paying heed when they suggest that schools should reopen.
Betsy DeVos Releases First Coronavirus Emergency Aid for
K-12 Schools
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on April
14, 2020 2:54 PM
Governors can now officially apply for
billions in aid intended to help public schools address the coronavirus
pandemic, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Tuesday. The $3 billion in aid for the
Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund was
included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,
which Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law last month. In
a statement, DeVos stressed that this application is "streamlined" to
make it easier for governors; she also said that governors have a chance to
"truly rethink and transform the approach to education during this national
emergency." "At a time when so many school boards and
superintendents have shut down learning for the balance of the school
year," DeVos said in a statement, "I want to encourage each and every
governor to focus on continuity of education for all students. Parents,
families, teachers, and other local education leaders are depending on their
leadership to ensure students don't fall behind." She also highlighted
that these grants for governors are "extraordinarily
flexible." Individual governors will decide how much of the money
goes to K-12 education versus higher education. The $3 billion governors'
fund is separate from the $13.5 billion in the CARES Act earmarked just for
K-12; at least 90 percent of it must go out to districts based on the Title I
funding formula for disadvantaged students. DeVos has yet to announce that this
larger pot of money is available for districts.
Testing Resistance & Reform News: April 8 - 14, 2020
Submitted by fairtest on April 14, 2020 -
1:16pm
Following the lead of the federal government,
which approved all requests for 2020 waivers from tests required under the
Every Student Succeeds Act, many states have suspended their own mandates for
exams (mis-)used for graduation, grade promotion, teacher evaluation and the
like. If your state has not already done so, make sure that ALL testing
requirements for 2020 are cancelled by contacting your governor, board of
education and legislators. Now is also the time for parents, educators, and
community allies to press policymakers to use this crisis to rethink
"accountability" by replacing high-stakes exams with
performance-based assessments.
Chet Baker - I'll Remember April – 1956
Youtube Runtime 5:55
PSBA Board Presidents Panels (Zoom) April 27, 28, 29 and
30 (depending upon the size of your district)
This annual event supports current and aspiring
school board leaders through facilitated discussion with colleagues in
leadership. 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.
Due to current social distancing
requirements, this annual program will shift from a series of in-person
regional events to a digital platform using Zoom Meetings. Participants of each
of the four sessions will meet in small groups using virtual breakout rooms.
Experienced facilitators will guide discussions on attendees’ unique
challenges, solutions and experiences related to board leadership during the
COVID-19 school closures.
This year’s program will be organized to
group together leaders from schools of similar enrollment sizes for relevant
conversation. Members may register for one or two nights to participate in all
of the topics offered. If your district's average enrollment is above 3,500,
you are invited to join the sessions on Tuesday, April 28 and/or Thursday,
April 30. If your district's average enrollment is below 3,500, opt to join the
sessions on Monday, April 27 and/or Wednesday, April 29.
The New York Times is available to high schools across
the U.S. — for free.
Enjoy free digital access from April 6
to July 6.
Helping people understand the world has
always been the cornerstone of our mission at The Times. And as the world
continues to rapidly evolve, it’s more important than ever.
That’s why The Times is working with Verizon
to provide high schools with three free months of digital access from April 6
to July 6 — helping students stay connected to the world, even as they learn
remotely.
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.
Blogger note: we’re waiting for details on this event becoming
virtual.
Rescheduled: Join us for Advocacy Day in Harrisburg to support public
education Monday May 11, 2020! (subject to change)
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
Cancelled: PARSS Annual Conference April 29 – May 1, 2020
in State College
Due to current conditions caused by the
coronavirus pandemic, we have cancelled the 2020 PARSS Conference, scheduled
for April 29 through May 1, 2020. Please read our cancellation letter for
important information.
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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