Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State
Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education
policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and
congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of
Education, Wolf education transition team members, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory
agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via
emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
If any of your colleagues would
like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and
affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com
PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 28, 2020
School Leaders: If
you were previously registered for Advocacy Day at the Capitol, please register
and join us for our first ever Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, May 11,
2020, via Zoom. Register now at no cost on
myPSBA.
Blogger update: HB1776 which contains the following property
tax freeze language, passed the House State Government Committee yesterday by a
party line 15-10 vote:
“the board of school directors
or the city council of a city of the first class, as applicable, may not levy a
tax on real property for the benefit of the school district for the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 2020, at a rate above the rate which was assessed on real
property for the benefit of the school district the fiscal year beginning July
1, 2019.”
Undefeated, high schoolers across the U.S. head online
for virtual proms
Post-Gazette by LEANNE ITALIE The Associated
Press APR 27, 2020 9:46 PM
NEW YORK — In party dresses or come as you
are, with colored lights flashing in their bedrooms and teachers-turned-DJs
spinning, high schoolers have turned to virtual proms to salvage at least one
slice of fun and tradition for the Class of 2020. And they’re getting help from
familiar brands like Teen Vogue and Jack in the Box, with both serving as hosts
to thousands of teens. Celebrities, too, are taking on prom: “Get Out” actress
Allison Williams was a guest DJ for Zoom partygoers in Baton Rouge, La., while
“Jack Ryan” star John Krasinski was joined by singer Billie Eilish when he
threw a prom live on YouTube. “It’s terrible that it’s happening to your class,
but I hope you’re having a good time anyway,” Williams told about 100 teens,
staff and guests April 16 at the prom hosted by the Baton Rouge Youth
Coalition, an after-school program.
Thunderbirds, Blue Angels flyover to salute coronavirus
responders
By ANDREW SCOTT THE MORNING
CALL | APR 27, 2020 | 8:11 PM
The famed Thunderbirds and Blue Angels
demonstration squadrons will fly over New York City, parts of New Jersey and
Philadelphia on Tuesday to salute medical and emergency response personnel who
continue battling the coronavirus pandemic. F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and F-18C/D
Hornets will be flown in formation as a salute from the Air Force and Navy, but
a news release from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds does not indicate the
flyover will be anywhere near the Lehigh Valley area. The @BlueAngels are to fly overhead tomorrow afternoon! Lucky enough,
tomorrow will likely be one of the sunniest days this week. Just remember to
avoid large gatherings if you do get to watch. The
demonstration on Tuesday, the first of several planned over the coming weeks,
is the culmination of more than a month of planning and coordination between
the two teams and numerous city and government offices. Residents along the
flight path can expect a few seconds of jet noise as the 12 aircraft pass
overhead. Flyovers in Newark, New York City and surrounding boroughs will start
Tuesday at noon and last approximately 35 minutes. Flyovers in Trenton will
start at 1:45 p.m. and last approximately 10 minutes. Flyovers in Philadelphia
will start at 2 p.m. and last approximately 20 minutes.
Pottstown schools finally getting online learning
POTTSTOWN — Classes, such as they are,
finally got going in earnest on April 20 at Pottstown High School. The same can
be said of the middle school on Monday, April 27. But it won't be until May 4
that Pottstown elementary students get online and start getting new lessons. It's
all thanks to two factors. The first, and most obvious, is the coronavirus
pandemic which led to the shut down of all Pennsylvania schools on March 13. The
second factor, which the pandemic is making increasingly obvious, is the
inequity in how Pennsylvania funds those public school, says Pottstown Schools
Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez. Rodriguez is also the president of the
Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools and for years has been advocating, loudly,
for Pennsylvania to fund public education according to its own fair funding
formula. Currently, only about 10 percent of state funding is distributed
according to the formula, which will result in Pottstown getting nearly $14
million less than it should under the formula in the coming school year. So
when the coronavirus swept across Montgomery County, schools with more
resources to draw upon barely missed a step in shifting to an online education
model. In Pottstown, it was not so easy.
Digital divide hampers education as NEPA schools provide
online lessons
Scranton Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL,
STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: APRIL 27, 2020
Kathleen Beckwith gave her sixth grade
English students an assignment last week: Pick an adjective that begins with
the first letter of their name and include it in a sentence. Only six of her
132 students at South Scranton Intermediate School completed the work. As
Scranton and other districts begin teaching new curriculum, Beckwith knows many
of her students lack technology or internet access. “We always have the divide,
especially in Scranton, with the haves and have-nots,” she said. “I worry they
will fall behind.” Assuring access to technology remains both a priority and a
challenge to educators across the region and country. For the first time,
officials have a true sense of the “digital divide” within their school
districts — a term used to explain the inequality in access to technology. Some
families cannot afford laptops or other devices to retrieve lessons. Other
homes lack internet access — because of cost or availability in rural areas.
Some students may borrow their parents’ smartphone to watch lessons and try to
complete homework.
Morrisville Schools Cancel Laptops, Consider Furloughs
A $1.5 million budget shortfall means
athletics, arts, assistant principals and more could be cut at Morrisville
schools.
Yardley Patch By Doug
Gross, Patch Staff Apr 27, 2020 12:30 pm ET
MORRISVILLE, PA — Facing a $1.5 million
budget shortfall, officials with the Morrisville Borough School District have
canceled the purchase of laptops meant for home-schooling and are pondering
furloughs and steep program cuts in the district. All kindergarten programming,
all athletics and arts, music and other elective courses would be cut and
assistant principals, media specialists, pupil-support positions and other
support staff would be furloughed under a non-binding resolution already approved
by the Morrisville school board. "It is my sincere hope that thee cuts
will not be enacted," Superintendent Jason Harris wrote in a letter to the
school community on Sunday. In the letter, Harris said officials are
"hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst." Meanwhile, the
district has canceled an order for Chromebooks intended for home schooling
during the coronavirus shutdown, after being denied federal and state grants
that were expected to pay for them.
Your View by an Emmaus senior: Reflections on a canceled
last high school year
By KATHLEEN TARANTO THE MORNING CALL |
APR 26, 2020 | 11:00 AM
Toward the close of “The Great Gatsby,” one
of my favorite novels, Nick Carraway narrates effortlessly to his readers: “So
we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Carraway
(and F. Scott Fitzgerald) were referring to the broken ideals of the American
Dream and Gatsby’s undying hope in Daisy. Nevertheless, Nick’s sentiment stayed
with me ever since I read that line in seventh grade. I loved those words,
loved how they sounded, and how I felt when I imagined the boats pushing
triumphantly forward against rough waters. Reading that metaphor, I couldn’t
help but feel powerful, feel larger-than-life. As a community, most of us have
been out of work and school, and inevitably in quarantine, for more than a
month. Commitments lay postponed: parents are home from jobs, kids are home from
school, and going out is a rare event reserved for needs and not wants. In a
literal sense, our “waters” might seem calm ― barely anybody leaves the house,
unless it’s for a toilet paper run. But the waters aren’t that calm for most of
us on the inside, for whatever reason it may be; a worried mind, a canceled
sports season or musical, a highly anticipated spring, dashed completely.
School nurses are on the front lines, in school and out
They have offered their services in many
different settings, while continuing their role as a health adviser to
students.
The notebook by Lynn Oseguera April 27 — 4:20
pm, 2020
When patients pulled up to the medical tent
at Citizens Bank Park’s drive-through COVID-19 testing site, which was operated
from March 20 to April 10 by Philadelphia’s Medical Reserve Corps and
volunteers, they may have found themselves being treated by school nurse
Christine Lynch. For the last four years at Thomas Holme Elementary
School in Philadelphia, Lynch, 51, has been prepared to treat anything that
students might bring into her office. Volunteering at the testing site, she was
prepared for whatever the next car might bring. “As soon as this
happened, I was like, I need to volunteer, I need to help,” Lynch said. “I
can’t just sit at home now that schools are out.” The testing site, which could
accommodate up to 250 tests a day, consisted of a screening tent, a data
collection tent, and the medical tent, which allowed patients to be tested
without leaving their cars. “It was extremely well-run,” she said. “It
flowed so beautifully. Everyone had a job and did it. As far as me, I did the
actual swabbing.”
The diary of Ms. B.: Tears and triumphs inside a Philly
teacher’s virtual classroom
WHYY By Avi Wolfman-Arent April 28, 2020
WHYY and The Notebook will be periodically
checking in with two teachers for the rest of the academic year to see how they
are coping with the move to virtual learning. We hope to recount their
successes, discoveries, and frustrations. This is the second story in the
series.
On a Wednesday afternoon, sixth-grade teacher
Lauren Ballester stared into an empty video call and laughed to herself. The
Google Hangout screen in front of her stated the obvious: “You are the only one here.” “Yes, Google,”
the second-year teacher said, with mock annoyance. “I know.” Ballaster, a
reading and social studies teacher at William H. Ziegler School in lower
Northeast Philadelphia, was halfway through her first week of online education.
Each day brought a cocktail of conflicting emotions: frustration, triumph,
loneliness, hope. At the moment, Ballester was stewing in self-deprecation and
a touch of dark humor. She was a young teacher in strange waters — seeking
validation or at least some signal that whatever lines she’d cast into the
digital ocean hadn’t simply sunk to the bottom.
‘It Was Just Too Much’: How Remote Learning Is Breaking
Parents
For the adults in the house, trying to do
their own jobs while helping children with class work has become one of the
most trying aspects of the pandemic.
New York Times By Elizabeth A. Harris April 27, 2020
Daniel Levin’s son, Linus, 7, was supposed to
be doing math. Instead, he pretended to take a shower in the living room,
rubbing a dry eraser under his arms like a bar of soap, which upset his
5-year-old sister, distracting her from her coloring. As much as he tried, Mr.
Levin, who lives in Brooklyn, could not get Linus to finish the math. His hopes
for the reading assignment were not high, either. “He’s supposed to map out a
whole character trait sheet today,” Mr. Levin said one day last week.
“Honestly, if he writes the name and the age of the character, I’ll consider
that a victory.”
Governor Wolf congratulates class of 2020 after year is
cut short due to COVID-19
Fox56 by CBS 21 News Monday, April
27th 2020
Harrisburg, PA — Pennsylvania Governor
Tom Wolf congratulated the Class of 2020 on Monday morning after their year was
cut short due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a tweet, Gov. Wolf asked
others to join him in congratulating an "incredible group of young people
who got dealt a bad hand and are still keeping their heads up." The
governor's tweet was accompanied by a video message in which he stated that the
COVID-19 outbreak has "made it impossible" to hold traditional
graduation ceremonies and it will likely cause seniors to miss out on other
important gatherings such as graduation parties. Gov. Wolf goes on to say that
all Pennsylvanians have had to make sacrifices to keep themselves and loved
ones safe, and students missing the end of their senior year was one of the
biggest. On April 9, 2020, Gov. Wolf announced that all schools in the state
would remain closed for the rest of the academic year in an effort to stop the
spread of the coronavirus. You can watch his full video message here:
Grading policy for Pittsburgh city students during remote
instruction still up for debate
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com APR 27,
2020 10:14 PM
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board will vote
Wednesday on grading guidelines for students now participating in remote
learning because of the COVID-19 shutdown. But several school board members and
numerous district parents believe more work is necessary before the plan is
finalized. “I think it’s going to be a very tricky vote,” board member Terry
Kennedy said Monday evening in a phone interview. “We’re not going to
satisfy everybody.” Over the
weekend, the district published a survey asking parents to choose one of two
options: A and B. Option A mandates that for students in grades
6-12, all classes will be graded and credit bearing if applicable.
Students who are engaged in remote learning would receive the grade earned for
the fourth report period, or a 70% — whichever is higher. Those who are
not engaged in remote learning would receive an incomplete grade, which
could be remedied with intervention in the summer or fall. Option B includes
credit but not grades. Students would receive the higher grade
between their third report period or a 70%. Students
could increase their grade through assignment completion and
engagement.
Local school districts work to salvage graduation plans
amid pandemic
The Sentinel by Joe Cress April 27,
2020
The Class of 2020 started their senior year
with all the expectations for traditional rites of passage. But their hopes
were hijacked in the final crucial months by COVID-19 and the social distancing
measures put into place to contain the pandemic. No one could have predicted
the last time these seniors were in school together would be mid-March, right
before the mandatory shutdown of campuses statewide. Gov. Tom Wolf dashed any
remaining hope for a traditional graduation ceremony on Monday. The virus “has made
it impossible for traditional graduation ceremonies to take place,” he said in
a video message. “A lot of you are probably feeling angry about this, and you
have a right to feel that way because you have been dealt a bad hand.” Wolf’s
reopening plan bans large gatherings even in regions of the state where
pandemic restrictions are being eased starting May 8. “We have all had to make
sacrifices to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe during this pandemic and
this has been a big one,” Wolf said. With graduation just weeks away, local
school districts are working on alternative plans to the typical in-person
commencement ceremony held in late May or early June. Carlisle Area School
District Superintendent Christina Spielbauer reported last week that the district
is working through a plan that could be communicated to families and students
by the end of this week.
Trump urges states to consider opening schools before
summer
Post=Gazette by COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education
Writer APR 28, 2020 1:53 AM
President Donald Trump says states should
“seriously consider” reopening their public schools before the end of the
academic year, even though dozens already have said it would be unsafe for
students to return until the summer or fall. Mr. Trump made the comments Monday
in a call with governors discussing how to reopen their economies, among other
topics. “Some of you might start thinking about school openings, because a lot
of people are wanting to have the school openings. It’s not a big subject,
young children have done very well in this disaster that we’ve all gone
through,” he said. While addressing Vice President Mike Pence, Mr. Trump added
that it’s something “they can seriously consider, and maybe get going on.” None
of the governors on the call responded to the suggestion, according to a
recording obtained by The Associated Press. Mr. Trump made the comments as the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked to finalize guidelines for
reopening the economy. For schools, that included putting students’ desks 6
feet apart, serving meals in the classroom instead of the cafeteria and closing
playgrounds.
DeVos to states: For extra relief money, create a virtual
school or voucher-like program
Chalkbeat By Matt Barnum Apr 27, 2020, 5:02pm EDT
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will use $180
million in federal coronavirus relief earmarked
for the hardest-hit states to create voucher-like grants for parents and to
expand virtual education. The education department will allow states to apply
for a share of that money — a chance for the Trump administration to leverage
the budget crunch facing
states to advance its education policy priorities and a miniature echo of the
Obama-era Race to Top competition. For DeVos, those priorities include
directing more public education dollars to families, rather than school
districts, and creating alternatives to traditional schools and instruction. “The
current disruption to the normal model is reaffirming something I have said for
years: we must rethink education to better match the realities of the 21st
century,” DeVos said in a statement Monday. “This is the time for local
education leaders to unleash their creativity and ingenuity.” It’s the latest
example of the department aligning its coronavirus response to the Trump
administration’s political preferences, including limiting dollars going
to teachers unions and undocumented immigrants.
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.
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.
PSBA Virtual
Advocacy Day 2020 MAY 11, 2020 • 9:00
AM - 4:30 PM
Now
more than ever before – Make your voice heard!
Join
us virtually to support public education!
All
public school leaders are invited to join us for our first ever Virtual
Advocacy Day on Monday, May 11, 2020 via Zoom. We need all of you to
help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center around reaching out to
your legislators to discuss the steps you have taken to deal with the pandemic
crisis and the steps legislators can take to provide schools the flexibility
and creativity needed to weather the storm. Mandate relief, budgeting
flexibility, charter funding reform and other legislative changes need to be
considered to give school district flexibility.
Info
and Registration: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
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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