Tuesday, May 5, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for May 5, 2020: Turzai to Rivera: What’s the Plan to Bring Kids Back to the Classroom?


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PA Ed Policy Roundup for May 5, 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 note:  HB2431, Rep. Gleim’s bill that would freeze property taxes and maintain charter school tuitions, is listed on the House calendar for second consideration today.
  
PA House Republican Caucus Website MAY. 04, 2020 Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, 28th District Pennsylvania House of Representatives
If schools cannot open by Labor Day 2020, PA needs to embrace cyber charter school approach to schooling
HARRISBURG – Responding to the state education secretary’s assertion that schools may be closed in the fall, 
in a letter Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) demanded the Wolf Administration share its plan to ensure Pennsylvania’s students return to school in the fall and continue, uninterrupted, their education. “The secretary’s comments are irresponsible and raise some serious concerns,” Turzai said. “What is the plan to return our students back to their classrooms? Very sadly, these comments typify a ‘can’t do’ attitude, as if the administration really does not want schools to reopen.” Noting that Pennsylvania’s teachers, administrators and staff are all continuing to be fully paid, and all their medical benefits are covered through a statewide taxpayer investment of more than $33 million on the state’s PreK-12 public education system, Turzai asked if the Wolf Administration fully engaged overseeing the education of our students. He further noted that Pennsylvania’s per student spending on public schools ranks third out of 50 states. Pennsylvania ranks second in overall average teacher salary. “We need to open the schools safely in the fall. Pennsylvania families and students deserve nothing less,” Turzai wrote. “By Labor Day 2020, you will have had nearly six months to plan for a return to school. You and your office must work collaboratively with school superintendents and their administrators across the state to make plans for a safe fall return. If a school cannot do so, then that school should embrace the cyber charter school approach.” The Speaker discusses Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera’s comments in this week’s installment of his “Reopening Pennsylvania - safely, compassionately, and urgently.” View the Speaker’s comments here.
http://www.pahousegop.com/News/17263/Latest-News/Turzai-to-Rivera-What%E2%80%99s-the-Plan-to-Bring-Kids-Back-to-the-Classroom

Philly schools and students still need support despite online education successes | Opinion
Jerry Jordan, For The Inquirer Updated: May 4, 2020 - 11:23 AM
Jerry T. Jordan is the president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.
In our years-long fight back against an education system that perpetuates profound inequity, we have often said: We didn’t get here overnight, but rather by decades of disinvestment. Over the past several years, our union has led the way as we’ve clawed our way back from the brink of destruction — fighting $1 billion in education cuts, nearly 4,000 layoffs, and toxic conditions in our school buildings. Steadily, we have been making real gains, and we’ve seen historic investments from both city and state entities. And then, seemingly overnight, the bottom fell out. In a matter of hours, we had to pivot from an education system based on what our students need — face-to-face instruction, social interaction, and services for our vulnerable students — to a system that was undeveloped and remains inequitable. Our educators have been building the plane while flying it — certainly, we are used to modifying what we do, adapting to changing circumstances and curriculum — but this was unprecedented. Students and educators left school one day and simply did not return to their buildings. Living rooms are now offices and classrooms, kitchen tables are now science labs, and educators and students 

Lessons on the radio, in the parking lot
Region’s schools work to teach around holes in the internet
Post Gazette by Kris B. Mamula KMAMULA@POST-GAZETTE.COM Alexandra Wimley AWIMLEY@POST-GAZETTE.COM May 5, 2020
“Good morning, Butler!” Veteran elementary school teacher Meghan Lucas opens her radio show that way, broadcasting on WISR-AM in the small town of the same name, located about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. “Friends, today we are so excited to share this awesome story with you and then we’ll do a fun STEAM activity. Let’s get started!” Ms. Lucas is a Center Township Elementary School teacher-turned-host of a radio show. The show has become her “new” classroom, as the Butler Area School District continues to instruct students after the shuttering of school buildings because of COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease. Schools are getting creative in trying to keep the learning going, with many pushing lessons online, including larger school systems like Pittsburgh and New York. In rural Pennsylvania, shifting to online learning is not so simple. Many rural areas don’t have internet connections, leaving kids stranded. “We still have a lot of kids without technology,” Ms. Lucas said.

Budget fallout from virus hitting Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
AP News By MARC LEVY and CLAUDIA LAUER May 1, 2020
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The economic hurt from measures to contain the coronavirus unfolded more Friday, as Pennsylvania state government’s tax collections collapsed in April and, in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney proposed tax increases and layoffs. The state Revenue Department reported collecting $2.2 billion in April, half of what it had originally expected in one of the biggest revenue months before the coronavirus pandemic hit. The department estimated that approximately $1.7 billion of the $2.2 billion shortfall in April can be attributed to moving tax-filing deadlines to July or later. Most of that gap — about $400 million of the roughly $500 million difference — is thus far being attributed by department analysts to the business shutdowns to fight the spread of the virus. Still, the losses from the shutdowns can be expected to widen in May and beyond, Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said

Here’s how much each Lehigh Valley school district, charter school would receive under the CARES Act
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | MAY 04, 2020 | 8:26 PM
The Pennsylvania Department of Education applied for $523.8 million from the federal government to help school districts and charter schools affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The one-time funds are available from the federal government through a relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. Districts can use the money in a number of areas, such as technology services, cleaning supplies, mental health supports, and summer and after-school programs, the department said in a news release. Districts and charter schools must use the money by September 2022. The department is urging districts to prioritize needs, such as helping poverty-stricken students, English language learners, and homeless and foster care students. School districts are expected to take a financial hit because of the pandemic, especially in a loss of local revenue with so many people being out of work and businesses closing. Districts also had to invest in computers and internet hot spots so students can continue lessons while home.

Lancaster County schools to get $15.4M in COVID-19 relief under CARES Act
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer May 5, 2020
Lancaster County schools are expected to receive about $15.4 million in one-time emergency federal funding stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures released Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  The money comes from the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package approved by congress in March. Nearly $523 million is expected to support education in Pennsylvania, with at least $471 million, or 90%, flowing directly to schools to help soften the financial blow from the health crisis.  The state, meanwhile, expects to keep the remaining 10% to address issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, such as improving remote learning. "Pennsylvania’s educators have been working under extraordinary conditions from the onset of the coronavirus, first helping students and families to receive food and then setting up systems to provide continued education,” state Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said. "Unfortunately, this crisis has also placed tremendous financial pressures on our schools." Schools can direct the funding to a variety of areas, such as food service, professional training, technology purposes, cleaning supplies, summer and after-school programs and mental health supports.  The amount each school gets is proportional to the federal Title I money it received in 2019. 

Lehigh Valley school districts projected to lose $60M or more in local revenues to COVID-19
By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated May 04, 2020; Posted May 04, 2020
Pennsylvania school districts will need to consider options like tapping fund balances, cutting costs and raising taxes to overcome massive reductions in revenue due to the coronavirus, a new study shows. The nonprofit Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials last week released its projections of how 2020-21 budgets will be impacted by the virus and efforts to control its spread, which have closed wide swaths of the state's economy. Statewide, depending on how quickly the economy turns around, the study projects losses in local school district revenue of $870.5 million to more than $1 billion. In the Lehigh Valley, the total local revenue loss for 2020-21 school budgets is projected at $57.5 million to $68.1 million. Local school officials say those projections may be a little high, but they are still bracing for millions less than they had to work with in crafting the current year’s budget.

PASBO ESTIMATES SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD EXPERIENCE $1 BILLION LOSS IN LOCAL REVENUE IN 2020-21
PASBO On: 04/28/2020 11:23:42
PASBO released it's projection of the drop in local revenues for school districts next year the day after the House State Government Committee approved a bill to freeze school district property taxes next year. PASBO's estimate of the loss of local revenue is based on a study of the effect of school taxes during the Great Recession and a projection that the COVID-19 economy will create deeper and much more immediate cuts

A Teacher Appreciation Week like no other
“So many of our teachers have served as a light in this darkness.” 
The notebook Commentary by Ted Domers May 4 — 10:30 am, 2020
Since I became the principal of George Washington Carver High School of Engineering & Science seven years ago, we have worked to carefully build a transformative learning environment to prepare students for success in college and beyond.  Then came COVID-19 and a new reality of school. Abruptly, we were thrown into uncharted territory, unable to continue with many of the practices that we worked so hard to nurture.  Since March 13 when school buildings closed, I have struggled to determine the best way to maintain our focus on providing the best education possible to our students. In my moments of doubt, I find myself returning to a simple axiom: Let teachers do what they do best.     People become teachers to affect the lives of their students and improve their communities. They are more than teachers – they are mentors, confidants, and supporters of young people. They have built deep relationships. During this crisis, they are being forced to reimagine these relationships with students, not to mention their instructional strategies. 

Teachers, students in Philly start “official” online learning
The notebook by Neena Hagen May 4 — 10:02 pm, 2020
Neena Hagen, a Notebook intern, is a student at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from Philadelphia public schools.
The website taking attendance gets overwhelmed on the first day. Elizabeth Taylor, a Masterman High School social studies teacher, had a lot planned before COVID-19 wiped out in-person schooling for the rest of the academic year.  She was about to start the Harlem Renaissance unit in her African American History class, where, every year, she looks forward to one specific day. She sets up stations around the classroom as art galleries, literary salons and clubs, and students get to traverse those stations as if they’re living in the Harlem Renaissance — they read short stories from the time, listen to music and view the art. “It’s an academic exercise, but it’s fun to have students move around,” Taylor said.  Those kinds of activities grow out of one of Taylor’s core beliefs, that “learning is building knowledge through experiences.” “But we just can’t have those same experiences now that classes are online,” she said. School has technically been online for almost two months now, since school buildings closed March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But Monday marked a turning point in Philadelphia’s online learning — grading began and, for the first time since early March, teachers introduced new material to students. 

West Chester Area School District faces the possibility of more virtual classes
Pottstown Mercury by BILL RETTEW May 5, 2020
WEST WHITELAND — With the possibility that school closures might impact the 2020-21 school year, the West Chester Area School district is preparing for more online classes. WCASD Superintendent Jim Scanlon sent a May 4 letter to the district community stating that continued virtual classes are “not what any of us want, we must be prepared for this possibility.” The superintendent said that the district is working around the clock to be as prepared as possible for “a variety of scenarios and situations. “Simply put, at this time, we don’t have definitive answers.” While Scanlon is the district’s top administrator, he is also a parent. “I very much want my own children to return to our schools — just the way it has always been,” Scanlon wrote. “But will we be able to do that? “While our teachers have done an incredible job flipping our entire instructional model online in a matter of days in the middle of a pandemic, we all want a return to normalcy.” Scanlon noted that health experts agree that it’s likely that schools will face some kind of intermittent closure during the coming school year. “We will continue to gather student, parent, and teacher feedback and data about our current distance learning,” Scanlon said. “We’re working with our teachers and administrators to continue to improve and to deliver a more fully developed program that may have to replace in-person instruction during the next school year.”

Some school districts plan possible summer proms and graduations
West Chester Daily Local by Pete Bannan Pbannan@21st-Centurymedia.co May 5, 2020
BERWYN — Tredyffrin-Easttown School District  and Coatesville Area School announced plans this past week to hold both a 2020 senior prom and a graduation ceremony in July, as long as state and local regulations permit. "As their four years come to a close, we look for ways to balance the disappointment of these unprecedented times while still celebrating the amazing accomplishments of the Class of 2020, meaningfully and personally, Conestoga High School Principal Dr. Amy Meisinge said in a letter to seniors. "Despite these challenges, I remain incredibly proud of the Class of 2020 for their distinct achievements, but also for the strength and resilience they have continued to demonstrate"  The principal worked with seniors, seniors' parents and staff members to arrive at with three possible scenarios for holding graduation on July 21 at 6 P.M. at Teamer Field, the school stadium. The ceremony is contingent of state regulations in place at the time and the ceremony will be broadcast on TETV and live-streamed on the internet. If regulations are in place that still require social distancing, the students and guests will be seated six feet apart. Guests may be limited. A second scenario would involve the ceremony on Teamer field with only students present. If neither of those options are available, each student would be assigned a time for an individual ceremony on Teamer Field with a restricted number of guests. Each ceremony will be videotaped and produced into a full graduation program to be shared with families and broadcast at a later date. A decision regarding which option they will pursue will be made by July 1st in order to finalize plans with vendors, identify equipment needs and allow time for families to make necessary arrangements.

Quakertown district reaches tentative contract with support staff union
Intelligencer By Chris English @CourierEnglish Posted May 4, 2020 at 11:13 AM
The four-year deal with a fifth-year option will be considered by the school board at its May 14 virtual meeting.
The Quakertown Community School District has reached agreement with its 225-member support staff union on a new four-year contract with a fifth-year option. If approved by the school board at its May 14 virtual meeting, the deal would kick in July 1 and run through June 30, 2024. It gives full and part-time members of the Quakertown Educational Support Professional Association annual salary increases of 2%, 2.5%, 3% and 3.5%. The union has ratified the agreement. Should a new district teachers’ contract expire in the same year as the support staff deal, it will automatically extend for a fifth year under the same terms and conditions as year four, other than the union members’ contributions to their health insurance premiums would go up another 1% to 14%.

Congress was supposed to provide 40% of the cost for this program to work; however, that requirement has not been met. So, what can be done to help the parents and schools that provide for children with special needs? We, as parents, teachers and the general public, should take appropriate action. We can demand that Congress pay for its promised share of this act in order to help alleviate some of the financial burden involved with caring for these children.”
Your View: How we can help students with autism and special needs
By JESSICA MORRELL THE MORNING CALL | MAY 04, 2020 | 8:00 AM
Jessica Morrell is an Easton resident who recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She works with children with disabilities.
Television shows such as “Atypical” and “The Good Doctor” fail to capture the full experience of someone with autism or special needs in one crucial way; there is no depiction of the financial responsibilities that arise for those around them, including parents and the school districts. Not every family or child with special needs has it as financially easy as the main characters in those shows do; often there are more doctor visits, more copays, and more programs in schools that are not supported adequately by the government. Families and schools providing care for children with special needs must have the resources to do so. This is difficult to manage for some. There are many services that must be provided for children with special needs for them to succeed in school. These resources include occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, behavioral therapists, duty nurses and others. Without enough funds to pay for these types of services, either by the school district or the parents, the children risk not receiving the support they need.

Letter to the editor: Cyber charter school funding shouldn’t be cut
Letter by Heather Elliott, Brentwood TRIBUNE-REVIEW | Monday, May 4, 2020 7:00 a.m.
When so many students in traditional schools have no other recourse, I am grateful that my cyber charter school has provided continuity of education for my son. To disrupt his education would have been a setback. I can’t imagine losing the ability to make this choice for our family, and if the cuts to charter school funding that Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed had been implemented last year, many more students would be disadvantaged right now as traditional schools struggle to adapt to providing an online education. My son, now a first-grader at PA Cyber, had 30 kids in his public school kindergarten class. He tested far above his peers, but the school wouldn’t test him for gifted education for three more years. PA Cyber did gifted testing in first grade. An online education allows students flexibility to learn from anywhere, which was crucial when my husband, who is a wounded veteran, had to go to California for a month for a program. Our family went together without any disruption to our son’s education.

Schools Struggle to Meet Students' Mounting Mental-Health Needs
Education Week By Arianna Prothero May 1, 2020 | Corrected: May 4, 2020
“We’re screwed.” That’s what principal Kristina MacBury is hearing over and over again from her students at Sarah Pyle Academy. Sarah Pyle is a dropout-recovery program in Wilmington, Del., and its students, ages 16 to 21, face a lot of hardships in the best of times: They may be the primary breadwinners in their families. Some have kids of their own; others are taking care of sick parents. Many are homeless. Now, as a historic recession takes shape amid the pandemic, these students are worried about finding work to bolster their families’ earnings or losing jobs they already have. They’re upset about the prospect of not getting a traditional graduation—a major milestone for any young adult but one that may be especially hard-won for Sarah Pyle’s graduates.

Online K-12 education during the coronavirus crisis, explained
In the Public Interest 5/1/2020
The forced closing of public schools and the move to “distance learning” through online tools, apps, pre-packaged lesson plans, and tracking devices raises the question: what will the future of education will look like? Understandably, education technology companies like Google and K12 Inc. see the current crisis—and the unfolding economic downturn—as an opportunity to expand market share and increase profits. While technology can and will be used creatively to enhance public education, In the Public Interest believes that policy decisions must be guided by educators and a commitment to democratic control of universal public education for all. Too often policy debates are fueled by outlandish claims, emotionally charged language, clever marketing, and vague promises. The following is meant to provide clarity during the uncertain months to come:

Betsy DeVos finds new pot of cash to push education agenda: federal covid-19 relief money
Washington Post By Valerie Strauss  April 30, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. EDT
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has found a new pot of cash with which to pursue her school “choice” agenda: money from the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package Congress passed to boost the economy as it deals with the pandemic. DeVos, who has made it her top priority as education secretary to find alternatives to traditional public school districts, announced this week that she is starting a competition for states to apply for “rethinking” education grants. “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,” she said in the announcement. “This is the time for local education leaders to unleash their creativity and ingenuity, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do to provide education freedom and economic opportunity for America’s students.”


If you previously registered for this live event at the Capitol please register for the virtual event.
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.

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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