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, 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
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Pennsylvania must rein in cyber charter costs
Taxpayers in House Majority Whip Donna Oberlander’s school
districts paid over $4.6 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition:
|
School District
|
Cyber Tuition 2018-2019
|
|
Allegheny-Clarion Valley SD
|
$456,164.98
|
|
Armstrong SD
|
$1,310,140.06
|
|
Clarion Area SD
|
$210,888.35
|
|
Clarion-Limestone Area SD
|
$302,109.28
|
|
Forest Area SD
|
$311,341.38
|
|
Karns City Area SD
|
$496,492.00
|
|
Keystone SD
|
$398,084.56
|
|
North Clarion County SD
|
$126,610.26
|
|
Redbank Valley SD
|
$645,871.66
|
|
Union SD
|
$378,587.96
|
|
|
$4,636,290.49
|
Data Source: PSBA
“The Legislature enacting meaningful charter reform has the
potential to save school districts hundreds of millions of dollars, and with
billions in projected losses in state revenue due to Covid-19, this goal can be
accomplished through state policy changes that do not require additional state
funding. Cyber charter School overpayment has always been a problem, long
before the COVID-19 crisis, but it is now an issue Pennsylvania cannot afford
to overlook. I urge you, reach out to
your state Representative and Senator and tell them that action needs to be
taken to rein in cyber charter costs. Our students, taxpayers and community
deserve better.”
Pottstown Mercury Opinion by Blake Emmanuel, Phoenixville
July 11, 2020
This opinion represents my own, and is not
reflective of any boards or positions I hold.
The debate over cyber-charters, how to fund,
and efficacy of, has been ongoing since their inception in 1992. When
considering that cyber charters, which are publicly funded, lack meaningful
annual yearly progress (meaning that a student learns what they should within
the school year) one can’t help but wonder, why are we, the taxpayers, paying
for a failed experiment? The next question must be, why are we letting our
legislators continue to allow this to occur? Moreover, in our current state of
significant loss of revenues during the Covid-19 pandemic, we need meaningful
reform in public education. In Pennsylvania, cyber charter tuition is paid by
the public school district in which the student resides and not based on actual
costs. A student who lives in a wealthier district will have a tuition rate
significantly higher than one living in a disadvantaged district, even if they
attend the same cyber charter. Tuition is calculated based on the home school
district’s expenses for the previous school year. Keep in mind that the school
district is providing in person instruction (pre-Covid) with significantly more
expenses for a brick and mortar school than a virtual one.
Frequently asked questions about online charter schools
In The Public Interest 7/7/2020
As public education authorities struggle with
how best to reopen schools as the coronavirus crisis continues, one option may
be to affiliate with a privately operated online or “virtual” charter school. Here
are questions and answers designed to help parents, legislators, and
school districts evaluate the use of online charter schools. Additionally,
we’ve included questions legislators, school districts, and parents should ask
to before deciding whether to pursue education through an online charter school.
- Frequently
asked questions about online charter schools
- Questions
legislators should ask about online charter schools
- Questions
school districts and state education authorities should ask about
online charter schools
- Parents,
get these questions answered before enrolling your kid in an online
charter school
Cybers charters are paid at the same tuition rates as brick
& mortar charter schools, even though they have none of the expenses associated
with operating school buildings. It has been estimated that cyber charters are
paid approximately twice what it costs them to provide an online education.
Those excess funds are then not available to serve all of the students who
remain in the sending school districts.
Tweet (and attachment) from Dr. Steve Yanni, Upper Dublin
School District Superintendent:
I post this not seeking sympathy or empathy.
It’s just the reality we are facing.
As our leaders plan for what school will look
in the near future, be patient with them.
·
If school starts normally, people will be angry.
·
If school starts with restrictions, people
will be angry.
·
If we wear masks, people will be angry.
·
If we don’t wear masks, people will be angry.
·
If student athletics are cancelled, people
will be angry.
·
If student athletics are allowed to continue
without spectators, people will be angry.
·
If we have a staggered start time, continue
social distancing, or a combination of both…people will be angry.
Our leaders are in a lose/lose situation. The
choices they make over the next few weeks and months are in uncharted territory.
They are doing the best they can with the information being provided to them.
Pray for them * Show them grace * Be empathetic
* Stay positive
Blogger note: regular readers of this blog will recognize Evan
Brandt; he has consistently provided top notch, in depth coverage of multiple
school districts. This is a well done piece by the NY Times that resonates –
Alden Capital bought out my local paper a few years back and there has
essentially been no coverage of our school district since then.
A Reporter’s Lonely Mission When the Writing Is on the
Wall
His newspaper has withered under a hedge
fund. His industry was in turmoil even before a pandemic. But Evan Brandt won’t
stop chronicling his town.
Evan Brandt, perhaps the lone reporter left
covering Pottstown, Pa., has worked at The Mercury for more than two decades.
New York Times By Dan
Barry Photographs and Video by Haruka
Sakaguchi July 10, 2020, 5:00 a.m. ET
POTTSTOWN, Pa. — An essential worker drove
his cluttered Toyota Corolla through the early spring emptiness, past a sign
outside a closed parochial school asking people to pray. Time to bear witness
in a pandemic. He pulled up to the closed Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School,
where masked employees were distributing bags and boxes of food. Dozens of cars
waited in line for curbside pickup, many with children eager to spot their
teachers. In the global context of the coronavirus, the moment was small. But
to those who live around a Pennsylvania place called Pottstown, the scene
reflected both the dependence on subsidized school meals and the yearning to
connect in an unsettling time of isolation. It was a story. Evan Brandt, proud
reporter for a once-proud newspaper — The Mercury — emerged
from his Toyota with press identification dangling from his neck, the photo old
enough to be of someone else. The newspaper’s last staff photographer left
years ago, and Mr. Brandt, grayer and heavier at 55, had not updated his image.
‘It’s time to challenge what has become normal’: Philly
schools move toward anti-racism
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham and Maddie
Hanna, Posted:July 11, 2020
Angela Crawford has said it for years:
Philadelphia schools can’t make meaningful improvements until there’s a
reckoning over the racial injustices that underpin the education system. As a
veteran English teacher at Martin Luther King High School, Crawford has
lamented a lack of cultural competence and systems that disadvantage Black
children and other students of color, leading to disparities in
achievement, discipline and access to elite classes
and schools. The way to begin fixing it, she
said, is a move toward antiracist curriculum and away from practices that
center only on the experiences of white people. Antiracism, Crawford said,
“needs to be the overarching theme of every single school in the city.” In a
post-George Floyd world, as Black students speak out about their
experiences with racism inside schools, it’s an idea
whose time has come in a growing number of school systems. On Sunday, teachers
and education supporters are planning to rally and march up Broad Street for
racial justice, underscoring the ways they
believe the Philadelphia School District must change, from equity boards in
schools and a curricular overhaul to ridding buildings of environmental toxins
— and making ethnic, indigenous and Black studies courses available at all
levels.
Philly teachers and students take to the street to
protest racism
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham and Dylan
Purcell, Updated: July 12, 2020-
4:38 PM
They marched because Black students gain
entrance into Philadelphia’s magnet schools and Advanced Placement classes at
lower rates than their white peers. They marched because schools that contain
crumbling, toxic asbestos often educate Black children. They marched because
some changes that students have been seeking for 50 years still have not come. “Walk
as if you are transforming education with your feet,” said Keziah Ridgeway, a
Northeast High social studies teacher and organizer of a Sunday rally and march
up Broad Street for Black lives. “The School District of Philadelphia will not
be the same after today.” Hundreds of teachers, students, parents, and
education supporters chanted, waved signs, clapped and sang from City Hall to
district headquarters on North Broad, saying that changes are long overdue for
the district’s 125,000 students. They underscored a list of demands, from cleaning
up environmental toxins still widely present in schools to creating robust ways
for students and teachers to report racism against them. In advance of the
protest, district officials said they were creating a racial equity board and
promised a move toward antiracist education in every area of the district,
rewriting curriculum in every subject area and mandating ongoing training for
every staffer.
“This column details three ways in which allies should leverage
their influence and power beyond social media to combat systemic racism in
education.”
Fighting Systemic Racism in K-12 Education: Helping
Allies Move From the Keyboard to the School Board
American Progress By Roby Chatterji July
8, 2020, 9:02 am
The nationwide uprisings against police
brutality in the past few months have led to a significant shift in
conversations and attitudes about racial inequities in America. While it may be
premature to say that these conversations signal an awakening, books about race
and racism are topping bestseller lists;
millions of posts on
social media are proclaiming that Black Lives Matter; and Americans in at least
1,700 communities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., are marching in the
streets to protest generations of racial injustice. The killings of Ahmaud Arbery,
Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and others have galvanized calls
and increased support for
dramatic changes to policing and criminal justice policies. Many Black leaders
and Black-led groups in communities across the country have been working for
these changes for decades. It is critically important for newly energized
allies, especially those who are not Black, to go beyond hashtag activism and
enter this work by listening to the
voices of community members and educating themselves
on the history, causes, and consequences of systemic racism in the United
States. Allies should also work with Black communities to support efforts to
combat structural racism in education, housing, and other social policies.
Their opposition, silence, or lack of engagement in these efforts can
contribute to the perpetuation of inequities and further limit access to
opportunities for communities that are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
“To date, fewer than 100 school districts and charter schools
have completed their plans, according to Department of Education data.”
How will Pennsylvania schools reopen this fall? Your
questions, answered
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison July 12,
2020
After a historic shutdown that kept 1.7
million school children at home for three months, schools across Pennsylvania
are racing against the clock to safely open their doors this fall. Administrators
are stockpiling hand sanitizer, masks and infrared thermometers. Teachers are
plowing through professional development programs to improve online
instruction. And local school boards are logging marathon meetings as they try
to balance budgets and adopt safety plans for the upcoming school year. Schools
in Pennsylvania are technically allowed to open their doors this month. But with barely eight weeks until Labor Day marks
the end of summer, and messages from state and federal leaders changing every
day, many schools still have not completed their plans for how they’ll operate
during the 2020-2021 school year. There’s a lot we still don’t know about what
school in Pennsylvania will look like this fall. The Capital-Star has reviewed
news reports, read research published by state agencies and educators, and
spoke with experts to answer some of the biggest questions about school
reopening across the state.
Buses pose particular challenge for Pennsylvania schools'
pandemic plans
York Dispatch by MARK SCOLFORO Associated
Press July 11, 2020
HARRISBURG — A proposal to construct plastic
barriers around school bus drivers as a COVID-19 mitigation tactic was shot
down by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, a sign of one particular
challenge — among many — schools face as they plan for a fall reopening. The
state Education Department told districts last month each can restart in-person
instruction with a plan that's approved by the local school board, made public
and provided to the state. But Education Secretary Pedro Rivera warned that
transportation would be a difficult problem to solve. The great majority of the
state's public school districts contract with private companies to provide bus
transportation, and those companies have difficulty finding and keeping enough
drivers in the best of times, said Mike Berk with the Pennsylvania School Bus
Association, a trade group. “Everyone is looking at this very differently. And
they all are looking at the science of it. They’re looking at what’s going to
work in their district. But there is no single answer to the question. All we
know is what we’re trying to do is put options out there for the districts,”
Berk said.
A careful process meets a rash demand
Pressed to be “fully operational” in
September, Philadelphia officials say they’ll ignore Trump and forge ahead with
hybrid reopening plan.
The notebook by Bill
Hangley Jr. July 10 — 8:30 am, 2020
Worlds collided this week when Philadelphia
School District officials, now deep in the weeds of their own planning process,
had to suddenly confront a new demand from the White House: reopen or else. “SCHOOLS
MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!” tweeted President Donald Trump on Monday, adding
later: “Virtual Learning has proven to be TERRIBLE compared to In School, or On
Campus, Learning. Not even close!” The surprise outburst from Trump,
accompanied by a threat of financial punishment for those who fail to satisfy
him, triggered a flurry of support and criticism nationwide. But in
Philadelphia, District officials say they will essentially ignore the White
House and forge ahead uninterrupted with their own plans. “I’m not going to be
influenced by somebody making a statement about cutting funding that they don’t
even control,” said Superintendent William Hite. The president justified his
demand by claiming without evidence that teachers’ unions seeking political
gain are sabotaging state and local decision-making processes. “The president
will always stand up to
teacher’s unions who want to keep these schools closed,” said Trump’s
spokesperson, Kayleigh McEnany. But no such union malfeasance has been
documented anywhere in the country, and Thursday, Hite forcefully denied that
any such forces are at work in Pennsylvania. Speaking at his weekly press
briefing, Hite said he has seen no union interference in Philadelphia’s
planning process, only constructive collaboration. He “unequivocally” defended
the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ role in the reopening process. “As
educators, they want to see students back in schools, too,” said Hite.
Educators Say Emergency Funding Needed To Reopen Schools
Sanatoga Post By Joe
Zlomek July 12, 2020 By Andrea
Sears, Public News Service
HARRISBURG PA – Educators are calling on
Congress to provide emergency funding to help public schools, closed by the
COVID pandemic, reopen safely. Many school re-openings are expected to involve,
if only in part, in-person instruction and activities. The economic impact of
the pandemic means local school districts in the Commonwealth could face a
combined shortfall of $1 billion to cover those costs for the coming school
year, experts claim. Pennsylvania State Education Association President Rich
Askey pointed out that, from social distancing in classrooms to enhanced
cleaning procedures and personal protective equipment, schools will need more
funding, not less. “We’re urging Congress to invest $175 billion in education
nationwide,” Askey said. Representatives of prominent education associations in
Pennsylvania released a report last month outlining steps needed to safely
reopen schools. It estimates that trying to manage the crisis by cutting school
budgets could eliminate up to 40,000 education jobs in the state. Askey also
noted students haven’t been in school since last March, and that has had an
impact. “We’re going to need to deal with social and emotional wellness with
these kids,” he emphasized. “We don’t need fewer counselors; we need more
counselors. We don’t need fewer nurses; we need more nurses.”
“Kurelja emphasized that in-district cyber options are best for
public schools. Local districts must pay the tuition for students who choose to
attend charter and cyber schools, and the cost is significant. For example,
Lewisburg Area School District spent $370.941.83 on tuition for 26 students to
attend Pennsylvania cyber charter schools in 2019-20, according to John
Fairchild, the district’s director of administrative services. Individual
tuition costs $13,204.04 per regular education student and $24,477.36 per
special education student, he said. “The biggest challenge we have in our area
is cyber charter schools. That’s why every district has virtual option
available to keep children in local schools,” Kurelja said. “If families were
to decide to go to virtual school it could bankrupt the districts.”
Masks, physical distancing required when Valley schools
reopen
Sunbury Daily Item By Eric Scicchitano
escicchitano@dailyitem.com Jul 9, 2020
MONTANDON — Administrators across the Valley
unified on foundational principles to reopen public schools in the fall but
specific details on scheduling, busing and protocol for students and faculty
who contract COVID-19 must be finalized by individual school districts. According
to the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU), at the core of each district’s
plan will be basics born out of the novel coronavirus pandemic: screening for
symptoms; proper wearing of face coverings; physical distancing; frequent and
effective hand washing and sanitization. “The best way to mitigate the spread
is to ensure sick students and teachers aren’t in contact with the healthy,”
Bernadette Boerckel, director of community outreach, CSIU, said. “It’s more
important than ever that if you’re aware of your symptoms, you need to stay
home.” Screening won’t be routinely performed on each and every person who
enters a school building; rather, daily screenings are encouraged before students,
faculty, staff and visitors enter. If someone is feeling ill, they’re urged to
stay home. Districts are considering flexible attendance policies as well as
isolation protocol for anyone who exhibits symptoms while at a school. “Check
your child before you put them on the bus. Check your child before you send
them to school. That’s going to help everyone,” Kevin Singer, executive
director, CSIU, said. All students, faculty and staff will be required to wear
face coverings over their noses and mouths during the school day, according to
Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest order issued July 1. The coverings can be removed, per
the order, when persons are seated during lunch and lessons but also during
recess. The caveat in each instance is that a physical distance of at least 6
feet be maintained.
“A virus here is seen as a virus, not a political instrument,”
Europeans are sending kids back to school. Why can’t we?
| Trudy Rubin
Inquirer Opinion by Trudy
Rubin | @trudyrubin | trubin@inquirer.com Updated: July
9, 2020 - 5:36 PM
In Denmark, Germany, and Austria, kids
began returning to classrooms in
April and early May, and there haven’t yet been spikes of new cases. Schools reopened in
Norway, but the spread of infection in the
country keeps trending downward. Italian kids will go back to classes in
September. The reason European countries are reopening schools
and parents are willing to send their kids is because most of those countries
had flattened the curve on COVID-19 by May or June (our East Asian allies did
so even earlier). That is true even of countries like Italy and Spain that botched
their virus response at the outset. Yes, there have been some new spikes as
young people surge into bars but nothing that isn’t containable. Americans
don’t have to numb themselves to at least 70,000 more dead by
fall and accept tens of thousands of new cases a day as the new normal — as the
White House clearly hopes they will. The European experience proves that such
an option is obscene. I asked Lucia Annunziata, one of Italy’s leading
journalists and talk-show hosts, how her country emerged from an awful outbreak
and heavy death toll to the current reopening of businesses, restaurants,
cinemas, and low caseload. As of July 8, the seven-day average of
new cases in Italy was 198, while in the United
States over that period, the average was 52,636. (Italy’s population is roughly
one-fifth that of the United States.) And the disparity is not
due to U.S. testing, as Italy is testing far more
intensively than the United States.
“Here is what it’s going to take: more money and more space.”
Reopening Schools Will Be a Huge Undertaking. It Must Be
Done.
Officials need to think outside the school
building.
New York Times By The Editorial Board July 10,
2020
The editorial board is a group of opinion
journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain
longstanding values. It is
separate from the newsroom.
American children need public schools to reopen in the
fall. Reading, writing and arithmetic are not even the half of it. Kids need to
learn to compete and to cooperate. They need food and friendships; books and
basketball courts; time away from family and a safe place to spend it. Parents need public schools, too. They need
help raising their children, and they need to work. In Britain, the Royal College of Pediatrics and
Child Health has warned that
leaving schools closed “risks scarring the life chances of a generation of
young people.” The organization’s American counterpart, the American Academy of
Pediatrics, has urged administrators
to begin from “a goal of having students physically present in school.”Here is what it’s going to take: more money and more space.
The return to school, as with other aspects of pre-pandemic normalcy, rests
on the nation’s ability to control the spread of the coronavirus. In
communities where the virus is spreading rapidly, school is likely to remain
virtual. The rise in case counts across much of the country is jeopardizing
even the best-laid plans for classroom education. Other nations are checking
the spread of the virus and preparing to reopen schools. America, by contrast,
is squandering its chance and failing its children.
“This is the document we needed six weeks ago,” said Daniel A.
Domenech, the executive director of the AASA, the School Superintendents
Association, calling it “concise, accessible and actionable.”
As Trump Demanded Schools Reopen, His Experts Warned of
‘Highest Risk’
A briefing packet for federal emergency
response teams details the steps schools should take to reopen safely.
New York Times By Eileen
Sullivan and Erica
L. Green July 10, 2020
WASHINGTON — Federal materials for reopening
schools, shared the week President Trump demanded weaker guidelines to do so,
said fully reopening schools and universities remained the “highest risk” for
the spread of the coronavirus. The 69-page document, obtained
by The New York Times and marked “For Internal Use Only,” was intended for
federal public health response teams to have as they are deployed to hot spots
around the country. But it appears to have circulated the same week that Vice
President Mike Pence announced that the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention would release new guidelines, saying that the administration did not
want them to be “too tough.” It is unclear whether Mr. Trump saw the document,
nor is it clear how much of it will survive once new guidance is completed. (The
cover page of the document is dated July 8, 2019, an obvious typographical
error since the novel coronavirus did not exist then.) What is clear is that
federal health experts are using a road map that is vastly different from what
Mr. Trump wanted. While it is mostly a compilation of C.D.C. documents already
posted online, it includes reopening plans drafted by states, districts and
individual schools and universities. And the package, from the Community
Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force, is pointed.
Delaware County school districts scrambling to come up
with reopening plans
Delco Times By Terry Toohey ttoohey@delcotimes.com
@TerryToohey on Twitter July 13, 2020
As cases of coronavirus rise nationally,
including in Pennsylvania, "Back to School" takes on a different
meaning. “It’s difficult enough to open a school year,” said Upper Darby
superintendent Dan McGarry. “Now it’s even more complex.” Local school district
administrators have found that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to safely
open schools that were shut down in March do to the pandemic, especially when
you’re dealing with an area as densely populated as Delaware County, which has
15 public school districts plus a number of private and parochial schools. Each
plan has to be approved by each school entity’s governing body (school board,
Board of Directors or Trustees) and then submitted to the Pennsylvania
Department of Education (PDE). Each local school agency has to devise a plan
that fits its specific community based on information from a number of sources.
“Right now we’re following guidance from the governor’s office, the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and
for Delaware County, the Chester County Department of Health is our health
authority,” Garnet Valley Superintendent Marc Bertrando said. “A lot of our
face-to-face discussions and boots on the ground detail direction are coming
from the Chester County Department of Health.” The sheer volume of information
is mind-numbing, even for highly educated individuals as superintendents, many
of whom hold doctorate degrees. They’re not doing it alone. Many have designed
teams that include faculty, staff, students and parents to weed through the
vast amount of information.
In May, the federal Centers for Disease
Control dedicated 15 pages as part of its interim guidance for schools and day
camps.
Philly schools weigh reopening with a hybrid learning
model, masks and cleanings every 4 hours
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: July
12, 2020- 4:02 PM
Philadelphia School District officials have
signaled what a return to buildings amid the coronavirus outbreak is likely to
look like this fall: a hybrid in-person and online learning model, no
temperature checks for students and staff, and cleaning high-touch areas every
four hours. They also said they could prioritize some subjects for face-to-face
instruction — English, math, science, art, music, and physical education — and
teach other subjects virtually. A final school reopening plan is expected next
week, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said Thursday. But in town halls over
four days this week, the school system’s chief medical officer, academic chief,
interim facilities leader, and chief of schools laid out where a combination of
public health guidance, public feedback, and their own teams’ planning have led
them so far. The realities of Philadelphia buildings, some of which are
overcrowded, with classrooms of 30 children or more, mean that not all of the
district’s 125,000 students will be able to be in school at the same time, the
superintendent said. “We’re going to have to do this in shifts,” Hite said. “No
question about it.”
Video: Planning a Return to K-12 Schools
WLVT PBS 39 by Chloe Nouvelle • Published
on July 10, 2020 Video runtime: 3:49
With some Pennsylvanian schools on track to
start the new year next month, plans are in the works to bring K-12 students
back into the classroom. Running a school during a pandemic has education
officials asking themselves many questions. How many days a week will students
attend physical classes? Will they stay in one classroom all day? Will the
attendance schedule differ by grade level? All of these questions need to be
answered by districts themselves, not Harrisburg or Washington. "I could
tell you in 25 years in education, this is a summer like no other,"
said, John Rushefski, Superintendent of the Jim Thorpe Area School
District.
Parents -- not politicians -- should decide if their
children return to school during a pandemic | PennLive Editorial
By PennLive
Editorial Board Updated 11:33 AM; Today 11:32 AM
If a little girl walks into a classroom this
fall, it should be her choice. Or at least her parent’s choice. If she is going
to be exposed to a potentially deadly virus, it should not be forced upon the
family by any government official. That’s the essence of personal freedom.
Here are some reasonable assumptions:
- The
coronavirus will be on a school bus. At least one child will have it.
- The
coronavirus will be in a classroom. At least one child will have it.
- The
coronavirus will be on the playground when the masks fall off. At least
one child will get it.
The decision to expose children to such risks
should rest solely with their parents. And the last thing they need is to be
mandated to send their kids into a pandemic plagued world against their wishes.
President Donald Trump is threatening to
cut off federal funding to states that
don’t fully reopen schools in the fall. That is a mistake. It contradicts the
fundamental principles of American freedom. If you can argue wearing a mask
infringes on personal freedom, what about forcing parents to potentially expose
their children to disease and death?
“Penns Manor also offers a cyber academy. Johnston would prefer
parents choose that option over putting their children in cyber charter
schools. “We do have some additional costs for the platform we used for our
cyber school,” the superintendent said. “But by all means it’s an absolutely
minor cost to the district of less than $2,000 per student.” That’s compared to
the alternative of paying charter schools — $14,000 per student in most cases,
$33,000 for each student in a special education situation, according to
district Business Manager Joshua Muscatello.”
Penns Manor Directors amend rules for classes in fall
Indiana Gazette By PATRICK CLOONAN pcloonan@indianagazette.net Jul 10,
2020 Updated 19 hrs ago
KENWOOD — Penns Manor Area School District’s
board of directors has amended district and athletic health and safety plans —
originally passed last month — to reflect recent changes mandated by Gov. Tom
Wolf, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine and Education Secretary Pedro A.
Rivera. “Face coverings are required to be worn to help decrease potential
exposure to COVID-19,” Superintendent Daren K. Johnston read at Thursday’s
two-hour-long session. That session included a 90-minute committee meeting and
a voting meeting normally held a week later. That is in addition to what
already was required for a new school year scheduled to begin for fall sports
teams on Aug. 10, then for teachers Aug. 24 and students on Aug. 26. “Do we reasonably expect school to take place
this year?” School Director John Hardesty Sr. asked. Some parents have asked
that question. In fact, Johnston said, there’s been twice as many inquiries
since those new orders came from Harrisburg, than there had been since
restrictions began last March.
Virus spread, not politics, should guide school
reopenings, doctors say
Post Gazette by LINDSEY TANNER The Associated
Press JUL 12, 2020 1:18 PM
As the Trump administration pushes full steam
ahead to force schools to resume in-person education, public health experts
warn that a one-size-fits-all reopening could drive infection and death rates
even higher. They’re urging a more cautious approach, which many local
governments and school districts are already pursuing. But U.S. Education
Secretary Betsy DeVos doubled down on President Donald Trump’s insistence that
kids can safely return to the classroom. “There’s nothing in the data that
suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous,” she told Chris
Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” Still, health experts say there are too many
uncertainties and variables for back-to-school to be back-to-normal. Where is
the virus spreading rapidly? Do students live with aged grandparents? Do
teachers have high-risk health conditions that would make online teaching
safest? Do infected children easily spread COVID-19 to each other and to
adults?
“Trump, however, repeated his threat on Friday, saying on
Twitter that virtual learning has been “terrible” compared with in-person
classes.”
Medical group cited by Trump denounces school funding
threat
Lancaster Online By COLLIN BINKLEY AP
Education Writer Jul 10, 2020 Updated 26 min ago
A medical association that the White House
has cited in its press to reopen schools is pushing back against President
Donald Trump's repeated threats to cut federal funding if schools don't open
this fall. In a joint statement with national education unions and a
superintendents group, the American Academy of Pediatrics on Friday said
decisions should be made by health experts and local leaders. The groups argued
that schools will need more money to reopen safely during the coronavirus pandemic
and that cuts could ultimately harm students. The statement comes at a time
when schools across the nation are weighing decisions for the fall as Trump
pushes them to reopen. Millions of parents are still waiting to hear if their
children will be returning to school, but some of the nation’s largest
districts have said students will be in the classroom only a few days a week. “Public
health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics,” the
groups wrote in the statement. “Withholding funding from schools that do not
open in person full-time would be a misguided approach, putting already
financially strapped schools in an impossible position that would threaten the
health of students and teachers."
Pediatricians, Educators and Superintendents Urge a Safe
Return to School This Fall
Science and community circumstances must
guide decision-making; funding is critical
American Academy of Pediatrics News Release July
10, 2020
Washington, DC—The American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National
Education Association (NEA) and AASA, The School Superintendents Association,
join together today in the following statement on the safe return of students,
teachers, and staff to schools:
“Educators and pediatricians share the goal
of children returning safely to school this fall. Our organizations are
committed to doing everything we can so that all students have the opportunity
to safely resume in-person learning. “We recognize that children learn best
when physically present in the classroom. But children get much more than
academics at school. They also learn social and emotional skills at school, get
healthy meals and exercise, mental health support and other services that
cannot be easily replicated online. Schools also play a critical role in
addressing racial and social inequity. Our nation’s response to COVID-19 has
laid bare inequities and consequences for children that must be addressed. This
pandemic is especially hard on families who rely on school lunches, have
children with disabilities, or lack access to Internet or health care. “Returning
to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children,
but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers
and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools.
Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not
politics. We should leave it to health experts to tell us when the time is best
to open up school buildings, and listen to educators and administrators to
shape how we do it.
Here’s what’s at risk in Trump’s rush to reopen schools |
John A. Tures
By John A. Tures Capital-Star Op-Ed Contributor July 12,
2020
Opinion contributor John A. Tures is a
professor of political science at LaGrange
College in LaGrange, Ga.
President Donald Trump is demanding that
schools reopen in the Fall, threatening to cut off funds to schools that don’t,
even forcing the CDC to change its guidelines to fit his medical gut instinct. But
without a scientific approach and creative public policy measures implemented
by schools and local officials, it will be America under threat of continued
rising cases and deaths. We know this from evidence coming from the very
countries Trump cited. “Corrupt Joe Biden and the Democrats don’t want to open
schools in the Fall for political reasons, not for health reasons! They think
it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!” Trump tweeted
on July 6, following by a threat two days later. “In Germany, Denmark, Norway,
Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems
think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the
November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off
funding if not open!” Actually, while Germany, Denmark and Norway flattened the
curve, with the very policies the President now chafes at, Sweden embarked upon
the minimal restrictions that Trump and his advisers seem to prefer.
Ex-CEO of Lehigh Valley charter school enters plea in
$42K theft
By Kurt
Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated
1:14 PM; Today 1:14 PM
The former CEO of Arts Academy Elementary
Charter School has entered a plea to resolve criminal charges for allegedly stealing
$42,000 from the Allentown school’s corporate bank account. Jason
“Jay” Eitner, 41, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, pleaded nolo contendere to theft
by deception on July 2 in Lehigh County Court, according to court records. With
his plea, Eitner accepts conviction as though a guilty plea had been entered
but does not admit guilt. Judge Maria Dantos sentenced him to a year’s
probation, restitution and $1,702 in fines and costs, the records show. An
entry in the records on Thursday indicates “penalty satisfied.” Reached for
comment, Eitner told lehighvalleylive.com he was
unavailable to talk but intends to respond at a later date. His attorney did
not immediately return a call for comment. The charges filed last November
marked the second time in recent years that Eitner faced accusations he abused
his power as the top administrator of a school. Amid allegations of harassment,
a South Jersey school severed ties with Eitner in March 2017, shortly before
the Allentown charter school hired him.
Betsy DeVos again calls for school districts to open
fully for 2020-21
Inquirer by
Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post, Posted: July
12, 2020- 12:53 PM
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made clear on
Sunday that she wants schools to reopen fully for most students for the 2020-21
academic year, even as covid-19 infection rates are soaring in some parts of
the country and some superintendents say it is impossible for them to do that. DeVos made her latest statement about what
schools should do on CNN's "State of the Union." In the interview
with journalist Dana Bash, DeVos doubled down on calls she made last week for
schools to reopen. "Kids need to be in school," she said. "They
need to be learning, they need to be moving ahead. And we can't - we cannot be
paralyzed and not allow that or not be intent on that happening." DeVos
said nothing, however, about what school superintendents have been saying they
need to reopen: billions of dollars in additional federal funding to cover the
costs of changes they have to make and personal protective equipment they need
to buy. In fact, DeVos last week threatened to withhold federal funding from
districts that didn't do what she wanted, even though she can't unilaterally
stop funding approved by Congress. School district leaders nationwide have been
working for months to figure out how to plan for various contingencies for
2020-21: all students staying at home and doing remote learning, all students
returning to school, or a hybrid of some in school and some at home.
Interested in becoming an Advocacy Ambassador? PSBA is seeking
ambassadors to fill anticipated vacancies for Sections 1, 2 and 6.
PSBA Advocacy Ambassador program brings legislators to
you
POSTED ON JULY 1, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
PSBA’s Advocacy Ambassador program is a
key resource helping public school leaders connect with their state legislators
on important education issues. Our six ambassadors build strong
relationships with the school leaders and legislators in their areas to support
advocacy efforts at the local level. They also encourage legislators to visit
school districts and create opportunities for you to have positive conversations
and tell your stories about your schools and students. PSBA thanks those school
districts that have worked with their advocacy ambassador and invites those who
have not to reach out to their ambassador to talk about the ways they can
support your advocacy efforts. Interested in becoming an Advocacy Ambassador?
PSBA is seeking ambassadors to fill anticipated vacancies for Sections 1, 2 and
6. For more information contact jamie.zuvich@psba.org.
PSBA Fall Virtual Advocacy Day: OCT 8, 2020 • 8:00
AM - 5:00 PM
Sign up now for PSBA’s Virtual Advocacy Day
this fall!
All public school leaders are invited to join
us for our fall Virtual Advocacy Day on Thursday, October 8, 2020, via Zoom. We
need all of you to help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center
around contacting legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public
education. Registrants will receive the meeting invitation with a link to our
fall Virtual Advocacy Day website that contains talking points, a link to
locate contact information for your legislator and additional information to
help you have a successful day.
Cost: As a membership benefit, there is no
cost to register.
Registration: School directors can register
online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you have
questions about Virtual Advocacy Day, or need additional information, contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org.
Apply Now for EPLC's 2020-2021 PA Education Policy
Fellowship Program!
Applications are available now for the 2020-2021 Education Policy
Fellowship Program.
The Education Policy Fellowship Program is
sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center
(EPLC). The 2020-2021 Program will be conducted in briefer, more
frequent, and mostly online sessions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The content
will be substantially the same as the traditional Fellowship Program, with some
changes necessitated by the new format and a desire to reduce costs to sponsors
in these uncertain fiscal times.
The commitment of EPLC remains the same. The
Fellowship Program will continue to be Pennsylvania's premier education policy
leadership program for education, community, policy and advocacy leaders! The
Fellowship Program begins with two 3-hour virtual sessions on September 17-18,
and the Program ends with a graduation event in June 2021.
The application may be
copied from the EPLC web site, but it must be submitted by mail or scanned and
e-mailed, with the necessary signatures of applicant and sponsor.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of
the Fellowship Program and its requirements, please contact EPLC Executive
Director Ron Cowell at 412-298-4796 or COWELL@EPLC.ORG
Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
In this legislative session, PSBA has been
leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s
Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to
join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school
boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your
next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.
Over 270 PA school boards have adopted charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 270 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution
calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law
to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality
and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from
school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform.
Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from the
unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions of
dollars to charter schools.
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:
The Network for Public Education Action Conference has
been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel
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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