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 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
Chester Upland Takeover?; Charter Operator Gureghian’s
Over $470,000 in contributions to state offices 2013-2019
Learn more about the history of
cyber charters, their academic performance and the impact of cybers on your
local district school.
Cyber Charter Schools
Webinar August 26, 1:00 pm
Free and
Open to the Public · Hosted by Councilmember Helen Gym
As families across the state plan for
the start of the school year, join Councilmember Helen Gym, PA Auditor General
Eugene DePasquale, Donna Cooper, Executive Director of Public Citizens for
Children and Paige Joki, Staff Attorney at Education Law Center for a
discussion on Cyber Charters. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP
and submit questions for the experts at: tinyurl.com/cybercharters
“To understand why Chester Community Charter School and its
for-profit parent company, CSMI, are so interested in taking over the
beleaguered schools, one needs to understand how lucrative being a charter
management organization (CMO) can be in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where
there are no limits placed on what the CMO can charge. In 2014-15, state data
showed that CCCS had the highest administration expenses of any charter school in
Pennsylvania. With total expenditures just shy of $56.6 million, over $26.1
million, or 46 percent, was spent on administration, while $18.8 million, or 33
percent of total expenditures went toward instruction.”
A severely troubled school district in Pennsylvania faces
takeover by for-profit charter organization
Washington Post By Valerie Strauss Reporter August
21, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
The small Chester Upland school district in
Pennsylvania — one of the poorest in the state — has been in an existential
crisis for years. Back in January 2012, it was in such financial straits that
it had no money to pay teachers, and so they agreed to work for free. First
lady Michelle Obama heard about it and invited a Chester Upland teacher to sit with
her at then President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. The district
has remained challenged and now faces a takeover by a for-profit charter
management organization. If that occurs, it could be the first school district
in the country to be operated by such a company. The Chester Upland story is
the subject of this post by Carol Burris, a former New York high school
principal who serves as executive director of the Network
for Public Education, a nonprofit group that advocates for
public education. Burris was named the 2010 Educator of the Year by the School
Administrators Association of New York State, and in 2013, the National
Association of Secondary School Principals named her the New York State High
School Principal of the Year. Burris, who opposes charter schools, has been
chronicling the charter movement for years on this blog.
Reprise: PA Ed Policy Roundup July 16, 2019: Follow the
Money: Campaign Contributions by Vahan Gureghian 2013-2019; the intersection of
money, politics, government and schools
Keystone State Education Coalition July 16, 2019
Blogger commentary: In an effort to gain a
better understanding of the dynamics in Harrisburg, from time to time over
the years we have published “Follow the Money” charts using data from the PA
Department of State’s Campaign Finance Reporting website:
We’ll leave it up to our readers to draw
their own conclusions regarding how such contributions may or may not influence
policymakers as they go about the people’s business in Harrisburg.
The chart below lists over $470,000 in
campaign contributions made by Mr. and Mrs. Gureghian for PA state offices from
2013 through 2019.
Highlights include $205,000 to the House
Republican Campaign Committee, $37,000 to the Senate Republican Campaign
Committee, $30,000 to House Speaker Mike Turzai, $82,000 to Senate Majority
Leader Jake Corman’s Build PA PAC, $85,000 to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe
Scarnati and$16,000 to House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler.
Parents considering cyber charters due to COVID might not
be aware of their 20 year consistent track record of academic underperformance.
Here's 20 years of statistics (including some
by national charter advocacy organizations) showing the chronic
underperformance of cyber charters, all while taxpayers have been stuck footing
cyber tuition bills that far exceed costs.
School Districts Reportedly Opening Virtual Only as of
August 21, 2020
Keystone State Education Coalition
Blogger note: this is work in process. Please
let me know if you have additions or corrections to this list
Gov. Wolf: $20 Million to Help Schools Provide Services
to Students with Special Needs
Governor Wolf Press Release August 20, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf is dedicating approximately
$20 million to help 678 local education agencies, including school districts,
to provide education services for students with disabilities who may have been
negatively impacted by COVID-19 mitigation efforts and may face additional
challenges through the new academic year. The funding includes $15 million from
Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund and $5 million from the Department
of Education’s (PDE) federal funding through the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). “While COVID-19 impacted all students this year, it was
particularly hard on our children with special needs, who often require
additional support and services to assist their learning,” said Gov. Wolf. “This
funding will help schools as they put structures in place to help these
students while we work to mitigate the spread of this pandemic.” The
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorizes governors
to determine the educational use of Governor’s Emergency Education Relief
(GEER) Funds. The Special Education COVID-19 Impact Mitigation Grant (SECIM)
will provide $15 million in financial support ($10M GEER; $5M IDEA) to local education
agencies (LEA) to:
- Provide
enhanced synchronous (real-time) instruction to bolster remote services
and supports for students with complex needs; and
- Provide
services and supports to students with disabilities who experienced a loss
in skills and behavior and/or a lack of progress due to the mandatory
school closures
An additional $5 million in GEER grant
funding will be available to Preschool Early Intervention programs to provide
compensatory educational services.
Phoenixville Leader To USDA: Extend Food Program Flexibility
PA Officials and Phoenixville's Blake
Emmanuel are acting to keep feeding hungry kids as schools reopen.
Phoenixville Patch By Marlene
Lang, Patch Staff Aug 19, 2020 4:15 pm ET
PHOENIXVILLE, PA — A community leader and
state agriculture and education officials have the same goal this week: extend
the pandemic-related food program waivers for schools, so that meal
distribution isn't disrupted for hungry kids. Phoenixville Area School District
President Blake Emmanuel has asked the USDA to extend food program waivers that
made it easier to distribute meals when the pandemic began. Two Wolf
administration officials today petitioned the head of USDA to keep the present
program waivers in place, as the pandemic drags on. The temporary waivers
expire Aug. 31 or the day schools reopen. They have allowed schools to move
food programs off-site from schools, and to distribute to anyone who showed up,
without requiring the PIN that students have who are approved for free or
reduced-price lunches.
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/phoenixville/phoenixville-leader-usda-extend-food-program-flexibility
Wolf Administration to Federal Government: When School is
Virtual, Pennsylvania Kids Still Rely on School Meals to Thrive
Governor Wolf Press Release 08/20/2020
Harrisburg, PA -
Today Wolf Administration officials raised their voices for Pennsylvania’s
kids, calling for the federal government to extend waivers that have allowed
Pennsylvania to provide 24 million meals to school children. Waivers expire at
the end of the month, ending access to breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks
for school-age children and their younger siblings. “Earlier this week my counterparts and I urged USDA Secretary Perdue to
take action to allow Pennsylvania to continue feeding our school children
as we have from the start of the pandemic through this summer,” said
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “It’s one thing for children to lose
school plays and birthday parties with friends, but access to food is a human
right. These kids are relying on us to advocate for their food security.”
Without immediate federal action to extend national waivers for the following flexibilities, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania children risk being pushed into food insecurity, which will place an even greater burden on Pennsylvania’s charitable food system. The Wolf Administration is urging the following actions:
Without immediate federal action to extend national waivers for the following flexibilities, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania children risk being pushed into food insecurity, which will place an even greater burden on Pennsylvania’s charitable food system. The Wolf Administration is urging the following actions:
Chairman Scott: USDA Refusal to Extend Waivers Will
Increase Child Hunger
House Education and Labor Committee Website August
20, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today,
Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following
statement in response to a letter from
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue stating that the
Department will not extend waivers that allowed states and schools to more
seamlessly operate emergency summer meal programs. The waivers – which expire
at the end of August – allow schools to locate food service sites in more
accessible locations and serve all children, regardless of paperwork.
“The Administration’s refusal to continue
providing schools the flexibility they need to more easily serve hungry
children and struggling families is irresponsible. The expiring waivers have
allowed schools to set up meal sites in convenient places around their
communities and serve all children seeking a meal, which has been critical as
schools struggle to reopen safely.
“Unfortunately, as a result of this decision,
schools will face new restrictions this school year on where they can serve
meals. Even worse, if students and families have not received and completed the
proper paperwork – or do not come to their assigned location – schools will be
forced to start turning them away.
“Congress specifically gave the
Administration broad authority to waive limitations on school meals and empower
school meal programs during this difficult time. There is no question that the
Administration has the power to support struggling families by extending these
waivers through the next school year.
“The stakes of this decision could not be
higher. A recent analysis shows that as many as 17 million children did not
have enough to eat this summer. If USDA refuses to extend these waivers, the
tragic rise in child hunger across the country will surely get worse.”
For parents, COVID-19's first back to school brings mixed
feelings
Alyssa Moore Bucks
County Courier Times August 21, 2020
Back to school is normally a busy time of
year for students and parents alike.
Students are getting their class schedules
and completing their summer reading homework. Parents are school shopping and
eagerly awaiting the day they can send their kids back onto the bus. This
school year, though, is looking a lot different — and parents have mixed
feelings about it. In recent weeks many local school districts have pulled
back on full reopening plans for the 2020-21 year based on state guidance.
Locally, Palisades and Pennridge are the only two school districts in Bucks
County offering full-time, in-school options for students at the start of the
school year. While some parents have praised the schools for keeping students’
and staff’s health in their best interest, others are upset that the few
options that were proposed to them were taken away in the end.
Salisbury Township School District pivots to fully remote
learning for the fall
By KAYLA DWYER THE MORNING
CALL | AUG 20, 2020 AT 2:42 PM
Salisbury Township School District will begin
the school year entirely online, pivoting from its original hybrid learning plan
that would have brought some students into school for part of the week. The
school board approved the administration’s recommendation at a meeting
Wednesday night to shift to remote learning through the end of the first
marking period, citing mounting logistical challenges associated with the
blended model, as well as the risk of an inconsistent educational experience
should quarantines force school closures. “We believe the fully online/remote
option affords us the opportunity to provide the most consistent learning environment
for our learners,” Superintendent Randy Ziegenfuss wrote in a message to the community. Allentown
and Salisbury are now the only districts in the Lehigh Valley doing virtual
learning for all students. East Penn School
District made a similar decision Wednesday
for its middle and high school students, allowing elementary students to remain
in a hybrid plan.
York City school board opts for online-only classes
through October
Lindsay C VanAsdalan York
Dispatch August 19, 2020
York City’s school board on Wednesday
unanimously approved an all-virtual model for the first nine weeks of
school in response to recent guidance from the state. The district joins just
one other in York County so far that chose to start the year online. Dallastown
Area is considering such a move at its board meeting Thursday. West
Shore made that call back in July, and as the state released recommendations
for districts with moderate spread of the coronavirus — such as more than 10
cases per 100,000 people in a week — more and more districts are
considering following suit. Northeastern and Central York nearly switched to
fully online plans Monday but ultimately stuck with their in-person and hybrid
options.
“Crestwood had planned on opening with a hybrid system that
would have some students learn in the classroom while others learned at home at
the same time via live-streaming. Superintendent Bob Mehalick announced last
week that circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic made the re-opening
committee change the recommendation to have remote-only learning until at least
Oct. 1.”
Crestwood high school remote learning: Shorter periods,
teacher office hours
Times Leader By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com August
20, 2020
WRIGHT TWP. — Crestwood High School students
will learn at home the first few weeks through live online lessons in much the
same way they would in school, with eight periods per day (one of them lunch),
Principal Peg Foster explained during a virtual School Board meeting Thursday. But there will be one big difference: The
periods are being cut from 45 minutes each to 30 minutes each. The time cut
from the periods will be used to give all teachers virtual “office hours” every
morning from 7:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. so students can arrange appointments to
discuss any issues as the online-only system develops. The switch means
academic classes will start later in the day, at 9:30 instead of 7:40. “This
lets them move through a structure they are familiar with,” Foster said, “and
they can still chat with the teacher.” In
many cases, Foster said, teachers will go over a lesson for the first 15
minutes of the shortened period, then remain in the virtual classroom but have
the students work alone or collaboratively. The system is flexible though, and
time spent by the teacher can vary depending on how things are going. The plan
also lets students work in small groups virtually, something Board Member Barry
Boone praised, noting that when he taught math he frequently had the students
work in groups to good effect.
After intense debate, Dallastown to move forward with
in-person learning and sports
Matt Allibone York Daily
Record August 21, 2020
After a nearly six-hour meeting and much
debate, the Dallastown Area School Board did not decide to move to full virtual
learning and cancel sports for the fall of 2020 on Thursday.
The school board was expected to vote on the
two motions after Dallastown Superintendent Dr. Joshua Doll recommended the
district move from in-person learning to a remote schedule on Wednesday. But
after continuous and passionate debate between board members and the impending
vote seeming to flip against the recommendations, Doll agreed to pull the items
from the agenda. A motion to table the discussion was approved 9-0. That
means sports and in-person learning are still on at Dallastown. The school
board and Doll said they will communicate about having a workshop or special
meeting to "bring clarity" as the district moves toward the school
year. Dallastown is scheduled to begin classes Sept. 4.
State appoints Michael Thew new recovery officer for York
City schools
Lindsay C VanAsdalan York
Dispatch August 20, 2020
York City School District will have a new
state official state overseeing its financial recovery plan, district
officials announced Wednesday. Superintendent Andrea Berry announced the news
following Carol Saylor’s retirement at the end of July. “After 5 years of
having Dr. Saylor, we have grown to be very fond of the recovery officer
position," she said at a Wednesday school board meeting. "That
position has been a great support to the district." In fact, officials “affectionately’
called her Dr. Mom during her tenure, she said. “We will be now shifting
from a Dr. Mom to a Dr. Dad,” Berry said, introducing Michael Thew, a familiar
face in the district for several years. Thew has been an advocate for a
permanent fair education funding formula, increased state funding and a timely
state budget. He led a news conference as spokesman for the Campaign for Fair
Education Funding in 2017, alongside York County superintendents including
then- York City Superintendent Eric Holmes. A former executive director of
Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 and former superintendent at Eastern York School
District, Thew also is known as the “shepherd” for a leadership program
the district has engaged in under its recovery plan.
Former Harrisburg area teacher and incoming NEA president
is ready to ‘turn up the heat’ to rally support for public education
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com August 21,
2020
Former Susquehanna Township middle school
science teacher Becky Pringle’s childhood passion for becoming a teacher has
carried her all the way to the chair of the president of the nation’s largest
educator union. Pringle, 65, was
elected earlier this month to this top post at the National Education
Association for a three-year term. For the past 12
years, she has served the national organization as its secretary-treasurer and
most recently, vice president. In her new role, the Philadelphia native said
her goal is to unleash the power of the union’s 3 million members in a movement
to reclaim public education as a common good deserving of more resources to
help every student succeed. She assumes her new role on Sept. 1. She is the
third Black female president in the union’s 163-year history.
Philly announces drop-off sites for families who need
child care this fall
WHYY By Avi
Wolfman-Arent August 20, 2020
Philadelphia will have 31 drop-off sites this
fall where families can take young children who need supervision during the day
time, the city announced Thursday. City public schools will be all virtual
through at least mid-November, creating a major child care crunch for working
families. The 31 “access centers” — located mostly at recreation centers and
libraries — are supposed to be a safety valve for families whose caregivers
need to work during the day and who cannot afford child care. Officials hope
these drop-off sites can alleviate some of the burden on those families and
give students a safe, supervised space to complete their digital assignments. “These
programs will help low-income families with their internet access and child
care needs during digital learning, and reduce the pandemic’s threat to our
children’s education and their families’ stability,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a
statement. The access centers will be open for K-6 students from 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. starting on Sept. 8. The 31 sites — which are open to students from public,
charter and private schools — can serve up to 800 children, the city said in
its announcement.
https://whyy.org/articles/philly-announces-drop-off-sites-for-families-who-need-childcare-this-fall/
Philadelphia to open centers for students whose families
have ‘no other options’
The first 31 centers can accommodate 800
students, but more are planned depending on demand
Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa Aug
20, 2020, 6:34pm EDT
Philadelphia officials announced Thursday
that the city would open 31 recreation centers on Sept. 8
where students can be supervised during the virtual school day and receive help
accessing the internet. The 31 sites, run by the city’s Office of Children and
Families, can accommodate about 800 students. Deputy Mayor Cynthia Figueroa
said that this is just a “first phase,” and that officials will open more sites
on a “rolling basis” depending on demand. The new locations may include public
libraries and Philadelphia Housing Authority community centers. The centers,
each of which will accommodate about 22 children, are for students entering kindergarten
up to sixth grade whose caregivers work outside the home and cannot afford
child care, and/or have no reliable internet service at home. These are “for
those who have absolutely no other options available,” said Figueroa. She noted
that the state is continuing its subsidized child care programs and said
families who currently participate should “not pull their child from that
arrangement.”
After Ben Franklin IG report, Philadelphia board members
challenge Hite on trust
He vows to work on changing the culture in
his administration
Chalkbeat Philly By Bill Hangley Jr. Aug
21, 2020, 12:45am EDT
The Philadelphia Board of Education met
Thursday for its final action meeting before the start of the school year,
approving a large staff-training contract, rejecting a proposed tax break, and
unanimously endorsing the inclusion of a Black Lives Matter “Week of Action” in
the annual school calendar. The board met just a day after the release of an
internal inspector general’s report that
leveled scathing criticism on the administration of Superintendent William Hite
over its handling of the renovation of Benjamin Franklin High School and the
co-location of Science Leadership Academy. The report detailed flawed planning
and project management, missteps that endangered the health of staff and
students and forced the two schools to abandon the building for months while
the botched job was completed. In their opening remarks Thursday, board members
raised serious questions of trust, communication, and accountability. None
challenged or criticized Hite directly, but several suggested that their trust
in his administration has been shaken.
How will schools maintain high quality of education
during pandemic?
Kim
Strong Bucks County Courier Times August 20,
2020
Summer is typically no vacation for Leonard
Rich.
The superintendent of Laurel School District
near New Castle, in Lawrence County, normally watches his students leave for
summer break then dives into test scores and curriculum plans with his
staff to improve education for the following school year. But that's not happening this summer. Rich is
worrying about PPE, hand-sanitizing stations, mitigation efforts, and what to
do about students who are autoimmune compromised, when his schools open their
doors in the fall. That's the burden for Pennsylvania educators this year:
balancing health and safety during the pandemic with the promise of a good,
solid education. "We will have teachers teaching and students learning in
multiple modes," said David Bolton, superintendent of the Pennridge School
District. "Even though the classroom desks will be further apart, face
coverings will be worn, and some students will be learning from home, the focus
will remain on caring for our students and providing quality instruction."
How will they do it?
Pro soccer club founder proposes sports-infused charter
school in Lancaster city
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer August 21, 2020
In 2015, 13 years after he emigrated from
Kenya to the United States, Brian Ombiji founded the AFC Lancaster Lions, a
soccer club that teaches students life lessons through sport.
Now, Ombiji wants to take it a step further. The
former professional soccer player-turned-CEO is part of a group proposing a
new, sports-infused charter school within the School District of Lancaster. The
school, called the AFCLL Academy Charter School, would serve about 100
students, with the hopes of reaching 200 in five years, in grades five through
eight with a curriculum focused on college and career readiness. In addition to
the typical core subjects, the school would offer courses related to print and
broadcast journalism, fitness and nutrition, scouting, analytics and other
sports-centered topics. Ombiji, 38, of Lancaster, said there's a need for a
city school that will do "justice" by children through combining
education and sports. "I work with the kids every day, and I understand
what they're going through, and that's what's pushing me," he said. The
typical school day at AFCLL Academy Charter School would last longer than what
students may be used to. The school building would be open to students from
6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Following classes, which would end at 4 p.m., students
would engage in a sports activity for two hours. The school, Ombiji said, would
start with soccer but could expand opportunities later.
PIAA fall sports decision expected Friday. Will high
schools play in 2020?
By KEITH GROLLER THE MORNING
CALL | AUG 20, 2020 AT 4:57 PM
The phrase “cautiously optimistic” has become
a cliche coaches across the sports world use to describe their upcoming
seasons. But it’s also an apt phrase for what not only coaches, but also
athletes, parents, athletic directors, officials and everyone connected to
Pennsylvania scholastic athletics are feeling about Friday’s 3 p.m. PIAA virtual
board meeting. Two weeks after the PIAA hit the pause button in reaction to
Gov. Tom Wolf’s surprise “strong recommendation” that no sports be held until
Jan. 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s scholastic sports governing
body is expected to announce that fall sports can proceed as early as Monday. The
hope is the PIAA will also offer scheduling parameters and guidelines and also
offer clarity on whether district and state tournaments will be held. Wolf has
not backed down from his recommendation but has reiterated that his comments at
the end of an Aug. 6 press conference were not an order or mandate. He also
said he will not intervene if the PIAA gives the green light, saying it’s up
the individual school districts to make the to-play-or-not-to-play decision. Robert
Lombardi, the PIAA executive director, said at Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Athletic
Oversight Committee meeting that the PIAA would like to move ahead with fall
sports.
Athletes and parents rally for school sports in
Harrisburg
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison August 20,
2020
Arguing that they’d suffer physical and
emotional setbacks and jeopardize their scholarship and recruitment chances,
more than 100 high school athletes and their supporters rallied on the state
Capitol’s steps Thursday to deliver a simple message to Gov. Tom Wolf: “Let
them play.”
“I have been struggling with feelings of
anxiety and powerlessness these past few months,” a student athlete entering
her senior year told the crowd Thursday. “I am trying to find ways to cope, but
the toll the response to this virus is taking on us kids is just too great.” Two
weeks ago, Wolf recommended that Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts delay sports until January 2021, provoking
immediate pushback from athletes, parents, and mostly Republican state
lawmakers. Event organizers and attendees said Thursday’s event was the result of
mobilization on Facebook, where a group of concerned parents and students
mounted a digital campaign to press the Wolf administration and the
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, or PIAA, to let the fall
season proceed.
GOP bill on school sports clears state House committee
Delco Times By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated
Press August 20,2020
Republican-sponsored legislation that would
give Pennsylvania school districts the final say over whether to hold sports
and other activities during the pandemic cleared a House committee Thursday,
one day before the governing body for interscholastic sports was to decide the
fate of the fall season. With dozens of parents, students and coaches staging a
“Let Our Kids Play in PA” rally on the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg, the
House Education Committee passed a bill that would give “exclusive authority”
to public and private schools to make decisions on sports, and require them to
develop safety protocols. Majority Republicans in the Legislature introduced
the legislation after Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf issued a “strong recommendation”
that all youth athletics be canceled until 2021 to help prevent the spread of
the coronavirus. Wolf and his administration have repeatedly said the decision
on whether to hold fall sports rests with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic
Athletic Association and individual school boards. Some districts and leagues
have already canceled fall sports, saying the risk of spreading the virus is
too great, while others plan to play if they get the PIAA’s blessing. Several
Pennsylvania high schools have already reported virus cases among athletes,
prompting temporary shutdowns of sports programs. The bill passed the committee
largely along party lines, though it attracted the support of two Democrats.
Whole country might be watching what Pennsylvania decides
about fall sports
Trib Live By: Bill
Beckner Jr. Thursday, August 20, 2020 | 8:17 PM
The PIAA will meet at 3 p.m. Friday,
presumably to make its final decision on the fate of fall high school sports in
Pennsylvania. To play or not to play? The association’s action finally will
give member schools a concrete initiative with which to move forward. It is not
hyperbole to say the entire country might be watching to see what the state
decides. That is because, according to NFL Football Operations
(Playfootball.com), Pennsylvania is the last state to weigh in officially
on its plans for the fall, at least football-wise. The PIAA has held several
meetings and delayed the start of fall sports by at least two weeks. Friday, it
finally could take its categorical spot among the rest of the United States. According
to the report, best displayed on a color-coded map, 18 states plan to start
football on time, 16 will move football to the spring, 13 will have a delayed
season and two are planning staggered start times. The state-by-state breakdown
can be viewed here.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board to vote on whether to
retire 'Indian' logo
Pottstown Mercury By Michael P. Rellahan Staff Writer
mrellahan@dailylocal.com On Twitter @ChescoCourtNews Aug 20,
2020 Updated 14 hrs ago
The Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board is
scheduled to vote next week on whether to accept a recommendation from the
district’s administration to retire the controversial Indian sports logo and
nickname, and to create a new mascot that does not carry with it cultural
flash-points. At its works session on Monday, the board heard from Patrick
Crater, the athletic supervisor who has been working for several months on the
question of whether to retain the Indian moniker for the Unionville High School
sports teams — as some alumni and community members had urged — or to retire it
— as others including students and graduates had pressed the board to do for
some years. Crater, who had discussions with members of the current student
body, district staff, alumni, and community members last month, said the
“Indian” identity should be left behind, and in its place a new mascot and a
re-invigorated effort to honor the culture of the Lenni-Lenape Native American
community begun.
Democrats' Platform: End High-Stakes Tests, Limit
Charters, Pay Teachers More
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on August
20, 2020 8:34 AM
The Democratic Party supports tripling
federal aid to disadvantaged students to close funding gaps between
nonwhite students and their white peers, "more stringent guardrails"
for charter schools, and the idea that education is a public good and not a
commodity, according to its new
2020 platform. The party's platform, which Democrats
officially adopted on Tuesday, pledges to use federal programs to promote
school integration through magnet schools and transportation initiatives. That
promise calls to mind last year's intense confrontation
over K-12 desegregation efforts between former Vice President
Joe Biden, who's set to become the party's official presidential nominee this
week, and his pick for vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris of California. The
platform also calls for a more-diverse teaching workforce that relies on
stronger partnerships with historically black colleges and universities and
minority-serving institutions. In addition, the document says Democrats want to
keep K-12 schools free from immigration enforcement, calls on remote
instruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic to be "individualized to
the greatest possible extent" for all students, and opposes publicly
backed private school choice programs like the one at the center of a U.S.
Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. The platform
also highlights early-education by promises to provide universal
prekindergarten programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds, and says the party will
"guarantee" child care to lower- and middle-income families.
Blogger commentary:
Parents considering cyber charters due to COVID might not be
aware of their 20 year consistent track record of academic underperformance. As
those parents face an expected blitz of advertising by cybers, in order for
them to make a more informed decision, you might consider providing them with
some of the info listed below:
A June 2 paper from the highly respected Brookings Institution stated,
“We find the impact of attending a virtual charter on student achievement is
uniformly and profoundly negative,” and then went on to say that “there is no
evidence that virtual charter students improve in subsequent years.”
In 2016, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers,
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the national charter lobbying
group 50CAN released a report on cyber charters that found that overall, cyber
students make no significant gains in math and less than half the gains in
reading compared with their peers in traditional public schools.
A Stanford University CREDO Study in 2015 found that cyber students on
average lost 72 days a year in reading and 180 days a year in math compared
with students in traditional public schools.
From 2005 through 2012 under the federal No Child Left
Behind Act, most Pennsylvania cybers never made “adequate yearly progress.”
Following NCLB, for all five years (2013-2017) that Pennsylvania’s School
Performance Profile system was in place, not one cyber charter ever achieved a
passing score of 70.
Under Pennsylvania’s current accountability system, the Future Ready PA Index, all 15 cyber charters that operated
2018-2019 have been identified for some level of support and improvement.
PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 14-15
Virtual
Registration is now open for the first ever
virtual School Leadership Conference! Join us for all-new educational sessions,
dynamic speakers, exhibitors, and more! Visit the website for registration
information: https://t.co/QfinpBL69u #PASLC20 https://t.co/JYeRhJLUmZ
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.
Adopt the resolution against racial inequity!
School boards are asked to adopt this
resolution supporting the development of an anti-racist climate. Once adopted,
share your resolution with your local community and submit a copy to PSBA.
Learn more: http://ow.ly/yJWA50B2R72
Save The Date: The PSBA 2020 Equity Summit is happening
virtually on October 13th.
Discover how to build a foundation for equity
in practice and policy.
Learn more: https://t.co/KQviB4TTOj
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.
287 PA school boards have adopted charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 280 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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