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,
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Why do we continue having taxpayers pay brick &
mortar tuition rates for cyber charter students?
Taxpayers in Senate Ed Committee Majority Vice Chair John DiSanto’s
school districts paid over $22.9 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter
tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid
over $600 million for cyber charter tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Central Dauphin SD
|
$6,281,340.19
|
|
Derry Township SD
|
$508,502.30
|
|
Fannett-Metal SD
|
$349,149.70
|
|
Greenwood SD
|
$613,649.04
|
|
Halifax Area SD
|
$567,077.19
|
|
Harrisburg City SD
|
$4,730,170.79
|
|
Lower Dauphin SD
|
$1,356,798.66
|
|
Millersburg Area SD
|
$540,576.82
|
|
Newport SD
|
$1,061,238.04
|
|
Susquehanna Township SD
|
$1,947,568.17
|
|
Susquenita SD
|
$1,498,381.31
|
|
Upper Dauphin Area SD
|
$716,141.01
|
|
West Perry SD
|
$1,996,045.73
|
|
Williams Valley SD
|
$760,948.39
|
|
|
$22,927,587.34
|
Data Source: PDE
via PSBA
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Why are PA
taxpayers paying twice what it costs to provide a cyber education?
Blogger note: PA Schools Work, a group that advocates for
traditional brick-and-mortar public schools, recently created a Check
Before You Choose online
resource where families can compare public cyber-charter schools to traditional
public schools.
Students from city and suburbs join in march for
educational justice, fair funding
Chalkbeat Philly By Bill Hangley Jr. Aug
31, 2020, 7:55pm EDT
A group of students and racial justice
advocates marched Sunday from Lower Merion to West Philadelphia in a show of
solidarity among suburban and urban students. Marchers called for fair funding
for school districts, an end to the inequities that harm students, and a
dismantling of systems that perpetuate racial injustice across Pennsylvania.
The more immediate goal, organizers said, is to build relationships between
Black and white students on both sides of the city line. “Apparently
‘solidarity’ needs a lot of explanation. We think it’s simple... you can’t own
a cause from an armchair,” said Kisara Freeman, a rally organizer and rising
senior at Lower Merion High School. Freeman and a group of about 200 others
marched from Cynwyd Station Park in Lower Merion to Philadelphia’s Tustin
Playground, across the street from Overbrook High School. The 2.4 mile
journey took the group from one of
the nation’s most prosperous communities to one beset by economic and racial
injustice.
“But the department’s announcement on Monday still fell short of
what advocates and many officials had been pushing for, namely to extend the
special rules through the end of the school year, in 2021.”
Federal Government Relaxes Rules on Feeding Low-Income
Students
Under pressure from Congress, the Agriculture
Department agreed to extend special rules making it easier for schools to
provide subsidized meals, but only through December.
New York Times By Kate
Taylor Aug. 31, 2020
The Agriculture Department, under pressure
from Congress and officials in school districts across the country, said on
Monday that it would allow schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to any
child or teenager through the end of 2020, provided funding lasts. Advocates
for the poor hailed the announcement as an important step to ensure that more
needy children are fed during the coronavirus pandemic. It was a partial reversal
by the department. Previously, the agency had said that when schools returned
to session, whether remote or in-person, it would require them to resume
serving meals only to students enrolled in their district — and to charge
students who did not qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Feds Extend Meal Waivers for Students After Pressure From
Schools, Lawmakers
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on August
31, 2020 2:43 PM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended waivers from
federal meal requirements for children through the end of
2020, after schools and others expressed concern about
students' access to meals during the coronavirus
pandemic. Waivers extended by the USDA, which announced the decision on
Monday, will allow schools and community groups to continue feeding students
with fewer restrictions than are typically in place under the National
School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, and let organizations that serve students
meals in the summer months continue doing so in the fall. These new extensions
apply to the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option.
"This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors
to ensure meals are reaching all children—whether they are learning in the
classroom or virtually—so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and
ever-changing learning environments," Secretary of Agriculture Sonny
Perdue said in his Monday statement announcing that his agency was extending
the waiver period.
Monday's waiver extension represents an
about-face for the department. On Aug. 20, Perdue said in a letter to members
of Congress that he would require schools to
shift back to certain requirements of the National School Lunch and
Breakfast Programs, and that flexibility under these summer-meal programs would
lapse with the start of a new school year.
USDA extends free meal programs through December
Marion Callahan Bucks
County Courier Times August 31, 2020
Education may come from a distance, but food
is being delivered to students in person and throughout local communities. And
families don't have to fill out paperwork to access these free meals for their
children. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the
U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the free summer meal program
through Dec. 31, 2020. The extension enables all school districts to
offer breakfast and lunches in communities they serve — without worrying
about paperwork needed to qualify them for free and reduced meals. To find out
where to access meals, go to the USDA website at www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks. Early
Monday, in a grassy patch near a playground in Glen at Bucks community in
Warminster, Centennial School District's child nutrition workers were out
serving youth breakfast and lunches.
9 Pa. counties listed as areas to watch for coronavirus;
statewide, positive rate drops again
Penn Live By Ron
Southwick | rsouthwick@pennlive.com Updated
3:49 PM; Today 3:47 PM
The percentage of positive coronavirus tests
continues to drop across Pennsylvania, but 9 counties bear watching for
COVID-19 infections, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration said Monday. The statewide
rate of positive tests has now dropped for five straight weeks. It dipped to
3.2% over the past week, down from 3.4% the previous week, the Wolf
administration said. “Our percent positivity decreased again this week,
representing the fifth straight week that the percent positivity has
decreased,” Wolf said in a statement Monday. “This is a testament that our
actions are working, but we still have more work to do. The virus is still
circulating, and we must continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and
avoid large gatherings to keep our numbers low, stop the spread and allow more
freedom.” Still, the Wolf administration listed several counties that bear
watching because more than 5% of those tested were positive, and some of those
counties are in central Pennsylvania.
The Wolf administration said it would
continue to monitor these counties: Columbia (13.5%), Armstrong (8.3%), Perry
(6.9%), Northumberland (6.7%), Potter (5.9%), Beaver (5.7%), Dauphin (5.3%),
Fulton (5.3%) and York (5.0%).
After an increase in community COVID-19 cases, State
College considers shutting down schools
Centre Daily Times BY
MARLEY PARISH AUGUST 31, 2020 11:18 PM
One week into the academic year, State
College is considering a switch to districtwide remote learning. As of noon
Monday, 62 of Centre County’s 486 COVID-19 cases have been reported in district
ZIP codes. Though no cases have been confirmed among staff or students, the district
health and safety plans requires administrators to consider closing facilities
if 50-75 coronavirus cases are confirmed in district boundaries. SCASD
Superintendent Bob O’Donnell notified families Monday of the potential change
in a letter, adding
that local numbers could reach 75 by Tuesday. “Without a doubt, this is a
troubling turn of events, especially so early in the school year, but the
circumstances of our area have us moving in the wrong direction,” he wrote.
“It’s disappointing, to say the least, that we find ourselves at this juncture,
and I recognize the magnitude of what a shift to remote learning means for our
families. For all of us, this year is unlike any other, and I hope we can lean
on each other to make it through.” District board members met virtually for a
work session Monday to discuss the potential change and the fall sports health
and safety plan. Two weeks ago, the board voted down a proposal for a total
reopening to monitor the virus as Penn State students returned to campus. SCASD
also delayed its first day
of school by one day to finalize its reopening
and learning plans.
South Western closes schools for the week after multiple
cases of COVID-19 confirmed
Tina Locurto York
Dispatch August 31, 2020
South Western School District will be
shutting down for a week after its second COVID-19 case was confirmed, this one
at Baresville Elementary, a school official said Sunday night. The
district will be closed from Monday until Friday, with current plans to reopen
the buildings on Sept. 8, Superintendent Jay Burkhart said in a statement. Remote
learning will resume for all students starting Tuesday. Burkhart said the
decision to shutter buildings for one week comes after reviewing guidelines
from both the state Department of Health and Department of Education. South
Western officials could not be reached for comment Maggi Mumma, a spokesperson
for the state Department of Health, said via email that while the state has provided
recommendations and options for educational institutions, it remains up to school
district officials to decide how to handle COVID-19 in the classroom.
York City school board furloughs nearly 100 support staff
Lindsay C VanAsdalan York
Dispatch August 31, 2020
York City's school board on Monday
unanimously approved a temporary furlough of nearly 100 support staff
employees. A resolution, based on recommendations from Superintendent
Andrea Berry, was approved 6-0. Three board members, Arleta Riviera, Carman
Bryant and Michael Breeland were absent. That resolution states
92 employees including part-time and full-time aides, assistants, hall
monitors and a cook will be furloughed through Oct. 31. The reason for the
cuts stems from the district's closure of in-person classes through the
end of the first marking period Oct. 30 — requiring fewer support staff to
be in the buildings at that time. After October, district officials will
reevaluate and see if an in-person reopening is possible. The staffing
reductions could be "extended, modified or eliminated" depending on
district need, according to the resolution, which also
notes "the need for operating economies." After cuts
back in June — when about 50 employees were laid off to help balance the
budget — the district is still tight on money, especially given other
possible unknown costs from COVID-19.
Scranton School Board delays vote on furloughing 223
employees
Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Aug 31, 2020 Updated 43 min ago
With virtual learning beginning next week,
the Scranton School Board delayed a vote on the furloughs of 223 employees
during a special meeting Monday night. During more than two hours of public
comment, speakers called the administration’s proposal callous, insulting and
lacking empathy. The employees would have been furloughed without district
health insurance on Sept. 11. Shortly before 11:30 p.m., the board voted 5-4 to
table any decision, citing additional questions about special education
obligations and ending employee insurance during a pandemic. Directors
Catherine Fox, Sean McAndrew, Tara Yanni, Sarah Cruz and Michelle Dempsey voted
to table, while Ro Hume, James Malloy, Gretchen Welby and Katie Gilmartin
sought to vote Monday night. The board did not set another day to vote on the
proposal. The administration proposed the following furloughs: all 140
paraprofessionals, six intervention specialists, two level 2 intervention
specialists, four part-time maintenance, one licensed practical nurse
(Prescott/Willard), one clerk at South Scranton Intermediate, one clerk at West
Scranton Intermediate, two hall monitors (Northeast Intermediate and South
Scranton Intermediate), two general custodians (West Scranton High and
McNichols Plaza) and 64 crossing guards. The furloughs would save the
financially-struggling district more than $282,000 per month, Superintendent
Melissa McTiernan said. McTiernan would also be authorized to call the
employees back when necessary.
It's 'back to school' in a virtual world in Delco
Delco Times Pete Bannan Pbannan@21st-Centurymedia.com August 31,
2020
For students and staff, Monday was a
back-to-school first day unlike any other as thousands of Delaware County
students started the fall semester in a virtual format. Upper Darby,
Haverford, Wallingford Swarthmore and Rose Tree Media were among the districts
starting their year Monday; Chester Upland and Garnet Valley will follow on
Tuesday. Most other districts in the county start next week. The Archdiocese of
Philadelphia's Catholic schools are scheduled to open their year in a hybrid
in-person model next week. At Chatham Park Elementary School in Haverford,
Principal Dr. Jabari Whitehead welcomed students through YouTube on
their first day. “The first day of schoo l… We’re ready for another outstanding
school year,” said the enthusiastic principal as he welcomed students on his
YouTube channel. “I’m really excited. We’re going to grow together. We have 185
days to get this right, and get better and that’s what it is all about.” Between
the National Anthem and birthday wishes to students, Whitehead imparted some
important etiquette and expectations for his students in the age of virtual
learning. He had tent tips for this new normal. Number one: “Get out of your
P.J.’s! It’s not like you have to leave the house, but it puts you in a
different mindset.” Others included getting your space organized 15 minutes
before each school day starts and making sure technology works. Another tip: If
you are not asking the question or not called upon, stay muted. And if you
leave your device, turn off your video. His final recommendation was one more
adults should take note of: “Be kind! Everyone you meet, online and in person,
everyone wants to be seen, heard and valued and loved,” Whitehead said. Over at
Upper Darby School District, while a few parents were still getting their
students their Chromebooks, administrators were ready for the school year.
Norwin’s first hybrid school day went well, students say
Trib Live JOE
NAPSHA | Monday, August
31, 2020 5:07 p.m.
The first day of class at Norwin Middle
School for Avery Waszo was similar to her final day last school year — it was
online. “It went well. There was not too much work,” said Avery, a 12-year-old
seventh grader from North Huntingdon. Avery was one of 5,300 district students
who either were in school Monday or who received remote instruction. Norwin
students whose last names begin with a letter from A to K will go to school
Mondays and Tuesdays, while those with last names beginning with letters L-Z
attended online. Their roles reverse on Thursdays and Fridays. All students
will receive instruction online on Wednesdays. The district opted for a hybrid
model — which sparked a protest from some parents — to reduce the amount of
students in buildings and classrooms to prevent the spread of covid-19. The
hybrid model was in line with the guidelines from the state education and
health departments.
COVID-19 hits close to home as several Lancaster County
schools kick off 2020-21
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer September 1, 2020
Before school even opened for the first day
of classes Monday in the Eastern Lancaster County School District, COVID-19 had
made its presence known. A teacher at the district’s middle and high school
campus in New Holland notified administration that a family member had tested
positive for the virus, forcing the teacher to conduct class remotely while a
substitute supervised the students in-person. “That’s gonna be a rolling,
ongoing challenge for everyone,” Elanco Superintendent Bob Hollister said
Monday morning as masked students walked by. “And, in that case, the learners
have to be flexible as much as the adults.” Elanco was one of nine school districts
on Monday to start classes for the 2020-21 school year, one that administrators
and school board members have been preparing for all summer with the COVID-19
pandemic still raging across the country. All but one — School District of
Lancaster — opened with an in-person option. But continuing with that format
could depend on how pervasive the virus becomes in schools. “The biggest
concern we have is keeping our adults in play,” Hollister said. “I want to keep
our teaching staff teaching. My biggest concern is if too many of them get sick
then we’ll have to consider another option.” Other school districts to reopen
Monday were Columbia Borough, Conestoga Valley, Elizabethtown Area, Ephrata
Area, Manheim Central, Penn Manor and Solanco. Warwick starts today.
Virtual vo-tech: Lehigh Valley career schools grapple
with hands-on learning during coronavirus
By ANTHONY SALAMONE THE MORNING
CALL | AUG 31, 2020 AT 2:36 PM
Seventeen-year-old Marie Fritts has found her
career calling, and it’s education. “I’ve always wanted to work with kids,
especially special needs kids, because they are just the sweetest human beings
ever,” the Easton Area High School senior said. Classes resume next week in
many Lehigh Valley schools, including at the region’s career and technology
institutes. which hundreds of students attend. As traditional schools continue
working through reopening plans during the coronavirus pandemic that largely
include at least some online learning, career and technical centers across the
region grapple with how to maintain predominantly hands-on classes while
keeping students and staff safe.
While most Philly charters are opening virtually, this
school started in person
Inquirer by
Maddie Hanna, Updated: August 31, 2020-
4:45 PM
Donning a face mask decorated with
basketballs and his navy and gray school uniform, Daylen Burrell, 7, waited
with his family outside Discovery Charter in Parkside on Monday morning. His
brother Dallas, 5, clasped his hands in front of him. Both boys were prepared
for their first day of school: the first ever for Dallas, who was starting
kindergarten. Daylen was beginning second grade after a spring interrupted by
the coronavirus. Their mother, Teeawana, had “mixed emotions” before the school
day began as she waited with her sons, surrounded by staff in masks and face
shields checking students in for the start of the year. “It’s exciting and
scary at the same time,” Burrell said. She worries about the ongoing pandemic,
but added, “I think kids need social interaction.” A K-8 charter school,
Discovery welcomed its younger students back to classrooms Monday — one of the
few public schools in Philadelphia opening for in-person instruction as the
district prepares for an
all-virtual start Wednesday.
For Black Lives to Matter, Black Minds Must Matter
The74 by Sharif El-Mekki August 10, 2020
Sharif El-Mekki is the former principal of
Mastery Charter School–Shoemaker Campus, a neighborhood turnaround charter
school in West Philadelphia that serves almost 800 students in grades 7-12.
El-Mekki founded the Fellowship – Black Male
Educators for Social Justice and
currently leads the Center
for Black Educator Development. He is one
of the members of the 8 Black Hands podcast, blogs
at Philly’s 7th Ward, and is a
featured voice at Education Post.
By now the names of George Floyd, Breonna
Taylor and Rayshard Brooks have permeated our national dialogue. That is to
say, most white Americans can identify them as the latest victims of an unjust
and violent policing culture in our country. And while police violence is a
daily threat to people of color, it is just one articulation of the deadly
inequity of our society. The COVID-19 pandemic is another chilling instance of
it. We see it acutely here in Philadelphia. Black residents have been hospitalized more
than all other races and ethnicities combined, and they are dying at twice the
rate of white Philadelphians. As a Black man, more generally, I have lived
among the fallout of structural racism and institutionalized injustice in my
own life. As a Black educator, I have seen its pernicious reach through the
lives of my students. I myself have been arrested, assaulted and harassed by police
during my time as a teacher and principal. When I reflect on the sweeping
movement now underway, I cannot help but wonder if our newly woke allies
sharing out social media solidarity will truly stand with us after their sudden
indignation settles. Once corporate America decides this “moment” has passed,
will Black Lives (still) Matter? All of which underscores the fundamental
question: What would it look like for this nation to give full, enduring
meaning to the term Black Lives Matter? As a Black educator, the answer is
clear to me: In order to ensure that Black Lives Matter, we must ensure that
Black Minds Matter. We must start with our schools.
A Philly school flunked students during the pandemic,
then charged for summer school
WHYY By Avi
Wolfman-Arent September 1, 2020
For Donna Lachman’s family, last school year
ended with a barrage of setbacks — both personal and academic. Lachman’s mother
died of COVID-19 shortly after her 62nd birthday and then Lachman, a chef at a
retirement home, contracted the illness herself, knocking her out of work for
nearly two months. In class, her son Marcus struggled, Lachman said. His
school, New Foundations Charter School in Northeast Philadelphia, went virtual
in mid-March. He didn’t handle the adjustment well, something his mother
attributes to his learning disability. “Honestly, I would say March 12 was like
his last day of school,” Lachman said. Unlike Philadelphia’s public school
system, New Foundations Charter decided to treat the end of the last school
year as it would any other semester. Students received grades for their work,
and suffered the standard consequences if they didn’t do that work well. Marcus
fell into the latter category. “His grades were good until they started the
virtual,” said Lachman, who lives in Northeast Philadelphia. After the semester
ended, New Foundations asked Marcus to retake courses in history, math and
science over the summer. Those classes, the school explained, would take place
online and would cost Lachman between $115 and $155 dollars a course.
Lachman refused to pay.
PFT contract expires, no deal reached; district trying to
’shake down’ teachers, union chief says
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Posted: August
31, 2020- 11:16 AM
The contract between the Philadelphia School
District and its largest union expired Monday with no new deal inked. Union
president Jerry Jordan on Monday night asked the 13,000 teachers, counselors,
nurses, secretaries, and other school workers who comprise the Philadelphia
Federation of Teachers to give him two weeks to continue negotiating a deal,
making plain his displeasure with the school system’s negotiating tactics,
which he called “reprehensible.” “The district is attempting to shake down our
membership, and I won’t allow it,” Jordan said at a news conference after PFT
members approved a two-week continuation of negotiations. Recognizing the
challenges from the pandemic, Jordan said he was asking district leadership for
a one-year contract extension with a “modest” salary increase. But the district,
Jordan said, is tying raises to the union’s agreeing to a school reopening
plan. The school system’s 125,000 students are set to begin the 2020-21 school
year virtually on Wednesday; officials hope to get children back in classrooms
in November.
Central League parents call to reinstate fall sports with
letter campaign, protest
Delco Times By Matt Smith
mattsmith@21st-centurymedia.com @DTMattSmith on Twitter September
1, 2020
In response to the Central League's decision
to postpone interscholastic sports until January, parents and students are
demanding change. Protesters flocked to the Chester County Health Department
office in West Chester Monday. Students from Central League and Chester County
schools held signs that said "Let Us Play," "Mental Health
Matters" and "Let Seniors Finish What We Started." The
protest was organized by Delaware County and Chester County student-athletes
and parents. In a letter to school administrators, Central League parents
are calling for a reversal of the league's decision to postpone athletics
until next year, while the majority of Pennsylvania schools opened practice
Monday. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which is
the governing body for high school sports in the Commonwealth, voted to move
forward with a fall season last month. "We want to see if they can reverse
their decisions," Garnet Valley senior football player Kevin McGarrey
said. "Only three districts in all of Pennsylvania aren’t playing and
we’re one of them. The whole rest of Pennsylvania is playing and we’re trying
to reverse the decision of our league officers and officials. ... It’s good
seeing these guys coming together. We’re all one team now and trying to play.”
Report: Pa. ranks 31st nationwide for women’s political
participation | Tuesday Morning Coffee
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek September
1, 2020
Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
From the halls of Congress to the state
Capitol, there are more high-profile women in Pennsylvania politics than ever
before. In Washington D.C., the Keystone State’s ‘Fab Four’: Democratic U.S.
Reps. Madeleine Dean, of Montgomery County; Mary Gay Scanlon,
of Delaware County; Chrissy Houlahan, of Chester County, and Susan
Wild, of Lehigh County, helped Democrats even up Pennsylvania Capitol Hill
delegation to nine Democrats and nine Republicans. Women also made inroads in
the 50-member state Senate and the 203-member state House. Their
election, as the Capital-Star reported last
year, marked a major shift in the 253-member General Assembly, which has been,
and unfortunately remains, a largely male institution. More women, of both
parties, are vying for legislative seats this fall and for the statewide row
offices. Despite that progress, a new report casts a stark light on how much
ground women have to make up in the nation’s fifth-most populous state. Pennsylvania ranks 31st nationwide for political
participation by women, according to the Washington,
D.C.-based Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Still, it’s
an improvement from the think-tank’s last report in 2015, when the
state ranked 45th nationwide.
HOW TO HELP STUDENTS AND TEACHERS NOW
School looks very different this fall in
Philadelphia. How can we get our kids through it?
The Philadelphia Citizen BY JESSICA BLATT PRESS AUG. 31,
2020
It’s finally here. After months of debating
and guessing and stressing, the first day of school for the 200,000-plus
students in Philadelphia arrives this week. Of course, it won’t look like
the first day of school: There will be no sea of teens animating our SEPTA commutes
with their gossip, no uniformed kids taking first-day-of-school pics on the
front stoop with their giant backpacks and nervous smiles. But this September
and beyond, schools will need lots of support to make the most of this very
strange year. We spoke to teachers,
administrators, parents, and other leaders for tips on making the 2020-21
school year safe, joyful and successful. “This is gonna take everyone working
together,” says School District of
Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite. And he’s right.
How to help schools in Philadelphia in 2020
TRAUMA INFORMED EDUCATION COALITION, LLC
Trauma Informed Education Coalition Website
Since 2012, the Trauma
Informed Education Coalition, LLC (TIEC) has been informing the education
community and grass roots advocates across Pennsylvania about the issue of
emotional and psychological trauma as an impediment to both academic and social
school performance. It holds a unique role in providing information that
has influenced state and federal policy initiatives including Pennsylvania Act
144 mandating trauma-informed education Statewide and US ESSA, which includes
provisions for trauma-informed practices in the educational setting.
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.
PA SCHOOLS WORK WEBINAR : Public School Advocacy in the
New Normal of a COVID-19 World; Tue, Sep 15, 2020 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM EDT
For the foreseeable future, COVID-19 is a part
of our everyday lives. More parents and community members than ever before have
engaged at the school district level as schools wrestled with their options for
reopening this fall. This conversation will be about continuing our advocacy
for public schools, and how the challenges districts are facing in the COVID-19
era are magnified by long-term inequities in our funding system and years of
lackluster financial support for public education from state government. So,
what can we do about it? Come find out
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.
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
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
What to expect at this year’s School Leadership
Conference
POSTED ON AUGUST 31, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
At the 2020 PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference on October 14-15, you'll encounter the same high-quality experience
you've come to expect, via new virtual platform. Hear world-class speakers and
relevant educational sessions, and network with exhibitors and attendees — from
the comfort of your home or office on any internet-enabled device.
The virtual conference platform is accessible
via a unique link provided to each registrant about a week before conference.
No additional app downloads are required. The intuitive 3D interface is easy to
use and immersive — you'll feel like you're on location. Registrants will be
able to explore the space a day before conference starts. Highlights
include:
- Virtual
exhibit hall
- Interactive
lobby area and information desk
- Virtual
auditorium
- Digital
swag bag
- Scavenger
hunt
This year, conference is completely free
to attend! Be among the first 125 to register, and receive a special
pre-conference swag bag, sent to your home. Click here for
more information about how to register.
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
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.
292 PA school boards have adopted charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 290 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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