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.
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Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for September 10, 2020
Half of Pa. schools still don’t have a single teacher of
color.
Taxpayers in Senate Ed Committee Member Pat Browne’s school districts
paid over $12.5 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Allentown City SD |
$6,062,793.00 |
|
East Penn SD |
$1,565,172.19 |
|
Northern Lehigh SD |
$893,459.01 |
|
Northwestern Lehigh SD |
$672,439.48 |
|
Parkland SD |
$1,685,588.35 |
|
Salisbury Township SD |
$404,100.49 |
|
Southern Lehigh SD |
$1,250,091.73 |
|
|
$12,533,644.25 |
Data Source: PDE
via PSBA
Half of Pa. schools still don’t have a single teacher of
color. These Black educators explain why
WHYY By Sojourner Ahebee September 10, 2020
For Aliya Cantanch-Bradley, the fight for
diversity and inclusion has been her life’s work. As a teenager, she organized
a student walkout at Philadelphia’s William Bodine School for International
Affairs. A first for the school, the students were pushing to have the Black
Student Union formally recognized by the administration. “At an early age, I
was shifting my focus to equity and finding our voice as a people in a sea of
all that was transpiring around me,” said Cantanch-Bradley. She remembers
wanting a space at school to address Black issues, but feeling like her voice
wasn’t valued. Her student advocacy opened her eyes to how she could create
agency within herself and for her community. “When I went to college … I knew
that I had to dedicate my life in some way to help make things better for the
next generation to come,” she said. Since
then, Cantanch-Bradley has spent the past 21 years as an educator, devoted to
serving students of color. For the past three years, she’s been principal of
North Philadelphia’s Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary. The school has been lauded
for its success recruiting and retaining teachers of color. There, 63% of
teachers are Black and 27% are Black men — by far among the highest rates
in the state for both.For students at Bethune, these numbers could be
life-altering. According to the National
Bureau of Economic Research, Black
students who have at least one Black teacher in elementary school are more
likely to graduate from high school and more likely to enroll in college.
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf plans to veto bill that lets schools
decide whether to hold sports and set attendance limits
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Sep
09, 2020; Posted Sep 09, 2020
Gov. Tom Wolf is rejecting legislation that
would grant local public and private school officials “exclusive authority” to
decide whether to hold sports this school year and allow fans and family
members to attend the games. Wolf spokeswoman Lyndsay Kensinger said he plans
to veto House Bill 2787. “The bill is unnecessary given that school districts
already have local control on decisions on school sports. Further the virus is
not stopping and spreads more easily when people are in close proximity with
one another,” she said in an emailed statement shortly after the
Senate passed the bill by a 39-11 vote. “This bill
would allow for the potential gathering of thousands in close proximity, a
widely-reported, well-known public health risk. We should focus on preventing
the spread and creating a safe environment for children students back to
learning and, if possible, in the classroom. Minimizing exposure to COVID-19 is
paramount,” Kensinger added. This decision by the governor could produce a
showdown with the Legislature. The General Assembly passed the bill with enough
bipartisan support to override a veto, which requires a two-thirds majority
vote in each chamber. The House passed it last week by a 155-47 vote.
As Centre County COVID-19 numbers climb, local schools
assess potential changes to instruction
Centre Daily Times BY
MARLEY PARISH SEPTEMBER 09, 2020 03:29 PM
While State
College Area students are learning remotely, other
Centre County school districts are debating making changes to their instructional plans as
community COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Centre
County reached the state Department of Health’s “substantial level” — the
highest level of community transmission of the coronavirus — last week. In this
stage, the state recommends all county K-12 schools shut down and revert to
“full remote learning.” According to the DOH early warning
dashboard, Centre County has the second-highest
incidence rate in the state per 100,000 residents in the most recent week. SCASD
closed facilities Friday so officials could monitor case numbers in the
community, most of which are connected to Penn State
students. “Fully remote is certainly not where
we want to be, and I can assure you that our goal is to get students back in
schools as soon as possible,” SCASD Superintendent Bob O’Donnell wrote in
a letter to
parents and guardians. “Currently, we are working on a return-to-school plan
that would include specific guidelines for allowing us to safely resume
in-school learning.”
https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/article245571345.html#storylink=mainstage_lead
Conestoga Valley, Manheim Central, La Academia report
first cases of COVID-19
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer September
9, 2020
Lancaster County schools have their first
COVID-19 cases of the school year.
Conestoga Valley School District posted
on its website Tuesday
that it had its first two cases: A student or staff member tested positive at
both Conestoga Valley High School and Brownstown Elementary School. And it’s
not alone. Manheim Central and La Academia Partnership Charter School also
reported cases. The news comes a week into classes at most Lancaster County
school districts. While many considered it inevitable for COVID-19 to rear its
ugly head at local schools, seeing it actually happen may serve as a reminder
that the virus remains a constant threat. That’s a message Conestoga Valley
teachers tried to convey before the start of the school year. Members of the
Conestoga Valley Education Association, the district’s teachers’ union, were
outspoken in their attempts to shift the district’s reopening plan to a hybrid
model that would essentially halve the number of students in a given classroom
and enable social distancing. School board members, however, moved forward with
a plan that included full-time, in-person instruction. “We are sending our best
wishes to this member of our school community,” district Superintendent Dave
Zuilkoski said in one of two letters to families Tuesday. “The individual will
not be in school until they have recovered.” Both letters, one for the
Brownstown case and one for the high school case, included identical language. Both
Brownstown and the high school have been cleaned and sanitized, and contact
tracing is being conducted, Zuilkoski said.
Plum school district employee tests positive for COVID-19
LAUREN LEE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette SEP
9, 2020 11:24 PM
Plum Borough School District announced
Wednesday that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, according to
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette news partner KDKA-TV. The district’s superintendent Dr.
Brendan Hyland did not immediately respond to comment with the Post-Gazette on
Wednesday night. According to KDKA-TV, the district said the employee last
worked on Thursday and was tested on Friday. The district also is asking three
employees who came in contact with the affected employee to quarantine,
according to KDKA-TV. KDKA-TV reports the district believes the case may have
come from a family member of the worker.
Danville shutters kindergarten class
Officials: Student tested positive for virus
By Julye Wemple -
Press Enterprise Writer Published: September 10, 2020 (paywall)
DANVILLE — Danville Area School District shut
down a kindergarten classroom after reports someone in the room tested positive
for the coronavirus
https://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/daily/091020/page/3/story/danville-shutters-kindergarten-class
George F. Pyo | Were millions really necessary for cyber
charter schools?
Johnstown Tribune Democrat Opinion By George
F. Pyo September 10, 2020
George F. Pyo is president of the Penn
Cambria School District Board of Education.
It’s time we shine a light on a critically
important issue and start asking some questions.
As Pennsylvania’s school districts face
revenue shortfalls of $1 billion or more due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Pennsylvania’s charter schools stand to see a windfall of pandemic relief
funding while experiencing no loss of revenue. First, under the recently enacted
state budget, charter schools will receive $15 million in state health and
safety grants to address COVID-19-related health and safety needs. This is much
needed funding for school districts and brick and mortar charter schools that
plan to offer some sort of adjusted schedule for in-person learning in the
fall.
But for cyber charter schools that offer all
of their instruction virtually, this is simply free money.
Next, under the federal Elementary and
Secondary School Emergency Relief fund, charter schools are entitled to $71
million in emergency, one-time funds to help schools respond to COVID-19
impacts. Brick and mortar charter schools reasonably incurred additional costs
transitioning to an alternative learning system after school buildings were closed
in March.
In contrast, cyber charter schools should not
have incurred the same costs, since their usual instructional method is
virtual. Finally, at least 26 charter schools were awarded Paycheck Protection
Program loans totaling between $24 and $56 million, which may be used for
limited purposes such as payroll costs, continuation of health care benefits,
interest on mortgage obligations, and rent and utility payments.
Do cyber charter schools really need millions in pandemic
relief funding? | Opinion
By Express-Times
guest columnist Sandra Miller Updated Sep 09,
2020; Posted Sep 09, 2020
Sandra Miller is a school director in the
Saucon Valley School District.
It’s time we shine a light on a critically
important issue and start asking some questions. As Pennsylvania’s school
districts face revenue
shortfalls of $1 billion or more due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania’s charter
schools stand to see a windfall of
pandemic relief funding while experiencing no loss of revenue. First, under the
recently enacted state budget, charter schools will receive $15 million in
state health and safety grants to address COVID-19-related health and safety
needs. This is much-needed funding for school districts and brick and mortar
charter schools that plan to offer some sort of adjusted schedule for in-person
learning in the fall. But for cyber charter schools that offer all of their
instruction virtually, this is simply free money.
Next, under the federal Elementary and
Secondary School Emergency Relief fund, charter schools are entitled to $71
million in emergency, one-time funds to help schools respond to COVID-19
impacts. Brick and mortar charter schools reasonably incurred additional costs
transitioning to an alternative learning system after school buildings were
closed in March. In contrast, cyber charter schools should not have incurred
the same costs, since their usual instructional method is virtual. Finally, at
least 26 charter schools were awarded Paycheck Protection Program loans
totaling between $24 and $56 million which may be used for limited purposes
such as payroll costs, continuation of healthcare benefits, interest on
mortgage obligations, and rent and utility payments. Given that charter schools
are publicly funded schools, the need for these loans should be questioned,
especially in light of the fact that charter schools experienced no loss of revenue
due to the pandemic.
Erie School Board furloughs 50 employees
GoErie By Valerie
Myers @etnmyers Posted
Sep 9, 2020 at 7:30 PM Updated at 5:22 AM
Furloughs take effect next week. Employees
will be covered by district health insurance through October.
The Erie School Board voted unanimously
Wednesday to furlough 50 teaching assistants, custodians and other
non-instructional employees while schools remain mostly vacant. “We don’t make
these decisions lightly,” schools Superintendent Brian Polito said in his
report to school directors Wednesday. “Unfortunately, like most other
organizations, COVID has drastically affected the way we do business.” Only
students in special education and career and technical classes began learning
in person in Erie schools on the first day of school
Tuesday. All other Erie elementary school
students are taking classes online through at least the first quarter of the
school year. Traditional middle school and high school students will work
online at least through spring. The absence of the district’s 11,000 students
in school buildings for an extended time means less work for noninstructional
employees, district officials said. Furloughed effective Sept. 16 will be 17
custodians, 17 teaching assistants, 11 part-time security officers, four
firemen and a part-time secretary. The furloughed employees will continue to
receive school district health insurance through October.
https://www.goerie.com/news/20200909/erie-school-board-furloughs-50-employees
‘Our kids need consistency now’: Philly will soon move
some teachers out of their schools. Advocates are angry.
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Posted: September
9, 2020- 4:22 PM
Dozens of Philadelphia School District
teachers will soon be “leveled," displaced from their schools and sent to
new ones to account for shifts in enrollment, with some students set to lose
their teachers a month into the term. That the system will remove teachers from
established classrooms during a pandemic, in a school year already marked by
upheaval and uncertainty, has school communities and advocates aghast. “The
worst thing that you could probably do right now is to snatch teachers away
from kids,” said one principal whose school is likely to be impacted, but who
asked not to be identified as criticizing district policy for fear of
retribution. “Our kids need consistency now.” While other districts have the
means to keep class sizes small if fewer children than anticipated show up, and
to hire additional teachers if rooms are crowded, that’s not a reality in
Philadelphia, officials say. They call leveling distasteful but necessary, not
just financially but as a way to relieve overcrowding at some schools. Uri
Monson, the school system’s chief financial officer, said the district has
worked to minimize the effects of leveling, last year shifting 55 teachers —
about a half-percent of the teaching force — down from 85 the year prior. It
approved 75 exceptions, paying about $9 million to keep teachers who
technically should have been leveled, if they had special training, for
instance, or if shifting them would have disrupted students with autism.
Opinion: Don’t steal our teachers during a pandemic
How can the Philadelphia School District go
forward with “leveling” this year?
Billy Penn by Stephanie King Today, 6:00
a.m.
Imagine you’re a nervous first grader,
heading back to school with your neatly-ironed uniform and your Hello Kitty
lunchbox. You spend the first month of school getting acclimated, guided by
your nice teacher, and make friends with your new classmates. Then October
arrives. The school district suddenly comes in and rips your teacher away from
you, juggling your classmates around as you’re abruptly reassigned to a
different group and your teacher is sent to another school. This is the reality
for schoolchildren across Philadelphia each year, through a process called “leveling.” Now
imagine there’s a pandemic, and all this is happening at the same time your
parents and teachers are struggling to make sure you keep learning at home.
Yes, leveling will still happen this year despite
coronavirus disruptions, Philadelphia School Superintendent Dr. William Hite
confirmed. Here’s how it works: district administration waits until school is
underway to make its final staffing decisions, which are based on enrollment.
It then takes teachers out of already-established classrooms and transfers them
to other schools.
Philly SD Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting:
September 3, 2020
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools by
Lynda Rubin
This remote Committee meeting, held
immediately after the Student Achievement Committee, opened with an
update on the District’s financial health in light of additional expenses and
drops in revenue. The meeting did not, however, address the Board’s continued
spending of large sums of money for contracts to favored businesses despite
stating months ago that it was only going to spend money on essential programs.
The Facilities Safety Report presented by the new Chief of Operations stands in
contrast to the just released Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report that
found both errors were made during the process and lies to the public about the
safety of students and staff during in-school construction work and asbestos
abatement. To date, no one has been held accountable. Any doubts about who the
Board actually represents evaporated when, without prior announcement,
representatives from a company vying for a tax-free KOZ contract, along with
the City’s Commerce Director, were allowed to present a lengthy presentation
that contradicted many statements in its August presentation. [The posted
agendas for both committees can be found here. Slide
presentations and descriptions of upcoming Action Items for both committees can
be accessed through links on this agenda.]
Minutes for the Joint Committee meeting of
August 13, 2020 were approved.
https://appsphilly.net/finance-and-facilities-committee-meeting-september-3-2020/
Why fall sports fans bring a 'huge headache' for many
MIKE WHITE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mwhite@post-gazette.com SEP 10,
2020 6:29 AM
When Gov. Tom Wolf relaxed a spectator ban
for Pennsylvania school sports last week, the move was welcomed by everyone
from fans to parents of athletes. But Mr. Wolf’s action created more
dilemmas for schools and put more pressure on athletic directors and
administrators. School choice is the hot topic in high school sports these
days, and we’re not talking about which school to attend. Because of gathering
limits still in effect throughout the state because of the COVID-19 pandemic,
schools must decide on which fans, if any, will attend high school football
games. Friday is the first night for high school football games in
Pennsylvania. Some athletic directors are feeling the heat — and it has nothing
to do with the temperatures predicted Thursday for Western Pennsylvania. A
sampling of some schools around the WPIAL shows a number of approaches to which
spectators will be permitted. But get this: A number of schools have decided
not to permit any fans at football games, despite Mr. Wolf’s decision to allow
some.
EDITORIAL: Make an exception and allow parents at high
school sports events
YORK DISPATCH EDITORIAL BOARD September 10,
2020
- There
is going to be a fall high school sports season.
- COVID-19
mitigation limits, however, will make it hard for parents to attend games.
- The
state should make an exception for parents to attend the games.
They’ve decided to let our kids play.
If that's settled, then state officials need
to let our parents watch our kids play. If case you haven’t heard, there’s
going to be a high school fall sports season in Pennsylvania, despite the
COVID-19 pandemic and health officials' advice against it. Gov. Tom Wolf isn’t
happy about it. In fact, he’s strongly recommended against having any youth
sports before Jan. 1, 2021. Nevertheless, Wolf has opted against ordering the
stoppage of youth fall sports. Instead, he left the decision to play, or not
play, up to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and the
individual school districts. After a strong “Let Our Kids Play in Pa.”
campaign, the PIAA and each of the 23 schools in the York-Adams League have
elected to at least try a fall sports season.
Parental problem: There’s
just one problem. It’s going to be extremely hard, if not impossible, for
parents to watch their kids compete. Originally, Wolf ordered that high school
sports events be held without any spectators, even parents. Last week, the
governor relented on that edict a bit and said that fans can be allowed at
high school events — as long as his current mitigation limits are not
exceeded. That means no more than 25 folks for indoor events and 250 people for
outdoor events.
As virtual vs. in-person debates wage, the bigger
conversation about schools is lost | Opinion
Marc Macdonald, For The Inquirer Posted: September
9, 2020 - 10:09 AM
Marc Macdonald is a writer and educator
living in Philadelphia.
“This is the most important school year of
our lifetime.”
This phrase sat atop the welcome slide in our
all-staff virtual faculty meeting a few weeks ago. The topics discussed should
surprise no one: civil unrest and protests; achievement gaps, inequality, and
inequity for Black and brown students; COVID-19 and the question of virtual
learning vs. in-person instruction. Welcome to the 2020-21 school year. The
message gave me pause. 2020, nightmarish in so many ways, is an opportunity for
education nationwide. And yet, as is so often the case, the nationwide debate
thus far has been unproductive and has done little to improve education for
students. After more than a decade teaching, from middle school to university,
and from Michigan to Maryland to Pennsylvania, there is one constant: Public
schools are in need of a new vision.
Bill that requires moment of silence in schools for Sept.
11, Pearl Harbor passes through Senate
Penn Live By Hannah
Kanik | hkanik@pennlive.com Updated Sep 09, 2020; Posted Sep
09, 2020
The Senate unanimously passed a bill Sept. 9
that requires public schools to hold a moment of silence to honor both Sept. 11
and Pearl Harbor day. “It is imperative that we honor, commemorate and remember
what happened,” Bill Sponsor Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin
County, said. The bill faced little opposition and is slated to go to the
house. The bill, Senate Bill 896, would
require all public schools to hold a moment of silence at some point during the
school day to remember the Sept 11 attacks starting this school year. A
requirement for a moment of silence for the anniversary of Pearl Harbor would
go into effect the following school year in 2021. It also tasks the state
Department of Education to develop voluntary in-service training programs and
curriculum related to this moment of silence observance for schools. That
curriculum would include the historical context of terrorism, the Sept. 11
attacks, the American response and the global challenges and changes that
followed.
Hackers hit virtual learning lessons in 2 local school
districts with porn, racial slurs
Trib Live by TONY LARUSSA | Thursday,
September 10, 2020 5:53 a.m.
Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Trinity
Area School District were targeted by hackers who exposed students to
pornography and racial slurs during remote learning sessions on Wednesday. “This morning, we took immediate action upon
notification of an inappropriate video that was embedded in the link of an
educational video on Safe YouTube,” said Anthony Hamlet, superintendent of
Pittsburgh Public Schools. Hamlet said a teacher posted the link in an early
childhood classroom dashboard on the Schoology learning management system had
inappropriate content embedded in a lesson that was supposed to contain a
counting nursery rhyme.
Public Schools Will Struggle Even More as Parents Move
Kids to Private Ones During the Pandemic
Time.com BY KATIE
REILLY AUGUST 31, 2020 3:32 PM EDT
By the time the school year ended this
spring, Clara Obermeier knew remote learning was not a good option for her two
children. Her 13-year-old daughter had grown withdrawn after going months
without seeing her friends. Her 11-year-old son had struggled academically, and
due to a Zoom glitch, was frequently blocked from the virtual breakout rooms
where the rest of his classmates were assigned to work in small groups. And
neither Obermeier, an engineer, nor her husband, an active-duty officer in the
U.S. Coast Guard, have jobs that will allow them to work from home full-time
this fall. “I waited and waited to figure out what the plan was from the school
system,” Obermeier says. On July 21, Montgomery County Public Schools in
Maryland announced that the district would offer virtual-only instruction at
least through January. “At that point, we were like, OK, this is definitely not
going to work out for us,” she says.
So Obermeier pulled her children from the
public school district and enrolled them in St. Bartholomew School, a private
Catholic school in Bethesda, Md., that charges $13,600 in tuition and is
planning to bring all students back to campus by Sept. 21 after a phased
reopening beginning Sept. 8.
https://time.com/5885106/school-reopening-coronavirus/
“The new proposal modifies some school choice provisions
championed by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. GOP Senate leaders
had included in their previous bill, introduced in July. Most notably,
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, had pushed to include DeVos' Education
Freedom Scholarship proposal in the bill. That proposal would provide federal
tax credits totalling up to $5 billion a year for contributions to scholarships
families could use to send their children to private schools or to purchase
educational materials and services.
The push to include the proposal was reportedly a sticking point
in negotiations. In an apparent attempt at compromise, the new proposal
McConnell released Tuesday would not establish the program permanently, as Cruz
had sought, instead establishing the tax credits for two years.
The bill would also authorize "emergency education freedom
grants," state-administered scholarships families could use for private
school tuition or other services if their children's education is interrupted
by the pandemic.
And it would allow families to use funds from tax-advantaged 529
savings plans, typically used to cover college or private school tuition, to
pay for home-schooling expenses.”
Senate GOP Sticks to School Choice Push in Slimmed Down
Relief Proposal
Education Week By Evie Blad on September
8, 2020 4:52 PM
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
unveiled a slimmed down coronavirus relief proposal Tuesday
that continues a GOP push to include school choice measures in the latest round
of federal pandemic aid. The Kentucky Republican pledged to hold a vote as soon
as this week on the bill, which lacks the bipartisan support necessary to win
full approval. It's the latest volley in frequently stalled discussions between
both parties and the White House over the next COVID-19 aid package. In
statements to the press, McConnell said he wanted to get senators on the record
through a vote. "Congress can, should, and must do more to help," he
said. "The Senate will vote, and the American people will be
watching." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, called the
proposal an "emaciated bill" that is "only intended to help
vulnerable Republican Senators by giving them a 'check the box' vote to
maintain the appearance that they're not held hostage by their extreme
right-wing that doesn't want to spend a nickel to help people." The bill
does not include some provisions Congressional Democrats have called essential,
like assistance to state and local governments that district leaders have said
are needed to help avert cuts to school staffing and programs.
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
Registration: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4024270141202312975
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.
https://www.psba.org/event/psba-fall-virtual-advocacy-day/
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.
https://www.psba.org/2020/08/what-to-expect-at-this-years-school-leadership-conference/
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.
Resolution for charter
funding reform (pdf)
Link to submit your adopted resolution to
PSBA
293 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.
https://www.psba.org/2020/03/adopted-charter-reform-resolutions/
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:
https://www.pacharterchange.org/
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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