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 17, 2020
Which York County
districts have not reported COVID-19 cases?
Positive
cases reported in districts across PA.
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in Senate Ed Committee Member Lindsey Williams’s school
districts paid over $21.2 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Allegheny Valley SD |
$424,024.83 |
|
Deer Lakes SD |
$418,771.45 |
|
Fox Chapel Area SD |
$953,625.65 |
|
Hampton Township SD |
$371,526.04 |
|
Highlands SD |
$1,554,600.25 |
|
North Allegheny SD |
$1,497,457.72 |
|
North Hills SD |
$724,526.31 |
|
Pine-Richland SD |
$979,435.29 |
|
Pittsburgh SD |
$12,976,083.08 |
|
Shaler Area SD |
$1,318,511.10 |
|
|
$21,218,561.72 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
Delaware County school districts start process for return
of students to buildings
Delco Times by Pete Bannan September 17, 2020
With the numbers of COVID-19 cases remaining
low following the Labor Day holiday, at least two school districts in Delaware
County will start a phased return of students for in-person learning next week.
“Given that the health data for our district and county continue to improve, we
are planning to begin bringing back students for hybrid learning,” Garnet
Valley Superintendent Dr. Marc Bertrando wrote in an email to staff Tuesday.
“We will take a slow, phased approach that begins on Monday, Sept. 21, with
five students who are in Concord’s MDS (Multiple Disabilities Support)
program." Kindergarten through second-grade students will return in person
the next week in Garnet Valley, as well as 80 special education students. Chichester
School District will also bring back some low incident special ed students next
week, according to Superintendent Dan Norelli, as will Lower Merion School
District on the Main Line. The School District of Haverford Township has moved
up its school board meeting to Sept. 21 for the purpose of examining the data
for the transition to a more in-person based instructional model, according to
spokeswoman Anna Deacon. Radnor has some complex needs students back for
in-person learning this week. "Following state guidelines and
recommendations from the Chester County Health Department concerning students
receiving special education services, we began offering a full day, in-person
instructional model starting with specific students with complex needs on Sept.
14," said Michael Petitti, director of communications at Radnor.
"This select group of students marks the start of an in-person phase-in
plan for all students receiving special education services." Petitti said
that Radnor has been in the forefront of considering and planning for a
possible staggered return to in-person school for students and the school board
is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to discuss the opening of schools
for the physical return of students, possibly prior to Oct. 9, whether via the
previously outlined staggered/phase-in approaches or other methods. The
Penn-Delco School District is scheduled to bring students back the first or
second week in October in a similar phased strategy but may consider moving it
up for some high-need students, said Superintendent Dr. George Steinhoff.
Officials will make that decision in the next few days.
Gov. Wolf Responds to Federal Court Ruling
Governor Wolf’s Website September 15, 2020
PRESS
RELEASE, PUBLIC
HEALTH, STATEMENT
Governor Tom Wolf responded to the recent
federal court ruling regarding the business closure order and the stay at home
orders issued in March, which were later suspended, as well as the 25-person
indoor and 250-person outdoor gathering limitations.
Watch
the governor’s remarks here.
The following is his prepared statement:
https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-responds-to-federal-court-ruling/
Gov. Wolf’s COVID-19 restrictions saved thousands of
lives in Pennsylvania, Pitt researchers say
Inquirer by
Tom Avril, Posted: September 16, 2020-
1:30 PM
While certain of the restrictions that Gov.
Tom Wolf placed on Pennsylvania businesses have been ruled unconstitutional, there is
little doubt that the overall effort saved thousands of lives. That’s the
conclusion of University of Pittsburgh physician Mark S. Roberts, whose team
developed a model to estimate the impacts of closing and reopening schools,
offices, restaurants and stores. Nearly 8,000 COVID-19 deaths have been
confirmed so far in the state. Had fewer restrictions been imposed, that toll
likely would have been several times higher, said Roberts, director of the
Public Health Dynamics Lab at Pitt’s graduate public health school. “It clearly
has saved lives, no question at all,” he said. “It’s easy to project that there
would be two to three times the deaths, at a minimum, with less social
distancing.” In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV
found the Wolf administration’s policy limiting
indoor and outdoor gatherings and events to 25 and 250 people, respectively,
violated “the right of assembly enshrined in the First Amendment.” The judge,
who sits in Pittsburgh, also ruled that the administration’s stay-at-home and business closure orders
were unconstitutional. Yet two weeks earlier, a federal judge in Philadelphia
took the opposite view in a case that dealt solely with business closures,
setting the stage for an appeal.
Gov. Wolf seeks stay on crowd size as judge’s ruling
takes off gathering limits
JULIAN ROUTH Pittsburgh Post-Gazette jrouth@post-gazette.com SEP 17,
2020 5:43 AM
At least until state officials appeal it, the
federal ruling that struck down several of Gov. Tom Wolf’s key COVID-19
restrictions this week has effectively given a green light to large gatherings
in Pennsylvania, lawyers and stakeholders say. Based on a plain interpretation
of Judge William S. Stickman IV’s legal opinion filed Monday, gatherings of
more than 250 people outdoors and 25 people indoors -- not including at bars
and restaurants for routine business purposes -- are permitted, even as
state Attorney General Josh Shapiro seeks to delay enforcement of his ruling
pending an appeal, and the state’s health secretary continues to urge
Pennsylvanians to avoid large gatherings.
Pa. House members urge Gov. Wolf to sign sports bill:
‘Let’s not detract from the high school experience’
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated
3:08 PM; Today 1:16 PM
Monday is the deadline by which Gov. Tom Wolf
must make a decision about whether to deny or grant local officials the
exclusive authority to make decisions about holding school sports and
activities and who can attend them. Although the governor has publicly
said he would veto the measure identified as House Bill 2787, a
bipartisan band of House members gathered in the Ryan Office Building next to
the state Capitol on Wednesday for a news conference to urge him to change his
mind. “It is truly time to give people their voice back and ensure children
have their best and, in my opinion, complete educational opportunities,” said
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre County. “We encourage
Governor Wolf to join the Legislature in this bipartisan effort in signing this
bill once and for all.”
PIAA takes no action, awaits new state guidance on fans
Beaver County Times by Times-News staff
September 16, 2020
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association met Wednesday but didn’t take action on high school sports crowd
limits. The PIAA will wait for new spectator guidance from Gov. Tom Wolf’s
administration later this week, according to Melissa Mertz, the PIAA associate
executive director. Wolf said Wednesday that the new guidance from the
Pennsylvania Department of Education could be released Thursday or Friday. At a
work session Wednesday, the PIAA Board of Directors discussed information it
gathered from member districts on the state of fall sports, Mertz said. When
the fall sports season opened Friday, school districts worked to limit the
total number of people at sporting events to 250 people outdoors and 25
indoors, including athletes, coaches and officials. That severely limited the
number of fans to almost zero at indoor events and often 150 or fewer at
outdoor events. However, on Monday, U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV
ruled that several of Wolf’s orders pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic were
unconstitutional. Included in his ruling was the state guidance that placed
size limits on gatherings. Wolf said Wednesday that Pennsylvania Attorney
General Josh Shapiro was preparing an appeal of the judge’s order. In the
meantime, Wolf will release new guidance as school districts decide whether to
increase their crowd sizes at sporting events, particularly football games,
this weekend. The PIAA is set to meet as a board on Sept. 23, and spectator
policies could be on the table.
Pa.'s fight over crowds at high school sports isn’t as
simple as it seems | John Baer
By John Baer | For PennLive Today
5:30 AM
On the surface, the battle between the
legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf over high school sports might seem simple. It’s
no surprise. They battle over everything. It’s easy to grasp. Lawmakers want
high school sports now. Wolf doesn’t want high school sports this year. And it
follows a familiar Pennsylvania COVID theme. Democrat Wolf is an overreactive
duck-and-cover, my-way-only tyrant. The Republican legislature is thick with
don’t-tread-on-me science-deniers willing to put lives at risk. Especially when
it comes to football in an election year in a rural state where (without
apology to Texas) “Friday Nights Lights” is a cultural touchstone. So,
lawmakers pass a bill giving
schools authority to make their own sports decisions, including crowd size. And
Wolf says he’ll veto it. He’s got until Monday to do so. Or change his mind and
sign it into law. Or allow it to become law without his signature. That’s the
process. But there’s more going on here than process. This fight is different
than dozens of earlier Wolf v. Legislature spats. This time, lots of Democrats
join Republicans in opposing the governor. In fact, more than enough to help
override a veto – unless, of course, D’s don’t believe in a bill they voted
for. Wolf’s never been overridden. Says he “can’t conceive” of
being overridden now. We’ll see.
Pennsylvanians deserve a more responsive legislature |
Opinion
Terrie Griffin and Janeth Hendershot, For The
Inquirer Posted: September 16, 2020 - 9:30 AM
Terrie Griffin and Janeth Hendershot are
co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania legislature has long been
out of step with the majority of Pennsylvanians, passing bills with little
public support and ignoring bills wanted by an overwhelming majority. This has
become even more the case in recent months, so much so that we feel compelled
to speak out on behalf of Pennsylvania voters. A redistricting reform proposal
with more cosponsors than any other in this session or the last was ignored
completely by our legislative leaders. Numerous statewide surveys show 7 in
10 Pennsylvanians, from all parties and all parts of the state, support an
independent redistricting commission. Yet the State Government Committee
chairs, Rep. Garth Everett and Sen. John DiSanto, chose not to schedule votes
on HB 22 and 23 and SB 1022 and 1023. Those
bills are now dead, denying Pennsylvania an independent commission for the 2021
redistricting.
As pandemic lingers, teachers retiring in record numbers
Pottstown Mercury By Jen Samuel jsamuel@dailylocal.com
@jenpoetess September 17, 2020
DOWNINGTOWN — The number of teachers who
retired in Pennsylvania during the first eight days of September has
skyrocketed. From 2020, 252 teachers retired in the Commonwealth, as reported
by the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS). This represents an
increase of more than 183 percent compared that same week the previous year. In
2018, 49 teachers retired during this same eight-day period, equivalent to a
decrease of 414 percent compared to the first eight days of this September. “I
have to caution that Pennsylvania law and PSERS policy do not require public
school employees to provide a reason for their retirement,” said Steve Esack,
press secretary for the Public School Employees’ Retirement System on Tuesday.
“So we can’t draw definitive conclusions from the numbers.”
Central York School District, Dallastown Area School District, Hanover
Public School District, Northeastern School District, Red Lion Area School
District, South Western School District, Southern York County School District, Spring
Grove Area School District, West Shore Area School District, West York Area
School District, York City School District, York Suburban School District, Adams
County - Bermudian Springs School District
Back to class: Which school districts in York County have
reported COVID-19 cases?
Teresa Boeckel York Daily
Record Updated September 16, 2020
Several districts have reported coronavirus
cases now that the new school year is underway. Trimmer Elementary in
West York Area School District has been closed since Sept. 8 because of
coronavirus cases, and the closure has been extended as
more individuals have been affected by the virus. South Western School
District in the Hanover area
had reported three cases of the virus. It closed buildings for a
week, and students learned through virtual instruction. School districts with
positive COVID-19 cases have been in touch with the state Department of
Health and have notified anyone who had known contact. For privacy reasons,
school districts are not releasing names of individuals who have the virus.
Here is a list of which districts have
reported cases:
“Warwick joins Lampeter-Strasburg, Manheim Central, Donegal,
Conestoga Valley, Hempfield, School District of Lancaster and Elizabethtown
Area school districts, as well as La Academia Partnership Charter School, with
cases of COVID-19.”
Warwick is eighth Lancaster County school district to
report COVID-19 case
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer September 16, 2020
Two individuals total at John Beck Elementary
School and Lititz Elementary School in the Warwick School District have tested
positive for COVID-19. District administration notified families in a letter
and during a school board meeting Tuesday. Warwick joins Lampeter-Strasburg,
Manheim Central, Donegal, Conestoga Valley, Hempfield, School District of
Lancaster and Elizabethtown Area school districts, as well as La Academia
Partnership Charter School, with cases of COVID-19. Conestoga Valley High
School, which has three reported cases, and Donegal Intermediate School, which
has two reported cases, are closed to students this week. "Our thoughts
are with the individuals impacted by this," Warwick's letter states.
"To preserve each individual’s right to privacy, no further details are
able to be provided. Please know that the District is taking every possible
step to mitigate the risk to our school community." People who were in
close contact with the individual who tested positive have been advised to
quarantine for two weeks, the letter states. Students or staff who return to
school will be screened by the school nurse upon their return.
Big Spring Middle School student tests positive for
COVID-19
Cumberlink by Naomi Creason September 16,
2020
A Big Spring Middle School student who was
sent home Monday has tested positive for COVID-19, the school district
announced Tuesday. The district said the student had been sent home Monday
after a screening of symptoms appeared to be indicative of COVID-19. The
district learned on Tuesday that the student tested positive. After initial
contact tracing, the district said it was determined that no other students
were exposed due to safety protocols that were put in place with the district's
tiered opening and social distancing guidelines. Superintendent Rich Fry said
the district's staff is in direct contact with the state Department of Health
to coordinate actions in accordance with protocols established in Big Spring's
"Staying Open Plan." As a part of that plan, the district is making
sure that student is in isolation as they recover from the disease, notified
the Department of Health of the student evaluation, participated in an initial
risk assessment and contact tracing, thoroughly cleaned and disinfected all
spaces visited by the student, built specific communication to families with
students in the same building and posted updates to families.
Line Mountain student tests positive for COVID-19
Sunbury Daily Item By Justin Strawser jstrawser@dailyitem.com September
16, 2020
MANDATA — One student at Line Mountain Middle
School tested positive for COVID-19, according to school district officials. The
school will remain open as per the state Department of Health (DOH) and state
guidance, the district said in a news release. The first Alert Now phone call
to district parents went out at 3 p.m. and the next will go out at 8 p.m. "The
student was last in school on Tuesday, Sept. 8," said Superintendent Dave
Campbell. "The student is not involved in extracurricular activities or
any school district-sponsored athletics right now. Our health professionals and
administration are working with the Department of Health through the
process." The district will have to quarantine the confirmed student and
students that came within six feet of the student for more than 15 consecutive
minutes. The quarantine will run through Sept. 22. Quarantined students, as
directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, may return to school on
Sept. 23.
ASD: One student at West Shamokin tests positive for
COVID-19
School will remain open, affected areas will
be deeply sanitized
FOR THE LEADER TIMES | SEPTEMBER
16, 2020 (paywall)
The following statement was presented this
week on the Armstrong School District (ASD) website — asd. k12.pa.us: “We were
notified by the Department of Health that one student in the 10th grade at West
Shamokin Junior Senior High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The
student will remain home during a 10-day isolation period under the direct care
of their […]
https://www.leadertimes.com/articles/asd-one-student-at-west-shamokin-tests-positive-for-covid-19/
Penns Manor employee tests positive for virus
By The Indiana Gazette Sep 16,
2020 Updated 5 hrs ago
KENWOOD — Penns Manor Area School District
announced today that it has been notified by both an elementary school employee
and the Pennsylvania Department of Health that the employee has tested positive
for COVID-19. “Our employee has not been in school since Friday, Sept. 11,
2020,” the district notified its “school community.” “We wish our employee a
speedy recovery.” The district said it has worked with the Department of Health
to identify and communicate with individuals who were in contact with the employee.
The district urged all members of its community to continue monitoring for the
symptoms of COVID-19 and communicate any concerns with their health care
professionals and school nurse.
United Elementary School reports case of COVID-19
Johnstown Tribune Democrat by By
Dave Sutor dsutor@tribdem.com September
17, 2020
COVID-19 has been reported in United
Elementary School, according to information posted on the district's Facebook
page. An initial message from the Pennsylvania Department of Health stated that
anyone who was present at the elementary school's cafeteria from 12:15 p.m. to
12:45 p.m., any day from Sept. 8-11, may have been exposed to the virus. That
message was made public on Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, the district posted:
“The United School District contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Health
(DOH) today regarding an additional confirmed case of COVID-19 at the
Elementary School. The Department of Health is continuing their contact tracing
of students who may have been in contact with this particular student. We
encourage all to adhere to the safety and mitigation efforts in reminding staff
and students of the importance of wearing masks when feasible, hand washing regularly,
and continuing to social distance.”
Mt. Lebanon School District employee tests positive for
COVID-19
LAUREN LEE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette SEP 16,
2020 6:47 PM
An employee at Mt. Lebanon School District
has been tested positive for COVID-19. Parents of Howe Elementary in the
school district were notified by email late Wednesday afternoon that an
employee at the school tested positive for COVID-19. According to the letter,
which was obtained by the Post-Gazette, the district has reported the
information to the Allegheny County Health Department and is “taking all
recommended steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff.” The
district states they are taking steps in response to the news by cleaning and
sanitizing the building and cooperating with the health department on contact
tracing. “The individual will not return to our school until they have
complete the procedures for COVID-19,” the school wrote in the letter. Students
have been learning remotely since classes resumed in August, and they are not
expected to be in the school buildings until October.
Bald Eagle Area School District confirms third COVID-19
case in elementary school
Centre Daily Times BY
MARLEY PARISH SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 08:26 PM
As students and staff at Wingate Elementary stayed
home from school Wednesday, the Bald
Eagle Area School District confirmed a third COVID-19 case.
Since Bald Eagle Area reopened for in-person learning on Aug. 25,
Superintendent Scott Graham has confirmed three positive coronavirus tests —
one adult and two students. The most recent case was reported Tuesday in an
elementary student. The school will be closed until at least
Sept. 30. The Pennsylvania Department of Education guidance
states that an outbreak occurs when two
to four cases are reported in the same building. Buildings are then instructed
to close for three to seven days, depending on the level of community
transmission in the county, so officials can clean and disinfect areas
frequented by those infected. When five or more cases are reported in the same
building, PDE recommends a 14-day closure. “Students and staff that we know
were in direct contact with the student were notified that they were to be
quarantined,” Graham wrote in an update to families. The district will continue
to contact trace on Thursday to see if any additional quarantines will be
necessary. Parents will be contacted if their child is identified as a close
contact.
Two more cases of COVID-19 reported in Central York
Lindsay C VanAsdalan York
Dispatch September 16, 2020
Central York on Wednesday reported two more
cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the district. The district had
previously reported cases at its high school and Hayshire Elementary School on
Labor Day Weekend — joining a handful of districts in York County that
also saw cases that weekend. Wednesday's new cases are unrelated, district
officials say. In one case confirmed in Stony Brook Elementary School,
the individual who tested positive has not been in school since early
September.
Officials: 2 people in Baldwin-Whitehall School District
test positive for covid-19
Trib Live MICHAEL
DIVITTORIO | Thursday,
September 17, 2020 12:09 a.m.
Baldwin-Whitehall School District officials
said Wednesday that two people have tested positive for covid-19. The cases
involve second grade at Whitehall Elementary and the high school girls soccer
team, according to a district message about the situation. District
communications consultant Carrie Butler could not confirm that evening if they
were students or teachers. The district was notified within the past 24 hours. “In
both cases, individuals were isolated and removed from the building/programs as
soon as the results were received,” the message read. “The district immediately
conducted contract tracing in both of these instances, identifying and
contacting any individual that would have been considered a ‘close contact’
with the person that was infected.” Those impacted were also told to quarantine
and provide contact information for district health professionals, according to
the message.
St. Joe’s Prep suspends in-person classes for a week due
to positive COVID-19 tests
The private school had started the year last
week with a hybrid schedule
BY PAT RALPH PhillyVoice
Staff SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
Students at St. Joe's Prep had started
classes last week, split into two sections in order to promote social
distancing in classrooms and all other areas of the school due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Just six days of classes into the new school year, St. Joe’s Prep has
temporarily shifted to all-remote learning after two students tested positive
for the coronavirus. Classes at the all-boys private Catholic school will
be held entirely online until at least Thursday, Sept. 24. Additionally, all
extracurricular activities, including sports, are halted through next Thursday,
the school announced. Contract
tracing is being done and students who came into contact with the infected
individuals will be notified by the Philadelphia Department of Health,
according to the school's student
newspaper, the Hawkeye.
COVID-19 cases prompt weeklong closure at Pen Argyl High
School
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | SEP 16, 2020 AT 6:48 PM
Pen Argyl High School is closing for a week
after two cases of the coronavirus were found Tuesday. In a Tuesday email to
parents, staff and students, Superintendent Wally Schlegel said the high school
will reopen Sept. 23. Athletic events have been canceled or postponed,
according to the district’s website. A Friday night football game against
Northwestern Lehigh has been postponed, and Northwestern Lehigh will play Berks
Catholic instead. Over the course of the week, the school will be thoroughly
cleaned and disinfected, Schlegel said in the email. Students will get
instruction through Google Classroom. Schlegel did not return requests for
comment. Cheryl Hance, a high school English teacher and president of the Pen
Argyl Education Association, said the closure was the right move. She said
students have been cooperative and observed the additional safety measures.
They wear masks all the time, except when they’re eating, and observe social
distancing, she said. There are also many opportunities throughout the day to
disinfect desks and for students to wash their hands and desks.
COVID-19 in schools: How some Pennsylvania parents are
left in the dark
Opinion By PAUL MUSCHICK THE MORNING
CALL | SEP 16, 2020 AT 8:00 AM
Every time I get an automated call or email
from my son’s school district, I fear it’s going to be bad news about the
coronavirus. I’m not alone. Most parents are nervous about outbreaks among
students. What would help is if we had a way to check how many students and
staff have been sick since school started. But that’s not easy — because the
Pennsylvania Department of Health is not publishing data about COVID-19 cases
for each district. The department isn’t publishing those figures because a
federal law prohibits releasing information about diseases contracted by a
person or group of people, for privacy reasons, spokesman Nate Wardle told me. No
one wants to point a finger at someone who is infected. But with most schools
and districts having hundreds or even thousands of students, I don’t see how
publishing the caseload is going to violate anyone’s privacy. The law isn’t
preventing New York from sharing the data for each school district, by school.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the information to be published online.
Central York race curriculum appears dead following
school board criticism
Lindsay C VanAsdalan York
Dispatch September 15, 2020
A controversial Central York pilot curriculum
that included resources supporting the Black Lives Matter movement appears
likely to die on the school board's table. Board President Jane Johnson
said on Monday that the social studies pilot, which the board had tabled
in August over disagreements with its teachings on white privilege,
would remain there until further notice. Without approval, the district
will continue with curriculum approved last year. A heated discussion on
the topic was renewed Monday when Superintendent Michael Snell sought to dispel
misinformation, which had generated more than 100 public comments on Aug.
17.
My Turn: Pa. is in danger of losing its school bus
industry
Pocono Record Opinion Posted
at 11:00 AM September 16, 2020
Writers’ opinions are their own. The
Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PSBA) was founded in 1980 and represents
the private school bus contractors that safely transport Pennsylvania’s
children to and from school each day.
Most of us remember the popular children’s
song, “The Wheels on the Bus.” When we were kids, we sang it with our friends
as we rode a yellow bus to school; as parents, we taught it to our own
children. But in every school district across the state, the future of the
yellow bus is at risk. Pennsylvania is in danger of losing its school bus
drivers and the businesses that employ them. We must make certain that school
buses and drivers are available to transport students when they return to the
classroom. To ensure this happens, pupil transportation must be funded and
supported as an essential service to Pennsylvania’s students and their
families. This is true not only for charter and non-public pupil transportation
but for all public schools as well. As Pennsylvania’s school bus industry, our
job is to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round. And we love what we
do. Our mission is to safely transport more than 1.5 million Pennsylvania
students to and from school each day, including an overwhelming majority of our
state’s 300,000 special needs learners. That adds up to a remarkable 88% of
Pennsylvania’s school-age children who rely on the yellow-bus industry every
day. Many families have no other way to transport their children to school than
to trust that a school bus will be there, in all kinds of weather, from dawn
until dusk, during a pandemic and after it ends.
Meet Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s bureau chief: What we’re watching
as students learn remotely
Chalkbeat Philly By Johann
Calhoun Sep 16, 2020, 4:17pm EDT
Since March, students in Philadelphia have
been inundated with insurmountable obstacles, thanks to a pandemic that has
altered the face of their classrooms. Safely reopening schools and connecting
with students about the unrest happening around the killings of Black
Americans, have become two of the biggest challenges for students and educators
here. Coming on board as Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s bureau chief, I see my top
priority as reporting on a strained educational landscape for 200,000 students
in district and charter schools, most of whom live near or below the poverty
line. One could say I have a multicultural background. I’m a native of Houston,
Texas, and grew up in a predominantly white, Jewish neighborhood where I
attended bar mitzvahs and quinceañeras. I was born, baptized, and raised in an
A.M.E. church in the city’s Third Ward. I also attended Catholic school to
later graduate from a public high school (one of the biggest in Texas) before
attending an HBCU in Louisiana, where I switched majors from accounting to
journalism.
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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