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 18, 2020
Positive
COVID in Neshaminy, Conestoga Valley, Delaware Valley, Clearfield, Baldwin-Whitehall,
West Greene, Mt. Lebanon, Penns Manor, Carlisle, Gettysburg
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Chair Curtis Sonney’s school districts
paid over $3.1 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Corry Area SD |
$525,793.77 |
|
Fort LeBoeuf SD |
$703,217.99 |
|
Harbor Creek SD |
$394,056.78 |
|
North East SD |
$343,986.42 |
|
Union City Area SD |
$424,356.26 |
|
Wattsburg Area SD |
$790,236.00 |
|
|
$3,181,647.22 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
Pennsylvania asks judge to retain limits on crowd size
WITF By Associated
Press September
17, 2020
Pennsylvania’s top lawyer asked a federal
judge Wednesday to retain Gov. Tom Wolf’s limits on crowd size, at least for
now, warning that allowing large groups to congregate during a legal battle
over Wolf’s public health orders “will result in people’s deaths” from
the coronavirus. The office
of Attorney General Josh Shapiro asked the judge, an appointee of President
Donald Trump, to delay enforcement of his ruling that many of the Democratic
governor’s pandemic shutdown orders were unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge
William Stickman IV in Pittsburgh ruled against the state’s current size
limits on indoor and outdoor
gatherings, saying they violate citizens’ constitutional right to assemble. The
state has been enforcing a gathering limit of more than 25 people for events
held indoors and more than 250 people for those held outside. Shapiro’s office,
which is representing the Wolf administration in its planned appeal, said in
court documents Wednesday that Stickman’s ruling “does not consider the manner
in which COVID-19 is spread or the rationale for adopting the congregate
limits.” Its request for a stay also pointed out that other federal judges, and
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, have upheld Wolf’s pandemic shutdown orders.
https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-asks-judge-to-retain-limits-on-crowd-size/
Why the ruling against Wolf’s covid-19 restrictions faces
long odds on appeal, explained
JAMIE MARTINES | SPOTLIGHT PA AND PAULA REED
WARD | TRIBUNE-REVIEW | Thursday, September 17, 2020 7:02 p.m.
Spotlight
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HARRISBURG — A federal judge sent a shockwave
through Pennsylvania politics this week when he ruled that several actions
taken by Gov. Tom Wolf early in the coronavirus pandemic were unconstitutional.
The decision handed Republican lawmakers a long-sought — though possibly
temporary — political victory over Wolf after a string of defeats. It comes
just in time for them to rally their base as many seek re-election or campaign
for President Donald Trump. But the ruling leans
heavily on precedent that hasn’t been invoked or respected since the early
1900s, according to some legal experts. Even those who were less critical
questioned if the decision accomplished anything because it primarily deals
with restrictions that are no longer in effect, and even they doubted it would
be upheld on appeal. “The whole line of precedent that the opinion relies on
was repudiated in the 1930s and has been taught as the classic error in
arrogant, judicial overreach in constitutional law classes for decades,” said
Julian Mortenson, constitutional law professor at the University of Michigan. The
ruling, issued Monday by Pittsburgh-based U.S. District Judge William S.
Stickman IV, found Wolf’s stay-at-home and business closure orders, along with
restrictions limiting indoor and outdoor gatherings, to be unconstitutional.
Neshaminy student tests positive for COVID-19 day after
attending orientation
Chris English Bucks
County Courier Times September 17, 2020
A student at Neshaminy's Maple Point Middle
School tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a day after attending
orientation at the Middletown school, Maple Point Principal Andy Sokol wrote in
a letter emailed to parents. School officials were notified of the presumptive
positive test by the student's parents, he stated. "The virus was
most likely contracted outside the school environment," Sokol added. The
student wore a mask all day Tuesday except when eating lunch and didn't ride
the bus, he wrote. District officials have gathered information on the
student's close contacts Tuesday and the layout of desks in the classrooms he
was in, and who was sitting in them, the letter stated. That information
was all forwarded to the Bucks County Health Department, which is conducting
its own contact tracing and notifying families of anyone who had close
contact with the student outside of school.
Conestoga Valley reports sixth COVID-19 case, fifth at
high school
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer September 18, 2020
Conestoga Valley School District reported its
fifth and sixth COVID-19 cases Wednesday in a
letter from Superintendent Dave
Zuilkoski. Both of the individuals who most recently tested positive learn or
work at Conestoga Valley High School. The school, which is already closed to
students until Tuesday because of the virus, now has five cases. One of the two
new cases was previously listed as a "probable" case, meaning someone
who had close contact with a person who tested positive exhibited symptoms but
awaited test results. The additional cases will not impact the students'
anticipated return next week, Zuilkoski stated in his letter. "Fortunately,
the probable-to-confirmed positive case and the new confirmed case WILL NOT
impact our ability to re-open school on Tuesday, September 22, 2020," he
said. District spokeswoman Katie Meier said Thursday that additional cases
reported this week and before next Tuesday would "most likely not"
warrant an extended shutdown. On Tuesday, cases would essentially
"reset" to zero, she said.
Delaware Valley reports two coronavirus cases in schools
Times Tribune SARAH HOFIUS HALL Sep 17,
2020 Updated 1 hr ago
MILFORD — The Delaware Valley School
District reported its first two coronavirus cases since returning to school.
Administrators alerted parents Thursday that one person at the high school and
one person at the middle school tested positive. They last attended school
Monday. The district will remain open, and crews cleaned affected areas of the
buildings. District officials and/or the state Department of Health have
contacted those who were in close contact with the individuals who tested
positive and provided instruction to self-quarantine, according to a letter on
the district's website. Delaware Valley fully reopened Aug. 31.
Student in Clearfield Area School District tests positive
for COVID-19
by WJAC staff Thursday, September 17th
2020
CLEARFIELD, Pa (WJAC) — A student at a
secondary school in the Clearfield Area School District has tested positive for
COVID-19, district officials confirmed in a release. District
officials say the student has not been in school since Friday, Sept. 11. The
family and the district are working with the Department of Health to notify
anyone who has been in contact with the student.
https://wjactv.com/news/local/clearfield-school-district-student-tests-positive-for-covid-19
Baldwin-Whitehall School District suspends football
activities for 14 days after coaching staff member tests positive for COVID-19
WTAE Updated: 11:11 PM EDT Sep 17, 2020
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — The Baldwin-Whitehall
School District has reported three cases of COVID-19, including a member of the
football team's coaching staff. The entire Baldwin football team, made up of
nearly 60 players, were placed in quarantine after the district learned on Thursday
an assistant football coach tested positive for COVID-19. District
superintendent Randal Lutz said the coach started showing symptoms over the
weekend. “Our team played on Friday night. He was present Friday, then he was
present at practice on Saturday,” said Lutz. “Really the impact is just with
our players, and it’s significant.” At this time, the district does not see any
other transmission risks facing the rest of the school community, but the
school did cancel Friday’s football game against North Allegheny. The
Baldwin-Whitehall superintendent said football activities are now suspended for
at least 14 days. “It’s just a really general air of disappointment from an
athletic point of view,” he said. An official with the Western Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Athletic League said schools are asked to reschedule games if
possible when cancellations occur due to COVID-19. WPIAL said if schools can’t
reschedule a game, it will be considered a “no contest” and it will not count
against them when determining playoff qualifiers.
West Greene School District closed after two students
test positive for COVID-19
By the Herald-Standard Sep 17,
2020 Updated 11 hrs ago
Officials in West Greene School District
reported two confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in students on Wednesday, and
moved students to fully remote learning starting today.
The district returned to full in-person
learning on Sept. 3. Officials reported one elementary and one secondary
student contracted the virus, but noted the cases were “unrelated to in-school
transmission.” The district moved students to fully-remote learning until at
least Sept. 21, pending additional state guidance. In a letter posted on the
district’s website, pandemic coordination leader Eric M. Gaydos said the cases
have been reported to the state Department of Health. “As is our practice, we
are working with the health department and are taking all the recommended steps
to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” Gaydos wrote.
2 cases of covid-19 reported at Mt. Lebanon elementary
school in as many days, building closed
Trib Live by TONY
LARUSSA | Thursday,
September 17, 2020 3:27 p.m.
Teachers, staff and the handful of students
attending in-person classes at Mt. Lebanon’s Howe Elementary School won’t be
allowed back in the building for at least five days after a second person
tested positive for covid-19 in as many days, according to a district
spokeswoman. Principal Michelle Murray notified families by letter on Wednesday
that an employee had tested positive for covid-19. The letter said in addition
to cleaning and sanitizing the building, the employee will not be permitted to
return to work “until they have completed isolation procedures for covid-19.” The
district also reported the case to the Allegheny County Health Department,
which will notify any person who may have come within 6 feet of the employee
for at least 15 minutes, according to the letter.
PENNS MANOR STAFFER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
Indiana, PA WCCS AM1160 & 101.1FM Sep 17,
2020 11:02 AM
The Penns Manor School District has reported
that a staffer in their district has contracted Covid-19. The district was
notified by the state Department of Health and an elementary school employee of
the positive case of Covid-19. According to an announcement on the
district’s website, the district and the Department of Health to get in contact
with anyone who may have been in contact with that person. They have not
been in the school since Friday, September 11th. All members of the Penns Manor
community are encouraged to continue monitoring for the symptoms of COVID-19
and communicate any concerns with your health care professional and school
nurse.
https://www.wccsradio.com/2020/09/17/penns-manor-staffer-tests-positive-for-covid-19/
Carlisle High School student tests positive for COVID-19
The Sentinel/Cumberlink by Naomi Creason September
17, 2020
A Carlisle High School student is in
isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, district Superintendent
Christina Spielbauer said in a letter to parents Thursday. Spielbauer said the
student was sent home to isolate, but she did not mention how many students may
have come in contact with the student. The letter did note that the state
Department of Health will be in contact with individuals or a parent/guardian
to provide guidance on quarantine for anyone who was deemed a close contact, or
those who were within six feet of the confirmed case for more than 15 minutes
without a mask. The district said school nurses will follow up with students
who are quarantined to ensure they are following protocols.
2 confirmed virus cases close Gettysburg Area High School
Gettysburg Times
Staff Report Septembeer 17, 2020
Two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among
students at Gettysburg Area High School (GAHS),
prompting an immediate switch to “fully remote learning” through Tuesday, Sept.
22, according to a message sent to students’ families by district
Superintendent Jason Perrin and high school Principal Jeremy Lusk.
https://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/article_494c65dd-4595-594b-8241-9ebcf0c48d40.html
DiSanto failed Pa. voters on redistricting reform |
Opinion
By Jane Gray Capital-Star Op-Ed Contributor September
18, 2020
I’m a constituent of state Sen. John DiSanto,
R-Dauphin. In June I wrote him a letter expressing my disappointment with his
failure to support legislation that
would establish an independent citizens
commission to draw legislative
redistricting lines following this 2020 census. This is an idea that has very
broad public support, according to a poll by the
advocacy group FairDistricts PA. DiSanto gave a statement to FairDistrictsPA
claiming “I have supported redistricting reform in the past and have been a
champion of taking partisan politics out of redistricting. I believe we must
put into place an independent commission that looks only at fairness and not
partisan outcomes.” And yet, as chairman of the Senate State Government
Committee, he had not even held a hearing, much less a vote on the bills which
would make this commission a reality. I went on to urge him to support the current proposal by
Sen. Tom Killion, R-Delaware, that would update the way Pennsylvania draws its
legislative and congressional districts. You
can read more about the proposal on the
FairDistricts PA website.
18,000 Philly school families still lack reliable
internet; board hears of coming financial pain
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Posted: September
17, 2020- 9:30 PM
Philadelphia schools are fully online, but an
estimated 18,000 low-income families with school-age children still lack
reliable high-speed internet service, city officials told the school board
Thursday night. The main issue: It’s tough to reach many parents, and even when
they receive information about the city’s $17 million plan to provide free
internet service for 35,000 families, they require extensive outreach —
sometimes as many as seven contacts before they enroll. Additionally, signing
up is not yet a streamlined process: After calling 211 to inquire about the
program, families are handed off to schools, which must confirm eligibility. And
while some families without broadband internet access or a mobile wireless hot
spot may still be able to access online classwork from their phones, public or
borrowed WiFi, officials said they realized the urgency of dependable access in
a city where over three-quarters of public school students live in poverty. “We
don’t want students or young people using their cellular phones," School
Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said. "We would much rather them having
the access and the devices to do that.”
Philly School Board changes its mind; votes yes on Hilco
refinery redevelopment tax break
WHYY By Catalina
Jaramillo September
17, 2020
The Philadelphia school board unanimously
authorized a proposal to extend tax breaks to the company that plans to
redevelop the massive former South Philadelphia refinery site into a
distribution and commercial hub. Hilco Redevelopment Partners bought the 1,300-acre
former Philadelphia Energy Solutions site out of bankruptcy in June for
$225.5 million. The Chicago-based company said the extension of the Keystone
Opportunity Zone designation, which exempt businesses from most state and local
taxes, is crucial to completing a multibillion-dollar development that could
create an estimate of 13,000 jobs during the construction and
over 19,000 permanent jobs. With seven votes in favor, zero
against, and one abstention, the board consented to abate all real estate taxes imposed on
six of the 17 parcels of the site, if
and when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approves a 10-year extension of their
Keystone Opportunity Zone designation. Board member Lee Huang abstained because
his firm, Econsult Solutions, is a consultant with Hilco.
EDITORIAL: Central York board chooses to do nothing
York Dispatch Editorial Board September 18,
2020
Look away. That is what Central York's school
board has decided is the best thing to do with a proposed new curriculum
dealing with systemic racism. After a heated discussion at August's board
meeting and another on Monday, the all-white school board tabled
a new curriculum that would have given Central York students a deeper look
at race issues that are deeply embedded in this country. Instead of giving
teachers and students new resources and materials to draw from and discuss, the
board decided to let the work of the district's diversity committee die by
neglect. On Monday, Superintendent Michael Snell sought to
dispel misinformation that had generated more than
100 public comments on Aug. 17. “The district is not asking the board
to adopt the Black Lives Matter curriculum,
a Marxist curriculum or anything other than a curriculum based on
state standards," he said. Those misconceptions went along with opinions
voiced by two board members, Vicki Guth and Victoria Gemma, at the Aug. 10 meeting, where
Guth said discussions of white privilege and white saviorism could make
students turn toward socialism and reduce their respect for the country and
their faith.
As wildfires rage, Pennsylvania and 3 other states don’t
teach about climate change
By PAUL MUSCHICK THE MORNING
CALL | SEP 17, 2020 AT 8:00 AM
Pennsylvania is getting hotter and wetter.
But in Pennsylvania schools, there’s no requirement that students learn that
their actions are contributing to it by changing the climate. The state is one
of only four without science education standards to teach that people cause
global warming, a problem that’s difficult to ignore as California wildfires
burn out of control. That could change, if state lawmakers don’t interfere and
play politics. On Sept. 9, the State Board of Education adopted proposed
regulations to amend science standards. Among the changes would be for
instruction about climate change and global warming to begin in kindergarten. The
goal is to implement the standards in the 2024-25 school year, to give schools
time to develop curriculum. The proposal still has to go through a public
comment period, then needs approval from the Independent Regulatory Review
Commission, a five-member board appointed by the Legislature and governor. The
Legislature’s education committees will review the plan, but the General
Assembly’s approval is not required. Lawmakers could, though, try to block the
standards with legislation. That’s a concern, as the Legislature is controlled
by Republicans, the party that often considers climate change to be fake news,
or just doesn’t have the courage to do anything about it. There’s plenty
of evidence that it’s real, and that
something must be done.
8 candidates make their case for single open Phoenixville
School Board seat
Pottstown Mercury By Evan Brandt ebrandt@21st-centurymedia.com
@PottstownNews on Twitter September 18, 2020
PHOENIXVILLE — Eight candidates for an
open seat on the Phoenixville Area School Board were publicly interviewed
online Wednesday night by the eight remaining board members.
The vacancy on the nine-seat board was
created last month when Lori Broker
resigned due to family issues. Broker
was elected in 2017 and the
term on the seat she held expires in December, 2021. Those who applied, in the
order they were interviewed, are Lee Reedy, Chris Marshall, Lisa Longo, Susan
Turner, Maureen Buckley, Kendra O'Donnell, Robert Rodriguez and Charles Miller.
All were interviewed for 10 minutes each and were asked a range of questions
about their background, what vision they see for the district, what the
district's biggest challenge is and what committee they feel they would serve
best. The school board will vote on selecting the newest board member at the
Monday, Sept. 21 meeting at 7 p.m.
Some districts to reopen the gates to hundreds of high
school football fans
BRAD EVERETT Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beverett@post-gazette.com SEP 17,
2020 8:25 PM
A few days after a federal ruling gave the
green light to large gatherings in Pennsylvania, some local school districts
are giving their high school football teams the OK to admit hundreds of fans. The
Butler and Belle Vernon school districts released guidelines this week
regarding spectators at home games. Both schools play their home openers
Friday. Butler is anticipating roughly 750 attendees, a number that includes
its band and cheerleaders, groups they previously were not going to allow.
Belle Vernon has imposed a limit of 627 fans. The decisions come on the heels
of Monday’s ruling by United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV, who
ruled that restrictions on outdoor gatherings mandated by Gov. Tom Wolf to lessen
the spread of COVID-19 are unconstitutional. When the WPIAL high school season
kicked off last Friday, some schools strictly enforced the state’s outdoor
gathering limit of 250, while others did not. West Mifflin and Upper St. Clair
were among those who exceeded 250. A week later, some will now considerably
exceed that previous limit.
“The plan includes safety measures like mask-wearing, physical
distancing, hand hygiene, and temperature checks for athletes and coaches
before practices and travel to competitions. Because football has the highest
level of contact, those athletes will be required to enroll in remote
instruction or the district’s virtual academy from after the first game until
14 days after the last game.”
There will be high school sports at State College as
school board OKs fall competition plan
Centre Daily Times BY
JON SAUBER SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 12:37 AM
State College will officially be allowed to
return to fall sports competition in both contact and non-contact sports after
the school board of directors approved the athletic department’s
Athletics Health and Safety Plan Thursday
night. The decision will allow contact sports such as football, soccer, field
hockey and volleyball to resume competition against other teams once
students return to in-person learning in the school district, and
passed with a 7-2 vote. Board members Lori Bedell and Gretchen Brandt both
voted against the plan. The plan for non-contact sports passed unanimously, and
will allow those teams to begin abbreviated competition schedules immediately. The
school district has been learning remotely since
Sept. 4, after COVID-19 cases began to
spike in the district ZIP codes. A decision is expected Friday on whether
students can return next week to in-person learning.
https://www.centredaily.com/sports/high-school/article245814580.html#storylink=mainstage_lead
Biden: Trump's failure to deliver relief helped lead to
furloughs in Scranton School District
Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Sep 17, 2020 Updated 6
hrs ago
Failure by President Donald Trump to deliver
adequate state and local relief helped lead to the furloughs of 218 Scranton
School District employees, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said
Thursday. Biden’s campaign sent the statement in advance of his visit to the
region Thursday night. The Scranton native participated in an 8 p.m. CNN town
hall in a parking lot outside PNC Field on Montage Mountain Road in Moosic. In
a statement, the Trump campaign said the district’s financial problems started
long before he became president. As Scranton students learn virtually through
at least mid-November, school directors of the financially challenged district
approved the furloughs Monday. The employees, furloughed effective Sept. 30,
include 140 paraprofessionals, eight intervention specialists, four part-time
maintenance workers, one licensed practical nurse, one clerk and 64 crossing
guards. “Educators across Pennsylvania have worked incredibly hard throughout
the pandemic to ensure that students can keep their education on track and
parents can get back to work,” according to the statement from Biden.
“Unfortunately, President Trump has abandoned them at a moment when they need
strong, empathetic leadership the most. Trump not only refused to prioritize
the health and safety of students and educators in Pennsylvania throughout this
crisis — he intentionally misled Americans on the gravity of the virus for his
own political gain. And now, his failure to deliver adequate state and local
fiscal relief funding has hit home in Scranton, where over 200 school district
employees are being furloughed and stripped of their medical benefits.
DeVos Hopeful School Choice Funding Will Be Included in
COVID-19 Relief Bill
Education Week By Evie Blad on September
17, 2020 4:24 PM
As negotiations over the next round of
COVID-19 relief remained stalled on Capitol Hill, U.S. Secretary of Education
Betsy DeVos said Thursday that she's hopeful the final package will include
funding for two programs that would provide public funds and tax credits to
allow families to send their children to private schools. Those items were
included in the most recent GOP bill, which failed to advance in the Senate
last week. Democrats have criticized DeVos's efforts to direct new and
existing relief funds to private school students. They've pushed instead for
more funding to shore up the budgets of struggling state and local governments.
School administrators have said cuts at the state and local level could lead to
teacher layoffs and elimination of educational programs. Even as some members
of Congress warned that a bipartisan compromise is not likely before the
November presidential election, DeVos said she's hopeful the school choice
elements will remain in the final package.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/09/devos-school-choice-covid-relief.html
DeVos Vows to Withhold Desegregation Aid to Schools Over
Transgender Athletes
New York Times By Luke Broadwater and Erica
L. Green Sept. 18, 2020, 5:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON — The Education Department is
preparing to withhold millions of dollars from Connecticut schools over their
refusal to withdraw from an athletic conference that allows transgender
students to compete on teams that correspond with their gender identity. The
move to withhold about $18 million intended to help schools desegregate could
have national implications for both transgender athletes and students of color.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights has warned officials at three
Connecticut school districts that it will not release desegregation grants as
planned on Oct. 1, unless the districts cut ties with the Connecticut
Interscholastic Athletic Conference over its transgender policies. Negotiations
among the parties continued Thursday evening. Officials with the conference,
which governs high school athletics in the state, say their policies conform to
Connecticut law.
Trump alleges ‘left-wing indoctrination’ in schools, says
he will create national commission to push more ‘pro-American’ history
Washington Post By Moriah Balingit and Laura Meckler September
17, 2020 at 5:38 p.m. EDT
President Trump pressed his case Thursday
that U.S. schools are indoctrinating children with a left-wing agenda hostile
to the nation’s Founding Fathers, describing efforts to educate students about
racism and slavery as an insult to the country’s lofty founding principles. Trump,
speaking before original copies of the Constitution and Declaration of
Independence at the National Archives, characterized demonstrations against
racial injustice as “left-wing rioting and mayhem” that “are the direct result
of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools. It’s gone on far too
long.” The federal government has no power over the curriculum taught in local
schools. Nonetheless, Trump said he would create a national commission to
promote a “pro-American curriculum that celebrates the truth about our nation’s
great history,” which he said would encourage educators to teach students about
the “miracle of American history.”
52 Years Ago, Thelonious Monk Played a High School. Now
Everyone Can Hear It.
An ambitious student named Danny Scher booked
the jazz great at Palo Alto High School in Northern California. A recording of
the event gathered dust for five decades.
New York Times By Marcus J. Moore Sept.
16, 2020
In the late 1960s, a precocious student named
Danny Scher was the elected social commissioner at Palo Alto High School in
Northern California. His duties included organizing dances and assemblies, but
Mr. Scher, who grew up playing in jazz bands, wanted jazz musicians to perform
at the school, too. He convinced the vibraphonist Cal Tjader, the singer Jon
Hendricks and the pianist Vince Guaraldi (of “Peanuts” fame) to play separate
gigs in the school’s spacious auditorium. Then he turned his attention to his
idol, Thelonious Monk. Monk, a
pianist, was more than a decade past his most famous recordings and near the
end of an unfruitful run at Columbia Records when his manager got the request
from Mr. Scher. The jazz titan agreed to perform at the school on Sunday, Oct.
27, 1968. He was already scheduled to be in the area for a three-week stint at
the Jazz Workshop, a club in San Francisco, so Mr. Scher had his older brother
Les drive there and pick up the pianist and his band. There were no plans to
preserve the one-off concert, but a school janitor asked Mr. Scher whether he
could record the show if he tuned the piano. Now, 52 years later, Impulse!
Records and Legacy Recordings are releasing it as an album called “Palo Alto”
that captures the 47-minute concert in full. The “Palo Alto” recording had
collected dust in the attic of Mr. Scher’s family home until he contacted
Monk’s son — the jazz drummer and bandleader T.S. Monk — about releasing it.
Digitally restored and widely available for the first time on Friday, “Palo
Alto” captures a band hitting a high note, even as Monk battled personal and
professional turmoil.
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
295 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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