Started in
November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, superintendents, school solicitors,
principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher
leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations,
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Connectivity
and transportation issues; USDA extends waivers
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in Senator Daniel Laughlin’s school districts paid over $12.2
million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter tuition
in 2018-2019.
|
Erie City SD
|
$5,964,477.96
|
|
Fairview SD
|
$153,355.59
|
|
Fort LeBoeuf SD
|
$703,217.99
|
|
General McLane SD
|
$517,769.05
|
|
Girard SD
|
$682,871.21
|
|
Harbor Creek SD
|
$394,056.78
|
|
Iroquois SD
|
$395,082.99
|
|
Millcreek Township SD
|
$1,654,622.86
|
|
North East SD
|
$343,986.42
|
|
Northwestern SD
|
$691,944.65
|
|
Wattsburg Area SD
|
$790,236.00
|
|
|
$12,291,621.50
|
Data Source: PDE
via PSBA
USDA extends waivers that allow delivery of school meals.
But funding could run out this year.
DANIEL MOORE Post-Gazette Washington Bureau SEP
1, 2020 12:38 PM
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of
Agriculture has extended waivers that allow children to receive school meals
potentially through the end of the year, after lawmakers expressed concerns
about the expiration of the waivers and as school districts attempt to welcome
back students. The department, citing the “unprecedented” nature of the
continuing pandemic, said it extended nationwide waivers for the Summer Food
Service Program and Seamless Summer Option through the end of 2020 — or until
available funding runs out. Officials made clear Congress would need to approve
more funding for the program to continue beyond that point. The waivers, among
other things, allow meals to be served in all areas and at no cost; permit
meals to be served outside of certain group settings and meal times; and allow
parents and guardians to pick up meals for their children. Put together, they
likely will provide some breathing room for Pittsburgh-area officials who
had expressed concerns last
week.
“Speculation has arisen that the USDA made it difficult to
continue feeding kids who were learning virtually because the Trump
administration wanted schools open for in-person learning. Administration
officials denied that.”
Under pressure, Trump administration reverses course,
easing way for Philly, U.S. kids to get school lunch during pandemic
Inquirer by Alfred Lubrano, Updated: September 1,
2020- 6:33 PM
As Philadelphia’s school year begins
Wednesday with remote learning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given in
to bipartisan pressure from Congress and announced it will eliminate red tape
that would have made it difficult for children at home to access school meals. For the
USDA, this reverses a highly unpopular stance taken by the Trump administration
during a pandemic that’s plunged families into unemployment and poverty. Beginning
in March, the USDA relaxed its own complex regulations and allowed families to
pick up breakfast and lunch at schools or other sites, since their children
were compelled to learn virtually from home. As a result, many more children
were able to eat. But during the summer, the agency said it would end the
waivers once the school year started, claiming it didn’t have permission or
money from Congress to continue. “While we want to provide as much flexibility
as local school districts need during this pandemic,” Agriculture Secretary
Sonny Perdue said last month, “the scope of this request is beyond what USDA
currently has the authority to implement.” In a stunning barrage of letters to
the USDA, members of Congress disagreed, saying they had indeed given the
agency the wherewithal to allow the feeding to continue.
First day of school assignment: Make sure your kids have
internet access for virtual learning | Opinion
Jim Kenney and William Hite, For The Inquirer
September 2, 2020
Jim Kenney is the mayor of Philadelphia and
William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D. is Superintendent of The School District of
Philadelphia.
Wednesday is the first day for Philadelphia’s
public schools and it is certainly unlike any other in our lifetime. While we
won’t see young people boarding a bus or walking to school, full of excitement,
we take joy in knowing that our students will be starting a new year of
learning and growth. Thanks to the incredible effort of our administrators,
educators, support staff, and many others, the school year is starting as
planned, with students logging online to meet their new teachers and
classmates. When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, we realized we had to create a
whole new rulebook for making sure students learn during this pandemic, and we
know what we have is not perfect. So that’s why we want to be upfront about
what we’re doing, who is involved, and where we’ll need help from you—Philadelphians—to
make sure this works. Thankfully, we are Philadelphia—a city that comes
together when times get tough. A city that understands that NO child should be
without reliable internet.
A strong rural America starts with connectivity
The Hill BY REP. GLENN “GT” THOMPSON (R-PA.),
OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 08/26/20 05:00 PM EDT 243
Over the last several months, COVID-19 has
changed our lives in a multitude of ways. Our routines were digitized almost
overnight as business meetings transitioned to conference calls, classrooms
became virtual meetings, and time spent with loved ones and friends became a
luxury. While we all depend on broadband connectivity every day, the global
pandemic has underscored just how much we rely upon this technology. In 21st
century America, reliable connectivity is something many of us take for
granted. Just like flipping the switch to turn on your lights, we’ve come to
expect reliable, fast, uninterrupted access to the Internet. However, more
than 19 million Americans do not
have access to a reliable broadband connection. As technology advances and the
economy diversifies, keeping up with technological demands is necessary to
compete in a modern marketplace. When many schools closed their doors earlier
this spring, millions of parents found themselves in an unexpected
homeschooling situation. I’ve heard from families throughout my district that
do not have access to reliable high-speed Internet; they were forced to drive
to the local library parking lot in hopes of connecting to public Wi-Fi so
their children could complete homework. In more extreme cases, some school have
resorted to printing out hard copies of assignments and delivering them to
students. Nowhere has the digital divide been more obvious than in rural
America.
With Or Without Laptops, Pittsburgh Schools Start Monday
By Mary Niederberger Pittsburgh Current
Education Writer mary@pittsburghcurrent.com September
1, 2020
With or without the remainder of its needed
computers, virtual classes will begin in the Pittsburgh Public schools on
Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Current reported Saturday, Aug. 29 that the start of
classes in the district would be delayed until Sept. 8 because of a huge
shortage of computer devices. The district said it was still waiting to receive
7,000 devices. Online classes were supposed to start Monday, and for weeks,
district officials said they expected to have enough devices for all students
if those who had access to family-owned computers continued to use them. As
the Pittsburgh Current reported on June 16, after
a disastrous spring of online learning, superintendent Anthony Hamlet said that
every student would have a laptop or tablet by the start of school. In
fact, as late as Monday, Aug. 24, PPS Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said in a
virtual public forum sponsored by the Forbes Fund unequivocally that school
would be ready to start on Aug. 31. Then, two days later, the PPS Board of
Directors voted 7-2 to award Hamlet a new four-year contract that will run
until June 30, 2025. Hamlet’s current contract wasn’t set to expire until June
2021. Three days after that, as parents showed up and waited in long lines to
pick up devices for their children’s education, the district announced it had
run out. Later on Aug. 29, school was officially delayed.
Despite pandemic, districts must provide transportation
to private school students
Delco Times by MediaNews Group Sep 1,
2020 Updated 11 hrs ago
School districts in Pennsylvania must provide
transportation to nonpublic students, even if those school districts are
operating remotely.
WEST CHESTER — Pennsylvania school
districts that provide transportation to both charter and nonpublic students
will be reimbursed regardless of whether those districts are utilizing a remote
or hybrid education model in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to
updated guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE),
state Senator Andy Dinniman said. Prior to this development, PDE’s official
website indicated that school districts were not required to continue to
nonpublic school transportation services while public schools were closed due
to COVID-19 response efforts. Dinniman, who serves as minority chair of the
Senate Education Committee, said he was pleased that PDE clarified this
position and this week acted in accordance with state statutory language and
past practices “For many students in Chester County and across the
Commonwealth, this is the first week of school. I know a lot of parents of
brick-and-mortar charter students, as well as those attending in nonpublic,
private, religious, and parochial schools, were concerned about transportation
and rightfully so,” he said. “Under the latest guidance, transportation and
reimbursement to the district are required for charter students, regardless of
whether a district is providing transportation for its own (public) students.
And school districts providing transportation for nonpublic students will be
reimbursed under the current statute.”
Scranton, other school districts returning virtually to
save on transportation costs
Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Sep 1,
2020 Updated 11 min ago
The Scranton School District could save as
much as $1.2 million in transportation costs if students learn from home
through December. With half of Lackawanna County’s school districts starting
the year virtually, those districts — Abington Heights, Carbondale, Lakeland,
Scranton and Valley View — will save busing costs. In the spring, the state
required districts to either negotiate with or pay bus contractors in full to
keep normal transportation subsidy payments for the 2019-20 school year. Without
guidance from the state for this fall, district leaders said they sought legal
opinions in determining both whether to pay contractors for buses not needed
and whether to transport students to private schools. Leaders of districts with
virtual starts say they will only pay contractors for buses used. Scranton,
which had planned to use 30 Red Top vehicles and 63 DeNaples Transportation
buses this fall, will only use seven buses while the district remains virtual. Under
normal circumstances, if a district provides transportation to its students,
state law requires the district to transport private school students too, if
the school is within 10 miles of the district’s boundary.
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf renews the COVID-19 disaster
declaration for another 90 days
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated Sep
01, 2020; Posted Sep 01, 2020
For the second time since the first two
presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus appeared in Pennsylvania on March
6, Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday renewed the state’s disaster declaration for
the pandemic for another 90 days. “As we
approach the six-month mark of this crisis, I continue to be amazed at the
resiliency and strength shown by Pennsylvanians during this pandemic,” Wolf
said in a statement. “We are going to continue to combat the health and
economic effects of COVID-19, and the renewal of my disaster declaration will
provide us with resources and support needed for this effort.” This comes at a
time when the House returns to voting session and a renewed effort is afoot in
the chamber to try to thwart the
governor’s emergency powers by overriding Wolf’s veto of a
bill that would allow the Legislature to force the governor to end the disaster
declaration.
Here's the back-to-school reopening plans of Bucks and
Montco districts
Intelligencer by Crissa Shoemaker cshoemaker@theintell.com Updated
September1, 2020
School districts across the region are
wrestling with how to reopen schools in the fall. Some have delayed any
offering of in-school learning until later in the fall. Others are offering
hybrid plans that allow for maximum social distancing. A handful are allowing
students to return full time to the classroom. Here’s the latest in how schools
in Bucks and eastern Montgomery counties are planning to start their 2020-21
school years.
On back-to-school eve for 125,000 Philly students, ‘a
level of excitement,’ but concerns about finances
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Posted: September
1, 2020- 5:08 PM
Launching a school year fully remotely will
without doubt be a challenge, Philadelphia’s schools chief said. How will
students and teachers build community? How will they overcome technology
challenges? What about parents who lack child care, and kids starved for
socialization and face time with educators? But as 125,000 Philadelphia School
District students prepare to return to class Wednesday, “there’s still a level
of excitement and optimism” with the launch of a new term, Superintendent
William R. Hite Jr. said Tuesday. The district will not hold in-person classes
at least until mid-November, though Hite said the school system’s most
vulnerable students could return earlier if building and health conditions
permit. One major question mark is the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
contract, which expired Monday with no new agreement reached.
Philadelphia’s school year starts with doubts — and
resolve to make virtual learning work
Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa and Bill Hangley Jr. Sep
1, 2020, 10:09pm EDT
On the eve of the official start of school,
parents and students arrived at C.W. Henry School in Mt. Airy to pick up books
and supplies for the coming year. The theme of the day: Making the best of a
bad situation. Eighth-grader Micah Kearney-Lester isn’t thrilled that summer’s
over, but he’s not too concerned about having to start school online. “It
doesn’t matter to me. I don’t really like being at school that much,” he said
as he stood outside Henry on Tuesday with a bag full of workbooks. Kearney-Lester’s
mother says she is uneasy about him starting a new school year online, but she
likes what she has seen so far. As disrupted as the spring semester’s emergency
shift to online learning was, said Andrea Kearney, “I saw him become a more
independent student. More hands-on.” She hopes virtual learning might
accelerate students’ engagement with technology they’ll rely on for years to
come. “It’s a 21st century moment,” she said. That same mixture of unease and
hope hangs over Philadelphia, where the school year opens Wednesday with
all-virtual instruction. Teachers and parents expressed lingering concerns over
the quality of online learning, how to make it accessible for all children, and
whether buildings will be ready for a return to the classroom later in the
fall.
Parents, teachers brace for return of virtual school in
Philadelphia
WHYY By Miles
Bryan and Avi Wolfman-Arent September 2, 2020
Most Philadelphia public school children
won’t have the familiar, first-day rituals this year. No crowded blacktops full
of nervous parents. No new outfits to flaunt. No need for the latest superhero
backpack. The School District of Philadelphia decided in late July that it
would hold classes online until at least mid-November. That decision followed
months of debate over how — or whether — to reopen city schools. Superintendent
William Hite, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, and several
school board members endorsed a plan that would have allowed students to return
for two days of face-to-face learning a week. Stiff parent and staff backlash
forced Hite to retract that plan. Instead, the district — and many of the
city’s charter schools — opted to begin the year virtually. Pressing questions
remain. Working parents have to find child care. Educators wonder how they’ll
reach students, academically and emotionally, from behind a computer screen.
Philly schools hire new chief operating officer
Special to the Capital-Star By The
Philadelphia Tribune September 1, 2020
PHILADELPHIA — The
School District of Philadelphia has hired Reginald B. McNeil to serve as its
new chief operating officer, district officials announced Monday. McNeil
previously worked as executive director of capital programs for the Charleston
County School District in Charleston, S.C. “I’m honored and excited to serve
the students and front-line educators of the School District of Philadelphia,”
McNeil said in a news release. “My goal is to focus on long-term sustainable
plans across all of our departments, and my hope is that all children, no
matter their background, will experience a safe and comfortable learning
environment.” McNeil has more than 20 years of experience in facilities and
operations. “We had an array of quality candidates and, after meeting with
Reggie, it was clear to me that he was the best person for this very important
role,” Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said in a news release. “Our vision
for this role was to have someone who can ensure that this work is done
efficiently and in a manner that keeps the safety and well-being of our
students and staff as their top priority. Reggie believes in putting students
first and considers the primary mission of operations to support the
development and success of students and staff.” McNeil started with the
district on Aug. 24.
Lancaster community members rebuke proposed
sports-infused charter school at hearing
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer September
1, 2020
Members of the Lancaster community excoriated
a proposal for a sports-infused charter school during a hearing with the School
District of Lancaster school board Tuesday night. Brian Ombiji, founder of the
professional soccer club AFC Lancaster Lions, looked on as Lancaster residents,
one after another, walked up to the microphone at McCaskey East High School and
picked apart his 100-plus-page charter school application. The proposed school,
called the AFCLL Academy Charter School, would serve students in grades five
through eight and focus on educating children through sports, particularly
soccer. Its plan is to serve about 100 students starting in August 2021, with
the hopes of doubling enrollment in five years. "In my opinion, charter
schools are detrimental to communities," Susan Knoll said. "If
anything, it seems this institution will only exacerbate inequality by taking
away tax dollars from our SDoL students," Laura Shelton said. Other
commenters included representatives from La Academia Partnership Charter
School, the lone brick-and-mortar charter school in Lancaster city, and the
Lancaster NAACP. La Academia Principal Tommy Henley cited issues with the
school's curriculum and instructional models, its seemingly narrow focus on
sports, and its seeming failure to fill a need in the community. While he
admires Ombiji's "grittiness and relentlessness," Henley said,
"they aren't closing a gap that the district or the only charter school in
the district isn't closing." The Rev. Al Williams, speaking on behalf of
the Lancaster NAACP, said the group is not convinced the proposed charter
school would provide a fair and equitable educational option for students in
the city, which, historically, require more services such as English as a
second language programming.
Pittsburgh Public School employees who distributed
laptops showing covid-19 symptoms
Trib Live by JULIA FELTON | Tuesday,
September 1, 2020 9:01 a.m.
Two Pittsburgh Public Schools employees from
Montessori PreK-5 are experiencing covid-19 symptoms after participating in a
technology distribution event at Montessori on Friday. The district said both
employees were wearing personal protective equipment and abiding by social
distancing guidelines during the distribution. Both employees have been tested
and are awaiting results. School officials notified parents in a letter. “We
are committed to sharing this type of information with you as the health and
safety of our students, family and staff is our number one priority,” the
letter said. “As a reminder, the symptoms of covid-19 include a fever, cough
and shortness of breath. If you or a member of your family experience any of
the symptoms above, we encourage you to please follow up with your primary care
physician.”
A third COVID-19 case for South Western schools
Lindsay C VanAsdalan York
Dispatch September 1, 2020
South Western officials on Tuesday
evening reported a third confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in the school
district. Officials just one day prior announced the district would be
shutting down for a week after a second case was confirmed, at Baresville
Elementary. The first was reported at the high school on Aug. 26. In an emailed
letter sent to parents Tuesday evening, officials announced a third case at
Park Hills Elementary. "This confirmed case does not change our plans to
reopen for face to face instruction with our approved hybrid A/B schedule on
September 8, 2020," Superintendent Jay Burkhart said in the
letter. Schools are currently closed through Friday, with plans to resume
remote learning on Tuesday. Under the hybrid model, students attend in-person
classes three days per week and online classes two days per week.
Mount Carmel Area changing to hybrid plan
The district has received confirmation of
four positive cases of COVID-19.
Author: WNEP Web Staff Published: 11:03
PM EDT September 1, 2020
MOUNT CARMEL, Pa. — The Mount Carmel Area
School District will be moving to a hybrid learning schedule starting tomorrow
due to coronavirus concerns. The district has now received confirmation
of four positive cases. The district closed buildings for deep cleaning on
Monday after two students tested positive for COVID-19. Mount Carmel Area
says the switch to hybrid learning is temporary through September 11.
Williams Valley postpones new school year’s start to next
week with 5 days in-person classes, online option
Penn Live By Steve
Marroni | smarroni@pennlive.com Updated
12:02 PM; Today 11:57 AM
The Williams Valley School District has
pushed back the start of the new school year to Sept. 8 and will implement five
days of in-person instruction with an option to learn online. This is a change
from a the hybrid model the district was going to use over coronavirus
concerns.
A school district that overlaps the borders
of Dauphin and Schuylkill counties has pushed back the first day of school
until next week and approved a plan Monday night for students to attend classes
in-person five days per week. The change comes after an emergency school board
meeting was called for the Williams Valley School
District Monday night to make the last-minute switch, citing “live-streaming
concerns.” The school was originally going to
operate with a hybrid approach of students attending two days in person and
three online due to the coronavirus pandemic. But
after Monday night’s change, the start of school has been pushed back from
today until Sept. 8, district officials told parents on the school’s Facebook
page. And instead of the hybrid approach, the district is moving to five days
of in-person instruction with an option for students to attend online.
“These startling figures were the reality faced by many women,
particularly women of color, in Chester County prior to COVID-19. Now, in the
midst of a global pandemic, when the family juggling act has intensified and
the ability to provide the most basic needs is even more at risk, the crises
faced by working mothers cannot be ignored.”
A Chester County working mom's perspective on school in
pandemic era
Pottstown Mercury Opinion Michelle Legaspi
Sanchez Sep 1, 2020 Updated 15 hrs ago
Michelle Legaspi Sanchez is executive
director of Chester County Fund for Women and Girls.
Back-to-school shopping lists and “First Day
of School” photos look a bit unusual these days. Face masks and Chromebooks
never made the list before, and never have I seen as many children starting
their academic year in sweatpants. I totally get it. As a mother of five (a
rising high schooler, a rising middle schooler, and three rising
kindergartners), I am in the throes of this alternative reality we never could
have imagined. My “third shift” job has been preparing for the start of this
school year and worrying about how to ensure my girls will have their academic
needs met, connect with their classmates as they start in new school
communities, and remain healthy. All parents are wrestling with these difficult
questions in some form or another. As complicated as my family’s schedule and
contingency plans look right now (believe me… I have plans for my plans), I am
privileged with a job that gives me a fair amount of flexibility over my
schedule and a spouse who contributes to our parenting responsibilities. As
worried and fatigued as I am, I know that most working moms are not as
fortunate.
Zoom and gloom: Virtual schooling has begun, and it is
unsustainable. | Maria Panaritis
Inquirer Opinion by Maria
Panaritis | @panaritism | mpanaritis@inquirer.com Posted: September
1, 2020 - 4:38 PM
The ugly is here. It began, for me, on
Monday, in the form of two small Chrome tablets on folding buffet tables in
opposing corners of a smallish dining room. A first grader and a second grader
started Day One of their public school year with little more than a stylus, and
the determination of teachers to guide them through what even many corporate
executives would find taxing: Spending nearly seven hours navigating multiple
online platforms and logins. Learning, through Zoom, how to write. How to read.
How to sit still. How to make *friends* whom they may never meet in person if
schools don’t find the will or the way to ever reopen amid COVID-19. “My wish,”
said one of the boys to his virtual class, as I struggled to keep focus one
room away on the journalism also required of me as a full-time member of the
workforce, “is for COVID to go away.” The rest of the kids, he later told me,
expressed much the same desire: They wished either for COVID-19 to go away, or
to one day actually see and play with the classmates they were meeting with
only through Zoom boxes, starting at 8:45 a.m. and not ending until 3:30 p.m.
Jill Biden says parents are ’losing sleep’ as kids go
back to school, but ‘we haven’t given up’
Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Posted: September
1, 2020- 12:02 PM
WILMINGTON — Jill Biden said Tuesday that her
husband would increase investment in public schools and support teachers if
elected president, as she highlighted the anxiety around returning to school
during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After
touring Evan G. Shortlidge Academy, a K-2 school in Wilmington opening
virtually Sept. 8, Biden told a small group of teachers, school staff, and
leaders that “the best policies don’t come from politicians — they come from
educators like you.” She praised the school’s efforts to continue educating
students, saying that while educators and parents are “losing sleep” over the
new school year, staff at the elementary school are meeting the challenge,
distributing meals and technology. “Americans of all walks of life are putting
their shoulders back and they’re fighting for each other. We haven’t given up,”
Biden said. “We just need leadership worthy of our nation, and worthy of all of
you.” The event marked the first stop on a 10-city “Back to School” tour for
Biden, a longtime educator who has said she plans to continue teaching if
former Vice President Joe Biden is elected president.
Blogger commentary:
Parents considering cyber charters due to COVID might not be
aware of their 20 year consistent track record of academic underperformance. As
those parents face an expected blitz of advertising by cybers, in order for
them to make a more informed decision, you might consider providing them with
some of the info listed below:
A June 2 paper from the highly respected Brookings Institution stated,
“We find the impact of attending a virtual charter on student achievement is
uniformly and profoundly negative,” and then went on to say that “there is no
evidence that virtual charter students improve in subsequent years.”
In 2016, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers,
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the national charter lobbying
group 50CAN released a report on cyber charters that found that overall, cyber
students make no significant gains in math and less than half the gains in reading
compared with their peers in traditional public schools.
A Stanford University CREDO
Study in 2015 found that cyber students on average lost 72 days a year
in reading and 180 days a year in math compared with students in traditional
public schools.
From 2005 through 2012 under the federal No Child Left
Behind Act, most Pennsylvania cybers never made “adequate yearly progress.”
Following NCLB, for all five years (2013-2017) that Pennsylvania’s School
Performance Profile system was in place, not one cyber charter ever achieved a
passing score of 70.
Under Pennsylvania’s current accountability system, the Future Ready PA Index, all 15 cyber charters that operated
2018-2019 have been identified for some level of support and improvement.
PA SCHOOLS WORK WEBINAR : Public School Advocacy in the
New Normal of a COVID-19 World; Tue, Sep 15, 2020 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM EDT
For the foreseeable future, COVID-19 is a part
of our everyday lives. More parents and community members than ever before have
engaged at the school district level as schools wrestled with their options for
reopening this fall. This conversation will be about continuing our advocacy
for public schools, and how the challenges districts are facing in the COVID-19
era are magnified by long-term inequities in our funding system and years of
lackluster financial support for public education from state government. So,
what can we do about it? Come find out
PSBA Fall Virtual Advocacy Day: OCT 8, 2020 • 8:00
AM - 5:00 PM
Sign up now for PSBA’s Virtual Advocacy Day this
fall!
All public school leaders are invited to join
us for our fall Virtual Advocacy Day on Thursday, October 8, 2020, via Zoom. We
need all of you to help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center
around contacting legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public education.
Registrants will receive the meeting invitation with a link to our fall Virtual
Advocacy Day website that contains talking points, a link to locate contact
information for your legislator and additional information to help you have a
successful day.
Cost: As a membership benefit, there is no
cost to register.
Registration: School directors can register
online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you
have questions about Virtual Advocacy Day, or need additional information,
contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org.
Save The Date: The PSBA 2020 Equity Summit is happening
virtually on October 13th.
Discover how to build a foundation for equity
in practice and policy.
Learn more: https://t.co/KQviB4TTOj
PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 14-15
Virtual
Registration is now open for the first ever
virtual School Leadership Conference! Join us for all-new educational sessions,
dynamic speakers, exhibitors, and more! Visit the website for registration
information: https://t.co/QfinpBL69u #PASLC20 https://t.co/JYeRhJLUmZ
What to expect at this year’s School Leadership
Conference
POSTED ON AUGUST 31, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
At the 2020 PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference on October 14-15, you'll encounter the same high-quality experience
you've come to expect, via new virtual platform. Hear world-class speakers and
relevant educational sessions, and network with exhibitors and attendees — from
the comfort of your home or office on any internet-enabled device.
The virtual conference platform is accessible
via a unique link provided to each registrant about a week before conference.
No additional app downloads are required. The intuitive 3D interface is easy to
use and immersive — you'll feel like you're on location. Registrants will be
able to explore the space a day before conference starts. Highlights
include:
- Virtual
exhibit hall
- Interactive
lobby area and information desk
- Virtual
auditorium
- Digital
swag bag
- Scavenger
hunt
This year, conference is completely free
to attend! Be among the first 125 to register, and receive a special
pre-conference swag bag, sent to your home. Click here for
more information about how to register.
Adopt the resolution against racial inequity!
School boards are asked to adopt this
resolution supporting the development of an anti-racist climate. Once adopted,
share your resolution with your local community and submit a copy to PSBA.
Learn more: http://ow.ly/yJWA50B2R72
Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
In this legislative session, PSBA has been
leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s
Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to
join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school
boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your
next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.
292 PA school boards have adopted charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 290 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution
calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law
to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality
and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from
school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform.
Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from
the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions
of dollars to charter schools.
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call
for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:
The Network for Public Education Action Conference has been
rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel
Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may
be affiliated with.
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