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 30, 2020
HB2696: PA
House Ed Committee plans to vote tomorrow morning on voucher bill that would
hand $500M in federal dollars to unaccountable private & religious schools
The Ed Policy Roundup will be offline
Thursday, Friday and Monday; returning on Tuesday October 6th
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member David Hickernell’s school
districts paid over $6.5 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Columbia Borough SD |
$1,071,571.66 |
|
Donegal SD |
$1,259,870.86 |
|
Elizabethtown Area SD |
$1,155,751.38 |
|
Hempfield SD |
$1,657,030.71 |
|
Lower Dauphin SD |
$1,356,798.66 |
|
|
$6,501,023.27 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
Here’s a link to the bill:
Here’s a link to the members of the House
Education Committee.
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=12&CteeBody=H
“Across the United
States, the disparities between poor and affluent districts are growing as
school boards face increased costs from the pandemic - including technology for
remote learning and safety measures such as cleaning - at a time of declining
tax revenues. Students in urban school districts, including York, are also more
likely to see in-person learning halted because of higher levels of coronavirus
spread in more densely populated areas.”
Unequal education: Pandemic widens race, class gaps in
U.S. schools
Reuters By Nathan Layne 10 MIN READ
SEPTEMBER 29, 20207:08 AM
YORK, Pa. (Reuters) - Natalie Cruz, 12,
missed math and language arts instruction one recent morning because the
school’s virtual interface would not load. Carlos, her 8-year-old brother, sat
beside her at the kitchen table, studying with last year’s workbooks because
the district had yet to supply him with a PC, weeks after instruction started
online. Across town, Zachary and Zeno Lentz, 5 and 9, were at their
high-performing elementary schools, where they attend in-person on Tuesdays and
Fridays. They learn remotely the other three days, assisted by their
college-educated mother, a social worker who can do her job from home. The Cruz
and Lentz children are separated by just a few miles in York, Pennsylvania. But
they are a world apart in educational opportunities, a gap education experts
say has widened amid the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic. Belen Cruz, a
single mother and nurse, is most worried about Natalie, who has learning
difficulties and would benefit from in-person support. The mother can’t afford
a tutor and on weekdays usually leaves both children with her parents, who
don’t speak English well, while she works at a nursing home. “I think she will
be behind,” Cruz said, sitting in her two-bedroom row home in a working-class
neighborhood. Her children’s schools are in the York City district, whose
student population, about half Latino and one-third Black, scores well below
average on the state’s standardized proficiency exams. The Lentz family lives
in the predominantly white York Suburban district, which boasts above-average
scores on the tests.
“One of major concerns Powell outlined was its lack of support
for students with special needs and English language learners. The application,
she said, states that additional staffing for such populations aren't
necessary, "because students are hard workers." The application also
projects a nearly $5 million budget deficit in five years, raising questions
about the school's sources of revenue, Powell said. What's more, the
application did not include any letters of support for the school from the
Lancaster community.”
An 'extremely negligent application': Lancaster school
board sharply criticizes sports-centered charter school proposal
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer September
30, 2020
Inconsistent. Vague. Negligent. Those are the
words School District of Lancaster administration and school board members used
during a hearing Tuesday night to describe an application for a sports-infused
charter school within the district's boundaries. They castigated the
application for its apparent lack of detail related to its programming and
curriculum, deficient support for students learning English as a second
language and students requiring special education services, conflicting and
unclear information regarding staffing and budgeting, as well as its apparently
nonexistent community support. The proposed charter 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. Applying for the school is a group led by AFC
Lancaster Lions pro soccer club founder Brian Ombiji. To open, the charter
school application must be approved by the school board. A vote is expected to
occur at its Oct. 20 meeting. According to the administration's recommendation
Tuesday, it doesn't appear likely that it'll be approved. "The
administration cannot endorse this charter application," Carol Powell,
assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, told the board during
a 20-minute presentation summarizing various concerns with the application.
Campaign Finance 101: How big money influences our
politics, and how small money could be an answer
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso September
30, 2020
Money is everywhere in American politics.
It funds the campaign ads interrupting your streaming
service, the glossy brochures clogging your mailbox, as well as the incessant
buzzing of text messages imploring you to vote. That money comes in all shapes
and sizes, from your neighbor with a spare $10 all the way to the powerful
interest groups who spend millions of dollars to fund an entire campaign. Elected
officials will argue that the contributions that interest groups make to
candidates, whether it’s Planned Parenthood, a police union, or a fossil fuel
company, are not intended to buy support. Instead, it’s the other way
around, they argue. Interest groups, seeing a like-minded politician, will
invest in an ally. But it’s hard not to see the conflict when policies that
help big donors are favored by politicians, and policies that hurt those groups
are ignored, impacting such issues as gambling and worker’s compensation or
such industries as insurance and natural gas.
So how does this many-tentacled system work,
and why should you care?
Months into the pandemic, digital divide still leaves
poor kids at a disadvantage
PA Capital Star By Ariana Figueroa September
29, 2020
Members of the U.S. Senate are pushing for $4
billion in the next coronavirus relief package to help students in rural and
low-income areas gain access to high speed internet. A digital divide that
emerged as a major problem when schools shut down amid the pandemic last spring
has persisted into the new academic year, and advocates for funding say help is
urgently needed for kids whose schools remain partly or entirely online. For
many students, it’s not clear when schools will fully open again for in-person
learning, with warnings of new outbreaks as flu season arrives. “As the COVID-19
pandemic continues to threaten the health and safety of our children and our
families, we must ensure students have the ability to learn from home,” Sen.
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who’s been pushing for additional funds and an
expanded federal access program, said in a statement to Maryland
Matters. “But far too many children lack the equipment or the
internet access they need — worsening the already present ‘homework gap’ into a
full-blown ‘learning gap.’”
COVID-19 cases rising among US children as schools reopen
WHYY By Associated Press Lindsey Tanner September 29, 2020
After preying heavily on the elderly in the
spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens
in a trend authorities say appears driven by school reopenings and the
resumption of sports, playdates and other activities. Children of all ages now
make up 10% of all U.S cases, up from 2% in April, the American Academy of
Pediatrics reported Tuesday. And the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention said Monday that the incidence of COVID-19 in school-age
children began rising in early September as many youngsters returned to their
classrooms. About two times more teens were infected than younger children, the
CDC report said. Most
infected children have mild cases; hospitalizations and death rates are much
lower than in adults. Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of
Pediatrics, said the rising numbers are a big concern and underscore the
importance of masks, hand-washing, social distancing and other precautions. “While
children generally don’t get as sick with the coronavirus as adults, they are
not immune and there is much to learn about how easily they can transmit it to
others,’’ she said in a statement.
https://whyy.org/articles/covid-19-cases-rising-among-us-children-as-schools-reopen/
Guest commentary: Schools need funding boost more than
ever [Opinion]
Reading Eagle Opinion By Becky Ellis, Reading
School Board Sep 28, 2020
Most years, the first day of school arrives
with anticipation and possibility as students, parents, teachers, and
administrators look forward to the hope and promise of a new year. This year is
different. The return to school has engendered uncertainty and even
frustration. Each school district is struggling to balance safety and
educational quality in a COVID-19 world, and to do so in a way that is best for
their own communities. There are no easy answers. Remote learning may be more
successful in protecting the public health, but let’s face it, for the
overwhelming number of students, a virtual education is no substitute for
traditional, face-to-face learning. It also puts a greater strain on parents
juggling jobs while serving as “teacher’s aides” for their children. But
reopening too widely and too soon can put students, teachers, and school
workers at risk. School leaders face this balancing act under public pressure
from all sides and with continually changing conditions and health guidance. So
as our schools continue to juggle their reopening plans, whether they’re
in-person, virtual or somewhere in between, it is in everyone’s best interest
to take a deep breath and recognize that we all want what is best for
Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students. We all want them to stay on track
educationally while keeping them, and their families, healthy and safe.
Hopewell High School student tests positive for covid-19,
superintendent says
Trib Live BRIAN C. RITTMEYER | Wednesday,
September 30, 2020 5:31 a.m.
A senior at Hopewell High School has
tested positive for covid-19, according to a letter from the district to
parents. District administration was notified of the case Tuesday,
Superintendent Michelle Miller said in the letter. The
student was last in district buildings on Sept. 23. “Since receiving this
information, we have begun the process of identifying individuals that may have
come in contact with this individual during the time frame provided to us,”
Miller wrote. Miller said that the district will focus additional attention on
cleaning and sanitizing rooms in which the student was present.
Bucks schools report very few cases of COVID-19
Chris English Bucks
County Courier Times September 29, 2020
It's so far, so good at three Bucks County
school districts that are conducting in-person instruction, and are almost
COVID-19 free. Palisades has had no positive tests among students, Pennridge
reports two cases among students and one with staff, and Quakertown
Community has four student cases and none among staff. Those QCSD
numbers include a student from Richland Elementary School reported late last
week, while Pennridge reported an additional student and the one staff member
on Monday
“In every case so far it has not been in school, it’s been
generally family members, parents who are working elsewhere, spouses for our
staff,” Roy said in a video message, adding later: “So no case has been
contracted in school, we know that. And we have not seen a spread of the virus,
we know that through our contact tracing.”
Why Bethlehem hasn’t closed any schools, despite COVID-19
cases in half its buildings
Lehigh Valley Live By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated Sep
29, 2020; Posted Sep 29, 2020
With 17 total cases of COVID-19 over about a
month of school, Bethlehem Area schools
Superintendent Joseph Roy updated the community Tuesday on the district’s plans
to keep buildings open as infections are confirmed. Since classes started Aug.
31, the district has seen cases of the coronavirus illness
in 11 of 22 schools, according to Roy. Those 17 cases, plus two in eClassroom students who
are learning full time from home, have come in a district of 13,000 students
and a few thousand employees, he noted. “We’re talking about 15,000 people
directly connected to the schools so 17 cases is about one-tenth of 1% of the
population,” he said. When a case does crop up, the district works with the
Bethlehem Health Bureau to determine where a student or staff member became
infected and to identify anyone with whom they’ve come in close contact --
defined as within six feet for more than 15 minutes, even while masked.
Student at Greater Johnstown School District tests
positive for COVID-19
WTAJ by: Kelsey
Rogers Posted: Sep 29, 2020 / 04:43 PM
EDT / Updated: Sep 29, 2020 / 04:43 PM EDT
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — A student at Greater
Johnstown School District has tested positive for COVID-19, the district
announced on Tuesday. In a letter to families, Superintendent Amy Arcurio said
the high school student has not been in school since Sept. 16 due to the hybrid
schedule. However, the student did attend a basketball open gym on Sept. 21. The
district has identified and contacted the six players and one coach that had
direct contact with the student that tested positive. They will be required to
quarantine for 14 days. All open gyms for the men’s basketball program have
been canceled until Oct. 6, according to Arcurio. At the time, no other players
or coaches are experiencing symptoms.
Lancaster County schools are bringing more students back
in-person, despite fears over winter COVID-19
surge
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer Sep 29,
2020
When educators said this would be an
unprecedented school year, they weren’t lying. After spending months discussing
how to safely reopen schools this fall, officials at several Lancaster County
school districts are now reevaluating their initial reopening plans. At least
four school districts have considered adding more in-person learning to their
original plans. But with changes to instructional models come increased
concerns over whether students can stay socially distanced, a practice public
health experts say is vital to mitigating the spread of COVID-19. The threat
posed by the virus has not eased in recent weeks. The number of positive test
results in Lancaster County has grown since late last month, when most county
schools resumed instruction for the fall. The 14-day rate of new COVID-19 cases
per 100,000 people in Lancaster County was at 97 on Sept. 25, up slightly from
95 on Aug. 25. For some parents, the rush to return to in-person learning is
premature.
At least 3 dozen COVID-19 cases have been reported at
Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update]
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer Sep
29, 2020
At least three dozen cases of COVID-19 have
been reported at Lancaster County schools about a month into the 2020-21 school
year. The cases come from 12 school districts, plus a brick-and-mortar charter
school in Lancaster city. And that might not be all. With the Pennsylvania
Department of Health not tracking COVID-19 cases in schools, it's up to each
district to notify the community of a positive test from someone inside its
schools.
Freedom Area suspends girls volleyball, soccer after
positive COVID-19 tests
Beaver County Times by Andrew Chiappazzi September
29, 2020
The Freedom Area School District has canceled
all activities for its girls volleyball and soccer teams through Monday,
October 5 after receiving word of multiple positive COVID-19 tests involving
those teams. Freedom superintendent Jeffrey A. Fuller posted a notice to the
district community on the district website. "We have received
confirmation that a few of the athletes on our girl's volleyball and soccer
teams have tested positive for COVID-19. After speaking to the Department of
Health, those students and their families have been asked to
self-quarantine," Fuller's statement read. "Additionally, we have
canceled all activities for both the girl's volleyball and soccer teams through
Monday, October 5 to stem the spread of the virus. We will continue to monitor
this situation and will adjust this plan as necessary.
Bishop Shanahan football, boys soccer halted before they
begin
By Peter DiGiovanni and Neil Geoghegan papreplive September
28, 2020
Already a week behind the rest of the
Ches-Mont League in getting fall sports started, the Bishop Shanahan football
and boys soccer teams were reportedly shut down for 14 days due to a positive
COVID-19 test on Monday, Pa. Prep Live has learned. Monday was supposed to be
the first official day of fall sports practice at Bishop Shanahan, after
getting a green light from the Philadelphia Archdiocese last week. The rest of
the Ches-Mont League began practice last Monday or Tuesday. A Pa. Prep Live
reporter, upon arriving at Bishop Shanahan on Monday to observe practice,
observed football players being told to go home due to a positive test. No
details were given about whether that positive case was a player on the team or
another individual in proximity to the team. “We’re shut down for 14 days, and
we’ll see what happens after that,” said Bishop Shanahan football coach Paul
Meyers.
https://papreplive.com/2020/09/28/bishop-shanahan-football-boys-soccer-halted-before-they-begin/
Idle school bus drivers in Ridley dispatched to deliver
food to student families
Inquirer by Alfred Lubrano, Posted: 38 minutes ago
Yellow as a No. 2 pencil, a school bus rolls
up and down Eddystone’s working-class streets one gray morning. It’s an odd
sight in the time of COVID-19. Many of the kids in the Ridley School District,
which includes about 10 communities, including Eddystone, are learning remotely
these days. So who’s on the bus? Turns out, driver Donna Sullivan has but one
passenger: Joanne Coskey, a 53-year-old district kitchen worker and bus aide
whom everyone calls the “Energizer Bunny,” briskly delivering breakfasts and lunches
to students' homes with unflagging vigor five days a week. “Thank you,” parents
and children yell from porches and windows, but the kinetic Coskey’s already
gone, bopping onto School Bus No. 39 and readying a food bundle for the next in
a total of 84 stops. The bus is one of 10 delivering to 675 kids that same day.
Marrying the commitment to feed students with the desire to put
pandemic-sidelined school bus drivers and aides back to work, the Ridley School
District hit on a plan that helps all of them at once. The meals it dispatches
run the gamut of free, reduced-price, and full-pay.
PSBA continues push for permanent mandate waiver program
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 28,
2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
With a short fall legislative session
scheduled for the General Assembly, PSBA is continuing efforts to advocate for
the major state-level issues identified by public school leaders as being
of the most concern during this pandemic. One of the key issues is the
need for broad, permanent relief from mandates that consume much of districts'
budgets and stifle innovation. PSBA worked with Senator Langerholc (R-Cambria)
to introduce Senate Bill 1286, which
would establish a mandate waiver program similar to the highly
popular and successful one which operated in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2010.
The proposal would allow public schools to apply to the Pennsylvania Department
of Education (PDE) for a waiver of many state-imposed mandates if the school
can show that its instructional program will improve or the school will operate
in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner. Certain laws and
regulations would not be waivable, such as those relating to student safety,
academic standards and assessments, special education, protected handicapped
students, gifted education, student attendance, professional educator conduct
standards, among others.
Click here for a detailed
summary of Senate Bill 1286.
PSBA is asking school boards to join this advocacy effort and adopt the
resolution urging the General Assembly to provide critical support and costs
savings to school districts through approval of a permanent mandate waiver
program. The PSBA resolution can be downloaded and submitted to PSBA online.
https://www.psba.org/2020/09/psba-continues-push-for-permanent-mandate-waiver-program/
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
296 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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