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 October 13, 2020
Delaware
settles education lawsuit, more than doubles funding to address equity
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member Craig Staats’s school districts
paid over $4.2 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Palisades SD |
$589,618.50 |
|
Pennridge SD |
$1,744,884.56 |
|
Quakertown Community SD |
$1,947,611.00 |
|
|
$4,282,114.06 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
WHYY By Zoë Read October
12, 2020
The state of
Delaware has settled a 2018 lawsuit that accused the state of being complicit
in the disparities experienced by students who are low income, have
disabilities or are English language learners. As part of the settlement
between Gov. John Carney, the NAACP of Delaware and Delawareans for Educational
Opportunity, the state will allocate millions of dollars in funding to support
students who are most in need. “Delaware’s current educational resource
allocation system does not recognize the additional needs of children living in
poverty and English learners. That system is outdated and inequitable,” said
Karen Lantz, legal and policy director at the ACLU of Delaware, which
represented the plaintiffs along with the national law firm Arnold & Porter
and the Community Legal Aid Society. “Our expectation is that this settlement
will begin systemic changes that result in a fundamental shift in how resources
are allocated, so every student in Delaware can get the education they
deserve,” Lantz said in a statement. Reports show low-income students, students
with disabilities and students who are English learners performed lowest on
state tests. In the lawsuit, the NAACP
of Delaware and Delawareans for Educational Opportunity argued the state did
not offer any solutions to resolve the problem. The settlement includes
increasing Carney’s “Opportunity Funding” initiative, which committed money to support low-income and English learning
students. This funding, which has been at $25 million, will become permanent
and more than double to $60 million by the 2024-2025 school year.
“From March
through August , Pennsylvania schools provided more than 25 million meals to
children in need, according to the governor’s office.”
Food insecurity a problem, but
free meals at schools help
Times Tribune BY KATHLEEN BOLUS STAFF WRITER Oct 12, 2020 Updated 39 min ago
The Scranton
School District has distributed 173,078 meals since schools closed to stop the
spread of COVID-19 in March. At Riverside School District, that number is near
120,000. As the year ends, the COVID-19 pandemic lingers and food insecurity
will be a problem for the foreseeable future, said Teri Ooms, executive
director at the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development. School
districts have distributed meals to students since the beginning of the
statewide shutdown and will continue to do so at no cost through the remainder
of the school year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow free meals to
continue to be available through June 30. The extension allows schools to avoid
unnecessary barriers to providing meals for students, including those in
Northeast Pennsylvania learning either fully online or in hybrid programs. From
March through August , Pennsylvania schools provided more than 25 million meals
to children in need, according to the governor’s office. Statewide, 2 million
Pennsylvanians, including nearly 630,000 children, face food insecurity,
according to recent projections from Feeding America, a national nonprofit
network of food banks. That’s an increase of 45% to the general food security
rate and a 58% increase to the child food insecurity rate when compared to 2018
statistics.
PDE Hearing
on two 2020 Cyber Charter Applications Nov. 4, 5, 10, 11. Written comments due
by October 30th.
“Individuals who wish to provide comments on an application
during the hearings must provide a copy of their written comments to the
Department and the applicant on or before October 30, 2020”
Cyber Charter School Application; Virtual Hearing Nov. 4,
5, 10,11
Pennsylvania Bulletin [50 Pa.B. 5489] [Saturday,
October 3, 2020]
The Department of Education (Department)
will conduct virtual public hearings regarding cyber charter school
applications received on or before October 1, 2020. The hearings will be held
on November 4, 2020, November 5, 2020, November 10, 2020, and November 12,
2020.
The hearings will take place virtually,
beginning at 9 a.m.
Login information to access the hearings
will be posted to the Department's Division of Charter School's Applications
webpage at https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.
The hearings pertain to applicants seeking
to operate a new cyber charter school beginning in the 2021-2022 school year.
The purpose of the hearings is to gather information from applicants about the
proposed cyber charter schools as well as receive comments from interested
individuals regarding any applications. The names of the applicants, copies of
the applications and a listing of the dates and times scheduled for the
hearings on each applications can be viewed on the Department's web site on or
before October 16, 2020, at www.education.pa.gov.
Individuals who wish to provide comments on
an application during the hearings must provide a copy of their written
comments to the Department and the applicant on or before October 30, 2020.
Comments provided by this deadline and presented at the hearings will become
part of the certified record concerning the applications. Failure to comply
with this deadline will preclude the individual from providing comments at the
hearings. Verbal comments may be limited based on the number of individuals
requesting time to provide comments.
https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol50/50-40/1348.html
PA Dept. of Education Cyber Charter School Applications
2020
- Executive Education Cyber Charter School (PDF)
- Executive Education Cyber Charter School
Exhibits for Application (PDF)
- Virtual Prep Academy of PA Resubmission
of Application (PDF)
https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx
Dealing with COVID-19 in our schools
The Record Herald by Dr. Tod Kline Waynesboro
Area SD Superintendent October 7, 2020
Most people can imagine some of the
challenges businesses, organizations, and just the ordinary family have in
dealing with the issues that the COVID-19 pandemic presents. The challenges are
staggering. In our schools, it is no different. This was likely the first time
since the wars in the last century that schools opened with trepidation and
anxiety instead of excitement. Millions of children began school virtually on
the first day and would have rather been seeing their friends and meeting new
ones in school. Parents were scrambling to find childcare so their child could
learn virtually while the parents had to go to work. School districts were
working and planning for reopening schools in some form or fashion. Many
schools have started with online education. For years, many districts tried to
convince school boards to invest in a technology device for each learner, but
the expense was more than was believed to be affordable. This year forced the
issue. However, that presented many problems. Federal money was provided that did
help districts move forward. A large amount of districts had no cyber option
for students, and had to work to provide one. If they didn’t, taxpayer money
was going to the for-profit cyber schools, because families would choose that
instead of a public school.
Putting common sense above politics
Bucks County Courier Times Opinion By
Jonathan Kassa October 13, 2020
The biggest need I see in the 151st is
education funding. Pennsylvania is 44th in the nation in state funding for
public education, leaving our schools underfunded and forcing local property
taxpayers to cover the difference. Property taxes are regressive, hurting our
seniors and leaving the schools that need the most help with the fewest
resources. As a representative, I will end our reliance on property taxes for
education by fully and equitably funding our schools at the state level. I got
into politics because I know the good that can be accomplished when we work
together. As Executive Director of the Clery Center for Security on Campus
after the Virginia Tech tragedy, I worked with legislators on both sides of the
aisle developing campus safety legislation that protects more than 20 million
students every day, nationwide. As state representative I will do the same,
working through gridlock with both parties and putting common sense above
politics.
Delivering real results in the 151st
Bucks County Courier Times Opinion By Todd
Stephens October 13, 2020
Since I was first elected I have worked
across the aisle to deliver real results for the people in the communities I
represent. For example, I worked with Governor Wolf to clean our water,
refund our surcharges and to deliver the highest education funding in state
history. COVID-19 continues to be the biggest issue facing our community and
the Commonwealth. Since the virus arrived, I have worked to ensure our
frontline heroes have the equipment they need to remain safe, sponsored
legislation providing $250 million in grants to support our small businesses,
and worked across the aisle with Montgomery County Commissioner Dr. Val Arkoosh
to decrease COVID-19 testing result times from 14 days to just 12 hours.
School construction projects suffer setbacks from
coronavirus pandemic [Lancaster Watchdog]
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer October 13,
2020
After the coronavirus-fueled shutdown in
March, construction was one of the first industries allowed to resume working
on-site. Still, some Lancaster County school construction projects that fell
behind schedule this spring have yet to fully recover. While it doesn’t appear
that the delays will result in additional costs, as of yet, the shutdown will
likely cause a few new and newly renovated school buildings to open later than
expected.
Derry Area School District to temporarily go virtual
after six COVID-19 cases discovered
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com OCT 12,
2020
The Derry Area School District will move to
remote instruction for the remainder of the week after five personnel members
and one student tested positive for COVID-19. Eric Curry, superintendent of the
district in Westmoreland County, sent a letter to parents Monday that said
school administration was following recommendations from the state departments
of health and education following the identification of the cases. All people
who came into close contact with the infected individuals were notified and
directed to quarantine at home, Mr. Curry said. Citing privacy laws, the
superintendent wrote that he could not share the name or position of those who
were infected. He also did not identify the district building or buildings in
which the cases were discovered.
3 Hempfield Area High students positive for coronavirus;
school, athletics shut down
Trib Live by JEFF
HIMLER | Monday,
October 12, 2020 1:46 p.m.
Hempfield Area High School is closed Tuesday
through Friday after three students tested positive for the coronavirus. School
administrators were notified of the positive cases over the weekend, according
to a letter to parents
from Superintendent Tammy Wolicki, posted
Sunday on the district website. During the five-day closure, all students will
receive remote instruction at home. Virtual attendance will be monitored,
Wolicki noted. She said the closure is in accordance with state guidelines that
call for a school to shut its doors for five days if the county where it is
located has a moderate level of community transmission of the coronavirus and
between two and four positive cases occur in that school building over 14 days.
Despite a third confirmed COVID-19 case, Bellefonte
reopened schools. Here’s why
Centre Daily Times BY
MARLEY PARISH OCTOBER 12, 2020 10:39 AM
After confirming a third positive COVID-19
case — the second in the high school — the Bellefonte Area School District
still reopened for in-person learning Monday. Last week, interim Superintendent
Tammie Burnaford notified staff and families that two individuals, an adult at
the middle school and a high school student, tested positive for the
coronavirus. In response, the district closed its high and middle schools with
plans to reopen after a weekend deep-cleaning. A third case was reported in a
high school student Sunday afternoon, but the district reopened as planned,
citing a limited number of close contacts with the student. According to the
state Department of Health, a “close contact” is defined as someone who was
less than 6 feet from a person with the virus for 15 continuous minutes.
Penn Manor High School closes for a week after 2 new
COVID-19 cases
Lancaster Online by Alex Geli Staff Writer October
12,, 2020
Penn Manor High School has suspended
in-person classes this week with COVID-19 cases on the rise. Students will
learn online until Monday, Oct. 19, and all extracurricular activities
originally scheduled in that time have been canceled. Because of the holiday,
students were off Monday, Oct. 12. The district made the decision in
consultation with medical professionals after officials learned of two new
cases at the high school, Superintendent Mike Leichliter stated Monday
afternoon in an announcement to
district families. The school district has reported six total cases at the high
school and nine districtwide.
5 Hopewell Area School District Students Test Positive
For Coronavirus
Four of the five cases are within the same
family.
By: KDKA-TV News Staff October 12, 2020
ALIQUIPPA (KDKA) – The Hopewell Area School
District has alerted families to five positive cases of coronavirus. According
to a letter sent to families, an 11th-grade student at the high school had
tested positive and was last in the building on October 6. Once the district
began speaking with families, it became learned that four other students had
tested positive for the virus. According to the district, the four additional
cases were found in the same family. The students are in 11th, 8th, 6th, and
4th grades, respectively. All of them last attended school on October 8.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/10/12/five-hopewell-sd-coronavirus-cases/
Metzgar Elementary closed amid 5 coronavirus cases at 2
Greensburg Salem schools
Trib Live by JEFF
HIMLER | Monday,
October 12, 2020 2:39 p.m.
James H. Metzgar Elementary School in Salem
is closed through Friday, after three students tested positive for the
coronavirus. They are among five positive cases among Greensburg Salem students
that occurred over 14 days and were announced late last week in a letter to parents posted
online by Superintendent Gary Peiffer. He
reported two additional student cases associated with Greensburg Salem Middle
School, which will remain open. One of the middle school cases is a student who
is engaged in full-time remote learning while playing on the ninth-grade girls
volleyball team.
Deer Lakes confirms covid-19 case at middle school
Trib Live by MADASYN
LEE | Monday,
October 12, 2020 5:51 p.m.
A staff member at Deer Lakes Middle School
has tested positive for covid-19, according to Superintendent Janell
Logue-Belden. The district was notified of the case on Monday, Logue-Belden
said in a letter sent to families. The letter did not identify the infected
individual other than to say it is a middle school staff member.
https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/deer-lakes-confirms-covid-19-case-at-middle-school/
Staff member at Allegheny Valley School District’s
Acmetonia Elementary tests positive for covid-19
Trib Live PAUL GUGGENHEIMER | Monday, October 12,
2020 2:34 p.m.
The Allegheny Valley School District was
notified Friday that a staff member at Acmetonia Elementary School has tested
positive for covid-19. The last date of possible exposure at the school was
last Tuesday. “We were made aware by the staff member that they tested positive
on Friday,” superintendent Patrick M. Graczyk told the Trib. Graczyk said the
staff member is quarantining for the next two weeks and will return to work
once they are cleared.
Despite several COVID-19 cases, Elizabethtown Area
schools will be open Tuesday
Penn Live by By Paul
Vigna | pvigna@pennlive.com Updated Oct 12, 2020; Posted Oct
12, 2020
The Elizabethtown Area School District told
parents in an email Monday afternoon that despite several reports of COVID-19,
all schools will be open tomorrow for in-person instruction. The email noted
that over break the district learned a student or staff member at Elizabethtown
Area Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, a student or
staff member at the Bear Creek School has a presumptive positive case of
COVID-19.
Positive coronavirus test closes 1 Central Dauphin
elementary school
Penn Live By Steve
Marroni | smarroni@pennlive.com Updated Oct
12, 2020; Posted Oct 12, 2020
Students and teachers at one Central Dauphin
School District elementary school will be delayed a week from returning to the
classroom after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. South Side
Elementary Principal Jeff Beeman notified parents about the positive test, saying
that instead of returning to school as planned on Tuesday, South Side students
in kindergarten through fourth grade will work remotely until Oct. 20. Fifth
graders will continue to report to Central Dauphin Middle School.
Multiple Johnstown students quarantining after positive
coronavirus case at high school
by WJAC Staff Monday, October 12th 2020
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WJAC) — Officials with
the Greater Johnstown School District say a student at the high school tested
positive for COVID-19. According to Superintendent Amy Arcurio, the student
reached out to the district. She says the student tested positive Wednesday and
informed them Sunday. According to Arcurio, the student was not in school any
day last week for classes. Arcurio says the student did come to the school on
Friday for homecoming pictures. Everyone who may have been exposed has been
contacted. Arcurio says there are four students who have been told to
quarantine until Oct. 23 after being in close contact with the positive
student.
Chartiers Valley School District Reports Positive
Coronavirus Test Among High School Community
MSN By: KDKA-TV News Staff October 12, 2020
BRIDGEVILLE (KDKA) – Chartiers Valley School
District has confirmed that a “member or member of the Chartiers Valley High
School community” had tested positive for coronavirus. According to the
district, the positive case is not related to in-school transmission. Since the
positive case was identified on October 11, the district has been working with
Allegheny County Health Department to identify anyone that may have had close
contact with those affected by the positive test.
The Digital Divide Starts With a Laptop Shortage
A surge in worldwide demand by educators for
low-cost laptops has created shipment delays and pitted desperate schools
against one another. Districts with deep pockets often win out.
New York Times By Kellen Browning Oct. 12, 2020
When the Guilford County Schools in North
Carolina spent more than $27 million to buy 66,000 computers and tablets for
students over the summer, the district ran into a problem: There was a shortage
of cheap laptops, and the devices wouldn’t arrive until late October or
November. More than 4,000 students in the district had to start the school year
without the computers they needed for remote learning. “It’s heartbreaking,”
said Angie Henry, the district’s chief operations officer. “Kids are excited
about school. They want to learn.” Millions of children are encountering all
sorts of inconveniences that come with digital instruction during the
coronavirus pandemic. But many students are facing a more basic challenge: They
don’t have computers and can’t attend classes held online. A surge in worldwide
demand by educators for low-cost laptops and Chromebooks — up to 41 percent
higher than last year — has created monthslong shipment delays and pitted
desperate schools against one another. Districts with deep pockets often win
out, leaving poorer ones to give out printed assignments and wait until winter
for new computers to arrive.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/technology/laptops-schools-digital-divide.html
The missing piece: Where is ‘education’ in the national
conversation?
Brookings by Elias Blinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Helen Shwe Hadani October 12,
2020
The staggering impact of COVID-19 on American
lives and the economy was understandably the central issue in the first presidential debate and
the vice presidential debate. But
somehow, critical questions around education were absent in both debates. In
fact, according to transcripts of both debates, the
candidates used the word “school” fifteen times, but not always to describe
K-12 education. The word “education” itself was stated just three times. Clearly, this is
a school year like
no other. A recent Education Week analysis found
that 74 percent of the 100 largest school districts in the United States opted
exclusively for remote learning, dramatically impacting the education of over 9
million students. At the same time, increasing our nation’s educational
achievement is a persistent challenge. The 2018 Programme for International
Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that American students performed above
average in reading, ranking 13th
just behind Sweden and New Zealand, but below average in math. In math, we
ranked 37th and fell behind Spain,
Lithuania, and Hungary. American students’ average performance in both subjects
has remained flat for approximately two decades.
Despite outbreak, Congress takes its chances without
widespread COVID-19 testing
Coronavirus has infected more than 20
lawmakers and more than 120 workers, and dozens more have been forced to
quarantine.
WITF By Claudia Grisales/NPR OCTOBER 13, 2020
| 5:29 AM
(Washington) — The Republican-controlled
Senate returns this month in a high-stakes gamble: Three members tested
positive for coronavirus as it’s moving full-steam ahead to confirm a new justice to the Supreme Court. Sen. Ron
Johnson, R-Wis., one of the GOP senators to test positive, recently underscored
his party’s determination to wrap up the confirmation process for Judge Amy
Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court. Johnson says
he’s ready to vote on the Senate floor for Barrett — infected or not. “I’ve
already told leadership, I’ll go in a moon suit,” Johnson told a radio talk show on Denver-based 630
KHOW. The latest outbreak highlights the
absence of a widespread testing program for Congress more than seven months
after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
A PHILadelphia Education: An Evening with Bill Marimow
and Phil Goldsmith
Monday, October 19 -- 7:00 pm
Join us Monday, October 19 at 7:00pm for a
special interactive virtual interview presentation. Bill Marimow, two-time
Pulitzer Prize recipient, former Executive Editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer
and former Haverford Township resident will interview Phil Goldsmith about his
new book, A PHILadelphia Education: Tales, Trials, and Tribulations of
a Serial Careerist.
Goldsmith, current Haverford Township Free
Library Board President, has held several prominent public positions including
deputy mayor of Philadelphia, chief executive of the School District of
Philadelphia and chief operating officer of the City of Philadelphia.
Goldsmith will also interview Marimow about
his lengthy career in journalism and the future of journalism, and both will
talk about the challenges facing Philadelphia. Attendees will have the
opportunity to ask questions to both Marimow and Goldsmith after the
interviews.
This program will take place live virtually
on the Zoom platform.
To register, click here or email
Amy Moskovitz at moskovitz@haverfordlibrary.com and
you will be sent the Zoom link for the event.
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/
Tell your legislators that school districts need their
support
POSTED ON OCTOBER 12, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
If you missed Advocacy Day, it's not too late
to reach out to your legislators and ask for their support for public schools
during this challenging school year. Take Action to
send a letter to your members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The
letter addresses the need to support our schools and help to control our costs
so that districts may better serve their students. Among the most important areas
of concern are limited liability protections; broad mandate relief; delay in
new state graduation requirements delay; the need for broadband expansion; and
charter school funding reform. Now, more than ever, it is vital that
legislators hear from school districts.
https://www.psba.org/2020/10/tell-your-legislators-that-school-districts-need-their-support/
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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