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 12, 2020
PDE Hearing
on two 2020 Cyber Charter Applications Nov. 4, 5, 10, 11. Written comments due
by October 30th.
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member Meghan Schroeder’s school
districts paid over $2.6 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Centennial SD |
$802,946.20 |
|
Central Bucks SD |
$1,808,449.01 |
|
|
$2,611,395.21 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
“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. Additionally, persons unable to attend the
hearings may provide the Department and the applicant with written comments on
or before October 30, 2020, and any written comments will become part of the
certified record.
The hearings will be conducted by a panel of
individuals who have completed an initial review of the applications. Panel
members may question the applicants on issues identified during the initial
review, as well as issues raised in the written comments filed by the deadline.
Panel members may also question individuals who offer verbal comments.
Commentators will not be permitted to question either the applicant or the
panel members.
Comments sent to the Department should be
addressed to the Division of Charter Schools, 333 Market Street, 3rd Floor,
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, ra-charterschools@pa.gov. Comments sent to
applicants should be addressed using the contact information contained within
the application by means of mail, in addition to being e-mailed. Hearing
agendas will be prepared no later than October 30, 2020, when the Department is
aware of the number of individuals who wish to provide verbal comments at each
hearing. The hearing agendas will provide the order of presentation, as well as
specify the amount of time allotted to each commentator.
Hearing agendas will be posted under Charter
School Applications on the Department's web site at
http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.
For questions regarding these hearings,
contact the Division at ra-charterschools@pa.gov.
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
“Before the pandemic decimated in-person education for millions
of students and threatened the future of public education, in particular,
President Trump’s Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had gotten a head start. A
champion of privatizing K-12 and higher education, she favors vouchers/school
choice and diverting education funding to private and religious schools — including, most recently, COVID-19 relief dollars…. The stakes for Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania is vulnerable to
federal education policies. In state-by-state comparisons, Pennsylvania doesn’t
fare well. U.S. News & World Report ranks Pennsylvania
32nd in education among the
states. Education Voters of Pennsylvania places the state
44th for state share of funding for
K-12 schools.
For more than 20 years, the Pennsylvania legislature has aggressively
promoted charter education. On academic achievement and test scores, charter
schools are a mixed bag, with alarming trends among cyber schools. Yet, no
meaningful reform of charter schools or funding formulas, which siphon money
from traditional districts, has occurred.”
A further diversion has come with state education tax credits, which direct over
$200 million per year of tax revenue to private and religious schools —
a program that will potentially get backing wind due to the Supreme Court
ruling on religious schools from last summer.
Inquirer Editorial Board: Pennsylvania needs Joe Biden
From COVID-19 to the environment to racial
justice, Donald Trump has failed. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can set us on a
new course. The stakes for Pennsylvanians could not be higher.
Opinion by
The Inquirer Editorial Board, Posted: October
11, 2020- 5:00 AM
It’s a remarkable — and frightening — time in
America. This country has withstood wars, terrorist attacks, natural disasters,
and civil unrest, but the division and chaos, incompetence, and intolerance
that we have witnessed from Donald Trump in the last few months —
to say nothing of the last four years — are unprecedented.
How are coronavirus cases in schools being reported?
‘It’s a hodge-podgey mess’
Inquirer by
Maddie Hanna, Posted: October 10, 2020
About a month into the school year, some public health officials and experts say the coronavirus does not appear to be spreading inside local K-12 schools that have reopened in Pennsylvania. But it’s unclear how many students or school staff have contracted the virus. Pennsylvania health officials aren’t specifying cases associated with schools — unlike New Jersey, where the state has a public dashboard announcing school outbreaks. County health departments, which are conducting contact tracing, haven’t identified which schools have cases. And Pennsylvania schools aren’t required to inform families about cases, resulting in mixed levels of notification. In the Neshaminy School District, for instance, parents at one middle school received an email last month stating a student had tested positive. In addition to providing county health officials names of “close contacts” — anyone within six feet of the infectious student for more than 15 minutes — school leaders said they would also notify parents if their children were in class with the student, “in the name of transparency.”
https://www.inquirer.com/education/coronavirus-cases-schools-pennsylvania-new-jersey-20201010.html
At least 5 dozen COVID-19 cases have been reported at
Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update]
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer Updated October 11, 2020
At least five 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 13 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.
SB1230: PSBA testifies on ESA voucher plan
POSTED ON OCTOBER 9, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
This week PSBA presented testimony to the
Senate Education Committee opposing Senate Bill 1230 (Sen.
Ward, R-Blair), that establishes “Back on Track” Education Savings Accounts
(ESAs), a voucher program that would direct federal CARES Act money to create grants
given to parents to be used for private schools and other private educational
service organizations. Representing the association at the hearing was PSBA
Chief Advocacy Officer John Callahan.
Callahan said that vouchers would divert
resources away from public schools when they need it the most, emphasizing the
increased mandates and costs facing districts during the pandemic. He also said
that Senate Bill 1230 does not contain necessary financial or academic
accountability measures and that the proposal goes well beyond the purpose of
helping students get “back on track” by allowing recipients to use taxpayer
funding for a variety of vague educational expenses. Additionally, he noted,
the claim that the bill is intended to help students living in poverty is
misleading; further, families and private schools already have programs
intended to help pay for education expenses, including the Educational
Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC)
programs as well as federal law that allows families to put aside money into
accounts for K-12 education expenses. Callahan concluded by asking legislators
to instead focus their efforts on solutions that would assist public schools in
coping with the effects of the pandemic.
Click here to
read PSBA's testimony.
https://www.psba.org/2020/10/psba-testifies-on-esa-voucher-plan/
School districts re-examine attendance policies amid new
educational model
Trib Live PATRICK
VARINE | Saturday,
October 10, 2020 9:00 a.m.
School districts throughout the region are asking families to act with an abundance of caution when it comes to students exhibiting potential covid-19 symptoms. If a student is showing any of the 13 symptoms closely associated with the virus, districts are asking parents to keep them home. That didn’t work out how Franklin Regional parent Christy Manzewitsch had hoped. “If a parent elects to keep their child home, and the child logs in to their classes throughout the day, they are still counted as absent, even though they are participating in their classes,” Manzewitsch wrote in an email read during the public comment session of a recent school board meeting. That situation has school administrators throughout Western Pennsylvania re-examining how attendance functions now that so many have new educational models in place.
Free meals available to all students for the rest of the
school year: How does that work?
By Wallace
McKelvey | WMckelvey@pennlive.com Updated Oct
10, 2020; Posted Oct 10, 2020
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, families
could qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches if they met certain income
thresholds. But a federal program that offers free meals to all students
regardless of income that began this spring has once again been extended, this
time through June 30. Schools and approved summer food service programs, such
as camps and community centers, can provide up to two free meals per day to
children 18 years old and younger.
Federal government extends free school meals for students
through end of academic year
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | OCT 10, 2020 AT 11:35 AM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allowing
free school meals to be available to all children through the end of this
academic year. The meals will be available
to children whether they are in school or
doing virtual learning at home, according to an announcement Friday. To ensure
children receive meals, the government is extending waivers, such as allowing
meals to be served outside of typical times and allowing parents to pick up
meals for children. Many Lehigh Valley schools have been providing meals since
the pandemic started in March. The Allentown School District, which reopened
virtually this fall, provides students with
breakfast and lunch daily. From March through August,
Pennsylvania schools provided more than 25 million meals to children in need,
according to a news release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office.
Cyber charters see boom in new enrollments as COVID
impacts traditional schooling
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com OCT 12,
2020 6:30 AM
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter
Schools says public cyber charter schools have seen an enrollment of about
14,000 new students since the the COVID-19 shutdowns began in mid-March. An
increase in enrollment at cyber charters in the state was expected, with some
parents choosing to send their children to schools already set up for virtual
learning as brick-and-mortar public schools had to quickly transition to remote
or blended instruction models. But cyber charter officials said this is
the largest influx of students they have seen in a single year. Brian Hayden,
CEO of PA Cyber, said his school normally starts with an enrollment of about
9,500 students. This year, about 11,400 were enrolled on the first day of
school. “We’ve never seen that kind of enrollment that early,” Mr.
Hayden said late last week. “Our enrollment typically peaks in February,
March because we enroll kids all year. So we will hit that 11,000-plus number,
but not until maybe the beginning of March.” The large number of students
enrolling in cyber charters has created financial concerns for officials in
public school districts, which are already facing increased costs and reduced
tax revenue due to COVID-19.
Scranton School District endangerment charges will be
battle of experts, attorneys say
Times Tribune BY TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER STAFF WRITER Oct 12,
2020
The cases against three former and current
Scranton School District officials charged with endangering children and others
for failing to address lead and asbestos issues likely will come down to a
battle of medical experts, several attorneys said. Prosecutors say evidence
uncovered by a statewide grand jury clearly shows former Superintendent Alexis
Kirijan, Ed.D., former Chief Operating Officer Jeff Brazil and daytime
maintenance foreman Joseph Slack knew of the dangers, but failed to act. The
cases hinge on whether prosecutors can prove the defendants’ failings created a
“substantial risk” likely to cause serious injury or death — a required element
of the child endangerment charges, the attorneys said. “It appears on a basic
level the failure to disclose a known risk would be reckless conduct. The
question is, did it endanger anyone?” said Bob Buehner, former Montour County
district attorney. “It’s going to be a battle of experts as to whether this is
a substantial risk, minimal risk, or no risk.”
Pennsylvania coronavirus update: Saturday’s case count is
highest in six months
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | OCT 10, 2020 AT 12:52 PM
Pennsylvania reported 1,742 more cases of the
coronavirus Saturday, the third highest one-day count since the start of the
pandemic. That brings the state total to 171,050 cases. Saturday’s number was
the highest one-day total since April 10, when the state reported 1,751 cases.
The highest total was on April 9, when 1,989 cases were recorded. The Lehigh
Valley also saw a jump Saturday, with 123 new cases, the highest since 125
cases were reported on May 2. Cases have been increasing significantly in
recent days. On Friday, the state reported more than 1,300 additional cases for
the third straight day. The seven-day average statewide is 1,395, compared to
1,186 last Sunday. However, hospitalizations remained about the same Saturday
as on Friday. In a news release Saturday, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr.
Rachel Levine continued to stress mask-wearing and social distancing. “We know
that congregation, especially in college and university settings, yields
increased case counts," she said. “The mitigation efforts in place now are
essential to flattening the curve and saving lives.”
Reasonable guidelines, gradual adjustments are best call
for sports crowds in Pennsylvania [editorial]
THE LNP | LANCASTERONLINE EDITORIAL BOARD October
12, 2020
THE ISSUE: “Coronavirus-related crowd
restrictions for both indoor and outdoor events were loosened Tuesday by
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, who called the shift ‘a gradual adjustment to our
lives as we learn how we can do things safely’ until there’s a vaccine for the
virus or cure for the disease,” The Associated Press
reported in a story that appeared in
Wednesday’s LNP | LancasterOnline. But, amid the ongoing pandemic, there are no
guarantees the changes will be permanent. “We will closely monitor cases and
outbreaks and if our case investigation and contact tracing efforts determine
that events or gatherings are the source of an outbreak, we can and will dial
back these new limits,” state Health Secretary
Dr. Rachel Levine added. We must find
safe and gradual ways to return to some of the things we did before COVID-19
brought so much heartache and seismic disruption to our lives. One reason we
need to find a balance between safety and normalcy is that we simply don’t know
how long the virus will continue to be a threat within the United States.
Council Rock teachers union opposes starting full
in-person return
Chris English Bucks
County Courier Times October 11, 2020
The Council Rock School District teachers
union has added its voice to those opposing the start of a full-time, in-person
instructional option in the district slated to start Nov. 16. A majority
of school board members have indicated they will vote in favor of giving
families that choice at the Oct. 22 meeting, but Council Rock Education
Association President David Diehl said he agrees with Superintendent Robert
Fraser that it's not yet time for that move. "We believe that while the
(COVID-19) numbers in the county remain above the 'low transmission' benchmark
set by the state, it is improper to have a full five-day schedule, with no
regard for the social distancing guidelines set forth by the CDC (Center for
Disease Control)," Diehl said. "We fully realize that these talks
need to happen in advance of the transition, and applaud the district for
moving to provide at least six weeks notice to parents and staff of a pending
change in schedules." Council Rock started a hybrid option, where students
attend school two days a week and take online instruction the other three days,
on Sept. 29 while also maintaining an all-virtual choice.
Lackawanna Trail Junior – Senior High School closed due
to COVID-19 cases
PA Home Page by: Vivian Muniz Posted: Oct
10, 2020 / 12:42 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 10, 2020 / 01:11 PM EDT
FACTORYVILLE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – Lackawanna
Trail Junior-Senior High School will be closed for the next fourteen days due
to five new positive cases of COVID-19. Superintendent Matthew Rakauskas
released a statement confirming that, as of Saturday morning, three students, a
teacher, and an administrator have tested positive for COVID- 19. The school,
which is made up of grades 7-12, is following recommendations from the
Department of Health to close the school for the next two weeks including
postponements of sports and extra curricular activates. The school will move to
full virtual classes through October 23rd. The elementary center will not be
affected.
Student at Clearfield Elementary tests positive for
COVID-19, district officials announce
by WJAC staff Sunday, October 11th 2020
CLEARFIELD, Pa (WJAC) — An elementary
student in the Clearfield Area School District has tested positive for
COVID-19, district officials announced. Superintendent
Terry Struble says the student has not been in school since Oct. 1. The
student's family and the school district are working with the Department of
Health to conduct contact tracing. School will resume as normal on Monday for
Group A students, the letter adds.
More covid-19 cases reported among Norwin students
Trib Live by JOE
NAPSHA | Saturday,
October 10, 2020 11:01 a.m.
Norwin continues to experience an outbreak of
covid-19 cases among students and staff, as the district said Saturday morning
that two elementary students and one high school student have tested positive
for the coronavirus. The students have not attended school for the past several
days, the district said in a statement, and the state Department of Health has
completed all contact tracing for each case. Because these three students have
not been in school, the buildings where they attended have already been deep
cleaned and disinfected.
https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/more-covid-19-cases-reported-among-norwin-students/
Dallas High School cancels football game after positive
coronavirus test
FOX56 by Hanna O'Reilly Friday,
September 11th 2020
DALLAS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WOLF) — Dallas
High School has announced that their game against Tunkhannock will be cancelled
after one individual in the community tested positive for COVID-19. The school
released the following:
Today, 09.11.20, Dallas School District was
informed that a member of our community received a positive result for a CoVid
-19 test. The district immediately contacted the state Rapid Response Center
(RRC), an organization established to direct schools and coordinate efforts
with the Department of Health, Department of Education and Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency. The district has been in contact with the impacted
individual, who is currently in quarantine. The individual has not been on
campus since Tuesday, 09.08.20. The district continues to collaborate with
state and local agencies to assist in contact tracing. The Pennsylvania Department
of Health is in-charge with contact tracing; some individuals already known to
have “close contact” are undergoing testing.
How Western Pa. high schools are adjusting homecoming
celebrations amid pandemic
Trib Live by JULIA
FELTON | Monday,
October 12, 2020 12:01 a.m.
Homecoming is traditionally marked by
bustling football stadiums and crowded dances. This year has been, obviously,
very different. Though covid-19 has forced school districts throughout Western
Pennsylvania to scale back homecoming celebrations, schools — and parents — are
still trying to salvage part of the hallmark high school experience. Students
have adapted, too, giving high marks to those who have found ways to uphold
traditions and make unforgettable memories.
General McLane High School hosts drive-through homecoming
event
Ron Leonardi Erie
Times-News October 10, 2020
Athletes waved, shouted cheers and handed out
bags filled with goodies. Band members struck up tunes. And there was no
shortage of enthusiasm from cheerleading crews, whose steady display of school
spirit elicited honks from a lengthy line of motorists making their way
along a half-mile loop at General McLane High School Saturday afternoon. Because
of the COVID-19 pandemic, school district officials opted to host a
drive-through homecoming parade on school grounds, 11761 Edinboro Road
in Washington Township, instead of the customary parade in Edinboro
and a post-parade school dance. More than 200 vehicles attended the spirited
two-hour, on-campus parade, which included lunch and all the cheers one could
handle.
Here’s how Democrats could flip the Pennsylvania
legislature
Just nine GOP seats in the House and four in
the Senate would have to flip to blue in order for power to change hands.
WITF by Katie Meyer OCTOBER 12, 2020 |
5:47 AM
(Harrisburg) — After years of Republican
dominance, Democrats and their supporters in Pennsylvania’s state House and
Senate see a path to take control of both chambers this year. For the past
several election cycles, Democrats have been slowly chipping away at strong GOP
margins. And now, just nine Republican seats in the House and four in the
Senate would have to flip to blue in order for power in Harrisburg to change
hands. Just because they’re in the realm of possibility, though, doesn’t mean
the legislature will have a dramatic shift. Election prognosticators at the
Cook Political Report still have both chambers ranked as “lean
Republican,” which means there’s a better
shot of continued GOP control than not.
And as Democrats stake out vulnerable
Republican seats, Republicans are doing the same thing. Several Democrats are
hanging on to seats in reddening areas and could be ousted.
https://www.witf.org/2020/10/12/heres-how-democrats-could-flip-the-pennsylvania-legislature/
Are these 2 Pa. U.S. House races the canary in the coal
mine for Trump? | Monday Morning Coffee
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek -October
12, 2020
Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
We’re just 22 days out from Actual Election
Day, and new polling and analysis from a pair of Pennsylvania
congressional districts holds food for thought for both Joe Biden’s and President
Donald Trump’s respective campaigns. We’ll start this morning with the
Lehigh Valley-based 7th Congressional District, a seat
currently held by freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.
Long an electoral bellwether, the
three-city area of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton was key to Trump’s victory
in 2016. As the Morning Call reported in May, Northampton County was one of three
counties that Trump flipped
on his way to squeaking out a win by a little more than 44,000 votes. Four
years later, recent polling by
the Morning Call and Muhlenberg College showed Wild up
52-39 percent over GOP challenger Lisa Scheller, while Biden held
a 7-point lead in the canvass of 414 likely voters. The poll had a margin of
error of 5 percentage points.
Schools Aren’t Super-Spreaders
Fears from the summer appear to have been
overblown.
The Atlantic by Emily
Oster Economist at Brown University October
9, 2020
In early august, the first kids in America
went back to school during the pandemic. Many of these openings happened in
areas where cases were high or growing: in Georgia, Indiana, Florida. Parents,
teachers, and scientists feared what might happen next. The New York
Times reported that,
in parts of Georgia, a school of 1,000 kids could expect to see 20 or 30 people
arrive with COVID-19 during week one. Many assumed that school infections would
balloon and spread outward to the broader community, triggering new waves. On
social media, people shared pictures of high schools with crowded hallways and no
masking as if to say I told you so. Fear and bad press slowed down
or canceled school reopenings elsewhere. Many large urban school districts
chose not to open for in-person instruction, even in places with relatively low
positivity rates. Chicago, L.A., Houston—all remote,
at least so far. It’s now October. We are starting to get an evidence-based
picture of how school reopenings and remote learning are going (those photos of
hallways don’t count), and the evidence is pointing in one direction. Schools
do not, in fact, appear to be a major spreader of COVID-19.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/schools-arent-superspreaders/616669/
Enrollment Is Dropping In Public Schools Around the
Country
NPR by ANYA KAMENETZ MARCO A. TREVIÑO JESSICA BAKEMAN October 9,
2020
Orange County, Fla., has 8,000 missing
students. The Miami-Dade County public schools have 16,000 fewer than last
year. Los Angeles Unified — the nation's second-largest school system — is down
nearly 11,000. Charlotte-Mecklenburg in North Carolina has 5,000 missing. Utah,
Virginia, and Washington are reporting declines statewide. Comprehensive national
data aren't available yet, but reporting by NPR and our member stations, along
with media reports from around the country, shows enrollment declines in dozens
of school districts across 20 states. Large and small, rich and poor, urban and
rural — in most of these districts the decline is a departure from recent
trends. Over the past 15 years, data from the U.S. Education Department show
that small and steady annual increases in public school enrollment have been
the rule. Six months after schools around the country shut their doors amid
coronavirus lockdowns, these fall enrollment declines come as schools have been
scrambling to improve remote learning offerings, and to adopt safety procedures
to allow buildings to open for in-person classes, sometimes just a few days a
week. In many parts of the country the start of the year has been marked
by multiple changes in plans, widespread confusion among teachers and
families, deep concerns about safety, and
worries about unequal access to technology.
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/09/920316481/enrollment-is-dropping-in-public-schools-around-the-country
Coronavirus infections among school-age kids rose in
September after classes resumed
Los Angeles Times By MELISSA
HEALYSTAFF WRITER SEP. 29, 2020
Keen to send the nation’s kids back to
reopened schools, President Trump has called children “virtually immune,”
“essentially immune” and “almost immune” to the coronavirus that causes
COVID-19. But a new report by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention underscores how wrong those assertions are. Children can catch,
suffer and die from the coronavirus, according to the report. Between March 1
and Sept. 19, at least 277,285 schoolchildren
in 38 states tested positive for the virus. And 51 of them — including 20
youngsters 5 to 11 years old — died of COVID-19. In all, 3,189 children ages 5
to 17 were hospitalized. With more than 56 million U.S. kids attending
primary and secondary schools this fall, understanding how the coronavirus
affects school-age children “might inform decisions about in-person learning
and the timing and scaling of community mitigation measures,” the CDC
researchers wrote.
Education Dept Puts Anti-LGBTQ Activist At Head Of
Diversity And Inclusion Council
Some employees said the pick is disheartening
and ironic.
Huffpost By Rebecca
Klein October 9, 2020
In early 2020, leaders of the Department of
Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that they would be taking control
of and reorganizing the agency’s employee-led Diversity and Inclusion and
Employee Engagement Advisory councils. The two committees were combined into
one and, in August, senior counsel Sarah Perry, a new hire with a long history
of anti-transgender activism, was appointed as a co-chair, HuffPost has
learned. Multiple employees at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the
department’s agency dedicated to enforcing civil rights laws in K-12 schools
and universities, told HuffPost that appointing someone who has actively worked
against LGBTQ people to help lead diversity and inclusion efforts is ironic and
disheartening. Perry previously worked at the Family Research Council, a
Christian fundamentalist organization that preaches against the rights of the
LGBTQ community, where she often spoke publicly about her opposition to
transgender people.
Can Trump Squeeze More From His White Base in
Pennsylvania and Beyond?
With President Trump trailing Joseph R. Biden
Jr. in Pennsylvania in nearly every poll, his last refuge and perhaps best hope
is to maximize the turnout of working-class white voters.
New York Times By Shane
Goldmacher Oct. 11, 2020, 9:03 a.m. ET
OLYPHANT, Pa. — President Trump’s narrowing path to victory in Pennsylvania, and the
country, runs through small towns like Olyphant, where Dave Mitchko’s street
might be quieter if not for the large sign he put on his front lawn urging
supporters of the president to honk when they pass. Trump signs are Mr.
Mitchko’s thing, and his front yard has become something of an informal sign
depot for Republicans in greater northeastern Pennsylvania. He estimates that
he’s given away more than 26,000 signs this year. And his efforts were rewarded
by the campaign with tarmac invitations for recent visits to the region by both
Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a spot driving in the
presidential motorcade. Mr. Mitchko wore a suit and a Trumpian red tie for the
occasion.
Pennsylvania emerges as ‘tipping-point’ battleground for
Biden and Trump — before and after Election Day
Washington Post By Michael Scherer, Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Amy Gardner and
Josh Dawsey Oct. 10,
2020 at 9:19 p.m. EDT
Both parties are increasingly focused on the
pivotal — and potentially messy — role that Pennsylvania could play in deciding
the outcome of the presidential race. President
Trump’s campaign in recent days has redirected ad spending there from other
northern battlegrounds, while Joe Biden’s campaign and supportive groups are
increasing their spending in the state, which between its rolling rural expanses and major
metropolitan hubs is seen as a classic political
bellwether. Both sides now see
Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral college votes, as a must-win prize on the path
to the 270 needed to win the White House, according to Democratic and
Republican strategists. They also increasingly view the battle for those votes
as one that could well continue beyond Election Day — with a growing list of balloting
disputes and lawsuits setting the stage, if the race is close, for a contested
election reminiscent of the Florida drama that transfixed the nation after the
2000 election.
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.
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/
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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