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Thursday, October 15, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 15, 2020: 301 PA school boards have adopted charter reform resolutions; how about yours?

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 15, 2020

301 PA school boards have adopted charter reform resolutions; how about yours?

 

 

301 PA school boards have adopted charter reform resolutions

https://www.psba.org/2020/03/adopted-charter-reform-resolutions/

 

 

Why are cyber charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?

Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member MaryLouise Isaacson’s school district paid over $106 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter tuition in 2018-2019.

Philadelphia City SD

$106,152,521.20

Source: PDE via PSBA

 

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

 

Pennsylvania official says ‘fall resurgence’ of coronavirus is here, with nine days of 1,000-plus added cases

By FORD TURNER THE MORNING CALL | OCT 14, 2020 AT 12:20 PM

HARRISBURG — A much-anticipated fall resurgence of the coronavirus has arrived in Pennsylvania, with nine straight days of 1,000 or more additional cases, the state’s health secretary said Wednesday. Dr. Rachel Levine also told reporters hospitalization rates for the coronavirus have nearly doubled recently, although they are nowhere near levels from early in the pandemic, and positive test rates have increased. “We believe that we are at the start of the fall resurgence. And we have been talking about a potential fall resurgence and preparing for that for months,” Levine said. Levine’s comments were part of a broad update given by several officials on key aspects of Pennsylvania’s virus fight, including a new supply of rapid-test kits, contact tracing and mobile app deployments.

https://www.mcall.com/coronavirus/mc-nws-coronavirus-virus-fall-resurgence-20201014-ta3wkxbpdbfcdnkxwh7iths2yi-story.html

 

Expert: Return to remote learning likely without universal mask mandate

West Chester Daily Local by Fran Maye fmaye@21st-centurymedia.com October 15, 2020

Dr. Salwa E. Sulieman, a pediatric infectious disease specialist affiliated with several hospitals in the region, told school directors at the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District this week that if the nation continues on the current trend, models predict there will be a 45,000 per day positivity rate for COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, a number she called "scary." "If we do exactly what we are doing today and do nothing, the peak is up to 15,000 cases per day around the holidays," she said. "If everyone were to wear a mask, it would be a huge difference, it would be amazing. If no one wears a mask, look at this number, it is 40,000 cases, it is 40,000 cases per day in just one day. It's scary really." With a universal mask mandate, models predict only an 8,000 per day positivity rate in the state by February 2021, low enough to permit both hybrid and in-school instruction. 

https://www.dailylocal.com/news/coronavirus/expert-return-to-remote-learning-likely-without-universal-mask-mandate/article_9cc2e656-0e27-11eb-8048-f77a3fe53b3e.html

 

Without state rules, how parents learn about COVID-19 cases vary by district

School districts across the Pittsburgh region have reported cases of COVID-19 since the academic year began, causing some districts to temporarily close schools. There aren’t, however, any set rules from the state about how a school district informs parents about a positive COVID-19 case.

WITF By Kiley Koscinski/WESA OCTOBER 14, 2020 | 7:36 AM

(Pittsburgh) — School districts across the Pittsburgh region have reported cases of COVID-19 since the academic year began, causing some districts to temporarily close schools. There aren’t, however, any set rules from the state about how a school district informs parents about a positive COVID-19 case. As a result, communication polices vary district to district. Each school district was required to submit a health and safety plan to the state department of education this summer. The plan maps out how a school will maneuver through the academic year while the coronavirus pandemic continues. But the level of detail in plans differs among districts.

https://www.witf.org/2020/10/14/without-state-rules-how-parents-learn-about-covid-19-cases-vary-by-district/

 

Some Philly students may not be allowed to return to class this school year, Hite says

Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: October 14, 2020- 12:52 PM

Even as the Philadelphia School District plans to bring some children back to classrooms after Thanksgiving, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said Wednesday it’s unclear whether the majority of district students will be able to return at all this school year. A day after disclosing plans to let as many as 32,000 of the district’s youngest children return to class two days a week, if they opt in, the superintendent said there was no set timeline to resume classroom instruction for most third through 12th graders. Those plans, he said, will be shaped by COVID-19 infection rates, the state of school buildings, and public health officials' recommendations. At a news conference, Hite said he hoped to restart in-person instruction for the first time since March, but it was “equally feasible” that it won’t occur at all this school year. The superintendent’s plan drew mixed reaction. The head of the teachers' union said he saw no evidence schools would be ready for tens of thousands of students and staff. Some worried about ventilation in aging buildings and weren’t sure they were ready to send their children back. Others were furious about the lack of a concrete timeline or commitment to bring other students back. And the plan is not final. Hite needs the school board’s approval; his first reopening plan, unveiled in July, was withdrawn after skepticism from teachers, parents, and board members.

https://www.inquirer.com/education/philadelphia-school-district-reopening-plan-hite-20201014.html

 

Philadelphia leaders not sure when most district students might return for in-person learning

Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa  Oct 14, 2020, 7:12pm EDT

In announcing plans for a phased reopening of the city’s schools, Philadelphia district leaders could not say when the majority of students might be able to start some in-person learning. District leaders plan to bring back students in pre-kindergarten to second grade in two cohorts of two days a week each starting Nov. 30. Students with special needs, ninth graders, and students in career and technical education can return in January for similar part-time in-person learning. But the rest — students in grades three through eight and 10th to 12th — have no tentative start date for hybrid learning. “We don’t know. That’s a big unknown here,” Superintendent William Hite said Wednesday during a press conference. Reopening school buildings to all students will depend on the spread of the virus and the guidance of city and other health officials, he said. All families will have the option to choose fully remote learning. The window for making that decision will be Oct. 26 to Oct. 30. Those who choose all virtual at that time will not be able to change their minds until the second quarter ends on Jan. 27.

https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2020/10/14/21516886/philadelphia-leaders-not-sure-when-most-district-students-might-return-for-in-person-learning

 

There’s no way to ‘safely reopen’ Philadelphia’s schools | Opinion

John Stuetz, For the Inquirer Updated: October 14, 2020 - 11:59 AM

John Stuetz is a Lindback Award-winning ESOL teacher and political liaison at a public elementary school in Northeast Philadelphia.

Students and families have naturally struggled with the realities of learning virtually in the midst of a pandemic, and school districts have thus been receiving pressure to reopen locally and nationally. As an educator, I’ll be quick to acknowledge that virtual learning, especially as it stands now in the School District of Philadelphia, is no adequate substitute for traditional in-person teaching and learning. Unreliable internet access, student household responsibilities, and mental health issues related to isolation are just a few reasons why. However, I urge the School District of Philadelphia, where I teach, to continue with digital learning through the winter season and not begin reopening classrooms Nov. 30, as planned. Hard evidence to support “safe reopening” in such a virus-stricken, underfunded district is grossly lacking. A common narrative has emerged that it’s worth the health risks for schools to reopen. The Inquirer’s Sept. 27 reporting noted that “early evidence” shows low rates of transmission inside K-12 schools that have reopened, with some experts suggesting that “schools now have a window to bring children back to buildings…,” and highlighted the reopening efforts of a suburban, parochial school.

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-public-school-reopening-nov-30-teacher-20201014.html

 

Philly pre-K-2 families have until Oct. 30 to opt for in-person school; no return plan for most others

WHYY By Miles Bryan October 14, 2020

The School District of Philadelphia plans to allow children enrolled in pre-K through second grade — about 32,000 students — to return to the classroom two days a week starting Nov. 30, though some schools may not offer face-to-face learning if enough parents or teachers opt out. Students enrolled in ninth grade, those with complex needs, and those enrolled in career and technical education programs are scheduled to resume some in-classroom time by early February. Currently, the district does not have a time frame for resuming face-to-face instruction for students in grades 3-10, and 11-12. Ninth graders are being targeted for return in hopes of preventing a spike in high school dropouts. At a press conference Wednesday, Superintendent William Hite said getting more students back into the classroom depends on the course of the pandemic: coronavirus cases have been on the rise in the state in recent weeks.

https://whyy.org/articles/philly-pre-k-2-families-have-until-oct-30-to-opt-for-in-person-school-no-return-plan-for-most-others/

 

Philly SD Joint Committee Meeting: October 8, 2020

Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools by Lynda Rubin October 12, 2020 appsphilly.net 

At the combined meetings of the Student Achievement and Support Committee and the Finance and Facilities Committee, several Board members questioned the accuracy of reopening information District staff has presented. Their repeated follow-up questions to 440 staff struck a different tone than that of previous meetings.  It remains to be seen whether Board members will stand firm in their pursuit of in-depth answers and standards necessary for safety or continue to accept the vague answers given by the Hite administration.  Board members Angela McGiver, Leticia Etea-Hinton, Julia Danzy, and Lee Huang attended both meetings in their entirety; Maria McColgan joined late. President Joyce Wilkerson appeared at the beginning of the first meeting, but was not seen for the remainder of the session, although she could be heard at times. The Board should display the images of all those in attendance. If that is not possible–if they are connected by phone or their camera is disabled–their names should be on screen for as long as they are actually present. The public has a right to know who is present and who is not. (The Board website page indicates that Ameen Akbar has not yet taken on a committee assignment.)

https://appsphilly.net/2020/10/12/joint-committee-meeting-october-8-2020/

 

Mindfulness class gives Gompers students a boost

Philly Trib by Jamyra Perry TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Oct 13, 2020

The faculty, staff and students of Samuel Gompers Elementary School practice mindfulness in everything they do. According to Principal Phillip DeLuca, the Wynnefield elementary school is the only school in the School District of Philadelphia to offer a class on mindfulness. “We’re really proud that we had our mindfulness class before the pandemic. Now with the pandemic, the school district has put a much bigger focus on social and emotional learning since we already had this class in place, it was a really easy transition for us,” he said. The principal said the class is something that will help the kids in all aspects of their lives. “Every day, we start by taking deep breaths, it starts to create like a calming sensation inside of you, meditation, like how to get in the moment and start to appreciate all that you have. When you do these things, suddenly your problems become a lot less,” DeLuca said. “Students learn how to talk about problems and to talk about their issues. At Gompers, we create support around each other. We need people to realize that mental health is not just for people that are struggling, it’s for everybody. In the same way that you would take care of your physical health, you need to take care of your mental health.” The administrator said recent events have made him realize how important practices like mindfulness and breathing can be.

https://www.phillytrib.com/the_learning_key/mindfulness-class-gives-gompers-students-a-boost/article_3804ecda-5011-5feb-8e47-07f25780522d.html

 

Kiski Area School District Alerts Families To Positive Coronavirus Tests In Staff And Students

Two students and one staff member in the Kiski Area School District have tested positive for COVID-19.

By: KDKA-TV News Staff October 14, 2020 at 12:07 pm

VANDERGRIFT, Pa. (KDKA) – The Kiski-Area School District Superintendent Timothy Scott sent letters to families within the district alerting them to two students and a staff member that tested positive for coronavirus. The two students were enrolled in Kiski Area North Primary School and Kiski Area Upper Elementary School, respectively. As for the staff member, they were an employee at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. All three people have been isolating and recovering at home.

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/10/14/kiski-area-sd-positive-covid-cases/

 

Riverside Staff Member Tests Positive For COVID-19

Ellwood City Ledger POSTED BY: PRESS RELEASES OCTOBER 14, 2020

In a letter circulated by the Riverside Beaver County School District on Monday, October 12, 2020, the district was notified that a staff member at Riverside Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. “It is important for students and staff to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms every day,” said Superintendent, Bret Trotta in an email on Wednesday. “If you are symptomatic or have been in close contact with a positive case, we ask that they stay home and contact our school nurse. We sincerely appreciate the support of our school community as we continue to work to provide a safe educational environment for our students and staff.”

https://ellwoodcity.org/2020/10/14/riverside-staff-member-tests-positive-for-covid-19/

 

Ninth grader in Mars quarantined after COVID-19 diagnosis

Post Gazette by SANDY TROZZO OCT 14, 2020 10:25 AM

The Mars Area School District reported its first case of COVID-19 this week. “We’re certainly disappointed with that,” Superintendent Mark Gross told school board members Tuesday. “We got four good weeks in. People are getting a little more comfortable [with the protocols], and that is great.” Mr. Gross said the ninth grader had not been in school since Sept. 25, so those he was in contact with only have to quarantine until Friday. Administrators are hearing reluctance to wear masks on the school buses, he added, which is required. “COVID is still here. It is around us,” he said. “We are still moving forward, hoping that we don’t have any spikes. … Let’s not get lax with the protocols.” Butler County has a positive case rate of 3.1%, he said.

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2020/10/08/Ninth-grader-in-Mars-quarantined-after-COVID-19-diagnosis/stories/202010090022

 

Plum High School remains open after 2 students test positive for covid-19

Trib Live by MICHAEL DIVITTORIO   | Wednesday, October 14, 2020 9:47 p.m.

Plum High School remains open in a hybrid learning model despite two students testing positive for covid-19. District officials said they were notified Wednesday of two students from the same family at the high school having positive cases. Principal Joe Fishell said via letter that the district’s conducted contact tracing to determine which people may have been in close contact with the students. Nine students and seven staff members were determined to have been in close contact with the students, and their families were notified. Fishell said impacted rooms were cleaned and disinfected. The students and staff in close contact must quarantine for 14 days as per Allegheny County Health Department guidance. The high school will remain open despite the positive cases.

https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/plum-high-school-remains-open-after-2-students-test-positive-for-covid-19/

 

Southmoreland High School closing due to coronavirus cases

Trib Live by JACOB TIERNEY   | Wednesday, October 14, 2020 6:18 p.m.

Southmoreland High School is shutting down for five days after two people tested positive for the coronavirus, the district announced Wednesday. The district was informed of the latest positive test this week. Officials have not disclosed whether the infected people are students or staff members. The high school will close Thursday and reopen Tuesday, in accordance with state Department of Education guidelines, according to the district. This closure includes sports and extracurricular activities, including Homecoming, which was scheduled for Friday.

Students will receive virtual instruction.

https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/southmoreland-high-school-closing-due-to-coronavirus-cases/

 

“Abington Heights joins Lackawanna Trail, Blue Ridge, Delaware Valley, Mid Valley, North Pocono and Riverside school districts in reporting to the public at least one student or staff member with a positive case of COVID-19.”

Positive COVID-19 case reported in Abington Heights

Times Tribune by KATHLEEN BOLUS Oct 14, 2020 Updated 32 min ago

A South Abington Elementary School student has tested positive for COVID-19, the Abington Heights School District announced Wednesday . The district determined that no students or staff members were considered to be in close contact with the student, the announcement on the district website said. Abington Heights is defining close contact as being within 6 feet for 15 minutes of an individual with the virus. Students and staff who are determined to be either close contacts or positive cases will not enter school buildings for the duration of time required by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The district began its school year virtually in September. On Oct. 5, the district switched to a hybrid program where some students attend in-person classes two days a week.

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/education/positive-covid-19-case-reported-in-abington-heights/article_dd17bccf-38d6-5f46-a708-a315444f791d.html

 

Centennial will start hybrid option as several staffers test positive for COVID-19

Chris English Bucks County Courier Times October 13, 2020

The Centennial School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to start a hybrid instructional model after district officials earlier reported several staff members being quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. More than 120 COVID-19 cases among staff and students have been reported countywide, health department officials said. The hybrid, a mix of online and in-person learning, will start Oct. 22 at the elementary schools (grades kindergarten through fifth) and Nov. 9 at the secondary schools, changing a plan that had Centennial staying virtual for all grades until Nov. 9. In addition, district officials Tuesday night laid out tentative dates of starting full-time in-person instruction, which are Nov. 30 in the elementary schools, Dec. 11 in the middle schools and Jan. 2 at William Tennent High School. A full return to classrooms will be contingent on the state of the coronavirus pandemic, staffing levels and other factors as those dates get close, officials said.

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2020/10/13/centennial-quarantines-several-staff-members-who-have-covid-19/5976891002/

 

Erie School Board adopts hybrid plan; elementary school in-person classes start Nov. 9

Ed Palattella Erie Times-News October 14, 2020

The Erie School District's nearly 5,000 elementary school students are set to return to in-person classes in November, but in a different format than the district originally planned. Instead of attending in-person and remote classes on alternating days of the week, the students will attend in-person and remote classes on alternating weeks. The in-person and remote classes will run from Monday through Thursday, with Friday always a remote day to allow for deep-cleaning of the schools and teacher planning. Families of elementary school students can still opt to have students get online-only instruction during the pandemic. The hybrid plan will go into effect Nov. 9, four days after the start of the second quarter of the academic year. The plan applies to students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. Students who start in-person classes the week of Nov. 9 will take online-only classes the following week, and vice versa, with the schedule of alternating weeks to follow.

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/2020/10/14/erie-school-district-elementary-students-start-person-classes/3649518001/

 

Upper Merion Area School District votes 6-2 against reopening schools

Montgomery News By Gary Puleo gpuleo@21st-centurymedia.com @MustangMan48 on Twitter Oct 14, 2020 Updated 17 hrs ago

UPPER MERION — A conversation that evolved from a School Board Policy Review Committee meeting on Monday resulted in a vote not to reopen schools for the time being. The vote followed a lengthy discussion by the board, noted Upper Merion Area School District Superintendent John Toleno. “It was a very productive conversation. We answered about 156 questions that the parents had,” Toleno said. “The board voted to not reopen now and the issue will be revisited at the regular board meeting on Nov. 2.” All board members have the right to raise agenda items that can be put to a vote, Toleno pointed out. “Dr. Wellington brought this item up after a lengthy discussion and the board voted the way they did,” he said. “I’m sure they’re going to revisit this issue because it’s a hot topic. Any board member can bring up any item they want and we can just keep voting on it. I think it was a very productive discussion and I look forward to more discussion about this. It was something that organically happened.”

https://www.montgomerynews.com/news/regional/upper-merion-area-school-district-votes-6-2-against-reopening-schools/article_299fb3aa-17e3-5752-a520-cd9c8d50bc55.html

 

Unionville High students get green light to return to in-school instruction Oct. 26

West Chester Daily Local by Fran Maye fmaye@21st-centurymedia.com October 15, 2020

EAST MARLBOROUGH — Middle and high school students in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District will be returning to in-school, hybrid instruction beginning Oct. 26.

In a unanimous 9-0 vote Monday night, school directors agreed to bring students back to school for two days per week, according to a hybrid model they developed recently. The vote is contingent on coronavirus numbers remaining at current levels. On Monday, elementary students returned to the classroom. "It may look a little different, but it's still the thrill of the first day," John Sanville, superintendent of the Chadds Ford School District told school board members at the meeting. About 33 percent of students will be in the class every day for two days in a row, and will learn remotely on the remaining days of the week, said John Nolen, assistant superintendent.

https://www.dailylocal.com/news/coronavirus/unionville-high-students-get-green-light-to-return-to-in-school-instruction-oct-26/article_2ad04960-0e2e-11eb-b548-7b501d322b47.html

 

Donegal High School shifts online due to possible spread of COVID-19 at weekend gathering

Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer October 15, 2020

Donegal High School will shift to online instruction for the remainder of the week as a precaution after school officials learned of a probable case within the school community and potential spread from a gathering this past weekend.  While there is not yet an additional confirmed case at the district, the Pennsylvania Department of Health indicated that everyone who had contact with the district's probable case at the gathering must quarantine.  The district has contacted all of the students who may need to quarantine as a result.  District Superintendent Michael Lausch notified high school families on Tuesday night of an abrupt shift to online learning the following day. A subsequent letter sent Wednesday afternoon confirmed online learning would extend through the rest of the week. 

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/donegal-high-school-shifts-online-due-to-possible-spread-of-covid-19-at-weekend-gathering/article_f8cc3d86-0e53-11eb-bafe-b3c216248830.html

 

More than 90 COVID-19 cases have been reported at Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update]

Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer October 14, 2020

More than 90 cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Lancaster County schools so far into the 2020-21 school year. The cases come from 15 school districts, plus a brick-and-mortar charter school in Lancaster city and the county's career and technology center. And that might not be all.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/more-than-90-covid-19-cases-have-been-reported-at-lancaster-county-schools-heres-where/article_3df9f520-f90e-11ea-a2d4-cb2cf761df4e.html

 

How a 2nd-Grade Class Sent a Science Experiment to Space

“Any school district now that affords football can afford spaceflight.”

New York Times By Kenneth Chang Oct. 13, 2020

Back in 2015, students in Maggie Samudio’s second-grade class at Cumberland Elementary School in West Lafayette, Ind., were contemplating an offbeat science question: If a firefly went to space, would it still be able to light up as it floated in zero gravity? Ms. Samudio said she would ask a friend of hers, Steven Collicott, an aerospace professor at nearby Purdue University, for the answer. “He teaches a class on zero gravity, and he would be the perfect person to answer the question,” Ms. Samudio recalled in an email. A day later, Dr. Collicott replied, and Ms. Samudio was surprised by his answer: Instead of guessing, why not actually build the experiment and send it to space? Blue Origin, the rocket company started by Jeffrey P. Bezos, chief executive of Amazon, was planning to offer the ability for schools to fly small experiments on its New Shepard suborbital spacecraft for as little as $8,000. “That is a game changer,” said Erika Wagner, the payload sales director at Blue Origin. “Kids as young as elementary school are flying things to space.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/science/blue-origin-school-experiment.html

 

 

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.

 

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.

The school boards from the following districts have adopted resolutions calling for charter funding reform. 

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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