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.
These daily
emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
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Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg
If any of your colleagues would like to be added to the
email list please have them send their name, title and affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com
Keystone
State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 16, 2020
If you have concerns
regarding the proposed authorization of two additional cyber charter schools
please consider submitting written testimony to PDE on or before Oct. 30
Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member Patty Kim’s school district paid
over $13.1 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Central Dauphin SD |
$6,281,340.19 |
|
Harrisburg City SD |
$4,730,170.79 |
|
Steelton-Highspire SD |
$2,112,134.80 |
|
|
$13,123,645.78 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
State to consider two new cyber charter schools amidst
enrollment boom
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison October 14,
2020
This story was updated on Thursday, Oct. 15
with additional comment from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
As thousands of new students flock to online
education during a historically difficult academic year, state officials are
being asked to grant charters to two new cyber charter schools. The
Allentown-based Executive Action Charter School and Harrisburg-based Virtual
Preparatory Academy aim to open their doors next year and enroll a combined
3,100 students by 2025, according to charter applications they submitted to the
Department of Education last month. The schools first must receive
approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which is the sole
authorizer of charters for cyber schools in the state. Pennsylvania hasn’t
granted a new cyber charter since 2012. And while it accepts cyber charter
applications annually until Oct. 1, this is the first time since 2015 that it’s
been asked to consider more than one in a single year.
Blogger note: If you have concerns regarding the proposed
authorization of two additional cyber charter schools please consider writing,
submitting, and presenting at the (virtual) hearing evidence-based testimony
that speaks to why you/your organization believes these applications should be
rejected. The deadline for submitting written testimony to PDE is Oct. 30.
“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.
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
Students First PAC: As Democrats aim to flip the House, a
top lawmaker took $600K from school choice donor trying to stop them
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso October 14,
2020
The No. 2 Democrat in the Pennsylvania House
has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations from a group
that’s funded at least $3.5 million in ads targeting vulnerable Democratic
colleagues in an election in which control of the chamber is seen as up for
grabs.
House Minority Whip Jordan Harris,
D-Philadelphia, raked in $600,000 over the past two years from Students First,
a political action committee that supports candidates for office who back
school choice. Those donations are an anomaly this cycle, as Students First,
which has backed Democrats in the past, has instead given more than 90 percent
of its dollars to conservative groups to protect Republican incumbents and
attack Democrats in red-tinged districts.
Allentown School District gets grant to purchase
thousands of internet hot spots for students
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | OCT 15, 2020 AT 4:25 PM
The Allentown School District has received a
state grant to purchase 3,517 Wi-Fi hot spots for students. The $844,000 grant
was funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic
Development. In a news release, the district said the grant was made possible
through the work of Allentown state representatives Peter Schweyer and Mike
Schlossberg, both Democrats, and Lehigh County Republican state Sen. Pat
Browne. In a statement, Superintendent Thomas Parker said the grant will help
the district narrow the digital divide among its students. “As we work to
provide a high-quality virtual education experience for ASD students, a
computer and Wi-Fi access have become just as essential as a pencil and paper,”
Parker said. Allentown’s more than 16,000 students started the school year
virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Every student has received a
computer to do lessons on. The hot spots purchased through the grant will mean
that the district has acquired more than 4,000 hot spots since March to give
students access to the internet. Earlier this year, Allentown received 1,000
hot spots through a partnership with the Allentown School District Foundation
and Century Fund.
Student-run Penn yearbook wants to donate some profit to
Philadelphia public schools, hopes others do the same
Inquirer by Susan Snyder, Updated: October 15, 2020-
6:15 PM
For years, some students and faculty at the
University of Pennsylvania have urged the school to make payments in lieu of
taxes to help the city’s financially strapped public schools. Student, alumni,
and faculty groups have been ratcheting up the pressure in recent
months as the coronavirus takes an even further financial toll. Now, a student
group has another idea: Donate some of its profits. “We know anything we give
can’t compare at all with the magnitude that Penn paying PILOTs [payments in
lieu of taxes] would have,” said Keri Zhang, editor and chief of the
student-run Penn yearbook. “Hopefully, we can make some small steps that build
toward real impact.” Any donation would not come until after sales of the 2021
yearbook are complete. And the group still has to get approval for
the donation from Penn. Zhang said the group isn’t sure how much it will donate
but hopes it will be in the hundreds. The money would go to the
Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, an
independent nonprofit. The yearbook group also hopes the gesture will spur
other student groups to do the same and persuade Penn to begin making payments.
Penn did not respond to a request for comment but has insisted it contributes
to the city and district in other ways, including educational programming,
neighborhood upgrades, services, and expertise. And the school has said that
while it is largely exempt from property taxes, it contributes business, sales,
and wage taxes.
https://www.inquirer.com/education/penn-school-district-profit-pilot-taxes-20201015.html
Blogger note: According to her LinkedIn profile, as of August
2020 former Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools
Ana (Puig) Meyers is now the Associate Vice President of Community & Board
Relations at Commonwealth Charter Academy Cyber Charter School based in Harrisburg.
“He joins PCPCS after serving as western Pennsylvania director
for the Commonwealth Foundation”
PCPCS Appoints Executive Director
Lenny McAllister to lead public charter
school organization
HARRISBURG (October 15, 2020) – The
Board of Trustees for the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools
(PCPCS) is pleased to announce the hiring of Lenny McAllister to lead the
organization, which represents the majority of the state’s public
brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools. “After months of a thorough search
process, the Board of Trustees for PCPCS has chosen Lenny McAllister to lead
our schools and the charter school movement in Pennsylvania,” said Bob Lysek,
PCPCS Board President and CEO of Executive Education Academy Charter School.
“We trust that he will build on the momentum and success that our Coalition has
built over the past few years.” Born and raised in Pennsylvania, McAllister has
been a champion of educational equity, civil rights and policy reforms as a leading
voice on local, statewide and national platforms for years.
He joins PCPCS after serving as western Pennsylvania director for the
Commonwealth Foundation.
http://pacharters.org/pcpcs-appoints-executive-director/
Dunmore School District has two confirmed cases of
COVID-19
Times Tribune BY KATHLEEN BOLUS STAFF WRITER Oct 15,
2020 Updated 6 hrs ago
A Dunmore Elementary Center student and a
Dunmore Junior/Senior High School student have both tested positive for
COVID-19, according to the district. The elementary school student was last in school
Oct. 1, and was out of school before the contagious period according to the
state Department of Health’s guidelines, a post on the district’s website from
Superintendent John Marichak says. No students or staff members were exposed
and further communication will be made to those directly affected. The high
school student was last in school on Oct. 8 and interacted with other students
on Oct. 9. During the interactions, face coverings were used and proper social
distancing was observed. The student had no contact during the contagious
period, according to Health Department guidelines and no students or staff were
exposed from this case, a second post on the district’s website says.
North Hills Elementary School Student Tests Positive For
COVID-19
The student developed coronavirus symptoms
last week, the district said.
By Eric
Heyl, Patch Staff Oct 15, 2020 1:01 pm ET
ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA — A student at Ross
Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19, the North Hills School
District announced Thursday The student has not been in school since Oct. 6 and
did not develop symptoms until days later. As such, no one from Ross Elementary
was in close contact with the student and there is no additional district
impact. While no further action is necessary, we are sharing this information
with families for transparency as we stated we would in our health and safety
plan.
Keystone High School Closed Due to COVID-19 Case
Explore Vanango by Aly Delp | October
15, 2020
KNOX, Pa. (EYT) –
Keystone High School is closed today after an individual associated with the
school tested positive for COVID-19. The school received notification on
Wednesday evening that a member of the Keystone Junior-Senior High School
community tested positive for the virus.
The district then made the decision to cancel
classes and activities at the high school on Thursday, to allow time for
cleaning and contact tracing.
https://explorevenango.com/breaking-news-keystone-high-school-closed-due-to-covid-19-case/
Wyoming Valley West High School closed Friday due to
probable COVID-19 case
Citizens Voice BY MICHAEL P. BUFFER STAFF WRITER October 15,
2020
Wyoming Valley West High School will be
closed Friday due to a probable COVID-19 case, and teachers will work remotely
to provide online instruction to students “out of an abundance of caution,” school
district Superintendent David Tosh said. Other Wyoming Valley West School
District schools are not affected. The high school has been been clean and
sanitized, and cleaning procedures and protocols were completed there, Tosh
said. Wyoming Valley West School District students returned to school for
in-person classes Tuesday for the first time since March with a hybrid schedule
that mixes in-person days and online days for two groups of students. Wyoming
Valley West began the current school year with remote instruction.
Lake-Lehman student tests positive for COVID-19
Citizens voice BY JAMES HALPIN STAFF WRITER Oct 14,
2020 Updated 7 hrs ago
A student at Lehman-Jackson Elementary School
has tested positive for COVID-19, the Lake-Lehman School District announced
Wednesday. In a letter sent to parents, Superintendent James McGovern said the
district was informed of the diagnosis Wednesday but that the student has not
been on campus since Oct. 5. As a result of the test result, health authorities
have begun contact tracing and will notify any close contacts of the affected
student, he said.
Phillipsburg schools to remain open after 2 students test
positive for COVID-19, superintendent says
By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated Oct
15, 2020; Posted Oct 15, 2020
The Phillipsburg School District on Thursday
learned of two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in
students, one at the high school and one at the middle school. Superintendent
Gregory Troxell announced the test results in a message to the Phillipsburg school
community that he shared with lehighvalleylive.com. “Due to
the date of both tests, the students' last day of school was BEFORE their
infectious period,” Troxell wrote. “Therefore, the Warren County Health
Department, in conjunction with the Phillipsburg School District COVID Response
Team, has determined that no action is needed at this time.”
Hollidaysburg School District reports COVID-19 case in
elementary school
WTAJ by: Bill
Shannon Posted: Oct 15, 2020 / 09:55 AM
EDT / Updated: Oct 15, 2020 / 05:16 PM EDT
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Hollidaysburg
Area School District has alerted parents that an individual at Frankstown
Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, Oct. 14. School
officials say that the person has not been within close contact with any
students or teachers. They have also contacted the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health
and are working closely with them to ensure the safety of everyone. Superintendent
Robert J. Gildea stated that the school schedule will continue as normal.
South Butler School District teacher tests positive for
COVID-19
Butler Eagle by Steve Ferris Eagle Staff Writer October 15,
2020 News Extra
A South Butler County School District teacher
tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday afternoon.
In a notification sent to parents,
Superintendent David Foley said the teacher worked in the primary school and
intermediate elementary school. The employee was tested and received results
Thursday and the district immediately notified the Pennsylvania Department of
Health, Foley said.
http://www.butlereagle.com/article/20201015/NEWS12/201019955
MCSD: Another bus driver tests positive for virus
District hasn’t closed any buildings
The Sentinel From staff reports OCT 16, 2020
LEWISTOWN — Mifflin County School District
has reported another of its bus drivers has tested positive for COVID-19. The
district posted a letter from MCSD Chief Operations Officer Vance Varner on the
district website Thursday and sent it to parents via MCSD’s Skylert messaging
system. In the letter, Varner explained district administration learned of the
positive result at around 11 a.m. Thursday. Varner said the driver normally
transports students to Lewistown Elementary School, Lewistown Intermediate
School, Mifflin County Middle School, Mifflin County Junior High School and
Mifflin County High School during the morning bus runs.
How State College Area High School sports returned this
fall
The State College Little Lions defeated
Cumberland Valley last Friday, but just having the game was an achievement.
WITF By Andrew Destin/WPSU OCTOBER 16, 2020 |
5:25 AM
(State College) — On Sept. 17, the State
College Area School District Board of Directors voted to allow sports to take
place this fall, despite coronavirus concerns. State College Area High School
hosted its first home football game last Friday at Memorial Field. The State
College Little Lions defeated Cumberland Valley 31-0 last Friday, but just
having the game was an achievement. COVID-19 safety concerns postponed the
start of the season until October 2. Harris Township resident Greg Edwards was
worried his son, Jackson, wouldn’t have his senior season. Edwards spoke up at
September’s school board meeting about the importance of sports and letting his
son play. “We all know this is much more than just touchdowns and interceptions
and fumble recoveries,” Edwards said. “These student-athletes learn so many
life skills from playing competitive team sports.”
https://www.witf.org/2020/10/16/how-state-college-area-high-school-sports-returned-this-fall/
What's the connection between reading early and high
school dropout rates? Learn with us at the Education First Compact on 11/5.
Philadelphia Education Fund Free Virtual
Event Thursday November 5, 2020 9:00 am - 10:30 am
From Pre-K to Fifth Grade: Early Literacy as
Dropout Prevention
It’s long been understood that literacy is
the gateway to learning. No doubt you’ve heard the maxim: In grades
K-3, a student must learn to read, so that in grades 4-12 they can read to
learn.
In the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2014
report, “Double Jeopardy,” researchers also found a link between 4th
grade reading proficiency and high school completion rates. Astonishingly,
they discovered that students with low levels of proficiency were four times as
likely to drop out of high school. In Philadelphia, the struggle to improve
upon rates of early literacy is a collaborative one. At the center of
these local efforts are the School District of Philadelphia, the Children’s
Literacy Initiative, and various community partners engaged through
Philadelphia’s Read By 4th Campaign. Join us for the November Education First
Compact to probe such questions as: What lessons has been learned prior to and
during COVID? What adjustments are being made during this period of distance
learning? What challenges remain? And, most importantly, what role can the
larger Philadelphia community play in the effort?
Panelists:
- Caryn
Henning, Children’s Literacy Initiative
- Jenny
Bogoni, Read By 4th Campaign
- Nyshawana
Francis-Thompson, School District Office of Instruction and Curriculum
Host: Farah
Jimenez, President and CEO of Philadelphia Education Fund
Schedule: 9:00 –
9:45am Presentation
9:45 – 10:15am Q & A
Attendance is free, but registration is
required.
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
301 PA school boards have
adopted charter reform resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 300 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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