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 6, 2020
Vouchers:
HB2696/SB1230: Pa. Senate panel vets bill creating education savings accounts
to help students get their schooling ‘back on track’
Why are cyber
charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?
Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member Mike Jones’s school districts
paid over $5.6 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter
tuition in 2018-2019.
|
Dallastown Area SD |
$1,395,962.31 |
|
Red Lion Area SD |
$1,320,999.79 |
|
South Eastern SD |
$1,096,676.37 |
|
Southern York County SD |
$762,462.55 |
|
Spring Grove Area SD |
$1,094,133.92 |
|
|
$5,670,234.94 |
Source: PDE via
PSBA
Vouchers: HB2696/SB1230: Pa. Senate panel vets bill
creating education savings accounts to help students get their schooling ‘back
on track’
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated
4:04 PM; Today 4:01 PM
A proposed grant program that would provide
500,000 Pennsylvania K-12 students with $1,000 to spend on education expenses
was vetted by the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee on Monday. The
program is viewed by supporters as a lifeline for students at risk of falling
behind in their schooling due to schools’ COVID-19-related switch to remote
learning. But others see it as a foot in the door that will lead to a
full-fledged school voucher program. They argue there are better uses for that
$500 million that it proposes to spend. Among their suggestions, using it to
help school districts with their unanticipated pandemic-related costs and an
estimated $1 billion in lost revenue due to the pandemic. Or they recommend
putting the money toward extending internet service to rural and underserved
communities or to provide resources to serve students and staff’s physical and
mental health needs arising from stresses caused by the coronavirus. Senate Bill 1230, sponsored
by Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair County, proposes to use about half of the unspent
federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding Pennsylvania
received to create what she calls the “Back on Track”
education savings account program.
“Whether the state government should expand public funding of
alternative education is a perennial debate. But it’s one that should be
determined on its merits rather than the availability of relief funds that some
legislators apparently see as a windfall to further public funding of private
education. Lawmakers should distribute the federal relief funds for relief.”
Use CARES cash to help public schools
Times Tribune Editorial BY THE
EDITORIAL BOARD October 6, 2020
Even though public school districts face a $1 billion deficit due to the coronavirus pandemic, some state lawmakers want to devote $500 million in relief money to alternative education.
Despite the growth of public charter schools
and the wide array of private schools, public schools still educate more than
95% of Pennsylvania students. And the COVID-19 pandemic has struck a powerful
blow against those public school districts, along with their taxpayers, in
several ways. Districts have incurred substantial additional costs due to
health precautions, including for new technology to facilitate home
instruction, personal protective equipment, and other materials needed to keep
schools and students safe. Meanwhile their revenue is certain to take a major
hit because of the public health emergency’s impact on the tax-generating
economy. The state government estimates that Pennsylvania’s 500 school
districts face a combined deficit of about $1 billion due to the pandemic, atop
the pre-pandemic deficits many already faced. Yet at the state Capitol, some
legislators want to use half of the $1 billion available in federal CARES Act
funding for education to advance alternative education, rather than to help
public school districts cope with the emergency. A bill sponsored by state Sen.
Judy Ward, a Blair County Republican, would use $500 million of the money to
create a program under which families would receive a $1,000 grant for each
school-aged child. The money would be held by the Treasury, so in effect the
grant would be in the form of a voucher. The money could be used for any
educational purpose, including private school tuition. Grants would be
distributed first to families who meet school-meal eligibility standards, and
then would be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis irrespective of
family income.
Pennsylvania should not spend money on costly private and
religious school | Pennlive letters
Penn Live Opinion By Rich Askey Posted
Oct 04, 9:12 AM
Stephen Bloom of the Commonwealth Foundation
attempted to confuse PennLive readers (“Here’s how lawmakers
can get students the help they need,” Sept. 26) by
suggesting that I would support a bill that siphons hundreds of millions of
Pennsylvania’s federal CARES Act money to pay for tuition and other costs at
unaccountable private schools. A costly private and religious school program is
the last thing Pennsylvania should be using COVID-19 relief money to fund.
CARES Act funding is intended to address expenses related to the pandemic. This
proposal is clearly a backdoor strategy for a private school voucher program
rather than a real effort to address COVID-19-related costs. Keep in mind, the
pandemic is having very real financial impacts on the public school districts
that educate 90 percent of our students. Districts across the state are facing
a $1 billion local revenue shortfall while at the same time being called upon
to provide personal protective equipment and other costly safety protocols.
Spending any CARES Act funding for tuition, services, equipment, or computers
at private schools would siphon money away from the public schools that
desperately need those funds.
“Public school advocates accused the GOP of leveraging a
financial crisis to test-drive a voucher-style system that could divert federal
taxpayer dollars to private schools. “We should not use valuable pandemic
relief funds to create a costly new government program that spends precious
resources on private, religious schools and would provide a statutory basis to
expand vouchers in the future,” said John Callahan, chief advocacy officer for
the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.”
How should Pa. boost student learning during pandemic?
Some say vouchers are the answer
WHYY By Avi
Wolfman-Arent October
6, 2020
Pennsylvania school-choice advocates are
pushing hard for a measure that would send federal coronavirus relief money
directly to families to put towards private school tuition, tutoring, or other
educational expenses. Two companion bills have quickly risen in the education
committees in the Republican-controlled House and Senate, with the latter
debating a proposal this week. Supporters see these “Back on Track Education
Scholarship Accounts” as a lifeline for families struggling to educate their
kids amid unprecedented disruption to traditional schooling. “The money should
go directly to the students and families rather than going back into a system
that has chosen not to support the students in their time of need,” said
Natalie Wallace, a mother of four from Montgomery County who lamented virtual
school special education services. “This is the solution and we’re running out
of time.” Although the House and Senate versions
of the “Back on Track” education scholarships differ slightly, they outline the
same basic concept.
Should Pa. convert $500M in CARES Act cash into education
grants for families? A proposal has advocates split on familiar lines
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison October
5, 2020
As a mother of four, Natalie Wallace knows
exactly what she’d do if she got extra cash to cover the educational expenses
her family has incurred since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She could use
it to pay for therapy for her eldest daughter, a senior at a Catholic high
school who’s struggling with anxiety. It would cover tutoring sessions to
supplement another daughter’s online public school curriculum, and a Braille
printer and computer for her son, Ben, a tenth-grader who is legally blind. Pennsylvania
lawmakers will spend the next month debating how to allocate $1 billion in
unspent federal relief funds that it received from the congressional CARES Act
this spring. Wallace is one school choice advocate who believes as much as half
of it should go directly to families in the form of individual cash payments.
Private school sweepstakes, sponsored by YOU
PCCY Website October 2, 2020
Pennsylvania school districts are in a crisis
of historic proportions. Not since the Great Depression has the public
education system in the Commonwealth faced such dire circumstances.
Districts are looking down the barrel of a pandemic-imposed loss of nearly $1
billion in local revenues while having to shell out almost a billion dollars
for unexpected pandemic bills for personal protective equipment and spiraling
cyber charter costs. How does one respond to this funding crisis? If
you’re a member of the state legislature and of a certain persuasion, you can
always make things worse. This week we were dismayed to learn that state
reps were scheduled to vote on House Bill 2696 which establishes an entirely
new half a billion dollar state program, a thinly-veiled scheme for affluent
families who’ve chosen religious and private education for their
children.
https://www.pccy.org/news/private-school-sweepstakes-sponsored-by-you-october-2-2020/
South Carolina Governor Accused of Improperly Using
Federal COVID-19 Aid to Fund Vouchers
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on October
5, 2020 2:43 PM
Congressional Democrats say South Carolina's
Republican governor seems to be violating the federal coronavirus relief
law by sending federal aid directly to parents so they can pay for their
children to attend private schools. In a Monday letter to U.S.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Rep. Jim
Clyburn, D-S.C., and Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the chairman of the House
education committee, say the Safe Access to Flexible Education (SAFE) program
set up by Gov. Henry McMaster, which provides $32 million to fund
scholarships to private schools, "appears to violate the plain text of the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) as well as the
Department's related guidance." The SAFE program is supported by
fund set up in the CARES Act, the federal
coronavirus relief law enacted in late March, which included $3
billion for a Governor Emergency Education Relief fund to support K-12 and
higher education during the pandemic. As we reported in July, some GOP
governors used that fund to support private
school choice amid some parents' desire for
in-person learning, as well as some concerns about the impact of the virus
on the long-term viability of private schools. However, advocates for public
school said this money would be better spent on helping public schools reopen
safely.
Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to Gov. Wolf’s
shutdown order
Lehigh Valley Live By Becky
Metrick | bmetrick@pennlive.com Updated
Oct 06, 2020; Posted Oct 05, 2020
The nation’s highest court will not hear a challenge to Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that closed all non-life-sustaining businesses during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The case was brought on by business owners and a state House candidate who considered the shutdown unconstitutional, however, earlier this spring the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of Wolf. The petition to the Supreme Court was formally denied on Monday, although the high court had previously denied reviewing the case on an emergency petition in May, Bloomberg reported. The outlet reported that the Supreme Court has repeatedly refused to review cases related to the handling of the coronavirus outbreak by state and local officials.
Half a million Pa. kids are supposed to be learning to
read right now. Are they?
Chalkbeat Philly By Avi
Wolfman-Arent WHYY Oct 5, 2020, 3:42pm EDT
North Philadelphia second-grader Zyiah
Satterwhite is one of a kind. The precocious 7-year-old named her Russian Blue
cat “Goose.” And while others her age watch children’s shows, Zyiah’s favorite
is the hit horror series “Stranger Things” on Netflix. Between giggles, she
swears it’s not too scary for her. Zyiah is also one of about 570,000. That’s
the number of Pennsylvania students in grades K-3 — the four-year window where
schools expect children to master the basics of reading. Zyiah’s literacy
progress is squarely middle of the pack, according to her mom, Yolanda Biggers.
She doesn’t love reading, but she’s at grade level. “I don’t read a lot,” Zyiah
explained. “But a little bit. I like reading a little bit.” After the coronavirus
pandemic hit, Zyiah’s mom gave up her
shifts as a part-time nurse to focus all of her attention on Zyiah and her two
older sisters. Biggers, 38, turned the dining room of their rowhome into a
makeshift classroom — stuffed with every conceivable school supply. While
Zyiah’s dad works long hours as a dollar-store manager, Biggers stays home to
help Zyiah log into her classes and stay focused through the virtual school
days at Luis Muñoz-Marín Elementary.
Wallingford-Swarthmore, Interboro, Penn Delco, Marple Newtown, Rose
Tree Media, Haverford, Springfield, Chichester, Garnet Valley, Radnor, Upper
Darby
More schools move into hybrid instruction
Delco Times October 6, 2020 Pete Bannan Pbannan@21st-Centurymedia.com
Motorists may notice an increase in morning school bus traffic in the coming days as public schools ratchet up the pace to return students back to their buildings for in-person learning. While most Catholic schools across the county returned Sept. 9 in a hybrid model, public schools delayed in person re-opening as health officials urged caution in opening schools until positive COVID-19 cases in the county had decreased after a potential surge following Labor Day. Over the past few weeks, a small number of special education students have returned to schools but most student have been learning virtually for the past month. In the Wallingford Swarthmore School District, kindergarten through second grade students returned this past Thursday. Third through fifth grade students came back yesterday and upper grades will return next week. “It's going great. Teachers so far are feeling excited and positive about kids back in the classroom,” said Deidre Abrahamsson, spokeswoman for the Wallingford Swarthmore School District. Heath officials at the Chester County Department of Health have been issuing a weekly update of COVID-19 cases in individual school districts as a whole by examining the cumulative incident rate in the community populations. Last week, Interboro had the lowest rate, 4.24, in the county, while Chester Upland had the highest with 111.46. Those numbers are a total number of confirmed cases divided by the population of that district for a specific time period.
Hybrid school is finally here. It is not perfect, but
‘the kids are happy.’ | Maria Panaritis
Inquirer by Maria
Panaritis | @panaritism | mpanaritis@inquirer.com Posted: October
6, 2020 - 5:00 AM
Howard Collier’s empty school bus beckoned. The
73-year-old retired SEPTA man had just parked his baby, School Bus No. 17,
alongside Swarthmore-Rutledge elementary school. I peeked inside from the
sidewalk through open accordion doors. “I’ve been on this route for five
years,” Collier said Monday afternoon. “The kids know me. The parents know me.
When they’re on my bus, they’re my kids.” For children inside
the school at that moment, Monday was the first time they had been back inside
a classroom since the coronavirus shut down schools in March.
Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is among a select number of suburban
Philadelphia districts that have begun reopening to partial-week instruction.
It is momentous for children and parents alike in this ever-so-disorienting
pandemic year.
Penn Hills School District considering moving
kindergarten students from 2 to 4 days in school
Trib Live by MICHAEL
DIVITTORIO | Monday,
October 5, 2020 10:39 p.m.
Penn Hills School District officials want to
hear from kindergarten parents about sending their little learners to school
four days a week. The district began the 2020-21 school year on Sept. 8 in
a hybrid model due to
the coronavirus pandemic. Students at the elementary, middle and high school
were placed into two groups. One group has in-person classes Monday and Tuesday
while the second goes to school Thursday and Friday. All students are online
Wednesdays. With about a month into the first semester, administrators are
looking for ways to have students in buildings more often starting with the
youngest. “They’re the ones that really need a great deal of support in the
classroom,” Superintendent Nancy Hines said Monday. “It’s really important we
don’t move too many students too quickly.” Elementary Principal Kristin Brown
is expected to send parents a survey within the next few days to gauge their
interest in the change. Online learning still would be an option.
West Chester schools moving toward hybrid instruction
West Chester Daily Local by MediaNews
Group October 5, 2020
WEST CHESTER—The West Chester Area School
District has approved a return to in-person, hybrid instruction, beginning Oct.
19 for elementary students and Nov. 5 for students middle and high school. At
the school board meeting on Sept. 29, the WCASD School Board of Directors
approved an updated Health and Safety Plan that would bring students to school
under a hybrid instruction model. The plan passed by a 6-3 vote. Students began
the school year 100 percent online or through the West Chester Cyber Program. The
District has been educating high-need special education students in person
since the beginning of the school year. "I fully respect that many people
have very strong and passionate viewpoints about what we should or shouldn't be
doing with regard to school reopening plans," Dr. Scanlon said during the
school board meeting. "As you know, this is a very emotionally charged
topic. This is a school district full of parents who care very deeply about
their children's education. We want to see them not just survive, but thrive.
Because we don't have medical backgrounds we have to rely on the guidance of
medical experts and officials."
PA’s largest teachers’ union wants to cancel standardized
tests, some advocates want accountability
Proposed legislation would delay using the
Keystone Exam as a state or local graduation requirement until the 2022-23
school year.
WITF by Sarah Schneider/WESA OCTOBER 6,
2020 | 5:22 AM
(Pittsburgh) — The state’s largest teachers’
union says teachers should be meeting the needs of students, not preparing for
standardized tests. “We feel that it’s important for teachers to be focused on
building that community, making those connections with students, making sure
that their specific educational needs are being addressed rather than prepping
them for a standardized test that they’ll take in April,” said Chris Lilienthal
with the Pennsylvania State Education Association or PSEA. The tests administered
to Pennsylvania third through eighth-graders and high school juniors were
canceled last year when all school buildings were closed and districts shifted
to remote learning. Senate Bill 1216 would
cancel those tests again. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc,
R-Cambria, who chairs the Senate’s Education Committee. It originally sought to
provide flexibility for educators navigating the certification process during
the pandemic. Representative John Lawrence, R-Chester, amended the bill to
include the standardized testing changes. The legislation would, among other
things, delay using the Keystone Exam as a state or local graduation
requirement until the 2022-23 school year.
The bill would also require the state
Secretary of Education to apply for a waiver of testing with the U.S.
Department of Education if the department provides such an opportunity. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos
has said that states should not expect the same waivers that they received in
the spring.
Will PSSA and Keystone exams be canceled for the second
year in a row? Some hope so.
With schools still in upheaval because of the
pandemic, Pennsylvania’s education department should pursue a waiver to cancel
standardized tests for the second year, a Chester County lawmaker believes. “Right
now, as we face the tremendous challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and many
children are distance learning or doing a hybrid model, the last thing we need
to be worried about is standardized testing,” said State Rep. John Lawrence
(R., Chester County). “We need to be focused on children’s education and getting
kids back to normalcy in a safe way as soon as possible.” Students in
Pennsylvania traditional public and charter schools in third through eighth
grade take the PSSAs, and high school juniors are given the Keystone Exams.
Overall, there are about 1.5 million students enrolled in the commonwealth’s
public schools. The move to cancel the exams, which are typically administered
in the spring, has drawn alarm from a group of local and statewide education
organizations, whose leaders have written a letter to the General Assembly,
saying the loss of the 2020-21 exams “risks the loss of critical information
that would highlight opportunity gaps and help schools learn and improve upon
their virtual or hybrid learning systems.” The letter was signed by the chiefs
of groups including the Commonwealth Foundation, Philadelphia School
Partnership, Urban League of Philadelphia, Excellent Schools PA, and
Pennsylvania Chamber for Business and Industry.
https://www.inquirer.com/education/pssa-keystone-pennsylvania-cancel-exam-20201005.html
Meeting postponement delays furloughs for Scranton School
District employees
Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Oct 5,
2020 Updated 6 hrs ago
More than 200 Scranton School District
employees expected to finally learn the future of their positions on Monday
night. The Scranton School Board will make the workers wait a few days longer. To
ensure the board complies with the state’s Sunshine Act, directors postponed
Monday night’s meeting until Thursday. That means the 218 employees up for
furlough will continue to be paid and have health insurance until at least the
time the board votes. The meeting’s postponement is the latest cause of
uncertainty after the district announced more than a month ago the plan to
furlough workers who had “no role” in a virtual learning environment. Students
will learn at home through at least mid-November due to the coronavirus
pandemic. On Sunday, Lackawanna County Judge Terrence R. Nealon ruled the
school board violated the state’s Sunshine Act when directors held the Sept. 14
meeting knowing many members of the public could not view it due to a
“technical glitch.” The board must revote on any action taken at that meeting,
including the furloughs.
‘It’s a difficult time’: Assuring safe virtual spaces for
Philadelphia LGBTQ students
Chalkbeat Philly By Johann
Calhoun Sep 30, 2020, 8:41am EDT
Before Science Leadership Academy was forced
to close its doors last year over asbestos concerns, Ashton Krause, 17, was in
the process of creating a student support group for LGBTQ students at the
school just north of Center City. Now with district students forced to learn
virtually, Kraus believes a group is needed more than ever because of
circumstances LGBTQ students may experience during remote learning. “LGBTQ kids
are stuck in their house and you don’t know if their parents accept them or
what their situation is at home,” he said. “It puts a lot of pressure on LGBTQ
kids especially if they are in an uncomfortable environment and they have to be
there all day. That can be overwhelming.” For some LGBTQ students, remote
learning has removed them from physical bullying at school, but virtual
classrooms don’t always provide safe, protected spaces filled with support.
In Penn-Trafford SD, 2 more COVID-19 cases at Level Green
Elementary; school moves to remote learning for 14 days
LAUREN LEE Pittsburgh Post-Gazette OCT 4,
2020 7:02 PM
Students at Level Green Elementary in the
Penn-Trafford School District will move to remote learning for around 14 days
after two additional staff members at the school have tested positive for
COVID-19. The district announced the cases in an Oct. 3 letter written by
district superintendent Matthew Harris to parents that was also posted on its
website. This news brings the total to five positive cases within a 14-day
period, Mr. Harris said. As of Saturday, Mr. Harris said all positive cases at
Level Green have been confined to staff members. There are currently no
students with positive cases, he said. Mr. Harris said the district is still
waiting on the exact reopening date from the Department of Education and
Department of Health, but will adhere to state guidelines by moving to remote
learning for 14 days.
Elizabethtown Area elementary school closed for a week
due to COVID-19 infections
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer October 5, 2020
An Elizabethtown Area School District
elementary school will be closed through Columbus Day due to an increase in
COVID-19 cases. After closing abruptly on Monday, East High Street Elementary
School will remain closed to students and staff until Tuesday, Oct. 13, as the
district responds to three known COVID-19 infections within the school. All
students will learn remotely. The district broke the news about Monday’s
closure in a letter posted to its website on Sunday evening, stating there were
two confirmed two COVID-19 cases and one presumptive case at the school. “The
decision to transition to online learning now for ALL East High students was
not made lightly,” Sunday’s letter states. “We recognize the impact it will
have on our families who have a child attending the school.”
At least 3 dozen COVID-19 cases have been reported at
Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update]
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer October 5, 2020
At three dozen cases of COVID-19 have been
reported at Lancaster County schools about a month into the 2020-21 school
year. The cases come from 12 school districts, plus a brick-and-mortar charter
school in Lancaster city. And that might not be all. With the Pennsylvania
Department of Health not tracking COVID-19 cases in schools, it's up to each
district to notify the community of a positive test from someone inside its
schools.
Latest Bethlehem Area School District COVID-19 case was
reported Friday
By Rudy
Miller | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated
Oct 05, 2020; Posted Oct 05, 2020
The most recent of Bethlehem Area School
District’s positive COVID-19 cases was reported
Friday at Gov. Wolf Elementary School, according to the school district’s
COVID-19 dashboard.
The dashboard reports nine positive cases
over the last 14 days.
McDowell, McDowell Intermediate moving to remote learning
through Oct. 12
GoErie Erie Times-News October 1, 2020
Millcreek Township School District officials
announced Thursday night that McDowell High School and McDowell Intermediate
High School will move to virtual learning for the next 11 days because of
COVID-19 concerns. Millcreek Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts made the
announcement in a letter that was emailed to staff and parents of McDowell High
School and McDowell Intermediate students. "In collaboration with the Erie
County Department of Health, we have made the decision to move to 100 percent
virtual learning temporarily for all students at the McDowell Intermediate and
McDowell High School," Roberts said in the letter. Remote learning at both
schools will remain in effect starting Friday and continuing through Oct.
12.
Your View by Allentown charter school CEO: Schools need
to work together to solve problems
Opinion By ROBERT
LYSEK THE MORNING CALL | OCT 02,
2020 AT 7:00 AM
Robert Lysek is CEO of Executive Education
Academy Charter School, a K-12 public charter school serving the Lehigh Valley,
and president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.
When the pandemic upended our lives, it was
common to hear the message: “We are all in this together.” It was an attempt to
acknowledge that things may be different but we can work together to find the
answers. Public charter schools rose to that challenge. Charter schools quickly
adapted innovative solutions to learning and meeting the needs of their
students. Brick-and-mortar charter schools became community centers for food
distribution and health care services. They supplied thousands of computers to their
students to learn from home, and their teachers learned how to support their
students at home. Pennsylvania’s 14 public cyber charter schools anticipated
the challenges and offered to help any brick-and-mortar school — district,
private or charter — with virtual learning programs. Cybercharter schools have
been teaching students online for 20 years. They know what works and what
doesn’t and they shared that knowledge with their colleagues in Pennsylvania
and across the country.
U.S. Department of Education Awards $30M Grant to
Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools
HARRISBURG (October 1, 2020) – The
Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is pleased to announce
that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has awarded it an Expanding
Opportunities Through Quality Charter School Programs Grant (commonly referred
to as a CSP Grant). This grant award will total $30 million over a grant period
of five years (2021-25) and will support the development, expansion and
replication of high-quality public brick-and-mortar charter schools in
Pennsylvania. Thanks to recent changes to the Every Student Succeeds
Act, PCPCS was able to apply for a CSP Grant under the category of “State
Entity” and will partner with Charter Choices to create, administer and monitor
a competitive subgrant program. This is not the first time that the USDE has
awarded CSP funds to expand public charter schools in Pennsylvania. The CSP
Grant was established more than 10 years ago, and individual public charter
schools in the commonwealth have received funding to expand the high-quality
educational opportunities for students.
“Overall, eight schools in Pennsylvania have now decided to
sponsor girls' wrestling. The task force, through its
SanctionPA campaign, is striving to reach 100 girls' wrestling
programs in the state. That is the number required by the PIAA before it
will consider sanctioning a sport.”
A York-Adams League school adds girls' wrestling as an
official sport
York Dispatch by STEVE HEISER 717-505-5446/@ydsports
October 5, 2020
A York-Adams League member has joined
the growing list of Pennsylvania schools to officially recognize and fund
girls' wrestling as a varsity sport. Gettysburg High School in Adams County
became the first program in the local 23-member league to sanction the sport. The
decision by the Gettysburg Area School District is not entirely surprising. The
Warriors' varsity wrestling program features one of the top girls'
wrestlers in the nation in Montana DeLawder. She is ranked No. 1 in her weight
class in the nation among female scholastic wrestlers. Over the past three
years, DeLawder has excelled while wrestling against the boys during high
school career, compiling a 67-43 record heading into her senior season with
Warriors. Last March, she won the 2020 MyHouse Pennsylvania High School
Girls State Wrestling Championships title at 122 pounds — an event that was not
sanctioned by the PIAA. “The approving of a girls' team here at
Gettysburg means the world to not only me, but the past and present girls that
have been in this program," DeLawder said in a news release issued by
the Pennsylvania Girls High School Wrestling Task Force. "Gettysburg
wrestling has had such a huge impact on my life, and I am very excited for the
girls that will get to take advantage of this opportunity in the future. I am
very grateful that girls will now be able to have the experiences I have had,
but this time in a league of their own.”
Pat Toomey just made the 2022 elections in Pennsylvania a
total free-for-all
Inquirer by
Jonathan Tamari, Andrew
Seidman, Sean
Collins Walsh and Chris
Brennan, Updated: October 5, 2020-
5:46 PM
When Pat Toomey won
reelection to the Senate in 2016, he did it using the
traditional Republican formula for success in Pennsylvania: win big in the
state’s conservative areas, and keep it close in the suburbs by appealing to
moderates. It was tight, but it worked. But that same year, then-candidate Donald
Trump tore up that playbook
and went a different way. His combative approach got him
crushed in the suburbs but drew out so many rural and small-city voters that
he won anyway. Barely. Now, with Toomey planning to
leave politics after 2022, wide-open GOP primaries for governor
and Senate that year could provide the first post-2020 test of which path
Pennsylvania Republicans choose for their future. Will they opt for someone who
echoes the sharp-edged Trump style? Or return to a figure like Toomey who,
while deeply conservative on policy, offered a businessman’s mild-mannered
persona and more traditional style of Republican politics? Toomey announced
Monday that he won’t run for either reelection or governor. His decision opened
the door for a wide range of candidates, turning the 2022 primaries into a
potential pivot point for a party that has been dominated by Trump — and will
continue to be if he can mount a comeback to win
reelection.
N.Y.C. Closes Some Schools … Again
Just days after reopening, schools and day
care centers are set to close in nine New York City hot spots in Brooklyn and
Queens.
New York Times By Amelia
Nierenberg and Adam
Pasick Oct. 5, 2020
Mayor Bill de Blasio dialed back New York
City’s school reopening this weekend, announcing a plan to close public and private schools in nine
Brooklyn and Queens ZIP codes where
coronavirus cases are surging. The outbreaks already threaten the fragile
reopening of the New York City public school system. They may also send shock
waves nationwide, for officials in other large metropolitan areas who are
tracking the city’s progress. The nine restricted areas, home to about half a
million people, all have large populations of Orthodox Jews, who have
been reluctant to adhere to guidelines on mask wearing and social distancing.
The virus devastated some communities in the spring and summer, leading some
people to believe — incorrectly, experts say — that they had developed herd
immunity. For now, there’s good news for citywide reopenings: The closings were
not prompted by any specific outbreaks in schools. “We have seen very little
coronavirus activity in our schools,” de Blasio said. Most of the schools that
closed are private yeshivas, along with about 100 public schools. But if the
city’s average test positivity rate — currently about 1.5 percent — reaches 3
percent over seven days, the entire public school system would have to close
under existing rules. Some of the nine affected neighborhoods have positivity
rates as high as 8 percent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/us/nyc-schools-close-briefing.html
Education in the 2020 Presidential Race
Education Week Project Reporting by Evie Blad
and Andrew Ujifusa
As the Nov. 3 presidential election
approaches, this interactive tracker gives you one-click access to where
Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, the Republican
nominee, stand on 10 key issues affecting K-12 education. It also includes
personal and policy context about the nominees and details about their vice
presidential running mates, Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence.
You can search either by topic or nominee. This tracker will be updated throughout
the remainder of the campaign.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/projects/education2020/index.html
PSBA continues push for permanent mandate waiver program
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 28,
2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
With a short fall legislative session
scheduled for the General Assembly, PSBA is continuing efforts to advocate for
the major state-level issues identified by public school leaders as being
of the most concern during this pandemic. One of the key issues is the
need for broad, permanent relief from mandates that consume much of districts'
budgets and stifle innovation. PSBA worked with Senator Langerholc (R-Cambria)
to introduce Senate Bill 1286, which
would establish a mandate waiver program similar to the highly
popular and successful one which operated in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2010.
The proposal would allow public schools to apply to the Pennsylvania Department
of Education (PDE) for a waiver of many state-imposed mandates if the school
can show that its instructional program will improve or the school will operate
in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner. Certain laws and regulations
would not be waivable, such as those relating to student safety, academic
standards and assessments, special education, protected handicapped students,
gifted education, student attendance, professional educator conduct
standards, among others.
Click here for a
detailed summary of Senate Bill 1286.
PSBA is asking school boards to join this advocacy effort and adopt the
resolution urging the General Assembly to provide critical support and costs
savings to school districts through approval of a permanent mandate waiver
program. The PSBA resolution can be downloaded and submitted to PSBA
online.
https://www.psba.org/2020/09/psba-continues-push-for-permanent-mandate-waiver-program/
PSBA Fall Virtual Advocacy Day: OCT 8, 2020 • 8:00
AM - 5:00 PM
Sign up now for PSBA’s Virtual Advocacy Day
this fall!
All public school leaders are invited to join
us for our fall Virtual Advocacy Day on Thursday, October 8, 2020, via Zoom. We
need all of you to help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center
around contacting legislators to discuss critical issues affecting public
education. Registrants will receive the meeting invitation with a link to our
fall Virtual Advocacy Day website that contains talking points, a link to
locate contact information for your legislator and additional information to
help you have a successful day.
Cost: As a membership benefit, there is no
cost to register.
Registration: School directors can register
online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you
have questions about Virtual Advocacy Day, or need additional information,
contact Jamie.Zuvich@psba.org.
https://www.psba.org/event/psba-fall-virtual-advocacy-day/
Save The Date: The PSBA 2020 Equity Summit is happening
virtually on October 13th.
Discover how to build a foundation for equity
in practice and policy.
Learn more: https://t.co/KQviB4TTOj
PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 14-15
Virtual
Registration is now open for the first ever
virtual School Leadership Conference! Join us for all-new educational sessions,
dynamic speakers, exhibitors, and more! Visit the website for registration
information: https://t.co/QfinpBL69u #PASLC20 https://t.co/JYeRhJLUmZ
What to expect at this year’s School Leadership
Conference
POSTED ON AUGUST 31, 2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
At the 2020 PASA-PSBA School Leadership
Conference on October 14-15, you'll encounter the same high-quality experience
you've come to expect, via new virtual platform. Hear world-class speakers and
relevant educational sessions, and network with exhibitors and attendees — from
the comfort of your home or office on any internet-enabled device.
The virtual conference platform is accessible
via a unique link provided to each registrant about a week before conference.
No additional app downloads are required. The intuitive 3D interface is easy to
use and immersive — you'll feel like you're on location. Registrants will be
able to explore the space a day before conference starts. Highlights
include:
- Virtual
exhibit hall
- Interactive
lobby area and information desk
- Virtual
auditorium
- Digital
swag bag
- Scavenger
hunt
This year, conference is completely free
to attend! Be among the first 125 to register, and receive a special
pre-conference swag bag, sent to your home. Click here for
more information about how to register.
https://www.psba.org/2020/08/what-to-expect-at-this-years-school-leadership-conference/
Adopt the resolution against racial inequity!
School boards are asked to adopt this
resolution supporting the development of an anti-racist climate. Once adopted,
share your resolution with your local community and submit a copy to PSBA.
Learn more: http://ow.ly/yJWA50B2R72
Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
In this legislative session, PSBA has been
leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s
Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to
join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school
boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your
next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.
Resolution for charter
funding reform (pdf)
Link to submit your adopted resolution to
PSBA
296 PA school boards have adopted charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 290 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution
calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law
to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality
and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from
school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform.
Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from
the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions
of dollars to charter schools.
https://www.psba.org/2020/03/adopted-charter-reform-resolutions/
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:
https://www.pacharterchange.org/
The Network for Public Education Action Conference has
been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel
Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may
be affiliated with.
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