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 Nov. 3, 2020
National Assoc. of Charter School Authorizers: Virtual
Charter School Enrollment Is Up, But Quality Remains Disappointing in
Pennsylvania
Legislative races in Pennsylvania could impact education
spending
Philadelphia school district continues to be
underfunded by the state to the tune of $5,600 per student
Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa Nov
2, 2020, 2:14pm EST
Pennsylvania’s entire state House and half of
its Senate are up for election Tuesday — and the results could have a big
effect on education policy and school funding. Some political observers believe
Democrats have the ability to take back control of the house or possibly even
both chambers of the legislature. If so, changes could be coming to the formula
used to distribute money to Pennsylvania school districts. Pennsylvania has one
of the widest spending gaps in the nation between its rich and poor districts.
A recent report done as part of a landmark lawsuit challenging the system found
that Pennsylvania districts need $4.6 billion in additional funds to adequately
educate their students. Districts with majorities of Black and Latino students
are particularly shortchanged, the analysis found. Philadelphia, where nearly
three-fourths of students are Black and Latino, is underfunded by the state to
the tune of $5,600 per student, according to the report by Penn State education
professor Matthew Gardner Kelly done for plaintiffs in the six-year-old case.
NACSA: Virtual Charter School Enrollment Is Up, But
Quality Remains Disappointing in Pennsylvania
National Association of Charter School
Authorizers October 28, 2020 | By Veronica
Brooks-Uy
Whether due to the fear of catching and
spreading COVID-19 or a dissatisfaction with the virtual offerings from their
local district, families more than ever are considering virtual
charter schools. There has been a huge increase in virtual charter school
enrollment across the country, including
in Pennsylvania where cyber charter school enrollment is up by 63% to 62,000
students as of October 1st. But
even before the pandemic and influx of students, Pennsylvania’s cyber
sector was one of the largest in the country, and it long struggled with quality. When
I spoke with ML Wernecke, Director of the Pennsylvania Charter Performance
Center*, she said “In the most recent round of assessments,
every single cyber charter school scored below the statewide average in both
English and math. That is not a statistical fluke but rather clear evidence
that cyber charter students are falling behind.” Public schools in Pennsylvania
are measured on a variety of student success indicators and scores and
rolled up into a score, known as the Future Ready PA Index and
historically known as the School Performance Profile (SPP). All of
Pennsylvania’s cyber charters have performed below the state average on the
Future Ready PA Index and the SPP. And currently, due to this poor performance,
every cyber charter in the state has been identified as needing
significant support under the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA). Despite poor quality sector-wide, Pennsylvania is
considering applications from two more virtual schools to open in 2021-22. How
did Pennsylvania get here? The short answer is an outdated charter law. The
charter sector has evolved a lot over the last 20 years, and authorizing has
evolved and changed too. Many states have updated their laws to reflect new
learning, but Pennsylvania’s law has mostly remained the same. For example,
NACSA recommends at a minimum, the six state-level policies below be included
in state law (see this report for a
more comprehensive discussion of how to improve the quality of virtual
schools). We believe that these policies preserve the benefits families find in
virtual schools, while helping to ensure sure kids are getting a quality
education.
Pennsylvania’s law falls well short of
NACSA’s recommendations.
Nearly $475 million increase in charter school tuition
predicted for 2020-2021
Education voters PA Published by EDVOPA on November 2, 2020
As we look forward to Election Day tomorrow,
I wanted to bring to your attention a study that The Pennsylvania
Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) recently released.
PASBO predicts that school district payments
to charter schools will increase by nearly $475 million in the 2020-2021 school
year. Total charter school tuition payments are estimated to reach a
staggering $2.76 billion in 2020-2021. About $125 million of this increase is
not related to new enrollment. Instead, it is the result of a baked-in increase
in tuition rates that is calculated in Pennsylvania’s charter school law. School
districts also expect to pay an additional $350 million or more in tuition
because of an increase in enrollment in cyber charters of approximately 24,000
students. These are students who chose to leave school districts,
brick-and-mortar charters, and private/religious schools to enroll in a cyber
charter school this school year.
Top Trump adviser bluntly contradicts president on
covid-19 threat, urging all-out response
“This is not about lockdowns … It’s about an
aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented,’ says internal
White House report that challenges many of Trump’s pronouncements.
Washington Post By Lena H. Sun and Josh Dawsey November 2,
2020 at 10:05 p.m. EST
A top White House coronavirus adviser sounded
alarms Monday about a new and deadly phase in the
health crisis, pleading with top administration officials for “much more
aggressive action,” even as President Trump continues to assure rallygoers the
nation is “rounding the turn” on the pandemic. “We are entering the most
concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic … leading to increasing
mortality,” said the Nov. 2 report from Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White
House coronavirus task force. “This is not about lockdowns — It hasn’t
been about lockdowns since March or April. It’s about an aggressive balanced
approach that is not being implemented.” Birx’s internal report, shared with
top White House and agency officials, contradicts Trump on numerous points:
While the president holds large campaign events with hundreds of attendees,
most without masks, she
explicitly warns against them. While the president blames rising cases on
more testing, she
says testing is “flat or declining” in many areas where cases are rising. And
while Trump says the country is “rounding the turn,” Birx notes the country is
entering its most dangerous period yet and will see more than 100,000 new cases
a day this week.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/02/deborah-birx-covid-trump/
Pennsylvania’s top House races come down to 2 GOP-held
seats
Marc Levy/The Associated Press OCTOBER
31, 2020 | 10:35 AM
Be patient: Results
of the Nov. 3 election in Pennsylvania, and across the country, likely won’t be
known for days. Here’s how WITF’s newsroom will cover election night and
beyond.
(Harrisburg)– The premier congressional races
in Pennsylvania feature two Republican House members from opposite sides of the
party’s ideological spectrum trying to hang on for another term after recording
narrow wins two years ago. All told, the two races are on track to cost more
than $30 million combined as outside money pours in to try to influence the
outcome. In the Bucks County-based 1st District in suburban Philadelphia,
second-term U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is being challenged by Democrat
Christina Finello, who maintains that Fitzpatrick has not stood up to President
Donald Trump. Fitzpatrick — who has not pledged to vote for Trump — is one of
just three House Republicans in the entire country running for reelection in a
district Trump lost during 2016′s presidential contest. In the Harrisburg-York
seat in southcentral Pennsylvania, four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry,
owner of one of the most conservative voting records in the U.S. House, is
being challenged by two-term state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale.
https://www.witf.org/2020/10/31/pennsylvanias-top-house-races-come-down-to-2-gop-held-seats/
Election Day 2020: These are the races you’re watching
today | Tuesday Morning Coffee
PA Capital Star By John L. Micek November 3,
2020
Good Election Day Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Yes, it’s true, the White House fight
between President Donald Trump and former Vice
President Joe Biden is devouring practically all of the political
oxygen. But as you head to the polls this morning (if you haven’t voted
already), we’d like to direct your attention away from the top of the ticket to
talk about some key races further down your election ballot. Because as
compelling as the fight for the White House is — and it’s the most
consequential in decades — there’s a really credible argument to be made that
today’s other elections are even more important because they are the levels of
government that are even closer to the people. To review, all 18 members of
Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation are on the ballot today. Ditto for all
253 members of the General Assembly, as are all, three elected statewide row
offices. There also are some ballot questions in local jurisdictions that will
have an immediate impact on the way that thousands of Pennsylvanians live their
lives. And because these races are so intensely local, we turned for advice to
the people who know them best: The most engaged, erudite, and we’re sure,
best-looking newsletter audience in our fair Commonwealth, the Morning
Coffee readers. So here’s a look at some of the races that you’re
worried about, are engaged in, and will be tracking as we embark on what will
surely be a very long and eventful day. Thanks to everyone who chimed in on
Twitter when we asked for help.
Here are some of the Pa. legislative races that could
flip in Tuesday’s election
Control of the state House and Senate is up
for grabs in Tuesday's election. The Republicans are hoping to keep their
majorities in both chambers while Democrats are working hard to flip at least
one of them into their hands.
Penn Live By Jan
Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com November 2,
2020
All eyes are on the contentious presidential
race at the top of the ticket but there are plenty of contests to be decided on
Tuesday that could determine which party controls the state House and Senate. Republicans
have held the majority in both chambers even before Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf
was elected in 2014. Now, the governor’s party is looking to flip at least one
of those legislative houses for his final two years to give him a better shot
at accomplishing a few things left on his to-do list. And Wolf has invested
more than $2 million – with $500,000 coming out of his own pocket – into
Democratic legislative campaigns in an effort to make that happen.
Meanwhile, Republicans are determined not to
surrender control of either chamber. They aim to keep the governor in check
whenever and wherever possible.
Pa.’s new election dashboard will show progress of
mail-in ballot count alongside early returns
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison October 30,
2020
Pennsylvanians who plan to spend Tuesday
night glued to the news will find some changes to the state’s website for
reporting preliminary election results. The Department of State on Friday
unveiled a new election results dashboard designed to provide voters with
up-to-date data on how many mail ballots still need to be counted. More than 3
million Pennsylvanians have been approved to vote by mail this year. And while
results from in-person voting will be available soon after polls close at 8
p.m. on Tuesday, it could take days for counties to
process the mountain of mail-in ballots. The website the Department of State
plans to unveil at 8 p.m. on Tuesday will not replace its election results
page, which shows how many votes have been counted for each candidate. All
results are considered unofficial until Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar
certifies them weeks after the election. But state officials say it will
contextualize the state of each race by showing how many ballots have yet to be
counted. It will also provide detailed vote breakdowns for individual
races, showing how many votes a candidate received from in-person voting,
mail-in voting or provisional ballots.
Despite efforts for change, disparities between city's
Black and white students in key categories
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com NOV 2, 2020
6:35 PM
A report published last month by the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission shows several long-standing disparities
between Black and white students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools remained
prevalent over the past five years despite efforts to reduce them. The
report revealed significant disparities in key areas, including standardized
testing, suspension rates and advanced placement enrollment. “We knew they were
bad, but this is a pandemic level now,” said Wanda Henderson, chairperson of
the district’s Equity Advisory Panel. “Just like we have the COVID pandemic, we
have a racial inequity pandemic in the district, and they have to deal with
this.” The report provides the commission’s findings and conclusions of the
district’s efforts since 2015 to lessen the achievement gap and provide
equivalent educational opportunities and terms for its Black and white students.
‘We have to unite’ — Philadelphia students plan to make a
difference on Election Day
Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa, Neena
Hagen, and Johann Calhoun Nov 2, 2020, 7:43pm EST
Giovanni Pagan, 17, has been watching his
grandmother work the polls his entire life.
This year, during one of the most fraught
elections in the nation’s history, in one of the most contentious battleground
states, it will be his turn. The junior at the Workshop School said he’s always
wanted to be a poll worker. Now that his grandmother is more vulnerable to the
coronavirus, he’s happy to take her place. Pagan is only one of many
Philadelphia students, themselves too young to vote, who have volunteered this
year to be poll workers and have engaged in election-related activities
including voter registration and candidate forums.
Reports of new COVID case spur North Hills High to
transition to online-only learning
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE NOV 2, 2020 9:21
PM
North Hills High School will transition to
online-only learning for the remainder of this week after reports of an
additional coronavirus case in the building, the district announced on Monday. The
district said in an announcement posted to its website that it is going back to
the virtual model, effective immediately, because another student tested
positive for the virus. That student was last in school on Oct. 27. When
classes resume on Nov. 4, high school students will be learning online-only
through the end of the week. No other schools in the district are impacted by
the decision, the announcement said.
New COVID-19 case prompts weeklong shutdown at Mars Area
High School
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE NOV 2, 2020
Mars Area High School will close for the rest
of the week after reports of new coronavirus cases, the district announced
Monday. In a letter posted to the district’s website, officials said the
Pennsylvania Department of Health had found two additional cases, bringing the
total at the high school to three. The high school was closed at the end of the
school day Monday and will reopen Tuesday, Nov. 10. All other Mars Area
schools will remain open.
New Kensington-Arnold elementary student tests positive
for coronavirus
Trib Live by BRIAN C. RITTMEYER | Monday,
November 2, 2020 2:43 p.m.
A Roy A. Hunt Elementary School student is
quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, New Kensington-Arnold
School District announced. Students in third through sixth grades attend the
elementary school in Arnold. Superintendent Jon Banko would not say in which
grade the infected student is enrolled. Banko did say the student is not in
third grade. In October, Banko acknowledged third-grade students in a
combination social studies/science class were being seated closer than
the recommended six feet apart because of the number of students as of Oct. 5.
Saucon Valley High School closed for two weeks after five
COVID-19 cases reported
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL | NOV 02, 2020 AT 3:06 PM
Saucon Valley High School is closed until
Nov. 16 after five coronavirus cases were reported over eight days, Superintendent
Craig Butler said in an email. High school students will be switching to
entirely remote learning until then, while students in the district’s
elementary and middle schools will continue with their normal schedules. All
high school extra-curricular activities are also canceled.
More than 150 COVID-19 cases have been reported at
Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update]
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer November 3,
2020
More than 150 cases of COVID-19 have been
reported at Lancaster County schools so far into the 2020-21 school year. The
cases come from 16 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.
Westmont, Greater Johnstown school districts add COVID-19
cases
Tribune Democrat By Joshua Byers jbyers@tribdem.com November 3,
2020
Westmont Hilltop and Greater Johnstown school
district administrators have been alerted that staff members tested positive
for the novel coronavirus. After contacting the Pennsylvania Department of
Health, it was determined that neither district will have to close. Thomas
Mitchell, superintendent at Westmont, said the case in his district took place
at the junior-senior high school and is the second instance of the virus since
the school year began.
Warrior Run staff member tests positive for COVID-19
By The Standard-Journal Nov 1, 2020
TURBOTVILLE — Just two days after the Warrior
Run School District announced a high school student had tested positive for
COVID-19, the district on Sunday confirmed a middle school staff member has
also tested positive for the virus.
https://www.standard-journal.com/news/local/article_29042132-760b-536d-a876-a7c6b12682f4.html
PAES student tests positive for COVID-19, county adds 30
cases
The Punxsutawney Spirit November 2,
2020
The
Punxsutawney Area School District reported Monday that an
elementary school student had tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile,
Jefferson County added an unprecedented 30 cases over the weekend, increasing
to a total of 232, 169 of them confirmed and 63 probable
Clarion-Limestone Schools Cancel In Person Learning
The Clarion News November 2, 2020
Strattanville – The Clarion-Limestone School District
in person classes have been cancelled through Wednesday and about 92 people are
now under quarantine as a result of two positive cases that have been reported
in the school districtt.
https://www.theclarionnews.com/free/article_b7f1041e-1d4d-11eb-be28-c727fde2552d.html
WCSD: Three COVID cases in Youngsville schools
Times Observer by BRIAN FERRY Staff Reporter bferry@timesobserver.com
OCT 31, 2020
Warren County School District has announced
three positive cases of COVID-19 in its west attendance area — the Youngsville
schools. Superintendent Amy Stewart said there are three cases within the
district. She did not disclose if those positive cases are students, staff, or
some combination.
https://www.timesobserver.com/news/local-news/2020/10/wcsd-three-covid-cases-in-youngsville-schools/
COVID cases spike in Franklin County schools
By Amber South Chambersburg Public Opinion
November 2, 2020
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Franklin County is
experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, and schools are feeling the impact. The
county now is in the "substantial" category for community
transmission, meaning more than 100 out of 100,000 people tested positive for
the coronavirus in the most recent seven-day reporting period. As a result, the
Pennsylvania Department of Education recommended that all schools in Franklin
County transition to fully virtual learning for two weeks. Over the same
period, Oct. 23-29, more than 10% of COVID-19 tests came back positive, which
also is a marker of substantial transmission. The county's "percent
positivity rate" of 10.3% is the fourth highest in the state.
Girard High School and Rice Avenue Middle School go
virtual after positive COVID-19 results
Your Erie Posted: Nov 2, 2020 / 06:34 PM
EST / Updated: Nov 2, 2020 / 10:20 PM EST
Another area school has fallen victim to
COVID-19 and has decided to shutdown for the remainder of the week. The Girard
School District notified parents that both Rice Avenue Middle School and Girard
High School will go virtual from November 3rd through the 6th. The school
district cited that both a student and a staff member have tested positive for
COVID-19.
Teacher who worked at LaBrae School District tests
positive for COVID-19
The teacher works at a Trumbull County
Educational Service Center special education unit housed at LaBrae
WYTV by: Sarah Mercer Posted: Nov 3,
2020 / 07:36 AM EST
LEAVITTSBURG, Ohio (WYTV) – A teacher who
worked at the LaBrae School District has tested positive for COVID-19. The
teacher works at a Trumbull County Educational Service Center special education
unit housed at LaBrae. The teacher’s identity is being protected, but the
educational service center made the announcement so families can make
well-informed decisions.
K-12 Election Watch: 7 Big Questions for Schools and
Education
Education Week By Evie Blad November 2,
2020
There’s a lot more for educators to watch on
election night than what’s happening at the top of the ticket nationally. From
local school board races and state legislatures to what party controls the U.S.
Congress, many of the decisions voters make Tuesday will have big stakes for
schools on everything from the immediate COVID-19 crisis to long-term education
policy. And, of course, the presidential election matters, too. The nominees—President Donald Trump and
his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden—have
offered competing visions for the direction of the federal pandemic response,
additional relief aid, and a host of other K-12 issues.
Here are some education storylines to follow
on election night.
Trump's 'Patriotic Education' Order Heavy on Public
Relations, Not Curriculum
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on November
2, 2020 5:20 PM
Following through on a plan he announced in
September to promote "patriotic education," President Donald Trump
has unveiled plans to highlight positive portrayals of U.S. history—but it
stays away from making any demands about what schools teach. The executive
order Trump released on Monday establishes the advisory 1776 Commission and
tasks its members with producing a report on "the core principles of
America's founding" within one year. It directs relevant federal agencies
to monitor schools' compliance with current federal law requiring schools to
offer educational programs about
the U.S. Constitution each year on
Sept. 17. And the order directs the U.S. Department of Education to
"prioritize the American founding" when deciding how to distribute
certain existing federal grants for teaching civics. The executive order
focuses predominantly on public relations, and much of it is a critique of what
it calls a "radicalized view" of U.S. history. Trump promoted the order
from his personal Twitter account, and it now
becomes part of his pitch to voters right before Election Day. But it does not
and cannot change the law that prohibits the federal
government from dictating or attempting to
dictate what curriculum schools use. (At one point, the order mistakenly refers
to the "Common Core curriculum" as an example of improper federal
involvement in schools; the common core is a set of standards, not a
curriculum, that was adopted by states.)
https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/11/trump-patriotic-education-PR-curriculum.html
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.
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
312 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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