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Monday, January 11, 2021

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Jan. 11: NEPA educators question cyber charter spending of pandemic relief money on gift cards, cellphones

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 Jan. 11, 2021

NEPA educators question cyber charter spending of pandemic relief money on gift cards, cellphones

 

 

PSBA Spring Virtual Advocacy Day - March 22, 2021

All public school leaders are invited to join us for our spring Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, March 22, 2021, via Zoom. Registration is available under Event Registration on myPSBA.org.

https://www.psba.org/event/psba-spring-virtual-advocacy-day/

 

 

“The federal funding comes as traditional public school leaders become increasingly frustrated with a perceived lack of transparency and accountability of cyber charter schools. In the last year, enrollment statewide in cyber charter schools has grown 63%, with more than 62,000 Pennsylvania students now enrolled in one of the 14 cyber schools. The state’s 500 school districts are expected to send the cyber schools more than $1 billion in taxpayer money this school year. The local leaders question why the state distributes the relief money using the same formula for traditional and cyber schools.”

NEPA educators question cyber charter spending of pandemic relief money on gift cards, cellphones

Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Jan 10, 2021

Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools used federal COVID-19 relief funds to purchase technology and cleaning supplies and send Target gift cards and phones to families. Many of the expenditures, revealed through Right to Know Law requests by The Sunday Times, have traditional public school educators questioning why cyber charter schools require the funding when their students already learn from home. The state’s cyber charter schools received $10 million in CARES — Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security — Act funding in the spring. The latest round of funding is set to quadruple their allocations, as more than $40 million could go to 12 online schools, according to estimates obtained by The Sunday Times. “It’s disgusting. It’s just unbelievable,” said Bronson Stone, superintendent of Susquehanna Community School District. The small, rural district, with a budget of $16.3 million, will pay an additional $335,000 in cyber charter tuition this year. The district used its $178,600 CARES allocation in the spring to pay for disinfectant sprayers, maintenance workers and other means to try to keep students in their classrooms.

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/education/nepa-educators-question-cyber-charter-spending-of-pandemic-relief-money-on-gift-cards-cellphones/article_b9abdfac-ba65-5f10-b7d0-430c5363bfc0.html

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Cyber Charter School Responds to "Schuylkill County School District Business Managers Speak Out on Charter School Funding"

SKOOKNEWS Schuylkill County’s Online News Service Friday, January 8, 2021

The following is a Letter to the Editor that Skook News received on the morning of January 8th, 2021 from Tim Eller, Senior Vice President of Outreach and Government Relations, Commonwealth Charter Academy, after posting a Letter to the Editor from School District Business Managers on January 7th, 2021.

You can read the original post here:

https://www.skooknews.com/2021/01/letter-to-editor-schuylkill-county.html

The January 7, 2021, letter to the editor (Schuylkill County School District Business Managers Speak Out on Charter School Funding) signed by six Schuylkill County school business managers is not just misleading, it is flat out wrong. The most important fact they failed to share is that students who attend public cyber charter schools, like Commonwealth Charter Academy, on average, receive 25 percent less funding than their peers who attend district-run schools. In reality, Pennsylvania’s charter school funding formula creates an unequal, two-tier funding mechanism that treats public cyber charter school students as second-class citizens. All students should receive the same amount of funding regardless of what public school their family chooses. Let’s consider some additional facts that the business managers left out. As of the 2018-19 school year, all Schuylkill County school districts combined spent a total of $291.4 million, of which $9.2 million, or 3.2 percent, accounted for students attending public cyber charter schools; however, these districts spent $37.3 million, or 13 percent, on pension costs.

https://www.skooknews.com/2021/01/letter-to-editor-cyber-charter-school.html

 

Mars Area officials look at handling unexpected deficit

Samantha Beal Butler Eagle Staff Writer January 6, 2021 Local News 

A virtual finance meeting before the board meeting Tuesday night allowed Mars Area School Board to discuss a looming $1.3 million deficit with district business manager Jill Swaney.

The district has a total deficit of about $2.5 million going into next year, according to Swaney, although only the $1.3 million shortfall is a “new deficit.” “The district needs to whittle that down,” Swaney said. “I am recommending possibly a $1.6 million deficit.” School officials have said since last year the unexpected shortfall is due to the number of district students who have enrolled in cyber charter schools since the start of the pandemic. In Pennsylvania, districts are responsible for covering tuition costs for students who attend charter schools, but live within the district. Tuition can range from $10,000 to $23,000 per student, according to Mars Area officials.

http://www.butlereagle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20210106/NEWS01/701069899

 

Easton Area School Board to decide whether to cap tax increase at 3.9%

By Rudy Miller | For lehighvalleylive.com Updated 7:31 AM; Today 7:31 AM

The Easton Area School Board will decide this month whether to cap a tax increase on next year’s budget at 3.9%. That figure represents the state-set index. Any tax increase above that would require voter approval. The board needs to take the vote in order to preserve the right to raise taxes that amount, but the board could ultimately decide not to raise taxes at all, according to Chief Operating Officer Michael Simonetta. “Obviously we don’t want to go that high but we did agree and are recommending to the board that we pass this resolution that we will not exceed the index,” Simonetta said. “That’s something we’ve done every year throughout the budget process.”

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2021/01/easton-area-school-board-to-decide-whether-to-cap-tax-increase-at-39.html

 

Philly Board of Education posts new charter school hearing dates for January.

 Jan. 20, 2 p.m.-5 p.m., Phila. Collegiate Charter Schools for Boys

Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., Pride Academy Charter School

Jan. 25, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., Empowerment Charter School

Jan. 27, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m, ASPIRA Bilingual Business, Finance and Technology Charter High School

Jan. 27, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., Eugenio Maria De Hostos Preparatory Charter School

https://philasd.org/schoolboard/

 

Philadelphia school leaders confident schools will reopen this year

Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa  Jan 8, 2021, 6:30pm EST

Superintendent William Hite, Board of Education President Joyce Wilkerson, and teachers’ union President Jerry Jordan all say they are confident school buildings will open for some students this school year. Hite will likely announce a reopening plan within the next “10 days or so,” he said in an interview Thursday. Hite noted the Pennsylvania departments of health and education had that day revised the guidance for school reopening, encouraging schools to resume instruction for elementary students — even where virus transmission rates are still relatively high. “Beginning with the start of the second semester, the departments recommend public schools in counties with substantial transmission consider returning elementary school students to in-person instruction while secondary school students remain fully remote, provided they follow all applicable orders and safety protocols,” said the revised guidance, signed by acting education secretary Noe Ortega and health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. They also urged resuming in-person instruction for targeted populations including English language learners and students in special education. Levine and Ortega cited studies showing younger children have less susceptibility to the virus. But the statement emphasized that the final decision is up to local officials.

https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/8/22221304/philadelphia-school-leaders-confident-schools-will-reopen-this-year

 

Going into a new year, the Pittsburgh schools’ fiscal challenges are familiar | Opinion

By Colin McNickle  Capital-Star Op-Ed Contributor January 11, 2021

Pittsburgh’s Public Schools yet again used fund reserves to balance its 2021 general fund budget, a practice it has employed since 2016. But the school district has a long way to go to address it high expenditures, concludes an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “[The district’s] trends on costs, enrollment, building capacity and employee headcount, as contained in the 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), the 2021 preliminary budget and Pennsylvania Department of Education data, are troubling and should provide the board and administration plenty of opportunity to reduce costs,” Eric Montarti, research director at the Pittsburgh think-tank, writes in a new briefing paper.

https://www.penncapital-star.com/commentary/going-into-a-new-year-the-pittsburgh-schools-fiscal-challenges-are-familiar-colin-mcnickle/

 

“Educators turned to news articles and artwork, social media posts and Zoom chats to help their conversations. Scrapping lesson plans, they saw themselves as both facilitators and sources for correcting misinformation. All the while, they were mindful of the confusion, the trauma, and the emotional fatigue many children have already endured.”

Witnessing history: Teachers and students left reeling, looking for lessons in an insurrection

Chalkbeat By Chalkbeat Staff  Jan 7, 2021, 8:34pm EST

Graham Kwiatkowski, a social studies teacher at Curie High School on Chicago’s Southwest Side, stayed up past midnight to watch coverage of the U.S. Capitol takeover and its aftermath. Then, he woke up at 4 a.m. to prepare for his virtual first-period psychology class. After asking students how they were feeling, Kwiatkowski showed six news photos without captions: three from unchecked rioting on Capitol Hill Wednesday and three of tense standoffs between Black Lives Matter protesters and police officers last summer. Students knew right away what Kwiatkowski was getting at — and readily launched into a discussion about the difference in law enforcement response. “Students are so in tune with what’s going on in their city and around the country,” he said. “They knew if this had been a group of 5,000 or 10,000 people of color at the Capitol, the response would not have been the same.” Teachers once again found themselves Thursday trying to explain a tumultuous turning point in our nation’s history, just as they did following the initial uncertainty of November’s election, the unrest after George Floyd’s killing, and at the start of the pandemic. Many accepted the challenge, viewing this as a moment to interrogate what the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday at President Trump’s urging says about race, violence, and the future of democracy.

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/7/22219779/teachers-students-reeling-lessons-capitol-insurrection

 

Which Centre County schools are operating remotely due to COVID-19? Here’s a running list

Centre Daily Times BY MARLEY PARISH JANUARY 08, 2021 10:32 AM, UPDATED JANUARY 08, 2021 12:19 PM

Since reopening in August, Centre County school districts have been forced to make adjustments to instructional plans as community COVID-19 cases continue to rise and statewide mitigation efforts aim to slow virus transmission. The Centre Daily Times is keeping a running list of school closures and planned reopenings. Because area schools are not required to publicly announce confirmed cases or building closures, this list may not be comprehensive but will be updated weekly with any changes or updates to instructional plans. If a school closure is not listed, or to provide more information, please email cdtnewstips@centredaily.com.

https://www.centredaily.com/news/rebuild/article247509800.html#storylink=mainstage_lead

 

Pennsylvania officials encourage schools to return elementary students to classrooms

Bucks County Courier Times by Daveen Rae Kurutz Beaver County Times January 7, 2020

After more than nine months of uncertainty, Pennsylvania officials Thursday encouraged public school districts to return elementary school students to the classroom.  Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega recommended an in-person option for elementary students who attend schools in counties even where community spread of COVID-19 is considered substantial.  "The educational benefits of in-person learning, especially for younger children are very clear from an educational perspective," Levine said. "We know that it's impossible to eliminate the risk of disease transmission entirely within a school setting when community spread is present ... It may be better for younger children, particular elementary grade students to return to in-person instruction. While people of any age can contract COVID-19, research suggests that people aged 18 and younger do have a lower risk of severe outcomes." 

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/01/07/pennsylvania-elementary-students-covid-return-to-classrooms/6580026002/

 

Fair Districts PA fear potential change to courts could lead to gerrymandering

Chris Ullery Bucks County Courier Times January 11, 2021

A measure that could be put to voters in the state this spring could drastically change the way Pennsylvania’s appellate courts are organized, a change some say leave the judicial branch subject to gerrymandering. The proposed constitutional amendment introduced by Rep. Russ Diamond, R-102, of Lebanon County, would essentially break up the state’s highest courts into over 30 regions across the state. The question could be placed on the ballot as early as the May 18 election. Diamond and other supporters of the bill have said the changes would allow for a more diverse appellate court system. “Pennsylvania is a diverse commonwealth, and our appellate courts ought to reflect that diversity,” Diamond wrote in a December memo.  “This proposal will also go far in improving the chances that voters can identify with candidates for appellate court seats,” Diamond added. Some voting rights groups, however, say the bill is being rushed through the General Assembly without proper debate or public hearings. Fair Districts PA, a statewide advocacy group that focuses on fairly drawn voting districts, is currently leading the charge to prevent the bill from passing the legislature and appearing on the ballot in May.

Fair Districts Chair Carol Kuniholm said Wednesday during an online town hall the changes would ultimately leave the state’s Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme courts subject to district gerrymandering

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2021/01/11/fair-districts-pennsylvania-judicial-redistricting-ballot-question/4140271001/

 

Pa. Senate leader says GOP will likely follow court lead in filling vacant seat

Penn Live By Ron Southwick | rsouthwick@pennlive.com  Posted Jan 08, 2021

The head of the Pennsylvania Senate said Friday night the Republican caucus will wait for a court ruling before making a decision on filling a seat from western Pennsylvania. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, said Friday night the Senate Republicans will likely follow the lead of a federal court ruling in the election in the 45th District. State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny, was certified as the winner in the race by the Department of State, but Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli has sued over inconsistencies in the counting of mail-in ballots. The controversy over filling the seat has drawn national media attention. Earlier this week, Senate Republicans voted against seating Brewster to begin a new four-year term and said the Senate would review petitions filed by both Brewster and Ziccarelli. Democrats fumed when Brewster wasn’t seated and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf called it a “shameful power grab.” Republicans hold the majority in the Senate. Corman reiterated previous statements that the Senate has the power to decide who should fill the seat. Bue he said Friday if the pending federal legal challenge ultimately determines a winner, the Senate Republican caucus will accept that result and seat the victor, regardless of who it is.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/01/pa-senate-leader-says-gop-will-likely-follow-court-lead-in-filling-vacant-seat.html

 

Former Pennsylvania Republican congressman Ryan Costello is taking steps to run for Senate in 2022

Costello is positioning himself as an anti-Trump Republican who could be an antidote to the GOP’s struggles in the suburbs.

Inquirer by Jonathan Tamari, and Andrew Seidman Published  Jan 8, 2021

Former U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, a Chester County Republican, is taking steps toward running for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat next year. Costello, 44, of West Chester, served in the House from 2015 to 2019. He decided not to seek reelection in 2018 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared the state’s congressional map an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and imposed a new map with districts that were less favorable to Costello and other Republicans, especially in the Philadelphia suburbs. His decision to drop out of the race upset many Republicans who believed he was their best chance of keeping the seat. But Costello is positioning himself as an anti-Trump Republican who could be an antidote to the GOP’s struggles in the suburbs. When a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee attacked GOP lawmakers for abandoning President Donald Trump after this week’s insurrection at the Capitol, Costello responded on Twitter: “If I run I will literally take this entire bulls— head on. And if I would lose I would do so with 100% pride in the fact I did it for a cause greater than myself.”

https://fusion.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/ryan-costello-pennsylvania-2022-senate-race-20210108.html

 

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is eyeing a run for Senate in 2022

Pennsylvania’s open-seat Senate race is already considered one of the most competitive in the country and will help determine which party controls the chamber after the midterm elections.

Inquirer by Chris Brennan Published Jan 8, 2021

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman says he is taking “a serious look” at another run for the U.S. Senate in 2022, an ambition he plans to share with supporters on Friday. “The 2022 cycle in Pennsylvania is going to be one of the most, if not the most, important races,” Fetterman told The Inquirer in a brief interview Thursday. Pennsylvania’s open-seat Senate race is already considered one of the most competitive in the country and will help determine which party controls the chamber after the midterm elections. Sen. Pat Toomey, a Lehigh Valley Republican, announced in October that he won’t seek a third term or run for governor in 2022. A stampede of candidates in both parties are expected to run. Fetterman, who lost a 2016 Democratic Senate primary, would bring a nationally known political brand and a social-media-savvy approach to governing and campaigning. His public profile has been elevated considerably over the last couple months as he emerged as a prominent defender of Pennsylvania’s election results, with frequent appearances on national TV.

https://fusion.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/john-fetterman-pennsylvania-2022-senate-race-20210108.html

 

Toomey urges Trump to resign immediately

York Dispatch by Darlene Superville, Alan Fram and Mary Clare Jalonick The Associated Press January 10, 2021

WASHINGTON — With impeachment planning intensifying, two Republican senators want President Donald Trump to resign immediately as efforts mount to prevent Trump from ever again holding elective office in the wake of deadly riots at the Capitol. Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey on Sunday joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to “resign and go away as soon as possible.” “I think the president has disqualified himself from ever, certainly, serving in office again,” Toomey said. “I don’t think he is electable in any way.”

House Democrats are expected to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday and vote as soon as Tuesday. The strategy would be to condemn the president’s actions swiftly but delay an impeachment trial in the Senate for 100 days. That would allow President-elect Joe Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated Jan. 20.

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2021/01/10/toomey-urges-trump-resign-immediately/115278836/

 

Pelosi says House will impeach Trump, urges Pence to invoke 25th Amendment

York Dispatch by LISA MASCARO, DARLENE SUPERVILLE and MARY CLARE JALONICK The Associated Press January 11, 2021

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump as she pushes the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to force him out, warning that Trump is a threat to democracy after the deadly assault on the Capitol. The House action could start as soon as Monday as pressure increases on Trump to step aside. A Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to "resign and go away as soon as possible." A stunning end to Trump's final 10 days in office was underway as lawmakers warned of the damage the president could still do before Joe Biden was inaugurated Jan. 20. Trump, holed up at the White House, was increasingly isolated after a mob rioted in the Capitol in support of his false claims of election fraud.

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/11/pelosi-says-house-impeach-trump-urges-pence-invoke-25th-amendment/6619895002/

 

Here’s a little break from COVID and the Capitol….

Steve Winwood // Blind Faith - "Can't Find My Way Home"

YouTube 7,379,465 views •May 16, 2012

Steve Winwood plays an acoustic version of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSn2Y-b6wI&feature=youtu.be

 

 

PSBA Spring Virtual Advocacy Day - MAR 22, 2021

PSBA Website January 2021

All public school leaders are invited to join us for our spring Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, March 22, 2021, 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 spring 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: Complimentary for members

Registration: Registration is available under Event Registration on myPSBA.org.

https://www.psba.org/event/psba-spring-virtual-advocacy-day/

 

PSBA Webinar: New Congress, New Dynamics

JAN 14, 2021 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

The 2020 election brings significant changes to the 117th U.S. Congress. How will the newly sworn-in senators and representatives impact public education? What issues will need to be addressed this session? To become an effective legislative advocate you’ll need to understand the new players and dynamics. Our experts will profile key new members, discuss what big trends you can expect and highlight the issues that will be debated over the next two years.

Presenters: Jared Solomon, senior public advisor, BOSE Public Affairs Group
John Callahan, chief advocacy officer, PSBA

Cost: Complimentary for members.

Registration: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CQkk1Sd0QmOhdJ3VmlSzGg 

https://www.psba.org/event/new-congress-new-dynamics/

 

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

 

337 PA school boards have adopted charter reform resolutions

Charter school funding reform continues to be a concern as over 330 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform. Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions of dollars to charter schools.

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

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

 

Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call for Charter Change!

PSBA Charter Change Website:

https://www.pacharterchange.org/

 

The Network for Public Education Action Conference has been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel

 

Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may be affiliated with.


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