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 Feb. 10, 2021
Pa. has a chance to
reform our struggling schools. Will the legislature let it happen? | Opinion
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call for
Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website: https://www.pacharterchange.org/
Pa. has a chance to
reform our struggling schools. Will the legislature let it happen? | Opinion
Commentary
by Frank Gallagher, For the Inquirer Posted: February 9, 2021 - 1:33 PM
Frank
Gallagher is the superintendent of the Souderton Area School District and the
chair of LEARN, a coalition of Pennsylvania school superintendents working to
improve charter school accountability, limit school privatization, and
encourage youth to choose public education as a career.
Pennsylvania
has a real chance to change its worst-in-the-nation reputation
when it comes to education funding. It is a reputation we should run from — the
most inequitably funded education system and the worst charter school law in
the nation. Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed putting Pennsylvania on a new
trajectory with $1.5 billion in additional education funding and a plan to make the most underfunded
districts whole. He also called for comprehensive reform of Pennsylvania’s
24-year-old charter school law — to eliminate wasteful charter school spending
and set higher standards to improve performance. With this budget, Pennsylvania
can move from the back of the class to the best in the nation. The General
Assembly should not pass up this opportunity to right these two wrongs. You
don’t have to agree with the precise distribution of funds in the governor’s
proposal to admire the boldness of the idea — students in Philadelphia,
Norristown, Pottstown, Bensalem, and other inequitably funded districts getting
the resources they need to compete and succeed next year, not in the next
decade. Charter schools and funding adequacy are two sides of the same coin. To
break this cycle, a comprehensive reform bill must address both funding reform
and accountability.
PA SCHOOLS WORK:
Budget Deep Dive Webinar —What Gov. Wolf's Budget Proposal Means for Public
Education
Tue, Feb 16, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
PA school
advocates take a deep dive into the details of Governor Tom Wolf's 2021-22
budget proposal and what the bold investment in public education would mean for
school districts.
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4209576337238986766
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf,
lawmakers form joint COVID-19 vaccine task force
Penn Live by
By Ron Southwick | rsouthwick@pennlive.com Updated Feb 09, 2021; Posted Feb 09,
2021
Gov. Tom
Wolf’s administration is teaming up with several state lawmakers on a new task
force on the COVID-19 vaccine. Pennsylvania is still in the early phase of
distributing the COVID-19 vaccines and some lawmakers, Republicans and
Democrats alike, have voiced concerns about the pace of the rollout. The task
force will include key members of the Wolf administration and Democratic and
Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate. Wolf said the task force will
help improve communication and address issues and solutions. “We have a good
working relationship with our legislators, and we know they are the eyes, ears,
and voices for Pennsylvanians,” Wolf said in a statement. “The feedback they
receive from their local communities is extremely important, particularly as
the commonwealth continues to improve upon this once-in-a-generation vaccine
rollout. “Working with leaders from each caucus in the General Assembly, we are
creating a task force to ensure collaboration and strengthen communications
about the state’s vaccine plan,” Wolf said.
York Academy
implements new pool testing to track COVID-19 cases in schools
Erin
Bamer York Dispatch February 9, 2021
York Academy
Regional Charter School is taking a unique approach to test students and staff
for COVID-19. The school reopened both its buildings for four days a week
in February, and is testing students and staff in groups by their classroom.
CEO Angela Sugarek said she is not aware of any other schools in Pennsylvania
using this method. "I think Pennsylvania is behind the 8-ball,"
she said. Up to 35 students and staff in one classroom can take the test
in one group. The test uses a self-administered nasal swab, and can report back
within two days whether there is a positive COVID-19 case within that group,
Sugarek said. The charter school tested this method among staff the week
before the school reopened, and found one employee who did not
exhibit symptoms until a few days later, Sugarek said. In the first week
back at school last week, she said the tests found two
classrooms with positive cases. The pool tests cost $100 for each
group, Sugarek said, while individual COVID-19 tests cost $100 per person. To
save money, she said when the school identifies a positive pool, they
instruct the people in that pool to quarantine and give them the same
test again in smaller groups. When they find the smaller group with a positive
case, then they administer the individual tests. Sugarek said she expects the
charter will pay about $4,000 per week for the pool testing, using funds
the charter school received through the CARES Act.
York Suburban
elementary schools to move to four days of in-person learning
Erin
Bamer York Dispatch February 9, 2021
York
Suburban School District's four elementary schools will allow students to
return to the classroom for four days a week starting March 1. The school
board voted 6-3 Monday night to transition its K-5 students out of the
district's current hybrid model. York Suburban's middle school and high school
will remain in hybrid learning, which sees students in the classroom two days a
week. The district has operated under the hybrid model since August.
Superintendent Timothy Williams said officials went with the hybrid system to
ensure all students could be kept 6 feet apart. "We thought we were
taking the best approach at the time, and I still think we took the best
approach at the time," Williams said. Williams said
he recommended the board allow elementary students to return to class four
days a week after he observed other districts holding elementary classes
full-time successfully. He said although it is clear these districts are not
maintaining 6 feet of distancing between students, they are still keeping their
COVID-19 cases low.
Day after protests,
mayor talks ventilation, vaccination plan for Philadelphia teachers
Chalkbeat
Philly By Johann Calhoun Feb 9, 2021, 6:07pm EST
A day
after citywide
teacher protests about school reopening, the mayor and
health commissioner announced more details about a vaccination plan for
educators and promised to bring in outside help to improve ventilation in
schools, if necessary. The vaccinations will be offered starting the week of
Feb. 22, at the Roberts Center on the campus of the Children’s Hospital of
Pennsylvania, or CHOP, plus six different school-based locations, said Dr.
Thomas Farley. Those additional sites have not been determined yet. The plan
requires schools to provide a list of names of their staff to CHOP. The school
will then notify their staff about how they can contact the hospital to
schedule an appointment. CHOP still is deciding how they will invite child care
staff. Students are expected to return to school buildings the week the
vaccination program starts. Addressing teachers concerns about returning
without being vaccinated, Farley said, “I think people can prevent spread in
schools if they follow safety precautions. So I don’t think vaccinations are
necessary for schools to be open. Teachers should go to school to work to
provide the kids with an education. But if we wait until every teacher gets the
vaccine then we may miss the entire school year.”
Philly teachers don’t
report to school buildings for a second day; teacher vaccinations expected to
start Feb. 22
Inquirer by
Kristen A. Graham and Justine
McDaniel, Posted: February 9, 2021- 3:22 PM
City
educators declined in droves to report to schools for a second day as the
Philadelphia School District and its largest union waited for word from a
mediator on whether 2,000 teachers can be forced back into buildings. Philadelphia
public schools are scheduled to reopen for prekindergarten through second
grades Feb. 22. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. had wanted 2,000 teachers
back in buildings Monday, but the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers led a
citywide action instead, with thousands teaching from outside buildings or
working from home. The PFT has said it does not believe buildings are safe for re-occupancy. Hite had threatened
discipline for teachers who did not show up to school buildings, but the city
intervened late Sunday night, telling teachers they did not have to report to
work until a neutral third party, Chicago doctor and public health expert Peter
Orris, weighed in on whether the district had met safety standards. That’s
expected to happen soon.
Child welfare
nonprofits in Philly call for teachers to return to classrooms
WHYY By Miles Bryan February 9, 2021
Thirteen
city nonprofits that work with children and families released a statement
Tuesday calling on the teachers union to abandon its battle with the School
District of Philadelphia and allow some teachers to return to their classrooms.
The district had asked some teachers to report to school buildings yesterday
ahead of a planned return of up to 9,000 young children to their classrooms
later this month. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has objected, arguing
that buildings are not yet safe because of ventilation problems and that
members should be vaccinated before returning. Both sides now await a decision
from a city-appointed mediator. The nonprofit coalition argues that schools can
be reopened safely this month, but teachers must heed the district’s call to
return in order to begin that process.
What to know about
the debate over reopening Philly schools
Balancing
students needs against teacher and community COVID safety concerns.
Billy Penn
by Layla A. Jones Yesterday, 8:00 a.m.
Philly
teachers staged protests in the freezing cold Monday against what their union
called a premature and unsafe return to in-person learning. Coordinated by the
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, thousands of faculty,
staff and advocates held a series of demonstrations outside
schools across the city, from
Wynnefield to Center City to North Philly. The day ended with a rally at
the School
District of Philadelphia headquarters on North Broad Street. Staff had been
expected to return to their buildings on Feb. 8, two weeks before students’
planned Feb. 22 start date. This is Philly’s third attempt at returning to the
classroom in some capacity, but teachers have not yet been offered appointments
for the COVID vaccine. On Monday, Mayor Jim Kenney’s office announced pop-up
vaccination clinics for teachers and childcare providers would launch at the end of February, in
partnership with CHOP. After initially threatening to discipline teachers who
refused to report as directed, the School District of Philadelphia backed off
when the mayor’s office stepped in Sunday night, saying a third-party mediator
would intervene.
Teach Plus
Pennsylvania applauds Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed budget for 2021-22, which
includes nearly $2 billion in new funding for public schools.
“Teach Plus
and Teach Plus teacher leaders are pleased to see Governor Wolf’s proposal for
a historic, much-needed investment in Pennsylvania’s schools and students,”
said Laura Boyce, Teach Plus Pennsylvania Executive Director. “The vast
majority of schools across the Commonwealth are chronically underfunded, and
the pandemic has only exacerbated inequities in educational access and district
budget shortfalls. If passed, this proposal would be a major step toward educational
equity and fair funding in Pennsylvania, and would particularly benefit
students of color and low-income students, who disproportionately attend
underfunded schools.”
https://cm.teachplus.org/t/r-EE9F246882558EEC2540EF23F30FEDED
More info on Teach Plus PA here…..
Teach Plus
Pennsylvania
Teach Plus
PA Website
+ Teach Plus PA launched in 2017 with the
T3 program in the School District of Philadelphia, where T3 teacher leaders
receive Teach Plus coaching and support to lead their grade teams and improve
student outcomes. In the first three years, T3 partner schools improved faster
than the district average and developed systems of shared leadership.
+ In 2020, Teach Plus PA renewed its T3
partnership with the School District of Philadelphia and launched new
instructional practice programs with Independence Mission Schools and Chester
Arthur Elementary School.
+ The Teach Plus PA Teacher Policy
Advisory Board launched in 2020, with Fellows focusing on equitable funding,
and recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
Spring-Ford School
Board grapples with how to hold senior prom
Pottstown
Mercury by Evan
Brandt ebrandt@21st-centurymedia.com @PottstownNews on Twitter February 10, 2021
You can add
"senior prom" to the next challenge facing families and school
officials struggling to give students something resembling a "normal"
school year. The matter was front and center for the Spring-Ford School Board
on Feb. 8 as members heard pleas from parents who desperately want something
for their seniors to hold onto for their final year; and the logistical
nightmare of trying to hold a prom in times demanding social distancing. "If
winter sports can be approved, this can too," said parent Carin Davis. Currently,
the senior prom is scheduled for April 24 at the Sheraton. It was booked two
years ago before the coronavirus pandemic made six feet of social distancing
the new normal. Under those rules, the indoor venue could not accommodate more
than 80 seniors. That was a non-starter for the school board, given that the
senior prom could attract as many as 650 students and their dates.
Hobbs Kessler — The
Making Of A Miler
Track &
Field February 8, 2021 by Jeff Hollobaugh
AFTER
RUNNING A 3:57.66
seemingly out of nowhere, Hobbs
Kessler is suddenly one of the most talked-about names in the sport — usually
appended to the words, “Who is…?” Understandable. It’s unprecedented for
someone to jump to that exalted level directly from the plethora of 4:20 high
school milers. The fastest 17-year-old in U.S. history (he turns 18 on March
15) is no fluke, and while his development might not have been visible to the
world thanks to the pandemic, it reveals a fascinating combination of
circumstances, the proverbial perfect storm of talent development.
https://trackandfieldnews.com/hobbs-kessler-the-making-of-a-miler/
Democrats, GOP spar
over school funding, minimum wage amid push to land on pandemic plan
Penn Live By The Associated Press Updated Feb 09, 2021; Posted Feb 09,
2021
WASHINGTON —
House Democrats on Tuesday muscled past Republicans on portions of President
Joe Biden’s pandemic plan, including a proposed $130 billion in additional
relief to help the nation’s schools reopen and a gradual increase of the
federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Democrats on the Education and Labor
Committee say schools won’t be able to reopen safely until they get an infusion
of federal funding to repair building ventilation systems, buy protective
equipment and take other steps recommended by federal health officials. The
plan faces opposition from Republicans who want to tie new school funding to
reopening.
In-Person or Remote
Learning: How the Biggest City School Districts Are Operating
Education
Week By Tonya Harris — February 08, 2021 | Updated:
February 09, 2021 2 min read
This page
will be updated when new information becomes available.
The second
half of the 2020-21 school year is poised to be as challenging as the first
half for district leaders who must make high-stakes decisions about student and
employee health and safety as the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the one-year
mark. There is no national data that capture the mode of learning in the
nation’s more than 13,000 school districts. This tracker presents the current
operating status of some of America’s largest school districts (plus, the
Toronto, Ontario district). All are members of the Council of the Great City Schools, which is closely documenting how its
districts are providing instruction. Collectively, these school systems serve
about 8.2 million students, or roughly 15 percent of the U.S. public school
enrollment. Across these districts, 44 percent of students are Hispanic, 27
percent are Black, 18 percent are white, 8 percent are Asian/Pacific Islander,
and 2 percent are Alaskan/Native American. More than 70 percent qualify for free
and reduced-price meals.* The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate
toll on Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities—in numbers of
infections, rates of death, job losses, and food and housing insecurity. As of
Feb. 8, 2021, 43 member districts in the Council of the Great City Schools—some
of the largest school districts in the U.S.—are open for some type of in-person
learning. Search the table for the current status and nuanced descriptions of
what’s happening in each school district.
Is Biden Lowering the
Bar for What ‘Reopening Schools’ Means?
Education
Week By Andrew Ujifusa — February 09, 2021 5 min
read
Just what
does it mean to “reopen schools,” and how precise should leaders and the
general public be with their answers? As President Joe Biden and his
administration navigate the political and practical implications of trying to
help U.S. schools reopen their doors to students in the first few months of his
presidency, the public might be gradually learning that the White House’s
definition of reopening schools doesn’t perfectly match what many people are
picturing. In December, after winning the election, Biden
promised that, “My team will work to see that
the majority of our schools can be open by the end of my first 100 days,”
provided that Congress, states, and local governments give additional funding
and support to ensure schools can open safely. In Biden’s COVID-19 aid proposal
that he released in mid-January, he specified that his aim was “to open the
majority of K-8 schools within the first 100 days” of his administration.
PA State Board of
Education Student Representative Application Now Available
POSTED
ON FEBRUARY 3, 2021 IN PSBA NEWS
On May 22,
2008 the Pennsylvania State Board of Education (SBE) amended their bylaws to
add one nonvoting senior student member and one nonvoting junior student
member. Since September 2009 two high school students have served on the SBE.
For the past year those students have been senior Anne Griffith from Radnor
High School and Junior Eva Rankin from Upper St. Clair High School. These SBE
positions have provided public school students with an unprecedented
opportunity in Pennsylvania to interact with the 22 adult board members and
have helped shape long-term education policy for the 1.8 million K-12 students
in our state and the 680,000 students impacted by our state system of higher
education. The Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC) was first
charged with the responsibility of recommending two students to hold these
positions for the 2008-2009 school year. PASC is currently accepting
applications for our new junior student representative.
Current 10th grade
students (Class of 2023) enrolled in public high schools in Pennsylvania are
eligible to apply for this position. The introductory letter, commitment forms and
application can be found here. Applications
are due back on March 8th, 2021. Interviews will be conducted virtually.
One student will be selected for a two-year term at that time.
More
information can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GZdrMuzBfYw009nbeUC3JGqxwCipCpsnx1ZlCGPipTw/edit?usp=sharing . Questions may be directed to the two
current student representatives at sbe2021@pasc.net and sbe2022@pasc.net.
Virtual Town Hall on
education fair funding co- sponsored by Avon Grove Charter School and
Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools set Feb. 24
West Chester
Daily Local by MediaNews Group February 6, 2021
WEST
GROVE—There will be a virtual Town Hall Meeting on Fair Funding in Education on
Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 pm. The public is invited. The Town Hall is being co- sponsored by Avon Grove Charter School and Pennsylvania
Coalition of Public Charter Schools. Topics include: problem solve fair
funding solutions; learn how public schools are funded in PA.; learn
about the differences between charter & district schools funding.
All are
welcome. RSVP Link - https://forms.gle/8of8ARxr7Zfdfmp97.
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/
Attend the NSBA 2021
Online Experience April 8-10
NSBA is pleased
to announce the transformation of its in-person NSBA 2021 Annual Conference
& Exposition to the NSBA 2021 Online Experience. This experience will bring
world-class programming, inspirational keynotes, top education solution
providers, and plentiful networking opportunities. Join us on April 8-10, 2021,
for a fully transformed and memorable event!
https://www.nsba.org/Events/NSBA-2021-Online-Experience
NPE/NPE Action
Conference In Philly was rescheduled to October 23/24 due to concerns w/
COVID19.
Network for
Public Education
NPE will be
sending information to registrants very soon!
https://npeaction.org/2021-conference/
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
351 PA school boards have
adopted charter reform resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 350 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/
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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