Keystone State Education Coalition

Established in 2006, the Keystone State Education Coalition is a growing grass roots, non-partisan public education advocacy group of several hundred locally elected, volunteer school board members and administrators from school districts throughout Pennsylvania. Our mission is to evaluate, discuss and inform our boards, district constituents and legislators on legislative issues of common interest and to facilitate active engagement in public education advocacy.

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Friday, January 15, 2021

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Jan. 15: “In 2018-19, Coatesville paid Collegium $13.2 million for special education tuition, which excludes regular funding for 443 students. Collegium's financial reports show the school only spent $6.7 million for special education for students”

Started in November 2010, daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now reach more than 4050 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors, administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, superintendents, school solicitors, principals, charter school leaders, PTO/PTA officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, education professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies, professional associations and education advocacy organizations via emails, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

If any of your colleagues would like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for January 15, 2021

“In 2018-19, Coatesville paid Collegium $13.2 million for special education tuition, which excludes regular funding for 443 students. Collegium's financial reports show the school only spent $6.7 million for special education for students, Fisher said. "Where did the extra dollars go," Fisher said. "We simply do not know. Charter schools are not held to the same standard as public schools, and are not required to provide the same level of public accountability as a public school district. We can only speculate that (the money) went directly into the school's coffers to the great deterrent of our school district."

Coatesville faces severe financial hardship as students flock to charters

West Chester Daily Local Fran Maye fmaye@21st-centurymedia.com January 14, 2021

COATESVILLE—Coatesville school officials may need to make further cuts to programs and staff unless there is a solution to the district's funding battle with Collegium Charter School, school directors said. By a vote of 7-1, Coatesville school directors adopted a resolution this week calling for a fair charter school funding formula, and authorizing the director of business administration to pay Collegium $2.7 million by Jan. 13, and another $2.7 million no later than March 1. The root of the problem, school officials said, is that school districts are required to pay charter schools based on enrollment. In the past few years, parents have elected to send their children to Collegium and Avon Grove charter school in droves. Coatesville pays $11,500 per pupil per year for students who opt to attend Collegium or Avon Grove Charter. More than 3,000 students from the Coatesville Area School District now attend charters, up from about 1,700 five years ago. In that time, Coatesvillle's payments to charters has expanded by $33 million, to about $54 million per year. And much of that problem is the price the district must pay charters for special education students, said Robert Fisher, Coatesville school director. Coatesville must pay charters more than $40,000 per special education student, even if that student only needs minimal classes for a hearing impediment.

https://www.dailylocal.com/news/local/coatesville-faces-severe-financial-hardship-as-students-flock-to-charters/article_20f7c186-567a-11eb-aaec-7bb99f1839d4.html

Biden Calls for $130 Billion in New K-12 Relief, Scaled Up Testing, Vaccination Efforts

Education Week By Evie Blad — January 14, 2021 5 min read

President-elect Joe Biden is calling for $130 billion in additional COVID-19 relief funding for schools, ramped up testing efforts, and accelerated vaccine distribution strategies to help reopen “the majority of K-8 schools” within the first 100 days of his administration. The proposals, which Biden announced in a speech Thursday night, are part of a $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” that also seeks $350 billion in aid to state, local, and territorial governments. “We can [open schools] if we give school districts, communities, and states the clear guidance they need as well as the resources they will need that they cannot afford right now because of the economic crisis we are in,” Biden said. “That means more testing and transportation, additional cleaning and sanitizing services, protective equipment, and ventilation systems in the schools.” The plan will require approval from Congress, both chambers of which are narrowly controlled by Democrats, who have called for larger relief efforts. But some components, like a proposal for additional direct relief payments to individuals, may be sticking points for some members in both parties.

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/biden-call-for-130-billion-in-new-k-12-relief-scaled-up-testing-vaccination-efforts/2021/01

Advocates call for postponement of test for English learners

Advocates from the Philadelphia-based Education Law Center and other groups are pushing to postpone the exam, which is administered in-person.

WITF by Alanna Elder JANUARY 14, 2021 | 6:36 PM

(Lebanon) — Pennsylvania students who are learning English typically spend the beginning of the calendar year preparing for a standardized test to determine their proficiency. The test, called WIDA-ACCESS, can take up to four hours and is the primary way teachers who specialize in this area understand students’ skills in speaking, reading, writing and listening, according to Amber Abreu, director of English Language Development for Lebanon School District. “Unfortunately, every year, ACCESS starts right after the Christmas holiday,” she said, which means students start practicing almost right away in the new semester. This year, advocates from the Philadelphia-based Education Law Center and other groups are pushing to postpone the exam, which is administered in person, since COVID-19 numbers remain high and the disease has disproportionately impacted immigrant, Black, and Latino families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adjusts its data to account for the average age of White Americans being higher than other racial or ethnic groups. That data shows Black and Latino Americans are nearly three times more likely to die from COVID-19. According to an August report from the agency, hospitalization from COVID-19 was eight times more likely for Latino children and five times more likely for Black children, compared to White children.

https://www.witf.org/2021/01/14/advocates-call-for-postponement-of-test-for-english-learners/

Philadelphia to offer in-person special education testing to 600 students

Chalkbeat Philly By Dale Mezzacappa Jan 14, 2021, 7:22pm EST

The Philadelphia school district will open six high schools on Jan. 25 as regional centers for evaluating 600 high-needs special education students, Superintendent William Hite announced Thursday. West Philadelphia High School, Edison High School, Martin Luther King High School, Strawberry Mansion High School, The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, and the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts will design new or updated individualized education programs. The district will help families with transportation to and from the centers, if necessary, and will offer meals at the sites. The 600 students initially identified by the district are mostly those with complex needs and are a subset of the 21,000 district students with IEPs. They have disabilities that require some in-person therapy or interventions, said ShaVon Savage, the district’s deputy chief of specialized services. For now, the centers will offer only special-education testing, not services. “It is our intent to open the centers for purposes of assessment first,” Savage said. “There is a strong possibility that we will be able to provide additional supports and services to special education students in these centers moving forward.”

https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/14/22231828/philadelphia-to-offer-in-person-special-education-testing-to-600-students

Ciresi appointed to Education Committee, highlights goals for term

Rep. Joseph Ciresi January 14, 2021

HARRISBURG, Jan. 14 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today announced he was appointed to serve on the House Education Committee as part of his committee assignments for the 2021-22 legislative session. “As a school board member for 12 years and in my first term as a legislator, it’s clear that education has been a top priority of mine,” Ciresi said. “I am grateful to be given the opportunity to serve on the Education Committee and look forward to working on many important priorities, including achieving real fair funding for education, charter school reform, comprehensive education reform, cost savings and shared services, and more.” During the 2019-20 legislative session, Ciresi worked with Gov. Tom Wolf to craft a comprehensive charter school reform bill and introduced legislation to incentivize cost-saving shared services for school districts (H.B. 2760), extend budget deadlines for school districts during state budget impasses (H.B. 1227) and the COVID-19 pandemic (H.B. 2482), and create a Student Bill of Rights for Off-Campus Housing (H.B. 2761). Ciresi also co-sponsored multiple bills to achieve more equitable funding of education statewide; located in the 146th Legislative District represented by Ciresi, Pottstown School District is one of the most underfunded school districts in the state.

https://www.pahouse.com/Ciresi/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=118038&fbclid=IwAR381MudQRpsTAKnoVt5GcDopcr2Cy-NUlNkZIGsLKD187yxBT9YKBLQem0

Scranton School District to wait for vaccines before starting in-person instruction

Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Jan 14, 2021 Updated 1 hr ago

The Scranton School District will wait for employees to have the opportunity to receive COVID-19 vaccinations before students return to school. With the state updating recommendations for in-person learning last week, school directors discussed options for the city’s 9,300 students late Thursday night. The new state guidance, which is not a mandate, calls for districts to offer in-person instruction for elementary school students as soon as possible. Vaccines for staff could come next month, as the district works with Hometown Health Care of NEPA to secure the doses. The district hopes to administer the doses at Scranton High School on a weekend. During the special meeting and operations committee meeting, teachers urged the district to remain virtual for now. “Now is not the time to abandon common sense,” said Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers. “We have to follow the science. We’ve been doing that, and I hope we can continue to do that.” One option presented by Superintendent Melissa McTiernan included the youngest students returning as early as Feb. 22 for a hybrid schedule. All intermediate and high school students would remain fully virtual. Directors said they would rather wait for the vaccine to be available.

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/education/scranton-school-district-to-wait-for-vaccines-before-starting-in-person-instruction/article_3fd9b811-01e5-5f1c-93cb-d9e5c000edc2.html

Allentown School District to remain in online learning through third quarter

By KAYLA DWYER THE MORNING CALL | JAN 14, 2021 AT 3:06 PM

The Allentown School District will remain in remote learning through at least the end of the third quarter, with a new target date for reopening in mid-April, the district’s board of school directors announced Thursday. This means students will continue to learn online through April 13, school directors said, citing increasing coronavirus spread in Allentown and Lehigh County. “Please know that we are taking this action to protect our students, staff, and families,” the school board wrote in a statement posted to the district website. The district is developing a hybrid instructional model for students who choose to return to school in person. When that time comes, families will still have the entirely virtual option.

https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-allentown-schools-virtual-instruction-extended-20210114-j6ymsyi4evgc3dhsisa5vf2sf4-story.html

“Online-only classes have been the Erie School District's mode of instruction for most students so far this school year due to the pandemic.”

Erie School District uses new state guidelines to start Feb. 1 hybrid learning for pre-K-5

Ed Palattella Erie Times-News January 14, 2021

The plan for hybrid learning for the Erie School District's 4,900 elementary school students is finally going into action. The district on Feb. 1 intends to launch the plan, which will bring the pre-K-5 students back to school for in-person classes one week and online-only classes the next. Families can also choose to keep students in online-only classes. Online-only classes have been the Erie School District's mode of instruction for most students so far this school year due to the pandemic. As part of its state-required health and safety plan, the Erie School District months ago developed the hybrid plan, designed to limit the number of students in a building at one time to curb the spread of COVID-19. But the district has kept the plan on hold as coronavirus cases have risen in Erie County.

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/education/2021/01/14/erie-school-district-start-pre-k-5-hybrid-education-plan-feb-1/4156380001/

Some Philly students will likely return to in-person learning in February, superintendent says

“Our return is not conditioned on vaccines,” Hite said at a Thursday news conference, “however, naturally we support expediting the vaccines.”

Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham January 14, 2021

Philadelphia’s youngest public school students can likely return to in-person learning sometime in February, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said Thursday. Families of prekindergarten through second-grade students — more than 32,000 kids, roughly a third of district’s students — will have the option of sending them back to school two days a week on a yet-to-be determined date, though the superintendent said it would probably be next month. About 10,000 children have signed up to return. Students will have the option to remain fully virtual. Teachers in those early grades would likely need to return to buildings a week to 10 days before students come back. Based on the city’s current plans, it’s likely educators will have access to the coronavirus vaccine the first or second week in February.

https://fusion.inquirer.com/education/philadelphia-school-district-return-to-school-hite-special-education-20210114.html

Bucks County schools find ways to honor MLK in pandemic

Chris English Bucks County Courier Times January 15, 2021

Martin Luther King Day has become synonymous with service.

But in a pandemic things had to change this year as local school districts need to keep safe while still honoring the civil rights pioneer. Pennsbury, Quakertown Community and Council Rock are among the districts that will be holding virtual events, collections and other initiatives leading up to and following Monday's holiday. In Pennsbury, the district's 10 elementary schools have been collecting hats, gloves, socks, tissues, toilet paper and many other items to be distributed to the Bucks County Emergency Homeless Shelter, Falls Township Senior Center and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2021/01/15/bucks-county-schools-finding-ways-honor-mlk-despite-pandemic/4146780001/

When will snow geese arrive at Middle Creek, elsewhere in Pennsylvania?

Penn Live By Marcus Schneck | mschneck@pennlive.com Posted Jan 14, 5:00 AM

Flocks of snow geese, even some with thousands of birds in them, are being spotted across eastern Pennsylvania. Gatherings of several thousand to tens of thousands have been seen in the Allentown area. And some of the large waterfowl are now at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on the Lancaster-Lebanon county line near Kleinfeltersville, but the time of the great snow goose hordes there is likely more than a month in the future. The current flocks are nowhere near the accumulations that gather at Middle Creek later in the winter and hit a record of 200,000 on February 21, 2018. The numbers at the commission site aren’t even close to the relatively meager peak of 125,000 last year on February 18. Previous peaks were seen on March 12, 2019, (150,000), February 22, 2017, (more than 70,000) and February 29, 2016 (more than 65,000). Tundra swan numbers peak at Middle Creek a bit earlier than those of the snow geese: February 3, 2020, 3,000; March 4, 2019, 5,000; February 22, 2018, 5,500; February 6, 2017, more than 4,500; and February 29, 2016, more than 3,500. Middle Creek will begin posting its annual Waterfowl Migration Update in late January or early February when snow geese start to make their migration north. A live stream of Middle Creek’s lake is live year-round during the day.

https://www.pennlive.com/life/2021/01/when-will-snow-geese-arrive-at-middle-creek-elsewhere-in-pennsylvania.html

New Allentown Art Museum exhibit offers a deeper look at Rembrandt’s ‘Portrait of a Young Woman’

By JENNIFER SHEEHAN THE MORNING CALL | JAN 15, 2021 AT 6:47 AM

Allentown Art Museum’s “Portrait of a Young Woman” is more than a painting by one of the greatest visual artists in history. A new Rembrandt exhibit is going to help you find out why. “There’s a lot to tell about this one painting, and it’s place in the world and how it came to be here, " said Elaine Mehalakes, vice president of Curatorial Affairs at Allentown Art Museum. “Rembrandt Revealed” will open on Jan. 24 and the new exhibit will offer a rare, deep dive into the conservation and re-attribution of the well-known painting that’s been a part of the museum’s collection for the past six decades.

https://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-ent-rembrandt-revealed-set-to-open-at-allentown-art-museum-20210115-l3hi7woicralflouaroya6t4zm-story.html

Somehow Paul Simon has turned into an old guy. This tune resonates with the times. Have a great weekend.

Paul Simon - American Tune (2015)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHZ72yHQ0K8

PA SCHOOLS WORK: New Tools for Public Education Advocates in PA

Thu, Jan 21, 2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

PA Schools Work partner Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials will hold a digital workshop to roll out their new suite of tools on their Data Dive website to show parents, educators, and public education advocates how they can use the site (including interactive data maps and graphic visualizations) when talking to other members of their community, legislators, media, etc. Don't miss this first-look at these innovative tools for PA public school advocates!

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

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.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Dec. 30, 2020 “We know that the current charter funding mechanism forces school districts to overpay cyber charter schools and overpay for charter special education costs by hundreds of millions of dollars each school year.”

These daily emails are archived and searchable at http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

Visit us on Facebook at KeystoneStateEducationCoalition

Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg

If any of your colleagues would like to be added to the email list please have them send their name, title and affiliation to KeystoneStateEdCoalition@gmail.com

We will be offline until Tuesday, January 5^th. Happy New Year!

Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for Dec. 30, 2020

“We know that the current charter funding mechanism forces school districts to overpay cyber charter schools and overpay for charter special education costs by hundreds of millions of dollars each school year.”

“We all recognize a 0-40 record as not being a good performance. The overwhelming consensus in those decisions is that there is no evidence of widespread fraud or irregularities in the November 3rd election. Moreover, we cannot ignore the fact that United States Attorney General and the Director of the FBI, both of whom are Trump appointees, have publicly stated that there is no evidence to support claims of widespread fraud and irregularities. Either Trump has the dumbest lawyers on the planet or there really is no proof of widespread fraud or irregularities.”

Senator Yaw: Let’s Get Things Straight

Senator Yaw’s Website By: Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) Posted on Dec 28, 2020

At the outset, and in the interest of full disclosure, I will state that I voted for Donald Trump every time his name was on the ballot. I also supported his campaign financially. Do I like the fact that the candidate I supported lost – NO. Nevertheless, our system requires that, as a citizen, I respect the laws of this state and country.

Since the November 3rd election, I have been told that “I am not a Patriot.” I am a military veteran and, of course, that previous comment came from a person who has never carried a weapon in the defense of this country. I have been told “I do not understand the law.” I am a lawyer, and, of course, that previous comment came from a non-lawyer. I have been told that “I do not understand importance of the state legislature in the election process.” I am a fairly senior member of the Pennsylvania Senate and, of course, that comment was made by a person who has never served in any elected office. One misinformed soul even pontificated that it was clear I was “not running for office again.” Of course, they fail to recognize that I have not yet been sworn into the term for which I was just re-elected. A final threat I received is that if I don’t agree with those who don’t like the election results “I can guarantee you that you will never be re-elected to any other office again.” Ironically, that comment came from a disgruntled citizen from Iowa. For the record – I do not plan to run for office in Iowa.

Whether any of these misinformed comments mean anything is a question I will leave to my constituents. Pending that, however, I will explain what my background and experience tell me about the November 3rd election and where we stand today. For those who want to take the time to understand, hopefully this will help to close this issue and move us on to matters which need our undivided attention. For the minority who think they have all the answers and disregard any facts contrary to their belief, this will do nothing.

There are two primary issues raised about the election. One is that there is “widespread fraud and irregularities” in the election. The second is that under Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the legislature is the only body, which can determine how a states electors are chosen. I will address each, but before doing so, I will make it clear that I am a firm believer in the “rule of law” because without honoring the rule of law, we are left with chaos. In the current situation, there are laws which have been in existence for many years. Those laws set the stage for the conduct of the election on November 3rd and we are bound by them, like it or not.

https://www.senatorgeneyaw.com/2020/12/28/lets-get-things-straight/

OP-ED: Pa. schools are bleeding cash while students receive substandard education

York Dispatch Opinion by Eric Wolfgang, PA School Boards Association December 29, 2020

Eric Wolfgang is president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there has been a huge increase in cyber charter school enrollment across the country, including in Pennsylvania, where cyber charter school enrollment is up by 63% to 62,000 students as of Oct. 1, 2020. This trend should have Pennsylvania parents and taxpayers extremely concerned for two glaring reasons. First, this enrollment increase will have financial implications for school districts. To put this impact into numbers, school districts can expect as much as a $350 million dollar increase in their cyber charter tuition bills this year alone due to the pandemic-generated cyber charter school enrollment increases. It’s important to keep in mind that this massive sum is only part of the overall $475 million overall charter school tuition increase this school year that school districts are facing in addition to navigating through a global pandemic. The $475 million increase in charter school tuition this school year effectively nullifies the majority of the federal funds public schools received under the CARES Act. This means most of those funds will not have their intended impact — to aid our public schools in a time of crisis. Moreover, for many districts, their Act 1 index rate will not allow for them to increase property taxes to cover the gap in increased charter school payments, leaving hopelessly unbalanced budgets.

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/opinion/contributors/2020/12/29/op-ed-pa-schools-bleeding-cash-while-students-receive-substandard-education/4071629001/

Schools get a $54 billion lifeline in stimulus package — but the money won’t last for long

Washington Post By Moriah Balingit Dec. 28, 2020 at 7:31 p.m. EST

The nation’s public schools, which collectively serve more than 50 million schoolchildren, are set to get about $54 billion in coronavirus aid, funding that will help them cover steeply escalating costs from paying for personal protective equipment, building renovations and for technology needed to educate children remotely. But education advocates warn that the funding will not be enough to compensate for the deep and painful cuts schools are likely to endure as a weakened economy wreaks havoc on state and local budgets. State and local dollars provide the vast majority of funding for public schools. When state and local governments face shortfalls, schools are often the first to feel the pain. The funding represents about a quarter of what many advocates had hoped for, and includes no additional money for a program that expands Internet access. “Any failure to provide any funding for state and local governments is going to impact our local school districts,” said Anna Maria Chávez, executive director of the National School Boards Association. The bill President Trump signed into law Sunday provides about $900 billion worth of aid, including to extend unemployment benefits, maintain lifelines for foundering businesses, boost vaccine distribution and deliver $600 stimulus checks to American households, among other things.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/schools-get-a-54billion-lifeline-in-stimulus-package--but-the-money-wont-last-for-long/2020/12/28/fdf22f62-4956-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html

Trump opens up federal dollars for private school vouchers amid pandemic

The White House said that the order would give states new flexibility in how they use federal block grant programs.

Politico By MICHAEL STRATFORD 12/28/2020 08:18 PM EST

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order allowing states to use their share of money from a federal anti-poverty program to provide vouchers to help “disadvantaged families” pay for private school tuition, homeschooling or other educational expenses during the pandemic. The move comes after the $900 billion coronavirus relief deal, H.R. 133 (116), that Trump signed on Sunday excluded many of the school choice provisions that his administration and GOP lawmakers had sought to include in that sweeping legislation. The White House said that the order would give states new flexibility in how they use federal block grant programs that provide money for a wide range of community services designed to alleviate poverty and help low-income Americans. It will “provide certain disadvantaged children with emergency K-12 scholarships to access in-person learning opportunities,” the administration said. The order opens up federal money provided to states under the Community Services Block Grant program — a roughly $700 million-a-year program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services — to pay for “private school tuition, home schooling, micro schooling, learning-pod expenses, special education services, or tutoring.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/28/trump-private-schools-pandemic-451757

A quiet and ‘unsettling’ pandemic toll: Students who’ve fallen off the grid

WHYY/NPR By Lauren Hodges December 29, 2020

Even with teachers working hard to educate their students virtually during the pandemic, they're growing increasingly anxious about the ones who aren't showing up to class at all.

For American families and their children, school is more than just a building. It’s a social life and a community, an athletic center and a place to get meals that aren’t available at home. The pandemic has disrupted — and continues to disrupt — the lives of U.S. students in profound ways. Many kids haven’t set foot in their schools since March, when most in-person schooling shut down across the country. Teachers are working tirelessly to educate their students online, but they are growing increasingly anxious about the kids who aren’t showing up at all. An estimated 3 million students may have dropped out of school learning since March, according to Bellwether Education Partners, a national nonprofit that focuses on underserved youth. The group’s study cited a lack of Internet access, housing insecurity, disabilities and language barriers as major obstacles to attending virtual classes during the pandemic.

https://whyy.org/npr_story_post/a-quiet-and-unsettling-pandemic-toll-students-whove-fallen-off-the-grid/

Schools nationwide should teach ethnic studies | Opinion

David A. Love, For the Inquirer Posted: December 29, 2020 - 12:27 PM

David A. Love is a writer based in Philadelphia, and an adjunct professor of journalism and media studies at the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information.

In Philadelphia and across the country, 2020 was a year of public awakening on issues of institutional racism and longstanding socioeconomic inequities plaguing Black people and other people of color. The protests following the murder of George Floyd raised awareness of racial injustices rooted in an untaught history. Overcoming our past means learning the lessons of history—and requiring that high schools offer Black, Latino and other ethnic studies programs.

Ethnic studies present history from the standpoint of underrepresented groups in America, and acknowledges the pivotal role of race and racism in society, along with gender, class, sexual orientation and other identities. The ethnic studies movement was a product of the civil rights, Black Power, and antiwar era of the 1960s and early 1970s, a time of heightened political consciousness and self-identity for young people.

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/ethnic-studies-curriculum-2020-united-states-universities-k-12-20201229.html

Environmental task force provides guidance to Scranton School District

Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL STAFF WRITER Dec 28, 2020 Updated Dec 29, 2020

In the midst of widespread environmental problems in the Scranton School District 10 months ago, parents and other community members demanded transparency and greater communication. The district’s environmental task force has helped with those goals. As the district abated asbestos and turned off any fixture with lead-tainted water, a group of parent volunteers received input and offered recommendations. Now, nearly a year since the district revealed the environmental issues, the parents will continue to meet quarterly to discuss long-range plans for making buildings safer for students and staff. “The task force gave us an enormous opportunity to take in a wide variety of viewpoints and work toward a plan that we can see moving forward,” said Scranton school Director Ro Hume, chairwoman of the board’s operations committee and a member of the task force. “We think it’s a model for other community task forces moving forward … so we as a district can be responsive to stakeholders.”

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/education/environmental-task-force-provides-guidance-to-scranton-school-district/article_48814440-ac4c-599a-8c57-75aedfc7014d.html

In central Pa. school district, the debate over Native American team nicknames comes home

By Andrew Destin Special to the Capital-Star December 29, 2020

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — The sound of an imitation war whoop echoes throughout Rogers Stadium. It’s the kind of sound used in old Hollywood westerns, the sound children playing “Cowboys and Indians” might make as they move their hands over their mouths. When Bellefonte high plays Penns Valley in an early October football game, fans let out the cry as the Red Raiders rush onto the field. To the fans it’s just another Friday night, as it has been since 1936. Others in town would definitely not approve. In a year of division all over the country, high school football has been at the center of a fight that’s as bitter in these parts as the presidential election — Democrat Joe Biden won 52 percent of the vote in Bellefonte precincts — or attitudes toward the coronavirus pandemic. A petition started in June called on the Bellefonte school board and superintendent to change the district’s mascot from the Red Raiders to something “better.”

https://www.penncapital-star.com/civil-rights-social-justice/in-central-pa-school-district-the-debate-over-native-american-team-nicknames-comes-home/

Pro-Trump teen’s civil rights lawsuit against Pa. school district ends with confidential deal

Penn Live By Matt Miller | mmiller@pennlive.com Updated Dec 29, 2020; Posted Dec 29, 2020

A confidential resolution has ended a federal civil rights lawsuit by a Pennsylvania high school student who claimed she was suspended for wearing a face mask and a t-shirt bearing a pro-Trump slogans to class. Morgan Earnest, a sophomore, filed that case against Mifflin County School District in U.S. Middle District Court in late October, about two weeks before the presidential election that was won by Democrat Joe Biden. The 15-year-old Lewistown girl said school officials told her she was violating a district clothing policy, adopted just weeks earlier, that barred articles of clothing “which contain political speech or symbolize a particular political viewpoint, including but not limited to confederate flags and swastikas, as well as BLM logos or phrases associated with that movement.”

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/12/pro-trump-teens-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-pa-school-district-ends-with-confidential-deal.html

With Remote Learning, a 12-Year-Old Knows Her English Is Slipping Away

In New York City, 142,000 children are learning English in school. Online classes are especially challenging for them.

New York Times By Juliana Kim Dec. 29, 2020

When Taniya Ria moved to the Bronx from Bangladesh in 2019, she didn’t know a word of English. Within months, Taniya, now 12, was translating for her mother, making American friends in class and getting good grades. Then the pandemic arrived. This fall, she took classes on an iPhone from her family’s one-bedroom apartment in Parkchester, struggling to make sense of the teachers’ English through the tiny screen. Words and grammar she once knew evaporated, and so did her confidence. “This is the hardest school year of my life,” said Taniya, who is in sixth grade. “I feel like the year is going to waste.” While the disruptions of 2020 have threatened learning loss for nearly all students across the country, the toll has been especially severe for students who come from immigrant homes where English is rarely if ever spoken. In-person instruction is essential for these students, teachers, parents and experts say. Not only are they surrounded by spoken English in their classrooms; they also learn in more subtle ways, by observing teachers’ facial expressions and other students’ responses to directions. Teachers, too, depend on nonverbal gestures to understand their students. All these things are far more difficult to perceive through a screen.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/nyregion/coronavirus-english-language-students.html

Ravitch: The Dark History of School Choice

The New York Review by Diane Ravitch January 14, 2021 issue

How an argument for segregated schools became a rallying cry for privatizing public education.

During her tenure as secretary of education, Betsy DeVos repeatedly asked Congress to allocate billions of dollars for vouchers for religious and private schools. She was repeatedly rebuffed. Even Republican members of Congress were unwilling to use the federal education budget to pay for vouchers. After all, most of their constituents’ children attend public schools. After the pandemic struck, DeVos tried again. Late last March, Congress passed a $2.2 trillion relief bill called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allocated $13.2 billion for K–12 education. Congress expected that the money would be shared, as federal education funds typically are, among the nation’s nearly 100,000 public and 7,000 charter schools, as well as private schools based on the number of low-income students they enroll. DeVos instead directed states to share the money allotted to public schools with private and religious schools that enrolled middle-income and affluent students. The NAACP and several states responded with lawsuits, arguing that her order was illegal. Three federal judges in different parts of the country ruled against DeVos, and she backed down. But the Trump administration found another way to enrich charter and private schools. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), also part of the CARES Act, was supposed to rescue small businesses. Lobbyists for the charter industry, however, encouraged charter schools to apply as nonprofits, thus double-dipping into both the public school and PPP funds (public schools were ineligible for PPP funding). Private and religious schools also qualified for PPP funds as nonprofits. Therefore, through a bill supposed to aid small businesses at risk of bankruptcy, thousands of charter, private, and religious schools received an average of about $855,000 each, compared to about $134,500 per public school through CARES.

https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2021/01/14/the-dark-history-of-school-choice/