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PA Ed Policy Roundup for March 13, 2020
PA Dept. of Education
COVID-19 information here:
PA Dept. of Health COVID-19
information here:
Blogger note: Thanks to all the superintendents and local
officials who are shouldering this challenging critical work.
In this morning’s email: “Thank you for your hard work as
always, especially in these difficult times. If the schools are closed for an
extended period, would my school taxes be adjusted?”
Happy Friday the 13th….
Wolf orders shutdown of schools, public spaces in
Montgomery County as Pennsylvania enters two-week COVID response
PA Capital Star By Elizabeth Hardison| Stephen Caruso March
12, 2020
ov. Tom Wolf has asked Pennsylvanians to
avoid public gatherings and recreational activities as he announced the
shutdown of schools, community centers and entertainment venues for two weeks
in Montgomery County to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Wolf’s
instructions for “significant and decisive social distancing” will take effect
Friday, March 13, he said. “They seem severe but are far less draconian then
what we may need to do in the future if we don’t act now,” Wolf said Thursday
during a 2 p.m. press briefing with state health officials. There are at least
22 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania, Wolf said, all in counties
on the eastern edge of the state. The state has an additional 219 people under
investigation, Wolf said. And health officials have tested or intend to test an
additional 81 residents, state Health Secretary Rachel Levine said. Department
of Health data show 116
Pennsylvanians have tested negative for the virus. Thirteen of Pennsylvania’s
known COVID-19 patients are in Montgomery County, the third-most populous
county in Pennsylvania. Wolf is ordering the shutdown of movie theaters, gyms,
sporting events and concert venues there for two weeks.
Wolf also strongly urged the closing of
non-essential retail businesses in Montgomery County. But he said that critical
infrastructure across the state, including grocery stories, pharmacies, gas
stations and hospitals, would remain open. His directive for Montgomery County
also affects all public and private K-12 schools, pre-k centers, and higher
education campuses there. Montgomery County’s public K-12 schools enroll
112,256 students, 30 percent of whom qualify to receive free meals at school a
federal hunger prevention program, state Department of Education data show. State
education officials have submitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture that would allow them to serve free and reduced-price meals to
school children in the event of unexpected school closures, agency spokesman
Eric Levis said Thursday morning.
“The (Philly) School District announced that 63 schools in the
city would be closed on Friday, as a result of anticipated staffing shortages
from employees living in Montgomery County, where travel restrictions are in
effect.”
Montgomery County schools shutdown brings relief, stress
— and forces 63 Philly schools to close
Inquirer by
Maddie Hanna and Kristen A. Graham, Updated: March
12, 2020- 10:23 PM
Prolonged school closures became a reality in
the Philadelphia region Thursday, as Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a shutdown across
Montgomery County in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The
governor’s order also resulted in the Philadelphia School District’s deciding
that 63 city schools would be closed Friday because many of their teachers
reside in Montgomery County, whose residents have been advised to avoid
nonessential travel and to not report to work. The decision was made public in
a statement late Thursday that listed the 63 schools. The statement only
referenced Friday and did not indicate whether the schools would reopen next
week. The schools are all over the city, and include Central and Roxborough
High Schools, Olney Elementary, and Girls’ High.
Coronavirus concerns close Montgomery County schools, 63
Philly schools
Inquirer by Justine McDaniel, Anna
Orso and Ellie
Silverman, Updated: March 12, 2020-
11:16 PM
The coronavirus hit the region with its
hardest punch yet Thursday, as Montgomery County schools were ordered to shut
down for two weeks, and a cascade of closures took out venues such as the Wells
Fargo Center and the Kimmel Center, canceling events from Philadelphia
Orchestra concerts to 76ers and Flyers games. The action in Montgomery County,
which advised residents not to avoid non-essential travel and not report to
work, had the unintended effect of forcing the closure Friday of 63 of
Philadelphia’s 200-plus schools. Many
Philadelphia schoolteachers live in Montgomery County and won’t be able to go
to work, the School District announced late Thursday night. Earlier Thursday,
Gov. Tom Wolf directed all schools, community centers, gyms, and entertainment
venues in Montgomery County — where more than half of the state’s 22 cases of
the coronavirus have been found — to shutter starting Friday in a sweeping
“social distancing” measure aimed at mitigating the spread of the illness. “That
is the epicenter of this epidemic at this point,” Wolf said at a news
conference in Harrisburg. Philadelphia students at the affected schools should
not report to school Friday, the district said. It did not indicate whether the
schools would be open next week. Also late Thursday, Mastery Charter Schools,
the largest charter network in Philadelphia, announced that all of its schools
would be closed Friday “to prevent a chaotic and potentially unsafe situation tomorrow”
because of the impact of Montgomery County school closures. Officials said they
expected to re-open Mastery schools on Monday, but noted that “the situation is
fluid” and that decision will be re-evaluated over the weekend.
63 District schools to close tomorrow (Friday); fallout
from Montgomery County measures
Superintendent Hite said that the teacher
self-isolating due to a relative's diagnosis has tested negative for COVID-19.
Dale
Mezzacappa March 12 — 1:06 pm, 2020 UPDATE:
10 pm
School officials announced last night that 63
schools will close tomorrow because teachers who live in Montgomery County will
not be able to get to work. The late-night press release, which includes a list of
the schools, said that 11 percent, or 2,100
of the 18,000 School District employees, live in Montgomery County, and
that in 63 schools at least 15 percent of the school-based staff live there.
“The anticipated staffing impact to these 63 schools makes it unlikely they
will be able to function as fully operating schools that would effectively meet
the needs of our students,” the release said. Parents were getting individual
calls telling them of the development. Shortly after the word got out, the
District website crashed. The announcement came hours after city officials
announced that they had decided to keep schools in Philadelphia open in the
wake of the novel coronavirus, although they are stopping school events that
draw large crowds, plus student and staff travel for at least the next several
weeks. Superintendent William Hite reiterated that there are no suspected or
confirmed cases in the District.
Local schools closed due to fears of virus exposure;
universities will shift to remote classes
By LACRETIA WIMBLEY, ANDREW GOLDSTEIN AND
BILL SCHACKNER Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MAR 12, 2020 7:37 AM
Two schools in Pittsburgh and several others
in surrounding districts have announced closures in connection to concerns over
students or staff members being exposed to COVID-19. At the same time, more
Pittsburgh-area universities have announced they are moving classes online in
an attempt to limit the spread of the pandemic known as coronavirus. So has
Community College of Allegheny County. Ohio has closed all K-12 schools for the
next three weeks, and Maryland has closed K-12 schools for the next two weeks,
according to USA Today. Pittsburgh Public Schools said Thursday afternoon that
Pittsburgh Brookline K-8 will be closed Friday “out of an abundance of
caution.” The district said a relative of students at the school may have been
exposed to COVID-19 while traveling out-of-state.
Schools around Lehigh Valley close as coronavirus fears
continue to spread
By DANIEL PATRICK SHEEHAN, ANDREW WAGAMAN and KAYLA DWYER THE MORNING
CALL | MAR 12, 2020 | 5:09 PM
As coronavirus fears continue to spread,
several schools around the Lehigh Valley on Thursday closed or announced
closures Friday in order to disinfect buildings and prepare remote instruction plans.
The area’s first case of
coronavirus was reported Thursday morning in
Northampton County by Pennsylvania state Department of Health officials. St.
Luke’s University Health Network confirmed a patient tested positive and
remains hospitalized at its Anderson Campus. Notre Dame High School in Bethlehem
Township closed Thursday and Friday after a student came down with flu-like
symptoms, while the private Swain School in Salisbury Township did the same
because one of its community members is being tested for coronavirus. The Whitehall-Coplay
School District announced Thursday morning that it has closed for “disinfecting
and deep cleaning” after learning a student in the district was tested for
COVID-19 as a precautionary measure. It will reopen Monday.
Allentown School District parents, teachers support
closure decision, worry about effects on students, families
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING
CALL | MAR 12, 2020 | 5:11 PM
Many Allentown School Board members, teachers
and parents supported the decision to close the largest district in the Lehigh
Valley for two days because an employee is being tested for the coronavirus,
but some worried how families and students, many of whom live in poverty, will
be affected if schools need to be shuttered for longer. The district made a
decision late Wednesday night to close Thursday. Friday was to be an in-service
day when no classes were scheduled. Faculty and staff will not report
Friday. The Allentown School
District hopes to reopen Monday. Saturday’s
SAT testing has been postponed, according to a post from
the district. The decision came as the area’s first case of coronavirus was
reported in Northampton County on Thursday, according to Pennsylvania
Department of Health officials. The announcement Wednesday night from Allentown
came hours after the World Health Organization’s declaration that the spread of
the coronavirus now qualifies as a global pandemic. After Allentown made its
announcement, several other schools,
including the Whitehall-Coplay School District, said they
were also closing as a precaution.
Coronavirus: School districts await guidance, Southern
York closed on Friday
Teresa Boeckel, York Daily
Record Published 5:33 p.m. ET March 12, 2020 | Updated 10:18 p.m. ET March
12, 2020
Update at 9:30: Southern
York County Schools are closed on Friday, but the offices will be open, the
district announced Thursday night.
"This evening, we were made aware that a
community member has been tested for a potential case of the coronavirus
(COVID-19)," the district said in a statement. "While we do not
have any confirmed cases in our district, we are closing schools out of an
abundance of caution and to have additional dialogue with the Pennsylvania
Department of Health." The district will be collaborating with local and
state officials on Friday and providing more information to parents, the
district said. It is a flexible instructional day for the district., the
statement says.
Reported earlier: From deep
cleaning of the schools to prepping for closures, York County school
districts say they are taking steps to help minimize the spread of the
coronavirus.
Superintendents across the state will be on a
conference call Friday with Pedro Rivera, the state secretary of
education, South Eastern Supt.
Nathan Van Deusen said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "We
hope to be given some clarity on how to proceed," he said. "We
will keep you informed of our plans as a result of this meeting and as new
information is revealed."
Tredyffrin-Easttown closes schools for two weeks; life in
Chester County changes
West Chester Daily Local By Jen Samuel jsamuel@dailylocal.com
@jenpoetess on Twitter March 13, 2020
KENNETT SQUARE — Fear of coronavirus is
having a significant impact on life in Chester County, as officials made tough
decisions to close schools, businesses, concerts and other events in an effort
to contain the crisis. Tredyffrin-Easttown school directors Thursday announced
all schools in the districts would close for two weeks. Local lawmakers are
closing offices temporarily. Municipal meetings are being cancelled. While many
are heeding warnings of the severity of the virus, some residents of southern
Chester County were visiting their favorite venues in Kennett Square Borough on
Thursday.
School District of Lancaster cancels school Friday due to
potential coronavirus exposure
Lancaster Online by ALEX
GELI | Staff Writer March 12, 2019
School District of Lancaster has announced
it's canceling school districtwide Friday due to a potential exposure to the
coronavirus, or COVID-19. Both schools and offices will be closed. "As
the district awaits test results, the administration and action response team
will assess the situation and determine next steps," the district said
Thursday night in an online statement.
The exposure is believed to have occurred at
Wickersham Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School, the district later said
in a tweet.
"However, in an abundance of caution," the tweet read, "we felt
it best to close all schools as we wait for test results, isolate the incident,
disinfect buildings and plan next steps." At this time, we believe the exposure occurred at
Wickersham Elementary and Lincoln Middle School. However, in an abundance of
caution, we felt it best to close all schools as we wait for test results,
isolate the incident, disinfect buildings and plan next steps. The district
said it would update families and staff once more information is
available.
Beaver County school districts united, planning in wake
of coronavirus
By Daveen
Rae Kurutz @DK_NewsData and @DKreports Posted
Mar 12, 2020 at 6:19 PM
School districts across the county have been
discussing how to best prepare for a case of the coronavirus in the county.
School’s not out for COVID-19, at least not
in Beaver County.
Leaders of 14 school districts and other
public school entities in Beaver County released a joint statement Thursday
morning, reiterating that students should stay home from school if sick and
practice hand-washing and personal hygiene. But just hours after the letter was
released, Aliquippa School District followed up with its own letter, warning
elementary parents that a child had recently visited another country that had
cases of COVID-19. According to that letter, the child’s parents removed them
from the school and will keep the student at home for at least two weeks. There
is no indication that the student had or has any symptoms of the coronavirus,
Superintendent Peter Carbone said. The school, like several others in the
county, doesn’t have classes scheduled for Friday due to a teacher training
day. Carbone said the district’s custodial staff will clean and disinfect the
elementary school before students return Monday, with special attention being
given to hard surfaces and high-contact surfaces. School districts across the
county have been discussing how to best prepare for a case of the coronavirus
in the county.
“Students are scheduled to return to school in Wilkinsburg on
Tuesday.”
Wilkinsburg closing 2 schools because of potential
coronavirus exposure
Trib Live by PAUL
GUGGENHEIMER | Thursday, March 12,
2020 3:43 p.m.
Wilkinsburg School District announced
Thursday it is closing Kelly Primary School and Turner Intermediate School on
Friday and Monday due to a potential exposure to covid-19. Wilkinsburg
Superintendent Linda J. Iverson said the district became aware that a staff
member was in contact with a staff member at Colfax K-8 in the
Pittsburgh Public Schools. Colfax, in Squirrel Hill, was closed Thursday after
officials learned a student may have been exposed to the coronavirus from a
relative outside the school. “We have made the decision to close the district
to disinfect all buildings,” Iverson said in a letter to Wilkinsburg parents.
“We have hired an external company to complete a deep disinfectant cleaning
using an electrostatic machine.” There are no known cases of covid-19 in
Allegheny County right now. Iverson said the Wilkinsburg district is taking
preventive measures to ensure the health and safety of all faculty, staff and
students.
PIAA shuts down state tournaments
Doylestown Intelligencer By Todd
Thorpe @toddrthorpe Posted
Mar 12, 2020 at 1:53 PM
Boys and girls basketball tournaments
suspended for two weeks, plus Class 2A swimming championship postponed in the
wake of coronavirus.
In a week of surprising announcements that
just keep on coming, the PIAA released a statement Thursday afternoon putting
the ongoing PIAA boys and girls basketball tournaments on hold due to concerns
over the coronavirus (COVID-19). “PIAA Board of Directors decided this morning
by a unanimous vote to suspend the PIAA basketball and AA boys’ and girls’
swimming and diving championships for minimally a two-week period,” the
statement read. “The AAA swimming and diving championships at Bucknell
University have been truncated with limited spectators and will conclude at the
end of today’s mid-afternoon diving session. The Board of Directors, in
consultation with various health departments, believes this action is in the
best interest of our member schools, their student-athletes, sports officials
and the general public.” The news, in the wake of announcements by the NCAA,
NBA and NHL in recent days, wasn’t unexpected but it affects several area teams
which had advanced to the quarterfinal rounds of the respective tournaments and
were scheduled to play Friday or Saturday.
Pa. lawmakers plan to meet in the Capitol next week,
despite coronavirus concerns
Inquirer by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez, Updated: March
12, 2020- 6:43 PM
Capitol Notebook by Spotlight
PA provides updates on important
news and notes from the halls of power in Harrisburg. Sign
up for our weekly newsletter.
HARRISBURG — Despite calls from lawmakers to
close the state Capitol amidst coronavirus fears, the legislature’s session
will go on as planned Monday. Starting Friday, all public events in the Capitol
are canceled until further notice, state officials said. That includes tours,
school field trips, and rallies. Yet lawmakers in the state House and Senate
are still planning to meet next week — although legislative leaders signaled
those plans are fluid. “The coronavirus situation changes daily,” the top
Republican and Democratic senators said in a joint statement Thursday, adding:
“Evaluation of circumstances are ongoing and changes to Senate operations will
be made if necessary.” Still, some lawmakers were bristling at having to
convene in Harrisburg, even as Gov. Tom Wolf encouraged suspending gatherings
with more than 250 people. There are more than 250 lawmakers in the Capitol,
and the legislature employs hundreds of staffers on top of that.
Christopher McGinley an “activist educator” is leaving the
Philly school board
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: March
12, 2020- 8:25 PM
Christopher McGinley, a veteran
educator with extensive Philadelphia credentials, will not seek reappointment
to the school board, officials confirmed Thursday night. Earlier this month,
Mayor Jim Kenney nominated him to a second term. McGinley chose not to seek a
second term for personal reasons, said Claire Landau, school board chief of
staff. Board president Joyce Wilkerson hailed McGinley, who also served on the
School Reform Commission. “The district
and board have benefited greatly from the wisdom and expertise he has brought
to this work through his decades of experience in the classroom, as a school
leader, as a superintendent, and much more,” Wilkerson said in a statement.
"His voice will be missed.” McGinley, whose grandmother spent her career
as a janitor at Olney High School, grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from
its schools, then taught in them. Eventually, he became an administrator in
Philadelphia, then superintendent in Cheltenham and Lower Merion schools. He
now works as an education professor at Temple University. McGinley, who
declares himself “an activist educator” on his Temple biography page, was
unafraid to stake out positions contrary to others on the board. At the
February board meeting, he voted against renewing a contract with Teach for
America, citing “the alliances that the organization has with wealthy funders
dedicated to undermining public education, undermining the rights of workers,
and driving for more and more privatization of public education.”
Chris McGinley leaving Philly Board of Education
He cites personal reasons, particularly care
for elderly relatives.
The notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa March 12 — 8:23 pm, 2020
UPDATED 10:50 p.m. with comment from Mayor
Kenney
Christopher McGinley, a longtime educator
with deep roots in Philadelphia who went on to lead school districts in
Cheltenham and Lower Merion, said Thursday he was resigning from the Board of
Education effective April 30. McGinley attributed the decision to personal
reasons, saying that he is the main caregiver for several elderly relatives,
including his parents and an uncle, and their increasing and time-consuming
needs leave him with too little time to devote as much attention to the job as
he would like. “I’ve had a change in personal circumstances,” he said. The
decision wasn’t made lightly. “I’m very sad, actually,” he said of leaving. “I
have great affection for the District and the people who work in it.”
Budget, charter school reform are brought up at Southern Tioga
SD school board
Wellsboro Gazette By Halie Kines hkines@tiogapublishing.com March 12,
2020
BLOSSBURG — At this time, Southern Tioga
School District is facing a $1.63 million deficit in the 2020-21 budget. That
was the word at the Monday board meeting. The 2019-20 final budget shows
$32,707,903 in revenue, whereas the 2020-21 budget shows an expected
$33,811,284 coming in, a 3.37% increase. The expenditures are expected to
increase by 4.85% in this preliminary budget, bringing the expenditures to
$35,442,639 in 2021 up from $33,802,455 in 2020, giving the district an
estimated $1,631,355 deficit.
….The board approved a resolution calling for
charter school funding reform. The resolution calls upon the General Assembly
to revise the “existing flawed charter school funding systems for regular and
special education to ensure that school districts and taxpayers are no longer
overpaying these schools or reimbursing for costs the charter schools do not
incur.”
The district’s current cyber charter school
rates per student is $11,356.37 for regular education and $25,357 for special
education.
The presentation showed 2017-18 rates across
the state ranging from $7,600 to $18,500 per student in regular education and
$15,100 to $48,000 per student in special education.
It’s been 23 years since the charter school
funding formula was created and, because the tuition rate calculations are
based on the district’s expenses rather than the charter school’s expenses, it
results in “drastic overpayments to charter schools,” the resolution states.
“None of these rates correspond to cyber
charter school costs. They all correspond to each school district’s cost,”
Thompson said.
The resolution states “that in 2014-15,
school districts paid charter schools more than $100 million for special
education services in excess of what charter schools reported spending on
special education.”
Letter: Let charter schools fund themselves
Pottsville Republican Herald Letter by W.R.
Stump, Pine Grove
YOUR VIEWS / PUBLISHED: MARCH 13, 2020
To the Editor: In examining school budgeting
over the past few years, perhaps the major pressing issue in funding school
budgets is the funding of charter school tuition. The costs are outlandish and
overwhelming to all school districts, particularly to rural school districts in
Schuylkill County.
I commend the parochial schools in our state
and county for funding themselves as if a student goes to a parochial school,
their parents fund such an opportunity. While I have nothing against parochial
schools or charter schools, I believe it is time that parents wishing to send
their kids to charter schools provide the funding for their kids to do so. The
huge expense to public school districts to fund charter schools should not be
passed on to the taxpayers of the public school districts but should be funded
by the parents of the students choosing to attend the charter schools, the same
as many parents fund their child’s education at parochial schools.
Our governor in 2020 again wants all public
school districts to fund charter schools and his mandate is totally off base
without any rhyme or reason. Perhaps the governor and our state legislators who
in many cases are multi-millionaires should fund charter schools out of their
pockets and then they would see the burden placed on public schools to do so.
Charter schools may be fine in certain areas
but parents choosing to send their students there should foot the bill for
their students to attend such schools. It is time that our legislators stand up
to the governor and mandate that all charter schools be self-funded by the
families choosing to send their students to such schools. Otherwise, the
continual funding of charter schools by public schools will continue to provoke
a continual drain of public schools for the parents choosing to send their kids
to public schools. Let us hope to see major changes in our 2020-21 State Budget
in funding public schools by seeing major changes in the funding of charter
schools to avoid a future financial calamity for many public schools.
Yours truly, W.R. Stump Pine Grove
“…in the 1990s, SDP had
175 school librarians; today they have just seven serving over 200,000
students.”
Why do PA laws require libraries in prison, but not in
schools? | Opinion
Penn Live Opinion by By Debra E. Kachel Posted
Mar 12, 2020
Debra Kachel is the Co-Chair of the Advocacy
Committee of the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association and a former
professor in Mansfield University’s Library & Information Technology
Department.
All students are assessed on the same scale
for standardized tests. If this were truly fair, shouldn’t they also have
access to the same educational resources with which to learn?
An education can only be so effective without
quality instruction, teachers, specialists, librarians, and access to
information, reading materials, and technology. And Pennsylvania has a serious
issue with providing these to our students. According to PASchoolsWork, an
education advocacy coalition, Pennsylvania
ranks 44th in the nation for its share of education funding. Moreover,
the indefensible funding gap between
wealthy and poor schools is among the most
egregious nationally. How have we gotten to this point of perpetuating what
Joyce Valenza, professor of library and information science at Rutgers
University, coined “institutionalized inequity,” where
students in wealthier communities have so much more than their peers in
impoverished communities? Nowhere is this more poignant than in the School
District of Philadelphia (SDP). To highlight this, the Pennsylvania School
Librarians Association’s (PSLA) and EveryLibrary organized a “Rally to Restore Philadelphia School
Librarians.” Debbie Grill, who spoke at the
rally, is a former SDP school librarian and a leader in the Alliance for
Philadelphia Public Schools. She noted in
the 1990s, SDP had 175 school librarians; today they have just seven serving
over 200,000 students.
Belle Vernon Area teachers, district reach a tentative
agreement, avert strike
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE MAR 13, 2020 2:27 AM
The Belle Vernon Area Education Association
and the Belle Vernon Area School District reached a tentative labor agreement
just prior to midnight Friday. Both sides met Thursday evening for a second
marathon negotiation session, lasting nearly six hours, in a “last-ditch”
effort to avoid a strike. Details of the agreement remain confidential until
both sides have an opportunity to formally vote to ratify the final contract.
The ratification will take place in the coming weeks.
“In consultation with the PSBA executive committee, we are
converting the upcoming sessions of our Sectional Meetings, Spring Legal
Roundup, task force meetings and other committee meetings to a virtual
platform. Details will be sent out soon to all registered participants. The
PSBA Governing Board meeting in March is also being switched to an online
platform, in order to minimize travel and potential exposure for our board
members. In addition, after discussions with our partners, we are delaying the
upcoming Advocacy Day, scheduled for March 23 in Harrisburg. We have close to
300 education advocates registered. We believe that it is our responsibility to
ensure that these education leaders are not exposed to COVID-19 – which would
potentially cause many districts to close. We are rescheduling our Advocacy Day
for Monday, May 11, in hopes that the current threat of a pandemic event has
passed by that point.”
PSBA CEO provides update regarding COVID-19’s impact on
upcoming PSBA events
PSBA has been actively monitoring the
situation surrounding the spread of COVID-19, the new coronavirus disease. PSBA
has continually evaluated how to proceed with upcoming in-person events and
meetings and is acting out of an abundance of caution in order to mitigate the
spread of the disease. In respect to COVID-19 updates, please review this message from
PSBA’s CEO about upcoming events.
https://www.psba.org/2020/03/psba-ceo-provides-update-regarding-covid-19s-impact-on-upcoming-events/
EdVotersPA: Take action now to support charter school
reform in PA!
Education Voters PA Published by EDVOPA on February
25, 2020
We have helped build a movement to fix
Pennsylvania’s worst charter school law in the nation in every corner of the
commonwealth. Now it is time to take this movement to Harrisburg!
Please click HERE and sign a letter to
your state representative and senator calling on them to support charter school
reform. Ed Voters’ volunteers will hand deliver each constituent letter to
state lawmakers’ offices in mid-March. Make sure yours is included!
We will need to deliver thousands of letters
to send a strong message that Pennsylvanians expect lawmakers to take action
this legislative session.
Network for Public Education 2020 Conference in Philly Rescheduled
to November 21-22
NPE Website March 10, 2020 7:10 pm
We so wanted to see you in March, but we need
to wait until November!
Our conference will now take place on November
21 and 22 at the same location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please
read the important information below.
Registration: We will be rolling over our registration
information, so there is no reason to register again. You will
be automatically registered for the November dates. If you cannot attend in
November, we ask that you consider donating your registration to absorb some of
the costs associated with rescheduling the conference. If you feel you cannot
make such a donation, please contact: dcimarusti@networkforpubliceducation.org.
PSBA Board Presidents Panel April 27 & 28; Multiple
Locations
Offered at 10 locations across the state,
this annual event supports current and aspiring school board leaders through
roundtable conversations with colleagues as well as a facilitated panel of
experienced regional and statewide board presidents and superintendents. Board
Presidents Panel is designed to equip new and veteran board presidents and vice
presidents as well as superintendents and other school directors who may pursue
a leadership position in the future.
Info and registration: https://www.psba.org/2020/01/board-presidents-panel/
PSBA: Coronavirus Preparedness Guidance
In the last few weeks, the novel coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2), which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, has become a topic
of concern nationwide. Although the virus is not widespread in Pennsylvania at
this time, that status could change. Being proactive is key to prevention and
mitigation. Below, you will find a list of resources on all aspects of
preparedness, including guidance on communication planning, policy, emergency
management and disease control. Use these resources to help you make decisions
regarding the safety and health of those in your school district.
Bucks County Intermediate Unit: FLU AND CORONAVIRUS
RESOURCES
Resources for School Leaders; Bucks County
Intermediate Unit Website
This page contains a collection of news
articles, health agency resources, and school system templates related to the
Flu and Coronavirus. This page is by no means exhaustive and in no way
serves as an endorsement for specific resources. Instead, it
serves as a collection point for school leaders seeking resources and
exemplars. Please contact Dr.
Mark Hoffman with any additional documents or links
to post!
Blogger note: support Governor Wolf’s proposed charter reforms:
Reprise: PA Ed Policy Roundup for Feb 10, 2020
1. Adopt resolution for charter funding
reform
2. Ask your legislators to cosponsor HB2261
or SB1024
3. Register for Advocacy Day on May 11th
Adopt: the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
PSBA Website POSTED ON FEBRUARY 3,
2020 IN PSBA
NEWS
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.
Cosponsor: A 120-page charter reform
proposal is being introduced as House Bill 2261 by Rep. Joseph
Ciresi (D-Montgomery), and Senate Bill 1024, introduced by Senators
Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) and James Brewster (D-Allegheny). Ask your
legislator to sign on as a cosponsor to House Bill 2261 or Senate Bill
1024.
Register: Five compelling reasons for .@PSBA .@PASA .@PAIU school leaders to come to the Capitol
for Advocacy Day on May 11th:
Charter Reform
Cyber Charter Reform
Basic Ed Funding
Special Ed Funding
PLANCON
For more
information: https://www.psba.org/event/advocacy-day-2020/
These meetings will be converted to digital meetings. Details
will be forthcoming.
Hear relevant content from statewide experts, district practitioners and
PSBA government affairs staff at PSBA’s annual membership gathering. PSBA
Sectional Advisors and Advocacy Ambassadors are on-site to connect with
district leaders in their region and share important information for you to
take back to your district.
Locations and dates
- Wednesday,
March 18, 2020 — Section 7, PSBA
Headquarters, 400 Bent Creek Blvd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 1, General
McLane High School, 11761 Edinboro Rd, Edinboro, PA 16412
- Tuesday,
March 24, 2020 — Section 4, Abington
Heights School District, 200 East Grove Street, Clark Summit, PA 18411
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 3, Columbia-Montour
AVTS, 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg, PA 17815
- Wednesday,
March 25, 2020 — Section 6, Bedford
County Technical Center, 195 Pennknoll Road, Everett, PA 15537
- Thursday,
March 26, 2020 — Section 2, State
College Area High School, 650 Westerly Pkwy, State College, PA 16801
- Monday,
March 30, 2020 — Section 5, Forbes
Road Career & Technology Center, 607 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA
15146
- Monday, March 30, 2020 — Section 8, East Penn School District, 800 Pine St, Emmaus,
PA 18049
- Tuesday, April 7, 2020 — Section 5, Washington School District, 311 Allison
Avenue, Washington, PA 15301
- Tuesday, April 7, 2020 — Section 8, School District of Haverford Twp, 50 East Eagle
Road, Havertown, PA 19083
Sectional Meetings are 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. (across all locations). Light
refreshments will be offered.
Cost: Complimentary for
PSBA member entities.
Registration: Registration is
now open. To register, please sign into myPSBA and look for
Store/Registration on the left.
Rescheduled: Join us for Advocacy Day in Harrisburg to support public
education Monday May 11, 2020!
All school
leaders are invited to attend Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in
Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), Pennsylvania
Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and the Pennsylvania Association of
School Administrators (PASA) are partnering together to strengthen our advocacy
impact. The day will center around meetings with legislators to discuss
critical issues affecting public education. Click here for more information or register
at http://www.mypsba.org/
School
directors can register online now by logging in to myPSBA. If you need
assistance logging in and registering contact Alysha Newingham, Member Data
System Administrator at alysha.newingham@psba.org
PSBA Board Presidents Panel April 27, 28 and 29; Multiple
Locations
Offered at 10 locations across the state,
this annual event supports current and aspiring school board leaders through
roundtable conversations with colleagues as well as a facilitated panel of
experienced regional and statewide board presidents and superintendents. Board
Presidents Panel is designed to equip new and veteran board presidents and vice
presidents as well as superintendents and other school directors who may pursue
a leadership position in the future.
PARSS Annual Conference April 29 – May 1, 2020 in State
College
The 2020 PARSS Conference is April 29 through
May 1, 2020, at Wyndham Garden Hotel at Mountain View Country Club in State
College. Please register as a member or a vendor by accessing the links below.
Register today for the 2020 PASA/PA Principals
Association PA Educational Leadership Summit, August 2-4, at the Lancaster
Marriott at Penn Square
(hosted by the PA Principals Association and
the PA Association of School Administrators). Participants can earn up to 80
PIL hours (40 hours for the Summit and - for an additional cost of $50 -
40 hours for EdCamp) for
attending the conference and completing program requirements. Register
early to reserve your seat! The deadline to take advantage of the Early Bird
Discount is April 24, 2020.
Click here to
register today!
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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