Thursday, April 30, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 30: “It’s not as though our boards can place any restrictions on the unfunded mandates coming out of Harrisburg.”


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, Wolf education transition team members, 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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg


PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 30, 2020



School Leaders: If you were previously registered for Advocacy Day at the Capitol, please register and join us for our first ever Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, May 11, 2020, via Zoom. Register now at no cost on myPSBA.  


Did you sign up to vote by mail-in ballot for the June 2nd primary election? Track the progress of your mail ballot here:
Tweet from .@SenatorMensch

“Morrisville’s plight sums up why we do not support an effort by House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, to freeze school property taxes for 2020-21 to help those who have taken a financial hit due to coronavirus-related stay-at-home and business closure orders. We’re not saying that residents, particularly small-business owners and those in the retail, entertainment, transportation and hospitality sectors, haven’t taken it on the chin this spring. But we believe any real estate tax controls beyond those provided by Act 1 of 2006 infringe on school boards’ ability to lead their districts. It’s not as though our boards can place any restrictions on the unfunded mandates coming out of Harrisburg.”
Editorial: Pa. needs to buck up for Morrisville, other needy districts
Doylestown Intelligencer Posted Apr 29, 2020 at 3:37 PM
To the Morrisville School District, implementing a Continuity of Education Plan is feeling more and more like another unfunded mandate. The Morrisville School District needs help. That help needs to come from the state, and it needs to come fast. Last week, the school board voted to back out of a $217,000 order of about 650 Chromebooks and a $5,000 contract for internet hot spots. Both were needed to keep all of Morrisville’s 1,059 students learning for the remainder of the school year. But both were canceled after the district failed to land a state grant to help cover the cost. The state is requiring every one of its public school districts to draft, publish and follow a Continuity of Education Plan outlining how they would offer relevant, engaging and measurable home-based instruction to students for the rest of an academic year truncated by COVID-19-prompted school closures. Putting those plans into practice first means making sure all students have internet access and the devices they need to connect with their teachers, complete their assignments, and submit their work for evaluation. The Pennsylvania Department of Education launched a Continuity of Education and Equity Grant program to help districts pay for technology, instructional materials, supplies and training. The state indicated money would be awarded to districts where a relatively high percentage of students are unable to learn remotely. We believe the grant program is underfunded if it’s not able to help a small working-class school district in suburban Philadelphia with a median household income of less than $69,000. We’re sure Morrisville isn’t the only district the grant program left out in the cold.

“If there is a quick turnaround in the economy, the PASBO data suggests the reduction in total local revenue will be more than $850 million for 2020-21. If the economic recovery lags, however, PASBO projects a loss in total local revenue of $1.07 billion. Currently, school districts collect about $18 billion in total local revenue so the PASBO projected decline represents a loss of 4-5% in total local revenue. This projected loss in local revenue for school districts comes as the state faces its own financial challenges, creating unprecedented uncertainty for school districts on all revenue fronts for 2020-21. Adding to the financial challenges and uncertainty, there is no relief for school district mandated cost increases next year.”
Report: Pa. Schools Could See $1 Billion Revenue Loss
Explore Venango by Aly Delp | April 29, 2020
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) is reporting Pennsylvania school districts are facing a major projected loss from local taxes as coronavirus pandemic shutdowns take a heavy toll on the economy. PASBO released it’s projection of the drop in local revenues for school districts next year the day after the House State Government Committee approved a bill to freeze school district property taxes next year. PASBO’s estimate of the loss of local revenue is based on a study of the effect of school taxes during the Great Recession and a projection that the COVID-19 economy will create deeper and much more immediate cuts. “Every school district tax source and other non-tax revenue will suffer a precipitous decline for the upcoming school year,” said Dr. Timothy J. Shrom, PASBO director of research, who developed the PASBO projection with Dr. Andrew Armagost, PASBO research and advocacy manager. “In an economic downturn we know that unemployment goes up, thereby reducing our local income tax revenue, and we know that the real estate market will be affected resulting in a reduction of our real estate transfer tax We also know that our taxpayers will need more time to pay, thus reducing property tax revenues, and with the significant cuts in the rates, interest earnings will take a hit as well.”

“Local taxpayers have also been made to provide excess funding to the state’s charter schools for special education costs that are far out of line for the services provided. In Pennsylvania, the current charter school law requires public schools to send a “per pupil allocation” to the charter schools that their students attend. That rate is calculated through a complex state formula. When a charter school identifies a student as requiring special education services, public schools are required to send that flat special education rate to that charter school, regardless of the services needed.”
Guest Opinion: Support Wolf’s plan to reform special education funding for charters
Doylestown Intelligencer By Frank T. Gallagher Posted at 5:31 AM April 30, 2020
Frank T. Gallagher, Ed.D. is the superintendent of the Souderton Area School District.
The Souderton Area School District joins with hundreds of public school districts statewide to support PA Governor Wolf’s proposal to modify the way special education funding is allocated to the state’s charter schools.
As schools across our nation are grappling with mandatory closures and quarantines, concerns about school funding remain in the forefront of our discussions. For some, these issues are even more important as we experience a financial crisis resulting from this pandemic. The Souderton Area School District joins with hundreds of public school districts statewide to support PA Governor Wolf’s proposal to modify the way special education funding is allocated to the state’s charter schools. A recent (April 20) opinion piece in The Intelligencer, written by the director of a charter school located in Souderton, criticized the proposal. Taxpayers should be aware, however, that the proposal is one that would bring some equity for public schools. In Pennsylvania, each school district is provided a modest federal and state reimbursement to be used for special education. Federal education law states that the federal government should give school districts 40 percent of the funding needed to provide the mandated adequate services for special education students. Unfortunately, the federal funding has fallen far short of this, with reimbursement rates at just 15% or less. This shortfall leaves the local taxpayers to pick up the slack.

Lancaster County schools could lose $46 million in local revenue next year: report
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer April 30, 2020
Lancaster County school districts could lose more than $46 million in local revenue next year due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statewide public schools group. In a report published Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials projected about $850 million to $1 billion in local revenue losses for Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts in 2020-21 as unemployment spikes and interest rates plummet. The losses – 4% to 5% of the $18 billion in local revenue districts across the state collect now – are expected to come from sources such as school property, local income and real estate transfer tax revenues, as well as a dip in interest earnings. With millions in potential losses, school officials here are scrambling to find ways to balance budgets despite not knowing what, if any, funding increase they’ll get from the state. “School districts probably have more uncertainty in their budget developments than in any time in my 40-year career,” said Tim Shrom, PASBO’s director of research and a former longtime business manager for Solanco School District. Shrom developed the projections with Andrew Armagost, PASBO’s research and advocacy manager.

COVID-19 will take toll on school revenues
GoErie By Valerie Myers @etnmyers Posted Apr 28, 2020 at 9:54 AM
Statewide association projects Erie School District tax revenue losses as high as $4.6 million for 2020-21.
Public school districts will lose millions of dollars in local revenues in the COVID-19 economy, according to projections by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials. The association projects statewide revenue declines between $850 million and $1.07 billion and Erie School District losses of $3.6 million to $4.6 million in 2020-21, depending on whether economic recovery is quick or slow. Other local school districts also will see dramatic losses, according to the projections released Tuesday. The numbers are based on the district financial information, the Great Recession’s effect on school taxes and the supposition that the COVID-19 economy will cause deeper and more immediate losses. “Every school district tax source and other non-tax revenue will suffer a precipitous decline for the upcoming school year,” said Timothy Shrom, PASBO director of research.
According to the projections:
‒ Staggering unemployment will significantly reduce local income tax revenue.
‒ A decline in home buying will reduce real estate transfer taxes.
2020-21 revenue loss projections
‒ Erie School District: $3.6 million to $4.6 million
‒ Millcreek Township School District: $3.3 million to $3.9 million
‒ Fort LeBoeuf School District: $1 million to $1.2 million
‒ Harbor Creek School District: $962,655 to $1.1 million
‒ Fairview School District: $920,048 to $1.1 million
‒ General McLane School District: $914,410 to $1 million
‒ North East School District: $631,007 to $759,959
‒ Corry Area School District: $607,283 to $777,035
‒ Wattsburg Area School District: $595,306 to $709,700
‒ Girard School District: $574,276 to $688,216
‒ Northwestern School District: $528,557 to $608,222
‒ Iroquois School District: $368,686 to $437,351
‒ Union City Area School District: $332,185 to $404,088
‒ Taxpayers will need more time to pay, thus reducing property tax revenues.
‒ Interest earnings on school investments also will take a hit.
School districts collect about $18 billion in total local revenue annually. The PASBO projections for 2020-21 represent a 4- to 5 percent loss in local revenue.
The numbers projected for the Erie School District are close to what the district has built into its worst-case projections, Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito said.

U.S. economy shrank at 4.8% rate last quarter as coronavirus struck
Inquirer by Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press, Updated: April 29, 2020- 10:51 AM
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate last quarter as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country and began triggering a recession that will end the longest expansion on record. Yet the drop in the January-March quarter will be only a precursor of a far grimmer report to come on the current April-June period, with business shutdowns and layoffs striking with devastating force. With much of the economy paralyzed, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that economic activity will plunge this quarter at a 40% annual rate. That would be, by a breathtaking margin, the bleakest quarter since such records were first compiled in 1947. It would be four times the size of the worst quarterly contraction on record set in 1958. The Commerce Department estimated Wednesday that the gross domestic product, the total output of goods and services, posted a quarterly drop for the first time in six years. And it was the sharpest fall since the economy shrank at an 8.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2008 in the depths of the Great Recession. “The longest U.S. economic expansion has ended,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at Oxford Economics.

Philly City Council to have hearing and vote on Board of Ed nominees Friday
Mayor Kenney will also present his revised budget proposal. Members of the public can register to speak at the virtual hearing.
Dale Mezzacappa April 29 — 8:26 am, 2020
Philadelphia’s City Council will hold a virtual hearing Friday morning on Mayor Kenney’s nominations to the Board of Education before voting on them at Council’s scheduled 11 a.m. meeting. The mayor renominated eight of the current nine members and chose Ameen Akbar to replace Board Vice President Wayne Walker, who is stepping down for personal reasons. Under the City Charter, a new board must be seated on May 1. This year marks the first time that City Council will have a chance to weigh in on the mayor’s choices. That change was made when the local board was reconstituted in 2018 after the District spent nearly two decades being governed by the state-dominated School Reform Commission. After the mayor selected Akbar, board member Christopher McGinley announced that he also would step down on April 30. Kenney has not yet chosen a replacement for McGinley and has asked the Education Nominating Panel to reconvene and submit a new list of names. The panel is charged with vetting candidates and giving the mayor three names for each vacancy, which it did in February when it submitted the names of the eight current members who wanted at that point to return, including McGinley, plus 19 others. Sarah Peterson, communications director for the city’s Office of Education, said the mayor was seeking new names because the panel “did not know about Chris McGinley’s resignation when they considered candidates and made their recommendations … and the mayor wants to make sure they can select nominees with that knowledge by reconvening when practical.” McGinley has said he will not stay on past April 30, so the board will most likely operate for a time with a vacancy.

Charges of racism flare in proposal to relocate Philly’s Lab Charter to East Falls
The controversy has erupted on the eve of the Board of Education’s planned vote whether to approve the move.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa April 29 — 7:57 pm, 2020
The already contentious effort by Laboratory Charter to move its middle school to East Falls has been roiled by a Facebook post charging that some of the opposition to the move is due to racism. The post said that school officials were told at a meeting with several community leaders that “your school is a threat to our white community.” The controversy has erupted on the eve of the Board of Education’s planned vote on Thursday whether to approve the relocation. The Facebook post, which has since been taken down, was written by Chris Quintanilla, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as a locally based consultant who has held several government posts, appointed by both Democratic and Republican officeholders. Quintanilla, who has a consulting contract with Lab Charter, was not at the meeting himself, but said he had statements from two participants. “I wouldn’t say that quote without some sort of corroboration,” said Quintanilla, in a lengthy interview. He would not give further details, saying that he is looking into the possibility of filing a complaint.

Vote on remote grading guidelines prompts friction on PPS board
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com APR 29, 2020 6:45 PM
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board Wednesday adopted the grading guidelines the district administration put forward for the fourth quarter of the academic year as students participate in remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines would not allow any student to fail a fourth-quarter class, but the district said it expects all students to engage in remote learning. The school board meeting in which the guidelines were approved — held via video conference Wednesday afternoon — grew contentious when one board member accused others of a dereliction of duty. This happened when a resolution was put forward acknowledging the board only had the responsibility to enforce grading guidelines, and it was up to the superintendent to create them.

Your View: Why we should do away with standardized tests after coronavirus crisis
By JOHN MAYHER and MERLYN CLARKE THE MORNING CALL | APR 29, 2020 | 8:00 AM
John Mayher is a Cresco, Monroe County resident and a professor emeritus of education, New York University. Merlyn Clarke is a Stroudsburg Area School District Board of Education member.
In addition to the heroic efforts of medical and service personnel who are risking their lives caring for those afflicted with COVID-19, and those serving and selling food, we must also applaud our public school administrators and teachers. They are exerting extraordinary efforts to salvage the school year for thousands of students. Many teachers have become quick studies in providing online instruction and resources for students — under the circumstances, a necessary response. Observers of the education world can only marvel, however, at how quickly and easily many of the seeming imperatives of conventional education have been declared nonessential: 180 days of instruction, precise numerical grading, strict requirements for advancing to the next grade and even the loosening of graduation requirements. And, perhaps most significant of all: standardized testing.

CONSTITUTIONALLY OBLIGATED: STATES CANNOT PASS THE BUCK TO DISTRICTS AFTER CLOSING SCHOOLS
Education Law Center BY DAVID SCIARRA April 29, 2020
Governors in every state have ordered school closures to stop the spread of COVID-19, many for the remainder of the school year. States have also ordered students, like all citizens, to shelter at home. It is unclear when and under what conditions schools across the country will re-open.  In the wake of states shuttering schools, local districts are making efforts to continue educating students by remote and digital means. Initial reports show many districts are unprepared and under-resourced for the herculean task of transitioning their entire enrollment from classrooms to home instruction through internet-connected, computer-based learning platforms. These reports also show stark disparities between high poverty and wealthier districts in the availability and effectiveness of remote instruction and serving students with disabilities, English language learners, and other students requiring additional supports. These disparities are attributed to the “digital divide,” that is, the lack of internet connectivity and devices in homes, often exacerbated by housing instability, food insecurity and other barriers.   Of course, states possess legal authority to order physical school closures in response to a public health emergency, as has occurred with COVID-19. But, after closing buildings, do states remain legally obligated to continue providing education through alternate means? Or is it permissible for states to let local districts decide whether, how and to what extent students are educated during the lengthy period of COVID-19 school closures?

For-profit online education company K12 Inc. to investors: There’s “upside” in the pandemic
In the Public Interest 4/28/2020
Welcome to Cashing in on Kids, a newsletter for people who think public education should be truly public—produced by In the Public Interest. Not a subscriber? Sign up. Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
K12 Inc. sees “upside” in coronavirus crisis. In an earnings call to investors on Monday, Nathaniel Davis, CEO of the publicly traded online education corporation K12 Inc., spoke about “the upside of the pandemic on our business. As I’ve already said, it’s horribly unfortunate for so many people all around the world. But we’re in the business that helps schools and students in situations exactly like this.” Davis pocketed $9,785,697 last year in executive compensation.
K12 Inc. has close ties to Wall Street and conservative organizations, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Kevin P. Chavous, its president of academics, policy and schools, has taken up a position on the Heritage Foundation’s “National Coronavirus Recovery Commission,” which has close ties with the Trump administration. Seeking Alpha
Betsy DeVos under fire. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) is demanding answers from the U.S. Education Department, alleging three whistleblowers have complained to his office about political interference in the awarding of a multimillion-dollar federal grant to the controversial IDEA charter school network. The Washington Post
“This is someone who once said public education was a ‘dead end.’” Education Secretary DeVos has launched a new program with more than $300 million in discretionary federal grant funding for online/virtual education that will in all likelihood accelerate the privatization of public education. In the Public Interest

“But, since that vote, a local bookstore owner told the news agency that copies of those books from flying off her shelves. “People who had read the books years ago are buying them to read again and to give away,” Mary Ann Cockle, who owns Fireside Books in Palmer, told the outlet.  “Our biggest outpouring of support are people buying the books and donating them or leaving them to us to distribute for free,” she added.”
Alaska school board removes 'The Great Gatsby,' 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' from curriculum over 'controversial' content
The Hill BY ARIS FOLLEY - 04/28/20 08:41 PM EDT 549
A school board in Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, has voted to remove famous written works like Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” from the curriculum for elective high school english courses, citing their “controversial” content. According to CNN, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board voted last week to axe those books and three others –Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” Joseph Heller’s "Catch-22" and Tim O'Brien’s “The Things They Carried” – from the reading list for the local district’s High School English Elective Curriculum.  The board reportedly approved the removal of those books in 5-2 vote last week.

 Mercury and Venus pair up at dusk, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars brighten in the pre-dawn sky.
Night Words: Enjoy watching the night sky in May
Delco Times By Harry J. Augensen Professor of Physics & Astronomy, Widener University April 30, 2020
Sunrise and Sunset Times from the U.S. Naval Observatory (Eastern Daylight Time)
Sun rises at 6:02 am and sets at 7:55 pm on the 1st         
Sun rises at 5:36 am and sets at 8:23 pm on the 31st
Moon’s Phases in May
Full “Flower” Moon on the 7th,  New Moon on the 22nd 
Stars and Constellations
May is unquestionably one of the most appealing months to observe the night sky.  Not only are the evening temperatures pleasantly cool, with just a light jacket required, but also the air is perfumed with the scent of newly sprung blossoms of lilac and viburnum.  On the other hand, one needs to wait until around 8:30 pm to see the first stars come out at the beginning of the month, and until about 9 pm by month’s end.  Soon to vanish are  Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster, Rigel and Betelgeuse, Pollux and Castor, and Sirius and Procyon.  These bright stars of winter are all fading into the twilight during early evening, not to reappear in the night sky until next autumn.  Yellow Capella is setting in the northwest, but will still be visible through most of June.  


PSBA Board Presidents Panels (Zoom) April 27, 28, 29 and 30 (depending upon the size of your district)
This annual event supports current and aspiring school board leaders through facilitated discussion with colleagues in leadership. 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.
Due to current social distancing requirements, this annual program will shift from a series of in-person regional events to a digital platform using Zoom Meetings. Participants of each of the four sessions will meet in small groups using virtual breakout rooms. Experienced facilitators will guide discussions on attendees’ unique challenges, solutions and experiences related to board leadership during the COVID-19 school closures.
This year’s program will be organized to group together leaders from schools of similar enrollment sizes for relevant conversation. Members may register for one or two nights to participate in all of the topics offered. If your district's average enrollment is above 3,500, you are invited to join the sessions on Tuesday, April 28 and/or Thursday, April 30. If your district's average enrollment is below 3,500, opt to join the sessions on Monday, April 27 and/or Wednesday, April 29.

If you previously registered for this live event at the Capitol please register for the virtual event.
PSBA Virtual Advocacy Day 2020  MAY 11, 2020 • 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Now more than ever before – Make your voice heard!
Join us virtually to support public education!
All public school leaders are invited to join us for our first ever Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, May 11, 2020 via Zoom. We need all of you to help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center around reaching out to your legislators to discuss the steps you have taken to deal with the pandemic crisis and the steps legislators can take to provide schools the flexibility and creativity needed to weather the storm.  Mandate relief, budgeting flexibility, charter funding reform and other legislative changes need to be considered to give school district flexibility.

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!

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


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, April 29, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 29: PASBO ESTIMATES SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD EXPERIENCE $1 BILLION LOSS IN LOCAL REVENUE IN 2020-21


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, Wolf education transition team members, 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
Follow us on Twitter at @lfeinberg


PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 29, 2020



School Leaders: If you were previously registered for Advocacy Day at the Capitol, please register and join us for our first ever Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, May 11, 2020, via Zoom. Register now at no cost on myPSBA.  



Pennsylvania schools could see 5% revenue loss, group says
The Sentinel by Associated Press April 28, 2020
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania's 500 school districts are facing a projected loss of up to 5% in the revenue from local taxes as coronavirus pandemic shutdowns take a heavy toll on the economy, a leading public schools group said Tuesday. The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officers said it is projecting a loss of $1 billion, or 5%, in revenue from local school taxes if an economic recovery lags. A quicker turnaround could limit the damage to a loss of $850 million, or 4%, the group said. School districts reported spending about $30 billion in the 2017-2018 school year, according to state data, the latest available for that statistic. About $17.5 billion in revenue that year came from local sources, primarily property taxes, and $11.5 billion came from the state, according to the data. In a statement, Timothy Shrom, director of research for the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officers, said rising unemployment will likely mean a loss in real estate transfer tax revenue as the economic downturn slows the real estate market.
Property tax revenue will decline as people need more time to pay, and interest rate reductions will depress interest earnings, Shrom said.

PASBO ESTIMATES SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD EXPERIENCE $1 BILLION LOSS IN LOCAL REVENUE IN 2020-21
PASBO Press Release April 28, 2020
HARRISBURG (4/28/20)— The PA Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) released their projection of the drop in local revenues for school districts next year the day after the House State Government Committee approved a bill to freeze school district property taxes next year. PASBO’s estimate of the loss of local revenue is based on a study of the effect of school taxes during the Great Recession and a projection that the COVID-19 economy will create deeper and much more immediate cuts. “Every school district tax source and other non-tax revenue will suffer a precipitous decline for the upcoming school year,” according to Dr. Timothy J. Shrom, PASBO director of research, who developed the PASBO projection with Dr. Andrew Armagost, PASBO research and advocacy manager. “In an economic downturn we know that unemployment goes up, thereby reducing our local income tax revenue, and we know that the real estate market will be affected resulting in a reduction of our real estate transfer tax We also know that our taxpayers will need more time to pay, thus reducing property tax revenues, and with the significant cuts in the rates, interest earnings will take a hit as well” stated Shrom. If there is a quick turnaround in the economy, the PASBO data suggests the reduction in total local revenue will be more than $850 million for 2020-21. If the economic recovery lags, however, PASBO projects a loss in total local revenue of $1.07 billion. Currently, school districts collect about $18 billion in total local revenue so the PASBO projected decline represents a loss of 4-5% in total local revenue

HB1776: House moves property tax freeze plan out of committee
Sunbury Daily Item By John Finnerty/CNHI State Reporter   April 27, 2020
HARRISBURG — Local school districts would be barred from raising property taxes this year under a measure moving in the state House. Republicans who support the measure say that most school tax is tied to property tax and last year’s earned income, plus with school buildings closed, local schools shouldn’t have a shortfall this year. The measure passed by 15-10 party line vote in the State Government Committee Monday after just being introduced in the state House on Friday. However, it’s not clear when the legislation will be put before the full House. The legislation is not scheduled for a vote this week, said Mike Straub, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster County. Democrats opposed to the plan said that local school board directors are elected and the state shouldn’t be dictating what they can’t do. “It’s an unfunded mandate” if the state freezes property taxes without pledging to provide additional dollars to help schools operate, said state Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia. “To me it is fundamentally wrong.” State Rep. Cris Dush, R-Indiana County, said that everyone is going to be forced to make difficult budgeting decisions and the state needs to act to make sure that schools don’t ask local property owners to pay more when people can’t afford it.

Gov. Tom Wolf says he won’t abandon ambitious spending plan as massive budget deficit looms
Inquirer by Gillian McGoldrick of LNP | LancasterOnline, Updated: April 28, 2020- 6:02 PM
This story was produced as part of a joint effort among Spotlight PALNP Media GroupPennLivePA Post, and WITF to cover how Pennsylvania state government is responding to the coronavirus. Sign up for Spotlight PA’s newsletter.
HARRISBURG — Facing plummeting revenues, increased demand for public assistance, and a July 1 budget deadline, Gov. Tom Wolf and state lawmakers are trying to piece together how they can spend federal stimulus dollars and simultaneously manage a massive budget hole. Despite the state’s Independent Fiscal Office projecting an up to $4 billion budget shortfall, Wolf is sticking by his original budget proposal that includes a 4% increase in spending over the current year and relies on relatively robust revenue growth. Even before the coronavirus, Republicans expressed skepticism about the spending. During his first year in office, Wolf and the GOP-controlled legislature found themselves in a protracted, and at times nasty, battle over the budget. While they’ve managed to compromise in recent years, the fallout from the coronavirus could set the stage for a contentious fight ahead.

Will schools reopen to students in the fall? This may not be the answer parents want to hear
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Updated 6:03 PM; Today 3:03 PM
Parents who have grown weary from serving as teacher and instructional guide to their children may be looking forward to the fall when students return to school and professional educators fully take over. Students will return to school then, right? This is what state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera had to say on Tuesday about that: “We’re planning for the best but preparing for the worst.” Whether schools reopen rests first and foremost on what is best for students’ health and safety, Rivera told reporters on a conference call. Right now, he said “there’s a great deal of uncertainty.”

State education department to provide districts with no-cost programs
Scranton Times Tribune BY KATHLEEN BOLUS, STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: APRIL 29, 2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Education will continue to support school districts with no-cost programs and professional development to help them weather any financial impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. However, providing more funding for struggling districts, including those in recovery, like the Scranton School District, is up to the general assembly, state Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera said during a press call Tuesday. Rivera and Deputy Secretary Matthew Stem spent a half-hour answering a handful of questions about how the department is responding to the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on public school districts, charter schools, private schools and higher education institutions. Gov. Tom Wolf closed schools in April to stop the spread of the virus. College students finished their spring semesters online. “The funding we provide to school districts in recovery, in terms of fiscal support, is all based on the general assembly and the governor,” Rivera said. Additional one-time funding could come through federal support, he said, but cautioned that the money should not be used to support existing programs. The department also is working with intermediate units across the state to supply programs to help districts transition to online learning and with public access television channels to provide content, he said

Masks, staggered schedules, social distancing: when Pa. students return to school, things will look different
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, April 28, 2020
Whenever the coronavirus permits Pennsylvania students to return to class, whether it’s September or otherwise, things will look different, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said Tuesday. “We’re planning for the best, but we’re preparing for the worst,” said Rivera. That could mean masks, smaller class sizes, rethinking school transportation, and other things students, teachers and parents have not seen in the past. “We’re looking at a hybrid staggered model that addresses not only the academic needs of students but also their health needs, and I would encourage parents to think the same way,” Rivera said in a call with reporters. “When we return back to school, it will not look like the schools we participated in just over a month ago,” the education secretary said. Summer school could also be affected by the pandemic, Rivera said. Under Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan for reopening the Commonwealth, schools will only be permitted to hold in-person classes when an area is considered in the green zone, with the least amount of restrictions.


“How each of Pennsylvania’s 14 cyber charter schools tracks attendance varies greatly — from 21st Century Cyber Charter School, where a point system equates to hours it should take students to complete an assignment, to Commonwealth Charter Academy, where attendance is calculated by when students log in along with their participation and contact made with teachers. As much as attendance policies differ, so do the data cyber charters track to monitor attendance. PublicSource reviewed attendance policies from 13 of the state’s 14 cyber charter schools and data from 10 of the 14 schools that replied to Right-to-Know requests. Attendance data showed student enrollment at the state’s cyber charter schools, which ranged from a full year of 180 days to even one day. While records showed some students had perfect attendance, others, in some schools, were absent for nearly 100 days.”
Reprise August 2017: What is the definition of attendance at cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania? It depends on who you ask.
Public Source By Stephanie Hacke AUG. 7, 2017
PART OF THE SERIES The Charter Effect|
Traditionally, the 20th anniversary is celebrated with china but we are marking the 20th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s charter school law with transparency and depth. While other local media outlets have reported on the sweeping change charter school choice has had on students and traditional school districts, our series will expand on that by teasing out the root of the tension between charters and other public schools: money and what appears to be differing standards of accountability. This series will expose and explain the data and records behind the charter schools operating in Allegheny County.
If Johnny attended 21st Century Cyber Charter School, he would be required to submit his work at least once a week to be considered present for five days of school — even if he did all of his assignments in two days. At PA Virtual Charter, Johnny would be required to log in to the school’s online learning management system each day. There, he could attend live classes and be monitored through a webcam on his computer. The school would track how long he viewed each assignment, as well as the time it took him to complete each task. Both systems for tracking attendance at cyber charter schools are OK in Pennsylvania because state regulations place the responsibility on the cybers to determine how they track attendance. Cyber charter schools have the freedom to create their own attendance policies — which are approved as a part of the application process — and then simply report back to the state with measures that show they’re adhering to them. “Presumably, definitions of what constitutes attendance and absence would be in such policy, as would how attendance is tracked and/or monitored,” Casey Smith, acting communications director at the Pennsylvania Department of Education [PDE], wrote in an email.

Norristown school board denies charter school application
WEST NORRITON -- At Monday’s meeting, the Norristown Area School District voted to accept the Continuity of Education Equity Grant in the amount of $291,000 for the purchase of additional Chromebooks needed in these times of distance learning. “With that we’re going to purchase 1,215 Chromebooks to allow us to get more technology out to our kids for a better distance learning experience,” noted Superintendent Christopher Dormer. The board rendered a decision on the revised application of the Young Scholars of Southeastern Pennsylvania Charter School, a new entity in Norristown, deciding the application was deficient. “The board believed that it didn’t meet all the requirements as outlined in the Charter School Law,” Dormer noted. Noting a provision that allows for the entity to appeal to the State Charter Appeals Board, Dormer allowed that “There are additional steps they can pursue, but all of that is on the applicant.”

No internet. No backup plan: What happens to seniors raising grandkids in the pandemic?
Inquirer by Samantha Melamed, Updated: April 27, 2020
The Thursday morning meeting of Philly Families Connect was already wrapping up by the time Thelma Weeks finally got on the line, weariness in her voice. Weeks, 71, of North Philadelphia, had spent three hours trying to print off school assignments from her 9-year-old great-granddaughter’s school-issued Chromebook — and it still wasn’t working. “It’s very frustrating," Weeks said. "We’re just walking in a dark tunnel, and we can’t find our way out trying to help these kids. Being older, we don’t know how to do this stuff.” The other grandparents in the group — which is run by the Supportive Older Women’s Network, and normally meets at the 11th Street Health Center in North Philadelphia — knew the feeling well. They’re among more than 13,000 grandparents and great-grandparents in the city who are serving as primary caretakers for children, the Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging estimates. Like other parents muddling through the coronavirus pandemic, they are straining under the weight of 24-hour-a-day custody, care-taking, and home-schooling. The grandparents, though, are grappling with layers of additional complications: There are technological anxieties (many don’t have smartphones and have never had home internet) and literacy challenges. There are financial constraints (some were scraping by on Social Security, and now sinking under the cost of feeding kids who used to get free breakfast and lunch at school). And, there are physical limits, being tested by the daily exhaustion of entertaining young children and coaxing older ones to stay indoors.

Web chats slated to help Westmoreland parents adjust to students’ virtual learning
Trib Live JEFF HIMLER   | Tuesday, April 28, 2020 8:42 p.m.
Parents, as well as children, are adjusting to the reality of virtual learning at home, since the coronavirus pandemic closed Pennsylvania schools for the remainder of the academic year.
The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit has planned a series of weekly online chats in May to help area parents better navigate this new educational terrain. Intermediate Unit team members will lead each Zoom session, slated for 2 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Planned topics are:

Lunch distributions going well, school officials say
Wilkes Barre Citizens Voice BY MICHAEL P. BUFFER / PUBLISHED: APRIL 29, 2020
Since all schools in Pennsylvania closed March 16, area school districts have stepped up to provide bagged lunches to students at various locations. School officials are pleased with the results. Food delivery has not been an issue. For many school districts, this is the seventh week of providing grab-and-go meals since the COVID-19 pandemic closed school buildings. The Wyoming Area School District is serving around 400 meals a week and last week started providing breakfast in bagged meals, said Melissa Collevechio, Wyoming Area’s food service director. “We feel very fortunate that we have not experienced any challenges getting food or supplies for our bagged meal program,” Collevechio said. “Our vendors have been very helpful and accommodating. We have a very dedicated food service staff.” Around 25% of Wyoming Area’s staff has been able to work for the bagged meal program, which runs 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday from at the secondary center cafeteria, Collevechio said.
Hanover Area is providing between 400 to 600 lunches a day at several locations, Superintendent Nathan Barrett said. The district changed one site but has “not skipped a beat” serving meals over the last two months, Barrett said.

Allentown School District shut out of state money to buy computers for students during coronavirus
By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | APR 28, 2020 | 6:02 PM
The Allentown School District was banking on a state grant to purchase 2,000 computers for students to use during remote learning. But when the state this week announced the 100 recipients that will share $5 million in grants, including three in the Lehigh Valley, the cash-strapped Allentown district was not one of them. In choosing the recipients for the Continuity of Education Equity Grant, state officials first identified districts that have more than 40% of students living in poverty, then looked at how many students in those districts did not have access to the resources needed for remote learning, state Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said on a conference call with reporters. Without naming Allentown, Rivera said some districts that are typically state grant recipients were left off this list, though he did not say why. He said the department received requests for about $22 million and is working to see if more money is available. “If we’re able to identify other funds, whether they’re state funds or even federal funds, we’re going to continue to try and find ways to push out more funding to the school districts that need them,” he said.

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra keeps music alive with digital experiences
By Chanel Hill  Special to the Capital-Star April 29, 2020
Chanel Hill is a reporter for the Philadelphia Tribune, where this story first appeared
PHILADELPHIA — While the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) had to cancel their large musical ensemble rehearsals, instruction, and concerts to comply with social distancing due to the coronavirus, the program has created online and web-based music instruction, performance opportunities, and programs to keep students engaged remotely. “We have six program divisions: Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra, Philadelphia Region Youth String Music (PRYSM) Strings Group, Bravo Brass, and our Tune UP Philly program,” said Louis Scaglione, President and Music Director of PYO. “For all of these programs, we had to take what we traditionally do in the classroom or rehearsal room and bring that online in some way to keep the students engaged through this shelter-in-place period. Since going to web-based music instruction, PYO has launched digital lessons with small groups and faculty, developed online master classes and tutorials with members of PYO, and created online performances using the most up-to-date digital programs to blend together individual student recordings into one group performance.

Milton Area School District debates extending year, graduation options
Sunbury Daily Item By Rick Dandes rdandes@dailyitem.com April 28, 2020
MILTON — Milton School District Superintendent Cathy Keegan prompted discussions about the calendar year, graduation and prom during her report to the board at a meeting conducted remotely using the Zoom platform Tuesday night. Keegan recommended that they keep to June 4 as the final day of school — and not extend it.  "With the onset of the pandemic, the legislature passed Act 13 of 2020, which raises school requirement from a minimum of 180 days school year. If the board desires to take action, we can still change our school calendar. I can tell you that our teachers are doing a phenomenal job with cyber education, but it is exhausting work. Long days and it is a stress on our families. The board can extend the school year, but I am not making that recommendation. But I did feel it needs to be brought before the board as a conversation." In light of the coronavirus pandemic, many school districts in the state are deciding what to do for events such as graduation. "The board of education has provided us with some direction. Basically, it is a local decision. Governor Wolf has been talking about us having a virtual graduation," Keegan said. "We do have a graduation committee and, by our May meeting, we'll have finalized more. We're waiting to see what happens on May 8, when this region opens up. There is a senior committee that is looking at a lot of different options — not just for graduation, but for the prom — in ways to make the last month of our Panthers still celebratory."

Hempfield joins Penn Manor in canceling commencement, announcing virtual ceremony
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer April 28, 2020
Hempfield High School has canceled its in-person graduation ceremony and will, instead, hold a virtual commencement, the district announced Tuesday.  The virtual ceremony will take place at the original date and time: June 2 at 7 p.m. The in-person commencement was supposed to be held at Franklin & Marshall College. Hempfield joins Penn Manor as the only Lancaster County public high schools to announce a virtual graduation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic and strict social distancing guidelines. Both schools shared the same venue. F&M, however, canceled all on-campus events through the summer, making an in-person celebration impossible.  "While this is disappointing news for all of us, members of our high school team had already started planning for a virtual commencement experience as a back-up," high school Principal Jim Dague said in a statement on Hempfield's website. "This back-up plan has now become our priority." Dague said an alternative in-person event in the summer isn't out of the question, depending on social distancing guidelines at that time. 

Central Valley launches Stuff-a-Bus Food Drive to help local food bank
Beaver County Times By Marsha Keefer Posted at 5:01 AM April 29, 2020
District teachers and staff, in collaboration with R.J. Rhodes Transit Inc. in Harmony Township, will conduct a food drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 9 at numerous locations within the district to restock Faith Restorations Inc.
CENTER TWP. – School buses customarily transport precious cargo — students. Next month, however, buses serving Central Valley School District will be repurposed to transport something equally precious during the current coronavirus pandemic: food. District teachers and staff, in collaboration with R.J. Rhodes Transit Inc. in Harmony Township, will conduct Stuff-a-Bus Food Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 9 at numerous locations within the district. Food collected will be donated to Faith Restorations Inc., a non-profit food pantry serving households not only in the district, but all of Beaver County. Faith Restorations operates a distribution warehouse three days a week at 186 Wagner Road in Center. Monthly, approximately 3,200 household rely on the pantry, but the organization expects need to increase as more people are laid off due to COVID-19. And many have yet to receive unemployment compensation due to an overloaded system. Bob Rhodes, transit company owner, donated 10 buses for the drive, buses that normally would transport district students, but now are idled since all schools are closed. Buses will be stationed at sites in Monaca, and Center and Raccoon townships to collect food donations. The idea came up in an “off-the-wall conversation” between two district teachers. Daily, teachers meet virtually to plan assignments and discuss how to help students, now that they are forced to study at home.


Despite Trump’s Nudging, Schools Are Likely to Stay Shut for Months
Most districts have no plans to end online lessons soon, and reopening will bring significant changes, educators say.
New York Times By Shawn Hubler, Erica L. Green and Dana Goldstein April 28, 2020
SACRAMENTO — With students languishing, the economy stagnating and working parents straining to turn their kitchen tables into classrooms, the nation’s public schools have been working to bring children back to their desks, lockers and study halls. But despite President Trump’s prediction that “I think you’ll see a lot of schools open up,” all but a few states have suspended in-person classes for the rest of the academic year, and some are preparing for the possibility of shutdowns or part-time schedules in the fall. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California raised the idea on Tuesday that the next academic year could start as soon as July, to make up for the abbreviated spring term. But he cautioned that “if we pull back too quickly,” a fresh wave of the coronavirus could erupt. Illinois officials have gone even further, warning that remote learning could continue indefinitely. “This may be the new normal even in the fall,” said Janice Jackson, the chief executive of Chicago Public Schools.

Under pressure to reopen this fall, school leaders plot unprecedented changes
Washington Post By  Laura MecklerValerie Strauss and Moriah Balingit April 27, 2020 at 8:56 a.m. EDT
From the White House podium to harried homes, pressure is building to reopen the nation’s schools. But the next iteration of American education will look far different from the classrooms students and teachers abruptly departed last month. Many overwhelmed school systems remain focused on running remote education that was set up on the fly. Others, though, are deep into planning for what they see coming: an in-between scenario in which schools are open but children are spread out in places where they are normally packed together. The new landscape could include one-way hallways, kids and teachers in masks, and lunch inside classrooms instead of cafeterias. Buses may run half empty, and students may have their temperatures read before entering the building. And in districts all over the country, officials are considering bringing half the students to school on certain days, with the rest learning from home. Then they would swap. “Our students need some kind of normalcy,” said Michael Hinojosa, superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District. “Right now, their whole world has been disrupted with things that they’ve never dealt with before, and they need to be around other people.” Many teachers are scared of going back too early, and teachers unions are cautioning against it. Health experts warn that even if covid-19 cases abate, a second wave of infection could arrive with flu season later this year. And while many parents are eager to end the national experiment in remote education, others are terrified that any return to school would expose their children to a deadly disease.

Nearly 300,000 Teacher Jobs at Risk if Feds Don't Step Up, Big Districts Warn
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on April 28, 2020 1:57 PM
Unless Congress provides a massive infusion of aid to help schools handle the fallout from the coronavirus, hundreds of thousands of teachers will lose their jobs and an "educational catastrophe" would result, warns an organization that represents large urban districts. In a Tuesday letter to federal lawmakers, the Council of the Great City Schools echoes previous calls from other education groups for Congress to provide at least $175 billion in new aid for schools that would flow through the existing Title I federal formula that targets disadvantaged tudents. And the council also wants billions in new aid for Title I itself, special education grants, and remote learning services.  If that additional aid to offset significant cuts elsewhere isn't forthcoming as the economy craters, the council has a dire prediction.  "An estimated 20 percent loss in combined state and local revenues would likely result in some 275,000 teachers being laid off in big city public school systems alone," the superintendents tell Congress. "The ramifications are not only profound for the students involved, but for the nation. This educational catastrophe could weaken the country's economic foundation for years to come without significant financial support from Congress."

Opinion of DeVos Plunging, Truancy Rising: 10 Key Findings From Latest EdWeek Survey
Education Week By Holly Yettick Kurtz and Benjamin Herold April 27, 2020
Nearly half of the nation’s teachers and school district leaders said their opinion of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has grown less favorable as a result of her response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new nationally representative survey administered by the Education Week Research Center. Six weeks after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to combat the pandemic, the magnitude of the fallout in the nation’s K-12 schools is coming into focus. As it is, 43 states and four U.S. territories have now ordered or recommended that all schools remain closed for the remainder of this academic year, affecting roughly 45 million students. Truancy appears to be rising, teacher morale is declining, and district spending is being cut. The nature of teaching is dramatically changing, with the majority of teachers reporting that they’re spending less time on assessment and test preparation and more time on communicating with parents and troubleshooting technology problems. And the negative effects of the crisis are being felt most harshly by the country’s neediest schools and children.
Following are 10 key findings from the EdWeek Research Center survey, which was completed online by 785 teachers and 322 district leaders on April 22 and 23.


PSBA Board Presidents Panels (Zoom) April 27, 28, 29 and 30 (depending upon the size of your district)
This annual event supports current and aspiring school board leaders through facilitated discussion with colleagues in leadership. 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.
Due to current social distancing requirements, this annual program will shift from a series of in-person regional events to a digital platform using Zoom Meetings. Participants of each of the four sessions will meet in small groups using virtual breakout rooms. Experienced facilitators will guide discussions on attendees’ unique challenges, solutions and experiences related to board leadership during the COVID-19 school closures.
This year’s program will be organized to group together leaders from schools of similar enrollment sizes for relevant conversation. Members may register for one or two nights to participate in all of the topics offered. If your district's average enrollment is above 3,500, you are invited to join the sessions on Tuesday, April 28 and/or Thursday, April 30. If your district's average enrollment is below 3,500, opt to join the sessions on Monday, April 27 and/or Wednesday, April 29.

If you previously registered for this live event at the Capitol please register for the virtual event.
PSBA Virtual Advocacy Day 2020  MAY 11, 2020 • 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Now more than ever before – Make your voice heard!
Join us virtually to support public education!
All public school leaders are invited to join us for our first ever Virtual Advocacy Day on Monday, May 11, 2020 via Zoom. We need all of you to help strengthen our advocacy impact. The day will center around reaching out to your legislators to discuss the steps you have taken to deal with the pandemic crisis and the steps legislators can take to provide schools the flexibility and creativity needed to weather the storm.  Mandate relief, budgeting flexibility, charter funding reform and other legislative changes need to be considered to give school district flexibility.

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!

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


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.