Thursday, April 23, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 23: Philly high school seniors: Don’t let coronavirus force more budget cuts


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.

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PA Ed Policy Roundup for April 23, 2020


Heads-up: After careful consideration and discussion, the PSBA executive team, along with the governing board, has made the decision to cancel the annual PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference scheduled for October 2020.


Shouldering the burden, one class at a time
A veteran teacher moves to salvage the year and the futures of her 23 first graders however she can, whether by learning new technology or delivering learning materials to their homes.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa April 22 — 7:00 am, 2020
The Notebook and WHYY will be periodically checking in with two teachers for the rest of the academic year to see how they are coping with the move to virtual learning. We hope to recount their successes, discoveries, and frustrations. This is the first story in the series. 
For the Philadelphia School District, the big number is 130,000. As the coronavirus shutdown settles in, that’s the number of students the District must now educate from a distance. For Mattie Davis, the big number is 23. That’s the number of students in her North Philadelphia first grade classroom. And that’s the number of young educations she’s committed to saving, if necessary, one academic packet and one mail slot at a time.
“It’s been over a month I haven’t heard any of my students read,” she lamented on Monday.
The last day of traditional school, Friday, March 13, was almost normal in Davis’s class at the William Dick Elementary School. First thing, her students made their morning report — about the weather and the news of the day — and did a lot of reading and writing, followed by lunch, and then their regular Friday computer class. 

Philly high school seniors: Don’t let coronavirus force more budget cuts | Opinion
Doha Ibrahim and Imere Williams, For The Inquirer April 22, 2020
Doha Ibrahim is a senior at Lincoln High School and is a student representative on the Philadelphia Board of Education. Imere Williams is a senior at Boys Latin Charter School and is a student representative on the Philadelphia Board of Education.
We are members of the class of 2020. In the last few weeks, you’ve heard about us as the class who won’t get to go to prom, throw a senior prank, or share a normal graduation with our classmates and families. These things are true, but more importantly, you should know us as the class that started kindergarten in 2007, the year the great recession hit. We have been living with the consequences ever since. In Philadelphia, this means that we have spent much of our education in classrooms with too many students, in schools without enough nurses and counselors, and under roofs that leak and may be contaminated with environmental hazards. In our specific experience, we have faced classrooms that lacked supplies, libraries without books and a district with little available technology for students.
Despite these challenges, we have made it through. And we were proud to be leaving a better and stronger public education system behind us. After significant work and advocacy by our school communities, District leaders and elected officials, public education in Philadelphia is on the rise. Our school system is no longer in fiscal distress. The District has been slowly restoring staffing levels. Across Philadelphia the academic performance of our public schools is starting to improve. And the District was once again about to have a balanced budget that would allow for more investments in our schools. But this is now all in serious jeopardy due to the projected financial impact of COVID-19.

School District of Lancaster may eliminate 23 positions, furlough 8 employees due to COVID-19 impact
Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer April 23, 2020
School District of Lancaster may eliminate 23 positions and furlough up to eight employees – including three teachers – due to the sudden financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The district, the county’s largest with some 11,000 students, faces a potential $12.3 million budget deficit next fiscal year, $2 million of which was added since the health crisis began. School officials said they’re trying to cut where they can before raising taxes on an already financially strained taxpayer base. “We’re definitely in a challenging time,” said Matt Przywara, Lancaster’s chief of finance and operations. Przywara said the district will likely feel the effects of the pandemic for years to come – immediately in real estate and earned income tax revenue, and in the long run with rising pension costs and an expected lag in state support. The current situation, he said, “is happening faster and on a much larger scale” than the 2008 financial crisis. Every economic level – local to federal – will take a hit, he said. On the chopping block could be four administrative positions, 18 teaching-related positions and one support position, all of which would be reduced through attrition. Three teachers, plus five administrative staffers, could be furloughed. The district has more than 1,600 employees.

Editorial: What the virus has stolen from Class of 2020
Delco Times April 23, 2020
For some, it was the chance to be on stage as part of an ensemble singing in the school musical. For others, it was achieving a personal best on the track in the 800-meter run. It could be the long-awaited trip to HersheyPark with friends, the “senior skip day” breakfast at Shady Maple Smorgasbord, the school record pole vault jump or the team celebration of a softball championship. For many, it was prom night -- posing for pictures, riding with friends in a rented limo, dancing the night away. And for just about every high school senior, it was the long-anticipated walk across the stage in front of family and friends to be handed a diploma. Those were the memories stolen from the Class of 2020 by the coronavirus. When Gov. Tom Wolf gave his first school closing directive to Montgomery County schools on March 13, the losses began. But it wasn’t until weeks later after the order was extended statewide and throughout the remainder of the school year that the reality hit. No proms, no graduation ceremonies, no theater, no class trips, no sports -- or at least not this spring and not in the way that seniors anticipated for so long. “I can't stop thinking about how at the time, I didn't even know that my last day of high school was my last day of high school,” said Anna Alberti, a Wissahickon High School senior.

PSBA Conference and summer events update from CEO Nathan Mains
POSTED ON APRIL 22, 2020 IN PSBA NEWS
After careful consideration and discussion, the PSBA executive team, along with the governing board, has made the decision to cancel the annual PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference scheduled for October 2020. In order to still provide members with the opportunity to connect and hear from outstanding presenters, PSBA is developing a solution for a fall event to be held in a remote environment. The summer Solicitors Symposium and School Board Secretaries Conference will also be moved to a virtual platform. Click here to read the complete details of PSBA’s plan or click here to watch a video message from CEO Nathan Mains.

State awards $5.1M in grants to aid with remote learning during school closure
BRIAN C. RITTMEYER   | Wednesday, April 22, 2020 4:49 p.m.
Nearly 100 school districts and schools statewide are getting part of nearly $5.1 million in state grants to help pay for remote learning efforts while classrooms are closed during the covid-19 pandemic. The grants can be used to buy laptops, tablets and internet hot spots; paper, postage and shipping; and other accommodations that increase student access and participation in learning, according to the state Department of Education. Schools with the highest percentages of students lacking access to resources were given priority in receiving the grants, according to the department. “Grants were competitively selected and took into consideration the (school’s) poverty rate and the percentage of students not able to participate in the school’s continuity of education plan,” department spokesman Eric Levis said. Of the $5.1 million, nearly $2 million went to four districts: Philadelphia City, Reading, and Scranton received $500,000 each; Upper Darby received just under $500,000.

Address, change inequities in city school
Post-Gazette Opinion by CHERYL KLEIMAN, Staff Attorney, Education Law Center APR 19, 2020 12:00 AM
The April 6 article “Off-Site Education: Schools Face Myriad Challenges as Remote Learning Gets Underway” highlighted the long-standing inequities in school districts’ capacities to meet students’ needs. Families across our region are reckoning with the reality that schools will be closed into June. Educators are working hard to find new ways of providing students with remote learning while also responding to basic health and safety needs. As the article acknowledged, these extend beyond computers or internet access. In our country — where structural racism is built into the foundation of employment, health, housing and education systems — public schools can be the only place where students of color and students living in poverty access meals, physical and mental health care, and social supports. Yet here, the students with the highest needs too often are in schools with the fewest resources, largely due to Pennsylvania’s unfair, inequitable school funding system. These are injustices that our organization, the Education Law Center, along with the statewide PA Schools Work coalition, has been highlighting and challenging for years.

Pittsburgh city school board looks to amend remote learning grading guidelines
ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com APR 22, 2020 7:05 PM
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board will vote next week on grading guidelines for students during the remote instruction that will continue for the remainder of the academic year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Several school board members speaking Wednesday at an agenda review meeting, though, said they want to make changes to the guidelines that the district proposed. “Some of us have received input from other stakeholders,” school board member Terry Kennedy said in a phone interview following the meeting, which was held via video conference. According to the school district’s proposal, students still would receive a letter grade. But as long as students are sufficiently engaged in instruction, they would not receive a grade of less than 70%.In addition, courses that are not covered in remote learning would be graded based on the average of the students’ grades from the first three quarters of the school year. The proposal also includes the cancellation of final exams. 

Philly student meals to be distributed Thursday mornings
WHYY By Liz Tung April 21, 2020
Starting this week, the School District of Philadelphia’s 49 meal sites will only be distributing student meals once a week on Thursday mornings. Students will continue to receive 10 meals for the week (five breakfasts, five lunches and a half-gallon of milk), but will only be able to pick them up on Thursday mornings. Mattie Davis has 23 first graders in her North Philadelphia classroom. And she’s committed to reaching them, if necessary, one mail slot at a time. The change is meant to help the district follow social distancing guidance and abide by the state’s stay-at-home order, which has been extended through May 8. The change doesn’t affect student meal sites belonging to charter schools or being distributed by Parks and Recreation.

PA School Funding Coalition Urges Congress to Support Additional Federal Funds to School Districts
PA Schools Work Press Release
HARRISBURG, PA (April 21, 2020) – PA Schools Work, a non-partisan coalition of organizations representing the state’s urban, suburban and rural communities working together to advocate for PA public schools, is urging Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to support additional significant, flexible funding for public K-12 education in the next phase of emergency COVID-19 response legislation. PA Schools Work expressed gratitude to Congress for the swift and bipartisan of COVID emergency response packages which will provide $13.5 billion nationally to schools, with about $628M earmarked for Pennsylvania. These funds are a fraction of the $79 billion the federal government provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 and likely to fall far short of the tremendous need. Current estimates show that PA school districts are likely to lose more than $325 million in local revenue this fiscal year, and potentially lose more than $1 billion next year. At the same time, Pennsylvania is projecting budget deficits of as much as $5 billion and will be hard-pressed to keep up funding for schools, let alone close the local shortfalls, without more federal relief. Clearly, this first investment by Congress is not enough to ensure that schools can avoid drastic, student-harming budget cuts and mass layoffs.

OP-ED: Pandemic exposing disparities in school system
Observer-Reporter Opinion By Jamie Baxter Apr 20, 2020
A crisis can bring clarity and lend perspective. So it is the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is shining a light on a great many things about our society, our communities, and ourselves. With the unprecedented statewide shutdown of Pennsylvania’s schools, the current emergency has enabled us to recognize just how vital public education is to our lives and to the fabric of our communities. Schools are being recognized as not just places of learning, but also suppliers of meals and health care for students and centers of activity and enrichment for communities. And yes, as so many parents are now home trying to juggle their work while keeping an eye on the kids, schools are seen as a provider of child care too.

Guest Editorial: Breaching the digital divide
The Sentinel Opinion by Donna Cooper Apr 20, 2020
Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced that schools in Pennsylvania would be closed for the remainder of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A crisis like this can bring clarity and lend perspective. The coronavirus is shining a light on a great many things about our society, our communities and ourselves. The current emergency has enabled us to recognize just how vital public education is to our lives and to the fabric of our communities. Schools are being recognized as not just places of learning, but also suppliers of meals and health care for students and centers of activity and enrichment for communities. And yes, as so many parents are now home trying to juggle their work while keeping an eye on the kids, schools are seen as a provider of childcare, too.

Pa. teachers’ pensions are invested in a NYC skyscraper linked to Jared Kushner, but they probably don’t know it
Post-Gazette by MATT MCKINNEY Spotlight PA APR 22, 2020 12:36 PM
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s teacher pension system has more than $200 million pledged to a fund with ties to a long-troubled, high-profile New York City skyscraper linked to the family of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Spotlight PA has learned. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, critics told Spotlight PA the investment could face challenges because the building has struggled to attract tenants. Now, the fund — and many of those like it — face growing headwinds as the virus devastates the global economy. In October 2018, trustees of the Pennsylvania School Employee Retirement System voted to invest in Brookfield Strategic Real Estate Partners III, a fund touted in documents as an “attractive investment opportunity” for those looking to bet on various real estate sectors. But they were apparently unaware of the fund’s stake in the troubled office building.

Attend Your Next Virtual Meeting in Style with these Ten Lavish Backgrounds
Metropolitan Museum of Art by Rachel Smith, Digital Department Intern April 21, 2020
If you're stuck at home, you may be looking to shake up your work-from-home routine right about now. Spruce up your next staff meeting with one of The Met's iconic interiors or elegant artworks and be the envy of your colleagues. We've hand-picked ten of our favorites from throughout the Museum to get you started. Here are the instructions to set the images below as your background on 
ZoomMicrosoft Teams, and Snap Camera.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access Artworks
Browse more than 406,000 hi-res images of public-domain works in The Met collection that can be downloaded, shared, and remixed without restriction

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.

Request@PSBA.org: PSBA establishes channel to answer COVID-19 questions
POSTED ON MARCH 19, 2020 IN PSBA NEWS
In light of statewide school closings and as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, PSBA is here to provide support to members and answer questions regarding how schools will operate, meet instructional requirements and provide services both now and in the future. Please send your questions to request@psba.org with your name, district and contact information. A member of PSBA staff will respond directly or will funnel your inquires to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. PSBA will act as your voice and ensure you receive the answers and information you need to make decisions at this crucial time.

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.

Blogger note: we’re waiting for details on this event becoming virtual.
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

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.

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