Friday, June 12, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for June 12, 2020: House Bills Concerning Rural Broadband Expansion Pass State House


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PA Ed Policy Roundup for June 12, 2020
House Bills Concerning Rural Broadband Expansion Pass State House


PCCY Teen Town Hall: Race – Let’s Talk About It
Friday, June 12th at 11 am, we invite the region’s teens to join in a virtual conversation focusing on the most important issue of our time - RACE. We are inviting adults to join the conversation to hear what our young people have to say.


House Bills Concerning Rural Broadband Expansion Pass State House
Indiana, PA WCCS AM1160 & 101.1FM June 11, 2020 08:58 am
One of the issues that became a touch point in the Coronavirus crisis is the lack of broadband internet access to many rural areas as students were not able to utilize online education from some school districts.  The PA House on Wednesday passed two bills aimed at expanding broadband internet to rural areas of the state.  House Bill 2384 would create the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program.  The program would be funded with the repeal of the Mobile Telecommunications Broadband Investment Tax Credit.  The credit is limited to $5 million a year, and is available to mobile telecommunication providers to invest in broadband equipment in Pennsylvania.  Additional state and federal money can be used for grant awards as well.  The money would go into a competitive grant program to promote investment in areas that have a great need for broadband internet service. The other bill is House Bill 2438, which would allow electric cooperatives to use their existing infrastructure to deploy fiber lines for broadband while protecting property owners.  It would also allow other providers to develop broadband infrastructure. Both bills passed the house unanimously, including a yes vote for Jim Struzzi, who was a co-sponsor for both of these bills.  He said that the expansion of rural broadband would benefit more than families.

Wolf Administration Outlines Impacts of Ending Disaster Declaration
Governor Wolf’s Website June 10, 2020 PRESS RELEASE,
Legislature Cannot End Disaster Declaration Unilaterally
Disaster Declaration is Separate from Secretary of Health Business Guideline Orders
Today, the Wolf Administration outlined the potential impact of ending the March 6 disaster declaration while clarifying that the legislature cannot end it unilaterally. The disaster declaration aids in speeding up the state’s response to the pandemic and provides protections for businesses, workers and residents. Importantly, ending the disaster declaration would not end any orders issued by the Secretary of Health that set guidelines for business operations. Last night, the General Assembly voted to end the disaster declaration with many members claiming their actions ended the business guideline orders. That is not true. Not only does any concurrent resolution need to come to the Governor for approval or disapproval, but the disaster declaration is separate from the orders signed by Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine under the Disease Prevention Act that include provisions for business reopening and for worker and building safety. Those orders remain in place. The legislature did nothing to end those. Rather, the legislature chose to attempt to end the disaster declaration – a measure that would ostensibly end protections passed for businesses, workers, and residents.
If the declaration were to end, these protections would go away:
  • Burdensome eligibility requirements for more than a million Unemployment Compensation claimants would immediately go back into effect, and employers across the commonwealth would no longer receive relief from charges.
  • Certification requirements under the public-school code and child protective services law would end.
  • A school meal eligibility waiver, which has allowed more than 300 meal sites to open for distribution of food to school-age children in need, would end.
  • Telehealth and other health care services provided by out-of-state providers for Pennsylvanians would end.
  • Utility assistance for thousands of families and individuals would end, leaving people without water or electricity.
  • Hospitals and alternative care sites would no longer be able to add capacity or repurpose facilities (i.e., beds) without having to abide by the 60-day notice requirement.
  • License renewal and training requirement suspensions for health care professionals, child care workers, direct care workers, direct support professionals, among other professional groups who provide life sustaining services to our children, seniors, and vulnerable residents would end, meaning all of these workers would need to choose between not returning to work until those credentials could be renewed or trainings completed and the option of returning to work with the understanding that they are practicing out of compliance with Pennsylvania law and regulation, very well opening themselves up to personal liability.
  • PennDOT waivers for commercial motor vehicle weight limitations and permitting requirements for the transport and delivery of agricultural feed, food, and dairy products, fuel, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies to assist in supply chain challenges would end and motor carriers would be restricted in their ability to directly assist in supporting emergency relief efforts necessary to respond to the pandemic.
  • Mortgage foreclosure and eviction moratoriums that offer protection to vulnerable Pennsylvanians at risk of losing their homes during the pandemic would end.

Guest Column: To reopen our schools safely, Pa. needs Congress’ help
Delco Times By Rich Askey Times Guest Columnist June 10, 2020
Rich Askey is a Harrisburg music teacher and president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
In the months since COVID-19 closed our schools, educators, parents, and students did a tremendous job transitioning from classrooms to kitchens and living rooms across Pennsylvania. Teachers continued teaching, and students continued learning — at a distance. This is far from the perfect way to educate our students. It’s not easy to teach in this environment, and the challenges so many parents have had juggling work, home, and kids during this crisis were truly without precedent. We need to get our kids back in school. Educators and administrators are already planning for what that will look like. We still have a lot of work to do, but one thing is clear: Our schools will need federal help to reopen safely. That is why the Pennsylvania State Education Association is joining educators, parents, and community leaders to urge Congress to invest $175 billion in our nation’s schools, colleges, and universities. This investment will provide Pennsylvania with enough funding to close the revenue shortfalls K-12 schools and higher education are facing and reopen safely. Lawmakers in Harrisburg came together early on in this pandemic to take decisive steps to clarify state-level education policies. Their bipartisan efforts were commendable, but our state and local officials can only do so much.

Pension travel policy reforms meet pushback from teachers
PA Capital Star By  Stephen Caruso June 11, 2020
Teachers sitting on the Pennsylvania’s educator pension board voiced their concerns Thursday with a reform proposed by the state’s Democratic treasurer and a Republican lawmaker. The brief, polite disagreement over how to reform the transparency and approval travel costs at the Public School Employees Retirement System comes in response to undisclosed trip expenses at the fund, first revealed by the Capital-Star in December. Some board members, such as Democratic state Treasurer Joe Torsella, a Democrat, have been vocal opponents of the board’s status quo and have said the costs show a need for reform.  During a board meeting Thursday, Torsella offered a policy change that would, among other things, require the pension fund to pay for all travel expenses incurred by board members and staffers. “People who do business with the system and have a vested interest in our money shouldn’t be paying for travel,” Torsella said during the meeting. And at the very least, Torsella added, the board and public should be aware of any such expenses.

Movement for police-free schools reaches Philadelphia
Advocates say there should be less security and more support personnel in schools, as Kevin Bethel works to revamp and retrain officers.
The notebook by Dale Mezzacappa June 11 — 6:35 pm, 2020
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and subsequent law enforcement clashes with protesters, the move for “police-free schools” is gaining support around the country. And now the Philadelphia Student Union (PSU) is circulating a petition on Change.org asking for the School District to remove all police and school resource officers from schools and replace them with community members trained in de-escalation and other skills that support restorative justice. PSU is also calling for an end to the District’s legal agreement with the Philadelphia Police Department that details under what circumstances city police can be called into schools. The petition went up late last week, and by Thursday afternoon, more than 9,300 people had signed it.   It states, in part: “We believe that black lives matter. We believe it’s time this country addressed the role of police in maintaining white supremacy and control in communities.” The petition is clearly having an effect. Board of Education member Angela McIver, one of two board members who voted last year against making metal detectors mandatory at all District high schools, praised PSU at a Thursday joint committee meeting. 

'A working parent’s nightmare’: Reaction to an East Penn fall reopening proposal
THE MORNING CALL | JUN 11, 2020 | 7:00 PM
Many readers were dismayed by one plan proposed by the East Penn School District that would have students going to school on different days of the week in the fall. “This is completely ridiculous. People have to work. What are they supposed to do with their kids the four days a week they’re not in school?” one reader said. Others worried about the impact on students’ education. “Besides being insane, how are kids going to get the education they deserve with one day a week learning?” one asked. The goal would be to limit the number of students in the building at any time. Students not in the building would be remote learning. Read the full story here. Some of the best reader comments:

Quakertown Community School Board adopts budget without tax hike
WFMZ by Jeff Ward Jun 11, 2020 Updated 1 hr ago
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - The Quakertown Community School District will not face a tax increase for the 2020-21 year. The school board voted unanimously to adopt a $119 million budget. Little changed from a preliminary vote in May. The millage rate will remain at 168.83 for the district. The district faces a deficit of $5.2 million, Chief Operating Officer Zach Schoch said, but the administration will try to reduce that over the year. He also said that the district is monitoring how the coronavirus pandemic will affect revenue. School buildings closed in March and education went online in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Superintendent William Harner went over planning for the school year starting Aug. 31, presenting options including a return to physical classes; a hybrid approach that could mix virtual school with traditional classes; and continued online schooling. No final plans were set.

Allentown School Board discusses charter schools and redistricting
WFMZ by Stephen Althouse Jun 11, 2020 Updated 1 hr ago
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Allentown School District Board of Directors discussed the futures of two charter schools during their committee meetings Thursday night. In the first case, directors approved renewing Roberto Clemente Charter School for a period of five years ending on June 30, 2025. As part of the agreement, ASD agreed to engage "in serious negotiations concerning enrollment caps related to future academic school years based on the district's financial status." Roberto Clemente's 2020 graduating class featured 37 students, according to Jose Molina, chief executive officer of Roberto Clemente. The second issue involved a request from the Executive Education Academy Charter School, which sought a 50-student increase for its 2020-21 school year. EEA instructs 1,330 students from 14 school districts. A total 910 of those are from ASD. This month, 80 students are graduating. Although ASD officials said that they appreciated "the collaborative conversation and process developed with EEACS," the administration of Superintendent Thomas Parker will not support increasing the cap for next school year.

North Hills School District to form diversity task force
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE by SANDY TROZZO JUN 11, 2020 11:14 AM
The North Hills School District will form a diversity task force and review all its policies, including on the use of force, in light of recent social justice protests. School board President Allison Mathis read a statement on behalf of the board and Superintendent Patrick Mannarino at the beginning of the board’s June 4 virtual meeting. “Over the past week, our nation and community have been grappling with the tragic death of George Floyd and other similar incidents of racism. There is a lot of pain, anxiety, hurt and fear. The path forward requires open and honest conversations,” he said. The district also will publish a list of anti-racism references and resources for families; identify achievement gaps and work on closing them; partner with community groups, families and leaders that represent the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of the district; and work on attracting minority teachers and administrators, according to the statement.

City expands summer meal distributions for Pittsburgh schoolchildren, seniors
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE Got a news tip? 412-263-1601 localnews@post-gazette.com JUN 11, 2020 12:03 PM
With Pittsburgh’s public schools shutting down for summer break on Friday, the city said it’s expanding its meal services starting Monday. “Grab and Go” breakfast and lunch will be distributed to children through Aug. 31 at the Ammon, Arlington, Jefferson, Magee, Paulson and Warrington recreation centers as well as at Moore Park and in Schenley Park at Anderson playground. All distributions are from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at pick-up windows at each location. Senior citizens will also be able to get summer meals at three additional senior centers: in Beechview (1555 Broadway Ave.), Greenfield (745 Greenfield Ave.) and the West End (80 Wabash St.). They bring the total to six available locations, city officials said. Pickups are available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Students in this W.Pa. school district are leading the call for reform after years of unchecked racist incidents
By Brian Conway  Special to the Capital-Star June 11, 2020
Brian Conway is a reporter for the Pittsburgh Current, where this story first appeared.
PITTSBURGH — On June 3, independent of their school district, members of the Thomas Jefferson High School multicultural student union, and the mother of the group’s president, led a peaceful demonstration in the parking lot of the Southland shopping center. It was both a vigil for George Floyd, the Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, and a stand against a history of racism in their community, more specifically in their school district. Last month, a 12-second Snapchat video surfaced, showing two area middle school students mocking Floyd’s death. One white boy pins another down, his knee on his neck. “Please sir, stop it, I cannot breathe, please sir, I am going to die.” Others laugh in the background. The June 3 protest Intended for a crowd of 30 swelled to 300. They displayed signs with messages like, “Black Lives Matter” “Pop the TJ Bubble,” and “End Police Brutality,” in solidarity with the student leaders urging peace, unity, and reform. Most wore masks to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic. “In a small community like this, you wouldn’t expect as many people to show up, ‘cause when we go through situations at school, people don’t stick up for us. And it’s nice to see that we have a lot of support here today,” said Adia Smith, an incoming senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and member of the school’s multicultural student union.

Downingtown passes $230 million budget with no increase in taxes
West Chester Daily Local by MediaNews Group June 11, 2020
DOWNINGTOWN—This week, the Downingtown Area School District Board of School Directors approved the 2020-21 school district budget, and for the eighth year running, the budget has been approved with no school property tax increases. The unanimous vote approving the $230.8 million budget shows a 1.99 percent increase in expenses over last year’s budget. Understanding that the full financial effects of COVID-19 are not yet known, the district was conservative, committing to an operating budget of $226.6M with $4.2M set aside in a contingency fund. The Board of School Directors has the option to approve use of contingency funds based upon need and the strength of the economy. “As a district, we are committed to being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers," said Superintendent Emilie Lonardi. "Thanks to the careful planning of our Board of School Directors and team of administrators, we are fortunate to be able to avoid a tax increase for the eighth year in a row.” The Downingtown Area School District is the largest School District in Chester County and seventh largest in Pennsylvania. DASD is the only district in Pennsylvania to earn the highest rating of AAA from both Moody’s and S&P rating agencies for the district’s superior financial health, and the district has earned the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials fifteen years in a row for excellence in budget presentation.

PA Cyber graduates nearly 1,300 students during virtual ceremonies
Wellsboro Gazette By Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Jun 11, 2020
MIDLAND, Pa., June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School CEO Brian Hayden today announced that 1,237 graduates in the Class of 2020 were honored during two virtual commencement exercises. More than 250 students participated in the ceremony held for Western Pennsylvania graduates on Saturday, June 6, 2020 and almost 250 students from Central and Eastern Pennsylvania participated in the Wednesday, June 10, 2020 event. Typically, the school hosts on-site graduation ceremonies, but the COVID-19 pandemic precluded that opportunity. "Across America, the Class of 2020 will share a unique distinction of attending their last year of high school in a historic time," Brian Hayden, PA Cyber CEO, said when he informed students of the virtual ceremonies. "Not having a graduation ceremony in no way diminishes your achievement. It demonstrates the grace, maturity, and optimism that make you a PA Cyber graduate."

OJR school board president resigns over Facebook post
Karel Minor, the president of the Owen J. Roberts School Board, has announced his immediate resignation on Facebook in the wake of reaction to a racially charged joke he made there. His announcement was posted late Wednesday. In it, Minor posted "a screenshot image of a Facebook comment from my personal page was shared widely. Although the comment was stripped of its context as part of a discussion with a friend about white privilege, my disgust for police brutality, and was intended to mean exactly the opposite of the words used, out of context the statement is horrific. Although my initial response was to offer an unqualified apology, I understand that this is wholly inadequate," he wrote. "I stand firmly behind the goals of Black Lives Matter and out of respect for that movement and a sincere desire to see the objectives of racial equity and justice be furthered in our nation and our local community I submit my resignation as Owen J. Roberts School Director effective immediately," the post read. There are no other posts on his Facebook page dedicated to his position on the school board, where his resignation was posted. A previous post had offered an apology and a proposed set of steps Minor would take to try to repair the damage.

How 133 Epidemiologists Are Deciding When to Send Their Children to School
“This is the dreaded question,” say experts struggling to weigh virus risks and uncertainty against family well-being.
New York Times By Claire Cain Miller and Margot Sanger-Katz June 12, 2020, 5:00 a.m. ET
For many parents, the most pressing question as the nation emerges from pandemic lockdown is when they can send their children to school, camp or child care. We asked more than 500 epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists when they expect to restart 20 activities of daily life, assuming that the coronavirus pandemic and the public health response to it unfold as they expect. On sending children to school, camp or child care, 70 percent said they would do so either right now, later this summer or in the fall — much sooner than most said they would resume other activities that involved big groups of people gathering indoors. Others, though, said they would wait for a vaccine, which could take a year or more. Some expanded on their thoughts. They said they were assessing regional data, like the rate of infection transmission in their area, and the safety measures schools are taking. They’re also considering their own situations, like their family’s health risks, their work demands and their children’s academic, social and emotional lives. Several said school was so important — both for their own careers and for their children’s development — that they were willing to take a risk that they would not for something less valuable.

Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars Are Going To Schools That Push Conversion Therapy
A HuffPost investigation has found schools in voucher programs that list “counseling” as discipline for LGBTQ students. The counseling, a form of conversion therapy, can be seriously harmful.
HuffPost By Rebecca Klein  June 10, 2020
NEW YORK ― Megan Mishkin was drawing a still-life in art class when she heard her name called over the loudspeaker. She packed up her belongings and headed to the main office, where the school secretary was waiting for her. “Everything is going to be OK, sweetie,” the secretary told the 16-year-old high school sophomore when she walked in. Mishkin, a student at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the time, tried to remain calm and brace for bad news. The secretary directed her to a room where school leaders waited. The group made about five excruciating minutes of small talk before staff members got down to business.  They suggested Mishkin was broken and in need of fixing. They hoped anti-gay counseling could be the solution.   Calvary Christian Academy is one of at least nine private schools that participate in voucher or tax credit programs and appear to push LGBTQ students to attend a form of conversion therapy, HuffPost has discovered. A 2017 HuffPost investigation found that at least 14% of religious schools in voucher programs advertised anti-gay policies or barred LGBTQ students and staff from admission and employment. Now HuffPost has found that some of these schools go so far as to push a medically discredited and often harmful treatment on their students in an attempt to change their sexual orientation. 

There Trump goes again bashing 'bad government schools’
Washington Post By Valerie Strauss  June 12, 2020 at 3:08 a.m. EDT
President Trump was in Texas on Thursday, where he was part of a discussion about race and policing, and used the opportunity to take new shots at public schools. At Gateway Church in Dallas, Trump met with law enforcement officials, pastors and business owners and talked about his four-point plan to “build safety and opportunity and dignity” for communities of color. He did not discuss why the police chief, sheriff and district attorney of Dallas — all of whom are African Americans, were not invited to the event focused on injustice and policing. Trump bashed public schools, calling them “bad government schools” in which African Americans get “trapped” — although Surgeon General Jerome Adams said at the same event that it was important for schools to reopen safely as soon as possible. Trump himself has said repeatedly schools should open after being closed for months during the covid-19 pandemic.
Here are the four points that Trump spoke about on Thursday:
  • pursue “economic development in minority communities"
  • confront “healthcare disparities, including addressing chronic conditions and investing substantial sums in minority-serving medical institutions"
  • “encourage police departments nationwide to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force, including tactics for de-escalation”
And the fourth, not surprisingly, was urging Congress to “enact school choice,” which in Trump’s lexicon means his proposal to spend up to $5 billion on tax credits for individuals and groups who donate to help children attend private and religious schools.

Testing Resistance & Reform News: June 3 - 9, 2020
FairTest Submitted by fairtest on June 9, 2020 - 12:04pm 
More tests are being suspended, and there's growing pressure to extend the policies into the 2021-2022 school year.   It's time to start pressuring your local and state officials to make sure standardized exams are not added to the burdens students, teachers and educational administrators must face if and when classrooms reopen.


Diane Ravitch in Conversation with Julian Vasquez Heilig
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 • 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM• Eastern Daylight Time
The Network for Public Education invites you to join us for a video conference with NPE President Diane Ravitch. Diane's guest this week will be NPE Board Member and University of Kentucky College of Education Dean, Julian Vasquez Heilig. Join Diane and Julian as they discuss a new vision for a community based reform agenda.

Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding reform
In this legislative session, PSBA has been leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.

Over 250 PA school boards adopt charter reform resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be a concern as over 250 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform. Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions of dollars to charter schools.

Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then Call for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:

The Network for Public Education Action Conference has been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel


Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization that I may be affiliated with.

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