Monday, October 12, 2020

PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 12: PDE Hearing on two 2020 Cyber Charter Applications Nov. 4, 5, 10, 11. Written comments due by October 30th.

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Keystone State Education Coalition

PA Ed Policy Roundup for October 12, 2020

PDE Hearing on two 2020 Cyber Charter Applications Nov. 4, 5, 10, 11. Written comments due by October 30th.

 

Why are cyber charter tuition rates the same as brick and mortar tuition?

Taxpayers in House Ed Committee Member Meghan Schroeder’s school districts paid over $2.6 million in 2018-2019 cyber charter tuition. Statewide, PA taxpayers paid over $600 million for cyber charter tuition in 2018-2019.

 

Centennial SD

$802,946.20

Central Bucks SD

$1,808,449.01

 

$2,611,395.21

Source: PDE via PSBA

 

“Individuals who wish to provide comments on an application during the hearings must provide a copy of their written comments to the Department and the applicant on or before October 30, 2020”

Cyber Charter School Application; Virtual Hearing Nov. 4, 5, 10,11
Pennsylvania Bulletin [50 Pa.B. 5489] [Saturday, October 3, 2020]

 The Department of Education (Department) will conduct virtual public hearings regarding cyber charter school applications received on or before October 1, 2020. The hearings will be held on November 4, 2020, November 5, 2020, November 10, 2020, and November 12, 2020.

 The hearings will take place virtually, beginning at 9 a.m.

 Login information to access the hearings will be posted to the Department's Division of Charter School's Applications webpage at https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.

 The hearings pertain to applicants seeking to operate a new cyber charter school beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. The purpose of the hearings is to gather information from applicants about the proposed cyber charter schools as well as receive comments from interested individuals regarding any applications. The names of the applicants, copies of the applications and a listing of the dates and times scheduled for the hearings on each applications can be viewed on the Department's web site on or before October 16, 2020, at www.education.pa.gov.

 Individuals who wish to provide comments on an application during the hearings must provide a copy of their written comments to the Department and the applicant on or before October 30, 2020. Comments provided by this deadline and presented at the hearings will become part of the certified record concerning the applications. Failure to comply with this deadline will preclude the individual from providing comments at the hearings. Verbal comments may be limited based on the number of individuals requesting time to provide comments. Additionally, persons unable to attend the hearings may provide the Department and the applicant with written comments on or before October 30, 2020, and any written comments will become part of the certified record.

 The hearings will be conducted by a panel of individuals who have completed an initial review of the applications. Panel members may question the applicants on issues identified during the initial review, as well as issues raised in the written comments filed by the deadline. Panel members may also question individuals who offer verbal comments. Commentators will not be permitted to question either the applicant or the panel members.

 Comments sent to the Department should be addressed to the Division of Charter Schools, 333 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, ra-charterschools@pa.gov. Comments sent to applicants should be addressed using the contact information contained within the application by means of mail, in addition to being e-mailed. Hearing agendas will be prepared no later than October 30, 2020, when the Department is aware of the number of individuals who wish to provide verbal comments at each hearing. The hearing agendas will provide the order of presentation, as well as specify the amount of time allotted to each commentator.

 Hearing agendas will be posted under Charter School Applications on the Department's web site at http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx.

 For questions regarding these hearings, contact the Division at ra-charterschools@pa.gov.

https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol50/50-40/1348.html

 

PA Dept. of Education Cyber Charter School Applications 2020

https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Applications.aspx

 

“Before the pandemic decimated in-person education for millions of students and threatened the future of public education, in particular, President Trump’s Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had gotten a head start. A champion of privatizing K-12 and higher education, she favors vouchers/school choice and diverting education funding to private and religious schools — including, most recently, COVID-19 relief dollars…. The stakes for Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania is vulnerable to federal education policies. In state-by-state comparisons, Pennsylvania doesn’t fare well. U.S. News & World Report ranks Pennsylvania 32nd in education among the states. Education Voters of Pennsylvania places the state 44th for state share of funding for K-12 schools.

For more than 20 years, the Pennsylvania legislature has aggressively promoted charter education. On academic achievement and test scores, charter schools are a mixed bag, with alarming trends among cyber schools. Yet, no meaningful reform of charter schools or funding formulas, which siphon money from traditional districts, has occurred.”

A further diversion has come with state education tax credits, which direct over $200 million per year of tax revenue to private and religious schools — a program that will potentially get backing wind due to the Supreme Court ruling on religious schools from last summer.

Inquirer Editorial Board: Pennsylvania needs Joe Biden

From COVID-19 to the environment to racial justice, Donald Trump has failed. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can set us on a new course. The stakes for Pennsylvanians could not be higher.

Opinion by The Inquirer Editorial Board, Posted: October 11, 2020- 5:00 AM

It’s a remarkable — and frightening — time in America. This country has withstood wars, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and civil unrest, but the division and chaos, incompetence, and intolerance that we have witnessed from Donald Trump in the last few months — to say nothing of the last four years — are unprecedented.

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/a/philadelphia-inquirer-2020-endorsements-biden-trump-20201011.html

 

How are coronavirus cases in schools being reported? ‘It’s a hodge-podgey mess’

Inquirer by Maddie Hanna, Posted: October 10, 2020

About a month into the school year, some public health officials and experts say the coronavirus does not appear to be spreading inside local K-12 schools that have reopened in Pennsylvania. But it’s unclear how many students or school staff have contracted the virus. Pennsylvania health officials aren’t specifying cases associated with schools — unlike New Jersey, where the state has a public dashboard announcing school outbreaks. County health departments, which are conducting contact tracing, haven’t identified which schools have cases. And Pennsylvania schools aren’t required to inform families about cases, resulting in mixed levels of notification. In the Neshaminy School District, for instance, parents at one middle school received an email last month stating a student had tested positive. In addition to providing county health officials names of “close contacts” — anyone within six feet of the infectious student for more than 15 minutes — school leaders said they would also notify parents if their children were in class with the student, “in the name of transparency.”

https://www.inquirer.com/education/coronavirus-cases-schools-pennsylvania-new-jersey-20201010.html

 

At least 5 dozen COVID-19 cases have been reported at Lancaster County schools. Here's where they are [update]

Lancaster Online by ALEX GELI | Staff Writer Updated October 11, 2020

At least five dozen cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Lancaster County schools about a month into the 2020-21 school year. The cases come from 13 school districts, plus a brick-and-mortar charter school in Lancaster city. And that might not be all. With the Pennsylvania Department of Health not tracking COVID-19 cases in schools, it's up to each district to notify the community of a positive test from someone inside its schools.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/at-least-5-dozen-covid-19-cases-have-been-reported-at-lancaster-county-schools-heres/article_3df9f520-f90e-11ea-a2d4-cb2cf761df4e.html

 

SB1230: PSBA testifies on ESA voucher plan

POSTED ON OCTOBER 9, 2020 IN PSBA NEWS

This week PSBA presented testimony to the Senate Education Committee opposing Senate Bill 1230 (Sen. Ward, R-Blair), that establishes “Back on Track” Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a voucher program that would direct federal CARES Act money to create grants given to parents to be used for private schools and other private educational service organizations. Representing the association at the hearing was PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer John Callahan.

Callahan said that vouchers would divert resources away from public schools when they need it the most, emphasizing the increased mandates and costs facing districts during the pandemic. He also said that Senate Bill 1230 does not contain necessary financial or academic accountability measures and that the proposal goes well beyond the purpose of helping students get “back on track” by allowing recipients to use taxpayer funding for a variety of vague educational expenses. Additionally, he noted, the claim that the bill is intended to help students living in poverty is misleading; further, families and private schools already have programs intended to help pay for education expenses, including the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs as well as federal law that allows families to put aside money into accounts for K-12 education expenses. Callahan concluded by asking legislators to instead focus their efforts on solutions that would assist public schools in coping with the effects of the pandemic.

Click here to read PSBA's testimony.

https://www.psba.org/2020/10/psba-testifies-on-esa-voucher-plan/

 

School districts re-examine attendance policies amid new educational model

Trib Live PATRICK VARINE   | Saturday, October 10, 2020 9:00 a.m.

School districts throughout the region are asking families to act with an abundance of caution when it comes to students exhibiting potential covid-19 symptoms. If a student is showing any of the 13 symptoms closely associated with the virus, districts are asking parents to keep them home. That didn’t work out how Franklin Regional parent Christy Manzewitsch had hoped. “If a parent elects to keep their child home, and the child logs in to their classes throughout the day, they are still counted as absent, even though they are participating in their classes,” Manzewitsch wrote in an email read during the public comment session of a recent school board meeting. That situation has school administrators throughout Western Pennsylvania re-examining how attendance functions now that so many have new educational models in place.

https://triblive.com/local/regional/school-districts-re-examine-attendance-policies-amid-new-educational-model/

 

Free meals available to all students for the rest of the school year: How does that work?

By Wallace McKelvey | WMckelvey@pennlive.com Updated Oct 10, 2020; Posted Oct 10, 2020

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, families could qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches if they met certain income thresholds. But a federal program that offers free meals to all students regardless of income that began this spring has once again been extended, this time through June 30. Schools and approved summer food service programs, such as camps and community centers, can provide up to two free meals per day to children 18 years old and younger.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/10/usda-is-offering-free-meals-to-all-students-what-does-that-mean.html

 

Federal government extends free school meals for students through end of academic year

By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | OCT 10, 2020 AT 11:35 AM

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allowing free school meals to be available to all children through the end of this academic year. The meals will be available to children whether they are in school or doing virtual learning at home, according to an announcement Friday. To ensure children receive meals, the government is extending waivers, such as allowing meals to be served outside of typical times and allowing parents to pick up meals for children. Many Lehigh Valley schools have been providing meals since the pandemic started in March. The Allentown School District, which reopened virtually this fall, provides students with breakfast and lunch daily. From March through August, Pennsylvania schools provided more than 25 million meals to children in need, according to a news release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office.

https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-pennsylvania-free-school-lunches-20201010-r4dfpnj4mvbd5hbv6r72toznhu-story.html

 

Cyber charters see boom in new enrollments as COVID impacts traditional schooling

ANDREW GOLDSTEIN Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agoldstein@post-gazette.com OCT 12, 2020 6:30 AM

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools says public cyber charter schools have seen an enrollment of about 14,000 new students since the the COVID-19 shutdowns began in mid-March. An increase in enrollment at cyber charters in the state was expected, with some parents choosing to send their children to schools already set up for virtual learning as brick-and-mortar public schools had to quickly transition to remote or blended instruction models. But cyber charter officials said this is the largest influx of students they have seen in a single year. Brian Hayden, CEO of PA Cyber, said his school normally starts with an enrollment of about 9,500 students. This year, about 11,400 were enrolled on the first day of school.   “We’ve never seen that kind of enrollment that early,” Mr. Hayden said late last week. “Our enrollment typically peaks in February, March because we enroll kids all year. So we will hit that 11,000-plus number, but not until maybe the beginning of March.” The large number of students enrolling in cyber charters has created financial concerns for officials in public school districts, which are already facing increased costs and reduced tax revenue due to COVID-19.  

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2020/10/11/Enrollment-influx-at-cyber-charters-amid-COVID-19-concerns-public-school-officials/stories/202010090142

 

Scranton School District endangerment charges will be battle of experts, attorneys say

Times Tribune BY TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER STAFF WRITER Oct 12, 2020

The cases against three former and current Scranton School District officials charged with endangering children and others for failing to address lead and asbestos issues likely will come down to a battle of medical experts, several attorneys said. Prosecutors say evidence uncovered by a statewide grand jury clearly shows former Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D., former Chief Operating Officer Jeff Brazil and daytime maintenance foreman Joseph Slack knew of the dangers, but failed to act. The cases hinge on whether prosecutors can prove the defendants’ failings created a “substantial risk” likely to cause serious injury or death — a required element of the child endangerment charges, the attorneys said. “It appears on a basic level the failure to disclose a known risk would be reckless conduct. The question is, did it endanger anyone?” said Bob Buehner, former Montour County district attorney. “It’s going to be a battle of experts as to whether this is a substantial risk, minimal risk, or no risk.”

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/crime-emergencies/scranton-school-district-endangerment-charges-will-be-battle-of-experts-attorneys-say/article_72537b5e-3081-5b98-bae4-153feee53028.html

 

Pennsylvania coronavirus update: Saturday’s case count is highest in six months

By JACQUELINE PALOCHKO THE MORNING CALL | OCT 10, 2020 AT 12:52 PM

Pennsylvania reported 1,742 more cases of the coronavirus Saturday, the third highest one-day count since the start of the pandemic. That brings the state total to 171,050 cases. Saturday’s number was the highest one-day total since April 10, when the state reported 1,751 cases. The highest total was on April 9, when 1,989 cases were recorded. The Lehigh Valley also saw a jump Saturday, with 123 new cases, the highest since 125 cases were reported on May 2. Cases have been increasing significantly in recent days. On Friday, the state reported more than 1,300 additional cases for the third straight day. The seven-day average statewide is 1,395, compared to 1,186 last Sunday. However, hospitalizations remained about the same Saturday as on Friday. In a news release Saturday, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine continued to stress mask-wearing and social distancing. “We know that congregation, especially in college and university settings, yields increased case counts," she said. “The mitigation efforts in place now are essential to flattening the curve and saving lives.”

https://www.mcall.com/coronavirus/mc-nws-coronavirus-update-saturday-20201010-jknwk6gvife4na3ofcif5dbf5e-story.html

 

Reasonable guidelines, gradual adjustments are best call for sports crowds in Pennsylvania [editorial]

THE LNP | LANCASTERONLINE EDITORIAL BOARD October 12, 2020

THE ISSUE: “Coronavirus-related crowd restrictions for both indoor and outdoor events were loosened Tuesday by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, who called the shift ‘a gradual adjustment to our lives as we learn how we can do things safely’ until there’s a vaccine for the virus or cure for the disease,” The Associated Press reported in a story that appeared in Wednesday’s LNP | LancasterOnline. But, amid the ongoing pandemic, there are no guarantees the changes will be permanent. “We will closely monitor cases and outbreaks and if our case investigation and contact tracing efforts determine that events or gatherings are the source of an outbreak, we can and will dial back these new limits,” state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine added. We must find safe and gradual ways to return to some of the things we did before COVID-19 brought so much heartache and seismic disruption to our lives. One reason we need to find a balance between safety and normalcy is that we simply don’t know how long the virus will continue to be a threat within the United States.

https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/reasonable-guidelines-gradual-adjustments-are-best-call-for-sports-crowds-in-pennsylvania-editorial/article_5325cd64-0a86-11eb-90e5-878afee233c8.html

 

Council Rock teachers union opposes starting full in-person return

Chris English Bucks County Courier Times October 11, 2020

The Council Rock School District teachers union has added its voice to those opposing the start of a full-time, in-person instructional option in the district slated to start Nov. 16. A majority of school board members have indicated they will vote in favor of giving families that choice at the Oct. 22 meeting, but Council Rock Education Association President David Diehl said he agrees with Superintendent Robert Fraser that it's not yet time for that move. "We believe that while the (COVID-19) numbers in the county remain above the 'low transmission' benchmark set by the state, it is improper to have a full five-day schedule, with no regard for the social distancing guidelines set forth by the CDC (Center for Disease Control)," Diehl said. "We fully realize that these talks need to happen in advance of the transition, and applaud the district for moving to provide at least six weeks notice to parents and staff of a pending change in schedules." Council Rock started a hybrid option, where students attend school two days a week and take online instruction the other three days, on Sept. 29 while also maintaining an all-virtual choice.

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/story/news/2020/10/11/council-rock-teachers-say-its-not-time-full-classroom-model/5936560002/

 

Lackawanna Trail Junior – Senior High School closed due to COVID-19 cases

PA Home Page by: Vivian Muniz Posted: Oct 10, 2020 / 12:42 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 10, 2020 / 01:11 PM EDT

FACTORYVILLE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – Lackawanna Trail Junior-Senior High School will be closed for the next fourteen days due to five new positive cases of COVID-19. Superintendent Matthew Rakauskas released a statement confirming that, as of Saturday morning, three students, a teacher, and an administrator have tested positive for COVID- 19. The school, which is made up of grades 7-12, is following recommendations from the Department of Health to close the school for the next two weeks including postponements of sports and extra curricular activates. The school will move to full virtual classes through October 23rd. The elementary center will not be affected.

https://www.pahomepage.com/top-news/lackawanna-trail-junior-senior-high-school-closed-due-to-covid-19-cases/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=referral

 

Student at Clearfield Elementary tests positive for COVID-19, district officials announce

by WJAC staff Sunday, October 11th 2020

CLEARFIELD, Pa (WJAC) — An elementary student in the Clearfield Area School District has tested positive for COVID-19, district officials announced. Superintendent Terry Struble says the student has not been in school since Oct. 1. The student's family and the school district are working with the Department of Health to conduct contact tracing. School will resume as normal on Monday for Group A students, the letter adds.

https://wjactv.com/news/local/student-at-clearfield-elementary-tests-positive-for-covid-19-district-officials-announce

 

More covid-19 cases reported among Norwin students

Trib Live by JOE NAPSHA   | Saturday, October 10, 2020 11:01 a.m.

Norwin continues to experience an outbreak of covid-19 cases among students and staff, as the district said Saturday morning that two elementary students and one high school student have tested positive for the coronavirus. The students have not attended school for the past several days, the district said in a statement, and the state Department of Health has completed all contact tracing for each case. Because these three students have not been in school, the buildings where they attended have already been deep cleaned and disinfected.

https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/more-covid-19-cases-reported-among-norwin-students/

 

Dallas High School cancels football game after positive coronavirus test

FOX56 by Hanna O'Reilly Friday, September 11th 2020

DALLAS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WOLF) — Dallas High School has announced that their game against Tunkhannock will be cancelled after one individual in the community tested positive for COVID-19. The school released the following:

Today, 09.11.20, Dallas School District was informed that a member of our community received a positive result for a CoVid -19 test. The district immediately contacted the state Rapid Response Center (RRC), an organization established to direct schools and coordinate efforts with the Department of Health, Department of Education and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The district has been in contact with the impacted individual, who is currently in quarantine. The individual has not been on campus since Tuesday, 09.08.20. The district continues to collaborate with state and local agencies to assist in contact tracing. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is in-charge with contact tracing; some individuals already known to have “close contact” are undergoing testing.

https://fox56.com/news/local/dallas-high-school-cancels-football-game-after-positive-coronavirus-test

 

How Western Pa. high schools are adjusting homecoming celebrations amid pandemic

Trib Live by JULIA FELTON   | Monday, October 12, 2020 12:01 a.m.

Homecoming is traditionally marked by bustling football stadiums and crowded dances. This year has been, obviously, very different. Though covid-19 has forced school districts throughout Western Pennsylvania to scale back homecoming celebrations, schools — and parents — are still trying to salvage part of the hallmark high school experience. Students have adapted, too, giving high marks to those who have found ways to uphold traditions and make unforgettable memories.

https://triblive.com/local/regional/how-western-pa-high-schools-are-adjusting-homecoming-celebrations-amid-pandemic/

 

General McLane High School hosts drive-through homecoming event

Ron Leonardi Erie Times-News October 10, 2020

Athletes waved, shouted cheers and handed out bags filled with goodies. Band members struck up tunes.  And there was no shortage of enthusiasm from cheerleading crews, whose steady display of school spirit elicited honks from a lengthy line of motorists making their way along a half-mile loop at General McLane High School Saturday afternoon.  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, school district officials opted to host a drive-through homecoming parade on school grounds, 11761 Edinboro Road in Washington Township, instead of the customary parade in Edinboro and a post-parade school dance. More than 200 vehicles attended the spirited two-hour, on-campus parade, which included lunch and all the cheers one could handle.  

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/2020/10/10/general-mclane-hosts-drive-through-homecoming-event/5918253002/

 

Here’s how Democrats could flip the Pennsylvania legislature

Just nine GOP seats in the House and four in the Senate would have to flip to blue in order for power to change hands.

WITF by Katie Meyer OCTOBER 12, 2020 | 5:47 AM

(Harrisburg) — After years of Republican dominance, Democrats and their supporters in Pennsylvania’s state House and Senate see a path to take control of both chambers this year. For the past several election cycles, Democrats have been slowly chipping away at strong GOP margins. And now, just nine Republican seats in the House and four in the Senate would have to flip to blue in order for power in Harrisburg to change hands. Just because they’re in the realm of possibility, though, doesn’t mean the legislature will have a dramatic shift. Election prognosticators at the Cook Political Report still have both chambers ranked as “lean Republican,” which means there’s a better shot of continued GOP control than not.

And as Democrats stake out vulnerable Republican seats, Republicans are doing the same thing. Several Democrats are hanging on to seats in reddening areas and could be ousted.

https://www.witf.org/2020/10/12/heres-how-democrats-could-flip-the-pennsylvania-legislature/

 

Are these 2 Pa. U.S. House races the canary in the coal mine for Trump? | Monday Morning Coffee

PA Capital Star By John L. Micek -October 12, 2020

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

We’re just 22 days out from Actual Election Day, and new polling and analysis from a pair of Pennsylvania congressional districts holds food for thought for both Joe Biden’s and President Donald Trump’s respective campaigns. We’ll start this morning with the Lehigh Valley-based 7th Congressional District, a seat currently held by freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.

Long an electoral bellwether, the three-city area of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton was key to Trump’s victory in 2016. As the Morning Call reported in May, Northampton County was one of three counties that Trump flipped on his way to squeaking out a win by a little more than 44,000 votes. Four years later, recent polling by the Morning Call and Muhlenberg College showed Wild up 52-39 percent over GOP challenger Lisa Scheller, while Biden held a 7-point lead in the canvass of 414 likely voters. The poll had a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

https://www.penncapital-star.com/commentary/are-these-2-pa-u-s-house-races-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine-for-trump-monday-morning-coffee/

 

Schools Aren’t Super-Spreaders

Fears from the summer appear to have been overblown.

The Atlantic by Emily Oster Economist at Brown University October 9, 2020

In early august, the first kids in America went back to school during the pandemic. Many of these openings happened in areas where cases were high or growing: in Georgia, Indiana, Florida. Parents, teachers, and scientists feared what might happen next. The New York Times reported that, in parts of Georgia, a school of 1,000 kids could expect to see 20 or 30 people arrive with COVID-19 during week one. Many assumed that school infections would balloon and spread outward to the broader community, triggering new waves. On social media, people shared pictures of high schools with crowded hallways and no masking as if to say I told you so. Fear and bad press slowed down or canceled school reopenings elsewhere. Many large urban school districts chose not to open for in-person instruction, even in places with relatively low positivity rates. ChicagoL.A.Houston—all remote, at least so far. It’s now October. We are starting to get an evidence-based picture of how school reopenings and remote learning are going (those photos of hallways don’t count), and the evidence is pointing in one direction. Schools do not, in fact, appear to be a major spreader of COVID-19.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/schools-arent-superspreaders/616669/

 

Enrollment Is Dropping In Public Schools Around the Country

NPR by ANYA KAMENETZ  MARCO A. TREVIÑO JESSICA BAKEMAN October 9, 2020

Orange County, Fla., has 8,000 missing students. The Miami-Dade County public schools have 16,000 fewer than last year. Los Angeles Unified — the nation's second-largest school system — is down nearly 11,000. Charlotte-Mecklenburg in North Carolina has 5,000 missing. Utah, Virginia, and Washington are reporting declines statewide. Comprehensive national data aren't available yet, but reporting by NPR and our member stations, along with media reports from around the country, shows enrollment declines in dozens of school districts across 20 states. Large and small, rich and poor, urban and rural — in most of these districts the decline is a departure from recent trends. Over the past 15 years, data from the U.S. Education Department show that small and steady annual increases in public school enrollment have been the rule. Six months after schools around the country shut their doors amid coronavirus lockdowns, these fall enrollment declines come as schools have been scrambling to improve remote learning offerings, and to adopt safety procedures to allow buildings to open for in-person classes, sometimes just a few days a week. In many parts of the country the start of the year has been marked by multiple changes in planswidespread confusion among teachers and families, deep concerns about safety, and worries about unequal access to technology.

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/09/920316481/enrollment-is-dropping-in-public-schools-around-the-country

 

Coronavirus infections among school-age kids rose in September after classes resumed

Los Angeles Times By MELISSA HEALYSTAFF WRITER  SEP. 29, 2020

Keen to send the nation’s kids back to reopened schools, President Trump has called children “virtually immune,” “essentially immune” and “almost immune” to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But a new report by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores how wrong those assertions are. Children can catch, suffer and die from the coronavirus, according to the report. Between March 1 and Sept. 19, at least 277,285 schoolchildren in 38 states tested positive for the virus. And 51 of them — including 20 youngsters 5 to 11 years old — died of COVID-19. In all, 3,189 children ages 5 to 17 were hospitalized. With more than 56 million U.S. kids attending primary and secondary schools this fall, understanding how the coronavirus affects school-age children “might inform decisions about in-person learning and the timing and scaling of community mitigation measures,” the CDC researchers wrote.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-09-29/coronavirus-infections-among-school-age-kids-rose-in-early-september-cdc-says

 

Education Dept Puts Anti-LGBTQ Activist At Head Of Diversity And Inclusion Council

Some employees said the pick is disheartening and ironic.

Huffpost By Rebecca Klein October 9, 2020

In early 2020, leaders of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that they would be taking control of and reorganizing the agency’s employee-led Diversity and Inclusion and Employee Engagement Advisory councils. The two committees were combined into one and, in August, senior counsel Sarah Perry, a new hire with a long history of anti-transgender activism, was appointed as a co-chair, HuffPost has learned. Multiple employees at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the department’s agency dedicated to enforcing civil rights laws in K-12 schools and universities, told HuffPost that appointing someone who has actively worked against LGBTQ people to help lead diversity and inclusion efforts is ironic and disheartening. Perry previously worked at the Family Research Council, a Christian fundamentalist organization that preaches against the rights of the LGBTQ community, where she often spoke publicly about her opposition to transgender people.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/education-department-diversity-inclusion-anti-trans-lgbtq_n_5f80863fc5b62d09d272bf4f

 

Can Trump Squeeze More From His White Base in Pennsylvania and Beyond?

With President Trump trailing Joseph R. Biden Jr. in Pennsylvania in nearly every poll, his last refuge and perhaps best hope is to maximize the turnout of working-class white voters.

New York Times By Shane Goldmacher Oct. 11, 2020, 9:03 a.m. ET

OLYPHANT, Pa. — President Trump’s narrowing path to victory in Pennsylvania, and the country, runs through small towns like Olyphant, where Dave Mitchko’s street might be quieter if not for the large sign he put on his front lawn urging supporters of the president to honk when they pass. Trump signs are Mr. Mitchko’s thing, and his front yard has become something of an informal sign depot for Republicans in greater northeastern Pennsylvania. He estimates that he’s given away more than 26,000 signs this year. And his efforts were rewarded by the campaign with tarmac invitations for recent visits to the region by both Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a spot driving in the presidential motorcade. Mr. Mitchko wore a suit and a Trumpian red tie for the occasion.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/us/politics/trump-white-base-pennsylvania.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

 

Pennsylvania emerges as ‘tipping-point’ battleground for Biden and Trump — before and after Election Day

Washington Post By Michael SchererMichelle Ye Hee LeeAmy Gardner and  Josh Dawsey Oct. 10, 2020 at 9:19 p.m. EDT

Both parties are increasingly focused on the pivotal — and potentially messy — role that Pennsylvania could play in deciding the outcome of the presidential race. President Trump’s campaign in recent days has redirected ad spending there from other northern battlegrounds, while Joe Biden’s campaign and supportive groups are increasing their spending in the state, which between its rolling rural expanses and major metropolitan hubs is seen as a classic political bellwether.  Both sides now see Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral college votes, as a must-win prize on the path to the 270 needed to win the White House, according to Democratic and Republican strategists. They also increasingly view the battle for those votes as one that could well continue beyond Election Day — with a growing list of balloting disputes and lawsuits setting the stage, if the race is close, for a contested election reminiscent of the Florida drama that transfixed the nation after the 2000 election.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pennsylvania-emerges-as-tipping-point-battleground-for-biden-and-trump/2020/10/10/e063f7dc-0afe-11eb-a166-dc429b380d10_story.html

 

 

A PHILadelphia Education: An Evening with Bill Marimow and Phil Goldsmith

Monday, October 19 -- 7:00 pm

Join us Monday, October 19 at 7:00pm for a special interactive virtual interview presentation. Bill Marimow, two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient, former Executive Editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and former Haverford Township resident will interview Phil Goldsmith about his new book, A PHILadelphia Education: Tales, Trials, and Tribulations of a Serial Careerist.

Goldsmith, current Haverford Township Free Library Board President, has held several prominent public positions including deputy mayor of Philadelphia, chief executive of the School District of Philadelphia and chief operating officer of the City of Philadelphia.

Goldsmith will also interview Marimow about his lengthy career in journalism and the future of journalism, and both will talk about the challenges facing Philadelphia. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to both Marimow and Goldsmith after the interviews.

This program will take place live virtually on the Zoom platform.

To register, click here or email Amy Moskovitz at moskovitz@haverfordlibrary.com and you will be sent the Zoom link for the event.

 

The PSBA 2020 Equity Summit is happening virtually on October 13th.

Discover how to build a foundation for equity in practice and policy.

Learn more: https://t.co/KQviB4TTOj

 

PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference October 14-15 Virtual

Registration is now open for the first ever virtual School Leadership Conference! Join us for all-new educational sessions, dynamic speakers, exhibitors, and more! Visit the website for registration information: https://t.co/QfinpBL69u #PASLC20 https://t.co/JYeRhJLUmZ

 

What to expect at this year’s School Leadership Conference

POSTED ON AUGUST 31, 2020 IN PSBA NEWS

At the 2020 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference on October 14-15, you'll encounter the same high-quality experience you've come to expect, via new virtual platform. Hear world-class speakers and relevant educational sessions, and network with exhibitors and attendees — from the comfort of your home or office on any internet-enabled device.

The virtual conference platform is accessible via a unique link provided to each registrant about a week before conference. No additional app downloads are required. The intuitive 3D interface is easy to use and immersive — you'll feel like you're on location. Registrants will be able to explore the space a day before conference starts. Highlights include: 

  • Virtual exhibit hall 
  • Interactive lobby area and information desk 
  • Virtual auditorium 
  • Digital swag bag 
  • Scavenger hunt 

This year, conference is completely free to attend! Be among the first 125 to register, and receive a special pre-conference swag bag, sent to your home. Click here for more information about how to register.

https://www.psba.org/2020/08/what-to-expect-at-this-years-school-leadership-conference/

 

Tell your legislators that school districts need their support

POSTED ON OCTOBER 12, 2020 IN PSBA NEWS

If you missed Advocacy Day, it's not too late to reach out to your legislators and ask for their support for public schools during this challenging school year. Take Action to send a letter to your members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The letter addresses the need to support our schools and help to control our costs so that districts may better serve their students. Among the most important areas of concern are limited liability protections; broad mandate relief; delay in new state graduation requirements delay; the need for broadband expansion; and charter school funding reform. Now, more than ever, it is vital that legislators hear from school districts.

https://www.psba.org/2020/10/tell-your-legislators-that-school-districts-need-their-support/

 

Adopt the resolution against racial inequity!

School boards are asked to adopt this resolution supporting the development of an anti-racist climate. Once adopted, share your resolution with your local community and submit a copy to PSBA. Learn more: http://ow.ly/yJWA50B2R72

 

Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding reform

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

Resolution for charter funding reform (pdf)

Link to submit your adopted resolution to PSBA

 

296 PA school boards have adopted charter reform resolutions

Charter school funding reform continues to be a concern as over 290 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform. Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from the unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions of dollars to charter schools.

The school boards from the following districts have adopted resolutions calling for charter funding reform. 

https://www.psba.org/2020/03/adopted-charter-reform-resolutions/

 

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

PSBA Charter Change Website:

https://www.pacharterchange.org/

 

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

 

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

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