On September 14 & 15, 2022 the Pennsylvania State Board of Education conducted its regular September meeting.

At the September 14th meeting session, the Board welcomed Dr. Jeffrey Fuller, the new Deputy Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. He last served as superintendent of school at the Freedom School District.

The Council of Higher Ed. submitted its 2022-23 Master Plan for Higher Ed., which is a roadmap for reaching PA’s higher ed. educational goals. The committee voted to recommend the plan to the committee of the whole for approval, with Rep. Sonney the lone nay vote.

Basic Ed. Chairperson Dr. Lee Williams announced that the Academic Standards/Chapter 4 Committee has published the latest revised standards. She also announced that future revisions will include standards for career ed. and work; economics; and financial literacy.

The PDE Bureau Department of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction’s Brian Campbell provided a report titled Assessment Review and Updates for SY 2021-22.

During the September 15th meeting session, Maureen Lally-Green provided a report from the Special Ed. and Gifted Ed. Committee, which  examined the 2018 four-year study and report from BSE Director Carole Clancy. A review of the status of items in the 2018 report showed that most have been successfully addressed. Thus, three hearings will be scheduled for sites across the state to collect data for the 2022 study.

The meeting concluded with a motion to approve the Higher Ed. Master Plan, which resulted in discussion that led to the motion being tabled and the plan referred back to the Council of Higher Ed. for additional work. It will be brought to the next meeting for approval.

On September 13, 2022, leadership from multiple state agencies joined advocates from Prevent Suicide PA to recognize September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and raise awareness around work to embed suicide prevention efforts across systems.  

Approximately 1.2 million adults attempt suicide annually in the United States, with more than 85 percent reporting having made a suicide plan prior to their attempt. In 2020, the most recent year that data is available, approximately 1,700 people died by Suicide in Pennsylvania. Throughout September, we remember and honor those lost to suicide, and support loss and suicide attempt survivors and all who experience suicidal ideation, mental health challenges, and crisis every day.  

Mental health challenges or times of crisis can affect anyone at any time. All Pennsylvanians should take extra care to be mindful of their mental health and tend to their overall health and wellness as often as possible. Do a self check-in, be honest about how you are feeling to yourself and your support network, and if you need someone to talk to or a little extra support, help is available. 

“It might be easy to think that there are few students at risk of suicide in the commonwealth, but recent data has shown that last year, 20 percent of Pennsylvania youth seriously considered suicide. That’s one in five kids in our commonwealth,” said Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty. “In my role, I travel to schools across our commonwealth and interact with learners of all ages, who come from all walks of life. Each of these students has their own unique circumstances, perspectives, strengths, passions, and challenges. But one thing they all have in common is they have a bright future. They have potential and promise. This Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we are committed to keeping Pennsylvania students safe, happy, and well.” 

This summer, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline officially launched nationwide, streamlining call and text access to the national lifeline that provides no-cost crisis response support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With the national launch of 988, Pennsylvania’s 14 lifeline call centers are continuing to provide support for individuals considering suicide or self-harm, or experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress as well as for people looking for help for a loved one. While 85 percent of calls are triaged and de-escalated without deploying in-person services, if needed, a call or text to 988 can activate a mobile mental health crisis team or other emergency response services that will arrive on site and provide therapeutic interventions, make referrals for outpatient services, or transportation for further evaluation. Callers to 988 can also connect with the Veterans Crisis Line or assistance in Spanish. 

In 2019, the Wolf Administration announced the formation of a statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force comprised of leadership from Prevent Suicide PA, members of the General Assembly, and representatives from more than 10 state agencies covering health and human services, public safety, education, and veteran’s affairs, among others. Because suicide is so far-reaching, this diverse array of subject matters and expertise is necessary to build a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary awareness and focus on embedding suicide prevention wherever possible.  

In addition to 988, many other resources also remain available to Pennsylvanians in need of support, including: 

• Crisis Text Line: Text “PA” to 741-741 
• Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 
• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 
• Get Help Now Hotline (for substance use disorders): 1-800-662-4357 
• Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-888-772-7227 or https://pcar.org/help-in-pa 
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233 or www.PCADV.org  

Additionally, the challenges of COVID-19, uncertain economic climate, and increased inflation may still create challenges for individuals and families who are trying to make ends meet. When people struggle to access essential needs, this can create more stress and anxiety, and resources are available in your community to help you meet these needs. People in need of assistance can visit www.dhs.pa.gov/compass to learn more, apply for assistance programs and connect to local programs that can help with health care, food, housing and utility bills, plus other needs. 

To learn more about mental health and crisis supports in Pennsylvania, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/mentalhealthinpa.  

Learn more about Prevent Suicide PA’s work around Pennsylvania at www.preventsuicidepa.org.  

On Friday, September 9, 2022, Gov. Wolf announced a $21.5 million universal free school breakfast plan to provide universal free school breakfast for 1.7 million students across the commonwealth this school year.

“It is completely unacceptable for a child to start the day hungry,” said Gov. Wolf. “I’m taking hunger off the table for Pennsylvania kids by creating the Universal Free Breakfast Program. Regardless of whether or not they qualify for free or reduced meals normally, every student enrolled in public or private schools will have the opportunity to feed their belly before they feed their mind this school year.”

The Universal Free Breakfast Program will go into effect on October 1, 2022 and run through the end of the 2022-23 school year. More than 1.7 million Pennsylvania children enrolled in public schools, intermediate units, charter schools, career and technology schools, and child care institutions that participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs will benefit from this state-funded program. The $21.5 million program is funded with prior year funding from the School Food Services General Fund appropriation. Interested schools that do not currently participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs can find information for applying on the Department of Education’s website.

According School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania Communications Chair Melissa Froehlich, “Research supports that a well-nourished child who starts the day with breakfast is more likely to be at school, has improved concentration and is more willing to participate in the classroom. Universal free breakfast for all students in Pennsylvania will strengthen child nutrition programs and address equity and stigma around school breakfast so that more children will have access to nutritious meals and set our students up for success in the classroom.”

From March 2020 through the 2021-22 school year, students were afforded free meals from school as a result of waivers approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For two years, nearly 1 million students have eaten for free each year. Comparing the 2018-19 school year, when free breakfast was not universal, to 2021-22, when school was fully in-person and breakfast was universally free, breakfast consumption increased by nearly 16%. That is 16% of Pennsylvania children that would start their day hungry this year—and that is a number that Gov. Wolf would not accept.