Category: State Government Actions

State and Federal Departments of Ed.: Federal Funding Helping Schools Rebound from the Pandemic (March 29, 2022)

On March 29, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) visited the Upper Darby School District to highlight how communities are using federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) investments in Pennsylvania schools.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten and PDE Deputy Secretary Sherri Smith met with students, teachers, and parents at Bywood and Garretford elementary schools to see how the school district is using ARP ESSER funding to support students’ learning, and social, emotional and mental health recovery from the pandemic.

“Pennsylvania’s educators, students, and school communities have spent the last two years pivoting and adjusting to this new normal, and the federal ARP ESSER dollars present a tremendous opportunity to return to what’s most important — the matter of teaching and learning,” said PDE Deputy Secretary Smith. “Through this assistance, Pennsylvania’s schools are getting back on track, our students are rebounding from missed learning opportunities, and our educators are able to once again focus on teaching.”

Since President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law last year, including $130 billion to support recovery efforts at K-12 schools, more than 99 percent of elementary and secondary school students across the country have returned to classrooms for in-person learning.

At least 90 percent, or $4.5 billion, of the nearly $5 billion in ARP ESSER funding was directed to traditional public school districts and charter schools. Each entity received an amount proportional to the federal Title I-A funds received in 2020 under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The school districts and charter schools must use at least 20 percent of this money to address learning loss and the social, emotional, and academic needs of underrepresented students, including students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.

Schools can use the rest of the funding for a wide range of activities, including food service; professional training; technology purchases; sanitization and cleaning supplies; summer and after-school programs; and mental health supports.

Funds must be used by September 2024. Under the American Rescue Act of 2021, PDE is using the remaining $500 million of ESSER funding for interventions that address learning loss, support summer enrichment and comprehensive afterschool programs, and assist schools that do not receive a direct ESSER allocation such as career and technical schools and intermediate units.

PAPSA Participates in Joint Sign-On Letter Opposing School Voucher Expansion (March 28, 2022)

On March 28, 2022,  PAPSA joined a state coalition effort to oppose HB 2169, which targets the bottom 15 percent of performing schools. In the bill, the definition of eligible student will include a child who has not yet received a high-school diploma, currently resides in the attendance areas of a low-achieving school; and one of the following: attending a public in PA in the preceding school year; received funds from the program in the preceding school year; will attend first grade for the first time in the next school year; a child in foster care; a child whose adoption decree is not more than one year prior to submission of an application, OR a child of full-time active duty military personnel.

With an assumption of 10 percent of students using the voucher and calculating estimates for regular education students, special education students (all three tiers) and gifted students, it is estimated that the cost of the program to be $170 million to the 85 school districts identified.

PA Education Group Seeks Members to Elevate Student Voice Across State (March 22, 2021)

On March 21, 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that Students for Education in Pennsylvania (SEPA), a group created by student representatives of the state Board of Education, is seeking dedicated, passionate high school students to help elevate student voices across the commonwealth.

“At PDE, we often note that the best way we can accomplish our mission to provide high-quality education to all learners is by hearing from students who are actually in the classroom learning,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Noe Ortega. “Effective and meaningful public policy is developed through collaboration and feedback, and we believe that as policies are considered, student voices should be heard. We encourage any interested students in the commonwealth to lend their time — and their voice — to Students for Education in Pennsylvania.”

SEPA was created out of a shared passion for a broader and more diverse student representative network. As a complement to PDE’s mission, SEPA aims to establish an ongoing relationship with dedicated students throughout the commonwealth to more effectively represent student voice in Pennsylvania’s educational policymaking.

To accomplish their mission, student representatives to the Pennsylvania Board of Education, Senior Student Member Eva Rankin and Junior Student Member Reva Gandhi, asked stakeholders across the commonwealth to nominate two to three dedicated, passionate high school students to contribute their unique voice to the Pennsylvania Student Representative Program, which comprises geographically based groups that will meet on a regular basis to discuss education and student life.

In 2021, the Board student representatives conducted several regional meetings to gauge concerns and interests of students. Common findings from these meetings included a desire for more student voice and choice in curriculum, providing more global perspective on historical events and issues, an urge for better representation of cultures and religions in the classroom, mixed responses to standardized testing, and concerns about mental health and closing the educational gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each year in the spring, the Pennsylvania Board of Education, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC), selects one rising high school junior to serve a two-year term as a student representative to the State Board. The primary responsibility of the student representative position is to provide student perspectives at board meetings. Historically, student representatives have met with small groups of student stakeholders, however, the current student representatives are looking to expand and elevate student voices further.

Student representation on the state Board of Education is made possible through a grant provided by Highmark, supporting opportunity for students in Pennsylvania to have a direct voice in helping to shape education policy.

To read the press release, click here.

IRRC Approves Charter School Regs (March 22, 2022)

On March 21, 2022, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) approved charter-school regulations developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to purportedly increase transparency, equity, quality and accountability in implementation of the Charter School Law (CSL). The regulations clarify several elements of the state CSL to align public charter school operations and oversight with that of traditional public schools. 

The regulations:

  • Provide clear application requirements for entities seeking to open a charter school, regional charter school, and cyber charter school;
  • Ensure that all Pennsylvania students are able to access charter schools;
  • Clarify the ethics requirements for charter and cyber charter school trustees;
  • Require school districts and charter schools to follow the same fiscal management and auditing standards;
  • Streamline the process for charter schools to request tuition payments from school districts and the state; and
  • Provide a consistent, common-sense method for charter schools to meet the employee health care requirements in state law.

PDE began developing the regulations in August 2019. Nearly 2,000 comments from charter schools, school districts, professional organizations, lawmakers, and the public were considered as part of the process.

Charter schools are public schools funded by taxpayers through school district and state funds. A school district must grant the school a charter before students from the school district may enroll in the charter school. The PDE authorizes cyber charter schools, since they serve the entire state.

There are 179 charter schools and cyber charter schools operating in Pennsylvania this school year. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have students enrolled in some form of charter school.

To read the press release, click here.

Three PA House Bills Take Aim at Teacher Shortage (March 19, 2022)

Since December, the PA House of Representatives has seen the introduction of three bills aimed at addressing the educator shortage across the Commonwealth.  HB 2206, which would provide support for school entities in need of filling positions that are difficult to fill by implementing Grow-Your-Own (GYO) programming, was referred to the House Education Committee (HEC) on December 30, 2021. HB 2247, which would look to retain teachers by providing loan forgiveness through the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, was referred to the HEC on January 14, 2022. HB 2389, which would provide financial assistance to education majors who agree to teach in-state by establishing the PA Teach Scholarship Program, was referred to the HEC as of March 8, 2022.

However, there has been no movement on any of these bills since being referred to the HEC.