The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is encouraging organizations across the state to help provide nutritious meals to children in low-income areas during the summer months through PDE’s Summer Food Service Program. Sponsors must apply by May 31, 2022.

Last summer, nearly 250 organizations provided nutritious meals to children at more than 2,400 locations across the state. However, to reach more children and narrow the hunger gap that summer may bring, more organizations and meal sites are needed, especially in rural areas.  

Participating organizations are reimbursed for meals served to children who live in areas in which at least 50 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program. 

Participating organizations must be year-round, not-for-profit entities, which include schools, local, municipal or county governments, libraries, churches, fire and police stations, residential summer camps, and national youth sports programs. Organizations approved to sponsor the Summer Food Service Program are responsible for managing the feeding sites that provide the meals to children.

Most participating organizations may be reimbursed for up to two meals a day: lunch or dinner, and breakfast or a snack. Those serving primarily migrant children may be reimbursed for up to three meals a day. Camps may serve up to three meals per day, but they are reimbursed only for meals served to children eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program. 

The Summer Food Service Program, which began in 1976, is a federally funded child nutrition program designed to reach those who are age 18 or younger in economically disadvantaged areas. People older than 18 who are mentally or physically handicapped and participate in public or nonprofit private programs established for the disabled are also able to receive free meals at Summer Food Service Program sites. 

For more information on becoming a participating organization or a meal site for the summer Food Service Program, view the website at www.education.pa.gov/sfsp or call 800.331.0129. 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html,  and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or 

(3) E-mail: [email protected]. 

On January 6, 2022, Randy Seely, OSEP Chief of the Division of Charter Schools, and Debra Heath-Thornton, Director of the Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education’s Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality disseminated a PnnLink memo to al LEAs titled CSPG 24 Appropriate Certification in Charter Schools in Pennsylvania.

According to the memo, Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law requires that at least 75% of a charter school’s professional staff hold appropriate state certification. State law further specifies which professional staff must be certified and, therefore, may not be included in the calculation of the 25% exclusion to the certification requirement:

-Principals must hold an Administrative certificate. Pursuant to the Public School Code, service as a principal, vice principal, or assistant principal in a charter school must be counted against the validity (service time) of the certificate.

-Special Education Teachers (and Supervisors) must hold “appropriate certification,” which includes the requirement to convert the Special Education Instructional I certificate to an Instructional II certificate within six years of service in the charter school. (This includes Special Education certificate categories: speech-language, visually impaired, hearing impaired, general special education, supervisory). 

-School Nurses

• The Public School Code requires charter schools to follow specific provisions for School Health.
• The Public School Code defines a school nurse as a “licensed registered nurse properly certificated…” and states that “[e]very child of school age shall be provided with school nurse services…”
• Service as a school nurse will count against the validity of the certificate for Level II purposes.

-School Psychologists must hold “appropriate certification,” which includes the requirement to convert the School Psychologist Educational Specialist I certificate to an Educational Specialist II certificate within six years of service in the charter school.

-Speech and Language Pathologists must hold “appropriate certification,” which includes the requirement to convert the Speech and Language Pathologist Educational Specialist I certificate to an Educational Specialist II certificate within six years of service in the charter school.

-Related services positions as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes the position of school psychologist, school nurse, school counselor, school social worker and education specialist speech and language pathologist. Service in these related services certificate areas will count against the validity of the certificate for Level II purposes.

To be appropriately included in the 75 percent of professional staff who are certified, an individual must hold an active and valid certificate for their assignment or hold an emergency permit. Appropriate certification required to qualify an individual for assignment is determined through a position description and course content that lists specific duties to be performed/fulfilled. (Refer to CSPG 1.) Charter school principals must be properly certified as required by the Public School Code and meet Act 45 continuing education requirements.

A PA Inspired Leadership (PIL) induction program is required for conversion to an Administrative II certificate for any Administrative I certificate issued on or after January 1, 2008, or for those who received an Administrative certificate prior to January 1, 2008, and whose initial public or charter school service in the position of principal, vice principal, or assistant principal occurred on or after January 1, 2008. Administrators that began public or charter school service in a principal, vice principal, or assistant principal position prior to January 1, 2008, are not required to complete the PIL induction program.

If a charter school does not employ any individual in a position titled principal but employs an individual in a locally titled position (i.e., school director) and that individual performs all of the duties of a principal, the charter school must utilize an Administrative certified educator and identify the individual as Principal in Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS)/Professional Educator Records Management System (PERMS). Regardless of the local title given to the position, if an individual serves in the position of Principal in a charter school, the individual must comply with all related Act 45 and PIL requirements. Local education agencies (LEAs) may not create and utilize local titles to avoid state requirements.

For further clarification of the PIL requirements, visit the following websites:

PA Inspired Leadership

Administrative-Supervisory Certificates

For further clarification on calculation of the 75/25 percent of professional staff, refer to Clarification of Professional Certification Requirements for Professional Staff in Charter Schools.

On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson led a discussion about the COVID-19 treatment options available for Pennsylvanians. This panel discussion was part of Pennsylvania’s ongoing fight against COVID-19 and educated residents with relevant and accurate information about COVID-19 and addressing the questions of concerned community members.

“New treatment options are now available in our toolkit to help in the fight against COVID-19,” Dr. Johnson said. “There are two types of products that can be used for treatment – monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals. Monoclonal antibodies are authorized treatment of early disease as well as for pre- and post-exposure treatments, while the oral antivirals are only authorized for individuals who test positive for COVID-19.”

Dr. Johnson was joined by additional medical professionals versed in COVID-19 treatments:

• Dr. Ryan Bariola, M.D., FIDSA, FACP, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh and the Medical Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship at UPMC; and
• Dr. Pablo Tebas, M.D., Professor of Medicine and the director and the PI of the AIDS clinical trial unit of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Tebas is an Infectious Diseases physician at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

“COVID-19 remains with us and will continue to be with us for the foreseeable future”, Dr. Bariola said. “After vaccination and other preventative measures, early treatment with proven and effective therapies is critical for improving outcomes in those who do become infected with COVID-19. With treatment, earlier is better, so patients should seek care and testing as soon as they feel ill. It is likewise critical that providers remain up to date regarding proven treatment options and know how to get these treatments for patients as quickly as possible.”

“COVID-19 continues to challenge this nation and the world both at the individual patient level and at the population level,” Dr. Tebas said. “We have learnt a lot since the beginning of this pandemic and have developed effective diagnostic, supportive, preventive and therapeutic tools to fight this terrible infection. As the virus does, we need to be able to adapt to the current pandemic situation to offer our patients the best therapeutic options at any given time in the course of their disease and to decrease the strain in our health systems so we can continue to provide the best possible supportive care both to people with COVID 19 and those without it.”

With the spike of COVID-19 cases and emerging variants, there may be logistical or supply constraints that make it impossible to offer the available therapy to all eligible individuals. Therefore, treatments are being given to individuals that need it the most right now. If you are not sure if you qualify for treatment, speak with your healthcare provider. To find locations to receive these treatments, visit health.pa.gov.

The best way to fight COVID-19 remains getting vaccinated and receiving a booster shot. If you or your loved ones are not yet vaccinated, now is the time to get fully vaccinated, get boosted, and get children ages 5 – 18 vaccinated. Visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccine provider near you to schedule your vaccine appointment.

More details from today’s event including the full video and information about the panelists can be found on Facebook and PAcast.

On December 16, 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced a coming release of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) grant for 2022-23. To clearly communicate and inform potential grant applicants, PDE will be conducting 21st CCLC informational webinars. These webinars will: Outline the application process – applications for the 21st CCLC grant will be created, submitted, collected, and competed via the Commonwealth’s e-grant systems; Summarize information about the available funding source – the U.S. Department of Education (UDOE) allocates federal funds for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program on a formula basis to enable the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to manage and monitor this competitive grant program; Explain the program purpose – This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.

The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers educational services to the families of participating children. The Pre-Release Webinar Focus 1 for LEA’s (school districts, IU’s and charter schools) will be held on Thurs., January 13, 2022 at 8AM via ZOOM – Register here.

For additional program information, please contact N. Craig Scott at 717.346.3251 or at [email protected]