Districts urged to continue teaching
Schools across Pennsylvania have been shut down since March 16, and kids won’t be returning to their classrooms until April 9 at the earliest.
There’s a chance they might not be going back at all this school year.
With that in mind, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said during a media conference call Wednesday that he’s urging school districts to do their best to come up with short-term and long-term plans to continue to educate students.
“As we’ve been looking at continuity of education, we are strongly urging school districts
not to wait, to not stand on the periphery,” Rivera said during the 45-minute question-and-answer session.
What those plans will look like, Rivera said, will differ from district to district.
“Our schools are extremely diverse, geographically, economically, their student bodies are different,” he said.
Rivera said some districts will likely rely on mostly online options for students, while other may need to use paper and pencil models.
Discussions are underway with the Legislature and the governor’s office, as well as with the federal government, about finding additional funding to help districts provide additional technology to students.
“We’re working really hard to not transfer a huge bulk of this cost to the school districts,” Rivera said.
The state Department of Education has been coordinating with the state’s 29 intermediate units, which have been designated as clearinghouses for local school districts. The intermediate units have been tasked with providing technical assistance and other resources to schools.
Rivera said intermediate units are the leaders that are in place to provide the best opportunities and resources, as well collect the best information from districts that can be relayed to the state.
“Every step of the way they communicate with us about what we could be doing differently,” Rivera said, adding that the department is communicating with intermediate units at least weekly.
Rivera said his hope is that most schools move forward providing planned instruction, which is the type of instruction students would get in the classroom. Some districts, however, are left only being able to provide enrichment and review instruction because of various limitations they face.
The state and intermediate units are working to assist districts in being able to provide planned instruction, Rivera said, as well as to find ways to provide things like special education services.
“We’re asking districts to make reasonable and appropriate efforts in good faith,” Rivera said of special education requirements. “It’s not going to be an easy task, but the department is encouraging districts to do everything they can with their availability of resources.”
Districts are not bound by law to provide any instruction during the mandated shutdown, Rivera said, but the state is strongly urging them not to take that path.
He said he will use his influence and the power of the pulpit to reinforce that message.
The secretary said he’s proud that the vast majority of superintendents he’s spoken to are dedicated to offering the best services they can to students.
As for how long schools might be shut down — at least two states have closed schools for the rest of the school year — Rivera said that is still unclear.
For the moment the plan is to welcome students back April 9, but that can easily change.
“We possibly could be looking at extending the timeline,” he said, adding that the department is relying on the guidance of the state Department of Health and the governor’s office.
Doing so could have an impact on graduations. Rivera said a team has been assembled to tackle that
issue, looking at state and federal regulations and other issues to make sure high school seniors can get their diplomas.
“We’re going to do whatever we have to,” Rivera said.
Rivera said extending the school year past June 30, the date when school district’s fiscal year ends, is not an option.
“By statute we can’t extend school past June 30,” he said.
Rivera said he understands the fears and frustrations that educators, students and parents are feeling because of the shutdown.
“These times are absolutely uncertain,” he said. “These times are certainly scary. We can feel extremely vulnerable at these times.”
Cooperation and understanding are the ways to overcome that, he said.
“Let’s stand together,” he said. “Let’s continue to work together and together we’re going to get through this. We’re going to get through this, but we’re only going to get through this together.”