public-schools
Biden pitches big boosts in education and health spending in budget request
The president’s $1.5 trillion request seeks to spend $769 billion on discretionary programs not related to defense — a 16% increase over the current fiscal year. The proposal is in sharp contrast to Trump administration budget requests during the past four years that sought to scale back the size of most domestic programs.
State pushes hybrid school week as COVID-19 cases surge
The Thursday announcement by Education Secretary Pedro Rivera came one day after the Wolf administration cracked down on nightclubs, bars and restaurants to curb a weeks-long surge in new COVID-19 cases.
School safety grants to cover laptops, hand sanitizer in 2020
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday that schools across the commonwealth can begin to apply for a combined $150 million in School Health and Safety Grants, which can be used to purchase cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment; to provide mental health services and professional development to students and staff; and to retrofit school buildings to promote social distancing.
Remote instruction begins for Philly public schools, meal distribution changes
The school district has distributed approximately 75,000 Chromebooks to help students participate in digital learning activities. Students and families can drop off Chromebooks in need of repair or service at one of two parent and family technology support centers.
Map: Pa. education officials hit the road to hear input on new science standards
The department recently announced a statewide listening tour to collect public input as Pennsylvania prepares to reboot its K-12 science standards for the first time in 20 years.
Bill restoring school police arrest powers headed to Wolf
A bill that will let school police officers in Pennsylvania resume making arrests is headed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk, after securing final approval from the state Senate on Thursday. The chamber’s 39-14 vote reverses a mistake lawmakers made in June, when they approved a bill that inadvertently stripped school police officers of that authority. […]
Pa. lawmakers accidentally took away school police officers’ ability to make arrests
Eighty districts across Pennsylvania employed a combined 617 school police officers during the 2017-18 school year, according to the most recent state data.
In 2017, Pa. lawmakers outlawed ‘lunch shaming.’ Now, alternative meals are back.
School administrators say a well-intentioned policy change in the state’s sprawling school code has allowed lunch debt to skyrocket.
Wolf, lawmakers need to think big on education funding | Opinion
By Susan Spicka In his annual budget address to lawmakers this Tuesday, many public education advocates are hoping that Gov. Tom Wolf will propose, and that the Legislature will support, a bold new investment in public education that includes at least $400 million in basic education funding, $100 million in special education funding, and $10 […]