Exasperated sighs of parents could be heard throughout the state last week when Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera announced that schools would be closed through at least April 6 as a result of COVID-19 response efforts.
Everybody – parents, students, teachers and even school districts – had (and continue to have) countless questions. What does online learning entail? Will students be forced to attend school throughout the summer? What’s the impact on graduating high school seniors? How will children of low-income families without the internet participate in class?
In order to address these concerns, Rivera hosted a press call on Wednesday, March 25, during which he shared high-level details on steps the state Department of Education is taking to ensure continuity of learning.
According to Rivera, the state’s 29 intermediate units, including Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, are working with individual school districts to provide technical assistance and develop instructional plans for all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners.
“We’re not waiting to see what ultimately happens week to week or month to month,” he said. “What we’re doing right now is engaging our intermediate units to create and support schools with plans.”
The PDE is encouraging districts that are able to transition to online learning to do so as quickly as possible. Several, including Centennial School District, have already distributed devices to students.
“We are strongly urging school districts to not wait and stand on the periphery, but to really engage students and provide education opportunities,” Rivera said.
For districts that don’t have the resources to make this switch, Rivera said the PDE is working with Gov. Tom Wolf to utilize existing dollars to help areas with less access. Intermediate units are also stepping in to see how education can be provided if online learning is simply not an option.
“We’re working really hard to not transfer a huge bulk of this cost to the school districts, especially our lowest-resource districts,” he said.
Rivera named the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network as a vital resource for those who are apprehensive about online education. Funded by the PDE, the PaTTAN provides tips and information on learning from home, especially for families of students with special needs. Details are available at pattan.net.
“It requires flexibility, it requires collaboration, and finally, it requires a lot of communication between schools and families,” Rivera said. “We want to commend our educators who have been reaching out and speaking to parents and staying connected.”
While Rivera said it’s a possibility that schools could be closed past April 6, the school year cannot legally be extended past June 30. The PDE will receive guidance from Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine on whether the final weeks of school will be face-to-face or virtual.
When asked about the fate of high school seniors, and whether they’ll be able to graduate on time, Rivera said these teens are a priority.
“We put a full team on it to really identify and look at federal state law and work on a pathway to allow those kids to graduate this year,” he said. “We’re doing whatever we need to do to make sure those students are given the resources and the access they need to not only graduate, but graduate prepared as well. They’re at the top of our agenda.”
Vonda Ramp, state director for child nutrition programs, spoke about efforts being taken to ensure students have access to breakfast and lunch during the closure.
“We tend to forget that’s part of the normal school day, and now that the school schedule is disrupted, we realize how valuable those meals are for the students,” Ramp said, adding that many districts are offering grab-and-go meals. “We tremendously applaud the efforts and the hard work that our school nutrition directors and their staff are doing, as well as community organizations.”
As the world works to navigate itself through this unprecedented public health crisis, Rivera, a parent of two school-aged children, shared a few final words.
“These times are absolutely uncertain. These times are scary and I think as leaders, as educators, as parents and students, we can feel extremely vulnerable at this time,” he said. “But teachers have been doing extraordinary things with time and technology and the resources given to them, everything from video and checking in, to even driving down the streets to visit their students. Let’s continue to stand together. Let’s continue to work together. We’re going to make it through this.”
The coronavirus situation continues to evolve on an hourly basis. Some of this information may have changed. Please check education.pa.gov/COVID19 for updates.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
