Please know that we are working around the clock to get answers to the many questions you have about how we’re going to deal with the COVID-19 emergency. We are working with Gov. Tom Wolf, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, and legislators to pass a bill that will provide clear state-wide policy for public schools as they confront this emergency. We’re making excellent progress, but your legislators need to hear from you about this.
Here’s what you need to know
We’ve worked with Gov. Wolf and legislators on a comprehensive COVID-19 emergency bill. And we’re encouraging them to pass it as quickly as possible. Here’s what the bill would do:
- Ensure all employees, particularly education support professionals, are paid;
- Ensure no employee loses retirement credit that they otherwise would have earned pursuant to the Public School Employees’ Retirement System;
- Waive the 180-day school year requirement;
- Increase the number of permissible flexible instructional days;
- Require PDE to apply for a federal waiver for relief from PSSA and Keystone Exam testing requirements and authorize the secretary to waive NOCTI and NIMS exams for career and technical education students;
- Ensure that school entities provide proper protective gear for custodians who provide deep cleaning of potentially infected school buildings; and
- Waive the twelve-week student teacher requirement.
Thank you and stay tuned
Please take a moment to contact your legislators so that we can pass this important bill.
We’re going to get through this together.
