2022 Education Summit

Exploring the Current & Future Issues Affecting Pennsylvania Schools

City & State PA's 2022 Pennsylvania Education Summit will cover the most pressing topics affecting the state’s educators and institutions of learning in 2022-23. This half-day virtual event will offer industry executives, public sector leaders and academics the opportunity to share ideas and debate over critical issues such as education equity, post-pandemic learning gaps, reduced college enrollment, and statewide funding for education.

1:00 PM	Welcome Remarks By Emcee Greg Salisbury, Senior Editor, City & State PA
1:05 PM	Keynote Remarks By Eric Hagarty, Acting Secretary; Pennsylvania Department of Education
1:20 PM	Reimagining Equitable Public Education in a Post-Pandemic World The intense challenges facing the education system, brought into sharp relief by the pandemic, have created opportunities to forge new paths. Throughout an extended period of remote learning, access to technology became a more obvious determinant of student success than ever. Statewide teacher shortages have further complicated these issues. How do we take best advantage of this opportunity to reimagine and reengineer the policies and practices that have benefited some students over others? Moderated By Harrison Cann, Reporter, City & State PA Panelists: Ronald Cowell, President; The Education Policy and Leadership Center Dr. Tony Watlington, Superintendent; Philadelphia Schools Laura Boyce, Executive Director, Teach Plus Pennsylvania David Hardy, Distinguished Senior Fellow, The Commonwealth Foundation Senator Lindsey Williams, Pennsylvania State Senator
2:20 PM	Higher Education and Meeting the Challenges of Workforce Development Pennsylvania employers need a more qualified pool of job candidates with the degrees and credentials to fill gaps in the workforce, but the population of traditional college students isn’t large enough to meet that need. Declining enrollment has been a major issue for PA’s schools, but now that Pennsylvania’s state universities have received an historic funding increase the next phase of the system’s redesign is underway. How is higher education adapting to meet the changing needs of employers and students? What are some innovative new ways our schools can educate non-traditional students, many of whom have left college but want to complete their degree or learn in non-traditional ways. What are some examples of training programs that address the needs of minority and rural communities? Our higher education panel will take on these issues and more. Moderated By Jenny DeHuff, Editor-in-Chief, City & State PA Panelists: Charles Patterson, President, Shippensburg University Senator Judith Schwank, Minority Chair of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and a member of the PASSHE Board of Governors Dr. Rebecca Watts, Regional VP, WGU/Western Governors University
3:20 PM	Addressing Pennsylvania's Education Funding Shortfall There is much debate about how adequately Pennsylvania public schools are funded. According to recent reports, Pennsylvania ranks 8th in funding per student, but 44th in the percent that comes from state taxes. Is the state funding formula fair, particularly to growing school districts and those with high poverty? What improvements will be made in underprivileged zip codes for everything from home internet service to laptop access? What new mentorship programs exist to assist our youth? How will special education programs and access to early childhood learning be implemented? The National Education Law Center gives Pennsylvania an A for funding level but an F for funding distribution. With a state budget that includes a record increase in public school funding and a pending lawsuit on the constitutional requirements to fund a public education system, the debate on these questions is hotter than ever. Moderated By Francine Schertzer, Senior Vice President & Chief Content Officer, PCN Panelists: Carrie Lewis DelRosso, Representative, District 33; PA House of Representatives Eric Becoats, ED.D., Superintendent; William Penn School District Sharon Ward, Education Law Center
4:20 PM	Closing Remarks By Emcee Greg Salisbury, Senior Editor, City & State PA
4:30 PM	Summit Concludes

Agenda

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