Democrat Governor Tom Wolf has ordered all PA schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year as a response to the coronavirus. PA’s education secretary signed the official order on Thursday.
Over 1.7 million students in both public and private schools, grades K-12, will stay home and most will learn via online remote classes.
There is no specific date for all, as each school district has their own academic calendar. The order states for schools to remain closed until the end of their particular school year.
6ABC reports that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf worked with Pedro Rivera, Education Secretary, and Dr. Rachel Levine, state health secretary, to make the decision.
Wolf stated that “Schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, but that doesn’t mean learning is stopping in Pennsylvania… Teaching and learning will continue. Free meals for kids will continue. Connections will continue.”
A much criticized superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia responded. He stated “That doesn’t change what we intend to do with respect to remote learning, but it does answer the question of whether or not we will return to the school building… but it is why the remote learning plan is so critically important.”
Hite has been heavily criticized over the years as being ineffective and taking large raises while his teachers fought for years without a raise or union contract.
It’s also rumored that Hite has a personal driver while many of his schools are overpopulated, understaffed, lack sufficient supplies, buildings are falling apart, and school lunches are barely edible, and staff receiving only $100 allotment for buying school supplies for a classroom that often has 30 students.