Letters: Supporting canceled festivals; Remote learning shows disparity in Pa. schools

Time to celebrate, not undermine, environmental accomplishments

This week’s 50th Anniversary of Earth Day is a good time to celebrate Pennsylvania’s many environmental accomplishments. Streams polluted by acid drainage and sewage have been cleaned up, abandoned mines have been reclaimed, and our air and drinking water is cleaner. More remains to be done but the results have been transformative. Unfortunately, rather than build on this progress, the Republican-controlled legislature has quietly seen fit to reverse course with a series of bills aimed at undermining our environmental regulations and 50 years of progress. Here are just a few: Senate Bill 619 changes the definition of water pollution under the Clean Streams Law, effectively making most spills and discharges no longer pollution. House Bill 509 delegates DEP decisions on permit reviews to third parties with no protections to the public or from conflict of interest. House Bill 1107 creates a politically appointed, five-member commission with no particular qualifications to administer all DEP permitting actions, of which there are thousands a year. This is just a sampling. There are many more. Earth Day indeed!

Supporting canceled festivals

Many of us were saddened recently to learn that the summer festivals and events we anxiously anticipate have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although not surprising, seeing official announcements that Central PA Festival of the Arts, People’s Choice Festival, Central PA 4th Fest, Phillipsburg Heritage Days, PA Special Olympics, and other events would not happen this year was disheartening. These events provide welcome opportunities to come together in celebration and support of our community. We needed that this year more than ever, yet, like so many other things, it simply is not feasible to hold them.

It is important for all of us to remember that these events represent a full year of planning and preparation for those who make them happen. Many of the costs accrue whether or not the event occurs, yet much of the income comes from holding the events. This is not a year to skip our annual donation to our favorite festival or event because it has been canceled. If possible, it is a year to increase it. If we have been meaning to make a contribution but haven’t, this is the year to start giving if we can. Let’s all show our eagerness to see these events return next year better than ever through the financial support that makes it possible.

Let’s also remember to spend money locally to help area businesses, whose losses will be considerable when people stay home rather than coming to Centre County this summer.

Remote learning shows disparity in Pa. schools

Your recent article from April 9th (“A quarter of BEA students don’t have internet access. Here’s how remote learning will take place”) highlights the differences school districts in Pennsylvania regarding their ability to transition to online instruction. The Bald Eagle Area School District is not unlike districts across the state trying to find the necessary resources to ensure students in their districts are able to learn while schools are closed.

An unexpected event like the COVID-19 pandemic can reveal the fault lines in society – in Pennsylvania, one of those major fault lines is the gap between school districts that are the “haves” and school districts that are the “have-nots.”

This disparity is a symptom of Pennsylvania’s inadequate school funding system. And the disparities exist all the time. They are seen in differences in course options, class sizes, number of critical support staff like counselors and librarians, and availability of classroom resources. This is exactly the kind of inequities that the PA Schools Work coalition has been working to rectify for years.

Where a child lives has entirely too much bearing on what kind of public education they get. Once Pennsylvania emerges from the current crisis, we must make sure that all students have the resources they need to achieve, no matter where they live. As districts face even more financial uncertainty, this will mean more assistance from the federal government, but it also means a commitment from state government that no district will see cuts in funding next school year.