On July 16, 2020, Steve Sharp, PSCA's current President, participated in a panel discussion entitled "Toward Racial Justice - A Conversation on Race & Education." This conversation was live-streamed on YouTube by public broadcasting station WITF out of Harrisburg, PA. It was part of a series of virtual community conversations hosted by Charles Ellison addressing systemic racism and injustice in Central Pennsylvania and beyond. Other panel members included: Dr. Nikole Holland-Sims, Educational Consultant and trainer from PATTAN Harrisburg; Casey Stokes-Rodriguez, social worker in the Harrisburg School District; and the Honorable Peter Groff, former President of the Colorado State Senate and Obama-administration appointee and Education Adviser.
All of the panel members addressed the issues of resource inequities based on zip codes in the Commonwealth. These resources included access to instruction by March 31st, access to technology, and even access to food. The current pandemic has magnified these inequities as well as the achievement gaps present between school districts in PA and groups of students within those schools. It is no secret that students of color have suffered the most from these lack of resources. This conversation has now come to the forefront because of the crisis that has shut down schools and access to quality education.
To watch this exciting conversation unfold, click here.
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