Welcome to the 2019-20 school year!

By blending our school day through online group live classes with independent parent facilitated time for learning, our families have flexibility in the school day. When parents and school staff communicate openly and consistently, children benefit in reaching unimaginable achievements. The road of learning is not always the easy walking path; sometimes it feels like a marathon for an out of shape non-runner like me. Know in your heart and mind that when our dedicated team of teachers, counselors, and support staff come together with our parents, there will be water breaks, walking sticks for support, a compass for direction, and a tremendous cheering crowd each day. Together, your child will learn online beginning August 26, 2019.

Now, for the politics. You are welcome to stop reading if this not of interest to you. My point in sharing the politics is to let you know that I will not allow the distractions of politics to interfere with the quality education I know our school staff brings to our students. I am on it!

This week has brought me some challenges that hurt my heart. It is not my nature to speak poorly of others in order to make our school look better in the eyes of naysayers; instead, I let our relationships with families, student success, and the work our team does each day speak to the integrity for which we operate our public cyber school. Yes, contrary to anything you may hear, we are a public school beholding the Department of Education, Auditor General, Department of Health, U.S. Department of Education, taxpayers, and most of all, to our parents, who entrust their child’s education to us.

Governor Wolf held a press conference this week in which he pointedly accused public charter schools, mostly public cyber schools, of profiting from taxpayers, and underserving students. The Senate Education Committee held a hearing in which the attacks on the integrity of cyber charter schools continued. To Senator Browne’s credit, he tried multiple times during the hearing to get those who testified to give solutions, not accusations. Our Board of Trustees, and I, support the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) in wanting to join Senator Browne in developing a public school funding solution. It is important to look at all public school funding, monies received and monies spent, by school districts, charter schools, and cyber charter schools. I, along with our Business Manager, Mike Whisman from Charter Choices, welcome a public school funding commission. We do not welcome a one-sided “districts can do it better for less” look at public cyber charter school funding.

On the topic of academic achievement, our school targets the individual growth of a student. While cut scores on a statewide achievement test are required and used as the measuring stick, please know that our lessons are aligned to PA Core and Academic Standards to meet those benchmarks. We focus on your child’s growth, not the measuring stick. Does your child grow from one academic year to another? When we talk about growth, what are we measuring? The answer varies, as it should. Your child is not starting in the same place as the child next door, or across the state. Your child growing in a positive direction toward graduation, and towards being college or career ready is our only areas of focus. Your child’s future is entrusted to us, by you, and it matters. Together, we will make achievement happen. Your child deserves a quality education. Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School provides a quality education to every child who enrolls when parents (home) and our staff (school) come together!

I cannot wait to share in the success of your child this school year!

Warmest wishes,

Mrs. Rossetti
Chief Executive Officer

P.S. To have your voice heard in Harrisburg or in your local area, here is a link to help you find your local legislator's contact information.