Guest Opinion: After 2020, how is Bill Senavaitis still a PSEA leader?
During Summer 2020 I was told by numerous people that the Pennsylvania teachers union (PSEA) had absolutely no influence over the decision whether to open schools in Bucks County. Two years later and several thousand emails obtained via the Right-to-Know requests, I see that wasn't the case. I have also realized that the people who kept schools closed were either scared of COVID or scared of the PSEA.
This is just the beginning of the story I will tell about why it was so hard to get children back into school in our area. Keep in mind that Bucks County had more kids attend in-person education than surrounding counties, thanks to our health director and the parents and school board directors who fought to make it happen.
Central Bucks School District is the largest suburban school district in Pennsylvania. Up until July 17, 2020, former superintendent Dr. John Kopicki had been telling parents that school would open for a full five days per week. Without board approval, he reversed course and made the decision to switch the entire district of 18,000 students to “hybrid” education.
In announcing his decision, Dr. Kopicki incorrectly characterized the state guidelines. Then district opted to measure desks from edge to edge rather than from center to center. After the measurements were taken this way, Kopicki claimed there wasn’t enough space to open schools, when from center to center there was. His actions resulted in kids only attending school two days per week. Secondary students weren’t even allowed to eat lunch in school.
Dr. Kopicki was enabled to keep kids out of school by then-PSEA Mideastern Regional President Bill Senavaitis. Senavaitis spoke out against Bucks County Health Director Dr. David Damsker, the board-certified public health doctor who was giving parents hope that children could have a relatively normal school year.
First, Mr. Senavaitis pressured the Bucks County Commissioners to change Dr. Damsker’s guidance. Then he wrote opinion articles bashing Dr. Damsker for allowing schools to use 3-foot distancing instead of 6-foot, one of many disease prevention strategies that the CDC would ultimately shift toward Dr. Damsker's earlier guidance.
In August 2020, the PSEA state president sent a letter to the Bucks County Commissioners once again pressuring them to change Dr. Damsker’s guidance so that kids could be kept out of school. Dr. Damsker did not change his guidance, but Mr. Senavaitis’ attacks helped enable Dr. Kopicki to keep Central Bucks schools closed.
Senavaitis called candidates for school board, who he characterized as not being "pro-public education", “jerks” in his PSEA newsletter. Now he's listed as president-elect for the PSEA's Mideastern Region. Is this the type of leadership the PSEA wants representing this organization? Is this the type of organization politicians want endorsing them?
Two years later, we now know that Dr. Damsker was correct about learning loss and social distancing. Bill Senavaitis' July 23, 2020 guest opinion, titled “David Damsker’s remarks about 3-foot social distancing in schools are harmful,” is a personal and professional humiliation for him. We need to ask why he is in a leadership role in the PSEA.
The PSEA under Mr. Senavaitis’ leadership advocated for thousands of children to be unnecessarily kept from school. That speaks volumes about the PSEA and should make every citizen and especially parents wonder what type of organization is influencing our district administrators, our school board, and our kids.
Recently, the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that 20 years of educational growth has been wiped out by the last two years of learning loss. This predictable outcome lays at the feet of men like Dr. Kopicki and Mr. Senavaitis.
All the emails and documents that inform my opinions can be found at www.parentshavetherighttoknow.com.
Jamie Walker is a Central Bucks School District mom of three and a former teacher. She lives in Chalfont.
This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Guest Opinion: After 2020, how is Bill Senavaitis still a PSEA leader?
