[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5980924,"mediaKeyId","5798590-60f3c1a2ace2bbe7cf52e074d808fc31","parentId",5798590,"title","Communications committee agrees to hire local producer for six podcast/video sessions, to reallocate existing communications funds","audioSeconds",183,"startMs",32840,"endMs",216015,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5798590-60f3c1a2ace2bbe7cf52e074d808fc31&start=32&end=216","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5798590-60f3c1a2ace2bbe7cf52e074d808fc31/thumbnail_32840.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5980924/Pennsylvania/Communications-committee-agrees-to-hire-local-producer-for-six-podcastvideo-sessions-to-reallocate-existing-communications-funds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980924-cc8d51f091793d658b5fe6b74577ebca/orig.mp4?Expires=1775003134&Signature=n8rh2-WGPt3EOBDTBE622Jx0V0NDeoFT30OR4cgp1YZ5jo3bzpLwK28FaaJxl7WbJ12vuvW83hsBh2sBuXrl910GDeEE~930neTuJngvaOuhkI9q88RHhkh3MpzNF4BOMV5Ecwtwh0nL~IZM2dW0HNbjnDDHD3SDrjtEk91UfSowx0fkdlG~b56JPYTNgnM5KJqEnlZ7gmcO6xiEQGzoKcoMAvLpqukRS1SAZGKZywjf9fNT~C~UmQH7e1hTurYOPgADNLkQN~~-yto~~VXEPum5hQbCZ0hUXXzeOyr3JbViLeKCLPYElG96x9axfj59pTmPXKhx5C9Y5CznCCe-Xw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Quakertown Community School District","date","2025-09-17T09:48:25Z","article","The Communications Technology Committee on Sept. 15 agreed to move forward with a contract to hire local producer Adam Finger to record and produce an initial six podcast/video sessions and short promotional pieces, committee members said.
Dr. Missy Friedman, the district communications lead, told the committee she lacks studio space, lighting and professional filming equipment and asked the committee to hire a contractor. \"I don't have a studio space to do the recording. I don't have the film, equipment to do it, the lighting. I have none of those things,\" Friedman said.
The committee agreed the contract would be funded from existing communications budget lines rather than a new appropriation. Friedman identified two line items with available funds: $5,000 allocated for travel and lodging and $15,000 budgeted for postage. A committee member said taking funds from one of those lines would be acceptable because Friedman did not expect to use them as originally budgeted.
Why it matters: The multimedia work — part of a new weekly newsletter package and a planned monthly video/podcast called Take 5 with Dr. Friedman — would create a recorded archive, promotional materials and a video option for events that not all community members can attend. The committee framed the work as a pilot (six sessions) to test community interest and analytics before committing to a longer contract.
Most important facts
- Scope: six recorded podcast/video sessions and promotional ads to support the weekly newsletter and district communications. The proposal explicitly includes filmed episodes and short promotional spots for future outreach.
- Funding: committee members agreed to reallocate existing communications funds (identified during the meeting as a $5,000 travel/lodging line and a $15,000 postage line) to pay for the contract; no new appropriation was requested.
- Timing: the six-session contract was described as a pilot that could produce roughly one filmed episode per month during the school year. Friedman said the newsletter will continue weekly but that a monthly cadence for filmed episodes is more realistic.
- Student work considered: staff discussed prior and ongoing student-produced video work and a high-school studio, but said student projects are currently in use or delayed and that professional production would ensure consistent, timely deliverables.
Supporting details and background
Friedman told the committee she had discussed mixing district and school events into a unified calendar and asked Apogee (the vendor name referenced in the meeting) to provide website-traffic charts for the district and its seven school sites so staff can see where users go and which pages attract attention. \"I reached out to Apdigi to give me a chart for each 1 of our websites. So that would be all 7 of our schools, as well as the district's website,\" she said. (Apogee/Apdigi was named in the discussion; the committee said it will review those analytics once the vendor produces them.)
Committee members and staff described prior in-house and professionally produced videos. One staff member said a professionally produced elective-night video created by Laura Bishop's team drew significant engagement and that professionally produced pieces have different reach and reusability compared with in-house student projects.
Friedman said the district's recent Take 5 with Dr. Friedman newsletter had strong early engagement and that video could reach people who cannot attend in-person events: \"The Take 5 with Doctor Friedman newsletter we put out, had over 1,200 views in less than a week.\" Committee members cited that engagement as evidence the multimedia pilot could increase outreach.
Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: Committee members discussed options for using student-produced material versus hiring a professional; the cadence of episodes (monthly vs. weekly); the need for professional lighting, crew and editing to produce promotional material; and coordination with school events such as \"Coffee in a Queue\" and back-to-school nights.
- Direction: Staff were directed to obtain website-traffic reports from Apogee/Apdigi for the district and each school so the committee can review audience data before further decisions. Friedman and staff will proceed with contracting for six sessions, funded from existing communications lines, and bring analytics and outcomes back to the committee for evaluation.
- Formal action: The committee resolved to proceed with the contract by consensus; no formal roll-call vote was recorded during the meeting.
Implementation and next steps
Friedman will share the website analytics and the proposed deliverables for the Adam Finger contract with the committee for follow-up review. The pilot is designed to allow the committee to analyze audience metrics and then decide whether to expand the number of filmed episodes or adjust the budget line items.
Ending
Committee members said they supported testing the approach before expanding the program. The committee will reconvene on the communications items after staff provides the Apogee website-traffic report and the contractor's scope and contract terms.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 16, 2025 QCSD Communications Committee","oneSentenceSummary","The Communications Technology Committee on Sept. 15 agreed to move forward with a contract to hire local producer Adam Finger to record and produce an initial six podcast/video sessions and short promotional pieces, committee members said.","taxTitle","Quakertown Community SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",53596,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5980920,"Committee discusses state budget outreach and cyber charter funding concerns; staff to contact PASBO/PASA for coordinated action",505,1217680,1723210,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5798590-60f3c1a2ace2bbe7cf52e074d808fc31&start=1217&end=1723","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5798590-60f3c1a2ace2bbe7cf52e074d808fc31/thumbnail_1217680.jpg","/articles/5980920/Pennsylvania/Committee-discusses-state-budget-outreach-and-cyber-charter-funding-concerns-staff-to-contact-PASBOPASA-for-coordinated-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980920-cd9ae0c6af512215ce3f5b6a98ef846f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775003134&Signature=b7DxVUa~XqC6Mqpq5k2aEuBTf3yHBZBXDHpE3v1VprGZN-McskY~dX4mfg8ZDxygFD4-SV3hVvKjd3OoYznPylOC4BBA2Tf9u9KmPPeC2uVpMRZ5xXpvfdeF34VBhB6zwDOx3D-xUz0fIaiq5qFiOI7tXviLRfl-RTeutOLF5epgVaVMDaKe3HyzkUK3gMBoBhIRFKbqnbwvXSMgQdfLWVYxspPdywpuOChooXGjKbvOsbTa-lERp5S0iH-M80Y6QTEI223G4fJpcaRHgS0mVbrLM8WlEnTjLrpZpvsv4CKdL3G90XOG-BMQ9tdCWO7mRMiolgk~-N3iw7oSzelfzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members on Sept. 15 discussed outreach to state officials and the broader education community about the pending Pennsylvania state budget, and they directed staff to follow up with state associations for coordinated district action.
An unnamed staff member described recent conversations at the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) and said a lawyer who works at the state capitol had briefed attendees about budget status and potential next steps. The staff member said cyber charter funding and the nomination of the state education secretary had become political flash points: \"they pulled the nomination of the secretary of education, Gary Roe...\" the staff member said, describing one factor slowing the budget process.
The committee also discussed cyber charter funding and safety standards for fully remote students. A staff member told the committee that legislative proposals under discussion include a possible cap on cyber charter funding and additional requirements for students enrolled full-time in cyber programs. \"Students that go full cyber that are not required to go in person anywhere, there is a huge safety concern that right now in school code that, kids could go full cyber and never be on camera,\" the staff member said, raising concerns about attendance verification and student safety.
Why it matters: Changes to state funding for cyber charter schools and the school budget timetable would directly affect district planning, finance and student safety protocols. Committee members said coordinated outreach — potentially a joint letter or collection of community responses — could be used to press the state legislature and administration on budget and policy issues.
Key points
- Outreach options: Staff said PASBO (Pennsylvania Association for School Business Officials) had offered to help draft or coordinate a letter from districts and community partners; an intermediate unit (IU) legal contact would prepare a collective legal-style letter for electronic signatures.
- Staff direction: Committee members agreed staff should reconnect with PASBO and other districts, pursue a meeting and report back to the board or superintendent's group with recommendations for community outreach.
- Cyber charter funding and safety: Staff reported conversations at PASA indicating a possible cap on cyber charter funding is closer than before; however, stakeholders debate whether caps should be paired with safety or programmatic requirements. Staff noted cyber providers argue a cap would undermine their operations but that many superintendents disagree with that characterization.
Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: Committee members discussed state-level processes, political dynamics delaying budget passage, and possible actions the district and community could take to influence policy.
- Direction/assignment: Staff were asked to contact PASBO to schedule a meeting, to ask the IU about collective-letter options, and to report back at a superintendent meeting or the next committee update.
- Formal action: No formal vote or board resolution was recorded in the transcript; committee gave staff direction to pursue outreach and report back.
Clarifying details and context
Staff said statewide associations and intermediate units are actively discussing both cyber charter funding and safety requirements and that some districts have already contacted their legislators. Committee members noted the unknowns in the state budget process can directly affect the district calendar and planning. One staff comment described a legislative proposal that would withhold school openings until a state budget passed, an idea that would have statewide operational implications if enacted.
Ending
Staff will follow up with PASBO and the intermediate unit and provide an update to the superintendent's meeting and to the committee. Committee members expressed willingness to participate in coordinated outreach on behalf of the district if a draft letter or collection mechanism is prepared.","Committee members discussed possible community outreach to influence the Pennsylvania state education budget, said contact with PASBO and PASA is planned, and raised concerns about cyber charter funding and student safety in full-time cyber programs.","actionData","errors"]

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Communications committee agrees to hire local producer for six podcast/video sessions, to reallocate existing communications funds

Committee discusses state budget outreach and cyber charter funding concerns; staff to contact PASBO/PASA for coordinated action