This message was sent to ##Email## June 25, 2020 Home  |   Membership  |   Conference  |   Support  |   Publications  |   Contact Us Subscribe  |   Archive  |   Advertise      NYSSCA UPDATE Board of Regents Reopening Task Force NYSED NYSSCA Board Members were invited and participated during the School Reopening Task Force Regional meetings which were organized by the Board of Regents to help guide schools as they continue to educate or students — whether in person, remotely, or some combination of the two. Four Regional Task Force meetings were held and were comprised of parents, teachers, school and district leaders, non-instructional staff, school board members and health experts from every region of the State. The Board of Regents feels, that by working with these partners, they can ensure that the issues of health, safety, and educational equity always come first. Our Board Members, Region 9 Governor, Diana Daigler; President ElectElect Mark Mason; Middle Level Vice President Marjorie Miller; Vice President Directors and Supervisors, Kristen Shearer; VP Secondary, Jeannette Alomia; and Executive Director, Bob Rotunda participated in meetings. Read More, see PPTs and view meeting recordings on the NYSED Webpage. Race Issues and Anti-Racism Resources ASCA School counselors are advocates for the equitable treatment of all students in school and in the community. School counselors must be prepared to talk to students about race issues and anti-racism. Get resources from ASCA HERE. The NYSSCA Board has created a statement Condemning Violence and Institutional Racism linked HERE. Save the Date!! Innovation thru Collaboration! NYSSCA 2020 Conference — Proposal Deadline June 30 NYSSCA Registration, Call for Programs and other details available now!! School-Reentry Planning and Guidelines ASCA With the 2019-2020 school year largely complete, schools are now looking at reentry and the implications for their school counseling programs. School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social and Emotional Learning and Mental and Behavioral Health Amidst COVID-19 provides some insights. A collaboration between ASCA and the National Association of School Psychologists, the document also discusses how to ensure staff feel their physical and mental health needs are supported, as well as the importance of ensuring policies ensure equity and access for all youth. Additionally, on the ASCA website you'll find a number of reentry documents and recommendations, including guidance from CASEL, American Federation of Teachers, CDC and others. This page is updated regularly as new information becomes available.  READ MORE    SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by NY ARMY NATIONAL GUARD NY Army National Guard | Supporting Our Communities | Always Ready, Always There New Soldiers Get Five Guaranteed Civilian Job Interviews And Paid Career Training Learn About 100% College Tuition Assistance With The National Guard We Offer Our Soldiers Up To A $20,000 Enlistment Bonus | Learn More The Guard Offers Paid Career Training In 150+ Jobs   Coronavirus News & Guidance for School Counselors NYSSCA Check out our website for updates and future zoom meetings. Click on the graphic for the latest updates. Recordings from our Innovation through Collaboration school counselor support meetings and our In-School to Distance Learning Level Meetings are available on this webpage.    AROUND THE INDUSTRY How educators can begin to dismantle racism in the classroom By Sheilamary Koch (commentary) People in all 50 states continue to take to the streets to support Black Lives Matter and demand an end to racial injustice. Meanwhile, a surge of interest in race and race relations has prompted people to seek out films and books on racism. For this uprising to significantly change the trajectory of 400 years of oppression, radical changes must also permeate the classrooms, hallways and playgrounds of our nation's schools.  READ MORE A Supreme Court ruling keeps DACA in place for now — But what's next? Education DIVE A 5-4 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court keeps the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in place and protects thousands of educators, students and families from deportation — for now. The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, found the Trump administration's termination of DACA to be "arbitrary and capricious" and lacking adequate reasoning or consideration for issues resulting from it. Among the concerns: hardships that would be incurred to DACA recipients.  READ MORE ACT, SAT 'test optional' college admissions gain ground. But schools and students should be skeptical Education Week Efforts to remove college admissions tests such as the ACT and SAT from application requirements are gaining momentum this year, with more than half of four-year universities offering to make the tests optional at least in some cases, particularly for students coping with massive testing disruptions this spring. Yet the tests have not taken as much of a back seat in the college process as students and schools may believe, and it's not yet clear what role they will play in students' paths to college after the immediate chaos of the pandemic.  READ MORE 5 anti-racism videos for school staff We Are Teachers The killing of George Floyd has revealed the crack in America's porcelain foundation — racism is as pervasive as it's ever been. Protests across the country reveal the undertones of discrimination Black people face daily in the streets, on their jobs, and in schools. The effects of COVID-19 seem to have heightened the dire need for effective change on all fronts. Even if the virus physically separates teachers from colleagues and students, discussing racism — or better, ways to employ anti-racism — should be on every school's agenda for the returning school year.  READ MORE High school graduations — a balancing act between tradition and pandemic West Virginia Public Broadcasting High schools throughout the United States and in West Virginia have had to reimagine graduation for the Class of 2020. Many have already had drive-through, or drive by, graduations, some have done virtual ones, and others hold out hope to also have some sort of traditional ceremony later this summer. For about 18,000 high school seniors in West Virginia, the final semester of their student career was turned upside down because of the coronavirus pandemic.  READ MORE 4 ways to incorporate inclusive practices District Administration Magazine As school leaders plan for in-person classes, remote learning or a combination of both for this school year, it will be important to incorporate inclusive practices to strengthen students' academic and social growth. Being mindful about the academic and social needs of students with disabilities in inclusive settings can help students be more engaged with learning, says Paula Kluth, a consultant who works with teachers and families on inclusive practices. It can also benefit all students by creating a supportive and connected school community.  READ MORE 'A punch to the gut': Dealing with suicide in a pandemic Education Week California schools closed in mid-March to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In the first full week of April, Chris Evans, the superintendent of a Sacramento-area school district, received a call one evening informing him that two high school students had died by suicide in the past 24 hours. One was from his district, Natomas Unified, the other from a neighboring district.  READ MORE The educator's guide to executive functions: How to understand and support students in need ADDitude Magazine Executive functioning develops more slowly in students with ADHD. Teachers may notice delays in the mental processes that help children concentrate, plan and organize their classroom work. Helping begins with explaining EFs — setting up students to advocate for themselves — and requires creative strategies to achieve success in school.  READ MORE 5 essential areas of focus for special education programs this fall Tech & Learning While technology can help improve efficiency and effectiveness in your special education program, managing the balance between access and legal sensitivity requires thoughtful attention to detail, says Chris Draper, an IEP consultant who recently co-presented "Future Proofing for SPED Supports" with Susan Gentz, a public policy expert, at the Future Proofing Your District conference. District leaders are planning for different scenarios when students return this fall — on campus, remote and hybrid. Whether special education students are on or off campus, Draper and Gentz recommend important areas of focus in special education programs to help get the year off to a good start.  READ MORE Middle school is often difficult —Try experiencing it under quarantine The Hechinger Report Leah Hampton, an eighth grader at Falling Creek Middle School in Virginia, likes to joke that without her friends, she'd sleep through school. Seeing them was "the best part of the day," she said. "They woke me up before my classes." Her mother, Leomia Hampton, says that after classes went online in mid-March, that wasn’t far from the truth. "It's very difficult to keep her motivated, very difficult to even keep her awake," she said of working with her daughter at home.  READ MORE Why schools are not holding students back to address COVID-19 learning loss Education Week One thing is clear from this spring: Countless students will start next school year with considerable learning loss. But for most districts, there's one option for catching students up that isn't on the table: holding them back a grade. Superintendents in several big city school districts, including Baltimore and Boston, have said publicly that they won't retain students due to their academic performance during the school closure period.  READ MORE 4 ways schools can prepare for the future of e-Learning eSchool News The pandemic has struck the education system especially hard as schools had to swiftly adjust operations to fit within a remote learning environment. Now, as many schools take the summer months to map out a plan and prepare for the start of a new school year come September, administrations are working to find the most successful and efficient ways to adopt learning models that can accommodate an extended period of e-Learning.  READ MORE NYSSCA Today Connect with NYSSCA Recent Issues | Subscribe | Unsubscribe  | Advertise | Web Version  Dennis Hall, Director of Publishing, MultiView, 469-420-2656 | Download media kit Hailey Golden, Senior Education Editor, 469-420-2630 | Contribute news New York State School Counselor Association P.O. Box 217 | Leicester, New York 14481 | Contact Us  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063