ALAS: Leaders in Equity Update

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February 20, 2020

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ALAS NEWS & UPDATES

Dr. Gustavo Balderas Named National Superintendent of the Year!

ALAS

ALAS Board Member & OALA Founder, Dr. Gustavo Balderas, named National Superintendent of the Year! The award ceremony occurred in San Diego, California on Thursday, February 13. Read More.

Statistics in Schools Week: Everyone Counts!

ALAS

Join the U.S. Census Bureau to celebrate counting young children in the 2020 Census at the Great Lakes Science Center!

Did you know that children under 5 are the most likely to be missed in the census count? Cleveland needs all children to be counted in the 2020 Census, which will inform funding for community programs such as schools, child care, housing, and food assistance.

Saturday, February 22, 2020 | 10 am - 1 pm
Great Lakes Science Center
601 Erieside Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114

Webinar: Census 2020, Your Legal Questions Answered

ALAS
Last Friday, February 14th, Lawyers for Civil Rights hosted a webinar that addressed legal concerns surrounding Census 2020.The webinar discussed important issues such as citizenship, confidentiality protections, and the best practices community members can take. Watch the webinar.

ON THE HILL

The U.S Department of Education held a briefing on the Trump Administration Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Request on Monday, February 10, 2020.

ALAS
President Trump has pitched a 7.8 percent cut to Education Department programs in the fiscal 2021 budget proposal.

Trump's $66.6 billion request for the Education Department, representing a $5.6 billion cut from enacted levels, is part of a proposal that would cut billions of dollars in non-defense spending.

Press Release
The FY 2021 Education Budget Summary and Background Information [PDF, 447K] provides program information and detailed budget tables.
FY 2021 Justifications of Appropriations Estimates to the Congress

FY 2021 Budget for the entire U.S. Government

The President's FY 2021 Budget for the entire United States Government

Get a better understanding of assessment scores

Renaissance Learning

Even an assessment expert couldn’t tell the difference between a criterion-referenced test and a norm-referenced test just by looking at them. The difference is actually in the scores—and some tests can provide both! Explore the key differences between criterion-referenced tests and norm-referenced tests and why it’s so important for educators in your district to know the key differences. Learn more

Promoted by Renaissance Learning

The Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL -NCLIS) "Advocating for America's Languages" brief on Capitol Hill

ALAS
The briefing aimed to educate the public on the most pressing challenges facing language learners today, particularly English-Learners (Els).

Considering: 1 in 10 public school students across the United States are learning to speak English, yet only 65% of English Learners graduate high school, compared to the national graduation rate of 83%. There are currently about 5 million students in America that are English learners (ELs) in the public-school system. With this growing number, Representative Langevin (RI-02) has proposed two bills that will help teachers be more prepared to give students, who are ELs, an improved learning experience. These two bills are the Reaching ELs Act and the SPELL Act. The Reaching ELs Act is meant to serve as a grant program that will help teachers become more prepared by participating in several new courses and training, to help them reach the needs of EL students. The SPELL Act is designed to increase loan forgiveness for teachers who will be working with EL students in high-need schools, for at least 5 years. By providing loan forgiveness, the Spell Act grants more opportunities for teachers to help EL students reach their goals. These two acts will provide a more comprehensive teaching approach to students who have been in need for specialized education reform. Read more on Reaching ELs Act and the SPELL Act.

UnidosUS hosts brief for "Latina Teachers" and the "BA Challenge" — Impacts and Conditions of Increasing Requirements in Early Childhood Education

ALAS
In 2018, UnidosUS conducted policy research on Latina teachers working in ECE settings operated by our Affiliate organizations. Our primary purpose was to examine the "BA challenge," namely: the concern that Latina ECE teachers without degrees would lose or leave their positions due to increased educational requirements. Across the United States, many Latina ECE teachers must now have a bachelor's degree or be enrolled in a degree program as a condition of their employment.

[UnidosUS] found minimal evidence that ECE teachers among UnidosUS Affiliates are leaving the field due to increased educational requirements. [Their] research indicated that: the real "BA challenge" is that teachers are seeking degrees but are paid sufficiently and because of this, program caliber declines. Some teachers must finance the entire costs of their degree, which is especially burdensome given their compensation. Additionally, teachers seeking their bachelor's degrees encounter delays due to the misalignment between associate and bachelor's degrees.

UnidosUS recommends the following for federal and state policy: increasing ECE teacher compensation to be proportionalized with job duties; acknowledgement of cultural and linguistic components as essential elements to the success of high-quality ECE programs; and the increased accessibility of hybrid (blended) college and university courses in order to meet the availability demand for teachers.

READ FULL REPORT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meet the ALAS Board of Directors

ALAS


President: Ana V. Ortiz Retired Superintendent Oxford Public Schools Oxford, Connecticut	President Elect: Dr. Francisco Duran Chief Equity Officer; Virginia State Board of Education Member Fairfax County Public Schools Falls Church, Virginia	Treasurer – Director Region 2 Northwest: Dr. Gustavo Balderas Superintendent Eugene School District 4J Eugene, Oregon	Secretary – Region 5 Midwest: Dr. Charles Johns Superintendent Glenbrook High School District 225 Glenview, Illinois


Director – At Large Higher Education: Dr. Maria Ott Executive in Residence USC School of Education Los Angeles, California	Director – Region I West: Dr. Ruth Perez; Superintendent Paramount Unified School District Paramount, California	Director – Region 3 Southwest: Dr. Lily DeBlieux Superintendent Pendergast Elementary School District Phoenix, Arizona	Director – Region 4: Juan E. Cabrera Jr. Superintendent El Paso Independent School District El Paso, Texas


Director – Region 6 Northeast: Dr. Alex Marrero Assistant Superintendent Of Curriculum & Instruction New Rochelle School District Middletown, New York	Director – Region 8 New England: Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez Superintendent Hartford Public Schools Hartford, CT	Director at Large: Dr. Danna Diaz Superintendent of Schools Reynolds School District Reynolds, OR	Director Affiliate At-Large Nora Gutierrez Superintendent Tolleson Union High School District Tolleson, AZ

SPONSORED CONTENT

Promoted by Xello
The Benefit of Career Exploration: A Reality Check for Students eBook: An Educator’s Guide to Developing SEL Skills in Your Students 5 Tips to Help Students with Critical Transitions in Life Does Gender Bias Still Influence Career Choices for Young Learners? How This School District Ensures Every Student Can Be College and Career Ready

ALAS PARTNERS CORNER

The 24/7 Respect Program

Boston Public Schools Office of Equity

The 24/7 Respect program was created by the Boston Public Schools Office of Equity to empower students in grades 6 through 12 to prevent and report bias-based and sexual misconduct in or outside of school.

The BPS Office of Equity won three national grants (Novo Foundation, Teaching Tolerance, and Eversource) to take 24/7 Respect national and have schools across the country pilot the 24/7 Respect video (English version and Spanish version) and hold a discussion with their students this spring.

If you're interested in being a pilot school for the free 24/7 Respect program, please reach out to bpsequity@bostonpublicschools.org or call 617-635-9650 for more information.

CAREERS

New Postings Every Week on ALAS Website!

02/19/20 — Assistant Director II – Early Childhood and Parent as Teachers, School District of Springfield R-12, Springfield, MO
02/19/20 — Principal, Portland Public Schools, Portland, OR
02/19/20 — Principal, Paint Branch High School, Burtonsville, MD
02/19/20 — Principal, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Bethesda, MD
02/19/20 — Superintendent, Provisio Township High School, Forest, IL
02/18/20 — Associate Director of Special Services-Early Childhood, School District of Springfield R-12, Springfield, MO
02/18/20 — Director III – Learning Development, School District of Springfield R-12, Springfield, MO
02/18/20 — Elementary School Principal, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA
02/18/20 — Principal and Chief Academic Officer, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, IL
02/05/20 — Credentialed Teacher,Visions In Education Charter School, Carmichael, CA
02/04/20 — Director of Advanced Learning,Madison Metropolitan School District, Madison, WI
01/31/20 — Principal and Director III Alternative Education, Springfield, Missouri Public School District, Springfield, MO
01/29/20 — Superintendent, North Clackmas School District, Milwaukie, OR
01/24/20 — Director of School Support, Achievement Network (ANet), Las Vegas, NV
01/24/20 — Elementary School Principal, Kentfield School District, Kentfield, CA
01/24/20 — Principal, Kennebunk High School (Regional School Unit 21), Kennebunk, ME
01/24/20 — Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, VA
01/24/20 — Superintendent, Duluth Independent School, District 709, Duluth, MN
01/24/20 — Superintendent, Burlington School District, Burlington, Vermont
01/24/20 — Superintendent, Roanoke City Public Schools, Roanoke, VA
01/24/20 — Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA
01/24/20 — Superintendent, Bend-La Pine Schools, Deschutes County, OR
01/23/20 — Superintendent, Albuquerque Public Schools, Albuquerque, NM
01/13/20 — Administrators, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County, MD
01/13/20 — Superintendent, Lansing School District, Lansing, MI

VISIT ALAS WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES & INFORMATION!

SCHOOL LEADERS NEWS

Thousands of educators, many bilingual, fear deportation

Language Magazine
A powerful Washington Post column, “Our kids are losing one of their best teachers — because he’s a ‘Dreamer’” has focused attention on one of the reasons Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) is a popular and successful program that benefits all of American society. In the column, Max Boot explains how Carlo Barrera, a popular science teacher and soccer coach at a New York City K-8 school, has decided to leave his teaching position due to uncertainty and fears surrounding the precarious status of DACA and the inability of Congress to pass a legislative alternative. READ MORE

Teachers like coaching for PD, but impact could be greater

THE Journal
Educators like being coached. In a national online survey of 1,246 coaches, administrators and teachers, nearly nine in 10 said they found value in coaching as a form of professional development. More than half (52%) said it was "highly" or "very" valuable to them. And exactly half reported that coaching had a positive impact on their practice to a "large" or "great" extent. READ MORE

Managing student safety on school-provided platforms

District Administration Magazine
Gaggle, the pioneer in helping K-12 districts manage student safety on school-provided technology, announced that Georgia's fifth-largest school district is implementing its student safety technology. Clayton County Public Schools in Jonesboro, Ga., is comprised of 37 elementary, 14 middle, and 11 high schools, and will use the technology to protect its students and ensure their safety and well-being in digital learning spaces. READ MORE

Mainstreaming making: Helping teachers and administrators embrace making

Ed Surge
We've heard a lot about the maker movement and the power of making to transform learning and empower students. But the reality is that only some K-12 educators are a part of that movement. That's what researchers heard again and again over the course of a five month research project to understand how educators are incorporating making concepts and activities into their practice. READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

Ethics in STEM education: Going beyond the classroom

THE Journal
When we discuss STEM education, it's easy to focus on acts of teaching and learning. But if our vision of STEM is only confined to the classroom, we risk ignoring a large portion of what the true essence of STEM education is all about. It is more than just a collection of subjects taught in isolation. In its truest form, STEM is a state of mind: a practice of critical thinking and problem-solving that learners engage in throughout life. READ MORE

Free tool to supply broadband speed and pricing data to districts

THE Journal
Later this year a free tool will appear to help school IT organizations get internet speed and pricing information on K-12 broadband connectivity across the United States using publicly available data from the federal Schools and Libraries Program. "Connect K-12" will be produced by Connected Nation with the help of EducationSuperHighway and managed by E-rate specialist Funds For Learning. READ MORE

Using mobile apps for teaching ESL in higher education settings

By Sangeeta Johri (commentary)

Mobile technology in higher education has made a huge impact. Learning platforms enabled by computing technologies, such as online learning, mobile learning, and distance education, provide evidence of the influence of technology in the classroom. Like technology, language learning is always evolving, especially regarding the teaching of ESL/EFL. Since I am teaching ESL in a higher education setting, I will be exploring my vision of the future classroom through mobile apps in this article. READ MORE

4 ways to develop a team of forward-looking tech enthusiasts

EdTech Magazine
Technology plays an increasingly critical role in K–12 classrooms. From collaboration apps to VR/AR equipment, digital learning tools are making instruction more innovative, engaging and inclusive of all students. It's no surprise, then, that educators strongly believe in its value. A 2019 Gallup survey found that 85% of teachers, 96% of principals and 96 percent of administrators support the increased use of tech in their schools. They also said technology helps support content that aligns with curriculum standards and district initiatives to connect learning to future jobs and careers. READ MORE

Why talking about 'screen time' is the wrong conversation

EdSurge
Just about every week new articles warn about the dangers of excessive screen time for childhood development. That can leave parents and educators feeling a sense of anxiety about technology and kids, even as more schools use iPads and Chromebooks and other tech in classrooms. Today on the podcast we're diving into the issue of screen time with a guest who for years has tracked research about the impact of screen media on children and young people. READ MORE

Students say free coding school wildly fails to deliver

The American Genius
Technology changes quickly, and so does the skillset requirement by companies. Many people are finding themselves in the stage of their career path where they may want to try something new — and, not surprisingly, make a nice salary doing it. The launch of coding bootcamps (starting with Code Academy and 2011) has been touted as the solution to educate those on a missing skillset and setting them up for well-paying J-O-Bs. While they intended to meet people where they were with an online platform (offering flexibility to the students and teachers), coding schools have left a little bit to desire by its participants. The learning opportunities are constantly changing. The teachers are also not always available and most likely have other full-time obligations or employment. READ MORE

New York City teens are learning coding and science through dance

Forbes
They're taking part in workshops run by STEM From Dance, a non-profit that hopes to encourage more Black and Latina girls to choose a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Enigeering and Math). This group currently represent only 4% of STEM graduates in the USA, which means that when they do choose to follow a science or technology degree, they'll often feel out of place. READ MORE

POLICY CORNER

Trump budget proposal would merge federal education programs into single block grant, cut billions in school spending

The 74
The Trump administration announced a proposal to cut billions of dollars in education aid, in part by merging dozens of federal education initiatives, from charter school expansions to educating homeless children, into a single grant program. READ MORE

English learner instruction flexibility bill remains in House Rules

Arizona Education News Service
A bill that education advocates say will provide more English learner instruction flexibility was held for a second week in the House Rules Committee. House Concurrent Resolution 2001, sponsored by House Education Committee Vice Chair John Fillmore, would repeal — pending voter approval — the requirement that all children in Arizona public schools be taught English through English instruction in English language classrooms and eliminates the waivers parents must apply for in order to transfer their children to classes that are taught through bi-lingual education techniques. READ MORE

President Trump's school choice proposal leaves students with disabilities behind

The Hechinger Report
In his 2020 State of the Union address, President Donald J. Trump promoted the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act as a means to "rescue" students "trapped in failing government schools." His proposal, however, runs the risk of infringing on the civil liberties of students with disabilities. Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, all public schools — traditional and charter — are required to provide a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. READ MORE

EDUCATION HEADLINES

When sickness sets in, teachers can be reluctant to take sick days

By: Brian Stack (commentary)

My wife Erica recently returned to the elementary classroom after a decade-long hiatus to raise our young family. In late January, she succumbed to her first multiday battle with the flu. She knew she was going to be in trouble when the aches and pains started to set in, then the cough followed almost immediately after. Twenty-four hours later, she was laid up on the couch and miserable. Ironically, for as bad as she felt physically, the guilt she felt from missing her students and her team was significantly more impactful than anything else. READ MORE

Making teams more collaborative

Edutopia
Every high-performing team goes through cycles of growth and development. Educators’ time for collaboration is often stuck after a full day of teaching or crammed into minutes between periods. These helpful strategies will help you reset your collaboration time. READ MORE

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