This message was sent to ##Email## April 9, 2020       Home  |  Membership  |  Events  |  Advocacy  |  Careers  |  Academy Archive  |   Subscribe      SCHOOL LEADERS NEWS School leaders make quick adjustments to online learning District Administration Magazine School leaders navigating coronavirus closures have already made changes on-the-fly to online learning programs to help students and educators overcome the numerous challenges, including access and illness. The Northshore School District (23,500 students) near Seattle was one of the first districts in the country to close schools and move online, and has since had to cope with teachers falling ill, Superintendent Michelle Reid says.  READ MORE Leadership from home in the time of Covid-19 MiddleWeb The strange new world we find ourselves a part of is perplexing to say the least. Honestly, it's hard to know where to begin this post. Educators, if you're anything like me, you've experienced a wide range of emotions since schools closed.  READ MORE As educators figure out distance learning, now is the time to plan for students' return to school. Some things to consider The 74 As the unexpected Great Distance Teaching Experiment of 2020 extends into its second week, teachers and administrators have, for good reason, been heroically focused on creating some semblance of normalcy for their students. This has meant organizing laptop distribution, arranging internet access for families that were not previously connected and ensuring that all students have access to meals that they would otherwise have eaten at school and might not otherwise get.  READ MORE    SPONSORED CONTENT Benchmark Education Free Bilingual Online Library for Four Months District leaders can now arrange a free, four-month subscription to 3,500 e-books in English or Spanish. These leveled literacy and content-area e-books for K-8 students can be used at home or in school. Engaging formats and topics help students make more progress and avoid the summer slump. Click to Request Free Online Library or More Information.   How to align your personal values with career goals in education By: Brian Soika (commentary) There are few things more rewarding than a career in education. Affecting change, instilling knowledge, inspiring hope and driving progress — these are all values on which our educational system is built. It's a noble path for those who are smart, determined and passionate about their career goals. But if you're just starting your career path, the options may seem daunting. Finding a position that aligns with your values ensures a long and satisfying career, but where do you start?  READ MORE With new revenue projections, state, K-12 leaders brace for the worst Education Week State leaders have a better picture now of how deep and widespread fiscal fallout from the coronavirus pandemic will be, and they're warning many K-12 districts to prepare for the worst. The impact on sales and income tax revenue of having so many workers laid off and holed up in their homes for weeks on end will vary from state to state and district to district.  READ MORE What will K-12 schools look like post-coronavirus? EdSurge What will K-12 schools look like after social distancing is over and people reassess what they want from school systems after the pandemic? For this bonus episode of the EdSurge Podcast, we posed that question to Simon Rodberg, a former charter school principal and author of a forthcoming book from ACSD, "What If I'm Wrong? and Other Key Questions for Decisive School Leadership."  READ MORE    TECHNOLOGY What administrators are asking about remote learning EdTech Magazine Over the past few years, many school districts have rolled out e-Learning days — also called remote learning or flexible learning days — to make up for instructional time lost to inclement weather and other unexpected events that push school buildings to close. With a strong e-Learning program in place, educators can continue teaching their curriculum online and help students stay on track academically outside of a classroom setting. It's also an opportunity for districts to see the impact of digital tools on student learning, train staff on educational technology and evaluate their data privacy and security measures.  READ MORE The digital divide leaves millions at a disadvantage during the coronavirus pandemic Language Magazine Amidst the flurry of social media updates about the COVID-19 pandemic, a chart illustrating the importance of flattening the curve has gone viral. The idea is that taking measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 lowers the chances of overwhelming hospitals and increases the chances that all of those who become ill will have access to treatment. The logic behind flattening the COVID-19 curve is intuitive – don’t panic, but be careful.  READ MORE Online courses help teachers learn strategies for supporting DLLs New America Mattie Mendez, executive director for Community Action Partnership of Madera County, runs Head Start Centers for children from migrant families in Madera and Fresno counties. Almost all of the children who come to these Head Start centers are learning two languages — their native Spanish (though some speak native dialects like Mixteco) and English.  READ MORE With cyberattacks, districts should plan for the inevitable EdTech Magazine Savvy K-12 district administrators and IT staffers know to plan for when, not if, a cyber incident occurs. That planning involves having a comprehensive response strategy for mitigating the effects of ransomware or other malware. Experts also advise that, in the end, people are a key part of any cybersecurity approach. It's important to develop a culture around cybersecurity. With the frequency of cyberattacks targeting K-12 schools, there is also a growing number of IT professionals and administrators who can share lessons learned from having to mitigate a breach and communicate the situation to stakeholders.  READ MORE How to succeed in distance education Language Magazine (commentary) Tom Beeman, a contributor for Language Magazine, writes: "With the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, many schools are closing their doors and shifting students and faculty to online study with little-to-no advanced notice nor training. I know one's first reaction might be to panic or to get upset with administrators for doing this. But remember, they are following guidelines from the Department of Education as well as state and federal officials. You chose this profession because of your passion for imparting knowledge on students, so take that passion and turn it in to an opportunity to learn a new skill that will not only benefit students, but you as a well."  READ MORE How learning changes when school happens at home and online PBS Newshour More than 55 million American students are staying home amid the coronavirus pandemic. The impacts are huge — affecting students, parents and teachers. Learning is happening with a host of new challenges. Kate Gardoqui of the Great Schools Partnership joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.  READ MORE Common Sense launches 'Wide Open School' to assist with remote learning THE Journal Common Sense has launched an online school to help educators and families cope with remote learning and teaching. "Wide Open School," as it's called, features resources curated by the media organization and provided by a number of well known education content providers, including Khan Academy, Scholastic, Time for Kids, National Geographic, PBS, Sesame Workshop and others. The daily learning activities are organized by grade band and subject.  READ MORE How educators can build equity in an online learning era District Administration Magazine The equity problems that plague K-12 education under normal conditions have only been worsened by the shift to online learning during coronavirus school closures, experts say. Superintendents and other K-12 have to start planning now to build resource equity because some students will have suffered significant learning loss when the 2020-2021 school year starts — whether that's in-person or online, says Jonathan Travers, who leads the consulting practice area at Education Resource Strategies.  READ MORE    POLICY CORNER The CARES Act and public education By: Patrick Gleeson (commentary) On March 27, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Act into law. It provides $30.75 billion in emergency relief funds for the U.S. Department of Education. If you're a K-12 teacher, you're probably wondering how this affects you. Importantly, how will your students benefit? More pointedly, how much will they benefit?  READ MORE DeVos weighs waivers for special education. Parents are worried The New York Times Tucked away in the $2 trillion coronavirus stabilization bill is a provision that allows Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to seek congressional approval to waive parts of the federal special education law while schools combat the coronavirus pandemic. How she might use that authority scares parents like Jennifer Gratzer, who lives in Seattle.  READ MORE Education funding streams in CARES Act provide wealth of spending options District Administration Magazine The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, H.R.748, which was signed by President Trump into law on March 27, includes new funding opportunities for state educational agencies and local educational agencies dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the measure includes nearly $16.2 billion in new funding for two emergency education relief funds to be administered by the U.S. Education Department.  READ MORE    EDUCATION HEADLINES Teachers strategize to keep English learners engaged during COVID-19 crisis Education DIVE Districts with more resources and technology are better prepared for this type of interruption. In Forsyth County, Georgia, where only 15% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the district can hand out hot spots for students who need them, and an existing multilingual messaging app helps keep parents informed.  READ MORE Supporting multilingual students' learning in a time of school closures By: Erick Herrmann (commentary) There is an old adage in education: "all students can learn." While I agree wholeheartedly with the statement, I believe a more accurate statement would be "all students will learn." Every human learns. We learn language, learn how to navigate the world around us, how to build relationships, how to feed ourselves, and myriad other skills. When it comes to school closures or extended student absences, what will students continue to learn?  READ MORE Teachers of newcomer students try to keep them connected as schools close, routines shift Chalkbeat Even under normal circumstances, Cheri Mann does a lot to help her students cross language barriers and make sense of an unfamiliar school environment. She teaches a half-dozen high schoolers who recently moved to the U.S. from Guatemala and Honduras, many as unaccompanied minors, in a small school district in north-central Kentucky. Most days, Mann helps her newcomers practice their English for one period, then accompanies them to their other classes to make sure they understand the instruction.  READ MORE Improving academic outcomes for emergent bilingual students Education Dive In public schools throughout the US, the number of emergent bilinguals, or English language learners (ELLs), is growing at an increasing rate. By 2025, it's predicted that they will represent 25% of total enrollment. Yet despite this growth, emergent bilinguals remain the lowest-performing subgroup nationally. There are five million emergent bilingual students in grades K–12, representing hundreds of primary languages, the vast majority of which are native Spanish speakers.  READ MORE Survey: Teachers support school closures, worry about students falling behind Education DIVE While the survey returned only 700 responses, it's one of the first attempts to capture data on how teachers are adjusting to this shift. Such knowledge will become increasingly important with some experts suggesting that closures could extend into the 2020-2021 school year, or that at least additional closures will be necessary. The voices of teachers can help districts determine how to create ongoing support when all educators teach remotely — during this crisis or a future one.  READ MORE Kindness and gratitude in our time of crisis MiddleWeb Today many teachers are scrambling to figure out how to adapt their teaching methods to online instruction at the same time they are home with their own children attempting to help them navigate new ways of learning. The world has suddenly gone a little sideways, and the abrupt necessity to create new routines and procedures is formidable.  READ MORE     CAREERS New Postings Every Week on ALAS Website! 04/02/20 — Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA 04/02/20 — Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA 04/02/20 — Chief Talent Officer, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA 04/02/20 — Dean of Academics and Equity, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, IL 04/02/20 — Dean of Student Support and Equity, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, IL 04/02/20 — Principal, School District of Springfield R-12, Springfield, MO 04/01/20 — Superintendent, Hickman Mills C-1 School District, Kansas City, MO 03/27/20 — Principal, Haven Middle School, Evanston, Il 03/27/20 — Principal, Evanston/Skokie School District 65, Evanston, Il 03/23/20 — Elementary Principal, Komensky Elementary School, Berwyn, IL VISIT ALAS WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES & INFORMATION! 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