This message was sent to ##Email## April 28, 2020       Home  |  Membership  |  Events  |  Advocacy  |  Careers  |  Academy Archive  |   Subscribe      ALAS EVENTS ALAS Webinar Part 2 — How COVID-19 Has Exposed Education InEquities in the U.S. ALAS Join one of our four unique (1 hour) sessions to connect with other education leaders in your field. Each session discussion will be driven by the thoughts and input shared by attendees. We will address immediate solutions, short term considerations, and long term possibilities of the effect and affect of COVID-19. REGISTER NOW ALAS is hiring! ALAS SLA Academic Administrator Business Development Services Consultant    SCHOOL LEADERS NEWS How COVID-19 has changed K-12 education By: Bambi Majumdar (commentary) Over 55 million K-12 students have been affected by school closures across the country, impacting 124,000 U.S. public and private schools. Students previously used a blended format for learning, which evolved over the years. Traditional schoolwork and classroom learning were supported by a digital infrastructure and tools like iPads. But in a matter of days, everyone had to shift to 100% online learning. For teachers, this has been an even harder challenge to overcome.  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 will schools reopen safely in fall 2020? District Administration Magazine While many officials expect public schools to reopen in the fall, K-12 education even then may not return to "normal." Schools in Denmark, which last week became the first system in Europe to reopen, may provide a glimpse at what U.S. classrooms might look like when students return. At one school, students sat at desks placed six feet apart, washed their hands once an hour and could only play in small groups during recess, The New York Times reported.  READ MORE As educators grapple with COVID-19 challenges, supporting undocumented students and families must be a priority The 74 (commentary) Vanessa Luna, a contributor for The 74, writes: "I taught this student three years ago in the seventh grade — we used to have lunch together almost every other day. We worked on bulletin boards, organized the classroom for my next classes and completed extra credit assignments. Now a 10th-grader in Queens, New York, my student is grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while living in the epicenter of this crisis and being a part of a mixed-status immigrant family — her 10-year-old sister is a citizen, while she and her parents are undocumented."  READ MORE Incorporating the US Census into remote classroom instruction By: Brian Stack (commentary) Like most school principals around the country, earlier this year I received a package in the mail from the U.S. Census. The package contained a toolkit for educators, complete with colorful maps and activity books, designed to help teachers incorporate the U.S. Census into their classroom instruction. There are specific areas for K-12 activities, pre-K materials, ELL/adult ESL resources, maps, videos, and tools that are specific to Puerto Rico and the islands.  READ MORE The 2020-2021 school year is coming into view (and it doesn't look great) Edutopia It's suddenly clear to everyone — although teachers have been aware the whole time — that schools are a crucial piece in an ecosystem that keeps America afloat. They aren't just where kids are educated — though that remains their indispensable objective and cultural contribution — they're also where millions of parents start their own days, dropping off their kids before heading out to jobs that pay the bills.  READ MORE 5 ways mindfulness can support educators during a crisis EdSurge We are all grappling with an unprecedented environment these days. As we search for ways to navigate this often-challenging new context, it's been encouraging to see that professionals across the early childhood field are increasingly exploring mindfulness as a tool to do just that.  READ MORE    TECHNOLOGY Imagine online school in a language you don't understand The New York Times Like many parents, Zainab Alomari has spent the last month trying to help her children learn at home. But unlike most, she has been talking to teachers and working through lessons in a language she barely understands. Alomari came to the United States in 2006 from Yemen, where she spoke Arabic. She knows only a few basic English words and phrases.  READ MORE Best practices for ensuring email safety EdTech Magazine Cybersecurity threats are a persistent problem for K–12 schools, and that's true even when classes move online for remote learning. Phishing is the primary gateway for cyberattacks, according to the Consortium for School Networking. Phishing emails are a tool to trick people into revealing personal information or to click links that lead to malicious software, CoSN explained.  READ MORE 6 ways to bring calm to distance learning in a pandemic eSchool News Distance learning is a way of life for more than 56 million kids in the U.S. right now. With the ongoing concern, it looks like this will be the new norm for the rest of the school year in a lot of places around the U.S. This is a huge change, not just for students, but also for their families, the community, and more than 3 million educators. All of this change can bring stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.  READ MORE Digital divide drives new broadband expansion efforts District Administration Magazine Even the students in rural Gilmer County, West Virginia, who have WiFi or broadband internet access at home sometimes get caught on the wrong side of the digital divide when the weather's bad. And students learning remotely without connectivity can snap a picture of a completed homework packet and, if they can find a way to share it with teachers, they get a boost in their grade.  READ MORE Remote learning and digital equity: Challenges and opportunities Tech & Learning Digital equity now is an active consideration for educators immersed in remote learning. Thanks to COVID-19, educators should not assume that all students face comparable challenges in terms of being prepared for the school day. The unique challenges and responsibilities that students face at home need to be considered when designing learning activities, assessing mastery and in the way learning support is made available.  READ MORE Choosing the right platform to support distance education EdScoop The coronavirus pandemic has forced school districts to take a longer-term view on ways to facilitate distance learning. In order to deliver a valuable student experience, however, educators need the right tools. In an on-demand webinar from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, three education technology experts offer insights into how a suite of tools — including the company's MyRoom application — can enable teachers and administrators to deliver a more productive distance learning experience for students.  READ MORE 'We're all figuring it out' — 5 virtual teaching mistakes to avoid We Are Teachers Teachers across the nation had a hot second to learn virtual teaching. Literally 48 hours in Ohio. The mind shift from daily student interaction to 100% web and video-based learning sent students and teachers’ minds spinning for a few weeks. They also had to deal with the emotional turmoil of living in a pandemic.  READ MORE    POLICY CORNER What schools, states must report about how they use coronavirus aid Education Week Recently, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that state school chiefs could officially apply for more than $13 billion in federal aid to assist K-12 schools as they deal with the fallout of the coronavirus. DeVos said this program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act comes with "very few bureaucratic strings." But the application for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds makes it clear that states and districts should expect to provide some information about how they use the aid.  READ MORE More funds needed for English learners during coronavirus crisis, advocates tell Congress Education Week More than 40 organizations have signed on to a letter to congressional leaders, requesting $1 billion in supplemental funding to help districts and states meet the needs of the nearly 5 million English learners enrolled in the nation's public K-12 schools as they deal with the coronavirus shutdowns.  READ MORE    EDUCATION HEADLINES Toolkit to highlight English learner progress Language Magazine In response to renewed calls to strengthen programs for English learners in California, the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University and Californians Together have created a set of resources to support educators and community members to ensure schools' efforts to serve English learners are not only comprehensive but also visible. The resources respond to previous reports that English learners' needs were largely "masked" as demonstrated by the limited or weak evidence for EL programs, actions, and services in local LCAPs (Local Control and Accountability Plan).  READ MORE For NYC students learning English, remote learning can come with steep barriers Chalkbeat Like many New York City students, Brooklyn teen Kelitha is wading through a new online world of learning as the coronavirus keeps schools shuttered. She's sharing three laptops among five siblings, and is trying to complete assignments with slow internet. But Kelitha, a sophomore at a bilingual high school who emigrated from Haiti four years ago, faces another challenge: She's learning English as a new language, and sorely misses the in-person help she got in class.  READ MORE How to give ELLs a boost during online learning District Administration Magazine English language learners are getting special attention and dedicated time for instruction in online learning at Millard Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. All elementary school students currently spend about two hours a day in online classes, with 30 minutes of that time dedicated to "specials" and non-core subjects. ELLs can use that time to work with their teachers on weekly speaking, reading, writing and listening activities, says Kara Hutton, the district coordinator of special programs.  READ MORE Providing curricular support for ELLs during pandemic a two-pronged challenge Education DIVE The transition to online learning is particularly daunting for ELL students. A December 2019 report by the U.S. Department of Education found few teachers assigned ELL students digital learning resources outside of class, providing a reference point to where things stood before the coronavirus pandemic forced a shift to online learning. Teachers who did assign digital learning tools also tended to use general education resources rather than those designed for ELLs.  READ MORE Teaching hints: Listening and speaking By: Douglas Magrath (commentary) Listening and speaking go together as parts of overall proficiency. Students need constant practice in both before they can succeed in a classroom with native speakers. Students need to begin work with authentic materials as soon as possible. The trend is now toward authentic texts, radio broadcasts and real lectures for college ESL to promote student learning and interest by stressing communication skills and presenting culture in a natural way. Listening is considered an active skill and is emphasized in today's proficiency-oriented classrooms.  READ MORE Helpful online resources for teaching ELLs Edutopia Whether you're having school remotely or in person, online learning is a powerful tool teachers can leverage to support English language learners. Research shows that ELLs' learning is enhanced by interactive visual aids and access to lessons they can follow at their own pace.  READ MORE Research: Coronavirus learning loss could put some students behind a full year THE Journal Research from the NWEA has projected that current school closures could, indeed, result in major declines in student learning. The preliminary estimates found that math would take a bigger hit than reading, and that some students could return in the fall with less than 50 percent of the typical learning gains. In some grades the decline could put them a "full year behind" what would be expected under normal conditions. NWEA is a nonprofit that creates the MAP series of assessment programs, including MAP Growth.  READ MORE Lost teacher-student relationships among toughest parts of school closures Education DIVE The loss of these connections and their social-emotional benefits may emerge as one of the greatest negative impacts of school closures. Rather than worrying too much about academic performance, some teachers are working to maintain relationships through online learning platforms. This is particularly crucial for students already at-risk prior to the coronavirus pandemic.  READ MORE Young English language learners among those hit hardest by Colorado's shift to remote learning The Denver Post When Vanessa Baca wraps up her full-time housekeeping job, there are only a few hours left on the clock. But the work day has just begun. The Adams County single mother must cook, clean and tend to her children's needs, but emails from her kindergartener's teacher alerting her to which assignments the 6-year-old has yet to complete weigh on her.  READ MORE What does remote professional development look like for online teachers? EdSurge During the hasty and haphazard transition to remote instruction, helping students and families has been the first and foremost priority for many schools and districts. But what about supporting educators who are tasked with delivering instruction and a modicum of normalcy in an entirely new medium, using online tools they may be trying for the first time?  READ MORE     CAREERS New Postings Every Week on ALAS Website! 04/27/20 — Business Development Services Consultant, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), Remote 04/24/20 — Assistant Director III (2 Openings) — Early Childhood Special Education and Special Education, School District of Springfield R-12, Springfield, MO 04/22/20 — Superintendent, Escambia County School District, Escambia County, FL 04/21/20 — Academy Principal (Independent Study), Visions in Education, CA 04/21/20 — Chief Executive Officer, High Tech High, San Diego, CA 04/21/20 — Director of Instruction, Visions in Education, Sacramento, CA 04/21/20 — Special Education Manager, Visions in Education, Sacramento, CA 04/21/20 — Superintendent, Millcreek Township School District, Erie, PA 04/16/20 — SLA Academic Administrator, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), Remote 04/15/20 — Director V- Special Services, School District of Springfield R-12, Springfield, MO 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 03/06/20 — Private: Superintendent, Summit Public Schools, Summit, NJ 03/06/20 — Superintendent, Balsz School District, Phoenix, AZ VISIT ALAS WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES & INFORMATION! 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