This message was sent to ##Email##. To advertise in this publication please click here

Aug. 13, 2020

ALAS UPDATES

Present at the ALAS 17th Annual ALAS Education Summit! – Submission Deadline Extended ALAS Do you have current data, research and results of structures and practices that make a positive impact on Latin/o/a/x students or leaders to present? This is your invitation to present at the 17th Annual ALAS Education Summit — "Equity Leadership in Action: When to Sprint and When to Pivot" PRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO HELP PARTICIPANTS: Develop leadership skills to address the inequities in education Become more knowledgeable about research-based equitable structures and practices Demonstrate leadership efficacy at the local, state and national level Advocate for and inspire current and next-generation Latin/o/a/x leaders Submit your proposal to present at one of our 50-minute break out sessions. Click to view our summit strands and guidelines Summit at a Glance Proposal Deadline August 21st Submit the following information by the deadline: Completed proposal submission form 1-2 page proposal summary Presentation title and abstract Submission & Selection Process: Email RFP to: contact@alasedu.org Subject line: RFP 2020 — Include your name Notification Of Proposal Status You will be contacted via email upon receipt of your proposal You will be notified by August 30, 2020, if your request to present has been accepted Accepted proposals will receive complimentary registration for presenters READ MORE

UnidosUS Guiding Questions and S.A.F.E. Critical Action Items for School Reopenings ALAS UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) recognizes that school leaders have multiple considerations for reopening schools, including family outreach, physical and mental health, operations, access to technology, and academics. A recent survey by Latino Decisions found that a majority of Latino families in the U.S. are resisting pressure to go back to school this fall. Respondents also expressed inability to provide fully functional distance learning due to lack of internet access, devices, and updated software. It is challenging for families to navigate a new school year in this time of precarity. Families deserve to know how their children will be kept safe and continue learning in this upcoming school year. UnidosUS has developed a comprehensive list of guiding questions for states and districts as school reopening plans continue to be developed. The resource concludes with S.A.F.E. Critical Action Items for State Education Agencies and School Districts, because the optimal wellbeing of students and their academic success go hand-in-hand. English and Spanish versions of the UnidosUS Guiding Questions and S.A.F.E. Critical Action Items for School Reopenings will be accessible and can be downloaded via UnidosUS’s Progress Report blog. Feel free to share with your networks and among families who continue to advocate in their communities. English: https://progressreport.co/unidosus-guiding-questions-and-critical-action-items-for-school-reopenings/ Español: https://progressreport.co/guia-de-preguntas-y-puntos-de-accion-criticos-para-la-reapertura-de-escuelas-de-unidosus/

SCHOOL LEADERS NEWS

Will kids follow the new pandemic rules at school? The Atlantic Across the country, schools have outlined the precautions they’ll take as they reopen their campuses this fall. If and when kids return, schools are planning outdoor "mask breaks" in Denver, one-way hallways in Northern Virginia, and shortened in-person school weeks in New York City, among many, many other safeguards against coronavirus outbreaks. READ MORE

Next Generation Meeting Management Software The most efficient, mobile, and inclusive agenda and meeting management software for public education and local government organizations to better serve your community MORE INFO

Just over half of districts plan some level of in-person instruction for fall Education DIVE As fall nears, many large urban districts have backtracked on their plans to return to brick-and-mortar buildings, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. New York City's public school system, however, is pushing forward with in-person instruction and rolled out plans last Friday to quarantine individual schools for up to two weeks if there is a positive COVID-19 case on-site. READ MORE

Creating strong building blocks for every student Center for American Progress COVID-19 has created uncertainty for the future of America’s economy, schools, and so many aspects of everyday life. In addition, the school closures in the spring of 2020 and the potential school disruptions in the 2020-21 school year are projected to have a lasting effect on student outcomes and preparedness. These closures and disruptions are even more acute in Black, Latinx, Indigenous and low-income communities. READ MORE

Reopening schools in a socially distanced world — And the tech that could help EdTech Magazine As the nation has barreled through the summer of COVID-19, education has taken center stage. Amid continuing health and safety concerns, school leaders and educators are grappling with the decision of whether to return to school or continue remote learning this coming school year. Across the U.S., districts big and small — from Los Angeles and San Diego to Indiana's Metropolitan School District of Washington Township — have already opted out of a fall reopening. Others continue to weigh the pros and cons. READ MORE

Most teachers concerned about in-person school; 2 in 3 want to start the year online NPR As the school year starts in many districts across the country, a new national poll of teachers from NPR/Ipsos finds overwhelming trepidation about returning to the physical classroom. Eighty-two percent of K-12 teachers say they are concerned about returning to in-person teaching this fall, and two-thirds prefer to teach primarily remotely. On the latter point, teachers are aligned with parents and the general public: Another recent NPR/Ipsos poll found two-thirds of respondents thought schools in their area should be primarily remote, including 62% of parents of children under 18. READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

How to manage ESL/ELL students during remote learning Tech & Learning More than five million English language learners find themselves in a precarious position as learning continues in the remote education landscape. Federal guidance emphasizes that schools must continue to provide language support for English learners even at a distance, but notes there is no standard amount of time that must be devoted to instruction. For this unique population, the obstacles in this "new normal" can be daunting. READ MORE

How early coding gives students a jumpstart District Administration Magazine Coding instruction begins in elementary school in California's Compton USD to prepare students to succeed with STEM technology in the ever-changing high-tech job market. "By the time they leave us, the opportunity gap related to brown and African American students is eliminated so they can compete," Superintendent Darin Brawley says. Grants have allowed Compton USD leaders to create an ed-tech feeder pattern that runs to high school from elementary schools, where specialized coding coaches supplement STEM instruction for the district's youngest students. READ MORE

What do we know about the expansion of K-12 computer science education? The Brookings Institution Over the past decade, there has been substantial progress in increasing access to schooling for children and youth, but few are mastering the foundational skills and competencies needed for their futures. Confronted with this challenge, education systems are now increasingly strengthening existing learning models while simultaneously reorienting students for a world where technology is omnipresent. READ MORE

Remote learning help available for English language learners RTV6 Remote learning is an adjustment for all parents and students but it's a bigger challenge for families who speak English as a second language. At Indianapolis Public Schools, 22 percent of students are English language learners, meaning English is not their first language. That's roughly 6,600 students. IPS has plans to meet the needs of all their students. READ MORE

POLICY CORNER

Congressional pressure on big tech: 4 takeaways for K-12 leaders Education Week Four of the technology industry's biggest companies were grilled by Congress, with leaders from both parties raising big questions that bear on public education. The daylong virtual hearing, held by the House Judiciary Committee, was primarily focused on the ostensible monopoly power held by Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, most of whom have growing, if sometimes indirect, footprints in the K-12 sector. READ MORE

Feds seek new data about pandemic's effects on school funding, accountability Education Week The U.S. Department of Education wants to find out the coronavirus pandemic's impact on how states and schools use federal aid and flexibility from certain mandates. In a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register, the department said it was seeking approval for a new data collection about those issues through the Institute for Education Sciences. "The coronavirus pandemic significantly disrupted K-12 educational operations and learning in spring 2020 and is likely to do so again during the 2020-2021 school year," the scheduled notice states. READ MORE

EDUCATION HEADLINES

The price students pay when schools are closed Education Next Numerous school districts are announcing plans to return to the online education they attempted last spring or to open their schools only with highly restrictive regulations on the teaching and learning experience. The primary consideration in making these decisions has to do with calculations as to the effect of school operations on the spread of COVID-19. READ MORE

5 safety measures to implement for students who can't wear masks District Administration Magazine In light of COVID-19, many states advise the use of face masks on most individuals, with a few exceptions. For example, the New Jersey Department of Education has advised that everyone in districts across the state must wear a face mask. Exceptions are when doing so inhibits an individual's health, when the individual is under 2 years of age, or when the face covering could be impractical for an individual with a disability, says Lauren E. Tedesco-Dallas, a school attorney at Capehart Scatchard in Mt. Laurel, N.J. READ MORE

Examining EL education with an anti-racist lens MiddleWeb (commentary) Tan Huynh, a contributor for MiddleWeb, writes: "When I started my blog and podcast, I vowed that I would not be political because I do not want to ostracize my readers and listeners. But I've come to realize that because I have your trust, I have to use this platform to do the right thing, which is to be brave and host uncomfortable conversations about education and race relations." READ MORE

Needs attention Language Magazine When we have a chance to look back, many in education will recognize 2020 as the year that learning radically changed. The impact of quickly pivoting the entire industry to an online environment has only begun to truly sink in. It is clear technology will play a role in learning in more conscious and thoughtful ways for the foreseeable future. As the fall approaches and we look toward a blended, hybrid, digital future, the focus on working with technology has made it easy to forget one critical area of support for future success: our ability to manage the social and emotional needs of both our learners and ourselves. READ MORE

Study: School closures reduced COVID-19 cases, deaths up to 60% UPI Closing schools across the United States in March reduced the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths by as much as 60% in some areas, a study by JAMA found. States with lower numbers of confirmed infections at the time of school closure likely saw the biggest positive impact of children remaining at home, cutting cases by an estimated 72%, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center said. READ MORE

CAREERS

New Postings Every Week on ALAS Website! ALAS 08/11/20 — Assistant Principal, South Monterey County Joint Union High School District, King City, CA 08/07/20 — Executive Director of Literacy, K-12, Fort Worth Independent School District, Fort Worth, TX 08/07/20 — Executive Director of Mathematics & Science, K-12, Fort Worth Independent School District, Fort Worth, TX 08/04/20 — Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York, New York State Board of Regents, Albany, NY 07/30/20 — Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Garland Independent School District, Garland, TX 07/29/20 — Superintendent, State of Illinois Department of Human Resources, Springfield, IL 07/29/20 — Superintendent, Illinois Association of School Boards, Beardstown, IL 07/28/20 — Assistant Principal – Middle School, Central Bucks School District, Doylestown, PA 07/28/20 — Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Bellingham Public Schools, Bellingham, WA 07/24/20 — Executive Director Communications and Public Relations, Garland Independent School District, Garland, TX 07/24/20 — Executive Director of Special Education, Garland Independent School District, Garland, TX 07/14/20 — Assistant Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, VA 07/07/20 — High School Principal, South Monterey County Joint Union High School District, King City, CA 07/06/20 — Assistant Superintendent for the Office of English Language Learners, Boston Public Schools, Boston, MA 07/01/20 — Safety, Security, and Environmental Coordinator, Central Bucks School District, Doylestown, PA VISIT ALAS WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES & INFORMATION!!

ALAS: Leaders in Equity Update   Connect with ALAS Dennis Hall, Director of Publishing, 469-420-2656 | Download media kit Hailey Golden, Senior Education Editor, 469-420-2630 | Contribute news Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents P.O. Box 65204 | Washington, DC 20035 202-466-0808 | Contact Us | www.alasedu.org Click here to unsubscribe. Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX, 75063