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Sept. 3, 2020

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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/

Planning the Return to School: 7 Questions School Boards Must Ask Is your school board ready for this fall’s unprecedented challenges? This guide reveals the critical questions boards need to ask. MORE INFO

SCHOOL LEADERS NEWS

Districts lay off thousands of paraprofessionals as students switch to remote learning Education Week As students shift to remote learning, superintendents nationwide are laying off thousands of paraprofessionals, hourly, mostly low-paid workers often tasked to help students with disabilities. Paraprofessional groups, which have quickly organized protests to denounce the layoffs, have argued their members will be critical in the coming months to help students catch up academically and teachers manage oversized, virtual classrooms. READ MORE

In-person reopenings planned for half of American school districts District Administration Magazine The full in-person instruction model appears to be, by far, the most common one being adopted by school districts this fall. Researchers at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a non-partisan research center, collected information from a nationally representative sample of 477 school districts between August 17 and 21, at which point most plans were considered finalized and many schools were already in session. READ MORE

Rise to support our English language learners and special education students Commerical Appeal (commentary) As teachers, we understand that continuity of education, no matter the format, is essential to move all students forward. It’s been 150 days since Mayor Strickland first declared a state of emergency in Memphis. In that time, all students have been impacted in various ways, but none more than Special Education and English language learner students. READ MORE

MULTIBRIEFS EXCLUSIVE Study: Back-to-school strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic By Dorothy L. Tengler One of the most debated and important issues concerning COVID-19 is the reopening of schools. A recent study shows that children carry high levels of the virus even without falling ill, which may impact the spread of the virus to others, especially those at high risk. One important strategy that school administrators can consider about opening schools is cohorting or forming pods, in which groups of students and sometimes teachers or staff stay together throughout the school day to minimize exposure. READ MORE

New data reveal COVID-19's harsh toll on Latino community; 50% of Latino parents say they may not send their children back to school The 74 School leaders and doctors met to unpack newly released data reflecting the disproportionate destruction COVID-19 continues to wreak upon the Latino community — and to address the implications those numbers hold for New York City’s contentious school reopening plan. READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

When virtual learning barriers collapse, inclusion expands EdTech Magazine In the struggle to implement expanded remote learning, educators are also finding opportunities. Out of necessity, they are integrating more technology into instruction. They’re discussing and chipping away at long-standing digital divides. They are leveraging the flexibility to provide on-demand instruction. But with efforts to provide devices and Wi-Fi access, educators still are missing — or inadvertently reducing — opportunities to better serve all students. READ MORE

Survey: Remote work in education brings compliance concerns Campus Technology As colleges, universities and K-12 schools navigate hybrid and remote work and learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic, administrative challenges abound, according to research from SAP Concur. The company commissioned Wakefield Research to poll more than 500 finance and administration decision-makers in higher education and K-12 institutions across the United States, to find out how they are managing operations in today's new normal. READ MORE

MULTIBRIEFS EXCLUSIVE Infographic: Reevaluating screen time in an age of social distancing By Maggie Kimberl For years we've heard that screen time is toxic to kids and we should curtail it as much as possible. To that point, 85% of parents worry about how much time their kids spend online and more than half think their children may be addicted to screens by the end of the coronavirus pandemic. But now it seems that screen time may be more about quality than quantity. Find out more with this infographic. READ MORE

How to prevent student cheating during remote learning: 4 tips Education Week The student had perfect scores on the first two tests in Michele Kerr’s math class, offered virtually this summer because of the coronavirus. But, in just a few minutes of one-on-one conversation during her online office hours, Kerr noticed he struggled to grasp the material. Kerr quickly figured out what was going on. “You cheated” on those tests, she told the student. He admitted she was right. READ MORE

POLICY CORNER

Education Department cannot decide how to allocate CARES Act funds to nonpublic schools District Administration Magazine School districts leaders in need of CARES Act funding learned this summer that a specific portion of funds would have to go to nonpublic schools. According to a district court ruling, the U.S. Department of Education can't make that requirement. READ MORE

7 policy moves that could transform K-12 education District Administration Magazine Alternative grading and blended, competency-based learning models are two key shifts superintendents and their teams might consider making as they lead COVID recovery in their districts. These concepts are among the many ways district leaders can use the COVID crisis and the renewed focus on equity as opportunities to transform K-12 education, according to the Aurora Foundation report, “Education Policy Issues for the COVID-19 Era: Policy Actions and Responses to Leverage the Moment for Future Readiness.” READ MORE

EDUCATION HEADLINES

Are the kids all right? How to check in on their mental health during a tough time EdSurge Like nearly everyone else, children have experienced enormous disruption during the pandemic. Their schools closed months ago and, for many, remain closed. They stopped seeing friends and teachers on a regular basis, or had to get used to seeing them through a screen. Many of the things they love or look forward to have become unavailable or, at minimum, altered. READ MORE

Less jargon, more grace: Using language that parents understand Edutopia (commentary) Tracy Edwards, a contributor for Edutopia, writes: "I work at a blended learning school in Southern Nevada. Our school community was heavily online prior to the pandemic, which gives me insight around what works and what may be needed as we reopen schools. One factor that we must keep in mind is the need to keep families in the loop as decisions are made about this year. The language we use when communicating with families is more crucial than ever." READ MORE

Reopening elementary schools carries less COVID-19 risk than high schools — But that doesn't guarantee safety The Conversation While only a fraction of the country's 50 million public school kids headed back to school in-person this month, many have already found themselves back at home. Within two weeks of opening, multiple states reported school-based COVID-19 outbreaks and thousands of students and school staff have been quarantined following possible exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. READ MORE

Some ESL teachers worried distance learning changes could set back students WTVO-TV More than half of Rockford Public School students will be learning from home this fall. But some teachers worry their lessons won’t translate. That’s the case for those teaching English as a Second Language or ESL. One ESL teacher says she’s worried her students will fall behind. READ MORE

CAREERS

New Postings Every Week on ALAS Website! ALAS 08/31/20 — Director of Human Resources, Plainfield Public Schools, Plainfield, NJ 08/31/20 — Principal, Plainfield Public Schools, Plainfield, NJ 08/20/20 — Curriculum Writers, Public Consulting Group, Inc., Boston, MA 08/20/20 — Principal – Carlin Springs Elementary School, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, VA 08/17/20 — Executive Director of Human Resources, Santa Paula Unified School District, Santa Paula, CA 08/14/20 — Partner, Southeast, The New Teacher Project (TNTP), Southeast Region (USA and Puerto Rico) 08/13/20 — Director, Academics- Southwest and Southeast Regions, The New Teacher Project (TNTP), Multi-Regional (LA, TN, FL) 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 VISIT ALAS WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES & INFORMATION!!

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