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Sept. 24, 2020

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SCHOOL LEADERS NEWS

4 focus areas for school leaders this fall Edutopia Tackling topics ranging from transportation to technology, leaders have undertaken Herculean efforts to address how to best begin the new school year. In preparation for this moment, Lindsay Unified School District in California conducted a research study last spring with the Learning Accelerator, the national nonprofit where I lead research and measurement. The purpose of that study was not only to understand learners’ experiences during remote learning in the spring but also to gain insights that would inform decisions for the reopening of schools in the fall. READ MORE

SPONSORED VIDEO Now, Coding is Elementary BootUp is dedicated to empowering elementary teachers and students by establishing computer science programs in districts across the United States. Elementary students are inspired through creative and interactive lessons that allow them to explore personal interests at an age when they are just beginning to formulate ideas about their futures. WATCH VIDEO

How educators are battling pandemic stress eSchool News In a recent principal training session, a participant raised his hand and asked: "How can I afford to invest in social-emotional learning when my students have fallen so far behind?" EdSource reports. The real question is whether we can afford not to invest in practices that support students' social, emotional AND cognitive development right now. If we really care about student success, then we need to honor the biology of our brains — our interconnected centers of emotions, focus and learning. READ MORE

How to best support English learners at home Language Magazine Before the COVID-19 pandemic, English learners, like many students, already faced challenges at school. How to engage and teach ELs when they're learning from home is another new challenge educators are facing. Beginning with factors that affect all students, here are some ideas to help. READ MORE

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

4 best practices for remote testing as schools reopen eSchool News As America's schools reopen this fall, most are returning at least partially — if not fully — virtual. While policymakers, health experts, parents and educators continue to debate the right course of action, one thing is for certain: back-to-school is here. As students log into their classrooms, another question arises — what has been the impact on student learning since the COVID-19 pandemic began? READ MORE

How COVID-19 is hurting teacher diversity Education Week The Schenectady, N.Y., school district realized it needed to do better by its students of color: The vast majority of its teachers were white, while less than a third of students are. A couple years ago, the district began ramping up its efforts to hire more teachers of color, as well as provide anti-racist training for its staff. READ MORE

Rethinking leadership, plus 6 tips to improve effectiveness District Administration Magazine (commentary) Michael Moore, a contributor for District Administration Magazine, writes: "I don't know what the 'new normal' will be, but after supporting school and district leaders for the last few months as they address one novel challenge after another, I know what good leadership looks like. The demands and conditions of K-12 leadership have transformed nearly overnight, driven by the pandemic, its economic impact, and racial justice protests. In the face of these challenges, I've noticed that the most effective leaders have moved away from their traditional approaches and are trying new leadership skills." READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

How technology can help schools address learning loss EdTech Magazine For many K–12 schools, the new academic year kicked off with a long list of problems: videoconferencing glitches, device shortages, cyberattacks — all amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. If that wasn't enough, there's another urgent challenge they also need to address: learning loss. Academic progress for millions of K–12 students was disrupted with the scramble to implement remote learning after the pandemic shut down school buildings last spring. Some fell behind because they lacked reliable internet access or devices; others were supporting their families by working or taking care of younger siblings and sick relatives. READ MORE

Clear parent communication, support essential for remote learning success Education DIVE While strong parent-teacher communication has always been important, it's now critical since many caregivers feel overwhelmed with the demands of distance learning. Educators must be sure parents understand what is expected of students so they can help support learning strategies from home. One step many teachers have taken is implementing virtual office hours so parents and students know when to reach out for help. READ MORE

3 ways to teach computer science in distance learning District Administration Magazine As STEAM educators, we talk a lot about the importance of teaching students robotics and coding at an early age. In a remote learning context, though, students may not have the same tech tools they would in the classroom. So how do we move beyond the tool and still teach the behaviors and skills that we want to foster in young children? READ MORE

POLICY CORNER

DeVos touts tool intended to show school-by-school spending nationwide Education Week Though federal law requires it, states' rollout of data detailing how much districts spend on schools, has been clumsy and overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Data has been incomplete, hard to comprehend, buried on hard-to-navigate state department pages or, in some cases, entirely unavailable. So U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has spent much of her tenure advocating for states to upend the way they distribute their K-12 dollars, did a runaround and took a crack at highlighting the mounds of data herself. READ MORE

EDUCATION HEADLINES

How the pandemic is shifting school comms strategies for English learners Education DIVE Delayed openings in many districts mean students and their families may have only a few days or weeks of the new school year in the books. Already, parent, teacher and administrator frustration is understandably widespread due to the unpredictability of the pandemic and the forced change to traditional education. READ MORE

Needed: School translation services for immigrant families New York Daily News George is an 11-year-old autistic boy living in Queens whose mother, a native Spanish speaker, has struggled to help him with schoolwork because she doesn't understand how to access the remote materials. Jane, a 9-year-old girl living in Brooklyn, spent weeks unable to access her schoolwork remotely because the school failed to provide her Spanish-speaking mother with an interpreter when she called to explain that she was having difficulties with the technology. READ MORE

A bridge to schools for students learning English WGBH Wrangling students on the other side of a computer screen may be tough, but now that face-to-face contact can't happen, it's critical help for students who are just learning English. And at the same time, families who are trying to get a footing in a new country during a pandemic have been thrown into even further confusion. "We need to acknowledge that this is a hard time for everyone, but especially for new immigrants. You know, for the minority population, it is triple hard, not even double triple hard on them," said Geralde Gabeau, executive director of Immigrant Family Services Institute. READ MORE

Distance learning presents new challenges for CCSD's English language learner division Las Vegas Sun Suzanne Romero, a first-grade teacher at Tom Williams Elementary School in North Las Vegas, says many of her students have immigrants parents who aren't familiar with the American school system. They get confused by some of the notifications that are sent home from the school, which could lead to their children falling behind. READ MORE

CAREERS

New Postings Every Week on ALAS Website! ALAS 09/23/20 — Chief Communications Officer, Judson Independent School District, Live Oak, TX 09/16/20 — Assistant Superintendent, Wissahickon School District, Ambler, PA 09/16/20 — Chief of Communications, Lancaster Independent School District, Lancaster, TX 09/16/20 — Superintendent, Bend-La Pine Schools, Bend, OR 09/16/20 — Superintendent of Schools, Verona Area School District, Verona, WI 09/14/20 — Assistant Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, VA 09/09/20 — Bilingual Consulting Partner, English Learner Academics, TNTP, Southwest, TX 09/09/20 — Elementary Principal, Lower Gwynedd Elementary School, Ambler, PA 09/09/20 — Leadership Coach, TNTP, Southwest, TX 09/08/20 — Superintendent, Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, Oyster Bay, NY 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 VISIT ALAS WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES & INFORMATION!!

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