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.PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP
3 trends that will drive education forward in 2021
District Administration Magazine
As we approach a full year after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our home, school, and professional lives, we are all straining to settle into a "new normal" amidst many uncertainties. Education leaders are seeking answers to when schools should reopen, how federal funds should be allocated with constrained state and local budgets, and how the new administration will impact public schools and the kids and teachers who depend upon them. While it sometimes feels impossible to predict day-to-day what will happen next, there is hope on the horizon. Below are a few opportunities for education leaders and policymakers to collaborate and improve the learning experience for all students and teachers, not just in 2021, but for years to come.
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How much COVID-19 cleaning in schools is too much?
Education Week
The pandemic has launched almost constant cleaning and disinfecting in schools. But as experts learn more about how the virus spreads, some research raises questions about the right amount of cleaning, and how sanitation protocols can support other COVID-19 prevention measures in the school.
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Substitute teacher crisis forces districts to turn to local businesses and recent grads
The Hechinger Report
Stefanie Fernandez usually spends her work week in the finance office of Independent Stave, a company that manufactures oak barrels for bourbon and other spirits, headquartered in Lebanon, Missouri. But once every week or two since in December, Fernandez has trailed her son into his middle school when she drops him off for classes. She checks in at the office, collects a binder of "sub notes," and reports to a classroom.
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Boosterthon
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During the pandemic, 'lost' education jobs aren't what they seem
The Brookings Institution
Throughout 2020, media accounts were filled with stories about private sector job losses, layoffs, and bankruptcies. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private sector companies employed 7 million fewer workers at the end of 2020 than they had at the start of it, a 6% decline. On a proportional basis, the job losses were actually larger in the public sector, especially in public education. The same BLS data show that employment fell by 8% at public K-12 schools and 11% in public higher education.
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Roadside assistance from the district office
MiddleWeb
You have a plan, you've done your research, you’ve created leadership teams to pilot the project. Students have buy-in, families are excited, but you forgot to loop in the leaders around and above you. And shortly you find out that your project has stalled or stopped altogether. It's easy for school leaders to get so caught up in the day-to-day operations of our school that we forget about maintaining connections with those whose view is a few thousand feet higher than ours.
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Report: Parent school reviews correlate with test scores, not growth or effectiveness
K-12 DIVE
With statewide testing on the horizon this year, districts are once again concerned about potential fallout connected to standardized test scores, including aspects like real estate values and community perception of school quality. While these stakes concern district leaders in a normal year, it could prove even more worrisome at a time when some districts are seeing drops in enrollment and attendance, often tied to funding.
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Simple hacks to improve online assessment
Edutopia
Assessing students' progress when they're learning from home is uniquely challenging, and educators have scrambled to adapt formal testing to accommodate virtual and hybrid learning. At the same time, many teachers are now turning to "more robust formative evaluation methods to check for understanding and make instructional decisions about next steps," write Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher for ASCD.
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What public school students are allowed to say on social media may be about to change
The Conversation
After a high school cheerleader in Pennsylvania dropped a series of F-bombs about her school in a Snapchat post over a weekend in the spring of 2017, she was suspended from the cheerleading team and sued the school district, claiming the suspension violated her First Amendment rights. Social media has an ever-growing presence in students' daily lives. As a result, schools are increasingly faced with the question of whether they can discipline students for remarks made online about school or school officials.
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If you can honestly say 'yes' to any of these 6 questions, you may be a toxic boss
Inc. (commentary)
Marcel Schwantes, a contributor for Inc., writes: "As a former HR management professional now in practice as an executive coach and trainer, I have observed firsthand many counterproductive behaviors in middle and upper management that have sent people packing. Here are seven behaviors that I have recognized as 'toxic.' As the title suggests, if you can muster enough honesty to raise the mirror and self-reflect, answering 'yes' to these questions could start your journey toward becoming a better leader."
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Cut the clichés, give people a portrait
The Lead Change Group
When does your go-to leadership saying become a cliché? There's no cut and dry answer to this, but it's definitely before you notice people's eyes glazing over. Leaders who live in the world of forward progress often miss the cues that their teams or constituents are tired of hearing Hallmark card worthy phrases. Simply signing off speeches and emails with "the best is yet to come" isn't cutting it anymore. It's time to cut the clichés and give people a portrait.
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MULTIBRIEFS EXCLUSIVE
Meeting your employees' mental health concerns and needs
By Terri Williams
The year 2020 brought anxiety and depression to many workers. The CDC reported that three times as many adults said they felt anxiety and four times as many adults said they felt depressed in the summer of 2020 compared to the summer of 2019. According to a survey commissioned by Spring Health and conducted online by The Harris Poll, 49% of American workers sought mental healthcare in 2020; 38% of those who sought care say they were driven by a desire to manage emotions related to the coronavirus pandemic; and 43% said the mental health benefits in their employer-sponsored health plan did not meet their mental healthcare needs.
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Leading in 2021: Lessons from 2020
Training Industry Magazine
In the U.S., it can seem difficult these days to engage in a conversation that doesn't bleed into a "left versus right," "liberal versus conservative," "red versus blue" debate. Social media, for all its ability to help us share the joy of weddings, births, birthdays, photos and funny memes, also provides a continuous feed of slanted stories and opinions based on our personal likes and habits. The great fear of the internet is that we will lose our ability to think on our own, to critically evaluate information rather than simply accepting opinions we hope to be true. We seem to be letting go of our personal accountability.
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.EDUCATION POLICY
Senate confirms Cardona as Biden's education secretary
The Associated Press
The Senate voted to confirm Miguel Cardona as education secretary, clearing his way to lead President Joe Biden's effort to reopen the nation's schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cardona, 45, a former public school teacher who went on to become Connecticut's education chief, was approved on a 64-33 vote. He takes charge of the Education Department amid mounting tension between Americans who believe students can safely return to the classroom now, and others who say the risks are still too great.
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Biden to states: Teachers should be able to get vaccine in March
Chalkbeat
As battles continue over who should be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine, President Joe Biden said that he wants every teacher, school staffer and child care worker in the U.S. to get at least one shot in March — and he will pressure states and use federal resources to make it happen.
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CDC must encourage better ventilation to stop coronavirus spread in schools, experts say
CNN
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be doing more to guide and encourage improved air circulation in buildings — especially in schools — to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, ventilation experts say.
They say the CDC has not paid anywhere near enough attention to the role ventilation can play in helping the spread of coronavirus — or reducing it.
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Many contact tracing studies show that it is 20 times easier to get infected indoors than outdoors. Therefore improving ventilation can help a single infected person not end up infecting everyone else. Aranet4 warns when the air quality has become unhealthy and you should take care of the airflow in the room.
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.SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY
5 innovative cybersecurity training strategies to try in 2021
eSchool News
As much as 88% of data breaches are caused by human error, but only 43% of workers admit having made mistakes that compromised cybersecurity. In the past year, one-third of the breaches incorporated social engineering techniques and the cost of a breach caused by a human error averaged $3.33 million. The need for consistent and effective cybersecurity training is evident.
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Technology in the classroom promotes equity in education
EdTech Magazine
The need for digital and technological equity became clearer than ever following 2020's shift to remote and hybrid instruction. A year later, schools across the country are still struggling to bridge the gaps. "Internet access is the electricity of the 1930s and '40s; it is that crucial to everyday life and learning," said New York Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa said in a Feb. 24 press release.
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Why encryption is key during remote learning
eSchool News
While the numbers are constantly changing based on fluid circumstances and data, it's safe to say that millions of students across the U.S. are engaging in virtual learning. This has largely been the way of life since COVID-19 caused school shutdowns nationwide in March 2019, and the path forward toward in-person school as we knew it is still unclear.
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3 superintendents describe the benefits of working with CTOs
EdTech Magazine
With the future of education looking increasingly hybrid, the need for strong IT leadership has never been greater for K–12 school districts. Last year, realizing that they couldn't lead their districts through the remote learning shift alone, superintendents worked closely with IT leadership to bring their teachers and students online. Now, as educators continue adjusting to hybrid learning models and begin planning for the future, those relationships remain critical to the success of K–12 education.
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10 new ed tech tools to power teaching and learning
eSchool News
Instead of the usual hustle and bustle through bright and crowded exhibit hall aisles, trade shows kept exhibitors and attendees at home this year and took a virtual approach to showcasing new edtech tools and trends. During FETC and TCEA in late January and early February, virtual attendees attended presentations and engaging keynotes — and also had the chance to explore the online exhibit hall full of new edtech tools, products, and solutions to help educators as COVID learning approaches its one-year mark.
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.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Teachers — On making room for the new kids in class
Edutopia
Fifth-grade teacher Rebecca Secrest is no stranger to a class peppered with new students, and this school year during the pandemic was no different. Her school, located next to a Marine and Navy base in Silverdale, Washington, sees a net change of more than 200 students per year in a total school population of around 500 students. The constant state of flux can make both more established and newly arrived students feel anxious or distracted, Secrest said. Moreover, students who move a lot struggle with trust and feeling a sense of belonging — the building blocks of productive academic environments.
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The reparative power of relationships
Edutopia
If there's one common thread to be found woven throughout trauma-informed schools, it's the awareness of the power of relationship to help students heal. "Kids who grow up in trauma need to start the process of healing by being able to build healthy, trusting relationships with adults," said Melissa Cole, a counselor at the K-8 Weathersfield School in Vermont.
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Why the 'hamburger' essay has gone stale
We Are Teachers (commentary)
Melissa McLamb, a contributor for We Are Teachers, writes: "The last year has taught educators that we must update many tried and true methods. Especially given the time constraints placed on teachers–whether teaching virtually or face-to-face. I'd like to suggest an important change. Stop requiring the hamburger style, five-paragraph essay. There is no rule that five paragraphs make the best essay. In fact, this unwritten rule leads to restrictive, repetitive and often content-weak essays. It's time to get rid of the hamburger essay!"
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The unique challenges of ESL literacy
By Douglas Magrath
Teachers may have some students in their class who cannot read or write English. Their home language may have a non-Latin alphabet. Other students' speaking skills may be at a higher level than their reading and writing ability. Pre-beginning or preliterate learners present a unique challenge to the ESL teacher accustomed to students who can write the Latin alphabet. Should we delay communication functions while teaching the writing system? Or should the learners first study by listening and repeating without using the written language?
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Begin streaming the award-winning Auto-B-Good™ Character Development Program in your classroom and online with your students. These 63 lessons have been correlated to common core, SEL and PE. To request a correlation report or for more information, Call us at 888.442.8555 or click
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Stepping Stones Museum for Children brings its reputable, multidimensional learning approach to the new Stepping Stones Studio. Students in the classroom or learning from home will have access to a virtual world of brain-building, STEAM and fun-infused learning experiences. Click here for more information: https://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/teachers/
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Teaching preschoolers to love STEAM
eSchool News
In the spring and summer of 2020, Brooklyn Preschool of Science closed down for six months due to COVID-19. During those same six months, almost 300,000 people left New York, so there are certainly fewer families in our zip code than there were in March. Even so, our independent preschools are back to serving 300 families at three locations, offering in-person classes for students ages 2 to 5. Parents are trusting us with their children not just because of the safety precautions we're taking, but because of our pedagogical approach, which begins with a spirit of inquiry and ends with students who have a lifelong love of science.
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Using systems thinking to deepen understanding
MiddleWeb (commentary)
Megan Kelly, a contributor for MiddleWeb, writes: "My school emphasizes interconnectedness. I teach in a learning community, the students are team-taught in English and Math, we do several interdisciplinary units every year, and we have flexible classrooms that we can adjust to our needs. This emphasis comes through in our social studies units on identity, ancient civilizations, sustainability and religions."
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.EDUCATION RESEARCH
.IN THE STATES
Chicago schools open doors to thousands more students
The Associated Press
Thousands of Chicago Public Schools students returned to school, the second — and largest — wave of students to go back to classrooms after almost a year of remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. CPS did not immediately provide any details on how many of the 37,000 students in kindergarten through fifth grade who signed up for in-person learning actually showed up. Roughly 5,000 pre-kindergarten students and special education students returned to the classroom when in-person learning became available for them last month.
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Vegas-area schools latest to reopen among large US districts
The Associated Press
School bells ring for the youngest students in Las Vegas, where the nation's fifth-largest school district will return kids to classrooms during the coronavirus pandemic with a "hybrid" schedule for preschoolers through third graders. The move in a region hard hit both physically and economically by COVID-19 makes the sprawling Clark County School District, with 315,000 students, the latest of the largest in the U.S. to resume face-to-face but hands-off instruction.
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.ASSOCIATION NEWS
New version of MAEC Equity Audit released
NAESP
NAESP is proud to share the release of an updated 2021 version of the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium Equity Audit. Revisions to the audit were made based on research and feedback from practitioners including members of the NAESP's Task Force on Race and Equity. The audit was also revised in light of the new realities faced by schools due to COVID-19. Additionally, the scale for rating each item was revised from a two-point scale to a four-point scale to account for the different stages at which institutions may find themselves on their equity journey. Expanding the scale allows for a more thorough look at where each entity is in regards to equity.
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Novartis
@Novartis
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We want to discover, develop and successfully market innovative products to prevent and cure diseases.
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Novartis
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