This message was sent to ##Email##
|
|
|
|
|
District Administration Magazine
Starting the 2020-2021 school year early and lengthening the calendar into next summer may be the best way to provide equity for students and narrow achievement gaps that have widened during coronavirus closures, according to a Duke University education expert. During a typical summer, almost all students lose some degree of math learning. But when it comes to reading, middle-class students generally maintain their skills while their lower-income classmates tend to fall behind, said Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and neuroscience who researches homework, summer school and after-school programs.
READ MORE
NPR
May 7, 2020, is the date that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, declared it was safe to open up schools. The state has had fewer than 500 reported cases of coronavirus. But according to the state's Office of Public Instruction, just a few school districts, in small towns, have taken the governor up on the offer. That gap, between a state executive proclaiming schools OK to open, and the reality of tiny groups of students gathering in just a few schools, shows the logistical challenges educators and state officials around the country face in any decision to reopen.
READ MORE
eSchool News
The current crisis has highlighted the disparity between students with and without equitable access to technology, especially in rural districts and schools. While most teachers are being asked to take their lessons directly to the students' homes, many administrators know that the challenges in their district go beyond whether or not students have enough devices to do their classwork.
READ MORE
District Administration Magazine
Questions of equity will be even more important to answer when schools reopen as the "COVID-19 slide" will have impacted some students — and districts — more than others, a group of education experts said. Administrators will have to find a way to assess the slide, use the data to develop interventions and may then consider blurring the lines of grade levels, the experts said in a webinar hosted by NWEA, the nonprofit testing agency.
READ MORE
The Brookings Institution
During the COVID-19 pandemic, only 44% of school districts are both providing instruction online and monitoring students' attendance and progress. Kids in these districts have a good chance of staying on grade-level during the coronavirus shutdown. Kids in the majority of districts, which are either providing no instruction or offering instruction but not tracking progress, have little or no chance of finishing their current grade and being ready for the next grade in the fall.
READ MORE
eSchool News
School buildings may have closed as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country, but teaching and learning didn't stop — they just moved in new directions. Administrators, teachers and staff transitioned quickly to take learning online, a move that provided new opportunities even as it brought consistent challenges.
READ MORE
CNN
Schools should be ready to phase in their reopenings, perhaps starting with reduced hours, before returning to full activity amid the coronavirus pandemic, pediatricians said. Schools should also plan for intermittent closures in the future if the virus begins to rebound, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in new guidance.
"Until the broad availability of a vaccine and/or treatment for Covid-19 exists, there is a risk for future waves of disease impacting communities across the country; it is important that schools plan for the possibility of additional periods of school closures and prepare strategically for distance learning or other educational options," it said.
READ MORE
 |
|
Champions is an opportunity to exceed every parent’s expectations of what before and after school can be. Our programs immerse K–6 students in an inquiry-based, whole-child learning environment that supports academic and social-emotional learning. Support your teachers’ goals outside the school day without costing your district’s budget. Learn more
|
|
The Hechinger Report
A year into leading the March for Our Lives rallies in Arizona, where calls for stronger gun control fell mostly on deaf ears, Induja Kumar, 17, and her fellow student organizers decided to try something different. They started demanding more school counselors. Their initial pitch last year to lower Arizona's student-to-counselor ratio — currently the highest in the nation at 905-to-1 — centered on stabilizing the mental health of young people as a way to prevent gun violence. But with schools closed until at least fall, and students statewide dealing with the emotional toll of a global pandemic, Kumar said she believes the successful fight for more counselors couldn't have come at a better time.
READ MORE
Leadership Freak
You might think leadership would be easy if it wasn't for people. Try sending everyone home! Now what? You're an individual contributor — not a leader — when you work in isolation.
READ MORE
Inc.
Historically, people have tended to evaluate leaders on the basis of hard skills and qualifications. Softer skills like empathy haven't always made the list. But the global pandemic has changed virtually everything, including what we look for in, and need from, our leaders. We're all going through this pandemic, but we're not all in the same boat. This is impacting people in all different ways, and as leaders we can't overlook that. We need to prioritize empathetic leadership: the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and use that as a jumping off point for leading, rallying and motivating those around you.
READ MORE
|
Promoted By
Move This World
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harvard Business Review
In an ongoing crisis, clear communication is more important and more difficult than when things seem normal. Employees and customers are hungry for information, so we're tempted to pull together presentations and communicate with urgency instead of with careful planning. But if we present without addressing our audience's core questions of what, how and why, we'll sow more confusion than we bring clarity.
READ MORE
Fast Company
In a matter of days, shutdowns and physical social distancing measures due to the coronavirus pandemic led to a dramatic shift in consumer values and behavior. It heavily impacted businesses and interrupted our way of life. Close to two months later, the landscape hasn't changed much. Employees still worry about the security of their jobs while employers struggle to figure out how to appropriately navigate these unprecedented times.
READ MORE
By Brian Wallace (commentary)
 Remote work has become the new normal for many workers. Unfortunately, this uncharted territory has caused many managers to become overzealous. This infographic outlines the psychology behind why it's so important to trust remote workers.
READ MORE
|
Promoted by
|
|
|
|
 |
Education Week
President Donald Trump again lobbied for the nation's schools to reopen, saying children do relatively well in response to the coronavirus — although he did say teachers of a certain age shouldn't report to class due to health concerns. Trump, who doesn't have the legal authority to mandate that schools reopen or stay closed, repeated a pitch he made more than a week ago that he thinks schools should open their doors again, and that young people seem not to be very affected by the virus — even though there is growing evidence about children's ability to transmit the virus.
READ MORE
NPR
No field trips. No game rooms. No teddy bears. These are some of the CDC's guidelines for reopening schools, childcare centers and day camps safely in places where coronavirus cases are on the decline. The guidance, which also covers restaurants, churches and other public places, was obtained by The Associated Press, which reports that the White House tried to keep it from coming to light. The New York Times quoted Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, as being concerned that the guidelines were "overly prescriptive."
READ MORE
Education Week
The lobbying by the education community for additional aid during the coronavirus pandemic continues without letup — and one new effort involves assisting schools in becoming a community nexus in the battle against COVID-19. In a letter to congressional leaders, nearly 90 education and other groups are urging Capitol Hill to provide $200 billion for schools and to include the Rebuild America's Schools Act in the next coronavirus relief package.
READ MORE
 |
|
School shut down? Looking to expand your teachers' professional learning? IRIS can help. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education, we offer free online PD, covering behavior management, differentiated instruction, accommodations for students with disabilities and more, to increase your teachers' knowledge of evidence-based
practices:
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/pd-hours/
|
|
District Administration Magazine
Many family mobile hotspot discount programs that districts provided to low-income families are reaching their limit, and school leaders are concerned what monthly rates these families will now have to pay to maintain student internet access during school closures. "Luckily, there were discount programs prior to the pandemic that companies are dedicated to continue providing for $10 per month post-COVID-19," says Christine Fox, who spoke on the topic of broadband leadership at FETC 2020.
READ MORE
Education Week
Officials in New York state announced agreements with the videoconference platform Zoom designed to address privacy and security vulnerabilities that had affected schools in New York City and nationwide. First, New York City's Department of Education publicized an agreement with Zoom that will allow educators there to resume using Zoom as a virtual classroom tool, one month after the department had imposed a Zoom ban. School employees and students will have access to a version of Zoom that complies with an agreement specific to New York City's education department.
READ MORE
The 74
As COVID-19 shut down its schools, Hamilton County, Tennessee, was ideally situated for the switch to virtual learning. At least in theory. Home to the regional tech hub of Chattanooga, Hamilton County has been celebrated for its pioneering, municipally owned fiber-optic network and the economic revival it has powered over the past decade. The area's schools have played their part as well, launching an initiative to provide every student access to a Chromebook beginning in sixth grade.
READ MORE
|
|
eSchool News
Educators can make their instruction more effective and provide practice linked directly to progress monitoring and formative assessment results using a number of free digital tools. Teachers can also take advantage of time-saving features such as automatic grading and the computerized compilation of points awarded for correct answers so that test administration takes less time and there is more time teaching.
READ MORE
Edutopia
At school, students do much more than learn a curriculum — they make friends, share meals, feel loved, have meaningful discussions, find mentors and more. The community aspect of school is especially important for many LGBTQIA+ students, who, studies show, benefit greatly from having at least one supportive adult in their lives. During this pandemic, these students might be feeling unsupported or alone.
READ MORE
Teaching Channel
With schools and businesses closed all around the world, many of us are learning to cope with the challenges of being socially isolated at home. At the same time, parents and educators are trying to figure out what they can feasibly teach at home with limited resources and sometimes limited content expertise. The good news is social and emotional learning can help us address feelings of isolation, and it is also an area that is relevant no matter what your "classroom" looks like right now.
READ MORE
Edutopia (commentary)
Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, a contributor for Edutopia, writes: "Like many parents, my friend, a mother of three, has worried since the Covid-19 school closures about how to help her children with three grades of schoolwork while also balancing her own work responsibilities. Every week, it's been a juggling act. However, her biggest concern doesn't have anything to do with assignments. Instead, she's worried that her oldest child will lose the progress he recently made on his individualized education program goals."
READ MORE
Language Magazine
For Stephen Krashen, the disruption to traditional education during Covid-19 may reveal some unexpected benefits. Krashen is a leading world scholar, emeritus professor of Education at the University of Southern California, and author of several books on language acquisition. In a recent conversation, Krashen discussed how teachers and parents can harness the opportunity to teach language — including heritage languages — during remote learning.
READ MORE
MiddleWeb (commentary)
Jeremy Hyler, a contributor for MiddleWeb, writes: "Most teachers, like myself, have made a huge shift to teaching remotely in their states. Trying to balance the teaching of our own children and our students, while creating engaging lessons, can be challenging."
READ MORE
|
|
We Are Teachers
Your kids may be having a serious case of the feels these days — from sadness and anxiety to feeling disconnected, lonely, and bored. And no wonder! Schools are closed, extracurricular activities are postponed, and much of what they may have been looking forward to has been canceled. While most of us are not certified art therapists, we can still incorporate a few art therapy activities to help them identify and manage their emotions.
READ MORE
Edutopia
While educators across all grades have scrambled to determine what effective remote learning looks like, early childhood educators have faced a unique challenge. Young students' learning occurs through hands-on experiences guided by an intentional facilitator, and even the best educational technology cannot replicate this human connection.
READ MORE
Language Magazine
If recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress is any indication, literacy education is a challenge across the country, with only 35% of fourth graders and 34% of eighth graders reading proficiently or better. In my district, Covert Public Schools, we face some additional challenges, including a 100% free and reduced lunch rate. Nearly 60% of our students are Hispanic, many of whom are dual-language learners. To help ensure our students have every opportunity to become strong readers, we support strong classroom instruction with a focus on family and community engagement.
READ MORE
Edutopia
Just as teachers design lessons with student needs in mind, facilitators of professional development need to design learning experiences with adult needs in mind. Educators walk into our meetings with years of life experiences that have shaped their beliefs, mindset, and values. Much time and effort have gone into creating systems in classrooms that work for these teachers and their students, so asking a teacher to shift an aspect of their system without keeping their needs in mind can feel insulting or undoable. Teachers are also busy, their minds filled with to-do lists, which can result in a resistance to slowing down and reflecting during meetings.
READ MORE
We Are Teachers
Of all the canceled activities, elementary students are probably most disappointed to be missing out on field day. Whether your school has races and ribbons, goes wet and wild, or rents blow-up slides and bouncy houses, field day is a time-honored and beloved tradition. While tug-of-war may be out of the question, there are actually plenty of field day activities kids can do at home.
READ MORE
Edutopia
Instructional technology and the arts can be difficult to integrate authentically. Despite the progress of our STEM-accredited school with an evolving STEAM program, these two fields rarely overlapped in our classrooms. By focusing on a final product and promoting integration in the Hour of Code, we merged resources to create, communicate, and collaborate across grades and subject areas. Here are some tips for integrating code in arts-based settings for younger students.
READ MORE
MiddleWeb (commentary)
Gerry McCain and Megan Farnsworth, contributors for MiddleWeb, writes: "Over the past year, as a university student who has come from a family of educators, I have become overwhelmingly passionate about the topic of culturally responsive classrooms. Thus, I was eager to get my hands on 'Determining Difference from Disability: What Culturally Responsive Teachers Should Know' and begin to learn more on the topic. I was very pleased with this book; its interactive nature and realistic examples made it a very enjoyable read with important implications."
READ MORE
Education Week
When school buildings reopen, many teachers might not be there. About 18% of all teachers are aged 55 or older. That age group accounts for about 92% of deaths in the United States due to COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although adults who are 65 and older are most at risk. Teachers with underlying medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, are also at high risk for severe illness caused by the coronavirus.
READ MORE
Chalkbeat
Denise Riemer has spent 18 years watching out for young people with unstable housing in Alabama's largest school district. As the homeless student liaison for Mobile County Public Schools, she and her team of seven social workers usually offer in-person support to the school district's 4,000 homeless students. They've adapted to this moment, using Snapchat and Facebook to stay in touch with teens living on their own. But she's worried about the signs that more students will need their help soon, and the students who already need help may be growing tougher to find.
READ MORE
NAESP
No principal is an island — even though it might feel like it sometimes. With this in mind, NAESP created the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership to bring together principals from across the country to work through challenges and share innovative strategies. Our goal? To make principals feel less alone as they work to support students and schools across the nation.
READ MORE
NAESP
This session will provide fresh insights into the challenges assistant principals face and the innovative work they are doing to support principals, teachers, students and communities to promote high levels of learning in this unprecedented era of distance learning.
READ MORE
|
|
|
|
7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
|
