This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here November 20, 2020 .PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP How schools are preparing for the perfect storm of holiday travel and COVID-19 Education Week Rapidly rising coronavirus cases nationwide and upcoming holiday travel plans could be the perfect storm to trigger COVID-19 spikes among students and teachers. That possibility is putting principals, school district leaders and state officials in the difficult spot of telling families what they should do during the holidays, but without the power to enforce that guidance. READ MORE 4 pathways to help school leaders make critical decisions eSchool News The U.S. is grappling with a global health pandemic, economic uncertainties, increased awareness of racial and social injustice, divisive politics, and natural disasters–all in 2020. School leaders are at the helm of an education system that can produce students who work as activists in an effort to create a better world, and the decisions these leaders make will have a drastic impact on students' future. READ MORE Teacher shortages: Are we heading in the right direction? District Administration Magazine The teacher shortage is real, complex and concerning — especially in high-demand specialty areas such as special education, math and science, English as a second language and foreign language. This comes as no surprise, as many reports indicate low enrollment in these educator preparation program teaching areas. While it is important to reflect upon the current state of the teacher shortage, it is imperative that EPPs analyze changes in student enrollment to determine future implications for the teacher workforce. READ MORE 25 wonderful ways to make school hallways positive and inspiring We Are Teachers Kids spend more time in school hallways than you might think. These awesome ideas give them something motivating and fun to look at while they're changing classes or rooting around in their lockers. Pro tip? Give students a sense of ownership by inviting them to participate in the painting or decorating! READ MORE VIDEO SHOWCASE Mitigating the Risk of Aerosolized Transmission Promoted By Erlab Boost Your School's Immunity Promoted By Apothepack Virus surge: Schools abandon classes, states retreat The Associated Press School systems in Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and suburban Minneapolis are giving up on in-person classes, and some governors are reimposing restrictions on bars and restaurants or getting more serious about masks, as the coast-to-coast resurgence of the coronavirus sends deaths, hospitalizations and new infections soaring. The crisis deepened at hospitals, with the situation so bad in North Dakota that the governor said nurses who test positive but have no symptoms can still work. Idaho clinics struggled to handle the deluge of phone calls from patients. And one of Utah's biggest hospital systems is bringing in nearly 200 traveling nurses, some of them from New York City. READ MORE Want to rethink education after COVID-19? Creative solutions mean taking more risks EdSurge In 2005, Hurricane Katrina literally washed away the New Orleans public school system. You may not like the new charter school presence in New Orleans, but those schools came about because local educators seized the opportunities presented by Katrina and acted upon them as entrepreneurs. Organizational change in education is often preceded by an action forcing event. Now, in 2020, as educators struggle to cope with the pandemic that forced K-12 schools to deliver instruction online, we should, like the leaders in New Orleans, take this tragic opportunity to think entrepreneurially about reopening public schools. READ MORE Training bias out of teachers: Research shows little promise so far Education Week This summer, the Des Moines, Iowa, public schools held a series of anti-racist town hall meetings in the wake of the police-led killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on people of color in their community. But the conversation rapidly turned to inequalities within in the school system. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. A School Leader’s Guide to Crisis Communication Free 3 PD Hour Course: Building Relationships in Online Learning Free 3 PD Hour Course: An Exploration into Social and Emotional Learning Teacher Resources: Supporting Students of Color and Battling Racism Appropriate Ways for Principals to Build Relationships with Teachers What highly effective school leadership really looks like in a pandemic EdSurge (commentary) Simon Rodberg, a contributor for EdSurge, writes: "In the school building, while washing my hands in the bathroom, I fixed my face. As I dried my hands, I fixed my posture. Before opening the door, I fixed my tie. As I stepped into the hallway, I cleared my throat. The way I dressed, the way I walked, the way I looked, the volume of my voice: all of these, when I was an in-person principal, were elements of leadership. Leaders make the weather; I wanted to make positive, high-energy weather." READ MORE 3 ways K-12 schools can evolve post-pandemic Education DIVE The pandemic-driven upheaval of the K-12 education system is doing something many say has been nearly impossible — opening a door for significant reforms that would disrupt decades or century-old practices and rituals. And even though school administrators are in the midst of responding to the immediate health crisis, they are setting aside time to discuss long-term planning for how post-pandemic schools could be even better than before the health crisis. READ MORE Choose growth The Lead Change Group Mindsets are important. Mindset.com defines them as the "collection of beliefs and thoughts that make up the mental attitude, inclination, habit or disposition that predetermines a person's interpretations and responses to events, circumstances, and situations." In short, our mindset is how we choose to feel, think and act about an object, person, issue or event. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Bakpax: Hybrid Learning on Any Device • Empower and engage students with instant feedback • Solve for digital access issues • Use for in-person, virtual, and seamless hybrid learning LEARN MORE 7 methods to help you switch from angry to calm in seconds Forbes Stay calm. Remain cool. Keep composed. It's easy for people to say this is how you should react when you're feeling angry, frustrated or disrespected at work. In theory, many of us would agree. The problem is that we don't know how to actually do it. For most of us, our first "normal" reaction to experiencing negative emotions is often reactive. Our anger comes seemingly automatically because our brains are interpreting what caused our negative feelings as a "threat." READ MORE Ask these questions to find out if you're hiring a good human (not just a smart one) Fast Company (commentary) Andrea Kayal, a contributor for Fast Company, writes: "I talk ad nauseum about the importance for companies, especially high-growth startups, to hire people who exhibit exceptional emotional intelligence. I'm not the first one who has come to this conclusion, but I think more people need to realize that EQ is just as important of an asset to a company as IQ. In my opinion, it is the single biggest factor in startup growth acceleration. You can usually find smart people, but building a team with kind people usually plays second fiddle to those with practical experience." READ MORE How to leverage skills tests to reduce unconscious bias in hiring Forbes As the groundswell of support for social justice rages on, employers nationwide have begun re-examining their equity and inclusion efforts. For many, a hard look in the mirror has revealed an unsettling reality: a workforce lacking diversity. Typically, a lack of diversity in the workplace boils down to the hiring process. Too often, organizations inadvertently let unconscious biases influence hiring decisions. These implicit biases create deep inequalities and open the door for discrimination lawsuits. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Tangible Play (Osmo) Whether you’re teaching in-person, online, or a mix of both, Osmo can make a difference. Explore the many ways Osmo can integrate with mainstream curriculum, special education, and more. Learn about the Osmo for Schools difference: educator resources for an educational environment. Are you feeling pandemic meeting fatigue? A new Harvard Business School study finds you're not alone Forbes A large new study from Harvard Business School confirms that we are spending too much time in meetings and video calls, creating burnout and hurting productivity. The study — "Collaborating During Coronavirus: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nature of Work" — examined the emails and meeting invitations of more than three million employees at over 21,000 firms worldwide. The most striking increases were in the number of meetings (up 12.9%) and the number of attendees (up 13.5%). READ MORE Can optimists and pessimists ever get along? The Lead Change Group How many arguments have broken out in your team just because someone was handing out suggestions on the fly without giving it much thought? How about someone who keeps shooting down ideas just because they found the concepts to be too unusual? If you've seen these two issues come up repeatedly, it's highly likely that you and your team are plagued by two common cognitive biases, the optimism bias, and the pessimism bias. The optimism bias involves many people who make very positive forecasts of future risks and rewards. On the other hand, the pessimism bias describes those who give out extremely negative assessments. READ MORE .EDUCATION POLICY Teacher pay tops Biden's 5 priorities for K-12 education District Administration Magazine Teacher pay, social-emotional learning, equitable funding and career pathways are the lynchpins of President-elect Joe Biden's platform for K-12 education. The Biden-Harris K-12 platform begins with a proposal to triple Title I funding for low-income schools, with a requirement to use the money to offer educators competitive salaries. The new administration also intends to invest in mentoring, leadership opportunities and professional development for teachers. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Don't Go It Alone The learning landscape is changing. Let us help you navigate it. Our experts are available for early-morning check-ins, or late in the evening as you reflect on your day. Bottom line: Leadership doesn’t have to be lonely. We’re here, day and night, to help you lead your schools into the future. Learn more LEARN MORE CDC pulls statement that stressed importance of in-person school Education Week The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has quietly removed a statement from its website that stressed "the importance of reopening America's schools" even as they take steps to address the coronavirus pandemic. The July statement had been attached to revised guidance from the agency that came after President Donald Trump criticized the CDC's guidance on COVID-19 and called for K-12 schools to reopen, threatening their funding if they remained in remote learning. READ MORE How Biden could steer education spending without waiting on Congress Education Week President-elect Joe Biden has big plans to spend a lot more on K-12 education, but those plans depend on Congress going along, which could be a longshot in some areas. It's hard to see Capitol Hill tripling Title I aid like Biden wants, for example, given recent federal education spending trends. And getting any major initiative through Congress is a difficult task these days. READ MORE Despite broad compliance with school mask policies, lawsuits persist for some Education DIVE With the school year several months underway and the number of COVID-19 cases increasing across the country, school systems are finding that, for the most part, students, parents and staff are complying with mask policies in areas where they are required. "It's been surprisingly easy," said Michael Lubelfeld, superintendent of the North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, Illinois. "A lot of people thought it would be a problem but it totally isn't." READ MORE .SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY How IT leaders can thrive in the post-COVID era eSchool News This school year is unlike any other. More than 90% of households with school-age children are engaged in some form of distance learning from home, while college students are navigating a variety of hybrid remote learning environments. These new learning environments present challenges for educators and school IT leaders alike. READ MORE Closing the connectivity gap with expanded, optimized networks EdTech Magazine In the era of remote learning, school districts are challenged with delivering widespread connectivity, especially in rural and underserved communities. School IT leaders have scrambled to make bandwidth available to support online classrooms and address issues of equity. READ MORE How CARES Act broadband expansion will help schools District Administration Magazine A dozen states used CARES Act funding to help the families of K-12 students purchase Wi-Fi-enabled devices, hotspots or both, new research shows. Ohio, for instance, set aside $50 million in relief funds for the state's Broadband Ohio Connectivity grant which provides devices for lower-income households through the end of 2020, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts' broadband research initiative. Most states used relief funds for digital learning, public wifi access, telehealth services, and infrastructure for residential broadband service, according to the research. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Benefits of an Early Childhood Leadership Certificate from Bank Street   A child’s first few years of educational experiences set the stage for how they will learn for the rest of their lives. The Bank Street Early Childhood Leadership Advanced Certificate Program is designed for mission-driven educators seeking to advance their professional opportunities and fill the need for exceptional leadership in early childhood education. Areas of study within the program include curriculum and development, social justice, systems thinking, progressive education and law. LEARN MORE   How assistive technology is supporting students through the pandemic EdTech Magazine Adjusting to a rigorous curriculum, learning new skills and understanding the nuances of classroom learning are just a few of the many pressures students face. For students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and related language processing difficulties, these struggles are amplified even in the most ideal learning environments. READ MORE Best Animoto tips and tricks for reachers Tech & Learning Animoto is one of the best ways to quickly and easily make videos online using any device. As such, it's a great free tool for teachers to use inside the classroom and for remote learning. Of course, it's also useful to help students create videos as another way to communicate and develop in the learning environment. READ MORE .PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 13 meaningful gratitude activities for kids We Are Teachers It's easy to get weighed down about everything that goes wrong in life and forget the little things that truly matter. We're all guilty of taking so much for granted, which is why it's so important to seize every opportunity to be thankful. Ready to encourage your students to do the same? As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, it's the perfect time! Here's a list of meaningful gratitude activities for students of all ages and most of them work for distance learning if needed. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by McGraw-Hill Identify and Address Individual Learning Gaps Many students will experience learning losses and have gaps in their knowledge and skills. With Rise, long-term learning loss doesn’t have to be one of the consequences. An adaptive math and ELA supplemental solution for grades 3-8 with over 1,100 learning objectives Rise can be used as independent practice work for progress monitoring, request a sample Pandemic teaching is the hardest thing we've ever done We Are Teachers Whether you love social media (#teachersofinstagram!), you hate it, or you are just plain sick of all the noise, teachers are using social channels to share the toll that pandemic teaching is taking. In the hardest year of our professional lives, sharing our vulnerability and keeping it real is the best way we can support each other. Teachers are often optimists, skilled at putting on a happy face, rolling up their sleeves and soldering on. But at what cost? READ MORE MULTIBRIEFS EXCLUSIVE Grading what matters most By Brian Stack In a recent article, Edutopia's Stephen Merrill asked a pivotal question that every educator needs to ask themselves: "In schools, are we measuring what matters?" Merrill reports out on a recent interview he conducted with educator Angela Duckworth, a champion for the push to include non-academic skills and dispositions in assessment, grading, and reporting plans. Duckworth is best known for her 2016 bestselling book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." The book raised questions and concerns from fans and critics on whether the concept of grit was a skill that should be measured by schools. READ MORE How remote learning is affecting the future of classroom design Tech & Learning When it comes to classroom design, the pandemic is responsible for a lot of change. "It's causing us to rethink how we design everything from a lecture hall to a small classroom," says John Pfeffer, a team member of IT Customer Service at University at Buffalo who is charged with classroom and learning space design, as well as determining future plans as technology changes. READ MORE PRODUCT SHOWCASE Enter for a Chance to Win! PCS Edventures is awarding 8 winners, $12,000 in STEM curriculum & materials. Hurry, the entry period ends on December 7th, 2020. Enter sweepstakes at: https://contest.edventures.com   LEARN MORE   Create a Safe Learning Environment Sneeze Guards allow for proper social distancing while keeping maximum capacity in the classroom. Made from clear acrylic, set up is easy. Made in Michigan. Variety of different sizes available.   LEARN MORE   How to teach American History in a divided country The Atlantic For the past 26 years, Chuck Yarborough, the U.S. and African American history teacher at the Mississippi School of Mathematics and Science in Columbus, has been surveying his students on how American history is taught. Students come from all over the state to spend their last two years of high school at this diverse public boarding school, and he wants to know what they've learned by the time they get there. READ MORE Supporting middle school readers tackling more complex texts Edutopia Many young people, when asked when the last time was that they enjoyed a book, will recall circle or read-aloud time in elementary school, bedtime stories read by parents when they were young, or falling in love with a favorite series, such as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" or "Captain Underpants." Elementary-aged readers often take great pride in moving from reading picture books to reading chapter books and series. READ MORE Integrating SEL in hybrid classrooms eSchool News (commentary) LeAnn Simmerman, a contributor for eSchool News, writes: "As I navigate this school year, I am keenly aware of the ever-present power of change. Each day seems to bring a new challenge, a new policy, a new online platform, a new protocol, a new expectation, and at times, new quarantines. As educators, we take a deep breath, strengthen our resolve, and carry on. But what about our students? How are they navigating this new environment? Now more than ever, they need us to be aware of and support their social-emotional health and help them cultivate SEL skills." READ MORE Make sure virtual PD works for teachers MiddleWeb (commentary) Every school in America has been impacted by COVID-19. Many have moved to an online program while others are either teaching face to face or offering a hybrid of the two. Through it all, one thing remains constant — the need for professional development. Due to the pandemic most professional learning has moved to a virtual format. And in many cases the need for professional development has increased due to the shift to online teaching and the adoption of new digital learning systems and education apps. READ MORE .EDUCATION RESEARCH Surveys show things are better for students than they were in the spring — Or do they? The Brookings Institution With the fall semester two or three months underway in most states in the U.S., everyone is wondering: After the COVID-19 pandemic forced a nationwide school shutdown, are schools doing better now than they were in the spring? With virtually all schools across the nation closed by April and scrambling to transition to online learning with no preparation, the spring was "not pretty." READ MORE Helping students overcome 'social media speak' eSchool News These days, it seems my students can't let a minute go by without checking TikTok and Instagram or responding to their friend's latest post on Snapchat. Teens' widespread access to smartphones for the last decade has fed this fascination with social media and texting. According to Pew Research, 95% of teenagers have access to a smartphone, and 45% admit to being online "almost constantly." READ MORE .IN THE STATES How one state is tackling declining enrollment numbers District Administration Magazine Though the Connecticut State Department of Education reported a 3% decline in enrollment for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, it says that number is consistent with dips from the past five years and does factor in the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sharpest declines in enrollment are happening at the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten levels, which the state says might be due to parents opting to delay their children during the crisis. It also says home schooling has been a factor driving enrollment downward in grades 1-12. READ MORE How PE teachers are trying to get students off the couch during the pandemic EdSource Imagine trying to work out in a crowded living room, with no exercise equipment besides rolled-up socks and soup cans. For many students in California, that's what physical education class looks like these days. Since campuses closed in March, P.E. teachers are scrambling for creative ways to keep students physically active — with no gymnasiums, sports fields or playgrounds — at a time when experts say students' physical and mental health is paramount. READ MORE Polis announces new restrictions but urges Colorado schools to stay open Chalkbeat Even as more Colorado school districts announce moves to remote learning, Gov. Jared Polis urged schools to remain open at least for preschool and elementary students while promising resources to help make that possible. Polis made the push during a Tuesday news conference in which he laid out new restrictions on businesses while stopping short of a stay-at-home order. The restrictions do not apply to schools, and Polis outlined plans to provide schools with additional funding for outdoor classrooms, testing and protective equipment. READ MORE States' accountability changes may impact school designations, improvement timelines Education DIVE Assessments and accountability plans, put on pause by the U.S. Education Department for the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19, are expected to resume this school year with addenda. "We are skeptical states can return to status-quo school accountability systems," said Chris Domaleski, associate director for the Center for Assessment, during a webinar hosted by CCSSO in October. "There is no easy answer." Status quo includes high stakes, like school report cards, which many states are moving away from this school year. READ MORE .ASSOCIATION NEWS A fresh look at phonics NAESP English is an alphabetic language with 26 letters. Alone and in combination, they stand for 44 sounds. Phonics instruction is the teaching of these spelling-sound correspondences. Learning the basic phonics skills we typically teach in kindergarten and in first and second grades gives students a way to sound out approximately 84 percent of the words in English-language text. That's a powerful tool! READ MORE One simple equity question NAESP Do you want EVERY student in your building to learn and know how to read and write? While the answer to that simple question is most certainly a resounding "yes!," we must admit that not every child is learning or knows how to read, which is the beginning of becoming literate. READ MORE   Principal Insights Connect with NAESP Dennis Hall, Director of Publishing, MultiView, 469-420-2656 | Download media kit Hailey Golden, Senior Education Editor, 469-420-2630| Contribute news National Association of Elementary School Principals 1615 Duke Street|  | Alexandria, VA 22314  800-386-2377  |  Contact Us  |  www.naesp.org Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. 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