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.NAPT MEMBER NEWS
Attention School Transportation Product Suppliers: Are you a member of NAPT?
NAPT
Annual memberships for our NAPT Business Partners expire on December 31, 2020. Be on the lookout for an email from us that explains new services and expanded options for our business affiliate members in the 2021 membership year.
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School (Re)Opening Webinar Recap
NAPT
As we explored in last week’s webinar about trends in school (re)openings, while the country saw a continued drift to virtual only instruction, a number of districts across the US have announced in-person return dates on December 7th - including NYC - and as they occur there may be a re-reversal (or at least a stabilization) in the percentage is students attending "virtual only" schools. In the week ending 12/5/20, nearly 51% of US K-12 students were attending "virtual-only" schools, up from 49% the week before. The percentage of US K-12 students attending "traditional" In-person/every day" schools was 32.5% and those attending "hybrid" schools was 16.7%. Visit Burbio's School Opening Tracker-Map for the latest information.
With the return this week of elementary students in NYC — the largest school district in the US — and other districts planning on returning from post-Thanksgiving breaks (even as some postpone, as noted above) there could be some slight movement away from "virtual only" over the next two weeks. That said, Burbio's President Dennis Roche doesn't expect large movements for the balance of 2020 and the situation around quarantining and Covid-19 spread continues to put pressure on districts that remain open in the Northeast and the Midwest.
"We don't see the numbers starting to move again until around MLK Day, other than the NYC move and a tiny percentage of suburban districts on short breaks", Roche told us yesterday.
A recent announcement that described an increase in failing grades among students in Fairfax County (VA) schools — the nation's 10th largest — might be an indicator of a trend among districts of all sizes to measure the size of the learning deficits that have developed since last March and correlate them to attendance. The CDC's announcement last week that reduced quarantine guidance to as little as seven days might also spark another trend. Forsyth County, GA, for example, quickly changed their regulations after the CDC announcement. Dickinson School District in Galveston, TX, is requiring parents to apply to opt-out of in person learning and go through an evaluation of academic progress, one of a number of districts in Texas tightening criteria for virtual instruction.
The last thing to keep an eye on is vaccine distribution. "With Covid-19 vaccine roll out beginning this month, there will be considerable discussion as to where educators fit in the plans after health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities", Roche says. "But, it's much too early to tell how this may affect timing of school openings."
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The Safety Vision IR Thermometer is used to measure passengers’ temperature quickly and easily as they board the bus or enter the building. Scanning any part of the face or hand, temperature readings are displayed on the LED screen, in addition to an audible voice that states if the person’s temperature is within range.
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Join us on Tuesday 12.15.20 for NAPT® ACTS Informational Webinar
NAPT
2021 is almost here which means we will be launching NAPT® ACTS! very soon.
NAPT® has joined forces with the Center for Effective School Operations (CESO) to create NAPT® ACTS!, a brand new streaming service, offered on the RethinkEDU platform, that offers curated content both live and on-demand, combined with social networking for the K-12 marketspace.
NAPT® ACTS! is about connecting people, regularly and consistently, using education as the common ground.
Join us as we talk about NAPT® ACTS! and the RethinkEDU platform.
We are excited to share what we have created and hope that you are you too!
Event Information
- NAPT® ACTS! Informational Webinar
- Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
- Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Speakers: Mike Martin, NAPT Executive Director and Luke Frederick, CESO Director of Innovation
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Keep Your NAPT® Member Profile Up-to-Date
NAPT
Now is a great time to log in to the NAPT® website and update your member profile!
Once you're logged in:
- View and update your personal information — it's quick and simple. As soon as you log in, you'll see all of your information and have the ability to make edits as necessary.
- Upload a professional photo to display in your profile that will be visible in the Online Member Directory.
- Provide a brief professional biography in the space provided so we can learn a little more about you.
- Select your Directory Category by clicking on "My Directory Options" and selecting the appropriate organization type.
Log in today! Please contact headquarters at 800.989.6278 if you need assistance logging in to the system.
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Connect with NAPT
NAPT
Let NAPT help you stay in touch with colleagues and up-to-date on industry news and interesting stories from around the nation.
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.INDUSTRY NEWS
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Does your district have students without Internet at home? Equip your buses with WiFi and park them in neighborhoods, apartment complexes, mobile home parks, and school parking lots to create Internet access point amid distance learning. Get started by downloading the Community WiFi Hotspot Guide.
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Wash a School Bus in less than 5 minutes! Using only 5 gallons of water and 1 ounce of soap per minute, walk around the bus applying soap and the second time using fresh water, all automated. We are the world’s most economical, ecological and efficient bus wash system!
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FCC chief who ended net neutrality says he'll quit Jan. 20
MSN via Bloomberg
U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said he'll leave the agency Jan. 20, eliminating the possibility of a holdover Republican majority at the agency that could have temporarily stymied changes sought by the incoming Biden administration. Since being elevated to the chairmanship by President Donald Trump in 2017, Pai, a Republican, has led the commission in dismantling net neutrality regulations and pushed for fast wireless broadband service.
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Find your place in the vaccine line
The New York Times
A vaccine may be around the corner, but how long will it be until you get the shot? Health officials are considering vaccine timelines that give some Americans priority over others. If you're a healthy American, you may wait many months for your turn. To put this in perspective, we worked with the Surgo Foundation and Ariadne Labs using their vaccine tool to calculate the number of people who will need a vaccine in each state and county — and where you might fit in that line.
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Department of Education portal gives snapshot of CARES Act education funding
THE Journal
The U.S. Department of Education has launched on online portal intended to show how much states have spent of their CARES Act education allocations for K-12 districts and colleges and universities. However, because the site is relying on data submitted by schools up to Sept. 30, the numbers don't tell a complete story yet.
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Virginia Department of Education announces statewide grants for school security equipment
WAVY
On Friday the VDOE announced $12 million in state School Security Equipment Grants to protect students, faculty and visitors in 489 schools in 102 school divisions. Virginia Department of Education said in a press release, the funds will pay for video monitoring systems, voice and video internal communications systems, school bus interior cameras, mass notification systems, visitor-identification systems, access control systems, two-way radios, security vestibules and other security upgrades.
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New York City public elementary schools to begin reopening on December 7
CBS News
Public elementary schools in New York City will begin reopening on Dec. 7, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday. The largest public school system in the country closed on Nov. 19, 2020, when the city reached a seven-day COVID-19 testing positivity average of 3%, but de Blasio said that metric will no longer be used.
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Georgia district creating 'emergency action plan' for staffing
District Administration Magazine
In late September, the 52 schools in Henry County, Georgia, just south of Atlanta reopened for in-person instruction, a pivotal moment for this district whose students had gone six months without being in front of their teachers. Not all of them returned — only 41% are physically at schools — but being able to bring them back at all showed the power of clear decision-making, collaboration across departments and shrewd planning.
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MULTIBRIEFS EXCLUSIVE
Report: The impact of COVID-19 on student achievement
By Bambi Majumdar
 A recent report sheds light on the adverse effect of COVID-19 school disruptions on K-12 learning. Titled, "How Kids Are Performing: Tracking the Impact of COVID-19 on Reading and Mathematics Achievement," the report was released by a leading education technology leader, Renaissance. It considers student assessments from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The results total over 5 million student assessments. The report touches upon all the aspects of learning issues and gaps and seeks to guide educators as they address learning gaps.
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Two-thirds of parents worry about long-term impact of pandemic on kids
UPI
Two-thirds of parents of children under 18 are worried about the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their child's mental health, according to the findings of a survey released Wednesday by Nationwide Children's Hospital. More than half of parents surveyed said they are running out of ways to help their children stay positive during the pandemic and the life changes that have come with it, including school closings and restrictions on social gatherings, the survey also found.
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Gwinnett school district asks legislators for more funding
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks asked the county's legislative delegation Thursday for increased state funding to combat the challenges of teaching during the coronavirus pandemic although it has caused enrollment to decline.
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State School Board to seek $5 million-plus to enhance Utah students' broadband access
Deseret News
With CARES Act funding winding down and COVID-19 cases spiking across the nation, a full return to in-person learning in Utah public schools may be a ways away. With that in mind, the Utah State Board of Education considered Thursday prioritizing a $5 million request to the Legislature to sustain and expand broadband access for students through a board program initially funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
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Reopening rollercoaster: Stay open, go home, come back?
Tech & Learning
As coronavirus cases surge across the U.S., school districts have had to respond quickly to local outbreaks. Approaches range from going completely virtual through the end of the calendar year to only closing affected schools and grades to shutting down for a few days and reopening for certain students, particularly those with special needs.
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5 leadership errors you can't afford to make during COVID-19
Inc.
If there's ever been a time to lead, it's now. No entrepreneur alive has navigated a global pandemic. COVID-19 has caused leaders to reflect on their leadership as they see their companies through this unprecedented time. And with a second wave washing onto U.S. shores, the worst may not be over yet.
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Managing an underperformer who thinks they're doing great
Harvard Business Review (commentary)
Liz Kislik, a contributor for Harvard Business Review, writes: "Almost every leader has been in the uncomfortable position of managing someone who thinks their performance is terrific when it's actually just adequate, or worse. In fact, in my 30 years of consulting, it's been one of the more frequent — and draining — performance problems I've observed."
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Will a COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory for students?
Education Week
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend schooling across the country, many educators, policymakers, parents and students have staked their hopes of returning to normal on the development of a vaccine. There are three coronavirus vaccines that show promising results from late stage trials, and two — from drug makers Pfizer and Moderna — that have applied for emergency authorization from the federal government. But once a vaccine becomes widely available, will lawmakers leave it up to families to choose to get inoculated or will they require schoolchildren to get a COVID-19 vaccine to attend school?
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Critical leadership skills in times of crisis
Training Industry Magazine
What does it take to pivot a business quickly in times of crisis while keeping the employee in mind? Leading with humanity, focusing on inclusive leadership and adopting agile methodologies are critical skills to instill in leadership and across the organization to drive positive change with employees, customers and communities in difficult times.
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The 5 actions every leader needs to take right now
Forbes
Now that we are almost a year into the COVID-19 crisis and are likely facing another wave, it's imperative for business leaders to take the time to stand back and assess their leadership since the beginning of the crisis. There are five actions leaders can take today to make sure they are optimizing their leadership in these unprecedented and uncertain times.
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Children account for more new COVID-19 cases as the pandemic rolls on
Education Week
Children are less likely to catch the coronavirus than adults and tend to have less severe symptoms if they do get infected. But as more people get tested and researchers learn more about COVID-19, children's vulnerability to the virus is becoming more apparent. A study published in the journal Pediatrics finds there have been more than a half million children diagnosed with COVID-19 as of Sept. 10, a rate of 729 cases per 100,000 children. Researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association analyzed coronavirus case data from April to September from 49 state health departments as well as those of New York City, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. (New York State does not report coronavirus cases by age.)
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How to remain calm in the midst of workplace chaos
The Lead Change Group
Most of us have hectic, stressful, high-pressure jobs. How do we keep from letting it get to us or burn us out? Why is it that some people seem to be able to handle challenges with confidence, poise, and grace? The secret is a quality that psychologists call resilience. In brief, it is the ability to overcome obstacles and quickly adapt to change. Psychologists have studied resilient people and discovered that it is learned, not genetic.
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5 reasons highly sensitive people are an asset to your team
Fast Company
Psychologist Elaine Aron, who has been studying the innate temperament trait of high sensitivity since 1991, coined the phrase "Highly Sensitive Person." For those individuals who have these traits—about 20% of the general population—it can be a gift and a curse. HSPs feel both positive and negative emotions more intensely than non-HSPs. This sensitivity is thought to be linked to higher levels of creativity, richer personal relationships and a greater appreciation for beauty.
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