ABCFT - YOUnionews - April 3, 2020
NEGOTIATION UPDATE - KEEPING YOU INFORMED by Ruben Mancillas
Notes from Underground
The negotiating update is brief: formal negotiations are postponed for the moment but the shutdown and shift to online learning mean that there are a number of implications that we will continue to bargain with the district during this significant change to our working conditions. The negotiating team is planning to meet virtually after our spring break to discuss next steps.
Once again, my recommendation is to keep our expectations realistic. Everyone should remember that we are in an unprecedented situation and be as flexible as possible but the pressure remains to somehow engage and keep delivering instruction as if it were business as usual. Things are not business as usual. Support, training, and webinars are incredibly useful but they are only one piece of a large and complex puzzle that our students and their families are dealing with. Video conferencing is another tool that can be helpful for some but it, along with the next piece of technology or platform, is not a panacea or a magic bullet to suddenly make everything better. We committed to Google classroom, let us focus on teaching this new model without adding anything else to our already crowded plate.
I, too, would prefer that a larger percentage of my students were logging in and submitting assignments. But I use my own circumstances to illustrate our challenge. I have three LBUSD high school students at home. All day. Every day. Let that sink in for a moment. It’s stressful at my house even though we have every advantage. We’re all healthy. My mother-in-law is in a high risk group but she lives close by and is OK. We don’t have any other young children to care for. Our refrigerator is full. We know that our paychecks are going to keep coming. (Please let me get on my union soapbox for a moment: we need to be mindful that this certainty is a huge difference between us and many other groups of affected workers). Each of my kids has their own laptop and internet that works in almost every room of the house. They each have a workspace where they can focus without distraction. They have multiple streaming services to keep them entertained while they are housebound. They have parents (well, their mother) who help support their online learning by making a schedule for their assignments and respective Zoom meetings.
And things are STILL crazy!
Then I compare that level of stability and support to the challenges many of our students are dealing with and I understand why I’m not getting as many assignments turned in as I had hoped. The state superintendent announced yesterday what we had anticipated; that we are likely not returning to our classrooms this semester. As this reality filters down from the state to the district to each ABCUSD family, new concerns and expectations will inevitably arise. Keep yourself healthy and we will get through this together.
In Unity
MEMBER BENEFITS by Tanya Golden
AFT Member Benefits - Trauma Coverage is another free benefit available for ABCFT members only. You now have access for up to twenty-one hours over a 3 month period of remote counseling to support your mental health needs as it relates to specific traumatic event(s). You will need your AFT member number to register.
Follow these 3 steps to get started on accessing these member-only benefits.
- You can find more information and qualifications for the trauma coverage by clicking this link for the trauma flier and clicking this link for the trauma FAQ.
AFT Member Benefits - Student Debt Support. There are a variety of ways to get student debt relief. AFT offers information on how to have your student loan forgiven. You can find the details here. Recently, you may received an email from AFT with this subject line, “A new student loan benefit for you: Summer” Which provides tools to see if consolidating your student debt would be of benefit. If you need help with student loan debt, search for it (including in your spam box) and follow the link! We are working with AFT to share the information with members unable to find this email in your personal email box. Last year, ABCFT hosted two student debt clinics and another one was scheduled for next week. So CFT has brought now brought that workshop online. See details below.
CFT - Finding Relief From Student Debt free online workshop
Is student debt still weighing you down in the current crisis? There may be a way to find relief! Recent federal legislation provides some relief from your student burden, at least on a temporary basis. And if you work for a public institution or for a nonprofit, you may already qualify for public service loan forgiveness. Learn what’s changed to relieve the student debt burden during the current pandemic. We’ll also share how to qualify for loan forgiveness, how to make your payments manageable, and how we can work together to address the student debt crisis in California.
CFT - Unemployment & Underemployment Benefits free online workshop
Do you know someone who is losing their job (or losing hours) as a result of the current pandemic? Is someone in your household unemployed or underemployed? In many cases, they may be eligible for benefits they’re not aware of. Unemployment benefits have been significantly expanded as a result of recent laws, and we’ll cover important changes members need to know about. This workshop will also demystify the process of applying for unemployment benefits. Learn about requirements of the Employment Development Department (EDD) and the step-by-step process when applying for benefits. This workshop will particularly benefit part-time faculty, temporary certificated staff, and anyone facing reduced, cancelled, or unscheduled teaching loads in the present and near-future.
TOP NEWS- REMOTE LEARNING ACROSS THE NATION
Students, Teachers, Parents Having Vastly Different Remote Learning Experiences
The Washington Post (3/27, Meckler, Strauss, Balingit) reported across the country, “almost all schools have closed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, with four states saying they are done for the academic year.” And “early evidence from this new era of homeschooling suggests students, teachers and parents are having vastly different experiences.” Numerous school systems, including “some large, diverse districts, appear to be finding success.”
In Maryland, the Anne Arundel County Public School system is planning to “set up WiFi parking lots and hand out Google Chromebooks to students who don’t have online access at home,” the Baltimore Sun (3/29, Harris) reports. Similarly, school districts across California are “giving students Chromebooks, WiFi hotspots and paper packets of schoolwork while some are preparing to train teachers for online learning,” the San Diego Union-Tribune (3/29) reports. Some teachers have “started holding virtual lessons or check-ins with students on their own.”
But “not every subject lends itself to a smooth transition to distance learning, as students and instructors have discovered,” the AP (3/27) reports. Davide D’Urbino, a “chemistry and organic chemistry teacher at Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County, said he plans on using computer applications to supplement labs that cannot be completed in the classroom.” Yet, teachers “aren’t allowed to teach new material online because some students may not have internet access.”
In Chicago, the majority of students enrolled in public schools are “considered economically disadvantaged, lacking proper devices or inadequate internet access at home,” the AP (3/28) reports. CPS officials say they’re “doing ‘whatever we can to help bridge the digital divide’ for the district’s 355,000 students.” And some internet providers “such as Comcast and AT&T have all taken measures to help, including adding free broadband internet for two months for new low-income customers.”
Meanwhile, in Trenton, NJ News (3/29) reports that schools are “highlighting the free internet services that some providers are offering low-income families during the outbreak.” District officials also “ordered 5,000 notebook computers, aiming to get them into the hands of students who lack them as soon as possible.” Other districts have “purchased internet hotspots for their students,” while some are “creating hotspots for entire neighborhoods.”
But the “director of schools for rural Chester County Schools in southwest Tennessee said providing accessible remote learning during the coronavirus outbreak that has shut down his six schools is more complicated,” Education Dive (3/27) reports. “[Betsy DeVos’] assumption is that everybody sits with the same opportunities with the internet, with all the resources supporting technology, and thinks everyone is well supported with access,” Troy Kilzer said. “And that is just so narrow-minded to think that everybody is in that same shape.” Out of the approximately “2,800 students and their families who are scattered across different providers’ lines in Chester County, there are pockets of communities for which getting high-speed internet access and sometimes even phone services is out of the question.”
ProPublica (3/27, Richards, Cohen, Coryne) and the Chicago Tribune (3/27, Cohen) provide additional coverage.
ABCFT TEACHERS ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS (TOSAs)WORKING HARD BEHIND THE SCENES
We don’t want work to go unnoticed so we want to highlight some of the TOSAs that are working hard behind the scenes to help all teachers in their classrooms. Being a teacher on special assignment is a way for teachers to share resources and supports for their colleagues. They do it because they deeply care about helping their colleagues deliver the curriculum with the latest tools and resources. This week Audrey Rios and Lora Ayala have released a video message with a weekly update and we are releasing our "Brain Break" lessons. These are lessons they designed intended to give both teacher and students a bit of a break. The teacher gets a break from lesson planning as all the aspects of the lesson are done for them. The student gets a break in their academic content to examine a real life topic related to the content area.
APRIL ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
Each month Kelley Forsythe and Rich Saldana work with Beth Bray and Carol Castro to provide teacher input about professional development, curriculum changes, and testing changes. ABCFT believes that the biggest working condition impacting teachers are the key curriculum and the professional development being churned out of academic services. Many times the district is implementing changes that are coming from the State of California but rarely do unions get involved in those changes. ABCFT believes that the teacher's voice helps to provide the district office with classroom advice and input that helps to deliver better comprehensive changes. Each month at the ABCFT Representative Council Rich and Kelley give reports and take questions on all things related to academic services.
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Each week I work with unit members in representations, contract resolutions, email/text/phone call questions, site concerns, site visits, presentations, state/national representations and mediations. Here are some of the highlights of interest. Throughout the year I find articles that are interesting and food for thought;
To be honest, I’m totally fried after this weeks work. There were some firsts for ABCFT this week that mark a new chapter in our YOUnion. This Thursday was ABCFT’s first virtual Rep Council and YOUnion Virtual Chat with members and it was an amazing three and a half hours of good questions and shared answers. Tanya and I were overwhelmed by the number of members who wanted to get together yesterday and unknowingly exceeded our the participant limit of our ZOOM account. If you had trouble getting into the room this week we apologize and we have increased our capability so that doesn’t happen in the future. We will continue to do these weekly chats (2 hour block) to give members an opportunity to virtually meet to provide feedback, ask guiding questions, and share resources with each other. As I stated yesterday during the chat, we will continue to have drop-in virtual chats with ABCFT members as part of how we do business and it is a good side effect of our desire to have more opportunities to hear from you.
I’d like to share just a couple of the important questions that came up during the chat yesterday.
- Most importantly, there will be no change in anyone's pay and we do not see any negative changes to anyone's pay for next year. Prior to the closure the ABC District was in good financial standing and the State of California has a 20+ billion rainy day fund that will help to maintain services in California. I’d have to say that California is in a better financial situation than the rest of the United States and when things return to “normal” we will be the first state to fully recover our losses during this downturn.
- Yes, there will be summer school this year (EDP also) and the district is planning both a virtual and in person plan to address the needs of our students.
- Next week, the district will issue updated guidelines for remote learning at all grade levels. This reissue of guidelines is in reaction to the number of parents that have told the District that there is too much work for students and it also provides a structure for those teachers who are having challenges in structuring their schedules. These guidelines are not mandates and if what you are doing is working for your students and their parents you should stick to what works for you. This is a time for all teachers, nurses and SLPs to solidify the foundation of what you are doing.
- For those who want to use video options to engage your students, Google (video) Meet will soon be available with new changes and guidelines for students. The District has worked directly with Google to address some of ABCFT’s concerns about this online format. Teachers are not being mandated to use video chat with their students but it is an option for those teachers who feel comfortable experimenting and using this format. If you decide to use live meetings, ABCFT encourages you to use Google Meets whenever possible since this is a district protected service that we have worked together to modify to protect everyone.
- The California Department of Education released information about grading policies but changes will be left up to Districts. Click here to read CDE guidance for teachers. More information to come.
- Heads up - Online google hangouts guidelines will go out next week and the grading guidelines will be released by the District the week following Spring Break.
Those are just a few of the many topics that were discussed yesterday and I appreciate all of you for taking the time to engage us live to provide this important opportunity to hear your questions directly. Thank YOU.
Next week I will share results from the ABCFT remote learning survey.
Who knew that working from home could be so taxing? Like most of you, I’ve learned to step away from the computer, take walks, eat right and set boundaries for when I’m working. Thank you for all you are doing to stay connected with your students and each other. Try to find the silver lining along the way. My best to you and your families during this time.
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
The latest CFT articles and news stories can be found here on the PreK12 news feed on the CFT.org website.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
ShareMyLesson
Join the new Remote Learning Community
In ShareMyLesson’s new online community, educators can share lesson plans and collaborate in discussions, as well as access grade-specific, learning-at-home lessons and activities, countless online resources to share with parents (most are free), lesson plans on teaching about coronavirus, and resources for prevention and preparation.
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Allows DeVos To Waive Special Education Law
The New York Times (4/2, Green) reports that the “$2 trillion coronavirus stabilization bill” includes a provision that allows Education Secretary DeVos “to seek congressional approval to waive parts of the federal special education law while schools combat the coronavirus pandemic. How she might use that authority scares parents.” The closure of schools during the pandemic has put parents of special education students “in an educational crisis like none seen since the disabilities law passed in 1975.” Schools “scrambling to shift classes online” has “upended special education, which is administered through meticulously devised plans called Individualized Education Programs, or I.E.P.s, which require extensive services that are not easily transferred to the internet.”
The Hill (4/2, Coleman) reports the stimulus package gives the Education Secretary 30 days to ask Congress for the authority waive provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The School Superintendents Association has asked the ED “consider waivers from timelines for evaluating students and from the individualized plans,” and provide “leniency in the mandates in how schools respond to legal complaints, adding that some have been filed in at least four states.” ED spokeswoman Angela Morabito said in a statement that the department is reviewing the request and “will respond as appropriate.” Morabito added, “Secretary DeVos has been clear from the beginning that she is committed to ensuring all students, including students with disabilities, can continue their educations during this national emergency.”
----- TEACHER/CLASSIFIED LAYOFFS -----
Visalia board cuts jobs, reduces classified staff
Visalia ISD trustees have unanimously decided to cut 73 classified staff positions and reduce the hours for 30 other employees. The layoffs will save the district about $3.75m, and are the equivalent of eliminating nearly 64 full-time positions. The agenda item discussed was specific to classified staff, but that's not the only place the district will be making cuts, said Dedi Somavia, human resources development assistant superintendent. "The board and the cabinet have been looking at where we can make cuts in every category," she said.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Coronavirus Bill provides $13.5bn for schools
Some $30.75bn in emergency relief funds for the U.S. Department of Education is included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that passed 96-0 in the Senate Wednesday, with around $13.5bn of the total to be allocated to K-12 emergency relief grants, while an extra $3.5bn would be distribute according to local need. However, the amount set aside for K-12 grants is not enough, according to analysts and education groups, with Chip Slaven, chief advocacy officer for the National School Boards stating: "While this is a first step forward, we need a lot more resources than what we’re currently getting.” Noelle Ellerson Ng, associate executive director of policy and advocacy for AASA, The School Superintendents Association, added that a provision in the bill that would allow the Education Department to waive states’ requirement to maintain school support at the same levels as in the past “sets up a scenario where states have room to adjust to the fiscal pressures of a recession, a flexibility not afforded to local education agencies.”
What the coronavirus stimulus bill means for schools
The stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, which is expected to be voted on in the House later today, will mean billions for school districts, with more money going to states and schools with more low-income students. On top of the $13.5bn to be distributed to states to spend on remote learning tools, sanitizing school buildings, and paying for summer learning programs, districts could also receive a portion of another $3bn distributed to governors, while another $8.8bn would be directed to child nutrition, including school meals. Each state’s share of the $13.5bn will be determined by how much money it currently receives through Title I, meaning states with more low-income students will get more money. Of the $3bn given to governors to decide how to spend, each state’s share will be determined by its population of children and young people. The bill also includes language allow ing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to waive parts of the federal education law requiring testing and identification of low-performing schools. While it does not give the Secretary the authority to waive any part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it does allow her to offer recommendations for additional flexibility under various federal laws.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Gov. Newsom: 'We should not prepare to bring our children back into the school setting'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Wednesday children across the state will unlikely be returning to school before the end of the academic year. "We should not prepare to bring our children back into the school setting," Newsom said, adding that school districts should instead be focused on improving and enhancing distance learning. Newsom stopped short of issuing an executive order related to school closures, instead acknowledging the reality that schools will not reopen based on the state’s predictions of how the virus will spread in the next few months, said Nathan Click, a spokesman for the governor. A model from the University of Washington projects that deaths in California could peak at the end of April and beginning of May, with around 122 per day and around 5,000 dead by the end of summer. California Rep. Devin Nunes has criticized the decision to close all schools. Speaking to Fox News , he said: “I mean, you know, it’s possible kids could’ve went back to school in two weeks to four weeks, but they just canceled the rest of the schools.”
California schools grapple with how to provide special education
The loss of classroom instruction due to the social isolation made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for all to come to terms with, particularly for students with disabilities who rely on the hands-on assistance their teachers and aides provided every day at school. Working out how to address their needs has contributed to a delay in introducing at-home learning in California, weeks after campuses closed, as has a lack of clear state guidance and fear of violating federal civil rights laws that ensure a fair education for the near 800,000 students in the state who receive special education services, according to Nica Cox, president of the California Association of Resource and Special Educators. School districts have growing concerns that moving forward on distance learning for other students could create inequities and expose districts to lawsuits. California school officials are urging the Trump administration to waive federal special education requirements due to the current circumstances. Teachers say it’s impossible under coronavirus conditions to comply with parts of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that ensures a fair education for all students. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said districts should not delay their distance learning plans for students altogether because they fear violating IDEA. Nevertheless, she has been urged to provide clearer guidance on the matter. “Special education has always been a bureaucratic quagmire. But now, it’s excruciating,” said Molly McGee Hewitt, CEO of the California Association of School Business Officials. “We cannot control this virus, we cannot control social distancing. So we would like to be held harmless from that. Without a direct waiver, there are a lot of people worried that there will be penalties when this is over.”
California parents, teachers struggle amid child care center closures
As of March 25, 5,035 child care centers and family child care homes in California reported they had closed because of the coronavirus, according to the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, a network of agencies that support providers and help families find child care. Under the statewide order to shelter in place, child care programs can stay open for the children of healthcare providers, grocery store workers and other essential workers, provided they adhere to new health and safety guidelines. However, the number of children attending is dropping, amid fears of spreading the virus. Child care providers and advocates are now asking Gov. Gavin Newsom for emergency funding to help closed child care businesses pay their workers, and to help those that stay open meet new guidelines and keep workers and children safe. Some providers receive subsidies for children in low-income families, and the state will continue to pay those subsidies, even if the center closes. But many child care centers would not be able to stay in business without receiving tuition paid by parents or government aid.
State schools chief: $100m in coronavirus funding available to districts
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced that $100m will be sent to California’s more than 1,000 school districts. The money will allow district administrators to ensure that school sites are properly cleaned and sanitized, continued to be made safe, allow for the offering of nutritious meals, and support the maintenance of distance learning infrastructure that is equitable and accessible to all students, he said yesterday. The money will be disbursed to districts based on 2019–2020 average daily attendance, or ADA, funded by the California Department of Education in February 2020. Eligible districts will receive $17.37 per student, based on the ADA, with a minimum of $250 for each student.
California food banks partner with schools to serve families of students
As thousands of parents struggle to put food on the table during the coronavirus pandemic, California food banks are partnering with schools to feed children, as well as their families. With schools shut down across the state, districts are serving “grab and go” meals to students in an effort to stop the coronavirus spread. Many have also allowed food banks to distribute boxes of groceries at the school sites. “We know entire families are going hungry, so when families are going to the school district, there may be others in the household who need food as well,” said Andrew Cheyne, director of government affairs for the California Association of Food Banks. “Schools in this environment have become a bright spot - they are known, trusted, highly accessible locations that families are used to visiting.” Food banks’ partnerships with school districts have been so effective that the group is recommending its members “co-locate” at school sites to deliver groceries and meals.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Thousands of LA high school students are AWOL online
Thousands of Los Angeles USD students are failing to take part in online classes offered since campuses were closed due to the coronavirus, Superintendent Austin Beutner said yesterday, while the district continues working to provide internet connections for families that need it. Out of about 120,000 high school students, roughly 15,000 have had no online contact with their classrooms since schools were closed on March 16, while more than 40,000 have not been in daily contact with their teachers. "There is an urgent need to act, as the absence from school creates hardship for students, loss of stability and friendships, loss of learning and loss of a big part of their social safety net," Mr Beutner commented. "Connecting all students as soon as we can must be the goal." The district has partnered up with Verizon to ensure families have access to the internet and computers.
LAUSD provides 100,000 face masks to area hospitals
Los Angeles USD is providing 100,000 N-95 masks to ten local hospitals as supplies run low during the global coronavirus pandemic. As part of its planning for emergencies, the school district had purchased personal protective equipment, including masks, to use for other emergencies like fires. “We’re all in this together and we will do everything we can to help the communities we serve in time of need,” Superintendent Austin Beutner said.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Educators Reconsider How To Grade Students During The Coronavirus Crisis
Education Week (4/1, Sawchuk) reports that discussions about grading have “been on the backburner as educators have focused on other measures of student progress,” but the coronavirus is “prompting new questions about” how grading should work, or “what is the point of grading, anyway?” In the US, grading is “almost exclusively a local prerogative, with rules set by its more than 14,000 school districts.” In turn, states and other organizations “have built a variety of policies around grades to force them, imperfectly, into a common currency” that can determine graduation requirements or “whether students are eligible for special programs, like magnets or gifted education.” Regardless, many districts point to “equity concerns for wanting to take a pause from traditional grading schemes,” citing ways “in which grades could penalize students who are low-income, lack access to a device and the internet, or who cannot rely on parents to help with home-based learning.”
More Schools Moving To Some Version Of Pass-Fail
The Washington Post (4/2, Strauss) reports that after transitioning to distance learning, “much of them online,” school districts are now “grappling with the grading issue.” While there is “no national consensus on the best way to do it, one growing trend is a move to some version of pass-fail.” Those who are “making the change say regular grades don’t make sense with the circumstances of learning so changed, and that there is an inherent inequity issue as some students have few resources at home to help them do schoolwork while others have much more.”
Most Teachers Agree Schools Should Be Closed, But Are Concerned About Distance Learning, Survey Says
Education Dive (4/2) reports online survey results released Thursday by the Association of American Educators Foundation found that 84 percent of teachers “agree with states’ and districts’ decisions to close schools due to COVID-19, but more than half are concerned students will struggle to learn in a virtual environment and fall behind academically.” Additionally, “three-fourths of the respondents — 88% of which work in traditional public schools — said they felt their readiness to teach remotely was ‘at least average,’ while 42% said their broader educational communities were unprepared for closures.” Just 20 percent “felt their districts had sufficient plans in place for providing services to students with special needs, while 46% responded that their district’s plans for supporting special education students were insufficient.”
Using trauma-informed practices in education
The Washington Post features a report on how educators are incorporating lessons from various sources as they try to formulate a response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, with Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, providing instruction on using a trauma-informed curriculum while teaching students. The organization found that there was an appetite for trauma-informed practices to support students, with researchers, psychologists and educators from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network offering their advice on the issue. Establishing a routine and maintaining clear communication, while ensuring that information provided to students is digestible, are among the suggestions listed in the article.
----- FINANCE -----
Coronavirus Crisis Jeopardizing State Initiatives To Raise Teacher Pay
Education Week (3/26, Burnette, Will) reports the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak is “jeopardizing most of this year’s statewide initiatives to increase” teacher salaries, according to an EdWeek analysis. Lawmakers in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee cited a “potential recession” in recent weeks to justify significantly reducing pay increases teachers were expecting to get. Proposals for teacher salary increases in at least five states “are in limbo as legislatures have either suspended their sessions or are retooling state budgets to account for the economic crisis.” Teachers have also canceled planned rallies at state capitols for higher wages and more school funding “to maintain social distancing.”
----- LEGAL -----
Sweetwater sued after coaches allegedly fail to report head injury
The mother of a cheerleader who suffered a concussion is suing Sweetwater Union High School District, claiming coaches failed to follow safety protocols and put the girl at risk by waiting nearly an hour to call her parents. The girl’s head injuries were so severe that the effects of the concussion are still ongoing, said the family’s lawyer, Marlea Dell’Anno. The concussion happened on September 24 2018, when the student hit her head on the floor after falling during a “stunting maneuver.” After the fall, coaches did not seek medical attention for the injury, waited 45 minutes before calling the girls’ parents to pick her up, and failed to inform them of the incident. The student wasn’t officially diagnosed with a concussion until two days later, when her parents took her to the family’s primary care doctor. Dell’Anno is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for medical expenses plus legal fees and “general damages,” court records show.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Teacher hiring affected by coronavirus outbreak
Education Week features a report on how teacher recruitment has been affected by the school shutdown prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Kelly Coash-Johnson, executive director of American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA), notes that ordinarily, “April is peak hiring time,” but this year some 95% of career fairs for school staff have been canceled because of the outbreak. Many districts are currently seeking to identify alternative work for staff to carry out while schools remain shut, while some have raised concerns that the wider economic disruption caused by the crisis will affect their ability to hire new employees when school resumes in the fall. Xavier Andrews, a spokesperson for Boston Public Schools, commented: “We will still be actively looking for educators to join our team,” noting also that: “As things are changing minute to minute, it’s not the best time for us to make bold affirmative statements.” Meanwhile nonprofit Teach for America is providing specific guidance to prospective teachers as online interviews grow in popularity.
----- SPORTS ----
Athletes benefit from NCAA coronavirus decision
After the coronavirus crisis cut short the seasons of many spring-sport athletes, the N.C.A.A. Division I Council has voted to grant those affected another year of eligibility, with universities left to decide on scholarship awards and other issues. Edwin Thompson, baseball coach at Eastern Kentucky University, said: “The logistics, we’ll figure it out. The important thing is at least the kids have an opportunity,” with sports such as baseball, softball, golf, tennis, lacrosse, track and field, beach volleyball and rowing covered by the decision. This follows the announcement from the N.C.A.A. last week that men’s basketball tournament revenues distributed to conferences would be reduced to $225m, a cut of almost two-thirds.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
School closures mean more child abuse is going unreported
Child abuse is going unreported this month due to school closures and worsening in frequency and severity as families experience heightened stress and children become less able to leave their homes, child welfare advocates said. “We’re seeing kids stuck at home alone with abusers,” said Daphne Young, chief communications officer of Childhelp. “They don’t have their meetings, routines or connections with others. They’re stuck without that mental health outreach that they’ve relied on to stay safe and secure.” The group says it has fielded 20% more calls, texts and chat messages since school districts nationwide began closing in recent weeks. The National Child Abuse Coalition is collaborating with child welfare organizations to send a letter to Congress urging funding for local and state systems that prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect, said Ruth F riedman, the coalition’s executive director.
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
L.A. teachers union calls for new limits on charter schools
Citing the coronavirus crisis, United Teachers Los Angeles has written to Los Angeles USD Superintendent Austin Beutner calling for a moratorium on new charter school approvals. Union President Alex Caputo-Pearl said it would be unfair to approve new charter schools without an opportunity for board members to hear from community members. Currently members of the public are unable to gather and it could be difficult for them to participate in scheduled board meetings, which probably would take place by video or audio-conferencing. Also in the letter the union said it opposed any first-time agreements that would allow a charter to share space with a district-operated school. Charters have a right to space on district campuses under state law. A spokesman for the California Charter Schools Assn. called the union’s position “shameful and offensive.” “UTLA leadership needs to get its priorities straight during this unprecedented health crisis, focus on all students, and apologize to the kids and families they have continuously targeted,” said Luis Vizcaino, referring to charter school supporters. “We are better together, and we need leaders who unite, not divide, our community to meet this moment.”
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
USC, school districts getting ‘Zoom-bombed’ during online meetings
New security protocols have been implemented for online classes using the Zoom video-conferencing platform, USC Chief Information Officer Douglas Shook announced to faculty and students Wednesday. The new policies come after two lectures in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences were interrupted by unknown participants using derogatory and racist language. To prevent future incidents, Shook announced that Information Technology Services has enabled the waiting room feature for all USC Zoom classes and meetings. With the new feature, professors and meeting hosts will be able to determine who to admit to each virtual session. If a disruption occurs, faculty are advised to remove the participant from the class and use the “lock” feature to block any additional people from entering the lecture. Similar incidents have been reported in Los Angeles and Conejo Valley, which said it was working with law enforcement and Zoom to find out how the hackers gained access to the monitor and how they could prevent it from happening again.
Google to provide computers, internet to California students studying from home
Google will provide thousands of computers and free internet access to help California students finish the school year online. The company will donate 4,000 Chromebooks and make broadband internet available to 100,000 households through the end of the school year. Around a fifth of California’s 6.2m K-12 students lacked digital connectivity at home when school closures began, said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education, but a mix of state and local efforts has since cut that number by more than half. The State Department of Education will distribute the Chromebooks and mobile hotspots, prioritizing rural communities, according to the governor’s office.
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
Autism racial disparity closes as cases rise
The Centers for Disease Control has reported that with cases of autism rising in the U.S., a disparity between diagnoses in white and black children has closed. Increased screening is cited as the reason for the change, with findings based on health and medical history data examined by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) network. Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, commented: “The rise in prevalence is concerning, but more concerning to us right now is the fact that children with autism are sheltering in place due to coronavirus, and many are suffering tremendously due to severe disruptions in their routine and lack of access to mandated therapeutic services.”
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
UC Education Abroad Program suspends all summer 2020 programs
The UC Education Abroad Program, or UCEAP, announced Thursday that it has suspended all summer 2020 programs due to the coronavirus outbreak. In an email sent to UCEAP summer 2020 program students, upcoming fall and year programs are scheduled to run as planned. Students who have applied for a fall program were asked to continue with their program requirements.
Online college learning rules could be relaxed
New proposals on distance learning have been put forward by the U.S. Education Department, as many colleges as well as schools switch to distance learning due to coronavirus. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said: “This current crisis has made crystal clear the need for more innovation. Fortunately, we started work last year to develop a new set of standards that are responsive to current realities, that embrace new technology… and that expand access for students to the flexible, relevant education opportunities they need.” Under the regulations, creditors would also be afforded more freedom to approve unconventional programs and vary teaching standards, which could result in a boost to online and competency-based education.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
Education in the age of coronavirus
Quartz looks at how a school in the Lombardy region of Italy, which has been on full lockdown since February 23, is keeping students working through the coronavirus crisis. Teachers at the International School of Monza teach via video conferencing every day, while students participate using Padlet, a virtual post-it note system that lets students share ideas, and Flipgrid, which lets teachers and students create short videos to share. Julia Peters, who teaches economics and individuals and societies at the International School of Monza, says being forced online has allowed her to move to a more “flipped classroom” in which students do more learning about basic skills and knowledge at home, via videos or platforms, and then come to school online to do work together. “That way, when they come into the classroom we can work on the higher level skills such as analysis and evaluation,” she says. Ms Peters added that software like Microsoft Teams allows her to see her students as they are writing, allowing her to offer real-time feedback, rather than waiting for the work to be completed: “While they are independently researching and creating a presentation, I can call a weaker student to a private call and quietly work with them giving them the extra support they need,” she said.
----- OTHER -----
SoCal museums step up to offer art and activities online
While arts and cultural institutions around the world have shut down to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, many are highlighting their works and programs online. Museums offering a virtual look at their collections include the Autry Museum of the American West, the California African American Museum, The Getty, and the Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits Museum and the William S. Hart Museum.
NTA Life Insurance - An ABCFT Sponsor
About three years ago ABCFT started a working relationship with National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company. Throughout our partnership, NTA has been supportive of ABCFT activities by sponsorship and prizes for our various events. This organization specializes in providing insurance for educators across the nation. We have been provided both data and member testimonials about how pleased they have been with the NTA products and the opportunity to look at alternatives to the district insurance choice.
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