ABCFT - YOUnionews - May 15, 2020
Member Voices - We Want to Hear from YOU
YOU are a vital part and voice of the YOUnion. ABCFT leadership wants to know what is on your mind. Do you still have unanswered questions? Still unsure about remote learning, contact language, salary, negotiations, evaluations or anything else related to our current working conditions, click this link here. All questions will be anonymous. For universal issues, we will address the answers each week in our Tuesday Talk.
NEGOTIATION UPDATE - KEEPING YOU INFORMED - By Ruben Mancillas
Notes from Underground
Members of the negotiating team will be virtually attending a school services conference next week to discuss the implications of Governor Newsom’s most recent budget update. The numbers are not good, obviously, but it is important to place some of the dire news in context. The state is in better shape now than when the Great Recession hit in 2008. California has a $16 billion dollar rainy day fund and has plenty of cash available, with $44 billion in borrowable reserves to pay bills. Cuts to education will also be mitigated by deploying $4.4 billion in federal COVID-19 aid and redirecting a prepayment of public pension debt to use for schools. The governor is also proposing to provide additional funding for schools in future years by committing an extra 1.5 percent, or between $2.2 and $4.6 billion, per year from the state general fund to supplement California’s education budget. “Numbers change, but values don’t have to,” Newsom said. The next round of federal stabilization funding is crucial as well. Newsom insisted that his proposed cuts could be prevented by passage of the HEROES Act which has been proposed in the House of Representatives. Let me get on my union soapbox for a moment and offer this editorial comment: The first round of CARES legislation provided trillions of dollars for corporations and flexibility for the Federal Reserve to boost the stock market. Now some Senate Republicans are suddenly deficit scolds again when the states need a commensurate amount of relief to help keep people employed. This should not be a red state vs. blue state or partisan issue but please remember that there are real consequences and outcomes for our members depending on the priorities of legislators at every level. Elections matter. Leadership matters too.
The negotiating team met this week to discuss our next steps in terms of negotiating both our current MOU and master contract. Thank you to those who have been participating in our YOUnion Tuesday Talk or Thursday YOUnion Chats. That feedback has been instrumental in our being able to identify areas of need as we plan for the future. For example, video conferencing holds promise but also has remaining questions as to how to best use it to serve our students while protecting ourselves. Grading has, unfortunately, been an area of confusion and contention that we want to fix. Summer school will be another test case for what is working and what needs to be modified as we move forward. As many of you know, outside of a few lines about hiring practices, our contract has very little to say about summer school. It is a voluntary position and the district can largely run it as they see fit. This year, however, it is clear that some of the changes that are being piloted are also being considered for expansion for the fall as well. So it is crucial that we all note what does work and what doesn’t work so that we can most effectively bargain for our members. Any changes to our working conditions need to be negotiated and we are aware that there will be a great deal of pressure to make substantive changes to the way we have done business in the past. Some of these ideas will be constructive and realistic given the realities of trying to safely deliver instruction as we (hopefully) slowly but surely recover from a pandemic. But other proposals will be from an unproven wishlist that shouldn’t be implemented under the guise of emergency conditions.
For as unsatisfying as it is to hear (and to reply), the answer to many of the questions we have been receiving is, “we just don’t know yet” or “it will depend on how things look a month or two from now.” It is understandable to want to get into the specifics of just how to manage specific social distancing guidelines in a classroom of a certain size or exactly what kind of masks should be provided but we just aren’t there yet in terms of that level of detail. Everyone has a story of what they have heard that a different district may do but, while informative, we should try and keep our focus on the local and the known. Here’s a brief recap: ABCUSD is anticipating relatively stable funding for the 2020-2021 school year. The summer school will be delivered via an online format. We are still planning on working on our negotiated calendar with an August start date. As for next fall, we need to be prepared for a couple of different models, ranging from being back live full time to a hybrid of being partially live and partially online, to being completely online. We will still need to work out many specifics of what all that could potentially look like. One last bit of positive news is that bond money can be used for safety and health infrastructure related to COVID-19. For example, the installation of plexiglass barriers or handwashing stations can all be paid for from Measure BB funds.
Lastly, here’s the update from the Mancillas household. The tennis courts reopened in Long Beach on Monday so that finally gave my housebound teenagers some motivation to get (or even be pushed!) out of the house. One of my sons is going to start his online AP U.S. History test in exactly 20 minutes from my typing this and let me assure you, the mood around here is TENSE. Next Wednesday, all three of them are taking their AP English Language test at the same time. Wish. Me. Luck.
MAY ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
(Elementary report are a work in progress and will be posted soon.)
This month’s academic service update is vital for all teachers. We hope that you will take a moment to look at this monthly report which discusses changes in academic services. This document provides the union with a means of giving the District feedback on the many programs or changes they are proposing at any one time. Without your feedback or questions on these changes, it is harder for ABCFT to slow down and modify the district’s neverending roll out of new projects. Please submit your comments and questions to the appropriate ABCFT liaison.
Resources on ShareMyLesson.com for Special Education:
For Elementary curricular issues please email Kelley at Kelley.Forsythe@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
For Secondary curricular issues please email Rich at Richard.Saldana@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
For Special Education issues please email Stefani at stefani.palutzke@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Communication is a union’s most important tool for advocating for its members at the bargaining table. Every conversation with the membership is focused on the end result of negotiating for the future prosperity and wellbeing of ABCFT members. The purpose of this weekly report is to keep the membership informed about issues that impact their working/learning conditions and their mental wellbeing. Together we make the YOUnion.
I know a tired crowd when I see them. At this weeks YOUnion Chat on Thursday I could feel the fatigue from the 75+ teachers in attendance. Everyone is tired and trying hard to finish out the year but the hanging specter of not knowing what the opening of school will look like for next year is taxing even those who try to survive day to day. Teachers are planners by the nature of our profession. We like organization, predictability, and we look forward to those moments when we can recharge our batteries with some downtime with our families and personal hobbies. Not knowing what will happen in the future is disheartening and eats away at that sanctuary in our minds. Most importantly, you should know that you are not alone and that educators throughout the district and all over the country are in the same boat.
I’ve found over the years that often times the only way to decrease the anxiety of an issue on my mind is to not avoid the problem but to prepare as much as I can mentally for what the eventual possibilities. Over the next couple of weeks, ABCFT will be recruiting ABCFT Executive Board members, ABCFT Site Reps, and teachers/CTE/nurses/SLPs so that they may participate in a two-month committee called the ABCFT Safely Open Schools Task Force. The purpose of the task force will be to create a guiding document that will outline the ABCFT priorities for safely opening ABC schools and recommendations on what instructional models ABCFT member believes will be most applicable to the current pandemic situation. This task force will have representatives of all parts of the district so that all ABCFT stakeholders will see their unique school site perspectives reflected in the final product. This Task Force will examine important guiding documents, extrapolate what impacts them directly, and will help to produce an educator guiding document that we will deliver to the ABC School Board and the District Administration.
Over the next couple of weeks, you will hear more about this Task Force and the details of what they are looking at in the task force meetings. By sharing both the documents they are looking at and what is being discussed we hope to encourage you to participate with your thoughts, comments, and suggestions along the way. This process of building our future needs to be inclusive and transparent as we work together to guide our own ABCFT Negotiating team and the District to a successful and safe opening of our schools and programs.
In my conversation with Dr. Mary Sieu this week, we spoke about a district-wide task force with all stakeholders and the inclusion of the community. Dr. Sieu stated that she is awaiting the release of three major guiding documents prior to gathering this district task force to discuss the opening of schools for next year. ABCFT has provided Dr. Sieu and her administrative cabinet with AFT’s Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities as a starting point for discussions. Dr. Sieu explained that she is awaiting the guiding documents from the Los Angels County of Education (which is in draft form at the moment), a guiding document from the Association of California School Administrators, and lastly a document from the California Department of Education All of these documents will outline not only the overall safety and instructional issues but also they will give districts the specific guidelines on how to set up their classrooms so that they are in alignment with the current State Department of Health guidelines (here is the current county document). There are a lot of moving parts in this puzzle.
I started this weeks message about the fatigue I’m seeing, the anxiety I hear in the questions I’m hearing about next year but here is my key point. ABC is a successful district because the teachers and administrators work collaboratively and collectively we don’t panic and make poor decisions that impact our students. You will hear about other districts outlining their plans early and in most cases, they will have to adjust their plans in August. The object of the game is not to jump to the first plan and hope for the best. The object of the game is to take you time to examine all of the choices, understand the challenges, collaborate for solutions, and come up with a final plan that will have the fewest mistakes. That old saying “haste makes waste” is so powerful and true.
We will get through this together. The State budget is early in its release and it will be modified with the help of federal dollars in the near future. When a school board member asked if we should create budget cuts based on these early numbers, ABCFT and the district administration outlined to the trustee that was not the way we do business in ABC. No, we wait till we have all the data and then we make sound decisions collectively. Let’s finish out the next month prioritizing what is important for our schools for next year. Stay informed but don’t worry about the distant future. Steady as we go!
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
- 05/12/2020
- 05/12/2020
- 05/11/2020
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
Newsom projects $18bn shortfall for K-12, community colleges
Officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration are projecting a record $18bn shortfall for K-12 schools and community colleges. The California Department of Finance released its revenue and funding forecast on Thursday, a week before Newsom is expected to release his revised state budget. Financial data reveal the shattering and immediate impact of the coronavirus on the state’s economy. With more than 4m Californians out of work and applying for unemployment insurance, forecasts project a drop in sales and income tax receipts by more than 25% next year. “These cuts would undo the last six years of progress we have made on school funding. Our schools cannot endure another blow following this coronavirus crisis,” California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd said in a statement. “We are painfully aware that the state and county are facing a recession, but for years California students, schools and educators have had to do more with less, and we can’t let our students fall further behind.” California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley promised to work with Newsom, the Legislature and others in the college system to get through the crisis while warning that the state must not allow a repeat of what happened during the Great Recession.
California Governor Proposes Cutting $6.1B From Variety Of Programs In Revised Budget That Prioritizes Public Education
EdSource (5/14) reports California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “biggest education priority in his proposed state budget – $915 million to recruit and train teachers – was eliminated in his May budget revision released Thursday.” Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, “who authored the bill that created the California Classified Employee Teacher Credentialing Program, said he was disappointed that funds for that program and other teacher recruitment and professional development programs had to be cut.” But, he added, “we have a higher need right now, which is funding our schools.”
All told, the California governor “proposed cutting $6.1 billion from a variety of programs in a state budget he says prioritizes public education, public health and public safety,” EdSource (5/14) reports in a separate article. Proposals “cobbling together additional state and federal funding would offset more than half of the $15 billion reduction next year in revenue for schools from Proposition 98, the formula that determines the portion of the General Fund going to K-12 schools and community colleges.” Schools would “not go without significant pain, however; the biggest cut would be a 10 percent reduction – $6.5 billion – to the Local Control Funding Formula, which comprises about 80 percent of state funding for K-12 schools.”
Such cuts “could make it harder to resume in-classroom education for 6 million schoolchildren,” the AP (5/14) reports. Nonetheless, school leaders “expect schools to look vastly different whenever students are able to safely return to classrooms, possibly with staggered start times, smaller class sizes and different rules for recess and lunch.”
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Schools should open this fall, Trump asserts
President Donald Trump was quick to overrule Dr. Anthony Fauci telling senators Tuesday that there’s "no easy answer on whether schools can reopen this fall." Speaking to the governors of Colorado and North Dakota at the White House on Wednesday, the President said Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, did not give an “acceptable answer” to the Senate committee hearing in which he offered a much starker outlook on the coronavirus than that offered by Trump himself. “I think you should absolutely open the schools. I don’t consider our country coming back if the schools are closed," the President asserted.
House Dems unveil $3tn coronavirus relief bill, with $60bn for K-12 education
New legislation from House Democrats would provide nearly $60bn to K-12 school districts to help them address the coronavirus pandemic. The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, available until September 30 2022, would create a $90bn "state fiscal stabilization fund" for the U.S. Department of Education to distribute to schools and higher education institutions. The Democrats’ bill also calls for almost $12bn to be earmarked for special education students, to stop them falling substantially behind their peers during the lockdown period. Since U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in April ordered school districts to continue providing special education services during the school closures, some districts have been struggling to provide occupational, speech, physical and behavioral therapy virtually. The result is that some students with disabilities, such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism, risk losing skills and falling behind. In addition, the bill would provide $1.5bn to help schools and libraries provide internet services through an Emergency Connectivity Fund at the Federal Communications Commission.
Dr. Anthony Fauci strikes pessimistic note on fall school return
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Health's Allergy and Infectious Diseases division, offered a downbeat assessment yesterday on whether schools should reopen in the fall. President Donald Trump has been pushing governors to reopen public school systems in order to jolt the economy back to life; however, testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, he said: "The idea of having treatments available, or a vaccination, to facilitate the re-entry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far."
Pandemic to leave more students homeless
Advocates for the homeless are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a rise in housing instability for students, especially once eviction moratoriums lift. Despite the availability of federal assistance designed to help homeless students, vulnerable students still have to successfully be identified to receive support. More than 1.5m children and youth were homeless in the 2017-18 school year, long before the coronavirus pandemic began. The number of students sleeping in cars, parks and on the streets more than doubled in one year and the number of students living in hotels went up by 17%. The rate of English learners living in homeless conditions rose by 30% and went up by 16% for those with disabilities or who were unaccompanied. Austin Beutner, Los Angeles USD superintendent, has asked that some of the $1bn in funding for homeless California students the state is proposing be given to schools to help in identification and service connection, while Dallas ISD in Texas offers drop-in centers that provide food, hygiene products and laundry facilities for homeless high school students, along with mentors to connect students to more resources and housing.
Tens of thousands still getting pay held over student debt
The U.S. Education Department is still garnishing wages from about 54,000 workers who had fallen behind on their student loans, more than a month after Congress ordered an immediate suspension of the practice amid the coronavirus pandemic. A lawsuit, filed April 30 in federal court, alleged that thousands of workers were getting up to 15% of their paychecks held back because the Education Department had failed to notify employers that they must stop withholding pay.
----- STATE NEWS -----
CA Superintendent: school districts to make their own decisions about reopening
Plans for opening California schools this fall will be up to individual school districts, according to the state's top education official. Tony Thurmond, superintendent of public instruction, said: “We are not anticipating a common opening across school districts, or a mandate for when districts open. We recognize some districts may choose to open early. That’s a great way to address equity needs and the needs of our community.” His department will provide guidance in the next few weeks on how to reopen, based on recommendations from a task force studying the imposing logistical challenges.
----- DISTRICTS -----
LAUSD plans to extend summer school choices
Los Angeles USD Superintendent Austin Beutner says that, with nearly all the district’s students now equipped for online learning, an expanded array of summer courses will be on offer to help make up for lost learning during coronavirus closures. Along with standard math and reading classes, Beutner said the district is offering newly designed courses on sports science, animated film and other topics over the summer in a greatly enlarged program. The session begins June 24, will be entirely online and will be open to all students for the first time in the district’s history. “If the transition to online learning is our moonshot, the rocket’s been built and lift off has occurred,” Beutner added. “We’re in the early days of an extraordinary voyage.” Students who are struggling the most with distance learning will be offered “intensive instruction” during the summer session, Beutner has said. He didn’t provide any further details on Monday about the program or how many students may participate. Looking further ahead, to mid-August when the school year is due to start, he said the district is working with state and local authorities and a team of UCLA experts on issues including COVID-19 testing for students and their families, providing PPE, and sanitizing schools.
Marin County education office eyes 59 layoffs
Due to an anticipated loss of state revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Marin County Office of Education is issuing layoff notices affecting 43 classified jobs and eliminating 16 administrative staff positions for the 2020-21 school year. The total loss of 59 positions represents about 17% of the 350-person workforce, and a saving of about $3m. “The seriousness of this situation demands drastic measures and the highest level of financial prudence,” said Mary Jane Burke, Marin County superintendent of schools, in a letter this week to affected staffers. “I am hopeful that we will realize additional funding from the federal government or grants — but until then, it is critical that we take these steps.”
----- CLASSROOM -----
Should schools pay for teachers’ internet access?
Overnight, high-speed, reliable home internet access suddenly became essential to the work of teaching, when schools across the nation closed down in response to the coronavirus crisis. However, an Education Week survey found that only 1% of educators said their school or district was paying for their high-speed, wireless internet at home. To help ease the financial burden on teachers, some advocates have called for more school districts to chip in on internet and cellphone bills. “Ideally, districts would be able to pay for high-speed home broadband for teachers - in my opinion, always,” said Sabia Prescott, a policy analyst for New America, although she added “that’s not something that’s feasible for most districts.” An example of a district stepping in to help can be seen in Texas, where Seguin ISD has paid a $50 internet stipend to teachers for both April and May. “Although the $50 a month isn’t a lot,” Superintendent Matthew Gutiérrez said, “it’s something to show that at the school district, I acknowledge the extra that they are doing, and I acknowledge the fact that they are extremely stressed right now.”
----- LEGAL -----
California Community Colleges system sues federal government
The California Community Colleges system has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education challenging the federal government’s decision to deny emergency aid to DACA recipients, international students and other enrolees. The lawsuit argues that “Congress provided higher education institutions with unfettered flexibility to distribute the relief to affected students as they deemed appropriate, imposing no eligibility limitations on this emergency relief for students,” and that the restrictions placed by the Department are unconstitutional.
SCOTUS sides with religious schools
In a case which could make it harder to hold religious institutions liable in employment disputes, U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday were sympathetic toward the bid by two Catholic elementary schools in California to avoid discrimination lawsuits by former teachers. At issue is the breadth of a “ministerial exception,” which protects religious organizations from employee suits alleging violations of laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars employers from discriminating against employees on grounds including sex, race, national origin and religion. A ruling in favor of the Catholic schools could strip more than 300,000 lay teachers working in religious schools of employment law protections, the plaintiffs said.
Supreme Court to mull employment rights of parochial school teachers
The U.S. Supreme Court will today hear arguments in two cases that will likely determine whether tens of thousands of teachers at religious schools are protected by the nation’s employment-discrimination laws. Lawyers for two teachers who allege they were fired from the Catholic schools for discriminatory reasons assert that lay teachers with minimal religious duties are not “ministers” for the purposes of the “ministerial exception” to the civil rights laws that the Supreme Court recognized for religious employers in a 2012 case. Advocates of the two Roman Catholic schools in the Los Angeles area claim that it's a matter of religious freedom that such laws not interfere with the right of churches and religious schools to choose their ministers however. Jeffrey L. Fisher, a Stanford University law professor who will argue the teachers’ case, comments: “The ministerial exception is strong medicine that gives religious employers blanket immunity to violate employment laws regardless of any religious motivation.”
----- WORKFORCE ----
Sac City authorizes 11 teacher layoffs
In a 6-1 vote, Sacramento City USD trustees have approved the layoffs of 11 teachers, as the district attempts to address a $27m budget deficit that already persisted before the coronavirus pandemic. The positions affected by these 11 layoffs are three adult education teachers, three physical education teachers, one social science teacher, two computer instructors, one resource teacher and one foreign language teacher. Final notices will be sent by May 15. Superintendent Jorge Aguilar called the announcement “grim.” “As we move through this health crisis, our schools have stepped up to fill in the gaps for children in a way that can only be described as extraordinary – quickly designing and adjusting to distance education, providing nutrition support, securing devices and internet, and more,” Aguilar said in a statement. “Despite these efforts, they're not enough, and we will need to do more to meet our students’ needs. Our children need us now more than ever, but we anticipate some very difficult decisions over the next few months with effects that will expand beyond this crisis.”
Survey Shows 42% Of Principals Considering Leaving Their Schools
Education Dive (5/14, De La Rosa) reports a new report “based on a survey conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Association of Secondary School Principals finds 42% of principals are considering leaving their position, citing heavy workloads, low compensation and lack of evaluation practices, with the percent of principals planning a move higher for those in high-poverty and rural schools.” The principals also told the survey “they lack decision-making authority and access to professional development and learning opportunities.” A research brief issued by the two organizations last year “showed 35% of principals stay at their schools for less than two years, and only 11% stay for more than 10.” Approximately 20 percent of principals “leave their schools every year, and lack of recognition and low salaries are partially to blame.”
----- CHILD DEVELOPMENT ----
California childcare providers struggling to stay in business
The coronavirus emergency has left California’s childcare providers in an extremely precarious position, according to a survey of 2,000 licensed providers. Having lost money during the pandemic, they face additional expenses as they prepare to fully reopen, with social distancing requirements that will limit the number of children they can serve, significantly reducing their revenue. The survey, taken between April 13-April 30, 63% of programs that were open reported they would not be able to survive more than a month longer under the shelter-in-place orders. Other findings were that 66% of providers reported that families had been unable to pay for services or had lost their jobs; 61% had lost income due to non-payment or low attendance; 78% of programs have made staffing changes, such as cutting benefits for staff or laying off staff; and 57% of programs had furloughed or laid off staff.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
How principals and district leaders are trying to boost lagging teacher morale
A flurry of surveys from the EdWeek Research Center has highlighted how morale within the teaching profession has been affected during the shift to remote learning provoked by the coronavirus crisis. In a March 25 survey, 63% of teachers reported that teacher morale was lower than before the pandemic, rising to 69% by April 8, 72% by April 23, and 71% by May 7th. Given what research says about why teachers teach, it’s not surprising that their morale is declining right now, said Susan Moore Johnson, a Harvard University professor of education who studies teachers’ work conditions and satisfaction. Many of the “intrinsic rewards that drew teachers to teaching,” such as working closely with children, being part of a collaborative, service-minded community of colleagues, and conveying content they care about, have become more difficult to experience when they must work from a distance, she said. “It’s really hard if they don’t have the sense that they can do the work they came to do,” she added. “It’s worrisome, and there’s no simple answer for schools.” Education Week looks at some of the strategies education leaders have been utilizing to support teachers, including technology training sessions, scheduling flexibility, being transparent and accessible, and recognizing that emotional support is as important as instructional support.
Pandemic could worsen U.S. child obesity figures
Almost one in five U.S. kids are obese, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2017 and 2018, which reveals that 19.3% of kids ages two to 19 were obese - up from 18.5% in 2015-2016. Obese, which means not merely overweight but seriously overweight, is one of the nation’s leading public health problems so healthcare professionals are disappointed. “We really were expecting and hoping to see the trends decrease,” said Dr. Tannaz Moin, a UCLA obesity researcher, who cautioned: “Kids for the most part are at home, and not at school with recess, and getting even less physical activity. We may see worse trends in the coming years, especially if this pandemic continues the way it is.”
Kids shouldn’t sit at desks all day
Pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom, an advocate of the importance of outdoor play for the healthy development of children, challenges emerging plans for reopening school buildings closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. "Time, space and outdoor play are essential to children’s health," she asserts. Sam Cartwright-Hatton, professor of clinical child psychology at the University of Sussex, agrees: “All the research indicates that children’s emotional health is suffering in the lockdown and it seems likely that this suffering will, in many cases, continue into the long term. We are urging ministers and policymakers to ensure that children are afforded substantial, and if possible enhanced, access to high-quality play opportunities as soon as possible.”
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Schooling models of the future
Noting a recent survey by EdChoice which found that more than half of respondents have a more favorable view of homeschooling as a result of the pandemic, Kerry McDonald outlines four K-12 education models that will likely get increased attention over the coming months. Forest preschools and outdoor early childhood programs, she asserts, already provide adequate space necessary for safe interactions between children and teachers, so such initiatives will become a magnet for parents exploring non-traditional educational options. Microschools, which operate out of homes or local community organizations and typically have no more than a dozen K-12 students of varying ages, McDonald adds, could also feature prominently on the horizon. Virtual degree programs are likely to proliferate, she adds, as many states already offer tuition-free virtual public school options and now colleges and universities are beginning to offer online programs for high school students which combine earning an accredited high school diploma with college credits. Parents are also likely to have a more favorable impression of homeschooling now than before, McDonald adds, so this is a "great time for visionary entrepreneurs" to create more nimble K-12 learning models that give parents and learners the high-quality, flexible and safe academic environment they want.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
CSU to teach remotely this fall
California State University announced yesterday that it intends to go without in-person instruction for most classes in the fall term, with remote teaching to continue at all its 23 campuses. Exceptions could be made for laboratory-intensive courses and certain others, officials said. Chancellor Timothy White said: “Our university, when open without restrictions and fully in person … is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity. That approach sadly just isn’t in the cards now.” “We’re glad to finally have an announcement from the chancellor,” Charles Toombs, president of the California Faculty Association and a professor of Africana studies at San Diego State. While faculty appreciate White’s push for cohesive advance planning, Toombs said, “we hope we learn from mistakes that were made during the spring term. We expect to see faculty participation every step of the way.”
University of California president: End use of SATs in admissions
University of California President Janet Napolitano is urging a suspension of admission testing requirements until 2024, setting up a showdown vote on May 21 for the system’s governing board on the role of the SAT and ACT in the process of choosing a freshman class. If UC can’t have a new test available for fall 2025 applicants, Napolitano recommends eliminating its standardized testing requirement for admissions altogether. She also urged the board to jettison UC’s requirement for applicants to take a version of the admission tests that includes an essay exam. Her recommendation could provoke strong debate within UC. A faculty task force in February recommended keeping the ACT/SAT requirement for applicants after finding evidence that admission officers put scores “into context by comparing them to all applicants from the same school.” That type of analysis, the task force said, allowed those who read applications to see who performed “exceptionally well given available opportunities.”
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
Global recommendations for safely reopening schools
With over 70% of the global student population, or 1.3bn children, still affected by school closures prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, UNICEF, the World Bank, UNESCO and The World Food Program have partnered to issue guidance for decision makers. In a joint report entitled "Framework for Reopening Schools," the UN agencies urge local and national authorities to carefully weigh all risks and benefits, and to consider children's best interests as paramount. It's not a strict playbook, but framework recommendations for reopening include reducing class size, holding classes outdoors when feasible and strengthening and prioritizing mental health services. To prevent disease transmission, schools should be sure to provide soap and clean water and promote healthy behaviors like handwashing and social distancing.
Schools braced as Europe begins to reopen
European countries are beginning to reopen schools, which are now radically transformed by strict hygiene and social distancing rules. “Schools are the spine of our societies and economies,” asserts Henry Tesch, headmaster of a school that is piloting regular student coronavirus testing in Germany, where class sizes have been cut in half, hallways have become one-way systems, breaks are staggered, teachers wear masks and windows and doors are kept open for air circulation. Denmark opened primary schools and nurseries first, reasoning that young children are the least at risk and the most dependent on parents, who need to return to work, France is opening preschools today before phasing in primary and middle school children later in the month, while high school students keep learning remotely for now, and Belgium, Greece and Austria are resuming lessons for select grades in the coming weeks. Sweden never closed its schools but has put in place distancing and hygiene rules, while some hard-hit countries, including Spain and Italy, will not reopen schools until the fall.
----- OTHER -----
Berkeley creates mental health support line for high school students, teachers
A mental health support line is now available for Berkeley USD high school students, families and teachers, providing access to licensed professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The line was established by the city of Berkeley, is offered in both English and Spanish, and is available Monday through Friday. Steven Grolnic-McClurg, city mental health division manager, said the line is a “warm line” rather than a hotline, meaning that it is not designed for those in acute crises but offers support and resources for those who might need it.
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.
To All Members of the ABC Federation of Teachers,
National Teacher Associates (NTA) is committed in our efforts to helping educators through tough times. It’s what we do. After all…in our eyes you are the heart and soul of our communities.
Protecting you and your families has been our goal for over 45 years. Despite the current global pandemic, we are not about to slow down now. We know that many of you have had our programs for years and sometimes forget the intricacies of how they work. NTA wants to help facilitate any possible claims for now and in the future. Fortunately, all claims and reviews can be done by phone and on-line. I personally want to offer my services to guide you in the right direction with your NTA benefits.
We also apologize for not being able to finish the open enrollment for those of you who wanted to get our protection. We are still able to help by extending our enrollment window for the near future. Again, this can be done over the phone, email, or on-line.
Please contact Leann Blaisdell at any time either by phone or email.
562-822-5004
No comments:
Post a Comment