Coronavirus: The lost school year - POLITICO

Coronavirus: The lost school year - POLITICO

The lost school year
Other countries have moved quickly to online learning but it's been a rockier rollout in the U.S.

The coronavirus outbreak could close down many U.S. classrooms for the rest of the school year, blowing a hole in kids' math and reading skills, tanking test scores for years to come and making it a scramble for some to even finish high school.

Kansas schools that have shuttered through the end of the school year likely are just the first in line, with governors in California, New Jersey and Ohio signaling the same is possible for their states. Many schools initially announced closures for a short period, but with warnings from the White House growing more dire, shutdowns are extending — even though the CDC says it's not certain that will halt the spread of the virus. The CDC has said in its updated guidance for schools that closures of eight weeks or more may affect community spread, but hand-washing and home isolation have had more impact.

Testing is being postponed or scrapped entirely as schools rush instead to gear up for remote learning and figure out how to distribute school meals. As of Thursday morning, an estimated 43.9 million school students were enrolled in at least 95,000 public or private schools that are closed now, are scheduled to CONTINUE READING: Coronavirus: The lost school year - POLITICO

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS ANSWER SHEET

As schooling rapidly moves online across the country, concerns rise about student data privacy

by Valerie Strauss / 3h

Online technologies undoubtedly have the capacity to perform useful services. But an easy-to-use interface shouldn’t give companies free reign to take as much data as they wish, especially when users are not allowed options to opt out.

YESTERDAY

10 out of 766 — the number of black students admitted to NYC’s most selective high school for fall. And more stunning admissions data.

100+by Valerie Strauss / 18h

The numbers weren't much better for the either seven specialized schools in the city, the data shows.

Standardized testing news: More states cancel federally mandated exams, students may take AP exams at home, and more

500+by Valerie Strauss / 21h

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If you’re a parent suddenly homeschooling a child with ADHD, here’s some expert advice

1Kby Valerie Strauss / 22h

Plus a school tool kit for parents of children with ADHD.

‘How do I plan a lesson?’ Here is a teacher’s guide for parents reluctantly home-schooling their kids.

100+by Valerie Strauss / 23h

What if your kids won't listen to you? A master teacher offers advice.

Five tips for students on the coronavirus pandemic — news literacy lessons

100+by Valerie Strauss / 1d

From the News Literacy Project.

MAR 17

Kansas is the first state to close schools for the rest of the academic year amid the coronavirus crisis — and California could be next

22Kby Valerie Strauss / 2d

Here's why -- and what other states are doing.

'You were robbed’: Teacher writes open letter to high school seniors missing their last semester because of coronavirus crisis

6Kby Valerie Strauss / 2d

The author had his high school interrupted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A teacher’s diary: ‘What my kids learned on their first coronavirus no-school day’

500+by Valerie Strauss / 2d

The first in a series of entries by a Seattle school teacher.

School: The ‘new normal’

20by Valerie Strauss / 3d

By parents, teachers, etc., amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

CORONAVIRUS EDITION: DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG CATCH UP NOW Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

CORONAVIRUS EDITION

DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG

CATCH UP NOW 

Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all

Chalkbeat: Only 10 Black Students Offered Admission to NYC’s Most Selective Public High School

by dianeravitch / 38min

Chalkbeat reports that the number of African American and Hispanic students offered admission to New York City’s elite high schools continued to be very low. Admissions offers are based on the results of one test given on one day. No other factors are taken into account. The statistics for next year’s freshman class show sharp disparities: Only 4.5% of offers went to black students and 6.6% went

Doug Little: Lessons for Canada in SLAYING GOLIATH

by dianeravitch / 1h

Doug Little sent out this review of SLAYING GOLIATH to his readership in Canada, where some provinces support religious schools as public schools. Some also have charter schools. In recent conversation with activists in Alberta, it was clear that supporters of public education are worried about following America’s descent into privatization but that the camel’s nose is already inside the Alberta

A Parent Who Is Home Schooling Thanks Teachers

26by dianeravitch / 2h

This came from a friend in Illinois: Been homeschooling a 6-year old and 8-year old for one hour and 11 minutes. Teachers deserve to make a billion dollars a year. Or a week.

The Nation Investigates the Charity of the Gates Foundation and Asks “Who Benefits?”

37by dianeravitch / 3h

In this must-read article, Tim Schwab reports his investigative journalism into the charities favored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He asks, who benefits? He begins by discussing a three-part Netflix documentary called Inside Bill’s Brain. The film was directed by Davis Guggenheim, who also directed Waiting for “Superman, ” the anti-public school, pro-charter school documentary. Schwab

YESTERDAY

Politico: What’s Known, What’s Not Known about the Epidemic

by dianeravitch / 14h

Politico has done some great reporting about the global pandemic that’s changed our lives. I recommend you read that summary of what we know, what we don’t know. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly-coronavirus-special-edition/2020/03/19/into-the-great-unknown-488634 “We’re not close to the peak. The rate of new cases continues to rise steeply and will explode next week as new te

The Status of State Testing Right Now

25by dianeravitch / 23h

The Network for Public Education urged Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to waive all state testing for 2020. Chalkbeat reports that many states have requested waivers, and two—Colorado and Texas—have canceled testing without waiting for waivers. Recently the Council of Chief School Officers urged a cancellation of mandated state testing. To see the status of state testing, see this update. From

Stuart Egan: Teachers in North Carolina Raised All the Right Issues When They Protested Last Year

100+by dianeravitch / 1d

Stuart Egan, an NBCT high school teacher in North Carolina, reminds us of why teachers protested last year and how the elected officials responded (mostly with silence). Fortunately, the people of North Carolina have a chance to change the state’s direction by electing a genuine and experience advocate for public education as state superintendent: Jen Mangrum won the Democratic nomination and she

Erica Green Was Right When She Wrote That Schools Should Close for at Least 8 Weeks

by dianeravitch / 1d

This post is a public apology to Erica Green of the New York Times. She wrote on March 13 that the Centers for Disease Control recommended that schools should close for at least eight weeks. A trusted reader of this blog said that the CDC guidance offered several options, depending on local circumstances. I read the CDC guidance and posted a correction implying that Green had offered the worst ca

Sam Chaltain: A Parent’s Guide to Home Schooling

53by dianeravitch / 1d

Now that many thousands of schools have closed, millions of parents have suddenly become responsible for home schooling their child or children. Sam Chaltain offers some sound suggestions. He calls it “A Parent Guide to Home-Schooling During the Apocalypse.”

NEPC: There Is No “Science of Reading”

54by dianeravitch / 1d

The National Education Policy Center issued a statement today about teaching reading. The bottom line: There is no “science of reading.” It’s time for the media and political distortions to end, and for the literacy community and policymakers to fully support the literacy needs of all children. Thursday, March 19, 2020 Joint Statement Regarding “Science of Reading” Advocacy KEY TAKEAWAY: It’s tim

New Orleans: VAM Proves that Best Teachers Stay in Best Charters

by dianeravitch / 1d

The National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH), formerly known as the Education Research Alliance, released its first report after having been funded by Betsy DeVos with $10 million to study the effects 

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all