Big Education Ape: Jul 23, 2020

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Parents In No Rush To Reopen Schools With Coronavirus Cases Surging : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

Polls: Parents Are Hurting Without Child Care But In No Rush To Reopen Schools

For American families with children, the pandemic has meant lost income, increased child care responsibilities, worry and stress. But a majority are not eager for schools to reopen this fall, given the health risk. That's according to two new national polls of parents by the Kaiser Family Foundation and ParentsTogether, an advocacy group.

The Kaiser Family Foundation poll, released Thursday, focused on school reopening. They polled a diverse sample of 377 parents.

63% of parents said it is better to open schools later to minimize coronavirus infection risk.

About half as many parents, 32%, said it's better to open schools sooner so parents can work and kids can get services, even if there's some risk of infection.

Parents of color were more hesitant than white parents to reopen schools. At the same time, they were also more worried about negative impacts on their kids from schools remaining closed, including falling behind academically and losing access to needed services.

The ParentsTogether poll surveyed more than 1,200 parents about reopening schools and child care needs and found similar results.

59% of respondents agreed "Schools should remain closed until they are certain there is no health risk, even if means students fall farther behind."
Only 19% agreed that "Schools should reopen as soon as possible so students don't fall too far behind and can receive the educational support they need."

45% of parents said they were "not planning" or were "somewhat unlikely" to send their children back to school even if it opened,vwhile another 22% were unsure.

In addition to asking about going back to school, ParentsTogether asked about child care and lost income. 63% of parents said they lost income during the crisis and more than 40% of all parents also said they lost income specifically due to new child care responsibilities when schools and day cares closed.

Yet despite the personal economic pressure and mixed scientific evidence concerning how likely young children are to actually get seriously ill or spread coronavirus, it seems concerns about safety and health are top priority for parents when it comes to school reopening.

Parents In No Rush To Reopen Schools With Coronavirus Cases Surging : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

Rachel Cohen: Pandemic Creates Opening for Public Funding of Home Schooling | Diane Ravitch's blog

Rachel Cohen: Pandemic Creates Opening for Public Funding of Home Schooling

Rachel Cohen writes that the pandemic is encouraging many parents to consider home schooling and to pressure Congress to pay them to do it.

I disagree.

Before the pandemic, about 2 million children were home schooled, mostly by parents who were either evangelical Christians or who worried about the diverse culture of the public schools or bullying or low standards.

But parents who work don’t want to home school. Most parents prefer that their children learn from knowledgeable teachers alongside others and engage in the academic, social, and cultural activities at school.

The vast majority of parents are eager for school to resume so they can return to work.

Of course, the anti-public school lobby will take advantage of the pandemic to try to divert funding from public schools to private bank accounts.

The home school organizations have CONTINUE READING: Rachel Cohen: Pandemic Creates Opening for Public Funding of Home Schooling | Diane Ravitch's blog

Special Education Lawsuits Are Growing During The COVID-19 Pandemic : NPR

Families Of Children With Special Needs Are Suing In Several States. Here's Why.

Vanessa Ince's daughter, Alexis, has a rare chromosomal abnormality and autism. Alexis has thrived at her public school in Wailuku, Hawaii, and loves spending time with her classmates.

Ince says when the COVID-19 pandemic closed her school in Wailuku, the effect on her daughter's well-being was "devastating."

"Alexis regressed so severely. She was previously, I would say, 95% potty trained and she started wetting herself." She also regressed in other areas, her mother says: She went back to crawling and stopped trying to use her communication device.

Ince says her daughter, who is 10, especially seemed to miss being around other children, as well as her regular routines, structure and stimulation. She went from a "happy, bubbly, loving-life child," to wandering the house aimlessly. "She just looked flat and empty and not really there."

Ince and her husband have filed a lawsuit seeking to get Hawaii's Department of Education to pay for the services Alexis needs in a facility where she can see other children.

Education Dept. Says Disability Laws Shouldn't Get In The Way Of Online Learning https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/23/820138079/education-dept-says-disability-laws-shouldnt-get-in-the-way-of-online-learning

They are part of a growing number of parents around the country who are suing schools and state education departments over this issue. The Ince's attorney, Keith Peck, has also filed a suit seeking class action status for all families in the state who argue their students' Individualized Education Plans have been breached during the pandemic. (Hawaii's Department of Education did not respond to NPR's requests for comment.)

There is also a suit seeking national class action status, filed in New York City, that claims would-be plaintiffs in 20 states and growing.

Peck says that because Hawaii is a single, statewide school district, it makes it easier to CONTINUE READING: Special Education Lawsuits Are Growing During The COVID-19 Pandemic : NPR

Making the Grade – Have You Heard

Making the Grade

When the pandemic shuttered schools, it also put grades on hold, and exposed an underlying problem frequently ignored before the crisis: A-F grades serve several different and conflicting purposes. In the latest episode of Have You Heard, historian of education and friend of the show Ethan Hutt joins us to discuss the origins of our high-stakes grading system and what we might do to fix it. Complete transcript available here. The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Subscribe on Patreon or donate on PayPal.

Have You Heard · #93: Making the Grade

Making the Grade – Have You Heard

Teachers May Use Federal Disability, Medical-Leave Laws to Fight Return to Classroom | CT News Junkie

Teachers May Use Federal Disability, Medical-Leave Laws to Fight Return to Classroom

Teachers who fear returning to the classroom due to COVID-19 might consider using federal disability and medical-leave laws to force schools to allow them to teach remotely from home, according to a legal memo prepared for the national American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union.

But the memo and the union caution that expected resistance from schools makes it likely that the issue will wind up being decided in the courts – and may also lead to teachers’ strikes.

AFT, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, represents 1.7 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, including Connecticut.

The memo cites the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The ADA requires employers to provide eligible employees with “reasonable accommodations” in the workplace, including modified work schedules, telework, or extended leave from work.

FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year because of a serious medical condition or to care for a spouse, child, or parent.

How those laws, especially the ADA, will apply to teachers affected or by COVID-19 was the thrust of the 34-page memo that is being used to advise teachers as schools in Connecticut and the nation prepare to reopen.

“ADA may provide employees at high risk of COVID-19-related medical complications with necessary accommodations during the pandemic,” read a portion of the memo, written by an Ohio law firm and submitted earlier this month to AFT President Randi Weingarten. “However, COVID-19 is new, and related employment case law is, therefore, virtually nonexistent.”

A critical question is whether remote instruction is a “reasonable accommodation” under the ADA.

Courts have historically considered an employee’s physical presence in the workplace to be fundamental, unless the employee can prove the essential functions of the job can be done remotely, according to the memo.

“Nonetheless, recent decisions acknowledge that changes in technology require employers to consider the feasibility of telework based on current CONTINUE READING: Teachers May Use Federal Disability, Medical-Leave Laws to Fight Return to Classroom | CT News Junkie

glen brown: Some Students Should Go to School, Most Should Stay Home by Shayla R. Griffin, PhD, MSW

Some Students Should Go to School, Most Should Stay Home

by Shayla R. Griffin, PhD, MSW

THE PROBLEM

Currently, the U.S. education debate is stuck in an either/or trap — either we open schools for face-to-face instruction, or we pursue only online teaching and learning. People from both camps say their thinking is informed by a commitment to equity and social justice. Those who think schools must open argue that Black, Indigenous, Latinx, low-income and disabled students are at severe risk in terms of academic achievement, access to food, access to supervision, and access to services if schools do not open face-to-face. Those who think it is medically unsafe to open schools argue that Black, Indigenous, Latinx, low-income and disabled students and families are those most likely to contract and die from Covid-19 should there be an outbreak. In the past few weeks, this national debate has come to a head as the Trump administration and some districts have demanded that schools open, while many educators, their unions, and other school districts have pushed back.

Who are you?

I am a Black woman, a researcher and educator with a doctoral degree and MSW, and a mother of school-aged children — one who has a disability — trying to balance work with no schooling or childcare relief since March 11, 2020. I have written two books about race and schools, Those Kids, Our Schools: Race and Reform in an American High School and Race Dialogues: A Facilitator’s Guide to Tackling the the Elephant in the Classroom. For the past decade I have worked as a social justice educator and consultant in schools across Michigan. My work has largely focused on issues of racial and economic justice for Black, Indigenous and other students of color as well as low-income students, LGBTQIA+ students, and students with disabilities.

What do you know about the consequences of not opening schools?

My professional role in education means that I am very concerned about CONTINUE READING: glen brown: Some Students Should Go to School, Most Should Stay Home by Shayla R. Griffin, PhD, MSW

Cartoons on Re-Opening during Pandemic | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Cartoons on Re-Opening during Pandemic

As barber shops and tattoo parlors open, as customers return to bars and restaurants, as parents are called back to work, louder and louder calls for children to return to school mount. I have collected cartoons that poke at the re-opening of “normal” life including schools. Enjoy!

MORE CARTOONS: Cartoons on Re-Opening during Pandemic | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

1st NYC school planning all-remote for September – more will follow | JD2718

1st NYC school planning all-remote for September – more will follow

Gotta start somewhere. NEST+ is planning to go all-remote. Carranza will say no. But that’s only the first.

New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School is a highly regarded Manhattan K-12 school. They’re going to get attention. They’re reasoning will be good. They will better serve their community, while keeping their community safe. And Carranza will say no.

There are many other schools that would prefer to be all remote. All of them? Probably not. There’s over 1800 public schools in NYC. Over 1500? Easily. But Carranza’s “models” don’t allow all-remote, and most principals follow directions without question. Good principals.

There are many schools, largely high schools, but some middle schools, who are saying they can’t make a Carranza model work. They are whispering about going all-remote, or almost all-remote. If they apply for an exemption, Carranza says he will say no.

Teachers want to be safe. We want our students to be safe. We are thinking of urging principals to apply for all-remote anyhow. Yesterday Mulgrew told us not to.

Actually, Mulgrew had the perfect opportunity at yesterday’s UFT Town Hall to lead. He could have said “We should go remote” – that’s all he needed to say. Standing ovation. I guarantee it, he would have had one. But he didn’t say that. He said we need to plan for hybrid.

Principals probably want to be safe, too. I bet their union also told them not to apply for all-remote.

But now the ice is broken. We have a school going all-remote. There will be more, many more. Share this, or the NY Post article. Share them widely.

What does Arlo Guthrie sing every Thanksgiving? 1? Sick. 3? an organization? 50? A movement. We need a movement just now.

1st NYC school planning all-remote for September – more will follow | JD2718

NYC Public School Parents: "Talk out of School" podcast on Outdoor Learning with Liat Olenick and John Allgood

"Talk out of School" podcast on Outdoor Learning with Liat Olenick and John Allgood

In my latest podcast, I spoke to Liat Olenick and John Allgood, both NYC teachers who have led students in outdoor learning, who explained how this would be a great option for schools to adopt next year, both for health and safety reasons and for its educational benefits.

They also discussed issues related to school funding inequities, the need for higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy, the importance of smaller classes, and the inadequacy of the Common Core standards, especially for younger learners.

Resources

Teachers' plea for outdoor learning - NY Daily News by Liat Olenick, Darcy Whittemore and Heather Costanza

Schools Beat Earlier Plagues With Outdoor Classes. We Should Too New York Times by Ginia Bellafante

Petition for Outdoor Schooling Now!

Contact your legislators now – schools desperately need funding to reopen safely next fall! Action Alert from Class Size Matters

NYC Public School Parents: "Talk out of School" podcast on Outdoor Learning with Liat Olenick and John Allgood

NAACP Sues Betsy DeVos Over Federal Aid Money For Private Schools | 89.3 KPCC

NAACP Sues Betsy DeVos Over Federal Aid Money For Private Schools

The NAACP has become the latest organization to sue the Education Department over the distribution of more than $13 billion in federal aid intended for K-12 schools.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a rule that says if states want to use the funds to provide services for all students, such as tutoring or extra school buses to allow for social distancing, they must also fund "equitable services" for all private school students in the district.

The move is a departure from typical interpretations of federal education law, which usually requires "equitable services" only for low-income students in private schools. DeVos' rule vastly increases the share of federal funding that would go to private school students. Private school students are more likely to be wealthy than public school students, and a majority of private school students are white, while a majority in public schools are students of color.

"The Rule is as immoral as it is illegal," the lawsuit says. "In a moment of crisis — when public school districts are called upon to educate their students in CONTINUE READING: NAACP Sues Betsy DeVos Over Federal Aid Money For Private Schools | 89.3 KPCC

NYC Educator: Today in Flip Flops--de Blasio Comes to His Senses, Maybe

Today in Flip Flops--de Blasio Comes to His Senses, Maybe

It's hard to say which mayor we want to see. This notwithstanding, I'm going to opt for this week's mayor. A few weeks ago, Bill de Blasio was telling the entire world that New York City schools would be open for business in September.

That was a remarkable thing to hear. After all, NYC hasn't even opened indoor restaurants yet. Broadway is still dark. But somehow it was okay to open up schools with 1.1 million children.

In fairness, de Blasio isn't some MAGA lunatic declaring we're gonna open at 100% capacity, or stating that kids would just get over it, so the hell with all the older people with whom they come into contact.

No, de Blasio had a plan. We would do a "hybrid." That is, some kids will come in, and others will not. Teachers will see ten kids today, ten tomorrow, and rotate until all the students show up. What will those who don't come be doing on those days? No one knows. Why bother to figure that out when you can just dump the problem on 1800 individual schools and hope for the best?

Honestly, I've not seen a single "hybrid" plan that seems practical. De Blasio claims he came up with this based on the unsecured internet poll he put out, but that's nonsense. No unsecured internet poll is regarded as valid, and it appears Hizzoner juked the stats on that one anyway. This notwithstanding, he appears to have come to a much more reasonable conclusion sometime in the recent past:

De Blasio also indicated that full-time classes won’t resume until the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

“The day we get to the vaccine is the day we’ll really go to full, five days a week normal instruction in our schools,” he said.

That's been my conclusion for months now. I'm glad the mayor has come around. Of course, we still have a whole lot of schools that seem to be using the poorly-thought-out plan CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: Today in Flip Flops--de Blasio Comes to His Senses, Maybe

It Will Take a Village to Open Schools Safely | The Merrow Report

It Will Take a Village to Open Schools Safely

When public schools closed in March because of the pandemic, a different U.S. President would have said to the education community, “Children, their parents, teachers, and the economy will need schools to open in the fall, so please tell me how the Federal Government can help.” Unfortunately, conflict is Donald Trump’s modus operandi, and so, after ignoring the issue for months, he has recently politicized the issue. Basically, it’s “Open or else!”

Back in March, a competent U.S. Secretary of Education would have focused on the challenges ahead. Instead, Betsy DeVos concentrated on vouchers and private religious schools, intent on funneling Covid-19 relief funds in their direction.

Trump, his Education Secretary, Vice President Mike Pence, and others in the Administration are now trying to strong arm public schools into opening their doors completely. No ‘hybrid’ staggered schedules, and no remote learning! Their bluster, their attacks on teachers and their unions, and their threats to cut federal funding are complicating the difficult problem of providing education for nearly 51 million children.

Supporters of public education would be wise to avoid a war of words with President Trump. Instead, educators must focus on providing safe and challenging learning CONTINUE READING: It Will Take a Village to Open Schools Safely | The Merrow Report

IN FOR A DIME, IN FOR A DOLLAR…or 5 MILLION OF THEM – Dad Gone Wild

IN FOR A DIME, IN FOR A DOLLAR…or 5 MILLION OF THEM

“He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often. A couple of times I tried to tell him it was a mistake to get too deep into that kind of stuff, but Alex got stuck on things. He always had to know the absolute right answer before he could go on to the next thing.”
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

“The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

Last night Nashville’s Metro Council appointed a new school board member. Congratulations to Dr. Berthena Nabaa-McKinney as she takes over the seat vacated by the untimely death of former board chair Anna Shepherd. By all accounts, Nabaa-McKinney is a capable and exceptional replacement. Her presentation to the council yesterday was quite impressive and probably went a long way towards swaying council members to her side.

Unfortunately, last night’s proceedings were not completely free of political machinations. Education committee chair Dave Rosenberg cast his first ballot vote for Stephanie Bradford in an attempt to prevent candidate John Little from advancing. A move that was unsuccessful because McKinney and Little both tied with 11 votes while Bradford received 14. As a result, only the 4th candidate Steve Chauncey was prevented from advancing.

In the next round, Rosenberg switched his vote to Nabaa-McKinney, a move that successfully knocked Little out of contention. In the final round, the majority of Little’s votes transferred to Nabaa-McKinney, allowing her to secure the appointment by a vote of 25-14.

Mayor-to-be Council Member Bob Mendes missed the vote due to a family vacation. A curious decision seeing as he’s viewed as the city’s budget guru and MNPS takes up the largest portion of the budget. Mendes recently led the effort to raise property tax rates by 34%, in part to increase CONTINUE READING: IN FOR A DIME, IN FOR A DOLLAR…or 5 MILLION OF THEM – Dad Gone Wild

What is the HEROES Bill? How would it impact schools? Why hasn’t the bill passed in the Senate? [A Civics Lesson] | Ed In The Apple

What is the HEROES Bill? How would it impact schools? Why hasn’t the bill passed in the Senate? [A Civics Lesson]

In May the Democratic-majority in the House of Representatives passed the HEROES bill, a $3 trillion (yes, a 3 with twelve zeros), a bill that included funding for schools and local and state governments

See a summary of the HEROES bill here.

See how the bill impacts New York State here and how bill impacts state and local government here.

Why did the bill originate in the House of Representatives?

Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution requires,

“All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.”

The bill was sharply criticized by Republicans and the President and the Republican-controlled majority in the Senate took no action,

President Trump sought to draw a hard line on the coronavirus relief bill saying it must include a payroll tax cut and liability protections for businesses, CONTINUE READING: What is the HEROES Bill? How would it impact schools? Why hasn’t the bill passed in the Senate? [A Civics Lesson] | Ed In The Apple

NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY

NewBlackMan (in Exile)

NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY

Phi Beta Sigma International President Hon. Bro. Micheal E. Cristal on the Passing of Congresman and Hon. Bro. John R. Lewis

by Mark Anthony Neal / 1h

'Bro. Rod Carter, 2nd VP of Sigma Xi Sigma and news anchor for WFLA News Channel 8, talked with International President, Hon. Bro. Micheal E. Cristal , on the passing of Congressman, Hon. Bro. John R. Lewis .'

Yolonda Wilson: “Racial Bias, Mortality, and the Pursuit of Justice”

by Mark Anthony Neal / 16h

'Research indicates that African Americans are far more likely to get sick than their fellow citizens who are white. Regardless of their age, educational attainment, or socioeconomic circumstances, they are more likely to suffer from severe forms of illness and have shorter life expectancies. While a number of factors play a part in this sad statistical reality, a key underlying factor is the per

Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams on Art and Empathy

by Mark Anthony Neal / 16h

'The musicians Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams —longtime friends and twin titans of so-called alternative-country, though neither is especially keen on genre distinctions, especially that one—have been grounded by the coronavirus pandemic . For Earle, who is sixty-five, and Williams, who is sixty-seven, sitting still is anathema; both have been recording and touring since the late nineteen-seven

Black Thought – Thought vs Everybody (Official Music Video)

by Mark Anthony Neal / 16h

“Thought vs Everybody” — The Visual Reckoning. A Short Film directed by Rodney Passé .

Unladylike2020: Mary Church Terrell – She was a Civil Rights Activist and Co-Founder of the NAACP

by Mark Anthony Neal / 17h

'Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954), the daughter of former slaves, was a national leader for civil rights and women’s suffrage. Her activism was sparked in 1892 when one of her childhood friends was lynched by white business owners in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Terrell joined the anti-lynching movement and the suffrage movement as a passionate writer and educator, and focused her life’s wo

Jennifer D. Williams, “The Poetry and Prose of Precarious Living: Black Women Writers and the Legacy of Segregated Urban Spaces”

by Mark Anthony Neal / 17h

'Between the 1930s and the 1970s, racialized legislation and subsequent migrations of Black Americans combined to drive explosive population growth in urban centers, which in turn gave rise to the creation of segregated districts

NewBlackMan (in Exile)