Mitchell Robinson: A Teacher's Summer (Off) Story… | Eclectablog

A Teacher's Summer (Off) Story… | Eclectablog

A Teacher’s Summer (Off) Story…

I got an email from our school’s business manager on Friday at 5:11pm with an “emergency request” to complete a new required training module. The deadline for completing this module? The following Monday morning.

As usual, the “system” didn’t allow me to even start the training module–some sort of IT glitch I assume–so I called the business manager, who was still at her desk on Friday at 5:20pm. She told me she couldn’t fix the problem, but would call the IT department to “look into it.” When I reminded her that this delay meant it was pretty unlikely that I’d be able to complete the training module before the Monday morning deadline, she assured me it “was no big deal,” and “not to worry about it.”

So, I wasted 30 minutes trying to responsibly complete an “emergency request” that couldn’t be completed due to tech problems–on a Friday after the close of the work day, during the first summer I haven’t worked as a teacher since the mid-1980s.

Like me, most of these teachers have not been getting paid this summer–but they have been expected to…

• be available for countless Zoom and Google Hangout meetings, often with only a few minutes advance notice
• respond to an endless string of “reply all” email messages with requests for immediate CONTINUE READING: A Teacher's Summer (Off) Story… | Eclectablog

Shawgi Tell: Cyber Charter School Disasters About to Worsen | Dissident Voice

Cyber Charter School Disasters About to Worsen | Dissident Voice

Cyber Charter School Disasters About to Worsen

Recent news reports suggest that more parents and students are flocking to privately-owned-operated online charter schools, presumably due to concerns about the “COVID Pandemic.”¹

Parents, students, teachers, and the public at large should be aware that:

• The overall “academic performance” of cyber charter schools is consistently abysmal, even by the admission of staunch charter school promoters and school privatizers.
• The “academic performance” of cyber charter schools is consistently worse than the poor overall “academic performance” of brick-and-mortar charter schools.
• The graduation rate in virtual charter schools is consistently low.
• The breadth and depth of fraud, corruption, and nepotism in the cyber CONTINUE READING: Cyber Charter School Disasters About to Worsen | Dissident Voice

Carol Burris: New York City Public Schools Should Re-Open | Diane Ravitch's blog

Carol Burris: New York City Public Schools Should Re-Open | Diane Ravitch's blog

Carol Burris: New York City Public Schools Should Re-Open

Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education and a retired high school principal and a grandmother, argues in this article that public schools in New York City should reopen. She speaks for herself, not for the Network for Public Education. NPE issued a statement calling for additional federal funds to enable the safe reopening of schools. NPE put the emphasis on the necessity to protect the health and safety of students and staff before reopening. Just for the record, I personally am super-cautious about when it is safe to reopen (I don’t know), but my son who has a second grade child in public school is eager for schools to reopen. These are important discussions. There is no clear answer because none of us knows what might happen in a few weeks or months. Take it as a given that we share the same goals: the safe reopening of schools and a return to in-person learning. The only points of difference–and they are important– is when to reopen and how to determine whether the schools are safe for students and adults alike.

Carol argues that it is time for schools in New York City, which has a very low positivity rate, to reopen.

She writes:

No one knows with certainty whether New York City public schools can successfully remain open this fall. Some believe a second wave of the virus will overwhelm us, and others believe, for the five boroughs at least, the worst is past.

What is not an unsettled question, however, is the harm to New York’s children if they continue to learn CONTINUE READING: Carol Burris: New York City Public Schools Should Re-Open | Diane Ravitch's blog

When can schools reopen under California coronavirus rules? - Los Angeles Times

When can schools reopen under California coronavirus rules? - Los Angeles Times

When can schools reopen under new state rules? It’s all about color-coded tiers and waivers

As coronavirus caseloads drop, the prospect of reopening schools improves, although new state guidelines will not lead to a quicker return to campus. In most counties, including Los Angeles, the new rules have no immediate effect on schools because disease rates remain too high.

The new rules do not affect the state’s waiver application guidelines, which allow elementary schools to open under certain circumstances.

What will it take to reopen all elementary, middle and high schools in your county? What are the rules for waivers?

Here’s what you need to know about California’s school reopening requirements.

Schools cannot open in counties with widespread COVID-19, the state’s purple tier

Until Friday, the deciding factor for whether campuses could reopen was the state’s watchlist. Counties on that list had to keep campuses closed — except under a waiver process for elementary schools. More on that coming up.

Under the new process that begins on Monday, the state assigns a color-code tier to each county based on its level of coronavirus cases. For the most part, counties that were on the prior watchlist, including L.A. County, have moved to the purple category, the worst one.

K-12 campuses located in counties in the purple level cannot reopen for in-person classes, including all public, private, charter and faith-based schools. Counties in the purple level have:

• More than seven daily new cases per 100,000 people per day
• More than 8% of coronavirus-infection tests are positive

Some educators said the effect of new rules will delay how soon schools can reopen.

When county infection numbers come down in the state’s new color-coded structure to “substantial,” “moderate” or “minimal” levels for at least 14 days, schools can open with limited in-person instruction with local health official approval.

A waiver process for elementary schools to open earlier remains in place

The rules that allow for waivers are unchanged in the state’s latest guidelines. They allow for a school district superintendent or director of a charter or private school to apply through their local health agency for a waiver to reopen school for grades K-6 only. The waivers acknowledge the difficulties young children encounter with online learning.

One key waiver metric calls for the county’s 14-day COVID-19 case rate to be at or below 200 per 100,000 residents. Health officials in L.A. County, where the case rate remains above that, have said they will not issue waivers but will reconsider their decision once the number falls to an acceptable level.

According to guidelines laid out by the California Department of Public Health, waiver applicants must consult with labor, parent groups and community-based organizations.

They must also submit plans that include small, stable class sizes; rules for social distancing; protocols for how to handle outbreaks; a plan for testing if exposures do occur; and criteria for when to close, among other information. District approval would be required for any school that seeks the waiver. The plans must be posted publicly.

Local health officers must review epidemiological data and consult with the state before granting a school its waiver.

When the governor issued new guidelines, some education officials were concerned about whether their waiver plans would be affected. So far, that does not appear to be the case.

K-12 schools can open only after their county moves to the red tier

A school district, charter schools and private campuses can consider reopening when their county moves out of the purple category and into any of three lower levels. Red, signifying substantial transmission, follows purple and is defined by:

• Infections of four to seven COVID cases per day per 100,000 people
• A positivity rate between 5% and 8%

Once a county moves into the red zone, or lower tiers, it must stay there at least 14 consecutive days before campuses can open. But any county can impose standards stricter than the state’s.

And even when campuses can reopen, there will not be a return to the pre-COVID-19 days — at least not for some time.

Schools that do reopen must have COVID-19 prevention and response plans in place, including promoting healthy hand hygiene, requiring face coverings for all staff and students in the third grade and above, maintaining distance inside and outside of the classroom, checking for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and having a plan in place for when someone becomes sick.

Can a school be re-closed if there is a campus outbreak? CONTINUE READING: When can schools reopen under California coronavirus rules? - Los Angeles Times

Why Black teachers matter to Black and White kids -- book excerpt - The Washington Post

Why Black teachers matter to Black and White kids -- book excerpt - The Washington Post

Why Black teachers matter to Black and White kids

Fifteen years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept into Louisiana from the Gulf of Mexico and decimated parts of New Orleans, including its long-troubled school system. What rose in its place was a collection of charter schools that operated very differently from the district that preceded it.

School reformers who supported charter schools — which are publicly funded but privately operated — hailed the changes and pointed to a rise in standardized test scores as evidence of success. But, as Andre M. Perry writes in his new book, “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities,” the story wasn’t as rosy as reformers said it was.

For one thing, scores on high-stakes standardized tests are not valid measures of what students have learned. For another, thousands of students with disabilities were denied services in the new charter schools, and the pre-Katrina predominantly Black teaching force was replaced with mostly White teachers.

As Perry explains in his book and in the following excerpt, that was a problem for Black students, a majority in the district, and for White kids, too.

Perry is a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington whose research focuses on race and structural inequality, education and economic inclusion. In 2013, he founded the College of Urban Education at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich. He once led a charter school in New Orleans, which he says informed his later critiques of charters.

Here’s an excerpt of Perry’s book, with footnote numbers removed:

WHY BLACK TEACHERS MATTER

If I proposed to a governor or a school board that they replace a significant portion of a majority-White teaching corps with Black teachers after a natural disaster decimated a city because doing so would potentially confer educational and social benefits I’d probably be denounced as a racist and publicly excoriated.

Even a cursory reading of the literature on Black teachers should have given politicians and reformers pause before forcing their mass exit, but alas, even the research has apparently been devalued. For years, researchers such as Gloria Ladson-Billings, Pedro Noguera, Lisa Delpit, Adrienne Dixson, Christopher Emdin, and James A. Banks — all people of color — validated the need for Black women teachers in New Orleans schools through their studies on teachers of color. Their scholarship serves as the foundation for inquiries like one by Stanford University researcher Thomas Dee who, the year before Katrina, found that Black students of both sexes who had a Black teacher scored 3 to 6 percentile points higher on standardized tests in reading than those who did not. Dee found a similar increase in the math scores of Black students taught by a Black teacher.

In a 2017 study published by the Institute of Labor Economics, researchers found that low-income Black male elementary school students who were paired with a Black teacher in the third, fourth or fifth grades were 39 percent less likely to drop out of high school. The researchers also found that matching low- income Black students of both sexes with at least one Black teacher between the third and fifth grades increased their aspirations to attend a four-year college by 19 percent.

In addition to academic gains, Black students taught by Black teachers exhibited better behavioral outcomes. According to CONTINUE READING: Why Black teachers matter to Black and White kids -- book excerpt - The Washington Post

Biden, Trump offer two distinct paths; for public education, there’s one clear choice - Education Votes

Biden, Trump offer two distinct paths; for public education, there’s one clear choice - Education Votes

Biden, Trump offer two distinct paths; for public education, there’s one clear choice

From the first day of the Republican National Convention, there were stark differences from the previous week’s speeches and messages directed at educators, parents, and students at the Democratic National Convention. Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris have focused on listening to educators and supporting public schools. President Trump hounded on privatization as the way forward while he, Republicans in Congress, and those speaking at the RNC failed to take the global pandemic seriously. Educators know that without safely reopening schools by providing necessary funding and equipment for educators and students, the economy will not recover. During the coronavirus pandemic, the lives of students and educators are at risk with no support — now is not the time to play politics with our students’ futures.

President Trump during his acceptance speech said that if reelected, he would expand charter schools and voucher programs that take money from public schools, even though Congress has continuously rejected the administration’s voucher schemes. Vouchers and tax credits were a main talking point throughout the RNC, but with the backdrop of national protests against racist institutions, Trump ignored the fact that these policies leave out students of color and families who cannot afford a private education. Just prior to the start of the RNC, the Trump Administration released it’s second term agenda which only listed two priorities for the education sector: voucher schemes and “teach American exceptionalism”. 

Last week, Biden and the DNC focused on supporting public education. He emphasized his ability and experience in leading during a pandemic, and his dream of building together a more  equitable version of America.

“It’s time for us, for we, the people, to come together. And make no mistake. United we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America,” said Biden. The platform throughout the CONTINUE READING: Biden, Trump offer two distinct paths; for public education, there’s one clear choice - Education Votes

Education Matters: In Florida, Choice is great unless it is the choice to stay safe and healthy or not

Education Matters: In Florida, Choice is great unless it is the choice to stay safe and healthy or not

In Florida, Choice is great unless it is the choice to stay safe and healthy or not

You know DCPS is saying the state has told them they can't release information about COVID cases in schools, which is reprehensible and I guess just dumb luck that weeks ago the district announced that was their policy too.

Earlier this summer the district said unless schools close they weren't going to announce COVID cases in schools. I thought and still feel this is reckless and reprehensible. So maybe the state learned it from watching us.

From WJXT,

After the first full week of classes in Duval County, school officials say they are still counting how many teachers and students test positive for the novel coronavirus. But, the district said, it can’t share those numbers.

The Duval County Health Department told Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) officials Tuesday they needed to get permission from the state level in order to tell parents and the community how many cases are in its schools.

On Friday, after multiple requests for answers, the Florida Department of Health said the information about the number of COVID-19 cases in schools was “confidential.”

“In the interest of public health in Florida, the Surgeon General instructed County Health Departments to CONTINUE READING: Education Matters: In Florida, Choice is great unless it is the choice to stay safe and healthy or not

First Group of HS Principals Ask to Go Remote | JD2718

First Group of HS Principals Ask to Go Remote | JD2718

First Group of HS Principals Ask to Go Remote

Brooklyn was first. 216 High School Principals and APs

August 27, 2020 

TO: Mayor Bill De Blasio; Chancellor Richard Carranza, 

As our colleagues in other Districts have expressed in letters sent to you, and in solidarity with our union (CSA), the Principals and Assistant Principals of Brooklyn High Schools are deeply concerned. We are concerned by the lack of readiness for the planned reopening of our schools in just two short weeks. Considering the high risks of COVID-19, we call for you to arrange for 100% remote instruction of our students, as other leaders in cities in our country have championed. We are deeply concerned that until all school leaders are adequately trained and supported with the implementation of the 70 + pages of safety protocols outlined in the First Deputy Chancellor’s Principal Playbook, the first month of school should start remotely. 

The Brooklyn North High School Superintendency, led by Superintendent Janice Ross, and the Brooklyn North Borough Office, led by Executive Superintendent Karen Watts, and the Brooklyn South High School Superintendency, led by Superintendent Michael Prayor, and the Brooklyn South Borough Office, led by Executive Superintendent Barbara Freeman have been supportive around our collective concerns to their best abilities to address the collective concerns of our members. However, Central DOE Leadership has not provided our district and school-level support teams with detailed information for CONTINUE READING: First Group of HS Principals Ask to Go Remote | JD2718

TODAY'S STATEMENT FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT VETERANS -AUGUST 28, 2020 - DSA NORTH STAR

Building a global progressive network to combat fascism - DSA NORTH STAR

TODAY'S STATEMENT FROM  THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT VETERANS -AUGUST 28, 2020

August 28, 2020
Washington Post

Fulfilling our Obligations, and 

Passing the Torch
 
"When I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin under the Hitler regime, I learned many things. The most important thing that I learned under those tragic circumstances was that bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.
 
Rabbi Jacob Prinz, Speech at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963
 
"I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete. We must get in this revolution and complete the revolution...."

John Lewis, Speech at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963
 
We in the Black Freedom Movement of the 1950s and 1960s held countless mass meetings in churches and community halls in Black communities throughout the Jim Crow South. On August 28, 1963, for the first and only time, we gathered before the Lincoln Memorial for a mass meeting on a national scale, joined and witnessed by the entire country. We called this mass meeting "The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom".
 
No one who was there can ever forget it.
 
We were there.
 
With approximately 250,000 in attendance, and tens of millions watching on network TV, the March on Washington was the largest gathering for racial justice, economic equality and human rights ever assembled to date. Martin Luther King, Jr. called it "the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation."
 
We are surviving members of Dr. King's inner circle, student activist leaders from the Nashville sit-in movement and Mississippi voting rights campaign and singers who performed from the stage at that historic gathering in Washington. Some of us 2 worked primarily with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); others were among the leadership of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Dr. Clarence B. Jones, as lawyer for Dr. King, and Courtland Cox, representing SNCC, served on the planning committee for the March with lead organizers Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph.
 
The March on Washington took place fifty-seven years ago today.
 
We remember it like yesterday. We remember Dr. King's iconic speech, as we remember each of those who addressed the crowd: fourteen of the CONTINUE READING: Building a global progressive network to combat fascism - DSA NORTH STAR

NYC Educator: Magical Blended Teachers

NYC Educator: Magical Blended Teachers

Magical Blended Teachers

It's taken me days to understand what the last DOE memo meant. I've discussed it with several people, I've been to a meeting, and now I finally get it.

You have four kinds of teachers--you have the remote teacher, who teaches five full classes on line. You have the live teacher, who teaches five partial classes in person. Then you have the Blended Learning Remote teacher, the one everyone is complaining about around the net. 

There's one more, a Virtual Content Specialist. This position would be posted and people would have to apply. I'm going to ignore that one for now. I don't know what the hell that person does, and I'm not gonna bother finding out. Given the issues with the blended teachers, I''m not sure that one's worth talking about. In fact, I very much doubt any principal has the capacity to engage such a person. This system has created a pretty severe teacher shortage that won't be corrected any time soon.

So this is what a Blended Learning Remote teacher does--Let's say that you and I each teach English One five periods a day. Let's say we both teach onsite, in person. That means we see somewhere between seven and twelve students live, every period, each and every day. Under this model, the Blended Learning Remote teacher would teach all of our other students from both classes.

So this Blended Learning Remote teacher could have between 44 to 55 students each period daily. That's a hell of a student load. Now that teacher could teach them all at once. Or, that teacher could see them in smaller groups. Or, that teacher could figure out some other way to CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: Magical Blended Teachers

“This is Not the End of Cities,” Cities are the Engines of Democracy, Innovation, and Growth and Schools Play a Major Role. | Ed In The Apple

“This is Not the End of Cities,”  Cities are the Engines of Democracy, Innovation, and Growth and Schools Play a Major Role. | Ed In The Apple

“This is Not the End of Cities,”  Cities are the Engines of Democracy, Innovation, and Growth and Schools Play a Major Role.

Former NYC mayor Giuliani at the Republican National Convention (RNC) railed against democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and painted a picture of a dystopian nation. In reality over the last thirty years “major crimes,” in New York City, the reminder of the nation and other parts of the world have dropped, dropped sharply.

Criminologists, sociologists and journalists are proffering reasons, many, many reasons, without any agreement.

In New York City the decline in the homicide rate has been incredible.

.Since 1990, major crimes [in New York City] have fallen 81.9% in a period that spanned the administrations of four mayors, both Republican and Democratic … Despite last year’s jump [2019], murders were still 85.9% below 1990 levels.

Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg pointed to “broken windows  policing” and “stop and frisk,” hundreds of thousands of men of color detained, searched and questioned by the police.

In August, 2013 Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin declared the practice of “Stop and Frisk” unconstitutional.

It is important to recognize the human toll of unconstitutional stops. While it is true that any one stop is a limited intrusion in duration and deprivation of liberty, each stop is also a demeaning and humiliating experience. No one CONTINUE READING: “This is Not the End of Cities,”  Cities are the Engines of Democracy, Innovation, and Growth and Schools Play a Major Role. | Ed In The Apple

Meal Reimbursement Rates 2020–21 - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

Meal Reimbursement Rates 2020–21 - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

Meal Reimbursement Rates 2020–21

On July 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the new reimbursement rates for the School Nutrition Programs (SNP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Food Distribution Program (FDP).

For detailed information on reimbursement rates, please see the California Department of Education (CDE) Child Nutrition Program (CNP) Meal Reimbursement Rates web page.

School Nutrition Programs Reimbursement Rates

The annual federal reimbursement rate adjustments for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the Special Milk Program reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products.

Overall, reimbursement rates this year for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs increased compared to last year while the rate for the Special Milk Program went down slightly.

The SNP Reimbursement Rates for July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, document is available in the Download Forms section of the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).

State Meal Reimbursement Rates

The Proposition (Prop) 98 State Meal reimbursement rate for SNPs for School Year (SY) 2020–21 remains $0.2445 for each free and reduced-price (F/RP) lunch and breakfast that eligible program operators serve.

The current SY 2020–21 State Meal reimbursement rates apply to each F/RP breakfast and lunch served at the following program operator types:

• Prop 98 program operators participating in federal SNPs with annual certification—$0.2445
  
• Prop 98 program operators participating in federal SNPs without annual certification—$0.0000

Child and Adult Care Food Program Reimbursement Rates

With the exception of the paid (i.e., base) center reimbursement rate for each snack, which remains $0.08, the federal CACFP center rates and the day care home (DCH) provider rates for Program Year (PY) 2020–21 increased. The DCH sponsor administrative rates for PY 2020–21 did not increase.

For center meal rates, the free lunch and supper rate increased from $3.41 to $3.51, a $0.10 increase per meal. The centers also receive cash-in-lieu (CIL) of commodities equal to $0.2450 for each lunch and supper.

The DCH sponsor administrative rates did not increase. The monthly rate per home for the first 50 homes remains $120.

The DCH provider meal rates for Tiers I and II did increase for PY 2020–21. The CIL is included in the meal rate.

For a complete listing of all the CACFP reimbursement rates, please see the CDE CNP Meal Reimbursement Rates web page.

Food Distribution Program Meal Rate

The effective USDA Foods per meal rate for SY 20–21 is $0.3700. The USDA Foods initial base per meal rate published for SY 20–21 is $0.2450, an increase of $0.0075 from the $0.2375 SY 2019–20 base rate. However, to comply with Section 6(e) of the National School Lunch Act, which requires that USDA Foods account for at least 12 percent of the total cash assistance for the NSLP, and an additional $20 million that was provided for breakfast, the USDA added an additional $0.1250 to the base rate, increasing the effective USDA Foods per meal rate to $0.3700.

Currently, the USDA is in the process of updating the Federal Register notice. Once complete, the notice can be viewed on the USDA Food Distribution Value of Donated Food Notices web page.

Contact Information

SNP: If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact your SNP Specialist. A list of SNP Specialists is available in the Download Forms section of the CNIPS, Form ID Caseload. You can also contact the SNP Office Technicians by phone at 916-322-3005, or 916-322-1450, or 800-952-5609, option 2.

CACFP: If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact your CACFP Specialist. A list of CACFP Specialists is available in the Download Forms section of the CNIPS, Form ID Caseload. You can also contact Kayla Christensen, Community Nutrition Programs Administration Office Technician, by phone at 916-324-6153 or 800-952-5609, Option 3, or by email at kchristensen@cde.ca.gov to be directed to your CACFP Specialist.

FDP: If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Amy Bell, Child Nutrition Consultant, by phone at 916-322-5051 or by email at abell@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609

Meal Reimbursement Rates 2020–21 - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

IT GOING TO BE A LONG HARD JOURNEY – Dad Gone Wild

IT GOING TO BE A LONG HARD JOURNEY – Dad Gone Wild

IT GOING TO BE A LONG HARD JOURNEY

“Innumerable confusions and a profound feeling of despair invariably emerge in periods of great technological and cultural transitions. Our “Age of Anxiety” is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s job with yesterday’s tools—with yesterday’s concepts.”
― Marshall McLuhan, The Medium is the Massage

“There comes a time when time itself is ready for a change.”
― Coretta Scott King, My Life, My Love, My Legacy

It’s roughly 6:30 AM in the morning and I’m on the couch trying to grab an extra 10 minutes of sleep. I’d come out here around 4, with the intent of starting the day’s writing, but instead, here I am, grasping for a few winks.

At some point, my boy has come out. He turns 10 next month and he’s still an early riser. I hear him rustling around on the chair across the room.

“What are you doing?”, I ask.

“That second unit of Florida Virtual School I have to have done by today.”

I cringe a little, Yesterday he’d tackled the first one and ended up scoring a 56 on the attached quiz. A score that had set off tears and frustration. He’d never scored that low on schoolwork before and was unsure how to process it. We’d decided to hold off tackling the second unit till today. After all the beauty of asynchronous work is its inherent flexibility.

Virtual learning has been a challenge for families. With a wife who is a school teacher and two middle school kids, adapting has taken a lot of bandwidth on a lot of levels. It’s kind of a mini-miracle that a computer hasn’t sailed through a window at our house. This morning my 6th-grade daughter had a come apart over adjusting to percussion instruction on line. But things are CONTINUE READING: IT GOING TO BE A LONG HARD JOURNEY – Dad Gone Wild

SSPI THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

   California Department of Education

SSPI THURMOND

STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Meal Reimbursement Rates 2020–21

13h

Federal and State Meal Reimbursement Rates for School Nutrition Programs, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Food Distribution Program for School Year 2020–21.

COVID-19: USDA Q&A for CNPs SY 2020-21, 5

14h

On August 21, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released Policy Memorandum SP 24–2020, CACFP 13–2020, and SFSP 13–2020 Questions and Answers for the Child Nutrition Programs during School Year (SY) 2020–21, #5.

SBE Agenda for September 2020

15h

Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on September 10, 2020.

FAQs Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic Relief

15h

These FAQs are intended to provide details regarding the Prop 98 COVID-19 disaster claim application, review, and payment processes, as well as information regarding COVID-19 pandemic relief, such as CARES Act reimbursements.

AUG 27

School Year 2020–21 Annual Update—Fourth Notice

1d

The California Department of Education (CDE) has opened the School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Annual Update in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) for School Year (SY) 2020–21 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021).

CDE CACFP Web Page for Program Operators

1d

The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) is pleased to announce the new Child and Adult Care Meal Program (CACFP) web page—an easy-to-use program hub for new and current California CACFP Operators!

CARES Reimbursement Tool for March 2020

1d

The March 2020 CARES Reimbursement Information Tool is available for program operators to submit their March meal counts in order to receive the additional CARES rate for meals served during statewide school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FBG Calculator Resources for CNP Operators

1d

The California Department of Education Nutrition Services Division is pleased to announce two new Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) resources—the Food Buying Guide (FBG) Calculator web page and the Navigating the FBG Calculator online training course.

AUG 26

Support for Schools Amid Wildfires and Emergencies

2d

Letter to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators regarding support for schools impacted by wildfires and emergencies.

SBE August 2020 Information Memoranda

2d

Background information and updates on issues of interest to the State Board Members.

RFA-20: Culturally Linguistically Teaching

2d

Request for Applications for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 Migrant Education Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching Professional Development

SSPI Affirms Support for Schools Amid Wildfires

2d

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Affects Support for Schools Impacted by Wildfires and Offer Guidance on Distance Learning

COVID-19 Food Safety: Three-Part Webinar Series

2d

The Office of Food Safety and Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) recently completed a three-part webinar series on COVID-19 Food Safety.

FFVP Operations SY 2020-21: Questions and Answers

2d

On August 21, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released Policy Memorandum SP 23-2020 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Operations for School Year (SY) 2020–21 during Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

AUG 24

SBE Student Board Member Recruitment

300+ 4d

State Board of Education student member information.

Career Technical Education Incentive Grant 2020-21

4d

The California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) is a state education, economic, and workforce development initiative with the goal of providing pupils in kindergarten through grades twelve, inclusive, with the knowledge and skills necessary to transition to employment and postsecondary education.

August 11, 2020 Tuesday at 2 Webinar

4d

The CDE NSD hosted the seventh Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall webinar on August 11, 2020 for school food service operators, chief business officials, and community partners.

New Tool to Strengthen Distance Learning

4d

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Additional Tools to Support Educators in Strengthening Distance Learning Instruction.

AUG 19

Specialized Secondary Programs 2020-2021 RFA.

9d

Instructions for

   California Department of Education