DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all

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

DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? 

A site to discuss better education for all

Candace Valenzuela Wins Her Race for Democratic Nomination for Congress in Texas!

by dianeravitch / 22min

Candace Valenzuela is one of the most inspiring candidates in the current election cycle. She won her primary in Texas on Tuesday. Please watch her campaign commercial, in which she describes her difficult childhood, when she was homeless. What saved her was that she always had a “home” at school, where her teachers encouraged her. She went on to finish high school and college, to run for and win

The Debate About Reopening Intensifies: What Some Other Nations Are Doing

35by dianeravitch / 1h

How and when should schools reopen? Here are the choices: 1. To reopen schools fully for in-person instruction, with no additional funding, which is dangerous and ignores the CDC guidelines for safety; this is the option advocated by Trump and DeVos. 2. To reopen schools fully, with the funding needed to protect the safety of students and staff; thus far, neither Trump nor Mitch McConnell has sho

Bob Shepherd: Post-Espinoza Business Plan to Expand His Gubmint-Funded Private School in Flor-i-Duh

by dianeravitch / 2h

Bob Shepherd reacted to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn state laws banning public money to religious schools if the state is subsidizing other private schools. Bob lives in Florida, which already funds private and religious schools to the tune of $1 billion a year and has just increased the funding for them. Religious schools in Florida do not take the state tests, do not have to hire

Black Students and Staff Speak Out About Charters

by dianeravitch / 3h

Black students/staff at charter schools fight back on Instagram. Lots of amazing stuff here. @blackatuncommon @_theuncommontruth @dearcharterschool @truecolorsofcharter @blackandbrownatdp @defundcharterschools @beingblackatkipp @survivors_of_successacademy @sa.vanguards

Faculty and Staff at U. of Penn. Want University To Pay Taxes to Philadelphia Schools

by dianeravitch / 4h

Over 600 faculty and staff at Penn have organized Penn for PILOT S and issued a statement calling on the university to make “payments in lieu of taxes” (PILOTs) to the Philadelphia public schools. As is well known, the public schools in Philadelphia are chronically underfunded, thanks to a hostile Republican legislature, and they are currently facing devastating cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. P

“The Trump Loyalty Test”

by dianeravitch / 14h

Politico reports that the administration is going full-paranoid in an effort to root out potential leakers. THE TRUMP TEST — In the middle of a pandemic and an economic crisis, the White House has an urgent question for its colleagues across the administration: Are you loyal enough to President Donald Trump? The White House’s presidential personnel office is conducting one-on-one interviews with

Thomas Pedroni: Detroit School Board Votes to Reopen Schools Despite Concerns of Teachers and Parents

100+by dianeravitch / 19h

Last night the Detroit Board of Education, which opened for summer school Monday, voted to unanimously reopen school on the regular first day in August. This happened despite three hours of unified testimony by teachers, parents, and community organizers that the schools should not be reopened until minimum conditions are met. We held a state wide Press conference this morning calling on schools

Houston: Schools Not Ready to Reopen in Midst of Pandemic Surge, Board and Union Agree

33by dianeravitch / 20h

Contact: Zeph Capo zcapo@texasaft.org 713-670-4348 Texas AFT, Houston Federation of Teachers Fully Support Houston Independent School District Reopen Plan Plan Stands in Contrast to Neighboring Spring Branch ISD Hybrid Plan HOUSTON— Texas AFT and the Houston Federation of Teachers fully support the Houston Independent School District’s reopening plan announced today, which calls for delaying the

Trump Guts Environmental Protections

28by dianeravitch / 21h

Trump is the worst president in American history, not “modern times.” He is an international menace and a threat to all living things. His incompetence and stupidity are equaled only by his arrogance. The New York Times reports: WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday unilaterally weakened one of the nation’s bedrock conservation laws, the National Environmental Policy Act, limiting public revi

New York Times: DeVos Allies Try to Understand Her Abandonment of Local Control

by dianeravitch / 1d

The New York Times wrote about Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ sudden turnaround, from champion of local control to heavy-handed advocate of federal threats to reopen schools regardless of local conditions or wishes. Those quoted in the story are DeVos allies, which makes sense, since they must feel a sense of betrayal. *Keri Rodrigues of the Walton-funded National Parents Union; she was a le

Dana Milbank: Trump’s Blatant Racism May Transform Anerica

48by dianeravitch / 1d

Dana Milbank argues in this column that Trump’s overt racism is creating a massive backlash that will unseat him and transform American politics for the better. Here’s hoping and praying he is right. Trump’s racism has stigmatized the Republican Party. Moderates have jumped ship, and the party is now identified with white nationalism and the KKK, all to protect a president who had no party affili

Dr. Nan Fulcher and Justin Parmenter: A Warning for North Carolina

34by dianeravitch / 1d

NBCT Teacher Justin Parmenter and epidemiologist Dr. Nan Fulcher write here about North Carolina’s reliance on limited studies to justify reopening schools. A Warning for Governor Cooper: the burden of COVID-19 in NC is far higher than in countries that struggled with school outbreaks after reopening On Tuesday Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina students will return to school for i

Ralph Ratto: COVID and School Ventilation

100+by dianeravitch / 1d

Ralph Ratto is a retired teacher in New York State. In this post, he reminds readers of the importance of school ventilation systems, which are seldom in a good state of repair, and the necessity of paying to clean and upgrade them for the safety of students and staff. He asks: Why is Congress willing to fund banks and big corporations but not the health of our nation’s children and their teacher

Making Black Lives Matter in School

23by dianeravitch / 1d

The following article appeared in the Grio and was co-authored by Dr. Andre Perry, Jitu Brown, Keron Blair, Richard Fowler, Stacy Davis Gates and Tiffany Dena Loftin. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and now Rayshard Brooks — all 

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

NANCY BAILEY: Seeking SOLUTIONS to Help With Schooling During Covid-19: Here’s 18!

Seeking SOLUTIONS to Help With Schooling During Covid-19: Here’s 18!

Seeking SOLUTIONS to Help With Schooling During Covid-19: Here’s 18!

How can we help students learn at home during this school crisis? Many parents and teachers are still uncomfortable with plans to reopen schools. Some school districts are postponing school re-openings.

Remote learning and Internet connection should be available to all children, but how can we help students learn without relying on screens?

Everyone’s struggling to find answers, so your ideas are welcome here. Here are some thoughts.

1. Weekly Learning Packets *

Teachers have been providing students with learning packets filled with instructional activities, assignments, worksheets, and informal assessments.

Each week elementary students get an envelope in the mail. Middle and high school students get several packets for each subject, or one large packet with assignments and activities for each subject. Teachers can get as creative as they want with these packets. They should include a return self-addressed envelope.

School staff like bus drivers, and those who aren’t working, might work with teachers to collect packet material and prepare it for mailing.

Sending learning packets by mail, have the added benefit of giving the post office more business!

2. “Educational Toys” Drive 

Think Toys for Tots, only Educational Toys and books for kids at home during Covid-19.

Determine games and materials for learning to take place at home. PTA’s might request help from big chain community stores and others who wish to donate.

Getting age appropriate learning games (don’t forget dolls and cuddle toys) into the hands of children, will brighten their days and keep students busy.

Think building blocks, Legos, Little People, puzzles, and board games that work on counting, reading, and more. See:  MindWare,     Fat Brain Toys,     Discovery Toys.

What free household items safely help children learn?

3. Hire More Teachers CONTINUE READING: Seeking SOLUTIONS to Help With Schooling During Covid-19: Here’s 18!

Mike Pence: We Don’t Want CDC Guidelines Determining When We Open Schools

Mike Pence: We Don’t Want CDC Guidelines Determining When We Open Schools

Mike Pence: We Don’t Want CDC Guidelines Determining When We Open Schools. (This Is Not an Onion Headline)

There are times when the news is so outrageous it almost seems satirical and then there is the Trump administration, which has skirted the line between truth and fiction so much that there is no line anymore.

On Tuesday, the vice president, who may or may not be a sexless robot or a piece of sheet cake, spoke at a press conference in Baton Rouge, La., in which he toed the company line and downplayed the coronavirus, aka the NeNe Leakes of viruses, and pushed for schools reopening despite the coronavirus running throughout the country like the Kardashians at an NBA All-Star game.

Pence claimed “our ability to respond to this pandemic is substantially better than two or three months ago,” WWLTV reports. And, Pence is correct. The response two or three months ago was shit, and the improvement has been slightly better than shit.

Pence also carried the White House message that despite the hellfire and brimstone and the raging waters, children should still be in school.

“We believe it’s in the best interests of students...to get students back on CONTINUE READING: Mike Pence: We Don’t Want CDC Guidelines Determining When We Open Schools

'I'm scared': In Detroit, a city hit hard by COVID-19, reopening classrooms sparks protests

'I'm scared': In Detroit, a city hit hard by COVID-19, reopening classrooms sparks protests

'I'm scared': In Detroit, a city hit hard by COVID-19, reopening classrooms sparks protests
As school leaders agonize over whether and how to reopen, fights like the one in Detroit this week could soon play out across the country.

DETROIT — The fury surrounding the start of summer school in Detroit this week offers a preview of the emotional battles that could hit many more communities this fall.

The city’s main public school district made the unusual decision to open classrooms for in-person summer learning starting Monday in hopes of helping children catch up four months after the coronavirus forced schools to close.

While the district says it took safety precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and stressed that no students or teachers were forced to participate in face-to-face instruction, the first two days of classes were met with protests. Activists blocked school buses from leaving a bus depot. A civil rights lawyer, who used the word “genocide” to describe the effect of the district’s decision because the student population is 96 percent Black or Latino, says she plans to seek an injunction to close the schools. The head of the city teachers union called in-person summer school a “mind-boggling decision.” And some parents expressed grave reservations about whether their children would be safe.

“I’m scared,” said Kim Martin, 50, who was picking up her son, Allyn, an eighth grader, from his summer school classes at the Brenda Scott Academy on Detroit’s east side Monday. “I don’t want my son to get sick. He’s an asthmatic.”

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Across the country, many districts are embroiled in what has become a highly politicized debate about school reopenings, with President Donald Trump threatening to withhold funding from schools that don’t offer in-person instruction. On Monday, two of the nation’s largest districts — Los Angeles and San Diego — said they will not offer in-person instruction when they reopen for the new school year because of rising COVID-19 case numbers in California.

Detroit, where roughly 500 students attended classes at 23 schools Monday, isn’t the only city to hold in-person summer school. Some districts, though, including in Connecticut and Iowa, have already CONTINUE READING: 'I'm scared': In Detroit, a city hit hard by COVID-19, reopening classrooms sparks protests

Most Big School Districts Aren’t Ready to Reopen. Here’s Why. - The New York Times

Most Big School Districts Aren’t Ready to Reopen. Here’s Why. - The New York Times

Most Big School Districts Aren’t Ready to Reopen. Here’s Why.
All but two of the nation’s 10 largest districts exceed a key public health threshold, according to a New York Times analysis.

As education leaders decide whether to reopen classrooms in the fall amid a raging pandemic, many are looking to a standard generally agreed upon among epidemiologists: To control community spread of the coronavirus, the average daily infection rate among those who are tested should not exceed 5 percent.

But of the nation’s 10 largest school districts, only New York City and Chicago appear to have achieved that public health goal, according to a New York Times analysis of city and county-level data.

Some of the biggest districts, like Miami-Dade County in Florida and Clark County, Nev., which includes Las Vegas, are in counties that have recently reported positive test rates more than four times greater than the 5 percent threshold, the data shows.

Americans crave outdoor recreation more than ever. But national parks — sometimes many miles from equipped hospitals — are grappling with how to safely stay open.

The alarming spread of the virus has prompted a growing number of districts to announce they would rely on online instruction in the fall. The superintendent of the nation’s sixth-largest district, in Broward County, Fla., on Tuesday recommended full-time remote learning despite pressure from the state’s governor and President Trump. That followed an announcement on Monday that California’s two largest districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, will teach 100 percent online.

“I’m just super frustrated and really disappointed that our nation, our states and our communities have not exercised the discipline that they need in order to get the coronavirus under control,” said Robert W. Runcie, the Broward superintendent. “Now the futures of our young people are collateral damage from our inability to take this thing seriously.”

In recent days, Nashville, Atlanta, Arlington, Va., and Oakland, Calif., have also announced plans to start the school year remotely.

The broad national move to keep schools shuttered represents a deepening crisis for the nation’s tens of millions of schoolchildren, who are already falling behind academically and socially during the pandemic.

The decisions will also require working parents to continue to carry a heavy burden of ad hoc child care and home schooling, which is presenting families with impossible trade-offs. CONTINUE READING: Most Big School Districts Aren’t Ready to Reopen. Here’s Why. - The New York Times

Addressing Disparities in America's Education System Amid Push to Reopen Schools | Schott Foundation for Public Education

Addressing Disparities in America's Education System Amid Push to Reopen Schools | Schott Foundation for Public Education

Addressing Disparities in America's Education System Amid Push to Reopen Schools

Schott President Dr. John H. Jackson appeared on Fox News this past weekend, arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the inequities in America's cities far beyond the schoolhouse, and that educators, districts and states will need billions of dollars in support from the Federal government in order to re-open safely this fall.

He also discussed the new Loving Cities Index relates to this moment. "We know that parental income is the best predictor of student outcomes, and in many respects parental income is a proxy for a host of indicators," Jackson said, "access to healthcare, access to transportation, healthy foods. So we have to be able to measure the degree to which cities are able to provide these infrastructure supports, and do it in an equitable way, if we care about all students having a fair and substantive opportunity to learn."

Addressing Disparities in America's Education System Amid Push to Reopen Schools | Schott Foundation for Public Education

To All the White Allies Seeking to Become Co-Conspirators, Here Are Things to Think About - Philly's 7th Ward

To All the White Allies Seeking to Become Co-Conspirators, Here Are Things to Think About - Philly's 7th Ward

TO ALL THE WHITE ALLIES SEEKING TO BECOME CO-CONSPIRATORS, HERE ARE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

George Floyd, gasping for air, uttered a desperate final plea that was heard around the world: “I can’t breathe.” The image of a black man dying under the knee of a white cop is horrific — and symbolic of the racism embedded in every institution in America. Pre-K-12 education is no exception. The white-dominant education system is suffocating black students.

No universal pre-K. Inequitable school funding. Dilapidated buildings. Police brutality in schools. Unqualified teachers. Crumbling textbooks. No heat or air-conditioning. No Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment courses. Academic tracking of students. White teacher bias. High rate of school suspensions. Lack of teachers of color. White family flight. Redlining resulting in a decreased tax base. Fear of black male students. Black children’s behaviors labeled as inappropriate. Restrictions on black hairstyles. Bias in selective-admission schools. Parent meetings held during the workday. Lack of special education supports. Low levels of rigor. Devalued cultural identity. Biased standardized tests. “No excuses” models.

The results of these inequities are consistently recited as facts: Black students lack proficiency in math and reading. Black students are not college-ready. Black students experience significant learning disabilities.

The real fact is that the education system is failing black students.

On May 31, after watching the news with tears running down my face, I CONTINUE READING: To All the White Allies Seeking to Become Co-Conspirators, Here Are Things to Think About - Philly's 7th Ward

Schools Should Prioritize Reopening, But They Need A Lot More Money: New Report | HuffPost

Schools Should Prioritize Reopening, But They Need A Lot More Money: New Report | HuffPost

Schools Should Prioritize Reopening, But They Need A Lot More Money: New Report
Communities most impacted by COVID-19 could see even worse outcomes if they reopen schools too quickly, according to education and medical experts.

Schools should try to reopen if they think they can do so safely, prioritizing students with disabilities and children in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to a report released Wednesday. However, schools likely won’t be able to take all the necessary precautions without an injection of resources from states and the federal government. 

The new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which compiles months of research from education and medical experts, offers one of the most comprehensive looks at the costs and benefits of U.S. schools reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Over its more than 80 pages, the report outlines the potentially dire health risks communities could face if schools are reopened hastily and asks school and community leaders to engage in constant risk assessment.

Although the report ultimately stresses the importance of providing students with in-person learning opportunities, it also details the tremendous challenges that schools could face, especially without a major influx of funds. 

Implementing the necessary safety strategies could collectively cost schools an estimated $20 billion — even as shortfalls at the state and local levels mean many schools are currently tightening their budgets. 

“In the absence of substantial financial support from the federal government and state CONTINUE READING: Schools Should Prioritize Reopening, But They Need A Lot More Money: New Report | HuffPost

The next Tuesday @ 2: School Nutrition Town Hall webinar will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 2 p.mr - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

June 30, 2020 Tuesday @ 2 Webinar - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

The next Tuesday @ 2: School Nutrition Town Hall webinar will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 2 p.m

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Main Web Page

The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) hosted the fourth Tuesday @ 2: School Nutrition Town Hall webinar on June 30, 2020, for School Nutrition Program food and nutrition directors, chief business officials, and community partners to listen to a discussion on transitioning back to school and moving forward in meal service amidst COVID-19.

Panelists included speakers from Auburn Union Elementary School District, Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District (USD), Placentia-Yorba Linda USD, and Garden Grove USD. The panelists discussed strategies for serving quality meals, implementing meals in the classroom, adapting new practices for farm-to-school, and engaging community partners.

The next Tuesday @ 2: School Nutrition Town Hall webinar will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 2 p.m. The web page for this event will be updated with more information soon.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Julie BoarerPitchford, Nutrition Education Consultant, by phone at 916-322-1563 or by email at jboarerpitchford@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609

June 30, 2020 Tuesday @ 2 Webinar - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

Pittsburgh Charter Schools Take Federal Bailout Money Meant for Small Businesses | gadflyonthewallblog

Pittsburgh Charter Schools Take Federal Bailout Money Meant for Small Businesses | gadflyonthewallblog

Pittsburgh Charter Schools Take Federal Bailout Money Meant for Small Businesses

Are charter schools small businesses or public schools?

They can’t be both.

Several Pittsburgh area charter schools took a bailout meant for small businesses after already getting monetary relief meant for public schools.

Environmental Charter School at Frick Park, Hill House Passport Academy Charter School, Manchester Academic Charter School and Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship all applied for and received substantial low-interest loans from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The $660 billion federal initiative was intended to help businesses keep employees on the payroll and off unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The loans will be forgiven if businesses meet certain conditions such as retaining or rehiring employees.

However, charter schools – including those in the Pittsburgh region – already should have received financial relief through the federal CARES Act.

Pennsylvania got $523 million to distribute to both authentic public schools and CONTINUE READING: Pittsburgh Charter Schools Take Federal Bailout Money Meant for Small Businesses | gadflyonthewallblog

Report On Reopening Schools: In-Person Class For Young Kids A Priority : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

Report On Reopening Schools: In-Person Class For Young Kids A Priority : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

'We Failed Children,' Says Co-Author Of New National Back-To-School Report

This fall, public school districts should prioritize full-time, in-person classes for grades K-5 and for students with special needs. That's the top line recommendation of a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

The report includes an updated review of the evidence from around the world and a set of recommendations on mitigation strategies for the virus in school settings. It adds to a hefty reading list of back-to-school guidance that now includes comprehensive recommendations from the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Federation of Teachers, and every U.S. state except Kansas. There's a growing consensus on a few best practices across most of these reports, such as the importance of masking and social distancing.

What stands out from this particular report is its emphasis on collaboration with public health authorities and focus on not just recommendations for action now, but decision-making strategies for schools under conditions that will continue to change.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician and member of the committee that created the report, told NPR that it comes at a time of crisis and repeated failures.

"We failed children ethically and in three important ways. First and foremost, that we have done such a terrible job containing this pandemic. Secondly, that we closed schools...abruptly without any good plan about how to transition to distance learning and without adequate infrastructure for so many kids. And third, that the moment we closed schools, we didn't immediately start planning about how to reopen them."

Now, he says, with school months or weeks away, schools are "struggling to put CONTINUE READING: Report On Reopening Schools: In-Person Class For Young Kids A Priority : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

Mom: Virtual education was ‘a disaster’ for my son with Down syndrome - The Washington Post

Mom: Virtual education was ‘a disaster’ for my son with Down syndrome - The Washington Post

Virtual education was ‘a disaster’ for my son with Down syndrome. Here’s what students with disabilities really need

When covid-19 began to spread in the United States this past spring, schools closed around the country and most of them stayed that way through the end of the 2019-20 academic year.

Districts had hoped that remote learning could replace in some measure the learning that students would be missing while not in school. In some places it was enough, but in many it wasn’t — especially for students with special needs.

Special education students were stuck at home, most of them without the full array, or any, of the special services they get in school as required in their federally mandated Individualized Education Programs. And in many districts, remote learning will be the order of the day again when the 2020-21 academic year begins this fall, as covid-19 rates are spiking in many states. Several districts have announced that they are going to all-remote learning for the start of the school year, including Los Angeles, the second-largest in the country.

Allison Wohl’s son, Julian, is a rising fifth-grader in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, and virtual learning was “a disaster” for him, she said. In this post, she explains what happened to him and sets out exactly what schools need to do now to help students with special needs.

For parents trying to replicate school for children with disabilities, a confounding task

By Allison Wohl

The covid-19 pandemic has laid bare deep inequities in our society, particularly in access to quality education. While some students benefited from the makeshift distance learning program that schools put in place, many more, including students with disabilities, were frustrated and left even further behind.

For our son Julian, who recently finished fourth grade, and who has Down syndrome, distance learning CONTINUE READING: Mom: Virtual education was ‘a disaster’ for my son with Down syndrome - The Washington Post