|  |
An independent task force published resources today to support schools and districts in implementing CDC guidance and getting students and staff safely back for in-person learning. The resources, which come as schools across the country are reopening or preparing for reopening in the fall, are designed to help integrate effective infection prevention and control measures in schools, which can keep the transmission of COVID-19 near zero, even with community spread. The task force was convened by the COVID Collaborative, Harvard's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Brown School of Public Health, and New America, and brings together representatives from across health and education, from associations representing teachers, principals, and superintendents, to public health institutions and professional associations. The initiative was launched shortly after President Biden set a target to reopen a majority of schools by May 1 with the goal of supporting schools as they reopened in-person learning. The package of resources includes a " Roadmap to Healthy Schools," a practical guide to school-based infection control, produced by members of the task force; a consensus statement on the latest CDC guidance, issued by leading scientists convened by the task force's organizers; and use of funds advisory memo for how states might allocate resources toward infection prevention and control, developed by the task force's organizers. |
| | Read More |
|
|
| The American Families Plan Will Support Children, Teachers, and Working Families in Rural America |
| President Biden knows a strong middle-class is the backbone of America and that rural and tribal communities are essential to the economic growth of our country. Rural communities require targeted investments that meet the needs of their children and families, along with workforce development for those providing childcare and education. The American Families Plan represents a generation-defining investment in rural America, and a commitment to grow the middle-class and expand the benefits of economic growth to all Americans. All told, by extending and building upon the provisions of the American Rescue Plan, the American Families Plan would cut the rural poverty rate by more than 21 percent and the rural child poverty rate by 50 percent, relative to the projected poverty rate for 2022. |
|
|
|
|  |
This week, the Department launched the Summer Learning and Enrichment Collaborative, a professional learning community of 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, three territories, and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) working together to use federal relief funding to support as many students as possible through educational and enriching summer programming ( press release).
NATIONAL PARTNERS The Collaborative is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Education, the Comprehensive Center Network, and national partners representing states, local school systems, educators, community-based organizations, and partners. Contributing partners include the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, AASA: The School Superintendents Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the National Rural Education Association, the Association of Educational Service Agencies, the National Summer Learning Association, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, StriveTogether, the Wallace Foundation, the Education Trust, and the RAND Corporation, among others. |
| | Read More |
|
|
2021 NREA Affiliate District Planning
For all NREA members, TeacherCoach is providing mental health, SEL, and Wellness support to your communities (faculty and families) Ask us about our unique sponsor model bringing funding to your district for the following services: https://www.teachercoach.com/nrea
Contact Dr. Jared Scherz Phone: 856-787-1555 ext 12 |
| | Read More |
|
|
| Millions of Americans go without broadband internet access – most of them in rural communities. The American Connection Project fosters long-term digital inclusion in support of vibrant and thriving communities. Efforts include raising awareness about the critical nature of connectivity, advocating for meaningful policy reform and broadband investment; and, taking decisive action to provide connectivity options where they’re needed most. |
| | Read More |
|
|
| Sharing Information From Our Partners and Sponsors: |
|
|
|
| SweetSpot solves no/low bandwidth by leveraging edge technologies Integration to existing school's learning management systems and third-party content providers. Browser-based solution supporting Wi-Fi enabled devices Walled Garden focused on school curated content |
| | Read More |
|
|
Say Hello to Inclusive Parental Communications with ZippSlip! Built specifically for rural K12, ZippSlip provides schools and districts the ability to communicate with parents and colleagues, obtain consents and approvals, and track these interactions. It is a cloud-based, mobile-friendly, electronic forms and workflow platform with multi-media communications in multiple languages. Concerned about internet availability in your community? ZippSlip is designed for broad access – we make it easy for parents to connect in their preferred language over any device with browsers or apps. ZippSlip achieves close to 100% adoption in rural areas. Save enormous amounts of time and make life easier for staff and parents: · Electronic forms, text, email, and recorded voice announcements · Connects with parents, students, and staff · Works on all devices – browsers and apps · Multiple languages · Extensive tracking and reporting · HIPAA and FERPA compliant ZippSlip is low-cost and easy to set up. It generally takes less than two weeks to be up and running. Integration is straightforward with all major SIS platforms, with two-way communication easily established. The electronic forms are pre-filled from SIS data to minimize mistakes and the time required to complete forms. With ZippSlip, parents should never have to fill in the name, class, or other basic data about their kids – parents love this feature! Tracking and reporting can be controlled from a single dashboard so that school administrators can collate all the information that they need internally as well as providing information to the district level. |
|
The Story Of Maine School Administrative District 75When schools initially shut down in the spring due to COVID-19, MSAD-75 quickly shifted to remote learning, including remote special education services. Providers were initially using a video-conferencing platform designed for businesses but found that the low-quality platform was not meeting the needs of students. Some providers had heard of teletherapy previously, but they didn’t have any experience using it. Despite this lack of experience, the district knew this format would be urgently needed as remote and hybrid learning continued. “I had heard about PresenceLearning throughout the years, but I wanted to make sure my clinicians were the ones choosing which platform they’d be using,” said Heidi O’Leary, director of special services for MSAD-75. “They tested various teletherapy platforms and ultimately concluded PresenceLearning was the best one for them.”
To read more about this success story: https://www.presencelearning.com/maine-school-administrative-district-75/ |
|
| WIN Learning's Career Readiness System is a digital teaching and learning solution designed to prepare learners for career and college success. The system consists of career readiness courseware and assessment components that yield a Ready to Work Credential and an Essential Soft Skills Credential, all of which are accessible through a single sign-on portal. |
| | Read More |
|
|
|
