Now that the 2020-21 school year is underway, district leaders must continue to respond in new ways to fast-changing situations resulting not just from COVID-19, but also from equity issues, and in many locations from environmental problems as well.
Large school districts in different parts of the United States have now developed systematic ways to increase diverse students’ access to advanced courses, and the districts are also providing other important aspects of an equitable education that prepares the students for 21st century careers.
Faced with fast-changing instructional models, varying infection rates, decreasing revenue sources, and a variety of natural disasters, how can education finance officials meet the short-term needs of their districts as well as longer-term requirements? During a recent edLeader Panel sponsored by Gaggle, four experts shared their recent experiences and current perspectives on the issues and challenges that school districts have been coping with during the past six months. They also discussed interim solutions and plans for the future, all of which are continuing to evolve.
While gaps in technology access were highlighted during the pandemic, many school and district leaders are trying to make strides with an even older issue: educational equity for children of all races and economic backgrounds. In the edWebinar, “Leading for Equity: Pursuing an Equity Agenda,” hosted by AASA, The Superintendents Association and AASA’s Leadership Network, Dr. Frank Barnes, Chief Equity and Accountability Officer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), and Kimberly Vaught, Principal, Allenbrook Elementary School, discussed their approach to building equity.
While most educators and students are returning to the familiar classrooms left abruptly in March, teaching this upcoming year will be anything but business as usual. According to Aimee Dearmon, Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), in a recent edWebinar sponsored by STAR Autism Support, the disruption of routines, schedules, classroom layouts, and necessary social distancing protocols will be very difficult for our most vulnerable students with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Providing science and math content online can be relatively straightforward, but engaging students in true distance learning requires more than just transmittal of information. Secondary students in particular need to be able to see and ask questions during laboratory experiments, or receive feedback when developing their own solutions to math problems. During a recent edWebinar, two experienced teachers explained how they made the transition from teaching in a classroom to remote instruction during the spring, and how they are prepared to teach online or in hybrid settings during the new school year.
Achieving educational equity doesn’t just happen when schools change their expectations and goals in the classroom. Support and understanding from all stakeholders, including families, local businesses, elected officials, etc., is essential to ensuring everyone in the community is working towards the same goal. During the edWebinar, “Leading for Equity: From Research to Practice – Accelerating Outcomes for Scholars of Color, Part II,” hosted by AASA, The Superintendents Association and AASA’s Leadership Network, the presenters continued their exploration of strategies discussed in Part I and how leaders in the Selma City Public Schools are mobilizing their community in pursuit of educational equity.
Achieving educational equity is a moral and fiscal imperative, according to Dr. Bren Elliott, Chief School Improvement and Supports Officer for District of Columbia Public Schools. Moral because all students deserve access to the same high-quality education and opportunities, and fiscal because research shows the negative economic impact when students are left behind. In the edWebinar, “Leading for Equity: From Research to Practice – Accelerating Outcomes for Scholars of Color, Part I,” hosted by AASA, The Superintendents Association and AASA’s Leadership Network, the leaders from Selma City Public Schools in Alabama shared the first part of their plan and how it ties into Dr. Elliott’s research on successful strategies for achieving educational equity.
As we head rapidly towards back-to-school time, schools and districts are facing rapidly changing circumstances as a result of the coronavirus. MCH Strategic Data has released a map to help everyone involved in education to keep up with the latest information and data. View the map here. Here is more information on this new resource.
In the midst of a deadly pandemic and a Presidential election, both of which are generating conflicting claims that may or may not be based on real data, teaching students to analyze the sources and presentation of online information has never been more important or timely.