773 respondents were asked how much emphasis should be placed on teaching about racial inequity in public and elementary schools, here's what they said.
EdWeek Reports: More States Are Making the ‘Science of Reading’ a Policy Priority
Unaffordable college costs in Massachusetts
Bus drivers are in high demand due to state-wide shortages
NSCL Reports: The Promise of Summer Enrichment Programs and Policies
Education Department Shifts Stance on Civics Proposal That Drew the Ire of Conservatives
Massachusetts Education Board Approve Changes To Vocational-School Admissions
Ayanna Pressley Reintroduces Bill To Address Disproportionate Punishment Of Black Girls In Schools
State allows Worcester schools to delay return to full-time in-person learning
“WORCESTER — The city's request to delay full-time in-person learning until May 3 was approved by state Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley Wednesday. The state is requiring all elementary schools to return to in-person learning five days a week April 5 and middle schools by April 28. However, Superintendent Maureen Binienda successfully argued that Worcester needs more time to make the jump to full-time in-person learning. Binienda's request was backed by the School Committee.” - Telegram & Gazette
High School Student Experience | Gallup Survey Findings
The Barr Foundation commissioned Gallup to survey 1,000 students aged 14 to 18 in #Massachusetts high schools from November 18 to December 9, 2020, to understand the impact of COVID-19 on students' education.
The study explores important issues such as:
• Do students' perceptions of their educational experience differ by learning arrangement?
• Do those differences persist after considering other factors, such as income and race/ethnicity?
• Which aspects of the learning process do students think differ most for the various learning arrangements?
• Which, if any, learning environments are more likely to generate negative emotions for students?
• What are the challenges with learning remotely, particularly for disadvantaged students
The Importance of Community Involvement in Schools
Edutopia invited Dr. Joyce Epstein (Director of the Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University, who spoke at the Celebration in a different session), pointed out, while we all know that home, school, and community partnerships are important, and most of us even know what quality home, school, and community partnerships look like, we often fall flat in one key area: how to get them.
"A Way Forward: Latino Youth and Families in Worcester" Report
A report From the Worcester Mayoral Commission on Latino Education and Advancement published "A Way Forward: Latino Youth and Families in Worcester" (January 2021), which explores academic indicators, school culture and climate, and access to key resources which impact the Worcester Latinx community.
Recommendations to close the opportunity gap for Latinx students
Rebuilding trust between the Latinx community and Worcester Public Schools
Call for racial/ethnic and gender equality
Accountability to families and students
Quality of life: health, housing, and wealth
Amanda Gorman Learned the Power of Poetry Early On
This is why developing early literacy matters! When teachers are able to help students shape their language, critical reading, and writing skills, there is no end to what they can do. This article explores the role that early reading has on students like Amanda Gorman, the 22-year old inaugural poet.
State Planning COVID Testing Pilot For Child Care Staff, After Continued Pleas By Providers
"If we're concerned about the health and safety of children in schools, we need to be equally concerned about school-age programs," Pasquariello said. "COVID-19 is not going to distinguish between one location and the other.
Many child care providers said state leaders should see early childhood and after school programs as part of education, not apart from it." - Kathleen McNerney
Emergency Regulations Mandate 'Live Learning' In Schools
“The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved that schools in a hybrid learning model would have to provide at least an average of 35 hours of "live instruction" over a 10-school day period, across grades. The state-defined "live instruction" as either in-person or synchronous remote instruction. Schools that are fully remote would have to provide at least 40 hours of synchronous instruction over a 10-school day period…”
Choosing a Return to Better - Moving Beyond Normal In the Commonwealth's Return to School and Learning
MA Business Alliance for Education and MA Competitive Partnership issued a report, Choosing A Return to Better: Moving Beyond Normal in the Commonwealth’s Return to School and Learning, which recommends a focus on closing the digital equity gap, prioritizing college and career readiness, and promoting innovation and flexibility in our schools to minimize the impact of school disruptions, move student learning forward, and promote continuous innovations that serve students well-beyond the pandemic…
Worcester spotlight: Nelly Medina, parent organizer for education justice
If you don't know who Nelly Medina is... you should! She, among many parents in Worcester, are demanding education equity. Nelly Medina is on a mission — “save the beach, feed the people and equal education,” she says.
Who is learning in-person in Massachusetts? 11% of families report having children back in classrooms
"A poll released Thursday by MassINC Polling found that only 11% of families say they have children fully back for in-person learning. Catholic schools, private school and high-income parents were most likely to report having children attending school in-person." - Heather Morrison
Reading Scores Fall Among U.S. High School Seniors
National reading and math scores have been declining. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card, explored this education crisis. Results show decreases in exam results and scores remained unchanged for Black and Indigenous, and…
Ed Officials Caution Against Abandoning In-Person Schooling
Community members are taking multiple seats at the table. There are competing desires among educators, advocates, and parents for the state to either provide clearer guidance on how schools should act, or to leave those decisions more fully to local communities. This conversation will evolve over the next few weeks…
