Concerns over rising COVID-19 cases in schools By Lydia Nusbaum| MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – More schools in Alabama are moving to virtual learning because of the pandemic. State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey said one of the top reasons schools close down is because faculty members contract the virus. “There comes a point where there are just…
Author: Standing Strong for Public Education
“Standing Strong For Public Education!”
NYC Schools chancellor sends memo to prepare for period of ‘fully remote learning’
BY LAUREN VELLA – 11/13/20 © Getty Images New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza on Friday sent an email to principals to prepare for all classes temporarily shifting to fully remote learning amid a rise in coronavirus cases. “Out of an abundance of caution, and to keep our school communities safe, I am asking all schools…
Detroit schools halting in-person learning through January
BY JOHN BOWDEN – 11/12/20 © istock Detroit’s public school system on Thursday moved to suspend all in-person classes for the remainder of 2020 as the COVID-19 outbreak in the state surges. A notice posted on the community district’s website stated that students would return to in-person learning on Jan. 11 at the earliest, while the policy shifting all students to…
What public education advocates want to see in Biden’s pick to succeed Betsy DeVos
By Valerie Strauss November 8, 2020 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is on her way out of office now that Joe Biden has defeated President Trump, and the education world is eager to see who her successor will be. Whoever it is, Biden has said that the new education secretary will be on a mission to undo…
K-12 Trends and the Future of Higher Education
What happens in K-12 schools eventually reshapes higher education. Steven Mintz November 9, 2020 What happens in K-12 schools rarely stays in K-12. You don’t need a long memory to recall that higher ed’s preoccupation with accountability, collaborative learning, learning outcomes, and workforce preparation actually originated in K-12. If you want to glimpse the post-pandemic future…
As More Students Return To School, Officials Brace For ‘Rolling Blackouts’
‘Rolling Blackouts’ MARY SCOTT HODGIN | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 Jefferson County Schools Deep cleaning at Grantswood Community School because of COVID-19. A new online dashboard is tracking cases of the coronavirus in Alabama schools. While state education officials are optimistic they can control the spread of the virus, some challenges remain. Most schools have already reopened…
Montgomery teachers call in sick to protest conditions as students return
Updated Oct 14, 2020; Posted Oct 14, 2020 By Sarah Whites-Koditschek A group of Montgomery teachers are taking sick days in protest of the district’s in-person reopening this week. “It’s not safe,” said Tynisa Williams, a teacher at Brewbaker Middle School who is protesting the district’s re-opening by staying home. “We were not given a plan for…
More Alabama students returning to class despite virus worry
Posted Oct 13, 2020 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Thousands of Alabama students who’ve spent the coronavirus pandemic in virtual classrooms are returning to traditional instruction despite safety concerns and continuing school shutdowns linked to COVID-19. Schools in Jefferson County began allowing elementary students to return to class full-time on Monday, and additional systems that have offered…
New quarantine rules for Alabama schools means fewer sent home
Updated Oct 09, 2020; Posted Oct 08, 2020 By Trisha Powell Crain CORRECTED at 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 9 to show that changes affect only close contacts, not symptomatic students or school employees. New guidance for schools from the Alabama Department of Public Health should mean fewer students and staff sent home to quarantine for possible exposure…
Alabama’s state school authority preps $1.5 billion deal, its largest ever
By Shelly Sigo October 14, 2020 The state of Alabama’s most prolific issuer is preparing to sell its largest bond sale ever, in part, to take advantage of the low interest rate environment. The Alabama Public School and College Authority plans to issue nearly $1.5 billion of tax-exempt and taxable, new and refunding bonds, around Oct….
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