A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.

It’s that time again!
CER’s ANNUAL HOLIDAY SURVIVAL TIPS –
WITH A COVID TWIST

Remember those days gathering with family and friends over the holidays? Seems like a life-time ago!

Every year CER has been there to help you bring more substance to your Holiday small talk.

“How are the kids??” we’ve all been asked when that former colleague or friend doesn’t know what else to say.

“Oh they are GREAT, you say,” even though they are driving you crazy…

How we all long for those occasions now, even for that annoying small talk. We might even be missing Aunt Randi, Uncle Joe or Cousin Lily, even though we have nothing in common. And now they are only a FaceTime or Zoom call away!

And this time, if you’re connected to a family with kids anywhere, you know that those little darlings are likely on Zoom more than they are in person — in school, and that Mom and/or Dad, Grandma or Sister is struggling to help them keep up.

So let’s use the Holiday season to get a real conversation going. Grab your eggnog, fire up Zoom and let the yuletide fun begin with these festive cues:

“I’m so sorry your kids have to still be virtual. Did you hear why so many school districts are still closed down? You should read Atlantic Magazine from last week. It says the unions are the ones keeping the schools closed. “They were able to threaten local strikes against individual school boards,” even though Schools Aren't Superspreaders, the scientists say.

“Did you hear about Microschools, parents solving the problems of their kids’ education? — a NOVEL idea! Talking about novel, the National Education Association though wants to put the kibosh on even these little parent-run schools, issuing an opposition paper to keep the little scamps from getting schooled outside of the system.

“And how about the unions? They failed to get their own bosses appointed education secretary. Joe picked this guy from Connecticut, Miguel Cardona; he’s the Commissioner of Education there. Doesn’t seem to have an axe to grind with education opportunity like the rest of the establishment. Seems to be quite level headed. And from a state that produced the likes of Senator Joe Lieberman, a staunch parent power supporter, on top of that!

“Look what CER even had to say about it!!”

“It’s all about the kids, actually. What if we really tried to answer the question

‘How are the children…?’"

Here’s CER’s answer to that -

As long as parents are empowered, schools are accountable, and children have choices that fit the unique beauty that God intended when He created each of them, they will be happy and excel.

That requires all of us to do more than chit chat or take part in an occasional argument. We must act collaboratively when we can and fight when we must.

In this unprecedented Holiday season, we recommit to you and to all we serve to do just that. With your help we will succeed.

May the season bring you Peace, Joy and Hope, and the New Year good health for us all.