CER Daily Media Clips

Your Daily News Clips for February, 23 2021

CER Daily Media Clips for February 23, 2021

Education Department offers flexibility, but not a way out, for spring testing

Feb 23, 2021 | Washington Post | accountability | National

The Education Department told states Monday they are still required to administer annual exams to students, part of the national schools accountability program, though the agency offered flexibility in how the tests are given.

White House reiterates teacher vaccinations ‘not a prerequisite’ to reopening schools

Feb 23, 2021 | Washington Post | federal policy | National

The White House on Sunday reiterated that teachers do not need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus before schools can reopen, a stance Biden administration officials say is in line with scientific guidelines but that puts them at odds with some teachers unions that have insisted members will not return to the classroom until they receive the vaccine.

Opinion: K-12 Education Will Never Be the Same After Covid-19

Feb 23, 2021 | Blomberg | school choice | National

With remote learning going on for almost a year in some parts of the U.S., and new CDC guidance that could leave kids at home until May if not longer, education reformers say the case for school choice has never been more powerful. Families of all backgrounds should have the money and the power to decide among traditional public schools, charters, and private and parochial options. Some states have already moved in that direction.

Kendra Espinoza: Will Massachusetts make religious liberty and school choice a reality?

Feb 23, 2021 | Telegram & Gazette | school choice | States, Northeast, Massachusetts

Six years ago, I met with Erica Smith of the Institute for Justice in a Montana coffee shop where I agreed to be the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit about the use of funds from a state education tax credit program for children attending religious schools.

Editorial: If opening schools means vaccinating teachers now, do it

Feb 23, 2021 | Los Angeles Times | general teacher issues | States, West, California

Let’s not kid ourselves. Efforts by both Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office and state legislators to reopen schools by vaccinating teachers aren’t the result of science or even fairness. But with teachers nervous about returning to in-person classrooms and their powerful unions putting up a mighty fight, most schools aren’t going to open without vaccinating their staffs, so let’s get on with it.

Parents hope JCPS walkthroughs signal return to in-person learning

Feb 23, 2021 | WAVE | school districts | Towns, States, South, Kentucky

As many in Kentucky wait for access to the COVID-19 vaccine, many parents in Jefferson County are waiting on a decision by the JCPS Board of Education on whether or not students are going back into the classroom this school year.

Seattle Public Schools delay return to in-person learning amid union negotiations

Feb 23, 2021 | KOMO News | teachers unions | Towns, States, West, Washington

Seattle Public Schools announced Monday that it was delaying a return to in-person learning until at least March 8 because of a snag in reaching an agreement with the teachers' union.

Virginia’s General Assembly moves closer to mandating in-person instruction by this summer

Feb 23, 2021 | Virginia Mercury | state policy | States, South, Virginia

When Virginia senators passed a bill requiring local school divisions to provide in-person instruction by the summer, some anticipated the legislation would face an uphill battle in the House. Nearly a month later, though, the same legislation is now on the verge of passing both chambers after several rounds of revisions — and mounting pressure to return children to school buildings.

Survey: NM teachers want students vaccinated before returning to in-person learning

Feb 23, 2021 | KRQE | teachers unions | States, West, New Mexico

A lot of teachers in New Mexico don’t want to go back to the classroom until they’ve been vaccinated, but now a new teacher survey shows a lot of them don’t want to come back until every student has had the vaccine.

Parents rally for return to in-person learning as group sues N.J. district

Feb 23, 2021 | NJ Advance | parent power | Towns, States, Northeast, New Jersey

Ten-year-old Peter Kaplan took the microphone and fired up the crowd of more than 100 fellow students and parents from the South Orange-Maplewood School District. “We’ve got to keep on going, because if we don’t now we’re going to lose,” said Peter, a 5th grader at Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood, addressing the crowd from the steps of the town’s municipal building at dinnertime on Monday.

To help low-income students, build more affordable housing in high-performing school districts

Feb 23, 2021 | Boston Globe | state policy | States, Northeast, Massachusetts

Massachusetts and other New England states should create more affordable housing in suburbs with high-performing schools to expand educational opportunities for low-income students, according to a report released Monday that said New England has among the widest achievement gaps nationwide.

Angry North Bay Parents Use Electronic Billboard to Send Message to Reopen Schools

Feb 23, 2021 | NBC Bay Area News | parent power | Towns, States, West, California

The electronic sign, shared with several other advertisers, says, “Missing: all California students, last seen March 13, 2020. Reward-their future. #OpenSonomaCountySchoolsNow.

As 83% of schools go back to the classroom, the most vulnerable kids are getting left behind

Feb 23, 2021 | Michigan Public Radio | accountability | States, Midwest, Michigan

But while only 15% of districts say they’re still fully remote, researchers say those districts are disproportionately urban, have a high proportion of Black and low income students, and had lower average scores on the most recent Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP.

COVID, remote learning contribute to 5,098 drop in enrollment

Feb 23, 2021 | WHEC | enrollment | States, Northeast, New York

What impact did COVID and hybrid learning had on the choices parents made? News10NBC went through the state's data and we found the virus and remote learning played a role in driving thousands of families away from their public school.

Solano County parents frustrated with distance learning create classroom in their garage

Feb 23, 2021 | KGO- TV | learning pods | Towns, States, West, California

You've heard of one room school houses? How about the two-car garage school house where the Ferrucci family, their kids and friends attend class together.

Charter schools receive more per student in federal COVID aid

Feb 23, 2021 | WTVF | charter schools | States, South, Tennessee

When it comes to how federal education relief money was distributed during the pandemic, an analysis by NewsChannel 5 Investigates found charter schools were able to get a larger share than traditional public schools.

Families demand wider school reopening as LAUSD moves toward limited in-person instruction

Feb 23, 2021 | Los Angeles Times | parent power | Towns, States, West, California

Los Angeles schools will resume some services next week for a small percentage of students with special needs, Supt. Austin Beutner announced Monday. However, the measures fall far short of demands from parents who rallied on the Westside to push for a broader reopening of schools.

Crisis in the Classroom Part 2—a charter school success story

Feb 23, 2021 | WJRT | charter schools | Towns, States, Midwest, Michigan

Nearly seven years after we learned about alarmingly high lead levels in Flint’s water system, children in the city are still feeling the impact. Last night we showed you how schools in the city are struggling to respond to the overwhelming increase in special needs students. Now, we’re focusing on charter schools.

11th-Grader Soreina Fleming is Odyssey Charter School’s First Student Set to Earn Associate&#8

Feb 23, 2021 | Space Coast Daily | charter schools | Towns, States, South, Florida

Odyssey Charter School student Soreina Fleming, who has attended the school since second grade, is on track to become the first 11th-grade student from Odyssey to graduate with her high school diploma and Associate’s Degree from Eastern Florida State College.

FWCS calls on parents to fight

Feb 23, 2021 | The Journal Gazette | school choice | States, Midwest, Indiana

Fort Wayne Community Schools leaders spoke with urgency Monday as they again called on parents to fight for public education by contacting legislators.

New charter school opening in North Las Vegas this fall

Feb 23, 2021 | KLAS | charter schools | Towns, States, West, Nevada

CIVICA Nevada Career & Collegiate Academy, an individualized instruction academy, is set to make its debut this fall. The school’s focus is on hands-on learning through STEM and career-oriented curriculum.

Fewer students than anticipated sign up for LPS dedicated remote learning program next year

Feb 23, 2021 | Journal Star | online learning | Towns, States, Midwest, Nebraska

Just 785 Lincoln Public Schools students will comprise the district’s one-year dedicated remote school next year — considerably fewer than had indicated an interest in a survey, which officials say reflects improving community conditions.

Some Suburban Parents Question Remote Learning as More Students Return to Classroom

Feb 23, 2021 | NBC Chicago | remote learning | Towns, States, Midwest, Illinois

Some parents of Evanston Township High School students are questioning why their teens will continue to learn remotely five days a week when other Chicago-area high schoolers are heading back to the classroom on hybrid learning models.

Bay District Schools superintendent says over 200 kids are “missing”

Feb 23, 2021 | WECP | accountability | Towns, States, West, California

COVID-19 has impacted many things, children’s education is one of them. The pandemic has amplified the rate of “missing” children at Bay District Schools.

Retaliation threatens voucher extension bill

Feb 23, 2021 | East Valley Tribune | school choice | States, West, Arizona

Republican senators gave the go-ahead Monday for what could be a huge expansion in the use of tax dollars to send children to private and parochial schools. But it may not be the last word.

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