CER Daily Media Clips for April 6, 2021   Reopening Schools Is the Easy Part Apr 6, 2021 | The Atlantic | accountability | National By this point, the reasons students have struggled are well known. Many strained to adjust to virtual learning; others never did. Millions were unable to immediately participate, because they lacked Wi-Fi or access to a computer. Even schools that reopened with a mix of online and in-person classes faced significant challenges. Read More...     Commentary: Pandemic teaches states to expand school choice Apr 6, 2021 | Press of Atlantic City | school choice | National Schools are designed to teach students, but ever since the pandemic hit, it’s been parents who have learned some hard lessons. They may welcome the fact that districts are finally beginning to open up, but many are also taking a more active role in their children’s education. Read More...     Editorial: Americans are flunking democracy. How civics education can save us. Apr 6, 2021 | Houston Chronicle | civics education | National According to the Educating for American Democracy initiative, an effort funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the nation as a whole needs serious remedial work regarding the fundamentals of a self-governing nation. Read More...     Majority of Madison students chose to return to in-person learning but online option here to stay Apr 6, 2021 | Wisconsin State Journal | school districts | Towns, States, Midwest, Wisconsin As Madison elementary schools prepare to welcome the next wave of learners back to classrooms, the district has begun discussing the launch of an online school for fall 2021 for those who prefer to learn online. Read More...     Fairfax schools to offer four days a week of in-person learning in late April Apr 6, 2021 | Washington Post | school districts | Towns, States, South, Virginia Virginia’s largest school district will begin offering four days a week of in-person instruction this month, following a recent change in federal guidelines on social distancing inside classrooms. Read More...     Harrisburg School District students returning to classroom for first time in over a year Apr 6, 2021 | WHP-TV | school districts | Towns, States, Northeast, Pennsylvania Kicking off this morning, students in grades K through 2nd will begin hybrid learning, meaning for the first time in more than year, little ones at Foose Elementary School will walk-up that sidewalk and into those doors for in-person learning. Read More...     Editorial: San Francisco schools are a mess. It will take an outsider to fix them Apr 6, 2021 | Los Angeles Times | school districts | Towns, States, West, California So much drama, all coming on top of years’ worth of frankly nonsensical moments in the San Francisco Unified School District — perhaps most famously, its attempt to change the names of 44 schools. On Tuesday the school board is scheduled to consider pausing the renaming plan, but the reputational damage has already been done. Read More...     In massive reopening effort at 1,400 L.A. public schools, safety is the priority Apr 6, 2021 | Los Angeles Times | school districts | Towns, States, West, California Principals are jiggering schedules. Families are pondering whether to return. Teachers are moving school supplies from bedrooms, kitchen tables and garages into classrooms. The nation’s second-largest school system is ramping up to welcome back 465,000 kindergarten-through-12th-grade students next week after 13 months. Read More...     Florida Education Association ad campaign targets teacher ‘paycheck protection’ bill Apr 6, 2021 | Florida Politics | teachers unions | States, South, Florida The Florida Education Association is launching a digital ad campaign to stir opposition to legislation teachers say would weaken their unions. Read More...     Los Angeles teachers will get child care stipend for young kids Apr 6, 2021 | Politico | general teacher issues | Towns, States, West, California Los Angeles Unified teachers and other employees with young children will receive a $500 monthly child care stipend as they return to classrooms after a year of campus closures. Read More...     Opinion: Unite for a better education for all kids Apr 6, 2021 | The Day | charter schools | Towns, States, Northeast, Connecticut The charter school in Norwich has already answered this call by the quality of education that it offers to the community. We are the first beneficiaries of it. Our son’s education requires special attention. With the available resources, IDCS is helping make him one of the most successful pupils. Read More...     Another Education Option: New Bill Could Expand School Choice To Include ‘Micro-Schools’ Apr 6, 2021 | Wisconsin Public Radio | microschools | States, Midwest, Wisconsin Some parents turned to learning pods and micro-schools as an alternative to virtual learning during the pandemic. These small groups of students receive instruction from a parent or designated teacher similar to home schools. Read More...     Opinion: Closing inner-city Catholic schools a civil rights issue Apr 6, 2021 | Boston Herald | catholic schools | Towns, States, Northeast, Connecticut I recently filed four civil rights complaints (federal and state) against the Archdiocese of Hartford. It is clear to me that they have closed or seek to close all inner-city high schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford and eliminate any opportunity for a Catholic school grammar or high school education for inner-city children in Waterbury where Blacks and Hispanics reside, while instead only providing a Catholic school education to the white communities, many of them affluent. Read More...     Union’s back-door effort to kill popular charter school bill shows those in power care little Apr 6, 2021 | Washington Policy Center | charter schools | States, West, Washington Lawmakers are rightly showing great concern about improving the quality, graduation rates, equal treatment and fairness in public schools.  Some even say the traditional public school system is systemically racist and are demanding solutions. Read More...     N.J. teachers’ union head mouthed swearword at parent during virtual meeting. Now she’s Apr 6, 2021 | NJ Advance | teachers unions | Towns, States, Northeast, New Jersey Kelly Hill, president of the Clinton Township Education Association, appeared to say the expletives “a**” and “a**hole” while onscreen but muted during a virtual board meeting held on Feb. 22. The incident happened as a parent from the district said they supported the school district returning to in-person instruction five days per week. Read More...     Lawmakers, Cooper again poised to cross swords over Opportunity Scholarships Apr 6, 2021 | Carolina Journal | school choice | States, South, North Carolina Republicans in the N.C. House are advancing a bill that would expand and strengthen the state’s three school-choice scholarship programs that help low-income children and those with special needs attend a private school. Read More...     A reworked school voucher bill introduced in the Senate Apr 6, 2021 | Arkansas Times | school choice | States, South, Arkansas A school voucher expansion stymied in the House will get another run in the Senate, with some modifications from the measure defeated in House committee. Read More...     Texas law would protect teachers from bullying parents Apr 6, 2021 | KHOU-11 | other education issues | States, South, Texas Many Texas teachers are praising a proposed law regarding workplace bullying. It would require districts to specifically address bullying of teachers by parents. Read More...     ‘Decade of Destruction’: Indiana teacher associations fighting for public school funding Apr 6, 2021 | WANE | teachers unions | Towns, States, Midwest, Indiana Several teacher and education associations across Northeast Indiana are fighting for public school funding. Read More...     House carries over charter school funding bill Apr 6, 2021 | Alabama Political Reporter | charter schools | States, South, Alabama The bill to allow some local school tax dollars to follow children to a public charter school was carried over. Read More...     House budget would roll back virtual school choice Apr 6, 2021 | Florida Politics | online learning | States, South, Florida A budget bill in the House has the potential to end many virtual school options and funnel students into Florida Virtual School. Read More...     Special interest group spending tops $1 million in Wisconsin schools superintendent race Apr 6, 2021 | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | elections | States, Midwest, Wisconsin Special interest groups have spent more than $1 million, mostly on attack ads, weighing in on the April 6 election for Wisconsin's next superintendent of schools, according to tracking by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Read More...     Opinion: Charter school opportunities could have kept my family in my hometown Apr 6, 2021 | The Missouri Times | charter schools | States, Midwest, Missouri We were lucky to find a better place to send our kids.  What keeps me awake at night is that many families do not have that option. Families need options. Families deserve school choice. That is why I advocate for smart policy reforms to help expand choices for families like allowing charter schools in places like Jefferson City and Columbia. Read More...

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