CER Daily Media Clips for September 1, 2021   Commentary: Masks Turn Democrats in Favor of School Choice Sep 1, 2021 | Wall Street Journal | school choice | National This back-to-school season is filled with uncertainty. Public school districts are dealing with delays, disruptions, disagreements and demands from teachers unions. At the heart of many disputes is whether schools should require all students to wear masks. Some states are in legal battles over the issue. Read More...     Some families of color remain wary of returning to classrooms as new school year begins Sep 1, 2021 | Washington Post | other education issues | National At the same time the pandemic has cast new light on racial inequities in education. Last year, some families like the Tuckers based their decisions to keep their children learning remotely partly on difficult experiences in school buildings. Read More...     School Mask Debate Tests Arizona’s Governor, a Pandemic Pincushion Sep 1, 2021 | New York Times | elected officials | States, West, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who is not allowing schools to impose mask mandates but is a vocal supporter of Covid vaccinations, has been battered from all political sides. Read More...     Kids Learn Everywhere Sep 1, 2021 | Real Clear Education | school choice | States, Northeast, New Hampshire Imagine an education ecosystem where students get academic credit for taking piano lessons, attending courses at a science museum, or even playing AAU basketball. This is now a reality for families in New Hampshire, and policymakers in other states should pay close attention. Read More...     Florida Is Blocking Money From 2 School Districts Over Mask Mandates, Defying A Judge Sep 1, 2021 | NPR | state policy | States, South, Florida Despite a judge's ruling on Friday declaring that the Florida governor's ban on mask mandates in schools is unconstitutional, the State Board of Education has forged ahead with its threat to withhold school board members salaries in districts that require the face coverings in classrooms. Read More...     Albemarle mask policy keeps some students with disabilities out of buildings Sep 1, 2021 | The Daily Progress | school districts | Towns, States, South, Virginia The Albemarle County school division is denying in-person learning access to students with disabilities who can't or won't wear a face covering — a group that should be exempted from the mask requirement, according to a state public health order. Read More...     Roughly 750 families apply for Madison School District’s virtual program for grades 4K-5 Sep 1, 2021 | The Capital Times | online learning | Towns, States, Midwest, Wisconsin About five times the number of students in grades 4K-5 the Madison Metropolitan School District was prepared to have in its last-minute virtual option applied for the program. Read More...     L.A. teachers union calls for vaccination mandate for eligible students, stricter quarantines Sep 1, 2021 | Los Angeles Times | teachers unions | Towns, States, West, California The Los Angeles teachers union is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all eligible students and stricter quarantine rules while raising some objections to a new district mandate for online instruction when students are in quarantine. Read More...     Opinion: Want to avoid another chaotic school year? Try home schooling. Sep 1, 2021 | Tribune-Review | homeschooling | Towns, States, Northeast, Pennsylvania My family will avoid the quarantines, the consternation and the chaos baked into yet another school year, because our kids will be learning at home — not by default but by design. Read More...     Baltimore opens 1st new Catholic school in about 60 years Sep 1, 2021 | Associated Press | catholic schools | Towns, States, South, Maryland The first new Catholic school built in Baltimore in roughly 60 years opened its doors Monday to hundreds of youngsters, who entered the gleaming new building with a mix of enthusiasm and first-day-back jitters. Read More...     Ash coming in’: SF teachers plead for safer classroom conditions as CA wildfires impact air quality Sep 1, 2021 | KGO- San Francisco | teachers unions | Towns, States, West, California Teachers and parents held a rally in front of San Francisco City Hall on Tuesday late afternoon. They demanded the school district ensure safer conditions inside classrooms as the air quality has suffered from wildfires burning in Northern California. Read More...     Philly schools and teachers union have a tentative contract Sep 1, 2021 | Philadelphia Inquirer | teacher unions | Towns, States, Northeast, Pennsylvania No details of the agreement were available late Tuesday. Union chief Jerry Jordan said he would first present the deal to his union at a Wednesday night virtual members’ meeting. Read More...     New aviation charter school approved for Bessemer Sep 1, 2021 | AL.com | charter schools | Towns, States, South, Alabama The Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School has received approval from the state public charter school commission and plans to open in the fall of 2022. Read More...     A primer on the non-traditional schooling now trending in Tennessee Valley Sep 1, 2021 | Times Free Press | school choice | Towns, States, South, Tennessee As the pandemic continues to reshape where and how students learn, these non-traditional school options are gaining ground with families across the region. Read More...     Critics of New Hampshire’s school voucher program say it will cost millions Sep 1, 2021 | WMUR | school choice | States, Northeast, New Hampshire The education freedom accounts program lets parents in a certain income bracket get an average $4,600 grant to home school or send a child to private or religious schools using public money. Read More...     As school year begins, some immunocompromised families feel left behind Sep 1, 2021 | CT Mirror | online learning | States, Northeast, Connecticut As the new school year begins and students head back to the classroom, some immunocompromised families feel left behind. That’s because many districts across Connecticut aren’t offering a remote learning option, and for many families, returning to the classroom is like choosing between their education and their health. Read More...     7 Massachusetts School Districts To Offer Full-Time Remote Learning To Students This Fall Sep 1, 2021 | CBS Boston | online learning | States, Northeast, Massachusetts Throughout the pandemic there were a lot of complaints about remote learning from students, teachers and parents. But for some kids, taking classes from home was a positive, even transformative experience. Read More...     Thousands of Washington students begin the year behind in their studies Sep 1, 2021 | KING 5 | accountability | States, West, Washington With school starting this week, no one is disputing that thousands of children are already behind. “It's more of a reality statistically. One thing that we found is that scholars that had good grades, eighty percent of them, their grades went down,” said Reverend Jimmie James on Tuesday, “The schools closed all of the sudden and families were in disarray.” Read More...     N.H.’s School Choice Program Launches In Time for Fall Semester Sep 1, 2021 | New Hampshire Public Radio | school choice | States, Northeast, New Hampshire New Hampshire’s new school choice program is officially underway, after a speedy approval process by lawmakers and the State Board of Education during August. Read More...     30 ninth-graders join first cohort of Charleston Co., College of Charleston partnership Sep 1, 2021 | WCIV | innovation | Towns, States, South, South Carolina This fall, 30 ninth-grade students started the school year as the first cohort for the Scholars Academy, a partnership program between the Charleston County School District and the College of Charleston. Read More...     As COVID surges, metro Atlanta parents seek virtual school options Sep 1, 2021 | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | online learning | Towns, States, South, Georgia In the spring, when Caitlin Snyder and her husband committed to sending their two young daughters to in-person classes this school year, COVID-19 case rates were low and the Cobb County School District required masks. Read More...

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