Fellow educators, let’s start with three simple truths about this moment. Being a teacher is hard. The pandemic, coupled with other factors like low pay and stressful working conditions, have made being a teacher even harder. Even if these challenges are only temporary, a whole lot of really good people are still looking around and deciding they don’t want to…
Tag: COVID-19
In Kentucky, We’re Getting Creative With Staffing Schools During This Pandemic
Everywhere you go, you see “Now Hiring” signs. A lot of companies are offering large sign-on bonuses for new employees. You know who also is in desperate need of “help” but can’t offer these same incentives? The education world. No matter what school district’s website you look at, you will see that they are hiring. They are hiring instructional assistants.…
Social-Emotional Learning and Rigor Don’t Have To Be Enemies
I’m a sixth grade teacher grappling with the reality of teaching kids who may not have darkened a school door in over a year. Many of their students haven’t been in an actual classroom since their elementary days. And while the pressure is mounting to accelerate student learning and make academics a priority, that won’t happen without also striving to…
Can “grow-your-own” programs help end rural teacher shortages?
“Why don’t people who live there, teach there?” That question, posed by this recent Hechinger Report story, is a troubling reminder of the unique, persistent challenges that rural communities face in staffing schools. Like rural America itself, teacher shortages are often discussed but seldom understood. Shortages occur less frequently than the average observer may speculate, and when they do, it…
Digital Equity for All Students Has Never Been a More Attainable Goal
With the American Rescue Plan (ARP) officially signed into law, the nation’s public school systems will soon have an additional $126 billion to navigate challenges brought on by the pandemic. That leaves state education leaders with a burning question: How can that funding be used to address the most pressing issues that the COVID-19 crisis has created for schools? With nearly 12…
Cardona Matters, But the Most Important Decisions Will Happen at the Local Level
President Joe Biden has certainly kept busy during his first days in the Oval Office. He has issued a call for national unity, doubled down on his promise to reopen most schools in his first 100 days, and signed a flurry of executive orders on everything from climate change to immigration. However, with fanfare of the new Biden administration likely to continue…
Without Data, We Can’t Fight for Our Students’ Futures
Sometimes, data can seem pesky. Just ask the folks who continue to suggest that coronavirus spikes are merely the result of increased testing. “You know why we have so many [coronavirus] case numbers?” President Trump asked an audience in Florida last month. “Because we do more testing than any country in the world. There’s plenty good about testing, too. The…
Citizen voices are speaking out on education during COVID-19
Citizen voices are key to COVID response in education and beyond Add to Kentucky’s groundswell of education influencers some innovative, if earnest, laypeople. We are part of a citizen research team of school stakeholders. We call ourselves the “Intergen 9,” and we comprise three parents, three teachers, and three students representing eight districts across the Commonwealth, including five people of…
Overwhelmed by remote teaching? These simple mindset shifts may give teachers a lift
Around the country, teachers are working hard to educate our students in some form or another. Whether you’re managing a virtual academy or juggling between in-person and remote learners, one thing is clear: teaching in 2020 is tough. But with a few shifts in mindset, remote learning doesn’t have to be the bane of every teacher’s existence. Here are a…
Let’s extend grace to education leaders as Kentucky students head back to school
Our nation’s education leaders are asked to take on many roles in their good work to promote safe and supportive learning environments for their students. In many cases, “punching bag” is among them. School principals face pressure from all sides: staff members, parents, students, and district administrators. Nearly half have considered leaving the profession because of the relentless workloads. District…
Fact Check: No, the Kentucky Board of Education is not banning fall sports
While the Kentucky Board of Education did meet on Friday to discuss athletics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose was not to overturn the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s (KHSAA) decision to proceed with fall sports. This comes after the Kentucky Department of Education received thousands of emails and phone calls after the topic of fall athletics appeared on the…
Dear 2020-2021 Educators
I really hope you use this distance/remote learning experience to reimagine school. Begin by letting students and families know you are here to help, teach, encourage, and love them. You’re here to support and move kids forward just like you always have. Don’t plan for students to be working from home from 8am-3pm. That’s not possible for most kids. Some…
Demand #InternetForAll for 15 Million Students Who Are #LoggedOut
On Wednesday, August 26, education activists and organizations around the country are staging a national day of action, demanding that every student have access to broadband internet. Back in March, more than 50 million schoolchildren were forced to learn from home. At least 15 million of them (nearly a third) were unable to log on and do their schoolwork simply because they lacked…
Yes, Kentucky school districts can reject Beshear’s recommendation. But should they?
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear made waves last week when he officially recommended that all schools start virtually through at least September 28th because of the state’s high rate of coronavirus transmission. However, several school districts have already indicated that they will buck the recommendation with others potentially joining in this week. That’s leading many educators and parents to ask a…
KY teacher coalition launches Brave New Teaching KY
Amid the uncertainty of school reopenings during a global pandemic, teacher voices are rising in Kentucky. Brave New Teaching KY, an open, collaborative coalition of Kentucky educators who want to learn and grow, makes its official launch this week. COVID-19 has presented education leaders with a bold opportunity to rethink teaching and learning. If you’re a Kentucky teacher looking to…
Everything we know about Kentucky’s #HealthyAtSchool guidelines
This week, Kentucky officials released the #HealthyAtSchool guidelines for school reopenings this fall. Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Brown and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman were quick to point out that flexibility among the finer details will be key, and that what works in small rural districts may not work in a large urban district like Jefferson County. Instead, the #HealthyAtSchool guidelines…
Kentucky schools could reopen in late July
Yes, you read that correctly. Governor Beshear is encouraging school districts to be flexible in their plans to reopen for next school year, and this week, he outlined three possibilities to the Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Brown for what the timeline may look like. One such possibility would involve an early start to the 2020-2021 school year, with schools opening…
How should Kentucky’s CARES funding be used? With equity, we hope
Thanks to Congress’ approval of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, states are now set to receive over $30 billion of emergency education funding to help offset any impending budget crunches on the horizon. Kentucky’s K-12 public schools are slated to receive roughly $193 million of CARES funds, which the Department of Education says can be used…
#LetThemTeach: Grant Waivers For All Student Teachers Struggling Due to COVID-19
As our schools grapple with the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, it’s difficult for school leaders to plan far ahead into the future. Many have adopted an insular approach, focusing their efforts on the tangible, short-term implications of school closures and funding uncertainties. However, while the threat of the new coronavirus occupies the airwaves, the truth is that there has never been…
Your Educational Role During COVID-19
Dear Administrators, Teachers, Parents, and Students: Please don’t panic and overwhelm yourself with all of this digital/distance learning. This is a whole new ballgame for most of us and we’re all adapting the best way we know how. Administrators, please remember that teachers are doing the best they can. Not all teachers are tech savvy and that’s ok. Don’t expect…
States are right to cancel testing amid COVID-19, but we can’t make accountability an enemy
Accountability isn’t the most fun discussion topic in education, but it’s a crucial driving force for our schools. As students complete their state assessments each spring, the data that school districts receive back in the fall provides them with valuable information about how effectively they’re reaching their most vulnerable students, closing achievement gaps, and creating learning opportunities for students. Having…
Resources For Learning and Taking Action During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Over the past month, we’ve all been watching as coronavirus (COVID-19) quickly spreads across state lines and borders. So far, 14 individuals have tested positive in Kentucky, and Governor Andy Beshear’s recommendation to close all schools for two weeks was intended to keep that number low. As a result, school districts are rapidly applying for “non-traditional instruction days” to keep…