October 14, 2020
College officials are looking for ways to limit students’ travel to and from campus, including by eliminating spring break. While many students spent the break from classes at home or picked up extra hours at work, some made headlines last school year for partying in spite of the pandemic. This academic year’s spring plans come…
October 14, 2020
New data turned heads last week when new construction starts, jobs and backlog all notched solid gains to provide a glimmer of hope for the industry, following a summer of worrisome trends that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers indicate that construction has rebounded from the negative effects of the…
Many college and high school bands have resumed practicing during the pandemic. But doing so safely involves plenty of challenges. In many bands, not only does everyone have to wear a mask, but just about every instrument has to wear a mask as well, thanks to sometimes improvised coverings on saxophones, and trumpets without deadening…
October 14, 2020
At this point the Zoom call has almost come to define learning and working in the age of COVID-19. But a few months ago, people began realizing that all these video calls were making them tired—exhausted even—more so than a day of in-person class or all-day meetings. The phenomena even has a name: Zoom fatigue….
October 14, 2020
Wednesday, September 30, 2020, the State Allocation Board (SAB) held a meeting to conduct routine business, including the approval of funding for Career Technical Education Facility Program projects, hearing appeals, approval of regulations, and an extension of the Executive Director’s emergency powers. In her Executive Officer statement, Lisa Silverman provided the following updates: Extending Emergency…
October 14, 2020
Topics covered in this month’s update include: Deadline for Governor to Act on Legislation November General Election SB 820 Update – Signed by Governor AB 841 Update – Signed by Governor Fall Bond Sale and School Facility Program Apportionments Virtual Fall Forum CMN Web-Shop Series 42nd Annual Conference on School Facilities Thank You to Our…
Schools continue to tweak their remote learning strategies, but some common solutions are emerging, according to a study that examined lessons learned by 12 district and charter schools that could allow for sustained and improving learning during school closures. In its analyses, the study found there is no one “right” way to perform distance teaching,…
When schools closed to in-person learning in the spring, some individualized supports for students with disabilities were easily transitioned to remote or virtual learning. But other services were harder to adapt to new learning formats due to the specific interventions that require physical or behavioral supports and other intensive services. To help all students with…
Over the summer, educators and experts have been grappling with what the pandemic means for recess —typically an uninhibited free time for unstructured play—now that social interaction is curtailed and playground equipment off limits. As schools slowly trickle back to in-person classes amid mask wearing mandates and single-direction hallways, are isolation squares all that kids…
October 14, 2020
The differentiated school staffing approach is gaining attention as the pandemic continues to disrupt traditional education approaches and structures and as concerns about educator shortages intensify. Proponents say virtual learning and attention to personalized instruction for students create an ideal moment to change teaching structures so educators have opportunities to expand their professional skill sets….