December 16, 2020
By Kyle Hyland for School Services of CA President-elect Joe Biden has begun unveiling who will fill his high-level cabinet positions after he is sworn-in. While we are still waiting for him to announce who he plans to tap for Secretary of Education, we know that, because of the platform presented by the former vice…
December 15, 2020
Throughout the pandemic, teachers’ unions in many states and large districts have played a powerful role in negotiating school closures and reopenings. And with coronavirus cases surging around the nation, the labor groups are continuing to flex their political muscle, most often pushing for a more conservative approach to getting teachers and kids back in…
December 15, 2020
By Julie Arthur, CASH Chair As we approach the conclusion of a very challenging 2020, I want to reflect on CASH’s journey throughout this year, and also look to the future. COVID-19 has been a game changer for K-12 schools in California and across the nation. The public schools are this country’s essential nervous system…
December 15, 2020
There’s no blueprint for how or whether to open schools during a pandemic, leaving districts across the country to draw up strategies that are sometimes successful — and sometimes aren’t. What has emerged is a patchwork of strategies that reveals lessons about what works — and what doesn’t. Or what has worked at least sometimes….
December 15, 2020
COVID-19 is a catalyst for families who were already skeptical of the traditional school system—and are now thinking about leaving it for good. The problem is that in the chaos of the pandemic, it’s not clear how much common good any kind of school is doing. COVID-19 has created a strange natural experiment in American…
December 15, 2020
Nine months after shutting down youth, high school and adult recreational sports, the California Department for Public Health quietly issued a detailed guidance Monday creating a pathway to resume competition in the state. Just don’t expect it to happen anytime soon. No competitions are allowed before Jan. 25, although that date will be reassessed by…
December 15, 2020
With COVID-19 upending in-person learning and acclimating schools and students to virtual models, could snow days soon be a thing of the past? The pandemic-era shift to online learning raises questions for the future of other emergency closures, along with key takeaways to gain buy-in. Trading snow days for online learning days allows instruction to…
December 15, 2020
With preschool and kindergarten attendance dipping this year — in some areas significantly — schools are implementing multiple strategies to keep learning and funding continuing. Early childhood educators are reaching deep into their teacher tool kits to keep their youngest students engaged in socially distanced in-person learning environments. What’s more difficult is adapting those lessons…
December 15, 2020
Posted December 8, 2020 by School Services of California During the December 7th floor session that officially kicked off the 2021–22 Legislative Session, lawmakers used this narrow opportunity to introduce legislation that represent their highest priorities, including some significant education measures. Being prepared to introduce a bill on day one is a clear indication of…
The post-pandemic world approaches. According to some projections, up to half of all Americans could be vaccinated by June, and another 30 percent may have acquired natural immunity through infection over the previous year. Next summer could be surprisingly unburdened by the pandemic, which is not the same as saying it will be normal. The…