Students, their families and educators continue to experience increased physical and mental health concerns, isolation and economic hardship as a result of COVID-19. To best serve their communities, many districts and schools will need to develop stronger systems of support to meet student needs. In […]
Author: Alisha Kirby
Waivers to reopen elementary schools explained, but questions remain
New state guidelines banning in-person instruction in counties on California’s monitoring list for coronavirus infections include a waiver provision that could exempt elementary schools, but little detail was provided by Gov. Gavin Newsom in announcing the regulations. Officials from the administration, the State Board of […]
Disease experts caution that community spread must be addressed before letting students on campus
While laying out a few of the many considerations district officials will need to account for when they reopen schools for in-person instruction, infectious disease experts made one thing abundantly clear: schools cannot safely reopen until their communities reduce the spread of COVID-19 beyond the […]
National nurses group calls on government to prioritize health, delay in-person instruction in schools
One of the largest nurses associations in the country is calling on school district leaders and state policymakers in areas where coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths are spiking to postpone returning to in-person instruction. National Nurses United, which represents more than 150,000 registered nurses, said […]
Deadline approaching to apply for Pandemic-EBT meal benefits
Only about half of an estimated 3.8 million California children eligible to receive Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits are signed up or have received their benefit cards, according to the Department of Social Services. To ensure that all children have access to healthy meals, the […]
New task force begins difficult work of reforming school policing
The first of three hearings of California’s new Task Force on Safe Schools on June 30 sought to answer three main questions: Is there a place for police on school campuses? If so, what should their role be in promoting student safety? And if not, […]
California education officials announce plans to re-examine policing on school grounds
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced June 24 two ways in which the California Department of Education intends to support schools as districts throughout the state address concerns surrounding educational equity and racial justice. Since the inception of the school resource officer decades […]
Revised playbook offers chronic absenteeism strategies amidst COVID-19
The Attendance Playbook — originally released in 2019 by the nonprofit Attendance Works and Georgetown University-based think tank FutureEd — has been updated to account for the challenges posed by transitioning to fully virtual or blended learning models. The resource, Attendance Playbook: Smart Strategies for […]
Education leaders call for greater funding for COVID-19 challenges in U.S. House Committee hearing
The overarching theme of a recent U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee hearing echoed what many in education have been repeating since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic: schools need more money to ensure the safety and high-quality education of all students. Witnesses […]
Schools must keep needs of English learners in mind when crafting reopening plans
The disruption in learning due to COVID-19 school closures has impacted all students, but when the 2020–21 academic year begins, there are undoubtedly certain students who will need additional help and resources to catch up and stay on track. Experts and practitioners who gathered virtually […]










