SCHOOLS
Brevard school board discusses staff shortages, seminar accuse of teaching CRT
At Tuesday's School Board meeting, members passed new boundaries for some district schools, while some parents criticized an upcoming staff training as "extreme leftist" and a bus driver plead for higher wages to offset a driver shortage crisis.
Uganda's schools reopen, ending world's longest lockdown
KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — Uganda's schools reopened to students on Monday, ending the world's longest school disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uganda's schools have been fully or partially shut for more than 83 weeks, the world's longest disruption, according to figures from the U.N. cultural agency. The protracted school lockdown proved controversial in a country where measures aimed at stemming the spread of the virus were ignored by many. Welcoming the reopening of Uganda's schools, Save the Children warned that “lost learning may lead to high dropout rates in the coming weeks without urgent action," including what it described as catch-up clubs. They said their support was key for Uganda's school system to remain open.
wftv.comUganda's schools reopen, ending world's longest lockdown
The reopening caused traffic congestion in some areas of the capital, Kampala, and students can be seen carrying their mattresses in the streets, a back-to-boarding school phenomenon not witnessed here for nearly two years. Uganda’s schools have been fully or partially shut for more than 83 weeks, the world's longest disruption, according to figures from the U.N. cultural agency.
news.yahoo.comCourt suggests religious schools OK to get Maine tuition aid
Supreme Court Religious Schools Light from the morning sun illuminates the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a challenge from parents in Maine who want to use a state tuition program to send their children to religious schools. Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Supreme Court appeared ready Wednesday to rule that religious schools can't be excluded from a Maine program that offers tuition aid for private education. The case is the latest test of religious freedoms for a Supreme Court that has favored faith-based discrimination claims. The Supreme Court could use this case to resolve the extent to which religious schools may use public funding for explicitly religious activities, such as worship services and religious education courses.
wftv.comFlorida’s new surgeon general changes school COVID rules, gives parents power over quarantines
Pointing to a need to “minimize the amount of time students are removed from in-person learning,” the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday issued a revised rule that gives parents more authority to decide whether children go to school after being exposed to people who have COVID-19.
Pressure is mounting for Orange County Public Schools as parents, teachers call for mask mandate
Outside of the Orange County Public School headquarters, pressure is mounting for the school board to enact mask mandates with no option of opting out as parents, teachers and educators call for a mask mandate.
Oregon, Oregon State to require vaccination proof to attend
EUGENE, Ore. — (AP) — Oregon and Oregon State became the first Power Five schools to announce they will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for people over the age of 12 to attend football games. Oregon is one of several Pac-12 schools that is requiring students and employees to be vaccinated or apply for an exemption. The Oregon football team opens its season at 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Sept. 4 against Fresno State. Oregon State begins its home schedule at Reser Stadium on Sept. 11 against Hawaii. Tulane's decision followed a mandate set by city officials that also impacts the NFL's Saints, but schools officials said they were moving toward instituting the policy on their own.
wftv.comBrevard County schools vote to make face masks voluntary at end of year
Brevard County schools vote to make face masks voluntary at end of year At a special meeting in Viera Friday, the school board voted to change its mask policy with one catch: It will not take effect until the end of this school year. Fla. — For months, the Brevard County School board has heard from parents opposing masks in schools. At a special meeting in Viera Friday, the school board voted to change its mask policy with one catch: It will not take effect until the end of this school year. READ: Fauci: COVID-19 booster shot will likely be needed within year of being vaccinatedThe CDC suggests schools continue masking up until the summer. The last day for Brevard County schools is June 3.
wftv.comOsceola County Schools discuss with authorities recommendation of resource officers wearing cameras
Leaders with Osceola County Public Schools met with law enforcement on Thursday to discuss <a href="https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/04/14/committee-recommends-school-resource-officers-in-osceola-county-wear-body-cameras/#//" target="_blank">the recommendations of a resident advisory committee.</a>
More CPS students sign up for in-person learning but still no high school return date set; district sets pre-Labor Day opening for next fall
Similarly sized schools with more than 67% opting in would default to the two-day model. Schools with more than 1,000 students and fewer than 67% opting in could use the two- or four- day model, depending on space limitations. If more than 67% of students at large schools opted in, they could use the two-day model if space permitted but would have to use the one-day model if space was limited.
chicagotribune.comHuge crowd gathers in Naperville for rally demanding full return to in-person classes: ‘All we’re asking for is an option’
“We’ve got to get our schools reopened,” Vallas said. “We’ve got to allow parents the option of continuing to have their children learn remote. But there’s no reason with what we pay on schools in this country ... schools have been closed for close to 12 months. How are we spending our money?”
chicagotribune.comLos Angeles schools and teacher's union reach tentative deal to start reopening in April
Los Angeles schools and teacher's union reach tentative deal to start reopening in April The deal between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the teacher's union was announced as the district was facing growing pressure from parents to reopen soon. Carter Evans spoke to an LAUSD mom who filed a class-action lawsuit against the district and the teacher's union claiming students were losing 17 to 19.5 hours of instruction time every week.
cbsnews.comU.N. uses empty desks of "Pandemic Classroom" in call on nations to end "very worrying" COVID school closures
In the Rose Garden of the U.N. campus in Manhattan, the "Pandemic Classroom" exhibit was unveiled on Tuesday evening to highlight what U.N. children's education agency UNICEF calls the "COVID-19 education crisis." "With every day that goes by, these children will fall further behind and the most vulnerable will pay the heaviest price." School desks are setup as part of a UNICEF 'Pandemic Classroom,' each seat representing one million children living in countries where schools have been entirely closed for almost a year, outside the UN Headquarters in New York on March 2, 2021. "We are increasingly seeing some very worrying evidence of the implication of protection-related concerns of schools being closed. The U.N.'s education and cultural agency, UNESCO, which contributed to the UNICEF report, says 888 million children worldwide continue to face disruptions to their education because of full and partial school closures.
cbsnews.comCPS opens its schools Monday to the most students since last March. Is it ready? Some principals say schools lack staff to resume in-person classes safely.
“One of the major problems, however, is that schools cannot implement the proper mitigation strategies if they don’t have the staff to implement them. Most schools don’t even have the staff to implement a decent instructional program,” he continued. “For example, tens of thousands of students are going to return to so-called in-person learning, only to sit in the classroom to look at the screen so they can learn from a teacher who is teaching from home, and the CEO and the mayor are not mentioning that extremely important fact when they talk to the public about reopening, which puts principals in a horrendous situation with parents when their children’s experience in so-called in-person learning doesn’t match the expectations.”
chicagotribune.comExpert on expanding COVID-19 vaccine access and reopening schools
Expert on expanding COVID-19 vaccine access and reopening schools The Biden administration is promising enough coronavirus vaccine doses will be available for all Americans by the end of July. CBSN's Tanya Rivero spoke with John Moore, professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, about how realistic these expectations are and steps schools can take to reopen safely.
cbsnews.comCDC expected to recommend phased reopening for schools
CDC expected to recommend phased reopening for schools The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to roll out guidelines today for reopening schools for grades K-12. According to a draft internal summary obtained by CBS News, the agency is considering recommending schools reopen in phases based on rates of community transmission. Nancy Cordes reports.
cbsnews.comReturn to in-person schooling affected by strength of local teachers unions
Return to in-person schooling affected by strength of local teachers unions Chicago public schools temporarily halted a return to in-person learning when the teachers union threatened to strike. As districts nationwide are faced with the decision of when to return to schools, Meg Oliver reports on how the strength of the union can affect your child's learning.
cbsnews.comCPS calls for 2 days of ‘cooling off’ as it reports progress in averting a CTU strike; remote learning continues Tuesday and Wednesday
“We are not locked out today or tomorrow because of our members’ unity, their commitment to their school communities and their fearless solidarity,” Sharkey said. “ ... None of this is easy. The uncertainty and risk our educators, our students and our families confront all take a toll. And all of the progress we’ve made to date in winning real gains at the table is possible because of the tireless work and dedication of our rank-and-file members, our strike captains, our delegates, our parents, our allies and ordinary Chicagoans who trust us to do what’s right by our schoolchildren.”
chicagotribune.comCan schools safely reopen? Doctors weigh in
As the Biden administration pushes for more resources toward safely reopening schools, tensions between school districts looking to return to in-person schooling and teachers' unions across the country are coming to a head. Mr. Biden unveiled a roadmap to reopen a "majority" of schools last week, part of the proposed "national strategy" for his first 100 days in office. New York City pediatrician Dr. Dyan Hes said Tuesday on CBSN that prioritizing reopening school is essential to students' mental health. The journal's report on school reopening policy underscored Ogden's claims. Hes, the pediatrician, said "frequent testing" was necessary, but with safety precautions, reopening schools would not contribute significantly to community transmission.
cbsnews.comChicago Teachers Union authorizes collective action to remain remote, but some students may return to school Feb. 1 as negotiations continue
“Here’s what I’m hearing from residents all around the city and from parents in particular: If we don’t have stability in the public school system, why should we stay in Chicago? If we have to worry about lockouts and strikes, particularly after a historic contract where everyone thought we had bought labor peace for five years, people vote with their feet,” Lightfoot said. “And what I worry about is with young families, one of the first questions they ask is, ‘How is the school system?’ And if the answer is, ‘completely rife with strife and uncertainty,’ that sends a real message: Don’t stay in Chicago.”
chicagotribune.comIllinois State University cancels spring break over COVID-19 concerns
As with other schools that have modified or canceled breaks, Dietz said in a message that the decision was made “at the urging of state officials” out of concern that students traveling home and then coming back could cause the virus to spread on campus and in the community.
chicagotribune.comBusiness is booming for plastic companies as demand for plexiglass surges
Schools, stores, the U.S. military academy, and U.S. presidential debates are all using plexiglass to protect people from the coronavirus. Demand is surging for plastic companies to create plexiglass components. CNBC's Rahel Solomon joins Shepard Smith on "The News With Shepard Smith" to discuss.
cnbc.comElected officials, community groups demand more from CPS reopening plans, say families have ‘great trepidation about returning to schools this fall’
“The families we represent have great trepidation about returning to schools this fall, just as they did prior to the September start of classes,” Johnson said. "What they want is remote learning to be better until students and their teachers can safely transition back into school buildings. We know remote learning and COVID has been difficult for our communities, but so are the risks of bringing students back, and we have yet to see anything from CPS that gives us confidence in its current plans.”
chicagotribune.comFlorida state universities to develop reopening plans for fall semester
As schools remain under orders from Gov. Ron DeSantis to finish out the school year with distance learning, the Florid State University system is working on developing a plan to reopen classrooms for the upcoming fall semester. According to system officials, the State University System Task Force has been working for weeks to establish a framework for re-opening university campuses in the fall; the Board of Governors chair Syd Kitson has directed State University System Chancellor, Marshall Criser III, to develop guidelines to present to the Board of Governors at a public meeting on May 28, 2020. Universities will then present individual plans, based on these guidelines, to the Board of Governors at a board meeting on June 23, 2020, according to a news release. The task force is focusing on developing guidelines that will prioritize the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff, vendors, and visitors as our institutions continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chair Kitson.