State & National News
Florida schools are slow to spend $693 million in federal coronavirus aid
10/22/2020- ‘State education commissioner Richard Corcoran says they need to start putting in requests for the money. Just 10 percent of it has been claimed a quarter into the school year.’
Wy State Education Board Meeting To Address District Exemptions, Teacher Evaluations
10/19/2020- ‘The Wyoming State Board of Education (SBE) will meet Oct. 26 to “take action to extend the emergency rules allowing school districts to request an exception to state accountability requirements for the 2020-21 school year,” according to an SBE release Monday.’
Amid COVID pandemic, New Jersey names new state education commissioner
10/20/2020- ‘New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday he was nominating Angelica Allen-McMillan to be the state’s next education commissioner.’
Idaho State Board of Education revises back-to-school framework
10/22/2020- ‘An additional color category, the “orange” category, has been added to the state’s decision-making framework to give school districts more flexibility.’
Music class during coronavirus: How the band plays on
10/27/2020- ‘What does perseverance during a pandemic look like for educators? In Ontario, music teachers are finding ways to hold chorus and band classes – even when their students can’t sing or play.’
NYC schools will offer flexibility on grades. Are the changes here to stay?
10/26/2020- ‘New York City officials said Monday that schools cannot give most students failing marks this year and that parents will be able to choose whether or not their child’s transcript reflects more than a passing grade.’
As coronavirus cases rise, Mass. education officials caution against abandoning in-person schooling
10/27/2020- ‘As cases of COVID-19 continue to spike across Massachusetts, state education leaders said Tuesday that even schools in communities deemed to be at the highest-risk for virus transmission should not abandon in-person classroom learning unless there is evidence that the virus is spreading within the schools.’
Tax Higher Incomes to Fund Schools? National Debate Gets Traction at the State Level
10/29/2020- ‘The highest income earners should pay more taxes to provide more funding for education. That was and common refrain in the Democratic presidential primaries, and a key part of former Vice President Joe Biden’s K-12 platform. It’s also on the Nov. 3 ballot in one state, where arguments about that measure mirror those taking place on the national level.’
Research & Analysis
How deeply will digital learning transform K-12 long term?
Using data from Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up Research Project, a new report identifies three takeaways as evidence of potential significant, long-term impacts on K-12 educational models at large.
Racial Equity in Funding for Higher Ed
Since the last recession, the U.S. has made little progress on the funding gap for colleges that serve disproportionate shares of students of color. That gap may widen as the country heads into another recession.
Policy Roundup compiled by NAfME’s Matt Barusch.