Resources For Schools, Educators, and Districts
Student Supports
For Educators
We live in traumatic times. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 135,000 thousand in the U.S., and has sickened many more. The economic downtown has resulted in more than 50 million unemployment claims. Police have continued to kill unarmed people of color, touch- ing off nationwide protests that may or may not lead to widespread permanent reforms. All of this has disproportionately impacted people of color and low-income families, who have been more likely to get sick and die from the virus, lose their jobs, and face violence at the hands of law enforcement.
Throughout it all, schools, which serve not only as a place to learn but a sanctuary and source of comfort for many, have been closed since March to slow the spread of the corona- virus. With the resurgence this summer of the disease, remote instruction may continue in many places through the fall. Read more here.
From Teaching Tolerance: Amid school closures, online classes can offer new opportunities for culturally responsive teaching. Here’s what one educator is trying with her fifth grade students.
A leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professional development for over 25 years, MMSA works with both in- and out-of-school educators to support growth through robust professional learning experiences, coaching, and consulting. MMSA works throughout Maine and across the country supporting growth through robust professional learning experiences including many grant-funded options that are available free or for a reduced cost.
Resources for Internet Connectivity
This publication includes definitions for internet connectivity options and includes multiple sources for connecting schools to internet access in addition to advice for acquiring devices.
This is a tool through EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the connectivity gap in schools across the country, which allows an school leader or teacher to test the internet speeds at the school. It is important to note that this testing can be done while the individual is at the physical location of the school or remotely.
Here are some low-tech ideas that can help keep learning happening at home! Parents / caregivers, please be sure to be involved with activities that involve risk (cutting, etc.).
Here are some low-tech ideas that can help keep learning happening at home! Parents / caregivers, please be sure to be involved with activities that involve risk (cutting, etc.).
For High Schools and High Schoolers
Given the complexity of travel and community gathering many colleges and universities have created virtual evnts. Check out this list to engage with colleges and universities across the country from the comfort of your own home.
For Districts and District Leaders
Online teaching and learning is introducing new challenges for administrators, teachers,parents, and students across Montana. To meet these challenges, the University of Montana’s Center for Children, Families and Workforce Development offers the following creative solutions being used by Montana schools to foster student learning, support families, andcapitalize on opportunities to build relationships with families who have been difficult to reach. Find guide here.
Under-maintained buildings could come in the way of following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines as rural schools look to return to in-person instruction. Read more from EducationDrive here.
EducationSuperHighway created this summary specifically for the audience of school and district leaders to address connectivity goals, explain bandwidth requirements for ranges of technology in the classroom, and projections of future increases needed for school bandwidth. Informative graphics accompany tips for determining needed bandwidth for both instructional and non-instructional purposes.
A helpful framework on how we can better promote equity in community as we continue schooling through a global Pandemic. Intended to help families, educators and community members make decisions in a complex and constantly changing environment.It reflects the author's current thinking as of August 4, 2020. Find this guide or the most recent version at https://tinyurl.com/EquityGuidePandemicSchooling.
Education Now: What Makes a High-Quality Remote or Hybrid Learning Experience?
Drawing on the perspectives of students, teachers, teacher leaders, and researchers, we’ll explore what makes for a vibrant, rich, and active learning experience during COVID-19 restrictions.
As school leaders come together to envision and reopen schools this fall, they face deep complexity. To navigate the uncertainty and build a remote or hybrid learning experience that is rich and meaningful, schools will have to develop a collaborative planning process that combines strong leadership with broad stakeholder representation. In this webinar, we draw on the perspectives of students, teachers, teacher leaders, and researchers to look at what makes for a high-quality teaching and learning experience during COVID-19 restrictions.
21 Former Education Chiefs Identify 6 Top Priorities for Districts & Statehouses in Returning Amid Coronavirus. Read more from the 74 Million here.
This brief compiles preliminary information on health and safety guidelines from five countries that have continued or reopened schools during the COVID-19 outbreak: China, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, and Taiwan. Read more here.
Jeff Gregorich, superintendent, on trying to reopen his schools safely. Read more from The Washington Post's "Voices from the Pandemic" here.
Resources for Internet Connectivity
This map is searchable by country, county, and sub-country areas. This is not specifically generated for school administrations as the end users; however, the information is valuable for schools to understand the access that their families have as the providers available vary even within a school district. This is a resource that can be used to find the number of providers for various internet broadband connection options.
This is a tool for school districts to help locate internet service providers and pricing in their area. This website also has information on updates (or if updates are needed by the school district) to reach the minimum internet requirement mentioned by the FCC, 100 kbps per student. When a school district is searched, this website includes a graphic at the bottom of the page which compares the school district's internet speeds with markers for technology use in classrooms (infrequent, frequent, daily).
This website contains links to forms in addition to guides/templates for school leaders to apply for federal funding through E-Rate. It also contains information for webinars and other publications that are useful for schools to understand their own connectivity gaps.
This website is a synopsis of the connectivity gap that exists nationally between schools to obtain internet speeds of 100 kbps per student. Schools are also able to see the page of their own state’s internet connectivity gap which includes state resources in addition to federal resources for obtaining funding to install or update internet access.
This website contains links to information for schools to enroll in E-Rate funding for internet connectivity in addition to technology funding through additional legislation and grants.
This is a publication from EducationSuperHighway that outlines the basics that school districts should know in order to implement sustainable and flexible internet access.
Keeping Your District Updated
Communication Stratgies and Templates For District Administrators
