Here are a few of the education stories we’ve bookmarked recently.
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) conducted a back-to-school survey that shared the concerns of librarians about their role in schools, student learning, and how they plan to adapt to remote instruction. Here are seven takeaways from the survey, which share how school library budgets are shifting and how librarians’ concerns for students go well beyond academics.
Projections on student learning loss due to COVID-19 are “statistically informed guesses,” according to Megan Kuhfeld, a research scientist for NWEA. While these assumptions, from organizations like NWEA, CREDO, and McKinsey, are based on historical data, they do not take into account other factors like COVID-related trauma that may have also hurt students’ learning. Chalkbeat reporter Matt Barnum explains why educators and policymakers should use these projections more carefully.
Virtual Signs of Serious Mental Health Problems: A Teacher's Guide to Protecting Students
Students today are facing a host of mental health and trauma-producing challenges caused by COVID-19. Teachers on the frontlines of virtual education need trauma-specific training to address the varying forms of support students require during this time, according to national trauma expert Isaiah Pickens, Ph.D. He identifies signs educators should watch, outlines virtual interventions, and makes the case for curriculum that take a whole-child approach.
To Root Out Racism in Schools, Start With Who You Hire
School leaders have been working to actively root out bias and racism through selecting textbooks and curricula that reflect student populations, reducing disparities in disciplinary methods, and expanding culturally relevant teaching practices. However, experts say that anti-racist efforts in schools must also include hiring the right people to create a culture where students feel they belong.
