https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/guan-austin-lead-fundraising-for-montgomery-at-large-school-board-race/
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Guan, Austin lead fundraising for Montgomery at-large school board race
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/guan-austin-lead-fundraising-for-montgomery-at-large-school-board-race/
Theater students! Miss the theater? Love Hamilton? Time for #EduHam FREE
Lin-Manuel Miranda Announces Virtual School Program, #EduHam at Home.
From Playbill, reporter Dan Meyer. For the whole story go here.
If you have any questions, please email eduhamhome@gilderlehrman.org. For details on the program go here.
From Playbill, reporter Dan Meyer. For the whole story go here.
If you have any questions, please email eduhamhome@gilderlehrman.org. For details on the program go here.
Hamilton and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History have launched #EduHam at Home, a free digital program for students and their families to explore the world of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical and America’s founding era. Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda announce the program below.
#EduHam at Home is an extension of the Hamilton Education Program, a classroom initiative that walks through Miranda’s Hamilton creation process and ends with students making and performing their own musical theatre pieces—including on the stage of the international hit production itself before a student matinee. With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping schools closed, the program allows students to be creative theatre artists while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Students who register will have access to mentorships that will help them create and perform their own narrative in the form of a song, rap, spoken word, or scene. Their pieces can be submitted for consideration upon completion, with 10 performances selected and shared each week on the Hamilton app, social media, and the GLI website.
#EduHam at Home is an extension of the Hamilton Education Program, a classroom initiative that walks through Miranda’s Hamilton creation process and ends with students making and performing their own musical theatre pieces—including on the stage of the international hit production itself before a student matinee. With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping schools closed, the program allows students to be creative theatre artists while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Students who register will have access to mentorships that will help them create and perform their own narrative in the form of a song, rap, spoken word, or scene. Their pieces can be submitted for consideration upon completion, with 10 performances selected and shared each week on the Hamilton app, social media, and the GLI website.
7 Big Issues for Unions and Districts in Remote Teaching Agreements
Education Week examined a dozen school districts’ memoranda of agreement or memoranda of understanding with their teachers’ associations. Seven distinct themes emerged.
1.) Work hours and teacher time. Time in teachers’ contracts is invariably in terms of hours, minutes, periods, and “preps.” Most of the MOUs alter this to specify a minimum of hours of interaction with students. They also generally expect teachers to set additional “office hours” in which to work with students one-on-one or respond to parents.
The Miami-Dade and Orange County districts in Florida specify a minimum of three hours for student interaction each day; Charlotte County, Fla., Los Angeles, and San Diego, Calif., a minimum of four hours each day. Boston specifies each teacher may be called to deliver up to 15 hours of live teaching and five hours of asynchronous teaching a week, but this time can also include staff meetings and PD. The East Helena district in Montana merely asks teachers to keep a log of their regular duty hours, with all of those expected to fill planning, instruction, and meetings...
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Companies Seek to Limit Legal Liability for Virus Infections
Associated Press
Business groups are pushing Congress to limit liability from potential lawsuits filed by workers and customers who were infected by the coronavirus.
As companies start planning their reopenings, business groups are pushing Congress to limit liability from potential lawsuits filed by workers and customers infected by the coronavirus.
They appear to have the White House's ear.
President Donald Trump has floated shielding businesses from lawsuits. His top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNBC last week that businesses shouldn't be held liable to trial lawyers “putting on false lawsuits that will probably be thrown out of court." He said the issue could require legislation, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the issue would be a priority when lawmakers return...
Teachers union: 'Scream bloody murder' if schools reopen against medical advice
The nation's two biggest teachers unions say they would consider strikes or major protests if schools reopen without the proper safety measures in place or against the advice of medical experts — raising the possibility of yet more school disruptions.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, previewing a reopening plan first with POLITICO, said funding is needed for a host of public health measures for schools, including personal protective equipment. Collective bargaining, strong enforcement of safety standards and protections from retaliation will be important for teachers and staff so they feel safe to speak up as schools try new approaches, she said...
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/28/teachers-unions-consider-strikes-protests-if-schools-reopen-against-medical-advice-215210
NY Teachers: The kind of testing schools really need: Better coronavirus screening is imperative if the nation’s largest public school system is to reopen in the fall
...Despite our members’ eagerness to return to their classrooms, we are going to insist that no one — student, teacher or family member — should be back in school until protections like these are in place.
Mulgrew is president of the city’s United Federation of Teachers.
California: Los Angeles Teachers RESPONSE TO EARLY SCHOOL YEAR AND REOPENING SCHOOLS
An early start to the school year in LA would have to be bargained between UTLA and the LA Unified School District, and there has been no discussion about doing so.
California has led the way on flattening the curve of this deadly pandemic by prioritizing people’s health and safety. As the fifth-largest economy in the world, our leaders understand that the economy should serve the people, and not the other way around. We urge our leaders to stay the course, and caution against prematurely lifting social distancing protections by opening schools in a way that would put students, teachers, and families at risk...
New, Free Family Website Subscription Provides Resources and Guidance for Remote Learning
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History one of the great archives of American History, is offering Free American history resources for e-learning. Missing history? Here is an opportunity for you.
In these months of remote learning, parents and family members, who are taking on the role of teacher while classroom teachers strive to construct meaningful remote lessons, need resources, advice, and guidance for their kids. We at the Gilder Lehrman Institute understand how challenging this can be. To help families and teachers through this difficult time, we are making available the best of what our organization has to offer in an as easily accessible a way as possible.
Register HERE in the PARENT role to get full FREE access to the Gilder Lehrman Institute website and to receive the latest updates on online programs and other resources we will be rolling out in the coming days and weeks.
These will include
In these months of remote learning, parents and family members, who are taking on the role of teacher while classroom teachers strive to construct meaningful remote lessons, need resources, advice, and guidance for their kids. We at the Gilder Lehrman Institute understand how challenging this can be. To help families and teachers through this difficult time, we are making available the best of what our organization has to offer in an as easily accessible a way as possible.
Register HERE in the PARENT role to get full FREE access to the Gilder Lehrman Institute website and to receive the latest updates on online programs and other resources we will be rolling out in the coming days and weeks.
These will include
- Study guides for the AP US History (APUSH) and other exams
- Lesson Plans, Primary Source Documents, Online Exhibitions featuring engaging images, and other content to enrich at-home learning, organized by time period and topic
- Lectures by major historians for parents and students in the video section of History Now
- Free access to the Hamilton Education Program Online, a program that is prepared to launch nationwide this fall in schools, which we are now adapting for home use
- Tips and ideas for teaching history at home in our Noteworthy section
- Access to the 70,000+ primary source document Gilder Lehrman Collection online
Seneca Valley High football team member alleges teammates raped him in 2018
A member of Seneca Valley High School’s 2018 junior varsity football team says in a lawsuit that teammates raped him in an unsupervised locker room and school officials didn’t do enough to prevent the attack. The allegations were made in a civil suit filed in March in Montgomery County Circuit Court on behalf of the student’s family.
The player says in the lawsuit that he was raped on Sept. 17, 2018 – about one month before four football players at Damascus High School were sexually assaulted by their teammates. The Damascus attack also allegedly happened in an unsupervised locker room...
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Juniors, Seniors Can Take Free NOVA Community College Classes
From Patch, by reporter Emily Leayman. Read the whole story here.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — While school closures cut the school year short for high school students, they can get a head start on college courses this summer. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is accepting applications from local high school students to take free summer classes and earn college credits through May 15. The JumpStart classes are available through federal stimulus funding.
Current juniors and seniors in participating school districts and private schools are eligible to sign up for one or two JumpStart classes. Participating school districts are Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Manassas City, Manassas Park City and Prince William County. Participating private schools are Paul VI, Christ Chapel, Fairfax Christian, Bishop Ireton and Wakefield School.
The six JumpStart courses will run between June 1 to July 15. According to NOVA, these six classes fulfill NOVA degree requirements and can be transferred to most colleges and universities. Course options include ITN 257 (Cloud Computing: Infrastructure and Services) MTH 154 (Quantitative Reasoning), ART 101 (History and Appreciation of Art), CST 110 (Introduction to Communication), ENG 111 (College Composition I), HIS 112 (World Civilization II). The course in cloud computing is offered in partnership with Amazon Web Services as a strategy to boost the local tech workforce.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — While school closures cut the school year short for high school students, they can get a head start on college courses this summer. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is accepting applications from local high school students to take free summer classes and earn college credits through May 15. The JumpStart classes are available through federal stimulus funding.
Current juniors and seniors in participating school districts and private schools are eligible to sign up for one or two JumpStart classes. Participating school districts are Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Manassas City, Manassas Park City and Prince William County. Participating private schools are Paul VI, Christ Chapel, Fairfax Christian, Bishop Ireton and Wakefield School.
The six JumpStart courses will run between June 1 to July 15. According to NOVA, these six classes fulfill NOVA degree requirements and can be transferred to most colleges and universities. Course options include ITN 257 (Cloud Computing: Infrastructure and Services) MTH 154 (Quantitative Reasoning), ART 101 (History and Appreciation of Art), CST 110 (Introduction to Communication), ENG 111 (College Composition I), HIS 112 (World Civilization II). The course in cloud computing is offered in partnership with Amazon Web Services as a strategy to boost the local tech workforce.
—In the initial reopening phases, schools should space desks six feet apart, nix any field trips and school assemblies, and have students eat lunch in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria.
CDC compiles new guidelines to help organizations reopen
@KateRyanWTOP · Dr. Karen Salmon @MdPublicSchools announces cancellation of sports programs for the remainder of the year during the MSDE Board meeting.
Dr. Karen Salmon @MdPublicSchools announces cancellation of sports programs for the remainder of the year during the MSDE Board meeting. Says a release is due out later today.— Kate Ryan (@KateRyanWTOP) April 28, 2020
Maryland Public Television @marylandpubtv Here’s our At-Home Learning programming schedule this week!
Here’s our At-Home Learning programming schedule this week!— Maryland Public Television (@marylandpubtv) April 27, 2020
Be sure to visit https://t.co/gCqAAc2wVv for our At-Home Learning Toolkit, filled with interactive learning resources, offline activities, and tips for teachers and parents alike! pic.twitter.com/UWVnnV67rO
Monday, April 27, 2020
@MdPublicSchools · FYI: Maryland State Board of Education Meets via Teleconference tomorrow, April 28. Tune in at 11 tomorrow!
#FYI: Maryland State Board of Education Meets via Teleconference tomorrow, April 28. Tune in at 11 tomorrow!— MdPublicSchools (@MdPublicSchools) April 27, 2020
For additional details please visit: https://t.co/STJpD8qXz5 pic.twitter.com/MQM09NjTGg
Letter grades get erased from school, with little consensus on how to replace them
More than a month later, the issue is still being debated in suburban Montgomery County, as leaders in the state’s largest school system — like leaders across the region and country — grapple with how grades fit into the unprecedented and imperfect world of online education.
There’s little consensus beyond the need to abandon the status quo. Some districts have ditched traditional letter grades for at least the fourth quarter. Some have opted for credit or no credit. Some say any grades given during remote learning should only boost a student’s academic standing, not diminish it...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-county-grades-coronavirus/2020/04/25/7bbfd8ce-7b3d-11ea-b6ff-597f170df8f8_story.html?fbclid=IwAR3NOu-HS1ry4grol9MXQrgzDkplApyhNygyprmsTgfbpRYN3niQyZ9JCyU
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-county-grades-coronavirus/2020/04/25/7bbfd8ce-7b3d-11ea-b6ff-597f170df8f8_story.html?fbclid=IwAR3NOu-HS1ry4grol9MXQrgzDkplApyhNygyprmsTgfbpRYN3niQyZ9JCyU
Sunday, April 26, 2020
"... it seems too much of a coincidence not to be a manifestation of the virus for patients in their teens and 20s,”"
‘COVID Toes’: Mysterious Skin Condition Could be Linked to Coronavirus, Derms Say
Cases of a mysterious skin condition that causes purple, blue or red discoloration in toes and occasionally fingers are popping up around the country, according to Northwestern doctors, leading some dermatologists to wonder if it may be connected to coronavirus.
Dr. Amy Paller, a dermatologist for Northwestern Medicine, said she has seen images of roughly 30 cases of the condition, dubbed by dermatologists as "COVID toes."
Though Paller said testing is still needed to determine what exactly is causing the condition, the timing is hard to ignore.
“We don’t know for sure if it’s related to COVID-19, but when it’s so common right now during a pandemic and is occurring in otherwise asymptomatic or mildly affected patients, it seems too much of a coincidence not to be a manifestation of the virus for patients in their teens and 20s,”..
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying from strokes
Doctors sound alarm about patients in their 30s and 40s left debilitated or dead. Some didn’t even know they were infected.
...The man was among several recent stroke patients in their 30s to 40s who were all infected with the coronavirus. The median age for that type of severe stroke is 74.
As Oxley, an interventional neurologist, began the procedure to remove the clot, he observed something he had never seen before. On the monitors, the brain typically shows up as a tangle of black squiggles — “like a can of spaghetti,” he said — that provide a map of blood vessels. A clot shows up as a blank spot. As he used a needlelike device to pull out the clot, he saw new clots forming in real-time around it...
Friday, April 24, 2020
'They're killing us.' School break-ins up 100% in Montgomery Co. over this time last year
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (ABC7) — School break-ins are up 100 percent in Montgomery County when compared to this time last year, Montgomery County Police Department statistics show.
Between January 1 and April 30, 2019, eight schools were burglarized across Montgomery County. Yet, between January 1 and April 16 of this year, there have been 16 school burglaries.
Police data shows 62.5 percent of the 2020 school break-ins have taken place between March 1 and April 16. Authorities believe COVID-19 boredom is a primary culprit for the increase.
"A lot of it is juveniles thinking this is a cool thing to do, and it's just not," said Capt. Tom Jordan, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Police Department. "People just having too much time on their hands."..
NEW: School break-ins are up 100% in MoCo when compared to this time last year, police department statistics show.— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) April 24, 2020
Between Jan. 1, and April 30, 2019, eight schools were burglarized across MoCo.
Between Jan. 1, and April 16, of this year, there have been 16 school burglaries. pic.twitter.com/owfaFKtHfd
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Deasy out at SUSD
See previous posts on John Deasy, former PG County Superintendent on this blog including this article: http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2014/08/npr-investigation-by-member-station.html
****
The Stockton Unified School District Board of Education voted 4-3 in favor of accepting the resignation of superintendent John Deasy after a special meeting Tuesday.
****
The Stockton Unified School District Board of Education voted 4-3 in favor of accepting the resignation of superintendent John Deasy after a special meeting Tuesday.
Voting in favor of dismissing Deasy were board president Kathy Garcia, board vice president Maria Mendez, Cecilia Mendez and Scott McBrian. Voting no were Candelaria Vargas, Lange Luntao and Angel Ann Flores.
After opening the meeting and listening to 20 minutes of public comments sent to the district via email, the seven-member board went into closed session and announced their decision after about 90 minutes of discussion...
https://www.recordnet.com/news/20200421/deasy-out-at-susd
https://www.recordnet.com/news/20200421/deasy-out-at-susd
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Police in Northern Virginia arrest 30 for soliciting minors
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — An online sting operation in Northern Virginia has resulted in the arrests of 30 men charged with trolling the internet to solicit sex from minors, authorities said Tuesday.
Fairfax County Police called the sting Operation COVID Crackdown. They said school closures and stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus have increased children’s online presence and their vulnerability to exploitation along with it.
Police said Tuesday the men who were arrested went online to initiate explicit conversations and solicit sex from police officers posing as children. Each of the suspects agreed to meet their targets in person at specified locations. Detectives arrested the men when they showed up...
https://wtop.com/local/2020/04/police-in-northern-virginia-arrest-30-for-soliciting-minors/
https://wtop.com/local/2020/04/police-in-northern-virginia-arrest-30-for-soliciting-minors/
Online learning brings report card changes to Montgomery County schools
Maryland’s largest school system will have a new grading system for students in the final quarter of this school year.
In a letter Sunday, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith announced that regular letter-grade report cards for the third quarter of the school year are scheduled to go to homes in the mail, starting next week.
Students will be graded as usual for the third marking period, which ends April 27...
Autopsies find first U.S. coronavirus death occurred in early February, weeks earlier than previously thought
Initially, the nation’s earliest coronavirus fatality was believed to have occurred on Feb. 29, in Kirkland, Wash., a suburb of Seattle that rapidly became a hotspot. In March, health officials there linked two Feb. 26 deaths to covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus.
The Santa Clara County fatalities push the earliest coronavirus-related fatality back by weeks, with the new findings potentially altering the timeline of the U.S. outbreak...
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
@HISTORY · Apr 20 We are proud to announce HISTORY At Home - a special collection of free educational videos and at-home activities for parents and kids.
We are proud to announce HISTORY At Home - a special collection of free educational videos and at-home activities for parents and kids. A new video lesson will be posted on Mon, Wed and Fri at 11:00am(ET)/8:00am(PT) along with an activity plan to complete at home. #HISTORYAtHome pic.twitter.com/JRbRWO4AV2— HISTORY (@HISTORY) April 20, 2020
Monday, April 20, 2020
Jack Smith contract litigation from Calvert County. Now Smith is withholding $800K Contract Term from MoCo Board of Ed.
Let's review what happened when Jack R. Smith was the Superintendent of Calvert County Public Schools.
SoMdNews Online
March 5, 2015
...Members of the Calvert board of education claim they were unaware of the executive team contracts held between the employees and Smith and said because the contracts were signed with Smith and not the board, the provisions stated in the contract were not to be extended past the June 30, 2013, date...
SoMdNewsOnlineSeptember 2, 2015
...At the end of the 2013 school year, Smith announced his resignation as Calvert’s superintendent of schools to become chief academic officer for the state. In the following months, some Calvert County Board of Education members uncovered the amount of money Smith was permitted to take from the school system in comprehensive benefits.While Smith’s contracts paid him an annual base salary of $169,000, his total compensation was upward of $300,000 in his last year as superintendent. Smith said the additional income was due to benefits, including life and health insurance coverage that will continue for life for him and his wife, paid by the Calvert school system and approved by the previous school board.Smith also was permitted to cash in annual sick leave he hadn’t used. Though Smith’s salary remained at $169,000, his take-home amounts increased each year.Smith also had granted similar contracts to his executive team members. Many Calvert school board members, including current board member Kelly McConkey, were not aware of these contracts.“I couldn’t believe somebody could do what they did and be promoted to a position of importance like that,”..
Now, here we are in 2020, in the beginning of a global pandemic where schools are closed and the public is not allowed to attend public meetings.
****************
Now let's look at what is happening this week in Montgomery County Public Schools.
- Tomorrow the Montgomery County Board of Education will be given a MEMORANDUM that purports to detail a CONTRACT.
- The Board of Education is to vote on the CONTRACT without ever actually seeing it.
- Based on the years of litigation generated in Calvert County by then Superintendent Jack Smith's signing of contracts one would think that Superintendent Smith would be providing Montgomery County Board of Education members with the actual CONTRACTS that they are voting on. But that won't happen tomorrow, April 21, 2020.
On April 21, 2020, the Montgomery County Board of Education will vote to spend up to $800,000 for an artificial turf football field for the City of Gaithersburg without even knowing it.
Here is the MEMORANDUM that Superintendent Jack R. Smith is presenting to the Montgomery County Board of Education:
 |
| Jack Smith Memo to Board of Ed. |
But here is the ACTUAL CONTRACT that Superintendent Jack Smith has sent to the City of Gaithersburg.
The Parents' Coalition has obtained the actual document and made it public.
The Parents' Coalition has obtained the actual document and made it public.
In the actual Contract it says that the City of Gaithersburg shall construct a field of THEIR choice, either artificial turf or natural grass. The Contract says that if the City of Gaithersburg builds an artificial turf field then the Board of Education shall reimburse the City for up to $800,000 for the design and construction of an artificial turf field.
On April 21, 2020, the Montgomery County Board of Education will unknowingly vote to spend $800,000 on a luxury item for the City of Gaithersburg, meanwhile children in Montgomery County are out of school, missing meals and families are in crisis.
Friday, April 17, 2020
@KateRyanWTOP Dr Salmon extends closure of schools til May 15th.
Dr Salmon extends closure of schools til May 15th.— Kate Ryan (@KateRyanWTOP) April 17, 2020
BREAKING: DC mayor announces that DC Public Schools and public charter schools will not reopen this school year.
BREAKING: DC mayor announces that DC Public Schools and public charter schools will not reopen this school year.— Tom Roussey (@tomrousseyABC7) April 17, 2020
Distance learning will continue, but they will close the public school year early on May 29.
@pgcps school board voted to make Financial Literacy a graduation requirement starting 2023-24 school year!
Tonight the @pgcps school board voted to make Financial Literacy a graduation requirement starting 2023-24 school year! Such an essential topic for young adults. @fox5dc— Lindsay Watts (@LindsayAWatts) April 16, 2020
CCFC: Screen-Free Saturdays
Unplug to recharge! You’re invited to Screen-Free Saturdays: one day of the week, every week to turn off our devices in favor of connection, reflection, and quality time during quarantine and social distancing.
Take the pledge to go screen-free on Saturdays! When you do, you’ll join our community of thousands of parents and professionals who are navigating this unprecedented time as all of us use screens more than ever. You’ll receive our weekly emails, encouragement, and tips for success, plus invitations for webinars and additional resources from CCFC and our Children’s Screen Time Action Network.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Emergency! MCPS MUST Agree to Fund up to $800K for City of Gaithersburg Artificial Turf Right Now!
The Gaithersburg City Council website says that the City Council is only holding meetings that are ESSENTIAL.
Therefore, it must be essential and urgent that the City Council approve an agreement with the Montgomery County Board of Education that hasn't even been made public yet.
The Parents' Coalition has obtained a copy of the "deal" that the Gaithersburg City Council will be approving on Monday, April 20, 2020, and we have made it public below.
The "deal" is to give away City parkland to the Board of Education in exchange for the Board of Education agreeing to pay up to $800,000 for the installation of an artificial turf field at the same location.
 |
| As of today, the Agenda for Monday is empty. |
Never mind that the Board of Education has an entire, UNUSED public school site nearby, the Board of Education only wants City of Gaithersburg parkland for a new elementary school.
Never mind that the County (and the world) are in the middle of a global pandemic.
Never mind that County budgets are in crisis.
The Montgomery County Board of Education ignores the current fiscal crisis and says,
Why use free, paid for land when you can take away City parkland and agree to pay up to $800,000 for
another artificial turf football field?
College Board says there will be a digital SAT this fall if schools don't reopen
(CNN)With health officials still unsure how long the coronavirus pandemic will persist in the US, students across the country have received little insight on when they'll be back in class.
If schools haven't reopened by the fall, students will be able to take the SAT from home, the not-for-profit that administers the test said Wednesday.
The news follows an earlier announcement by the organization that said Advanced Placement (AP) exams would also be taken digitally by students this spring.
"As with at-home AP Exams, the College Board would ensure that at-home SAT testing is simple; secure and fair; accessible to all; and valid for use in college admissions," the organization said in a statement.
At least 3 million students will be taking their AP exams online, the College Board said...
Advocates Worldwide Call to Protect Children from Edtech Exploitation
LONDON / BOSTON - Today, 33 human rights and consumer groups from all over the world called on governments and the education sector to protect children from commercial exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An estimated 90% of the world’s student population are affected by school closures. The signatories — organized by Defend digital me and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) — recognise that technology is playing a vital role worldwide in supporting learning and the delivery of school-home communication.
In a joint statement, the advocacy groups propose actions to make sure that this global rush to deliver emergency instruction online does not undermine children’s rights, with lasting effects long after lockdowns are over.
The groups ask data protection authorities to co-operate globally to publish guidelines, monitor practice, and enforce compliance of e-learning platforms, children’s apps and other edtech. They urge policymakers to consider the impacts of the use of digital tools; to conduct and publish children’s rights’ and data protection impact assessments; and to ensure that staff, children, and families are given training with regard to privacy and security.
The coalition calls on decision makers to take responsibility for any products they procure or recommend, and to require companies to demonstrate that they uphold children’s rights as recognised by the United Nations, and offer a secure space for all children to access knowledge without commercial interference.
Jen Persson, Director, defenddigitalme:
“Making rights’ respecting choices now, and for our children’s future, depends on cooperation across the whole sector; and understanding for the local and international frameworks of law. This unplanned crisis is pushing schools in particular to free products, whose business models often rely on opaque ways of exploiting something else for profit: pupil or staff personal data, or advertising in-app products to children or parents. Privacy is not only a right we must protect, it is a practical necessity to the development and adoption of responsible online technology, for the good of society, and for keeping children safe.”
“Making rights’ respecting choices now, and for our children’s future, depends on cooperation across the whole sector; and understanding for the local and international frameworks of law. This unplanned crisis is pushing schools in particular to free products, whose business models often rely on opaque ways of exploiting something else for profit: pupil or staff personal data, or advertising in-app products to children or parents. Privacy is not only a right we must protect, it is a practical necessity to the development and adoption of responsible online technology, for the good of society, and for keeping children safe.”
Josh Golin, Executive Director, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood:
“It’s inspiring how families and educators have stepped up to keep kids learning in this most difficult time. But we cannot trample children’s other critical rights in the rush to provide remote learning. Tech companies should not be allowed to use this crisis to mine even more of children’s sensitive data or to expose students to marketing messages masquerading as lessons.”
“It’s inspiring how families and educators have stepped up to keep kids learning in this most difficult time. But we cannot trample children’s other critical rights in the rush to provide remote learning. Tech companies should not be allowed to use this crisis to mine even more of children’s sensitive data or to expose students to marketing messages masquerading as lessons.”
Groups signing today’s letter were: Defend digital me; Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood; Access Now; Aspiration; Badass Teachers Association; Berkeley Media Studies Group; Biometrics-in-Schools; Bolo Bhi; Child Rights International Network (CRIN); Consumer Action; Consumer Federation of America; Corporate Accountability; Digital Rights Foundation; EDRi (European Digital Rights); Educadigital Institute - Open Education Initiative; Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) Inc.; Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC); El Instituto Panameño de Derecho y Nuevas TecnologÃas (IPANDETEC); Instituto Alana; New Dream; Obligation, Inc.; Open Rights Group; Parent Coalition for Student Privacy; Parents Across America; Parents Together; P.E.A.C.E. (Peace Educators Allied For Children Everywhere); Privacy International; Privacy Salon; Public Citizen; Public Knowledge; TEDIC (The Association of Technology, Education, Development, Research, Communication); TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Childhood Entertainment); and Women Leading in AI Network.
Read the coalition’s letter here.
Fairfax Co. schools cancel online classes for the week for ‘necessary updates’
Amid widespread technical issues preventing students from accessing distance learning tools, Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia announced Wednesday that all teacher-led instruction has been canceled for the week in order to make necessary updates.
The school system and Blackboard, the county’s online learning provider, believe they have identified the root cause of the connectivity problems and that they involve a software issue...
NYT: What's the Best Material for a Masks? "A 100 percent cotton bandanna did the worst..."
Scientists are testing everyday items to find the best protection from coronavirus. Pillow cases, flannel pajamas and origami vacuum bags are all candidates.
...To test everyday materials, scientists are using methods similar to those used to test medical masks, which everybody agrees should be saved for medical workers who are exposed to high doses of virus from seeing infected patients. The best medical mask — called the N95 respirator — filters out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns. By comparison, a typical surgical mask — made using a rectangular piece of pleated fabric with elastic ear loops — has a filtration efficiency ranging from 60 to 80 percent.
Dr. Wang’s group tested two types of air filters. An allergy-reduction HVAC filter worked the best, capturing 89 percent of particles with one layer and 94 percent with two layers. A furnace filter captured 75 percent with two layers, but required six layers to achieve 95 percent. To find a filter similar to those tested, look for a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating of 12 or higher or a microparticle performance rating of 1900 or higher.
The problem with air filters is that they potentially could shed small fibers that would be risky to inhale. So if you want to use a filter, you need to sandwich the filter between two layers of cotton fabric. Dr. Wang said one of his grad students made his own mask by following the instructions in the C.D.C. video, but adding several layers of filter material inside a bandanna.
Dr. Wang’s group also found that when certain common fabrics were used, two layers offered far less protection than four layers. A 600 thread count pillow case captured just 22 percent of particles when doubled, but four layers captured nearly 60 percent. A thick woolen yarn scarf filtered 21 percent of particles in two layers, and 48.8 percent in four layers. A 100 percent cotton bandanna did the worst, capturing only 18.2 percent when doubled, and just 19.5 percent in four layers...
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