and the text of the directive, which is effective immediately:https://t.co/kPNtrIeN9k— Kate Ryan (@KateRyanWTOP) August 1, 2020
Friday, July 31, 2020
Kate Ryan @KateRyanWTOP · Montgomery County's Health Officer directs private and independent schools remain closed to in-person instruction until October 1st.
Montgomery Co. private schools ordered to remain closed for in-person instruction
Nonpublic schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, are ordered to remain closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1.
County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles announced the health directive to be effective immediately, citing the need to protect the safety of parents, students and teachers amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the order.
“At this point the data does not suggest that in-person instruction is safe for students or teachers,” Gayles said in a statement...
Online Predator Complaints Spike During Pandemic
...“We have to be parents and stronger parents than ever,” Montgomery County Council of PTA’s Safe Technology subcommittee chair Lisa Cline said.
“I urge parents be totally aware of age restrictions on social media,” Cline said. “If you’re under 13, you really can’t be on them for liability purposes. I always advise parents to postpone any purchase of a personal mobile device. No smartphone until eighth grade.”
“Kids have a lot of curiosity,” she said. “If they’re going to the internet for answers, they’ll get some answers that are wrong, terrifying and scarring.”..
Thursday, July 30, 2020
WTOP Exclusive: ‘They don’t care’ — Rodents, crowding, maintenance problems in a Montgomery County school
One of the elementary schools with one of the highest minority populations in Maryland’s Montgomery County has been plagued with overcrowding, collapsing ceilings, overheating and other problems for years, say parents, activists and educators. One teacher shared video of vermin running around her classroom at night. And scheduled fixes, already years off, have been postponed.
In this story only on WTOP, those problems have some parents claiming race is involved. At the same time, county officials, including a Black council member, deny the charge and say help is on the way, and the president of the PTA recently said, “I don’t believe anything they actually have to say.”
At South Lake Elementary School, on Contour Road in Gaithersburg, the students are more than 90% either Black or Latino. More than 90% have received free meals through the county’s FARMS program...
...LaDuca also described dead mice on the classroom floor, along with rodent droppings in student lunch bins and torn-up shreds of school materials.
Dr. Barton Behravesh, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a rodent infestation is “definitely a concern for children’s health and something that needs to be addressed.” He added, “Any school that has a rodent problem of any level should take that seriously.”..
...“If this were a restaurant,” she said, “it would’ve been shut down.”..
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
The Public Information Act Compliance Board will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting at 10:30 am on July 29 as an on-line Microsoft Teams Live event. The Public is invited to attend.
The Public Information Act Compliance Board will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting at 10:30 am on July 29 as an on-line Microsoft Teams Live event. The Public is invited to attend.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Ms. Janice Clark (at piaopengov@oag.state.md.us or jclark@oag.state.md.us) NO LATER THAN July 28 so that we may send you the link to participate.
The meeting agenda will be posted when it is available.
If you are interested in receiving email notifications about future meetings of the PIACB, please contact Janice Clark at piaopengov@oag.state.md.us.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Florida coronavirus: A 9-year-old girl is the state's youngest Covid-19 victim
From CNN. Reporters Denise Royal and Rosa Flores. Full story here.
A 9-year-old girl with no known underlying health conditions is the youngest person to die from coronavirus complications in Florida, officials said.
Kimora "Kimmie" Lynum died on July 18 in Putnam County, according to Florida Department of Health records. It confirmed her identity and said she's the state's youngest coronavirus fatality.
She had no pre-existing health issues and her mother took her to the hospital due to a high fever, said family spokesman Dejeon Cain. The hospital sent her home and she collapsed a short time later, Cain said.
Friday, July 24, 2020
NPR: How one community college is grappling with the pandemic, reckoning on race
How will the fall of 2020 look for students, families and schools as the pandemic reshapes the education landscape? Community colleges, which educate about 40 percent of U.S. undergraduates, were already stretched thin. Now, their enrollment is expected to increase as students and workers change their plans. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how Maryland’s Montgomery College and its students are coping.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-1-community-college-is-grappling-with-the-pandemic-reckoning-on-race
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-1-community-college-is-grappling-with-the-pandemic-reckoning-on-race
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Reopening Schools Is Way Harder Than It Should Be
The pressure has mounted as school districts have made it clear that they can do no such thing. Across the country — including in Phoenix, Houston and a huge chunk of California, where coronavirus cases are rapidly rising — schools are preparing their students and staffs for a continuation of the “remote learning” that began in the spring. In New York City and Chicago, where the virus is more under control, schools are moving toward a hybrid option with remote learning some days, in-person school others. Even in places like Detroit and Memphis, where districts plan to offer in-person school for those who want it, local leaders could change course if virus cases rise; they also have yet to figure out what to do if too many worried teachers or students opt out.
Outrage over schools’ inability to fully reopen should not, of course, be directed at schools themselves, but at the public health failure that makes it impossible for most of them to do so. The consequences of closed or half-open schools, meanwhile, are far vaster than the brutal economic challenge facing working parents and their employers. That’s because schools do much more than provide child care. They provide education, fundamentally. But as the pandemic has made clear, they also provide meals, social connection and health services.
Meeting any one of these needs in normal times through a single institution is a struggle. Add in an out-of-control pandemic that multiplied the number of children who are not getting enough to eat to 14 million, made in-person teaching a health gamble and threw off the learning trajectory of every child in America — all while creating huge projected budget shortfalls for schools — and you have a “train wreck,” said David K. Cohen, a visiting professor of education at Harvard...
How to Reopen the Economy Without Killing Teachers and Parents
More than 140,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, and there are growing outbreaks in many states. No other developed nation has sent children back to school with the virus at these levels. Data about transmission in classrooms is limited. Many teachers have health risks and are understandably afraid to return. The safest course would be for kindergartners through 12th graders to continue with online courses in the fall.
But what about the millions of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds whose homes are not conducive to online learning and who rely on schools for meals? And what about parents who cannot work from home and watch over them?
The Trump administration is pressing schools to provide full-time in-person classes. But schools can’t open five days a week for all students while meeting the six-foot social distancing guidelines. Many are contemplating alternating in-class and online learning. How will such a system help parents, kids and businesses get back to a normal schedule — a pressing need at a time when 51 million Americans are unemployed?..
Some Students Should Go to School, Most Should Stay Home
THE PROBLEM...
DC-Area Families Form ‘Pandemic Pods' to Supplement Online Learning
<script type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" src="https://nbcwashington.com/portableplayer/?CID=1:14:2368240&videoID=1766648387818&origin=nbcwashington.com&fullWidth=y"></script>
Planning School Grounds for Outdoor Learning
Cheryl Wagner and Douglas Gordon, Hon. AIA
October 2010
Almost every K–12 school has at least some outdoor
space that faculty could use (or already do) to breathe
life into concepts learned in the classroom. Even within
tight urban settings, many schools have had success
using rooftops to install safe and secure play and garden
areas. Research shows that students better absorb and
retain math, science, language arts, and other skills that
incorporate their immediate environment and use all five
senses (Lieberman and Hoody 1998). A more recent
study has linked outdoor play to stronger social skills
and increased creative development (Miller, Tichota, and
White 2009). These positive educational impacts are
especially strong when outdoor activities are an integral
part of the structured curriculum (Learning through
Landscapes 2008). Once we accept that education
naturally occurs both indoors and out, the term "outdoor
learning" will begin to seem as strange as the neverused "indoor learning."..
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Washington State Analysis: Schools are not islands: we must mitigate community transmission to reopen schools
Jamie Cohen, Dina Mistry, Cliff Kerr, Mike Famulare, and Daniel Klein
1
Reviewed by: Mandy Izzo, Jen Schripsema, and Kate Davidson
Institute for Disease Modeling, Bellevue, Washington, covid@idmod.org
Results as of July 13, 2020 5:00 p.m.
What do we already know?
School closures in Washington State were announced on March 12
th
, 2020 and have contributed to
reducing transmission of COVID-19. However, there remains uncertainty around the impact of school
reopenings on overall transmission. Schools across the state (and nation) are currently considering
strategies for reopening in the fall, including the use of cloth face coverings, physical distancing in
schools, daily syndromic screening, and classroom or school cohorting.
What does this report add?
We applied our agent-based model, Covasim, to simulate specific strategies for school reopenings as
well as changing transmission at workplaces and in the community. We calibrated the model to King
County data provided by the Washington State Department of Health, including daily counts of the
number of tests, diagnoses and deaths in 10-year age bins until June 15
th
. While we fit the epidemic
data well, we do not capture the more recent increase in cases that have occurred subsequent to this
period.
We compared six alternative strategies for school reopening, including changes in the contact
structure of schools, the usage of face masks and other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and
the implementation of screening, testing and contact tracing of students and teachers. We found that
school reopenings with no countermeasures may lead to a doubling of the COVID attack rate in the
population over the first three months of the school year, but that a combination of mask usage,
physical distancing, hygiene measures, classroom cohorting, and symptomatic screening, testing and
tracing of students and teachers may be able to effectively reduce or even mitigate epidemic spread,
depending upon the level of community transmission in the model.
For example, if the workplace and community return to 70% of pre-COVID mobility by the time
schools reopen, which we estimate represents a five percentage point increase from activity in
mid-June, with ongoing testing and contact tracing, the use of masks, physical distancing,
appropriate hygiene measures, classroom cohorting, and symptomatic screening in schools may be
able to reduce the community-wide effective reproductive number to 1. This strategy would use 70
diagnostic COVID tests per 1,000 students over the first three months of the school term...
@GovLarryHogan · Today at 5 p.m., I’ll be joined by @MdPublicSchools Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon for a press conference.
Today at 5 p.m., I’ll be joined by @MdPublicSchools Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon for a press conference.— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) July 22, 2020
Watch live here on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube (live captioning available): https://t.co/SpiiKV93e2 pic.twitter.com/hpQebZIvUe
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
MCPS To Provide Virtual-Only Learning for First Semester
Plan to be reassessed in November 2020 for Second Semester
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff:
I am writing to provide an important update on our Fall 2020 recovery plans. MCPS has been working closely with county and state health officials on the potential reopening of schools. Yesterday (July 20), we received additional guidance from Dr. Travis Gayles, county health officer, in which he shared that “based upon the current state of surveillance and epidemiological data, I would not recommend in-person instruction for students inside school buildings at this time. I recommend investing in a virtual instruction model until, at earliest, the completion of the first quarter in November, with consideration for virtual instruction through the first semester.” As I have shared previously, our plan has always envisioned starting in a virtual-only model. However, given this updated guidance, the safest choice for our district is to remain in a virtual-only instructional model through the first semester—January 29, 2021; or until state and local health officials determine conditions in our county allow for students to return safely after the first semester. This decision includes the cancellation of all fall and winter sports. Working with Dr. Gayles and county elected officials, we will reassess at the end of the first quarter (November 9, 2020) to determine if we are able to implement a phased blended model in the second semester (beginning February 1, 2021). We will continue to engage with our community as we continue to navigate this incredibly complex situation.
We anticipate that Governor Larry Hogan and Dr. Karen Salmon, state superintendent of schools, will also provide an update on the state’s recovery plan for schools this week. We will review their guidance and make all necessary adjustments to align our plans.
We continue to explore creative ways to support students receiving special services and families with significant challenges in accessing curriculum through a virtual model. We also know that this decision to extend virtual instruction will significantly impact the work schedules of many parents in our county. We are seeking the ability to allow buildings to remain open in a limited capacity for essential purposes, including meal service; to support access to technology and other materials; and for use by some child care providers.
On August 6, 2020, we will provide an updated plan to the Board of Education. This update will reflect adjustments stemming from changes in guidance from local health officials and the important feedback we’ve received from students, staff and the community. The Board of Education will vote on this plan at that time.
We are building on what we learned during the spring to provide a robust and dynamic virtual learning experience for our students. Our staff is being provided additional professional development to enhance their instructional abilities in a virtual model; we have put systems in place to ensure all students have access to digital devices and access to the internet when they are away from school buildings; and we are building in additional time for student support and learning opportunities. We are also streamlining digital tools and platforms to make it easier for our students, staff and families to engage in teaching and learning.
Our students are the heart of what we do and why we exist. There is no doubt in my mind that we all want what’s best for students. This decision is incredibly difficult as we know how much students need school for their academic success and social-emotional well-being. We take the immense responsibility of ensuring staff and student safety, educating our students and creating opportunities for all seriously. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work together to meet the needs of our students, staff and families.
Sincerely,
Jack R. Smith, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
I am writing to provide an important update on our Fall 2020 recovery plans. MCPS has been working closely with county and state health officials on the potential reopening of schools. Yesterday (July 20), we received additional guidance from Dr. Travis Gayles, county health officer, in which he shared that “based upon the current state of surveillance and epidemiological data, I would not recommend in-person instruction for students inside school buildings at this time. I recommend investing in a virtual instruction model until, at earliest, the completion of the first quarter in November, with consideration for virtual instruction through the first semester.” As I have shared previously, our plan has always envisioned starting in a virtual-only model. However, given this updated guidance, the safest choice for our district is to remain in a virtual-only instructional model through the first semester—January 29, 2021; or until state and local health officials determine conditions in our county allow for students to return safely after the first semester. This decision includes the cancellation of all fall and winter sports. Working with Dr. Gayles and county elected officials, we will reassess at the end of the first quarter (November 9, 2020) to determine if we are able to implement a phased blended model in the second semester (beginning February 1, 2021). We will continue to engage with our community as we continue to navigate this incredibly complex situation.
We anticipate that Governor Larry Hogan and Dr. Karen Salmon, state superintendent of schools, will also provide an update on the state’s recovery plan for schools this week. We will review their guidance and make all necessary adjustments to align our plans.
We continue to explore creative ways to support students receiving special services and families with significant challenges in accessing curriculum through a virtual model. We also know that this decision to extend virtual instruction will significantly impact the work schedules of many parents in our county. We are seeking the ability to allow buildings to remain open in a limited capacity for essential purposes, including meal service; to support access to technology and other materials; and for use by some child care providers.
On August 6, 2020, we will provide an updated plan to the Board of Education. This update will reflect adjustments stemming from changes in guidance from local health officials and the important feedback we’ve received from students, staff and the community. The Board of Education will vote on this plan at that time.
We are building on what we learned during the spring to provide a robust and dynamic virtual learning experience for our students. Our staff is being provided additional professional development to enhance their instructional abilities in a virtual model; we have put systems in place to ensure all students have access to digital devices and access to the internet when they are away from school buildings; and we are building in additional time for student support and learning opportunities. We are also streamlining digital tools and platforms to make it easier for our students, staff and families to engage in teaching and learning.
Our students are the heart of what we do and why we exist. There is no doubt in my mind that we all want what’s best for students. This decision is incredibly difficult as we know how much students need school for their academic success and social-emotional well-being. We take the immense responsibility of ensuring staff and student safety, educating our students and creating opportunities for all seriously. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work together to meet the needs of our students, staff and families.
Sincerely,
Jack R. Smith, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
No-Cost Home Testing in Montgomery County in highly impacted zip codes
For zip code areas that have been especially hard hit by Covid-19, Montgomery County is providing home-based COVID-19 tests at no cost.
For complete info, go to this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18jxq35Iv8-PomWXlpaxzIBX8QKR75U7Y/view?usp=sharing
To access this service, email the following information to C19TestingRequest@montgomerycountymd.gov:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18jxq35Iv8-PomWXlpaxzIBX8QKR75U7Y/view?usp=sharing
1. Referral category met (one or more of the following):
- a) Live in geographic areas highly impacted by COVID-19 (20850, 20874, 20877, 20886, 20901, 20902, 20903, 20904, 20906, or 20910)
- b) Are members of population groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19
- c) Are homebound or facing significant barriers to accessing community COVID-19 testing
- d) Have complex or unique household situations in which home-based COVID-19 testing would be more effective than community COVID-19 testing
- Preferred time window for home visit (between 10 am- 1 pm OR 1 pm – 4 pm):
- Household Point of Contact First & Last Name:
- Household Point of Contact Phone Number:
- Household Point of Contact Email Address:
- Household Address:
- Language Need(s), if applicable:
- # of Adults (18+ years) in Household:
- # of children (0 – 17 yrs.) in Household:
- Anything else the Rapid Response Team should be aware of (special needs; symptomatic, positive or presumed positive COVID-19 cases to allow team to prepare accordingly; special directions for getting to the home, etc.)
Please note this service is for conducting medical services visits in individual households only; not nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, or shelters.
Baltimore Sun: Officials Seek Return of Restrictions [Montgomery Co. Signed on to Letter to State]
...renewed restrictions on bars, restaurants and other establishments...
https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-hs-covid-numbers-rising-20200720-cayn6fjf5zhjxjzt4jmair4k2e-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-hs-covid-numbers-rising-20200720-cayn6fjf5zhjxjzt4jmair4k2e-story.html
Monday, July 20, 2020
Friday, July 17, 2020
Kids face greater online risks with COVID-19; will Congress act?
When schools closed down this spring, our kids’ education and social lives shifted online. Tech companies now have more influence than ever before over children’s lives, but too many platforms haven’t been designed with kids’ safety and wellbeing in mind, and the harms are mounting.
Perhaps most disturbing is the surge in reports of online child sexual abuse in recent months. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 4 million such reports in April — an increase of nearly 3 million from April 2019. The FBI issued a warning to parents in March, and the Los Angeles Times reported that law enforcement officials in L.A. were “overwhelmed in recent months by a surge in tips about online child sex abuse, with social media platforms and other service providers flagging explicit content and suspicious interactions at an alarming rate.” Some sexual predators are even seizing on the opportunity, circulating a “handbook” on the dark web for how to exploit children online during the pandemic...
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Howard County Public Schools will have 'fully virtual' first semester
During a Thursday night meeting, the Howard County Board of Education approved the virtual first semester, which will run from Sept. 8 through Jan. 28, 2021.
Staff will finalize and submit the HCPSS plan to the Maryland State Department of Education for approval, which is due by Aug. 14.
Fall planning continues to be grounded in equity and guided by three primary priorities:
- Safety and well-being for students and staff.
- High-quality instruction for all students.
- Resource availability, including funding...
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Montgomery County schools mull ‘not great’ return options, address sex assault claims
The exact plan for the 2020-21 school year in Montgomery County, Maryland, remains in question, but the school board set a date for when more details will become available.
In a Wednesday media briefing, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith said “there are not great options” for a return to school buildings in the fall...
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Monday, July 13, 2020
Know the options: Here’s how to pick an online school next year
From the Sun Sentinel. Reporter Lois K. Solomon. Full story here.
South Florida school options are diminishing almost daily. The pressure is mounting on parents to figure out how to make sure their kids get a quality education next year.
Palm Beach County schools will likely offer online-only instruction when the school year starts Aug. 10. Miami-Dade schools are also planning virtual-only learning to open the school year Aug. 24. Broward will make a decision on how to open schools in the coming weeks.
So what else is out there? There are private schools, some of which already have announced they will reopen for in-person classes, and charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed.
Then there are the public online schools that have been around for years, including Florida Virtual School and county-run virtual schools.
Florida Virtual School
The statewide, tuition-free online program, based in Orlando, has seen a 42 percent increase in applications to its full-time school since the pandemic began, spokeswoman Tania Clow said. Applications to its Flex programs, which allow part-time study, have jumped 29 percent. There’s no cap on enrollment in the Flex program; for the full-time school, she said administrators will see how many applications they have after the July 31 deadline.
In the full-time program, students learn on a traditional 180-day school calendar with state certified teachers and get a Florida Virtual School diploma when they graduate. There are live and recorded sessions and frequent contacts with teachers, who communicate by phone, email and text.
And there is some flexibility to move around: Students can transfer back to their home school after completing the fall semester if brick-and-mortar schools reopen.
Although students participate from all over the state, FLVS Full Time offers some school activities and events. Elementary and middle school students write morning announcements and high school students have a news show. Before the pandemic, there were monthly meetups by county as well as a Grad Bash and a graduation ceremony for seniors, held in Central Florida.
Broward Virtual School, Palm Beach Virtual School, Miami-Dade Online Academy
These are local franchises of the state FLVS program. Teachers are based in your county and work on the same August to May schedule as the local school district.
Palm Beach Virtual School had about 300 students last year; Broward Virtual had about 80 in kindergarten through fifth grade, although the school has received more than 300 applications for next year and is already full for elementary school, Principal Christopher McGuire said.
Pro-Kirwan Forces Spent Most on Session; 37 Lobbyists Cleared $250K
From Maryland Matters, reporter Josh Kurtz. For the full story go here.
How did Kirwan get pushed so hard and rise to the top of the legislation heap in the last Maryland General Assembly session? The old-fashioned way. Lobbyists. And money.
The below is taken from Kurtz' article, which discusses all the lobbyists who had a hand in moving legislation through the General Assembly. This excerpt focuses on Kirwan:
"Meanwhile, the two entities that spent the most on State House lobbying during the six-month reporting period were both trying to pass the Blueprint for America’s Future — education reform legislation that cleared the General Assembly but was vetoed by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R).
The list was topped by Strong Schools Maryland, a nonprofit set up primarily by business leaders who supported the ambitious but costly blueprint, which reported spending $559,596 from Nov. 1 to April 30, and the Maryland State Education Association — the state’s principal teachers’ union — which spent $516,558.
Johns Hopkins — the university and the medical center — were third in lobbying spending, followed by the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Pimlico Race Course and the Laurel Park race track, and lobbied for an elaborate plan to improve both tracks.
In all, about 240 businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits and other entities reported spending at least $50,000 during the six-month period that included the legislative session. Twenty-one spent at least $200,000 — a list that heavily featured health care entities, energy companies, and financial and real estate interests.
The top spenders on lobbying:
How did Kirwan get pushed so hard and rise to the top of the legislation heap in the last Maryland General Assembly session? The old-fashioned way. Lobbyists. And money.
The below is taken from Kurtz' article, which discusses all the lobbyists who had a hand in moving legislation through the General Assembly. This excerpt focuses on Kirwan:
"Meanwhile, the two entities that spent the most on State House lobbying during the six-month reporting period were both trying to pass the Blueprint for America’s Future — education reform legislation that cleared the General Assembly but was vetoed by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R).
The list was topped by Strong Schools Maryland, a nonprofit set up primarily by business leaders who supported the ambitious but costly blueprint, which reported spending $559,596 from Nov. 1 to April 30, and the Maryland State Education Association — the state’s principal teachers’ union — which spent $516,558.
Johns Hopkins — the university and the medical center — were third in lobbying spending, followed by the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Pimlico Race Course and the Laurel Park race track, and lobbied for an elaborate plan to improve both tracks.
In all, about 240 businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits and other entities reported spending at least $50,000 during the six-month period that included the legislative session. Twenty-one spent at least $200,000 — a list that heavily featured health care entities, energy companies, and financial and real estate interests.
The top spenders on lobbying:
- Strong Schools Maryland: $559,596
- Maryland State Education Association: $516,558
- Johns Hopkins (lobbying summary doesn’t specify whether it’s the university or the medical system, so it is likely both): $481,756"
Sunday, July 12, 2020
How Can We Assess Geography Education in a Future Without Assessments?
By Michelle Kinzer, American Association of Geographers. For the full story go here.
The 2018 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are in. The good news is that we now have access to the most up-to-date information on how well eighth grade students in the United States understand geography. The data is ready and waiting to be shared, analyzed, and understood.
The bad news? The results aren’t great. Compared to 2014, the average geography score in 2018 on the nationally representative exam dropped by three points, and neither of these scores differs significantly from the first NAEP geography results, which came out in 1994. The latest figures show that only 25 percent of students performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level of understanding, while 29 percent tested below the NAEP Basic level. US students’ collective understanding of geography is insufficient, and it’s not making progress.
Meanwhile, the geospatial tech sector is booming. The geospatial services industry generated $400 billion in revenue in 2016, according to a report from strategy and economic advisory firm AlphaBeta. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6 percent job growth rate for geoscientists from 2018 to 2028, which is in line with average growth rates for other fields. So the geography-adjacent job market is keeping pace with other industries, yet students’ understanding of geography in the United States is flatlining.
And:
...geography stands alone as a discipline for many reasons, one of which is that it grants students a basic yet critical skill: the ability to read a map. The power of being able to understand a map during early education is a ticket to seeing parochial problems through a global lens and imagining solutions that extend far beyond the classroom. A student who has the capacity to critically analyze and understand a map will carry that for a lifetime. And with the ever-growing expanse of data and information available from disparate outlets, being able to sift for reliable sources and comprehend visual analyses is an essential skill.
And:
K–12 education can and must develop students to meet the demand of a booming GIS and geoscience job market. Already, the geography community heavily supports and advocates for geospatial critical thinking in K–12 curricula to prepare students for college, careers, and beyond. But our measure of progress is at risk. Due to a recent decision by the National Assessment Governing Board, geography assessments have no future on the NAEP schedule. As it stands, 2018 will be our last and most recent nationwide accountability check on our commitment to K–12 geography education.
The 2018 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are in. The good news is that we now have access to the most up-to-date information on how well eighth grade students in the United States understand geography. The data is ready and waiting to be shared, analyzed, and understood.
The bad news? The results aren’t great. Compared to 2014, the average geography score in 2018 on the nationally representative exam dropped by three points, and neither of these scores differs significantly from the first NAEP geography results, which came out in 1994. The latest figures show that only 25 percent of students performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level of understanding, while 29 percent tested below the NAEP Basic level. US students’ collective understanding of geography is insufficient, and it’s not making progress.
Meanwhile, the geospatial tech sector is booming. The geospatial services industry generated $400 billion in revenue in 2016, according to a report from strategy and economic advisory firm AlphaBeta. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6 percent job growth rate for geoscientists from 2018 to 2028, which is in line with average growth rates for other fields. So the geography-adjacent job market is keeping pace with other industries, yet students’ understanding of geography in the United States is flatlining.
And:
...geography stands alone as a discipline for many reasons, one of which is that it grants students a basic yet critical skill: the ability to read a map. The power of being able to understand a map during early education is a ticket to seeing parochial problems through a global lens and imagining solutions that extend far beyond the classroom. A student who has the capacity to critically analyze and understand a map will carry that for a lifetime. And with the ever-growing expanse of data and information available from disparate outlets, being able to sift for reliable sources and comprehend visual analyses is an essential skill.
And:
K–12 education can and must develop students to meet the demand of a booming GIS and geoscience job market. Already, the geography community heavily supports and advocates for geospatial critical thinking in K–12 curricula to prepare students for college, careers, and beyond. But our measure of progress is at risk. Due to a recent decision by the National Assessment Governing Board, geography assessments have no future on the NAEP schedule. As it stands, 2018 will be our last and most recent nationwide accountability check on our commitment to K–12 geography education.
To our student artists: Missing Art class? Here's a video on how to draw a child
From The New Yorker videos, with cartoonist Emily Flake.
https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/how-to-draw-a-child
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https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/how-to-draw-a-child
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Saturday, July 11, 2020
Md. bar exam will be held online in October
The two-day Maryland bar exam originally scheduled for the end of July at the Baltimore Convention Center will be administered online Oct. 5 and 6 due to continuing concern about spreading the COVID-19 virus, the State Board of Law Examiners has reported.
Passing grades on the remote exam will qualify for admission to the Maryland bar but will not be transferable to the more than 30 states with which Maryland has reciprocity through its usual administration of the Uniform Bar Exam, SBLE stated. However, the SBLE added it has reached reciprocity agreements with the District of Columbia and Massachusetts and is seeking similar accords agreements with other states...
Friday, July 10, 2020
Thursday, July 9, 2020
WJLA TV: SEE FOR YOURSELF: Montgomery County gives tour of pandemic-prepped school building
ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — Montgomery County Public Schools officials gave a tour of College Gardens Elementary School in Rockville Thursday, to show people what some of the pandemic-prepping looks like.
The school system has asked parents to weigh in about the fall "recovery plan."
Full story and videos at the following link:https://wjla.com/news/local/watch-montgomery-county-gives-tour-of-pandemic-prepped-school-building
There is no mention of increased rate of fresh air exchange so even though the students will be masked and "socially distant", virus particles will still accumulate in classrooms.