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Thursday, March 31, 2022

NYC Public School Parents: What Illuminate, NYC DOE & the NY State Education ...

NYC Public School Parents: What Illuminate, NYC DOE & the NY State Education ...: Late Friday, in a weekend news dump, the NYC Department of Education revealed that the personal data of about 800,000 students, past and ...

White House turns to air quality in latest effort to thwart coronavirus


It is pushing strategies, such as better air filters in schools and businesses, to help curb the spread of the virus

The White House is pivoting to emphasize that poorly ventilated indoor air poses the biggest risk for coronavirus infections, urging schools, businesses and homeowners to take steps to boost air quality — a move scientists say is long overdue and will help stave off future outbreaks.

“Let’s Clear the Air on COVID,” a virtual event hosted Tuesday by the White House science office, came after President Biden’s coronavirus response team and other leaders have elevated warnings that airborne transmission is the primary conduit of coronavirus infections, a reversal of earlier federal guidance.

“The most common way COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to another is through tiny airborne particles of the virus hanging in indoor air for minutes or hours after an infected person has been there,” Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote in a blog post last week. “While there are various strategies for avoiding breathing that air — from remote work to masking — we can and should talk more about how to make indoor environments safer by filtering or cleaning air.”..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/29/white-house-covid-strategy-indoor-air-quality/

Montgomery County plans to test wastewater to help track COVID cases


MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Testing wastewater in counties nationwide has been a critical tool in the efforts to fight the pandemic.

The practice is now headed to Montgomery County. The county is getting ready to roll out a six-month wastewater surveillance pilot program -- This will be done in collaboration with the University of Maryland.

Dr. James Bridgers, the acting health officer and chief of Public Health Services within the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, said wastewater surveillance can provide an early warning of COVID-19’s spread in communities.

 https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-maryland-testing-wastewater-sewage-water-help-track-detect-covid-19-spread-national-wastewater-surveillance-system-cdc-public-health-services?fbclid=IwAR3p00QLTuR9nd4epn9Qrunl6FZer_zWCsSHLWVOQTxrDVeLwizGMv6XeSc

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Recess expected to come to all Fairfax Co. middle schools next year

Virginia’s largest school system is expected to approve a daily recess requirement for middle school students that would go into effect next school year. The Fairfax County, Virginia, school board pushed a final vote on the measure to next month, but Superintendent Scott Brabrand said middle school principals are already working on how to incorporate the short recess period into daily schedules. The proposed changes to the student and staff health and wellness policy would require recess for both elementary and middle school students. Supervised recess would be offered to middle school students every day for 15 minutes and to elementary school students in two separate 15-minute segments “as practicable.”..

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Montgomery leaders privately negotiate bringing police back to schools

Montgomery County’s public school system and the Montgomery County Police Department have privately drafted an agreement to bring armed police back into school buildings, angering student activists and criminal justice advocates who successfully pushed county leaders to remove the officers last fall.

The proposed contract between the two agencies, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, has been shared with County Council members and County Executive Marc Elrich (D), but not with members of the public who say they should have a chance to review the document before it is finalized.

“It’s wildly inappropriate that they’ve excluded students,” said Kyson Taylor, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/29/montgomery-county-schools-police/

TODAY: White House Virtual Event – “Let’s Clear the Air on COVID: An OSTP Discussion on Clean Indoor Air” Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 12:30 PM ET – 2:00 PM ET

 


White House Virtual Event – “Let’s Clear the Air on COVID: An OSTP Discussion on Clean Indoor Air”

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 12:30 PM ET – 2:00 PM ET

On Tuesday, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will host a virtual event spotlighting the science behind improving indoor air quality to reduce COVID-19 transmission and produce better overall health outcomes – and how to engage Americans on the topic. This event continues OSTP’s work to advance science and technology that benefits all people. The Biden-Harris Administration identified improved indoor air quality as an important tool to fight the spread of airborne diseases in the American Pandemic Preparedness Plan last September. This month, the Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with other Federal departments and agencies, launched the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge and released a practical guide for building managers, contractors, homeowners, and business owners to create an action plan for cleaner indoor air. This event will encourage all people to increase their air awareness and take simple, but powerful, actions to improve indoor air quality.

Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will host a public event on the science behind clean indoor air featuring public health experts, social scientists, and engineers.

Dr. Nelson will open the event with a fireside chat discussion with fellow social scientist and journalist Dr. Zeynep Tufekci (University of North Carolina and New York Times) on how ventilation is a critical part of preventing the spread of future variants and pandemics. Air quality experts Dr. Joseph Allen (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and Dr. Linsey Marr (Virginia Tech) will discuss the science behind clean indoor air, and Kenneth Martinez (Integrated Bioscience and Built Environment Consortium) will discuss steps individuals can take to improve ventilation and filtration. Tracy Enger of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will highlight the history of the agency’s work to improve indoor air in schools, the work ahead, and available resources for improving ventilation in your home, office building, or business.

WHERE: The event will be livestreamed on ZoomGov. Please register for the event here.

CONTACT: Information by request at indoorair@ostp.eop.gov; to schedule interviews, please email press@ostp.eop.gov.

EVENT AGENDA:

12:30-12:35pm – Opening remarks by Dr. Alondra Nelson (Head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy)

12:35-1:00pm – Dr. Alondra Nelson hosts a fireside chat with Dr. Zeynep Tufekci (Associate Professor at University of North Carolina and New York Times columnist)

A discussion of the history of ventilation and public health, innovation and pandemic prevention, and the relationship between science and society  

1:00-1:30pm – The Basics of Why You Should Care About Indoor Air

  • Dr. Linsey Marr (Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech)
  • Dr. Joseph Allen (Associate Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

Discussion will be facilitated by OSTP Senior Advisor for Biotechnology and Bioeconomy Dr. Georgia Lagoudas

1:30-1:40pm – How to Take Care of Indoor Air

  • Kenneth Martinez (Chief Science Officer, Integrated Bioscience and Built Environment Consortium)

Discussion will be facilitated by OSTP Senior Policy Advisor for Biosecurity Dr. Stephanie Guerra.

1:40-1:58pm – EPA’s Work on Clean Indoor Air in Schools and Beyond

  • Tracy Enger (IAQ Tools for Schools Team Leader/Program Analyst, Indoor Environments Division, US Environmental Protection Agency)

Discussion will be facilitated by OSTP Senior Policy Advisor for Public Engagement in Science Dr. Erica Kimmerling

1:58-2:00pm – Closing

https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/events-webinars/

Personal data of 820,000 NYC students compromised in hack

The personal data of about 820,000 current and former New York City public school students was compromised in a January hack.

The breach of Illuminate Education, a taxpayer-funded software company the city’s Department of Education uses to track grades and attendance, resulted in a hacker gaining access to students’ names, birthdays, ethnicities and English-speaking, special-education and free-lunch statuses, sources said.

The students’ social security numbers and family financial information were not collected by the DOE and were not compromised, according to the sources...

https://nypost.com/2022/03/26/nyc-students-have-personal-data-hacked/

Rift Deepens Between Montgomery County Silver Spring Senator Will Smith and the ACLU

A blog post published earlier this month by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland has widened a growing rift between the venerable organization and Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery).

Dana Vickers Shelley, executive director of the ACLU of Maryland and author of the blog post, alleged that differences in opinion on legislative matters have prompted Smith to impose a “No ACLU Rule” — meaning he won’t meet with representatives of the civil rights organization.

“The goal of the ACLU of Maryland is to dismantle white supremacy and its systems that intentionally marginalize the needs and vision of people most impacted by injustice,” she wrote in the blog post, which carried the headline, “White supremacy is the foul soup we all swim in — and we’re done treading water.”..

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/03/24/rift-deepens-between-sen-smith-and-the-aclu/


Monday, March 28, 2022

Breaking: Kennedy HS Evacuated Friday 3/25 Due to "Large Gas Line Struck Next to Occupied School" - How Did @mcfrsPIO Not Tweet About This? No Media Coverage? @mcps @mocoboe

Montgomery County MD Public Safety Communications: 

March 25, 2022: 

8:30:45 AM "I have a large gas line struck next to an occupied school. We're attempting to evacuate and isolate the area right now."   ...1901 Randolph Road, Kennedy High School 

8:49:42 AM Gas leak reading in new construction, lowest level:  "ppm well over 500."

8:55:39 Buildings clear. Waiting for Gas Company.  


*Google Earth image of new construction at Kennedy High School, 2021. 


Kids locked away, held down: It was surveillance video that revealed the horrifying truth about what a Maryland boy experienced within the walls of a place he should feel safe: his school.

Kids locked away, held down: Investigating 'seclusion & restraint' practices at schools

BALTIMORE (TND) — Across the United States, thousands of students are subjected to a set of controversial practices known as seclusion and restraint at school. It can involve young children locked in dark rooms, or pinned down by adults.

Generally, seclusion and restraint are supposed to be safety measures reserved for very specific scenarios but a Spotlight on America investigation found the practices being used for discipline of minor behavior problems, sometimes leading to injury and even death. The overwhelming majority of incidents involve students with disabilities.

It was surveillance video that revealed the horrifying truth about what a Maryland boy experienced within the walls of a place he should feel safe: his school. The 2015 video shows the 8-year old being dragged down a hallway by three school employees and dropped into a windowless room.

More than 10 minutes later, when the door was reopened, the little boy is seen face down, limp and lying in his own blood. His mother, Linda, who asked us not to use her last name or show her face on camera, says she learned he'd been hurt from a phone call...

https://wjla.com/news/spotlight-on-america/kids-locked-away-held-down-investigating-seclusion-restraint-practices-in-us-schools-special-education-needs-disabilities-maryland-disability-locking-children-away-at-school-rooms-dragged-child

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Let’s Clear The Air On COVID

MARCH 23, 2022
OSTP BLOG
By Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Deputy Assistant to the President

The most common way COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to another is through tiny airborne particles of the virus hanging in indoor air for minutes or hours after an infected person has been there. While there are various strategies for avoiding breathing that air – from remote work to masking – we can and should talk more about how to make indoor environments safer by filtering or cleaning air.

In fact, research shows changing the air in a room multiple times an hour with filtered or clean outdoor air – using a window fan, by using higher MERV filters in an Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, using portable air cleaning devices, and even just opening a window – can reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission – with studies showing five air changes an hour reduce transmission risk by 50 percent. 1,2 And, improving indoor air has benefits beyond COVID-19: it will reduce the risk of getting the flu, a common cold, or other diseases spread by air, and lead to better overall health outcomes.

The Biden-Harris Administration identified improved indoor air quality as an important tool to fight the spread of airborne diseases in the American Pandemic Preparedness Plan last September – and the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan prioritized it again earlier this month. A number of Federal departments and agencies – including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) – have worked together to launch the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a call to action for anyone who manages or maintains a building. As part of the launch, the Environmental Protection Agency released a practical guide for building managers, contractors, homeowners, and business owners to create an action plan for cleaner indoor air.

Now, we all need to work collectively to make our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers aware of what we can do or ask for to make being indoors together safer. Each of us has a set of simple but powerful actions we can use to bring clean air into the rooms we’re in and clean the air already in the room.

Here are the basics:

Ventilation: Bringing in clean outdoor air is key. Indoor air moves less than outdoor air, so virus particles hang in the air in greater concentrations. Ventilation strategies that bring in more outdoor air can disperse viral particles and lower the risk of people inhaling them or getting infected through their eyes, nose, or mouth. Fans and HVAC systems can help make open windows more effective by pulling in clean outdoor air, and can send clean air into rooms without windows or good ventilation. New buildings are often constructed to seal air in for energy efficiency, so their HVAC systems must be on or their windows opened to clear the air. Older buildings may be less well sealed, but have outdated air handling systems or lack them altogether. An HVAC expert can help with this; more resources are available here.
Air filtration: Using high-quality air filters like HEPA or MERV-13 – connected to capable HVAC systems or portable air purifiers – to remove virus particles from indoor air is also important. Filtration is a great tool to supplement ventilation or to use if adequate ventilation isn’t possible – for example, if extreme temperatures, wildfire smoke, or outdoor pollution make you not want to open a window. And we need filtration equipment more than we might think: many schools, workplaces, hotels, and homes have windows that do not open at all. Many Americans and small businesses cannot afford major HVAC upgrades. While all of us can benefit, many Americans have health vulnerabilities and need the extra protection of having cleaner air. In all these cases, portable air cleaning devices with powerful fans – as powerful as a box fan you could buy at a store – can make a big difference in reducing virus particles in the air. HEPA filters, for instance, are at least 99.97% efficient at capturing human-generated viral particles associated with COVID-19. As a temporary measure, there are affordable and effective DIY options, including the four-filter-plus-box-fan cube called the Corsi-Rosenthal box.
Air disinfection: By inactivating (“killing”) airborne virus through methods like ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) systems, we can add another layer of protection in indoor spaces. The latest technology in these UV lights is particularly useful in crowded areas with poor airflow, in healthcare settings with vulnerable populations (such as hospitals or nursing homes), or in areas like restaurants where people aren’t wearing masks because they’re eating and drinking. For instance, one study demonstrated that when used with proper ventilation, UVGI is about 80% effective against the spread of airborne tuberculosis, equivalent to replacing the air in an indoor room up to 24 times in an hour. [3] However, there are some challenges to doing this widely, and more research and innovation is needed to develop UVGI systems that are more affordable, standardized, and consume less energy.
Used along with layered prevention strategies recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others, improving indoor air quality is a critical part of a plan to better protect us all. But it will not by itself eliminate the risk of infection: the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated and boosted.

For decades, Americans have demanded that clean water flow from our taps and pollution limits be placed on our smokestacks and tailpipes. It is time for healthy and clean indoor air to also become an expectation for us all. Clean and healthy indoor air is a fundamental commitment we must make to our children, to workers, to those who are medically vulnerable, and to every person in the country.

Now we’re making it possible: Federal funds and resources are available to support improvements in ventilation, filtration, and clean indoor air – the American Rescue Plan has $122 billion for schools and $350 billion for state, local, and Tribal governments, which can support upgrades to their local businesses, nonprofits, community centers, and other commercial and public establishments. Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides billions of dollars to our communities to support people’s health and safety in new or upgraded airports, transportation hubs, low-income housing, schools, and other buildings.

I am pleased to announce next we will be bringing experts from the fields of public health, the social sciences, engineering, and journalism together at a virtual White House event to learn more. Register here to join Let’s Clear the Air on COVID, which will kick off at 12:30pm on March 29th.

Scientific and public health evidence supports practical, actionable solutions for cleaner indoor air. It is time for a national conversation on how better indoor air quality can help us all live healthier lives.

[1] Rothamer, D.A., et al. Strategies to minimize SARS-CoV-2 transmission in classroom settings: combined impacts of ventilation and mask effective filtration efficiency. Science and Technology for the Built Environment, 27:9, 1181-1203 (2021). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23744731.2021.1944665

[2] de Oliveira, P.M., et al. Evolution of spray and aerosol from respiratory releases: theoretical estimates for insight on viral transmission. Proceedings of the Royal Society A 477: 20200584 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2020.0584

[3] Mphaphlele, Matsie et al. Institutional Tuberculosis Transmission. Controlled Trial of Upper Room Ultraviolet Air Disinfection: A Basis for New Dosing Guidelines. American J Respir Crit Care Med, 192(4), 477-4848 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201501-0060OC

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Rachel Carson ES, Travilah ES and Stone Ridge School on MD COVID-19 Outbreak Dashboard

 Previous weekly reports at this link.


Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart Montgomery 13 3/23/2022

Travilah Elementary School Montgomery 7 3/23/2022

Rachel Carson Elementary School Montgomery 3 3/23/2022

Note: This dataset reflects public and non-public K-12 schools in Maryland that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Data are based on local health department reports to MDH, which may be revised if additional information becomes available. This list does not include child care facilities or institutes of higher education.

Schools listed meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

Classroom/cohort outbreak definition:

    1) At least two confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/teachers/staff within a 14-day period and who are epidemiologically linked, but not household contacts; or

School-wide outbreak definition:

    2) Three or more classrooms or cohorts with cases from separate households that meet the classroom/cohort outbreak definition that occurs within 14 days; or
    3) Five percent or more unrelated students/teachers/staff have confirmed COVID-19 within a 14 day period (minimum of 10 unrelated students/teachers/staff).

Cases reported reflect the current total number of cases. Schools are removed from the list when health officials determine 14 days have passed with no new cases and no tests pending. Archival data is available through the COVID-19 open data catalogue.

These data are updated weekly on Wednesdays during the 10 a.m. hour. MDH is continuously evaluating its data and reporting systems and will make updates as more data becomes available.

https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/school-resources


Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Italian study shows ventilation can cut school COVID cases by 82%


ROME, March 22 (Reuters) - An Italian study published on Tuesday suggests that efficient ventilation systems can reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in schools by more than 80%.

An experiment overseen by the Hume foundation think-tank compared coronavirus contagion in 10,441 classrooms in Italy's central Marche region.

COVID infections were steeply lower in the 316 classrooms that had mechanical ventilation systems, with the reduction in cases more marked according to the strength of the systems.

With applications guaranteeing a complete replacement of the air in a classroom 2.4 times in an hour, infections were reduced by 40%. They were lowered by 66.8% with four air replacements per hour and by 82.5% with six air replacements, the study showed...

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-study-shows-ventilation-can-cut-school-covid-cases-by-82-2022-03-22/

Saturday, March 19, 2022

MD Court watchers, with Fiona Apple’s help, are fighting to keep virtual access beyond the pandemic

Before the pandemic shut down courthouses across Maryland, Carmen Johnson was one of the only members of Court Watch PG to sit in on bail bond hearings every day of the week.

Johnson, 55, would drive to the Prince George’s County Courthouse, slide into the hard benches of courtroom 261 and take notes for hours as dozens of people cycled through. Her job, usually alone, was to bear witness — to try to hold the court accountable.

Then in March 2020, the coronavirus pushed courts in Maryland online, a decision by the judiciary that kept the public safe while ensuring its constitutional right to court access. With that increased accessibility came an influx of hundreds of new Court Watch PG volunteers who could suddenly help observe proceedings through remote video or their phones across the region and nation: law students, high-schoolers, retirees and even Grammy-winning musician Fiona Apple.

Now, as the world eases back to its old ways, those observers fear their virtual access will be cut off — and they are scrambling to persuade lawmakers at the Maryland State House to cement court transparency into law...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/18/virtual-court-access/

Friday, March 18, 2022

How daylight saving time poses a host of health concerns, according to a neurologist


As people in the U.S. prepare to turn their clocks ahead one hour in mid-March, I find myself bracing for the annual ritual of media stories about the disruptions to daily routines caused by switching from standard time to daylight saving time.

About a third of Americans say they don't look forward to these twice-yearly time changes. An overwhelming 63 percent to 16 percent majority would like to eliminate them completely.

But the effects go beyond simple inconvenience. Researchers are discovering that "springing ahead" each March is connected with serious negative health effects.

I'm a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and the director of our sleep division. In a 2020 commentary for the journal JAMA Neurology, my co-authors and I reviewed the evidence linking the annual transition to daylight saving time to increased strokesheart attacks and teen sleep deprivation.

Based on an extensive body of research, my colleagues and I believe that the science establishing these links is strong and that the evidence makes a good case for adopting permanent standard time nationwide – as I testified at a recent Congressional hearing...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation/how-daylight-saving-time-poses-a-host-of-health-concerns-according-to-a-neurologist

Thursday, March 17, 2022

It's Sunshine Week!

 



This week is Sunshine Week. Parents' Coalition members work hard all year long to shine a light on MCPS, to make sure our tax dollars, whether federal, state, or local, are well spent, and that the Board of Education which runs our public schools, and MCPS staff, are operating in a transparent manner so that our children get the very best public education possible. Our annual MCPS budget is close to $3billion, pretty much half of our entire county budget. We think it is critical that we know how the money is spent and administered on behalf of parents and children.

Here are some things we have been tracking:

The After Action Report from the tragic Magruder School shooting. Dr. McKnight assured our state legislators that an After Action Report would be completed. We still have not seen it.

Our ESSER funds. How are they being spent? We don't know.

Care to add to this list? Please add to the comments. Because sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Fairfax County School Board files appeal to ruling over Thomas Jefferson High School admissions policy

A U.S. district judge ruled the overhauled admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against Asian students.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Fairfax County School Board has filed an appeal to challenge a ruling that would prevent the school district from implementing a current admissions process at one of the most prestigious and competitive high schools. 

U.S. District Court Judge Claude M. Hilton recently ruled the admissions policy, which took effect in December 2020 following an equity review, for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against Asian American students. 


He also denied a request from the board for a temporary stay of order to allow the application process from thousands of students for the Class of 2026 to continue without any disruptions. 

Hilton said it "does not treat all applications to TJ equally." The decision also read "Asian American students are disproportionately harmed" and "disproportionately deprived of a level playing field."..


https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/fairfax-county-school-board-appealing-ruling-over-tj-high-school-admissions-policy/65-9916b9b9-e3e1-4f96-97b0-9b44ad58fd18?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot

UMD: The total amount of the theft is $1,134,887.66. If convicted, Schuetz faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.

ANNAOLIS, Md. (7News) — Maryland State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy Wednesday announced that former University of Maryland employee Lisa Schuetz, of Severn, Md., was indicted for one count of theft of over $100,000 and a lesser included count of theft between $1,500 and $250,000.

A University of Maryland police investigation uncovered evidence that from 2016 to 2020, Schuetz abused her official position and purchasing authority by engaging in a scheme to defraud the University of Maryland between 2016 and 2020...

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/former-umd-employee-indicted-for-theft-of-more-than-100k-defrauding-university-maryland-terps-terrapins-college-park-steal?fbclid=IwAR04iYHnSZfYCZgSFAaJK9ATiEpjrxoSHLAaI8zWxesKCggbufaOx0HLqQM

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

UPDATE: Montgomery County Public Schools records show in the past 4 years it's missing 1241 pieces of technology. There is no record of 2,990 items due to Covid. 63 laptops lost & 440 laptops came up missing. @7NewsDC

NYC’s schools forever changed by COVID-19

New York City schools are forever changed since COVID-19′s March 2020 arrival — and some ways are just becoming clear two years later.

A forced year-and-a-half-long experiment in remote learning and the cascading economic, medical and emotional fallout of the pandemic left an indelible mark on the nation’s largest school system.

Some of the changes can be measured in numbers: 73,000 fewer K-12 students on school rosters after a pandemic-fueled enrollment decline; an extra $9 billion in the Education Department’s budget this year thanks to a flood of state and federal recovery dollars, and the exodus of more than 1,000 school safety agents and 3,800 classroom paraprofessionals since summer 2020.

And the most jarring number — at least 91 DOE employees and parents of an estimated 2,900 city kids who lost their lives to the virus in the harrowing first months alone.

Other changes are harder to quantify: A new embrace of technology in schools after a forced shift to remote learning; an upending of academic measures that schools have relied on for decades; a greater appreciation for the small joys of the student-teacher bond; lingering trauma and loss that will shape the lives of kids and educators for years to come...

Monday, March 14, 2022

Why K-12 Needs to Prioritize Cybersecurity: Lessons Learned from the DHS Forum on Prevention

Data. It’s a simple word that often gets lost in translation. However, the data footprint is vital, and we all have one. As a student or community member, if you are online, you are creating valuable data. Even with growing concern over privacy and access issues, only 22% of school administrators view cybersecurity as a threat. The importance of cybersecurity protection, especially for school districts, is becoming increasingly important as more school and state leaders become aware of how valuable student information is to those looking to steal it. In the complex and evolutionary world of cyber threats and attacks, it is difficult to know where to start and how to keep up. How can state and district leaders protect their students? What is the best course of action?

These questions and more were addressed on January 25th and 26th during the Digital Forum on Prevention, hosted by the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) along with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) School Safety Task Force and the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. This Forum featured two days of online panels and workshops of experts, researchers, and practitioners. Within four panels and two workshops, 833 attendees, 48% of which self-identified as being from the education field, heard discussions between experts and leaders on a public health-informed strategy to prevention, online safety, and multidisciplinary approaches to student and educator well-being, as well as learned of preventative solutions including improving digital literacy, critical thinking skills, and cybersecurity resources to build resilience.

The fourth and final panel of the forum, titled “Cybersecurity in Building Resilience” discussed ways in which CISA, the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET), local education agencies (LEAs) and state education agencies (SEAs), and educational nonprofits are working together to prioritize cybersecurity for K-12 schools. Moderated by Marlon Shears, Chief Information Officer from Fort Worth Independent School District, the panel featured diverse representation in the emerging K-12 cybersecurity field including the Office of Educational Technology’s Deputy Director, Kristina Ishmael, Sean McAfee, Deputy Branch Chief of Cyber Defense Education and Training at CISA, Doug Levin, co-Founder and National Director of K12 Security Information Exchange, David Mendez, Information Security Lead and Technical Project Manager at Region 10 Education Service Center, Rod Russeau, Director of Technology and Information Services at Community High School District 99 and Chairperson for the Consortium for School Networking Cybersecurity Initiative.

Of the topics discussed, the panel members gave special consideration towards the importance of why state and local government leaders need to prioritize cybersecurity, what educators and teachers can do to protect students right now, and how we can promote resiliency and good online habits for both learners and educators in the coming future...

https://medium.com/@OfficeofEdTech/why-k-12-needs-to-prioritize-cybersecurity-lessons-learned-from-the-dhs-forum-on-prevention-331483bfdc7c

Friday, March 11, 2022

This would never happen in @mcps @mocoboe: Two California high school officials arrested for failing to report sex assaults on campus

Two assistant vice principals in Southern California have been arrested, accused of failing to notify authorities after three students came forward claiming they were sexually assaulted on the high school campus, officials say.

David Yang, 38, and Natasha Harris, 37, both assistant vice principals at Carter High School in Rialto, California, were arrested early Wednesday on school grounds.

Rialto police were notified on Feb. 16 about a sexual battery that occurred at the school regarding a 15-year-old female student who had been allegedly sexually assaulted by a 17-year-old male student "several times over the past three months,” according to a news release...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-california-high-school-officials-arrested-report-sex-assaults-camp-rcna17519

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Loudoun County parent group files petition for release of sex assault report

 

Fight for Schools, a Loudoun County parent group, filed a petition for mandamus and injunction in the county's circuit court Monday requesting the court to order public school officials to release the results of the independent review of how the schools handled reports of two sex assaults.

So far, Superintendent Scott Ziegler has refused to release the report due to attorney-client privilege. Fight for Schools filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the results of the review, but LCPS did not allow it...

https://wjla.com/news/crisis-in-the-classrooms/loudoun-county-fight-for-schools-parent-group-files-petition-release-sex-assault-report-independent-review-stone-bridge-high-broad-run-high-blankingship-and-keith