From Mask Mandates to Omicron, Ed Secretary Cardona Finishes a ‘Very, Very Difficult’ First Year – By Linda Jacobson, The 74
When Education Secretary Miguel Cardona toured South Bend, Indiana’s Madison STEAM Academy in September, he made a quick impression on the district’s superintendent, C. Todd Cummings.
Cummings remembers the secretary’s interest in COVID protocols, the facility’s STEM makerspace, and that he spoke Spanish to students at the bilingual school. By the time the visit ended, he came away feeling like he could pick up the phone and call Cardona if needed.
“He’s done a lot to make the department more approachable,” Cummings said. “He understands running a district, but he also understands teachers in the classroom.”
Having one of their own helming the U.S. Department of Education has gone a long way toward mending the fractured relationship between district leaders and the agency that existed under Cardona’s predecessor. Betsy DeVos was the consummate outsider. She warred with unions, made comments that many teachers found insulting, and attempted to direct relief funds meant for the public system to private schools. In contrast, when the former Connecticut state chief meets with superintendents and school leaders, “he’s talking shop” on everything from bell schedules to graduation rates, said Ronn Nozoe, head of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
www.npr.org/2022/01/14/1072970219/cyber-attack-in-albuquerque-latest-to-...">https://www.npr.org/2022/01/14/1072970219/cyber-attack-in-albuquerque-la...">A cyberattack in Albuquerque forces schools to cancel classes – From the Associated Pre
When the superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools announced earlier this week a cyberattack would lead to the cancellation of classes for around 75,000 students, he noted that the district's technology department had been fending off attacks "for the last few weeks."
Albuquerque is not alone, as five school districts in the state have suffered major cyberattacks in the past two years, including one district that's still wrestling with a cyberattack that hit just after Christmas.
But it's the first reporting a cyberattack that required cancellation of classes, all the more disruptive as schools try to keep in-person learning going during the pandemic.
"If it seems I've come into your homes a lot in the past couple of years to share difficult news, you're right. And here I am again," Superintendent Scott Elder said in a video address Thursday. "We find ourselves facing yet another challenge."
The closures, on Thursday and Friday, affect approximately one in five New Mexico schoolchildren, in what is the country's 35th largest school district by enrollment, according to 2019 data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The district was one of the last in the state to reopen last year as vaccines became available.
www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2022/01/12/dallas-isd-superintendent-m...">https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2022/01/12/dallas-isd-superint...">Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to leave role as district leader - By Corbett Smith and Emily Donaldson, Dallas Morning News
Dallas superintendent Michael Hinojosa will step down from his post leading the state’s second-largest school system by the end of this year.
Hinojosa shared news of his resignation on a call with other Texas superintendents this week, according to a person who was on the call. He is expected to offer his resignation to trustees during Dallas ISD’s monthly board briefing Thursday. A press conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the district’s governance and training center.
“Sometimes it’s really hard to be a prophet in your own land, but he certainly made his mark on Dallas,” Trustee Edwin Flores said. “This school district from 2005 to now is in the right place heading in the right direction.”
How long Hinojosa will stay in his current post will depend on how quickly trustees can identify his replacement.
Hinojosa, 65, hasn’t publicly announced his plans; however, various community leaders and trustees are praising the superintendent for his long tenure in Dallas, noting that the district’s next leader should share Hinojosa’s deep commitment to DISD’s children.
Local political observers have often speculated that the Dallas native would seek public office – perhaps as soon as the upcoming 2023 Dallas mayoral race.
www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-schools-substitute-teacher-shortage/38750492...">https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-schools-substitute-teacher-shortage/...">Kansas school districts hopeful emergency order will help substitute teacher shortage – By Emily Holwick, KMBC
Help is on the way for Kansas schools struggling with staff shortages during the pandemic. The Kansas State Board of Education voted Wednesday morning to temporarily reduce requirements for substitute teachers to apply for a Temporary Emergency Authorized License (TEA). KMBC 9 found out what it means for local districts.
In the Kansas City, Kansas school district, 150 staff members were either out sick with COVID-19 or quarantined last week. A shortage of substitutes in KCK schools has been made worse by the rising rates of COVID-19 after the holiday break.
“It has caused us to be very creative,” said Cynthia Fulks, the district's Assistant Director of Human Resources and Recruitment.
She said it's putting more stress on staff. “They agree to take some of those other classes or to possibly sometimes combine classes,” Fulks said.
Administrators have also filled in for teachers.
However, hope for relief came Wednesday with a unanimous vote by the Kansas State Board of Education to temporarily reduce requirements for substitutes to apply for a TEAL.
