Schools use home visits, calls to convince parents to choose in-person classes in fall – By Hannah Natanson, The Washington Post
As the school year ends and summer approaches, the persuasion campaign to convince families to choose in-person learning this fall is on with a vengeance.
In Florida, the superintendent of the state’s largest district is knocking on doors to talk up the benefits of face-to-face instruction. In Topeka, Kan., school officials are traveling around neighborhoods hosting mobile vaccination clinics, where they deliver shots alongside reminders about the effectiveness of in-person schooling. In Virginia, a principal visited the homes of 50 of her remote learners to assuage their fears about in-person schooling next semester.
And in the San Antonio Independent School District, Superintendent Pedro Martinez has for weeks sent out every available member of his staff, from social workers to central office personnel, to chat with the roughly 20 percent of families who indicated they’d like to remain virtual next school year. San Antonio will offer remote learning in the 2020-2021 school year — unlike some states and districts, which are ditching that option entirely — but Martinez is hoping he can convince most families to forgo it.
The all-out effort, which has stretched into evenings and weekends, is exhausting.
“My teachers are tired, there’s just no question about it,” Martinez said. He asked his staff to rest for the second half of June, so they could recuperate before the start of summer school in mid-July. Martinez views summer programming, targeted to students who have struggled most, as one of his best remaining chances to reel in reluctant families.
Supreme Court to Hear Maine Religious School Tuition Case – By Alexa Lardieri, US News
The Supreme Court on Friday decided it will hear a case against Maine's ban on using state-provided financial aid to allow students to attend religious schools.
The case, Carson v. Makin, challenges a Maine Department of Education policy stating that public tuition dollars for families who don't live near a public school can't be used to send students to religious schools, but can be used to send them to public or private schools.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, agreed to hear an appeal, brought by families who want to use the state tuition program to send their children to religious schools, of a lower court ruling in favor of the state, which had ruled that Maine's policy did not violate the Constitution's First Amendment right to freedom of religion.
All lower courts have ruled in favor of the state.
Michael Bindas, the lead attorney representing the families, told the Associated Press that by "singling out religion — and only religion — for exclusion from its tuition assistance program," Maine has limited the rights of the families.
First State lawmakers approve boosting mental health resources in schools – By Joe Irizarry, Delaware Public Media
The legislation calls for elementary schools to hire more counselors, licensed clinical social workers, and school social workers for grades K-5.
It also changes the ratios of counselors to students, allowing for 250 full-time students for every counselor and 700 students for every psychologist, while prioritizing disadvantaged students and students with special needs.
State Sen. Ernie Lopez (R-Lewes) is a co-sponsor, and he says this bill helps more than the students.
"And we need more school psychologists, not just for our kids, but just to have in our communities," said Lopez. "When we talk about 30-year jobs for the next generation of Delawareans now we have with this piece of legislation the opportunity for Delaware State University graduates, University of Delaware graduates, and graduates from Delaware schools to be able to stay in state who want to work with kids to be school psychologists."
Chicago Public Schools unveils student vaccination program, including three standing sites and mobile clinics – By Maia Spoto, Chalkbeat Chicago
Chicago Public Schools will open three school-based COVID-19 vaccination sites for students beginning the week of July 12. The announcement comes a day after Chicago’s teachers union included a demand for student vaccination targets in a preview of its proposal for a fall reopening agreement.
The sites are located at Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Avalon Park, Michele Clark High School in Austin, and Theodore Roosevelt High School in Albany Park, and will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. through the summer. At those three locations, CPS hopes to administer up to 600 first doses of the vaccine each week.
In the proposal made public Tuesday, CTU called for the district to vaccinate 80% of students over 12 by Oct. 1 through a mix of home visits and vaccine clinics on school grounds. CTU pressed for a vaccination partnership between the district, CTU, and the Chicago Department of Public Health, but the district is only partnering with the health department, according to Tuesday’s release. CPS hasn’t set a vaccination target yet.
CPS is also holding vaccination events at schools with large numbers of students in temporary living situations and in communities with low vaccination rates, according to Wednesday’s announcement. Times and dates will be determined in partnership with individual schools. District events with high attendance, such as Back-to-School Bashes and Freshman Connection, will also have district-backed vaccination opportunities. In the fall, CPS plans to set up standing school-based vaccination sites according to neighborhood vaccine rates and student need.
