COVID-19 Policy Update #232
COVID-19 Policy Update
TUESDAY 4/13
TOP THREE
Johnson & Johnson: The FDA and CDC recommended a pause on administering the J&J vaccine citing cases of a rare blood clot disorder experienced by six women (out of nearly 7 million administered doses)
The FDA said the pause will likely last a matter of days as they review the data and treatment recommendations.The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is holding a special meeting Wednesday to review the J&J data
There is an additional concern that this might worsen vaccine hesitancy.
J&J was already facing challenges with some believing it wasn't "as good" as the others since it was a single dose.
Now individuals are confronting messaging that two vaccines - J&J and AstraZeneca - may contribute to blood clots.
During a press call today, the FDA said it was a "recommendation" not a "mandate" meaning some sites may decide to continue offering the vaccine.
The White House released a statement saying the pause will not have a significant impact on their vaccination plan.
Recent Rise in U.S. COVID-19 Cases Driven by Younger People: Via WSJ
"Epidemiologists, public-health authorities point to school sports as a major source of transmission"
"Five states—Michigan, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey—account for some 42% of newly reported cases."
"In Michigan, adults aged 20 to 39 have the highest daily case rates, new data show. Case rates for children aged 19 and under are at a record, more than quadruple from a month ago. There were 301 reported school outbreaks as of early last week, up from 248 the week prior, according to state data."
"Since January, K-12 sports transmission in Michigan has been highest in basketball, with 376 cases and 100 clusters; in hockey, with 256 cases and 52 clusters; and in wrestling, with 190 cases and 55 clusters. Overall, cases and clusters have occurred in over 15 sport settings, data from the state shows."
How a California School Reopened: Manteca reopened classrooms five months ago.
"The district is predominantly Hispanic/Latino and 60% of students qualify for free or reduced school lunch. About a quarter are English learners."
"In other words, reopening has been less about money and more about listening to experts and overcoming obstacles based on a belief that reopening was an essential part of public education."
"The district upgraded HVAC filters and ordered more than 1,000 high-end air scrubbers at about $1,200 apiece, one for every classroom and two for larger spaces like cafeterias and libraries. The units arrived in January and February."
FEDERAL
FCC: Emergency Broadband Benefit:
The FCC has also released a Speed Test app to help collect data on home broadband speeds.
IRS: Announced that the $3,000 child tax credit would begin being paid in July.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
B.1.1.7: New study finds that the UK variant does not cause more severe illness or death.
"Emerging evidence exists of increased transmissibility of B.1.1.7, and we found increased virus load by proxy for B.1.1.7 in our data. We did not identify an association of the variant with severe disease in this hospitalised cohort."
Higher Ed Clearinghouse: CDC funds new American College Health Association-led initiative to share COVID mitigation strategies across colleges.
STATE
Arizona: Via The 74: How Arizona is Supporting Innovative School Programs During the Pandemic
California: Many English learners reluctant to return to in-person instruction.
"I would imagine that most of the kids are going to remain in distance learning,” she said. “When I talked to my kids, they all said, ‘We want to be back; we miss you.’ But now they’re saying, ‘Our parents are afraid for us.’”
"Fried said she has seen the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on immigrant households because many of her students have had grandparents or other family members who got sick. A lot of my students live with multiple generations, so we have to deal with this every single day,” Fried said."
Illinois: CTU responds to parents’ complaints of ‘always wanting more’ as CPS plans to reopen high schools
Iowa: Des Moines Public Schools plans to expand its online school offering to middle school students for the 2021-22 school year using federal funds
Kentucky: JCPS panel will not recommend more school days in 2021-22 after pushback from staff.
"About 53% of respondents strongly opposed adding days to next year’s school calendar, and 22% were generally against the plan."
Michigan: In-person learning expansion further delayed by Grand Rapids Public Schools
New York: NYC to combine summer camp and summer school in new initiative called Summer Rising
Virginia:
Culpeper County Public Schools hopes to become an early adopter of a K-12 coronavirus testing pilot program being launched by Virginia’s departments of education and health.
A state advisory group released Navigating Virginia Education in Uncertain Times which provides recommendations and best practices related to equity, curricula — especially in literacy and mathematics — remediation and intervention strategies, assessments, data analysis, student and staff wellness, and technology to support instruction and learning.
INTERNATIONAL
Canada: With more than 70,000 teachers planning to strike on Wednesday, many English school boards and French school service centers have decided to counter by scheduling a full day of online learning for elementary and high school students.
Czech Republic: Children up to grade five have begun returning to school.
Israel: Set to reopen schools on Sunday.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
SyncUp Colorado Challenge: A $5 million prize pool for solutions to build a more coordinated education-to-employment system in Colorado.
Supported by ZOMALAB, the Colorado Governor Office, Colorado Succeeds, Colorado Thrives, Skillful, Strada Education Network, and SemperVirens
Working Mothers Derailed by Pandemic Face a Tough Road: Via WSJ
"Hundreds of thousands have thrown up their hands, exiting the labor force for now. Between February 2020 and March 2021, nearly 1.1 million women of prime working age—between the ages of 25 and 54—dropped out of the labor force, compared with 830,000 men in that age group, according to the Labor Department."
"A recently accelerating economy has helped women regain ground, but the setbacks of the past year have stalled career progress for many."
"A worker who earns $50,000 a year and quits her job to raise children for two years loses, on average, $300,000 to $400,000 in total earnings over her lifetime because of lost wages during the time off, lower retirement savings and Social Security payments, and the fact that people tend to earn less when they return to work after an extended break, according to a 2016 report from the Center for American Progress."
LEARNING PODS
Public-private Microschooling Partnerships: The Southern Nevada Urban Micro Academy model via AEI.
RESOURCES
Online Schools Are Here to Stay, Even After the Pandemic: Via NYT:
"Demand for virtual schools has soared. Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, one of the nation’s largest school systems, plans to enroll about 1,000 students in its new online school this fall. The Anchorage School District expects about 2,000 children to attend its year-old online school beginning in August. And in Minnesota, the number of state-approved online schools is on track to double this year to 80 or more, from 37 before the pandemic."
"The momentum for online schools is particularly evident in Minnesota. The state’s Department of Education said it was processing about 50 applications for new virtual schools, compared with two or three a year before the coronavirus."
How to Talk About Next School Year Presents a Big Test for Education Leaders: Good, long piece from EdWeek
Parking: This feels like an analogy for so many issues right now.