COVID-19 Policy Update #263
COVID-19 Policy Update
WEDNESDAY 5/26
TOP THREE
Innovative Remote Partnership: Indianapolis Public Schools plans to partner with charter schools for remote option
"Instead of offering its own remote instruction next school year, Indianapolis Public Schools proposes to direct students to two local virtual charter schools."
"Under the partnerships, the two virtual charter schools would join the district as innovation schools, operating independently with oversight and additional funding from IPS. The agreements outline a five-year term."
Vax-a-Million Lotteries: The federal government is now a fan.
“People might say all this is frivolous. I say anything that ends the pandemic is time for us to pull out now," Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response, said."
"The Department of the Treasury released additional guidance Tuesday on how states can use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan for programs that encourage people to get vaccinated, Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response, said. This includes lotteries, cash or in-kind transfers and other financial incentives for people to get vaccinated."
"Since Ohio started the Vax-a-Million lottery earlier this month, the number of residents ages 16 or older who have received at least one dose of the vaccination jumped by 33 percent, The Associated Press reported. The surge in vaccination rates, 55 percent, is even higher for those between the ages of 20 and 49, Slavitt said."
"Similar programs have also been announced in New York, Maryland and Oregon. And United Airlines is offering vaccinated passengers the opportunity to win free flights."
IES: Has resources for Mental Health Awareness Month
FEDERAL
CDC: David Leonhardt still isn't buying the CDC guidance on outdoor transmission.
He had a piece on May 11 arguing that the CDC's claim that “less than 10 percent” of Covid-19 transmission was occurring outdoors" was misleading. He updated the article today.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Drone Companies To Help Deliver Vaccines In Rural America: Via the Washington Post:
“And then there are people who want to get vaccinated but are in areas so remote that they can’t easily get to a typical vaccination site. They include people working on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico or living in rural areas far from the nearest doctor’s office or pharmacy."
"Drone companies are positioning themselves to deliver refrigerated medical products to those people. If the plans don’t pan out in time to combat the coronavirus crisis, then they hope to be set up to assist swiftly in the world’s next big health scare. Draganfly, based in Saskatoon, Canada, and San Francisco-based Volansi are among the firms operating drones in the United States right now with medical delivery partnerships.”
"“If I have to get a lifesaving vaccine to somewhere that’s about [300 miles] from here, I have to find a courier, get them on the road, and it can take up to seven hours to get it delivered. If I put the package on a drone, I’m still able to track it, and it gets there sooner for a lot less money,” Williams said."
Not mentioned but also working on this issue: Zipline.
STATE
Alabama: 10,000 students sign up for Montgomery Public Schools's summer program.
Florida: Miami-Dade County Public Schools reported that 43% of students who took January diagnostic tests in grades pre-K-3 tested below grade level in reading. And 54% tested below grade level in math. More at The 74.
Maryland: Baltimore City Schools will not hold back failing students due to pandemic
Minnesota: The Minnesota Department of Education has given Albert Lea Area Schools the approval to operate an online school.
INTERNATIONAL
Congo: COVID-19 pushes Congo's children out of school and into domestic work
"School closures and the economic fallout from the pandemic have left many minors across Congo and the world with no choice but to work to survive - from street vending to driving moto-taxis or selling sex, according to campaigners and officials."
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Ohio OZs: EIG released an unprecedentedly detailed look into Opportunity Zones investment activity in the state of Ohio.
Dual federal and state incentives have moved at least $453m in OZ equity across 215 projects in 72 different OZ census tracts with an average 35 percent poverty rate.
The big three counties of Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton received 92% of dollars but represented only 62% of projects.
Unequal America: The inaugural McKinsey American Opportunity Survey spotlights Americans’ views on economic opportunity, the obstacles they face, and the path ahead to create a more inclusive economy.
Working with Ipsos, they surveyed 25,000 Americans in the spring of 2021
Some really fascinating data in the report.
RESOURCES
The Pandemic Isn’t Over — Especially for Our Children:
Closing the Homework Gap While Protecting Student Privacy: New CDT resource which provided guidance on on five areas that can pose risks to both equity and student privacy:
Using data to assess needs and launch connectivity and device programs;
Sharing student data with third parties such as broadband and device providers;
Monitoring student activity online;
Ongoing security and device management requirements; and
Lack of digital literacy and security knowledge.
Decoding the Divide: How COVID-19 thrust a long-widening digital gap into the spotlight. Good long piece at K12 Dive.
Jonathan McReynolds: Performs his song "People" for the Martin Guitar Museum Sessions.