COVID-19 Policy Update #275
COVID-19 Policy Update
MONDAY 6/14
TOP THREE
Survey Finds Parents Aren’t So Thrilled About Most K-12 COVID Recovery Solutions on the Table: Via The 74 and USC's Understanding America Study
"Roughly a quarter of parents say their school offers in-person tutoring (27% both during and after), and of that quarter of parents, 34% of their children participate during school, 29% after. Among those who don’t currently have the opportunity, 30% of parents say they would enroll their child for during-school tutoring, 25% after-school."
"In-person pod use is also low, with 17% of parents reporting their child’s school offers pods. Of those, 38% of students are participating. If offered, 25% of parents say they would enroll their child in a pod."
"Though most parents do not favor tutoring overall, remote tutoring scored high in the survey, with 82 percent of parents supporting or strongly supporting. This is consistent across subgroups."
State ESSER Plans: ED posted 28 plans describing how states plan to use American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds. (Press Release). Some highlights:
Nine states detailed plans to prioritize vaccinations for educators and students.
Tennessee released a template for school districts to develop health and safety plans as they work to bring more students back to in-person instruction and developed a data dashboard on school operating status that it plans to continue to share publicly in the fall.
Kansas will reserve a portion of funds for an initiative that will offset the cost of admission for students to visit museums, zoos, historical sites, state parks, and the Kansas state fair.
Oklahoma is using approximately $35 million for districts to hire new school counselors, licensed mental health professionals and licensed recreational therapists to lower the student-to-counselor ratio.
Study on UK Secondary School Reopenings: Just like primary schools, UK researchers found limited infection or transmission when UK secondary schools reopened fully from Sep-Dec 2020.
One of the study authors: "This is yet another study showing that schools are not filled with asymptomatic kids spreading #SARSCoV2 to others. If that was the case, antibody positivity rates would be much higher (esp. in kids) as seen in care homes, hospitals, prisons, etc (30-60%)"
FEDERAL
ED Memo to the White House: Leaked to CNN (or more likely - shared by ED senior staff): Education Secretary tells White House reopening schools is 'challenging for all'
ED: Released guidance for states, districts released maintenance of equity provisions with ARP funds.
The Department notes that states and LEAs are required to abide by the MOEquity provisions, even those some states may have completed their annual appropriations cycles. Additionally, the Department will require that states submit baseline data to determine how the state will abide by MOEquity provisions by July 30.
FAFSA Simplification: FSA announced that ED will not be able to fully implement statutory requirements to simplify the FAFSA in time for students to apply for federal aid for the 2023-2024 school year.
HHS: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released guidance related to the $39 billion Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding included ARP.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Novavax Vaccine: “The two-shot regimen was 90% effective at preventing people from falling ill in a 30,000-person trial conducted when variants had begun to complicate the pandemic in the United States and Mexico.”
"It said it plans to file for authorization with the FDA in the third quarter."
Delta Variant: Doubles the risk of hospitalization compared with the previously dominant variant in Britain.
"The BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine provided 79% protection against infection from the Delta variant, compared with 92% against the Alpha variant, at least two weeks after the second dose, the study found."
"The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, meanwhile, offered 60% protection against the Delta variant compared with 73% for the Alpha variant."
"WHO official: Delta variant 'poised to take hold' in Europe"
This is concerning: 32% of all Delta cases visiting thehospital emergency room are at least 1 dose vaccinated. 33% who are then hospitalized vaccinated.
A Federal Judge Upheld the Suspension of Unvaccinated Workers: Over the weekend, a federal judge tossed out a lawsuit filed by Houston hospital workers who were suspended for not having gotten a COVID-19 vaccination. Decision
In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said, “This is not coercion. Methodist is trying to do their business of saving lives without giving them the COVID-19 virus. It is a choice made to keep staff, patients, and their families safer.”
Vaccine Incentives: Verizon is offering 10% off an accessory for customers that have received a COVID-19 vaccination.
"Those Who Serve — teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel — are also eligible to receive the offer"
National Rural Health Association: Released a new toolkit for addressing vaccine hesitancy including resources and talking points.
Using Smart Thermometers To Predict The Next COVID Wave: New York City will harness data from thousands of internet-connected smart thermometers to identify future outbreaks days or even weeks before case numbers start rising.
"Kinsa will distribute for free up to 100,000 of its internet-connected thermometers through New York City's elementary schools."
STATE
Florida: This school lost 10% of its students to home schooling. Will they return?
North Dakota: Governor Burgum hsts summit on Innovative Education.
Ohio: ‘We Don’t Want to Lose Students’: Cleveland schools to offer remote classes in the fall
Virginia: More than half of students registered for Henrico Virtual Academy live in Fairfield, Varina districts
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Burning Glass Technologies and Emsi Announce Merger: Press Release.
The Economic Impact of Learning Loss: Via David Winston. Crazy differences between Republicans and Democrats.
To Fill Millions of Open Jobs, Many Workers Need More Than Skills: Via NYT
"Labor experts and some large employers point to another issue: the so-called last-mile problem. It is one thing to have in-demand skills, they say. But good jobs also require “soft skills” like teamwork, communication and the willingness to learn new things. And then, those freshly skilled people need to be matched to local job opportunities."
"Real progress in closing the last-mile gap could potentially benefit millions of Americans, economists say. Navigating the unfamiliar complexity of the labor market can be particularly difficult for the two-thirds of the nation’s workers without four-year college degrees, with low incomes and people of color."
"To streamline such work, the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is building metro area websites and developing programs to help career coaches across the country pinpoint local job openings and relevant training. The websites rely on data from Emsi and Burning Glass Technologies, labor market research firms."
"The Great Resignation": Via Axios: Surveys show anywhere from 25% to upward of 40% of workers are thinking about quitting their jobs.
Via WSJ: "Forget Going Back to the Office—People Are Just Quitting Instead"
RESOURCES
Virtual School Is An Appealing Option For Many Black, Latino And Asian Families: Via WGBH
Schools Brace for Surge of Kindergartners in Fall: Via AP
"In Orange County, Florida, there are estimates that the incoming kindergarten class will be 17% bigger than in fall 2020 and officials are planning a 5 1/2 week transition program this summer at some of its neediest schools."
Some in Congress Fear State Budget Decisions May Undercut COVID-19 Education Relief: Via EdWeek
Backyard Squirrel Maze 2.0- The Walnut Heist: Mark Rober is back, facing off against his greatest frenemies.
"The contraption Rober designed and built alongside his friends took two months of meticulous planning, but the real fun comes in watching the squirrels completely dissect and destroy their best laid plans"