TOP THREE
Children COVID Vaccine Rollout Plan: The White House released a plan today to get kids ages 5–11 vaccinated, pending FDA eligibility.
It secured enough vaccine supply to equip more than 25,000 pediatric and primary care offices, school and community health clinics, as well as thousands of pharmacies.
"HHS will "conduct a national public education campaign to reach parents and guardians with accurate and culturally-responsive information about the vaccine and the risks that COVID-19 poses to children."
"The Administration, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is providing full funding to states to support [school and community based] vaccination operations and outreach – including setting up sites, procuring equipment and supplies to store and administer the vaccine, providing transportation to and from vaccination sites, and communicating with the public, such as through in-person community engagement, call center support, public service announcements, and translation services."
This tidbit from ABC News, "Vaccinators must now also juggle two different COVID vaccine formulas: a full dose for older adolescents and adults -- and one third of that dose one for younger children.To troubleshoot any ensuing confusion, federal health officials are outlining a new color-coded cap system for each formulation of the vaccine, though still "preliminary." Purple-capped vials will contain doses for adult and older adolescents, a chart offered to states said; orange-capped vials will contain doses for kids aged 5-11."
This is also quite good: "10 Myths About COVID-19 Vaccine For Kids, Busted By Chicago Pediatricians"
FDA Approvals: FDA authorizes Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots as well as mix-and-matching between different vaccine providers.
Approves the use of a single booster dose of the Moderna that may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals:
65 years of age and older
18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19
18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure toSARS-CoV-2
The use of a single booster dose of J&J at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.
Census: Public school enrollment dropped by 2.9 million.
"The percentage of kids ages 3 and 4 enrolled in school fell from 54% in 2019 to 40% in 2020, the first time since 1996 that fewer than half of the children in this age group were enrolled."
College enrollment fell to the lowest level since 2007. Most of the decline took place in two-year colleges, which had their lowest enrollment levels in 20 years.
FEDERAL
ED: Released a new report, "Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health."
Reconciliation:
White House is seeking a topline number between $1.9 trillion and $2.2 trillion. Details are scant but reports suggest:
The universal pre-K provision is believed to remain intact.
CTC would be extended for only 1-2 years but likely stay refundable.
$200 billion for public housing.
No free community college but some sort of plus up for Pell Grants.
Four weeks of paid family leave, means tested at $100,000
According to CSM Research, "The $1.9 trillion plan floated by the White House yesterday would probably cost an extra $2 trillion if extended."
“Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s opposition to tax increases is causing Senate Democrats to look at financing their sprawling social policy and climate package without raising tax rates on businesses, high-income individuals or capital gains,” the WSJ reports.
CTC: New survey from AEI
"Our survey results show that some parents changed their employment because of the CTC payments. Even though the vast majority of parents said the new payments have not affected their employment (or the employment of someone else in their household), more than 10 percent of respondents reported that it did, with some reporting that it helped them work more and others reporting it helped them work less."
COVID-19 RESEARCH
AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Statement here. Recommendations include:
Increase federal funding dedicated to ensuring all families and children, from infancy through adolescence, can access evidence-based mental health screening, diagnosis, and treatment to appropriately address their mental health needs, with particular emphasis on meeting the needs of under-resourced populations.
Address regulatory challenges and improve access to technology to assure continued availability of telemedicine to provide mental health care to all populations.
Increase implementation and sustainable funding of effective models of school-based mental health care, including clinical strategies and models for payment
Fully fund comprehensive, community-based systems of care that connect families in need of behavioral health services and supports for their child with evidence-based interventions in their home, community or school.
Some Workers Want Covid-19 Recovery Accepted as Evidence of Immunity: Via WSJ, "Previous infection should be recognized as proof of protection and exempt employees from vaccine mandates, some workers say."
SCOTUS and Vaccine Mandate: “The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to block a vaccine requirement imposed on Maine health care workers, the latest defeat for opponents of vaccine mandates,” theAP reports. More via theNYT.
"Justice Breyer did not ask for a response to the workers’ application or refer it to the full Supreme Court. He said the workers could return to the Supreme Court after the federal appeals court rules on their appeal or if that court does not issue a decision by Oct. 29. That is the date on which the state has said it will start enforcing the requirement."
COVID-19 Continues To Be A Leading Cause of Death: Via Peterson-KFF. Really powerful visualization by age:
STATE
Arkansas: "Gov. Hutchinson said that elementary and secondary schools will be able to use a distance of three feet, instead of six feet, to determine who needs to quarantine after a student or employee tests positive for Covid-19."
California: A state audit found that California might have to return up to $160 million in federal funding if the state’s Department of Education "continues to disburse and monitor federal funds used by K-12 schools the way it is doing it now."
"Almost one‑fifth of the LEAs that received ESSER or GEER funds through initial allocations had spent 20 percent or less of their allocations as of the end of June 2021. Assuming these LEAs continue to spend at this slow rate, we project that they may forfeit as much as $160 million of their initial ESSER and GEER allocations."
"For fiscal year 2020–21, Education monitored only 15 LEAs, or less than 1 percent of the approximately 1,700 LEAs that received ESSER or GEER funds"
"An example in the report cited Hayward Unified School District’s use of $4 million in stimulus money that did not have any supporting documents to verify the money went toward COVID-19 related expenses."
Hawaii: "Ohana Pods Lana‘i program" offers families $1,000 microgrants for STEM learning kits, art materials, and tutoring.
New Hampshire: Covid numbers back decision to reopen classrooms
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia School District braces for a possible SEPTA strike by considering online learning.
Tennessee: The Tennessean: "A Rise In Black Youth Suicides Ties Back To Experiences With Racism"
West Virginia: West Virginia Education Association sues Putnam County BOE over COVID-19 policy
INTERNATIONAL
Situation Analysis on the Effects of and Responses to COVID-19 on the Education Sector in Asia: UNICEF/UNESCO report, "more than 27 million children have been waiting for more than a year to return to their classrooms."
UK: "The number of Covid-19 cases among school pupils in Leicester and Leicestershire has rocketed and is now around 11 times higher than before the peak of the third wave in June."
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Where Have The Workers Gone? JPMorgan estimates:
35%: unemployment benefits, stimulus, savings
20%: early retirees
10%: immigration and visa issues
10%: rise in self-employment
25% "other": COVID fears, child care constraints
"Some of the 4 million people citing child care constraints in the same survey, even after the reopening of schools (i.e., people not working due to providing care for children not in school or daycare). This figure declined by roughly half once schools opened in September"
Supply Chain: White House has weighed tapping National Guard to address mounting supply chain backlog.
This signals it's a real crisis.
RESOURCES
VELA’s Fall 2021 Microgrant Application Is Open: "Everyday entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for a microgrant of $2,500 or $10,000 to support innovative, nontraditional education programs."
A Cautionary Tale From Kenya: Designing Educational Pandemic Recovery Programs to Minimize Unintended Consequences: New report from CRPE.
The Federal Government Gave Billions to America’s Schools for COVID-19 Relief. Where Did the Money Go?: "According to a ProPublica analysis of more than 16,000 of the reports covering March 2020 to September 2020, just over half of the $3 billion in aid was categorized as “other,” providing no insight into how the funds were allocated."
Why So Many Teachers Are Thinking of Quitting: The Washington Post interviews seven educators.
Becoming Worthy of the Communities We Serve — Philanthropy Can and Must Do Better: Promise54 releases "Unrealized Impact 2.0: The Hard Truth About Where We Are and Ways to Move Forward."
How SEL Extends K–12 Education’s Reach Into Students’ Lives and Expands Teachers’ Roles: Via Robert Pondiscio
Police Answer 4-year-old's Call: Who confirm his toys are cool.
The call begins all business: “This is police, where is the emergency?”
There’s a pause as the unidentified boy hesitantly says, “Hi,” and then “Police lady?”
“Yes,” the dispatcher says, switching to a friendlier, singsong tone. “What’s going on?”
“Um, can I tell you something?” the boy asks, and after being told he can, says “I’ve got some toys for you.”
“You’ve got some toys for me?” says the dispatcher.
“Yep. Come over and see them,” the boy replies.
A police dispatch call then goes out, giving the address: “There is a 4-year-old there who is wanting to show police his toys, over.”
“Yeah, I’m one-up, I’ll attend to,” responds an officer.
They said the officer was also able to have a “good, educational chat” about the proper use of the emergency number, which is 111 in New Zealand.
“He did have cool toys,” Constable Kurt reported back after attending the callout, according to police. They added that: “The lucky kid also got to see the patrol car and the officer put the lights on for him, too.”