Top Three
FDA Advisers Struggle With How to Move Forward on Covid Boosters:
Stat live blogged the meeting: "The big message from the panel was that there is not a clear framework in place for approving vaccines aimed at new SARS-CoV-2 variants or deciding when people will need an additional dose of vaccine. But the panel was also clear that there is a real need to figure out what to do ahead of the fall and winter, when a surge is most likely."
NBC: "Marks of the FDA suggested an approach similar to how the flu shot is made each year, in which World Health Organization scientists constantly monitor influenza strains and, every year, select three to four that they think will be circulating widely to include in the flu vaccine."
"Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, presented data to the committee that showed the coronavirus has been evolving more rapidly than influenza."
“A top federal health official outlined a tight time frame on Wednesday if the Biden administration hopes to have new coronavirus vaccines by the fall that better meet the threat of a fast-evolving virus, saying clinical trials would have to be underway by next month in order to produce the shots,” the NYT reports.
CNBC: "Leading U.S. scientists and physicians worry that the FDA and CDC are moving too fast in approving a fourth round of Covid shots, with little public debate that gives the vaccine makers too big a role in setting the pace with which the doses are distributed across the nation."
"The authorization of a fourth dose for adults age 50 and older comes as the scientific community is divided over whether the data is sufficient to support another round of boosters, and whether authorizing additional shots is a sustainable public health policy, especially since protection against infection simply wears off over time. There is a debate over whether the goal of the vaccines is to prevent severe illness, which they’ve largely achieved, or infection as well — a more challenging proposition."
"Michael Osterholm, a leading epidemiologist, said repeated boosting is not a sustainable public health strategy because of the challenge posed by waning immunity against infection. “We’re not gonna be able to boost our way out of this,” said Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota."
“I think to have this decision made in-house behind closed doors without having the transparency of a full debate that a regularly called ACIP meeting would have provided – I think that’s unfortunate,” said Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center."
Student Absenteeism Has Surged: Via Axios
In Los Angeles, 46% of students in Los Angeles Unified have been chronically absent this year or have missed at least 9% of the academic year, according to the L.A. Times.
In New York City, the rate of chronic absenteeism soared to 40% — up from 26% during the 2018-2019 school year, according to the New York Post.
In Ohio, the statewide chronic absenteeism rate rose to 24% in 2020-2021, the most recent school year for which there is data, up from 11% in 2019-2020.
Exclusive Enrollment Data Shows Students Continue to Flee Urban Districts as Boom Town Schools and Virtual Academies Thrive: The 74 analyzes Burbio data.
"New York experienced the sharpest decline, a 2% drop — more than 48,000 students — since last year. That’s on top of the previous year’s 3% decline. Enrollment in Florida saw the biggest bounce at 4%, or more than 111,000 additional students — a reflection of higher birth rates, job growth and fewer COVID restrictions"
“Federal [relief] money is delaying it a year or two, and the fact that state budgets are healthy is delaying it a year or two,” said Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, about closing schools. Roza advises a network of over 40 urban districts nationwide, the majority of which are shrinking. “Federal money will run out, and enrollment for some of them isn’t isn’t going to come back. These cost factors are going to just slam down on people.”
Federal
Covid Supplemental: Is delayed again:
Punchbowl News: “Senators in both parties have come to the conclusion that there simply isn’t enough time to pass the $10 billion Covid bill this week. Jackson’s nomination – the overwhelming priority for both Schumer and President Joe Biden – will come to a final vote either Thursday or Friday. Schumer won’t let the Senate get bogged down in anything that jeopardizes that timetable.”
“That means the Covid prep bill – which the White House has been demanding for months – gets shelved once again. It’s the second time in recent weeks this has happened to Democratic congressional leaders, although in this case it was a dispute over immigration and border security that forced the delay, not an internal party revolt. This is a defeat for the White House and Hill Democratic leadership, which has been shouting that it needs this money.”
Politico: Covid deal hampered by GOP opposition to Biden immigration policy.
Sad News About the Capitol Fox: She was "humanely euthanized" to test for rabies which came back positive.
COVID-19 Research
EU Regulators on Booster: European regulators conclude it’s too early to consider fourth dose for the general population, but agree one can be given to people age 80+.
What We Know about Omicron’s BA.2 Variant So Far: Via Scientific American.
Most Americans Would Get a Covid-19 Booster Shot: According to a STAT-Harris Poll finds:
60% of Americans have already decided they will get a booster — if it is recommended.
But convincing others to get a booster may prove difficult. Just 22% say they will receive a second booster shot only if a new variant arises or there is a surge in cases in their area, while 18% have no plans to get a booster, despite any recommendations.
73% of baby boomers, 48% of Gen Zers
68% of Democrats, 54% of Republicans
54% of Black people, 43% of Hispanic people, 73% of Asian people, and 65% of white people
State
California: "Student math scores touch off five-alarm fire"
Analysis finds average eighth graders may have skills indicative of fifth grade.
"The results raise doubts whether traditional strategies like summer school and tutoring can succeed in making up such a huge gap in learning."
Illinois:
Gov. Pritzker signs bill creating paid COVID sick leave for all vaccinated school employees.
The Illinois State Board of Education announced a $17 million grant to create the nation's first state-funded Freedom Schools network last month, which aims to supplement learning in school with a research-based, multicultural curriculum taking place over the summer and/or the school year.
New York: Governor Hochul launched new ads featuring pediatricians encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated.
North Carolina:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced it will offer virtual learning to more students starting with the 2022-23 school year.
Guilford County Schools launches free Tutor Helpline to address learning loss.
Ohio: Ohio’s eight PBS stations will be working with local summer and afterschool program staff from across the state to help address disruptions to learning.
"Through a new partnership with the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Learns 360 will provide programs with PBS resources, including standards-based curriculum and materials, virtual field trips, interactive video programs, community events and more, all designed to accelerate student learning and support the state’s most vulnerable learners."
Virginia: "Immersive technology that puts students inside the cockpit of a fighter plane, on the ocean floor or lets them virtually dissect animals is now available at two city schools."
Economic Recovery
Most Dynamic Metros: New report from Heartland Forward.
"Our index is based on capturing recent employment growth, wage growth, and GDP growth, as well as two entrepreneurship metrics (the density of young business activity within the overall economy and density of well-educated workers within the workforce employed by those young businesses) and the average income, which reflects previous productivity gains."
Resources
State of the States and Academic Supports: Via NGA.
How Peer Tutoring Can Transform High School Academics: Via The 74.
Course Choice: The ideal post-pandemic policy solution, via Michael Brickman.
Book Ban Efforts Hit Highest Level in at Least 20 Years: A report from the American Library Association released Monday found over 700 “challenges” targeting 1,597 individual books to library, school and university materials in 2021, the most since at least 2000, when the organization started tracking them, Axios reports.
The Hunt Institute: Released a series of resources:
Closing the Digital Divide: Strategies to Connect Students & Families
Whole Child Education: Supporting Students’ Learning and Development
Human Capital for the 21st Century: Aligning Education with Future Workforce Needs
The COVID Constituency: Emerging Priorities for Education Leaders
Just a Baby Orangutan: Getting a bath.