Top Three
CDC Expected to Ease Covid-19 Recommendations, Including for Schools: Via CNN.
"A preview of the plans obtained by CNN shows that the updated recommendations are expected to ease quarantine recommendations for people exposed to the virus and de-emphasize 6 feet of social distancing."
"The agency is also expected to de-emphasize regular screening testing for Covid-19 in schools as a way to monitor the spread of the virus, according to sources who were briefed on the agency’s plans but were not authorized to speak to a reporter. Instead, it says it may be more useful to base testing on Covid-19 community levels and whether settings are higher-risk, such as nursing homes or prisons."
"As part of the expected changes, the CDC would also soon remove a recommendation that students exposed to Covid-19 take regular tests to stay in the classroom. The strategy, called “test to stay,” was recommended by the agency in December, during the first Omicron wave, to keep unvaccinated kids who were exposed but didn’t have symptoms in the classroom instead of quarantining at home."
"The CDC is also set to ease quarantine requirements for people who are unvaccinated or who are not up to date on their Covid-19 vaccines. Currently, the agency recommends that people who aren’t up to date on their shots stay at home for at least five days after close contact with someone who tests positive for Covid-19. Going forward, they won’t have to stay at home but should wear a mask and test at least five days after exposure."
"Sources say the tweaks reflect both shifting public sentiment toward the pandemic – many Americans have stopped wearing masks or social distancing – and a high level of underlying immunity in the population. Screening of blood samples suggests that as December, 95% of Americans have had Covid-19 or been vaccinated against it, reducing the chances of becoming severely ill or dying if they get it again."
What Goes Wrong When Some School Board Members Don’t Understand District Finances?: Via Marguerite Roza:
"Here’s the problem: Too often these hasty financial directives are made late in the game and without identifying responsible budget-balancing alternatives. As school lets out for the summer, the revised budget gets signed without taking stock of the effects on tomorrow’s students."
"Right now, the lack of expertise when it comes to understanding the ramifications of fiscal decisions is especially problematic. Today’s boards are wrestling with the pressures of enrollment declines and inflation, and the temporary nature of federal relief funds."
"For now, temporary federal aid is delaying much of the fallout from imbalanced budgets. But relief funds last only until September 2024, at which point these decisions will make it difficult for many districts to pay their bills. When budgets get out of whack, districts tend to burn through their reserves, eliminate school days, and make sharp reductions in staff, programs, and services. Some will see their credit ratings suffer or be subject to state takeover. The resulting financial instability can last decades."
"In LAUSD, that price comes in the form of shortchanging each student by some $450 per year. That’s the excess cost of absurdly generous health benefits when compared to other California districts. When it came time to revisit those commitments in 2018, board members acknowledged the costs were threatening programs for students, and then voted 4-3 for a plan that avoided any substantial changes."
"In some districts, this over-spending means that relief funds are backfilling budget holes instead of being used to remedy deep learning losses. Left unaddressed, those pandemic gaps amount to “the largest increase in educational inequity in a generation.”
Good Jobs Challenge: The Department of Commerce announced grant awards to 32 industry-led workforce training partnerships across the country as part of the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge.
EDA also announced an award of a $4.6 million grant to Jobs for the Future (JFF) to coordinate and lead a national Community of Practice (CoP) dedicated to sharing best practices, providing technical assistance, and extending professional networks among the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge’s grantee organizations
Federal
Congress: Rep. Walorski was killed in an automobile accident near Indianapolis today. Two of her staffers – Emma Thomson, communications director, and Zachery Potts, district director – were also killed.
Covid-19 Research
Biden Administration Unveils Long-COVID Reports: HHS released the two reports today, one on a research action plan and the other on federal services and support for people with long COVID.
"HHS estimates that 7.7 million to 23 million Americans are experiencing long COVID, and that about 1 million are out of the workforce at any given time, amounting to $50 billion in lost earnings each year."
Novavax: The European Medicines Agency recommended that pericarditis and myocarditis be listed as new side effects for the COVID-19 vaccine, due to a small number of reported cases.
State
California: LAUSD drops masking and other COVID restrictions.
"Like many other school systems, L.A. Unified has shifted to “response testing” in which COVID-19 testing is required for those who are sick, who are close contacts or when there is a potential for an outbreak."
"Most of the county’s 80 school systems appear to be following a course similar to L.A. Unified. Response testing appears to be the most common model, said county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer."
"The rethinking in L.A. Unified includes ramping down its Daily Pass system. To enter school grounds last year, students had to be up to date on weekly COVID-19 testing and they or their parents also had to affirm that students had no symptoms of illness. The Daily Pass system will be used instead to upload positive test results or report symptoms on an as-needed and voluntary basis."
Connecticut: State leaders provide mask & testing guidance for 2022-2023 school year.
"Vaccination clinics will be organized for all 36 of Connecticut’s Alliance School Districts that are open to school, child care, and youth camp staff, students, and families in those communities"
"Self-test kits will be available for free to all Connecticut schools, child care programs, and youth camps to distribute to their students, staff and service providers."
"Test-Mask-Go is an optional strategy designed to increase the number of days of in-person learning and care available to children. Schools, child care programs and camp operators choosing this strategy can give children and staff with mild respiratory disease symptoms -- infrequent cough, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, etc.-- the option to continue participating in-person provided:"
"they are fever-free (< 100°F) and feel well enough to participate"
"they do not live with anyone who has had COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks"
"they can wear a mask consistently and correctly (if facility operators require them to do so) and"
"they test negative for COVID-19 prior to reporting in-person on every day they have symptoms, as well as one final test on the morning their symptoms have completely resolved."]
Hawaii: Hundreds of Hawaii classrooms are found with poor ventilation, posing a COVID-19 risk.
Louisiana: Here’s how New Orleans area schools are handling COVID this year.
Economic Recovery
Credit Card Balances Rise at Record Rate: Via Axios. "Credit card debt surged by $46 billion last quarter — a 13% jump from the prior year that marks the biggest increase in over 20 years."
Gas Prices Have Fallen for 50 Straight Days, Approach $4 a Gallon: Via the WSJ.
“If nothing goes wrong, we could see prices in October, November, December falling noticeably under $4 a gallon for the national average,” Mr. De Haan said."
Resources
Colleges Scale Back Covid Precautions for Fall: “Colleges this fall are no longer treating Covid-19 as an emergency upending their operations, shifting to eliminate mask requirements and mandatory coronavirus testing and letting students who contract the virus isolate in their dorms with their roommates,” the WSJ reports.
Peabody Journal of Education: The latest issue includes articles that addresses COVID-19’s impact on education policy, equity and social justice.
‘Never Seen It This Bad’:America faces catastrophic teacher shortage, the Washington Post reports.
"The Nevada State Education Association estimated that roughly 3,000 teaching jobs remained unfilled across the state’s 17 school districts as of early August. In a January report, the Illinois Association of Regional School Superintendents found that 88 percent of school districts statewide were having “problems with teacher shortages” — while 2,040 teacher openings were either empty or filled with a “less than qualified” hire. And in the Houston area, the largest five school districts are all reporting that between 200 and 1,000 teaching positions remain open."
Despite Accusations of Hoarding, Districts Say They’re Steadily Spending ESSER Funds: Via EdWeek.
"Slightly more than half of the 535 district leaders and principals who answered a nationally representative survey between June 29 and July 18 said they’ve spent either about three-quarters of their funds, or all of them. Another 36 percent said they’re about halfway through their federal relief funds, colloquially known as ESSER funds."
Nearly 70% of Homeless Students in LAUSD Chronically Absent Last Year: Via The 74.
Common Sense Education: Releases new resources to make back-to-school a little easier for educators.
Schools Need Tutors and Mentors: Chalkbeat asks, "can a new federal initiative find 250,000?"
"The initiative will spend $20 million in competitive grant funding from AmeriCorps to boost recruitment efforts over the next three years. Education-focused nonprofits, government agencies, and tribal- and faith-based organizations that apply will get priority, but it’s not guaranteed that all $20 million will go to education groups, AmeriCorps officials said. Applications close in September and funds are expected to reach those organizations in early 2023."
It's Wednesday: Aren't you happy it's almost the weekend?