Rich Weinfeld’s Post

BREAKING: New report shows 6/10 of principals have recommended a student w/ spec ed needs stay home! EVERY student in #OntEd deserves access to high-quality, in-person learning. In their responses to the survey, many principals commented that daily staff shortages mean that special education teachers must often step in to replace classroom teachers and educational assistants. Nearly half of elementary (42%) and secondary (46%) schools report experiencing shortages of educational assistants every day. Elementary schools in neighbourhoods with low median family incomes have, on average, a higher proportion of students receiving special education support. In these schools, an average of 20% of students are receiving special education support, compared to 14% of students in high income schools. On the other hand, schools in lower-income neighbourhoods were more likely to provide tutoring programs and de-streaming resources for parents/guardians. Low-income elementary schools are much less likely to report they have access to psychologists, either regularly scheduled or on-call. This may be partly due to the differences in school size: on average, low-income elementary schools have 302 students each compared to 454 in high-income elementary schools. At the same time, low-income schools have more than double the proportion of students waiting for assessments. RECOMMENDATION Principals have consistently pointed to challenges in providing effective special education supports for their students. For this reason, People for Education continues to recommend that the province convene an Education Task Force–including representatives from teacher, principal, and education support staff associations, school board administrators, faculties of education, special education organizations, provincial policymakers, and students–to provide input on government policy before it is implemented, and to help design new policy and funding models to address a range of issues including staff shortages, and effective and equitable design for special education supports and programs. https://lnkd.in/g2k8vn6C

"Contrary to popular belief, the influence of parents far outweighs that of schools in a child's formative years [...] We need more public discussion and policy attention towards supporting parents. We need ways of supporting parents that are inexpensive and scalable. And we need to stop thinking that the Department of Education means the Department of School, although I strongly believe we need to have sufficient teachers and high-quality public schooling for everybody. We should have a Department of Education and Learning, and have a more expansive view of what a state or federal Department of Education does. In our rapidly evolving educational landscape, prioritizing support for parents alongside traditional schooling is not just an option but a necessity for ensuring every child reaches their full potential." - Dr. Ariel Kalil https://lnkd.in/eng4fZX4 #STEM #children #parenting #education

The teacher shortage in our nation is reaching critical levels, a problem that has only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Pacific Oaks College is taking proactive steps to address this pressing issue. With a strong emphasis on early childhood education and teacher preparation, they are empowering students to become the educators our communities need. In a recent move, Pacific Oaks partnered with the Sacramento County Office of Education to launch a tuition-free residency program that will train up to 150 new public and charter schoolteachers over the next three years. This innovative initiative is not only filling critical gaps in education but also providing much-needed support for aspiring educators. https://lnkd.in/g-vTU_rn

https://lnkd.in/gvfCejhk Despite challenges, Mississippi schools are making strides in literacy education. The efforts highlighted in @nytimes showcase the dedication of educators and the potential for positive change in students' lives. #CT302KU

Unlike public schools, formal homeschooling programs or traditional private schools, nearly 9,000 private schools in Louisiana don’t need state approval to grant degrees. Nearly every one of those unapproved schools was created to serve a single homeschooling family, but now some have buildings, classrooms, teachers and dozens of students. They may represent a small percentage of the state’s students, but those in Louisiana’s off-the-grid school system are a rapidly growing example of the nation's continuing fallout from COVID-19 — families disengaging from traditional education. https://lnkd.in/gBsKPrEn

Teachers are Missing More School, and There are Too Few Substitutes 👇🏽 Short staffed schools create a cycle of burnout that makes retention especially difficult. Maintaining an adequate sub pool, and high fill rates supports the permanent teachers and can help combat burnout. HelloSubs is changing the game for substitute teaching. Increasing fill rates without increasing district budgets. https://lnkd.in/g5UFSvTY

Fully supporting our students' needs is critical for success. This "whole-child approach" highlighted by Linda Darling-Hammond and NAESP emphasizes the importance of quality early childhood education. At Verite Educational Services, our team is committed to helping ECE programs excel with our comprehensive program evaluation services. #K12Education #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ProgramEvaluation

Educators, check out this case study from the US Dept. of Ed. Goal: Eliminate the educator shortage for every school by ensuring that schools are appropriately staffed, paying educators competitively, and strengthening pathways into the profession. https://lnkd.in/geDym9ns

ASAH schools are an important part of New Jersey’s #SpecialEducation system, and a vital safety net for local school districts. Through the IEP process, Child Study Teams refer about 10,000 disabled students each year to state-approved specialized schools (APSSDs) after determining that the child’s needs are greater than what they can provide locally. These referrals are now coming at an unprecedented rate. Many of our schools have waiting lists – not because they do not have classrooms, but because they cannot hire enough qualified teachers and therapists. New regulations before the New Jersey State Board of Education will make it EVEN HARDER for our schools to hire, train and retain qualified staff. Why is the New Jersey Department of Education taking steps to cut funding for the most vulnerable children in our state?

Governors and state legislatures are investing in early childhood education programs. School districts need guidance on building these programs and collaborating with early childhood educators. California cities like Fresno, Oakland, and East San Jose have improved children's lives by reforming their early childhood systems and developing training and support systems. Read the brief: https://ow.ly/nq8B50QVziA. #earlychildhoodeducation #ece #TeamworkTuesday