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April 2020
#EdEquityVA Monthly Newsletter
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Welcome back to the #EdEquityVA Monthly Newsletter, a repository of resources that you can add to your equity tool kit! Keep reading for more information about our #EdEquityVA initiatives, best practices in the field, and professional learning opportunities.
This month’s issue focuses on COVID-19 and Continuity of Learning
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VIRGINIA LEARNS ANYWHERE: Continuity of Learning Guide
A report and recommendations from Virginia’s educators on the Continuity for Learning (C4L) Task Force
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When Governor Northam announced the closure of schools for the remainder of the academic year, VDOE quickly formed a Continuity for Learning (C4L) Task Force to develop guidance for educators to meet the immediate needs of supporting learning outside our brick and mortar classrooms.
C4L's document provides guidance on how schools can prevent further widening of achievement gaps and meet the social and emotional needs of students while schools are closed.
More than 120 teachers, administrators and specialists from school divisions across the commonwealth, as well as representatives of educational organizations and the Virginia Department of Education came together to create the document, which has a focus on ensuring equity in decision making around COVID-19 school closures.
To access the recommendations and resources, click here.
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Announcing the Launch of
“VA TV Classroom”
Television Broadcast of Teacher-Led Classroom Instrustion
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The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce the launch of the VA TV Classroom! This exciting option was created to increase access to classroom instruction for students in grades K-10 throughout Virginia, especially those who are unable to access other distance learning options due to a lack of high-speed internet.
“VA TV Classroom” will air instructional content from 1-3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Four Virginia public media stations will broadcast teacher-led classroom instruction aligned with the commonwealth’s academic standards into homes across the state beginning Monday, April 13.
The “VA TV Classroom” on-air schedule is as follows:
- K-3 instruction airs from 1-2 p.m. with Standards of Learning-aligned content provided by WHRO Public Media. “Learn to Grow with WHRO” segments will be 15 minutes in length and led by teachers.
- Grades 7-10 instruction airs from 2-3 p.m. with SOL-aligned content provided by WHRO Public Media focusing on Earth Science and Algebra 1.
- During the week of April 27, “VA TV Classroom” will add a special hour from 3-4 p.m. called “AP Prep Week,” with content provided by Virtual Virginia — in collaboration with WHRO — focusing on a different AP subject each day. The hour will include two 30-minute segments.
For more information and to read the full press release, click here.
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State Superintendent Announces Flexibility for Spending Federal Education Funds |
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Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced that the U.S. Department of Education has approved Virginia’s application for additional flexibility in the use of federal education funds, as authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
“Without this flexibility, Virginia school divisions would have had to return millions of dollars in federal funding — most of it supporting programs serving vulnerable students — that they were unable to spend by September 30 due to the closure of schools to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Lane said. “These waivers will also allow divisions and the Virginia Department of Education to shift federal resources to supporting the technology and professional development for teachers necessary to expand distance-learning opportunities for all students.”
For more information and access to the full release, click here.
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Continuity of Learning
COVID-19 Equity Webinars from Zaretta Hammond
How do we move beyond the packet mentality to truly help students become independent learners while leveraging the funds of knowledge at home and in their immediate community? That is the question posed and answered by Zaretta Hammond in this important webinar series.
Many schools have found their equity efforts interrupted as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. But with crisis also comes opportunity to rethink how we “do school.”
This series of webinars is meant to support you in your efforts to be responsive to students and families during this time of distance learning. Doable learning activities to help you offer real support to our most vulnerable students will be shared.
GoOpenVA COVID-19 Resources
#GoOpenVA is Virginia's home for Open Educational Resources. Visit #GoOpenVA:COVID-19 Extended Closing Resources for materials provided by Virginia school divisions to support educational activities when schools are closed. Refer to the Quick Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER) to learn more.
Center for Race and Public Education in the South Webinar Series
The Teachers in the Movement project at the Center for Race and Public Education in the South (CRPES) is an oral history project that explores teachers’ ideas and pedagogy inside and outside the classroom during the 1950s through 1980s.
The Teachers in the Movement project is hosting a webinar series discussing former interviews from educators during the 1950s through 1980s. Please join a discussion on the Wyatt T. Walker interview on Tuesday April 14th at 1 PM EST regarding the.
Register here: https://bit.ly/TIMWebinar_Walker. Once registered, you will receive a follow-up email with Zoom instructions to join the discussion (please watch your spam folder).
To learn more about Teachers in the Movement, visit www.teachersinthemovement.com. For more information about this event, please email us at teachersinthemovement@gmail.com or call at 434-218-2403.
For Parents, Families, and Caregivers
- Families can text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find the meal sites nearest them.
- Education News Dashboard with resources for schools and families responding to coronavirus (COVID-19). See the April 3 edition (in English or Spanish) (IDRA)
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Maintaining Structure and Routines at Home (Virginia Department of Education)
- The VDOE has a guide to serve as a resource for parents, families and caregivers on a variety of topics related to COVID-19 and their students-COVID-19: A Parent Guide for School-Age Children (Virginia Department of Education)
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UPDATES: African American History Education Commission (AAHEC) |
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On August 24th Governor Ralph Northam signed Executive Order Thirty Nine establishing the Commission on African American History Education.
The April 20 full commission meeting is cancelled. The June 15 meeting in Bristol will continue as scheduled, though the Commission will carefully monitor the pandemic and make a determination closer to that date.
Due to these circumstances, the anticipated reporting deadline of July 1 may need to be extended. Instead, the commission will now work towards a September 1 deadline for their final report.
A virtual commission meeting will take place on April 14 at 3pm EST with their partners at WHRO. This meeting is open to the public and will include a more detailed conversation about the African American History Elective Course. Information about attending that virtual meeting is below.
Join Zoom Meeting- April 14th, 3-5pm https://zoom.us/j/711474724?pwd=Yis4eXV0eGR6QTI1cXFMKzB1WDB1UT09
Meeting ID:711 474 724 Password: 134882
Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) 877 853 5257 US Toll-free 888 475 4499 US Toll-free Meeting ID: 711 474 724
For the most up-to-date information about the Commission, please visit the Commission website. All inquiries may be directed to the Office of Equity and Community Engagement at holly.coy@governor.virginia.gov.
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POSTPONED: 2020 #EdEquityVA Webinar Series |
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POSTPONED:
Virginia is for ALL Learners
Education Equity Summer Institute
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The 3rd annual Virginia is for ALL Learners: Education Equity Summer Institute is scheduled for July 14-15, 2020 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia is POSTPONED until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the most up-to-date information about the conference, please visit the Virginia is for Learners website. All inquiries may be directed to the Office of Equity and Community Engagement at EdEquityVA@doe.virginia.gov.
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DEADLINE EXTENDED: Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education Equity |
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The Virginia Department of Education has launched a statewide award that will recognize individuals and organizations making significant contributions to advancing educational equity. Nominations for The Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education Equity are now being accepted. Please consider nominating an educator, policy maker, education advocacy group, or stakeholder organization whose service and leadership is impacting equity outcomes in the state.
All nomination materials must be submitted online by
July 1, 2020 by 5:00 PM EST.
For more information about the nomination process and selection criteria, visit the Virginia is for Learners website.
For direct access to the nomination form, click here.
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