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May 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.
In response to the needs of stakeholders, students and families, and educators as a result of the unprecedented impact of the current global health crisis, this month’s issue of the #EdEquityVA Newsletter focuses on Family Engagement and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the age of COVID-19.
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A Note From the State Superintendent,
Dr. James Lane
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Dear Education Stakeholder,
I want to take a moment to thank you for all of your efforts to support Virginia’s students during this very difficult time of global health crisis. I want to assure you that as we begin planning for return to school, our commitment to ensuring that Virginia’s public education system is one that provides equitable educational opportunities to all students is unwavering.
Meeting the needs of all Virginia learners, especially vulnerable student populations, is especially important during this time. Our goal is to provide guidance and support to local schools and division leaders to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on our students to the greatest extent possible. Our efforts at the VDOE remain focused on supporting marginalized student groups and deploying return to school strategies that do not further exacerbate existing achievement gaps.
As we transition our guidance at the VDOE from a focus on continuity of learning amid current extended school closures, to return to school recovery planning, I want to assure you that equity remains at the center of our work. Thank you again for your continued partnership and commitment to meeting the needs of ALL students. Please do not hesitate to reach out to The Office of Equity and Community Engagement via email at EdEquityVa@doe.virginia.gov for assistance and support. We are here for you and look forward to supporting you in any way that we can.
Sincerely,
James F. Lane, Superintendent of Public Instruction
To view weekly memoranda from the superintendent of public instruction click here.
Subscribe to Superintendent Lane’s Newsletter here.
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VDOE Partnership with Spanish-Language Radio Station
Supporting Learning for Students and Families
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The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce a partnership with Radio Poder WBTK 1380 AM — a Richmond Spanish-language station — to launch “Virginia: Educación en Radio,” the commonwealth’s first bilingual radio learning program.
“Virginia: Educación en Radio” will feature prerecorded lessons in multiple subject areas to support continuity of learning for Spanish-speaking students in grades K-12 while schools are closed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Virginia: Educación en Radio” will air instructional content Monday-Friday from 10:30-11 a.m.
Programming on Fridays will focus on resources, activities and educational tips for families. A replay of each week’s lessons will be available on Saturdays from 4-6:30 p.m.
For more Information visit the VDOE Partnership with Spanish-Language Radio Station Supports Learning for Students and Families website.
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Governor Northam Announces Expansion of ‘Virtual Virginia’ to Support Distance Learning During School Closures
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Governor Ralph Northam recently announced a dramatic expansion of Virtual Virginia to allow every teacher in the Commonwealth to host virtual classes while schools are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. These resources include a platform that enables all Virginia public school teachers to share lessons and activities with their students through June 30.
Virtual Virginia offerings now include elementary and middle school content as an option for students to learn content missed this spring. Courses will begin in May and the new course content will be available to any school division that enrolls students and teachers in the program, at no cost to the division.
Virtual Virginia content can be loaded onto devices for use by students in homes without sufficient internet access to support online learning.
More Information:Governor Northam Announces Expansion of Virtual Virginia to Support Distance Learning During School Closures
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Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
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May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.The Office of Equity and Community Engagement at the VDOE encourages education stakeholders to join us in our continued celebration of Virginia's diversity this month and beyond.
In addition to paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history, it’s an opportunity to engage with the different cultures within the community and reflect on current issues. We encourage you to go beyond highlights of important figures to also create space for culturally relevant conversations.
The following resources are meant to support you in celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month:
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Tools You Can Use
Resources, Guides, and Webinars Related to Family Engagement and Social-Emotional Learning Amid COVID-19
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Family Engagement
When schools reopen, the issue will not be how much learning took place, but rather, have student and family attitudes toward the importance of learning diminished? Filling in missed learning is far easier than re-socializing students and families to the importance of school and schoolwork.
-Dr. Steve Constantino, College of William and Mary School of Education
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
General
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Webinar: Beyond Back to School – Equity and Innovation in the COVID-19 era focuses on using data to structure strategic restart plans to meet the diverse needs of all students for their return to school and beyond. (NWEA)
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Webinar Series: Discovery Education – Equity Talks, every Thursday with new featured guests each session. Segments focus on how school leaders are cultivating equity and excellence in the wake of nationwide school closures. (Discovery Education)
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Families can text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find meal sites nearest them.
- The VDOE’s Training and Technical Assistance Centers (TTAC) can serve as a high quality resource for additional support and options for the use of virtual platforms for students with disabilities. (VDOE)
- As Ramadan begins, social distancing may make this month especially difficult for Muslim families and students. These resources offer recommendations for teaching about the holy month and how to assure your students that COVID-19 will not dim the Ramadan lights. (Teaching Tolerance)
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Resources on how to support LGBTQ students during social distancing. (Teaching Tolerance and The Trevor Project)
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REMINDER:
Now Accepting Nominations for the
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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