Podcasts about excellent education all4ed

Deborah Delisle, president and CEO of Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), joins us to talk about the promising signs in education that are being supported by federal, state, and local policy.

Deborah Delisle, president and CEO of Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), joins us to talk about the promising signs in education that are being supported by federal, state, and local policy.

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Deborah Delisle. Deborah is the president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), a Washington, D.C.-based national policy practice and advocacy organization that promotes high school transformation to make it possible for every child to graduate prepared for postsecondary learning and success in life.Some Questions I Ask:What is the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) and what does it do to support the education industry? (1:26)When did you absorb ‘Future Ready Schools'? (3:30)What are you seeing schools doing to navigate this pandemic and what do you anticipate the school year will bring? (4:21)What are your thoughts on re-imagining education? (7:26)What trends do you see in education? (9:42)What are you seeing in general with college and career readiness right now? (14:28)In This Episode, You Will Learn:What All4Ed is (1:55)The ‘Future Ready Schools' Program (3:35)Issues emerging in education in this pandemic (4:49)Rethinking learning and education as a whole (7:35)Trends in education (10:03)College and career readiness in this pandemic (14:44)Opportunities in education (17:36)Quotes:"We cannot go back to what was. When people say, ‘We have to go back to being normal,' we weren't normal before. And many kids didn't succeed in a system like that.”“We really need to just pause. We need to use this time and space. It's a limited opportunity to rethink the possibilities that can exist to engage more kids more robustly—for example, to utilize their talents and aspirations and redesign how schools work, including the incorporation of personalized learning.““Going back to rethinking education, we have to think of ourselves as co-facilitators of knowledge and content and learning processes—and as co-facilitators with our students in mind as well, because they have some ideas about how to access information in ways that perhaps we don't even think about.”“I will often say to people, ‘If you can't buy into that, buy into the notion that these are the kids who will take care of you when you are senior citizens. I want people who care about other people. And that's how you offer kids hope every single day. Kids need hope for a brighter future. That's what they want.”“Let's offer [kids] hope every day. Every student, every day.”Connect with Deborah Delisle:Alliance for Excellent EducationDeborah Delisle's LinkedInStay in touch with Sarah Williamson:Free Case Study GuideWebsiteFacebook

Dr. Miguel Cardona sails through his confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education, Congress begins the process to pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, and the House removes Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from the education committee. Highlights from Cardona Confirmation Hearing The hearing for secretary of education nominee Dr. Miguel Cardona was a breath of fresh air for those who may never forget the confirmation hearing for former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Dr. Cardona expressed himself as an experienced educator and a passionate advocate for public schools. There were clearly some differences of opinion between Dr. Cardona and some of the committee members, but the hearing was quite cordial and the Ranking Republican on the Committee, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), indicated he would support Dr. Cardona’s nomination. This was the first hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions under its new leadership. Chairperson Patty Murray’s (D-WA) opening statement described several of her priorities such as addressing learning loss and “the many challenges that existed long before COVID-19 struck but have become so much more severe through the pandemic.” Senator Burr’s opening statement was a bit different. He began by saying, “My main priority for this committee is health care.” He went on to discuss issues such as private sector innovation and FDA user fees. It caught quite a few of us off guard since this was a confirmation hearing for the secretary of education. During the hearing, Dr. Cardona was asked about the conditions under which schools should reopen. Specifically, Senator Burr asked whether 100 percent of staff and students need to be vaccinated before a school can reopen. Although Dr. Cardona did not answer the question directly, he pointed to examples of “schools throughout the country that were able to reopen safely and do so while following mitigation strategies.” He emphasized, however, that educators should be prioritized for vaccination and surveillance testing. Dr. Cardona also discussed the need for better communication to address the fear and distrust that has characterized reopening conversations. Dr. Cardona also faced several questions regarding whether the U.S. Department of Education (ED) should waive federal testing and accountability requirements for the second year in a row. While he did not give a definitive yes or no, his responses emphasized that states should be consulted and will need flexibility, especially regarding how test data is used for school accountability. Dr. Cardona also spoke to the value of assessments for state and local leaders so they can target resources to their most vulnerable students. At the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), we agree. That’s why we joined eighteen education and civil rights advocacy groups in a letter to urge Dr. Cardona to refrain from issuing waivers this year and instead call on states to administer their assessments. The letter also supports giving states time-limited flexibility, as needed, to modify their accountability systems. Without accurate, objective, and comparable data, state leaders will lack information about the disparate impact of any unfinished learning and unable to equitably allocate resources, personnel, and services that can accelerate students’ learning. Another theme of the hearing was expanding access to college and career pathways, including career and technical education (CTE) and dual enrollment. Dr. Cardona repeatedly stressed his belief in the importance of these pathways, as well as the essential role of community colleges in making college more accessible and affordable. In response to a question from Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dr. Cardona spoke personally about the value of dual enrollment, saying that he will work to expand access for all students. Dr.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigns in the wake of insurrection at the U.S. Capitol fueled by President Trump’s false claims of electoral fraud. On this week’s Federal Flash, we’ll look back at her controversial legacy and look ahead to how Democrats’ wins in the Georgia Senate races will affect education in the new Congress and new administration in 2021. Secretary Devos’s Resignation View Post U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigned in protest the day after a violent mob of President Trump’s supporters breached the U.S. Capitol, disrupting certification of the Electoral College and resulting in the death of five people and numerous injuries. In her resignation letter, she noted that “impressionable children are watching all of this, and they are learning from us. I believe we each have a moral obligation to exercise good judgment and model the behavior we hope they would emulate.” At the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), it is too little, too late. Children have been watching President Trump for four years. As our CEO and President Deborah Delisle said in her response to last week’s insurrection, “The people who acted so repugnantly …, and those who support and encourage them, are destroying our country, and we must do everything in our power to make sure they do not win.” Secretary DeVos had the power to stand against the president’s reckless, immoral behavior long ago, but chose not to act. Our reaction to her eleventh-hour change of heart? DeVos “stayed quiet while her administration locked children in cages and openly supported White supremacists and dangerous conspiracy theories. The time for her to stand up against President Trump was long ago, not two weeks before her gig was up.” Instead, Secretary DeVos oversaw the dismantling of the agency she was tapped to lead, including its division tasked with protecting students’ civil rights and ending racial disparities in education. She left schools to fend for themselves against a global pandemic. She failed to exercise even basic oversight and guidance over implementation of federal laws, including the Every Student Succeeds Act, and advocated for diverting federal funding for public schools to private schools. At All4Ed, we look forward to January 20, when we can begin to restore the U.S. Department of Education’s mission to help ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive and we will work alongside the new secretary to dismantle systems of oppression and tackle long-standing inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Georgia Elects Democratic Senators Speaking of the new education secretary, the election of Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Reverend Raphael Warnock leaves the U. S. Senate split 50-50, with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris holding the tie vote. Notably, Warnock—the pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church once led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—will become the first Black senator from the state of Georgia. With Democrats controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, Dr. Miguel Cardona likely faces a relatively swift and straightforward confirmation process for education secretary—enabling him to begin the work of rebuilding the agency, overseeing federal stimulus funds, and supporting students during the COVID-19 crisis as soon as possible. His confirmation will be shepherded by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), who will take over as chairwoman of the education committee after serving as its ranking member since 2015. There will be other changes to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee as well, with the retirements of Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) and with Doug Jones (D-AL) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) both losing their reelection bids. What can we expect with Democrats in control? The first item of business will be the confirmation of Dr. Cardona and we don’t expect any major hiccups.

Congress is close to a deal that will fund the U.S. Department of Education (ED), keep the federal government open, and provide additional resources to address COVID-19. Plus, on the fifth anniversary of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) being signed into law, the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) released new data showing what happens to historically underserved students When Equity Is Optional for states. Funding for ED and Other Federal Agencies Funding for ED and other agencies has been on autopilot since October 1 because Congress has yet to pass a spending bill to fund any federal agency for the year. The federal government is operating under its second Continuing Resolution, which temporarily maintains funding at last year’s levels. This stopgap expires December 18. However, it’s likely to be extended for a few days to give Congress more time to finish two things before heading home for the new year: They must pass the twelve annual spending bills, including the bill that funds ED.They want to pass a COVID-19 relief bill at the same time. What should we expect in funding for ED? Not a lot of surprises. Most programs will get the same amount of funding that they received last year, or something very close to it. The largest increase could go to Title I, but any increase will likely be very modest—less than 1 percent. Last year, Title I received nearly $17 billion. This year, the House of Representatives proposed a $161 million increase, while the Senate proposed a $125 million increase. We’ll find out final numbers for Title I and other programs when the bill passes, likely this weekend or early next week. What’s Next for COVID-19 Relief? Part of what’s holding up the spending bill is that congressional leaders also are working to finish a deal on COVID-19 relief. As we’ve covered before on Federal Flash, negotiations have been underway since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in the spring. Unfortunately, policy and funding disagreements, on top of election-year politics, have prevented any bill from becoming law. Talks reignited this month after a bipartisan group of senators developed a COVID-19 relief package on their own. Their proposal won’t get a vote, but it helped kick-start the development of a bill that might pass. The bill being negotiated now has a total price tag of about $900 billion. That’s far less than the $2.2 trillion Health and Emergency Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act passed by House Democrats in October, which was more than $1 trillion less than the original version of the bill from May. However, the revised HEROES Act proposed more funding for education, including $175 billion for school districts and $12 billion to expand high-speed home internet access. Senate Republican proposals have had a lower price tag and less funding for education, weighing in at $70 billion for K–12 schools. The bipartisan Senate proposal provides less funding for K–12 education than any of these past efforts: $54 billion. Funds would be distributed to states and districts based on the Title I formula, just as they were under the CARES Act, but they would not be conditioned on schools reopening, as proposed by Republicans. Although the funding level is disappointing for those who have been calling for federal support for education over the past several months, it would be four times the amount of K–12 funding in the CARES Act. The bipartisan framework also includes $3 billion for home internet access through the E-rate program. This is far less than the $12 billion included in the HEROES Act, but an improvement over the CARES Act, which didn’t fund home internet access at all. To be clear, these details reflect the Senate bipartisan agreement. A final bill is being negotiated by the House and Senate leadership. It’s likely to resemble the bipartisan framework but details could differ.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the next president and vice president of the United States. Meanwhile, Republicans gained ground in the House of Representatives and are favored to hang onto their Senate majority, but it is unclear who will replace retiring Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in leading the education committee. Today, we break down what the 2020 election results mean for students and schools, including new stimulus funding and priorities for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). With the highest voter turnout in a century, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris decisively won the popular vote and secured at least 279 electoral college votes to become the forty-sixth president and the first female, Black, and Indian American vice president. Among other priorities, the Biden administration is expected to seek increases in education funding and place strong emphasis on protecting students’ civil rights, a welcomed change from the Trump era. In a statement, Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) president and CEO Deborah Delisle said, “For four years, educational equity and civil rights protections have been intentionally eroded, and we look forward to swift action from the new administration on policies that ensure that every student—no matter his or her race, religion, background, or ZIP code—can thrive.” Though Democrats took back the White House, they will likely have at least two more years in the Senate minority, picking up only one seat. However, there’s an outside chance that, come January, the Senate will be split 50-50 pending the outcome of runoff elections for both Georgia Senate seats. In that case, Vice President-Elect Harris would be the decisive tiebreaker vote. Meanwhile, Democrats held onto the House, but their majority narrowed. With President-Elect Biden facing a divided Congress, the immediate focus returns to if—and when—the two parties will come together to negotiate further COVID-19 relief. Following the election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) declared a stimulus bill will be a priority during the lame duck session. However, if past attempts are any indication, negotiations will not be easy, as many expect Republicans to push for cutting government spending during a Biden administration. As we covered before, there is more than $1.5 trillion between the latest Senate proposal and House Democrats’ Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. Moreover, the difference in education funding is stark: just $70 billion in the Senate plan compared to $175 billion in the HEROES Act. The Senate bill also would tie two-thirds of funding to schools reopening and has no funding for home internet connectivity, compared to $12 billion that Democrats provided. If both sides cannot come together soon, it will be up to the new Congress. President-Elect Biden promoted the original HEROES Act, calling on Republicans and Trump to support it. In his school reopening plan, Biden also suggests that Congress pass a separate $30 billion emergency package to ensure schools can reopen safely and called for an additional $4 billion to upgrade technology and broadband. And unlike President Trump and Republican lawmakers, Biden would not condition funding on districts offering in-person classes. Instead, he has said his administration will issue national guidelines for reopening based on the level of viral spread in a community and would leave decisions of when to reopen schools up to state, local, and tribal officials. A Biden presidency also will steer education policy in a different direction by pushing for more funding and focusing on initiatives that have gotten little attention from the Trump administration. While we can only speculate as to who will be Secretary of Education, Biden promised to nominate a former classroom teacher. We also can look to the campaign to see what some of the new secretary’s priorities will be. For example,

House Democrats bring a new Health and Emergency Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act to the table, with a lower overall price tag but more dedicated funding for education and home internet. Congress and the White House agree to a temporary stopgap to keep the government open through mid-December—including good news for advocates working to prevent child hunger during the pandemic. HEROES Act Includes $225 Billion for Education The debate over coronavirus aid continues. After two plans from Senate Republicans flopped, it seemed like negotiations between Congress and the White House would be at a standstill until after the election. Instead, in an eleventh-hour push for a deal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveiled an updated version of the HEROES Act, the bill House Democrats passed in May. For months Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has refused to bring the HEROES Act to the floor, citing objections to its $3.4 trillion price tag, including $1 trillion to shore up state and local government budgets. The new, slimmed down HEROES Act would provide $2.2 trillion in overall relief and cut the fund for state and local governments in half. However, education fares better in the revised plan. Our viewers may recall that the original bill only provided about $100 billion for education—short of the $250 billion advocates had sought. The new HEROES Act gets much closer to that figure, targeting $225 billion to education including a $208 billion stabilization fund and $5 billion for emergency school infrastructure repairs and improvements, like ventilation systems. Like the original HEROES Act, governors would receive stabilization funds based on two factors: (1) the state’s relative share of the population between the ages of five and twenty-four years and (2) their relative share of students from low-income families under Title I. Even more of the stabilization fund—85 percent or about $175 billion—would flow to school districts, based on the relative number of Title I students they serve. The rest of the stabilization fund goes to institutions of higher education and governors, with set-asides for outlying areas and for the Bureau of Indian Education and tribal colleges and universities. Unlike the Republican relief proposals, no funding in the HEROES Act is contingent on schools reopening for in-person instruction. Another difference is that no funding can support tuition for students to attend private schools, outside of special education students who require private placement to receive services. Finally, the HEROES Act includes $12 billion for home internet connectivity. The Republican plans, in contrast, failed to include any funding to help close the homework gap that’s plaguing 16.9 million children. The HEROES Act also goes further to ensure that state education funding is equitable and targeted to communities most in need. In addition to maintenance of effort requirements that states maintain funding for education, including per-pupil spending, at similar levels over the next three years, states also would need to show maintenance of equity. States could not receive HEROES funds if cuts in state funding disproportionately affect high-need districts serving the most students from low-income families. Many advocates, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), praised the bill for providing a level of investment in students and schools that matches the scale of the coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, prospects for this version of the HEROES Act are grim. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin responded with an offer of $150 billion for education—more than previous Republican proposals, but still short of the new HEROES Act. But after negotiations with the White House stalled, the House passed the HEROES Act, and the Senate has no plans to consider the legislation. We’ll keep you posted on any new developments.

In today’s Federal Flash, we cover the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) refusal to extend waivers that give schools flexibility on where and how to serve students meals during the pandemic and an injunction halting Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s rule on equitable services under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In addition, we breakdown both political parties’ education platforms—or lack thereof—heading into the 2020 election and the prospects for Senate Republicans’ latest “skinny” coronavirus relief bill. USDA Won’t Extend School Meal Waivers As more school districts plan to continue with online learning exclusively this fall, many students could lose access to free school meals. That’s because the USDA will let certain waivers expire that have enabled schools to serve meals more easily to students during school closures—such as flexibility to set up meal sites in convenient places around the community and to serve all children seeking a meal without any paperwork.   As we discussed in a previous episode of Federal Flash, without the flexibility, students will be able to receive meals only from the school where they are enrolled after being deemed eligible—a change that would create logistical barriers for many families. The expiration of the waivers likely will result in many food service administrators choosing to limit their days of operation and deny uncertified students in need access to healthy meals. Republicans and Democrats have urged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to extend the waivers through the 2020–21 school year. Perdue responded that the USDA lacked Congressional authority to implement the extension, as it would function like a universal school meals program that has not been authorized by lawmakers. The House Committee on Education and Labor called Perdue’s decision “a major blow,” with Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) predicting that “the tragic rise in child hunger across the country will surely get worse.” Now, a broad coalition of governors, state and district superintendents, school administrators, classroom educators, parent groups, and other advocates including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) are calling on Congress to ensure the USDA has the authority to extend these waivers. We’ll keep you posted. Federal Judge Stops Rule that Directs CARES Act Funds to Private Schools Last week, a Washington state judge issued an injunction to stop Secretary DeVos’s rule on providing equitable services to private school students under the CARES Act. The rule encourages districts to set aside CARES dollars for private school students not as they do under Title I, but rather based on the total number of students in private schools, regardless of income. This interpretation received bipartisan criticism that it ran afoul of the law. U.S. District Court Judge Barbara J. Rothstein agreed, finding that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) subverted Congressional intent and hurt students most affected by the pandemic. She also questioned whether Secretary DeVos had the authority to condition CARES Act funds in this manner. However, this is not the only lawsuit challenging the equitable services rule, and attorneys for ED are arguing in a separate case that the injunction only applies to schools in Washington state. We’ll be following these cases as they move through the courts. Democratic Party Adopts 2020 Platform At last week’s Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party officially adopted its 2020 platform, including tripling Title I funding for disadvantaged students, supporting universal preK, and promoting school integration. In addition, the platform champions diversifying the teacher workforce and increasing educator pay and benefits. It also supports measures to increase accountability for charter schools and advocate for moving away from “high-stakes testing”—ideas that align with teachers’ unions policy p...

In today’s Federal Flash, we break down the education proposals in the Senate Republicans’ coronavirus relief package, known as the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act, and cover the reaction to it. We also provide an update on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) new guidelines for reopening schools.   Senate Republicans Introduce HEALS Act On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced the Senate GOP’s highly anticipated coronavirus aid package—the HEALS Act. As we discussed on last week’s Federal Flash, the $1 trillion bill includes $105 billion for education, including $70 billion for K–12 schools, $29 billion for colleges and universities, and $5 billion for governors. But unlike the earlier framework, which indicated that half of K–12 funding would be directed to schools with plans to physically reopen, the final bill reserves two-thirds of the relief fund for that purpose. In addition, the HEALS Act includes no dedicated funding for home internet access, which could exacerbate the homework gap as many districts plan to rely on remote learning. Last week, the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) and several partners released a report that finds that 16.9 million children lack the internet access necessary to support online learning and that students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and those living in rural areas are much more likely to lack access to internet and devices. These students will continue to be caught in the homework gap without significant funding for connectivity. Like the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, states and districts would get HEALS Act relief based proportionally on how much they receive under Title I. However, only $23 billion would go directly to districts regardless of their fall reopening plans. For the remaining two-thirds of the $70 billion fund, governors would determine how much districts receive based on their plans to offer in-person instruction. Districts planning a hybrid approach, where at least half of students are in school at least half of the time, qualify for full funding. For districts that have some in-person instruction, but do not meet the 50 percent requirement, a reduced allocation would be provided, determined by each governor. Districts planning to offer virtual learning only would not be eligible for any funding from that two-thirds portion of the relief fund. The GOP bill also provides a carve out for private schools. Instead of an equitable services requirement, states must set aside money in proportion to the percentage of students enrolled in private schools. As a result, about 10 percent of the $70 billion would be reserved for private school students, but the exact percentage would differ from state to state. For example, if 12 percent of a state’s student population attend private schools, then 12 percent of that state’s grant must go to private schools. From the set-aside, schools would receive funds based on the relative number of low-income private school students they serve. However, governors would reduce per-student aid for private schools that do not meet criteria for reopening for in-person learning. Relatedly, the HEALS Act package authorizes—but does not provide funding for—emergency “education freedom” grants, an idea embraced by Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. This program, if funded, would boost state tax credit scholarship programs that help families pay for private school tuition and related costs, including homeschooling. All signs point to the HEALS Act changing significantly in the coming weeks as the Senate and House head into negotiations, especially given the $2 trillion chasm between the HEALS Act and the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act passed by House Democrats in May.

In today’s Federal Flash, a breakdown of new data shows that the homework gap is much larger than previously thought—especially for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and those living in rural areas. We’ll also provide an update on Senate Republicans’ coronavirus relief proposal and school nutrition advocates’ push to extend a key flexibility for school meal programs.  As schools across the country prepare for a blend of online and in-person learning this fall, the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) partnered with the National Indian Education Association, National Urban League, and UnidosUS to better understand students’ access to the high-speed internet and devices needed to participate in online learning from home. The report, Students of Color Caught in the Homework Gap, finds that 16.9 million children lack the internet access necessary to support online learning—much larger than the previous estimate of 12 million children. In addition, one in ten families, or 7.3 million children, have no access to a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer at home. In particular, students of color, students from low-income families, and students living in rural areas are far more likely than their peers to lack internet access or a computer. Just one in three Black, Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students have the high-speed internet access to participate fully in online learning. The same is true for 36 percent of Americans living in rural communities. But the homework gap is largest for students from low-income backgrounds: 45 percent of households making less than $25,000 annually and 32 percent of families making between $25,000 and $50,000 annually lack high-speed home internet. Our report calls on Congress to pass Senator Ed Markey’s (D-MA) Emergency Educational Connections Act and provide $6.8 billion through the E-rate program in the next COVID-19 relief package. All4Ed CEO and President Deborah Delisle said, “Asking students—many of whom are from low-income or rural homes—to try to learn with a family member’s cell phone or with paper packets is neither acceptable nor sustainable. We need Congress to demonstrate their concern for all students’ learning by providing $6.8 billion in critical funding in the next stimulus legislation for internet and computer access for all students, no matter where they live.” Visit all4ed.org/homeworkgap to view data on the homework gap in your state and other resources to support funding for home internet access. Coronavirus Relief Package on the Horizon As the August recess nears and expanded unemployment benefits are set to expire, Senate Republicans and the White House have been negotiating parameters of a new coronavirus relief package. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) previewed some key funding details last week, including $105 billion for education. Although this is more funding for the U.S. Department of Education than the $90 billion in the HEROES Act passed by House Democrats, it falls short of the $430 billion proposed by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) in the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act a few weeks ago. Under the Republican plan, $30 billion would be provided for higher education, $5 billion for governors, and the remaining $70 billion for K–12 schools. However, while half of the K–12 portion would be available to all districts on a per-capita basis, the remaining half would only be available to districts that reopen their doors in the fall—effectively using federal funds to incentivize a return to in-person learning as President Trump has urged. Districts that take a hybrid approach of distance learning and some in-person instruction would likely be eligible for extra funding, but the threshold would mostly be defined by governors.   In addition, Senate Education Committee chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the School Choice Now Act,

In today’s Federal Flash, we pay tribute to the life of George Floyd and countless others whose killings show how much more must be done to address systemic racism in our country. We’ll also share new recommendations for prioritizing equity in the response to COVID-19 as well as several items from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Our Voices Must Be Heard We at the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) are outraged by the horrific killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others. So much more must be done to end the ongoing fatal police shootings and other violence against Black people across the country. In a statement, Deb Delisle, president and CEO of All4Ed, said, “Candid, constructive conversations are long overdue; it is time for action. We at the Alliance for Excellent Education stand with those calling for justice and change in this country: our voices must be heard. We know students of color are disproportionately impacted by violence and trauma with a direct impact on students’ learning and well-being both in and out of school. I hope this unrest brings renewed attention to the differences between life’s realities for White people and people of color, along with the courage to create lasting change.”  All4Ed joined organizations nationwide to bring attention to the trauma this violence causes young people. All4Ed also joined more than 400 civil rights organizations, led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in calling for Congressional action to end police violence. Recommendations for Prioritizing Equity During COVID-19 All4Ed and thirteen other education and civil rights organizations issued recommendations to states and districts for prioritizing equity in the ongoing response to COVID-19. The report, Coronavirus and the Classroom, covers six topics: (1) ensuring equity in fiscal policies; (2) meeting students’ basic needs; (3) expanding and improving remote learning; (4) easing the high school–to–college transition; (5) extending learning time; and (6) determining students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. In a statement, Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of students and families across the country, but it is among our most vulnerable students, including our nation’s 5 million English learners and low-income students, where the educational impact and barriers to learning have been far more acute. It is critical, then, that states and districts take steps that safeguard the academic success of all students during this time. These recommendations are a good foundation for states to build on and put students on a path to success in the upcoming school year.” CARES Act Funding for Private Schools Tensions also are running high in response to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos’s interpretation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act as it relates to private schools. Secretary DeVos is calling on states to send millions of dollars from the CARES Act to private schools based on what many believe to be a flawed reading of the law. As we described in a previous episode of the Federal Flash, DeVos issued guidance to states regarding a policy called “equitable services.” Under Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), children who are at-risk academically and who live in Title I school attendance areas, but enroll in private schools, are entitled to receive “equitable services” from their local public school district such as tutoring and expanded learning time programs. To be clear, these services are provided to a narrow segment of students—those who are at-risk academically and who live in Title I school attendance areas. The CARES Act says that equitable services should be provided in the same manner as under ESSA. Rather than supporting this same population of students, Secretary DeVos has decided to interpret the l...

In today’s bonus episode of the Federal Flash, we’ll summarize what is, and is not, included in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $3 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. We’ll also discuss the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) final Title IX regulations. Health and Emergency Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act This week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled a $3 trillion proposal called the Health and Emergency Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act to support the nation’s ongoing response to COVID-19. From an education perspective, however, the legislation isn’t as heroic as advocates would have hoped. Leading up to the bill’s introduction, more than seventy education organizations, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), called for substantial investments to offset state and local budget cuts and address the need for extended learning time to help students recover from school closures, plus additional targeted funding to support the most vulnerable students. Further, as noted in our last episode of Federal Flash, organizations and lawmakers alike had sought funding for home internet access. The good news is that the HEROES Act would provide nearly $1 trillion for states, localities, territories, and tribes to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. These funds could support virtually any function of government, including education. However, advocates had called for at least $175 billion for K–12 and higher education so that education wouldn’t have to compete with other state and local demands, like health care, during budget shortfalls. In addition, education advocates had sought at least $25 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title I, and other funding streams targeted to historically underserved students. In total, the HEROES Act only proposes about $100 billion for education, including nearly $60 billion in stabilization funding for school districts and no funding for specific Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) programs, like Title I, or IDEA. Advocates also had requested at least $4 billion for home internet access through the E-rate program. An estimated 12 million students lack internet at home, which is a major equity problem since school now is available only online and nearly 20 percent of Black and Latino students don’t have home internet access, according to ED. Unfortunately, the HEROES Act only provides $1.5 billion for the E-rate program—less than Speaker Pelosi proposed just a few weeks ago, and less than the amount nearly every Senate Democrat supported in legislation introduced earlier this week. Funding for homeless students, or lack thereof, is another disappointment. In the 2009 stimulus package passed during the Great Recession, Congress doubled funding for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. In response to COVID-19, advocates called for $500 million for homeless students, but the HEROES Act proposes no direct funding.   In response to the HEROES Act, All4Ed President and CEO Deb Delisle said, “The latest relief package proposed in Congress is not heroic when it comes to helping schools. …We are in an unprecedented crisis that will affect families, especially our youth, for years to come, and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress need to step up for families, educators, and schools.” A summary of the HEROES Act is available at all4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/HEROES-Act-Summary_5.12.20.pdf Title IX Regulations from ED Last week, ED released final regulations regarding how schools are required to respond to allegations of sexual assault and harassment under Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs. The new rule replaces Obama-era sexual assault guidance, which Secretary DeVos rescinded in 2017. One of the biggest shifts in the final rule is that school officials can use a different standard to determine whet...

In today’s Federal Flash, we have updates on three coronavirus-related issues: (1) legislation to support home internet access and close the homework gap during the pandemic; (2) a House Education Committee briefing on remote learning and education equity; and (3) new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on equitable services and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Two topics we won’t cover in this edition are the final Title IX regulations released by ED and House Democrats’ new $3 trillion proposed coronavirus relief package. Because there’s been so much news this week, we’ll cover those topics in a second, bonus edition of the Flash this week. Addressing the Homework Gap This week, forty-six Senate Democrats, led by Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Brian Schatz (D-HI), introduced legislation to direct $4 billion to the E-rate program to help close the growing homework gap during the pandemic. The legislation is nearly identical to the Emergency Educational Connections Act introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) in the U.S. House of Representatives, except that it makes one significant change: the Senate bill increases the appropriation from $2 billion to $4 billion. When Congresswoman Meng introduced her bill, education groups believed coronavirus school closures would last only through the current school year. As school leaders have come to suspect the crisis will last much longer, it’s clear that more funding will be needed to ensure students have home internet access so they can participate meaningfully in virtual learning. The Emergency Education Connections Act is supported by more than fifty education-related groups, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed). In urging passage of the bill, All4Ed president and CEO Deb Delisle said, “COVID-19 isn’t just a health crisis, it’s an equity crisis and an education crisis. The homework gap is going to widen the achievement and opportunity gaps unless we provide all students with home internet access and devices so they can participate fully in remote learning, particularly those who have been historically underserved.” For more information, see https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-schumer-cantwell-van-hollen-bennet-schatz-and-hassan-lead-colleagues-on-legislation-to-ensure-all-students-have-access-to-internet-during-coronavirus-pandemic. House Briefing on Remote Learning Last week, the House Education Committee held a virtual member briefing titled Remote Learning in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Panelists discussed challenges delivering virtual learning, how schools are working to address equity gaps in remote learning and instruction, and the importance of federal aid to help schools respond to the coronavirus. One witness, Marlon Styles, superintendent of Middletown City School District in Ohio, shared his thoughts in the clip below about equity and students being “logged in” or “logged out.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Superintendent Styles is one of the nearly 4,000 superintendents who have pledged to use technology to personalize education for all students through All4Ed’s Future Ready Schools® initiative. To hear the rest of Superintendent Styles remarks and watch the full briefing, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhgUcIB5stA&feature=youtu.be&t=1 . ED Guidance Under the CARES Act Across town, ED recently released guidance on equitable services under the CARES Act. The CARES Act included billions in aid to K–12 school districts and according to the legislation,

The quest to educate students in the K–12 and higher education systems during the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Today’s Federal Flash covers four coronavirus-related issues: (1) recommendations from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on further flexibility under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), (2) federal relief for state education agencies to support K–12 schools, (3) new competitive grant funding for states to “rethink” K–12 education and workforce preparation, and (4) COVID-19’s effect on completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). IDEA Provisions Preserved During COVID-19 The wait is over. In a report to Congress released Monday, Secretary DeVos declined to request any significant waiver authority from provisions of IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. While she did suggest waiving several smaller provisions related to scholarships for teacher preparation and transitions for children receiving infant and toddler services to early childhood programs, DeVos left the heart of IDEA untouched: the right of a student with a disability to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Our viewers may recall that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act gave Secretary Devos thirty days to report whether waivers were needed under a slew of federal laws, including IDEA. This set up a showdown between special education administrators, who argued flexibility was needed as they struggled to reach students with disabilities during school closures, and special education advocates, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), who argued that waivers were unnecessary because IDEA was flexible by design. While Congress still has the final say, Secretary DeVos’s recommendations are a win for advocates who were concerned that IDEA waivers would undercut students’ civil rights. Federal Relief for State Education Agencies In addition to its waiver provisions, the CARES Act provided more than $30 billion for education, including $13.2 billion for K–12 state education agencies. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released the application for this Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. States and school districts will receive funding based on their relative share of Title I funding in Fiscal Year 2019. States must distribute 90 percent of funds to districts, including charter schools, and may reserve up to 10 percent of funds to support coronavirus efforts at the state level. In a letter to chief state school officers, Secretary DeVos said she will not “micromanage” how the funds are spent. She did encourage states to think creatively about technology infrastructure and professional development that will help students learn remotely, including by requiring states to explain if they will use funds for these purposes when they apply. State chiefs have until July 1 to apply, and ED expects to obligate funds to states within three business days of receiving a signed certification and agreement. More information, including how much money each state will receive, is available at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/elementary-secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund/. New Competitive Grants for COVID-19 Relief Also on Monday, Secretary DeVos announced a $307 million grant competition authorized by the CARES Act to support states with the highest coronavirus burden. ED has allocated $180 million for what it has dubbed Rethink K–12 School Models Grants and $127.5 million for Reimagining Workforce Preparation Grants. State education agencies can apply for a Rethink K–12 School Models Grant in three categories aligned with Secretary DeVos’s priorities: (1) microgrants for families to ensure access to technology, (2) statewide virtual learning and course access programs, and (3) new models for providing remote education. Grants

As governors extend stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19, thirty-four states and counting have mandated or recommended that schools remain closed for the rest of the school year, affecting 38.6 million children. In today’s Federal Flash, we’ll discuss three coronavirus-related issues: funding for governors to support education, new legislation to close the homework gap, and the clash between special education administrators and advocates regarding waivers from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) during the pandemic. We’ll also cover the federal court decision vacating the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back Obama-era nutrition standards for school meals and the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) proposal to give educators vouchers or stipends to choose their own professional development courses. Education Funding During COVID-19 Our viewers may recall that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act  provided more than $30 billion for education, including $3 billion for governors. Last week, ED released the application for these funds. Governors can use the emergency aid to provide school districts, colleges, and other education-related entities with resources to respond to the coronavirus. Grants will be awarded based on a state’s student-aged population and poverty levels. In a letter to governors, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called the emergency funds “extraordinarily flexible” but encouraged states to spend funds on expanding and improving remote learning experiences. Each of the three required questions in the application asks states to describe whether they will use funds to support various aspects of virtual learning. Governors have until June 1 to apply, and ED expects to obligate funds to states within three business days of receiving a signed certification and agreement. More information is available https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/governors-emergency-education-relief-fund/. Secretary DeVos also has begun the process of distributing the $14 billion for institutions of higher education included in the CARES Act, but we have yet to hear how and when the $13 billion for K–12 education will be distributed. We’ll keep viewers posted. Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020 Meanwhile, Congress continues to debate further coronavirus relief. Lawmakers and the White House have just struck a deal on a $484 billion aid package for small businesses, hospitals, and coronavirus testing, but will there be additional funding for education in future aid packages? Advocates and educators certainly hope so. As part of this effort, the Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020 was introduced this week by Representative Grace Meng (D-NY). The legislation would create a $2 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to ensure students have home internet access during school closures caused by the pandemic. The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) and many other organizations support the bill, but Congress has extended its recess until early May due to the pandemic, so it likely will be several weeks before we know whether this or any other additional funding will be provided for education. IDEA Requirements During School Closures A clash is brewing among the special education community regarding how to support students with disabilities during school closures. The CARES Act included language giving Secretary DeVos thirty days to tell Congress if she needs authority to waive parts of IDEA. As a result, the Council of Administrators of Special Education and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education recently sent a letter to Congress requesting waivers from timelines, procedures, and fiscal management under IDEA. These groups say that in many situations, meeting IDEA requirements during the pandemic is impossible. On the other hand,

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Deborah Delisle, president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), a Washington, DC–based national policy, practice, and advocacy organization. The Alliance is dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school well prepared for success in college, work, and citizenship.    Deborah talks with us about making SEL equitable for underserved communities, and advice she has for educators and parents who want to get involved in policy conversations but don't know where to start.     To learn more about Deborah Delisle and the Alliance for Excellent Education, visit all4ed.org.

As the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) continues the conversation on the legacy and impact of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case, this webinar examined why increasing retention and postsecondary graduation rates among students of color is so important for students and the nation as a whole. Our expert panel offered examples of strategies and programs that two- and four-year postsecondary institutions can adopt to better serve their students of color prior to and after their enrollment, ensuring that these students graduate and are prepared to succeed in today’s job market.

Sports provide a place for young people to grow, learn, and enhance their physical skills, but, with the help of good coaches, they will learn more than how to throw a pitch or perfect a layup. On this episode of Critical Window (audio link below) a podcast by the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), Jennifer Brown Lerner, deputy director for Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, explores how sports and coaching influence the social, emotional, and academic development of students, and what educators and coaches can learn from one another. Building Student Agency on the Field “While sports might be a unique arena, it's part of a broad array of places in which young people learn, grow, and develop,” explains Brown Lerner. “There's unbelievable opportunity to think about sports as a place in which young people can take ownership of their own learning.” Into early adolescence, students have “a unique opportunity for voice and choice on the sports field that they don't have in the classroom,” says Brown Lerner. This space, outside of the traditional learning environment, “is really allowing them to come into their own.” Sports as the “Ultimate Performance Assessment” “You could view sports as the ultimate performance assessment,” says Brown Lerner. “Every game, every practice is really an opportunity for young people to put on display a core set of physical skills and social-emotional skills that they're learning.” Not only are players demonstrating their skills, they are also receiving real-time responses of their performance. “There's instantaneous feedback right there, a win or a loss.” Coaches as Role Models Coaches play a significant role in modeling the skills they hope to see exemplified by their players. “Sports are a critical space in which [kids] get to both see modeled, and practice, this core set of competencies across the social, emotional, and cognitive domains,” explains Brown Lerner. “It's a really important opportunity in which young people can get, and create, a continuous feedback loop with their coaches and with other athletes.” A large part of this learning opportunity is dependent on relationships between coaches and their players. “One thing that great coaches do is really focus in on that individual relationship with each player,” explains Brown Lerner. “They also create a space and environment and a culture that honors the relationship that other players have with each other.” What Can Teachers Learn from Coaches, and Vice Versa? “If we truly believe that learning happens in relationships, we need to give all educators in the classroom, and on the sports field, the time, the tools, and the opportunity to cultivate the fire and passion within each student, which only happens when you have the opportunity to build a relationship,” says Brown Lerner. “There's a real opportunity to build a bridge between what educators do really well in terms of planning and articulating for young people, and how coaches create relationships and environments which are truly young people centered.” With this combined effort, “we can just see an explosion of growth of these core skills across all the places and spaces young people learn.” Listen to more from Brown Lerner in the episode below. Critical Window is a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence and what these changes mean for educators, policymakers, and parents.  Subscribe to Critical Window on Apple Music, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. To learn more about the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/sports-society/ Expand Transcript Collapse Transcript Hans Hermann: Welcome to Critical Window, a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores...

As the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) continues the conversation on the legacy and impact of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case, this webinar shines a spotlight on the work still remaining and offer solutions to schools, districts, states, and federal policymakers on how they can advocate for students who are furthest from opportunity.

When you step into your classroom each day, do you believe that all your students can succeed? Does this belief shape how you teach and engage your students in learning? On this episode of Critical Window (listen below) a podcast by the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), we spoke with Dr. Yvette Jackson, adjunct professor at Teacher’s College at Columbia University and senior scholar at the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, about her concept of the “pedagogy of confidence.” Dr. Jackson, who has a book titled after this concept, is internationally recognized for her work applying neuroscience, gifted education, literacy, and cognitive mediation theory to elicit high intellectual performances from under-achieving and historically underserved students. A core concept of Dr. Jackson’s work is based on the idea that teachers should teach from a place of confidence in every students’ ability to learn, regardless of background or zip code. “When you have confidence about the potential of students, you help to push them to the outskirts, the limits of their mind,” explains Dr. Jackson on Critical Window. In this strategy, “learning becomes something that pulls [a student’s] potential to the next level.” What are the core ideas behind the “pedagogy of confidence,” and how can educators use this style of pedagogy to support adolescent learning? Here are six key strategies from Dr. Jackson: 1.Identify and activate student strengths. Instruction should help students believe “I can do this.” Teaching to students’ strengths helps them become more confident in their abilities and empowers them to perform better, all while establishing a growth mindset. 2. Focus on high intellectual performance. High intellectual performance should be the target for all students, not only those who have been identified for gifted and talented programs. Teach with the knowledge that all students are highly capable. 3. Build on existing skills and knowledge. Look at what students need to progress in their learning. What type of background knowledge do they need to have as a baseline and what additional skills do they need to build to succeed at the next level? 4. Situate learning in students’ lives. Are students seeing a connection between what you’re teaching and what’s happening in the world? Focus on issues and events happening in the world around them and incorporate those trends into the learning experience. 5. Acknowledge the impact of culture. Culture impacts the learning process and is a fundamental building block for students; however, it also can hold children back, even in school. If the school culture doesn’t represent the culture of the students, then you’re going to get all kinds of dysfunction. 6. Assess growth in every learning experience. Make every learning experience an opportunity for assessing growth. Receiving feedback on their performance and areas of growth helps students feel confident that they can progress in their learning. Listen to more from Dr. Jackson in the episode below. Critical Window is a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence and what these changes mean for educators, policymakers, and parents.  Subscribe to Critical Window on Apple Music, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Featured Image by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action. Expand Transcript Collapse Transcript [Music] Hans Hermann: Welcome to Critical Window, a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence, and what these changes mean for educators, policymakers, and communities. This week on Critical Window,

There’s no question that our country is diversifying. By 2030, immigration will overtake births as the dominant driver of population growth. Soon, there will be a majority-minority population in the United States, meaning that not a single ethnic or racial group will make up over 50 percent of the population. Students of color already make up the majority of K-12 students. How is this shift changing school environments and student learning? To answer this question, Critical Window, a podcast by the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), turned to Dr. Joanna Lee Williams, associate professor in the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Dr. Williams researches race and ethnicity as social contexts for youth development. “Adolescence is a critical time for thinking about racial and ethnic group membership,” explained Dr. Williams. “During this time, young people's cognitive abilities start to grow and develop in ways that allow them to think more abstractly about the world and their experiences in it…this often becomes a time when young people begin exploring this ‘who am I’ question in general.” Listen as Williams explores how racial and ethnic identity development impacts students and their learning environments, and how educators can support students in their identity development, on this episode of Critical Window. Critical Window is a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence and what these changes mean for educators, policymakers, and parents.  Subscribe to Critical Window on Apple Music, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Expand Transcript Collapse Transcript Hans Hermann: Welcome to Critical Window, a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence and what these changes mean for educators, policymakers and communities. This week on Critical Window we're learning about racial and ethnic identity development during adolescence and how educators can support students in their identity development. Dr. Joanna Lee Williams is an associate professor in the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia and is affiliated with Youth-Nex, the U.Va. Center to Promote Effective Youth Development and previously served as the director of research for Young Women Leaders Program, a mentoring program for middle school girls. She is also an affiliate of the Curry School News Center for Race and Public Education in the South. Dr. Williams' research interests focus on race and ethnicity as social contexts for youth development. Specifically, her work examines ethnic identity as a form of positive youth development in the face of discrimination and other stressors and ethnic identity in relation to youths' beliefs and behaviors. She has also applied interests in understanding diversity, peer relations and positive outcomes in youth development programs. In 2014, Dr. Williams was one of five scholars in the country to be awarded the William T. Grant Foundation Award for a five-year study for the benefits and challenges of ethnic diversity in middle schools and Dr. Williams received her Ph.D. in 2008 in Developmental Psychology from Temple University. Welcome to the show, Dr. Williams. Joanna Lee Williams: Thank you for having me. Hans Hermann: Before we start, I just want to reference a couple of numbers for folks. We're in a country that has a changing level of diversity and especially as we see in our schools and our younger populations. By 2030, immigration is gonna overtake births as the dominant driver of population growth.

The opioid crisis is shaking the nation and greatly impacting young people. In just one year, 42,000 people died of drug overdoses involving opioids. That same year, 2016, 38,000 individuals died in car crashes or car-related injuries. There’s no question that this epidemic is affecting families, communities, and schools across the country. How can educators help support students impacted by the crisis? To help answer this question, Critical Window, a podcast by the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), turned to Dr. David Patterson Silver Wolf. As a professor at the Brown School at Washington University, in St. Louis, Dr. Patterson Silver Wolf teaches substance abuse courses and works to bring science and research to addiction services. He has over fifteen years of experience providing clinical services in the substance abuse disorder treatment field. This issue is also incredibly personal for Dr. Patterson Silver Wolf, who shares the story of his own experience dealing with substance abuse – from childhood into his twenties – on this episode. “I would look out on the world, and everybody looked good but me,” he recalls thinking as a young child. “I would compare my internal turmoil to people's external life, and think, ‘Boy, everybody looks like they're doing okay but me.’” Listen to his story of triumph and learn how to support students experiencing similar hardships on this episode of Critical Window. Critical Window is a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence and what these changes mean for educators, policymakers, and parents.  Subscribe to Critical Window on Apple Music, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Expand Transcript Collapse Transcript Hans Hermann: Welcome to Critical Window, a podcast from the Alliance for Excellent Education that explores the rapid changes happening in the body and the brain during adolescence, and what these changes mean for educators, policy makers, and communities. This week on Critical Window, we're learning more about the opioid crisis, how it affects adolescent students, and how educators can support students impacted by the crisis. Dr. David Patterson Silver Wolf is professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. A faculty scholar in the Washington University Institute for Public Health, and a faculty affiliate for the Center for Violence and Injury Prevention. At the Brown School, he teaches substance abuse courses, serves on training faculty, and chairs the American Indian and Alaska Native concentration in the Master of Social Work program. He's the director of the Community Academic Partnership on Addiction, which works with several St. Louis based organizations to bring science to addiction services. Dr. Patterson Silver Wolf has over 15 years of experience providing clinical services in the substance abuse disorder treatment field. He investigates how empirically support interventions are implemented in community-based services and factors that improve underrepresented minority college students, academic success, and American-Indian and Alaskan Native health and wellness, particularly issues related to college retention. He was recently appointed to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicines Committee on Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. Welcome to the show, Dr. Patterson Silver Wolf. David Patterson: Thank you. Hans Hermann: I would like to set the stage before we get into questions. While the opioid epidemic has received a great deal of press coverage and has been repeatedly called out as a top priority of both the Obama and Trump...

In this webinar, the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) welcomes Dr. Jesse Washington, III, a practitioner, and Dr. Richard Clark, a researcher, to examine biological changes that occur during adolescence, both in the body and the brain, and to discuss how to ensure that learning opportunities support adolescents’ development during this critical time.

Join the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) for a webinar and book talk, during which All4Ed President Bob Wise will interview Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, PhD, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, about her new book, Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain. Dr. Blakemore, one of the world’s leading researchers on adolescent neurology, has published more than 120 papers in scientific journals and won multiple major awards for her research. She was named in The Times’s Young Female Power List 2014 and was one of only four scientists on the Sunday Times 100 Makers of the 21st Century 2014.

In this webinar panelists will discus the key question behind Andreas Schleicher’s new book, World Class: How to Build a 21st-Century School System. He writes, “Every economic age has its core asset. In the agricultural age that asset was land; in the industrial age it was capital; and in our times, it is the knowledge, skills and character qualities of people. This core asset remains largely untapped and undervalued. It’s time for us to change that.” Schleicher examines the many successes from which to learn, looking seriously and dispassionately at good practice in countries around the world, all to understand what works in which contexts. Join the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) for a spirited and thoughtful conversation between Schleicher and All4Ed’s president Bob Wise.