Schools have scaled-up their efforts to help more kids get online, according to a new survey, but concerns remain about tech equity.


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School District Leaders Are Still Worried About Home Internet Access for Students

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CURRENT HEADLINES

(From our esteemed contributor, Paul Zinni)

 

Deadline nears for schools to spend CARES Act funds

Biden wants to fix nation’s teacher shortage but it’s getting worse

Covid School Funding Questions Answered

Biden's K-12 Budget Seeks $20 Billion for State Incentives to Address Funding Inequity​

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Schools Creep Closer to 100% Providing K-8 In-Person Instruction

VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF FEDERAL EDUCATION  PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS
Nearly all K-8 schools in the US offered some level of in-person instruction in April, according to data collected by the Institute of Education Sciences. Data shows that at least half of fourth-grade students in April were enrolled in full-time, in-person instruction and that the number of students enrolled in online learning is dropping.

The $9 billion dollars set aside in the Biden Administration's American Families Plan to increase teacher recruitment and retention "represents a critical investment for the White House to make good on many other parts of his domestic agenda," according to experts, writes Adam Edelman for NBC News.
The high cost of student debt has kept many would-be educators out of the profession. And that, along with retirements hastened by the pandemic, is causing an increasingly acute teacher shortage, particularly among teachers of color. In an effort to reverse that trend, a chunk of the incoming money will go to scholarships and recruitment.

Money for education included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act must be spent by Dec. 30. Superintendents in Maine say the deadline has been challenging, adding it's unclear how they'll continue to fund new hires added to help reopen schools safely.

The Department of Education released FAQs for the education funding in the American Rescue Plan. The resource provides guidance on the use of the funds at the state and local level.
The "equity grants" are part of a huge spending plan that would also boost priorities like community schools, counselors, and school nurses.