Ed Dept announces communities of practice to accelerate learning, support kindergartners – By Kate Arundell, K-12 Dive

A new community of practice announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education aims to assist states and districts plan and pay for evidence-based programs to help accelerate learning for students, particularly those most impacted by the ongoing pandemic. 

A second community of practice will investigate strategies to specifically help kindergartners prepare for early school success and learning recovery. This effort will address social-emotional development, family engagement, access disparities to in-person learning and dips in school enrollments. 

To counter the academic setbacks students experienced, educators at the federal, state and local levels say there is pressure to implement effective and equitable interventions with urgency and fidelity. While examples are abundant about strategies being tried, these new communities of practice will help to formally make connections among practitioners leading these efforts.

2 new initiatives aim to address Nevada’s teacher shortage – By Julie Wooten, Las Vegas Review Journal

Two new initiatives to address the ongoing teacher shortage in Nevada aim to show it’s possible to add more educators to the pool by subtracting obstacles that may otherwise prevent them from pursuing careers in the classroom.

Nevada is the first state where education platform Study.com is launching its “Keys to the Classroom” initiative, which will provide $432,000 in 600 Praxis test preparation scholarships in an effort to create a quick infusion of aspiring teachers.

Passing the Praxis standardized tests is necessary in nearly all circumstances to obtain a teacher’s license in Nevada, but it is a hurdle for many aspiring teachers.

There are talented people who struggle with the tests, said Mark Carroll, director of assessment and college effectiveness at UNLV’s College of Education. “It is certainly a barrier in the teacher pipeline.”

The second initiative announced last week by the Nevada Department of Education will create a $20.7 million “Incentivizing Pathways to Teaching” grant program, funded by federal coronavirus relief money.

Chicago Public Schools eliminating sex-specific restrooms to 'increase gender equity' – By Kyle Morris, Fox News

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is requiring all schools in the district to adopt new signage in an effort to make restrooms gender-neutral.

The initiative, which CPS is referring to as a "big step forward for gender equity," requires the schools to display language outside of restrooms informing students, whether they are male or female, that they may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity.

"We’re requiring all schools to adopt new signage to make our restrooms more inclusive," CPS wrote in a tweet announcing the change. "This is a big step forward for gender equity for our students and staff."

The move not only impacts school children but also the staff. "All CPS students and staff will have fair and equitable access to bathroom facilities that align with their gender identity," CPS Title IX Officer Camie Pratt said of the change in a video shared to social media.

3 priorities fueling Latino leaders’ vision for a more inclusive school system – By Matt Zalaznick, District Administration

Latino school administrators have a vision for the near future of education: More leaders of color and better outcomes for some of the most vulnerable students.

The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, or ALAS, has set three priorities for this school year: better education for migrant students, strengthening the Latino leadership pipeline and making more inclusive educational materials.

The organization is fighting the notion that making more space for Latinos both in school leadership and the curriculum somehow results in less room for others, says ALAS Executive Director Maria Armstrong. “We’ve got to move away from just being well-intentioned and take a hard look at practices and policies that get in the way of seeing education as a land of plenty instead of one of scarcity,” Armstrong says.

ALAS also plans to focus on student loan forgiveness and raising teacher pay to recruit and retain Latino educators.