Duval School Board approves mask requirement with opt-out clause – By Emily Bloch, Florida Times Union
In a break from other Florida school districts, Duval County Public Schools will have a mask mandate — with a catch.
The Duval County School Board voted late Tuesday night to make face masks required among students unless parents or guardians opt-out with appropriate paperwork.
Adding the layer of paperwork for families who want their students to opt-out of mask wearing marks an attempted workaround to the governor's executive order.
"Any student not wearing a mask pursuant to this policy must, through his/her/their parent or guardian, complete the opt out procedures provided by his/her/their assigned school," the official language says.
West Virginia Dept. of Education releases back to school guidance document – From WSAZ
The West Virginia Department of Education and Board of Education have released back-to-school guidance for the 2021-22 school year.
They held a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
State Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch, WVBE Vice President Tom Campbell and West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission Executive Director Bernie Dolan were at the conference.
The document released Wednesday offers key mitigation for schools and extracurricular activities as well as other protocols to help counties as they begin the new school year. The document and website will serve as a resource for educators, families, communities and students.
Students Need To Be In Classrooms, With Masks, This Fall, Education Secretary Says – By Clare Lombardo, NPR
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has a message for schools across the country ahead of the new school year: Students need to be in classrooms.
"That's where students learn best," Cardona told NPR's A Martínez. "Schools are more than just places where students learn how to read and write — they're communities. They're like second families to our students."
On Monday, the U.S. Education Department will release a roadmap for the return to school, encouraging districts to invest in social and emotional support for students and outlining ways to "accelerate academic achievement."
The roadmap also recommends that school systems follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's masking guidance for K-12 schools, which the agency revised last week, recommending "universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status."
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona
Executive Functioning and Kindergarten Readiness – By Jackie Peng, Edutopia
As we prepare to welcome our youngest learners to classrooms this fall, preschool and early childhood teachers are likely wondering how to best prepare children with the skills necessary to be kindergarten ready. Given that many preschool-aged children weren’t in formal in-person learning programs last year, building the academic and executive functioning skills they need for kindergarten is especially important for this incoming cohort of students.
Executive functioning skills include organizing and prioritizing, staying focused on tasks, and regulating emotions. Children begin developing executive functioning skills rapidly between the ages of 3 and 5. Preschool and early childhood teachers play an important role in helping young learners develop academic skills (such as recognizing letters, colors, and numbers) and developing the executive functioning skills they need to be prepared for kindergarten.
