Month: March 2020

What About Special Education in the Age of Corona?

Eduflack accountability, assessment, equity, ESEA, reform, Students, teachers

As so many rightfully praise classroom teachers for quickly adapting their instruction for a new, virtual environment, advocates need to be sure that such desperate times do not provide school districts the opportunity to shirk their duties when it comes to IDEA and students with learning disabilities.

Big kudos to Emily Richards and USA Today for placing a spotlight on this important issue, and for speaking with dear illl’ Eduflack about his district’s decision to suspend IEP and 504 meetings for an undetermined period (read until next fall).

For students who already receive accommodations and special services to catch up because of the years their families fought to get them the adequate educations they are guaranteed under the law, lack of leadership by the US Department of Education and adversarial relationships with school districts that have denied special needs learners is a potential recipe for disaster.

“I get that this is the first week. But everything we have fought for in my son’s (individualized education plan) now gets put on hold,” Riccards said.

Read the full article here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/03/19/coronavirus-online-school-closing-special-education-teacher-distance-learning/2863503001/

Are We Up to Online Learning?

Eduflack BAM, equity, Online Education, Parents, reform, teachers, technology, TrumpED

This week, tens of millions of students transitioned from traditional classrooms to virtual learning environments. This is the new normal of the coronavirus era.

But with high-speed data deserts and a decade of anti-Common Core parents failing against technology-driven instruction, are we prepared to make the most of this new normal?

We explore the topic on the latest episode of TrumpEd on the BAM! Radio Network. Give it a listen.

ELL Teachers for ELL Students

Eduflack BAM, ELL, reform, TrumpED

A new US Department of Education report details a surge of English-language learners in our schools, particularly in both red and purple states. So with this changing student demographic, what if President Donald Trump tried to appeal to Latino and Southeast Asian families by committing to expanding the pipeline of ELL teachers?

We explore the topic on the most recent episode of TrumpEd on the BAM! Radio Network. Give it a listen!