Jul 29, 2020, 7:36 PM
(From The 74 Million) Preschool participation has fallen by half during the pandemic, according new data from the National Institute for Early Education Research. Based on a survey of almost 1,000 families, researchers found that the massive reduction in preschool attendance affected all families regardless of race or ethnicity, parents’ educational level or income. But the “devastating loss of learning time,” the authors write, was more severe for children whose parents have less education. Now, with uncertainty over when and how preschools will reopen, the authors say that programs should offer certain minimum features: providing parents with resources for daily activities, ensuring that young children are still being screened for developmental delays and guaranteeing that young children with disabilities receive the same services they would if programs had not closed.
(From ICEF Monitor) New U.S. immigration guidance clarifies that new international students, unlike continuing international students, cannot come to American colleges to take a "100 percent" online course load this fall. ICE added as well that it would, “not issue a temporary final rule impacting nonimmigrant students for the fall school term.” However, if their school shifts to fully remote learning later in the semester, new international students will be allowed to remain in the country, according to guidance issued the same day.
(From NPR) The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) said earlier this week that it would organize "safety strikes" if health precautions are not met amid calls for schools to reopen. AFT — the nation's second-largest teachers union, with 1.7 million members — also adopted a resolution that calls for schools' physical reopenings to take place only in areas where the daily community infection rate among those tested is below 5% and the transmission rate is less than 1%. The guidance calls for schools to have "effective" COVID-19 tracing and isolation protocols in place as well as special accommodations special accommodations for staff who are high risk.
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