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Recent findings from the third annual Merrimack College Teacher Survey reveal that teachers are increasingly dissatisfied with their work environment. Nearly 1,500 public and 131 private school teachers participated, highlighting a need for greater support from school administrators. One respondent emphasized: “Teachers need to know that administrators have their back.” Key issues include the desire for autonomy in the classroom, more collaboration time, and better management of student misbehavior. Teachers expressed that “the more you put on the teachers' plates without removing items off of it, the worse the mental well-being of the teachers.” The survey indicates that addressing these concerns is crucial for improving teacher morale and mental health.

 

Education Week News

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The Fairfax County school district in Virginia is implementing an early release program for elementary students to enhance teacher preparation. Starting this fall, students will be dismissed three hours early on designated Mondays, allowing teachers to focus on planning and collaboration. Superintendent Michelle Reid emphasized: “Planning is probably the most important part of the instructional cycle,” highlighting the initiative's goal to improve instructional quality and student outcomes. The program aims to address the chronic lack of planning time for teachers, particularly in elementary schools, where they often juggle multiple subjects. The district has partnered with local organizations to provide supervision for students during the early release hours, ensuring that families have support. This initiative is seen as a crucial step in boosting teacher morale and retention, especially for early-career educators.

 

Education Week News

Baltimore City's school board meeting was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday due to a security issue, as reported by Baltimore City Public Schools. The Board of Education was advised to end the meeting early to allow law enforcement to manage the situation. The statement from the school system expressed gratitude for the swift response from law enforcement, stating, “The boardroom was vacated to allow law enforcement space to address the situation effectively.”

 

The Baltimore Sun

Montgomery County Public Schools reported over 4,000 serious incidents during the last school year, raising concerns about the accuracy of reported data. Chief of Security and Compliance Marcus Jones and Dr. Peter Moran from the Office of School Support and Improvement discussed the need for clearer definitions of serious incidents, noting that many do not require hospitalization and thus go unreported. Board member Grace Rivera-Oven emphasized the importance of honesty in reporting, stating, “When we are not truthful as adults with what's going on, we are not helping our kids.” Additionally, the school system is implementing new security measures, including requiring high school students to show ID upon entry. Board President Karla Silvestre expressed support for increasing security personnel in response to parental concerns.

 

The Baltimore Sun

Elleka Yost, director of advocacy and research for the Association of School Business Officials International, says that fears of a fiscal crisis for school districts when pandemic-era Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding dissipates appear to be overstated. The last and largest of the federal COVID-related appropriations has an obligation deadline of September 30 for when districts must commit to spending down the money, with the actual spending deadline falling a few months later, on January 28 2025. “I don’t think it is as bad as people were concerned about, because the narrative for a while — you would have thought that every single district was going to be facing a cliff, and the reality is, not all of them are,” Yost said. Nevertheless, she added, there will still be fiscal slides in many areas, causing school systems to adjust to a post-ESSER reality. Marguerite Roza, director of Edunomics Lab, an education finance research center at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, echoed the sentiment, adding that state education agencies should monitor their districts’ pace of liquidation so the funds get used and not returned to the federal government.  

 

K-12 Dive

The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 in Illinois is facing scrutiny over its budgeting practices, with a consultant revealing that expenses and revenues were manipulated to create the illusion of a balanced budget despite a $10m deficit. Rob Grossi, president of Illuminate Inc., stated, “On the expenditure side, expenses seemed to be pushed to the subsequent fiscal year.” Newly appointed finance chief Tamara Mitchell confirmed that $3.5m in bills were deferred to the next fiscal year. The district has accumulated $10m in deficits over the past two years, and the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 shows a $20m deficit. Board member Joseph Hailpern expressed concern, saying, “It sounds like deception.” The district is now implementing new systems to ensure better financial oversight moving forward.

 

Chicago Tribune

Eduardo Galvan, the interim superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, addressed business leaders this week, assuring them that the district has not misappropriated funds and is working to resolve its financial issues. During a Milwaukee Rotary Club meeting, he stated, "We are well on the way to get that reporting done," referring to the delayed audited 2023 financial report. The district is collaborating with the Department of Public Instruction and plans to appoint a new chief financial officer soon. Vice President Jilly Gokalgandhi mentioned that the district is revisiting its long-range facilities master plan with Perkins Eastman, emphasizing community engagement. The district is also addressing overutilization of some buildings while aiming for 80% capacity. Following financial reporting concerns raised by the DPI, audits have been ordered by Gov.Tony Evers. Galvan stressed the need to rebuild trust with the community, stating, "We understand our challenges."

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

October and March are often the toughest months for teachers, as workloads increase and student behaviors become more challenging. S. Kambar Khoshaba, a veteran principal, emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to boost morale and reduce burnout. He suggests three key strategies: first, understanding when morale dips by surveying staff; second, celebrating staff achievements regularly rather than just during designated weeks; and third, involving students in uplifting staff spirits. Khoshaba states, “Ideas that we typically save for Teacher Appreciation Week will now be spread out when morale needs a bump.”

 

Education Week News

The recent CrowdStrike software update failure highlighted the vulnerability of technology systems in K-12 schools, causing widespread disruptions globally. Steven Langford, chief information officer for Beaverton Public Schools, emphasized that the incident serves as a reminder of technology's critical role in school operations. “It becomes a tremendous challenge due to the safety supports that technology affords access to,” he commented. As schools increasingly rely on interconnected systems, tech leaders are now prioritizing incident response plans, with a CoSN survey revealing an increase from 34% to 53% in districts implementing such plans. Experts like Peter Kennedy advocate for scenario-based strategic planning to prepare for potential tech crises, urging schools to conduct vulnerability inventories and adapt their responses as needed. The incident underscores the necessity for schools to have contingency plans in place to ensure continuity in education during tech failures.

 

Education Week News

Kahn-Tineta Smith, a 52-year-old educator, has embarked on her teaching career at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School in Philadelphia, fulfilling a lifelong dream. After two decades as a paraprofessional, she transitioned to a full-time teaching role through the Para Pathway initiative, which aims to address the city's teacher shortage. “I gravitated to being an educator; I knew that was my calling on this earth,” Smith shared. The Para Pathway program, funded by federal aid and district resources, has trained over 100 paraprofessionals to become teachers. Despite the challenges of her new role, Smith is committed to engaging her young students and providing them with the support they need. Principal Aliya Catanch-Bradley emphasized the importance of hiring local educators like Smith, stating, “These are pillars of the community and role models for our children.”

 

Chalkbeat

Schools are grappling with chronic absenteeism as parents exhibit a more relaxed attitude towards attendance compared to pre-pandemic times. A study by the RAND Corporation and the Center on Reinventing Public Education revealed that while absenteeism rates have decreased from peak levels in 2021-22, they remain significant. Heather Schwartz, director at RAND, noted: “District leaders are saying this wasn't merely a transitory COVID phenomenon.” Many parents now allow children to miss school for various reasons, including family trips and minor illnesses. A June 6 poll indicated that 58% of parents view chronic absenteeism as a major issue, yet many misunderstand its definition. Superintendents acknowledged that systemic school problems and confusion over illness policies during the pandemic may have contributed to this shift in parental attitudes. Efforts to combat absenteeism are ongoing, with 93% of districts implementing strategies, but no single intervention has proven universally effective. Schwartz emphasized the need for tailored approaches to address the diverse reasons behind absenteeism.

 

Education Week News

At a special meeting in Richmond earlier this week, the Virginia Board of Education (VDOE) approved the state's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. The changes aim to address concerns with how schools are rated and student performance is measured to determine better how to direct state resources. The new regulations split the state’s accreditation system into two: an accreditation system, to assess whether schools meet all requirements laid out in state laws and regulations; and an accountability system, to provide “timely and transparent information on student and school performance.” “Whether that is human resources or financial resources, whatever it is, targeted support is absolutely what this is,” said Board President Grace Creasey. The ESSA plan is subject to revision by the U.S. Department of Education. According to Todd Reid, a spokesman with VDOE, the federal agency will have 90 days to review and approve the revisions to the ESSA state plan.

 

Virginia Mercury

William Fletcher, the inspector general of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), left his position on August 23 to take on a new role overseeing a $16bn rail project connecting New York City, Newark, and New Jersey. During his tenure, Fletcher led investigations into the misuse of COVID relief funds, revealing that some CPS employees and charter schools received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans while still being paid by the district. He expressed concern about the district's future, stating, “CPS is going to have to make some really tough decisions now that the federal pandemic relief that was allotted to the district is going away.” With a budget deficit looming, Fletcher's office is also grappling with the impact of lost or stolen devices distributed during the pandemic, totaling $23m. Amber Nesbitt has been appointed as the acting inspector general as the search for a permanent replacement begins.

 

Chicago Sun Times

Chicago Tribune

Memphis-Shelby County Schools is currently facing a challenge in tracking down over 2,300 students expected to enroll for the 2024-25 academic year. As of this week, the district has 109,636 enrolled students, which is an increase of 1,446 from last year, but still falls short of the projected 111,983. Superintendent Marie Feagins highlighted the significant changes in the district, including the transition of nearly a thousand students from three schools previously operated by the University of Memphis to a new university-run system. Additionally, five school buildings have returned to district control after a decade under the Achievement School District. School board member Kevin Woods noted, “We do have students that simply are still not showing up,” emphasizing the ongoing enrollment issues.

 

Chalkbeat

Nearly 1,000 Civil War reenactors recently gathered in Gettysburg, Pa., to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg's 161st anniversary. However, concerns arose when Jean Marie Donnelly, a studio teacher, discovered that two local boys participating in a film shoot lacked child labor permits, violating Pennsylvania state laws. Donnelly refused to allow filming due to safety risks, stating: “If something happened with these muskets or they pushed my kid into the fire, that's a health and safety issue.” The incident reflects broader issues within the industry, where teachers and parents report numerous safety violations involving child actors. The responsibility for child safety on set is shared among various adults, yet many teachers feel their authority is undermined by producers and parents unfamiliar with the rules.

 

Los Angeles Times