A+ Stay Sharp: Response Digest 3

Colorado students, teachers and communities are adjusting to this “new normal”. The transition to online learning which is likely to continue for the remainder of the year, has presented unique challenges for rural and urban districts. This week’s Stay Sharp Response Digest includes an interview with a local school leader, an A+ Answer digging into which areas of the state are most vulnerable economically and how that might affect students, and the funding impact on school districts’ budgets.

News To Share

Funding Our Schools in the Wake of COVID-19

The novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc on more than the health in our communities. No matter how you look at it, the current economic reality and forecast are bleak. Seventeen million Americans have filed for unemployment (2.2 million in Colorado) in the past three weeks, undercounting the real number of those who have lost their jobs in the response to COVID given long waits to file and the fact that the benefit is not provided to workers without documentation.

School Spotlight: Third Future School

As part of A+ Colorado’s efforts to better understand how schools, educators and community organizations are adapting to the COVID-19 crisis, A+ Colorado is talking to education leaders in Colorado. Earlier this week, we talked with Mike Miles, the CEO of Third Future Schools and former superintendent of Dallas Independent School District. Van Schoales talked to Mike about how their schools have shifted to remote learning and how they are adapting to this new reality for the remainder of this school year.

A+ Answers

Which areas of the state are most vulnerable economically and how might that impact students?

We know that students who are eligible for free and reduced price lunch may be particularly vulnerable at this time as they often depend on school meals for nutrition. Many efforts have been made to ensure students access to healthy meals while schools are not in session and those efforts should be applauded. However, the effects of this crisis may go beyond nutritional needs for many of those students.

What we’re reading, watching, and listening to…

Hayley Reddish, VP of Strategy and Operations

Reading: Any one of our over 100 children’s books we have in our daughter Wesley’s library

Watching: Tiger King (I know….), Parks and Rec (again), and West Wing (again).

Listening to: Whichever Spotify daily mix includes Dolly Parton

Cooking: Whatever the grocery store has for us! And oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

News To Share

School Spotlight: Third Future School

A+ Answers

Which areas of the state are most vulnerable economically and how might that impact students?

What we’re reading, watching, and listening to…

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