On young people and social media

 TechDirt entitles this "Two Major Studies, 125,000 Kids: The Social Media Panic Doesn’t Hold Up from the yet-more-evidence-that-haidt-is-wrong dept"

 We’ve covered study after study showing that the relationship between social media and teen mental health is complicated, context-dependent, and nowhere near as clear-cut as Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” would have you believe. As we’ve noted before, correlation is not causation, and the timing of teen mental health declines doesn’t actually line up neatly with smartphone adoption the way the narrative claims.

I look forward to the day that we stop making policy based on Haidt's fearmongering.  

May Board of Ed: on student mental health

 students speaking on student mental health on the Greater Boston Student Advisory Council
student survey from all five regions of the state, all four grades
vast majority of students reported struggling with mental health issues

about 77% of those surveyed said that there was an adult they could turn to, but most are only "somewhat aware" of student mental health
"for teachers to be available to their students"
for teachers to reach out and check in 

suggest that school create posters around school and classroom promoting resources
add block for students to choose where to go
send out information on resources to students

nightly workload: many students spending 
more than 1-2 hours on weekends; quite a few spending more than 5

active promotion of social and mental health resources 
suggestion box for what would be most useful

SLEEP: around 50% of students get 6-8; 30% get 4-6
CDC recommends 8-10 hours for teens

stress: physical safe space in schools
few minutes to check in during class
promote mental health resources in school

Not talking about it doesn't make it go away

Item I filed on the Worcester School Committee agenda 11/18/21;
and yes, "disregulation" is actually spelled with an "i"

I thought about opening this post with links to the dozens of articles from across Massachusetts of fights and injuries and community reaction. Driving more activity to those articles, though, isn't really going to help.
If you pay some attention to education news, you've no doubt already caught some headlines around our schools, so you don't need me for that. That's also just what has made the news, and we know that never tells the whole story (and sometimes is even manipulated or manipulative, as noted by Lawrence leadership). And fights are only one way of distress being acted out. Many are much quieter.

There's no doubt, though, that students are struggling. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) joined together to declare children's mental health a national crisis.

There was an argument made often last year that student mental health was suffering specifically from being home from school, and that sending students back to school would solve the issue. Now, there's no doubt that having students out of school buildings did separate many from various kinds of supports that they need or wanted, which range, of course, far beyond mental health supports.

But this ignores, for example, that student suicides are historically higher on school days and during school months. The default that schools = better for kids is not only not universally true; it ignores some data we really need to pay attention to.

Despite it having made some headlines, what I haven't seen crossover into action is the amount of death in the pandemic that has surrounded children. More than 140,000 children lost caregivers in the U.S. (as of June). As with so much else:

There were significant racial and ethnic disparities in caregiver deaths due to COVID-19. White people represent 61% of the total U.S. population and people of racial and ethnic minorities represent 39%  of the total population. Yet, study results indicate that non-Hispanic White children account for 35% of those who lost a primary caregiver (51,381 children), while children of racial and ethnic minorities account for 65% of those who lost a primary caregiver (91,256 children).

When looking at both primary and secondary caregivers, the study found that findings varied greatly by race/ethnicity: 1 of every 168 American Indian/Alaska Native children, 1 of every 310 Black children, 1 of every 412 Hispanic children, 1 of every 612 Asian children, and 1 of every 753 White children experienced orphanhood or death of caregivers. Compared to white children, American Indian/Alaska Native children were 4.5 times more likely to lose a parent or grandparent caregiver, Black children were 2.4 times more likely, and Hispanic children were nearly 2 times (1.8) more likely.

If we add to that the deaths that haven't been primary caregivers, but those of relatives of children, the loses--again disproportionately--are staggering. There are also the years of lost life that add up, that in many cases surround children. 

Then there have been the subsidiary impacts--food, housing, employment--which in the U.S. skew disproportionately by race and towards children. More than one out of every three people living in poverty in the U.S. is a child. That which hits poor Americans hits children, always.

And I also have been searching, without finding beyond some tweets, something that looks at how the younger generations have viewed the ways in which adults managed the pandemic. I know that many of us (adults, that is) had perhaps this idea that of course people would do what was necessary to keep each other safe and would stay home/wear masks/get vaccinated/etc as needed to make others safe. And yet, of course, that hasn't been the case. I wonder--and I don't know--if there is any way in which children and young people feel adults haven't done their jobs in steering us all through this. 

There are major structural issues to providing supports for children, from sustainable funding (ESSER goes away!) to lack of providers. I keep thinking back, though to Neema Avashia's piece from September about time for healing. The state instead has stressed "acceleration" for learning, with limited mention of mental health at all. Districts have, I think, responded with varying degrees of flexibilities and supports and staffing. 

I don't think that we as adults in education have done enough to acknowledge the death--really--that has surrounded our children, the losses far beyond social events, or the drop in trust in organized agency. 

We don't fix what we don't talk about. 

Official word from Governor Baker recommending international school trips be canceled

There had been some confusion earlier this week as to who was recommending what based on what, so clarity today:

...the administration is urging colleges, universities and high schools to cancel upcoming, organized international trips at this time.

The full press release from Governor Baker is here.  You can find coverage here and here.

But what about the Coronavirus?

How does this impact education?

UPDATE: This comic by Malaka Gharib for "Goats and Soda" on NPR does an excellent job of giving kids (and anyone!) enough information and direction while still being reassuring. Read and share!

UPDATE: Likewise, this BrainPop video is very useful for kids:

While there has not, as yet, been any guidance from DESE on Massachusetts schools, there are a number of updated sources and resources that are helpful. UPDATE: The Mass Department of Health, however, did share this (download) for schools yesterday.
I'd first direct you to yesterday's Mass Department of Public Health update, which is written for the lay reader, and emphasizes this:

This novel coronavirus causes a respiratory (lung) infection. As of February 26, there has been one confirmed case of this novel coronavirus in Massachusetts.

and:

The health risk to the general public in Massachusetts remains low. Massachusetts state and local health officials are actively working to help protect the health of our residents and we have no indications that COVID-19 is spreading in our communities at this time.

WBUR has coverage of this information, as well.
The Centers for Disease Control has issued employer guidance on this, and the U.S. Department of Education has a one pager for planning for pandemics (which is more for district use than family use, but including it here for those readers).
The Boston Globe has an article on how colleges and schools are handling it, which so far focuses more on colleges.
Today's New York Times has a piece which focuses on K-12 and lead me to send an email this morning:

In warning that the coronavirus will almost certainly spread in the United States, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said she had contacted her own local school superintendent this week and asked if the district was prepared. She advised parents to do the same.

The article notes that simply attempting to do schooling via the Internet misses the vast disparities that exists in our national (and local!) system. I found this helpful to know:

On a more positive note, Mr. Kosuth said that evidence from China suggested that children were more resilient to the coronavirus than adults were.

These strains on the system, as noted in the article, also point to other inequities: access to nurses, ability to find substitutes, access to health care, even if schools have enough soap and towels. Those are good questions to raise in whatever communication you send, too.
UPDATE: this commentary from the Baltimore Sun notes the role schools play in not only food but in general security, and calls for privileging their needs in any planning.

UPDATE: PBS did an in-depth piece which notes the significant and varied roles played by schools:

If schools are forced to close for long stretches, it could have a heavy impact on students who rely on school meals and for parents who use their schools’ child care programs, said Francisco Negrón, chief legal officer for the National School Boards Association. The group is urging school leaders to discuss those issues with local authorities and develop contingency plans.
The group is also asking districts to reconsider attendance awards that are sometimes given to students who don’t miss a day of class for an entire year or semester. Some schools have previously abandoned the practice amid fears that it encourages students to come to school sick, but some still award gift cards, cash or raffle prizes to students with perfect attendance.

The best advice I have seen thus far for families is from Juliette Kayyem, who worked for Homeland Security under the previous administration, in this thread from earlier this week. She notes that 72 hours of supplies is a good thing to keep on hand. In a New York Magazine interview, she also notes this:

Besides having essential supplies, Kayyem noted that people should make sure they are up-to-date on their vaccines, including flu shots, because a community that is more resilient overall and less likely to get other diseases is going to be better positioned to handle a novel pandemic.

UPDATE: This Scientific American article likewise is very good at what--and why!--we should do to prepare:

We should prepare, not because we may feel personally at risk, but so that we can help lessen the risk for everyone. We should prepare not because we are facing a doomsday scenario out of our control, but because we can alter every aspect of this risk we face as a society.

And wash your hands! Watch this video to see how badly many of us do at this.


More here as I have it.

Worcester and EEE

We're not in the critical zone of other districts, but I am wondering about this: per the T&G yesterday:

...public school officials have agreed that there will be no organized outdoor activities after 4:30 p.m., Dr. Michael P. Hirsh, medical director of the Worcester Division of Public Health, said Tuesday.

But there has been no notice to parents and students, nothing on the district website or social media, and, as far as I can tell, nothing that has gone to staff or faculty.
Are we calling things at 4:30 or not, Worcester?

Joint Committee on Education hearing: recess, sexual assault, translation and other matters

You can find the bills being considered online here. Posting as we go once we start

Chair Peisch opens the hearing; looks like mostly reps here on the committee
(this is going in the order posted, hearing each bill at a time, skipping any bills on which no one has signed up to testify)

Student advocacy at work

This is a great story coming in from New Bedford's School Committee meeting on Monday on student advocacy around menstruation and schools:

Zhang spoke with fellow Keith students eighth-grader Alizeh Johnson and seventh-grader Najah Burks, accompanied by Jordan Pouliot Latham, development associate at the YWCA. Superintendent Thomas Anderson said after meeting with them, he invited the young women to come back to the School Committee to provide an update on their project. They spoke during public comment at the February committee meeting, asking for pads and tampons to be included in the fiscal 2020 budget.
“Many girls in New Bedford are low income,” Zhang continued, and parents may not want to spend their limited money on menstrual hygiene products, and even if they do, they may not be able to afford them since they’re not covered by government assistance programs like SNAP and WIC.
Being able to use an unlocked bathroom on the same floor that their class is, instead of visiting the nurse which takes several minutes, will help menstruating students stay in class longer, she said.

They started with the superintendent, who took them seriously and invited them to share their concerns with the School Committee, as this is a budgetary issue.
It isn't only a budgetary issue, however; too many schools severely limit bathroom access during the school day, which is a policy issue:

She said students understand that teachers would prefer they use the bathroom in between classes, but that’s not always possible. It’s not safe to go an entire day without changing a pad or tampon due to the potential of Toxic Shock Syndrome, infections or rashes, she said.
“We need teachers and staff to support menstruating students,” Johnson said.

And sign of a thoughtful elected official? Being aware you're still learning:

Josh Amaral admitted he was ignorant to the issue and its scale, but said it’s a “no brainer,” and that like providing lunch, it’s an essential health need.

More of this: more of thinking about students' holistic health, more of taking student concerns seriously, more of remembering students are people, and more of learning during meetings.

A Love Letter to My Sons' School District

Would that all our districts could strive for--and be!--a district like this: 

I know how rare it is that a school district would be so dedicated to all of its students—not just in words, but in deeds. And I hope that other schools see this love letter, and know that they too could be receiving these from the parents of their black and brown kids. From the parents of their neurodiverse and disabled kids. From the parents of their poor kids. From the parents of their LGBT kids. I hope they see this and know that all of their students deserve the same love and care that my children are receiving. I hope they see this and realize that they are the ones missing out.

Pediatricians on recess:

Published on the first of the year, this policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics cites the crucial role of recess in child development and education. From the abstract:

Recess serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated, academic challenges in the classroom. But equally important is the fact that safe and well-supervised recess offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated when a decision is made to diminish it. Recess is unique from, and a complement to, physical education—not a substitute for it. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child’s development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons.

Mosquito-borne illnesses

Worcester's mosquitoes are testing low for EEE and West Nile in their weekly tests ('though we're a "high risk" community). At this point, Worcester Public Schools sports played at home are going forward as scheduled, but sports played in high risk communities are being moved back to daytime hours.

Note that it is older adults, not children, that are highest risks for this, so it's more the grandparents watching than the kids on the field of highest concern.

Health clinics

report coming back as a report of the superintendent

Full house tonight: innovation schools

We've got a full house tonight: plenty of people here to testify on innovation, recess, special ed.
Public hearing on innovation schools
School Committee will deliberate and vote at next Thursday's meeting
with apologies in advance for all the names I miss
publishing as I go...updating as the testimony continues 

Worcester School Committee Thursday

The regular meeting of the Worcester School Committee is tomorrow night at 7pm at City Hall. You'll find the agenda here. (or not...the page isn't loading. To be fixed)
Up this week:

• the Superintendent's report is on the dropout rate, which, as you may have heard, went down this past year. The backup has charts and graphs with more information.
• we've got recognitions for Dr. Leonard Morse for his work as the Public Health Commissioner. We've also got Bank of America coming in in honor of their $50,000 donation.
• Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports subcommittee report is coming back.
• a response to a question on summer programs
• items asking about the special education parent survey, the STEM initiatives, and Poem in Your Pocket day.

accoutability plan

David Perda, Chief Accountability Officer:
process of rolling out feedback over the course of the fall
"big piece of Dr. Boone's vision for improvement"
task force of "key members of the WPS community"
school improvement plan
Worcester Compact
aligned focus in Worcester
"district performance indicators"
ILTs going through training with Focus on Results
work in co-ordination with school site councils
DAB: departmental based accountability plans
indicators can't tell you the whole story
school and department plans due to Accountability office on October 29th
"expected there will be some involvement of school site councils"
question on tracking conversations of ILT (which are faculty) and site councils (which include parents and

community members)
proposal to train site council members during October
Community Accountability Task Force: has formed itself
were members of the group that drew up the document: "different model for accountability"
groups involved in WPS might agree to a set of frameworks for those involved in Worcester Public Schools to see

how this aligns with the general direction of the Worcester Public Schools

Brian O'Connell: parallel issues with that level of involvement
asked to ratify or rubberstamp something that was already produced
"I've seen radically different approaches from schools"
tie from parent involvement into level of student success

question about this item: speaking to this item
Perda is suggesting a first draft of district indicators to go to school committee
data of AP, honors level, going to college
Perda: public requests for information

Novick: concern about number of parents involved in actual committee, of parents' concerns reflected
much on academics, how involved are parents though: what about parents thought principals being accessible, or

kids being safe, or community access
as it rolls out to schools, pulling in the other issues (that might not lend themselves as easily to charts)
site councils that do operate as rubber stamps, if they operate at all

O'Connell suggests a balance of goals per school
alumni involvement: not reflected in list

Novick: no social studies and history
what about health of students?
being given much time and passed responsiblity from state and fed on this one

question on indicators :
"what the family engagement plan would be...is that something that happens at the school?"
happens at the school: plan done at the school

Mullaney: "we set policy, they carry it"
"we pay them to their best work, to give us their best finding, and make our decision based on that"
O'Connell: "data is the bedrock on which our policy is formulated"

Parent involvement plan: policy on family
"good base to work from"
motion: report to School Committee quarterly on implementation
consider adding: math AP, science AP, alumni involvement, social studies, student health

BMI reports

did not have the actual BMI information on it
(at least in many cases)
If anyone kept their copy, the superintendent would like to see it.

EMT services donated

...for all home games for the football season from St. Vincent's.

Recess summary

(which is really interesting, BTW...hearing what people saw and heard happening...)
parents talking about no implementation plan, mentioned only one time in the wellness plan
mention of kids who aren't eating their lunches, chomping at the bit to get outside
mention that the wellness policy isn't in the student handbook
speaking of winter recess inside in space limitations

INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY IS OCTOBER 6th!

Boone

..."if there's a need to revise the language in the 'recess policy' we can address that"
(by which she's referring to the wellness policy)

Boone

"what does it take to be a healthy district"
"I am seeking a point of clarification...already have a policy"
"I would like to avoid us having a redundant policy, rather than have a repetitive"
"this is our first run if you will"