Priorities for the new secretary of education; Teacher vaccines and the new strain

Plus: The exclusive social media app educators are using

No. 469 | 2/04/21 | Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by At yesterday's confirmation hearing, Miguel Cardona, who is on track to be the next secretary of education, pushed hard for safe school reopenings, even in places where teachers have yet to be vaccinated. Underpinning his plan is Biden's proposed stimulus package, which would provide $130 billion for schools, or $2,600 per student. "If we really want to recover, we really need to invest now, or we're going to pay later," he said at the hearing, which appeared to draw bipartisan support for his confirmation.    So far, Cardona has managed to stay out of the infighting between unions and governments that has consumed cities like San Francisco and Chicago. And he may manage to stay above it, after all. According to Chalkbeat, Cardona kept on good terms with local unions despite clashing over reopenings in his home state of Connecticut. He "could thread the needle. He could make people feel that they were heard," said one colleague.    More on Cardona, teacher vaccine rollouts and his potential priorities below. 🤔 REMOTE POSSIBILITIES   NEW AGENDA: A pandemic, school reopenings and a chaotic teacher vaccine rollout. Those are likely the top priorities for the new education secretary. But there's plenty of room for innovation too, writes former assistant secretary of education Henry M. Smith. Among his ideas: offering every student a free year of college and designing a year-round school solution that won't overburden taxed-out teachers. 🎤 IN-SCHOOL DEBATES   RE: 'KID SUPERINTENDENT':"In times of racial unrest white educators have historically turned to aspirational tropes in place of revolutionary ones," writes school administrator Sarah Pazur. One of the newest is "Kid Superintendent," a lighthearted pep talk video in the vein of Kid President. But the light tone might not be right and can even make white viewers complacent with inaction. She opines on why it may do more harm than good.   "LEARNING ENGINEERING" can sound esoteric. But many educators are already doing it everyday, as they tweak their craft based on feedback and results. The right tools, complemented with training and support, and help teachers amplify their ability to help students, writes DreamBox Learning CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson. Here's why it's time to start supporting teachers as learning engineers. 📆 GOINGS ON   TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Educators use edtech tools daily, but how much of a say do they have in their development? Register for this webinar for a conversation with teachers, technologists and educators-turned-edtech founders to learn how educators can and do influence the design and development of today's tech tools. The following is a message from our sponsor The Education Essentials Company™ Cambium Learning® Group is an intentionally curated family of companies providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 markets. We focus on the elements that are essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a difference right now. 🎧 ON THE PODCAST   RACING BACK TO SCHOOL: It's a race between vaccine distribution and new COVID variants becoming the dominant strain. But there's still a good chance of safely resuming in-person learning this spring, says Asaf Bitton, a physician, health researcher and executive director of Ariadne Labs. On the podcast, we take a look at current vaccination efforts, what we know about the new strains, and how these factors will shape school reopening this year. 🏫 ALL SCHOOL    JOIN THE CLUB: Clubhouse is the newest invite-only social media app hot among tech stars and influencers. But as Class Tech Tips founder Monica Burns explains, it's catching on with educators too. The voice call app reminds some of 1980s party phone lines, but regular chats on equity, leadership and mental health are inspiring those who have scored an invite. Burns and others share why they're speaking up on Clubhouse. 📚 ICYMI   SECRETARY SELECTION: At his confirmation hearing, Miguel Cardona received a relatively warm reception from Republicans and Democrats alike. Cardona, the Biden administration's pick for next secretary of education, has spent most of his life and career in Connecticut, where he studied, taught and currently heads the state department of education. Here's what we know about his life and career, and where he stands on issues such as reopening schools and state testing. 🐝 BUZZ ABOUT TOWN   At one Rhode Island high school, students researched education inequality in their own school. (Hechinger Report)   "I have less motivation for school:" Students respond to learning loss. (Education Week)   "Cardona sails through Senate hearing amid reopening schools debate." (Politico) Report: How districts are addressing students' social-emotional needs during the pandemic. (Center for Reinventing Public Education) Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board in the industry with openings from schools, nonprofits and companies. Post a job | See all jobs Chief Academic Officer | Valor Collegiate Academy | Nashvill, TN Valor Collegiate Academies is seeking an exceptional leader of curriculum and instruction to serve as the organization's next Chief Academic Officer.   Director of Instructional Technology and Information Systems | Francis Parker School | San Diego, CA Francis Parker School is hiring for a director of instructional technology and information systems, to start July 1. Parker seeks a visionary leader to run a department that supports faculty integration of technology and enterprise data services.   Professional Development Specialist | Curriculum Associates | Multiple Curriculum Associates seeks a Professional Development Specialist to join our team. The ideal candidate will need a background in teaching/coaching Math, as well as experience leading professional development to school and district leaders.   Online Coding and Computer Science Instructor | Create & Learn | Remote We are looking for passionate, enthusiastic teachers who want to share their love of computer science with students in grades k through 9. Our cutting-edge curriculum is ready to use–no need to design, test, and iterate on your own curriculum.   Facilitator | Synthesis School | Remote We're looking for exceptional facilitators to join our team. Classroom experience is great, but not required. We are looking for smart, adaptive generalists who are passionate about what we're doing. We're hiring for part-time at $100/hour.   Expeditions Teacher | Summit Public Schools | Remote Why Summit? Because we support every child to lead a fulfilled life. The Expeditions team seeks teachers who can design and execute courses aimed at middle and high school students.   Events Post an event • See all events and meetups   Using Emotional Intelligence to Manage Stress and Anxiety Feb 11 | Online | $51 to $250  Helping Teachers Help Themselves is a comprehensive asynchronous four-course program created specifically to address the emotional well-being of early childhood and elementary educators, caregivers, and specialists.   ISTELive 21 June 26-30 | Online | $51 to $250  Get strategies to help you move from surviving disruption to reimagining learning by joining us to design a new learning landscape! THANKS FOR READING   ➔ Got any feedback? We love hearing from readers. Shoot us a note, critiques, a joke—whatever you've got! ➔ Interested in reaching our readers? Sponsor this newsletter. ➔ Event planners: Feature your in-person or virtual event on our calendar & newsletters. 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