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Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release

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  • Lisa Irish   |   AZEdNews

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release

Natalie Rizzo-Stevens, A Mother Of Four, Launched The Eastmark Educational Home Care Co-Op For Working Parents To Drop Off Their Children At A Host Parent's Home Where They Can Do Their Online Learning Just A Few Weeks Ago. Photo Courtesy KJZZ FM 91.5 And Natalie Rizzo-Stevens.

For updated coverage Aug. 12 and forward

Updated Aug. 11: An Arizona mother of four has organized a co-op where working parents can drop off their children at a host parent’s home where the students will do their online learning, KJZZ 91.5 FM reports.

Last night, hundreds of parents and students rallied at Arizona’s Capitol to demand more support for working families and to push for in-person classes for students now.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 188,737 today from 187,523 yesterday, and 4,199 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 126,791 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 18,381 in Pima County, 11,633 in Yuma County, 8,509 in Pinal County, 5,391 in Navajo County, 3,197 in Apache County, 3,128 in Coconino County, 2,669 in Santa Cruz County, 3,226 in Mohave County, 2,040 in Yavapai County, 1,730 in Cochise County, 950 in Gila County, 479 in La Paz County, 555 in Graham County and 57 in Greenlee County.

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A shortened time for Census takers to knock on doors to ensure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census will hurt school programs that are funded based on community counts, Education Week says.

Look to the skies tonight to see the Perseid Meteor Shower.

Hear what students of color and their families think of how social and emotional skills relate to success from The Education Trust.

The Pac-12 postpones all sports until 2021 today.

Help teachers with a donation to DonorsChoose today and The Gates Foundation will boost it.

As Arizona State University’s Fall semester begins, take a look to see if your tech meets all the school’s requirements for your courses.

When children of color see a family like theirs in a book it can be a game changer, says edutopia.

Head Start is seeking to be included in COVID-19 relief funding that Congress is crafting.

A new tool helps medical school applicants with their virtual interviews.

Aug. 10: A parent group called Green Rally is pushing for instructional options at Arizona schools right now that include in-person learning, and they’re rallying outside the state capitol this evening at 6 p.m demanding more support for working families.

“I think a lot of people are happy staying online and there’s an option for them, but a lot of people do not have the option to work online with their kids, so there has to be some sort of solution for them,” Brittny Smith, told azfamily.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 187,523 today from 186,923 yesterday, and 4,154 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 126,371 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 17,996 in Pima County, 11,609 in Yuma County, 8,378 in Pinal County, 5,375 in Navajo County, 3,194 in Apache County, 3,099 in Coconino County, 2,671 in Santa Cruz County, 3,202 in Mohave County, 2,018 in Yavapai County, 1,611 in Cochise County, 916 in Gila County, 477 in La Paz County, 549 in Graham County and 57 in Greenlee County.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 8-10-summary-750x1024

Policy makers and teachers continue to encourage Congress to continue working on another aid package to help states, schools, the unemployed and towns and cities during the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition, benchmarks were released today by the Arizona Department of Health Services for when gyms, bars and theaters can re-open in Arizona.

The guidance indicates it won’t be back to business as usual for a while.

A group of students and faculty urge Arizona State University administrators to reconsider plans for in-person learning.

Here’s where and when to look to see the Perseid Meteor Shower.

Arizona Association of County School Superintendents met today to help educators and students.

A veteran educator focuses on showing students the joy in reading, The Atlantic reports.

Arizona Education Association says many educators are considering retiring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Expect More Arizona, Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona and the Fiesta Bowl encourage you to apply for the Empowering Diversity Scholarship by Aug. 17.

Navajo Elementary students get a preview of what their classrooms will look like when it’s safe to be back on campus again.

Sometimes students misbehave when they don’t understand an assignment or it’s too difficult, edutopia says.

Colleges could vote to cancel fall sports due to COVID-19 concerns.

Creek Unified School District congratulated one of its students for earning a scholarship.

Aug. 6: Arizona Dept. of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ and Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman released today a set of health benchmarks that schools may use to determine when it’s safe to return to in-person instruction during this COVID-19 pandemic.

“While it’s clear that Arizona is not currently ready to resume in-person or hybrid learning, we now have clear goals for knowing when it is safer to return to the classroom,” Supt. Hoffman wrote in a letter.

” I urge all school leaders to use these benchmarks to make safe decisions about learning this school year, Supt. Hoffman wrote.

Click here for Supt. Hoffman’s letter on the benchmarks

Schools are encouraged to consider delaying re-opening for in-person classes for all students until there is minimal COVID-19 spread in their community (green on the chart below), and to take precautions such as requiring students and staff to wear masks, remain physically distant from each other and limit the number of students on campus.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release AZDHS-Benchmarks-Part-1

When there’s moderate community spread, the yellow column in the chart above, schools may consider re-opening in a limited capacity for some students. That could be a hybrid model where students alternate between some students attending in-person classes while other students do distance learning.

Schools may consider that limited re-opening when the COVID-19 positivity rate has been below seven percent for two weeks not including the current week, COVID-like illness hospital visits have been below 10 percent for two weeks, and their county’s new confirmed COVID-19 cases are below 100 cases per 100,000 population for the past two weeks, but not including the current week OR there has been a decline in weekly average cases for two consecutive weeks not including the current week.

If community spread becomes substantial, the red column in the chart above, then schools should return to distance learning.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release AZDHS-in-person-instruction-benchmarks-charts

To put that in perspective, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Maricopa County on Wednesday was 13 percent.

These recommendations are in line with national standards set by the Coronavirus Task Force.

The Arizona Dept. of Education and Arizona Dept. of Health Services will hold a webinar for school administrators tomorrow to discuss how to use the benchmarks.

Educators, parents, and students must be assured that when returning to school they will be safe and that schools at a bare minimum follow all CDC guidelines, according to an Arizona Education Association press release.

“Our primary concern has remained the health, safety, and welfare of students, families, and educators, as well as the health and safety of the broader community,” said Joe Thomas, president of the Arizona Education Association, in a press release.

Until a campus, a worksite, or a classroom can assure educators, students, and parents that they will be safe, it is too great a risk for anyone to enter a school facility, the AEA press release noted.

“If Arizona is serious about making our schools safe, then our leaders need to provide districts with the flexibility and funding they need,” Thomas said. “Districts must include educators in discussions aimed at providing the best possible education for our students as we confront the challenges posed by COVID-19.”

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 183,647 today from 182,203 yesterday, and 4,002 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 124,022 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 17,293 in Pima County, 11,367 in Yuma County, 8,323 in Pinal County, 5,330 in Navajo County, 3,110 in Apache County, 3,043 in Coconino County, 2,643 in Santa Cruz County, 3,078 in Mohave County, 1,936 in Yavapai County, 1,565 in Cochise County, 884 in Gila County, 477 in La Paz County, 518 in Graham County and 58 in Greenlee County.

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The U.S. federal government has ignored, disregarded or delayed efforts to improve schools for Native American students, The Arizona Republic and ProPublica report.

Tolleson Elementary School District helps get the word out about free community COVID-19 testing.

Chandler Unified will also host a COVID-19 drive-up testing site starting on Friday.

Chiefs for Change is helping school leaders like Phoenix Union’s Supt. Dr. Chad Gestson and others across the country as they manage digital learning and determine when it’s safe to come back.

Gov. Doug Ducey announced today a partnership between Helios Education Foundation, the Arizona Dept. of Education, Arizona State University and the Office of the Arizona Governor to create a virtual teacher training institute.

Lowell Observatory’s interactive stargazing is streaming live tonight.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Arizona remind families clubs are open to help children with distance learning.

Applications are open for an all girl jazz musician program, says Raising Arizona Kids.

Looking for free Wi-Fi hotspots nearby to do your online learning? KOLD News provides this map.

The number of families home-schooling their children tripled in July, The Arizona Republic reports.

Update Aug. 5: Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, which provides insurance coverage to nearly 250 Arizona school districts and community colleges, reversed an earlier stance and will now provide COVID-19 liability coverage for an additional premium depending on size.

Many Arizona students are back-to-school online today, catching up with friends and learning from their teachers.

Some teachers say they aren’t prepared for long-term remote learning, azfamily reports.

Experts from Tucson and Sahuarita Unified share some best practices for remote learning.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 182,203 today from 180,505 yesterday, and 3,932 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 123,082 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 16,964 in Pima County, 11,314 in Yuma County, 8,297 in Pinal County, 5,309 in Navajo County, 3,119 in Apache County, 3,033 in Coconino County, 2,633 in Santa Cruz County, 3,073 in Mohave County, 1,904 in Yavapai County, 1,560 in Cochise County, 871 in Gila County, 476 in La Paz County, 511 in Graham County and 57 in Greenlee County.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 8-5-Summary-741x1024

Hayden Winkelman Unified School District Supt. Jeff Gregorich talks about teachers testing positive for COVID-19 in his Gila County district after one teacher died after contracting it and why he does not think it’s safe to students to return to in-person instruction.

Arizona Supt. of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman congratulates the 10 candidates for Arizona Educational Foundation’s 2021 Arizona Teacher of the Year. Click here to read more about it.

U.S. Census Bureau workers start knocking on doors this month of households that haven’t responded to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. There’s still time to respond before they visit your neighborhood.

Some schools are having teachers lead online learning from their classrooms this year, Education Week reports.

Teen Lifeline has seen an increase in calls for mental health help from Arizona teensagers since the COVID-19 quarantine began.

Many Arizona schools have started pick-up meal service for students, and Pendergast Elementary school offers three options.

West MEC Supt. Greg Donovan welcomes students and staff back to classes.

Supporting new teachers is more important than ever with the hurdles educators are facing during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching says.

Some faculty members share their concerns about in-person classes even with safety measures with The State Press.

Students and families of color share their experiences with social, emotional and academic learning in an upcoming The Education Trust report.

The U.S. Dept of Education seeks new data on how states and schools use federal aid and flexibility from certain mandates, Education Week reports.

Update Aug. 4: Supt. of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said Arizona schools are “not currently in a place to resume traditional in-person instruction or hybrid learning models” due to the incidence of COVID-19 and “that it is unlikely that any school community will be able to reopen safely for traditional in-person or hybrid instruction by August 17th” in a statement last night.

“While there is a need to provide some students with certain critical services that cannot be provided at a distance – such as special education therapies and nutrition services – we should not expect or ask the majority of Arizona’s students and teachers to make a return to school facilities until the spread of COVID-19 is under control,” Supt. Hoffman said.

“Once available, our school leaders should follow the metrics when making the decision to resume in-person instruction. While these metrics are not currently mandated, schools should be prepared to be held accountable by teachers, parents and families to make evidence-based decisions,” Hoffman said.

The Arizona Department of Health Services will release a set of public health metrics to guide the re-opening of schools by Aug. 7.

In addition, the Arizona Dept. of Education released guidelines to clarify schools’ responsibility to provide on-site support for students beginning Aug. 17th as directed by several of Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive orders, said Leigh Jensen, governmental relations associate for Arizona School Boards Association.

Click here for email with On-Site Services Guidance Overview and In-depth Guidance

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 180,505 today from 179,497 yesterday, and 3,845 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 121,789 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 16,809 in Pima County, 11,217 in Yuma County, 8,304 in Pinal County, 5,301 in Navajo County, 3,098 in Apache County, 3,013 in Coconino County, 2,618 in Santa Cruz County, 3,048 in Mohave County, 1,883 in Yavapai County, 1,554 in Cochise County, 846 in Gila County, 476 in La Paz County, 492 in Graham County and 57 in Greenlee County.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 8-4-summary-742x1024

It’s Primary Election Day in Arizona, check below to find vote center locations.

Remember, you can drop off your mail-in ballot at a polling center.

Black and LatinX girls are ready to lead and their parents are great role models for that, accordint to research from Girls Leadership.

The Musical Instrument Museum is offering mini-music makers classes online for young children up to 5 years old. Find out more here.

Learn more about how scaffolding and high-quality classroom interactions can help students’ language and literacy development in this WestEd research.

What will the Arizona State University classes look like for the Fall semester? Find out here.

Updated Aug. 3: Many teachers and students returned to school today with distance learning due to the incidence of COVID-19, while others will be starting later this week.

Late last week and early this week, schools were checking out technology to students to ensure they had what they need to start distance learning.

School districts also want families to know that they are serving breakfast and lunch for students at daily pickup locations too.

Schools are also reaching out to parents to find out if they need on-campus support services for their students this school year.

School administrators are encourages to move beyond instruction based on old practices and keep health and safety in mind in all decisions.

Phoenix Union High School District congratulated its schools for using PXUConnectEd.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 179,497 today from 178,467 yesterday, and 3,779 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 120,960 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 16,741 in Pima County, 11,203 in Yuma County, 8,301 in Pinal County, 5,284 in Navajo County, 3,084 in Apache County, 2,997 in Coconino County, 2,610 in Santa Cruz County, 3,040 in Mohave County, 1,858 in Yavapai County, 1,557 in Cochise County, 841 in Gila County, 474 in La Paz County, 490 in Graham County and 57 in Greenlee County.

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A quick reminder that the Primary Election is Tuesday, Aug. 4.

There are early vote centers open across Maricopa County where you can vote in-person for the Arizona Aug. 4 primary election.

Also, know that there will be some changes you see at the polls to prevent COVID-19 infection.

Need a voter education guide in American Sign Language? There’s one to help.

Looking for a Vote Center? See how to find one. Also, remember to bring your photo ID and your voter registration card or other accepted items to verify your identity.

Here are some ideas to make learning at home work for preschool students from edutopia.

Arizona State University’s Cronkite School congratulates studets chosen to take part in AEJMC’s Presidential Diversity & Inclusion program for graduate students.

University of Arizona law professors talk about where the U.S. Constitution and COVID-19 intersect.

The Education Trust needs your help with their study of Black student debt.

Updated July 31: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury removed the Invest in Education Initiative from the general election ballot on Friday after ruling that the summary was  “misleading by its omission of principal provisions” which he said created a “substantial likelihood of confusion for a reasonable Arizona voter.”

In response, the #InvestInEd campaign said it will appeal and take its case to the Arizona Supreme Court, which took the 2018 version of the initiative off the ballot.

“Our state has more than 1.1 million K-12 students that Judge Coury let down today with his judicial activism – and that’s shameful,” said Joe Thomas, president of Arizona Education Association.

Related articles:
New Invest in Ed initiative announced for 2020 ballot
Court ruling impacts Invest in Ed, Save Our Schools initiatives qualifying for ballot

“435,669 voters signed this petition during the COVID-19 pandemic and triple-digit heat to let voters decide how to fix the Arizona education crisis.,” Thomas said.

“Instead of respecting the voters, Judge Coury inserted his own political views throughout his baseless ruling. We will appeal immediately,” Thomas said.

Updated July 30: Gov. Doug Ducey said there will be more information to come on back-to-school and school athletics in coming weeks as AZ Dept. of Health metrics are developed and released Aug. 7 and that COVID-19 cases are on a downward trajectory at his news conference at 3 p.m. today.

Arizona COVID-19 Briefing with Gov. Ducey, Dr. Christ, Maj. Gen. McGuire – July 30, 2020

“I’m grateful we’re in a better state than we were several weeks ago,” Gov. Ducey said. “All the numbers I’m going to show you today are heading in the right direction.

“Today we’re seeing a downward trajectory in the number of COVID patients needing hospitals beds,” Gov. Ducey said.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 7-30-Gov-Ducey

“This is evidence that the decisions and actions of Arizonans are making a difference,” Gov. Ducey said.

“It’s really making a difference alon with masking up,” Gov. Ducey said.

School update

Gov. Ducey thanked Supt. of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman for her help ensuring that students and school staff have the safest possible environment as they go back to school.

“We wanted to provide maximum resources and maximum flexibility so we would have options and safety for our parents,” Gov. Ducey said.

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“If you want to know what’s going on in your local school district, please check your local website,” Gov. Ducey said.

“In terms of virtual learning, that can begin as soon as the superintendent intends it to, and I know it’s happening already in some parts of our state. The same with on-site support services,” Gov. Ducey said.

“In terms of in-person teacher-led classrooms, there’s going to be more to follow from the Dept. of Health Services and Dept. of Education in terms of guidelines and metrics,” Gov. Ducey said.

“I also want to thank the superintendents, the principals and the teachers for all their input and help as we’ve made these decisions, so that we can really set the standard of having the best possible educational year for every Arizona kid and family and the safest environment that suits that family,” Gov. Ducey said.

“Where we are today is dramatically different than where we were a few weeks ago,” Gov. Ducey said. ‘There will be more to follow around school and sports in coming weeks as the metrics are developed.”

Long-term care, testing developments

Dr. Cara Christ, executive director of Arizona Dept. of Health Services, said that earlier this week Gov. Ducey established the Task Force on Long-Term Care.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 7-30-Dr.-Christ

“Like all of you we recognize that there are individuals in these facilities who have not had visitors given the pandemic,” Dr. Christ said.

The task force will meet and develop recommendations and metrics to determine how and when visitation in long-term care facilities can be safely resumed,” Dr. Christ said.

“We’re continuing to build lab capacity throughout the state,” Dr. Christ said.

“One of the partners that work with is SonoraQuest. We still continue to see delays, which is frustrating for public health because we would like to get those turnaround times faster so that we can do the contact investigations and make a difference in slowing the spread,” Dr. Christ said.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 7-30-Dr-Christ-testing-update

“SonoraQuest updates us daily, they’re current testing backlot is currently about 29,000. They believe they will have that backlog cleared by this Sunday,” Dr. Christ said.

A lot of people who have had COVID-19 have developed antibodies to it and that can be collected and used as a treatment for people who are critically ill, Dr. Christ said.

Plan of action moving forward

“Moving forward, I want to talk about our plan of action in Arizona,” said Gov. Ducey.

“The actions that we are taking in Arizona are making a difference,” Gov. Ducey said. “We will continue to work this plan as we have the virus with us, which is going to be for the foreseeable future.”

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“We’re going to continue to ramp up testing and there’s much that needs to be improved and fixed with testing to identify infections within our state,” Gov. Ducey said.

“You’ll see additional lab capacity and additional collection sites in addition to the 375 that we have today,” Gov. Ducey said.

Gov. Ducey asked all Arizonans to wear a mask, wash your hands, physically distance and whenever they can to stay home.

Parent organizes co-op for learners; group rallies for in-person school days after benchmarks release 7-30-metrics-to-watch

Gov. Ducey thanked Arizonans for wearing masks saying “it goes a long way to slowing the spread and protecting people.”

Related daily schools & COVID-19 updates:
July 13- July 30: Teachers prepare for digital learning and back to school
June 29 – July 12: Video: Gov. says ‘Goal is to get children back to school when it’s safe’
June 29: Video: Gov. delays in-person classes to Aug. 17 due to rise in COVID-19
June 24: Plan provides more funding, instruction flexibility as schools re-open
June 15 – June 29: Video: Gov. pauses re-opening of some businesses as COVID-19 cases rise
May 26 – 12: Increase in COVID-19 cases marks a new daily high
May 20 – 25: AZ Dept. of Ed releases COVID-19 guidance to schools for summer programs, back to school
May 11 – 19: Arizonans consider workplace safety, what back to school will look like amid COVID-19
April 26 – May 10: Stores re-open, COVID-19 testing blitz resumes on Saturday
April 8 – 25: You can get tested now if you think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19
March 12 – April 7: Coronavirus response: Cases rise; AZ Day of Giving

Many Arizona teachers are calling parents to introduce themselves, remind them of learning device pickup times, and let them know what distance learning, which starts soon for many students due to the high incidence of COVID-19, will look like.

Madison Elementary School District provides parents with answers to frequently asked questions about online learning.

Tolleson Union High School joined the growing number of schools delaying in-person instruction until the end of the first quarter in a recent letter to students’ families and guardians. Meanwhile, students will take part in online learning that starts on Aug. 4.

An Arizona teacher whose school district will have teachers providing online instruction from their classrooms instead of from home learned it would cost him $2,000 in fees to quit and break his contract.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose to 170,798 today from 168,273 yesterday, and 3,626 have died from the virus, said the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In Maricopa County, there are 114,852 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 15,884 in Pima County, 10,761 in Yuma County, 7,875 in Pinal County, 5,182 in Navajo County, 2,969 in Apache County, 2,933 in Coconino County, 2,577 in Santa Cruz County, 2,865 in Mohave County, 1,698 in Yavapai County, 1,467 in Cochise County, 778 in Gila County, 468 in La Paz County, 435 in Graham County and 54 in Greenlee County.

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Earlier coverage

July 13- July 30: Teachers prepare for digital learning and back to school

June 29 – July 12: Video: Gov. says ‘Goal is to get children back to school when it’s safe;’ Schools lay out learning models

June 29: Video: Gov. delays in-person classes to Aug. 17 due to rise in COVID-19

Updates from June 15 – June 29: Video: Gov. pauses re-opening of some businesses as COVID-19 cases rise

June 24: Plan provides more funding, flexible instruction as schools re-open

Updates from May 26 – June 12: Increase in COVID-19 cases marks a new daily high

Updates from May 20 – 25: AZ Dept. of Ed releases COVID-19 guidance to schools for summer programs, back to school

Updates from May 11 – 19: Arizonans consider workplace safety, what back to school will look like amid COVID-19

Updates from April 26 – May 10: Stores re-open, COVID-19 testing blitz resumes on Saturday

Updates from April 8 – 25: You can get tested now if you think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19

Updates from March 12 – April 7: Coronavirus response: Cases rise; AZ Day of Giving

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