Charter School Capital will be hosting a webinar on COVID-19 Vaccines (and their impact on charter schools) Tuesday, November 10 at 9am PST (Noon EST) with Dr. Gregory Poland, M.D. FIDSA, MACP, FRCP.

Dr. Poland is a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, a distinguished investigator of the Mayo Clinic, director of the Mayo vaccine research group and editor-in-chief of the professional journal VACCINE.

Earlier this spring, we were honored to host a webinar with Dr. Poland, providing an assessment of the pandemic at that time with figures on morbidity, speed, and contagion as compared to other infectious diseases. With the aim to prepare charter school leaders for what would come soon after, in regards to school re-openings, social-distancing learning environments , and in many cases, virtual learning environments.

Now, over seven months later, we’re seeing the challenges of this “new normal” and, to a large extent, we’re all holding our breath and waiting for what may come next.

Recently, Dr. Poland spoke of the dangers of the “twindemic” – the combination of dangers from COVID-19 and influenza as temperatures drop toward winter.

All these things considered, we’re bringing back Dr. Poland to speak about the current state of the pandemic, focusing especially on vaccines.

In this new webinar, Dr. Poland will be clearing confusions as to the current anticipated vaccine timeline.

Even as vaccines become available, the questions abound. Will the vaccines have lasting effects? Lifetime immunity? Will they be effective in most cases? How fast-acting could we expect them to be?

And in terms of schools and the 2020-2021 school year, what potential impact could we expect these vaccines to have?

This is highly dependent on distribution pipelines, points of access, propensity of populations to seek out vaccination and reluctance of certain demographics to get vaccinated.

This webinar is important not only in the context of schools and students; the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us, causing disruption to all of us, causing heavy health effects to many, and causing fatalities in many communities.

Register now, and tune in Tuesday,November 10 at 9am PST (Noon EST) as Dr. Poland delves into these topics and sheds light on this most-timely topic.

Register here

As schools reopen and students once again fill the nation’s classrooms (physically and remotely), charter schools in all states are facing the challenging task of keeping kids safe.

We’ve assembled a list of resources – from the NEA, the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools and from other authoritative sources – all designed to empower charter school leaders to make sound decisions and put effective measures in place to create safe environments.

As we pore through these materials, several key pieces of guidance emerge:

Prepare the school campus for physically-distanced learning
- Smaller groups per classroom,
- Barriers and distance markers in place,
- Plenty of sanitizer and cleaning tools available,
- Improvements to air circulation and indoor air quality
Set up protocols for contingencies
- What to do if a teacher or staff shows symptoms,
- What to do if a student shows symptoms or tests positive,
- What to do if the school needs to close again.
Empower teachers and students with the right tools
- Ensure there’s PPE, sanitizer, cleaning stations
Set up protocols and educate students to follow these
- Teach students to avoid physical contact,
- Teach students not to share phones, toys, books, etc.,
- Teach students to properly keep physical distance

Additionally, guidance includes aspects of social equity and inclusiveness.

Ensure all remote students have access to the proper equipment and connectivity,
Ensure special-needs students have needed accommodations,
Ensure masks don’t impede hearing-impaired students from understanding teachers

This is not an inclusive list. Please refer to this previous post for links to comprehensive sources. What we aimed to accomplish in this post is to give you a contextual view of the areas to address, and key things to keep in mind.
Also, depending on how badly-affected the area and city around the school might be, measures would of course become more stringent. The goal is to facilitate learning while doing our utmost to protect the health of our students.

We hope this has been helpful. Make sure to click here for more.

Schools all over the United States are abuzz with discussions about reopening. How to reopen safely, how to implement physical barriers, how to allocate space for proper social distancing, how to stagger classes, how to accommodate for virtual learning.

In this commotion a key component for student health and safety is the issue of air ventilation.

America’s school buildings are old (on average 42 years old). And while an aging school building can cause hazards in several areas, nothing compares to the threat posed by Coronavirus in buildings with poor air ventilation.

A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office states that a full 41 percent of school districts need to update or replace their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) in at least half of their schools.

We urge school leaders to be proactive in addressing the quality of air ventilation in their school building/s.

A great place to start is a consultation with an HVAC expect.

Charter School Capital has teamed up with BioStar Renewables to help school leaders improve the air quality in their schools.

Learn more at our upcoming Webinar on August 26!

As charter schools across the country confront the challenges related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the U.S. Department of Education pulled together a list of COVID-19 resources that can guide your school’s response. We’ve provided the list of resources below. You’ll also find resources for parents seeking educational activities for their children too.

At-Home Activities

Please note that the materials presented below concerning resources available on a number of Federal agencies’ websites are being provided for your convenience as a potential resource for parents, students, schools, teachers, and other educators to use during this challenging time. They were not developed by the U.S. Department of Education, and we do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this information. Furthermore, the inclusion of any hyperlinks and the content presented is not intended to convey their relative importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered. The Department does not control, direct, or encourage any particular curriculum or the information related to the curriculum. The use of materials or information by a school or educator is strictly a State and local matter.

Department of Defense: Learn about careers in STEM fields

Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics: Kids’ Zone

Department of Energy: Games and Activities; Virtual Field Trips to National Energy Labs

Environmental Protection Agency: Games, Quizzes, and Videos about the Environment

The Library of Congress: Presentations and Activities to Help Students Learn about History

NASA: Interactive Lessons about Space, Earth, Solar System and Universe; Lessons from Astronauts about Living in Space; STEM Activities for Students of All Ages

The Kennedy Center: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems; Tour the Kennedy Center with The Pigeon

The Smithsonian: Free Smithsonian STEM Games and Simulations; Meet the Animals of the National Zoo; 3D Exhibits and Virtual Tours; Smithsonian Magazine Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit; The Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour; Digital Smithsonian American Art Museum; Distance Learning Resources

NOAA: Use Real-Time Ocean Data to Explore the Environment

USGS: Learn from Home About Physical science, Geography and Maps

Schools should continue promoting everyday disease prevention strategies:

If you are sick, stay home from school.
Avoid close contact with those who are already sick.
Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with a tissue or the crook of your arm.
Wash your hands often with soap and water.
Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth.
Consult this web page for further guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.

Schools can share relevant CDC fact sheets to help students, families, and staff understand COVID-19 along with steps they can take to protect themselves:

The Department of Education regularly updates its list of resources and information. They’ve also encouraged school leaders to send questions on which the Department can be helpful to the following email address: COVID-19@ed.gov.

For charter school leaders, the news isn’t heartwarming: States are now collectively projecting spending cuts over the next few years in the neighborhood of $500 billion.

As Daerel Bernette II from EdWeek put it, “Almost half of the nation’s 13,000 school districts may be forced to make the deepest cuts to education spending in a generation—slashing programs and laying off hundreds of thousands of administrators, teachers and other staff—to fend off financial collapse brought on by the coronavirus.”

Reduced tax revenues across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic will potentially result in deferrals, delays, and reductions in state payments for charter schools. And states more reliant on tax revenues not connected to property taxes may face even starker choices as taxes from other sources—sales tax as people spend less, tourism taxes as people travel less—dry up.

As charter leaders navigate the next few months, one recent guide post came from Nathan Barrett, the Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. In his brief entitled COVID And Education Finance: Acting During the Impending Fiscal Downturn, he noted…

“The uncertainty and impending fiscal challenges will require careful planning and execution. They will also require the ability to make thoughtful but quick course corrections should fiscal realities fail to meet projections. While all schools will be affected, charter schools are of interest because of their unique position in public education, the policies under which they operate, and the fact that they disproportionally serve students who are potentially at greater risk of disruptions because of the pandemic.”

As we’ve done throughout this crisis, Charter School Capital wants to ensure charter school leaders have the best advice possible. And tomorrow, we will continue that work by welcoming Mr. Barrett from National Alliance for an hour-long webinar to help leaders prepare a charter school safety net.

Joining him will be Ricardo Mireles, Executive Director of the Los Angeles-based charter school Academia Avance, who navigated his charter school through the Great Recession. Our VP of Business Services, Tricia Blum, will host Mr. Mireles and Mr. Barrett.

Watch this recorded webinar now!

WATCH NOW

The innovation, resilience, and passion we’ve seen from charter school leaders facing the COVID-19 crisis is setting the bar for what it means to serve students today.

You’ve inspired us and we want to help.

The most valuable things we have to offer are immediate access to funds, a financial safety net, and our passionate support. The best way we can think of doing that is to give charter schools the use of our money and resources for free for the rest of 2020.

Free financing for the rest of 2020. No costs, no fees, no interest. You pay zero.

We will provide one month of your school’s revenue in your account now, to access as you need, at no cost through the remainder of the calendar year.
For those facing immediate cash needs, we’re committed to delivering the funding quickly – in as few as five days from application completion.
You can take advantage of our expertise, network, information, and advice that our clients get for free, with rapid access to additional funds as we move through this disruption and into the coming school year. We are here to support you as you lead your students, teachers, teams, and communities into 2021.

Call or click today to access the Free Financing program. Call us at 503-227-2910, email us directly at growcharters@charterschoolcapital.com, or go to charterschoolp.wpengine.com/COVID to get started.

In this together,
Stuart Ellis

Here’s another post from our own Liz Overson, who’s gone the extra mile to interview parents around the country to hear how families are handling this phase of their kids’ learning… And it’s not easy, as she notes, below. (But she has some great tips for parents as a result of her research!) Thank you, Liz, for sharing these suggestions and resources.

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The New (Not) Normal

It’s happening, and it’s hard. Parents and kids are adapting to the new normal of being home every day together, and now homeschooling is rolling out around the country. Not every family or every public charter school district can accommodate online learning from home, but for those that can – it’s introducing a myriad of new challenges.

We’ve spoken with parents from Ohio to California about the homeschooling challenges they’re seeing daily, especially for younger kids who aren’t yet self-starters. And here’s what we have learned:

Suggestions for Homeschooling Parents with Young Kids

It’s an adjustment. Phase in slowly.
Beware of being too aggressive with online learning. Every kid is different, and tolerance levels will vary from kid to kid and even day-to-day for each child.
Don’t try to recreate the school day. We heard this a lot.
Some things won’t work. That’s ok and even normal in homeschooling.
Charter Schools are learning as they go on this as well. Think about feedback channels and communication strategies for your teacher(s). They’re your partners in homeschool, too.
Reach out to other parents from your kids’ grades and classes. Maybe they’re finding success with areas that you find unnavigable.
Ignore social media and what other people are doing. Who knows what else is happening before and after that sweet photo.
Making a checklist every morning can be helpful for all. Crossing tasks off is so satisfying, too!
Work together with your kids and follow through on the realistic expectations you set. Some type of school-based assignments will happen Monday – Friday.
Find other things your kids like to do online and make space for that in the weeks at home. Online art classes, instructional videos, research, and explorations. There’s a world of educational content available for every age and stage.

Life with Quaranteenagers

And while teenagers may be better equipped to self-manage during homeschooling, they may bristle faster and more often being around their adults 24/7. And motivation is an ebb and flow for every teen in the easiest of times.

Here’s what communications might help:

Targeted emails and posts about ways to stay on track – like journals, checklists, and even Productivity Apps would be helpful for these bigger kids.
Hearing from college/career advisors about testing and all the other planning and prep that usually gets underway in spring.
Virtual office hours and ways to make online appointments with teachers, advisors, administrators, and others who can help.
Words of support from administrators, coaches, teachers, and more. Keep the communication coming and supportive.

And if parents are worried about their quarantines and the time they’re spending online – the experts at Common Sense Media have tips about TikTok, Fortnite, YouTube, parental controls, and more.

We found solid parenting advice from the pros at Child Mind Institute. The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds is an incredible resource. And the gems at Unicef have excellent ideas to support parenting and caregiving during this pandemic, and they’re quick to remind us it’s the most important job in the world.

Suggestions for Charter School Teachers and Educators as we Partner in Homeschooling

It can be hard for parents to figure out where to start
Trial and error will happen, what should parents expect with the recommended web sites or assignments.
Kids get irritable when on screens for too long. What options for workaround can we provide?
Kids miss interacting with their teachers!
If there wasn’t time for a practice session before schools closed, can there be some instructional videos for parents? Schoology and others seem to allow for this.
Don’t abandon PE now – keep kids moving,
Help problem-solve for not regressing
Try not to spring ‘days off’ on working parents. If there’s going to be a Friday without assignments or an “Art” day, give as much forewarning as possible.
Offer advice for motivating sad or stubborn kids.
Your community is everything! Now more than ever.

Flexibility and patience seem to be at the forefront of successful homeschooling. Each day is a reboot and a chance to try again. And for everyone’s health – students and their parents – positive reminders to keep moving (even indoors), find a quiet corner when needed, and keep up the virtual visits and socializing can go a long way. So can reminders about the abundance of ways to foster creative and critical thinking.

As our weather gets warmer and more beautiful as March turns to April and beyond, it’ll allow for more and more charter school families to get outside together, all while still maintaining a healthy #socialdistance.

Comcast, Spectrum, and Cox are both offering 60 days of free internet to students during the Coronavirus closures.

As schools across the country close to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we reached out to charter schools and state charter school associations to learn what the biggest challenges facing students, parents, and schools. The resounding answer has been equity issues with distance learning—lack of technology and technology training and internet connectivity.

An estimated 17% of U.S. students do not have access to computers at home and 18% do not have home access to broadband internet, according to an Associated Press analysis of census data.

Comcast and Spectrum both announced 60 days of free internet – with slightly different offers.

Spectrum is offering free Wi-Fi and broadband access up to 100 MBPS to any household with K-12 and/or college students that don’t already have Spectrum. Installation fees are for these households, and anyone wishing to enroll will need to call 1-844-488-8395.
Comcast is expanding a service they already offer for low-income families called Internet Essentials. The service will be free for new customers for 60 days and is 25 MBPS. People hoping to sign up for the services can call 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
Both providers are also offering free access to their Wi-Fi hotspots across the country.

Cox announced that effective Monday, 3/15/2020, Effective Monday, March 16, they are providing:

Limited-time, first two months free of Connect2Compete service, $9.95/month thereafter.
Until May 15, 2020, Cox is providing phone and remote desktop support through Cox Complete Care at no charge to provide peace of mind and ease for technology needs.
Resources for discounted refurbished equipment through our association with PCs for People.
A Learn from Home toolkit for schools, including instructions on how to fast-track eligible students without internet access Download toolkit.
Visit www.cox.com/c2c to qualify and learn more.

Additionally, the California Department of Education has a full list of internet offerings and details from all the major carriers.

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We are working on supporting our client schools and are planning a webinar series to help charter school leaders better understand the myths and facts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Join us for our third webinar in the series, COVID-19: Preparing for Attendance and Staffing Issues, Friday, March 27th at 10:00 A.M. PT.

We will post recorded webinar series on-demand here after each is completed and will continue to update about the coronavirus as the situation demands.

California Legislature Takes Early Recess

This week on late Monday night the California Legislature recessed until April 13th because of the coronavirus. Before they left town, the Legislature acted on two emergency measures to assist Californians and the state’s schools, most of which are closed for the foreseeable future.

In order to take up the measures, the Governor wrote a letter to the Legislature asking they take action and the Legislature voted unanimously to suspend the 72-hour rule; bills must be in print 72 hours before they can be voted on. In short, the measures do the following:

AB 89 Budget Bill

Appropriates $500 million from the General Fund for purposes related to the COVID-19 Proclamation of Emergency. A 72 hour written notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) is required before any expenditures from this appropriation.
Allows the appropriation to be increased in $50 million increments up to a total not to exceed $1 billion, with a 72-hour notice to the JLBC.
Expected expenditures include, but not limited to:
• Leasing and activating two hospitals;
• Providing hotel beds for people experiencing homelessness;
• Supporting local governments to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the homeless population;
• Acquiring hospital and public health surge equipment;
• Assisting hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities manage the crisis;
• Cleaning of child care facilities, so they remain open; and
• Funding IHSS/APS strike teams to support senior isolation.
Appropriates $84 million for Camp Fire tree removal cleanup costs. This wildfire emergency-related action has been expected to be part of any “early budget action,” but is not related to the COVID-19 crisis.

AB 117 Education Trailer Bill

Provides statutory changes needed to implement the Governor’s education executive order, specifically:
Appropriates $100 million Proposition 98 General Fund for local educational agencies to purchase protective equipment and supplies and labor related to cleaning school sites. The money will be allocated by ADA. School sites will receive no less than $250.
Makes a variety of statutory changes to ensure that local educational agencies continue to receive funding for a full school year, regardless of closures due to COVID-19. This includes apportionments made based on average daily attendance, funding for the Afterschool Education and Safety Program, and the waiver of penalties related to instructional days and minute requirements.
Provides time extensions for student assessments and a variety of other educational needs.

To view these measures go to www.http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

Additionally, the California Department of Education has issued guidance around the measures. You can find it at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/guidance.asp

Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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10 Great School Resources for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

As promised, we’re going to try to keep you as informed as possible and continue to provide school resources for COVID-19 (coronavirus) preparation and response. These recent articles come from several trusted resources including Education Week, National Association of Independent Schools, UNESCO, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here are 10 great articles with school resources for COVID-19 (coronavirus). Take a look!

Symptoms of Coronavirus

2. Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Communities

3. COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response

4. How to Respond to Coronavirus: 6 Steps for Schools

5. 9 Things Educators Need to Know About Coronavirus

6. Coronavirus and Schools

7. 6 Lessons Learned About Remote Learning During the Coronavirus Outbreak

8. Understanding Coronavirus: What Schools Need to Know

9. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools

10. Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource

We will continue to keep a pulse on the situation and share information as it becomes available.

Stay tuned to our Events page to attend our upcoming webinars on this topic and find any we’ve recorded here on demand.