COVID-19 Updates: January 25, 2021

New Guidance, Resources, and Webinars:  

• ADE has launched our brand new parent engagement site designed to provide LEAs with needed resources to foster a healthy school-family-community relationship. The website contains a valuable guidance document prepared by our own Equitable and Inclusive Practices Advisory Council. 
• The U.S Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) released two new resource guides, the Teacher Digital Learning Guide and the School Leader Digital Learning Guide. These guides provide strategies to help teachers and school leaders effectively incorporate digital learning strategies both inside and outside the classroom. They may also use the information to support parents and families as they navigate learning from home. These publications are a companion to the Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide.  
• Alongside, ASBA, ADE also hosted a webinar to discuss the new round of federal funding under ESSER II. ADE shared preliminary information regarding this new round of funding, timelines, and processes for disbursement. A recording of the webinar can be viewed HERE.  
• ADE shared a new Assessments and Accountability FAQ to help provide more context to the field regarding how COVID-19 is impacting the federally and state mandated assessments that the agency administers.  
• From Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): Today, President Biden is expected to sign an executive order asking USDA to issue new guidance to increase P-EBT benefits by 15%. Currently, eligible children receive up to $5.70 per school day.  This increase would bring that up closer to $6.55 per school day.  More information on this and other actions the President is taking today to address food insecurity during this pandemic can be found here. 
• The Office of State and Grantee Relations (SGR) would like to share the Resources And Strategies To Support Children With Disabilities And Their Families During Covid-19 document, that was jointly created by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA),the Office of Head Start (OHS), and the OHS TA National Centers. It may be helpful for anyone seeking guidance and resources to help leaders, services providers, teachers, support staff, children, and families during this re-opening and continuity of services. 

Reopening of Schools:  

• As of January 22nd, seventeen LEAs had current waivers for providing on-site support services. A complete list of the LEAs with accepted waivers is on the COVID page under On-site Services Waiver Request.  
• This week, the ADE hosted our first Weekly Call for Education Leaders. The purpose of these calls will be to share critical and time-sensitive information with district and charter leaders. With so much to discuss such as continued public health concerns, distance learning, COVID-19 vaccines, annual assessments, new federal funding, ADE hopes this will be a productive way to communicate with school and education leaders. A recording of this week’s call can be viewed HERE, the passcode is: tBaT*58%  
  • Please note that participation will be limited to 500 participants; therefore, only one leader from each district or charter will be permitted to join. A recording will always be available. 

In the Media:  

• Happiness is in the air as many Arizona educators are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. Getting vaccinated, when and if you are able is a critical step in a return to normalcy.