August 25, 2020
E-Classrooms Start Again in Fall
Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!
The fall session of the AESA e-Classroom will be starting in September. Please visit the AESA website for more information!
Take Action for Digital Equity:
Digital Outreach Month
We are facing a national connectivity crisis. Some form of online instruction is an essential component of the coming school year, yet millions of students will struggle to learn remotely without home Internet and devices. 

These students are at risk of falling significantly behind, resulting in exacerbated achievement disparities — with students of color and the economically disadvantaged hardest hit. We must make sure that every student has the home connectivity and devices they need to continue learning this school year. The first step is identifying unconnected students.

As leaders who champion equity and excellence in public education, we encourage you to take action this September.  

K-12 Digital Equity Outreach Month is a nationwide effort by school districts to connect with families, understand their home digital access needs, and gather the data they need to close the digital divide. We invite you to join us for a kick-off webinar on Tuesday, September 1, to introduce a framework for action. 
WEBINAR
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
12 Noon - 1 PM CDT

In this webinar, we will share the Digital Bridge K-12 Home Access Needs Assessment Playbook, a step-by-step guide that contains best practices, tools, and resources to help you:
1. Build common data elements into your student information systems.
2. Coordinate a family outreach and engagement campaign using a 10-day action plan. 
3. Train teams on best practices and useful tools to support outreach to families. 
4. Organize and visualize home digital access data and identify provider options.

Together, we can identify digital equity gaps and ensure every student has an Internet connection and dedicated learning device to continue learning this school year. 
Letter to Senate:
Extend US Census Reporting Deadlines
Recently, AESA and a group of community organizations sent a letter to Senate leadership requesting language that mandates the U.S. Census Bureau to extend the reporting deadlines for the 2020 Census by four months, be included as part of the next COVID-19 Relief Package. At issue here is the White House's recent decision to require the Bureau to complete critical operations – like Non-Response Follow Up (NRFU) in which census officials visit more than 30 percent of households that have not responded on their own to collect information in person – by the statutorily required deadline of December 31, 2020.

Earlier this year, the pandemic forced the U.S. Census Bureau to delay operations that ensure an accurate count. Currently, only approximately 63 percent of households have responded to the survey, the Census Bureau reports. Moreover, significant portions of the nation are behind their 2010 response rates according to data from the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York.

AESA firmly maintains that ensuring an accurate count on the 2020 Census is imperative for accurately allocating billions of dollars for critical federal school funding programs like Title I, IDEA, and school nutrition programs. As such, we were proud to join this allied effort and hold Congress accountable for ensuring that the decennial enumeration of the U.S. Census is conducted responsibly and delivers reliable data about our nation’s changing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. You can check out more details about this issue clicking this article by our friends at Education Week.
Business Partners' Webinars
BACK to SCHOOL: Using Microsoft Tools and Resources to Support Blended an Remote Classroom Instruction and Learning
Thursday, August 27
2:30 pm Eastern (1:30 pm Central; 12:30 pm Mountain; 11:30 am Pacific; 10:30 am Alaska)
Please feel free to share this information with your member districts! 
Unlocking Motivation 
with Special Guest
Dr. Robert Marzano

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Time: 4 PM Eastern / 3 PM Central /
2 PM Mountain / 1 PM Pacific /
12 PM Alaska
HOPE & CONNECTION SERIES
Topics include:
  • Addressing students' hierarchy of needs.
  • The importance of awakening students to purpose as a part of self-actualization.
  • Strategies to nurture a growth mindset.
  • And so much more!
Participants will be able to submit questions in advance!
Registration Open for VIRTUAL Annual Educators' Call to Action Conference
More Upcoming Events
Calling All Entrepreneurial ESAs: 
How to Price with Confidence in an Uncertain Environment

New Date! October 15, 22, 29! 
  • Pricing Fundamentals
  • Pricing for Virtual Services
  • Pricing and Experimentation – Overcoming the Challenges!

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Business Strategy Framework (Virtual)
Led by a team of AESA experts
October 20, 21, 27, 28, 2020; 2 - 5 pm (EST)
Sponsored by Sourcewell, an AESA member.

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AESA Annual Conference
December 2-5, 2020