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The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of Long Island's Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Education (LI-RTAC). Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer: www.nassauboces.org/rtac
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New report runs down how state aid funding cuts hurt Black, Brown and low-income children more than others
A 20% cut in New York State school aid would result in a $2,626 per pupil loss for high-needs districts--and a per pupil cut of only $873 for wealthier ones, according to
a report released this month by The Alliance for Quality Education and the Public Policy Education fund.
"If Governor Cuomo moves forward with his threat to cut 20% of total state aide to schools," says the report, "Black, Latinx and poor students will bear the brunt of it. Once again, the schools that cannot trim any more from their budgets--the schools in the communities hardest hit by COVID-19...will be forced to cut vital personnel and programs."
The root cause, according to the report, is the way that New York funds its schools, so that districts with high local property values (and tax bases) get a smaller proportion of state aid--and vice versa. The short-term solution is to stop the proposed cuts, but longer-term actions are what's really needed so that school funding is more equitable. Read more.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Our new Book Club: Let's discuss Don't Look Away
Develop your toolkit for building an anti-bias classroom or learning setting by joining our four-week-long book club using the recently published text, Don't Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms. Through lively discussions, guest speakers and practical resources provided at each session, you will explore bias, equity, setting expectations and family engagement, to ensure culturally responsive experiences in your child care center or classroom.
Facilitator: Jacob Dixon is the CEO of Choice for All, a non-profit focusing on child and family well-being. He is also an adjunct professor at Bank Street College of Education.
Once you've registered, we'll send you a copy of the book and a journal in advance--so it's important to sign up as early as possible.
Dates: Tuesdays October 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Registration: There is no fee, but pre-registration is required. The book club registration will be capped at 20.
--- --- --- Another way to explore the topic of anti-bias in early childhood education: register now for our free webinar: Race Talk and Anti-Bias Education and Why They Matter Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Click here for information and to register--and to learn more about all of our fall professional development offerings.
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YOUR CLASSROOM
Children rely on grownups to make sense of scary events; here's guidance on how to have those conversations
All to often adults try to reassure children with generic statements like "there's nothing to worry about." However, these responses may do more harm than good, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). A recent article explains how silence can teach children that a subject is so unsafe that even adults won't talk about it, and other negative lessons. Instead, teachers, in particular, have the responsibility to "give accurate, developmentally appropriate, matter-of-fact information that helps children develop the conviction that when the world is unsafe, there are always people who are working to make it safe."
Suggestions for having such conversations include starting out by finding out what children know and telling the truth. "Think about what information children need for processing their feelings as well as for clarifying misunderstandings."
Also helpful: advice on how to handle situations where you aren't sure about how to proceed and need some help or thinking time before tackling a difficult conversation. Read more.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
These tweets offer snapshots of our pandemic-era
classrooms--indoors and out
Last week teachers began posting scenes from their re-opening schools on Twitter--and expressing their excitement about seeing students in person again. In Mineola, for example, @mrs_dbrennan posted a video of Kindergarteners happily exchanging "socially distant" high-fives--that is, with paper hands attached to long dowels (see image below right). In East Williston, @MsMoirano_NS took her students outside for a readaloud on the grassy schoolyard. (And they learned an important lesson by listening to
We Don't Eat Our Classmates.) In @MissCSloane's Bethpage classroom, masked Kindergarteners worked at individual desks, with personal boxes of supplies. In a video posted by Farmingdale's @albanype3, children enthusiastically jumped rope outside, safely separated from each other.
Want to see more about what's happening in our early childhood classrooms this fall? Follow @LongIslandPreK on twitter; we share teacher's tweets and other news about learning during COVID-19.
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YOUR (VIRTUAL) CLASSROOM
ABC Mouse to Zearn, here's a list of free online resources
When schools first closed last spring, We Are Teachers began creating a list of online resources for teachers--a list that now includes 350 possibilities! The roundup of websites and content creators specifically for K-5 isn't quite that long, but you'll do a lot of scrolling to check out the entries, beginning with ABCMouse, which offers a wide variety of subjects for ages 2 to 8, and ending with Zearn, a no-cost math content provider. Click here to access the list.
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BOOKSHELF
It's time to vote for the Children's Choice Book Awards--Babysitter from Another Planet, anyone?
Do your students love Babysitter from Another Planet? Or is I Am a Tiger the book
they ask for? There are seven finalists in this year's Children's Choice Book Awards for K-2, and kids can enter votes online until November 15. And of interest for teachers: the web site also features lists of previous years' winners and finalists, plus a link to other specialized book lists.
The contest is the only national awards competition in which kids can pick their favorites. It was launched in 2008 by the Children's Book Council and Every Child a Reader. These groups also sponsor Children's Book Week, which will now include a fall celebration, November 9 through 15, 2020.
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CAREER DEVELOPMENT
This fall you can start earning your CDA via Zoom
From October 15 through December 3, you can join group sessions and take advantage of one-on-one advising--all geared toward being ready to take the exam for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Group sessions are held Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. for this program, which is provided by the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. Cost is $300. For more information and to register, email lesley.lawrence@cuny.edu
Want to learn more about careers in early childhood?
The Long Island Regional Early Childhood Career Development Center can help you plan the next steps in your career, whether you're a student or a seasoned professional. Workshops and seminars are offered throughout the year, beginning with an informational webinar later this month:
Navigating the Early Childhood Landscape: Career Pathways
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
For information on how to register and to learn about other webinars being offered this fall, call Cristina Medellin at 718-254-7735.
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HELP WANTED
This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
Part-Time Teacher Aides
Full-Time Teacher Assistants
Full-Time SEIT Teachers (NYS certified Special Ed, Birth-Grade 2)
Kramer Learning Center, Bay Shore
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Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
In the body of the e-mail, include the following information:
For our records:
- Your name
- Your position
- Your e-mail and phone number
For the listing in our e-newsletter
- The name of your school and the town it's located in. You can include your web address, if you have one.
- A very brief description of the position or positions you want to fill. (For example: "Part-time Teacher Assistant" or "Full-time Pre-K Teacher."
- Information about how potential applicants should contact your for details or to apply. (For example: "Call Jane Smith at 631-xxx-xxxx" or "Send e-mail to jane.smith@schoolname.org")
It's important to understand that:
We will not include information about salary. We will not include any descriptions of your school or program, although we can include a link to your school's web site.
We will publish your information a single time. If you still have openings, you can e-mail us again with the details and we will run the information again.
Our e-newsletter is typically sent out on Wednesday mornings. However, it may be sent on a different day, depending on content or technical considerations.
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative reserves the right to edit information; space in the e-newsletter is very limited.
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About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Regional Technical Assistance Center, which supports Pre-K and early childhood education on Long Island. The other collaborating partners are the three Long Island BOCES, the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc., the Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Family Leadership Network.
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| NASSAU BOCES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org |
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