CLASH OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY Advocates Call It Key to Understanding American History, While Opponents Say It Targets White Students 10
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Computer science Bring students back Embracing NGSS States move to make Extensive searches, The Next Generation it a core academic caring responses Science Standards subject 15 highlight efforts 19 sets students free 24 July/August 2021 THE CLASH OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY Advocates call it key to understanding American history, while opponents say it targets white students 10 DistrictAdministration.com Adaptive reading program produces 2.5 years of growth in a single school year. Page 14 FirstTake Ending a school year like no other Reasons to visit I recently had the pleasure of attending my DistrictAdministration.com eldest daughter’s high school graduation, a ceremonious end to a decidedly unceremonious year. School mask For the rst time in many months, she got tracker: Who is, isn’t to spend time with her peers in person, not loosening the rules from behind a laptop screen. Even with masks on and social distancing in place, the joy in Facing pushback from parents, their eyes at being together again was telling. a small but growing number A year of remote learning cost our children of districts are loosening or so much, yet the hard work, creativity, and dropping mask requirements. resourcefulness of educators and administra- bit.ly/mask-track CREDIT: FRESNO USD tors made all the dierence. Your eorts turned what could have been a truly wasted year into one of invention and ingenuity. Is the CDC ready to As you hopefully take time this summer to spend quality time with your family and refresh change its school yourself, body and soul, be sure to give yourself mask guidance? credit for the incredible work done this past Children younger than 12 school year. could get a COVID vaccine by As you prepare for fall, DA will continue to anksgiving. look ahead to the challenges and opportunities that await. Many of the topics covered in this bit.ly/CDC-change issue of the magazine will likely still be of con- cern, while new challenges are sure to emerge. We’re here for you. Kudos for a job well 2 new superintendents done, and best wishes for a more “normal” school year ahead! detail how they got the Sincerely, top job Eric Weiss, Executive Editor National Superintendent Academy participants learn practical skills for getting and succeeding in leadership positions. bit.ly/new-supes COVID-19 vaccination and parental consent: State-by-state look 30 questions to ask when at rules selecting a unified district Most states require parental communication platform consent at this point, though the If your district is grappling with many landscape may be shifting as more communications tools patchworked together, jurisdictions seek to encourage the it’s time to consider a unied platform. vaccination of young people. bit.ly/comms-platform bit.ly/vaccine-consent @DistrictAdministration @DA_magazine @District-Administration DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2021 | 1 Contents JULY/AUGUST 2021 July/August 2021, VOL. 57, NO. 5 Publisher Kenneth Kahn EDITORIAL Executive Editor Eric Weiss Managing Editor Lori Capullo Senior Writer Matt Zalaznick Technology Editor at Large Lenny Schad Associate Editor Chris Burt ART 19 Production Director Joe Ciocca FEATURES Art Director Rebecca Eller 10 The clash over critical race theory ADVERTISING, EVENTS Advocates call CRT key to understanding American history, AND CUSTOM MEDIA while opponents say it targets white students Vice President, Event and Media Sales, Education Group Matt Zalaznick Jim Callan, [email protected] (561) 622-6520 ext. 8696 15 Computer science surge Sales Manager, Rachel Davis How states are bringing computer science into [email protected] (678) 521-7584 the core of academic subjects and expanding Sales Manager, Paul Milnamow opportunities [email protected] Matt Zalaznick (847) 648-0416 Content Marketing Editor 19 Bringing students back Kurt Eisele-Dyrli Extensive searches and non-punitive CIRCULATION responses highlight the eorts districts have AND OPERATIONS undertaken to rebuild enrollment Director of Audience Development Dana Kubicko Matt Zalaznick 15 LRP MEDIA GROUP President Kenneth Kahn DEPARTMENTS BEYOND Chief Financial Officer Todd Lutz Vice President, Marketing and THE NEWS 22 Professional Opinion Communications Missy Ciocca Did emergent bilingual students lose a 4 Title IX bars LGBTQ+ year of language while at home? discrimination amid REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS fairness concerns Maya Goodall, M.A., M.Ed. For more information, 6 Five ways to prevent call (561) 622-6520, ext. 8456 24 Last Word COVID-era stress from How the Next Generation Science driving teachers away SUBSCRIPTIONS Standards can set your students (and Send email address changes to: Dana Kubicko teachers) free [email protected] Ian Kastelic HOW TO REACH US 360 Hiatt Drive District Administration (ISSN 1537-5749) Vol. 57, No. 5 is published 9 times per year. A publication Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 of LRP Conferences LLC, 360 Hiatt Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. Phone: 561-622-6520. Phone: (561) 622-6520 Periodicals postage paid at Trumbull, CT, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address Website: DistrictAdministration.com changes to Dana Kubicko, District Administration, [email protected]. District Administration is a registered trademark of LRP Conferences LLC. Copyright 2021. Printed in the USA. 2 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com Your needs are evolving. 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Learn more at CloroxPro.com BeyondtheNews TITLE IX Title IX bars LGBTQ+ discrimination amid fairness concerns Title IX’s protections against discrimi- not meeting Title IX obligations, said nation extend to LGBTQ+ students’ Kim Turner, senior sta attorney for sexual orientation and gender identity, Fair Play for Girls in Sports, a nonpro t the U.S. Department of Education said gender equity and LGBTQ rights orga- in a clari cation of the landmark law. nization. “Still today, millions of girls is syncs Title IX with a 2020 are not being a orded opportunities in Supreme Court employment ruling school sports and those that do play are that found discriminating against a on a blatantly uneven playing eld,” she person based on sexual orientation or said. gender identity equates to discriminat- During the hearing, others ques- ing against that person based on sex, tioned the fairness of allowing trans- the department’s O ce for Civil Rights gender athletes to participate in girls’ bad policies that substitute gender iden- announced in June. sports. tity for biological sex,” she said. Despite Title IX broader protections, Selina, a high school track and eld But Rebekah, a rising transgender girls still don’t have the same opportu- athlete from Connecticut, recounted 9th-grader from New Jersey, said being nities to thrive in K-12 sports that boys her experiences racing against athletes welcomed on her eld hockey team experience, one attorney said during a who were assigned male at birth who has allowed her to feel a rmed and, week-long, virtual Title IX hearing held were “bigger, faster and stronger.” “Title in turn, thrive in school. “I know that in June by the department’s O ce for IX was designed to ensure that female makes me very lucky, but it also means Civil Rights. athletes have the opportunity to com- it can be done,” she said, “because my Girls, particularly those from lower- pete and win but less than 50 years after school never questioned my identity, income families, have far fewer oppor- passing this landmark law we girls are and never do my peers.” tunities to play sports in schools that are losing to male athletes because of the —Matt Zalaznick 4 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com SPONSORED CONTENT Improving school safety, security and efficiency With ASSA ABLOY, the Kent School significantly upgrades its access control system ike most schools, the Kent School had for years kept buildings and rooms secure Lwith mechanical locks. But after the tragedy in nearby Newtown, the leadership of the Connecticut private boarding institution wanted to improve Kent’s safety and security. This first led to adopting an electronic card-based door lock technology that, while an improvement, didn’t connect to the campus network. “We saw that having everything tied to a network would be a huge advantage, because an online “An online access control system provides unrivaled efficiency platform improves your ability to campus wide, and comprehensive control over who can access remotely monitor and manage the activity assigned to a certain room,” which facilities and when.” says Associate Head of School Jeffrey D. Cataldo, who serves as Improved efficiency and visibility enter dormitories during normal CFO and COO of Kent. “We also Students can now easily enter and working hours, since these buildings wanted to work with a leader in the lock their dorm rooms with their are considered students’ homes. field of access control, who could assigned card and, should these The same applies to academic advise us on how to use, maintain cards get lost, campus employees are buildings if they do not have an office and extract as much value from able to quickly disable the lost card there. Staff and student card holders their system as possible.” Kent and issue a new card to the student are protected from unwarranted found such a partner in ASSA ABLOY so they can access their room. suspicion through intelligent and decided to install their IN120 Staff can also remotely monitor scheduling and timestamped lock Wi-Fi locks across campus. and manage the locks via real-time activity reporting. alarms and see when external doors In case of an emergency, campus Smooth implementation process are locked and who has been denied security operates 24/7 and can unlock Kent began implementation during entry to certain areas.