The rapid evolution of technology, biomedical research, environmental science, and so many other fields continually necessitates new jobs and careers—a job market that we haven't yet imagined. As we scramble to equip our students with new knowledge and skills, it becomes more important than ever to commit to our own lifelong learning and professional development.
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My husband and I used to joke about an imaginary book series he would someday write. The cookbook would have three pages:
In January 2020, William Blair was promoted to the newly created position of Wellness Coordinator at the Mountain View Los Altos (MVLA) Union High School District in California, with high hopes and a deep sense of mission. For nearly a decade beforehand, Blair had served as a teacher, and had recently transitioned to district administrative work, eager to strengthen community within classrooms. He felt proud of his forward-thinking district for creating this new position to address social-emotional learning and school climate. And then ....the pandemic obliterated everyone's carefully laid plans.
In 2010 there were roughly 240,000 job postings aimed at bilingual workers. By 2015, that figure had ballooned to approximately 630,000, and has continued to climb annually. The
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On February 2, 2021 NPR reported on the death of Anthony Orr. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony missed all of the rites of passage that should have been the culmination of his senior year of high school. His parents said he seemed fine and happy, but in August of 2020, Anthony tragically took his own life.
As a student-teacher, I taught in a third-grade classroom with 35 students: six of whom had Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), five with 504 accommodations, and 12 who were English Language Learners (ELLs). I had no special education training, nor any knowledge of how to accommodate ELLs, but as a student teacher I knew that the student make-up of our classroom was unbalanced in comparison to the two other classrooms in our grade level. The other two classrooms had significantly less IEP, 504, and ELL students. I experienced firsthand how this inherent inequity made it challenging to meet the unique needs of these identified students.
