Key points:

• SEL skills are vital for students’ success now, and in the future
• Here are tips on how to create a thoughtful and impactful SEL program
• See related article: Why SEL isn’t a dirty word

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical for our students as they move through school and as they enter the workforce. Learning to work with others who have different backgrounds and viewpoints, having emotional regulation skills, and being able to navigate social situations are must-have skills that employers prioritize as they seek high-quality employees.

Educators are doing all they can to instill these important SEL skills in students—an even more important goal considering the increasing number of students who are experiencing mental health struggles.

Here are five must-reads about SEL and well-being:

1. It’s important to seek out ways to mobilize students in support of SEL. Many local, regional, and nationwide organizations offer contests and scholarships that ask students to demonstrate how they’re using social and emotional learning in their everyday lives to help themselves, their peers, and their communities.

For example, the PACER Center’s National Bullying Prevention Center engages and empowers kids to combat bullying in all its forms. Through the Students with Solutions contest, students worked together to raise awareness about bullying and encourage children to actively participate in addressing this issue. This challenge amplified their voices and empowered them to inspire and support one another, creating a united front against bullying.

Key points:

• A number of leading education and technology leaders are formulating recommendations around teaching with AI
• These efforts can help prepare students to work with and within the world of AI and its rapid evolution
• See related article: The importance of teaching generative AI

Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy, and World Economic Forum have formed TeachAI, bringing together education, nonprofit, and technology partners to assist governments and education authorities with integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into primary and secondary curricula worldwide while protecting student safety, respecting privacy rights, and addressing issues of bias and misinformation.

AI’s rapid pace of development in recent months offers exciting applications for the classroom, but the unprecedented technology also demands deliberation as the implications are vast. TeachAI will bring critical voices across education, policy, and technology to develop a practical framework for teaching with AI and teaching about AI.

The framework will provide guidance to governments and educational leaders on how to adapt policy, standards, curriculum, pedagogy, tools, and assessments to meet the needs of an increasingly AI-driven world.

These partners will help shape three key outputs of TeachAI:

1. Policy and pedagogical recommendations for teaching with AI
TeachAI will recommend best practices for policymakers, education leaders, teachers, and companies on safely incorporating AI in primary and secondary education curriculum standards, courses, tools, assessments, and professional learning.

BOSTON – Months after the launch of Lexia Aspire Professional Learning, schools and districts in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin have invested in  licenses to make the self-paced digital solution available to teachers. Offered by Lexia, a  Cambium Learning Group company, Lexia Aspire Professional Learning is a new flexible, professional learning solution that is grounded in the science of reading and helps educators accelerate literacy skills in all learning among students in grades 4-8. Equipping educators with the knowledge and skills they need to apply science-based strategies in a classroom that supports varying levels of literacy competencies is central to the design of Lexia Aspire Professional Learning.

Eight new schools and districts have invested in their professional learning opportunities for teachers including:

●      Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma

●      Hart County School District in Kentucky

●      Union County Public Schools in North Carolina

●      Decatur County School District in Georgia

●      Caroline County School District in Maryland

●      Peabody Charter School in California

●      New York City Public Schools in New York state

●      Elmbrook Schools in Wisconsin

“We’re gratified to see our new professional learning program being embraced so quickly and so enthusiastically,” said Lexia President, Nick Gaehde. “Lexia Aspire Professional Learning is our response to a specific need that educators in upper elementary and middle schools around the country were conveying. Having these customers purchase our solution right out of the gate confirms that we understood that need.”

Lexia Aspire Professional Learning is specifically designed to help educators teach literacy skills across all content areas in grades 4-8. The program is designed to support all upper elementary and middle educators, including content area teachers, classroom teachers, interventionists, speech pathologists and English language arts educators. Educators use Lexia Aspire Professional Learning to quickly build the depth of skills they need to support students who have not yet fully mastered the foundational reading skills required to learn, comprehend, and articulate ideas across various subjects. 

To accommodate educators’ busy schedules, Lexia Aspire Professional Learning is self-paced, so educators can receive the support and skill development they need on their schedule. The program, which takes approximately 40 hours to finish, focuses on instruction across three domains: Word Recognition, Language Comprehension, and Reading Comprehension and Writing. After a few prerequisite courses, educators can choose which domains they engage with and the sequence in which they complete the courses. Within each course, educators receive personalized content in response to their performance. Those who master concepts can progress while those who need additional, scaffolded support receive it. Additionally, each course contains “Bridge to Application” resources that provide teachers with practical resources that can help them transfer the knowledge they learned online to impact their instruction in their classrooms the very next day.

Lexia Aspire Professional Learning courses are aligned with the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, and the Bridge to Application resources are also aligned with the Common Core State Standards and other state standards. The professional learning program also provides district, and school leaders with essential data that helps them visualize their educators’ progress. Its district dashboard provides real-time data on licenses, performance on assessments, and educator’s time spent in the platform. This makes professional learning more transparent and gives education leaders easy access to the information they need to make decisions that support their educators.

To learn more about Lexia Aspire Professional Learning, educators can visit https://www.lexialearning.com/aspire

About Lexia Learning

Lexia®, a Cambium Learning Group company, is a leader in science of reading-based solutions. For nearly 40 years, the company has focused on pre-K-12 literacy and today provides solutions for every student and educator. With a complete offering of professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment, Lexia helps more learners read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.

About Cambium Learning Group

Cambium Learning® Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentionally curated portfolio of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now. To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Medium. The Cambium family of companies includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia®, Learning A-Z®, Voyager Sopris Learning®, ExploreLearning®, Time4Learning®, and Kurzweil Education®.

The pandemic forced the greatest beta test in education history—billions of students pushed home and online. And while there were obvious devastating effects with which we are still coming to terms, there were also plenty of innovations that sprung from the experience. Many of those ideas and techniques are reflected in this year’s crop of finalists for the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) according to John Gamba, Penn GSE’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence. 

Catalyst @ Penn GSE—a global center for education innovation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE)—and the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation announced the selections this week. The finalists’ ventures are focused on some of the biggest challenges in education, including college access and persistence, social-emotional learning, literacy, adaptive learning, and more. 

Considered the most prestigious and well-funded competition of its kind, the EBPC attracts innovative education ventures from around the world. To date, the EBPC has awarded over $1.8 million dollars in cash and prizes. Winners and finalists have gone on to secure more than $180 million in funding.

The 2023 EBPC finalists were selected through a democratized judging process that includes practitioners, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and more. The finals will take place Wednesday, October 4, and are open to EDTECH WEEK 2023 participants with free live streaming also available (registration required).

The following ventures are the 2023 EBPC finalists:

• College Guidance Network is a unique content platform with live programming plus on-demand resources designed to support school counselors, helping students and families navigate high school to post-secondary.
• EdVisorly, Inc. is building a nationwide community college-to-university transfer platform, empowering aspiring community college students to connect with universities to boost enrollment success.
• Skizaa Education helps education leaders make real-time data-driven decisions by collecting and analyzing data from last-mile schools, saving more than 90 days.
• Story Shares is a mission-driven publisher focused on building a relevant, culturally inclusive, reflective, engaging, and inspirational global library filled with choices that transform striving readers into avid ones.
• Taleemabad is an all-day learning ecosystem that improves student learning outcomes, upskills teachers through digital training, increases admissions for low-cost private schools, and standardizes classroom experience through structured pedagogy.
• ThinkHumanTV is a social and emotional learning platform that leverages streaming media on sites such as Netflix and Disney+ to teach young people the science of emotions.
• Unlocked Labs empowers and employs justice-impacted individuals to design and build technology that promotes human flourishing and enables decarceration.

The finals will take place Wednesday, October 4, and are open to EDTECH WEEK 2023 participants with free live streaming also available (registration required).Find more on educationcompetition.org or follow the conversation on Twitter: @CatalystPennGSE and #MilkenPennGSE.

Key points:

• A new $930 million investment can help close digital equity gaps by expanding much-needed internet access across the nation
• Middle mile internet infrastructure, which moves large amounts of data across vast distances, is an essential part of the grants
• See related article: 5 strategies to tackle the homework gap

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $930 million in grants aimed at expanding middle mile high-speed internet infrastructure across 35 states and Puerto Rico. The grants are part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program invests in projects that build regional networks that connect to national internet networks.

Middle mile internet infrastructure carries large amounts of data over long distances, increases capacity to local networks, boosts network resiliency, lowers the cost of bringing high-speed Internet service to unconnected households, and helps connect unserved regions to the Internet backbone.

“Access to internet is no longer a luxury and thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are taking action to close the digital divide for everyone in America. The Middle Mile program will invest more than $900 million in the infrastructure needed to connect communities, military bases, and Tribal lands to the Internet, lower the cost of access, and increase bandwidth,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Much like how the interstate highway system connected every community in America to regional and national systems of highways, this program will help us connect communities across the country to regional and national networks that provide quality, affordable high-speed Internet access.”

The $1 billion Middle Mile program funds construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure, along with administrative costs associated with running the program. Middle mile projects do not directly connect end-user locations. Details of the awards are available at InternetForAll.Gov.

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The GaDOE recently named Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment as a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3. School districts across the state can now use the program’s online Diagnostic and offline literacy assessment tasks to support with the identification and referral of students who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. Today, the i-Ready program serves more than 11.5 million students and approximately one-third of all Grades K–8 students in the United States, including approximately 485,000 students in Georgia.

“It is so important that teachers have effective tools to identify students who may be at risk for dyslexia,” said Elizabeth Bassford, vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “Now teachers across Georgia can use i-Ready’s single assessment along with its offline literacy assessment tasks to complete the screening and identification process, and develop individualized, data-driven instruction to support each student who will benefit from that specificity.”

All programs named to GaDOE’s Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool list undergo a comprehensive review and demonstrate that they address—and measure—specific components. These components include phonological awareness and phonemic awareness, sound symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding skills, encoding skills, rapid naming, accuracy of word reading on grade-level text, and sight word reading efficiency skills.

i-Ready supports educators in screening for potential risk factors of dyslexia. The combination of the Diagnostic with the additional assessment tasks leverages the most current research on dyslexia screening and adheres to the recommendations of the International Dyslexia Association. Districts can use the program as a screening tool to help educators determine if further assessment and specialized reading intervention may be appropriate for individual students. 

More about i-Ready

i-Ready makes the promise of differentiated instruction a practical reality for Grades K–12 teachers and students. It combines powerful assessments and rich insights with effective and engaging instruction in Reading and Mathematics to address students’ individual needs.

The program’s Diagnosticprovides educators with actionable criterion-referenced and normative data to deliver impactful, equitable learning experiences. Teachers administer the Diagnostic at the beginning of the school year to chart a course for teacher-led instruction, set an i-Ready Personalized Instruction path individualized for each student, and identify students’ differentiated growth goals for the year. A midyear and end-of-year Diagnostic help students and teachers measure growth and have data chats. Teacher-led and personalized instruction continues throughout the year to help students address their learning gaps and access grade-level learning.

All i-Ready district partners have ongoing access to Curriculum Associates’ award-winning customer service. This includes dedicated support via the company’s Customer Service team, professional learning experts, partner success managers, educational sales consultants, and Technical Support team, as well as access to the free customer service portal.

To learn more about i-Ready, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/i-Ready. To learn more about the recent GaDOE approval, visit GADOE.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Pages/Dyslexia.aspx.

About Curriculum Associates

Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company’s products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.

Key points:

• Students often struggle to transition to the workforce, and mental health can be a big factor in that struggle
• One educator launched a new approach to student mental health to complement an existing emphasis on pre-vocational skill development
• See related article: How our district engages students in a CTE program

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

As a longtime public school occupational therapist, I know what students look and sound like when they’re ready to transition from the work lab to the workforce.

In recent years, I’ve personally witnessed more of my students struggle to make that transition or not make it at all. It has nothing to do with a lack of technical skills, as I’ve seen them master complicated vocational concepts and tasks — graphic design, woodworking, 3D printing, and CNC programming. The struggle has everything to do with skyrocketing anxiety, depression, and trauma experienced by my students as they prepare to enter the workforce. 

Our students are experiencing a mental health crisis across our state and country, and that’s something all of us can and must work to address. That’s why I’m focused on helping our general education and special education students develop job skills and strengthen their mental health while still in our hallways. 

Starting about six years ago, I worked with my colleagues at Warren Woods Public Schools in Warren, Michigan, to launch a new approach to student mental health and wellness to complement our existing emphasis on pre-vocational skill development. The program, available at our district’s two high schools, includes an OT lab that combines technology-driven and traditional machines, a reset room where students can process emotions in a calming environment, and an after-school program called Scratch the Surface. 

Key points:

• Educators will likely need to expand their definition of diversity
• Self-reflection is an important part of ensuring diversity in schools
• See related article: 3 supports for educators implementing restorative justice practices

The greatest social justice movements teach us that progress isn’t linear, but is rather dynamic. This means that progress doesn’t transpire overnight. It doesn’t transpire instantaneously with one motion or action, but is the product of concerted efforts compounding to create change. This also means that in the midst of fighting for what is right, resistance sometimes hidden in the form of defeat and regression can take place.

In the case of fighting for educational equity, this means that creating schools that honor and celebrate diversity, affirm students’ identity, develop a sense of social and critical consciousness within students, cultivate inclusivity, and provide equitable access and outcomes for all students can often feel nearly impossible. With bans on teaching Black history; book bans that prohibit certain texts that center the histories, perspectives, and lived experiences of marginalized communities; and other unjust and discriminatory practices, educators, parents, and education advocates may wonder if there is any hope for diversity, equity, and inclusion within schools.

The answer is yes. No matter where you and your school are within your DEI efforts, here are two considerations to overlay in contemplating how to deepen your work and ensure it is meaningful, authentic, and taking real–not performative–roots.

Expand your definition of diversity

I define diversity as representation across the board–or in other words, it is a variety of areas of identity or difference. This definition is very important to note, because far too often, the word diversity is used as a synonym for race and ethnicity.

ORLANDO, FL, June 14, 2023 – Optoma, the No. 1 4K UHD and DLP® brand worldwide and in the Americas in projection technology,¹ today at InfoComm introduced the Optoma ML1080 and the ML1080ST, first-of-their-kind portable, premium RGB triple laser projectors with a wide BT2020 color gamut normally only available in larger, more costly home theater projectors. The ML1080 has been awarded the InfoComm 2023 Best of Show Award by ProjectorCentral.   

These portable and compact projectors deliver sharp color, incredible brightness, and flexible set-up features for various immersive installations and on-the-go professional environments.  

Built with RGB triple laser light source technology and Full HD 1080p native resolution, the ML1080 and ML1080ST feature 1,200 lumens of brightness and produce accurate, cinema-grade colors to deliver an unrivalled image performance compared with similarly sized projectors. Available in an impressive 0.78:1 short throw ratio, the ML1080ST delivers an up to 100-inch image just five feet away from display surfaces, perfect for smaller meeting spaces and entertainment setups. 

Weighing approximately two pounds for ultra-portability, both projectors provide easy setup virtually anywhere, from conference rooms to immersive art exhibits. The Optoma ML1080 and ML1080ST are equipped with innovative Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology to deliver an unrivalled level of convenience with automatic geometric and focus correction to create a perfectly projected image within an instant. Plus, with four-corner correction for instant place-and-play, these projectors are the perfect solution for challenging installation environments or traveling professionals who require convenient set-up on-the-go. Home entertainment enthusiasts can take advantage of the convenient USB-C power input port, enabling them to use PD 3.0 portable charging batteries,² to enjoy video content on-the-go for backyard movies, camping,   vacation, and more. 

Bearing the Optoma Green Promise commitment to design innovative products with sustainability in mind, the ML1080 and ML1080ST possess the lowest carbon footprint of any product within the Optoma portfolio, utilizing 58% less electricity when compared to Optoma’s lamp-based projectors.³ A beautifully crafted sleek and modern design, the projectors utilize 50% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials to ensure environmental sustainability. 

Recognized by three prestigious international design award programs, including the iF Design, Red Dot Design, and Green Good Design awards,⁴ these projectors were designed with hidden assembly screws within the exhaust vent holes for seamless curved edges and feature a translucent top cover made from nanoimprint lithography for improved durability and a lower environmental impact.  

With built-in smart functions, wirelessly sharing content is easy with Optoma’s Creative Cast feature, allowing for simultaneous image, document, and screen sharing from up to four devices on one network. The projectors’ signage mode enables instant slideshow functionality for images and videos.The ML1080 and ML1080ST also come with an adaptor for RS-232 control for all the benefits of remote-control capabilities, unlike similar compact models on the market. 

“Compact projectors often excel in portability but under deliver on the color accuracy and high brightness needed for professional environments and entertainment installations,” said Billy Harrison, product manager, Optoma. “With the addition of our new Optoma’s ML1080 and ML1080ST projectors, we’ve introduced two options that shine when it comes to stunning colors and impressive brightness normally only found in more costly and larger home theater projectors.” 

Optoma ML1080 and ML1080ST Key Features: 

• Resolution: 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) 
• Brightness: 1,200 lumens  
• Contrast ratio: 3,000,000:1   
• Throw ratio: 1.2:1 (ML1080) / 0.78:1 (ML1080ST) 
• Light source: RGB Triple Laser light source with up to 30,000 hours of operation 
• Image size: Up to 100” at 5 feet distance 
• Easy setup with 4 corner correction and Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology 

I/O Connectivity 

• Inputs: 1 x USB-C power 
• Outputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x USB-A Power 1.5A for Media Playback with USB Pen drive, 1 x USB-A 0.5A Power for use with dedicated Optoma optional WiFi dongle (not included), 1 x USB-C for image display, 1 x Audio 3.5mm 
• Control: 1 x RS232 via Mini USB connector (adaptor included) 

The Optoma ML1080 and ML1080ST are available for purchase in the United States for an estimated street price (ESP) of $999 and $1,149 respectively. 

For more information, please visit:  

ML1080: www.optomausa.com/product-details/ml1080 

ML1080ST: www.optomausa.com/product-details/ml1080st  

DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments. 

OMS is a trademark of Optoma Corporation. 

¹No.1 4K UHD Brand Worldwide 

Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2022. 

No.1 4K UHD Brand in Americas 

Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census Y2022. 

No.1 DLP Brand Worldwide 

Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2022 

No.1 DLP Brand in Americas 

Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, Y2022 

²Compatible external battery required for outdoor use and sold separately. Weatherproof case recommended for outdoor use and sold separately. 

³Based on the comparison with Optoma lamp-based projectors at the same brightness and DCI-P3 color gamut levels. 

⁴The Optoma ML1080 was awarded ProjectorCentral Best of Show InfoComm 2023 and the iF Design, Red Dot Design and Green Good Design awards in 2023. 

About Optoma Technology, Inc.  

Optoma combines cutting-edge technology and innovation to deliver remarkable visual display products designed to connect audiences with engaging video experiences. From the company’s ProScene projectors to its Creative Touch interactive flat panel displays, Optoma’s suite of products can meet the demands of nearly any professional environment, including conference rooms and classrooms, digital signage, corporate, houses of worship, retail, simulation environments and control rooms. Optoma Technology is the U.S. headquarters for The Optoma Group, with continental headquarters also in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit optoma.com.

5 Sessions to Bookmark

Innovating Education with Esports: A Forum for Sharing Ideas

Sunday, June 25, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Franklin 1/2

Join leaders from the Pennsylvania Scholastic Esports League and Garden State Esports for discussion, collaboration, and networking for all those involved in scholastics esports. Discussion will range from beginner level topics to deep dives into the impact esports is having on social emotional learning and career and technical education.

Building the Future of 5G Innovation for K-12 Education

Monday, June 26, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Pennsylvania Convention Center, 201C

Top education leaders from suburban, urban and rural school districts will share their thoughts on immersive technology solutions harnessing the power of 5G to enhance the K-12 learning experience. Attendees will hear how education leaders across the country are creating access to future workforce opportunities for underrepresented student populations.

CTO Forum

Tuesday, June 27, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Liberty Ballroom

Join CoSN, ATLIS and ISTE to convene the CTO Forum at ISTELive23. This session is designed for school and district leaders to explore essential abilities for successful leadership. This interactive session will allow participants to share best practices and also learn from colleagues through rich discussion. If you are a CTO, superintendent, head of curriculum, technology, finance or a building leader, this is where you need to be during ISTE.

SAN FRANCISCO  – Swing Education, an online marketplace that connects schools and substitute teachers, announced today $38 million in Series C funding. The funding round was led by funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”), a leading global private equity advisory firm, and by edtech investment firm Reach Capital. The funding enables Swing Education to invest in its growth and better address the nation-wide substitute teacher shortage.

This financing follows a 2018 Series B funding co-led by GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Owl Ventures and a seed round from a consortium that included Social Capital, Kapor Capital, Moment Ventures, Ulu Ventures, Red House Education, and Edovate Capital.

Swing believes that every classroom deserves a teacher, and every student deserves to learn without disruption. Since its founding in 2015, Swing has worked to improve the experience of being a substitute teacher and made it easier for K-12 schools to grow and manage their substitute teacher pools. Swing currently works with over 2,800 school partners and in the 2022-23 school year has supported these schools in filling over one million instructional hours with substitute teachers. 

Teacher vacancies are an ever-present challenge for school administrators, with 45% of public schools operating without a full teaching staff at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. While school leaders recognize the need for substitute teachers, improving processes around substitute teaching and investing in programs and tools that support substitute well-being often go unprioritized. Swing aims to fill this gap. By combining dedicated success teams and a comprehensive technology platform, Swing works to ensure that substitutes are treated better, which, in turn, attracts more individuals to the profession. 

“We’re thrilled to have Apax Partners and Reach Capital as strategic investors,” said Mike Teng, CEO of Swing Education. “The need for substitute teachers is acute. This additional funding highlights the current strain on our schools and positions Swing to grow our impact, placing even more substitute teachers in even more classrooms.”

“Swing Education is a truly impactful business, bringing much needed digitalization to the substitute teacher staffing marketplace and making it easier and more efficient to match talent with schools,” said David Su, Partner, Apax Global Impact. “We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Mike and the broader team to help grow the business and execute on our joint vision for the company.”

“Beyond broadening and diversifying staffing pools, Swing’s distinct marketplace model provides upskilling opportunities and unlocks innovative pathways to the teaching profession,” said Steve Kupfer, Venture Partner at Reach Capital. “Each of these goals align with our mission as education investors. We are thrilled to support the Swing team through this next stage of growth.”

“Even prior to the pandemic’s amplification, the teacher shortage in the United States profoundly impacted the K-12 education system. Under the visionary leadership of Mike and Asha, Swing Education has built a transformative way for K-12 schools and substitute teachers to connect,” said Amit A. Patel, Managing Director at Owl Ventures. “Their technology platform has harnessed the power of data to enable a seamless match between teacher absences and qualified substitutes as well as ensure uninterrupted student learning.” 

Swing currently operates in California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. and will use this latest funding round to grow its substitutes and school partners in these regions. Swing will look to expand to new regions in 2024.  

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”) is a leading global private equity advisory firm. For 50 years, Apax has worked to inspire growth and ideas that transform businesses. The firm has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of more than $60 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech, Services, Healthcare, and Internet/Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. 

Apax Global Impact seeks out opportunities to support companies which deliver tangible societal and/or environmental impact. The strategy revolves around themes including Health & Wellness, Environment & Resources, Social & Economic Mobility, and Digital Impact Enablers. Apax Global Impact leverages the deep expertise of the Apax sector teams, the strength and global scale of the Apax platform globally, and the value creation potential of Apax’s Operational Excellence Practice. For further information about Apax, please visit www.apax.com.

About Reach Capital

Reach Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on education and workforce development. Our investments expand access to education and economic opportunities and inspire people to reach their full potential. As one of the most diverse firms in venture capital with more than 20 years of classroom teaching experience across the team, Reach Capital has backed over 130 education companies, including many of the biggest and most beloved brands across early childhood, K-12, higher education and lifelong learning. Learn more at www.reachcapital.com.

About Owl Ventures

Owl Ventures is the largest venture capital fund in the world focused on the education technology market with over $2.2 billion in assets under management. The Silicon Valley based firm invests in the world’s leading education technology companies across the education spectrum encompassing PreK-12, higher education and future of work (career mobility/professional learning). Owl Ventures has deep domain expertise and leverages a global network of Limited Partners, investors, and strategic partners to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses into transformative category leading companies. For more details on Owl Ventures, please visit www.OwlVC.com.

About Swing Education

Swing Education is an online staffing marketplace that connects substitute teachers with schools. Founded in 2015 by former K-12 educators and administrators, Swing makes it easier for schools and districts to find reliable, qualified substitute teachers when they need them most. With over 300,000 absence days filled to date, Swing is dedicated to improving the experience of finding substitute teachers, becoming a sub, and keeping student learning on track. Swing serves over 2,800 partner schools across California, Arizona, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C. To learn more about Swing Education, visit www.SwingEducation.com.

Key points:

• AI can optimize the learning experience, the classroom is a delicate ecosystem and changes can have unintended effects
• AI is the future of work, and students must be prepared for it–and be familiar with it
• See related article: It’s important to teach generative AI–here’s why

Sometime late last year, AI reached an inflection point. Experts have been making grand predictions on its behalf for decades, but the moment OpenAI opened ChatGPT up to the public, the actual potential of this technology became clear on a mass level. Almost instantly, hundreds of articles began to appear on the transformative potential of AI for fields as diverse as medicine, law, and entertainment.

Of course, some fields are more amenable to technological revolutions than others. You can see why lawyers, for instance, might appreciate instantly generated summaries of past case law—but the implications of AI in the classroom might be trickier. Teachers are understandably wary; they’re interested in anything that might optimize the learning experience, but they also know that the classroom is a delicate ecosystem, and that any change can have unintended knock-on effects.

These concerns are understandable. Change is scary. In the particular case of AI, the potential positives are too significant to ignore. Let’s discuss the opportunities and challenges AI can bring to education.

Teachers are experiencing burnout at higher rates than ever

The consequences of the pandemic continue to be felt by teachers and students in classrooms. As countless experts have pointed out, the change the pandemic inflicted on children has led to deteriorating behavioral skills and social anxiety. Teachers were already experiencing burnout in great numbers before the pandemic, but those numbers increased even further in its aftermath, as teachers have found it challenging to help students who increasingly struggle in the classroom to stay engaged in their learning.

Key points:

• School grants can help educators make ends meet and connect students with valuable opportunities
• Digital learning is often a funding priority for states and districts

Each day, teachers are tasked with doing more and more with increasingly fewer resources. And despite federal emergency funding to help schools provide staff and resources as the pandemic abates, school leaders still grapple with funding challenges.

School grants are often one-time funding opportunities, and while they are not permanent policy changes, grants often help students earn much-needed scholarship money, gain valuable experiences, and they also connect teachers with classroom resources or professional development.

Here are three school grants that may help your school or district. Make sure to check deadlines and requirements!

Renaissance has launched the second annual “Shine a Light on Bilingualism” art contest to celebrate Hispanic culture and bilingualism. All students in grades K–12 are invited to create and submit a painting, drawing, or mixed media piece on the theme of “celebrating Hispanic heritage and bilingualism.” In July, a winner will be selected for each grade band of K–3, 4–8, and 9–12. Each winner will receive a $500 Visa gift card and have their art featured during Renaissance’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place between September 15 and October 15. Although the art will be created by students, the work must be submitted by an adult, such as a teacher, parent, guardian, or other family member. To enter a K–12 student in the contest, an adult must upload a photo of the art or mail the original to Renaissance.
Deadline: June 30, 2023

BOSTON – The One8 Foundation today announced it is providing over $5.7 million in grants to 13 Massachusetts school districts to implement Ignite! Reading’s one-on-one, virtual-powered literacy tutoring for 3,000 first grade students this fall.

The One8 Foundation is expanding schools’ ability to access programs like Ignite! Reading by providing grants to schools that offset the costs of adopting new programs. The 13 districts were selected after fulfilling several criteria, including the use of high-quality literacy materials, alignment to Science of Reading principles, and strong practices related to progress monitoring of students.

Ignite! Reading provides school districts with one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches every student the foundational skills they need to become confident, independent readers. Ignite! Reading pairs developing readers with expert tutors who deliver daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction to target specific decoding gaps. During the last school year, students in the Ignite! Reading program recorded an average of 2.4 weeks of reading progress for every week in the program with no achievement gap for students of color, students with IEPs, multilingual learners or students receiving free or reduced-price lunches.

“We strongly believe in the Science of Reading’s power to unlock learning opportunities and that first grade is the critical point for students to garner the necessary phonics skills they need to unlock independent reading to succeed in school and beyond. That’s why we’re excited to connect school districts serving thousands of students with Ignite! Reading, an innovative and effective model that is transforming literacy outcomes in Massachusetts and across the country. This work has the power to transform the academic trajectory of students who participate, rapidly accelerating their progress to becoming independent readers,” said Joanna Jacobson, a trustee and President of the One8 Foundation.

“We are grateful to the One8 Foundation for investing in evidence-based literacy programs that will supercharge learning outcomes for thousands of students throughout Massachusetts. And we’re thrilled to partner with school districts across the Commonwealth that are eager to deliver results,” said Jessica Reid Sliwerski, Co-Founder & CEO of Ignite! Reading. “With students learning to read at twice the rate that would be expected in a traditional classroom, our one-on-one, high-dosage tutoring model is not just transforming how kids are taught to read, but also how literacy instruction is being operationalized in schools. One8’s support will help accelerate this progress and ensure the students who need this intervention are reading by the end of first grade.”

Ignite! Reading first started working in Massachusetts early in 2022 through a pilot program with Worcester Public Schools. Since that time, Worcester Public Schools has expanded its work with Ignite to reach over 350 students during the 2022-23 school year. Students in Worcester receiving Ignite! tutoring have, on average, progressed at over twice the typical rate of progress for students not receiving tutoring. “This type of highly differentiated support has been totally game-changing for our students who struggle most with reading, allowing them to build their skills and confidence,” said Sam FanFan, Principal at Burncoat Prep Elementary School, one of the Worcester schools that is participating in the program this year.

The following districts were awarded grants:

• Boston Renaissance Charter Public School
• Chelsea Public Schools
• Clinton Public Schools
• Fall River Public Schools
• Hoosac Valley Regional School District
• Leicester Public Schools
• Milford Public Schools
• Pittsfield Public Schools
• Quaboag Regional School District
• Randolph Public Schools
• Revere Public Schools
• Waltham Public Schools
• Westfield Public Schools

In addition to Massachusetts, Ignite! Reading is currently partnering with schools and districts in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Oregon, with further plans to expand nationwide.

About One8 Foundation
The One8 education team identifies, supports, and scales high-impact applied learning programs that engage students actively in their learning and prepare them for success in a rapidly changing, data-rich world. One8 is committed to building a future where high-quality applied learning opportunities, oriented around STEM and 21st century skills, that make learning relevant, stimulating, and rewarding, are a regular part of the student experience, driving impact for all students. Learn more at: www.one8.org

About Ignite! Reading
Ignite! Reading’s mission is to ensure that every student is an independent reader by the end of first grade. The organization was co-founded by CEO Jessica Reid Sliwerski and Evan Marwell, Executive Chairman of Ignite! Reading and CEO of EducationSuperHighway. Ignite! Reading pairs schools with a dedicated literacy specialist and a team of virtual reading tutors, all highly trained in the Science of Reading, who deliver 1:1 daily instruction to students focused on their specific decoding gaps. Ignite! Reading’s data-driven approach, provided by caring and skilled tutors, gives kids the know-how and confidence they need to thrive as fluent readers. The Ignite! Reading program, delivered 15 minutes per day during the school day, takes the burden of differentiated instruction off of teachers and has an impact immediately. For more information about Ignite! Reading, visit: www.ignite-reading.com

Key points:

• SEL teaches students to think and behave like healthy, mature adults
• SEL helps students become better learners and take ownership of that learning

Every educator hopes to equip their students with the knowledge they need to thrive as a healthy adult. It’s a daunting task, especially considering there is so much to teach in such a small amount of time.

We want students to fall in love with reading while building up skills in language and grammar. We try to show them that math and science can be outlets of wonder and imagination, while also grounding them in foundations of history and social studies. And yet, out of all the knowledge at our disposal, fostering healthy social-emotional learning (SEL) may be the most important lesson that we impart to our students.   

According to CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, SEL is “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

In other words, SEL is about teaching students how to think and behave like healthy, mature adults. This is certainly a worthy goal, but how exactly do we go about teaching this? Well, there is no one-size-fits-all method for teaching SEL, but there are resources that teachers can draw on to start applying these principles in the classroom.

Key points:

• AI can provide new opportunities and allow us to see things differently
• AI tools can help create learner profiles to give educators a more accurate impression of students

Learning now is so much more than making notes from a textbook and critiquing other people’s ideas. It is cultivating your own vision of the future and how things can be improved to better our lives and advance the next generation. AI technology is a key driver in this change and will enable students to have a deeper understanding of global events and how they can make an impact. Personalization in education is just one pillar of AI that I want to explore.

In many ways, AI is an extension of ourselves. It can help offload the typically boring tasks we have to put up with and realise our potential by accessing new information and learning at our own speed.

In education, this can mean what we want to study next or what kind of role we want for ourselves once we leave school. It is important to note that AI isn’t just a tool that can take things away; it can provide new opportunities and allow us to see things differently. Personalizing education can help students find their way and equip them with the skills they desire.

Customizable courses

Having a fixed curriculum does not serve the interests of all students. When lessons are dictated by the teacher, government, and exam body, the student is left out of the decision-making despite being on the receiving end. In education, AI can help rectify this by making learning customizable. Granting autonomy to the student is really important, and trusting younger minds with new technology will help unlock talent and provide more individual thinking.

Newark, New Jersey (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AeroFarms®, a Certified B Corporation and leader in indoor vertical farming, will celebrate World Environment Day this coming Monday, June 5, at PS 85 The Great Expectations School with the official launch of its AeroFarms Community Farms program. This program promotes hands-on environmental education and year-round access to fresh and nutritious leafy greens through the proprietary AeroFarms unit and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) curriculum. The launch and celebration will help create life-long nutrition learners and will cultivate students and parents’ interest in incorporating more healthy leafy greens into their daily diets.  

“Our PS 85 community is extremely excited to celebrate World Environment Day together and partner with the AeroFarms Community Farms program to bring hands-on, STEAM learning to life in such a unique way for our students to experience growing and tasting their own food from seed to plate,” said Sara Medina, Principal at PS 85. 

World Environment Day is a time to reflect on how our society can encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment, an important component to both the PS 85 community and AeroFarms. Being built with circular solutions in mind and creating opportunities for environmental protection is vital to AeroFarms product line and mission, which is to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity.   

“This World Environment Day, we are excited to celebrate with key partners like PS 85 and the broader AeroFarms network as we continue our efforts to bring healthy food and STEAM education to communities where this can best make a positive impact,” said Jason Ginsberg, AeroFarms Chief of Staff and Director of Community Farms. “There is an amazing community here in New York City from Mayor Adams and his office to the NYC public schools program committed to making healthy positive changes and options for its students.”  

Independent of weather and seasons, the AeroFarms Community Farm unit uses patented and proprietary aeroponic technology to bring the benefits of vertical farming directly to the community all year round. The vertical farm system empowers students and educators to participate in the full growing process from seed to salad, while experiencing the advantages of hyperlocal, sustainable food production and learning through STEAM education. Key environmental benefits vs. traditional field farming include growing with up to 95% less water, using up to 99% less land, ability to grow year-round with zero pesticides, and less shrink and food waste with local production. Along with the farm system, AeroFarms also provides a full-service package to Community Farms customers, which includes growing inputs like seeds and nutrients and support hours from AeroFarms’ expert team.  

This school year, AeroFarms grew its Community Farms program with the support of key strategic partners in the greater Newark / New York City area and builds on AeroFarms’ early work with Philip’s Academy Charter School (PACS), located in downtown Newark. AeroFarms started a partnership with PACS in 2011, where it installed a farm in the cafeteria to be used for STEAM education and supplement the school’s food service offering. In 2016, Former First Lady Michelle Obama visited the PACS farm as part of a national tour to promote health and well-being. 

About AeroFarms 
Since 2004, AeroFarms has been leading the way for indoor vertical farming and championing transformational innovation for agriculture. On a mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation with global headquarters in Newark, New Jersey. Named by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and Brands That Matter and by TIME for Best Inventions in Food, AeroFarms patented, award-winning indoor vertical farming technology and Aeroponics Advantage provide the perfect conditions for healthy plants to thrive, taking agriculture to a new level of precision, food safety, and productivity while using up to 95% less water and no pesticides ever versus traditional field farming. AeroFarms is able to grow safely all year round, using vertical farming for elevated flavor. Its market-leading products can be found at major selling partners like Ahold Delhaize, Amazon Fresh, Baldor Specialty Foods, Compass Group, Harris Teeter, H-E-B, Marcus BP, Momofuku Noodle Bar, ShopRite, The Fresh Market, Walmart, Weee!, and Whole Foods Market. For additional information, visit: https://aerofarms.com/. 

Key points:

• Substitute teachers are already critical to the school environment
• Could funds be allocated to help substitutes find a long-term path to teaching?

California is investing $350 million in teacher residencies, recognizing the need for effective teachers, which too many of our classrooms are missing. But this big bet isn’t working. Why? Too many people can’t afford to take on the financial liability to train for the position.  

If we know the approach isn’t working, we need to look toward another solution: Substitute teachers.  

The average K-12 student spends one year of their education with a substitute. However, 56 percent of substitute teachers receive no training. Every day in America, there is a need for 250,000 substitute teachers, but 77 percent of school districts report acute substitute staffing challenges. It’s a reminder that students don’t get do-overs; every day of their education matters.  

Substitute teachers are an important part of our school ecosystem. They impact our students, as well as the well-being of our teachers. Not having effective substitutes–or, let’s be honest, any additional person with a college degree willing to help–is also impacting teachers unable to pursue professional development without sacrificing their student’s learning.  

What if we put some of this investment in residencies into professionalizing substitute teachers and giving them a pathway into long-term teaching?  

Key points:

• Ransomware attacks can be devastating to a school or district, with costly ransoms and leaked sensitive information
• The most effective security is layered; humans are only part of the equation

The biggest threat to K-12 schools’ cybersecurity is, ironically, education. It’s an expensive deficit. But there are funds and tools to help.

Ransomware – where hackers encrypt and lock victims’ data and try to sell the decryption key back to the victim for a ransom – delays education and hurts already-stretched budgets: A GAO report says a ransomware attack can cause K-12 students learning loss up to three weeks and cost from $50,000 to $1 million in expenses.

Or worse. In November 2020, a ransomware attack hit the Clark County School District in Nevada, the fifth-largest school district in the U.S. More than 320,000 students were blocked from accessing assignments and other educational materials. It cost the district more than $4 million to recover from the attack.

Even when schools don’t pay the ransom, as in the Los Angeles Unified School District case in 2022, there are costs. In the LAUSD, some of its platforms were knocked offline and sensitive personal information was released. More recently, the Minneapolis Public School District was attacked by ransomware criminals in March of 2023. District data was held hostage for $1 million. When the district did not pay, the criminals released highly sensitive personnel data.

The new normal for post-pandemic classrooms continues to be a mixed bag. There was a ton of learning loss and missed experiences, especially when it came to hands-on lab time. At the same time, there was a surge of teacher innovation, student agency, and new remote tools and processes to compensate. 

For the past 13 years, Ann Woo, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung, has been paving the way for students at US public middle and high schools to embark on solving real-world problems with STEM-based solutions through Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow national STEM competition. This year’s contests concluded with three national winners who created inspiring STEM solutions tackling their community issues of pollinator collapse, veterans’ PTSD and heat stroke in sports. Their projects should be an inspiration for any STEM educator. Click through for the whole conversation. Below are some edited highlights:

ESN: How has the topic and mission of STEM changed post-pandemic?

AW: During COVID, it was really challenging for students to deeply engage in STEM classes—there was no lab period or any hands-on engagement quite in the same way. Virtual lab time and real lab time, hands-on learning was a very different paradigm for them. And so teachers have really had to make up for that time in different ways.