|
Updated H1N1
Guidance for Schools Released
The secretaries of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and
Education, along with CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden, have jointly
released updated guidelines for schools on how to deal with the H1N1 flu
virus for the upcoming 2009-10 school year. Preparing
for the Flu (Including 2009 H1N1 Flu): A Communication Toolkit for
Schools (Grades K-12) serves to help schools and local
officials plan for eventualities that could arise because of a flu
pandemic. "Schools must have clear guidance about how to minimize
the spread of H1N1 and plans must be in place before the beginning of the
school year," said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. One
of the significant changes in the updated guidance suggests that a person
should stay home until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone (and
not the seven days that had been advised this spring). Dr. Frieden
highlighted the three key steps school officials and students can take to
help control the spread of the virus:
* keep sick children and staff at home
* wash your hands
* cover your coughs with elbows or tissues (but not your hands)
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said vaccination is the best way to
prevent the spread of the flu and a vaccine should be available by
mid-October. A federal website, www.flu.gov, has been
created for updates and information related to the H1N1 virus. Also check
www.ascd.org/flu for
recommendations on hwo school staff can facilitate learning opportunities
if students are unable to be in school because the building is closed or
prior to their return if they have been ill.
Surgeon
General's Pledge & Checklists Help Prevent Childhood Overweight and
Obesity and Secure a Healthy Future for our Children
Today, more than 12.5 million children - 17 percent of children and
adolescents ages 2 to 19 -are overweight. Teaching children the
importance of healthy eating and physical activity at a young age is
necessary to help prevent overweight and obesity in this country. The
Surgeon General provides a pledge to encourage the public to join this
movement to help children achieve and maintain a healthy weight. For more
info go to: www.surgeongeneral.gov
Title 1 Funding
cut - or Not?
According
to ASCD Education Advocates, many were surprised by the $1.5 billion cut
to the Title I basic grants to local districts in the President's
recently proposed FY10 budget (from $14.5 billion
to $13 billion). By so significantly cutting funding for this particular
program, federal officials are actually making the eventual funding cliff
even steeper for districts. In their defense, administration proponents
counter that two-thirds of the cut to the basic grants ($1 billion) was
merely shifted to a different Title I account, the School Improvement
Grants. The new spending priorities certainly better reflect this
Secretary's philosophy for actively intervening in low- performing
schools rather than just providing more general assistance to at-risk
students.
Data error irks Illinois school counselors
5/27/2009 10:11:00 AM By Diane Rado - Chicago Tribune On the American School
Counselor Association's Web site is an analysis showing that Illinois had
1,172 students per counselor in 2006-07 -- the worst student-to-school
counselor ratio in the nation. Read more...
Advocates Fear for Imperiled Education Programs
The
12 Education Department programs chosen for elimination-ranging in size
from the $1 million Foundations for Learning Program, which serves
children deemed at risk, to the $295 million Safe and Drug-Free Schools
and Communities State Grants- would save a total of $550.7 million. For
more info: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/05/
20/33spending.h28. html? tkn=WQQFyJVmdwFyyyTQywCY7zEL5cD6rA% 2BhjNHG
Follow the
Stimulus Money!! Good news for IL?
The following
link provides national and state-by-state breakdowns of funding from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that has been budgeted for
distribution by the U.S. Department of Education, based on estimates by
the department. These amounts, which are rounded to the nearest whole
number, do not include funds that are to be awarded through competitive
grants, such as the Race to the Top fund and the Investing in What Works
and Innovation grants. Go to: http://www.edweek.org/ew/secti
on/infographics/follow_ stimulus. html
|
