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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS GOT THE JOB DONE, and continue to do so for their students. At the start of the pandemic last spring, most Catholic schools reopened in person as soon as they could with multiple safety protocols in place, or they operated under a hybrid model with some students attending classes in person and other students in class virtually.  Sadly these schools won’t get more than a pittance out of the billions being doled out by Congress. That’s an injustice in itself, no matter what your faith. But using innovative approaches and technology, teachers were able to reach students both in-person and at home and they were “completely involved.” Teachers explain how it was done, an important lesson when so many other kids were left high and dry by adult intransigence.

MITIGATING COVID’S IMPACT.  A Bay State diocese is changing it all up to innovate for kids. Arlington Catholic High School will welcome a group of students who will leave their public middle school and head to Arlington Catholic for the first time. They’re not considered freshmen. But they’re also not in eighth grade anymore. They’re “in-between”, so the school has created a special “bridge program” for them.  “The parents are worried because [students] missed out so much on the academics,” said John Graceffa, principal at the school. “So we’re tailoring a program for them. As they have technically completed their eighth-grade year, we aren’t trying to reteach them math or reading they already know but fill in the gaps they missed. In fact, most of their learning isn’t actually about the typical subjects.” Repeat after us – choice leads to innovation which leads to better outcomes for kids.

PODS GOT THE JOB DONE, TOO…A new twist on a concept that’s been around for years, parents and schools took to podding and microschooling, “buying” the expertise of organizations like Prenda, ACTON, Big Picture Learning, and dozens more.  So it’s not surprising that one of the newest innovators, SchoolHouse has raised $8 million to bring their microschools into the mainstream. With 250 students enrolled across 50 locations in 10 states and an average class size between six and 10 students, the new funds raised will help them create one school in every state by the end of the year. CEO Brian Tobal says “we want to make a great education available to everyone, not just people who can afford it.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT PODS AT EDTECH WEEK. We are hosting a special EdTech Week Master Class Podding and Tech – A Marriage Made in Heaven?  Some say together they have the potential to transform learning in a post-COVID environment.   Will this new normal lead to greater opportunity for all families at every level? Ask those who’ve been in the thick of it.  Ask Edmentum’s Jamie Candee, MYSA Micro School founder Siri Fiske and, Prenda’s Treece Bowman moderated by our very own Jeanne Allen, April 20th, 2:00 PM EDT.
TOMORROW…APRIL 14th at NOON…  NEXT IN THE CER ACTION SERIES. You’ll hear first-hand war stories – and success stories – from leaders of the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, Commonwealth Foundation, Philadelphia Youth Basketball, Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, African American Charter School Coalition, and more! Register for free here.



YOU GO GIRL. “American Girl” co-founder and CEO Pleasant Rowland is making schooling brighter for girls AND boys.  She recently donated $14 million to One City Schools in Madison, Wisconsin, appropriately enough as the Badger state is one of the early pioneers of charter schools, circa 1993. Fast-growing One City predominantly educates disadvantaged kids, like many charters, and will use Rowland’s generosity to buy a 157,000-square-foot office building and transform it into a school. By 2024 the school plans to teach at least 950 students.