Education
Back to School Safety. See more state education news here
Parents are breathing a sigh of relief as kids return to school. For so many of us the end of summer means regaining our daytime freedom. No more… “I’m hungry” or “I’m bored” as we drop our kids off at school or load them on the bus and send them on their way.
This time of year, may be a relief for parents everywhere, but for many this time of year invokes anxiety and frustration. Increases in local traffic, cross walks delays, and kids along the roads confirms the summers is drawing to a close.
‘I do not have 2-3 months off’: Teachers on summer break are working, a lot. See more national education news here
Allison Driessen is fed up. She’s used to hearing how lucky she is to have her summers off, granting her a supposedly relaxing break from working life.
Driessen, a science teacher who just finished her eighth year on the job, had the opposite experience. This summer marks her first summer “off” as a teacher. Before, she studied for her master’s degree, taught summer school and even interned at a landscaping company.
“People think we are paid competitively, given that we have two to three months off,” said Driessen, who teaches in Rosemount, Minnesota. “I do not have two to three months off.”
Driessen’s story isn’t unique. Across the country, teachers often trade their summer vacation for other work opportunities to make ends meet. Recent data from the National Survey of Teachers and Principals showed nearly one in five teachers hold a second job during the school year – and teachers say they need to work during the summer, too.
Education Spotlight: Williams Back-to-School Fair to be held July 17, 18. See more countywide Back to School events here
The annual Williams Unified School District Back to School Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 and from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 18 at the Williams Elementary-Middle School Gym, 601 N. 7th St., Williams.
Connections Spotlight: First Things First — Ensuring a complete count of Arizona’s youngest children in the 2020 census
An estimated 5% of kids under age 5 were missed in the 2010 census. That’s about 1 million young children, the highest of any single age group. The U.S. Census is asking early childhood supporters to help close that gap in 2020.
Here are a few things you can do to help ensure more young kids are counted: Explain that filling out the census yourself only takes about 10 minutes. And emphasize that parents should include babies on census forms, even if they are still in the hospital on April 1.
Save the Date: Kevin Campbell returns to Northern Arizona on Oct. 29
Kevin Campbell, an internationally known youth permanency expert and founder of the Center for Family Finding and Youth Connectedness, will return to Flagstaff for the presentation “Self-Healing Communities- a wide-scale prevention strategy for Coconino County,” on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE) — Conference Group Registration Special
Register your group of 10 or more and get these additional special perks:
* $95 per person when registering groups of 10 or more
* Priority Seating at the Conference general sessions and lunch
* VIP Check in Table at the Conference
* Entry into Special Group Registration Give A Way
First Things First update for July 15 — Summit 2019: Early registration ends July 21
Early registration for the Summit closes Sunday, July 21.
Register now at a reduced rate for two days of keynote and featured speakers, 80+ breakout sessions on a wide range of early childhood topics, and the opportunity to meet, learn and share strategies that help kids be ready for school and set for life.
Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE) update for July 13 — Start a FREE Girls Who Code Club Today!
Join students and educators across the country by partnering with Girls Who Code to bring computer science opportunities to elementary, middle, and high school girls in your community! Girls Who Code Clubs are FREE afterschool programs for 3rd-5th or 6th-12th grade girls to join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models and use computer science to change the world.
Students, staff return to Lowell summer camp. See more local education news here
Like a planet in orbit, students and staff continue to return to the Lowell Observatory Camps for Kids (LOCKs) year after year.
Lee Rodriguez, 17, has been participating in the camp every year since she was in fourth grade, during her family’s annual summer trips to Flagstaff.
Teacher training: Ways to help students. See more state education news here
While students enjoy summer break, teacher training is providing Arizona educators with ways to help students when classes resume.
Chandler High School biology teacher Katie Nash was one of hundreds of teachers taking professional development courses at Chandler Unified School District’s Breaking Barriers for Excellence Equity Symposium.
“This summer I have a lot of professional development planned,” said Nash, including training in Florida for a new International Baccalaureate class her school will offer.
