Dear ERDI Members,
As we navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the changes that are taking place each day in response, we are eager to support the ERDI Community. We thank each of you for your leadership and generosity during this time and aim to contribute by connecting thought partners, sharing messages and insights, and serving as a conduit for information sharing. Please call upon us. We're ready and willing to help in any way we can.
With much gratitude,
Dr. Jennifer Ferrari
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#ImpactEd Chat
Closing Rituals & Traditions Matter: Finding Meaningful Ways to Close the 2019-2020 School Year
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Here's what we learned...
- Rituals are discrete markers; they draw a bright line between the past and the future.
- In the focal moment of a ritual, there is concentration of emotion and personal narrative.
- Graduation ceremonies embody, in concentrated form, the way students feel about their whole education experience.
- Graduations allow an opportunity to feel and reflect.
- The stories we tell about ourselves get seared into our personal narratives by concentrated emotional experiences.
- The rituals we create for our students help them tell their stories and express who they are.
- Rituals are acts of community. They bring people together around a common purpose to reaffirm one another and the shared purpose and institutions to they we belong.
- Without rituals, the mileposts are missing from the stories of our lives. The meaning of the experience students are celebrating and marking through rituals are not as clear and distinct. The stories will be little more vague because we didn't have the moment to concentrate their feelings and build their stories. We miss the opportunity to affirm our shared commitments to one another.
- Do not despair! There are moments of possibility, even in challenging times.
- We must find ways to acknowledge the loss that students are feeling and allow them to experience it together.
- As we close out the year, we have to find ways to mark this boundary and provide a chance to reflect, grieve, and find ways to move forward.
- We must seek creative ways to offer alternative markers, alternative focal points for emotions and reflection, and alternative ways to affirm one another.
- As the 2019-2020 school year comes to and end, and as we strive for meaningful closure, consider the following...
- Acknowledge the loss that school communities are feeling
- Reframe the loss toward something that is unique and memorable
- Include students in the decision-making process; honor student voice
- Provide clear planning parameters to ensure productive ideation
- Acknowledge the ambiguity of the situation and continually consider the most current guidance.
- Tap into the collective creativity of the community- there are so many options and choices!
- Be patient. This situation is hard for everyone, and negative feelings are not personal, but rather a response to loss.
- Finally, lean on one another, and use the strength of our special ERDI community to get to the other side! #BetterTogether
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Have an idea for the next #ImpactEd Chat?
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Support from our ERDI Solution Providers
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So many of our ERDI Solution Providers are providing generous support and free resources to schools and districts during this period of COVID-19. In the event you have questions or need to connect with one of our solution providers, we are happy to help you.
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Do you have a solution
to offer?
to add to the list.
Are you hosting a webinar? Have a resource to share?
Let us know--
We'll be happy to share!
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Prioritizing Well-Being: Mental Health Strategies for Teachers and Students
Thursday, May 7 3PM CST
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week and Mental Health Awareness Month, experts from the EVERFI team are partnering with the Jed Foundation to ensure you have the resources necessary to support your mental health and that of your students.
In this webinar, we’ll explore activities and strategies around mental well-being that can be used in the classroom or virtually, as well as providing tips and tricks for educator self-care.
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Happy and Healthy at Home: Student Mental Health and Distance Learning
Wednesday, May 6, 3 PM CST
Join this edWebinar for a discussion about this “new normal” of distance learning. We’ll dive into the trends of how and what students are doing as seen through Gaggle’s data, as well as how educators can keep students safe and connected while they learn at home.
Presented by Dr. Lisa Strohman, Psychologist, Author, and Founder of Digital Citizen Academy; Dr. Susan Enfield, Superintendent, Highline Public Schools, WA; Dr. Tom Leonard, Superintendent, Eanes Independent School District, TX; and Dr. Michael Muñoz, Superintendent, Rochester Public Schools, MN
Hosted by Annie Galvin Teich, Writer, Editor, and K-12 Market Specialist.
Kudos to our ERDI Superintendents who are featured in this webinar!
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Microsoft has created free, accessible AT to support students who struggle with reading, writing, math, and communication
.
Wednesday, May 6 12 PM CST
Lexplore will showcase how these FREE Learning Tools for writing can be used to support student engagement and accessibility for users with learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, ELL or a combination of any of the broad range of unique student abilities.
Details, demonstrations and student examples will be shared about several new and improved sets of features across Microsoft products. These tools are FREE and compatible with Ipad, Mac, Chrome!
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Our Solution Providers Are Hiring!
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With all of the changes to the education system over the past month, we understand that individuals may be looking for new professional opportunities. We have invited our Solution Providers to post current job openings to the ERDI Jobs Board.
ERDI has a robust network of talented individuals with diverse portfolios, so please feel free to share the information below with those who may be interested.
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News from One of Our Strategic Partners
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Announcing the launch of
EDcommunity,
a special collaboration of SchoolBondNetwork & EDspaces. The first ever collaboration connecting District Administration Professionals in a private, online communication platform. This new functionality within the SchoolBondNetwork platform allows for District Administration Professionals to communicate on threaded discussion topics ranging from COVID19, School Facilities to Budgets. ERDI Consulting Members receive a complimentary subscription to SchoolBondNetwork and can access this forum now through
www.schoolbondnetwork.com
. We encourage ERDI Education Leader to join the conversation with their peers nationally on EDcommunity regarding best practices and the latest pressing topics facing Districts.
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Virtual ERDI Solutions during COVID-19
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Our ERDI Education Leaders have critical insights and expertise to offer. During this period of remote working and shelter-in-place, we've had the pleasure of hosting several virtual research and development panels. They've been a huge success!
ERDI will gladly collaborate with you to design a customized panel experience to support your unique research and development needs. Based on your identified success criteria, we will create a virtual panel experience that allows you to continue your important work in spite of the challenges we are currently facing.
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ERDI I/II/III/IV Summer Institutes
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We are cautiously optimistic about this summer and are planning to convene all of our cohorts July 11-18, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. We'll continue to monitor the situation carefully and will follow guidance accordingly.
Our hybrid schedule has created new possibilities for collaboration between cohorts, and solution providers will have the unique opportunity to learn from a wide variety of leaders.
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Do you know an exemplary Education Leader?
We're Accepting Nominations
Help us build our membership by nominating outstanding superintendents and cabinet-level leaders to participate in ERDI. We welcome your nominations.
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Education Leader Shoutouts & Celebrations
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Congratulations to Dr. Rick Robins who was recently named as the new superintendent of Canyons School District in Utah
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Congratulations to Dr. Yolanda Cargile who was recently named as the new superintendent of Center School District in Missouri
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Congratulations to Dr. Jane Stavem who was recently named as the new superintendent of Sioux Falls School District in South Dakota
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Hear powerful stories from our ERDI Education Leaders and Solution Providers as they share their insights and knowledge about the latest topics and trends in education.
If you're interested in participating in a Radio: ERDI podcast, contact
[email protected]
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We're here for you! Please reach out if we can be of assistance.
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