The Nation's Voice for Urban Education
January/February 2021 • Vol. 30, No. 1
Shots in Arms, and Plans for Reopening
In Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., all staff wanting to receive COVID-19 vaccines got shots in arms by mid-February, and the district geared up to possibly reopen schools. One big change under consideration: a plan to have a nurse in every building.
San Diego Superintendent Cindy Marten Nominated for Deputy Secretary of Education
Cindy Marten was an elementary school principal when the San Diego Board of Education tapped her to be superintendent of the district in 2013. In a span of four months, Marten went from overseeing a school with 1,000 students and a $5 million budget to overseeing California’s second largest school system with 132,489 students and a $1.1 billion operating budget.
Journalist Bob Woodward to Speak at March Conference
Award-winning journalist Bob Woodward will address urban education leaders at the Council of the Great City Schools’ virtual Annual Legislative/Policy Conference, March 20-22.
Philadelphia School Board Approves Goals & Guardrails Initiative to Improve Student Achievement
The School District of Philadelphia Board of Education has charted a new course for overseeing the district, one that promises big changes in how the board views its role and does its business.
Urban School Districts Address Capitol Riots and Offer Help to Students
On Jan. 6, 2021, rioters stormed and desecrated the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in what will forever be a dark day in the history of the United States. The nation’s schoolchildren were among the many Americans who witnessed the chaos and shocking events that took place that day.
Council Creates Reopening Schools Tracker
As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the one-year mark, the Council of the Great City Schools recently partnered with Education Week to track how students in the nation’s 75 largest urban public-school districts are learning.

Legislative Column

Biden’s American Rescue Plan Proposes $130 Billion Investment to Reopen Schools
 The new 117th Congress is moving quickly to consider President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The Plan includes individual $1,400 rebate checks; additional funding for vaccines, testing, and tracing; expanded unemployment insurance; and numerous other components.

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Upcoming Events
2021 Legislative/Policy
Virtual Conference
When:
March 20 - March 22, 2021
Executive Director
Michael Casserly
Editor
Tonya Harris
Staff Writer
Joanne Coley
Chair
Michael O'Neill
Board Member, Boston
Chair-elect
Barbara Jenkins
Superintendent, Orange County
(Orlando)
Secretary-Treasurer
Ashley Paz
Board Member, Fort Worth
A newsletter published by the Council of the Great City Schools, representing 77 of the nation’s largest urban public school districts. Click here to learn more. All news items should be submitted to Tonya Harris ([email protected]).