school reopening; governor; veto; senate bill; teachers; students; coronavirus; safety and health; global pandemic; Repbulican leaders; General Assembly
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Legislation would require public schools to reopen, worrying Black parents about sending their kids back during a pandemic. They also fear their kids will fall behind academically without in-person instruction.
Geraldine Alshamy is well-versed in the science that says schools aren’t big spreaders of the coronavirus, if districts follow state and federal health guidance.
Alshamy, an education advocate who leads Mary Magdalene Ministries Inc., in Wake County also believes research that says learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic will harm students of color more so than their white peers.
Alshamy also knows, however, that one teacher or student death is one too many. “A dead child will never catch up [academically],” she said.
NC governor unveils COVID relief budget, including bonuses for teachers, college staff Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Adam Wagner, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Feb. 4 RALEIGH North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper laid out his budget recommendations for coronavirus relief spending Thursday, continuing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 with an eye to recovery for businesses and residents.
That includes one-time bonuses of $2,500 for teachers and principals, $1,500 for non-certified school personnel in public K-12 schools and $2,000 for workers in the state s community colleges and the UNC system, Cooper said. These teachers and school personnel are the only state employees who did not get raises the last two years, and we need this boost to help keep them on board and reward their hard work, Cooper said at a press conference.
More than 75 bills related to the environment have been filed at the Indiana General Assembly, a swell that was somewhat unexpected in a year when lawmakers are facing major issues such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequality and widespread economic hardship.
Some of the bills could mean big steps forward for reducing Indiana’s carbon emissions footprint, boosting “green” industries in the state and cleaning up Indiana’s water and air.
On the other end of the spectrum, other bills could repeal entire laws protecting the state’s natural wetlands or potentially limit Hoosiers’ ability to protect themselves from factory farm pollution.