A new vision for schools (and why now is the time)

USC Rossier’s A New Vision for Schools (and Why Now Is the Time) is a series of stimulating web-hosted conversations focused on addressing inequities in education that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The abrupt switch to remote instruction caused by the pandemic has created potentially irreparable setbacks for the students who can least afford the disruption – low-income students of color, English learners, students with disabilities and others who have been historically underserved. The challenge facing K–12 policymakers and educators is: How can we transform this crisis into an opportunity for positive, lasting change?

A top initiative of USC Rossier Dean Pedro Noguera, A New Vision for Schools features innovators and leaders from education, technology, science and media. Participants engage in a dynamic exchange of ideas, and offer concrete solutions for improving schools and enhancing learning opportunities for students.

A new vision for schools webinar series:

How education leaders can “break through” during troubled times

The pandemic and the controversies that have arisen since schools opened in the fall have called upon education leaders to be creative and resourceful as they figure out how to respond to the challenges they face. This webinar features leaders and policy experts with valuable insights into leading during periods of crisis.

Host/Moderator:
Pedro A. Noguera, Dean, USC Rossier

Participants:
Patricia Burch, Professor of Education, USC Rossier
Paul Gothold, Superintendent of Schools, San Diego County
Janice Jackson, CEO, HOPE Chicago; former CEO, Chicago Public Schools
Robert Nelson, Superintendent, Fresno Unified School District

Trials and tribulations of the new school year: breaking through the controversies

Description:
Fall 2021 will go down in history as perhaps the most controversy-laden return to school we have ever seen. Vaccine and mask mandates (and opposition to them) and the debate over critical race theory are just two of the issues education leaders and confronting. How are they coping and responding, and how is the public feeling about these issues? Our experts shed some light on the situation and provide guidance on managing these conflicts.

Host:
Pedro A. Noguera, Dean, USC Rossier

Guests:
Shaun Harper, Provost Professor, USC Rossier; Founder and Executive Director, USC Race and Equity Center
Sandra Lyon, Retired Superintendent, Palm Springs Unified School District
Julie A. Marsh, Professor, USC Rossier; Faculty Director, Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE)
Neeraj Sood, Vice Dean of Research, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

Resources:

• Poll: Californians and K–12 Education Amid COVID-19 Recovery (PACE/USC Rossier)
• Teaching About the Inescapable Racial Realities of the Capitol Insurrection (Shaun Harper)
• An Impossible Position: A Kentucky district puts to the test its students’ exhibitions of learning and expected skills (The School Superintendents Association)

From physical plant to mental health: what’s the best use for American rescue plan education funds?

Description:
Join State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and USC Rossier Dean Pedro A. Noguera for an interactive dialogue with superintendents and education researchers.

How should districts use the funds coming to the states as part of the federal American Rescue Plan? How should they prepare to re-engage students and staff, some of whom may be hesitant about coming back to school? How should they approach testing and learning loss? As students return to campus and the unprecedented opportunity to re-think our priorities arrives, this webinar discusses whether practicality should be a guide, or innovation–investing in new, more effective, engaging and equitable ways of teaching and learning.

Hosts:
Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction California
Pedro A. Noguera, Dean, USC Rossier School of Education

Guests:
Howard Adelman, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director, School Mental Health Project, UCLA
Darin Brawley, Superintendent, Compton Unified School District
Roxane Fuentes, Superintendent, Berryessa Union School District
Sandra Lyon, Superintendent, Palm Springs Unified School District
Julie A. Marsh, Professor of Education Policy and Faculty Director, Policy Analysis for California Education, USC Rossier School of Education
Morgan Polikoff, Associate Professor of Education, USC Rossier School of Education

Resources:

• “Restructuring California Schools to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching in the COVID‑19 Context and Beyond” (PACE)
• “Embedding Mental Health as Schools Change” (School Mental Health Project)
• Understanding America Study (USC Dornsife/USC Rossier)

Advancing equity and improving outcomes for all children after the pandemic

Description:
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified and exacerbated inequities in schools. What will this crisis teach us about how schools should work to advance equity in educational opportunities and outcomes? What are the most effective strategies schools should utilize to improve academic outcomes, especially for underserved students who may have experienced learning loss during the pandemic?

Guests:
Pedro Noguera, USC Rossier School of Education (Host/Moderator)
Shaun Harper, USC Race and Equity Center
Bruce Fuller, UC Berkeley
Tyrone Howard, UCLA
Ana Ponce, Great Public Schools Now

The school safety net in the covid age

Description:
How might schools be organized to better support students’ mental and emotional well-being? Can access to social workers, counselors and other support services be expanded without significant increases in funding?

Guests:
Pedro A. Noguera, Dean, USC Rossier School of Education (Host)
Elizabeth Green, CEO, Chalkbeat (Moderator)
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Professor, USC Rossier
José Muñoz, Director, Coalition for Community Schools
Bror Saxberg, Vice President, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Resources:

• Institute for Educational Leadership
• Building Meaning Builds Teens’ Brains
• The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional, and Academic Development
• Restart and Recovery: Teaching and Learning Considerations
• Along