Science & Education
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Schools rarely teach climate change outside of science class. Teachers are changing that.

Israel Budz
Schools rarely teach climate change outside of science class. Teachers are changing that.
Schools rarely teach climate change outside of science class. Teachers are changing that.

There’s a pretty good chance you remember all of those early, iconic lessons learned in school, from the fetching utility of Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally to the way your mind was quietly blown with the realization that the green light in The Great Gatsby might be more than just something at the end of a dock.

But what’s the likelihood of that early, iconic lesson being about climate change, a looming global catastrophe that will have devastating consequences without radical, immediate (and thus unprecedented) action?

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Somewhat slim, considering that, at present, there’s no unified climate curriculum for K-12 science education in the United States, as Glenn Branch, deputy director at the National Center for Science Education, an organization that advocates for an accurate science education, points out. As Branch explains, this

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Science & Education
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Belleville Teachers Union Leery As Schools Prepare To Reopen

Israel Budz

BELLEVILLE, NJ — “Teachers want to teach. We just want to do it safely.” This was the sentiment among union members in Belleville on Thursday night, as the public school district prepares to move ahead with its plan to reopen amid the coronavirus crisis.

According to the restart plan, there will be a “hybrid” mix of online and in-person classes on Sept. 8, the first day of school in Belleville. The lower grades and special education students will be the first groups to attend in-person classes, with the other grades attending class remotely until they’re gradually phased in.

But whether that can be done safely is still up in the air – literally, according to Belleville Education Association President Mike Mignone.

“We are compelled to inform the Belleville community that the Belleville Education Association (BEA) does not believe that our schools are providing our students and staff with a safe

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Science & Education
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Trump Admin Declares Teachers ‘Essential Workers’

Israel Budz

‘If the President really saw us as essential, he’d act like it,’ said the president of the American Federation of Teachers

As schools struggle to reopen their doors this school year — with many almost immediately experiencing massive COVID-19 outbreaks, including schools in Georgia and universities such as Notre Dame — the Trump administration has now labeled teachers “essential” workers. The declaration of teachers as “critical infrastructure workers” came in an Aug. 18 guidance published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

More specifically, the teachers included in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” advisory list are: “professors, teachers, teacher aides, special education and special needs teachers, ESOL teachers, para-educators, apprenticeship supervisors, and specialists.”

In addition to teachers, the list also includes those who “provide services necessary to support educators and students” such as administrators, administrative staff, IT specialists, media specialists, librarians, guidance counselors,

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Science & Education
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The Spin: Teachers Union, Mayor Lightfoot and a new game of brinksmanship? | Durkin says GOP candidates will use ComEd, Madigan as talking points in November election

Israel Budz

Reopening schools for the looming new academic year already was gearing up to be a political brawl. But things amped up today as the Chicago Teachers Union — concerned that in-class learning would be dangerous amid the coronavirus pandemic — was planning a House of Delegates meeting next week, a required move on the road to a potential strike.

Anyone who recalls the battles and brinksmanship that played out between union leaders and the mayor during last fall’s knows to brace themselves for a battle.

Parents and guardians were looking to a Friday deadline to inform Chicago Public Schools whether their students would attend in-person classes or stay home. But, as my colleagues reported, sources say CPS — whose CEO and Board of Education is appointed by the mayor — is expected to announce an all-remote learning plan as soon as Wednesday. A source told the Tribune the shift is

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