A Message from ASCD CEO Ranjit Sidhu
During this unpredictable and challenging time, we appreciate your partnership with us, and your leadership in your own communities, more than ever. Thank you for the extraordinary work you are doing to support students and families during this crisis.
The last several weeks have made clear to the world the central role that educators play as a stabilizing and community building force, especially for the most vulnerable students and families. Based on conversations with many of you, ASCD is working to strengthen our support for you in the immediate coming months, and over time as you plan the return to your schools and districts.
The rapid and massive shutdown of schools and offices left families at home with their children grasping for information on how to structure a day and how to continue to help their children thrive. While there is no shortage of email links and webinars circulating throughout the digital atmosphere on virtual learning or organizing a day, a simple text from one of my overwhelmed neighbors this week captured the moment: "I have never had so much appreciation for the role of a teacher!"
While many in the education community, including our organization, have raced to digital solutions to keep engaging, teaching, and learning, we are keeping our focus on our core values:
- to provide high quality content to educators to stimulate professional growth
- to serve, nurture, and convene a powerful community defined by common and individual needs.
We know that professional growth for our members happens not just through interacting with high quality content, but through the learning that occurs when you interact with each other. We want to ensure you keep learning, so your students keep learning. We are more committed than ever to serving you and supporting the work you do. As so many communities are recognizing, we have never had so much appreciation for the role of the educator!
Sincerely,
Ranjit Sidhu
CEO & Executive Director, ASCD
This communication was adapted from a message sent to ASCD members on March 27. To read the full message, visit www.ascd.org/memberships.aspx .
The Learning Compact Renewed: Whole Child for the Whole World
Download The Learning Compact Renewed at http://www.ascd.org/whole-child.aspx.
What Educators Really Think
We asked educators how often their professional conversations incorporate the topic of brain research on learning. Here's how they responded:
A total of 232 readers responded to this question, which appeared in ASCD SmartBrief's ED Pulse online poll on November 21, 2019.
Online Learning Course
Fostering Resilient Learners
Each year, schools are encountering increasing numbers of students who are entering the classroom burdened by the overwhelming stress of trauma or psychological scars of neglect and abuse. After taking this online course, learners will understand the ways that trauma can affect the brain and learning, as well as tips and techniques for how to create a trauma-sensitive classroom. Through self-reflection, application activities, readings, and videos, learners will come away with a sense of self, grace, and instructional strategies to foster resilient learners.
Find this course and many others at https://pdo.ascd.org.
Related Resource on Learning and the Brain
Available June 9, 2020!
This book unpacks the cognitive science underlying research-supported learning strategies, so you can sequence them into experiences that challenge, inspire, and engage your students.
ASCD Memebership
Did You Know?
ASCD now offers a free, online social-emotional learning (SEL) resource page full of content to provide support in helping you serve your students who may have experienced trauma.
Go to www.ascd.org/selresources to sample some of the content ASCD has to offer.
Upcoming ASCD Conferences
2020 Conference on Educational Leadership
October 23–25, 2020 Dallas, TX
Whether your leadership imperatives are in a classroom, a school, or systemwide, this event will address your needs with practical solutions and inspiration.
Empower21: The Conference for Learning, Teaching, and Leading Together
March 26–29, 2021 Washington, DC
Information about the Empower21 conference will be available in September 2020. Sign up to be notified when registration opens.
