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I am honored to call Dr. Steve Sroka a friend. He issuing interviewed by NBC in his home town and I will be posting his messages as soon as he posts new ones. His advice is insightful as well as informed.

 

Morning Friends,
Coronavirus is at a tipping point.
Here is a Message of Hope, not gloom.
With the 3 H’s. Hope. Honesty. Hunker Down.
Coronavirus Update Tuesday, March17, 2020.
Just finished this interview with NBC.
Please feel free to share the link.
Be prepared with facts. Not scared with fears. Stay tuned. Things change fast.
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-questions-answered-doctor-stephen-sroka/95-9cc95ca5-a18d-4851-94a3-8a776481b3cb
Stay home, stay distanced, stay connected, Steve

Stephen R. Sroka, Ph.D.,
President, Health Education Consultants
Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
(216) 554-0798 cell
www.DrStephenSroka.com
“You have the Power of One to start a fire. But you need the Power of Many to keep the fire burning.”

The governors from five states (Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon and New Mexico) have already closed all of their schools because of the Coronavirus. State governors, and mayors are moving quickly to address the situation, but the circumstances are  fluid and rapidly changing. The actions being taken will, hopefully, slow the spread of the virus.

What should those schools in states where schools are still open, do? While we do not want to unduly scare the children, we need to give them and their parents the knowledge to deal with the situation. The more we give them knowledge, the less likely rumors will determine their actions. Principals can teach young children how to wash their hands. The Wall Street Journal printed instructions on handwashing (https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-dos-and-donts-of-handwashing-11583952006)

In science classes, teachers can teach them what a virus is. English and Social Studies teachers can use non-fiction books (Viruses vs. Bacteria: Knowing the Difference, Green Genius Guide: What Are Bacteria, Viruses and Fungus? A Planet of Viruses) and videos about viruses (Contagion, Andromeda Strain).

Schools need to base their decisions on the best medical and scientific information and not the loudest voice. The best source of information is the Centers for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html)

 

 

The excerpt appearing on the Learning Counsel’s Newsletter (https://thelearningcounsel.com/article/who-will-teach-children-3-keys-building-globally-competitive-world-class-schools)  is from my latest book, Who Will Teach the Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators” https://thelearningcounsel.com/article/who-will-teach-children-3-keys-building-globally-competitive-world-class-schools

The book is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Learning Counsel has just published my latest article (https://thelearningcounsel.com/article/who-will-teach-children-3-keys-building-globally-competitive-world-class-schools) on the front page of its latest issue.

I will be delivering a presentation at the Educators Rising New Mexico Conference on March 6th at the Sheraton Uptown Hotel based on my book, “Helping Students Graduate. Tools and Strategies to Raise Graduation Rates and Lower Dropout Rates”.

The National Threat Assessment Center, a division of the US Secret Service has issued a followup report to the initial school shootings at Columbine HS. The new report emphasizes the following:

The overwhelming number of  school shooters are “students, former students or students from other schools.” They are not intruders. So we have been preparing for the wrong attackers. The people who commit school violence know the schools. We have created a multi million dollar industry with secure door locks, “bullet-proof” back packs and the rest of the “harding” of schools.

Research indicates that minorities have greater success when they are in schools where there are more adults (educators, principals and other personnel) that look like them.

As a new report from AASA, The School Superintendents Association, suggest the nation’s superintendents are still overwhelmingly white and male despite gradual shifts in demographics. The percentage of female superintendents increased slightly in the past decade, from 24.1% in 2010 to 26.68% in 2020 “” more than double the percentage of female superintendents documented in 2000 (13.1%). The number of superintendents of color is increasing much more slowly, with 8.6% of respondents identifying as superintendents of color in 2020, compared to 6% in 2010 and 5% in 2000. Of the relatively small percentage who are African American, Latinx or other minority group, nearly 42% are women. ?

Chris Tienken. the lead investigator of the study  pointed out the position of superintendent is much more diverse than its counterpart in the business world: The percentage of women and leaders of color in the top education leadership position is “well above” the 5.4% of S&P 500 companies led by a woman, the 5% of the Russell 3000 companies that have a woman in the top position, and the only four black CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies in 2019. Principal leadership remains comparatively much more diverse in contrast, with women holding a majority of principal positions during the 2015-16 school year, according to the National Teacher and Principal Survey. The same survey found? 22.2% of public-school principal positions were held by people of color.

In 2017 our nation’s school systems became “minority-Majority” ““ minority dominated. Both superintendent and principal leadership lags behind the public-school student population, which has become increasingly diverse. While the last decade was expected to bring a substantial turnover of superintendents, with about half of survey respondents saying they planned to leave the profession, more superintendents (nearly 60%) said they plan to stay in the profession.

 

The National Threat Assessment Center, a division of the US Secret Service has issued a followup report to the initial school shootings at Columbine HS. The new report emphasizes the following:

“There is no profile of a student attacker. There have been male and female attackers, high-achieving students with good grades as well as poor performers. These acts of violence were committed by students who were loners and socially isolated, and those who were well-liked and popular.”