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By Jill Cowan and John Ismay, The New York Times, April16, 2020 On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked the state’s undocumented workers, many of whom pick fruits and vegetables, care for the sick and perform other critical jobs. Then he announced a plan to help them : The federal coronavirus relief package does not include aid for undocumented immigrants. So Mr. Newsom said the state would step in with $75 million, plus another $50 million from philanthropic organizations, to be paid to...

By Ana B. Ibarra, Cal Matters, April 15, 2020 Gov. Gavin Newsom said today the state is partnering with philanthropic groups to provide disaster relief to undocumented immigrants affected by the coronavirus who have been left out of other pandemic assistance programs. Ten percent of California’s workforce is undocumented, Newsom said, and they are not eligible for unemployment insurance or aid through the federal stimulus package. The new $125 million Disaster Relief Fund will include $75...

By Shawn Ginwright, April 14, 2020 The reports of racial disparities among COVID-19 victims should not surprise us. African Americans and Latinos have typically experienced disproportionate exposure to a range of health issues. For example, African Americans are twice as likely to die of heart disease as their white counterparts. Consider that Latinos are 50% more likely than whites to die of diabetes or liver disease. These issues are not determined by biology, but by a history of policies...

By Al Donato, Huffington Post, April 15, 2020 If you’re an exhausted parent at home right now, you have a friend in Elmo’s dad, Louie. In the latest pandemic programming from “Sesame Street,” the children’s series has released a PSA for parents starring the famous Muppet’s father. In the PSA, Louie reveals that, like many kids cooped up at home, Elmo won’t leave his parents alone. “It is wonderful to spend so much time with our children, but it can also be a bit ...” the older Muppet pauses,...

By Jacqueline Garcia and Erica Hellerstein, Cal Matters, April 14, 2020 Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hector had a stable job as a cook at an Italian restaurant in Oakland. Suddenly, in mid-March, about a dozen workers were laid off, including him. “There was a low clientele and the restaurant wasn’t doing well,” said Hector, who didn’t want to provide his last name due to his undocumented status. Hector, a 45-year-old married father of three and a grandfather, was left struggling to care...

YMCA Marin County Youth Court in San Rafael, California In her opening statement, 17-year-old youth advocate Eva advises jurors how to proceed and summarizes her “client’s” good qualities. “As you will see, Julian is genuine, well-spoken and friendly. I recommend asking him about his friends and family, his future plans and his activities outside of school.” (First names only of all minors are used to protect their privacy.) Welcome to the YMCA Marin County (CA) Youth Court, one of 1,400...

By Deb Anderaos and Julia Yarbough, Action News Now, April 15, 2020 Butte County health representatives say they have long realized the need for coordinated mental health services for family and children dealing with trauma. The Camp Fire drove that point home and now the coronavirus crisis. Julia Yarbough recently spoke with the Executive Director of the new Center for Learning and Resilience. It’s a resource to help meet community needs. First of all, thank you for joining us, and tell me...

By Zaidee Stavely, EdSource, April 15, 2020 As thousands of California residents stay home in response to the coronavirus pandemic, children’s advocates, preschool teachers and social workers have had to get creative to make sure everyone gets counted in the census. “Now that we’re in shelter-in-place, we have really had to pivot,” said Ditas Katague, director of the California Complete Count — Census 2020 office, which was set up to lead outreach efforts in the state. Katague said with the...

By Louis Freedberg, EdSource, April 14, 2020 Gov. Gavin Newsom says it is too soon to ease up on restrictions keeping millions of students out of school, but when they do return, possibly in the fall, they would likely come back to schools organized in radically different ways in order to protect students, staff and families. Currently over 6 million students in California are out of school, and school districts are struggling to provide them with “distance learning” that will hold their...

By John Fensterwald, EdSource, April 15, 2020 The transition to distance learning has been a huge undertaking, and especially difficult for small districts. The Office of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools in California’s San Joaquin Valley has coordinated a common approach. All teachers and their students in participating districts — 22 out of 47 districts so far — will sign onto the same platform. There will be activities and lessons to choose from in every grade and every subject.

Bob Eckstein This week, we're hosting one more 'A Better Normal' discussion: on Thursday, April 16, 2020....12 pm PT/ 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT/ 3 pm ET. Lara Kain, ACEs In Education community manager, will lead a discussion with James Moffett, Jr., JM Educational Consulting and incoming principal of Faris Elementary in Hutchinson, KS; Emily Read Daniels, M.Ed., MBA, NCC, SEP in training, founder of HERE this NOW ; and Jim Sporleder, Jim Sporleder Consulting , former principal of Lincoln High School...

By The California Homeless Youth Project, February 2020 The California Homeless Youth Project compiled lists of basic needs resources that California’s public colleges and universities offer to undergraduates in order to make these resources more accessible. Basic needs resources include emergency housing, programs targeting students experiencing housing insecurity, programs targeting foster youth, free groceries, free prepared meals, on-campus CalFresh application assistance, emergency...