This photo tour shows what the post-coronavirus  return to school  looks like in eight countries around the world.
Quotable and Notable
“The will to survive and endure can be the deciding factor between a child who overcomes adversity and thrives and a child who never makes it to adulthood. But how long can we ask people born in the wrong ZIP code to 'rise above' and persevere in circumstances beyond their control, no matter how central the idea of overcoming is to our archetypal American identity? ... Surviving life’s hardest blows should not be celebrated — or expected. Recovery and reconciliation require reparations and resources. To expect resilience without justice is simply to indifferently accept the status quo.”  
 
-From the  New York Times  article, “ I’m Sick of Asking Children to Be Resilient ,” by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha 
Fact of the Week
The number of  pandemic child care centers operating in Ohio, serving more than 24,000 children, according to ODJFS data.   
Policy Radar
After  an initial delay  in making the announcement, Gov. DeWine announced yesterday Ohio’s  reopening for child care providers and day camps, which are allowed to reopen May 31st. Full details can be found here . The plan includes measures such as: 
  • Centers will be required to have reduced #s of children (9 children max for preschool and school-aged; 6 children max for infants/toddlers);  
  • Masks are recommended; 
  • Daily temperature taking; any child with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be sent home; 
  • Intensified cleaning and handwashing procedures, and changes related to pick-ups and drop-offs.  
 
Gov. DeWine also announced that the state will be utilizing more than $60 million in federal CARES Act funds to support Ohio’s child care providers. Ohio will also be conducting a research study of best practices among centers dealing with COVID-19. The data will be used to study and inform the state’s decisions for child care settings.   
 
Draft plan on school reopening  
Ohio leaders have begun to plan for what the 2020-21 school year may look like. The Ohio Department of Education, with input from teachers, health officials, and the governor’s office, has developed a draft plan, published by the  Plain Dealer  here . Among the plan's recommendations are social distancing measures, required masks for teachers and students, and prohibitions on field trips.  Dayton Daily News  describes  the plan, highlighting the state superintendent’s thoughts that school will likely not look the same in August. 
 
Other state policy news  
  • Dayton Daily News outlines some pretty bleak numbers from Ohio’s budget report; 
  • The State Board of Education discussed its legal requirement to raise cut-scores for the state’s third-grade reading guarantee, and put forth an emergency resolution asking the legislature to waive this requirement; 
  • Lawmakers in the Ohio House of Representatives are discussing a measure (HB 603) that would temporarily suspend student loan payments; 
  • Ohio received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand food assistance to families with children who qualify for free- and reduced-price lunch; 
  • Ohio House Reps. West and Upchurch introduced a resolution urging Gov. DeWine to declare a state of emergency on childhood trauma; 
  • The Dispatch has a thoughtful editorial on the pandemic’s impact on our housing market – a whole other set of policy challenges to consider. 
 
Federal  
U.S. House Democrats have introduced  new relief legislation , the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion relief bill that is not  expected  to pass the U.S. Senate. Even so, it’s worth noting what’s included in the proposal toward stabilization of the child care industry, as well as efforts  underway  to ask Congress to  address  the major challenges facing the sector. 
FYI
Starting June 1st, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) will share over  100 presentations  from various experts, to help early childhood educators stay up on professional development and in lieu of their regularly scheduled Professional Learning Institute. The content will include presentations from policy experts, higher education faculty, school leaders, researchers and educators, and will be free of charge. 
 
New America and Better Life Lab are collecting stories from the early childhood education field about the impact of COVID-19 on your lives. They plan to feature glimpses into the lives of early childhood teachers, administrators, and families in their upcoming newsletters.  Submit your story here . 
Events & Happenings
Our partners at the Schoenbaum Family Center and A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning have teamed up with the OSU Alumni Association to offer live webinars for families who are home with their young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join Samantha Peterson, M.S., assistant principal, and Anneliese Johnson, M.S., principal, both of the  A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning  for Mediating Sibling Rivalry and Supporting Conflict Resolution with Young Children on Thursday, May 21 at 1:30pm.  Register here . 
What We're Reading
The Hechinger Report reminds us to keep the needs of  student parents  in mind during this time, many of whom struggled with food and housing insecurity even before the pandemic.  
 
The Bipartisan Policy Center published a brief on the importance on  investing in home-based child care . Home-based child care programs typically serve smaller groups of children, which may become a higher priority as we continue to deal with the coronavirus. BPC argues for states to support small, home-based providers moving forward.  
 
What are the  ethical implications of reopening schools ?  Education Week  explains the tradeoffs surrounding these decisions. Also on the topic of reopening, The 74 Million identified six priorities  for both schools and state policy makers to consider. Meanwhile, teachers share three lessons  for how to make remote learning more successful. 
 
Many parents across the country are wondering  when child care can resume . This  New York Times  article says it will depend on a bevy of factors, including location, age and health of child care workers, as well as levels of risk.  
Beyond the Buckeye State
New Mexico has launched an  incentive pay program  for early childhood educators providing care during the pandemic. 
 
The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at Berkeley surveyed child care providers in the state of  California  to understand the effects that coronavirus has had on them. Programs are facing financial problems, health and safety issues, and difficulty deciphering state guidance. Also in California, New America covers personal stories of how preschool teachers are  staying connected  with their students during the pandemic.  
 
Pre-pandemic, Illinois was working to overhaul its early learning system by adding 6,000 new preschool slots and reorganizing how it’s funded. But  some are worried  about what the pandemic may do to this expansion.  
This edition written by: Jamie Davies O'Leary, Associate Director of Policy and Caitlin Lennon, Communications & Policy Specialist
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