What Funders Need to Know About School Reopening

August 21, 2020

Resources:

Community Schools Playbook
Community Partnerships Critical to Strong Public Schools
The Six Pillars of Community Schools Toolkit
Partnering with Immigrant Families During COVID-19: Lessons Learned from a Community School
Safely Reopening America’s Schools and Communities
AFT Innovation Fund: COVID-19 Response Grants

As school buildings are reopening, new and ongoing issues are surfacing around health, access and equity. Join Grantmakers for Education for a funder conversation to learn about real-time, on the ground challenges and successes for districts, educators and students.

Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers, and Becky Pringle, president-elect of the National Education Association, will share emerging practices to integrate students, teachers and staff into the new school year, including insights from AFT's and NEA's guidance on the safe reopening of schools (see links below). Education grantmakers will have unique access to the insights of two leaders from major unions that are committed to advancing high quality public education. In the second half, we will open up the conversation to learn strategies that other foundations are implementing to support school reopening in their communities. Come with your questions and ideas.

We encourage you to review these materials in advance:

• AFT's Resolution on Reopening Schools
• AFT’s Guidance on Reopening Schools Safely
• NEA's report, All Hands on Deck: Guidance Regarding Reopening School Buildings

This event is intended for members and education grantmakers. There is no cost to attend this Grantmakers for Education program.

Speakers

Becky Pringle
Becky Pringle is president-elect and serves as vice president of the National Education Association (NEA). She directs NEA’s work to combat institutional racism, and spotlight systemic patterns of racism and educational injustice that impact students. Under Becky’s guidance, NEA works to widen access and opportunity by demanding changes to policies, programs, and practices. The association’s goal is to ensure the systemic, fair treatment of people of all races so that equitable opportunities and outcomes are within reach for every student. In the social justice arena, Becky also fights for the rights of students who have disabilities, identify as LGBTQ, or are English Language Learners. Becky was elected August 5 to become the next president of the NEA. Her presidential term will begin September 1.

Randi Weingarten
Randi Weingarten is president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators. The AFT champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for students, their families and communities. The AFT and its members advance these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through members’ work.