How can educators feel safe?

Educators in Palo Alto, California, have created a list of demands to be met before they return to the classroom. I have to admit, when I first read the headline, "Palo Alto teachers list COVID-19 Safety Demands before returning to classrooms," I braced for a list of unreasonable requests.

However, as I started reading through the specifics, it all makes sense. It's well thought out and should be at least discussed in all school districts throughout the country.

This list which was proposed by the Palo Alto Educators Association includes but is not limited to

plexiglass face shields

disposable gloves

smocks

handwashing stations

COVID 19 testing or antibody testing

increased nursing staff

deep cleaning of classrooms

protocols on how students will line up, enter and exit classrooms

sick time remain untouched if educators must quarantine

Motivating High School Students to Take Action and Create Change

In our bright idea segment of Episode 153, we speak with Kyle Willkom. The youth speaker has connected with schools in 47 states, and he joined us to give us tips on how to empower High School Students to Think Positive, Take Action, and Create Change.

Willkom says educators want to inspire and motivate an entire school. But a lot of times what we're hearing is that they can inspire and motivate the top 10 percent of students who already active in the school.

"How do we really from the bottom up, from inside out, change the way young people think about becoming leaders or impacting their school culture or environment and then taking action on it," says Willkom.

This is part of the inspiration for Willkom's upcoming book, Action-Packed Leadership - Empowering High School Students to Think Positive, Take Action, and Create Change.

To hear more about how Willkom motivates high school students, listen to Episode 153 of Class Dismissed on your favorite podcasting app or iTunes.

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