Kristen Hengtgen

Educators – climate change is our fight, too! (10/10) @edtrust.bsky.social

Districts should prepare schools for climate resiliency and invest in strategies to support students’ and educators’ mental health. And states should support the development of local K12 extreme weather plans, and prioritize those most impacted by climate change and education inequities. (9/10)

State and school leaders should also be ready, because extreme weather will continue to increase. The Trump administration halted the largest federal investment ever in our nation’s public schools to upgrade their infrastructure to be cleaner, healthier, and more efficient. (8/10)

NWEA’s research suggests that students particularly affected by weather-related school closures need the things we know other struggling students need: additional supports like high-dosage tutoring and the hiring of additional staff to support students’ academic and mental health needs. (7/10)

California and North Carolina’s disasters made the front page, but extreme weather closed many more schools that didn’t make the national news. Climate disasters will affect students across the country. (6/10)

Schools are community hubs for many students, providing food, shelter, essential services, and positive relationships. When students don’t have access to their safe spaces, they may lack stability and the support necessary to support their overall well-being.  (5/10)

Climate change and extreme weather are most likely to impact the same students who already face educational inequities, with the greatest consequences for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities. (4/10)

Besides missing class time, students also may face outside factors that can distract from learning when schools reopen, like displacement, trauma, parental stress, injuries, or deaths in their communities. (3/10)

How to meet student needs following inclement weather–related school closures - Teach. Learn. Grow. Addressing setbacks following inclement weather–related school closures requires balancing immediate strategies with long-term supports.

Link: www.nwea.org/blog/2024/ho...

A meta-analysis from @nwea.bsky.social finds 1 week missed from extreme weather is akin to 2-4 weeks of learning loss. And the effect is larger for middle schoolers, likely because middle school curricula builds on prior knowledge, so missing school can more quickly lead to gaps in learning.

When extreme weather closes schools – like Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and the wildfires in Southern California –the impact is greater than a couple days off school. (1/10)