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Could your school district run out of money?
Patrick Gleeson EducationAs we all struggle with the unprecedented threat to our health the coronavirus represents, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the virus presents a similarly unprecedented threat to our financial well-being. For now at least, government workers — whether local, state or federal — seem to be better off than other wage-workers. For teachers, however, that may not last. Here are the possibilities, both good and bad.
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Addressing the tech skills gap at K-12 level
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe COVID-19 pandemic and its social distancing consequences have taught us that online education and soft skills will be integral parts of education going forward. As schools rapidly switch from classrooms to e-learning modes, students are learning how to interact and collaborate on projects that they would do in person. At this point, no one is sure how long the quarantine will last, but schools are focused on continuing education efforts and coming up with innovative ways to keep students engaged. Touching upon areas like soft skills and encouraging an exploration in computer education makes for a great start.
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Small businesses search for solutions amid crisis
Kevin Reynolds Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWith each succeeding daily briefing from White House and governors’ offices across the country, small businesses are taking more and more of a blow. As sweeping new safety measures are enacted to curb the coronavirus pandemic, businesses have been left to wonder what comes next. A business environment that was very recently reaching 50-year-lows in unemployment, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, is now teetering on the edge with the economy grinding to a halt.
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Current lack of PPE puts emergency department staff at risk of contracting…
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareMere days into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it was quickly apparent the nation's supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers (PPE) was grossly inadequate. PPE is the best barrier between caregivers and patients with positive or suspected cases of the highly contagious virus. Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other front-line staff are being asked to ration or even reuse PPE, such as N-95 masks, face shields, goggles and surgical masks.
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An employer’s guide to COVID-19: Top 5 strategies for keeping your…
Candice Gottlieb-Clark Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementBusiness owners and leaders, there is no doubt that these are challenging times. COVID-19 has required you to change business practices overnight. Teams that normally buzz with momentum are now separated, and you must hope are still able to work effectively to get things done. Technology that was once optional for getting things done is now essential, whether your employees feel ready or not. While fear and stagnancy may be unavoidable in the first few days of change, this process is not going to be a short one.
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Pandemic omni-crisis shows off the hypocrisy of ‘emergency aid’
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentReal and imagined variations of scarcity, which are constantly lived as reality by working-class and under/unemployed people, panics Wall Street and boardrooms — closing down classrooms, offices, ticket counters, and assembly lines. Layoffs, free time from work, remote work from home, self-quarantining, sheltering in place, and lockdown status are all realities now, and a battle for grocery and drug store goods ensues, while movie theatres, sports arenas, churches, and restaurants are closed and even the presidential election is an uncertainty.
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5 ways leaders can stop people from panicking
Simma Lieberman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIf I get one more email from someone telling me "don't panic," I'm going to freak out. There are other ways of helping people calm their fears. I don't know about you, but whenever someone tells me not to panic or be afraid, I become more frightened. I feel that the person uttering those words is either not hearing me or trivializing my concerns. The coronavirus has interrupted our lives and businesses as we know it. As a leader, I want to share five ways you can help people remain calm and be present in their lives.
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5 tips for describing complexity
Brenda Crist Civil & GovernmentMost requests for proposal (RFPs) ask you to define past performance in terms of relevant size, scope and complexity. The term size is easy to understand because it is numeric. Size refers to the dollar value of the contract, the number of staff, the number of users served, the number of locations served, etc. Scope is also easy to understand, too. We simply compare how well the requirements in the RFP’s statement of work or align with those of our past performance reference.
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The coronavirus threat to US education: Part 2
Patrick Gleeson EducationIn part one of this two-part series, I explained that the consequences of this pandemic for school funding will be severe. But for teachers, that's only one of several problems. For example, we don't know yet how many teachers will lose their jobs, but during the Great Recession of 2008 nearly 300,000 teachers (and support personnel) lost their jobs. Job losses in the coming pandemic-related recession will likely be at least this bad.
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Comments are open for proposed hunting, fishing changes in Texas
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureThe Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commission is considering a number of changes to hunting and fishing regulations in 2020. However, prior to making any decisions, the Commission wants input from constituents in Texas. Among other things, TPWD is looking at implementing rules to administer an automated process for issuing pronghorn and antlerless mule deer permits, decreasing the daily bag limit for scaup and goose, and changing the hunting seasons for goose and snipe.
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