The New México Public Education Department recently launched a Quarantine Response Hotline to provide on-demand technical support and homework help to students who are missing school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hotline, 800-805-1192, is available to quarantined and self-isolating K-12 students in districts and charter schools participating in ENGAGE New México, a Public Education Department program created early in the pandemic to help keep students engaged in learning.
“As the pandemic evolves, we have to pivot again and again to embrace new strategies,” said Public Education Secretary (Designate) Kurt Steinhaus. “A year ago, that meant remote learning. In the current Omicron surge, we have a lot of students missing class because they’re required to isolate or quarantine. Last year’s remote-learning options aren’t always available, so offering this homework hotline is another pivot to meet student needs.”
Eligible students can call the hotline between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday to get connected to an academic success coach provided by the Graduation Alliance, the Public Education Department’s ENGAGE New México partner. Video chats are also available to students needing more in-depth assistance, and callers can choose to receive help in English or Spanish.
Students who are missing school due to the COVID-19 pandemic do not have to be referred to the ENGAGE New México program for ongoing support to get help from the hotline, and there is no cost to students, districts or charter schools.
The Public Education Department partnered with Graduation Alliance in spring 2020 to provide individual academic coaches for students in grades K-12 and their families who might be struggling amid remote learning. In its first year, ENGAGE New México provided more than 11,000 “interventions” – the program’s term for student coaching sessions. Find out here if your district or state-chartered school is participating in ENGAGE New México.
Reading Workshop
Registration is now open for a series of three workshops to help families and caregivers learn strategies to help young readers improve their literacy skills at home.
The Public Education Department, in partnership with TNTP (formerly known as The New Teacher Project), is offering the virtual Family Literacy Academy, with sessions in Spanish and English, over February, March and April.
All workshops begin at 5 p.m. The first will be held Feb. 15 in English and Feb. 17 in Spanish and will focus on background knowledge and vocabulary. The second will be held March 29 in English and March 31 in Spanish and will focus on print concepts and fluency. The third, on April 26 (English) and April 28 (Spanish), will focus on comprehension. Register here for the English workshops.
Participants will get information, tools and strategies to help young readers in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. All sessions will offer breakout rooms by grade level bands to give participants targeted support for building literacy skills in the home.
“You’ll learn similar techniques to what your child’s teacher is using to teach reading at school, but through fun strategies that will fit right into your daily routine at home,” said Katherine Avery, the Public Education Department’s director of Strategic Outreach. “Teachers study the science of reading, but you don’t have to have an education degree to apply science-of-reading strategies at home. We’ll get you started at the Family Literacy Academy.”
Participants will learn about “structured literacy” programs, which help children build skills sequentially and logically – starting with foundational skills like decoding symbols into words and building up to spelling, expanded vocabulary, comprehension and writing.
The structured literacy approach helps every child learn to read, but it’s essential for children with dyslexia, a learning disability that can make learning to read especially hard.
Up to 20% of the population displays signs of dyslexia by some estimates, which is why New México is now screening every first-grade student for signs of dyslexia. The screening is not a diagnosis, but it helps educators intervene early on if a child needs it before those challenges become ingrained in the upper grades.
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