Francesca Gino, Maryam Kouchaki and Tiziana Casciaro recently wrote in the Harvard Business Review that networking is a necessity and a mountain of research shows that professional networks lead to among other things: broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, improved work quality and increased job satisfaction.

As we work to network with community members and district personnel, here are 8 essential ingredients that Fullan and Rincon-Gallardo assert as necessary for effective networks and collaboration.

It’s the beginning of a new school year, and it’s a busy time for all district personnel, but it tends to be a particularly active time for special education personnel. The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year brings new students to your buildings, and current students are always growing and changing. It is thus critical for your district personnel to be ready to identify students who may need special education.

Computer science plan
The State Committee on Computer Science voted unanimously to approve a final report of the State of Ohio Computer Science Plan, which focuses on K-12 education. The report includes 10 recommendations. Read the final report here. OSBA provided comments during the public comment period, which can be read here.

The Ohio Department of Education will open nominations for the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award Sept. 1. The RISE Award honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service to their schools, students, colleagues and communities. The Ohio Department of Education will accept nominations for the award Sept. 1-30. Congress created the award in 2019 and the U.S. Department of Education oversees the program.

September is almost here! School buses are back on the road, lunch bags are back on the kitchen counter and educators are in that exciting back-to-school mood. As the new school year begins, it’s a good time for a reminder of upcoming school deadlines required by state law and resources available to districts.

September deadlines

School Safety Grants
The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) will be holding a webinar on Aug. 31 at 9 am regarding funding for the 2022 applicants of the School Safety Grant Program. Panelists from the OFCC, Ohio Office of Budget and Management and Ohio Department of Public Safety will be available for a Q&A at the end of the session. Click here to register for the webinar.

Federal update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated COVID-19 guidance that removes the quarantine rule for unvaccinated individuals, the screening of healthy students and employees, and the 6-foot social-distancing standard. Click here for a link to the CDC website.

September is Attendance Awareness Month, which is a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. This month recognizes the importance of mobilizing schools, partners and communities to promote regular attendance by developing tiered strategies and personalized interventions to reduce chronic absence.