Back to School White House Webinar

The Back to School Webinar has been cancelled - thank you to those who showed interest in attending. RSC and our affiliates will continue to support schools and teachers as they remain driven to safely take on the new school year.

Date: Friday, September 10

Time: 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Location: Virtual (link provided after registration)

We hope you can join the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy; the COVID Collaborative; the Council of the Great City Schools; AASA, the School Superintendents Association; the National Rural Education Association; and the Rural Schools Collaborative for a webinar on Friday, September 10, 1:30-2:30 PM EST showcasing how schools can be critical partners in the effort to protect students, their families, and their communities from COVID-19.

Despite the nation’s progress on COVID-19 vaccination, young people aged 12 and older still have disproportionately lower COVID-19 vaccination rates. By collaborating with key community organizations, health care providers, and state and local public health leaders to host school-located COVID-19 vaccination events, schools can help to increase access to and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines for adolescents who need them most.

The event will feature a call to action from White House officials, who will discuss strategies to protect students and communities from COVID-19. Next, in a moderated discussion, leaders from school districts across the U.S. will share promising approaches to school-located COVID-19 vaccination events, strategies for engaging families and communities to build vaccine confidence, and key lessons learned.

1:30 – 1:40 pm Welcome and Opening Remarks:

• John Bridgeland, CEO, COVID Collaborative

• Mark McClellan, Director, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy

1:40 – 1:50 pm A Call to Action: Protecting Students and Communities from COVID-19

• Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator (invited)

1:50 – 2:25 pm Discussion with School Leaders: Sharing Strategies, Challenges, and Lessons Learned from School-Located COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

• Moderator: Ray Hart, Executive Director, Council of the Great City Schools

Panelists:

• Alycia Meriweather, Deputy Superintendent of External Partnerships, Enrollment and Innovation, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Michigan
• Sylvia Schaffer, Senior Director, Exceptional Student Education, Orange County Public Schools, Florida
• Ron Tanimura, Director, Student Medical Services, Los Angeles Unified School District, California
• Mark Lierman, District Administrator, School District of Shullsburg, Wisconsin

2:25 – 2:30 pm Closing Remarks:

• Mary Wall, Senior Policy Advisor, White House COVID-19 Response Team (invited)

Getting vaccinated is our best path forward to sustain the vitality of rural places - that is why Rural Schools Collaborative and NREA have been proud to join The COVID Collaborative in support of the Rural Vaccine Initiative. For more information on this joint effort visit our previous article.