AACS Today

In this episode, the AACS Executive Director, Government Relations Director, and legal counsel join Matt to discuss Christian school responses to mask mandates and other requirements from health departments.

Lions, and tigers, and EANS, oh my!  There's an alphabet soup of acronyms for different COVID-19 funding programs available to private schools.  In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the primary differences between EANS 1 and EANS 2.  "EANS" stands for Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools, and these programs are getting a lot of attention in the education world right now.  After listening to this episode, you'll have a better understanding of the difference between the two programs. During the show, Jamison referenced the Frequently Asked Questions [https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/03/Final-EANS-FAQ-2.0-3.19.21.pdf] (updated March 19, 2021) document about the EANS 1 program.

What's your plan to address the COVID gap at your school?  Undoubtedly, many students transferring to your school experienced learning loss due to the conditions surrounding the pandemic.  Do you have a plan to address this challenge as you prepare for the 2021–2022 school year? Join host Matt Ticzkus,  Dr. Jeff Walton, AACS Executive Director, and Bryan Wilson [https://harfordchristian.org/leadership/], Administrator at Harford Christian School, as they discuss what the data is telling us about learning loss and how Harford Christian is proactively meeting the needs of incoming students through their COVID Gap Remediation program. Resources from the podcast: * COVID Gap Remediation Considerations document [https://www.aacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Covid-Gap-Remediation-Considerations.pdf] * COVID Gap Remediation example brochure [https://www.aacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CGR-Brochure-2021.pub_.pdf] * First Grade Readiness example test from Harford Christian [https://form.jotform.com/210356388266057] (please do not submit this form) * Tutorial from Jotform on turning your form into a quiz or test [https://www.jotform.com/help/289-turn-your-form-into-a-quiz-or-exam] * TestPoint Placement Testing [https://www.testpoint.net/testing-products/placement-testing/] Points of interest about Jotform: * Integrates with Google Drive so you get all responses and attachments immediately upon submission. * Can set Jotform to email answers immediately. * Includes many other types of questions using built-in widgets.

Religious liberty is undoubtedly under attack in our nation. Sherri Huston from the Alliance Defending Freedom joins Matt and Jamison to discuss ADF's Ministry Alliance partnership with AACS.  The Ministry Alliance provides schools with access to attorneys and legal resources as well as proactive measures like document review.  ADF will be mailing out 4 legal guides to all AACS schools the week of March 1, 2021, and the guides will provide broad guidance on health insurance, admissions, athletics, and employment.  Please visit https://www.adfministryalliance.org/partners/american-association-of-christian-schools [https://www.adfministryalliance.org/partners/american-association-of-christian-schools] for more information about the ADF Ministry Alliance partnership.  Please reach out directly to Sherri, shuston@adflegal.org for questions about the program.

On this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the latest piece of Coronavirus legislation and the impact it has on Christian schools.  The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) has three important provisions that Christian schools must know about: EANS, GEER, and PPP.  For a more in-depth treatment of these provisions, be sure to review the white paper prepared by our legislative team [https://www.aacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/White-Paper_NewCovidRelief-2021.01.12.pdf].