NYSED and the State Library are partnering with 1,100 public libraries and neighborhood branches, schools, and other partners statewide to support and encourage participation in the 2021 Summer Reading at New York Libraries program.

The 2021 Summer Reading slogan is “Tails and Tales” and libraries are hosting many fun programs and events around this year's animal theme. Libraries across the state have reopened and will be offering a selection of exciting programming this summer. There will be special events, reading challenges, fun activities, and more throughout the summer months.

In addition to program support and resources, the State Library provides a fun, online app called READSquared that helps students and families track their favorite books during the summer and all year long. And, creative teens can enter the 2021 national Teen Video Challenge for a chance to win state and national recognition and a cash prize for creating a short video to promote libraries and Summer Reading.

Children, teens, and their families can find more information about the Summer Reading program and sign up by visiting their local public library’s website. Updated information, resources, and activities are also available on the Summer Reading at New York Libraries website.

The 2021 Summer Food Service Program provides free meals to approximately 400,000 children at over 3,000 sites statewide. There are a number of tools available to help find a service site that will provide free meals during the summer for children 18 years old and younger:

More information about the NYSED administration of the Summer Food Service Program is available on our website.

As a result of the state disaster emergency that went into effect in March 2020, the Board of Regents adopted numerous emergency regulations to address issues resulting from interruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis and to provide regulatory flexibility during the crisis. As of June 25, 2021, the state of emergency is no longer in effect; however, the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect New York State. Therefore, the Board of Regents this week adopted an additional series of emergency regulations that extend essential flexibility for educators, students, and professionals to address issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A full summary of this month’s series of emergency regulations is available here.

NYSED awarded more than $24 million in state-funded grants for extended school day and school violence prevention programs to 83 school districts and non-profit organizations across the state. The grants will be administered over a five-year period, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2026.

Eligible programs provide support to students through extended school day activities and/or school safety programs which promote violence prevention. Extended school day programs will increase student achievement, provide extracurricular enrichment activities, and assist in preventing school violence. School violence prevention activities include comprehensive school-based intervention models that reduce violence and improve school safety as well as funding for safe corridors, diversity programs, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies or community-based organizations.

Approximately $24.3 million is expected to be available annually statewide, contingent upon annual state budget appropriations. Each application may include a request for an annual grant award of a maximum of $350,000. Agencies applying for multiple grants were limited to a maximum annual award of $1.2 million.

Find more information and a full list of awardees here.

Last month, the United States Department of Education approved NYSED’s Accountability and Report Card Waiver for the 2020-21 school year. For more information, please refer to our June 2021 memo: United States Department of Education Waiver of Every Student Succeeds Act Accountability and Report Card Provisions for the 2020-21 School Year.

Two New York State mathematics teachers and three New York State science teachers are state-level finalists for the 2021 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) at the secondary level, grades 7-12. The PAEMST, one of the most prestigious honors in the nation for teachers, recognizes exemplary teaching and leadership in mathematics and science education.

Congratulations to our state finalists Rachel Linehan from Bethlehem Central School District, Harry O’Malley from Williamsville Central School District, Kristen Drury from William Floyd Central School District, Sarah English from Sweet Home Central School District, and Brittany Kozlenko from Brewster Central School District on this prestigious honor.

Rethink 2021: Professional Learning for K-12 Educators in All Environments: Maximizing Lessons Learned will offer two half-day sessions of remote professional learning for K-12 educators on August 23 and 24. This event is being presented by eTeachNY, a consortium of 10 Regional Information Centers providing professional learning opportunities that all educators in NYS can participate in at no cost to them or their school/district.

Preregister for this exciting learning opportunity or visit the eTeachNY website to learn more.