YKids and Learning Loss: How Do We Catch Up?

FAMILY MATTERS

9 Kids and Learning Loss: How Do We Catch Up?

BY MANUEL HOLGUIN

By March 25, 2020, a few months after the first reported case of COVID-19 in the US, all public schools were closed indefinitely. "It became immediately apparent that the pandemic would have a huge impact on students and specifically students of color and students from low-income communities," said Allison Socol, Ph.D., during a briefing to discuss the impact and learning loss that students experienced during the pandemic shut down. Most importantly, Socol and two other panelists, Hayin Kimner, Ph.D., and Louis Freedberg, an award-winning education journalist, discussed proven programs and approaches to inspire students to get back to school and recover from learning loss. Socol spoke on what "unfinished learning" is and why the Education Trust chose not to call it "learning loss" or "learning gaps." Learning loss and gaps, as others refer to them, are the loss of academic skills and knowledge that students face when taking breaks from school or, in this case, being forced to stop attending in-person learning, such as the last two years. They chose "unfinished learning" for two reasons; the first is to "signal that with resources and supports, students can absolutely make progress" and to "shift the focus away from blaming students and putting the responsibility on the systems." Socol, like many others, understands that the full effects of the school shutdowns due to COVID are still being studied. "The research that we're drawing on is not research about how to accelerate students learning in a global pandemic," said Socol. "But we do know a lot about what works for accelerating students learning and helping them catch up." The Education Trust brings to the table three evidence-based strategies to accelerate learning. The first is targeted intensive tutoring, and she demonstrated its features and how they range from more to less effective. Some examples are the effectiveness of tutors, being more effective when done by certified teachers and less effective when done by trained volunteers or peers. Another shows how the ratio of one or two students to one teacher is more effective than when the balance is 3-4:1. The second strategy is expanded learning time. An example of this strategy is how the curriculum is most effective when aligned, individualized, and high-quality and loses effectiveness when no clear program goals are set. The final strategy is relationship building, showing how certified teachers and other staff can be more effective than outside mentors. Louis Freedberg spoke on the strategy of project-based learning. Project-based learning is an approach in which it is believed that students acquire more profound knowledge through a functional assessment of real-world challenges. "For me, one of the most important goals is getting kids excited about learning and being in school," said Freedberg. "For too long, the focus and the whole narrative in schools has been on testing and grades." Freedberg understands that there will always be some form of testing in schools but believes it does not entirely work and should not be the primary way of teaching children. Freedberg uses the George Lucas Educational Foundation and Edutopia as an example. Their core strategies are "project-based learning, social and emotional learning, comprehensive assessment, teacher developcontinued on page 10

IMMIGRATION Arleigh Louison is Dead. The Devastation of His Fraud Lives On.

BY MARY CAMPBELL

Federal law enforcement agents arrested Arleigh Louison on July 18, 2019. He was indicted in Vermont on 12 counts of making false statements and submitting over 1,800 fraudulent immigration applications to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). “A federal grand jury returned a 12count indictment against Arleigh Louison, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, charging him with running an immigration fraud scheme that included the filing of false statements with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, including over 1,800 fraudulent applications for over 1,000 petitioners within the last four years. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents arrested Louison in Brooklyn, New York, and executed a federal search warrant at his office,” said the U.S. Department of Justice press release. “The indictment charges that the false statements were made in connection with Form I-360 petitions for status adjustments under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In short, the indictment charges that Louison presented or caused the presentment of adjustment of status petitions containing false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Service Center in St. Albans, Vermont claiming that the petitioners were victims of abuse. The indictment also charges that these petitioners, who paid Louison for his services, did not discuss abuse with Louison, were not abused as described in the petitions, and did not authorize the statements made in the petitions Louison submitted to USCIS. The indictment also charges that Louison fabricated fee waiver petitions on behalf of these individuals without their knowledge.”

Problems for Victims/Clients Louison has since passed. However, he has left a carnage of victims facing deportation and a myriad of immigration

The late “Untouchable “Louison. Photo: Facebook

issues. What does this mean? Since Arleigh Louison was arrested for immigration fraud, the files of all his clients will be reviewed by the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents (ICE). Additionally, every single client will be served a Notice to Appear (NTA) and be interviewed by ICE agents with the sole purpose of seeking admission to initiate deportation proceedings. The NTA is the first step taken by the American government to remove an immigrant from the country. If you were a client of Louison, it is imperative that you consult with an AILA attorney and do not meet with ICE alone. You should also seek the advice of more than one counsel. Get a case evaluation. ASK THE LAWYER – call 855768-8845.l Kids and Learning Loss/ continued from page 9 ment, integrated studies, and technology integration." Another strategy to help close the learning gaps due to COVID is community schools. Hayin Kimner, Ph.D., spoke on the subject. "Community Schools do not refer to a program or a funding strategy," Kimner said. "When we're talking about Community Schools, we're talking about a whole child. It's a whole-school improvement strategy where districts and schools work together and work with their community, teachers, students, families, staff, and partnering with community agencies and local government to align their resources to improve student outcomes." Learning from the mess of COVID, Community Schools Learning Exchange (CSLX) took what was most effective when teaching shifted to remote learning. Community schools focus on student and family relationships, collaborative and leadership staff, student-centered education, and integrated student and teacher support. In the final word, Kimner said that community learning and any of these strategies are more than a response to COVID; it's about adapting to cultures, putting connections and human relationships first, and working as a community to support children to thrive. l

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IMMIGRATION USCIS Announces New Actions to Reduce Backlogs, Expand Premium Processing, and Provide Relief to Work Permit Holders

WASHINGTON: On March 29, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a trio of efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system. USCIS will set new agency-wide backlog reduction goals, expand premium processing to additional form types, and work to improve timely access to employment authorization documents. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resource constraints resulting from the prior administration, USCIS inherited a significant number of pending cases and increased processing times. Through these actions by the Biden administration, USCIS is acting to reduce these caseloads and processing times, while also ensuring that fair and efficient services are available to applicants and petitioners. “USCIS remains committed to delivering timely and fair decisions to all we serve,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Every application we adjudicate represents the hopes and dreams of immigrants and their families, as well as their critical immediate needs such as financial stability and humanitarian protection.”

Reducing Processing Backlogs To reduce the agency’s pending caseload, USCIS is establishing new internal cycle time goals this month. These goals are internal metrics that guide the backlog reduction efforts of the USCIS workforce and affect how long it takes the agency to process cases. As cycle times improve, processing times will follow, and applicants and petitioners will receive decisions on their cases more quickly. USCIS will increase capacity, improve technology, and expand staffing to achieve these new goals by the end of FY 2023.

Expanding Premium Processing The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that aligns premium processing regulations with the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act. The rule codifies premium processing fees and adjudication timeframes provided by Congress. USCIS intends to begin implementing, through a phased approach, premium processing availability of Form I-539, Form I-765 and Form I-140 in fiscal year 2022. USCIS will also adhere to the congressional requirement that the expansion of premium processing must not cause an increase in processing times for regular immigration benefit requests. USCIS plans to begin this phased implementation process by expanding premium processing eligibility to Form I-140 filers requesting EB-1 immigrant classification as a multinational executive or manager, or EB-2 immigrant classification as a member of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability seeking a national interest waiver. Improving Access to Employment Authorization Documents USCIS continues to make progress toward a temporary final rule currently named “Temporary Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Renewal Applicants.” In recent months, USCIS has begun streamlining many EAD processes, including extending validity periods for certain EADs and providing expedited work authorization renewals for healthcare and childcare workers. The temporary final rule aims to build on this progress and to ensure certain individuals will not lose their work authorization status while their applications are pending.l

JOBS & RECESSION

12 Being a Paralegal Is a Great Career Choice!

BY THE CHAMBER COALITION

Acareer as a paralegal (also known as a legal assistant) can be a wonderfully fulfilling profession. Paralegals perform legal , regulatory , and business -related research for lawyers working at their organization. Most of the time, paralegals work for law offices, non-profits, corporations' legal departments, or courts. These professionals also provide legal support services to attorneys. They assist lawyers in filing motions, memoranda, pleadings, and briefs in various court systems and accompany lawyers to see clients and go to court. Here are five great things about being a paralegal:

1. Rise in Pay Paralegal compensation has risen steadily in the past decade. As paralegals perform a broader and more complex range of tasks (paralegals even represent clients in court in certain countries and administrative tribunals), their earnings continue to rise. The average paralegal salary hovers at around $50,000 per year, but paralegals often make more through bonuses. Overtime hours can also add significant cash to a paralegal's paycheck. 2. Explosive Employment Outlook The paralegal field is one of the fastestgrowing professions on the globe. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts the employment of paralegals and legal assistants by over 25 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations. Among the factors driving this growth is client demand for cheaper, more efficient delivery of legal services. Since hourly rates charged by attorneys are typically double or triple the rates of paralegals for the same task, law firm economics mandates the increased use of paralegals to minimize costs. As a result, a paralegal career is one of the hottest non-lawyer jobs in the legal industry. 3. Easy Career Entry Unlike lawyers who must complete seven years of formal education and pass the bar exam to practice law, you can become a paralegal in as little as a few months of study.

4. Intellectual Challenge Paralegal work is intellectually challenging and involves a range of high-level skills. The most successful paralegals are problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. Paralegals must become subject matter experts in their specialty areas and master legal procedure, research, drafting, and other skills. They must stay on top of ever-changing laws and new legal trends and developments while interfacing with attorneys, opposing counsel, vendors, staff members, clients, and others. The work is varied, and each day brings new challenges.

5. Rising Prestige As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is rising. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they assume corporate management roles, leadership roles in law firms, and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal secretaries to become respected legal team members.

Ready to Take the Leap? A career as a paralegal can be rewarding professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help others; options vary, depending on the paralegal's practice area. Paralegals in the public interest sector help poor and disadvantaged segments of the population with legal issues ranging from protection from domestic abuse to assistance preparing wills. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Call us at 718-722-9217 or visit www.freeparalegal.org to complete your registration which includes payment.l

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SOJA win the 2022 Grammy For Best Reggae Album

BY XAVIER MURPHY JAMAICANS.COM

American reggae band SOJA (Soldiers of Jah Army) has won the 2022 Grammy for Best Reggae Album with “Beauty in the Silence”. The results were posted on the Recording Academy Twitter page and during the pre-telecast at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This is the first Grammy award for the band which is based in Arlington, Virginia. The other Best Reggae Album Grammy award nominees were Spice for her album “10”, Sean Paul for his album “Live N Livin”, Jesse David Royal for his album “Royal”, Etana for her album “Pamoja” and Gramps Morgan for his album “Positive Vibration”. This was the first time in the history of the Reggae Album award, which was instituted 36 years ago, that two women have been nominated at the same time. Only five women have previously been nominated in the Best Reggae Album category: Judy Mowatt was nominated in 1985 becoming the first female singer nominated; Koffee, who won in 2020; Rita Marley who was nominated in 1991; Sister Carol, nominated in 1996; and Etana, nominated in 2018 for the first time. The 64th GRAMMY Awards was broadcasted live from the the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3rd, 2022, on CBS Trevor Noah hosted the 2022 Grammy Awards.l

SOJA Photo: sojamusic.com

Kitchen Corner Easter Deviled Eggs

Avery easy, special touch for Easter and fun to do at baby showers as well. Do some plain white ones to keep everyone happy. By Nancy Clancy, AllRecipes.com

Ingredients 12 large eggs ¼ cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip®) salt and ground black pepper to taste hot sauce ¼ teaspoon dry mustard 4 drops red food coloring, or desired amount 4 drops blue food coloring, or desired amount 4 drops green food coloring, or desired amount 3 cups water, or as desired

Directions Step 1 Place eggs into a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Let eggs boil for 3 minutes; turn off heat, cover pot, and let eggs cook in hot water for at least 20 minutes. Drain and cover eggs with cold water. Peel cooled eggs.

Step 2 Cut hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks; mash yolks in a bowl with creamy salad dressing, salt, black pepper, hot sauce, and dry mustard until smooth.

Step 3 Place red, blue, and green food coloring into 3 different bowls and add about 1 cup water to each bowl. Steep 8 egg white halves in each bowl, tinting the egg whites pink, light blue, and green. If color is too pale, add more coloring to bowls. Drain colored egg whites on paper towels.

Step 4 Pipe or spoon egg yolk filling into colored egg white halves; cover and chill before serving, at least 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 87 calories; protein 6.3g; carbohydrates 1.1g; fat 6.3g; cholesterol 187.7mg; sodium 128.6mg.l Additional: 1 hr Total: 1 hr 25 mins Cook: 25 mins Servings:12 Yield: 24 deviled egg halves

Your Guide to Estate Planning

BY CHRIS TOBIAS

Though you may know that you need to plan for the future, you may not realize what that entails. You may have heard the term estate plan and figured that you still had time to decide what you want to be done with your things. In fact many prefer not to think about it, though that can be a costly mistake for your loved ones. Hence, the importance of estate planning.

What is Estate Planning? Estate planning encompasses a range of measures that individuals can take to ensure their assets are distributed appropriately in the event of their death or incapacitation. Writing a will that specifies who gets what after someone dies is an example of estate planning. However, while most people are familiar with the concept of leaving a will, estate planning can involve a wide range of other activities. Most estate planning is conducted with the advice and supervision of an attorney. Because your wishes should be followed, you need to start making an estate plan. Here are some things to consider while doing so:

Start with a will.Your will is a document that states what you want to happen when you are gone. You can decide who gets which assets when you are gone. This doesn't just include your house and vehicles. It includes the money in your bank accounts, retirement accounts, and much more. You also can't forget your other assets. You may own a winter or vacation home, along with boats and vehicles that stay there. For this reason, you shouldn't make a will on your own. Your lawyer will help to ensure that everything is done properly so your family will be taken care of when you are gone.

If you have young children, decide who you want their legal guardian to be. Unfortunately many children lose their parents at a young age, so you can't pretend that it won't happen to you. Instead, you have to decide who you want to take care of them if you can't. This can be a tough decision because you are going to want someone who is going to raise them the way that you would have. It is also a lot to ask of someone, so make sure that you talk to any potential legal guardians. You don't want them to feel blindsided if you pass away, so you should make sure that they know what your plan is.

Decide on a power of attorney.You may want more than one power of attorney, which may be a good idea. Some people prefer one for their health care needs and one for their financial needs. Your health care power of attorney will make any decisions on your health if you are unable to, while your financial power of attorney will be able to take care of your finances and affairs when you can't.

Make a living will. If you have certain wishes (or you don't want to put your family in the position of making health care decisions), you may want to write out a living will. This will give your doctors specific instructions of things that they can and can't do with you if you can't make that decision. Many people don't want extraordinary measures taken if the outlook doesn't look very promising. They want to be taken off of life support (or never put on it) if they are severely injured. If you don't have a living will, your loved ones will have to make these decisions for you. They may choose to keep you alive because they can't stand to let you go. Planning your estate isn't easy. There are many decisions to be made, including writing a will and a living will. You may also need to figure out who you want to care for your children if you are severely injured or deceased. These are all serious decisions and you shouldn't take it lightly.