A vast majority of school districts across the country are closed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As a leader in your school or district, it’s up to you to provide direction and leadership, even though you are dealing with this unprecedented situation by figuring it out in real time. From addressing the equity issues that come with remote learning to figuring out how to keep kids fed while school is closed to planning for the 2020-2021 school year, we know there are countless issues for you to consider.  

To start, allow your teachers and yourself a grace period. This is all happening for the first time, and there is no road map to follow. We are all figuring this out together as we go. You, your teachers, your students and their families at home need time to adjust to the new normal, figure out new technologies and settle into a new routine. 

While youre busy supporting your teachers, we’re here to support you.

We work with school districts across the country, both large and small, so we’ve had lots of conversations with educators lately about issues that are arising daily. As you make plans for your district, you can support your teachers by staying up-to-date on what’s happening in the news and what resources are available to your school(s). Also, try to remember to take a few moments to remind your teachers that you value the work they are doing and acknowledge that they probably feel overwhelmed. 

To save you time researching, we’ve curated this list of resources to address many of the top questions and concerns we are hearing.  

House Coronavirus Bill Would Direct Billions to Schools, Fund Remote Learning

Secretary Perdue Announces Proactive Flexibilities to Feed Children When Schools Close

COVID-19: IFRC, UNICEF and WHO issue guidance to protect children and support safe school operations

Map: Coronavirus and School Closures

State & Territorial Health Department Websites

Google Drive 

Use Google Docs to create memos and flyers to send directly to teachers’ emails. Google Spreadsheets can be used to organize data; Google Forms can be used to collect information from teachers; Google Slides can be used during meetings. 

DropBox 

Free and easy to share large files without bogging down district servers. 

Skype & Zoom 

Both provide free, online access to video conferencing. 

Building Each Other Up, Cheering Each Other On

NCTE Toolkit for Virtual ELA Instruction

J.K. Rowling Grants Open License for Teachers to Share ‘Harry Potter’ Read Alouds 

30 Books and Series to Read While Social Distancing

Lessons In Leadership: Administrators’ advice for addressing 5 coronavirus challenges

Tips for Principals Shifting Their Schools to Distance Learning

Podcast: ‘Let Yourself Off the Hook’: Advice for Teachers and Parents During COVID-19

Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment

Creative Ways Teachers Are Building Classroom Communities Online

One School’s Virtual Teaching Takeaways After 7 Weeks

COVID-19 (“Coronavirus”) Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel

COVID-19: Preparing For Widespread Illness in Your School Community: A Legal Guide for School Leaders

Updated: Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak

American School Counselor Association: COVID-19 Resources

Another way for district administrators and literacy coaches to support teachers is to continue looking at the bigger picture. While much of the information available around COVID-19 right now focuses on immediate concerns, we know that budgets are still closing soon for many districts. 

Our own offices are closed through April 22, 2020 due to a COVID-19 Stay at Home order from the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, but we are working remotely and can still help you.

Our Literacy Accounts Managers can assist you with title selection, provide you with a price quote and help place your order when you are ready. We will coordinate shipping with you when we reopen our facilities (and ensure that someone in your district or school is also available to receive your books). 

There are several ways to order books: 

ONE: If you’ve ordered with us in the past and know what you’re doing, simply place your order how you normally would.

TWO: You can contact us at service@booksource.com with your title list or an idea of the grade level, reading level, genres, etc., give us a budget number, and our knowledgeable employees will create a custom list for you. You can also request a quote online directly from your Wish List.

THREE: In addition, you can have each of your teachers place books on their individual Wish List on www.booksource.com. When you are ready to order, we can easily turn all those Wish Lists into price quotes and get you started through the ordering process.

Whatever we can do to help you support your teachers, let us know by contacting us at service@booksource.com. We’ll get through this together, and our team will assist you in any way we can.