csmonitor--2020-05-04--Degas painted dancers and musicians with deftness and authority

Edgar Degas ’ paintings of dancers are among his best-known and most-beloved works .
Ballerinas stretching at the barre , lacing their toe shoes , and lounging in the wings are captured on canvas or in pastel .
A major show featuring his work was scheduled to open this spring at the National Gallery of Art in Washington .
However , with museums closed because of the coronavirus outbreak , art lovers will need to satisfy themselves with lavish books such as “ Degas at the Opéra , ” by Henri Loyrette .
It features beautifully reproduced images from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originated at the Musée d ’ Orsay in Paris .
The Paris Opéra was founded by King Louis XIV in 1669 and the Opéra Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world .
The music and pageantry attracted Degas ; between 1885 and 1892 he attended the opera 177 times , with 55 visits in 1885 alone .
Almost half his work from the mid-1860s to post-1900 was inspired by ballet .
He portrayed scenes both on and offstage , from the orchestra pit to the audience boxes , wings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , singers , and theatergoers , but dancers in the corps de ballet became his specialty .
“ Degas at the Opéra ” conveys the essentials of what made Degas renowned as a “ painter of dancers.
” For readers who want to go deeper , essays by curators and scholars round out the picture of Degas and his passion .
His exploration of opera motifs was both wide and deep .
He returned to similar themes , using a variety of media , including oil , pastel , and charcoal , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of subjects , Degas was drawn to the dancers .
One wonders if he saw their discipline as parallel to his own , requiring constant practice and mastery before making a creative jeté into individual expression .
Theatrical lighting influenced Degas ’ painting .
Gas lamps and electric illumination created a fantasy world ( called “ music-paintings ” by the composer Richard Wagner ) , in which elaborate sets seemed to spring to life .
Degas relished the effect of the footlights on performers ’ faces , which rendered them distorted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work to be deemed modern , an example of a movement that he called the New Painting .
Degas is thought of as an Impressionist , a designation he detested , although he founded the movement and organized and participated in Impressionist exhibitions from 1874 to 1886 .
But he never shared Édouard Monet ’ s or Pierre-Auguste Renoir ’ s love of plein-air painting or their zeal to capture the transient effects of daylight and atmosphere .
He preferred to work in his studio , basing his work on countless sketches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominated the work he exhibited , his goal was never to document life but to transform it .
As Degas wrote , “ one sees as one wants to see ; this is false ; and this falseness constitutes art.
” Art for Degas was not a pretty face or elegant stage set .
His dancers are hardly ethereal but reflect the quintessential French concept of jolie-laide ( pretty-ugly ) .
His dancers are often caught in awkward , ungainly poses , stretching and yawning , or slumped , exhausted .
Degas ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by unconventional twists like decentered compositions , plunging diagonals , and cutoff figures .
His asymmetrical framing evokes the unstable world of the time .
The lives of dancers were not easy or comfortable , and they were vulnerable to sexual exploitation .
As ballet students , they were nicknamed petits rats for their scurrying footsteps .
Many of them came from poor families , and they often had no alternative but to accept the lecherous attentions of their wealthy male admirers .
In this respect , Degas ’ paintings of backstage life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his dancers ’ bodies are not eroticized , he shows predatory , top-hatted subscribers circling the young girls to evaluate them as potential conquests , as in “ Dancers Backstage ” ( 1876-83 ) .
Degas pulls aside the curtain on a sordid truth of that dazzling world .
Degas himself did not have the money to be an opera subscriber ; he relied on acquaintances to obtain backstage passes .
While not much is known about Degas in this respect , he apparently did not have sexual relationships with his models , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
By the 1890s , Degas ’ eyesight was deteriorating , which precipitated a more radical approach to his art .
He retained the world of opera as his subject , yet he used charcoal and pastel to portray dancers in boldly outlined , flat planes .
He simplified the forms he knew so well from years of study , portraying performers ’ poses with fluid lines and strident , lurid hues as in his acid-yellow “ Harlequin ” ( 1884 ) .
Degas called them “ orgies of color.
” Degas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medium or technique to another , constantly evolving .
At age 60 he proudly proclaimed , “ Never have I been so young as today.
” As his sight waned , his vision was fed by memory and imagination , resulting in daring works with ( as he said of his preferred model ) “ that touch of ugliness without which , no salvation.
” Carol Strickland is author of “ The Annotated Mona Lisa : A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present ” and an introduction to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arch.
” Her interactive e-book , “ Impressionism : A Legacy of Light , ” is available from Erudition Digital .

Edgar Degas’ paintings of dancers are among his best-known and most-beloved works. Ballerinas stretching at the barre, lacing their toe shoes, and lounging in the wings are captured on canvas or in pastel.
A major show featuring his work was scheduled to open this spring at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. However, with museums closed because of the coronavirus outbreak, art lovers will need to satisfy themselves with lavish books such as “Degas at the Opéra,” by Henri Loyrette. It features beautifully reproduced images from the exhibition of the same title, which originated at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
The Paris Opéra was founded by King Louis XIV in 1669 and the Opéra Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world. The music and pageantry attracted Degas; between 1885 and 1892 he attended the opera 177 times, with 55 visits in 1885 alone. Almost half his work from the mid-1860s to post-1900 was inspired by ballet. He portrayed scenes both on and offstage, from the orchestra pit to the audience boxes, wings, and rehearsal studios. He painted musicians, singers, and theatergoers, but dancers in the corps de ballet became his specialty.
“Degas at the Opéra” conveys the essentials of what made Degas renowned as a “painter of dancers.” For readers who want to go deeper, essays by curators and scholars round out the picture of Degas and his passion.
His exploration of opera motifs was both wide and deep. He returned to similar themes, using a variety of media, including oil, pastel, and charcoal, to create paintings and drawings. Despite his range of subjects, Degas was drawn to the dancers. One wonders if he saw their discipline as parallel to his own, requiring constant practice and mastery before making a creative jeté into individual expression.
Theatrical lighting influenced Degas’ painting. Gas lamps and electric illumination created a fantasy world (called “music-paintings” by the composer Richard Wagner), in which elaborate sets seemed to spring to life. Degas relished the effect of the footlights on performers’ faces, which rendered them distorted and mask-like. Such an unusual approach caused his work to be deemed modern, an example of a movement that he called the New Painting.
Degas is thought of as an Impressionist, a designation he detested, although he founded the movement and organized and participated in Impressionist exhibitions from 1874 to 1886. But he never shared Édouard Monet’s or Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s love of plein-air painting or their zeal to capture the transient effects of daylight and atmosphere. He preferred to work in his studio, basing his work on countless sketches. Although subjects drawn from the opera dominated the work he exhibited, his goal was never to document life but to transform it. As Degas wrote, “one sees as one wants to see; this is false; and this falseness constitutes art.”
Art for Degas was not a pretty face or elegant stage set. His dancers are hardly ethereal but reflect the quintessential French concept of jolie-laide (pretty-ugly). His dancers are often caught in awkward, ungainly poses, stretching and yawning, or slumped, exhausted. Degas’ nonidealized view of the opera is characterized by unconventional twists like decentered compositions, plunging diagonals, and cutoff figures. His asymmetrical framing evokes the unstable world of the time.
The lives of dancers were not easy or comfortable, and they were vulnerable to sexual exploitation. As ballet students, they were nicknamed petits rats for their scurrying footsteps. Many of them came from poor families, and they often had no alternative but to accept the lecherous attentions of their wealthy male admirers. In this respect, Degas’ paintings of backstage life reflect an observation of reality. Although his dancers’ bodies are not eroticized, he shows predatory, top-hatted subscribers circling the young girls to evaluate them as potential conquests, as in “Dancers Backstage” (1876-83). Degas pulls aside the curtain on a sordid truth of that dazzling world.
Degas himself did not have the money to be an opera subscriber; he relied on acquaintances to obtain backstage passes. While not much is known about Degas in this respect, he apparently did not have sexual relationships with his models, unlike many other male artists of his day.
By the 1890s, Degas’ eyesight was deteriorating, which precipitated a more radical approach to his art. He retained the world of opera as his subject, yet he used charcoal and pastel to portray dancers in boldly outlined, flat planes. He simplified the forms he knew so well from years of study, portraying performers’ poses with fluid lines and strident, lurid hues as in his acid-yellow “Harlequin” (1884). Degas called them “orgies of color.”
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Degas never stopped experimenting, moving from one medium or technique to another, constantly evolving. At age 60 he proudly proclaimed, “Never have I been so young as today.” As his sight waned, his vision was fed by memory and imagination, resulting in daring works with (as he said of his preferred model) “that touch of ugliness without which, no salvation.”
Carol Strickland is author of “The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present” and an introduction to the history of architecture, “The Annotated Arch.” Her interactive e-book, “Impressionism: A Legacy of Light,” is available from Erudition Digital.


csmonitor--2020-03-13--Learning curve: How schools worldwide are tackling coronavirus challenge

“ When you ’ re experiencing something challenging together , ” he says , “ that bond just feels like it ’ s been strengthened , not weakened , by the distance.
” Rabbi Jonathan Kroll , the principal , teaches an online Talmud class to ninth graders .
“ I said to my class the other day ...
I ’ m going to say something that ’ s very ironic : I feel so much closer with my students , even though I am more isolated from them than I ’ ve ever been .
And they went : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York has been online since March 3 .
The staff is trying to branch out : chemistry demonstrations in a teacher ’ s kitchen , Broadway show-tune singalongs .
For educators from Shanghai to New York , this means figuring out not only how to deliver content , but also how to maintain a sense of community .
Priorities include creating online materials , ensuring low-income students can be fed , and supporting college students .
While obstacles remain , the innovation and resilience of faculty , parents , and students suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path through this crisis .
As authorities worldwide attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus by shuttering schools and universities , more than 420 million K-12 and college students on five continents have found themselves at home full time , their learning punted onto virtual forums .
A sixth grade social studies teacher north of Seattle , Ms. Westberg is conducting a virtual session on Tuesday , the day after her Washington state school district ’ s switch to all-online education due to the coronavirus .
Ms. Westberg had planned a session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her students erupt into silliness and gleeful chaos , as they seized the chance to share their most cherished home items with classmates during a show and tell break .
It ’ s been one of the unexpected joys of a massive online education experiment .
“ OK , time out !
” Ms. Westberg says , clicking “ mute ” to regain control of the group of about 60 .
After a pause , her students continue to astonish her .
As she launches an overview of Buddhism , her students post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other students jump in to answer .
“ I ’ m super excited , ” Ms. Westberg says after closing the session Tuesday .
The sidebar chatting among students would not have happened in a brick-and-mortar classroom .
As authorities worldwide attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus by shuttering schools and universities , more than 420 million K-12 and college students on five continents have found themselves suddenly at home full-time , their learning punted onto virtual forums .
So far in the United States , nine states – Oregon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Mexico , Virginia , West Virginia , and Wisconsin – and the District of Columbia have shuttered public schools starting next week .
For educators from Shanghai to New York , this means figuring out not only how to deliver content , but also how to maintain a sense of community that is typically generated in person .
Priorities include creating online materials , ensuring low-income K-12 students don ’ t lose access to meals , and making sure that college students are not abandoned on campus .
While obstacles remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , parents , and students suggests communities are connecting – and forging a path through this crisis .
“ The digitalization element is just a game changer , ” says Tracey Burns , a futurist and OECD education analyst .
“ We ’ re seeing that we have opportunities to share knowledge across countries and get kids online that we didn ’ t have just five years ago.
” For those who ’ ve closed first , some success The move online has the potential to fragment communities for which schools are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access are not readily available .
But educators who have a head start on virtual education – and some parents and students – are seeing indications that the opposite can be true .
“ We are learning new tools that will empower so much of the work we do , ” says Audee Gregor , principal of Leota Middle School , whose 930 students transitioned in just a few days from classroom to cloud-based learning , along with the rest of the Northshore School District .
Online platforms such as Zoom and Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ms. Gregor says , and are also creating new potential for collaboration .
In China , where Zoom , WeChat , and DingTalk are the tools of choice , school leaders discovered teachers needed to collaborate on how to use technology to keep students engaged .
Showing papers in front of a laptop camera didn ’ t work so well ; being more creative with screencasts did .
Six weeks into its new virtual reality , the 600 students at high-performing Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School in China have been participating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re on track to take International Baccalaureate and IGCSE exams at the end of the semester .
“ These kids haven ’ t left the house in 50 days , yet they ’ re joining in , staying in the game , ” says Qibao Dwight American principal Brantley Turner .
“ It breaks my heart , the power of the community coming together .
They ’ re respectful , never blaming , rising to meet the challenge.
” In Italy , which is under complete lockdown , Rania Hammad is enjoying having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rome , though she admits the overall situation sometimes feels “ absurd and weird.
” Online classes have gotten more engaging as teachers fine-tuned their approach and made them more interactive .
“ It ’ s actually fun and they are learning , ” Ms. Hammad says .
“ They are enjoying it.
” Thousands of miles away , Rabbi Jonathan Kroll , co-principal of private SAR High School in New York City , has noticed something similar .
His school has been online-only since March 3 , and beyond academics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with new ideas : chemistry demonstrations in a teacher ’ s kitchen , Broadway show-tune singalongs .
Rabbi Kroll also teaches an online Talmud class to ninth-graders via Zoom .
“ I said to my class the other day ...
I ’ m going to say something that ’ s very ironic : I feel so much closer with my students , even though I am more isolated from them than I ’ ve ever been .
And they went : Yes !
” “ When you ’ re experiencing something challenging together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bond just feels like it ’ s been strengthened , not weakened , by the distance.
” Back in Bothell , Washington , Ms. Westberg ’ s Northshore School District , with more than 23,500 students , has been online since Monday .
More than 500 teachers and staff there were at high risk , with some in self-quarantine , leaving inadequate manpower to safely run the schools , officials explained .
First , administrators had to ensure all families had access to digital tools .
Fortunately , the area is home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and last week companies and parents offered up computers and hotspot devices for those without .
As of Wednesday , more than 4,000 families made requests , and when demand outstripped supply , T-Mobile stepped in with equipment donations .
Online education provider Outschool has also offered teachers and staff free training on remote instruction tools .
Up next , the company is looking into free online classes for select communities who can ’ t afford to pay .
Certainly , communities such as Northshore are in a better position to switch to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Tidey .
“ If you ’ re in a country that doesn ’ t have that level of technological infrastructure , then remote learning through the internet is not possible [ but ] maybe the radio makes sense , ” he says , noting that conflict zones have additional challenges .
Meanwhile , in a parent webinar earlier this week , Northshore Superintendent Michelle Reid greeted families virtually .
“ It ’ s fabulous to have you online this morning , ” Ms. Reid says cheerfully .
“ In every possible way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we maintain our connections.
” District officials counseled parents on how to set up effective home learning environments .
Pointers included refraining from parking kids in front of a screen all day .
This is especially important , some educators say , for elementary kids used to more cooperative learning .
Families should also set clear expectations and arrange family study sessions where siblings help each other .
Officials are also helping manage day care for families whose parents work outside the home .
Five locations have been allocated for community partners to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access , meals , and play time , with the Northshore School District ’ s foundation providing scholarships to families who can ’ t afford it .
Of course , that still leaves parents with the task of juggling multiple offspring with different assignments , in crowded quarters .
“ I can ’ t have [ high school sophomore ] Hank submitting clarinet assignments while [ sixth grader ] Lily is trying to Zoom with her class live , ” says Anne Davidson , a sixth and seventh grade math teacher and mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle , and elementary schools .
Parents of young students face the biggest new demands from the switch to home learning .
“ These first two days have been critical for me to assist them , ” says Stacey Van de Mark , of helping her first- and third-grade children navigate online platforms and pull up new assignments .
All three work at the kitchen counter and table , while her 3-year-old son plays nearby .
“ They had no hands-on time with teachers to learn this , and I have never used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There is a learning curve for parents for sure.
” Teachers are also adjusting , as they feel their way through families ’ needs .
At Southlands International School in Rome , first grade teacher Gemma Jordan has discovered that some working families must rely on babysitters , who can ’ t oversee kids ’ online learning .
Not overwhelming families is key , she says .
“ I ’ m trying to provide a mixture of hands-on learning and written work.
” College students also have a learning curve , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking students to continue offsite and online .
“ It ’ s a little chaotic , but for the most part it ’ s been OK , ” says Bridgette Robertson , a University of Washington biology student who will graduate at the end of this quarter .
Most professors are using Zoom to broadcast lectures at normal class hours , online exams will be “ open book and open notes , ” and final presentations will be delivered by video conference or slide decks , Ms. Robertson explains .
Where schools provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some U.S. districts are trying to put off closing as long as they can .
Across New York City , where nearly three-quarters of students are considered at or below poverty indicators , the department of education serves up about 900,000 meals a day .
Officials are prepared to close the gap if schools shutter , serving “ grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for any student who wants it , ” writes press secretary Miranda Barbot .
Well aware of the potential hardship , Mayor Bill de Blasio said closures would be a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change.org petition to close schools has collected more than 220,000 signatures as of Friday morning .
Meanwhile , as more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. close or transition to online learning , many are grappling with the impact on students whose circumstances pose challenges .
“ How does one go home if there ’ s no home to go to … or no money to buy plane tickets ?
” college academic adviser David Perry posed on a Twitter feed earlier in the week .
It went viral .
Amherst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its Massachusetts campus must be out by Monday , only to modify its approach to “ expected to have left campus ” by Wednesday .
Some communities have started online petitions criticizing decision-makers for closing down so quickly without contingency plans .
Meanwhile , some officials are trying to soften the blow , whether it ’ s offering up to $ 200 to Harvard students to ship or store items , or continuing to pay work-study wages , per U.S. Department of Education guidance .
Students and alumni are also stepping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mutual Aid ” Facebook page connects students at Tufts University in Medford , Massachusetts , with volunteers who can help with financial aid , housing , or transportation .
As of Friday midday , a student hardship fund page had raised nearly $ 42,000 , and other colleges , including Wellesley , also in Massachusetts , had started student relief giving campaigns .
Keenly aware of the importance of keeping teacher morale high , Ms. Turner in Shanghai and fellow principals launched a real-world gift caravan for teachers on International Women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their homes items such as speakers , headphones , electric gadgets , and school-issued iPads .
“ The teachers are the community glue , ” says Ms. Turner .
“ This is where you see robots don ’ t replace teachers.
” Rabbi Kroll in New York says similar shows of support rippled through his community .
“ We have a group of parents who went into the school , collected books , computers , iPads , religious items , prayer books , and have spent a couple of days driving around to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” For others , a time to plan Meanwhile , some U.S. schools are plotting contingency plans , while ultimately hoping that closures aren ’ t necessary .
That ’ s the case at the private Science , Language & Arts International School , a French and Mandarin immersion school in New York .
“ We have many families on financial aid who have very little means , who would not … be able to afford child care , or to not go to work .
We also have an international community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their family support systems , ” says Jennifer Wilkin , the school ’ s founding director .
Even so , the school ’ s faculty is preparing this week for the possibility of online learning .
In a sun-soaked Brooklyn classroom , Huan Ren reads aloud “ The Three Little Pigs ” in Mandarin .
The pre-K teacher balloons her cheeks to mime the big bad wolf blowing down the straw house .
She is reading before a smart phone , recording in an empty room .
It ’ s part of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families .
The recordings by native-speaking staff would help students keep up with lessons and stay connected to teachers .
“ Even facing the camera , it still feels like … they are there listening to me , ” says Ms. Ren .
“ All we can do is plan , ” says Ms. Wilkin .
“ If we don ’ t have to close , then we have a whole bunch of great video resources for our parents.
” Asia London Palomba and Stacy Teicher Khadaroo contributed to this report .

“When you’re experiencing something challenging together,” he says, “that bond just feels like it’s been strengthened, not weakened, by the distance.”
Rabbi Jonathan Kroll, the principal, teaches an online Talmud class to ninth graders. “I said to my class the other day ... I’m going to say something that’s very ironic: I feel so much closer with my students, even though I am more isolated from them than I’ve ever been. And they went: Yes!”
SAR High School in New York has been online since March 3. The staff is trying to branch out: chemistry demonstrations in a teacher’s kitchen, Broadway show-tune singalongs.
How do you create community when you can’t be together? Schools are closed for hundreds of millions of students, but educators, parents, and children are still learning – including how to keep a sense of connection.
For educators from Shanghai to New York, this means figuring out not only how to deliver content, but also how to maintain a sense of community. Priorities include creating online materials, ensuring low-income students can be fed, and supporting college students. While obstacles remain, the innovation and resilience of faculty, parents, and students suggest communities are connecting – and forging a path through this crisis.
As authorities worldwide attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus by shuttering schools and universities, more than 420 million K-12 and college students on five continents have found themselves at home full time, their learning punted onto virtual forums.
Cats, puppies, and stuffed animals prance across Tracy Westberg’s screen.
A sixth grade social studies teacher north of Seattle, Ms. Westberg is conducting a virtual session on Tuesday, the day after her Washington state school district’s switch to all-online education due to the coronavirus. Ms. Westberg had planned a session about world religions, only to watch her students erupt into silliness and gleeful chaos, as they seized the chance to share their most cherished home items with classmates during a show and tell break.
It’s been one of the unexpected joys of a massive online education experiment.
Why We Wrote This How do you create community when you can’t be together? Schools are closed for hundreds of millions of students, but educators, parents, and children are still learning – including how to keep a sense of connection.
“OK, time out!” Ms. Westberg says, clicking “mute” to regain control of the group of about 60. After a pause, her students continue to astonish her. As she launches an overview of Buddhism, her students post queries in a shared virtual chat. Other students jump in to answer.
“I’m super excited,” Ms. Westberg says after closing the session Tuesday. The sidebar chatting among students would not have happened in a brick-and-mortar classroom.
As authorities worldwide attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus by shuttering schools and universities, more than 420 million K-12 and college students on five continents have found themselves suddenly at home full-time, their learning punted onto virtual forums. So far in the United States, nine states – Oregon, Ohio, Louisiana, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin – and the District of Columbia have shuttered public schools starting next week.
For educators from Shanghai to New York, this means figuring out not only how to deliver content, but also how to maintain a sense of community that is typically generated in person. Priorities include creating online materials, ensuring low-income K-12 students don’t lose access to meals, and making sure that college students are not abandoned on campus. While obstacles remain, the innovation and resilience of faculty, parents, and students suggests communities are connecting – and forging a path through this crisis.
“The digitalization element is just a game changer,” says Tracey Burns, a futurist and OECD education analyst. “We’re seeing that we have opportunities to share knowledge across countries and get kids online that we didn’t have just five years ago.”
For those who’ve closed first, some success
The move online has the potential to fragment communities for which schools are the glue, especially where computers and Wi-Fi access are not readily available. But educators who have a head start on virtual education – and some parents and students – are seeing indications that the opposite can be true.
“We are learning new tools that will empower so much of the work we do,” says Audee Gregor, principal of Leota Middle School, whose 930 students transitioned in just a few days from classroom to cloud-based learning, along with the rest of the Northshore School District. Online platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom are helping to prevent social isolation, Ms. Gregor says, and are also creating new potential for collaboration.
In China, where Zoom, WeChat, and DingTalk are the tools of choice, school leaders discovered teachers needed to collaborate on how to use technology to keep students engaged. Showing papers in front of a laptop camera didn’t work so well; being more creative with screencasts did.
Nathan Frandino/Reuters View caption Hide caption Lisa Wymore, a professor in the theater, dance, and performance studies department at the University of California, Berkeley, leads warm-ups for an online course in Berkeley, March 12, 2020.
Six weeks into its new virtual reality, the 600 students at high-performing Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School in China have been participating in daily live Zoom lessons. They’re on track to take International Baccalaureate and IGCSE exams at the end of the semester.
“These kids haven’t left the house in 50 days, yet they’re joining in, staying in the game,” says Qibao Dwight American principal Brantley Turner. “It breaks my heart, the power of the community coming together. They’re respectful, never blaming, rising to meet the challenge.”
In Italy, which is under complete lockdown, Rania Hammad is enjoying having her fourth- and sixth-grade daughters at home in Rome, though she admits the overall situation sometimes feels “absurd and weird.” Online classes have gotten more engaging as teachers fine-tuned their approach and made them more interactive. “It’s actually fun and they are learning,” Ms. Hammad says. “They are enjoying it.”
Thousands of miles away, Rabbi Jonathan Kroll, co-principal of private SAR High School in New York City, has noticed something similar. His school has been online-only since March 3, and beyond academics, the staff is trying to branch out with new ideas: chemistry demonstrations in a teacher’s kitchen, Broadway show-tune singalongs.
Rabbi Kroll also teaches an online Talmud class to ninth-graders via Zoom. “I said to my class the other day ... I’m going to say something that’s very ironic: I feel so much closer with my students, even though I am more isolated from them than I’ve ever been. And they went: Yes!”
“When you’re experiencing something challenging together,” he says, “that bond just feels like it’s been strengthened, not weakened, by the distance.”
Gian Luigi D'Alberto/LaPresse/AP View caption Hide caption Examiners sit in an empty classroom as they listen to students defending their theses online, at the Politecnico University in Milan, Italy, March 5, 2020.
Getting low-income families online
Back in Bothell, Washington, Ms. Westberg’s Northshore School District, with more than 23,500 students, has been online since Monday. More than 500 teachers and staff there were at high risk, with some in self-quarantine, leaving inadequate manpower to safely run the schools, officials explained.
First, administrators had to ensure all families had access to digital tools. Fortunately, the area is home to many families who work in high-tech, and last week companies and parents offered up computers and hotspot devices for those without. As of Wednesday, more than 4,000 families made requests, and when demand outstripped supply, T-Mobile stepped in with equipment donations.
Online education provider Outschool has also offered teachers and staff free training on remote instruction tools. Up next, the company is looking into free online classes for select communities who can’t afford to pay.
Certainly, communities such as Northshore are in a better position to switch to online learning, according to UNICEF spokesperson Christopher Tidey. “If you’re in a country that doesn’t have that level of technological infrastructure, then remote learning through the internet is not possible [but] maybe the radio makes sense,” he says, noting that conflict zones have additional challenges.
Home learning strategies
Meanwhile, in a parent webinar earlier this week, Northshore Superintendent Michelle Reid greeted families virtually. “It’s fabulous to have you online this morning,” Ms. Reid says cheerfully. “In every possible way, community is maintained as long as we maintain our connections.”
District officials counseled parents on how to set up effective home learning environments. Pointers included refraining from parking kids in front of a screen all day. This is especially important, some educators say, for elementary kids used to more cooperative learning. Families should also set clear expectations and arrange family study sessions where siblings help each other.
Officials are also helping manage day care for families whose parents work outside the home. Five locations have been allocated for community partners to provide child care, including online learning access, meals, and play time, with the Northshore School District’s foundation providing scholarships to families who can’t afford it.
Of course, that still leaves parents with the task of juggling multiple offspring with different assignments, in crowded quarters. “I can’t have [high school sophomore] Hank submitting clarinet assignments while [sixth grader] Lily is trying to Zoom with her class live,” says Anne Davidson, a sixth and seventh grade math teacher and mother of three Northshore students in high, middle, and elementary schools.
Parents of young students face the biggest new demands from the switch to home learning. “These first two days have been critical for me to assist them,” says Stacey Van de Mark, of helping her first- and third-grade children navigate online platforms and pull up new assignments. All three work at the kitchen counter and table, while her 3-year-old son plays nearby. “They had no hands-on time with teachers to learn this, and I have never used it either,” she adds. “There is a learning curve for parents for sure.”
China Daily/Reuters View caption Hide caption Trainers wearing face masks teach maternal and child nursing skills through a live-streaming session at a vocational school in Ganzhou, China, March 5, 2020.
Teachers are also adjusting, as they feel their way through families’ needs. At Southlands International School in Rome, first grade teacher Gemma Jordan has discovered that some working families must rely on babysitters, who can’t oversee kids’ online learning. Not overwhelming families is key, she says. “I’m trying to provide a mixture of hands-on learning and written work.”
College students also have a learning curve, with dozens of universities from Budapest to Ohio asking students to continue offsite and online. “It’s a little chaotic, but for the most part it’s been OK,” says Bridgette Robertson, a University of Washington biology student who will graduate at the end of this quarter. Most professors are using Zoom to broadcast lectures at normal class hours, online exams will be “open book and open notes,” and final presentations will be delivered by video conference or slide decks, Ms. Robertson explains.
Offline needs
Where schools provide important services to families in need, some U.S. districts are trying to put off closing as long as they can.
Across New York City, where nearly three-quarters of students are considered at or below poverty indicators, the department of education serves up about 900,000 meals a day. Officials are prepared to close the gap if schools shutter, serving “grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for any student who wants it,” writes press secretary Miranda Barbot.
Well aware of the potential hardship, Mayor Bill de Blasio said closures would be a “last resort,” even though a change.org petition to close schools has collected more than 220,000 signatures as of Friday morning.
Meanwhile, as more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. close or transition to online learning, many are grappling with the impact on students whose circumstances pose challenges.
“How does one go home if there’s no home to go to … or no money to buy plane tickets?” college academic adviser David Perry posed on a Twitter feed earlier in the week. It went viral.
Amherst College, for one, announced students at its Massachusetts campus must be out by Monday, only to modify its approach to “expected to have left campus” by Wednesday. Some communities have started online petitions criticizing decision-makers for closing down so quickly without contingency plans. Meanwhile, some officials are trying to soften the blow, whether it’s offering up to $200 to Harvard students to ship or store items, or continuing to pay work-study wages, per U.S. Department of Education guidance.
Students and alumni are also stepping up to help each other. A “Mutual Aid” Facebook page connects students at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, with volunteers who can help with financial aid, housing, or transportation. As of Friday midday, a student hardship fund page had raised nearly $42,000, and other colleges, including Wellesley, also in Massachusetts, had started student relief giving campaigns.
Keenly aware of the importance of keeping teacher morale high, Ms. Turner in Shanghai and fellow principals launched a real-world gift caravan for teachers on International Women’s Day on March 8, delivering to their homes items such as speakers, headphones, electric gadgets, and school-issued iPads. “The teachers are the community glue,” says Ms. Turner. “This is where you see robots don’t replace teachers.”
Rabbi Kroll in New York says similar shows of support rippled through his community. “We have a group of parents who went into the school, collected books, computers, iPads, religious items, prayer books, and have spent a couple of days driving around to hundreds of homes, dropping things off.”
Sarah Matusek/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Science, Language & Arts International School teacher Huan Ren records herself reading “The Three Little Pigs” in Mandarin in New York City, March 11, 2020. The private school is preparing virtual resources in case it closes over coronavirus concerns.
For others, a time to plan
Meanwhile, some U.S. schools are plotting contingency plans, while ultimately hoping that closures aren’t necessary.
That’s the case at the private Science, Language & Arts International School, a French and Mandarin immersion school in New York. “We have many families on financial aid who have very little means, who would not … be able to afford child care, or to not go to work. We also have an international community, many of whom are far away from their family support systems,” says Jennifer Wilkin, the school’s founding director.
Even so, the school’s faculty is preparing this week for the possibility of online learning.
In a sun-soaked Brooklyn classroom, Huan Ren reads aloud “The Three Little Pigs” in Mandarin. The pre-K teacher balloons her cheeks to mime the big bad wolf blowing down the straw house. She is reading before a smart phone, recording in an empty room.
It’s part of an effort to build a virtual library for families. The recordings by native-speaking staff would help students keep up with lessons and stay connected to teachers. “Even facing the camera, it still feels like … they are there listening to me,” says Ms. Ren.
“All we can do is plan,” says Ms. Wilkin. “If we don’t have to close, then we have a whole bunch of great video resources for our parents.”
Asia London Palomba and Stacy Teicher Khadaroo contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-03-13--'A hope for all women': Greece swears in first female president

Greece 's first female president , a former high court judge , was formally sworn in to office on Friday , nearly two months after the country 's parliament voted overwhelmingly to elect her .
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated Katerina Sakellaropoulou as a non-partisan candidate who would enjoy broad support from across the political spectrum .
All major parties voted in favor , with Ms. Sakellaropoulou being elected to the largely ceremonial post in a 261-33 vote in January , well above the 200 votes required .
Six lawmakers were absent .
Inaugurating a new era for one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MPs overwhelmingly endorsed the nomination of Katerina Sakellaropoulou as head of state .
No woman has held the post in the nearly 200 years since Greece proclaimed independence .
“ Today a window to the future has opened , ” said the prime minister , Kyriakos Mitsotakis , after 261 deputies in the 300-seat House voted in favour of the French-educated jurist assuming the role .
“ Our country enters the third decade of the 21st century with more optimism.
” Greece has a low number of women in senior positions in politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for selecting a nearly all-male Cabinet after he won general elections in July 2019 .
In the current Greek Cabinet , all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men .
`` I hope that the election of a woman for the first time to the highest position of the country will improve the position of all women in the country , both in the family and in society , '' Ms. Sakellaropoulou said .
`` It is time for the women of this country to realize that they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merits , without facing obstacles simply because they were born women . ''
The swearing-in ceremony for Katerina Sakellaropoulou took place in an almost empty parliament , as part of measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus .
Only a handful of officials and a limited number of journalists were present .
Greece has shut down schools , universities , cinemas , theaters , gyms , and nightclubs , and authorities have warned people to stay home and avoid large gatherings in an effort to contain the outbreak .
The country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one death .
The ceremony was being covered live on state television .
After the swearing-in , Ms. Sakellaropoulou lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the square outside parliament , before a presidential honor guard .
Despite the warnings about the virus , a small crowd gathered to watch , standing behind a security cordon across the street .
The new president headed the Council of State , the country 's highest administrative court , since 2018 .
She takes over the five-year presidency from veteran conservative politician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the presidential palace , Ms. Sakellaropoulou spoke of the battle against the coronavirus and the recent migration crisis as the country 's two main challenges .
Greece must continue to adhere to its democratic principles and the state of law , moving toward `` a future of prosperity that will have room for us all , '' she said .
In a clear reference to neighboring Turkey , Ms. Sakellaropoulou said Greece was being called on to `` thwart the aggression of those who , using human pain , want to harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared its borders to Europe were open , and encouraged thousands of refugees and other migrants to try to push into Greece .
Clashes with Greek border guards have frequently broken out , and Greece has come under criticism for occasionally using heavy-handed tactics in response .
Greece , Ms. Sakellaropoulou said , must `` secure the integrity of our borders while also defending and fulfilling our humanitarian duty toward defenseless and desperate people , a difficult but not impossible equation . ''
She also called on all Greeks to strictly adhere to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Material from The Guardian was used in this report .

Greece's first female president, a former high court judge, was formally sworn in to office on Friday, nearly two months after the country's parliament voted overwhelmingly to elect her.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated Katerina Sakellaropoulou as a non-partisan candidate who would enjoy broad support from across the political spectrum. All major parties voted in favor, with Ms. Sakellaropoulou being elected to the largely ceremonial post in a 261-33 vote in January, well above the 200 votes required. Six lawmakers were absent.
The Guardian reported in January:
Inaugurating a new era for one of Europe’s more traditional nations, MPs overwhelmingly endorsed the nomination of Katerina Sakellaropoulou as head of state. No woman has held the post in the nearly 200 years since Greece proclaimed independence. “Today a window to the future has opened,” said the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after 261 deputies in the 300-seat House voted in favour of the French-educated jurist assuming the role. “Our country enters the third decade of the 21st century with more optimism.”
Greece has a low number of women in senior positions in politics, and Mr. Mitsotakis had been criticized for selecting a nearly all-male Cabinet after he won general elections in July 2019. In the current Greek Cabinet, all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men.
"I hope that the election of a woman for the first time to the highest position of the country will improve the position of all women in the country, both in the family and in society," Ms. Sakellaropoulou said.
"It is time for the women of this country to realize that they can attain their dreams, on their own merits, without facing obstacles simply because they were born women."
The swearing-in ceremony for Katerina Sakellaropoulou took place in an almost empty parliament, as part of measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Only a handful of officials and a limited number of journalists were present.
Greece has shut down schools, universities, cinemas, theaters, gyms, and nightclubs, and authorities have warned people to stay home and avoid large gatherings in an effort to contain the outbreak. The country so far has 117 confirmed cases and one death.
The ceremony was being covered live on state television.
After the swearing-in, Ms. Sakellaropoulou lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the square outside parliament, before a presidential honor guard. Despite the warnings about the virus, a small crowd gathered to watch, standing behind a security cordon across the street.
The new president headed the Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, since 2018. She takes over the five-year presidency from veteran conservative politician Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
In a brief speech at the presidential palace, Ms. Sakellaropoulou spoke of the battle against the coronavirus and the recent migration crisis as the country's two main challenges.
Greece must continue to adhere to its democratic principles and the state of law, moving toward "a future of prosperity that will have room for us all," she said.
In a clear reference to neighboring Turkey, Ms. Sakellaropoulou said Greece was being called on to "thwart the aggression of those who, using human pain, want to harm our national sovereignty."
Turkey recently declared its borders to Europe were open, and encouraged thousands of refugees and other migrants to try to push into Greece. Clashes with Greek border guards have frequently broken out, and Greece has come under criticism for occasionally using heavy-handed tactics in response.
Greece, Ms. Sakellaropoulou said, must "secure the integrity of our borders while also defending and fulfilling our humanitarian duty toward defenseless and desperate people, a difficult but not impossible equation."
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She also called on all Greeks to strictly adhere to all guidance given by health authorities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Material from The Guardian was used in this report.


csmonitor--2020-03-13--Trump declares national emergency, frees up $50B to fight virus

President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency , as Washington struggles with providing Americans with relief and officials race to slow the spread of the outbreak .
Speaking from the Rose Garden , Mr. Trump said , “ I am officially declaring a national emergency.
” He said it would free up as much as $ 50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak .
Mr. Trump also waived interest on federally held student loans and moved to prop up energy markets , by directing the Department of Energy to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ‘ right up to the top.
” Mr. Trump said he was giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “ flexibility ” in treating patients .
“ Through a very collective action and shared sacrifice , national determination , we will overcome the threat of the virus , ” Mr. Trump said .
He also announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities , as his administration has come under fire for being too slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said , “ I don ’ t take responsibility at all ” for the slow roll-out of testing .
The partnership will include drive-thru testing in some locations and an online portal to screen those seeking to get tested .
Still , Mr. Trump said that officials don ’ t want people taking the test unless they have certain symptoms .
“ We don ’ t want people without symptoms to go and do that test , ” Mr. Trump said , adding , “ It ’ s totally unnecessary.
” Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have yet to agree on a broader aid package , claiming that he doesn ’ t believe House Democrats are “ giving enough.
” Lawmakers are preparing to vote on their own measure Friday .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday the House would approve its coronavirus aid package , imploring the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to “ put families first ” by backing the effort to provide Americans with relief .
The House Democratic leader spoke from the speaker ’ s balcony at the Capitol ahead of Trump ’ s news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power centers of Washington were shuttered to visitors .
“ Our nation , our great nation has faced crisis before , ” Ms. Pelosi said .
“ And every time , thanks to the courage and optimism of the American people , we have prevailed .
Now , working together , we will once again prevail.
” Central to the package is free testing for the virus and guaranteed sick pay for workers who are taking time away from jobs , along with an infusion of dollars to handle unemployment benefits and boost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seniors .
Ms. Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , whom Mr. Trump tapped to negotiate for the administration , have engaged in around-the-clock negotiations that continued even as Mr. Trump was speaking .
But Republican leaders in Congress slowed the deal , wanting assurances that Mr. Trump would publicly support the agreement before signing off on it ahead of any vote , according to a top congressional aide unauthorized to discuss the private talks and speaking on condition of anonymity .
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California , the House minority leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump at the White House earlier Friday .
“ We can only defeat this outbreak if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope , so that we can pursue the precise science-based response that is necessary to put families first , ” Ms. Pelosi said .
The White House is under enormous pressure , dealing with the crisis on multiple fronts as it encroached ever closer on the president .
The virus has swept in alarming ways across American life , sending the financial markets into a dangerous slide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyday interactions in communities across the country .
Providing sick pay for workers is a crucial element of federal efforts to stop the rapid spread of the infection .
Officials warn that the nation ’ s healthcare system could quickly become overwhelmed with gravely sick patients , as suddenly happened in Italy , one of the countries hardest hit by the virus .
The ability to ensure paychecks will keep flowing – for people who stay home as a preventative measure or because they ’ re feeling ill or caring for others – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall into financial hardship .
Mr. Trump ’ s 73-minute remarks capped a tumultuous week in which Washington strained for a comprehensive response to an outbreak that is testing the nation ’ s political , financial and health care systems .
Hospitals welcomed Mr. Trump ’ s emergency declaration , which they and lawmakers in Congress had been requesting .
It allows the Health and Human Services Department to temporarily waive certain federal rules that can make it harder for hospitals and other health care facilities to respond to an emergency .
Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient spend three days in the hospital before the program will pay for care in a nursing facility .
Waiving the rule would make more inpatient beds available .
Another rule requires doctors and other clinicians to be licensed in the state in which they are providing services .
It can be waived if the physician is licensed in another state .
The American Medical Association said the emergency declaration would help ensure America ’ s health care system has sufficient resources to properly respond to the ongoing outbreak .
Mr. Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street , sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1,985 points , or 9.4 % , its best gain since October 2008 .
Stocks doubled their gains in the last half-hour of trading as Mr. Trump made his remarks .
Mr. Trump has struggled to show he ’ s on top of the crisis , after giving conflicting descriptions of what the U.S. is doing to combat the virus .
The House aid package builds on an emergency $ 8.3 billion measure approved last week .
Ms. Pelosi promised a third coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House is leaving Washington on Friday for a previously scheduled recess .
That measure will include more aggressive steps to boost the U.S. economy , which economists fear has already slipped into recession .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Aamer Madhani , Alan Fram , Lauran Neergaard , Martin Crutsinger , Laurie Kellman , Michael Balsamo , and Kevin Freking in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report .

Andrew Taylor, Zeke Miller, Jill Colvin, and Lisa Moscaro

President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, as Washington struggles with providing Americans with relief and officials race to slow the spread of the outbreak.
Speaking from the Rose Garden, Mr. Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency.” He said it would free up as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak. Mr. Trump also waived interest on federally held student loans and moved to prop up energy markets, by directing the Department of Energy to buy oil to fill the strategic petroleum reserve “‘right up to the top.”
Mr. Trump said he was giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.
“Through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus,” Mr. Trump said.
He also announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. Mr. Trump said, “I don’t take responsibility at all” for the slow roll-out of testing.
The partnership will include drive-thru testing in some locations and an online portal to screen those seeking to get tested.
Still, Mr. Trump said that officials don’t want people taking the test unless they have certain symptoms. “We don’t want people without symptoms to go and do that test,” Mr. Trump said, adding, “It’s totally unnecessary.”
Mr. Trump said the White House and Congress have yet to agree on a broader aid package, claiming that he doesn’t believe House Democrats are “giving enough.” Lawmakers are preparing to vote on their own measure Friday.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday the House would approve its coronavirus aid package, imploring the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to “put families first” by backing the effort to provide Americans with relief.
The House Democratic leader spoke from the speaker’s balcony at the Capitol ahead of Trump’s news conference at the White House, as the power centers of Washington were shuttered to visitors.
“Our nation, our great nation has faced crisis before,” Ms. Pelosi said. “And every time, thanks to the courage and optimism of the American people, we have prevailed. Now, working together, we will once again prevail.”
Central to the package is free testing for the virus and guaranteed sick pay for workers who are taking time away from jobs, along with an infusion of dollars to handle unemployment benefits and boost food programs for children, families and seniors.
Ms. Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, whom Mr. Trump tapped to negotiate for the administration, have engaged in around-the-clock negotiations that continued even as Mr. Trump was speaking.
But Republican leaders in Congress slowed the deal, wanting assurances that Mr. Trump would publicly support the agreement before signing off on it ahead of any vote, according to a top congressional aide unauthorized to discuss the private talks and speaking on condition of anonymity.
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, huddled with Mr. Mnuchin and Mr. Trump at the White House earlier Friday.
“We can only defeat this outbreak if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope, so that we can pursue the precise science-based response that is necessary to put families first,” Ms. Pelosi said.
The White House is under enormous pressure, dealing with the crisis on multiple fronts as it encroached ever closer on the president.
The virus has swept in alarming ways across American life, sending the financial markets into a dangerous slide and shuttering schools and sporting events and limiting everyday interactions in communities across the country.
Providing sick pay for workers is a crucial element of federal efforts to stop the rapid spread of the infection. Officials warn that the nation’s healthcare system could quickly become overwhelmed with gravely sick patients, as suddenly happened in Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the virus.
The ability to ensure paychecks will keep flowing – for people who stay home as a preventative measure or because they’re feeling ill or caring for others – can help assure Americans they will not fall into financial hardship.
Mr. Trump’s 73-minute remarks capped a tumultuous week in which Washington strained for a comprehensive response to an outbreak that is testing the nation’s political, financial and health care systems.
Hospitals welcomed Mr. Trump’s emergency declaration, which they and lawmakers in Congress had been requesting. It allows the Health and Human Services Department to temporarily waive certain federal rules that can make it harder for hospitals and other health care facilities to respond to an emergency.
Such rules include a Medicare requirement that a patient spend three days in the hospital before the program will pay for care in a nursing facility. Waiving the rule would make more inpatient beds available. Another rule requires doctors and other clinicians to be licensed in the state in which they are providing services. It can be waived if the physician is licensed in another state.
The American Medical Association said the emergency declaration would help ensure America’s health care system has sufficient resources to properly respond to the ongoing outbreak.
Mr. Trump’s actions were also viewed favorably on Wall Street, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1,985 points, or 9.4%, its best gain since October 2008. Stocks doubled their gains in the last half-hour of trading as Mr. Trump made his remarks.
Mr. Trump has struggled to show he’s on top of the crisis, after giving conflicting descriptions of what the U.S. is doing to combat the virus.
The House aid package builds on an emergency $8.3 billion measure approved last week.
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Ms. Pelosi promised a third coronavirus package will follow soon, though the House is leaving Washington on Friday for a previously scheduled recess. That measure will include more aggressive steps to boost the U.S. economy, which economists fear has already slipped into recession.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Aamer Madhani, Alan Fram, Lauran Neergaard, Martin Crutsinger, Laurie Kellman, Michael Balsamo, and Kevin Freking in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-03-13--To end a pandemic, the world becomes a classroom

As more people cope with the coronavirus outbreak , they also have had to master some new terms .
Social distancing .
Self-isolate .
Elbow bumps .
Quarantines are now called lockdowns or containment zones .
And this is the point .
The pandemic is not going to leave us where it found us .
Humanity is on a learning curve , not only on how best to survive but , with higher levels of understanding , to prevent another pandemic .
For all the fear and suffering over COVID-19 , says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , director-general of the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn lessons from this outbreak.
” Just last September , a special panel of the World Bank set up to track preparedness for pandemics bemoaned a general reluctance to retain lessons after each outbreak .
“ We ramp up efforts when there is a serious threat , then quickly forget about them when the threat subsides , ” the panel found .
Yet in this latest pandemic , such a charge may not be the case .
The tactics of several Asian countries in containing the virus are providing object lessons for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their “ best practices ” appear to be traveling quicker than the virus .
China , for example , made mistakes in the early weeks of the outbreak in December and January .
Its leaders relied on secrecy and lies .
Then in a lesson about flexibility and humility , they admitted mistakes and discovered that truth about the virus can be an asset to win public support .
In Singapore , the government used clear messaging and aggressive tracking of infected people .
In Hong Kong , officials relied heavily on school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
South Korea is now famous for opening drive-through centers where people could be tested quickly for the virus .
For its efforts , Taiwan has earned the most praise .
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association cites the island nation as “ an example of how a society can respond quickly to a crisis and protect the interests of its citizens.
” “ Through early recognition of the crisis , daily briefings to the public , and simple health messaging , the government was able to reassure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and transparent information regarding the evolving epidemic , ” the article concluded .
Not all attempts to contain the virus are suitable for every country .
Nations have different ideas , for example , on striking a balance between civil liberties and draconian crackdowns .
Yet a common thread is that leaders must get public buy-in .
They must be alert to emerging threats , honest about information , calm in their messaging , and adequate in providing resources .
These qualities of leadership not only defeat pandemics but also quiet the fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says Dr. Tedros of WHO , must “ heed the lessons these outbreaks are teaching us .
”

As more people cope with the coronavirus outbreak, they also have had to master some new terms. Social distancing. Self-isolate. Elbow bumps. Quarantines are now called lockdowns or containment zones.
And this is the point. The pandemic is not going to leave us where it found us. Humanity is on a learning curve, not only on how best to survive but, with higher levels of understanding, to prevent another pandemic.
For all the fear and suffering over COVID-19, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, “We will all learn lessons from this outbreak.”
Just last September, a special panel of the World Bank set up to track preparedness for pandemics bemoaned a general reluctance to retain lessons after each outbreak. “We ramp up efforts when there is a serious threat, then quickly forget about them when the threat subsides,” the panel found.
Yet in this latest pandemic, such a charge may not be the case. The tactics of several Asian countries in containing the virus are providing object lessons for the rest of the world. Reports of their “best practices” appear to be traveling quicker than the virus.
China, for example, made mistakes in the early weeks of the outbreak in December and January. Its leaders relied on secrecy and lies. Then in a lesson about flexibility and humility, they admitted mistakes and discovered that truth about the virus can be an asset to win public support.
In Singapore, the government used clear messaging and aggressive tracking of infected people. In Hong Kong, officials relied heavily on school closings and other reductions of large gatherings. South Korea is now famous for opening drive-through centers where people could be tested quickly for the virus.
For its efforts, Taiwan has earned the most praise. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association cites the island nation as “an example of how a society can respond quickly to a crisis and protect the interests of its citizens.”
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Through early recognition of the crisis, daily briefings to the public, and simple health messaging, the government was able to reassure the public by delivering timely, accurate, and transparent information regarding the evolving epidemic,” the article concluded.
Not all attempts to contain the virus are suitable for every country. Nations have different ideas, for example, on striking a balance between civil liberties and draconian crackdowns. Yet a common thread is that leaders must get public buy-in. They must be alert to emerging threats, honest about information, calm in their messaging, and adequate in providing resources. These qualities of leadership not only defeat pandemics but also quiet the fear that often drives them. The world, says Dr. Tedros of WHO, must “heed the lessons these outbreaks are teaching us.”


csmonitor--2020-03-13--Daily for March 13, 2020

Daily for March 13, 2020

A sixth grade social studies teacher north of Seattle , Ms. Westberg is conducting a virtual session on Tuesday , the day after her Washington state school district ’ s switch to all-online education due to the coronavirus .
Ms. Westberg had planned a session about world religions , only to watch her students erupt into silliness and gleeful chaos , as they seized the chance to share their most cherished home items with classmates during a show and tell break .
It ’ s been one of the unexpected joys of a massive online education experiment .
“ OK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , clicking “ mute ” to regain control of the group of about 60 .
After a pause , her students continue to astonish her .
As she launches an overview of Buddhism , her students post queries in a shared virtual chat .
Other students jump in to answer .
“ I ’ m super excited , ” Ms. Westberg says after closing the session Tuesday .
The sidebar chatting among students would not have happened in a brick-and-mortar classroom .
As authorities worldwide attempt to slow the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 420 million K-12 and college students on five continents have found themselves suddenly at home full-time , their learning punted onto virtual forums .
So far in the United States , nine states – Oregon , Ohio , Louisiana , Michigan , Maryland , New Mexico , Virginia , West Virginia , and Wisconsin – and the District of Columbia have shuttered public schools starting next week .
For educators from Shanghai to New York , this means figuring out not only how to deliver content , but also how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically generated in person .
Priorities include creating online materials , ensuring low-income K-12 students don ’ t lose access to meals , and making sure that college students are not abandoned on campus .
While obstacles remain , the innovation and resilience of faculty , parents , and students suggests communities are connecting – and forging a path through this crisis .
“ The digitalization element is just a game changer , ” says Tracey Burns , a futurist and OECD education analyst .
“ We ’ re seeing that we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get kids online that we didn ’ t have just five years ago.
” For those who ’ ve closed first , some success The move online has the potential to fragment communities for which schools are the glue , especially where computers and Wi-Fi access are not readily available .
But educators who have a head start on virtual education – and some parents and students – are seeing indications that the opposite can be true .
“ We are learning new tools that will empower so much of the work we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principal of Leota Middle School , whose 930 students transitioned in just a few days from classroom to cloud-based learning , along with the rest of the Northshore School District .
Online platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom are helping to prevent social isolation , Ms. Gregor says , and are also creating new potential for collaboration .
In China , where Zoom , WeChat , and DingTalk are the tools of choice , school leaders discovered teachers needed to collaborate on how to use technology to keep students engaged .
Showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t work so well ; being more creative with screencasts did .
Six weeks into its new virtual reality , the 600 students at high-performing Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School in China have been participating in daily live Zoom lessons .
They ’ re on track to take International Baccalaureate and IGCSE exams at the end of the semester .
“ These kids haven ’ t left the house in 50 days , yet they ’ re joining in , staying in the game , ” says Qibao Dwight American principal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart , the power of the community coming together .
They ’ re respectful , never blaming , rising to meet the challenge.
” In Italy , which is under complete lockdown , Rania Hammad is enjoying having her fourth- and sixth-grade daughters at home in Rome , though she admits the overall situation sometimes feels “ absurd and weird.
” Online classes have gotten more engaging as teachers fine-tuned their approach and made them more interactive .
“ It ’ s actually fun and they are learning , ” Ms. Hammad says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thousands of miles away , Rabbi Jonathan Kroll , co-principal of private SAR High School in New York City , has noticed something similar .
His school has been online-only since March 3 , and beyond academics , the staff is trying to branch out with new ideas : chemistry demonstrations in a teacher ’ s kitchen , Broadway show-tune singalongs .
Rabbi Kroll also teaches an online Talmud class to ninth-graders via Zoom .
“ I said to my class the other day ...
I ’ m going to say something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much closer with my students , even though I am more isolated from them than I ’ ve ever been .
And they went : Yes !
” “ When you ’ re experiencing something challenging together , ” he says , “ that bond just feels like it ’ s been strengthened , not weakened , by the distance.
” Back in Bothell , Washington , Ms. Westberg ’ s Northshore School District , with more than 23,500 students , has been online since Monday .
More than 500 teachers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some in self-quarantine , leaving inadequate manpower to safely run the schools , officials explained .
First , administrators had to ensure all families had access to digital tools .
Fortunately , the area is home to many families who work in high-tech , and last week companies and parents offered up computers and hotspot devices for those without .
As of Wednesday , more than 4,000 families made requests , and when demand outstripped supply , T-Mobile stepped in with equipment donations .
Online education provider Outschool has also offered teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools .
Up next , the company is looking into free online classes for select communities who can ’ t afford to pay .
Certainly , communities such as Northshore are in a better position to switch to online learning , according to UNICEF spokesperson Christopher Tidey .
“ If you ’ re in a country that doesn ’ t have that level of technological infrastructure , then remote learning through the internet is not possible [ but ] maybe the radio makes sense , ” he says , noting that conflict zones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a parent webinar earlier this week , Northshore Superintendent Michelle Reid greeted families virtually .
“ It ’ s fabulous to have you online this morning , ” Ms. Reid says cheerfully .
“ In every possible way , community is maintained as long as we maintain our connections.
” District officials counseled parents on how to set up effective home learning environments .
Pointers included refraining from parking kids in front of a screen all day .
This is especially important , some educators say , for elementary kids used to more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear expectations and arrange family study sessions where siblings help each other .
Officials are also helping manage day care for families whose parents work outside the home .
Five locations have been allocated for community partners to provide child care , including online learning access , meals , and play time , with the Northshore School District ’ s foundation providing scholarships to families who can ’ t afford it .
Of course , that still leaves parents with the task of juggling multiple offspring with different assignments , in crowded quarters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ high school sophomore ] Hank submitting clarinet assignments while [ sixth grader ] Lily is trying to Zoom with her class live , ” says Anne Davidson , a sixth and seventh grade math teacher and mother of three Northshore students in high , middle , and elementary schools .
Parents of young students face the biggest new demands from the switch to home learning .
“ These first two days have been critical for me to assist them , ” says Stacey Van de Mark , of helping her first- and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up new assignments .
All three work at the kitchen counter and table , while her 3-year-old son plays nearby .
“ They had no hands-on time with teachers to learn this , and I have never used it either , ” she adds .
“ There is a learning curve for parents for sure.
” Teachers are also adjusting , as they feel their way through families ’ needs .
At Southlands International School in Rome , first grade teacher Gemma Jordan has discovered that some working families must rely on babysitters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ online learning .
Not overwhelming families is key , she says .
“ I ’ m trying to provide a mixture of hands-on learning and written work.
” College students also have a learning curve , with dozens of universities from Budapest to Ohio asking students to continue offsite and online .
“ It ’ s a little chaotic , but for the most part it ’ s been OK , ” says Bridgette Robertson , a University of Washington biology student who will graduate at the end of this quarter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lectures at normal class hours , online exams will be “ open book and open notes , ” and final presentations will be delivered by video conference or slide decks , Ms. Robertson explains .
Where schools provide important services to families in need , some U.S. districts are trying to put off closing as long as they can .
Across New York City , where nearly three-quarters of students are considered at or below poverty indicators , the department of education serves up about 900,000 meals a day .
Officials are prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , serving “ grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for any student who wants it , ” writes press secretary Miranda Barbot .
Well aware of the potential hardship , Mayor Bill de Blasio said closures would be a “ last resort , ” even though a change.org petition to close schools has collected more than 220,000 signatures as of Friday morning .
Meanwhile , as more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. close or transition to online learning , many are grappling with the impact on students whose circumstances pose challenges .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no home to go to … or no money to buy plane tickets ?
” college academic adviser David Perry posed on a Twitter feed earlier in the week .
It went viral .
Amherst College , for one , announced students at its Massachusetts campus must be out by Monday , only to modify its approach to “ expected to have left campus ” by Wednesday .
Some communities have started online petitions criticizing decision-makers for closing down so quickly without contingency plans .
Meanwhile , some officials are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s offering up to $ 200 to Harvard students to ship or store items , or continuing to pay work-study wages , per U.S. Department of Education guidance .
Students and alumni are also stepping up to help each other .
A “ Mutual Aid ” Facebook page connects students at Tufts University in Medford , Massachusetts , with volunteers who can help with financial aid , housing , or transportation .
As of Friday midday , a student hardship fund page had raised nearly $ 42,000 , and other colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had started student relief giving campaigns .
Keenly aware of the importance of keeping teacher morale high , Ms. Turner in Shanghai and fellow principals launched a real-world gift caravan for teachers on International Women ’ s Day on March 8 , delivering to their homes items such as speakers , headphones , electric gadgets , and school-issued iPads .
“ The teachers are the community glue , ” says Ms. Turner .
“ This is where you see robots don ’ t replace teachers.
” Rabbi Kroll in New York says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
“ We have a group of parents who went into the school , collected books , computers , iPads , religious items , prayer books , and have spent a couple of days driving around to hundreds of homes , dropping things off.
” For others , a time to plan Meanwhile , some U.S. schools are plotting contingency plans , while ultimately hoping that closures aren ’ t necessary .
That ’ s the case at the private Science , Language & Arts International School , a French and Mandarin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have many families on financial aid who have very little means , who would not … be able to afford child care , or to not go to work .
We also have an international community , many of whom are far away from their family support systems , ” says Jennifer Wilkin , the school ’ s founding director .
Even so , the school ’ s faculty is preparing this week for the possibility of online learning .
In a sun-soaked Brooklyn classroom , Huan Ren reads aloud “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pre-K teacher balloons her cheeks to mime the big bad wolf blowing down the straw house .
She is reading before a smart phone , recording in an empty room .
It ’ s part of an effort to build a virtual library for families .
The recordings by native-speaking staff would help students keep up with lessons and stay connected to teachers .
“ Even facing the camera , it still feels like … they are there listening to me , ” says Ms. Ren .
“ All we can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If we don ’ t have to close , then we have a whole bunch of great video resources for our parents.
” Asia London Palomba and Stacy Teicher Khadaroo contributed to this report .

2,000 miles and a tough choice: Asylum in Guatemala, or go home? Collapse
Victor sits in a dimly lit hallway beside the small patio of the Casa del Migrante shelter, fidgeting with a plastic bag full of personal documents. It’s about 7:30 p.m. and he’s still trying to process the past 12 hours of his life.
Just this morning, he, his wife, and their two small boys were in the United States, hoping against hope to receive asylum from violence in their native Honduras. By the afternoon, they’d been loaded onto a plane filled with Guatemalan deportees and taken to Guatemala City, where U.S. officials said his family could request protection.
More than six months ago, he and his family fled Honduras where they faced extortion and violence. Now thousands of miles south of where he’d envisioned ending his journey in the U.S., Victor’s family has been given 72 hours to decide whether to apply for asylum here in Guatemala, or return home.
“It felt like a trick,” he says of his interview with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents after crossing illegally from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas. Victor’s last name has been omitted for safety, as it has for all migrants quoted in this article. “They asked if I was afraid to return to Honduras, but they wouldn’t let me tell them why. They asked if I would feel safe in Guatemala and I said no.” He had left Honduras after weekly payments demanded by local gangs started to exceed his income as a construction worker. A shakedown at gunpoint was his family’s final straw.
He says he needs to recover from the shock before he decides his next steps. A few things are certain: He won’t go home and he won’t stay here.
“That’s the thing,” Victor says, his voice falling to a whisper. “If Guatemala was safe, why was my plane full of Guatemalans wanting out in the first place?”
More of the migrants and refugees apprehended at the U.S. southern border come from Guatemala than from almost any other country: Some 18,000 Guatemalans have applied for asylum in the U.S. over the past two years alone.
Fabricio Alonso/Reuters View caption Hide caption Honduran migrants, who were sent to Guatemala from the United States under an Asylum Cooperative Agreement, sit at a table after arriving at Casa del Migrante shelter in Guatemala City, March 5, 2020. The ACA has sent about 800 Hondurans and Salvadorans to Guatemala.
Under a “safe third country” agreement signed by the U.S. and Guatemala last year, some Central Americans who travel to the U.S. to ask for asylum are now put on planes and required to apply in Guatemala first. It raises the question of whether Guatemala can meet the need, particularly as the number of potential asylum-seekers ramps up quickly in a country facing its own challenges with poverty and violence.
The Asylum Cooperative Agreement (ACA) has sent nearly 800 Hondurans and Salvadorans to Guatemala to date. It’s one of the many ways the Trump administration has transformed migration across the Americas, as the U.S. looks to shrink the tally of people entering at its southern border. The U.S. has put pressure on its southern neighbors to halt migration through threats of tariffs in Mexico; cutting development aid in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras; and pressing leaders to sign safe third country agreements. El Salvador and Honduras are reportedly close to enacting similar plans with the U.S.
Guatemala’s asylum system is relatively young, and the process is cumbersome: The vice president and a handful of government ministers together make the final decision on each claim. Out of the hundreds of refugees sent to Guatemala from the U.S. via ACA, only 14 applied for asylum as of mid-February, according to Guatemala’s migration agency. It’s a reflection of how they view the proposition of seeking protection here, advocates say.
Sudden surge
When Guatemala launched its asylum system nearly two decades ago, it was without much fanfare. For the first decade, the annual number of people seeking refuge in Guatemala barely reached double digits – and the number of cases accepted hovered around two to three, sometimes zero. By 2014, when a surge in unaccompanied minors leaving the region for the U.S. made its way across the region, those numbers shot up: One hundred people applied for protection in Guatemala, with 17 cases approved. In 2016, nearly 150 people applied and a record 74 cases were approved. In total, just shy of 315 people received asylum here between 2002 and November 2019, according to government statistics. Nearly 600 are still awaiting responses to their cases.
But those numbers are nominal compared with neighboring Mexico, where upward of 60,000 people sought refugee status in 2019. The U.S., meanwhile, had nearly 93,000 people on the southwest border express fear of returning home in fiscal year 2018. And while a handful of refugees – from Belize, China, and Venezuela – have found protection in Guatemala since 2002, more than 264,000 Guatemalans were apprehended at the U.S. southern border last year alone.
Guatemala isn’t an appropriate place to send asylum-seekers, says Rick Jones, a senior adviser in Latin America for Catholic Relief Services. “They have trouble protecting their own people at risk, let alone people from third countries,” he says. Under Guatemala’s last administration, state funding was cut for the few shelters, like Casa del Migrante, that serve asylum-seekers, migrants, and deportees.
“Few are seeking asylum here,” says the Rev. Mauro Verzeletti, director of Casa del Migrante, which houses about 50 people daily and receives ACA arrivals. “It’s a game of cat and mouse. Hondurans and Salvadorans know the situation in Guatemala. Many are returning to Mexico or trying again in the U.S. There’s nothing for them here. There’s nothing for them in their own countries. If your life was at risk, what would you do?”
“The state doesn’t have the capacity to address these situations.”
The United Nations has provided support to the Guatemalan government since its asylum program’s inception, and that involvement has increased since the number of people seeking international protection shot up around 2017. It’s now focused on helping Guatemalan authorities modernize, expand, and streamline the system.
“It’s not as strange as one might think,” to offer asylum in a country where there are large numbers of people leaving to seek protection elsewhere, says Rebecca Cenalmor-Rejas, the head of The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Guatemala. Ms. Cenalmor-Rejas cites examples like Colombia, which has one of the world’s highest numbers of people displaced within their own country, but has also taken in hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans since 2014.
“Guatemala has a nascent asylum system with some limitations, and many opportunities for improvement,” she says.
The Trump administration says ACA helps drive down the number of migrants asking for asylum in the U.S. and that Guatemala is a safe place for migrants to seek protection.
Guatemala’s central migration office is a tall, Brutalist-style building, with a steady stream of visitors walking through a metal detector at the front door. In a shared office beyond the posters warning about child trafficking, as well as the residual Christmas decor still hanging from the ceiling, a spokeswoman for Guatemala’s migration agency, Alejandra Mena, prints off pages of asylum statistics.
“There’s no limit on how many requests for asylum we’ll take,” Ms. Mena says. “But the U.S. has respected the number of people we can manage right now.” Some 789 people have arrived in Guatemala via ACA as of March 3, and she says they are given the option to apply for asylum or return to their home country.
“A recognized refugee has all the rights – and obligations – of a Guatemalan citizen,” Ms. Mena says, including access to hospitals, education, public services, and employment.
Search for stability
That guarantee has proved complicated for people like 19-year-old Jonathan, a refugee who arrived from Honduras almost two years ago. He sits on the sunny second floor of the Raíces de Amor shelter for migrant and refugee minors on a recent morning, recounting how Guatemala was never part of his plan.
He came from a life of crime and drug use in coastal Honduras, he says. After fleeing violence at home – some of which he participated in – he fell in with some “bad characters” on the Mexico-Guatemala border, he says, who convinced him to help rob migrants heading toward the U.S. They promised to help feed his drug addiction.
“When you’re young, you don’t think things through,” he says of his 17-year-old self. “I got into trouble; I suffered. I wasn’t a great person.”
Since arriving at the shelter, he’s studied and had access to a social worker and medical attention. He says he’s a new person and now dreams of going to college to study psychology.
Refugee status granted, he moved out of the shelter last July, with high hopes of finding work and saving up for school. But he’s hit a dead end. Although being a refugee entitles him to all the rights of a Guatemalan national, he can’t get formal work, buy a phone, or open a bank account because he doesn’t have a national identification card. That would require a mountain of paperwork and fees that he estimates would cost him roughly $200.
“If it weren’t for this shelter, I’d be dead in the street by now,” he says, before going downstairs for lunch.
He’s tried picking up odd jobs at bodegas and other shops in his neighborhood, presenting his résumé and paperwork recognizing he’s in Guatemala legally. But “they ask where I’m from and the conversation stops. ‘Oh, I can’t hire a Honduran.’ It’s so upsetting,” he says. “There’s something inside me I want to give the world, and I kept being told no.”
Overall, the teens here are grateful for the protection that Guatemala – and this shelter – has provided them. But their stories underscore the shortcomings of Guatemala’s social welfare system and the asylum system in its current state.
Another young woman here, Blanca, fled gang threats in Honduras two years ago with no destination in mind. After arriving in Guatemala, the pregnant teen was nearly taken by human traffickers. When she went to the police she was placed in a “safe home” for troubled children – institutions known for widespread abuse and worse – for more than a year. She was almost deported back to Honduras without hearing about the possibility of asylum. A sympathetic judge, who said he wouldn’t deport her because of her Guatemalan-born son, sent her case to El Refugio de la Niñez, which launched a program for minors seeking refuge in 2016. It helped her prepare paperwork for asylum, provided therapy, and encouraged her to start thinking about a future again. Through the organization, which receives funding from the UNHCR, she’s been able to study and take job-training courses.
“I have more opportunity here in Guatemala,” she says, acknowledging that few people in Honduras dream of seeking opportunity in the country next door.
There are about 10 youth with similar stories at the Raíces de Amor shelter right now. Staff members say many Guatemalans question how they – or the government – can be giving resources to youth from other troubled nations when so many children here are already at risk. There are an estimated 5,600 minors institutionalized in state and privately run homes here, in a country of 17 million.
“We can work with this number of asylum-seekers and maybe a little more,” says Karen Revolorio, spokeswoman for El Refugio de la Niñez, which runs a network of shelters, including this one. But that’s because of outside support like the UNHCR, she says. If a higher proportion of people arriving via ACA start seeking asylum in Guatemala, she’s “not sure [they’ll] see the same results as these teens.”
Back at Casa del Migrante, it’s almost time for lights out. Toddlers and small children are herded upstairs one by one to brush their teeth and snuggle into their dorms with their shellshocked mothers and fathers.
People arriving through ACA are “paranoid, distressed; they don’t know if it’s day or night. They’ve all been in detention and they arrive here without information,” says Mr. Verzeletti, the priest. “It’s a form of torture.”
And despite efforts by the U.S. to deter migrants via “the wall, ‘Remain in Mexico,’ and ACA, this flow of migration won’t stop,” he says.
It’s something that, despite the suffering, actually gives him hope.
“Migration is hope. People, just by moving, that’s a sign that they have hope” for their futures, somewhere, Mr. Verzeletti says.