Jeff Bezos Jumps Into Preschool｜K-12 Publishing Sales Plummet｜Global Ed-Tech Investment Soars

A Newsletter for Education Business Leaders [ ] [Advertisement](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) [edBiz Update | The news roundup for education business leaders] Powered by [EDWEEK Market Brief](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) [EDWEEK MARKET BRIEF](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r)  | [EDUCATION WEEK](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r)  | [ADVERTISE](mailto:mbakley@educationweek.org?subject=Advertising%20Opportunities)  | [JOBS](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) [ ] [ ] [ ] Sean Cavanagh Managing Editor, EdWeek Market Brief Hello, edBiz Readers: There's nothing like a global pandemic to upend industry expectations. New reporting and analysis suggests COVID-19 has cut a destructive path through some segments of the education market, while fueling frenzied dealmaking in others, where investors are grasping for new opportunities. This issue of edBiz Update guides you through the disruption on display. • The K-12 publishing industry took a huge hit—a [28 percent drop in sales](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r)—during the first half of 2020, compared to last year, according to a new report. The blow was much more severe for school publishing than it was for higher education, which had a 5 percent drop. • But for some investors in search of large-scale deals, the time is now. The [amount of venture capital flowing into ed tech so far this year](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) has already outpaced all of last year, fueled by mega-deals in China and India, according to CB Insights. • And in an announcement that's been highly anticipated, [Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has opened the first in a national network of preschools](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) he's backing. His organization leading the effort, the [Day One Fund](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r), has pledged $2 billion to preschool programs. Also, for intel on district spending and expectations of vendors going into 2021, [sign up for the EdWeek Market Brief Summit](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r), held virtually Nov. 9-13. You can inquire about attending, and sponsorship opportunities, [here](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r). [ ] Sean Cavanagh Managing Editor, EdWeek Market Brief Suggestions/Feedback: Contact Sean Cavanagh at scavanagh@epe.org. Sponsorship/Business Opportunities: Contact Maurice Bakley at mbakley@epe.org. [ ] [ ] [ ] ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) EdWeek Market Brief Summit | Nov. 9-13 Join us for a 5-day virtual summit delivering practical insights and best practices on key marketing and sales strategies, district buying preferences, and trends in the market - looking at how COVID-19 has changed the market and what K-12 leaders expect from companies. [Learn More TodayÂ](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) [ ] K12 [ ] [ ] [School Instructional Materials Market Takes Major Year-to-Date Sales Hit (EdWeek Market Brief)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) The first seven months of 2020 were tough ones for PreK-12 publishers, according to an analysis by an industry group. [alt]   [How Schools Can Make Smarter Technology Purchasing Decisions (Fast Company)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) K-12 educators spend billions on tech-but still need help identifying the products that actually help kids learn. [alt]   [Democratic Senators Push FCC for Ed-Tech Funding (Multichannel News)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Senators said the Federal Communications Commission should not wait around for Hill funding they are also backing. [alt]   [4 Ways a Small Group of Schools Is Defying Predictions for Low-Income Students of Color (The 74--Opinion)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) It was widely predicted that virtual learning spurred by COVID-19 would lead to a loss of learning for underserved communities. But some students made progress. [alt]   [Embracing Ed-Tech Tools Can Help Level the Playing Field for All Students (EdSource)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Free online tools can help teachers fill in the inevitable gaps caused by distance learning. [alt]   [How an Epic Series of Tech Errors Hobbled Miami's Schools (WIRED)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) It started with the district hiring a little-known virtual charter school company, which led to balky connections and an even more troublesome curriculum. [alt]   [Must-Do's for Education Companies During Remote Learning (EdWeek Market Brief)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) As it implements a combination of remote and in-person learning this fall, the 84,000-student Jefferson County, Colo., school district needs vendors who can pivot quickly. [ ] ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) What Are Districts' Most Urgent Professional Development Needs During COVID-19? As more school districts commit to using remote-only learning this fall - or to hybrid learning models - what kinds of professional development will their teachers and other staff need from companies? [View webinar.](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) [ ] Higher Education [ ] [ ] [alt]   [Incorporating Experiential Learning into Higher Ed (University Business)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Here's why hands-on learning is essential-and still possible in the world of remote learning. [alt]   [What the Work from Home Revolution Means for Higher Education (Forbes)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Technology is changing the skillsets employers are seeking in new employees, digitizing hiring, and bringing about the work-from-home revolution. [alt]   [Pandemic Cruel to Adjunct Professors (The Boston Globe)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) COVID has thrown the higher-ed industry into uncertainty, and has been especially cruel to the thousands of part-time professors undergirding New England's universities. [alt]   [How One University's Tech Kept a City Running During the Pandemic (EdTech Magazine)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) When COVID-19 forced Buffalo to shut down, the University at Buffalo helped the city's essential 311 call center transition to remote work within 48 hours. [alt]   [Report Details Framework for Gathering Data on Higher Ed in Prison (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Despite research indicating that access to higher education by incarcerated individuals reduces recidivism rates, those individuals are still unable to access Pell Grants. [Why Some Colleges Do Better in Keeping Campus Open (The Washington Post)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Some plans to teach in person failed after the coronavirus surged. Others are persisting. [alt]   [Ginsburg Was Advocate for Equity (Inside Higher Ed)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) The justice, who died Friday, wrote decisions that upheld rights of women, racial minorities and gay people in higher education. Et Alia [ ] [ ] [alt]   [Jeff Bezos to Open First Location of Nonprofit Preschool (CNBC)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) The school is being launched by nonprofit organization Bezos Academy, which is overseen by the Amazon CEO's philanthropic endeavor. [alt]   [Colleges Operating Online K-12 Schools Report Enrollment Gains (Inside Higher Ed)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Dissatisfied with how local schools are responding to the pandemic, families increasingly turn to online options to educate their children -- including schools run by universities. [alt]   [Ed-Tech Fundraising in 2020 Outpaces Last Year's Mark (EdWeek Market Brief)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) The amount of venture capital flowing into ed-tech companies has already topped $4.8 billion, fueled by money flowing to companies in China and India. [alt]   [Venture Capital Firms Pump $1 Billion into Indian Ed-Tech Startups (Zenger News)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) As online education gains traction there has been an unprecedented surge in investments from domestic and international investors. [alt]   [Making Sense of 3 Ed-Tech Extension Rounds (TechCrunch)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Ed-tech companies are searching for new ways to tap into a booming market. [alt]   [Hotspots No Long-Term Solution for Rural Remote Learning (Hechinger Report)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) For many rural students, hot spots are useless if 'there's nothing for it to connect to' in places with limited cell service. [alt]   [Study Abroad Ed-Tech Company ApplyBoard Raises $55 Million (Forbes)](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Though study abroad is canceled at American universities, ApplyBoard--the one-stop-shop for international student application and enrollment--seems to be doing just fine. Comings and Goings [ ] Cornell College in Iowa has hired Dan Layzell as its new [vice president, and chief operating and chief financial officer](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r). Layzell comes to the liberal arts school from Louisiana State University, where he served as executive vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer. John Millay is the [new superintendent of the 19,000-student Martin County, Fla., school system](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r). He takes the position after serving as schools chief of the Meade County school system, in Kentucky. The University of Maryland's Board of Regents has appointed Bruce Jarrell as the [next president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r). Jarrell has been serving as interim president since January. Anderson School District 4, a 3,000-student system in South Carolina, has named [Dee Christopher as its new superintendent](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r). Christopher recently served as a high school principal. Heard of executives changing jobs within the education industry? Give us the details by writing to edbiz-transitions@educationweek.org. Jobs [ ] [ ] [Associate Director](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) Learning Care GroupAs an Associate Director, parents, teachers, and your Director will look to you for answers, direction and assistance. You will be trusted with a wide range of tasks that will be essential to the smooth running of the School as well as to the educational development of the children. [Executive Director](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) CoTA (Collaborations: Teachers and Artists) The Executive Director is a change agent who thrives in a dynamic, collaborative environment and understands how to nurture a vision and maneuver effectively in the fast-changing and uncertain world of education. [Implementation Director](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) K12 Inc. The Implementation Director, Special Programs will identify the need and formalize a plan for training and services in support of their clients'' special education programs, ELL and other high needs sub-populations. Did someone forward this to you? [Sign up](T-JQ_T2NN:m:1:3125711346:CBB2B55583D205685DAC3BFE99086FFA:r) to get edBiz Update in your own inbox. This message was intended for {EMAIL}. 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