Wrapping Up a Wild Year in the Education Industry – and Looking Ahead to 2021

A Newsletter for Education Business Leaders [ ] [Advertisement](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) [edBiz Update | The news roundup for education business leaders] Powered by [EDWEEK Market Brief](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) [EDWEEK MARKET BRIEF](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r)  | [EDUCATION WEEK](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r)  | [ADVERTISE](mailto:mbakley@educationweek.org?subject=Advertising%20Opportunities)  | [JOBS](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) [ ] [ ] [ ] Sean Cavanagh Managing Editor, EdWeek Market Brief Hello, edBiz Readers: Journalists are typically wary of labeling anything as unprecedented, but on this point there can be no doubt: There's never been a year like 2020 for education—or for the education industry. From the moment COVID-19 body-slammed society, the nation's schools were forced to shut their doors and make a wrenching turn into online learning. Since then has come the uneasy shift back to hybrid or in-person instruction, which seems sure to continue into the spring of 2021 and possibly into the fall. This issue of edBiz Update offers a variety of perspectives on what the past year has meant for education businesses, and on what lies ahead. • Education Week's Mark Lieberman looks back at how 2020 exposed [serious inequities](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) in distance learning, gaps in cybersecurity, and the difficulty of delivering remote learning that has a meaningful impact. I wrote a story in EdWeek Market Brief dissecting the many challenges companies in [curriculum, testing, PD, and other areas](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) faced this year in trying to make sense of schools' shifting demands during the pandemic. • On college campuses, it was the "[year that pushed higher education to the edge](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r)," in the words of the Chronicle of Higher Education's Scott Carlson and Lee Gardner, who examine the financial and myriad other pressures heaped on the postsecondary world. At Inside Higher Ed, Scott Jaschik offers up the publication's 10 most popular stories, many of which focused on [when to bring students back to campus](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r)—and how? • Amid all the turmoil, the total addressable education market has "[massively grown](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r)" over the last few months, notes TechCrunch. We'd reported earlier this year that the total value of education M&A was [skyrocketing](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r), even if the raw number of transactions had dipped. So that's a wrap on a frustrating and at times frightening year. Thanks for allowing us to catch you up what's been going on in the education industry in 2020, and here's hoping we have more positive news to report in 2021. [ ] 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](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) [ ] K12 [ ] [ ] [alt]   [Education Technology in 2020: 8 Takeaways From a Chaotic Year (Education Week)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Digital technology was a lifeline for many educators this year, but it was also a source of frustration, bewilderment, and fatigue. [alt]   [10 Stories That Mattered in the K-12 Market in 2020 (EdWeek Market Brief)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) EdWeek Market Brief's most popular stories and webinars of 2020 offer a portrait of an education industry that has grappled with the tumult brought by COVID-19. [Cyber Attacks Targeting K-12 Education Are On The Rise (Mondaq)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) As remote learning continues to play a critical role in the world's pandemic response, cybercriminals see another opportunity for exploitation. [alt]   [Cambium Learning's CEO Breaks Down Company's Recent, Big Acquisitions (EdWeek Market Brief)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Cambium Learning CEO John Campbell talks about how his company's recent, major acquisitions of Rosetta Stone and the American Institutes for Research mesh with his organization's strategic vision. [alt]   [Chinese App Raises $1.6 Billion from Investors Including Alibaba (TechCrunch)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) The rivalry between China's top online learning apps has become even more intense this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [alt]   [Online Learning Platform Brainly Raises $80 Million In Series D (Pulse 2.0)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Online learning platform Brainly announced it has raised $80 million in Series D funding led by Learn Capital. These are the details. [alt]   [Biden's Ed. Secretary Pick Called an Experienced Educator, Ed-Tech Advocate (EdScoop)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona would be a strong advocate for educational technology if picked as education secretary, predicted a former colleague. [ ] ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) What Do Districts Need From Social-Emotional Learning Products and Programs During COVID-19? In this webinar, EdWeek Market Brief will go through the results of a new, nationally representative survey of district and school administrators about what they want from products and programs designed to address social-emotional learning. [View webinar](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) [ ] Higher Education [ ] [ ] [The Year that Pushed Higher Ed to the Edge (Chronicle of Higher Education)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) The pandemic exacerbated long-simmering problems confronting colleges. [alt]   [The 10 'Inside Higher Ed' Stories that Attracted the Most Readers (Inside Higher Ed)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Here are the 10 stories that attracted the most readers in 2020. [alt]   [What Higher Ed Leaders Should Know about the Federal Relief Package (EAB)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) To help university leaders understand and plan for what the latest relief package means for the industry, EAB has outlined the law's major components. [alt]   [New Report Suggests Wide-Ranging Declines in Transfer (Inside Higher Ed)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Student mobility fell steeply this year as colleges dealt with other enrollment challenges. [alt]   [Congress Approves $22.7 Billion in Relief for Higher Education (University Business)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) HBCUs have debt erased, while the new stimulus deal expands the Pell Grant recipient pool and improves the FAFSA application process. [alt]   [Complacency and Wasteful Spending Blight US Higher Education (Financial Times)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication. [alt]   [How to Create a Winning Esports Program During a Pandemic (EdTech Magazine)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Focusing on these tactics will help your competitive gaming platform thrive in the remote landscape. [alt]   [Congressional Agreement on COVID-19 Would Give Higher Ed $23 Billion (Inside Higher Ed)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Deal would also simplify FAFSA and let more prisoners get Pell Grants. And $1.3 billion in loans to Black colleges would be forgiven. Et Alia [ ] [ ] [Top 10 Ed-Tech Trends that Will Disrupt Education Sector in 2021 (Analytics Insight)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) The modern education world is merging with the latest technology to improve the way students learn. [alt]   [Tech Companies Ask Biden for More Education Support, Student Data (EdScoop)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) In a letter to the incoming administration, a group of companies stressed the importance of technology to facilitate high-quality learning and the need for additional funding. [alt]   [Educational Technology Trends In 2020-2021 (eLearning Industry)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Read this informative article to learn all about the top educational technology trends for 2020-2021 that you must know! [alt]   [Booming Ed-Tech M&A Activity Brings Consolidation to a Fragmented Sector (TechCrunch)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to force teachers, students and parents to adopt new technologies, ed tech's total addressable market has massively grown in the last several months. [alt]   [To Win Post-Pandemic, Ed Tech Needs to Start Thinking Big (TechCrunch)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) If 2020 showed us how hard "Zoom school" really is, then 2021 should not be about creating more versions of Zoom schools. [Mobile-First Education Platform Aceable Raises $50 Million In Growth Investment (Pulse 2.0)](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Mobile-first education platform Aceable recently announced it closed a $50 million growth investment led by private equity firm HGGC. These are the details. Comings and Goings [ ] The Society for Diversity Inc. announced that [Michele Williams](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) will become its global vice president and chief financial officer. She previously worked for the organization as a finance director from 2015 until 2018, and has more than 30 years of experience in global finance at State Farm, Chubb Insurance, and JP Morgan Chase Bank.  The Antietam School District, in Pennsylvania, unanimously approved the hiring of [Heidi Rochlin](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) as superintendent. Rochlin will replace Jeffrey Boyer, who is leaving to take over as superintendent of the Ferndale School District in Cambria County on Jan. 1. [Loretta Adrian](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) has announced she is retiring as president of Coastline College, in California, which was Orange County's first online community college. Adrian has experience working at several community colleges, and has been at Coastline since 2010. The Dover Area School District, in Pennsylvania, has voted to appoint [Kelly Cartwright](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) as the new superintendent of schools, beginning in May. Cartwright is currently serving as assistant to the superintendent in the Conestoga Valley School District, in Pennsylvania, a position she's held since 2010. Heard of executives changing jobs within the education industry? Give us the details by writing to edbiz-transitions@educationweek.org. Jobs [ ] [ ] [Director, Career Readiness Education](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) K12 Inc. Works with the Career Learning leadership team and teams across the company to grow the business. Operating in a startup-like environment, the successful candidate is responsible for strategy, program and operations of the business. [Senior Data Analyst](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Northwest Evaluation Association Seeking flexible detail-oriented individuals with experience in education research, data modeling, statistical analysis, and business intelligence who are willing to take on a variety of tasks as we grow our Reporting and Data Analytics team. [Executive Director](T5Yvcd2LN:m:1:3125711346:0E013C70D7D5E1D978E835E51E72D653:r) Collaborative for Educational ServicesThe Executive Director of CES is the chief executive and is charged by state statutes, the Collaborative Agreement, and the Board of Directors with carrying out specific responsibilities, mainly in managing daily operations and services; recommending policies to the Board; managing internal and external relations; representing CES to other agencies, officials, and the public; and other duties. Did someone forward this to you? 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