Sunday, August 23rd, 2020
By the second or third grade, as a parent, you pretty much have the routine down for sending your children back to school in September. School supplies, transportation, which teachers, maybe some new clothes. It was pretty routine.
Welcome to 2020. The first question is, do you want to send your child back to school in the middle of a Pandemic? The second question is, how is your school district opening – remote learning, in-person, or a new term – a hybrid approach – an alternation between in-person and remote learning. If your child does not go back to school, who will look after them if you have to go to work? What is your broadband connection in case your child is learning virtually? Can it be shared between everyone in the household? How does the average parent address the multitude of questions raised? How do teachers navigate these issues? Administrators? Every stakeholder has a legitimate set of concerns, especially watching the reports of school districts that have tried and failed to re-open.
Upon Governor Cuomo’s announcement that children could return to school provided an appropriate plan was filed with the State, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress decided to do a scan of school district websites to view the plans for returning to school from the eyes of a parent.
Plans varied in length from approximately 50-150 pages. In other words, a parent better be able to read and understand a textbook’s worth of instructions. The school districts must address the concerns of state agencies, local administrators, teachers, parents and of course children. In addition, each district must conduct 3-5 online sessions to help the community understand their guidelines and choices (and the risks) associated with each.
Now from the school district’s point of view, this is a herculean task. Every component of teaching children had to be re-visited through the lens of the Pandemic. It took years to assemble the way each district teaches, and in several months they had to address multiple scenarios as to how to bring your children back to school safely. Take a breath and realize how hard this is to do.
Here are just a few of the items we noticed. Adherence to Social Distancing. Probably wasn’t in last year’s handbook. Though it actually may reduce the amount of time lost to sickness, if the new rules are adhered to. There may be LESS flu due to less transmission (one can hope). Transportation. One to a seat unless they are the same family. Or what happens if the child says, after they board the bus, I don’t feel well. Yes, of course there is a set of questions parents must ask their children before boarding the bus, but it will happen. Broadband. We have talked about the digital divide for years, but now in many communities it is the difference between who learns and who doesn’t. Perhaps, for those that do have access, we can view this as an opportunity as we have to send our children into a digital world, so let’s hasten the learning curve. But for most, honestly, how long can the younger children stare at screens? Childcare. It appears that this enormous issue was an afterthought. Even for teachers and administrators within the school district. Sparse mention of solutions.
Now, if you happen to be an adult who has no connection to K-12, e.g. no children in school, this all may seem to be a foreign discussion. Just another aspect of COVID, but one you think has no impact on you. Yet, it does. This is how we are educating our future workforce. This is what enables your co-worker to go to work as their children have a place to go. This conversation does concern everyone.
Like so many other aspects of reacting to the COVID pandemic, K-12 education is having its moment where the light is shined upon it. No doubt there will be heroes. No doubt there will be lessons learned, hopefully by those that need it most – the children.
Welcome back to school 2020!
