Schools in California are starting the year in a Distance Learning model. As we get closer to the start of the school year, there may be some schools (private, charter, public in a relatively COVID free area) who may offer some kind of in-person instruction. The discussion below is for the possibility of resuming in-person instruction at school, perhaps in October or November or January…
Back in May when I was thinking about school in the fall, I thought Covid-19 would have waned; I thought we would be in a position to think about in-person learning and how to reintegrate students. But as we move into August, we have to set the context of where we are before getting to a discussion of what return to school might look like.
The Covid numbers across the world on July 31st don’t bode well for resumption of in-person learning anytime soon. The US had more than 70,000 new cases with 1459 deaths. This marked the third day in a row with more than 1400 deaths, the highest since May 19-21st. Florida (256) and California (191) recorded the highest death totals so far; Texas has recorded almost 1000 deaths in the last three days; Georgia (81) had the highest death total since April 20th and Tennessee (27) the second highest since the pandemic began. The charts below show alarming growth in daily new cases and new deaths across the US.
In South America, it is bleak: in three days, Colombia recorded more than 1000 dead as well as the three highest new daily case counts; Bolivia had more than 250 deaths in the last three days (a peak) and has more than 50,000 active cases total; Mexico has recorded more than 47,000 deaths and today its second highest new case total; and Argentina is experiencing a spike in cases and deaths:
In Europe, where the media has assumed things are calm, the case totals may tell a different story: Germany and France had more than 1000 new cases on July 31st and Spain more than 3,000; Belgium experienced its highest three day new case total since May 7-9. It is possible that Europe may experience its own upward shift in numbers. Japan and Hong Kong are also showing worrying signs of increasing cases: Japan reported almost 1500 new cases on August 1st, the highest case count there since the pandemic began.
When looking at the 7 day average across the word, this week marked the highest case count so far and the highest death count since May 1st. We are not at the end of something but as Dr Fauci said, right inside an event of unknown outcome.
So now what?
In a normal year, teachers would be preparing for new classes and new students. This year, they are preparing for a series of unknowns. Brand new students who the teachers will meet for the first time in a virtual environment. All over the world, teachers are grappling with how they will create that critical “class community,” the place where students learn together. How will we manage to create environments where students feel safe, where they can learn, and where equity for all can be preserved?
School Board Meetings – Feedback
Because school board meetings across the United States are now viewable on Zoom and other apps, I’ve had a chance to see and hear some of the issues coming up regarding return to school. Without getting into the weeds of which state is doing what, I have noticed four consistent comments:
- Distance learning model for the first semester. The comments describe the general benefits – consistency of instruction (which most assume will be better than the March-April-May distance learning) where teachers know what they are getting into and can plan accordingly, and students/parents can develop a consistent learning routine. This is also the safest, most Covid sensitive approach.
- Teachers, particularly those who teach Special Education and English Language Development, who are terrified of an entire semester of DL on the back of March, April, May. They worry that 10 months without in-person instruction will cause significant learning and equity gaps.
- Parents who advocate for a return to in-person teaching “as soon as possible.” To their credit, they are generally focused on their children rather than the economic argument about schools-as-daycare.
- The resource gap. These comments highlight the real problem underlying return to school. To do it at all will require significant new resources, classrooms, technology, safety measures, etc. This camp says no reopening until we get the things necessary to do it right.
You might note there are no wrong answers here. All four comment groups are aligned in logic. The school board meetings have highlighted the obvious: teachers are experts on teaching in ways that many lay school board members, district staff, and parents are not. Teachers can turn a microscope on what might happen during in-person instruction. As a group, teachers have significant wisdom on how to keep students, parents, and staff safe.
All this being said, what are we going to do now? Are there any approaches that think about school, students, staff and parents once we can return to school.
Three Things to Consider:
- Zooming in Teacher Professional Development and Student Zooming
During the last two days, I participated in a county-wide professional development sequence called Disrupt 2020. We met in Zoom sessions from 8:30-3pm each day. The content was interesting, the speakers cogent and earnest, and there was fabulous conversation amongst teachers. Yet it was a very heavy lift to make it through the day. I was tired at the end and thankful it was over, even though the content was strong. Imagining this experience for students makes me more worried than ever. How engaged will students be on Day 3 of Distance Learning? Day 7? Day 38? What if the new tools teachers use become boring? What if online rules vary significantly from teacher to teacher, school to school? What if I wrote a thousand more questions?
- A “hybrid” approach for staff
So, fingers crossed seventeen times, we hope that one day (in October? November? January?), we in California will be in-person again. What is most likely is that any shift to in-person learning will be gradual. It’s important to realize that schools can do a “hybrid” approach where some of the students and some of the staff are at school. We want as many kids at school as possible but we also want to protect teachers, particularly those at high-risk. How can we resolve these opposing forces? Perhaps we can use the physical space of school as the place for more students to congregate, albeit with social distancing, masks, etc., while those staff members who are at high-risk conduct instruction remotely. Most of our schools feature large screen TVs, perfect for beaming in teacher instruction. Some students go to school, some staff stay home.
This is obviously dependent on having enough willing staff to monitor students at school sites. If all staff elect to stay home, this won’t work. Another unknown. But if this were possible, students could:
- Be in their normal learning environments, have access to school tools, computers, software, books, desks, etc.
- Have access to food lunch programs.
- Have access to peer relationships, though in a socially distanced format.
It would also allow some ELD and low-income students to more readily access curriculum. In my experience with teaching in the distance learning format this spring, many of my ELD students attended rarely or not at all. English Language Learners are more likely to be challenged by distance learning. In addition, the New York Times reported soon after distance learning began in the spring that many low-income students had high absence rates, perhaps due to issues with computer access. Switching to distance learning by the Internet does allow many students to continue their education, but places others at a serious disadvantage. After years of trying to close the achievement gap, distance learning may prove to reverse that progress. (More about this equity gap coming in a future post)
Of course, there is no easy way to keep students – particularly elementary students – from more direct contact with one another. Schools would need to carefully examine how Germany, Vietnam, and New Zealand have reopened schools. Like baseball and other sports, schools that reopen will be responsible for the health and safety of all staff and students. The challenges are immense.
- What Happens If We Can Reopen Safely
Finally, as schools do reopen, each one will be watched closely by other school systems everywhere else. For example, Jefferson School District opened yesterday (Friday, July 31st). The experience schools like Jefferson have will play a critical role in how schools across the country act. If Jefferson and other schools find they can open safely, tremendous pressure will build on schools to reopen at some point this fall. Planning for that possibility is obviously important.
Uncertainty can lead us into more muddles but it is important to recognize that teachers and staff CAN find a way to educate kids effectively. Distance Learning will likely not be as effective as in-person instruction but other advantages such as losing the restriction of the bell schedule may open up opportunities for learning and experience. Covid is a rough and tough competitor to learning but schools and school staff have their wily ways too. Let’s keep looking at ways to keep staff and students safe while also exploring the newly possible.
NEXT TIME: Equity in School and District Staffing
David Stirrat 