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Families turn to creativity for children's learning 2:57
Editor's Note: Dr. Mario Ramírez is an emergency physician and served as interim director of Pandemics and Emerging Threats at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. He is CEO of Opportunity Labs, a nonprofit consulting firm that advises startups. Andrew Buher is the founder of Opportunity Labs and former director of operations for the New York City Department of Education. The opinions expressed are those of the authors. See more opinions at CNNE.COM/OPINION
(CNN) - Since the start of the covid-19 crisis, the Donald Trump administration has shown a surprising lack of attention to the damage the pandemic has caused to our country's public schools. The guide to reopening published this Thursday by the White House, dedicates two sentences to how and when to reopen our 98,000 primary and secondary public institutions.
While schools are state-regulated, a catastrophic pandemic of this magnitude requires the use of experience and resources that only the federal government can provide. However, the indications and support from this administration have been confusing at best and absent at worst.
Surprisingly, there seems to be little discussion in Washington about when and how to reopen our public schools. This gigantic challenge may lie with governors: taking charge and protecting the health of students and staff, and ensuring that this generation of children is not denied their chance at the American dream.
Any teacher, school principal, or district supervisor can say that returning to school after a long absence is difficult, even in normal periods. But doing it in the middle of the covid-19 is monumentally difficult.
The stakes could not be higher. Academic and social and emotional development, as well as the mental health of an entire generation of students, hang in the balance. In addition to the systemic challenges of online learning, most students are dealing with the devastating effects of stress in the face of physical and social isolation, a grim financial situation and, in some cases, the death of a family member or friend.
Public schools exist to provide hope for our children and prepare them for productive work and a fulfilling life. They are a central source of the community and a place to come together as a nation, to meet openly and to elect our public officials.
Fundamentally, the covid-19 has destabilized its ability to fulfill these critical functions.
Despite the heroic efforts of our educators since the start of the pandemic, projections for student achievement in grades 3-8 in math and reading will not reach where they should be at the end of the school year, according with the Northwest Evaluation Association.
There will be an unprecedented need for mental health and wellness interventions for staff and students. Critical services, such as access to school meals, may extend beyond their capacity.
Local leaders urgently need tactical guidance on how to translate the federal public health orientation into action within their school communities. But the Trump administration has yet to provide any directives on how to reopen schools, so governors, as they have had to do on other issues during this crisis, must move quickly to establish return-to-school committees. of creating a framework for planning and implementation. The core work of the committees should include:
● Engage local communities. State leaders should ask critical questions about the harm done to student learning, what resources are needed to repair it, and what should be included in the curriculum, training, and how to implement it to minimize impact.
● Ensure that students and staff can return to school as safely as possible. State leaders must determine whether and how students and staff should be screened before entering school, what cleaning and disinfection standards should be implemented, and how to treat sick children or staff.
● Provide parents with an understanding of what the school experience will be like in the fall and how it will affect their child's learning outcomes. State leaders must determine how academic progress will be measured during out-of-school time, if school calendars will change, and when will assessments take place.
● Advocate for additional resources. State leaders must seek funds to avoid layoffs and address the wellness needs of staff and students to make up for lost services, including special education, physical therapy, and occupational and language therapy.
This fundamental framework is essential to allow state educational authorities, district supervisors, and school principals to begin the critical work of building and implementing a safe, efficient, and equitable return.
The truth is going to be known in each of our communities. In line with guidance issued by the federal government, Opportunity Labs recently convened a team of public health and education experts to help district supervisors and school principals plan and execute this unprecedented work. The Back to School Guide for Educational Leaders includes essential actions, informed by evidence-based public health and education best practices, to be taken before and after schools open. For example, requiring school-wide outreach to at-risk students, setting an ambitious goal to ensure every student is on the path to academic success by the end of the 2022 school year, and establishing policies for extracurricular activities and athletics, such as allowing spectators , contact sports and equipment sterilization based on public health guidance.
What will be the procedures on the first day of school? Who will be allowed in school buildings? How will schools implement social distancing procedures if still necessary? How will students and staff be evaluated for mental health interventions? What can we do to keep 2020 and 2021 students on track to ensure success after high school? What changes should be made to online learning programs in the event of a second wave of pandemic infections?
These questions present intimidating challenges for our schools, and the answers are not black and white. Without a doubt, the necessary changes will be made depending on the context in which the pandemic is found. But for district supervisors and school principals to begin to embrace this historic challenge, governors must take immediate action. Otherwise, schools are unlikely to open in the fall.
Close schools