Hough
As a teachers union president I have spent countless hours over the last 3 months working with truly exceptional people on plans to reopen schools safely. We know that the best way to reach children is in person in our classrooms. Small group instruction and individualized learning is the key to success.
We did the best we could with limited time to plan but virtual learning fell short in many ways. We know that equity in education was completely lost and the divide between the wealthiest school districts and the poorest grew even deeper.
As a union president I am in a position where I get to listen to teachers, local and state leaders, and to the community. We all want students back in the classroom when it can be done safely. Every school district is creating plans to make that happen. Every district is running into the same issue. There is a tremendous cost to make this happen. In many cases this cost may not just be monetary, it could be the lives of those who work in or attend our schools.
My question is the following, is this the best way to proceed? Is a stark classroom with nothing but desks in rows where kids stay in for 7 hours each day normal? Is creating classes in the gym or cafeteria even really a classroom? Can we truly build relationships behind a mask and face shield? Will a teacher in PPE actually damage our most at risk or youngest students? Will any of this help to reduce the educational and emotional divide that we have created? I think the wealthiest districts will be the safest, with smaller class sizes that can focus on student needs. I know that I will still have 25 students in my classroom.
Public education advocates, labor leaders, community activists and elected officials should be laser-focused on collaborative efforts to fund our future in a way that assures the safety and health of our students and their families. Let’s spend the next six weeks planning the best virtual education possible? Why can’t we take the 500 million dollars to create a system that is truly exceptional? I say we can keep kids safe at home, deliver a top notch education, and stimulate the local community.
How do we do this, leverage the community. Partner with local restaurants to offer online cooking demonstrations that focus on science We can work with banks and investment companies to teach finance and basic math? Let’s work with local musicians, actors, bloggers, and writers to teach their craft. Let’s set up live virtual experiences with museums, zoos, and aquariums which are all still struggling. Let’s create pen pals and Zoom with other children all over the state or world. Let’s use the money and time we are spending to create plans that could change tomorrow to stimulate the economy and provide the best education possible.
Instead of working to create a system that somewhat resembles in person education, let’s work together to design a truly exceptional educational system. We can provide opportunities that kids will look at as the best times in their education careers instead of the worst or most uncertain. Most importantly, let’s provide those experiences in a safe way.
The writer is the president of the Ansonia Federation of Teachers.
Email letters to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). There is a strict 550-word limit. Click here for more rules.
