Education During A Pandemic - School 2020/21

As the school summer break is coming to an end, one that for many kids was spent at home seeing no friends, not being able to go to the pool or the river or anywhere fun, and for many was spent mostly watching YouTube, TikTok or gaming inside the four walls of their home, what will the 2020/21 school year look like? As COVID-19 continues to rage through most of the states, some worse than others, the debate as to whether it is safe for our children to return to school is a hot and heated topic. Debates have gone back and forth throughout the summer between politicians and school boards wildly differentiating in what is the best approach for teachers, students and tuition.  

In San Antonio, Texas the Northside Independent School District has chosen to begin the school year with virtual learning stating there will be no in-person instruction until at least Tuesday, September 8th after Labor Day Weekend.

In the interim the school district will provide iPads, Chrome books and hotspots for students in need. The district also partnered with Schoology, an online learning management center that will provide teachers, students and parents with a one-stop location for accessing assignments, classroom participation and communication between parents and teachers. An option for either virtual learning or in-person learning has been offered for the remainder of the school year as well. However, despite the school districts attempt to address every possible scenario, it still leaves parents with a multitude of questions unanswered such as will social distancing on the school buses be possible, will social distancing in the hallways and cafeteria be possible, what will grading and testing for virtual learning versus in-person learning look like, what will the quality of virtual learning be like, what is the school’s protocol in case a student tests positive for COVID-19 etc. 

Molly Hummel is a primary teacher at Orange Grove Primary School, part of the Driscoll Independent School District in Texas. Her school board initially opted out of the county health order that prohibited face to face learning until October, deciding teachers would return to school for in-person learning August 10th. However, after teachers and the community voiced concerns, the board eventually decided to delay in-person learning for four weeks as permitted by TEA (Texas Education Agency). Although Driscoll Independent School District offers the option of either in-person learning or virtual learning, Molly feels it would be best to delay in-person learning due to health concerns even though she would be better able to educate her young 1st grade students face to face. Molly says the quality of virtual learning for a first grader will greatly depend upon parental involvement. Driscoll Independent School District used Google Classroom for virtual learning prior to summer break and plans to continue using this platform for their virtual learning students this year. 

Other school districts around the states are faced with similar difficult tasks of setting up a safe social distancing classroom and preparing for a very different type of school environment. Katie O’Connor, a 5th grade elementary teacher in Colorado Springs shared this video of herself overwhelmed and emotional in regards to being able to teach her 5th grade class in-person while adhering to her school’s and CDC’s safety regulations during COVID-19.

Sharon Whitberry (name changed), an elementary teacher in the Northside Independent School District says her campus will be challenged if everyone chooses in-person learning as the school will not be able to accommodate that. With the desks separated as far apart as possible, a safe class size would be around 13 whereas a typical class size is 26. In-person students will likely eat in the classrooms because of the time needed for sanitation, and some discovery and special classes will now happen in the homeroom to reduce traveling from one classroom to another. Claire Downing, (name changed) also an elementary teacher in the Northside Independent School District, says she agrees with her school board allowing parents to choose between in-person and virtual learning, but she personally would choose in-person learning because she feels it is best for the students.  As well, she feels that in-person learning will be a challenge this year due to the distancing guidelines. These guidelines include no partner/teamwork, no ‘shared’ supplies (think science experiments, etc.) and very little personal interaction with peers. Both Downing and Whitberry feel their school board has supported them 100%. Downing says many precautions have been implemented to help students and teachers stay safe, such as hand sanitizers in hallways and classrooms, social distancing for students in hallways (dots on the floor), limited stalls in restrooms to help with social distancing and there will also be plexiglass screens in various high traffic areas. Students and staff will have to sanitize before and after going outside, wear masks and social distance even during recess, and there will be very little movement in the classroom to limit interaction. There will be staggered arrival times when possible, and parents will not be allowed in the building. Dismissal will also be staggered with students remaining in the classroom until their bus or parent arrives. MANY other precautions will be in place, but details are still being worked and adjusted in order to keep students and teachers as safe as possible.

One of growing concerns amongst students, teachers and parents alike is virtual testing and grading. Will virtual students have unfair advantages on tests and graded assignments as opposed to those who are in-person learning? And will in-person students receive better education than virtual students thus fair better once Covid-19 is gone? This in particular rings home for high school seniors and college students, who will compete for prime college spots and jobs with students from across the nation. But perhaps the biggest concern for many in-person learning families is the school’s protocol should a teacher or student test positive for Covid-19. At Driscoll Independent School District in Texas if a classroom or facility has to close due to Covid-19 spread, quaternary disinfectant will be used to defog and disinfect, and according to Sharon Whitberry Northside Independent School District schools can closed for up to five days for a deep clean.

With three weeks to schools re-opening, the Northside Independent School District tuition plans and learning models have not yet been finalized, but will look something along the lines of this:

There is no doubt that the 2020/21 school year will be very different and challenging as teachers and students across the nation cautiously embark into uncharted waters. As a community, there are strong opinions on the subject. Even in my own house, my kids are divided on the topic. I think that one thing we can be sure of is that no one knows how this will play out, and it is important as educators, parents, and students that we understand there will need to be changes and adaptations in the upcoming school year. It does take a village to educate a child, and it works better when the village can have civil discourse and respect everyone's opinion.  While I personally have decided to keep my kids home, I am really inspired by this quote from 5th grade elementary teacher Susan Whitberry “I am excited to get to work! I know it will be less than ideal, but it is an opportunity for us to think about education differently and service the families that entrust us with their children”.  

Good luck to students and teachers alike as they embark on the new school year, and also to the many parents who will have to wear the hat of the teacher’s assistant for their virtual learning students.