A Squirrely Situation: What is the New Normal! – Warning, this is a RANT!

This is what I have heard. There is no guarantee that elementary and secondary schools will return to normal for the fall, perhaps for the entire year. And I am not sure that the “new normal” is going to be “normal” enough.  And I am concerned.

In an article on May 21, the Seattle Times reported that a working group in Washington state composed of 123 stakeholders, including educators, principals, advocates, and union representatives have met to consider several different options. Some of the options are opening as usual, rotating students through buildings, and remote learning.  Most ideas that I have seen from across the country shares the likelihood, at the very least, that plans will include elements of remote learning of some type. But remote learning is not the panacea, especially in the way it was slapped together in this emergency situation. And, I am not faulting the educators here. Everyone did the best they could in a very unusual situation and with a very tight timeline. But now we need to do better. 

And right now, I’m thinking this situation is NUTS! What kind of education can our students (e.g., preschool, elementary, secondary, and college) get ON-LINE or with limited accessibility to face-to-face classrooms and teachers. How do teachers plan? How do families plan for childcare and employment? And I am concerned about our students.

·     YES! I am concerned about students losing opportunities for quality education and how that will impact their futures!

·     YES! I am concerned about children’s health and public safety!

·     YES! I am concerned about children who do not fare well with on-line formats, and there are many of those students!

·     YES! I am concerned about children who do not have access to technology that can facilitate success or do not have the support at home needed for success because their parents work! 

·     Yes! I am concerned about children with special needs who cannot get instruction aligned with their IEPs!

By golly! We have got to do better than this! So, what is the solution! I don’t know. Do you have any bright ideas?  We have only three months before those doors are due to open. 

Now to restate, I am vitally, completely, wholly, utterly, absolutely concerned about our children’s future. I mean, I have played my part with this school-closure thing for more than the last quarter of the school year.  

This situation of COVID-19 is NUTS, not to know what is coming and how to plan and what this “new normal” will look like, and the role that distance learning will play in these plans  – at least for the fall quarter. On the whole, states, districts, and school administrators appear to be at a loss, with not yet fully conceptualized ideas and guidance, and they might not have plans until midsummer. I want to reiterate that I do understand the complexities involved in these decisions. I do understand the reality of the current state of affairs. I get it. And everyone is doing the best they can in this “unprecedented time.” And it is important to recognize this. But we do not get a trophy for effort or participation in this case. We need a well-formulated, workable plan prepared and disseminated. And the sooner this plan is in place, the better. A plan that accounts for the concerns above.

No matter the fact that I know there are so many variables and that I have enormous heart for those who are responsible for these decisions:

I still feel like this COVID-19 situation is nuts and that the squirrels have come out to play.

I invite comments, suggestions, ideas. 

If you have questions that I might be able to answer generally, please email me. Please, keep in mind that this blog is for suggestions that may or may not work. Here is the disclaimer, professional advice requires much more in-depth information and contact and is beyond the scope of this blog.  email: gail.coulter@outlook.com.