Waiting for the Light

Back in April I wrote a column about planning for the 2020-2021 school year. The 2019-2020 year had just come to an abrupt halt, and there was an enormous amount of wasted time and energy spent trying to get kids back into school buildings for only a week or two. I said then that 19-20 was over, and we needed to figure out what we were going to do with kids during the summer and prepare for a safe return in the fall.

Now here we are three months later, and we’re still no closer to understanding how to get kids safely back into schools or how to properly deliver online learning. It’s as if we’re waiting for an epiphany – an “ah ha!” moment – when the idea light bulb flashes on overhead and a solution to the problem appears.

Teaching remotely cannot be switched on/off like a light bulb. It does not magically engage like the light in the refrigerator when you open the door. The mechanics that enable the room light and refrigerator to function on demand had to be designed, tested, constructed and deployed to ensure they worked as planned. Remote learning is no different.

Unlike the light and fridge, however, remote learning does not exist in its own self-contained environment. An enormous number of variables including access, aptitude, and motivation are necessary for the remote learning light just to go on let alone shine brightly. It takes more than administration and societal demands to deliver effective online learning. Unfortunately, it’s going to take time, training and money.

The most critical component of online learning is connecting to the Internet. Who’s going to pay for universal access for the district? As a requirement of a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment will the burden fall on the districts’ taxpayers? Keep in mind district employees, support staff, and sometimes even students, do not all reside within a district’s geographic area. Will internet service providers like Comcast, Verizon, etc., be called on to continue free or discounted universal access? Will schools pay for internet access, laptops, and subject-specific software (where needed) only for those students based on demonstrated need (similar to school lunch programs)? Will taxpayers who currently pay for their own internet and laptops – basically paying twice – feel resentment towards others getting it for free?

Paying to retrain teachers and other support staff will be another cost. I can already hear the “teachers are overpaid already” argument, but what if your employer mandated that you do a new job, or even your existing job with new equipment and technology, wouldn’t you expect to be trained? Training takes time and money.  In the corporate world my experience was the workers trained on company time, and the training program was paid for by the company.

Education is much different. Educators are mandated by law to take continuing education classes throughout their careers on their own time and pay for them out of their own pocket. Some districts do provide “professional development” during designated school days (when students are not present) to help teachers meet this requirement, but this is usually brief and focused on government-mandated programs (such as active shooter training). I have been through professional development that introduced “technology” into classrooms – electronic whiteboards, “clickers,” etc. – followed by a district decree that all teachers must implement said technology into their lesson plans. The demand for virtual learning is similar, so will it be handled the same way?

School buildings were not designed with pandemics in mind, so a return to classroom learning is also not without additional costs or requirements. Facilities enhancements such as room accommodations, HVAC enhancements, staggering students by cohorts in classrooms and school buses to meet social distancing requirements, etc., all need to be designed, tested, constructed and deployed. And don’t forget the personal protective equipment (PPE)!

Some districts have announced their plans, with many choosing to start the school year virtually with the idea of reassessing the situation at a later time. With only a couple of weeks before school starts, when will the teachers be trained? When will 100% student internet access be deployed, tested, and confirmed? The same questions apply to districts beginning the year with a “hybrid” program (a combination of in-school and at-home learners simultaneously). Even those districts who begin conventionally need to be ready for social distancing, availability of PPE, and contingency plans should students and/or staff be affected by COVID-19.

The CDC, individual states, and some districts have offered guidelines to help schools reopen, but with such a new virus the guidelines are really suggestions being tested live as the months pass with no definitive answer in sight. This has left many educators feeling in the dark about returning to school in the fall.

So, as we enter August we’re right back where we were in April… waiting for a light to go on.