Blog
The New School Year and New Beginnings: From the Desk of Dr. Christine White-Taylor
Those of us working in child well-being are carefully assessing the reopening of schools for the new school year. The impact of the COVID-19 virus and its ongoing spread has made everyone fearful. COVID-19 has changed us as a country, as well as our states, cities, communities and families, in a way that hasn’t been experienced in a very long time.
Compounded with more developed requirements for living – and having evolved from simpler living over the decades – the virus has pushed us to a new level of daily discomfort. As such, we have to ask the question, “How do we continue to educate children outside the home under the shadow of this huge virus?”
During this time, schools are appreciated more than ever and are expected to stand up and be present to meet the education and childcare challenge for the new school year.
However, returning to school buildings has challenging aspects. I recommend that caregivers, parents and guardians begin or continue making their feelings known to school officials, principals, board members and superintendents about returning to school – even if they and their children fear returning to school buildings and the possibility of there being minimal or no athletics and other extracurricular activities.
This will reinforce the need to pivot and change the way schools have become used to conducting business. Specifically, school business means improving the system to ensure that students learn; more teacher and coaching outreach to students when delivering instruction; and making sure caregivers, parents and guardians remain informed so they can work together as the new normal causes education professionals and the delivery of instruction to evolve and rise up to meet challenges that are presented.