Thread by @HendersonKaya

I posted an article yesterday about the impact of school closings on KIDS. I posted it because everything I’ve heard in the debate about closings is about the risk to adults in schools. Adults in schools are a critically important factor, but not the only factor to consider.

I have had conversations with students who cannot fathom being out of school for weeks on end, again. I’ve had conversations with parents who are trying to figure out how they will manage remote schooling for the coming weeks.

There is an opportunity to completely rethink how we staff & support schools in service to students and families, but we’re missing it. The out-of-school time and CBO sector rose to the occasion last year when schools couldn’t. Why not engage them as part of the solution?

If we continue to be held hostage by our current systems and structures, we’ll get what we’ve been getting. If we continue to have the same arguments, we’ll keep getting poor outcomes for everyone. We have a chance to do something different. How can we unleash new ideas?

What if we started from the assumption that closing schools is not an option? How would we staff, structure and support schools to serve students, families, educators, and the community in the best way possible?

We would need to (hold onto your hats folks) completely rethink the current way we staff schools. There are people beyond certified teachers who are able to deliver instruction to students. There. I said it. Bring in others who are reaching and teaching our students every day.

We would also have to revamp what schools are required to provide. We ask schools to do too much just because that’s where kids show up. We need to rethink what MUST happen in school to make it more manageable.

We would also need to rethink time. Maybe everyone needs to be in school from 8-3, but maybe not. Maybe more time for some and less time for others. Maybe 5 days/week, maybe not. Maybe extracurricular aren’t extra, but part of the school day.

Clearly technology plays a role, but it’s not the default instructional method. What if we truly leveraged technology in a more meaningful way to support instruction without just parking kids and teachers in front of zoom (no disrespect to zoom😉)

Can we seriously discuss music, art, sports, and other things that develop kids talents as part of the core of schooling? Cause that’s what parents and kids want. Can we get rid of legacy subjects that don’t really matter?

Can we blow up high school as we know it? Eliminate seat time, move toward competency and mastery based instruction? Can we learn from the int’l models where kids basically do 2 years of “HS” and then choose a meaningful university or career pathway?

The thing is, none of these things are new, but there have always been a zillion reasons why we couldn’t do them. Why not now? Families have had it up to here. They have ideas about new/different/better options so why not co-create a new reality with them?

We need bold leaders who are willing to take risks and try new things in this environment. But our systems leaders have been so battered by the politics of education that they can’t truly lead without fear of losing their jobs!

I didn’t wake up with a twitter rant in my heart, I promise. But the reactions to an article about the impact of school closing on KIDS disturbed me.

I was reminded that we need to elevate the discourse to a different plane - one that includes all stakeholders, disrupts the existing approaches, and centers the needs of students and families first.
None of this is easy. But our kids are worth it & we need to start somewhere.✊🏾