Month: April 2020

As superintendents and school leaders we need to begin asking the question: How will schools look when we reopen? Of course, no one knows at this stage and there are no models to follow.  Clearly, we will be guided by health experts, government leaders, and data, but the challenge will be the competing realities of student safety v. school budgets.  Why?  Because to follow many of the most promising practices, such as limiting class sizes so students sit 6’ apart, we will need additional teachers and facilities – two resources which will be difficult to procure. So, although we don’t …

As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak we are working 24/7 to take care of our students’ food, learning, and emotional needs.  We have also been attending to our staff; helping them cope without students, addressing their loss of personal connection with colleagues, and mitigating their worry about the unknown.  Digital connections help, but they lack that intangible human interaction which we all need in our lives.  Although as leaders we are working hard to address these issues in many cases we are forgetting one key element, which is fundamental to getting through this crisis. The one key …