Group Discussion 3

On Thursday, June 17, the Voices of Educators in COVID 19 met for the final time to discuss how the remainder of the academic year was, particularly relating to our group foci on equity in schools and inclusion in the decision-making process. As vaccination rates increased amongst adults across the country, our educators in primary and secondary schools felt that safety protocols (such as distancing, deep cleaning, hybrid learning models and block schedules) were relaxed. Many returned to full in-person teaching, while a few (especially in secondary schools) continued with hybrid learning. State testing dominated these final months for most educators, and some expressed disappointment that their ability to teach in-person was limited by this. Others were disappointed with the change in schedule from hybrid to in-person; for those with multiple care obligations, the shift in the schedule was disruptive.

The federal government has authorized billions in grant funding to school districts to address concerns around “learning loss,” facilities modernizations and upgrades, social services, and targeted spending for students with disabilities. This flood of funding is having uneven success across the nation, as many in the group expressed skepticism on the ability for summer programming and after-school programming to be effective, considering the shortage in staffing for these and other jobs across the country. Others remained unsure if the professional development, training, and curriculum were the right fit or approaches, given the short amount of time the federal government has provided for districts to spend these dollars.

In looking forward to the upcoming academic year, many educators expressed concerns that some of the lessons around flexibility, empathy, and hybrid teaching and learning strategies will be dismissed. That was not a universal feeling, as some educators noted that their administrators were taking note of the high cost of the pandemic on students (and educators), and were bringing in supports (such as mental health counseling) for the upcoming year. Virtually all teachers expressed that “bonuses” or “thank you gifts” were provided by their schools and districts, which helped, but did not fully address the “scars” od teaching from the previous year. They did appreciate having more in-person gatherings with their peers, as many were teaching in isolation from their homes and had virtual meetings with colleagues (and mentors) throughout the year.

Educators were wary about the use of CDC approved protocols in schools for the upcoming year, with the fear that mask mandates and distancing guidelines would be completely suspended. There was also discussion about the debates around Critical Race Theory (CRT). For the educators in secondary schools, there was some discussion around what it meant to “teach” CRT in K-12 schools, and how they felt their teaching and curriculum aligned with core CRT values and tenets. As some states passed restrictive laws around the use of CRT in K-12 curriculum, educators in those states felt supported by their unions, who advised them to “stick to the standards.” Other educators noted their schools sent memos affirming the use of CRT in their curriculums.