By Lars Clemensen
In the shadow of the Ides of March, schools across the nation turned out the lights and closed the doors. Many today still have images of budding springtime on the walls, as if education froze in time.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In response to a global health pandemic, public education pivoted to meet the needs of students and families as governors announced the closing of schools in their states. Is there a time in living history that such drastic steps have ever been taken?
Recently, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos singled out schools as falling short in supporting students during closure. The conclusion one might draw is that the closure has been an abject failure for schools, communities and, most importantly, kids. But laying down the gauntlet to say, “Schools must reopen,” and damning them as failures is the wrong message.
No one more than the American educator wants to be back in school with their kids. We chose the profession to work with children every day, remember?
The hyper-politicized rhetoric around school reopening presents a false choice for the nation between philosophy and pragmatism. To open schools this fall, we cannot simply adopt Nike’s motto, “Just Do It.” Doing it right requires coordination, innovation and care. Recognizing concerns or suggesting alternatives should not be viewed as “anti-open.”
It also requires us to manage competing ideas in our head at once. We understand that schools are essential to reopening the economy, but they are much more than institutions of child care. Social interaction for children is critical. Physical and mental health are of paramount importance.
Issues of inequity, like language acquisition and the challenges of poverty, have been exacerbated by being home. Students and staff with compromised immune systems may be at great risk. Stopping a global pandemic remains a priority.
All of this is true.
But what is true, most of all, is that schools are anchors of their communities — and I’m proud of how my community on Long Island responded, with resilience, understanding and common sense. In fact, we have been engaged in the work of safely reopening for months.
Our conversations are practical, and we leave space to think and consider our decisions and allow for them to evolve as needed. We value opening schools safely for our staff, students and the families to whom they return at the end of each day.
Guidance to open must be based in data and science. Rules and regulations must be considered to meet the needs of every child; they must also not compromise the progress communities have made in flattening the curve.
As we plan for school in the fall, there are three narratives I insist on:
• Stop describing our kids as damaged. Yes, we have a lot of work to do to address major needs in their academic development and social emotional health, but they are certainly not “damaged” or behind. Behind what? The textbook chapter?
As students return to school in the fall, either digitally, in-person or some combination of both, they must not hear any adult convey that message to them. They’ve been through enough, and we will meet every child exactly where they are and help them move forward.
• We will reopen school buildings smartly. Simply saying “do it or else” provides no hope of opening and staying open. Guidance that addresses physical health, cleaning regimens, transportation protocols, contact tracing, and the traditional gatherings and assembly of school are just a few of the discussions that deserve deep consideration.
• We did not fail this spring. “Schools” never closed — just the buildings did. Facing an extraordinary challenge, schools adapted and worked around the clock to serve communities. We innovated to deliver lessons, food and mental health support.
In my little community, we served 99,000 meals and made more than 25,000 calls to support our families’ wellness. And we taught. It was imperfect and challenging, but it happened in real time nonetheless. We all rose to the crisis — teachers, parents, kids and non-teaching staff.
This work takes time and commitment. My community, and countless others, are putting in the sweat to make it happen, smartly and safely. When a coach tells their team, “Just run faster and we will win,” nothing happens. But when a coach articulates a common agenda and a game plan, we become a team.
So let’s just do it … but let’s do it right.
Lars Clemensen is the superintendent of schools in the Hampton Bays School District.
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