When COVID-19 shut down school buildings across the U.S., teachers, administrators, and school boards were tasked with continuing to provide key services and education to millions of public school students — via the internet and from home.
Educators now face the challenge of planning to safely restart the school year this fall, in an environment in which state and local resources may be severely cut, and federal guidelines and resources are uncertain. How should schools go about reopening their doors while protecting the health of students and educators, and serving the most in-need and traumatized children?
Research and industry experts suggest that districts with strong labor-management collaboration and community engagement are better able to improve their schools and serve diverse student needs. Going forward, collaborative problem solving within and among school districts will be essential to finding operational solutions that can balance safety, equity of access for all children, and budgetary constraints, while addressing the needs of working parents.
