A New Normal?
Ohio Superintendent DeMaria answers our questions on the state of education in Ohio today By Terry Troy
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o his colleagues, Paulo DeMaria is passionate, tireless and respectful. As superintendent of Public Instruction for Ohio, DeMaria supports our state’s 3,600 schools, 1.7 million students and more than 600 school districts across the state—each facing unique challenges in what is being called our “new normal.” While public education certainly impacts our state’s future, it also plays a large role in our state’s economy, not just for the companies who do businesses with schools, but also for the families who send children to public schools. OB: What is the difference between virtual learning versus face-to-face learning in terms of efficacy? Is it just an issue of socialization? PD: In some respects socialization is the most essential difference. We as human beings are social creatures. Interacting with people face to face brings a lot of benefit. The same is true in business interactions. That face-to-face interaction on the educational experience is important, but I think we shouldn’t discount the fact that people learn in different ways. There are plenty of people who can have successful educational experiences learning in a virtual setting. So you can’t jump to the conclusion that there is no value to virtual learning. OB: Isn’t there a more valuable structure in a face-to-face environment? 10
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PD : W h at I h a v e learned is to never paint with a broad br u sh. T here a re plenty of people who have two kids where one has really taken to virtual learning while the other one just can’t get used to it. I think what is really more important is how we understand the learning needs of students and make sure that what we deliver makes sense. Watch a child play a video game. They are engaging, they are learning and they are willing to spend a lot of time to master complex behaviors. So there is no inherent wrongness to virtual learning. OB: Doesn’t face-to-face learning allow both parents to get back to work rather than babysit? PD: Absolutely. I don’t think we have to be shy in admitting that. While a school’s primary purpose is to serve as a nurturing environment and a place for the acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding, it does create conditions where both members of a family or household can work—if it is the parents’ desire that they want to work. The minute you change that, it creates a significant challenge and has a disruptive influence from an economic standpoint. But once again, it’s hard to generalize, because there are plenty of
Paolo DeMaria
families where one parent stays home— and in those cases virtual learning may be more appropriate. I have heard some people say that they have always wanted to be more involved in their child’s education, helping them navigate and function in a virtual setting. OB: How many districts are completely open now versus how many are using distance learning? PD: First of all, you have to understand the configuration of the school districts of Ohio. We have what we call the Ohio 8, which are in large urban areas, like Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. Then you have the next tier, which are called the urban 21, and these include large districts like Lima, Mansfield, Marion and other smaller cities as well as a handful of large suburban districts. The rest of our districts are medium-sized to smaller rural districts. Because of the nature of COVID, a lot of those smaller districts are open full time—so maybe as much as 80% of our dis-
