FROM THE DESK OF OAESA’S
Associate Executive Director Silver Linings Pandemic BY MARK JONES
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here’s an old adage that behind every dark cloud lays a silver lining. Of course, when you’re in the middle of a heavy rain, it can be awfully difficult to look for that hopeful sign! And right now, our nation seems to be struggling with a torrential downpour, as the COVID crisis has dwarfed even the typical election-year polarization and critical civil rights protests triggered by our inability to successfully eliminate systemic racism from our society. Indeed, things seem awfully dark for us at the moment. This is precisely why we, as school administrators, should all take a few moments to consider those silver linings that such dark forces have created for us. For example, think about the leaps in both the use and understanding our teachers have made in terms of applying technology to instruction. True, we had no choice in the matter, but only such a monumental shift, like massive school closures, could have produced such consequential, rapid change. Now, we have the opportunity to leverage these newly acquired skills among our workforce to take full advantage for improving learning outcomes for students.
“We, as school administrators, should all take a few moments to consider those silver linings that such dark forces have created for us.”
Or, consider this idea. We’ve all known for years that “opportunity gaps” exists within our society, as many groups of individuals, like the poor, rural, or inner city families, struggle to provide access to the same growth experiences enjoyed by middle and upper class suburbanites. But, while these inequities have always been apparent, never have they been shown in as bright a light as the one cast by the coronavirus. Under such intense scrutiny, perhaps our culture will finally be forced to seriously address these disparities rather than conveniently ignore them. And then there is the persistent issue of how to encourage parent
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engagement in a positive, constructive way. For years, we’ve all listened to educators complain that far too many parents seem completely absent when it comes to a helpful level of involvement in their child’s schooling. (I am reminded of the father who once showed up in our office, having been told by his wife that it was his turn to take their son to the dentist. When our secretary asked who the boy’s teacher was, so she could page the classroom, he had no clue. When she asked what grade he was in, again he was befuddled. Finally, after giving his son’s name, the secretary informed him that his student had “graduated” from our school two years earlier, and was now an eighth grader at the junior high building. But I digress.) Clearly, the level of engagement that we now see between home and school has grown tremendously! For the most part, this new level of communication has been positive, as parents everywhere are expressing a newfound appreciation for what teachers deal with on a daily basis. It is certainly incumbent upon our educational leaders to use this opportunity in support of promoting better parental engagement. Yes, that’s you. Finally, there is the age-old issue of establishing appropriate educational priorities. Most teachers and principals can point to a long list of legislative priorities for education, and describe them as misplaced, if not downright counterproductive, to good teaching and learning. Consider, for example, the efforts we’ve all endured with topics like evaluations (OTES/OPES), state testing and assessments, building and district Report Cards, and monitoring student attendance (HB 410), all in the name of “accountability.” In this time of a pandemic-induced crisis, resulting in statewide school closures, legislators have been forced to reassess priorities in order to preserve the opportunity for as much learning to take place as possible. Personally, I’m enjoying the respite, however brief, from some of these concerns! Ahh, silver linings are indeed beautiful!
