2 A Tale of Humpty Dumpty – Randy Ebright
Randy is a graduate student from Granger, Indiana working toward a Language and Literature Graduate Certificate. This paper is part of a research project he completed for Dr. Edwina Helton in his W-509 Introduction to Writing and Literacy Studies course.
A Tale of Humpty Dumpty
Piecing The Education System Back Together Again Post-COVID Lockdown
The impact of the 2020 COVID lockdown, and subsequent reopening of schools, continues to dominate headlines as well as students’ educational experiences. One of many recent articles, entitled “Their Future Could be Destroyed: The Global Struggle for Schooling After COVID Closures” published in September, 2021 by The Guardian, details the immediate academic and socioemotional impact of students in the Philippines, India, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. There have been similar headlines, and impacts, on American students’ educational journeys over the past two years, including how those educational journeys have significantly varied, as noted in pieces such as NBC News’ “‘Growing Awareness’: Schools Focus New Policies on Equity with Students Back in School.” Both in the headlines as well as in the classrooms, COVID has not only dominated, but also disrupted the “normalcy” of many lives on a global level. However, COVID has also revealed, and unfortunately exacerbated, inequities in students’ educational experiences that existed pre-COVID. As educational leaders and policymakers continue to research and examine the impact of COVID on students’ educational experiences, there is also a vital need to address those impacts, particularly the academic and socioemotional needs, that have arisen in the wake of the pandemic. In addition to the importance for continued research on the impact COVID has had on students’ academic and socioemotional development, there is also a need to effectively address the inequity of educational services to ensure all students are provided the opportunity to achieve academic success.
Shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the virus and its educational impact was very much needed, despite its dynamic nature. “Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities”, a report conducted and published by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in 2020, was published because, as the contributors of this report note, “…we were cognizant of the need to provide immediate, evidence-based guidance to education stakeholders around the nation on reopening schools for in-person learning” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. ix). Further inciting the need for scientific and research-based guidance, in addition to the benefit of being informed of a deadly virus with, at the time, no known vaccine, was the politicization of the government’s response to the pandemic. The report makes note of this dubiety, stating, “The politics of the moment are ablaze: one need only scan the headlines of U.S. newspapers to uncover the ways the politics around the question of reopening have overshadowed the scientific evidence” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. ix). While the need for scientific-based information and guidance concerning the virus itself as well as best practice mitigation efforts to help guide the conduction of education, particularly in the reopening stages of the 2020-2021 school year, the report cautiously warns of the mercurial nature of their findings and research itself at the time in regard to the virus. The report explains, “…new evidence is made available daily, and we recognize that the guidance contained in this report will need to be continually revisited as the science emerges around transmission and mitigation” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. x). With the constant evolution of information, many in the education profession, and elsewhere, were uncertain and doubtful about best practices which directly affected the educational policies and procedures at the time. The novelty of the pandemic, as well as the ever evolving information on the virus itself, had a significant impact on the level of preparedness, and effectiveness, of educational services provided to students.
In order to encapsulate the academic and mental impact the COVID shut down had on students’ lives as well as the educational services being offered them, several individuals were interviewed to discuss their experiences, including BT, a ninth year school counselor in a rural school corporation, CS, a 15th year foreign language teacher and department chair, JH, an 11th grader at the time of the shut down in the Spring of 2020, BH, his mother, and also TK, a 10th grader in the Spring of 2020 . Through these various narrative interviews, students, teachers, a parent and a counselor were able to offer their experiences of the education system throughout the beginnings of the COVID pandemic as well as their perspectives on the possible solutions to address the many needs and issues the arose from the shut down and mitigation efforts in educational settings over the last year and a half. As Breslin posits, “…there are no standardized tales of lockdown, just a multitude of experiences, patterned as always by factors such as social class, ethnicity, family structure, parental occupation, mode of employment and so on” (Breslin 3). Though each interviewee shared a distinct and unique perspective, there were many similar and shared experiences as well as common ideas on how to better the education system as it moves forward in a COVID-present society as well as how best to address the inequities that have been further highlighted and, unfortunately, worsened, due to the pandemic. In addition to various shared connections and insights between the interviewees, many of their experiences, adversities, and hopes for effective changes to the educational system were echoed by contemporary research and national, as well as global, reports, demonstrating the universality of the struggle in the midst of the COVID pandemic and common needs of students throughout the world, especially in response to the unanticipated, and profound impact, of the COVID-related shutdown and reopening of schools.
When asked about the level of preparedness, each of these interviewees emphasized the unexpectedness, and significant impact, of the move to virtual learning. The initial comment by many of the school personnel I interviewed, however, was the immediate impact on the lives and wellbeing of the students. As a counselor, BT, described how he felt when news of the shutdown became official: “I was in shock to begin with and didn’t know it was going to last as long as it did, and my biggest concern was for students where the school environment was the best environment for them to be in, academically, socially, and as well being a provider of food. My concern was for students who may have been in unstable living conditions compared to the consistent, safe and stable environment of a school” (BT). BT’s concerns for the safety and welfare of students were echoed by CS. As an educator, CS recalls “My first thought/fear was the wellbeing of students at home since I know of some kids who struggle to have consistent meals as well as the loss of learning” when asked about her reaction to the shutdown of schools (CS). These concerns were well justified as Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. concluded in their report that “…many schools and districts are ill equipped to provide even the most basic services to students and families” in response to the pandemic (11). These struggles that schools and districts are experiencing, however, are not new, but have been made more severe due to COVID-19. Nonetheless, the report paints a clear and troubling picture of the current situation in many areas within the educational system: “While many schools and districts have been able to leverage community resources to ensure that students are fed and cared for during the pandemic, there is no question that the shuttering of school buildings-and the consequent reliance on remote learning strategies-has meant that students are experiencing even more profound educational inequity than was the case prior to COVID-19” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. 11). Concern for students’ wellbeing and the quality of education they received during virtual learning were well founded and exacerbated by the limited preparedness and experience of virtual instruction of educators.
A significant factor that affected the educational experiences of students, particularly during the shutdown period of Spring of 2020, was the unfamiliarity many teachers had with pivoting to an online format for the main delivery of their content. JH, a junior in high school at the time of the shutdown, simply explained that teachers were overall “not prepared” to offer virtual instruction though some teachers were more effective than others with their usage of technology as the main mode of content delivery (JH). Similarly, TK, who was a sophomore in the Spring of 2020, recalls, “My school was unprepared. Teachers were not familiar with technology. Students were also unfamiliar with many of the programs we used, including Google Meet” (TK). Students’ perspective, and experiences of teachers struggling with technology, mirrored the reality that many teachers were indeed experiencing. BT, when asked about the level of preparedness his school and teachers had during the Spring of 2020 when the shutdown occurred, explains, “No schools were ready to go full virtual. Some may have had some e-learning lessons here and there, but not for a longer period of time. Teachers had to throw ideas together and hope they worked well” (BT). Even when schools began offering hybrid instruction, the learning experiences were still hampered by COVID after the initial lockdown of the Spring of 2020. JH recalls sitting in a classroom with only a handful of students while most others were attending virtually or were absent. Additionally, he felt that “some teachers just did not understand hybrid learning” as he witnessed some teachers struggle to effectively engage in-person and virtual students simultaneously (JH). From a parent perspective, BH, JH’s mother, noted how, “Education was impacted so much more than people realize. I know how resilient people can be, but through COVID, all educators were turned into subpar teachers” (BH). TK’s experiences echo BH’s concern of the impact virtual learning had on teachers’ effectiveness: “Since my teachers were unprepared with virtual learning, we basically were on our own. Many students worked together, with some cheating. We were just all confused” (TK). Breslin also describes the lack of preparedness in the educational system, noting, “…the virus has exposed an education system…that is woefully ill-equipped to shift towards a focus on blended learning and a connected curriculum…This is not the fault of the schools…but it does show a lack of scenario planning and future-focused thinking by system leaders since the millennium” (Breslin 167). As teachers, and the education system as a whole, were unprepared for both the lockdown and implementation of virtual and hybrid learning, so were many students.
Though the impact on students during COVID was significant, the impact was not equally experienced by all students. Inequity, unfortunately, is not new to the education system as Breslin observes, “Inequalities of outcome have been a challenge for education systems the world over since the inception of mass schooling” (Breslin 32). Furthermore, he explains “COVID-19 didn’t create the educational inequalities that it has exposed, although it may well have deepened these inequities”, later noting that, “Certainly, the pandemic has placed such inequality, perhaps for the first time, beyond denial, making it a reality acknowledged across the political spectrum” (Breslin 36). As a direct result of the inequity in educational experiences, certain groups of students’ education was disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. claim, “Not all communities in the United States have been affected by COVID-19 in the same way” later examining how, “Black, LainX, Native American, immigrant and marginalized low-income populations have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. 20). There are several reasons why these populations have been more severely impacted by COVID including: higher rate of underlying health conditions, limited access to testing and treatment, inherited risks of essential job roles (that a higher percentage of minorities fulfill), inability to quarantine due to family housing or “fear of lost wages due to unpaid sick leave” (21). With these populations being at an increased exposure and risk to the effects of COVID-19, it is evident that not only were there educational impacts from the virus, but also the ability of schools to provide services to these and all other groups of students.
The responsibility, and challenge, for schools then is to provide all students with equal learning opportunities, but even this presents several challenges. Some of the challenges, and questions schools should ask, include, “…How will children be identified as needing tutoring?…Is tutor content likely to be bespoke to individual pupils or specific cohorts in particular schools, or drawn from generic schemes of learning or particular online platforms? Is the proposed funding sufficient to meet post-lockdown needs? And, critically, how will the impact of specific interventions and the programme as a whole be isolated and evaluated?” (Breslin 95). There is a significant need to address the equity in educational experiences post the pandemic, as noted in the report, which emphasized how “Plans for physically reopening and operating schools during the pandemic must address how to provide equitable access to instruction and services to all students” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. 7-8). The report also states, “Every choice facing states, districts, and schools is being made against the backdrop of entrenched economic and social inequities made more visible by the disparate impacts of the pandemic on Black, LatinX, and Indigenous communities. Without careful attention, plans to reopen schools could exacerbate these inequities” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al.2). Furthermore, “At the heart of the debate about the closing and opening of schools in light of the pandemic lies the interplay between education, economics, and inequalities, and in particular, the impact of school closures on the most disadvantaged children and young people” (Breslin 29). With these needs and adversities clearly evident amongst student populations, the task becomes the need to address them to ensure both academic success as well as socioemotional support for all students.
In order to put the humpty dumpty-like shattered educational system back together again, it is vital to not only act on the experiences and learned lessons of the COVID pandemic, but also to listen, and adhere to, the needs of the community. Working with the community, and implementing changed and informed policies, is vital since, “…In the absence of community input, decision makers risk the possibility that school staff and families will not understand the values or logic behind certain choices, potentially leading some stakeholders to divest from schools altogether” (Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. x). In addition to being adaptive and working to address the specific needs of the community, supporting teachers and to provide the highest quality educational experiences whilst addressing the socioemotional needs of students was vital pre-COVID, but more so now as students adjust to becoming reacclimated with in-person instruction. By not supporting the educational needs of students in our communities, the inequalities that exist not only in the educational system itself but also in society as a whole will continue to grow. In order for us to be able to put the pieces of the education system, as well as our society, back together again in the midst of a global pandemic, funding and support must be provided to address not only the academic gaps and needs of students, but also their socioemotional wellbeing.
Works Cited
Bond, Enriqueta C., et al. Reopening K-12 Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing
Health, Equity, and Communities. National Academies Press, 2020.
BT. Personal interview. 15 November 2021.
BH. Personal interview. 21 November 2021.
Breslin, Tony. Lessons from Lockdown: ǂthe ǂeducational Legacy of Covid-19. Routledge, 2021.
CS. Personal interview. 12 November 2021.
“’Growing Awareness’: Schools Focus New Policies on Equity with Students Back in School.”
NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 31 Oct. 2021,https://www.nbcnews
.com/news/us-news/growing-awareness-schools-focus-new-policies-equity-
students-back-school-n1282578?fbclid=IwAR2i2RJcmQZez7rK7l4B_bsC7dcUpyq0Oog
8Pg6rhHNGbqL6vMre5h1ur0s.
JH. Personal interview. 21 November 2021.
“’Their Future Could Be Destroyed’: The Global Struggle for Schooling after Covid Closures.”
The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 Sept. 2021, https://www.theguardian.com
/global- development/2021/sep/06/their-future-could-be-destroyed-the-global
-struggle-for-schooling-after-covid-closures.
TK. Personal interview. 28 November 2021.