Learning Loss and The Stolen Year?

This morning, I was as usual listening to NPR. This morning was a story about how closing schools for the pandemic was a "calamity" for students. This afternoon was a story about how closing schools for the pandemic was a catalyst for many parents to enroll into virtual school or join a home schooling group.

 

Some random notes from the first story which ran about 7:30 AM August 22, 2022. https://www.wbez.org/schedule 

 Its a calamity

Anya Kamenetz, author of a new book "The Stolen Years" tells us, according to Steve Inskeep that, "Extended closing were a calamity for education."

A couple of interviews with kids who struggled mightily with school during Covid. "Its hard to see the best of your life go down the tubes. "

Many years later standardized test show kids have not recovered. (has it been many years yet?)

Experts described this disaster before it happened. Evidently they know from school closings in places like: Syrian Genocide, Rwanda, etc.... (is Covid to be compared to genocides now?)

We knew kids were at risk for toxic stress and it would magnify inequality and teens would drift out of school and into paid work. 

Which is worse Covid or educational calamity?

The fact that this was driven so much by politics. The more likely a district would go for Biden the more likely it would stay closed longer.

She tells a story of a teacher and mother in DC schools watching rats run over children as they nap. Are you going to trust this district with your life?

Where it went to far is the lack of awareness of just how many basic needs schools were providing for children.  

Steve asks, "Do you think most kids will overcome that". - Anya replies, something to the effect of it is not automatic, with help of therapists etc... we can.

Its an opportunity

This afternoon about 2:45PM on the show Here and Now.

Students are leaving Florida schools in droves to go to home school or online school.

Students voices, "The good thing about it is everyday could be pajama day." 

"You have more time to do what you want."

Some parents left because the lack of mask mandates made them feel uncomfortable. Some left because they saw how much better homeschooling or virtual schooling could be for their children.

In Florida homeschooling, like so many other things is loosely regulated by the state. 

No requirements for teachers, subjects, schedule, or number of hours. The basic requirement is to be certified by teacher once a year through test or portfolio. 

Florida's home school population has grown from 2.5 million in 2019 to over 4 million now. 

More voices of families, 

"We like this, this is good for our children good for our family."

"You can go outside take a break go for a run even come back with a fresh mind. "

From interview with an expert on home schooling in Florida. The pandemic is just part of it. Its also school violence, bad schools, lack of flexibility. 

My thoughts for what it's worth. 

I hate when people over hype how bad closing schools was. 

Yes, it was bad for many, but not because the schools failed them. These were for the most part students who didn't have structure at home, didn't have food, didn't have internet, didn't have a quiet place to study. For many of the students who struggled the most school, even the one where rats are running over sleeping kids, is a refuge. A place of safety where they can learn. 

We as a society were failing these kids long before the pandemic. the only thing the pandemic did was to bring those inequities to light. I suspect the falling test scores weren't so much students learning less, it was teachers not being there to physically push students to stay after school and study during the year, or skipping lunch to help students finish work, or just being the one caring non-family person they might have in their life. 

Also did test scores actually go backwards or did they basically stay stagnant? I don't know my students didn't change at all, as a group. 

Let's remember this was a pandemic and an emergency closing of schools. How can the usual measures mean anything? 

Take for example Michael Jordan's flu game.  Here is a playoff game where he scores 38 points while sick. Everyone at the time and still consider this a miracle performance. By most measures that was a great game, but it wasn't a 63 point performance that we know he is capable of. We also know that he had a ton of help from his teammates and he didn't play all the minutes he would normally play in a game. "Scottie was all about, 'We'll take care of the defense. Don't expend yourself. Save yourself for the other end of the floor where you can score'"

You can debate whether closing schools was right or wrong, you can debate whether schools stayed closed too long.  The thing is it happened. Students didn't lose learning, they just didn't learn all of the things you wanted them to learn in that time period. Will they recover? YES a thousand times yes. Could things have been done better? Yes again. Closing schools was not the worst thing for everyone and not the best thing for everyone, but it was the right call.