Where do we go from here?

It’s been hard for me to write the last couple of months. Partly because of time constraints…who knew I would have to be both a working mom and a stay at home mom during a quarantine? Partly because I wasn’t sure I had anything original to say. So many others had covered the difficulties facing teachers trying to tackle remote learning and the inequities facing many students as roadblocks impending their learning. I do, however, feel compelled to write now as our school year draws to a close and as we prepare for our virtual graduation, and as the pandemic and racial unrest continue to swirl around us and impact us in so many tangible and intangible ways. 

Here, in New York, we are at a crossroads. Can we safely open schools in September? Can we give our students the much needed in person instruction and face to face interactions that have been so sorely lacking in our current state? As the city begins to stir and wake up, these are the questions that are facing our leaders. Our mayor has put together a committee to advise him on what to do about the schools, but the team appears to be lacking the teachers who will be the most affected by whatever decisions get made. Our UFT president is on the committee, but he hasn’t been in the classroom delivering instruction for a very long time. Our governor has tapped Bill Gates, long known to be a questionable resource at best, and dangerous to public education at worst, to help “re-imagine” education (Side note- If you haven’t read Diane Ravitch’s opinions on this you should, and I will refer you to her site:https://dianeravitch.net/). But no one really has any answers.

I also can’t help feeling that, heading into this summer, my students need their teachers more than ever. They need to forum to discuss and process the losses they endured this spring as they were isolated from their communities. They need to make sense of the horrific and public murders of people who look like them. School is where these things happen and yet, the interaction provided by the screen is lacking. It is not the same. And though, as a high school teacher, I actively avoid physical contact with my students, I can tell they need to feel a supportive presence in the room with them. 

And so, we find ourselves at this crossroads. Can we make it safe for students, teachers, staff and families to feel comfortable with re-opening in person school? I certainly hope we can make something work.