Like many of us, as the anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown approached, I paused to reflect on what has transpired in the last 12 months.
Sitting in my classroom for the first time in almost a year, preparing for simultaneous teaching, I found myself thinking about all that had been done to continue reaching and teaching students despite the many COVID-19-caused constraints.
One thing that the pandemic has laid bare: Schools are complicated places that do so much more than academics.
In the past year, educators, the building service staff, counselors, bus drivers, nurses and other school-based health professionals, administrators, front-office personnel, coaches, food-service workers, those tasked with safety and security, parent volunteers and community organizations have all had to adjust, reinvent, extemporize.
While individual members of the public, understandably, tend to focus on their child’s school experience, the pandemic has also made self-evident so many systemwide problems — problems that many in the public were clearly unaware of.
While I readily concede that distance learning has been no substitute for in-person engagement, I also have to wonder: Why did it take a pandemic for the public to know that…
• The school counselor-to-student ratio is ridiculous, especially in elementary schools?
• The mental health of students and the staff is a serious concern — and has been for a long time?
• Special education teachers are buried under mountains of paperwork?
• There is gross social and economic inequality in our schools?
• Schools have become a whole network of social supports, not only for the children they serve, but their entire families?
• Mold and mildew are common problems in many schools because of inadequate HVAC, and educator complaints about these health threats often go unheeded for years?
• Some MCPS gyms lack air conditioning or have AC systems that were purposely disconnected to save money?
• Not all schools have water fountains with safe drinking water?
• Not all schools have had full-time nurses?
• Many families rely on schools to feed their children breakfast and lunch, and some need help from schools, so their children don’t go hungry over the weekend?
• Many teenagers have jobs, not to buy their next phone upgrade, but to put food on their family’s table?
• Individual elementary schools lack dedicated, on-site tech support, and it’s up to media specialists and staff members to “figure it out” when problems arise?
• Many families don’t have access to the internet, making online homework nearly impossible?
• Many students don’t have a desk at home or a quiet space to concentrate on their assignments?
• Teachers are key to a functioning economy, and teachers — usually women in an overwhelmingly female profession — are also trying to juggle work and home responsibilities?
• Some educators teach in windowless rooms that were once storage closets?
The final question: What are we, as a community, going to do about all of this?
Dave Airozo is a fourth-grade teacher at Forest Knolls Elementary School in Silver Spring.
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