FYI from BSF, 09.03.21

Back to School

The first day of school is meant to be a day of joy, all the more this year for pandemic-weary children, families, and educators.  

There is excitement - in towns like Attleboro or in some Boston schools that have already opened (like Academy of the Pacific Rim, one of our partner schools).

This excitement was earned - it required a lot of data and effort. Massachusetts has one of the highest adult and child vaccination rates in the country. Mask mandates were extended down to early childcare centers in Massachusetts. Resources and capability for testing are abundant (LA schools are testing everyone every week). Vaccinate mandates - for not just educators, but also students - are receiving both national and local support. Billions of dollars are flowing into schools to pay for this, and more.

And, yet, for all these efforts, all the excitement, there is a belying trend: hesitancy.

According to a CDC survey, there has been a dramatic shift in American families’ willingness to return to in-person instruction.

The costs of hesitancy are real. Despite the claim by the head of the LA teachers union that “our kids didn’t lose anything” from missing in-person instruction, it is unlikely you will find an academic, educator, guardian, or child who agrees with that statement. A new report from Bellwether paints a portrait over nearly 11M American children who lost access to schooling through the pandemic.

It would be reductive to just assign blame to the Delta variant. And incorrect - Delta-related school reporting (like this) arose after the survey was completed. A research study from the Lancet asserts politics, socialization, efficacy of local institutions, and a host of other factors in creating hesitancy. And, as also seen in the CDC survey, race:

We need not be passive - school hesitancy, the Lancet authors argue, can be fashioned after vaccine hesitancy efforts. Provide repetitive, simple, and clear facts. Create meaningful opportunities for the hesitant to be engaged. Meet people where they are. Leverage relationships and social networks. And context matters, as the Lancet student points to the legacy of racism in shaping perceptions.

Safety is a feeling, not a fact.

Unfortunately, school governance is not a safe place right now. Some school districts are battling governors to enforce student and educator safety measures (and now getting help from the Biden Administration), while other school districts are firing superintendents for enforcing those same student and educator safety measures.

Last week, Boston was unable to fully conduct its first public meeting on school safety due to technical issues. It was revealed at the Boston School Committee on Wednesday that there will likely not be enough bus drivers for school next week and that some safety measures (data loggers, HVAC upgrades) will not be ready for school. Hundreds of other positions remain unfilled. The district could not report what percent of its staff was vaccinated. A very small percent of families have consented to testing. A city press conference was called on Thursday, featuring little new information and direct pleas to fill open positions.

Leaders are in a bit of bind - knowing how critical in-person schooling is, the reality of school hesitancy, and that reopening school buildings could have racial disparate impacts, should remote learning options be reopened? Massachusetts has held fast in offering limited remote options.

That is why we will be watching attendance in Boston very closely - will a large percentage of families not feel safe and simply keep their kids home? Will absent students be predominantly students of color?

It’s a new school year, but we are far from “back to school” as we knew it.

Education 2021

ACT Boston makes the case for education to be a central issue in the mayoral race.

A deep, interactive dive into Boston mayoral candidate’s personal educational histories and platforms.

November’s non-binding referendum to have an elected Boston School Committee has been endorsed by the Boston Teachers Union.

Other Matters

With concerns around teacher shortages, teacher pay is getting some attention. Pensions are not often included in this analysis. A new study from Bellwether ranks the Massachusetts teacher pension system pretty low, not working well for the majority of our teachers or taxpayers. Worth a look.

The annual EdNext poll always provides a trove of interesting data. This year’s poll revealed a stark insight - in general, families are showing declined interest in traditional school reforms and innovations. Turns out the average family will show little interest in Bloom’s Taxonomy when they are sitting at the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid.