FYI from BSF, 3.13.20
Some things we have read through recently...
Sometimes, There is Just One Thing
As much as we pride ourselves on collating Boston education news into one place every week, it would be impossible to do so this week.
The scope and pace of events for COVID-19 is dizzying, particularly as it relates to schools. Any summary, analysis, or update we provide will be quickly out-of-date.
Three themes are worth highlighting.
Principals, teachers, and school staff are performing under great pressure and require support and appreciation. The task of ensuring hundreds of children arrive and depart school safely, receive proper nutrition and exercise, socialize in a physically and emotionally safe environment, and learn stuff is hard enough. Now, add the additional responsibilities of public health commissioner, human resources consultant, risk assessor, counselor, spokesperson, etc.. In our work, we have come across scores of anecdotes of real competency and grace under duress.
School closures are supported widely by public health experts. “Flatten the curve” and its handy graph now have wide recognition and support. There has been a significant spike in closures in the last 24 hours, with over 40 Massachusetts districts or schools now are closed or closing.
School closures have real costs and real benefits. Schools act a social safety net for tens of thousand of children in Boston who lack a household that can provide exigent childcare or enough food. There are high potential risks and costs. Yet, in addition to helping halt a public health crisis, closing schools may also aid learning. Research into snow days indicates that keeping schools open during inclement conditions (rather than closing) may hurt student learning. So, high potential benefits.
Points 1 and 2 are beyond debate.
Boston’s leaders need to debate and decide on Point 3, sooner rather than later.
Notes in the Margin
Significant concerns continue around the selectivity of vocational school enrollment in Massachusetts. Covered in the Great Divide, with previous coverage from Commonwealth.
School Matters
We want to take this space to publicly commend Sharon Liszanckie and the Boston Prep staff and community and Traci Walker-Griffith and the Eliot School staff and community.
Boston Prep and the Eliot are two of our partner schools, and the only two Boston schools so far that faced closure due COVID-19 concerns, Boston Prep for a day, the Eliot for a week or more.
What an ambiguous, stressful, and complex task to undertake. These schools, with great leadership, took the task head-on with care, purpose, communication, and innovation, from cleaning methods to meal distribution.