Time for a reset!
Once again today we fed students. Delivering 405 lunches to students across our District of 470. A tremendous appreciation for our staff for making this happen! We are moving to a twice a week delivery system, so we can save our workers for the future! We will still provide enough food for the five days a week, but try and prevent exposure to our staff! When I awoke last night at 2am, I had a thought that this might be the way to rethink what we do in education. This might be the pause in life which allows us to truly reflect about what we have done to PK-12 education in our world.
States are postponing testing, ending school years and looking forward. What does this look like? What does the Algebra I student who missed the last quarter of the year do for next year? What does the Biology student who missed the last quarter of the year do for next year in preparation? What do State test scores really matter? How do they provide factual substance for a student when we change tests every five years? What does the endless paperwork administrators do really provide for the end result in the education of students? Why do we have compliance visits, when we are just trying to serve our students and community the best we can?
Could this be the opportunity, the window for significant and impactful change? I think it might, because if we continue to do the things we have always done, we will not meet students' needs. This is a society in which students' social/emotional needs must be met first. In my District it is number 1. I know other districts are not the same and have different priorities. However, the cookie cutter educational program we have now is not the solution. Also, the endless paperwork so someone has a job is not the solution. This is our chance to make a change and make a difference for future generations. Let’s take this pause, to recognize what was the norm and make a significant change for the new norm.