Education Week - April 1, 2020 - 8

Rush to Online Learning Has Teachers in Limbo
intendent Jack Smith wrote, district
leaders have been busy creating meal
distribution systems, organizing
cleaning regimens in the 208 schools,
and building out a structured online
learning program.
While the district already had many
online learning tools, "they were in
no way, however, organized to launch
as a structured learning system the
day the announcement was made to
close schools for two weeks," Smith
wrote.

By Madeline Will

Reaching Out to Students
Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star/AP

Now that most school districts in
the nation have closed their doors
for weeks, if not months, to help stem
the coronavirus pandemic, teachers
are trying to adjust to their new normal.
While many districts have already
kicked off online learning programs,
others have hit pause on the school
year. Many districts are trying to
figure out how to proceed both practically and technically. Some don't
have the infrastructure set up to do
online learning, and many students
don't have access to the internet or
devices. Other districts are trying to
figure out how best to serve their students with disabilities.
For now, teachers in those school
districts are in limbo. Unable to
teach, they spend their days trying to
maintain relationships with students,
planning for what remote instruction
could look like-and waiting.
"We're planning, but we're not sure
when we'll be able to use what we're
planning," said Mitch Shaw, a grade
7-12 English teacher in Butler, Pa.
"We are trying to put this together so
fast-you're flying so fast, and you're
trying to make sure everything is
covered. ... I think it's stressful because there's no end in sight."
Shaw's district is trying to figure
out how to provide online learning to
students with disabilities, especially
those who need one-on-one paraprofessionals. Teachers spent the first
week of the closure going through
training on how to use Google Classroom and coming up with online lesson plans.
Last week, the district started
to make the transition to remote
learning, as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
Wolf has closed all schools through
April 9.
"None of us have planned for anything like this, but we have to live in
reality," Shaw said.
In Montgomery County, Md., the
first two weeks of closed schools
were treated like inclement weather
days. Per district policy, teachers
were not allowed to give students
any new instruction or assignments,
other than review. The districtwide
distance learning system launched
March 30.
"We really need to have just a little
bit of time to figure out exactly how
we're going to do this for as long as
it goes on," said Dave Airozo, a 4th
grade teacher in the district and the
head of the communications committee for the Montgomery County
Education Association's board of directors.
It's not yet clear if these 10 days
of no instruction will be waived or
added to the end of the school year,
he said. In the meantime, many
teachers-and parents-are feeling anxious as they wait to see what
comes next, Airozo said.
"Teachers want to teach," he said.
"It's a little frustrating, of course, the
waiting for more direction."
During this time period, Super-

Burt Cade, a statistics and Algebra II teacher at Lamar School in Meridian, Miss., films his lesson for students.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced schools to close and use technology for online teaching and learning.

What They're Saying

A lot of parents are
concerned about
putting food on the
table, child care,
and I just want to
take something off
somebody's plate."
CHELSIE GRIFFIN DAVIS, 5th grade

I really would like
more face time with
the students. We're
a constant for them,
and they're a constant
for us."
HOLLY JOHNSON, high school English
teacher, Marlborough, Mass.

teacher, Ascension Parish, La.

Teachers want to
teach. It's a little
frustrating, of course,
the waiting for more
direction."

8 | EDUCATION WEEK | April 1, 2020 | www.edweek.org

DAVE AIROZO, 4th grade teacher,
Montgomery County, Md.

You're flying so fast,
and you're trying to
make sure everything
is covered. ... I think
it's stressful because
there's no end in
sight."
MITCH SHAW, grade 7-12

English teacher, Butler, Pa.

Teachers in Montgomery County
sent home review packets with their
students. They were also allowed to
reach out to their students to keep the
connection going, Airozo said, and
many did.
Especially for younger students,
like his 4th graders, "you just worry
about them," Airozo said. "They're
probably quite confused about what's
going on, maybe a little scared."
Teachers everywhere are eager
to maintain their relationships with
students from afar. In several cities
across the country, from Towson,
Md., to Cape Giradeau, Mo., teachers
have driven through their students'
neighborhoods, honking and waving
out their car windows at their students. Some have held up signs that
read, "We miss you!"
"[Teachers'] single greatest concern is helping students manage their
own concerns and anxieties and all
of the social-emotional weight of this
moment," said Laura Tavares, the
program director of organizational
learning and thought leadership at
the nonprofit Facing History and
Ourselves, which hosted a webinar
for teachers last week.
Top of mind for teachers was
"thinking about how to be there for
students and help them process at a
distance," she said.
In school districts where formal online learning hasn't yet started, many
teachers have designed optional,
supplemental assignments and made
themselves available for virtual office
hours. But when schools aren't requiring online learning, it can be tough to
get students to opt in.
Holly Johnson, a high school English teacher at the Advanced Math
and Science Academy Char ter
School in Marlborough, Mass., said
her school isn't currently doing formal online instruction with graded
assignments because of equity concerns for both students with disabilities and those who don't have access
to technology. Instead, teachers are
providing weekly enrichment activities that are ungraded and optional.
(Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
has told school districts that while
they need to provide equal instruction to all learners under federal law,
they will have flexibility in meeting
that goal and should not let the federal law stand in the way of offering
online learning.)
So far, Johnson has put up activities that ask students to read a poem

http://www.edweek.org

Education Week - April 1, 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Education Week - April 1, 2020