There is no doubt that our schools are in crisis. The trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing culture wars and disappointing academic performance results have made education discourse particularly fraught. As many families have rightfully become more involved, they are often pitted against teachers, resulting in each side antagonizing the other.
Across the country, we’ve seen conversations about education become charged. Books are getting banned from classrooms and libraries. Curriculum is being stripped and censored. School board meetings are devolving into hostility.
As a public school kindergarten teacher in Oakland, California, I have seen these challenges widen the gap between teachers and families, especially over the past three years. My district was one of the last in the country to resume in-person learning and there was intense disagreement over how to reopen our schools safely followed by a seven-day teacher strike where campaigns to resume learning ran alongside campaigns to shut it down. We’ve also had heated debates over how to address the reality of declining enrollment. But as much as these conflicts have threatened to divide us, I have also seen my community and others collaborate and come closer together, which we need now more than ever.
The pandemic revealed and intensified many of the crises facing students today, especially those holding marginalized identities. Too many students are reading below grade level, test scores continue to demonstrate limited mathematical proficiency nationwide, and children and teens are struggling with emotional regulation and mental health stress.
I’ve seen this in my own classroom. Since the pandemic began, the 4- and 5-year olds I teach often lack the fine motor skills necessary to hold a pencil or use a pair of scissors. I have had more students head to first grade unable to spell their name or count to 10 than ever before. And my students often scream and cry during activities and transitions. The lack of early social and academic experiences wrought by the pandemic is still impacting many of our kids today.
Instead of viewing these social, emotional and academic learning issues as falling exclusively under the domain of parenting or education, we can support students by collaborating with families, developing a culture of respectful listening and showing an authentic united front. What has helped my students progress most is when their parents and I intentionally co-create a support system centered around them.
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