I recently listened to an episode of Innovation Hub on WGBH, “How COVID Could Permanently Change Public Education”. One of the interviews was with Paul Reville of Harvard, the former Commonwealth Education Secretary under Governor Patrick. Afterwards I also came across an article in Commonwealth called “Missed Lessons – the Pandemic created an Opening for a Long Overdue Rethinking of K-12 Education. We Squandered It.”
https://www.wgbh.org/news/education/2020/11/06/how-covid-could-permanently-change-public-education
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/missed-lessons/
In both of these there was excellent discussion about how do we make up for our student’s learning shortfall from remote and hybrid learning during COVID? How do we make up for what’s been missed? The question gets asked repeatedly, what matters more, maintaining our current school schedules for learning and graduation, or, ensuring that our kids actually have learned what they need to know to be ready for college and to be competitive in the world?
I recently floated the idea of Summer sessions in another V14 posting. That went over like a lead balloon! However, I think that this question about the learning shortfall is one of the single most important topics affecting our kids and schools out there, and it has barely been raised/discussed. Why not? With all the experience we have in our School Administration, School Committee, and community overall can we find creative solutions that will benefit our kids, and not just hope over time that the kids will somehow catch up? I think that this is especially acute for our High Schoolers, grades 10-12.
However, this is not just an important question for our school administrators, but also for those seeking elected office this year. As parents and voters, we deserve thoughtfulness on this issue. We can’t allow the candidates to get away with side-stepping the question. This should come up in every candidate forum, be it for Mayor, School Committee, or City Council.
Since COVID began and our schools went online our teachers and school leadership have worked incredibly hard, but we’ve mostly recreated the old ways of learning online and it hasn’t gone very well…hence the push for an early return to in person learning. Where is the forward thinking from our School Leadership, professional and elected? For what we spend on our schools Newton deserves innovation and out of the box thinking….thought leadership put into action.
If we accept mediocrity that’s exactly what we’ll get. It’s not good enough to say that every other community we compare to has the same problem. Why not lead? Newton can be different and better if we try. What suggestions can you make to help catch our students up to where they’d be had this pandemic not happened? It’s not an easy question, but it’s one that we really need to start paying attention to.
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I would love to see a grade 13 for a few years. EVERY student in our district has been affected and in our state. There is no way we can squeeze in everything for every child.
However, I don’t think summer is our answer. Kids should be outside and exploring and not in the classrooms. Students and teachers are doing school during school hours. I do feel that a grade 13 should be added in the commonwealth for the next ten years. Make it optional. Those who want to graduate at grade 12 can, and those who want the extra year of learning can have it.
Interested in what others think.
I like that idea, NewtonMom. Frankly, I think it would be a good idea beyond Covid.
I would appreciate the opportunity to learn how many high school students want an additional 5 th year.
Students learn at various rates. Some are self starters with differing focal points. Book learning is only one part of the learning curve.
My late husband graduated from Medicine years ago. He felt unprepared to treat people. After 2 years of family practice in New Zealand he was a skilled physician.
Today children need a wide variety of all types of learning to prepare for economic success. I believe our traditional education practices are designed to provide a controlled setting in which students are kept in check. There is little chance for kids to really understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Perhaps now is the time to revamp how our children learn.
If students in an affluent suburb are struggling, god help poorer communities. This is going to need some federal policy to level things out.
The extra grade is an excellent idea. Needs to ensure no kids is discrimated (college admissions) for taking that extra grade.
With respect to the extra grade idea, you see this in Canada as the norm but with 3 years of university to earn a Bachelors Degree. There are a couple different models. In Ontario they have a grade 13. In Quebec they have CEGEP, sort of a junior or community college. The idea is that when you get to university the student is more focused, can declare a major sooner than we’re used to, and that the course load is mostly required work with less room for electives.
I also love the idea of a grade 13, whether or not it leads to a 4 year college, or allows enough AP classes that college can be shortened…a rather attractive idea given the cost of a private school!
I wonder how we get Newton to look at this idea? : )
Michael,
Ontario no longer has 5 years of high school. This ended in 1988.
I don’t know exactly how you implement it, but the kids in K-2 last year, basically missed a quarter, and it isn’t more high school they need. They need more time to make up for the learning. And while they will be in K-5 for their normal time, this upcoming school year (not the one we are in), should help shape an extra grade somewhere for the kids. Not sure how the Federal Govt can implement it, but maybe the new Sec of Education would be interested.