The nation’s two teachers’ unions joined together to issue an unusual joint statement that advises federal, state, and local leaders what must be done not only to revive education after the pandemic but to restart it with a fresh vision that focuses on the needs of children, not assumptions about their “learning loss” or “COVID slide.”
They introduce the document and its visionary proposals with these words:
| Nation’s educators release shared agenda to ensure all students succeed Organizations offer proven ways to help students overcome Covid-19 opportunity gaps and meet students’ academic, social, and emotional needs |
| WASHINGTON, DC – Today the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the nation’s two largest educators’ unions, released a bold, shared agenda to ensure that all students receive the supports and resources they need to thrive now and in the future. Over the course of the last month, AFT and NEA have come together to define the essential elements needed to effectively understand and address the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted students’ academic, social, and developmental experiences. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to create the public schools all our students deserve,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “It is our mission to demand stronger public schools and more opportunities for all students- Black and white, Native and newcomer, Hispanic and Asian alike. And we must support the whole learner through social, emotional and academic development. The ideas presented in this roadmap will lay the groundwork to build a better future for all of our students.” “COVID-19 has laid bare this country’s deep fissures and inequities and our children, our educators and our communities have endured an unprecedented year of frustration, pain and loss,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “As vaccine access and effectiveness suggest the end is in sight, it is incumbent on us to not only plan our recovery, but to reimagine public schooling so our children, families and educators can thrive. “The crises gripping our country are weighing heavily on young people, who are the future of our communities. That’s why our schools must, at a minimum, be supported and well-resourced to address our students their trauma, social-emotional, developmental and academic needs. This framework is an invaluable tool to help us get there,” Weingarten added. Shared with Sec. of Education Cardona last week, Learning Beyond Covid-19, A Vision for Thriving in Public Education offers the organizations’ ideas on ways our education systems can meet students where they are academically, socially, and emotionally. The framework outlines five priorities that can serve as a guide for nurturing students’ learning now and beyond COVID-19 including learning, enrichment and reconnection for this summer and beyond; diagnosing student well-being and academic success; meeting the needs of our most underserved students; professional excellence for learning and growth; and an education system that centers equity and excellence. The full document can be found here. |
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I attended a Zoom meeting last night put on by the district and one of the issues that is bubbling up is parents are reporting that kids who were infected are having lasting medical issues. Our school opened in August and we had quite a few infections among students. None of the students became seriously ill but it seems as if some parents believe there are more subtle lasting effects that perhaps were not picked up at the time.
I don’t know if there’s any studies on this- it seems to be just an observation by the parents and of course they could be mistaken or attributing general malaise to covid infection. I’m hearing quite a bit of it though.
There are some children included in the group that is considered to be what the medical establishment is calling “long haulers.” They have debilitating symptoms long after Covid has passed.
glad to see joint statement. when I was trying to be active in both in Alabama in the 70s and 80s I was hoping to facilitate such collaboration; both considered me a spy for the other.
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I just hope they use the covid relief money in a practical way, and on existing public school students. My fear is Ohio with the huge ed reform influence here, is we get some gimmicky “reinvention” they cooked up in a think tank.
Tutoring is an ancient idea, right? Can we just have high quality tutoring, or is that not complicated enough.
a very real thing to worry about: send a LOT of money out there meant to “fix” schools and the word “fix” gets differently interpreted by reformers who are always there, waiting for any type of funding to absorb
POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!
The DOE should take the recommendations by the unions seriously. We need a new, better way forward. Test, punish and privatization are not the answer to improving education. While these recommendations still pay homage to competency based education, the unions are calling for changes that serve the whole student. Flexible, multi-faceted assessment should be part of the process.
With five million ELLs in our public schools, alternative ways to assess progress are essential to providing them with equity. These students cannot demonstrate what they know or can do through traditional standardized tests, and the same can be said for many classified students. My district used a variety of performance measures to assess other than multiple choice tests for these particular groups. Adaptive measures like these allow diverse students to better demonstrate what they understand, and it will help these young people to be more confident and better learners as alternative assessments help build students up. Traditional test and punish tears them down and makes learning a punitive experience.
Diane I’ll do a little deeper research in my “off” time; but I read over this document looking for some clear indication of the unions’ DISTINCT stance, if there is one, on the political foundations of the public school system. It’s assumed, but not addressed, as far as I could tell on first reading. (Lots of good coverage and direction here . . . so my critique is not about the quality of that coverage and direction.)
Public schools are mentioned here and there in the document; but the fundamental difference between public and private . . . and all the doublespeak that goes with the destruction of public education as a democratic institution . . . are not directly addressed.
I don’t know that it SHOULD be in such a document; but I was hoping to see some reference to the very idea of PUBLIC as distinct from present movements to privatize all, at least in the preface and/or introduction, setting the stage for the Unions’ stance on this most relevant crisis and concern.
I am totally ignorant about the history and development of the unions. And so, as I say, I’ll do some background research on their formal stance on the present and sustained attack on public education in the United States. Perhaps their further literature on teacher education, and the curricula developed in those programs mentioned in the document, will show some evidence of their addressing the foundational problems we are facing . . . at least giving the problem some critical coverage in those programs . . . so that public school teachers do not remain politically naive, and can equip themselves with knowledge about the realities they and democracy as such are up against. CBK
CBK, excellent point.
Why would Biden consider Abigail Seldin for Mark Brown’s position? (He was a DeVos appointee who recently resigned.)
Answer, she contributed to his campaign and/or he likes the door of government employment open to predatory capitalism.
Potentially good news- anti-corporate control, Lucas Kunce is going to run in the Dem. primary for Roy Blunt’s vacated position,
Ideally, the federal government would stop requiring states to gather data for computer-based analytics because survey data are no more reliable or valid than testing data. I understand, however, that we are working with an administration that claims to be able to reach across aisles and find compromises, so I won’t push back too hard against the call for more holistic data than test scores. It’s a compromise. The tests are so destructive, just about any alternative is well worth it.
See also this bi-partisan letter from members of Congress to Education Secretary Cardona calling for NO tests, at least for this year. Notice all the references about testing included in the letter. The number of letter signers is small, but it is good to know that some understand issues in testing.
Click to access D147D6CE31EC0E696CB7157040C16E31.0309-testing-letter-to-cardona.pdf
Laura The new Bill apparently has a rather large section on education . . . where they are providing funds for SMALLER CLASSES, overhaul of ventilation systems, etc. I heard this last evening on MSNBC’s “The Last Word” (Lawrence O’Donnell). . .didn’t catch it all. CBK
“As vaccine access and effectiveness suggest the end is in sight…”
I suppose that depends on who you are.
The union leaders can speak for themselves about “vaccine access” as they undoubtedly got boosted to the front of the vaccine line.
You know, because they are so essential.