- The EdWeek Research Center has found that 31% of teachers and district leaders said teacher morale was “much lower” in August than before the pandemic, up from 26% in June. Plus, 32% of teachers said they’re likely to resign because of COVID, up from 12% in May.
- A recent, nationally representative survey of 790 K-12 educators found that student absences have doubled during the pandemic: 5% of students were absent on a typical pre-COVID day but hit 10% in mid-October–and 12% for full-time remote learners.
- According to an Illuminate Education analysis, students in all grades and subjects experienced learning loss this spring: 2-1/2 to 4 months in math and one to two months in reading.
- Says Kristi Wilson, president of the American Association of School Administrators, “… Experts fear the move to single out special programs… asking core subject teachers to incorporate art, music, and physical education into their lesson plans to save on salaries.”
- Education Week’s Daarel Burnette II, writes that, “Because of the shift to remote learning, superintendents nationwide are laying off thousands of paraprofessionals, including teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians.”
- According to tech market tracker IDC, more than 8.4 million devices were shipped to districts between April and June—54% more than during the same time period in 2019.
- A recent Common Sense Media/Survey Monkey poll found that, while 9% of teens said online learning is “much better” than in-person learning and 10% who said it’s “better,” 21% said it’s “the same,” 40% said it’s “worse,” and 19% said “much worse.”
- Ironically, Sal Kahn, CEO and founder of the Kahn Academy which provides free online courses for tens of millions around the world, agrees. As he puts it: “I will be the first to say that, for most students, especially for younger students, distance learning is not, on its own, as good as having a blend of online tools and having really high-quality in person experiences. Distance learning should not be viewed as a substitute for a really rich physical experience for the great majority of students.”
- And finally, this from Bancroft-Rosalie School District Superintendent Jon Cerny: “When we first started doing it, people weren’t interested in having remote learning during snow days. They thought that was a day kids should have off. People are going to rethink how you can use remote learning now in school.”
Say it isn’t so…. ~ Carol