Post-lockdown education in Arizona: New normal vs. old school

I have some questions about “the new normal” for Arizona schools and whether they’ll be better than the old normal. 

1) Will schools reopen this fall?

2) What will that look like? 

3) When can I get the kids out of the house?!?

… and, THE most important question: When can I get the kids out of the house?!?

While she didn’t give a lot of specifics, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman told ABC15’s Danielle Lerner that a reopening plan for the fall should arrive by the end of May.  

We know school will be different – but could it also be better? 

Well, based on what Hoffman told our TV partners at ABC15, schools should at least be a healthier and cleaner place. She wants to make sure that they “have the policies and procedures in place in terms of cleaning and thinking about, ‘do our schools even have the proper PPE and thermometers?’” 

Thermometers? Will taking attendance include taking temperatures? 

Will physical distancing still be in place with kids learning 6 feet apart from each other? 

If so, that could lead to a new school normal that’s better than the “old school” normal: reduced class sizes.

However, in order to accomplish this (since we can’t double the number of school buildings and teachers by fall), kids would probably have to go to school in shifts – which could wreak havoc on parents’ schedules.

And I guess recess will disappear if they have to physically distance – as will hugging. I don’t think hugs are included in the state’s back-to-school plan, but they are a big part of my 7-year-old’s plan.

Also not good: the academic distancing between kids that has been caused by the varying availability of technology during the stay-at-home order. 

Hoffman said that differing access to technology in different homes will lead to differing ability levels when schools reopen.

That’s definitely not good – but it might lead to something good. Like examining teachers’ ability levels when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom. And school districts’ commitment to making technology available to all students.

Sadly, I’ve seen some push-back against technology at my kids’ school. That attitude (whether through an insistence to stay old school or simply being too lazy to learn new ways of teaching) has left many Arizona teachers in a position of doing squat for kids during the lockdown.

And it’s why some form of home schooling will be a part of the new normal at our house even after my kids head back to the school building. But that’s a good new normal because it means increased parent involvement, right? Yes.

Even if it makes me a bad pain-in-the-butt to teachers and administrators.

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