Schools back to normal in Columbus?

Are things back to normal in Columbus?

Yes, I know omicron is raging around the country. I recognize it has led to some school closures and we’re seeing bus driver and teacher shortages.

So in the short term, the answer may be no.

What about after the omicron wave ends? What then? Are we back to normal?

The real question is should we go back to “normal”?

Let’s ask the biggest stakeholders in education - the Learners. Paul Darvasi does just that in his article Build With Care: Recruiting Student and Teacher Voices to Rethink Schools Because of the Pandemic

Students also valued the independence and autonomy they enjoyed while learning from home. They relished the freedom to wear comfortable clothes, nap, snack, access the bathroom at will and move around when restless.

These are things that have always been important at Acton Academy Columbus.

Our learners wear whatever makes them comfortable.

They have the freedom to nap whenever they want.

They eat snacks whenever they feel hungry.

And they don’t have to ask permission to use the bathroom. For schools that require this, I’d really like an explanation why. I found it frustrating as a student. Now, as a parent, I find it infuriating that my daughter needs someone’s permission to use the bathroom.

Neema Avashia, a middle school teacher in Boston, stated:

“The narrative of back to normal, which I feel has been so pervasive from so many policymakers, has felt really troubling to me because normal didn't work for too many of our kids,” said Avashia. “And so why would we go back to that? Why is that what people want to go back to? Are there things that we could learn during the pandemic? The notion of a return to normalcy I really think is a wrong headed approach to this moment. And I hope people resist it.”