Keep the Focus
As we launch the 2021-22 school year, the vast majority of students across the country will be returning to full-time, in-person learning. This reality requires every person in the system (i.e., students, parents, teachers, administrators, board members, and taxpayers) to not only reacclimate themselves to school, but, also, reimagine what school is, feels like, and looks like. People who want to spin things in a negative light will talk about "learning loss," while those who choose a more constructive course will utilize the term "unfinished learning." Others will gravitate to the obvious social-emotional and/or equity concerns that were in play prior to the pandemic and have only been exacerbated. As I pointed out in my previous blog, each are equally concerning. It is not an either-or proposition. However, even in good times, should anyone recall such a thing, public educators have been challenged to ignore the shiny object. I call this conundrum "Progr