State Fair of Texas 2023 SFOT RH

Five early lessons the pandemic has taught us about Texas schools

by | May 13, 2020 | Opinion

Texas has learned a lot about itself — and its education system — through the coronavirus crisis.

We’ve learned how critical education is to parents’ work schedules, to civic engage­ment, to children’s security and wellbeing, and to sports and culture. Texas’ schools and universities have proven to be foundational to economic and community life — our society will not feel truly reopened un­til students return to school.

In the meantime, educators and administrators have scram­bled to ensure students can learn without being in school. Many districts have been cre­ative in connecting students with high-speed internet con­nections and hardware. Teach­ers have worked to provide re­mote instruction and structure. Kitchen staff and other work­ers have provided food and other needs for out-of-school students. And parents have stepped in to support day-to-day teaching, filling a critical gap at a critical time.

In all of these ways, Texas has responded to the coronavi­rus with determination. Now, Texans everywhere — from the Governor’s Mansion to family dinner tables — are beginning to chart a course to the future. We must learn from the pan­demic’s lessons and work to address the weaknesses it has exposed.

Our schools are a good place to start.

First, the coronavirus has revealed stark gaps in how thousands of children in urban and rural settings access help, resources, dependable meals, safe places, consistent sched­ules, counseling, and special education attention. Our state should redouble its efforts to address these gaps, and the pandemic should be viewed as our opportunity to do so — not an excuse to ignore them.

Secondly, access to broad­band internet — connections strong enough to support video classes from home — has of­ten determined whether stu­dents could continue learning through the pandemic. Mil­lions of Texans live in houses without high-speed internet connections, meaning those households that do not have ac­cess to, or cannot afford, the in­frastructure students need right now to learn online.

Third, there is no longer any doubt about the powerful im­pact of teachers. Sadly, they are in a baptism by fire, as the pandemic fundamentally alters their roles and responsibilities. Thousands of teachers have stepped up to the challenge, working to reach their students. It’s important that Texas build on efforts to ensure our teach­ers are as effective as possible with additional tools.

Fourth, in restarting the education system, Texas must think about how to best use the school calendar and consider adding school days next year to help students make up for lost time and learning. I encour­age Texas officials to build in more school days next year – 180 days probably will not be enough for most students, par­ticularly as experts predict the coronavirus’ return next fall.

Finally, this crisis has reaf­firmed the importance of un­derstanding how students are doing through assessments that evaluate learning. This year, for the first time in over a gen­eration, students will not be given a state-administered test measuring what they learned during the school year. Texans already knew that achievement gaps were wide — but this year, it’s impossible to know how wide, where students are, or where improvements are needed. When schools finally reopen their doors, I urge Texas officials to administer diagnos­tic tests to determine learning loss and which students need further instruction and help catching up.

We cannot let this crisis un­dermine progress and learning – the stakes are too high. Steps taken over the coming months have the potential to propel our next generation forward; doing nothing will cause too many students to fall behind.

Texans must seize this mo­ment to support our schools, hold ourselves accountable, and do what’s right for the fu­ture of Texas.

For more stories like this, see the May 13 issue or subscribe online.

By Margaret Spellings, served as Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush and is executive director of Texas 2036.

WEDC Gift Guide jpeg

0 Comments

Order photos

Related News

Take the fall

Take the fall

One of my most vivid memories of fall happened during junior high. I was standing in the end zone prior to the start of a game. I could barely feel my fingers and toes. It was October, but it was unusually cold (Al Gore had yet to invent global warming). My shoulder...

read more
Food for thought

Food for thought

They were called, “Victory Gardens.” And they were one of the weapons US citizens used to help win World War II. With the bad guys throwing everything at us that they could, in return, we were throwing everything at them that we could. By John Moore To Login to read...

read more
Change the way you think

Change the way you think

Most seasons, when my son was playing little league baseball, I would coach his team. One season I couldn’t coach and so he got thrown into the draft with all the other kids.  It was a disaster.  The coach he got was terrible. He argued with the parents, he...

read more
When boy meets grill

When boy meets grill

PK Grill, courtesy photo. By John Moore | thecountrywriter.com Ever have one of those moments where something in your head says you need to do something, but you’re not sure why? Recently, a memory I have of my grandfather cooking on a charcoal grill sparked that...

read more
In the grooves

In the grooves

Auto tune. Ever heard of it? Neither had any of the singers and songwriters we grew up with. Today, technology has taken the place of many things. Including real talent. Auto tune is a device that can take someone who sings off key and tune them to where it sounds as...

read more
Confessions of an aging Gen X’er

Confessions of an aging Gen X’er

It’s been a strange year.  Just hit another birthday (not one ending in a zero), but another birthday, nonetheless.  My 30th high school reunion is approaching this weekend, I didn’t attend the 10, or 20 year (no major reason why) so it is going to be a...

read more
Below ‘see’ level

Below ‘see’ level

If there was one thing Ashdown, Arkansas had when I was growing up, it was plenty for kids to do. During the summer months, activities included baseball, day trips to swim at the lake, visiting kinfolk, and spending the night at a friend’s house. And of course, lawn...

read more
The canning jar quest

The canning jar quest

Forty-five years ago, my mother began collecting a series of antique canning jars. I can’t remember why this happened, but my best guess is that she came across one that was unique, she liked it, and she bought it. This purchase would start a chain reaction and a...

read more
Stop your worship

Stop your worship

In a time where our world is in a dark place that only worship and prayer can change it, it’s probably very strange to see an article titled as such. The worship of God is something that scripture shows is a normal part of a Christian’s life. But, believe it or not,...

read more
Who does it matter to?

Who does it matter to?

Now I realize some of you don’t like church and, my guess is that you might have a pretty good reason. But let’s just say, for arguments sake, there are some wonderful churches out there. Churches where the Lord actually changes lives and uses these same lives to do...

read more
NTMWD 2023