NHEG-Magazine-July-August

www.NewHeightsEducation.org
www.NewHeightsEducation.org
The CDC’s Guidelines for
Back-to-School Under
COVID Sound Traumatizing
Parents may prefer to continue homeschooling
and distance learning.
ByKerry McDonald
Friday, May 22, 2020
When schools reopen in the US amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they will be even more restrictive than they already
were. Schools have long controlled students’ movements and imposed constraints on where they can go, when, and with
whom. With virus concerns, those controls will increase in quantity and intensity.
NPR recently proclaimed that “disruption from the pandemic constitutes an ‘adverse childhood experience’ for every American
child.” While many children are sad to be away from their friends and activities, being home with their family members for a
prolonged period of time is hardly an “adverse childhood experience” for most American children. Returning to schools with
extreme virus control and social distancing measures, however, could very well be traumatic for many kids.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its recommendations for school reopening, including encouraging
daily temperature checks and/or symptom checking, face coverings for all staff and children over two, desks spaced six
feet apart, staggered schedules, no cafeteria or playground use, installed partitions and physical barriers, no field trips, no toy
sharing, and restrictions on outside visitors, including parents.
As images emerge from countries around the world that have reopened schools, US parents are getting a glimpse of what
extreme social distancing measures could look like here, including the latest from Chinese schools in which social distancing
“wings” are strapped onto children’s backs to ensure that they stay far apart from each other. It’s no wonder that a new
RealClear opinion poll found that 40 percent of parents intend to choose homeschooling or virtual schooling for their children
when the lockdowns end. And many European parents are refusing to send their children back to school.
These strict social distancing efforts at schools arise as more evidence suggests that children are largely spared from the
dangers of COVID-19 infection. Even as concerns have risen recently over a Kawasaki-like inflammatory disease related to
COVID-19 that has impacted some children, the risk appears miniscule. According to The Wall Street Journal:
A study in the journal Lancet last week reported 10 children with the inflammatory syndrome in Bergamo, Italy—the city with
the highest rate of fatalities and infections—about 30 times higher than the normal incidence. Most were older and suffered
more severe cardiac symptoms than those typically found with Kawasaki. But the authors also estimated that probably no more
than 0.1% of children who had been exposed to the virus were affected. All hospitalized patients had been discharged, and the
authors recommend treating patients with steroids to calm their immune system.
The Journal article goes on to state:
During these times parents and doctors need to be especially vigilant. But as a society we also need to keep in mind that
the risks to children from the coronavirus are small, especially relative to others. The Foundation for Research on Equal
Opportunity projects that children under 15 are 6.83 to 20.07 times more likely to die of the flu or pneumonia than coronavirus—assuming
150,000 COVID-19 fatalities in the U.S. this year—and 128 times more likely to die of an accident.
We should care deeply about children’s health and safety, but like much about this pandemic, it’s important to make sure
that the response isn’t more damaging than the virus itself. Many parents and educators are rightfully concerned about children’s
mental health during these lockdowns, but when lockdowns end and schools reopen, children’s mental health could be
worsened with extreme social distancing measures that remove any of the potentially enjoyable pieces of schooling, such as
playground time, extracurriculars, and gathering with friends.
146 NHEG Magazine | July - August 2020
Stripped of these accessories that can often compensate for the more oppressive parts of conventional schooling, it’s not surprising
that some parents and students would choose to continue with homeschooling or virtual learning until the pandemic
ends.
Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)
Four K-12 Education
Models That May Gain
Popularity D
uring COVID-19
Some families may be curious about K-12 education
models that favor personalization, small
group learning environments, high-quality virtual
https://fee.org/
ByKerry McDonald
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
In just a few weeks, US education has dramatically changed. Schools have been closed for the academic year in most states,
and some districts have already canceled their foray into virtual school-at-home this spring, ending the school year early. With
more than 50 million US students at home with their families, engaged in varying degrees of quarantine schooling, questions
emerge about how long this will last and what education may look like post-pandemic. Most families will be eager to resume
their previous routines, returning to school and work as soon as it’s allowed, likely with strong social distancing measures in
place. But some families may be curious about K-12 education models that favor personalization, small group learning environments,
high-quality virtual programming and other innovative alternatives.
While most of us have been forced to work and learn from home for the past two months, separated from our colleagues and
community, some employers and employees are finding that working from home has its benefits, including higher productivity
gains and lower costs. A recent Brookings Institution report reveals that we “may see a more permanent shift toward telecommuting”
continuing long after the pandemic ends. Similarly, some students are finding that they prefer this pandemic distance
learning experiment over traditional schooling. Additionally, a recent survey by EdChoice finds that more than half of
respondents have a more favorable view of homeschooling as a result of the pandemic, suggesting a rising openness to different
K-12 learning models. As parents experience a growing cultural embrace of teleworking that can create more workplace
freedom and flexibility, they may also look to grant this freedom and flexibility to their children, seeking educational options
beyond a conventional classroom.
Here are four K-12 education models that will likely get increased attention over the coming months:
Forest Schools
Forest preschools and outdoor early childhood programs were already gaining traction prior to the pandemic. The New York
Times reported last summer that “nature-based preschools have seen a tidal wave of interest in recent years,” pointing to
survey data from a national organization that represents nature preschools and forest kindergartens. These programs prioritize
ample outside time, natural play and exploration, typically with small class sizes and enthusiastic educators who enjoy
helping children to learn in and from nature in all kinds of weather.
As conventional schools implement social distancing measures that may include staggered attendance to keep class sizes
down and avoid over-crowded school buildings, some families may look to full-time programs that already focus on small
groups and outside learning. Christine Heer, M.Ed. and Lisa Henderson are the co-owners of Sprouts, the first licensed farm
and forest kindergarten in Massachusetts. They explain that their program is held almost entirely outdoors and already provides
adequate space necessary for safe interactions between children and teachers. Heer expects that programs like Sprouts
will become a model for other early childhood programs coping with reopening amidst the pandemic, as well as a magnet for
parents exploring other educational options.
July - August 2020 | NHEG Magazine 147