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Saturday 16 May 2020
Saturday classes? Schools mull ways to make up lost time

By CAROLYN THOMPSON nority and low-income fam-
Associated Press ilies. California Gov. Gavin
When students return to Newsom said "that learning
school after a lengthy loss is very real," suggesting
pandemic-induced ab- schoolchildren not wait for
sence, the consensus is fall and instead proposing
they will have lost signifi- a return to classrooms as
cant academic ground. soon as late July. The Cali-
Still unresolved for govern- fornia Federation of Teach-
ments and educators are ers, while praising Newsom's
the questions of how — or overall response to the
even whether — teachers crisis, said in a statement
should try to make up for the decision to reopen
lost learning. Some have schools should be made
proposed holding evening at the local level through
or Saturday classes for stu- collective bargaining with
dents to catch up. A Mary- unions, once the number
land senator has proposed of infections has declined
school year-round. In Cali- and testing and safety
fornia, the governor has measures are in place. In
suggested the next school Maryland, state Sen. Paul
year could begin as soon In this April 9, 2020, file photo, Lila Nelson watches as her son, Rise University Preparatory sixth- Pinsky, a Democrat and
as July. But any remedia- grader Jayden Amacker, watch an online class in his room at their home in San Francisco. chair of the state's Educa-
tion plans will be compli- Associated Press tion, Health and Environ-
cated by social distancing will take us literally — don't a dramatic impact on out- tive for Student Success. mental Affairs Committee,
mandates that may require fall out of your seat — it'll comes, so six months will Administrators lean toward wants his state to consider
smaller class sizes and bud- take us a couple or three certainly show up in the beginning the new year year-round school compris-
get cuts that appear im- years to get through this," classroom in the fall." with April concepts, given ing four quarters and sea-
minent because of falling Alabama Education Super- U.S. Education Secretary where classroom instruc- sonal breaks. Adam Men-
local and state revenues. intendent Eric Mackey told Betsy DeVos has said she tion abruptly ended in the delson, a spokesman for
In surveys, many educa- the Alabama Association hopes schools will test stu- current one. the 74,000-member Mary-
tors say the fall will be no of School Boards. dents in the fall to gauge "Teachers always deal with land State Education As-
time to pile on additional The "summer slide" in which where they are academi- this to some degree in their sociation teachers union,
schoolwork. students typically lose cally, particularly because classrooms. There's always said the idea "clearly has
"First and foremost, we some ground during their this spring's standardized going to be a disparity be- major legislative, budget-
need to recognize that break is expected to be tests that might have pro- tween kids and their levels ary, and other legal angles
we have young people in far worse next fall, with pro- vided a barometer were of ability and skills," said Jim that would all need to be
front of us who have gone jections by the nonprofit canceled. Cowen, executive direc- considered, analyzed, and
through a traumatic experi- Northwest Evaluation As- To catch up, most teach- tor of the Collaborative for addressed as part of an in-
ence," said Andres Perez, a sociation suggesting some ers favor a business-as- Student Success. "There will clusive policy conversation
Chula Vista, California, high students could be as much usual approach, starting obviously be an additional about what is best for our
school teacher who warns as a year behind in math. the next school year where barrier but it's not new to students."
against moving too fast to "Students with worse edu- they normally would, while them." Still, Cowen said, it's Officials in Cleveland, Ohio,
get back on track. "And cational opportunity will giving targeted help to important that schools are have said the "multi-year
right now, I think students have worse outcomes and students who need it, ac- ready to respond to the recovery" may include a
and teachers really want it occurs fairly rapidly," An- cording to an April survey disruption likely worsening shift toward a narrower but
to make school something dre Perry, a fellow at the of 5,500 teachers, admin- the country's already trou- deeper curriculum focused
that feels meaningful, that Brookings Institution, said. istrators and advocates by bling gaps in achievement on core skills. A spokes-
students are excited to go "A month away can have the nonprofit Collabora- affecting students from mi- woman for South Dakota's
back to." Department of Education,
Even students in schools Mary Stadick Smith, says lo-
that managed to issue de- cal school boards may be
vices for video lessons and considering the Saturday
assignments and transition class proposal.
to distance learning early Superintendent Shari Cam-
on, using school-issued de- hi of the Baldwin Union
vices for video lessons and Free School District in New
assignments, will have lost York's Nassau County said
out from shortened sessions her focus is on retrofitting
and limited interaction with the gymnasium and rent-
teachers, experts say. The ing party tents to allow for
vast number of students social distancing. She is
still without technology in awaiting guidance from
early May and those who state officials on whether
have all but vanished from her district can plan differ-
schools' radars will have ently for older and younger
fallen even further behind. students. That would allow
The effects of the lost learn- for a blend of in-person
ing could be felt for years. and online classes for stu-
"Even though we were In this April 16, 2020 file photo, Kaitlyn McMurtey records a class about fractions on her phone dents old enough to be at
closed for the last two-and- for her 5th grade class at Westside Elementary School, which is closed due to the coronavirus home if their parents are
a-half months of school, it pandemic, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Associated Press working.q