SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORTED PLANS
TO BEGIN THE TERM WITH SOME FORM
OF IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
THINGS ARE CHANGING.
MANY SCHOOLS NOW REVERTING TO
ONLINE, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.
THE CHALLENGES OF LEARNING
DURING COVID WERE FRONT AND
CENTER IN THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS'
ANNUAL STATE ADDRESS ON
THURSDAY.
I SPOKE WITH SUPERINTENDENT
CAROLYN STANFORD TAYLOR
FOLLOWING THAT ADDRESS.
>> SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
THANKS FOR INVITING ME.
>> SO HOW WOULD YOU GRADE HOW
THIS CORONAVIRUS SCHOOL YEAR IS
GOING, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS
INTO IT NOW?
>> WELL, I THINK WE WOULD GIVE
THEM AN A FOR EFFORT, BECAUSE I
KNOW ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS AND
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS HAVE
BEEN BUSY.
THEY HAVE NOT MISSED A BEAT
SINCE CORONAVIRUS PRESENTED
ITSELF AND WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN
OUR SCHOOLING IN PERSON.
THEY HAVE BEEN PREPARING SINCE
MARCH, GETTING READY FOR THIS
FALL.
>> HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU THAT
SEVERAL DISTRICTS NOW HAVE HAD
TO PULL BACK AND REVERT TO
ONLINE AFTER POSITIVE CASES HAVE
COME IN THEIR SCHOOLS?
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS
THEY PREPARED FOR, FOR THOSE
DISTRICTS WHO DECIDED TO GO
IN-PERSON.
THEY ALSO HAD OTHER PLANS, SO
THERE'S A VIRTUAL PLAN, THERE'S
A HYBRID PLAN, JUST IN CASE.
EVEN THOUGH THEY PUT IN ALL THE
PRECAUTIONS THAT THEY COULD HAVE
DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF AND
STUDENTS WERE SAFE, YOU DON'T
CONTROL ALL THE VARIABLES.
AND SO THE PLANNING WAS ALREADY
IN PLACE FOR IF THEY NEEDED TO
CLOSE TEMPORARILY AND HAVE
STUDENTS GO TO ONLINE.
>> NOW, YOU SAY THAT YOU'LL BE
ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING
FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES.
WHY IS THAT EVEN MORE CRITICAL
NOW?
>> SO WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR
STUDENTS WITH IEPs, INDIVIDUAL
EDUCATION PLANS, NEED TO HAVE
SOME SERVICES THAT ARE IN
PERSON.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OVER A
SPAN OF TIME, WE'VE LOST THAT
CONTRIBUTION FROM OUR STATE.
IT HAS BEEN AT A HIGH OF 60 PLUS
PERCENT AND DOWN TO 25% SUPPORT
FROM OUR STATE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT
AMOUNT BACK UP BECAUSE WHAT
HAPPENS IS WE STILL HAVE TO
PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND THEN
DISTRICTS ARE PINCHED BY HAVING
TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL
FUND THAT WOULD SUPPORT ALL KIDS
TO SUPPORT SPECIAL EDUCATION.
AND SO IF WE CAN MAKE A
COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING OUR
KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THOSE
DOLLARS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM THE
GENERAL FUND CAN BE REPLACED AND
DISTRICTS CAN USE THOSE IN OTHER
WAYS.
>> WHAT ARE YOU FINDING ABOUT
HOW CRITICAL THE NEEDS ARE FOR
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT THIS
TIME?
>> WE KNOW FROM OUR YOUTH RISK
BEHAVIOR SURVEY THAT PRIOR TO
THE PANDEMIC WE HAD ONE IN FIVE
STUDENTS WHO PRESENTED WITH SOME
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE WHO HAD SOME
CONCERN AROUND ANXIETY,
DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL IDEATION.
AND WITH COVID, THEM BEING
SEPARATED FROM FRIENDS,
SEPARATED FROM SCHOOL CONTACT,
WITH HUNGER IN SOME INSTANCES
AND UNEMPLOYMENT IN FAMILIES,
IT'S JUST SERVED TO ESCALATE
THOSE CONCERNS.
SO WE KNOW THERE WAS A NEED
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC AND WE KNOW
THERE'S AN EVEN GREATER NEED
RIGHT NOW.
>> ADDRESSING RACISM WAS KEY IN
YOUR ADDRESS.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE AROUND
EQUITY IN OUR SCHOOLS AND
COMMUNITIES?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE
NEED TO DO IS TO REEXAMINE OUR
SYSTEMS.
OUR SYSTEM OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN
IN PLACE FOR YEARS.
AND IT WAS BASED ON A CERTAIN
TYPE OF STUDENT.
WHAT WE'RE HEARING OUR STUDENTS
AND OUR FAMILIES FROM
MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS SAYING
IS THAT WE FEEL DISENFRANCHISED,
THAT THE CURRICULUM OFTENTIMES
DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M A
PART OF THIS THING CALLED
SCHOOLING.
I'M NOT LEARNING ABOUT MYSELF
AND MY HERITAGE.
THERE'S NOT THE AUTHENTIC
TEACHING AND APPRECIATION FOR
WHO I AM AND WHAT I BRING.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO SEIZE
THIS OPPORTUNITY, LISTEN TO
THOSE VOICES, LOOK AT OUR
STANDARDS THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW
WE EDUCATE AND HOW WE TALK ABOUT
OUR HISTORY WITH DIFFERENT
POPULATIONS.
AND WE HAVE TO INTEGRATE THAT.
WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES
OF OUR STUDENTS, OF OUR PARENTS
AND OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO
ARE SAYING THAT WE, TOO, ARE A
PART OF MAKING THE FUTURE OF
THIS COUNTRY GREAT.
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ACT ON IT.
WE DON'T JUST LISTEN, BUT WE ACT
ON IT.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.
SUPERINTENDENT CAROLYN STANFORD