When we reopen our public schools, we must not let them suffer the same neglect they did during and after the 2008 recession. The previous funding cuts – made under the excuse of “coping” with the recession – harmed our most vulnerable students, cost many educators their jobs, severely damaged N.C.’s teacher pipeline, and undermined the public’s respect for public education overall. Additionally, the education policy changes previously implemented to gain federal dollars resulted in ineffective teacher evaluations, expansion in high stakes testing, growth in student disparities, and inequitable charter school expansions.
We must reopen our schools to be stronger and more committed to fulfilling our constitutional duty to provide a sound basic education for all children. We also must be prepared to help mitigate the trauma of the pandemic for students, families, and educators using the “lessons learned” from virtual instruction.
Now is the time to invest in fully funding our public schools and reopen them using creativity, compassion, and commitment to meet each student’s unique needs! We must use a balanced approach that addresses the physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional well-being of students and school personnel.
