PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Schools have had to deal with a lot over the last couple of years as the COVID-19 pandemic rolled on.
On top of that, many have been anxious for schools to get back to how they used to operate before COVID-19.
But should that be the goal? Or, does this moment in time present an opportunity to reimagine the approach to public education?
"One of the things that should be front of mind is the social, emotional well-being," said Dr. Jeff Rhodes, director of school improvement services for NWEA and former assistant superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia.
"I'm hearing conversations around, well, 'Let's get back to instruction. Let's focus on achievement. Let's focus on that.' And I think that's critically important. But...students, if they're not available to learn, they're not going to learn, so things that are front of mind, like their social, emotional well being and how they're coping with the reality of the impact of other things we think seems to be front of mind."
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Dr. Rhodes said school districts are not necessarily prioritizing that approach of care for the whole person.
"They recognize it and they talk about it, but they don't prioritize," he said.
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Dr. Rhodes discussed changes in many areas, including and beyond the physical classroom itself and the need to better value teachers and be present to student diversity.
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