There’s an old saying: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
But unfortunately sometimes, they get worse!
That’s certainly the case with the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine that has affected the world these past two years. Change became the order of the day. Massive changes were needed by all of society. For example, many businesses were forced to go to a work-from-home model. Change was especially evident in the educational sector as almost every school district rushed to hurriedly implement on-line learning systems. Families and their children had to adapt. And in many cases there was a rough adjustment period as schools handed out laptops and struggled in some cases to insure that there was wi-fi/internet available for everyone who needed it. Even students who were doing well in school struggled at times getting acclimated to the new system. While there were bumps in the road (including massive disruptions in learning due to platforms such as Google crashing from too much activity on its servers!) eventually on-line learning became the “new normal” and some semblance of the regular school process was established. These students got back on track.
This begs the question however that I feel has been largely ignored by the school systems and the media: If you were falling behind before Covid, how far behind are you now?
In communities with failing schools, issues like poor-attendance, lack of family support with homework and unstable housing prevented many youth from receiving even a basic education. This leaves them in danger of being an adult in society without any discernible skill-set and not even an average education.
Even though much changed during the CoronaVirus pandemic, not only did this not change, it got markedly worse!
For instance, what about the students who had attendance issues before the pandemic happened? Well, they virtually (no pun intended!) dropped out during this time.
What about students who had trouble understanding the material while being taught by a teacher who could personally help them in the classroom setting? They struggled even before the pandemic, now they had to rely solely on parents or guardians to assist them. And sometimes they didn’t understand the material either!. They found themselves lagging even further behind.
And other challenges were made more pronounced as well: issues like lack of access to internet/wi-fi; Ignorance of basic log - in or account recovery procedures (sometimes lack of even having an email address!), and being forced to study and complete school work in home environments not conducive to learning (too much noise/distractions, siblings competing for the same technology/adult assistance, etc). Struggling with these issues even before the quarantine, students in disadvantaged areas were falling behind academically and failing to complete high school at alarming rates.
All of these were issues before the pandemic and the resulting changes only made them worse. To the point that a whole generation of students fell behind to the point of no return and dropped out.
My name is George Davis, Founder and executive director of Touchstone Tutoring & Mentoring Services, Inc. (TTMS) I started my non-profit to address the violence, poverty, poor health and failing schools that unfortunately plague so many of our communities! In my close to 20 years as a certified teacher and case manager in the social service sector, I witnessed first hand, many youth and their families fall through the cracks when they could have become productive members of society and good citizens.
And it was all due to lack of a good education.
In its simplest definition, education is the ability to achieve one’s goal without injuring or otherwise infringing on the rights of our fellow man. In all cases the ability was there, it just never developed due to not having access to the educational systems provided in that community.
While I do believe that our current system of education, dominated in Chicago by Chicago Public Schools (CPS), is due for reform in many areas, it is still one of the finest in the world. While there may be a difference in philosophy or learning materials here and there, even the worst schools can produce good results. Among them basic reading and math skills, writing and spelling, and of course the foundations of socializing and co-existing with others. Also provided are nutritious meals, and the opportunity for parents to have a safe place for their children while they work. The key, however, is a commitment from the family to work with the school and vice-versa.
And that’s where the breakdown occurs.
While more can be said about the challenges that face some youth and their families, the solution is the same in all cases and relatively simple: community organizations must work together to provide support to youth and their families, or in some cases take the place of the family, in working with local schools to help these students fully access and take advantage of the educational opportunities they have in their communities.
What’s needed is comprehensive, long-term academic support (i.e. tutoring, literacy programs, standardized test preparation, etc.) and mentoring programs. Mentoring in all forms to address dysfunctional family/living situations, anger issues, low self esteem, conflict resolution strategies, counseling for issues including PTSD, as well as goal setting, financial literacy, etc. All issues that pose as impediments to achieving academically and living a happy, productive life.
In instances where the family can’t or won’t assist the schools, organizations like TTMS, works with local community stakeholders and programs to offer comprehensive help in order to bridge the gap, acting as a liaison between the community and the school in order for each child to have as great a chance as possible to succeed in our great society.
Let’s not let COVID make us complacent or forget about those who are being left behind academically! Let us resolve to look for, discover and assist those organizations in the community that are helping those left behind during this challenging time.
So, as things continue to change, let’s not settle for things being the same: let’s all work together to make it a change for the better. After all, a brighter tomorrow for each of us is a brighter tomorrow for us all!
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