APRIL 22 Thread
1/We had @chiefsforchange members & #FutureChiefs on Zoom tonight discussing their latest priorities. Headlines are that current learning plans that of necessity began loose are getting tighter & Chiefs have one eye on Fall reopening strategy.

2/One common theme is students & parents asking for instruction to reflect meaningful standards. For some that means grading matched to clear expectations. Monitoring contact (did you reach student, did they log on?) is proxy for attendance. Next level is monitoring engagement.

3/A level beyond that is assessing the learning happening. One consequence of the move online: districts suddenly have a real-time window into every classroom. e.g. Google Classroom allows them to see what work is being assigned.

4/Technology still a significant road block. One Chief shared that anyone still doing work on paper has no obvious means of *submitting* that work. Students are photographing work with phones & texting to teachers.

5/One Chief has stood up feedback loops for every district division & every school. Students, parents, teachers all providing feedback on distance learning experience. Central office sharing it back for continuous improvement.

6/Thus far a general spirit of cooperation with labor has been the norm. But every adult role in every school has changed. Hard to imagine a return to normal in FY21 which means MANY regs (seat time, calendar, cert, etc) will need to change along with contracts.

7/The million dollar question is, will everyone be able to see this not just as necessity but as opportunity. Districts with a head start on redefining the roles of teachers, career ladders etc — eg @PublicImpact “Opportunity Culture” work — seem to have a leg up.

8/Whether they go big or go small on reimagining roles of adults (eg by thinking of them as teams rather than individuals) they are likely to be out of compliance, so why not think big? There is a lot of nuance here (distance, on-site, instruction-focussed, relationship-focussed)

9/...and a need for smart models. One point we heard in this context is how important a focus on student AND teacher wellbeing will be to reopening plans. One Chief said partnerships w/ @rulerapproach & @pureedgeinc have been critical now & will be more critical then.

10/Another Chief said, “We need to make sure we end this year in a humane way that lays the groundwork for the fall.” Beyond all this are some unnerving possibilities: eg if they don’t feel safe, parents, students and/or teachers might just say “No” to returning.

11/This would make serious changes to enrollment more serious. One Chiefs said, “We’re going to see crushing changes to our enrollment. There’s a tsunami following this earthquake.” General sense that building culture of care is the right thing to do & may also help retention.

12/Essential that challenges of fall reopening not be underappreciated: look at the European models & imagine the implementation challenges. Some Chiefs already have planning teams looking at EVERY classroom and useable space, doing feasibility studies based on various scenarios.

13/Chiefs reviewing HR protocols in anticipation of potential increases in bereavement, physical & mental health complications. Everyone thinking about student & adult safety. Facilities reconfiguration; role reconfiguration, hybrid learning w/less “seat time” all likely in FY21.

14/There is no world where rules & regs remain the same. Question is: if bold solutions emerge, will feds & states & locals remove obstacles to enacting them?