Interview: Educational Equity

Sonseeahray Tonsall reports

PUBLIC SCHOOL IS SUPPOSEDTO BE THE GREAT EQUALIZER INGFORCE OFFERING STUDENTS ATOTALLY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS,THE SAME ACCESS TO HIGHQUALITY AND THOROUGHLYRESOURCED EDUCATION BUT CRACKSIN THE SYSTEM ARE EXPOSED LASTSEMESTER WHEN CLASSES HAD TOBE SUSPENDED BECAUSE OFCOVID-19 AND DISPARITIES ANDHOME INTERNET AND SMART DEVICEACCESS BECAME ALL TOOAPPARENT.

HOW DISTRICT WASADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS ANDTHE FACT THAT THEY AFFECTEDBLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS MOREHAD A SERIOUS IMPACT ON THEDELIVERY OF AN EQUITABLEEDUCATION.

JOINING THECONVERSATION NOW ON FOX 40NEWS AT 11 DOCTOR ADAM ELLIS,AN EXPERT ON EDUCATIONALEQUITY WHO'S BEEN CONSULTINGWITH AREA DISTRICTS THROUGHOUTTHIS PROCESS, THANK YOU SOMUCH FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOUFOR HAVING ME WHAT'S THEBIGGEST ISSUE WE DIDN'T GET ORADDRESS DURING THE SUSPENDEDSEMESTER BECAUSE OF THECORONAVIRUS BUT DIDN'T WEFIGURE OUT FOR KIDS.SO WE WE'VE ACTUALLYFIGURED OUT A LOT WHEN WECONSIDER THE CRISIS LEARNINGTHAT WE GET FROM MARCH AND YOUKNOW FOR SOME SCHOOLS JUNE.

WEFIGURED OUT HOW TO SUPPORTKIDS WITH NUTRITION.

WEFIGURED OUT HOW TO DEPLOYTECHNOLOGY.

THE CITY HADROVING BUSES FOR INTERNET.HOWEVER IS STILL NOT ENOUGH.WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT AS ACOUNTY WE PUT A LOT ON SCHOOLSTO DO.

BUT WE HAVEN'T TALKEDABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS AREGION TO SUPPORT EACH OTHERSO HOW DO WE SUPPORT THOSEESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT HAVE TOGO BACK TO SCHOOL OR TO WORKEXCUSE ME AND THEY DEPENDEDUPON SCHOOL TO BE THEIR DAYCARE PROVIDERS.

SCHOOL PROVIDEEDUCATION AND WE SOMETIMES GETTHAT CONFUSED AS A SOCIETYTHAT EDUCATION AND BABY CITYARE 2 DIFFERENT THINGS AND WEHAVE NOT FIGURE THAT OUT IT ISHOW ARE WE GOING TO DODISTANCE TEACHING.

HAVESTUDENTS ENGAGE IN OFTEN TAKELEARN E IF THEIR PARENTS CAN'TPROVIDE CAN SUPPORT.SO THAT IS A VERY BIG ISSUEALSO WE THIS IS THE BEGINNINGOF THIS OUTBREAK ABOUT THETECHNOLOGY AND TO VARYINGDEGREES DIFFERENT DISTRICTS,DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WERE ABLE TOGET LAPTOPS DEVICES HOT SPOTSYOU MENTIONED THE SCHOOL BUSESWITH THE INTERNET OUT TOSTUDENTS IN NEED BUT THAT TOOKSOME TIME SO ALSO OUT THEREWHEN YOU LOOK AT A WHOLENOTHER SEMESTER OF DISTANCELEARNING THERE'S KIND OF ATRUST OR SKEPTICISM HANGOVERJUST WITHIN FAMILIES AT THISIS REALLY GOING TO WORK AND BEENRICHING.SO EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBAN.

WHEN I SAY THEEDUCATIONAL LEADERS HAVEN'TSLEPT SINCE MARCH 13TH WEREALLY HAVEN'T SLEPT WE'VEBEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.HOW AND A WORLD WHERE.PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BEEN SOPOLITICIZED AND PEOPLE DON'TWANT TO DO THE BASIC THINGSLIKE WEAR THE MASK BEPHYSICALLY DISTANCE WASH THEIRHANDS.

WE WE HAVE A FEELINGWE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TODISTANCE LEARNING SO WE HAVELOOKED AT HOW ARE WE GOING TOSUPPORT STUDENTS.

WITHTECHNOLOGY WITH ALL THEY'VETAKEN MONEY WHICH TRULY HAVINGDISTANCE LEARNING BE.

SCHOOLVERSUS CRISIS.

AND WE WE HAVETHAT BUT 3, 4, MONTHS TO GETOUT OF CRISIS MODE AND GETINTO THE THINGS THAT WE DOBEST AS EDUCATORS WE INNOVATEAND WE TEACH AND SO IT ISHAVING A SECRET MISS WHICH NOTAT THE SAME TIME TO RECORD ITIN SECRET THIS LESSON, SO THATSTUDENTS CAN HAVE BOTH THEABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH THEIRTEACHERS LIVE VIA ZOOM ORGOOGLE OR WHATEVER TECHNOLOGYAS WELL AS A SECRET US WITHTHESE COULD BE RECORD IT ANDTHEY CAN GO BACK AND LOOK ATIT ON THE MAP.

VERY VERYIMPORTANT.

WE WERE ABLE TO GETTO STAY BECAUSE WE'RE OUT OFTIME BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVETO HAVE YOU BACK TO TALK ABOUTALL OF THE SOCIO.EMOTIONAL IMPACTS OF THISBECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OTHERDEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENS FORKIDS NOT JUST IN THEIRTEXTBOOKS BUT ABOUT LEARNINGHOW TO GROW AND MATURE ANDOPERATE OUT FROM UNDER YOUKNOW A PARENT'S WATCHFUL EYESO WE'LL HAVE YOU BACK TO TALKABOUT ALL OF THAT IT'S ANIMPORTANT THING FOR COLLEGETOO.

A LOT OF KIDS JUSTGETTING OUT THERE FOR THEFIRST TIME IN THEIR LOSINGTHAT LEARNING HOW TO KIND OFGROW INTO THAT NEXT AGE OFADULTHOOD.YES MA'AM I LOOK FORWARD TOSPEAKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCEOF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNINGTHE FOR HOUSING EDUCATION, ALEADER ALSO COUNSELOR FIRSTALL RIGHT, IT IS SOMETHING AS