As we dare to look ahead, your voices as educators will be more important than ever in ensuring that all students get the education they deserve.

It is prevalent that collaboration between unions and the districts need to allow for the navigation of this pandemic as successfully as possible and emerge stronger. It is critical that the districts continue to engage educators and their unions in the plans and decisions that they make to open schools safely and equitably. Throughout the pandemic challenges that educators have faced have shown that now more than ever that it is not about where you teach, but how you teach that matters most. Here are a few things that are being impacted by the pandemic : 

Educator Workload
Collaboration and bargaining can lighten the load. Crushing educator workload is nothing new; this has only intensified during the pandemic. As difficult as the last year has been, it has also reminded educators of the power of collaboration and collective bargaining especially when it comes to keeping their workload under control. 

Student Learning
Educational recovery must be equitable. The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for every learner, but according to some estimates, students in underprivileged schools are 6 to 12 months behind, compared with other students, who are 4 to 8 months behind. A lack of technology, higher rates of coronavirus infection, job loss, and food insecurity are just some of the struggles impacting less fortunate communities and their education. 

For many students, the struggles were insurmountable. Some students missed days, even weeks, of distance learning as they scrambled to find devices and connectivity. Others remained unreachable, despite educators’ best efforts to locate them. But the pandemic has also brought an opportunity to reimagine and reengineer the policies and processes that have benefited some students over others.  

Building community
The schools that have managed to navigate the pandemic with more success are ones that had strong relationships with students in place before the pandemic. These relationships will form the building blocks for improved academics moving forward.

Creating a roadmap to recovery.
When all students finally return to the classroom, educators will need time to focus on learning recovery as well as the social and emotional needs. We have listed the following strategies to support learning recovery:

• Evolving lessons for different learning needs. 

• Ensuring adequate intensity when making decisions about extending the school day or year including after-school activities. Try reduced class sizes as well as having sufficient, highly accredited staff to assist with the students.

• Using the right assessments. Many standardised tests reward skills that closely correlate with a student’s socioeconomic background. 

• Creating an equity plan with stated goals and objectives to allow for equitable learning opportunities for underserved students.

As we all chart the path to the future, we must work together to ensure that every student and every educator can learn and work in spaces that are safe, supportive, and equitable.

Extra-curricular Activities

Art classes to get even more creative.
With the limitations posed on us by the pandemic, people are finding more and more ways to creatively incorporate technology into creative expression. The power of technology is that students will be encouraged to collaborate and inspire each other. Technology is making the entire world find ways to bridge the gaps with it. The pandemic has enabled so much more collaboration than ever before. Skills are being taught in ways never thought before.

This is an opportunity to see how everyone has their own unique way of teaching. The pandemic will end eventually, but many of these new resources and technologies will persist and the world is embracing the change. 

The question now remains "How do we embrace the change?"