Looking toward fall, Superintendent Joe Stutting sees less focus on academic remediation, and more on guiding students back to classroom instruction, while incorporating new skills and techniques developed by teachers during the shutdown.
“We go from nine weeks of summer break to 20-some weeks out of school. Come August, are we all wearing masks when we come back? Will (virus) testing be available to anybody and everybody with results back so quick you can isolate quickly if needed?”
“I’d like to have that crystal ball to see what this will look like … What we’re doing today and what we’re doing six weeks from now. Teachers will have a new knowledge base and skill set to take this further.”
The state’s emergency expansion of online learning may provide options for weather breaks. “The next time we have a terrible winter, we can do this kind of stuff,” he said.
But he does not see online education as a substitute for classroom learning.
“Do I think online is a replacement for face-to-face? No. I prefer for my own learning style to be in class and learn from each other. Do I see more blending happening? Absolutely. I think we’ll strengthen our education in Iowa and across the nation.”
He also expects the district will need to provide more mental health support to help students and families cope. “There is a big mental health part about getting back and getting comfortable, and not being afraid they might get sick.”
Federal and state virus response already expanded schools into the home meal and delivery service. Stutting wonders how that will influence perception of public education in the future.
“Education is one of the main social institutions to meet people’s needs. We saw how quickly in Iowa our schools got engaged,” he said. “Our services aren’t necessarily tied to district boundaries.”