8/5/21-- School administrators, teachers, parents, and students were all thrown for a loop when COVID shut down school buildings and demanded immediate innovation. Some schools, and some students, were better off than others. So much depended on available resources like technology, Internet, and childcare. Families that lacked any one of these struggled with remote school and hybrid school. Learning loss was certainly a symptom of the COVID school year, but the voices on today’s podcast emphasize that it should not be the sole focus as we look towards recovery--that addressing students’ grief; relationships; and physical, social, and emotional well-being takes precedence over reaching a certain benchmark in reading or math.

Takeru Nagayoshi of New Bedford High School, Tracy O’Connell Novick of the Worcester School Committee, Tanya Nixon-Sillberg of Little Uprisings, and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education Jason Lewis reflect on the past year and a half of school plagued by COVID interruptions and provide insight on what the next academic year could and should provide for teachers, students, and their families.

Next week: Love.

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Mass Reboot is a production of The MassINC Polling Group, in association with CommonWealth Magazine. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. To help us make more episodes, donate at patreon.com/mass_reboot.

This week’s episode is sponsored in part by Rasky Partners. They’re a long-time supporter of ours and a nationally recognized government affairs and communication firm. For over 30 years the team at Rasky has worked with all types of organizations, large and small, helping each one reach their business objectives through advocacy and storytelling. Find out more about Rasky Partners at rasky.com.

Episode 3 is also sponsored by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, an employer-driven member organization comprised of CEOs and Senior Executives from large employers. Through the Roundtable, business leaders engage with the public and private sectors to advance policies that support the state’s competitiveness and long-term economic prosperity.