Thinking About Day 1

It is imperative for all in education to think about how we reopen our schools in accordance with CDC and local health guidelines, safely for our teachers and students, and in an operational manner of social distancing within our school buildings, but also with a trauma-informed and inclusive approach. We need to think about healing alongside learning―and loss―in all its forms. This means looking at trauma-informed strategies for all in our schools alongside the ability to create spaces for students of color to be seen, affirmed and feel safe.

Our newest podcast, as part of IB Voices, aims to help. In this five-episode mini-series, we’ve brought in experts on trauma-informed practices from Canada and the United States; school leaders and principals experienced in schooling with post-disaster schooling; and multiple perspectives and expertise on strategies for reopening our school doors.

It’s difficult to believe that it was only a few months ago that we in the education community had to close our school doors to protect our students and school communities from the COVID-19 and make a hard pivot to digitized learning―all in a matter of weeks. Soon enough, COVID-19 exposed a technological and economic divide for students and families, while our school leaders and educators did their best to support learning in remote spaces. Simultaneously, we saw the differences in realities in our healthcare systems from New York City to the Navajo Nation as we became acutely aware how non-discriminatory COVID-19 is and how our communities and students of color are being disproportionately affected.

As we adjusted to this reality on a global scale, prepared for virtual graduations and closed the school year the best we could. We then collectively watched, were outraged by and mourned the unjust violent deaths of too many people of color―George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Riah Milton, and Chantel Moore, to name a few―and saw the United States ignite to demand that Black, Indigenous, and people of color be seen and treated as human beings with a right to breathe, either from the conditions that exasperated the spread of COVID-19 or when dealing with law enforcement.

We explore these issues in earnest through the following five-part conversation. To all school leaders and educators around the world, we hope the series is helpful in creating a safe, loving and inclusive return to school.