It's Not Their Fault

I learned from one of my favorite principals that a good leader stands in front of their team when things go south and pushes everyone else in front when things are worth celebrating. I have tried to model that example in the various leadership roles I have served throughout my career. During these first 32 days with our students in St. Johnsbury, it's clear to me that I need to stand in front of my team. This is not their fault. 

We are one of the only, if not the only school in the Northeast Kingdom that is not yet offering fully in-person education. The Reopening Taskforce decided based on the guidelines from the Vermont Agency of Education and the Department of Health. I proudly stand in front of that decision. We have more than 600 students in our PK - 8 system and more than 180 adults. We cannot have a seat for every student to sit at that is at least six feet apart from others while they do their work. 

But the guidance has changed, you say. Indeed it has. We officially received it on Friday night. And our Reopening Taskforce has been expecting this. The new guidance says we need to have a seat for every student in grades PK - 6 to sit at and do their work, which is at least three feet apart from others. The Reopening Taskforce is taking the time to review this and measure our classrooms. We are also reviewing our procedures for screening, our lunch procedures, and our procedures for arrival and departure. In addition, we have open questions about staffing, furniture, and space. 

Will we have enough staff for more than 80% of our student body to return? Do we have enough furniture, and do we have the three feet we need to configure our furniture in a way that maintains public health but also feels like a classroom our students can learn and grow in? All these questions stem from one fact that in any other year than one with a global health pandemic, is a good thing. 

We have high enrollment. 

If you've never been to our building on Western Avenue when we all are in it, let me tell you, it's bustling. Hallways are full of voices, faces, and people. Big people, small people, and everyone in between. There is a certain joy to our school when the doors are open, and humans are streaming past you in every direction. But we can't do that, at least not now. 

The public health considerations impact a school of our size in a distinct way from others in our area. Also, very, very few families indicated a desire for fully remote learning in the early portion of our summer. That, combined with the fact that high-speed broadband internet is not a reality for every household in St. Johnsbury, led us to only have a fully virtual option for a small handful of families in a limited number of circumstances. 

I also want it to be clear that I believe it is in the absolute best interest of all children to be educated in person. Unfortunately, given the insidious nature of the COVID-19 virus, this does not outweigh the public health considerations. While currently in Vermont and the NEK, our numbers are good (if not excellent), we have seen an uptick in cases, not only in the NEK, but we've also seen the first case of school transmission of the virus in our state this past week. 

So while we are working to assess our ability to welcome back our PK - 6 students, we will do it thoughtfully and carefully, as we have made every decision to this point. I feel the pressure - I know the pressure. I expect my own children (both 7th and 8th graders) to be in a hybrid learning model for the remainder of this year. The guidance indicates that for 7th graders and up, six feet is the expected physical distancing. For our 7th and 8th grade families in St. Johnsbury, it is reasonable to expect that their students, too, will remain in a hybrid model. And as a dad, I know how hard this is. My teenage boys are aching to get back to school. Yes, my teenage boys. 

The other aspect I would be remiss if I did not mention is this, and I'm paraphrasing the words of Meg Allison, the President-Elect of the Vermont State Librarians' Association: "If there was ever a time to build a collective compassion for public educators, it is now." And yes, I understand, compassion is a two-way street. And yes, I understand that public education allows families to work, earn a living, pay the bills, and essentially exist. 

However, overnight, teachers became essential workers. And we are proud of that, and we own that. But do you know that I have teachers in my building who are crying because they are utterly overwhelmed? Not first-year teachers (not that it is OK for first-year teachers, or any teachers for that matter, to cry) but teachers who are established members of our school family. Teachers who are considered veterans who have taught generations of students and their parents. They wait until their children leave the classroom and then break down under the emotional weight of all this. I don't want anyone ever crying because they're overwhelmed with work. Never. 

I'm here to stand in front of every single employee in the St. Johnsbury School District. I'm proud to stand in front of every single employee in the St. Johnsbury School District. Every single day they show up for every single student, regardless of where that student is learning. 

So please, if you have concerns about our hybrid learning model, reach out to me. If you have concerns about the plan we have enacted, let me know. If you have concerns with how the St. Johnsbury School District is moving through this global health pandemic, don't complain to our teachers. 

It's not their fault. It's my fault. And I'm truly proud of that. 

Photo courtesy of @gmspirates