Lorain Schools plan ahead

Schools anticipating student learning, developmental gap due to online learning

The developmental and learning inequity for Lorain students remains particularly evident for young students, as material is learned faster at a younger age.

— CEO Jeff Graham

Although Lorain City Schools administrators are confident online learning will go more smoothly in the fall than it did for teachers and students in the spring, a learning and developmental gap in the district is anticipated as a consequence of the novel coronavirus.

This disparity is anticipated as white, affluent neighborhoods return to in-person learning, while neighborhoods with larger people-of-color populations remain more vulnerable to contracting the virus and commit to online learning, according to Director of Communications Erin Graham.

Board Vice President Tim Williams said during an Aug. 13 virtual town hall meeting there is a greater responsibility for Lorain Schools administrators to be sure their students remain healthy for their families.

“In certain communities, people in our position have to watch out for people more because there’s systemic issues we deal with,” he said.

With Hispanic students four times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications, and black students five times more likely to be hospitalized, three times more likely to be infected and twice as likely to die from the virus, remaining onlineonly for the fall remains a good decision by administrators, according to CEO Jeff Graham.

The developmental and learning inequity for Lorain students remains particularly evident for young students, as material is learned faster at a younger age, he said.

“It’s critical that the learning that takes place is exponentially greater the younger you are,” Graham said.

As far as preparing for online learning, he said the district has collected around 1,500 surveys from

community members and 1,000 from staff and is developing a system of training for everyone involved.

Board member Courtney Nazario said materials will be available for parents to familiarize themselves with the online learning system to help their children while they complete work.

“This is very intimidating for some parents, that they are going to be the teachers but our teachers will (help) along the way,” she said.

A parent of Lorain students herself, Nazario said it was helpful in the spring to maintain a consistent schedule for her young children by getting them up early and taking a break in the middle of the day for a snack.

As far as medical services, the district’s SchoolBased Mercy Health Clinic will remain operational as usual for the fall.

Katie Malear, who runs the clinic, said wellness visits, immunizations and tests will still be conducted by the clinic, as well as providing a virtual appointment option.

Appointments can be made by calling the office at 440-370-5446.