Better Together: Five education resolutions for a new year
By Rebecca L. Watts, Ph.D., and Mark David Milliron, Ph.D.
Over the last two years, educators in New York have been challenged by pandemic-driven logistical burdens, budgetary ups and downs, dramatic teacher shortages, and divisive rhetoric. That’s on top of the ever-present threat of COVID-19 and the uncertainty that comes with localized outbreaks.
Given the rising importance of education as a pathway to economic and social possibility, it is not enough to simply pine for a return to normal. As we enter a new year, here are five resolutions for educators and policymakers to consider.
Improve Digital Learning Infrastructure
In the urgent shift to remote learning during the pandemic, it became painfully clear that we live in a technology landscape of “haves and have nots.” In the Capital Region, there is a noticeable difference in broadband availability in rural counties when compared to more densely populated counties.
While Albany, Rensselaer,
Saratoga and Schenectady counties are nearly 100 percent wired for service, Greene, Columbia and Washington lag behind. The New York comptroller estimates 2.3 percent of residents in Washington County — population 61,204 — do not have broadband available in their area. That means approximately 1,400 residents in Washington County alone lack the infrastructure to access digital learning delivered via home broadband.
As New York increases access to low-cost broadband through the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $65 billion in grants to states for broadband deployment to address access in rural areas, it is essential that educational institutions partner with associations and government entities to remove technology and affordability barriers to digital access for learners of all ages.
Reimagine Learning
Models
According to a report by the Christensen Institute, we have no shortage of options to reimagine education. New curricula, technologies, pedagogies, and programs have the potential to support the college readiness of historically under-represented students, including low-income populations, students of color, and those who will be the first in their families to attend college.
One model worth exploring is mastery learning, which allows educators to build a system of learning in which students are rewarded for perseverance. The Mastery Transcript Consortium comprised of public school districts, private schools, and leading universities is developing this idea.
Encourage Educator SelfCare
A recent RAND Corporation survey found that while 40 percent of all employed adults reported experiencing significant job-related stress during the pandemic, this figure was almost double for K-12 teachers (78 percent). Many pandemicera teaching issues, such as stressed and confused students, technology challenges, and new learning systems are linked to significant job-related stress, depression, and burnout.
District leaders would do well to design and implement mental health and wellness initiatives for educators. Hiring behavioral health counselors not only for students but also for teachers and paraprofessionals can help, as well as listening with empathy to teachers’ concerns around pay, time, and support needs.
Champion Healthy
Learning
Today’s students have reported heightened feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation. As we reimagine PK-12 education in the wake of the pandemic, healthy learning is needed more than ever.
School leaders should develop methods and processes that emphasize a learning environment that provide holistic support for a student’s academic, physical, psychological, and social self. To prioritize healthy learning, schools, colleges, and universities can bring together the research and practices of initiatives addressing basic needs; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); social and emotional learning (SEL); mental health; and character education. This work should extend into governance and community engagement, particularly in our current politically charged environment.
Embrace Regional Education Ecosystems
All parts of a regional education ecosystem—early learning, K-12, community colleges, colleges, and universities—are intercon
nected. Each of these interconnected entities has the power to effectively partner or painfully disrupt and disconnect learner journeys. New York’s outstanding colleges and universities are continuing to provide life-changing education for many, making a positive difference for individuals, families, and communities.
As New York moves forward, dramatically changed by COVID-19, it’s critical for higher education institutions to establish alliances with local school districts to support their human resource objectives and elevate the teaching profession. Partnerships like this can include professional development of current or aspiring teachers and school districts serving as clinical learning sites for pre-service teachers, the next generation of New York educators.
Adopting and fulfilling these five resolutions depend on educators and their communities working together. We need to set aside the historic “better than” arguments and embrace a “better with” reality: We’re all in this together. Education is a game changer, door opener, and playing-field leveler. As such, let’s commit to substantive conversations and good work on each of these resolutions.
Making progress together will support our shared journey toward new possibilities in 2022.
Rebecca L. Watts, Ph.D. (Twitter: @WGUnortheast), serves as a regional vice president for Western Governors University, a non-profit, accredited university focused on competencybased learning that serves 3,000 students and 5,000 alumni in New York. Mark David Milliron, Ph.D. (Twitter: @markmilliron), an award-winning education leader, author, and speaker, is the senior vice president of Western Governors University and executive dean of the Teachers College, the nation’s largest college of education.