Make Some Noise 

Pedro Anglada Cordero

Fri, Jun 19, 7:11 PM (9 hours ago)

​

Immediately after the Covid19 crisis began, the main focus in schools shifted towards access to food and social emotional support. In my experience, I observed many colleagues and staff alike moving swiftly to reach out to their school/classroom community to make sure families did not feel alone, and that they had access to the resources that were offered by the district, and the county. Nevertheless, the need for social and emotional support throughout the district, in my opinion, was far greater than what the district had to offer. Capacity, and effective outreach, given the circumstances, were important variables to consider. Timing was also a key factor. One week after the school closures, a significant portion of school staff went on spring-break vacation. During the first week, efforts were concentrated in providing food and giving printed lessons at distribution sites with no obligation for completion. Throughout this period, I noticed that inequities in access to food resources were palpable in communities where English is a second Language. Families with multiple children in the home, or who lack transportation were hit hardest within these circumstances. The information of the designated schools where food services were provided was published in a local newspaper only in English. Additional information was posted in the district's website. Nevertheless, 100% of the families I contacted throughout this period, regardless of their language, did not know about the food distribution sites. Some families new about breakfast and lunch being provided, but not about the additional food. 

 

It is fair to say that the district increased its capacity in food distribution throughout the two months that followed, and that an incredible effort was made to meet the community's demand. However, access to food continued to be a major issue until the end of the school year. In my opinion, the shift to prioritizing the distribution of digital devices represented a negative impact for the most marginalized members of our community. Once again, during this period I observed a great deal of my colleagues working diligently to contact families to not only provide access to distance learning resources, but to build relationships with them in a way not done before; this was not an example consistent with all staff, though. As the district was implementing their plan to distribute distance learning materials, families were going through the uncertainty of unemployment, not knowing who they were going to pay the rent, or whether they were going to be evicted from their homes. Throughout this period, access to food, rental and energy assistance were more pressing issues in the minds of many families across the city. Only a small fragment of students were actively having access to distance learning and engaging with their teachers. all the way until the last day of school we distributed devices for internet connection, or replaced computers with functional ones. 

 

Once devices were distributed, having consistent access to learning was a real challenge. This affected homes with parents of different levels of proficiency with technology. Households with multiple children were also challenging to support. In some cases, students did not want to attend virtual meetings as exposing themselves to their regular home conditions or dynamics made them feel vulnerable. Households with children in early grades and having non-school-age siblings faced greater barriers to have support from their parents to engage in distance learning. At times, providing books, printed materials, art supplies, and physical education items was helpful for families with these characteristics. Nevertheless, this never mitigated the fact that the gaps in access to learning compared to peers with greater supports was monumental. Throughout all this time, access to food, social and emotional support were areas that were persistent, and in many cases went unaddressed.