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Central Alabama school districts work to overcome pandemic learning loss
Chip Scarborough
Anchor/Reporter
Central Alabama school districts work to overcome pandemic learning loss
UP IN A FEW MINUTES. JARVIS ADRIAN, THANK YOU. SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR AREA, THEY’RE WORKING TO SOLVE THE NOW YEARS LONG PROBLEM OF PANDEMIC LEARNING LOSS. WVTM 13. CHIP SCARBOROUGH IS HERE IN STUDIO TO EXPLAIN WHY EDUCATE HER SAY IS NOT A QUICK FIX. WELL JARVIS THE PROBLEM IS SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR AREA ARE SO BIG THAT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTY ARE MORE IMPACTED THAN OTHERS. MAKING IT HARDER FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO DEVELOP A ONE SIZE FITS ALL PLAN TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT’S BEEN NEARLY THREE YEARS SINCE COVID 19 FOR SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA TO SHUT DOWN FOR WEEKS, IF NOT LONGER. LEADING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS SCRAMBLING TO ADAPT TO TEACHING AND LEARNING FROM HOME. AT THE SAME TIME, CREATING A LEARNING LOSS STILL BEING FELT NOW. WELL, WE HAVE PLANS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THOSE PARTICULAR THINGS AND THAT TO YOU NOT GOING TO SOLVE IT IN ONE YEAR, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE IT IN TWO YEARS. JEFFERSON COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT DR. WALTER GONSOLIN SAYS YOU ULTIMATELY HAVE TO APPROACH IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, FROM STUDENT TO STUDENT, FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY. IT JUST DEPENDS UPON HOW HARD THAT COMMUNITY WAS HIT AS IT RELATED TO THAT, HOW MANY DAYS OR CHILDREN NOT IN SCHOOL VERSUS BEING FACE TO FACE, BECAUSE WE NOTICED THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE WITH THAT AS WELL. AND BIRMINGHAM CITY TEACHERS ARE ALSO WORKING TO HELP RESOLVE THE SO CALLED PANDEMIC LEARNING LOSS. THE PRESIDENT OF THE BIRMINGHAM AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS SAYS PART OF THE PROBLEM STEMS FROM PEOPLE IN GENERAL JUST THINKING EVERYTHING WOULD GO ON AS NORMAL, INCLUDING THE LEARNING PROCESS. NOW, I DON’T KNOW WHY WE JUST ASSUME IT WAS JUST GOING TO CONTINUE WHEN EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF JUST A HUMAN BEING. YOU SAW PEOPLE DIE, THEY GOT SICK. THAT HAS AN INFLUENCE ON ALL OF US. SO WHILE WE ASSUME THAT WHEN THEY CAME TO STUDENTS, THEY WOULD PERFORM ACADEMICALLY JUST BECAUSE WE JUST EXPECTED IT AS IF THEY’RE ROBOTS. SOME ARGUE TOO MUCH OF THE RESPONSIBILITY IS FALLING ON TEACHERS TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THEY’RE EXPECTED TO WORK MIRACLES AND BRING THESE KIDS BACK UP TO SPEED WHERE THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE. AND WE DIDN’T GET YOUR OVERNIGHT AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET OUT OF IT OVERNIGHT. IF ANYTHING, THEY’VE WALKED BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM WITH MORE ON THEIR SHOULDERS THAN THEY’VE EVER HAD BEFORE AND LESS RESPECT. AND ONE THING THAT’S HINDERED THE RECOVERY PROCESS IS THE FACT THAT EVERY DISTRICT IN THE STATE AND NATION IS FACED WITH SOME SORT OF TEACHER SHORTAGE, LEAVING SOME CLASSROOMS WITHOUT A PERMANEN
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Central Alabama school districts work to overcome pandemic learning loss
Chip Scarborough
Anchor/Reporter
It's been nearly three years since COVID-19 forced schools in Central Alabama to shutdown for weeks, if not longer. Teachers and students were left scrambling to adapt to teaching and learning from home. At the same time, creating a learning loss still being felt now. "Well you know, we have plans in place to address those particular things and that too you know, you're not going to solve in one year," Jefferson County superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin says. "You're not going to solve it in two years."Dr. Gonsoulin says you ultimately have to approach it on a case by case basis."From school to school, student to student," Gonsoulin explains. "From community to community. It just depends upon how hard that community was hit as it relates to that. How many days were children not in school versus being face-to-face? Because we know there was a difference with that as well."In Birmingham City Schools, teachers are also working to help resolve the so-called pandemic learning loss. The president of the Birmingham American Federation of Teachers says part of the problem stems from people in general just thinking everything would go on as normal, including the learning process."I don't know why we just assume it was just going to continue when every other aspect of just a human being," Birmingham AFT president Richard Franklin says. "You saw people die who got sick. That has an influence on all of us. So why we assumed when it came to students they would perform academically just because we just expected it as if they're robots." Some argue too much of the responsibility is falling on teachers to come up with a solution."They're expected to work miracles and bring these kids back up to speed where they're supposed to be," Central Alabama AFT president Erika Hughes says. "And we didn't get here overnight and we're not going to get out of it overnight. If anything, they've walked back into the classroom with more on their shoulders than they've ever had before and less respect."One thing that experts say has hindered the recovery process is the fact that every district in the state and nation has been faced with some sort of teacher shortage. Some classrooms have been left without a permanent teacher and instead, a substitute.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

It's been nearly three years since COVID-19 forced schools in Central Alabama to shutdown for weeks, if not longer.

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Teachers and students were left scrambling to adapt to teaching and learning from home. At the same time, creating a learning loss still being felt now.

"Well you know, we have plans in place to address those particular things and that too you know, you're not going to solve in one year," Jefferson County superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin says. "You're not going to solve it in two years."

Dr. Gonsoulin says you ultimately have to approach it on a case by case basis.

"From school to school, student to student," Gonsoulin explains. "From community to community. It just depends upon how hard that community was hit as it relates to that. How many days were children not in school versus being face-to-face? Because we know there was a difference with that as well."

In Birmingham City Schools, teachers are also working to help resolve the so-called pandemic learning loss. The president of the Birmingham American Federation of Teachers says part of the problem stems from people in general just thinking everything would go on as normal, including the learning process.

"I don't know why we just assume it was just going to continue when every other aspect of just a human being," Birmingham AFT president Richard Franklin says. "You saw people die who got sick. That has an influence on all of us. So why we assumed when it came to students they would perform academically just because we just expected it as if they're robots."

Some argue too much of the responsibility is falling on teachers to come up with a solution.

"They're expected to work miracles and bring these kids back up to speed where they're supposed to be," Central Alabama AFT president Erika Hughes says. "And we didn't get here overnight and we're not going to get out of it overnight. If anything, they've walked back into the classroom with more on their shoulders than they've ever had before and less respect."

One thing that experts say has hindered the recovery process is the fact that every district in the state and nation has been faced with some sort of teacher shortage. Some classrooms have been left without a permanent teacher and instead, a substitute.