School life as one knows it changed drastically overnight. There is no doubt that it will change again once COVID-19 ends. One day, millions of students zipped up their bookbags, said their sad goodbyes to fellow classmates and teachers and left their elementary schools. What they did not know was that this would be their last day in that classroom. It would be their last day reading aloud in their desks, shaped in a large horseshoe design. It would be their last day sitting criss-cross on the carpet as the teacher read the class a story and drew on the chalkboard. It would even be their last day playing tag with their friends at recess.
In the United States alone, there are over 7 million people, aged 3-21, who have special needs (Hill). These students no longer are receiving the individualized attention from their teachers and specialists. Instead, like millions of other children, they are now being taught by their parents. It is important to note that many of these individuals learn from an enriching environment that is built upon socialization. Yes, their trained teachers are very important, as well as all of their specialists. But, children also learn from other children as students can serve as friends and mentors for individuals with special needs. According to accessibility researcher with the Northwest Evaluation Association, Elizabeth Barker, “Now we’re asking parents to step into all of these roles” (Hill). These students, who often thrive in environments in which routine is needed, are now living a very different life and will continue to do so in the future, especially if the resources they need no longer exist. In the future, the need for these teachers and special education providers will be stronger than ever. These specialists will be crucial in providing additional aid to students who need it the most.
Unfortunately, I fear that many boards of education will make more severe budget cuts and will decrease teacher benefits. In fact, the many districts in the state of California are already “bracing for potential budget cuts for K-12 education” (EdSource). I fear that in the future, schools may eliminate paraprofessionals in order to save money. For many students, their classroom learning relies on the additional help of these paraprofessionals and specialists who come into their classroom to provide additional aid. Already, in Massachusetts, “Randolph Public Schools officials implemented staff furloughs and scheduling cuts”(Larkin). Without a doubt, we will continue to see this process in the near future. Afterall, many school districts will continue to face economic hardships in the future.
Going forward as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must alter our perspective on life. For starters, this quarantine experience, learning from home, has shown parents just how difficult being a teacher is. Many parents now have more respect for their childrens’ teachers and acknowledge that it really does take a special person to become a teacher. Many parents have now experienced “firsthand how much patience, multitasking and energy it takes to teach at all” (Vargas). I hope that when students go back, parents are more appreciative to their teachers and that they let the educators know how amazing they are. Perhaps this appreciation will spread “faster than the coronavirus that caused schools to close – and will hopefully remain once that virus is no longer a threat” (Vargas).
Going forward, we should not let these careers be taken away. From learning online, we have all realized just how much we miss learning in person from our teachers. We have learned the importance of our educators. I hope that the change we make in the future is that we learn to respect them more and I hope that we realize how much of a privilege it is to go to a good school. Learning over a screen really just does not do justice. If we want to make a change in the future, we must also advocate for others, by helping teachers, paraprofessionals and specialists keep their crucial jobs. Afterall, kids build the future, and their education relies on these careers.
In regards to the physical school building, I think that schools will greatly alter their daily activities in the future. In regards to elementary schools, perhaps students will start school at varying times. Staggered schedules as well as entering “through specific doors to promote physical distances” will reduce the number of individuals crossing paths (Richards). Additionally, elementary students who switch classes, say for english, will “move with the same cohort every day… to discourage mingling with new groups” (Richards). All of the future measures should be done with the benefit of the health of humanity in mind and I know that we can expect more distance learning to occur, in a school setting, in the future.
Works Cited
EdSource. “Education and the Coronavirus Crisis: What’s the Latest?” EdSource, EdSource, 1 May 2020, edsource.org/2020/education-and-coronavirus-whats-the-latest/625119.
Hill, Faith. “The Pandemic Is a Crisis for Students With Special Needs.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 20 Apr. 2020, http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2020/04/special-education-goes-remote-covid-19-pandemic/610231/.
Larkin, Max. “In Randolph, Officials Cited Coronavirus As They Made State’s First Cuts To School Staff.” In Randolph, Officials Cited Coronavirus As They Made State’s First Cuts To School Staff | Edify, WBUR, 15 Apr. 2020, http://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/04/15/randolph-school-furloughs.
Richards, Erin. “What Schools Will Look like When They Reopen: Scheduled Days Home, More Online Learning, Lots of Hand-Washing.” News, 29 Apr. 2020, http://www.thetimesnews.com/zz/news/20200429/what-schools-will-look-like-when-they-reopen-scheduled-days-home-more-online-learning-lots-of-hand-washing?rssfeed=true&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook.
Vargas, Theresa. “Perspective | The One Undoubtable Positive to Come of the Coronavirus: A New Appreciation of Teachers.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Mar. 2020, http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-one-undoubtable-positive-to-come-of-the-coronavirus-a-new-appreciation-of-teachers/2020/03/18/0e5532e4-6926-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html.
~Caroline SanAngelo
English 110 Honors Spring 2020 
Caroline, I love that you took the prompt and really catered it to a topic you are passionate about. Getting to know you in person and through your blog posts, I know that education and disability advocacy are two things that you truly care about, so focusing on that in this post was a great idea. I’m sure it made it much easier to write the post, and it also makes it much more enjoyable to read, as I can really hear your voice shine through. On another note, I really enjoyed how you incorporated the quote about teacher appreciation spreading faster than the virus, and hopefully sticking around in the future (Vargas). I think the quote fits nicely into your piece and built on your argument, while also adding a hint of humor. Overall, great work! -Renea
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I really enjoyed reading your post! Your first paragraph really pulled me in! It was so descriptive and I could really imagine myself in the classroom setting. I especially liked these sentences ” It would be their last day reading aloud in their desks, shaped in a large horseshoe design. It would be their last day sitting criss-cross on the carpet as the teacher read the class a story and drew on the chalkboard. ” I think as a college students, it is really easy to forget about the schooling that has brought us to where we are now. Your post was so genuine and passionate and I think it is definitely an important topic that not enough people are knowledgeable about. The school environment is so important for children, not only to learn about classroom topics, but how to be good friends and how to interact with others around you. I also found your emphasis on teachers, specialists, and paraprofessionals so awesome. I think people do not give people of these professions enough credit for the work that they do and it is concerning how easily people of these professions are being let down and not being acknowledged for their hard work. I loved how you mentioned that children build the future and that their education is reliant on teachers. Considering that this week is teacher appreciation week, I think your post was even more powerful and meaningful. Thanks for such a great read!
-Joanna Lee
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I have been thinking a lot about this topic while in quarantine and I enjoyed reading your perspective on the matter. I have been so worried about kids who are falling behind academically as a result of schools being closed. Different students have very different access to resources at home, and I fear this will widen the gap between students who struggle in school and those who succeed. I had not thought about how difficult this must be for special needs students, or the impact that the economic crisis will have on the paraprofessionals who are so crucial to these children’s education. I sincerely hope you are right that people will come out of this with more respect for teachers, because they will need all the help they can get to get all students back on track for their grade. Students often fall behind a bit over the summer, and I cannot imagine how much catching up they will need after half the year. Our teachers are certainly superheroes for being put up to that task. This was an amazing piece!
-Danielle Hoban
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It was really interesting to hear your thoughts about teachers of students with special needs. I never really thought about the new challenges many parents are having to face, and I hope you are right when you say there might be more appreciation for workers in the educational field. It was also really intriguing to read about how schools might try to minimize interaction between students, by staggering schedules or even assigning which doors to walk through. I really liked your take on this topic.
Chris Metzler
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