COVID has made teaching and learning very difficult, and nothing we can do can equal pre-COVID conditions, but we have wonderful resources, and I am proposing that we create a good plan in case we need it. We all hope we do not need it.

Premise: When you try to do two jobs at the same time, you do them both poorly.

Common Scenario Last Year: A teacher was looking into their laptop teaching 20 students and 5 students were sitting in the classroom looking into their laptops at the teacher sitting next to them. And on some days, the internet would crash, and teachers would run to their cars driving around Medford trying to find cell reception, so they could teach through their phones.

Striving for Excellence:

• Choose One: Classes need to be either all in-person or all remote.

• Long Range Plan: A long range plan should be to wire all classrooms with cameras and microphones for broadcasting. This would help us with our response to pandemics, and will help us in the future, with students that cannot be in the classroom because of health issues. In addition to responding to contagious diseases, this technological improvement would allow us to adapt better to a student, for example, that is recovering from cancer or surgery.

• Multidimensional Solutions: We must remember that many of the high school students were not eligible for the vaccine, and 12-year old’s and under are still not eligible. We need to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions. The push for in-person schooling did not meet the needs of those families that were not comfortable sending their children into schools without a vaccine.

• Outside: Outside is safer than inside. Years ago, the PTO bought me a set (25) of IKEA stackable stools. Stacks of these stools should be located at the entrances of the schools, so teachers can easily take their students outside. Designated areas would exist so these classes would not be disturbing the indoor classes. Much, not all, of what we do in class can be done outside, but we need to make it easy and efficient.

• Teacher Resources: The experts on teaching under COVID are the existing teachers. They are the only ones with this experience. We need to ask them what they need to do their jobs better. One size is not going to fit all. What an elementary teacher needs is not what a AP high school teacher or vocational teacher needs.

• Dream Teams: We need to get a group of parents, students and teachers together representing all grade levels and education scenarios. Have these groups brainstorm now what worked well in our COVID response, and what did not work well. We know elementary students on Zoom is probably not going to work, so what can we do to avoid that? Could independent home learning activities be created in case school is closed? We also know that for older students, there were productive Zoom classes. So, let’s write down what makes a good Zoom class. Many of the AP classes, for example, scored 20 points higher than the state average.

• Kindness and Support: Our first thought needs to be supporting all students, teachers, and parents. Education during COVID is hard, we all can use a little support and compassion.

I would appreciate your support in my candidacy for School Committee on November 2nd.

Andy Milne