A Blueprint for Back to School

Schools connect students with peers and mentors, channel youthful energy into productive pursuits, teach essential academic skills and knowledge, and give overwhelmed parents room to breathe and work. Adapting to the challenges of COVID-19 gives America's schools the opportunity to provide what is uniquely possible in the schoolhouse while seeking new ways to fully use technology and community partnerships. As communities and public officials start to think about the problems ahead, states, districts, and schools should consider at least six different buckets of work: (1) school operations; (2) whole child supports; (3) school personnel, (4) academics; (5) distance learning; and (6) other general considerations. Together with a task force of accomplished educational leaders--including former state chiefs, superintendents, federal education officials, and charter network leaders--this report sketches a framework that can help state policymakers, education and community leaders, and federal officials plan appropriately for reopening. [Written with Chris Cerf, Carrie Conaway, Sharif El-Mekki, Dale Erquiaga, Kaya Henderson, Duncan Klussmann, Wayne Lewis, Phyllis Lockett, Candice McQueen, Karega Rausch, Nina Rees, Gerard Robinson, Andrew Rotherham, Ian Rowe, Irvin Scott, Hanna Skandera, David Steiner, Joanne Weiss, and John White. For a shortened version of the report "A Blueprint for Back to School. Education Studies," see ED606267.]