The Coronavirus Response
Just when I thought I had seen everything as an educator, along comes COVID19.
The incredible amount of planning and strategizing and “what if-ing” that has had to happen at CA and in educational institutions all over the country represents a collective use of brain power that I have never before witnessed or been a part of. On one hand, it’s been remarkable to see what people can do to rally on short notice; on the other hand, it’s been a frustrating diversion from the work we would normally be doing at this time of the year. Still, we have to deal with the reality in front of us. As this pandemic continues to spread, the impact of it has now reached virtually everyone.
So many questions have been raised, and, because we are in uncharted territory, novel solutions need to be considered. Tracking the issue as it develops in real time only adds to the high degree of uncertainty. Heightened anxiety in all sectors has put everyone on edge, including the stock market, which has seen precipitous drops in the past two weeks.
From our standpoint at Colorado Academy, we have mobilized quickly and done an incredible amount of problem solving in a short amount of time. Among other things, we have learned quite a lot about teaching remotely (or virtually), and the folks at Zoom have been extremely helpful, as we venture into this new realm of instruction. Many teachers have stepped up to help us think about what good teaching and learning would look like if students cannot be in the same physical space as their instructors. I am confident we can roll out a strong program even if we go to the drastic measure of closing school for a time. And even if we don’t have to exercise that option, there will be some strong takeaways from learning about the pros and cons of distance learning. For instance, we can ask ourselves how we might allow for discussion groups to meet outside of the classroom.
From a cultural standpoint, the spread of the coronavirus and the reaction to it will stand as a signature moment in 21st century history. In addition to the obvious medical concerns, so many other issues have come into stark relief in recent weeks, begging major questions. How well equipped is our CDC to handle a major pandemic at the national level, and what sort of response makes sense in a market-based economy? How will we assist our elders, an ever-growing demographic, who need particular care during pandemics like this? Who can afford to miss work and who can’t? As many of us prepare to stay home by stocking up on hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and canned goods, there are many other people who cannot afford to miss work for fear of losing wages (or their jobs altogether). And the list of topics and sub-topics related to COVID19 goes on. . .
The language of this moment is also fascinating. I have lost count of how many times I have read or heard the phrase “out of an abundance of caution” to describe an individual’s or institution’s decision to self-quarantine or to cancel or close something. It’s an interesting turn of phrase in that it simultaneously downplays the crisis while also allowing the user to claim a certain responsible high ground.It’s as if to say, “I may be over-reacting, but if I am, it’s only because I am being extra cautious, and who can fault me for that?” So much of how the world operates right now is about risk management, which requires the appearance and perception of mitigating risk as much as it does actually taking active measures against risk. In a culture where reputations can be made or broken on the basis of one incident, these public responses matter. Thus, it is generally better to be cautious and conservative in approach, rather than risk looking unprepared or, worse yet, negligent.
Meanwhile, here at CA we continue to do everything we can this week to operate normally while preparing to operate abnormally. Strange days indeed.
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