Shelter-in-home with E-learning widens learning gaps

Good Afternoon,

I write to you in hopes that you can help your fellow teachers, students, and parents.  Since the COVID-19 pandemic, our lives have been turned upside down.  As a society, we are being asked to do things outside of our normal routines and scope. While these changes may not all be bad, there are a few new roles that are proving to be difficult. 

One of the hardest things, as a mother, is the adjustment to distance learning that is expected of me and my children. The difficulty comes because even the environment makes a difference when it comes to learning. During non-COVID times, children learn in a controlled classroom on specific dates and times with teachers who are specially trained. The structure children are exposed to breeds learning. Children and parents are now being asked to continue to learn in unstructured environments, without specific dates and times available, and without specialized training. This has wreaked havoc on homes all across the nation. It has led students to feel unmotivated and frustrated. Parents feel an immense burden to keep their children up to speed with others who may or may not be in an environment suited for learning. 

There are many children who require special education services or alternate learning plan to succeed in “normal” times.  These children are now expected to learn and function in a less than conducive environment.  While government officials are saying that grades will not be impacted, there is little assurance that children who were already behind or who will fall behind now will be unaffected when school does resume. 

Instead of canceling school for the remainder of the current year, the schools were forced to put a rush on learning remotely, which has been a struggle for students, teachers, and parents.  Teachers were given only a few days to gather information and put a lesson plan together that would be delivered in a non-traditional way through the internet. 

Some teachers have since sent home packets for children to complete.  These packets, while easier to understand, still present challenges.  Parents are struggling to keep children engaged enough to complete assignments and often are busy themselves with working from home that they are worried their children aren’t completing their work. 

Some parents and children are thriving in the world of e-learning while others are not. The reality is that some parents are unable to make the time commitment to allow for children to thrive due to their employment or other limitations while others are simply undereducated and are having difficulty learning and then subsequently teaching the information. 

Together we can support our children in making sure that next year they will not have to deal with the fact that they fell behind or need re-teaching. 

It would be in the best interest of parents, students, and faculty to have school, e-learning included, suspended for the remainder of the school year. In the interest of giving students an equal chance to start the next year at the same level as their peers, I call you to take a stand and contact your local school board or the Illinois State Board of Education and demand changes to the current learning system.  We may not be able to see numbers and statistics of how this unforeseen situation has impacted our children yet, but we need to stand up for all children from all walks of life to ensure that there is no child is left behind.

Thank you and stay safe.