How We Go Back to School

District and school leaders are confronting difficult, high-stakes decisions as they plan for how and if they will reopen school buildings this fall as the global pandemic rages on. Safety for students and staff members is the chief priority. But with no vaccine or effective treatment yet against COVID-19, no one can be fully shielded from the risk. There are no playbooks for how to do this.

Many of the options and requirements for reopening schools will upend some of the most effective aspects of teaching and learning. Following public health protocols will cost a lot of money, even as school budgets are pummeled by the economic collapse. Managing the anxieties of teachers, students, and parents will require patience, compassion, and careful communication.

To help district and school leaders navigate these monumental decisions, Education Week journalists and expert guests will discuss with you, some of the biggest challenges ahead and offer ideas and solutions that you can use and adapt for your districts and schools.

Speakers include:

• Lesli A. Maxwell, Assistant Managing Editor, Education Week
• Nathaniel Schwartz, Professor of Practice at Brown University and Leader in Brown’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform
• Arianna Prothero, Staff Writer, Education Week
• Mark Lieberman, Staff Writer, Education Week
• Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Nevada Department of Education
• Catherine Gewertz, Senior Contributing Writer, Education Week
• Sarah Schwartz, Staff Writer, Education Week
• Scott Marion, President and Executive Director, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment
• Christina A. Samuels, Associate Editor, Education Week
• Stephanie Hawley, Chief Equity Officer, Austin Independent School District, Texas