DIGITAL LEARNING OUTCOMES: WHEN THERE'S NO WILL, WHAT'S THE WAY?

This is my 10th year teaching at Burnet Middle School, so it's needless to say that I would not have stayed this long if I did not love my campus. Do we have areas in need of improvement? Absolutely. We have been assigned an 'F' rating by the Texas Education Agency since the letter grading system for academic competency was established. Does that label say all there is to about our campus? Absolutely NOT. It does not take into account that our student body is comprised of over 60% English Language Learners, and that 99% are considered economically disadvantaged. Nor does it account for our homeless and transient population, which is the highest of any public school in Austin. Many of our close-to 90% hispanic student body are first generation United States citizens, immigrants or dependents of immigrants from Latin American countries who entered the country looking for a better life.

So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we were thrust into this distant learning environment, why is it no surprise that our campus is lagging behind others insofar as the infrastructure provided to the students?

I have 150 students spread throughout my six CTE classes. Since distance learning began, I have a 10% attendance rate to our scheduled ZOOM meetings and even less attach rate to assignments turned in. A vast majority have not even logged into my course, despite calls and emails being sent. Then I look at my wife, who teaches 1st grade at an affluent school with virtually no economically disadvantaged students. Her attach rate is almost the inverse of mine: 90% attend regular meetings and turn in assignments.

So where is the disparity coming from and how can distance learning by tailored to be effective at a school like mine? Where can the differentiation come from? Having talked to a few students personally during the pandemic I found systematic reasons impacting specifically my demographic: students having to watch siblings instead of doing their school work because their parents were labeled "essential" during the worldwide quarantine; students going to work with their parents in lieu of staying at home for school; children and their parents moving back to their country of origin to weather the COVID-19 downturn; and, most commonly, just the lack of value on education.

Whatever the reason is, there needs to be a push to differentiate distance learning from this "one model for all" system to one that meets the need for every child. My students cannot afford to continue to widen the educational gap if these circumstances continue into the 2020-2021 school year.