Texas has already seen massive changes to its education system because of the coronavirus. For one thing, Gov. Greg Abbott cancelled this year’s STAAR standardized tests at the behest of educators, lawmakers and parents. That means one large task off the to-do lists of school administrators. But there’s still much more to figure out when it comes to teaching amid a pandemic. And figuring that out in rural districts is especially challenging.
The Texas Standard’s Michael Marks spoke with superintendents from rural school districts across the state.
“Every school district is dealing with this differently. Plans are frankly still in flux,” Marks says. “The phrase that kept coming up is they’re trying to build the airplane while it’s flying. Most superintendents I spoke to extended spring break by at least a week.”
What you’ll hear in this interview:
– How staffing issues make it harder for smaller districts to deal with school closures
– Why remote learning isn’t easy for some rural districts to implement
– How the pandemic could affect funding for some of these districts
Written by Alexandra Hart.
