Media mention: Associate professor sees reopening of schools after COVID-19 as chance for change
Bettina L. Love, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, says public schools cannot go back to the way they were before COVID-19.
Love mentions the harm in high-stakes testing, large class sizes, lack of funds, and racial discrimination against students of color. She sees the reopening of schools after the pandemic as a chance for change.
“We must radically dream because before COVID-19 closed our schools and dismantled our way of life, schools were failing not only children of color, but all children,” she said. “Teachers had low expectations of black and brown children and high burnout. School shootings were disturbingly common. Schools lacked both adequate funding and inclusive classrooms for students with disabilities. There were more police in schools than counselors, and racism permeated every inch of our nation’s school system.”