Media mentions: Bhattacharya discusses fears of in-person teaching during COVID-19; deMarrais examines problems with a one-size fits all solution to educational issues
Bhattacharya discusses fears of in-person teaching during COVID-19
In a guest column for the AJC, assistant professor Usree Bhattacharya, whose 4-year-old daughter has a rare and catastrophic neurological disorder, asks why UGA and other colleges cannot allow her and other faculty in similar situations to teach remotely during COVID-19.
Her daughter Kalika has Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects about one in every 15,000 live births, primarily girls. It leads to a near-total loss of speech, limited functional hand use, mobility issues, breathing problems, sleep disruptions, seizures, and gastrointestinal issues.
“UGA has been firm that face-to-face instruction must proceed, even as it was named the university with the most confirmed infections just a few weeks ago,” said Bhattacharya, who teaches in the Department of Language and Literacy Education. “Stepping into the classroom for me is now filled with terror: respiratory issues, a common complication of COVID-19, are the single most critical cause of death in Rett syndrome.”
Read the full story on the AJC website.
deMarrais examines problems with a one-size fits all solution to educational issues
Kathleen P. deMarrais, a professor in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, recently discussed the flaws of Teach for All on a FreshEd podcast.
Teach for All, an outgrowth of Teach for America and Teach First in the United Kingdom, recruits recent college graduates to make two-year teaching commitments in high-needs schools. According to deMarrais, the organization does not look at structural inequalities in schools and the temporary position often causes more harm than good. In “Teach for All Counter-Narratives: International Perspectives on a Global Reform Movement,” a book co-edited by deMarrais, former recruits from Teach for All discuss their experiences with the organization.
“I was struck when some of the narratives came back,” deMarrais said. “These Fellows are being held accountable for the learning of these students. They don’t have the pedological skills or resources to do that and were blamed if they didn’t make gains. It is built on a corporate model.”