Schools as a Safe Haven

18May
by La Comadre

In one of our podcasts, you can listen to the live interview, where Gary Hardie Jr., a board member at Lynwood Unified School District, referred to his school growing up as a necessary safe haven. At La Comadre Network we firmly agree with his stance — schools should be a safe haven for learning, growing, and hope in spite of current circumstances. But during the pandemic schools have faced unforeseen challenges such as resource equality in regards to electronics, WiFi, and parent and teacher time allocation for distance learning.

It’s no secret the digital divide is a huge factor in distance learning. In the past, school culture success may have felt drawn to concerns such as SAT’s and college prep management. Now, even lacking a computer or reliable WiFi service can set students back in terms of furthering their education and opportunities.

As Gary expounded on, the shutdown occurred a week earlier than most educators anticipated, leaving them to scramble for resources. This acceleration represented a challenge in sourcing resources for the local community, in a situation most parents and educators never thought they would be in. Initially, the closure was thought to be around two weeks, which as we all know in actuality, turned out to be over a year. From what we know, Lynwood School District did everything possible to get their families all the resources in a timely manner and continued to support them throughout the year!

Do you have any suggestions from a parent perspective on how schools can navigate a possible future digital divide in a pandemic or emergency situation? La Comadre Network would love to hear your thoughts regarding how schools can be a better safe haven in a post-pandemic landscape. Please follow us on Facebook for future conversations, link below: 

Spotlight on Education Champions featuring Gary Hardie Jr. of Lynwood Unified

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La Comadre

We are Moms, Tias, Ninas and Play-Tias who love children in our lives and we want to help every child succeed in school. Navigating schools and education—from preschool to college—is hard. We want to help each other with this. We are all in this together with you. We want to be a resource for you and for all of the children you love. Whether you need some info or you have info to share, you know where to go…LA Comadre.

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