Here comes the 'now what'
One of my favorite colleagues, and fellow consultant Dr. Sharon Bostic, and I, prepping for a COVID training in 2021 - it’s a different world out there now!
Last month, the U.S. officially ended COVID. Well, not really. We know that the virus that causes COVID-19 is with us for the long haul. The Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended, which sunsetted many of the emergency measures that have supported us during the past few years — funding, relaxed insurance coverage, free testing, etc.
We are at the point where we need to start taking a hard look at the “now what.” We know from data, anecdotes, and being in a classroom anytime during the past few years that Covid-19 continues to have a significant impact on student health — both physically and emotionally. Our staff and students need schools to move into this next phase quickly and intentionally so that they have the resources necessary to attend school ready to teach and learn. Estimates place academic recovery from the pandemic at 3-5 years (minimum), but we know that student health and well-being are essential elements to making that recovery possible. Healthy educators teach better, and healthy students learn better.
So where must schools focus their health and wellness recovery efforts over the next 3-5 years?
Stay Vigilant! Communicable diseases are not gone.
The best fight against COVID, Measles, and the Flu is vaccination. But we also have lots of other childhood illnesses, and despite our best efforts, kids will get sick and miss school days. So, that brings me to our proven disease mitigation strategies that schools perfected during the pandemic — stay home when you’re sick, wash your hands frequently, and clean high-touch surfaces often. We know from the pandemic (and from classroom life before COVID) that several kids could get sick in some cases, and you’re looking at a full-blown outbreak at your school. (Noravirus comes to mind, or as my kids’ pediatrician once called it, The January Disease). Keep your mitigation strategies and systems from COVID maintained and ready to use. This will allow your school to nimbly react to various germs and decrease lost learning time. AND, keep a stockpile of masks handy, and encourage folks to use them as necessary. Maintain your inventory and be ready to flex your protocols. We know how to react to these situations, so don’t let these practices get rusty!
Keep Students Healthy and Fully Immunized
The pandemic put a massive toll on our healthcare system. As a result, many students could not receive the health care needed for special conditions, and even more were unable to receive routine checkups and immunizations. We need to make it easy for students (and their families) to access these necessary (and lifesaving) services. Host a vaccine clinic at your school, let families know where they can find affordable or free providers in the area that take their insurance, and make a point to connect with families that have been unable to get their children to the doctor. Relationships are key here - and putting in that extra effort to make a personal connection WILL make a difference. Many students across the country are missing their immunizations, and now is the time to catch them up and prevent another outbreak (you thought COVID was bad, meet Measles). Is it easy? No! Will it be worth it for the health of your students, staff, and school? Absolutely.
And don’t forget your students with chronic health conditions. Not getting to the doctor meant that some students went without critical health care to maintain their health. And long COVID led to other, new conditions. Make sure your school nurse, Section 504 coordinator, and IEP specialist are working together to track the chronic health needs of students and revise plans better to manage their health care during the school day so they can fully focus on their academics!
Prioritize Mental Health — Both Universal and Targeted Support
Student mental health was already in crisis before the pandemic; the increased isolation, stress, and change in routines made things much worse for many young people. Students felt disconnected from their schools and friends, had little motivation to engage in classes, and faced numerous challenges adapting to the online/hybrid/in-person module of education that seemed to be never-ending. It will take time to get this one sorted out. But there is hope here. Recent studies from the CDC showed that the fall 2022 data regarding depression symptoms, suicidal behavior, and other indicators of poor mental health decreased for the first time since the start of the pandemic. It was a slight decrease - but they attributed the change, in part, to the herculean efforts from across communities to increase access to mental health supports, train staff for early identification and intervention, and decrease stigma around mental health struggles. Schools play a part in this! Continuing to make efforts in these areas will positively change your school’s culture and students’ health. We’re on the right track with this one (thanks to you outstanding educators), but there is still a long road ahead. We’ve got to stay focused.
Rethink Your Local Wellness Policy
Any school participating in the National School Lunch Program must have a Local Wellness Policy. Chances are, those policies were last reviewed before the pandemic and have gathered dust. Meanwhile, students experienced higher rates of food insecurity, and developed more sedentary lifestyles while virtual learning. Schools have an opportunity and an obligation to step in and support better eating and physical activity. Revise your Local Wellness Policy to support these needs, and support efforts with funding and programming.
Make School Culture the Name of Your Game
Social isolation is hard on everyone and particularly hard on students. Lack of face-to-face instructional time has delayed millions of students’ social skills and emotional readiness. This can contribute to increased bullying, a sense of detachment from the school, and ultimately a lack of motivation to engage in learning. We can’t expect students to start learning again until they’re emotionally ready — it just won’t happen. Investing in your school culture and making your space a place for students to belong and thrive will open the door for academics. In education, we know that relationships are key. Now that we’re back to full-time, in-person learning, we have the opportunity to grow those relationships and help students start to feel connected once again to their school.
I want to make one final note. None of these are easy strategies, and without the resources of the public health emergency, they will require prioritization on the part of schools to get done. But the academic benefits of stabilizing students’ physical and mental well-being will be clear if we do the work. Also, the educational community put forward a massive effort to support its students during the pandemic, and many still feel the strain. Give yourself and your community time to heal — you owe yourself the same grace you give your students. Change is hard, and investing in these areas will result in change. However, even if it’s not easy, it will be worth it. When students are emotionally, physically, and mentally ready to start addressing gaps in learning, having support in place in these areas will make your job (and the students learning) infinitely easier. It’s not easy - but it’s worth it. I’m on your team here and would love to chat about where your school community is and where you see that community in 3-5 years. It’s “Now What” time, and I’m excited to see where we grow from here. I’m excited to be on this road with you, and remain by your side to advise and consult.