America’s public schools are ready for a return to classrooms this fall, but virtual learning still isn’t going away.
Whether to accommodate some families or cover for teacher shortages, many schools are holding onto remote classes for the fall.
Hybrid schools are the evolved form of “blended learning” that was present pre-pandemic.
Both those labels for types of educational arrangements are used to wrap around a comprehensively varied landscape of learning MO. Our current “hybrid school” idea is yet in very early stages of evolving. We gain confidence that we know what is going on, and what to expect, by using grab bag terms for “the whole kit and caboodle”.
But “on the ground”, all sorts of learning arrangements are in flux, developing, and varied greatly by locations, social circumstances, state and federal politics, teacher’s unions, parents…and those institutions that sometimes “speak” for school children. That includes NGOs, foundations, et al, but also entities such as the courts.
For example, in NM, state courts have established that certain standards for at risk kids, poverty kids, Native American kids, and others…are currently in violation of public educational policies and goals… and fall short of the fulfillment of students “rights” to a quality education on par with other children in the US.
In a word, underfunded. That combines with the new awareness that “something has really got to be done this time” about providing affordable quality internet access to all school kids. However, the funding required to do that is beyond most blue sky hopes for funds available. How will that all roll out/ work out? History says there will continue to be have nots in education, as elsewhere.
However, online learning does offer some opportunities to upgrade educational capability in the areas where quality and access is lacking. So there is a hope that new improved outcomes will be plausible in at least some areas.
With continued upgrades to communication technology, and immersive learning tech, one might foresee major improvements in that vague 5-10 year window often cited as the promised land. Which sometimes, as we know, never gets opened.
Let’s say here that the window can be opened with the right champions and leadership, because that potential does exist.
Hybrid school is likely to stick around post-COVID - Axios