The coronavirus pandemic, which brought schools nationwide to a sudden close, half of which have yet to reopen, has shaken up K-12 public education. Yet with this setback, we also have an opportunity to provide meaningful, lasting transformation to our education system to a greater degree. The American Center for Transforming Education is positioned to leverage this unique opportunity to prepare students to live, work, and thrive in tomorrow’s world. 

The emotionally charged feelings surrounding COVID-19, largely linked with politics, are nowhere stronger than in the discussion about K-12 public school reopenings. As we now experience a transition of the U.S. presidency from Republican to Democratic hands, the vastly differing viewpoints remain as strong as ever.

The summer break served as a time for reflection of the prior few months of makeshift remote learning and an opportunity to adjust and improve the plan for schools that opted not to reopen on schedule for the 2020-2021 academic year. However, the widespread consensus is that the continued remote learning plans and associated execution have been subpar at best.

Differentiated instruction is an outstanding lever for engaging, motivating, and boosting student learning. Teachers must be urged, guided, and held accountable for implementing responsive and adaptive approaches that result in actual student learning.