What Is Next in Learning Recovery? National Organization Perspectives

“The data tells a story. I think one place where we can all improve at all levels is being able to turn this data into information and tell an effective story. Letting all of our groups not just respond and process it, but have input in the solution. Ensuring that there is teacher voice at the table, there’s school leader voice at the table, there’s district voice at the table, and, most importantly, there is student voice at the table, because they’re the ones that are closest to the problem.”
-Rosalyn Rice-Harris, CCSSO 

In this webinar, What Is Next in Learning Recovery? National Organization Perspectives, attendees heard from leaders representing state chiefs, superintendents, and principals about smart investments currently happening at the school, district, and state levels, as well as insights into what needs to change going forward.  

Gracie Branch, Ph.D., of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, talked about the importance of education leaders’ well-being, the usefulness of communities of practice for school and district leaders, and the importance of school-family-community relationships. 

Scott Hagerman, Ed.D., superintendent of the Tanque Verde Unified School District in Arizona discussed the Professional Learning Community model used in his schools, the importance of reprioritization in the face of unique needs and challenges, and how repurposing what schools and districts already have can help to accelerate learning recovery. 

Ann Levett, Ed.D., with AASA, the School Superintendents Association, touched on providing staff and educator supports, as well as the need for more initiatives to attract and retain teachers nationwide. Levett reiterated the importance of engaging with key partners both for teacher development and student success.  

Rosalyn Rice-Harris, of the Council of Chief State School Officers also spoke about effective teacher supports, as well as incentive initiatives and the need to put equity at the front and center of learning recovery. Rice-Harris shared information on impactful use of funding, and stated that we should all be using data to tell a story and using the stories that data tell us to inform continued recovery efforts.  

“We’re looking at how we can improve attendance, making sure the students are present and the parents feel a part of the process. We’re also engaging with those other community partners who have a full investment in ensuring the students are successful. So when we look at the whole spectrum of support systems, making sure that we are working in a way that students have full support, and then set reasonable, attainable goals with steady, reliable and engaging support, we will see the kind of progress we need to see.” -Ann Levett, AASA