For two months, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 90,000 Americans, 317,000 worldwide and sent individuals and institutions into the uncharted territory of life during a pandemic.
From public health care to transportation services, social institutions have suffered shocks that require deep revisions and new strategies to address how we go about our lives in a world of social distancing, wearing masks, daunting employment issues, across the board inequality, and pretty much everything we do.
One significant challenge we face—and at the core of a functioning society—is how we will address the opening of 124,000 schools, colleges, universities, and community colleges, keeping in mind that fall and winter may not be immune from another onset of viral infection.
California State University, one of the largest educational systems in the country, has already announced that it will close its campus for the fall semester. As of April 27, the University of Pennsylvania is considering a hybrid approach to some on-campus classes and remote learning.
Recently the Spy had an informal conversation with Jamie Kirkpatrick about the future of education in the US. Will we default to the old paradigm, or find creative solutions to address not only the pandemic but the systemic problems in healthcare and education exposed by COVID- 19?
Spy readers know Jamie from his Tuesday “Musings” column and regional photography. In his previous life, he was Director of College Counseling at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland.
This video is approximately six minutes in length
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