Harvey's devastation extended summer break for numerous schools and the Commissioner of Education for Texas, Mike Morath, has authorized missed school day waivers for school districts and charters. While the ripple effects of Harvey continue to unfold, the reopening of all schools and creating a sense of normalcy for children is a primary priority for school leaders.

 

Unfortunately, learning losses during the summer months are compounded as a result of natural disasters that strike at the start of the school year, particularly for children in Texas and Florida.  Many school districts have decided that the days missed by students need to be made-up and have extended the instructional day as opposed to extending the school year.  Districts have also had to rethink the conventional school design by temporarily moving schools while repairing damages.  Schools have also merged, class sizes have doubled, school climate has changed, and students remain resilient.

 

Those impacted by this hurricane season have been forced to take a hard look at their disaster readiness gap, which has further widened the educational learning gap in their schools. Many school systems face challenges with upholding high standards of learning and providing equitable learning opportunities for underserved and underrepresented students. With the full implementation of the "Every Student Succeeds Act" ( ESSA) and the submission of state plans, one would hope that there are provisions for added support to schools where present day education inequities have been made worse because of natural disasters.  

 

For those of us living through the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we have seen how education saves lives and benefits our communities.  In many neighborhoods, schools that were less vulnerable served as evacuation sites and returned children to learning as soon as they possibly could. Bouncing back in our communities will take some time. There have been many loses and more trauma than many care to bear.