The core principle of student learning loss is that learning decays over time when students don't engage with it regularly. Placed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of engagement came due to many circumstances. Among these were family and life tragedies, mental health and wellness, and a switch in priorities emphasizing survival. Regarding education, a switch to online learning has been identified as a decline in students’ attendance, a decrease in the quality of teaching, and a shift in the focus of education from content knowledge and skill development to student well-being. All of these changes are understandable as no one had experienced or had been trained in how to be educators, or students, during a pandemic. 

Teacher Professional development opportunities have drastically changed due to Covid and additional advancements in technology. These unforeseen changes have been challenging, not just for us as educators but for students as well. Frequent instructional interruptions due to illness, quarantines, and school schedules will impact future learning. In addition, they may result in additional behavioral problems in the classroom.

ALL educators have just completed a challenging school year. Some veteran teachers who have taught for twenty-plus years agreed that the 2020-2021 school year had been the most difficult year of their professional teaching career. So before you do anything, please ask how they are doing—it will mean more than you realize.

Today's most common options for K-12 schooling fall under one of five categories: Public Schools, Private Schools, Charter Schools, Virtual Schools, or Homeschooling. Depending on personal preference and short and longer-term goals, any options have positives and negatives.

Identifying all stakeholders is a necessary step in the design process. This process is a strategic way to identify needs and implementation of solutions. Stakeholders can provide various perspectives that help decision-makers identify needs in a school or district. Receiving input is an integral part; otherwise, a school district, in reality, could be applying "band-aids" to their problems. Parents are often overlooked but provide valuable information to this process.

Time Management: