When a Crisis Becomes the New Normal: Supporting Children, Families, and Schools during and after COVID-19

Abstract

I n March 2020, as transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) increased in the United States and schools shifted to distance learning, we began to think lessons would be learned that would be of value to school social workers in the future. At the time, we thought— or perhaps hoped—that this would be a short-term adjustment. We thought that this disruption would be more in line with those related to natural and human-made disasters. What we have learned, however, is that COVID19 has challenged our schools and practitioners in unprecedented ways. It has caused us to consider pandemic preparedness and to reconsider crisis response and trauma-informed practices in the context of the pervasive and insidious inequities in our communities that have been exacerbated by both the pandemic and the inadequate or failed response (Basset & Linos, 2020). Significant areas of concern, many of which are the focus of articles in this issue, relate to educational disparities, racism, white supremacy, mental health and traumatic reactions, distance learning and the digital divide, and ethics and leadership. Although we naively hoped the pandemic would be over by publication of this issue, we are now acutely aware that we are continuing to practice in the midst of the pandemic while also addressing the effects on schools, children, and families. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how much society relies on schools to address needs that are not solely educational but also social and emotional in nature (Haynes, 2002; Long, 2020). It is also clear that schools are not given sufficient resources to address those needs (Trujillo & Renee, 2012). In addition, the pandemic has put a clearer spotlight on racial inequalities that affect access to both basic needs and technological resources to support remote learning. Research by McKinsey & Company has revealed that students of color were three to five months behind the expected levels of learning, and Black and Latinx students were less likely to have access to the devices and Internet service necessary for remote learning (Dorn, Hancock, Sarakatsannis, & Viruleg, 2020). As a result, a national dialogue has evolved with regard to how we get back to in-person school and what school will look like when we get there (Harris, 2020). This dialogue includes debates about who should be among the first to receive vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021), when and how schools should reopen, and when it will be safe for children and teachers to be back in the classroom every day (CDC, 2020; Turner, 2021). If schools are considered essential, shouldn’t teachers be at the front of the line for vaccines? The debate about in-person education has pitted teachers against families across the country (Manno, 2020). Teachers’ unions have been outspoken about the protection of teachers in this situation (Bellware & Reiss, 2021). Many parents want schools to reopen, and many teachers feel that the need to consider their safety is being overlooked, let alone their own child and family obligations. This quandary pits employees against administrations and, in many cases, creates a hostile work environment that is not conducive to safe learning for children. One wonders what past experience can teach us about the present moment. The arc of education in the United States has been interesting to track. Changes in laws regarding education of children have been greatly influenced by child labor laws, child protection efforts,