Education commissioner worried by student isolation amid pandemic

JOIN US FROM BROOKFIELD. GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON. SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE GIVEN THE FREEDOM TO DESIGN THEIR OWN RESPONSES TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SO THERE’S SOMETHING OF A PATCHWORK AROUND THE STATE OF IN-PERSON, HYBRID AND REMOTE. AS THIS FIRST STRETCH OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WRAPS UP, WE’RE CHECKING IN WITH EDUCATION COMMISSIONER FRANK EDELBLUT FOR HIS PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT’S NOT. COMMISSIONER, THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. FRANK: GOOD MORNING. ADAM: LET’S START OFF WITH JOE BIDEN. HE WANTS TO REOPEN SCHOOLS AND GET BACK TO IN PERSON INSTRUCTION WITHIN 100 DAYS OF TAKING OFFICE. DO YOU THINK THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN MORE QUICKLY? FRANK: WE KNOW THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS WE HAVE CREATED ARE SAFE FOR CHILDREN AND TEACHERS ALIKE WHETHER IT IS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE OR ACROSS THE NATION AND THE WORLD, THE SCIENCE BACKS UP THAT THERE IS LITTLE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 THAT TAKES PLACE IN STRUCTURED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK OUR SCHOOLS ARE DOING AND THE MITIGATING EFFORTS WE CAN PUT IN PLACE TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO GET BACK INTO IT — IN TWO INSTRUCTION. — BACK INTO INSTRUCTION. ONE OF THE RESOURCES IS A SCHOOL DASHBOARD THAT FOLKS CAN GO TO. IT IS ONLINE AT THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WEBSITE. THEY CAN SEE REAL-TIME THE STATUS OF LEARNING AROUND THE STATE WEATHER THAT IS IN PERSON INSTRUCTION, WHETHER THAT IS HYBRID OR A FULLY REMOTE MODEL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT — I HAVE ADMIRATION FOR A LOT OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE WORKING SO HARD TO PRESERVE AND FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO GET STUDENTS TO THAT IN PERSON LEARNING INSTRUCTION MODEL AND THEY ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF THAT. ACROSS THE STATE PANDEMIC LEARNING IS NOT WORKING IN ALL CASES. WE HAD A RECENT ARTICLE ABOUT VIRGINIA AND WE SAW DATA IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AS WELL THAT STUDENTS’ GRADES WERE SUFFERING DURING THIS PERIOD. WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE STUDENTS. WHEN STUDENTS ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THEIR LEARNING WHETHER THAT IS IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY, IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THE LEARNING TO TAKE PLACE. WE HAVE TO LOOK BROADLY. IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE VIRTUAL LEARNING TAKING PLACE. PRE-PANDEMIC WE KNEW VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION CAN WORK EFFECTIVELY. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF STUDENTS WHO LEARN VIRTUALLY AROUND THE WORLD WHETHER THAT IS OUR OWN V LACKS OR WE ALSO HAVE SNHU IN THE STATE, BUT AN ISSUE THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER IS THE SOCIAL ISOLATION THAT IS HAPPENING FOR MANY OF THESE STUDENTS. PRE-PANDEMIC WE HAD IN PERSON — AN IN PERSON LEARNING MODEL. WE PIVOTED THAT TO A VIRTUAL WORLD BUT NOT ALL THE SAME TECHNIQUES THAT WORK IN IN PERSON INSTRUCTION WORK IN THAT VIRTUAL WORLD. PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO BE RESOURCEFUL. IN THAT RESOURCEFULNESS THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO AVOID THE ISOLATION WE ARE SEEING FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS. YOU SEE PARENTS FORMING LEARNING PODS, COHORTS OF THE FAMILIES THAT UNDERSTOOD AND THE MITIGATING FACTORS OF THE FAMILIES THEY ARE — UNDERSTAND THE MITIGATING FACTORS OF THE FAMILIES THEY ARE GETTING WITH. THEY CAN ACHIEVE THAT SOCIALIZATION WHILE ENGAGING VIRTUAL LEARNING. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO MAKE SURE NOBODY FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS IN THIS PROCESS. ADAM: YOU NOTED THESE PODS — NOT EVERY STUDENT HAS THESE OPPORTUNITY. IS THERE A SENSE OF HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS? FRANK: WE DO NOT — I DO NOT HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS AT THE STATE LEVEL BUT I KNOW IN EACH DISTRICT, THE DISTRICTS ARE WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE CONNECTING WITH AS MANY STUDENTS AS THEY CAN. IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS. WE PUT $1 MILLION INTO FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE CONNECTING TO THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WHETHER THAT IS MANCHESTER, THE UNITED WAY, THE YOUTH COUNCIL. THEY WERE SENDING COLLEGE STUDENTS OUT TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS, SO THEY WOULD ACTUALLY CONNECT WITH THE STUDENTS, MAKE SURE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ONLINE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD HOW TECHNOLOGY — THE TECHNOLOGY WORKED, HELP THE PARENTS UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS AND ONE OF THE CREATIVE THINGS WE HAVE SEEN HAPPEN ACROSS THE STATE’S WITH OUR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AS WELL AS ENTERPRISING ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SET UP REMOTE LEARNING CENTERS SO PARENTS WHO HAVE TO GO TO WORK, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION OF STAYING HOME TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES, THESE LEARNING CENTERS HAVE STARTED ACROSS THE STATE. PARENTS CAN DROP THEIR KIDS OFF THERE AND FROM THAT LEARNING CENTER THEY ARE ABLE TO CONNECT TO AND ENGAGE IN SOME OF THAT INSTRUCTION. ADAM: DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW THE VACCINE ROLLOUT WILL WORK FOR TEACHERS? I KNOW FIRST RESPONDERS WILL BE GOING TO FIXED SITE LOCATIONS. WILL THE STATE BE ABLE TO GET INTO SCHOOLS TO GIVE TEACHERS SHOTS? FRANK: THAT IS A DECISION HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WOULD MAKE. ON OUR LAST — WE PROVIDED THE ROLLOUT PLAN FOR VACCINES IN TERMS OF WHERE OUR EDUCATORS FALL IN THAT LINE. EVERYONE IS ANXIOUS FOR THAT ROLLOUT TO TAKE PLACE. ADAM: YOU WON A DRAWN OUT BATTLE OVER FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS. WHERE IS THIS MONEY GOING TO GO FIRST? FRANK: I AM NOT SURE THAT I WON THE BATTLE. I WOULD SAY THE EDUCATORS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WON THAT BATTLE. WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT $46 MILLION GRANT FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS. IF THE PANDEMIC HAS SHOWED US ANYTHING, IT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATING AND BEING NIMBLE IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. THAT FUNDING AS IT IS DEPLOYED OVER THE NEXT FIVE AND 10 YEARS WILL HELP NEW HAMPSHIRE MAINTAIN ITS LEADERSHIP POSITION AS A LEADER IN EDUCATION AND INNOVATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ADAM: THIS WILL RESULT IN INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. IT IS NOT HARD TO IMAGINE YOU HAVING SAID THINGS LIKE — YOU TAKE THAT WASHINGTON MONEY, SOMETIMES IT ENDS UP SPENDING MORE MONEY IN THE END. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS> –WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? FRANK: WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF THE TAX AND BURDEN OF THIS FEDERAL GRANT AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THERE IS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS TO NEW HAMPSHIRE PROPERTY TAX HOLDERS ON THE ORDER OF $60 MILLION OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR EDUCATORS AND OUR TAXPAYERS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. ADAM: WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE SNOW DAY DEBATE NOW THAT EVERYONE CAN DO SCHOOL FROM HOME, IS IT STILL VALUABLE FOR KIDS TO HAVE A SNOW DAY AS WE DID THIS LAST WEEK FOR SOME WHO WERE ON REMOTE LEARNING? FRANK: I AM AN ADVOCATE OF SNOW AND PLAYING IN SNOW, BUT IT IS NOT AN EITHER OR DECISION, YOU EITHER HAVE A SNOW DAY OR LEARNING. WE HAD TWO VERY CREATIVE EDUCATORS WHO WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH A SNOW DAY AND THEY INCORPORATED SNOW INTO THEIR INSTRUCTION. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR KIDS TO BE OUT IN THE SNOW AND LEARNING AT THE SAME TIME. IT SHOWS THE FLEXIBILITY INTO THE NIMBLENESS OF OUR EDUCATORS TO ADAPT TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY HAVE AND FIND WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO ENJOY SNOW AND LEARN AT THE SAME TIME. ADAM: THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK FOR PEOPLE IN THE STATE GOVERNMENT DURING THIS TIME. YOUR TERM IS COMING TO AN END FRANK:. WE WILL — YOUR TERM IS COMING TO AN END. FRANK: WE WILL SEE. I WAS BUILDING ON A VERY STRONG FOUNDATION. SCHOOL LEADERS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE ME REALLY PIONEERED INNOVATION IN EDUCATION AND THAT WAS PRESENT HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. ONE OF THE CONTROVERSIAL LINES IS I REFER TO MYSELF AS THE IMPLEMENTATION GUY WHEN I FIRST TOOK THIS ROLE BECAUSE NEW HAMPSHIRE HAD ALREADY IMPLEMENTED STRONG POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. MY JOB WAS TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF SHEPHERDING US ALONG TOWARDS THAT GOAL. I THINK WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARDS THAT. ADAM: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

CloseUp: Education commissioner worried by student isolation amid pandemic

Updated: 4:24 PM EST Dec 20, 2020

Commissioner Frank Edelblut discusses the response to the pandemic in the state’s school systems.

Commissioner Frank Edelblut discusses the response to the pandemic in the state’s school systems.