By: Jessica Halsey
Many former and current students will forever remember March 13, 2020. The arrival of the Covid 19 pandemic was unexpected and undeniably changed the way in which education functions today. However, the full image of how Covid 19 impacted many aspects of the education system is not always held in high regard. Mr. Jackson, Assistant Principal of Tuskegee Institute Middle School, tells the way in which this school rose to the occasion and grappled with the unforeseeable pandemic.
Mr. Jackson goes into great detail of how the pandemic impacted Tuskegee Institute Middle School. He maintains that absences were the greatest impact as students, teachers, and staff were unable to attend if they contacted the virus. Additionally, many parents chose the virtual schooling option for their children as they saw it to be the safer choice. As a result, a normal school day completely changed. Instead of being a harmonious and stable place for students to learn, teachers had to quickly adjust to the hybrid school setting. During the height of the pandemic, traditional learning was greatly disrupted. Teachers quickly had to adjust and learn new methods of reaching the students. Specifically, Tuskegee Institute Middle transitioned to Google Classroom and different virtual meeting services to ensure that learning could continue at home. In addition, Mr. Jackson claims that the students began to feel uncomfortable due to the unfamiliarity of being at school during a pandemic. As Mr. Jackson puts it, “there is nothing like in person school learning.” Thus, the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be a difficult adjustment to both the students as well as staff and faculty.
The greatest challenge that the school faced, according to Mr. Jackson, was the disruption to in person learning. However, he claims that “technology blessed [them]” and allowed flexibility during the pandemic. Due to having the necessary funding, Tuskegee Institute Middle had the means to give extra help to the students and bridge the learning gap. Many people, however, may not know the specifics of how these resources helped the students. Mr. Jackson spoke about the newly integrated “MiFi” systems, which are transportable wireless connection devices. These devices were then put onto buses that traveled around the Tuskegee area to help students connect to the internet and continue their education. As Tuskegee is a rural city, having a strong and stable internet connection is vital for K-12 students. It is evident, then, that Tuskegee Institute Middle would not allow the students to suffer from both the pandemic’s educational shift and lack of adequate resources.
As the world moves to live with the pandemic, schools are attempting to resume in-person learning. The transition has not been difficult, Mr. Jackson says. The teachers were “elated” to be back in the classroom and to interact with the students face to face. The students also appear to be happier back at school. Many of them missed their friends, having access to warm meals in the cafeteria, and learning without internet connection issues. The school continues to encourage wearing masks, remaining updated on their vaccines, and ensuring that hand sanitizer is readily available. Mr. Jackson’s testament to the manner in which Tuskegee Institute Middle handled challenges thrown by the pandemic display how a strong community is essential to prosperity.
To watch the interview, click below.