The Shifting of Educational Priorities in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Rural Vermont

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding the Impact of District- and State-Level Education Policies: Gender-Neutral Language Implementation, District Dissolution, Library Closures, and Post-COVID Priorities (Table 12)

Abstract

Educators share their experiences of shifting professional roles and the changing functions of rural Vermont elementary schools since March 2020. Drawing on Institutional Border Theory of Education, a conceptual framework created for this research, the case study includes fourteen teachers and two principals at three schools. Findings indicate that changing educational priorities has led to a need for non-reformist reforms (Gorz, 1967). Educators question the ability of the current system to meet the student needs. As an action research project, participants act on their ideas and make recommendations to district, state, and national leaders in elementary public education. This research analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on education and proposes paths forward through a critical inquiry lens.

Author

• Rachel A. Glickman, SIT / Academy School