Reflecting on, Resetting and Reimagining Schools in the Post-Pandemic Context: A Case Study in Rural Vermont

• In Event: Education for Societal and Holistic Transformation: Alternatives for a Just Future

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the experiences of 16 public elementary school educators to better understand the shifting of educational priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants share ideas and practices while taking action and making recommendations that improve teaching and learning. The research incorporates both case study and action research approaches through a critical inquiry process that centers the voices of those on the front lines of education.
This study) uses the original conceptual framework of Institutional Border Theory of Education (IBTE). IBTE draws on pre-existing foundational theories of education and emerging alternative paradigms. The collapsing of borders between school and home with the onset of COVID-19 created opportunities for reimagining each institution’s role within the wider community. IBTE amplifies possibilities rather than focuses on limitations. This framing adds to the narrative of learning gains as juxtaposed to the preoccupation with learning losses during pandemic times.
Findings from this study illuminate educators’ experiences and include: the growing breadth of responsibilities, the challenges with staffing, and the competing and conflicting demands on educators’ time and attention. Considering these concerns, participants offer the following ideas and practices to improve teaching and learning: the need to improve communication within schools, with families and the community, celebrate successes and support innovative educational approaches, and build stronger connections with the wider community.
The findings from this study are discussed through the IBTE framework and offer a new image of the relationship between school and home in the post-pandemic context. Recommendations include the recentering of alternative educational approaches, clarifying and redefining roles and responsibilities of school-based personnel, partnering with community-based organizations, and creating a unifying vision that draws together schools, families, and the community. This may be realized by adopting a community-school model being piloted throughout rural Vermont.

Author

• Rachel A. Glickman, SIT / Academy School