The pandemic-driven upheaval of the K-12 education system is doing something many say has been nearly impossible — opening a door for significant reforms that would disrupt decades or century-old practices and rituals.

And even though school administrators are in the midst of responding to the immediate health crisis, they are setting aside time to discuss long-term planning for how post-pandemic schools could be even better than before the health crisis.

“I’m so excited about the modernization of public education that will now come,” said Michael Johnson, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, during a Council of Chief State School Officers virtual forum Nov. 10. “The move from the old models to the new models, we want them to be effective.”

Conversations are only just beginning nationwide about reforming education based on lessons learned during the pandemic. In some cases, however, educators are realizing tools and strategies that exist may gain widespread momentum due to pandemic-era experiences.

“We’re just starting to scratch the surface,” said Michael Lubelfeld, superintendent of the North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, Illinois. “A system that has been criticized for not being receptive to change has changed overnight.”

Here are a few ways educators and education stakeholders are rethinking education.

  • Flexibility in learning formats
  • Rethinking school schedules
  • Creating stronger partnerships

Read the full article about how schools can evolve post-pandemic by Kara Arundel at Education Dive.