"Apollo 13'ed"

Ken Buck is a school board member in Lancaster County, South Carolina. He posted the following statement on his Facebook page:

We gave educators almost no notice. We asked them to completely redesign what school looks like and in about 24 hours local administrators and teachers "Apollo 13'ed" the problem and fixed it. Kids learning, children being fed, needs being met in the midst of a global crisis. No state agency did this, no so-called national experts on curriculum. The local educators fixed it in hours. HOURS. In fact, existing state and federal policies actually created multiple roadblocks. Local schools figured out how to do it around those too. No complaining and no handwringing - just solutions and amazingly clever plans.
Remember that the next time someone tries to convince you that schools are better run by mandates from non-educators. Remember that the next time someone tells you that teachers have it easy or try to persuade you that educators are not among the smartest, most ingenious people in society. And please never say to me again, "Those who can't do anything else just go into teaching."

Get out of the way of a teacher and watch with amazement at what really happens.

Thank you to Jennifer Podesta for posting this on the Colt Parent Facebook page. I see Jennifer's post as an appreciation of the work being performed not only by the teachers at St. Ann, but teachers everywhere.

Our Catholic School teachers don't have to deal with government agencies and national experts on curriculum. We have the blessing of a very supportive Bishop and Catholic School Superintendent to figure out the solutions and move forward with doing our best to help the children. They both stated in our meeting yesterday that we will not stop educating our children. Gotta love it when your leaders support your mission and work 100%! The Catholic School principals are also providing each other guidance with the challenges of online learning for elementary and middle school students.

Ken Buck's statement is so true, and it makes me think about what a great staff of educators we have at St. Ann from the front office to the classrooms. I have the great privilege of working with these folks everyday. I know they would all rather be in their classrooms teaching the students face-to-face and being part of the miracle of learning as they have been for many years. The alternative of posting assignments on a blog page for parents to assist their children is not their choice but it is the best option for education at this time.

As with all parents, their world has been rocked. Their whole way of dealing with everyday activities has completely changed. They are putting in more hours per day than they did when the students were present. When I left yesterday at 4:00 for a 4:30 meeting, the PK teachers were still here trying to figure out how best to serve their students and parents. And, for awhile, it is only going to get more difficult until we can fill in all the potholes and the roads once again become easily navigable.

Think about the work of teachers. How do they put together lesson plans for students who are not sitting in front of them? How do they test the students to see if they are meeting educational objectives? Are they mastering the subjects/skills? Do they need extra help? How do they evaluate students' social/emotional development? How do they model their Catholic/Christian faith to the students? How do they show students love when they aren't present? That's tough to do.

We aren't exactly sure how to do this, but we are all trying to figure it out. It is a lot easier for high schools and colleges to administer online/distance learning. You plan out your classes, write your syllabus, post it, and expect the students to follow it. If they do, they get good grades. If not, that's their responsibility. This doesn't work with elementary and middle school students. They are neither ready nor equipped to deal with education without having the necessary guidance. My heart goes out to the teachers and parents of the younger students. You are the ones with the toughest job of all. Because of this and many more reasons, the faculty, staff, and families at St. Ann amaze me.

This is a teachable moment for all of us. Our children see how we react in times of adversity and learn from the examples we set. The result I hope to see from this is that our children learn to handle adversity without fear and with a level head. This will make them stronger, more compassionate people and be able to deal with whatever life throws their way.

The first wave of the Coronavirus storm is just now hitting us in the United States. The biggest part of the storm is yet to come if we don't heed the Center for Disease Control (CDC) precautions. CLICK HERE to access information from the CDC on how to protect ourselves from the Coronavirus.

We at St. Ann must keep in mind that school is in session, but how we operate looks completely different. Home, work, and school life have changed for all of us. Daily teaching and learning must continue and continue with purpose. We have an obligation to our children to work and continue the education process. Since we are going to fight this battle together, I like the side I’m on.

St. Joseph (today is his feast day)...Pray for us!

St. Ann...Pray for us!

God bless you,

Didier Aur, Principal

St. Ann Catholic School