Roman Scott
Dr. Crowther
English Composition 1101
Covid 19: The American School System Pushed to the Limit
The Covid 19 pandemic swept the globe in the early months of 2020. The world shut down immediately without having time to prepare. Schools, offices, and companies closed which left students and workers at home remotely fulling their duties. The Pandemic highlighted the best and the worst of both people and the systems in place. Mental Health was brought forward as a main concern, next to the worldwide pandemic. People were isolated. Facing obstacles without known solutions. The American School system was tested, pushed to the limit, nearly crumbling under the weight of the pandemic, along with the increasingly concerning mental health crisis and the growing digital divide. For almost two years, students and teachers had to carry on from their own homes.
Classes were held virtually and daily school work became homework. Some say this was a good thing, others point out the flaws and challenges faced during isolation. With the everchanging position of the pandemic daily routines were in constant adjustment, which had a tremendous impact on the lives of students and teachers. Mental health and the Digital Divide were issues that impacted many. Merriam-Webster defines The Digital Divide as “the economic, educational, and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access and those who do not”.
When schools shut down, there were hardly any systems set in place to handle any of the numerous complications that were brought onward due to the pandemic. The internet disparities as well as the growing mental health crisis being two of the largest areas of concern for schools. Responses for both were in desperate need. High school students were experiencing the highest amounts of mental health concerns ever recorded.
The full impact of the Covid 19 Pandemic on mental health has yet to be seen, though it is known there was a tremendous impact from the first two years. The mental health crisis reached an all-time high as more students delt with stress and anxiety. Different factors played into the likelihood of experiencing such emotions when faced with the realities of the pandemic (Gazmararian et. el 360). It is important that when students feel stressed or depressed they have a support system they are able to reach out to. During the pandemic many students felt isolated at home. It was hard to connect with teachers and build strong relationships with peers. This needed an immediate response from school systems, however, “Only 50% of students said that, between the start of the school year and the survey in late October, someone at their school had reached out to ask how they were doing. (Raeal Moore, PhD and Shannon Hayes, MPA 106).
Most schools have a consoler and depending on the school size might have more. It is a hard job to have, often undertaking both the mental wellbeing of students as well as the logistics of their current and future school career. With such large undertaking school counselors were overwhelmed during the pandemic. Students were left often to deal with their own mental health struggles in quiet. 70% of white students said they had an adult at their school they felt comfortable speaking with if they were experiencing any mental health issues. However only 52%, just over half of black students reported having an adult at the school they could reach out to for support (Moore and Hayes).
The graph above shows the racial differences between the students responses.
Throughout the pandemic it was made clear that people of color were more likely to experience stress and anxiety related to the pandemic. They were also less likely to have an adult in school they felt comfortable with reaching out to if they needed someone to talk to (Gazmararian et. el).
As the pandemic spread schools across the nation switched to virtual learning. This meant that all classes and assignments were to be held and completed at home. The concept of virtual learning was not new to college level education, for virtual classes had been offered even before the pandemic. On the contrary, high schools were left with many questions and unknows as they advanced forward with online schooling. Conflicts arose as many students did not have the necessary equipment for online education.
Computers became vital to everyday life, even more so than they were before. Not only was it a way to keep in touch with peers but it was also a means of communication between student and teacher for classes. The Washington Post sates that “Nearly one in five students between kindergarten and 12th grade do not have computers or speedy Web connections, according to data compiled by the Pew Research Center in 2018, the latest available, which said this “homework gap” disproportionately plagues low-income families and people of color (par 10).” The internet disparities that high schools faced were only made worse due to the pandemic.
Schools had to adapt to the new normal and provide sufficient resources to those in need.
The digital divide was only made worse due to the pandemic. Lower income families and those in rural areas were hit particularly hard by the closings of schools across the nation. School systems had known of this conflict long before the pandemic but with lockdown came the increasingly important need of internet. Many schools passed out laptops or some sort of electronic device do help students complete work from their homes. However, this did not solve the problem that some students did not have a strong WIFI connect or internet at all. An article on the World Economic Forum states that “People without robust internet access are being left behind academically and economically” (Roese par 7). It is important that everyone come together to help solve this problem that impacts so many.
The million dollar question is how do we do this? There is no easy way to solve this problem, however it is crucial that we do. Experts suggest that merely expanding 5G with more telephone poles is not the answer. The problem is far deeper than that, as many places do not have the capabilities of running under a 5G network. John Roese, Global Chief Technology Officer states that, “We need to shift away from legacy telecom architectures and embrace virtual, software-defined, open and automated technologies. This requires investment from major IT and cloud companies, which has already started but needs to move faster.”
Large companies are not willing to put money and effort into easy and excisable internet. If there is a profit to be made most companies will chose the option that will make the most, not help the most. This has been seem time and time again. Large companies turning a blind eye to problems being faced by many.
The pandemic brought people closer together even when further apart. The differences between one another shown bright, but through those differences, similarities arose. People came together to help those in need, in ways never seen before. A lot was learned throughout the years of the pandemic Understanding between others grew as people put themselves into the shoes of others. Teachers and students became more conscious of the mental health crisis and the digital divide that held many people back the past years. Resources were dispensed in hopes of lessening the blow the pandemic had on high school students.
Work Cited
Anderson, Monica, and Andrew Perrin. “Nearly One-in-Five Teens Can’t Always Finish Their Homework Because of the Digital Divide.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 30 May 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/26/nearly-one-in-five-teens-cant-always-finish-their-homework-because-of-the-digital-divide/.
Gazmararian, J., Weingart, R., Campbell, K., Cronin, T., & Ashta, J. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of students from 2 semi-rural high schools in georgia. Journal of School Health, 91(5), 356-369. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/josh.13007
Green, Erica L “The Students Returned, but the Fallout from a Long Disruption Remained.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Dec. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/us/politics/covid-school-reopening-teen-mental-health.html.
“Digital Divide Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital%20divide
Moore, R., & Hayes, S. (2021). Mental health supports and academic preparedness for high school students during the pandemic. insights in education and work. ().ACT, Inc, 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168. Retrieved from ERIC Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/reports/mental-health-supports-academic-preparedness-high/docview/2560329467/se-2?accountid=11226
Written by John Roese, Global Chief Technology Officer. “Covid-19 Exposed the Digital Divide. Here’s How We Can Close It.” World Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/covid-digital-divide-learning-education/.
Romm, Tony. “’It Shouldn’t Take a Pandemic’: Coronavirus Exposes Internet Inequality among U.S. Students as Schools Close Their Doors.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Mar. 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/03/16/schools-internet-inequality-coronavirus/.
John W. Schoen. “This Map Shows How Millions of Americans Are Isolated with No Internet during Coronavirus Pandemic.” CNBC, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/27/map-digital-divide-leaves-millions-isolated-during-coronavirus-panic.html.
Walker, Tim. “Getting Serious about Teacher Burnout.” NEA, NEA, https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/getting-serious-about-teacher-burnout.
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