‘We need to return to our previous standards’: How readers feel about school right now

This fall, after more than a year of remote learning and delays, schools reopened and went back to normal — with some caveats. The ongoing pandemic continues to impact education in obvious ways like the mask requirements that are still in place at most schools and in ways that are less conspicuous. 

Mitigating the risks of the virus spreading is among the top priorities for the new school year. There continues to be a statewide mask requirement in public schools, but some schools are still struggling to keep COVID-19 out of their hallways. The Curley School in Jamaica Plain remains closed as the school deals with an ongoing outbreak. A similar situation is unfolding in Quincy, where a kindergarten classroom is quarantining due to a COVID-19 cluster.

Since returning to the classroom, schools across the state have faced a rocky transition dealing not only with the virus but with violence among students and parents and a number of racist and homophobic incidents. 

We asked readers to share their experiences from the first few months of the new academic year and how they feel about their school’s climate since returning to in-person instruction. While 26% of the 159 respondents — parents, staff/administrators, and students — said they were concerned about the way things were going, more than half said they felt everything was going well at their school.

“[Kids] just need as much normalcy as possible,” said one parent from Kingston. “We need to return to our previous standards, including expecting kids to achieve, do the work, and yet still be kids.”

Most readers are generally happy with the way the school year is going. “Things are going well so far, my daughter feels safe. Feels like the school environment is safe,” Leonard, a parent from North Attleboro, said. Similarly, a reader who identified as a teacher/administrator wrote, “Things are fine. Kids are remarkably normal after a year and a half of having their lives disrupted for no real benefit.” However, even those who said they were satisfied with their schools raised some concerns. Chief among them are learning loss and violent incidents. 

‘Kids have endured a lot’

“My kids are slipping through the cracks of the school system and I’m desperately trying to keep them afloat but I can only do so much,” said John R. from Sandwich.

The most recent MCAS exam results showed that Massachusetts students across the board saw score drops in both English and math. After so much time away from in-person instruction, Gov. Charlie Baker said the low scores “showed exactly what I think all of us believed we would see.”

But some readers told Boston.com that schools should be less concerned about learning loss and more focused on mental health and socialization. 

“Schools don’t seem to get it. We can’t just [say] okay, everything is back to normal and wish it into existence. These kids have endured a lot and they missed out on crucial social and emotional milestones. They forget how to connect with people, how to have friends, and how to socialize,” said Hannah T. from Holliston. “High schoolers are doing the worst and the school at this level are just focused on academics. Academics will come but only after the kids have a chance to process and reintegrate in a healthy, productive manner.”

Emerald C. of Wilbraham said she works at a private school in Western Mass. and has seen the difference in student behavior firsthand. 

“This year, I have noticed that the students have no respect for anyone and forgot how to act like people. We know it’s been tough with COVID but it’s time to move [on] and try to adjust to what life is now,” she said. “They are being mean on social media, they are being racists. I think being cooped up for over a year has really done a number on mental health and the ability to function outside the house.”

It recently came to light that Danvers officials allegedly hid sexual and racist hazing incidents among the hockey team, and Attorney General Maura Healey has since asked school officials for more information about the incident.

“The hate, bigotry, trauma we’re seeing in high school sports makes me so sad — and angry,” Healey said in a tweet last week following the Boston Globe‘s report. 

Now several districts have been forced to confront the discrimination happening at their schools. Students have even staged walkouts over their school’s racist incidents. Last week in Quincy, students protested after a video surfaced online of a student using “racist hate speech.” This week in Braintree, roughly 300 students walked out in solidarity with their peers dealing with racism.

Schools have also been battling acts of violence on their campuses. Earlier this month, a principal at Henderson School in Dorchester was hospitalized after an attack from a student. The student responsible is facing assault charges and new safety guidelines have been put into place at the school. Also last month, four students and one parent were arrested after a chaotic fight broke out at the local high school in Lawrence.

“This frightening attack comes amid a rise in violence and aggression against educators and school employees,” said Suffolk County district attorney Rachael Rollins of the attack at Henderson School.

Teachers are ‘burnt out’

At the frontlines of all this are school faculty and administrators, who are also struggling to adjust to the new normal.

“The return to full-time in-person learning has been challenging for staff and students alike. At the middle school level, there are fewer times in the day to decompress and the expectations for work and activities outside of school are back. A lot of teachers and admin have been working year-round and overtime to offer make-up learning opportunities for students and we are burnt out,” said a school faculty member from Lynn told Boston.com. “No matter how much people say they understand COVID impacts, we are still judged for it.”

The reader noted that parents are more aggressive as well, “often verbally attacking teachers rather than supporting us.” 

Parents still feel ‘confident’ about schools

But despite the struggles some schools have faced over the last couple of months, many parents told Boston.com that they are ultimately glad to have their children back in the classroom and trust their schools to create a safe environment for them to learn. 

“I have complete confidence in the teachers, school management, and students of my daughter’s school. I believe, if the need arises, they will come together and ensure just and smooth functioning,” said Nimish H., Quincy.

Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.

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