Restart and Recovery: Starting the New School Year During COVID-19

The Council of Chief State School Officers offers guidance on how we can set every student up for success while prioritizing health, safety, and equity

By The BELE Network

As schools and districts across the country determine if and how they will return to school in the fall, it is imperative that we center not only the physical health and safety of our students — but also their mental, academic, and holistic wellbeing. Today, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released a resource for doing just that. Restart and Recovery: Considerations for Teaching and Learning is a full suite of vetted, customizable resources that education leaders everywhere can leverage to meet the needs of the educators and students they support.

With many students undergoing varied educational experiences since the spring, and no one-size-fits-all solution available, we have to ensure that our plan for reentry is both dynamic and nimble enough to meet the needs of each and every student where they are. CCSSO’s resource details how wellbeing and connection, academics, systemic conditions, and state policies and actions each play important and distinct roles in shaping the student experience. At a time when student experiences have the chance to be more inequitable than ever before, omitting these considerations risks leaving students behind. CCSSO offers an invaluable resource at a critical time — learn more at ccsso.org/coronavirus

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Education and the five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. They are committed to ensuring that all students participating in our public education system — regardless of background — graduate prepared for college, careers, and life.