Brought to you by the COVID Technology Task Force on July 30th, 2020

Pandemic Management/Mitigation and Inequality in Education

watch / listen to leading thinking from people doing the work from K – 12 to Higher Education

Education is fundamental. Safely reopening our schools is critical. Protecting the health and well-being of our students, educators, and all the people who enable schools to operate is paramount. These are mutually inclusive requirements. Together they pose a complex challenge requiring thoughtfulness, a breadth of data and perspectives and an acknowledgment that one size does not satisfy all situations.

‍Differences in needs, capabilities, and access to critical resources permeate our education systems across geography, type and level of institution (higher education, K-12 and Pre-K). Large colleges are different from small ones. Urban schools have different needs than rural schools. Private versus public and those in well off neighborhoods have different resources at their disposal than those in poor areas. Our schools are not equal, but the educational opportunities they provide should be.
This conference provided an overview of the complexities of the challenge in front us, offered a framework for those responsible for making these difficult decisions and highlighted some emerging tools and technologies that are available for consideration. Attendees should have walk away with a better understanding of how to approach decision making, some practical advice and shared knowledge of how others are moving forward towards Safely Reopening Education and Campus Life.

Agenda

Keynote: Charlton McIlwain Vice Provost for Faculty Engagement and Development, NYU with opening/closing comments from Andy Moss Visiting Professor NYU and Board Trustee Cheshire Academy

Roundtable:  Senior Education Leadership Perspectives on Challenges of Reopening Schools
  • Laura Walker, President Elect, Bennington College [Moderator]


  • Kevin Gotkin, NYU Steinhardt, accessibility advocate
  • Chris Gilliard, Professor of English, Macomb Community College
  • Mona Sloane, Sociologist at New York University, [Moderator]

  • Jeremy Caplan; Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
  • Betsy Schneck; Assistant Principal at the Ella Baker School

  • Kafele Khalfani Dean of Student Affairs Earl Warren College at UC San Diego
  • Justin Hershman, Rising Freshman at NYU
  • Jordan Hershman, gap year student before Rising Freshman at Yale 2021
  • Scyatta Wallace Associate Professor, Psychology St. John’s University