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Kermit Carolina.
(Opinion.) If you don’t know who the late Rita F. Pierson is, you probably aren’t a schoolteacher.
Pierson was a tireless educator of 40 years who famously declared in her inspirational TED Talk that “every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be.”
Like the Waco Independent School District where Pierson taught, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) has had outstanding leaders such as Wanda Gibbs, Jeffie Frazier, Eleanor Boyd, Leroy Williams, Richard Kaliszewski, William Beaty, and Larry Conaway, who served as staunch advocates for our most vulnerable children. For decades, these champions for children made the right decision when they chose to stand firm against educational policies and practices that were not in the best interest of our students.
On Friday, March 13, 2020, district leaders in New Haven and many other Connecticut cities and towns made the right decision when they chose to close schools due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19. This decision may have saved the lives of hundreds of New Haveners.
Today, however, after months of quarantining at home, many of our most vulnerable NHPS children continue to search for the support of a champion as they deal with feelings of isolation, fear, grief, depression, stress and anxiety. Food insecurity contributes to these feelings, as does Covid-related illness or death of a loved one; household overcrowding; domestic, verbal or physical abuse; virtual learning barriers; drug or alcohol addiction, and even homelessness.
Vikram Patel, a psychiatrist, researcher and professor at Harvard Medical School, explained how these factors affect child development and adolescent mental health.
“Young people, especially, are facing high levels of uncertainty. For kids, it can be disturbing to hear conflicts about Covid-19 on television and in the media,” Patel said. “It is no surprise that fear and anxiety is sweeping young people.”
New Haven district leaders have rightly decided to continue with fully remote learning. This was certainly a decision based on science and a genuine concern for the wellbeing of all members of the school community. Yet we must ensure that all staff continue to be fully prepared for the enormous challenge of addressing the needs of students who have been socially, emotionally and academically impacted by the pandemic. Every kid will continue to need a champion to support him or her through a daunting period in which Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, predicts will see an increase in cases of Covid-19.
In response to the expected surge in Covid-19 cases, a stronger and more holistic approach is required to address the needs of our most at-risk students. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), low-income and minority children — and those living with disabilities — are “far less likely to have access to private instruction and care and far more likely to rely on key school-supported resources…”
We will need the support of our trusted community-based partners as we seek to provide safe spaces and services such as childcare, tutoring, after-school programs, resource connections, mentoring and mental and physical health care. Equally as important are the critical eyes and strong voices of grassroots leaders who are heavily relied upon to hold local, state and federal officials accountable for delivering these much-needed resources to our communities.
During this time of crisis, Martin Luther King’s words must ring louder than ever in our ears. As King wrote, “The ultimate measure of a man [or woman] is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Where do you stand? I hope and pray that it is with our most vulnerable children who depend on you in their time of need. Every kid needs a champion like you! The larger question is — are you willing to be a champion?
Kermit Carolina is the supervisor of youth development and engagement for New Haven Public Schools, doctoral candidate at Sacred Heart University and a longtime community activist in the City of New Haven.