New York state will work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on a plan to 鈥渞eimagine education,鈥� developing new online learning strategies as it continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.
The state鈥檚 schools are closed for the remainder of the school year to slow the spread of the virus and, like every other state, New York leaders are considering what schools should look like when they reopen. Some governors have raised concerns about maintaining social distancing in classrooms and planning for rapid, emergency transitions back to online learning if the virus resurges in their areas. Cuomo, a Democrat, seemed to suggest the work with the Gates Foundation would move beyond that, planning for larger changes.
鈥淪o, it鈥檚 not about just reopening schools,鈥� Cuomo said at his daily coronavirus briefing. 鈥淲hen we are reopening schools, let鈥檚 open a better school, and let鈥檚 open a smarter education system. ... Bill Gates is a visionary in many ways, and his ideas and thoughts on technology and education he鈥檚 spoken about for years, but I think we now have a moment in history where we can actually incorporate and advance those ideas.鈥�
Learning from Crisis
Cuomo sandwiched his thoughts on education between broader remarks about learning from the state鈥檚 experience during the crisis in areas like transportation.
He said the education system did 鈥渁 great job鈥� transitioning to remote learning with very little advanced warning, but that some teachers needed more training in virtual instruction, and some students lacked technology and devices.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all been talking about tele-education, virtual education, remote education, and there鈥檚 a lot that can be done鈥� he said. 鈥淭he old model of everybody goes and sits in a classroom and the teacher is in front of that classroom and teaches that class, and you do that all across the city, all across the state, all these buildings, all these physical classrooms. Why, with all the technology you have?鈥�
Cuomo did not outline the scope and aim of the state鈥檚 work with the Gates Foundation. As he spoke, he showed a slide that showed questions like, 鈥淲here can we use technology to provide more opportunity to students no matter where they are?鈥� and 鈥淗ow can we use technology to meet educational needs of students with disabilities?鈥�
Criticism of Gates Plan
Cuomo鈥檚 announcement was met with concern from some educators, who believe it focused too heavily on technology, overlooking the value of in-person education and supporting students鈥� growing social and emotional needs as the state recovers.
鈥淩emote learning, in any form, will never replace the important personal connection between teachers and their students that is built in the classroom and is a critical part of the teaching and learning process鈥攚hich is why we鈥檝e seen educators work so hard during this pandemic to maintain those connections through video chats, phone calls and socially distant in-person meetings,鈥� New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallott said in a statement. 鈥淚f we want to reimagine education, let鈥檚 start with addressing the need for social workers, mental health counselors, school nurses, enriching arts courses, advanced courses and smaller class sizes in school districts across the state.鈥�
Cuomo鈥檚 remarks also were also panned educational activists who question the Gates Foundation鈥檚 support for initiatives like test-based teacher evaluations and common core standards and are critical of the foundation鈥檚 overall influence on the education sector.
In a tweet to Cuomo, parent activist Leonie Haimson cited the state鈥檚 2014 decision to pull the plug on its relationship with inBloom, a controversial Gates-supported effort to store and sort student data for states and districts that faced concerns from student-privacy groups.
This would be disastrous unless you want to re-charge movement. pushed for one failed initiative after another incl , fiasco & doubling down on hi-stakes tests. Listen to parents & educators & do not go there!
鈥� leonie haimson (@leoniehaimson)
Gates Foundation Coronavirus Response
The Gates Foundation by offering emerging aid to existing grantees to help them 鈥渃onfront their most urgent needs,鈥� Bob Hughes, the foundation鈥檚 director of K-12 education, told 澳门跑狗论坛 opinion blogger Rick Hess last month.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working with partners such as the to help state departments of education and school districts navigate the immediate programmatic and financial implications of this emergency,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also supporting partners who are expanding online learning and coordinating meals and other supports for K-12 students, and helping lessen the financial shock felt disproportionately by low-income college students due to lost housing, food, and wages.鈥�
The Gates Foundation provided few details about the New York initiative Tuesday.
鈥淭he Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed to work with New York State on its efforts to ensure equitable access to education for its students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� the organization鈥檚 press office said in a statement. 鈥淲e will provide further details as they become available.鈥�
A spokesman for the state鈥檚 education department referred questions to the governor鈥檚 office.
鈥淭he Board of Regents and Department recently they will be creating a statewide task force on re-opening made up of education leaders, which has been widely supported by New York鈥檚 education community,鈥� the agency said in a statement. 鈥淏y working with our partners across the state, we can ensure our guidance is grounded in the principles of practice and our children鈥檚 educational, developmental and overall wellbeing is considered during this important discussion鈥�
澳门跑狗论坛 has reached out to Cuomo鈥檚 office for more information about the plan. We will update this post if they respond.
Photo: A still from C-SPAN video of Gov. Andrew Cuomo鈥檚 May 5 coronavirus briefing.