Using 2020 as a Teachable Moment in Education

A school year unlike any other is starting for students and educators across the United States. Some districts are holding in-person classes, while others are using online learning. The pandemic and social unrest around racism make it a challenging time for students, teachers, and administrators, but it’s also a period of opportunity. Janice Jackson, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, says it’s a unique time to address long-standing inequities in education. “We’re creating a brand new way of educating students…If we’re creating a new system and all of us are sick and tired of the old system with it’s inherent structural racism, we shouldn’t create a new system that perpetuates that.” With today’s crises unearthing large disparities, how can educators avoid returning to the status quo? Jackson and Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California State Board of Education, discuss this teachable moment. Their conversation is led by Ross Wiener, vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Education and Society Program.

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