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Hurricane Ian: How Are the Children and Public Schools?

October 11, 2022 By Nancy Bailey 2 Comments

Post Views: 139

Hearts go out to those suffering from Hurricane Ian. It’s hard to fathom what Florida residents and those from hurricane-affected areas are experiencing. How are the children? How are they handling the disruption? Will public schools change?

As of Tuesday morning, October 4, 2022, according to the Florida Department of Education, the following K-12 school districts were scheduled to reopen:

  • Collier County Schools 
  • Volusia County Schools

The following K-12 school districts are closed until further notice:

  • Charlotte County Schools 
  • DeSoto County Schools 
  • Hardee County Schools 
  • Lee County Schools 
  • Sarasota County Schools

Here is the latest (as of Oct. 11) for hard-hit Sarasota public schools Some 12,000 Sarasota students must wait another week for schools to reopen after Hurricane Ian.

Questions always surround how the federal, state and local governments will support public schools in hurricane-affected areas.

Florida has been hostile towards public education, supportive of charter schools and all virtual learning. They have supported school choice options for private and parochial schools.

After Hurricane Katrina, privatization enthusiasts descended upon New Orleans to transform public schools into charter schools, which never lived up to the hype, especially for children with disabilities.

Disaster capitalism, underscored by Naomi Klein in The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, showed how schools could change after a hurricane.

Within nineteen months, with most of the city’s poor residents still in exile, New Orleans’ public school system had been almost completely replaced by privately run charter schools. (p. 6).

Educators raised school privatization concerns after Hurricane Harvey. The people of Texas fought against the privatization of public schools eight months after the hurricane hit, rejecting the conversion of schools into charters for poor black and brown children.

Thus far, there seems to be no discussion of privatizing the schools affected by Hurricane Ian. Districts sustained building damage, and some Florida schools are said to be closed indefinitely.

The Florida Phoenix reported that with schools closed to damage in five school districts, 168,000 schoolchildren were left without a school. And they had no further notice for the schools to reopen. The opening of Lee County Schools seemed uncertain at first. 

Lee County School Superintendent Christopher Bernier, newish to the area, stated that schools are either damaged, without water, need to rebuild, or are still providing shelter to the community. He says public schools there will likely open on October 17. So far, he acknowledges that children need access to public schools for support; Lee County has a foundation for schools.

Polk County in central Florida provides a website. They’re notifying parents and the community that they’re attempting to open schools but that it’s difficult due to power outages. They want to get children back in school, especially keeping them away from storm debris.

Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Seminole, and Sumter are Florida districts that were to start back to school Monday, October 3.

An additional concern is the learning loss message that follows students. In one of the first reports after the storm, on September 30, NPR reported More than 2.5 million Florida students missed school during Hurricane Ian. They seem to ignore the logistical problems facing children affected by the storm, the trauma students might be going through after losing their homes, even if they got to safer ground.

Students who lived through such a catastrophe don’t need to hear about learning loss which produces added pressure and anxiety. The real question with Hurricane Ian should be, how are the children doing, not have they fallen behind in school? And how will their schools open? Will they be like before? How will they be different?

Students need educators and policymakers committed to helping them return to their public schools with minimal disruption, focused on support and learning in ways that help.

Hopefully, policymakers won’t use the aftermath of Hurricane Ian to permanently close public schools, converting them into charters or placing students online for all of their instruction.

Available reports about Hurricane Ian and how to help children through hard may help parents talk to children and better understand what they’re going through during this challenging time.

The Tampa Bay Times, How to talk to children about Hurricane Ian, might help students process what they’ve been through. Even if children and teens aren’t personally affected by the hurricane, it’s frightening to see images and hear the news about the storm.

Angela Hatem wrote I survived Hurricane Andrew as a kid. Here’s what parents facing Ian should remember.

Helping children learn that they can regroup and develop stronger within their public school is a more positive message than obsessing over learning loss.

Children can be resilient with love and support. Here’s hoping students who survived Hurricane Ian will be lifted to a stronger place with help from caring parents, teachers, and the community.

Americans must rally and unite to help children weather the storms in their lives.

References

Klein, N. (2007). The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Picador.

Online sites

  • Child Trends Provides a list of resources concerning childhood trauma after a hurricane.
  • National Traumatic Childhood Stress Center Resources for families experiencing a hurricane.
  • USA.Gov General information.
  • Hurricane Ian FEMA Information about applying for assistance.
  • Save the Children Claim to be providing needed supplies to children in the wake of the hurricane.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: closed schools, disaster capitalism, florida hurricane, Hurricane Ian, learning loss, School openings, School Privatization

Comments

  1. Gregory Sampson says

    October 11, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    In Duval County, we were spared most of the storm and reopened Monday, October 3. Because of school closures, the state extended its Fall testing windows by one and two weeks: the new reading progress monitoring to October 7, the Algebra 1 EOC and 10th grade FSA reading retakes to October 14. Not so my district, which schedules PMAs (Progress Monitoring Assessments) for high school courses that the state will test with an End of Course exam in May. The original deadline was not moved. That smooshed the state and district testing windows together and made a hard time for teachers and the school to complete all the Fall testing demands. But like a 1960s junkie mainlining smack, the Superintendent must have her data fix and she will not wait for it. 🙂 Ever since I put that sentence together in my mind I’ve been hoping to use it in a blog post. But I’ll drop it here.

    Reply
    • Nancy Bailey says

      October 11, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      Data fix is right. I’m sorry, Gregory. That’s terrible.

      Reply

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Author, Ph.D. Ed. Leadership and longtime teacher, Blogging for Kids, Teachers, Parents & Democratic Public Schools.

NancyEBailey1
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helenproulx2 Helen Proulx @helenproulx2 ·
10h

Worrisome indeed. And read-alouds are not enough. How might we create opportunities for rich & varied experiences with texts from the start? How can we be sure that Ss are encouraged & not limited by instruction? https://twitter.com/NancyEBailey1/status/1640105213276180480

Nancy E. Bailey @NancyEBailey1

Science of Reading camp never discusses the importance of picture books. How much time do children get to explore them? How often are they read to for enjoyment? This is worrisome. https://nancyebailey.com/2023/03/26/the-science-of-reading-and-the-rejection-of-picture-books/

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beebryhte Belinda Whyte @beebryhte ·
14h

https://nancyebailey.com/2023/03/26/the-science-of-reading-and-the-rejection-of-picture-books/
Not sure I could agree more...thanks @NancyEBailey1

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nancyebailey1 Nancy E. Bailey @nancyebailey1 ·
1 Mar

Unstructured play has been driven out of early childhood classrooms for years! Goals are to micromanage everything a child does. Few seem to connect play's importance to learning & mental health, or they don't care if schools fail. https://twitter.com/Cabal_Educator/status/1630938079170109440

Kimberly Blodgett @Cabal_Educator

Let them play!

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nancyebailey1 Nancy E. Bailey @nancyebailey1 ·
15h

Science of Reading camp never discusses the importance of picture books. How much time do children get to explore them? How often are they read to for enjoyment? This is worrisome. https://nancyebailey.com/2023/03/26/the-science-of-reading-and-the-rejection-of-picture-books/

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nancyebailey1 Nancy E. Bailey @nancyebailey1 ·
25 Mar

@BetsyDeVos So much research shows that 3rd gr retention is bad for students it's hard to believe you think this is fine. There are many alternatives. https://nancyebailey.com/2017/10/09/force-flunk-destroying-a-childs-love-of-reading-and-their-life/

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