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[quote=Anonymous]I finally got around to watching this. There was a question about learning loss and and Mary responded that we need to “reframe” the question. I am so sick of this toxic positivity gaslighting nonsense. I then checked her website and found she really believes this crap. She sounds just like all the other school board members. NO thank you!

“3. Reframe "learning loss."  I've been thinking a lot of about the term "learning loss" and its cousins, "achievement gap" and "academic deficit" and "struggling students." What do these terms have in common? They emphasize what students lack and ignore the strengths they bring. The blame rests with the student, not with the system.

I thank Gabriela Uro and her colleagues at the Council of Great City Schools for introducing me to the term "unfinished learning," which I like much better.

Why does our word choice matter? Because of the message it sends to our students about their value. Our kids are more than their reading levels, SOL scores, and end-of-quarter grades. Many have exhibited unbelievable amounts of determination, patience, and maturity during the pandemic. If we reduce them to a score on a standardized test or measure their "grit" only by on-time completion of a difficult assignment, we'll do them an injustice.

Here's how we can address academics in a more thoughtful way:
Acknowledge students' strengths. Ask them what skills they learned or what qualities they developed during the past year. Ask them to identify something they did that they're proud of. We can use this information to tap into their strengths while we're working on areas for improvement.
Conduct careful diagnostic assessments. We'll need to know exactly where each student is at, in terms of knowledge and skills, to design learning experiences that provide the right level of support and challenge. Every student deserves instruction that supports and challenges them.
Provide robust compensatory services for students with disabilities who may not have received the full range of supports outlined in their IEPs during the pandemic.
Use research-based curriculum and interventions that have a demonstrated impact on student achievement. Let go of curriculum and practices that don't have a strong evidence base.
Celebrate positive gains--no matter how small. My role model here is the late Texas educator Rita Pierson. Take seven minutes to watch her TED Talk "Every kid needs a champion" and you'll be inspired by how she affirmed to every child in her care that they were valuable and capable, no matter what their grades or test scores showed.”

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