WEST CHESTER — Education is key.

Friday morning, America Forward hosted Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-06) and local stakeholders during a live virtual forum on how to transform the education system in the wake of COVID-19.

Across the nation, experts have linked the pandemic has to exacerbating learning gaps in education among students thus increasing existing inequities in American society since the crisis began.

Gov. Tom Wolf shut down all public and private schools in Pennsylvania on March 13. Most students continue to learn remotely nearly eight months later. All Chesco school districts approved virtual only instruction at the start of the 2020-21 academic calendar year earlier this fall.

America Forward is a nonpartisan policy initiative of New Profit, a national venture philanthropy fund that seeks to break down the barriers between all people and opportunity across the nation.

Friday’s event began with America Forward launching a fireside chat between moderator Nithya Joseph and Houlahan. Joseph is the advocacy director at America Forward.

Both women discussed the concept of whole-learning education and how the notion of service can help students.

“You are always able to serve, wherever you are, in the ecosystem of your life,” Houlahan said

She then worked at Springboard Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on early childhood literacy, from 2012-2016. Attached is a pic from her work there with students.

Houlahan taught chemistry to juniors at a public school at Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia from 2011 to 2012 earlier on in her career and prior to becoming a lawmaker. She said the teens were all reading at the third or fourth grade levels as eleventh grade students.

“As a teacher, the weight of the world was on me,” Houlahan said.

After teaching juniors in north Philadelphia, Houlahan then worked at Springboard Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on early childhood literacy, from 2012 to 2016. 

“The key, at least in hope of providing equity and holistic approaches to education, was literacy based,” Houlahan said. “We need to go back to the basics.”

She said as a congressional representative her focus has been on helping the whole child which entails engaging with their loved ones and supporters as well as ensuring they gain key skills to thrive.

The congresswoman took the experience gained in the public classroom to town hall meetings and began speaking up on issues she cared about through community engagement.

“We all assume the best in one another, we’re all trying to learn from one another. And we need to think about our outreach in that way,” Houlahan said.

“Education is very similar,” she said.

The congresswoman said families need livable wages and teachers need to be valuable.

“We have really done ourselves a disservice by not appreciating how important they are,” Houlahan said of teachers.

“The research shows us that in order to advance student success … we have to focus on safe environments,” Joseph said, regarding the education community supporting the well-being of youngsters.

The virtual Oct. 23 event featured a panel of Pennsylvania education experts who shared ideas on how to best transform the country’s education system in 2020 and beyond. The discussion focused on how the state can serve all students holistically, and what can be done at a federal level to support young people gaining knowledge in essential skills needed to excel in school and in life.

Panelists included Miles Wilson, president and chief executive officer of EducationWorks, Crystal Loose, an assistant professor of education and social work at West Chester University, and Virgil Sheppard, senior director of the National School Partnerships for City Year, Inc.

Loose advocated for more teacher training and understanding and addressing where gaps exist in student learning.

“We know that money invested in children early on really helps alleviate situations,” Loose said.

“We have to change our mindset,” Wilson said. He said that standardized testing hurts African American students by defining what intelligence is rather than meeting genius. “It is okay to fail. Our kids become very scared to engage when they feel every moment is judged.”

He added the theory of change is key for students, an idea that encourages youth to try, explore and gain knowledge

“We are on the cusps of change,” Miles said. Well-intentions have not served the African American generations for decades, he added.

Instead of sharing resiliency speeches with Black students, Miles said outsiders should enter these schools with respect. “Never waste a good crisis,” he said.

To teachers who love helping students learn, rather than loving to serve institutions, can help youth today by taking action to “mobilize” education, Miles said.

Sheppard addressed social and emotional learning and “belonging in the school and also being engaged.”

There is a connectivity with belonging, Sheppard said, and the need for educators to elevate student voices.

“There’s a ton to be hopeful about,” Sheppard said. “What we are seeing from young people in America right now in the midst of strife, in the midst of the pandemic, in the midst of racial unrest, in the midst of inequities, when you turn on the TV, when you look at social media, there are so many young people that are engaged.”

Sheppard cited the youth as declaring, ‘We will be the generation to change.’”

Now it is up to educators to amplify the voices of these students. “I am really hopeful,” Sheppard said.