Recovery services are a fraud

 Recovery Services are a Fraud

 

Anyone who has been paying attention knows full well that “virtual learning” is the latest and greatest oxymoron.  People have been working hard to convince us that isn’t true.  Then the test scores came in and they were abysmal.  People who cared about students finally spoke out that a lot of catch up was needed.

The answer to the deficit is to bring in a new sheriff.

The new sheriff in town is called Recovery Services.  Theoretically, IEP teams are going to meet and determine if there was lost learning during the period of virtual learning.   They sit around a table in person or virtually and make a decision that most folks know is a sham.

Question One:  Was learning lost during the time of virtual learning?   Is today a day with a D in it?   In most instances we will all fool ourselves and say no- no learning was lost.

In a minority of instances the committee will decide that learning was lost.  Then they will identify what needs to be done to recover that learning.   It is not clear which is the bigger fraud.  Deciding that no learning was lost or believing that there is something that can be done in a few hours after school or on weekends that can recover that lost learning.

This process is true feel-good nothingness.   The learning that was lost will never be recovered.   Will some kids catch up?  Absolutely!  But those are the kids who would have caught up with or without recovery services.

We cannot do education-light for two years and think a few hours/weeks of extra service will somehow make the disaster go away.  In fact, a large chunk of kids is out of the system and probably won’t ever return.  Students who have been on the margins of the educational system for years may never regain their footing even though they may be in buildings.

What’s the answer?  My guess is that viruses will be with us for years to come.  We may just have to learn to live with them and come to school any way.  Because the truth is, the best learning takes place when kids are in school and face to face with their teacher.  Maybe that is the best recovery service of all.