Creative Solutions to Human Capital Concerns During COVID-19

Editor’s Note: Ken Miller and Dan VonHandorf from Kettering City School District contributed to this blog.

The pandemic dramatically changed teaching and learning this school year, posing unique challenges to families, teachers, and administrators. One particular puzzle school and district leaders had to work out was to how best support teachers with childcare needs while implementing virtual and hybrid instructional models. For Kettering City School District (Kettering) this was a priority for administrators because they worried they would lose teachers who could not find adequate childcare. To address this challenge, Kettering developed innovative solutions that support not only their teachers, but also their broader community.

The school year began with a model that Kettering describes as “reverse hybrid.” In this model, learning is fully remote, but educators teach from their classroom while students learn from home using Google Classrooms. Some students received in-person instruction, such as students with learning disabilities and students who are enrolled in specialized programs with in-person requirements (e.g. career technical programs, International Baccalaureate). In addition, students were able to receive occupational therapy and physical therapy services at school. Overall, out of 8,000 students, about 1,000 may be in schools for limited amounts of time. With most students learning remotely, bus routes have been redesigned to transport students requiring special services and deliver food out to the community.

Many school districts with hybrid and virtual models are facing staffing shortages because their teachers cannot find adequate childcare solutions if they have school aged children who are learning remotely. To avoid this problem, Kettering allowed educators, administrators, and staff to bring their children to school so they can supervise them during the workday. The policy was initially met with apprehension but has been implemented successfully.  As a result, Kettering was able to retain quality teachers that would have otherwise left the district due to childcare needs. While some nearby districts have had more than 100 staff leave this school year, Kettering has only lost about 15 employees.

The challenge of child supervision in virtual learning is not unique to Kettering teachers. Parents who are essential workers also struggled with this challenge. To help these families, administrators adapted a solution from a neighboring district to meet the needs of Kettering families with essential workers: learning pods. The learning pod concept was initially piloted in the eight elementary schools. The district asked principals to reassign staff who do not have responsibilities during virtual learning, such as teacher aides, librarians, cafeteria and playground aides, to supervise the pods. At first, the program had between 30 to 50 elementary students in learning pods. The learning pods helped families who were unable to supervise their children when learning virtually and also helped retain staff whose job functions were paused as a result of the pandemic. Since initial implementation, demand for placement in learning pods continued to increase. In addition, Kettering expanded the program to provide supervised quiet learning spaces for middle and high school students who are struggling with online learning. Until recently, the district had around 50 staff supporting learning pods across their 11 schools. All learning pods were in spaces where social distancing and other safety measures can be fully implemented.

Kettering leaders acknowledge things have not been easy or perfect, but they prioritized supporting their teachers and responding to the needs of their community. As a result, they deepened the trust between the district, staff, and families. This is reflective of their general approach to navigating policies and schedules during these unprecedented times. They worked closely with their teacher unions to ensure buy-in and developed plans that reflect teachers’ input. Kettering provides a powerful example of adapting and developing solutions to complex staffing and learning challenges posed by the COVID-19. The district hoped to return to in-person instruction, however, their county—like many across Ohio and the nation—is experiencing spikes that has delayed those plans. Most recently, their department of health advised the district to return to fully remote learning, and the district has shifted their plans accordingly. In these times of uncertainty, the strong relationships Kettering has built with its educators, staff, and families will help them determine their next steps.