Moving Forward in the Wake of the Pandemic: Shifting from Schools Acting Alone to Engaged Partnerships with Families and Communities

Authors

Sheri S. Williams, University of New MexicoFollow

Abstract

Workplace shortages are a top concern for schools in times of calm and even more troubling in times of stress. Burnout is especially widespread in stressful situations of disrupted learning, trauma, and discord (e.g., Diliberti & Schwartz, 2022; Thomas et al., 2019). In the wake of the pandemic, educators struggled to deal with the stressors on their own (IES, 2022). It became clear that schools could no longer work in isolation. Moving forward in the wake of the pandemic required an intentional shift in purpose from isolated classrooms to interconnected partnerships with families and communities. In the path to recovery, educators rediscovered the value of shifting beyond the schoolhouse to engage in partnerships with the greater community. Lessons learned indicate that schools were more likely to make the shift to partnerships happen when they welcomed the wisdom of families, embraced external supports, and collaborated to expand local community resources for healing and recovery.

Recommended Citation

Williams, Sheri S. (2024) "Moving Forward in the Wake of the Pandemic: Shifting from Schools Acting Alone to Engaged Partnerships with Families and Communities," The William & Mary Educational Review: Vol. 9, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/wmer/vol9/iss1/2