RD Heritage’s Dr. Robert Davis Explores What Schools Might Look Like in September After COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the education system, forcing school boards to find alternate ways to teach while implementing social distancing measures. While government mandates have helped to mitigate the spread of the virus, the educational policies that have been evoked are likely to have lasting effects on the system.
“One thing we should definitely expect in the months ahead is more online learning, which won’t replace brick-and-mortar schools, but will augment it,” commented Dr. Robert Davis, the co-founder of RD Heritage, a partnership of five family offices and their portfolio investments that is headquartered in Las Vegas. “This is going to put a lot of pressure on school boards to develop appropriate materials and curriculum, and to train and enable teachers — as well as parents — to facilitate the online learning experience that, just like remote working for adults, has both potential advantages and drawbacks.”
Standardized Testing for the Virus
Another critically important factor in any plan or program to re-open schools will be implementing standardized, across-the-board testing to detect and isolate students, teachers and administrators who contract the virus. Most likely, diagnostics will include a mixture of simple throat swab tests, as well as temperature checks at school perimeters.
“Right now, schools don’t have the capacity, resources or equipment to handle this massive volume of regular testing,” commented Robert Davis, who in addition to leading RD Heritage has also launched the Robert Davis Scholarship Award, which provides financial support to students who have demonstrated a desire to make the world a better place through small actions and self-improvement. “However, there is some hope that if the recovery continues and we don’t have a massive second wave or major setback in the fall and winter, then schools will have the ability to adequately test students and staff. This is of vital importance to many parents, who are deeply and justifiably concerned about the environment that their children might be exposed to — and may bring home to siblings and other family members.”
Regardless of how quickly schools re-open — whether it’s in the fall or, as some experts predict, sometime in 2021 once a vaccine is developed and available — it’s very likely that classes sizes will be smaller; which could ultimately have a positive impact on the quality of learning.
Reduction in Class Sizes
“Here in Nevada, schools have the largest average class size nationwide,” commented Robert Davis, While simply reducing class sizes on its own won’t automatically improve quality of learning, teacher engagement, or student outcomes, it can be a positive factor if approached and managed accordingly. Of course, this will trigger budget discussions, as smaller class sizes means more classrooms, schools, teachers, and administrative staff. Parents and other taxpayers are not going to be thrilled to see their tax bills go up, even if they are happy about the smaller class sizes. Finding appropriate and innovative ways to save money, perhaps by integrating more online learning into the curriculum, might be a viable strategy that benefits everyone.
