It’s hard to believe it has been a year since school districts across America began the shut down because of COVID-19. In some ways it feels like yesterday everyone was told to stay home, in other ways it feels like it’s been 10 years since educators had their traditional rhythm of teaching in place– which they depended on. It’s safe to say COVID-19 turned the entire educational world upside–down, into a sifter, to see what it was really made up of.
“The pandemic was the ultimate stress test for education,” stated the Washington Post. They further went on, “How would a district that had long relied on continuous, incremental improvement as its driver respond to a punctuated-equilibrium moment, one that demanded change-artist flexibility and speed in the face of constantly changing circumstances?” The learning curve was real, forcing teachers and administrators to pivot by making decisions to tackle issues they were facing in real-time.
Administrators across America were continuously shooting from the hip in response to daily challenges their district’s were facing. An overwhelming majority of the time, these decisions were being made without most or even half of the information needed to make the best decision for their district, but time forced the decisions to be made. Because of this, most superintendents like Kirt Hartzler of Union, Oklahoma voiced, “It was survival time. The [spring] semester was all about grace and empathy for everyone.” Kirt Hartzler was right. As educators began to navigate their new normal, grace and empathy had to be at the forefront of the decision-making process.
Now, a year later, as COVID begins to lift and the pandemic war seems to be nearing an end, every American educator must look at the aftermath of their decisions just as eastern Europe had to do as they walked their streets at the conclusion of World War II. Some in–the–moment decisions worked, but often the majority didn’t because the data and information weren’t in the hands of the administrators by the time they had to pull the trigger.
Fortunately, in the midst of the pandemic a company out of Texas was building an all-in-one web-based performance–engagement platform to enable administrators to have all the information they need and desire right at their fingertips. LoopSpire’s motto: “get the right information to the right people at the right time while meeting people in the moment, started to provide teachers and administrators a breath of fresh air and 20/20 vision again amongst the hazy smog left from the pandemic.”
Having the data and the information presented to administrators in real time is giving them their confidence back. It’s that plain and simple. Taking the guess work out of their day means less work, but also equips them to excel at their position.
With LoopSpire, educators aren’t afraid of another stress test.
