CHALKBEAT CHICAGO’S VIRTUAL HOMESCHOOLING PANEL DISCUSSION:
Screenshot of panelists, event planners, and attendees.
Since March 17 many Chicago families have been suddenly faced with working remotely and with the closure of Chicago Public Schools they have been forced to homeschool their children due to trying to decrease the spread of COVID-19.
“Parents are not expected to take on the role of a teacher, I wanted to reassure everyone of that,” said Artemis Kolovos, one of the panelists and a diverse learning teacher from Budlong Elementary in Chicago. She added on saying that she is also a parent of three and has to cope with this new situation as well.
“The students need structure, school has structure,” Kolovos said.
On April 2, Chalkbeat Chicago (CBC), a nonprofit news organization, organized their first virtual panel. CBC wanted to address homeschooling, provide resources, offer a space to just share ideas and concerns, and what educators are doing with their own children.
“These are scary times. It’s invaluable to see and hear from other people who are going through struggles similar to your own — and to know you aren’t alone. As journalists, this is a service we can provide to our communities,” Chalkbeat’s community engagement strategist Caroline Bauman said.
CBC covers the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have in the past lacked access to quality education. CBC has offices in Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Indiana, Newark, New York, and Tennessee.
The panel took on topics of homeschooling, practical advice to parents, and resources to assist with this new change. Golden Apple Illinois, Educators For Excellence, and Teach Plus Illinois were among the organizations that helped coordinate the event.
“We partnered with three Illinois teacher groups, which recommended the five educators who participated on the panel. They ranged from an English and drama teacher in a rural district to a biology teacher at a Chicago high school” Bauman said.
Cassie Walker Burke, the Chicago bureau chief of CBC, moderated the panel of five educators. The panelists were: Manny Del Rio, Artemis Kolovos, Brian Meeker, Carla Jones, and Shayla Ewing.
“Parents shouldn't have to take the role of teachers. It is a huge burden and it would negatively influence the social/emotional learning that intersects with academia,” said Manny Del Rio, a math teacher at Kenwood Academy.
Caroline Bauman introducing herself, the moderator, and the panelists.
Bauman, who previously served as Chalkbeat Tennessee’s community editor and reported on the state-run Achievement School District, planned the panel alongside Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Cassie Walker Burke.
“While planning this event, we wanted to create something really practical and helpful to families. Through callouts to our readers and throughout our reporting, we kept hearing from families and educators how difficult of a time this is. We wanted to create a space where teachers could share advice with parents on how to make this adjustment period a little easier at home,” Bauman said.
Nearly 60 people attended the Zoom panel, and based on the questions heard during the Q&A portion, they represented a good mix of parents and educators Bauman said.
A screenshot of the second page of attendees.
“It felt like a helpful moment of community in the midst of a lot of fear and sadness. One parent said at the end, ‘Extraordinary panel. It's so great to know that we're all in this together!’ Our Chicago bureau turned the panel’s recommendations into a list of tips for parents that will live on beyond Thursday’s conversation,” Bauman said.
Bauman included that she thought this first time event was successful and she enjoyed seeing the interactions between attendees and panelists.
“Overall, we’re considering Chalkbeat’s first-ever virtual panel a success.” Bauman said.
Bauman and Chalkbeat are also looking into ideas and ways to fix minor issues the panel came upon for the future.
“Next time, we’d like to set up a public Google document that participants can contribute to as an alternative to using the chat function. We’re thinking through how to replicate this event in our other bureaus, knowing that virtual events will be key to serving our communities during a time when gathering together has to look a little different.”
To access the full virtual panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frEsWSQ_Y1o&feature=youtu.be
Helpful tips for parents by Cassie Walker Burke & Samantha Smylie: