Head of School's Message: September 28

The date for a return to in-person learning is still to be determined, but if the current declines in the spread of the virus hold for another week, Los Angeles County will move from Tier 1 (widespread) to Tier 2 (substantial), and the process that allows schools to re-open will begin with no estimate for how long the process will take.
The date for a return to in-person learning is still to be determined, but if the current declines in the spread of the virus hold for another week, Los Angeles County will move from Tier 1 (widespread) to Tier 2 (substantial), and the process that allows schools to re-open will begin with no estimate for how long the process will take. In a videoconference with local independent schools on Tuesday, Pasadena Public Health Director Dr. Ying Goh said that once the state gives the health departments the green light, there will be 'a slow and staggered start' to in-person instruction. Chandler will not bring everyone back on the same day, but we will comply with health department guidelines and get everyone back as soon as possible and as safely as possible. In her weekly telebriefing with schools, LA County's Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer recognized that transmission rates were dropping, but cautioned that the health department was still waiting for data to determine if there had been a Labor Day surge. 
 
The virus has been suppressed with what one Chandler trustee called, 'the blunt tool of social distancing.' It's working. Vaccines and herd immunity are a long way off. We need to follow the rules and follow every protocol as we prepare for a safe re-opening. In an LA Times Op-Ed on Friday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote, "While it's true that everyone has the freedom to be ignorant, the ignorance of mask resisters threatens the health and lives of others, making them a public health hazard. Their kind of 'bravery' has contributed to 200,000 American deaths." Distancing, masking and frequent handwashing will continue to be essential throughout the school year.
 
In education, I am of the opinion there are no new truths, just reformulations of old truths. In 1983 John Goodlad's, A Place Called School shook the private and public-school world, a rare example of an educational bestseller. Goodlad and his researchers immersed themselves in 38 elementary, middle and high schools for three years. The book summarized their observations and drew conclusions. In one chapter, they reported on teachers' and students' perceptions about the quality and process of classroom instruction. From fourth grade onwards the most liked subjects by teachers and students focused less on lecture-recitation and textbook learning and involved student participation in decisions affecting their learning. Students learned more and enjoyed the class more when there was less time spent on teacher-directed instruction, and more variety was built into a lesson plan. It sounds obvious now, but it was groundbreaking at the time. Teachers were encouraged to be less 'sage on the stage' and more 'guide on the side.' Elementary and middle schools started shifting teaching practices from an emphasis on teaching subjects to an emphasis on teaching children.
 
What you see now in distance learning is the evolution of that understanding. Distance learning has given you direct insight into the craft of teaching. The lessons designed by Chandler teachers at each grade level are multi-faceted, differentiated and engaging. The mindset of Chandler's program and practices is that nothing wilts faster than laurels rested upon and good teaching involves constant re-invention and innovation to connect children to their learning through their relationships with their teachers and with each other. Feedback from a sample of Chandler's parent body at the new parent orientation last week and the third-grade virtual parent party on Saturday confirmed that while most parents yearn for a return to school, thanks to our teachers, you're highly satisfied with the distance learning program we have in place.
 
 
Sincerely, 
 
John Finch, Head of School
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