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The education transformation | COVID Cause & Effect, Ep. 2

The pandemic spurred virtual learning and teachers going to great lengths to safely educate classes, as the virus presented a challenge for students young and old.

IOWA, USA — What started as a four-week break from the classroom with optimism the COVID-19 pandemic would soon be over turned into the reality of a months-long separation for thousands of students and teachers.

Parents became worried about how their children would succeed. Teachers stepped up, expanding classrooms past the four traditional walls. And school districts took new approaches to keep their students safe.

Partnerships emerged between teachers, parents and communities for the sake of learning everywhere.

Watch "How Iowa's virus battle began | COVID Cause & Effect, Ep. 1" here

Family turns to home schooling as learning shifts from classroom to home

Many parents decided to educate their children at home, with mom or dad becoming at least part-time "teacher."

Such was the case for the Yager family.

When the Urbandale Community School District went virtual in March, the only thing known about the virus at the time was how fast it was spreading with little anyone could do to stop it.

So the Yagers, like most families, understood the need to keep kids at home. But it hasn't been easy for the family of six.

"Little bit chaotic," Garrett Yager said. "Having four boys and balancing two jobs has been, like I said, chaotic."

As more districts went back to offering classroom instruction, Urbandale held out until the state mandated districts offer full-time, in-person classes as an option.

"I think we lost focus on the kids and became more about other things from the board members to the parents to the school board," Sarah Yager said. "When it came down to my kids being affected with their education, I can't replicate what the teachers are doing. I'm not a teacher, I'm not a trained professional to do that."

While the teaching aspect has been a work in progress, the Yagers are appreciating the time spent time together as a family.

RELATED: CDC releases long-awaited guidance on reopening schools

Some families determined to keep kids in the classroom

Some parents wanted their kids to be in the classroom, no matter what. 

With three kids in three different school systems, it's about finding the right for for each student for Lindi Nelson.

A fourth-grader at Bergman Academy. A second-grader hybrid within Des Moines Public Schools. And a preschooler at St. Augustin.

"It's just a matter of figuring out how it's going to work and relying on others," she said. 

Not ideal, and even chaotic at times. But thankfully, Nelson has a flexible schedule and tries to keep a consistent, positive attitude.

"You know, 'go with the flow,'" she said. "And it is so much easier said than done. But our kids see it, our kids feel it. It portrays in ourselves and how we talk to others. And so this isn't going to last forever."

"And if we can just get through it in a positive way ... everybody will be better off: the kids, the parents, the whole household."

RELATED: DMPS superintendent at risk of losing job for starting school year 100% online

RELATED: Infectious disease specialist reacts to latest 'Return to Learn' guidance

A rural school district's perspective

I'd say the most challenging part of the year was definitely at the start where we had a week before school, almost zero cases in our district as a community. And then within the first week, one case exponentially grew to ... 135 students quarantine, multiple staff members, and we actually closed the building for multiple days because we didn't have staff to do that building. That was very challenging. Then, just as we progress through, I think we're getting much better at what we're doing and education here in the process. As we know, we've added masks, PPE and I think we're on a good path right now.

I think now a lot of superintendents have tested positive up to this point in time. But it was an eye-opener just in the sense of, I was very careful I felt, but I ended up getting it. I did not have horrible symptoms. I know of another superintendent, hey were they were very, very serious conditions. And I'm very thankful that mine was just the I needed to take my 10 days home and I did feel the tiredness that comes with COVID sometimes.

—Scott Williamson, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District superintendent

Pandemic heroes among us

  • Jo Rematka has been the lead nurse for the Waukee Community School District for seven years
  • Known as "Nurse Jo", she participated in contact tracing in May through Dallas County Public Health at the Tyson Foods plant in Perry
  • Rematka told Local 5: "We've not been perfect, but boy we have worked hard. I think it's benefitted our kids and our families. I think most of them appreciate that our kids have been able to be in school."
  • Sara Willette started tracking COVID activity to keep her sane. Her website iowacovid19tracker.org partnered up with the Iowa State Education Association to show COVID activity among schools. She said tracking this as an educator is "her heart." 

Teacher comes out of retirement for personalized tutoring sessions

Suzie Mataloni retired from teaching elementary school nine months ago. But inside the basement of her home which now doubles as a classroom, you'd never know it.

Math and reading became areas of focus for her and many others, and when a neighbor asked for tutoring help, one student quickly turned into eight.

"Just word of mouth and running into people," Mataloni recalled. "I'm pretty busy, pretty busy."

Nixon, one of her students, is getting after-school help with fractions, something Mataloni has learned to track during her 32-year teaching career.

"It's a lot easier to do it now than at home by myself," Nixon said. "Becuase I turn it into the basket and I already know I got it right."

Scores are improving, but Mataloni often wonders how many more students are out there and don't know how far behind they've fallen.

"That's a really good question and I think it's dependent on each individual child and the type of time those kids put in," she said. "I don't think you'll see the full effects of what's going on for probably six months to a year."

Seeing a career of over three decades end in drive-by fashion wasn't something Mataloni expected, but it has helped reignite her passion.  

Because there's no better feeling than seeing a student succeed. And the need to make up for lost educational time isn't going away anytime soon.

Watch Local 5's "Return to Learn" coverage from the COVID-19 pandemic

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