In the past school year, many families at both Agnes Irwin and all across the country have had to make very difficult decisions regarding how they want—or how they are able—to have their children go to school. At Agnes Irwin, one of the largest debates this year among families has been whether each student should attend in-person, on-campus learning, or stay home and log into their classes via Zoom, but many other families across the nation have had to decide whether or not to transition their children from public to private schools to cope with the learning impact of the pandemic, and even more are unable to even consider that choice at all.
There is a great disparity between the socioeconomic status and racial makeup of the schools that have been able to successfully offer in-person learning this year and those that have not. Agnes Irwin, as well as other private schools on the Main Line, and the surrounding school districts which are similarly wealthy and predominantly white, are already back to full-time in-person learning. However, many students of color in the Philadelphia school district, mostly Black and Hispanic, are still completing the school year remotely. All across the board, students are falling behind, with students in all areas and all ages declining relative to where students in their grade level were last year (inquirer.com). And although private schools are able to open their facilities to students, many families cannot afford to send their children to private schools despite their increased ability to stay open, which means that many schools and students who live in high-poverty areas are being disproportionately affected. Those who are fortunate enough to be able to do so are taking the advantage of the opportunity, with many families making the transition—a survey by Time found that 58% of private schools surveyed reported that more people were looking to apply than average this year. If private school is not available, some parents have even hired private tutors (time.com).
Private schools in the greater Philadelphia area have been able to provide a lot of in-person opportunities for their students this year. As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Germantown Academy, like Agnes Irwin, has invested in tents so that students can learn outdoors this year, and the Haverford School even spent “seven figures” over the summer to make its facilities COVID-19 safe and accessible to students and staff.
Agnes Irwin, as all the students know, has offered both in-person and online learning since the phased reopening in September. While most students have returned to campus, many have opted to remain online for a significant part of the school year. Students have stayed home for various reasons, in particular because they or someone in their household is at high risk for COVID-19, or because their families were concerned about the surge in COVID-19 cases at various points throughout the school year. Laila Lewis ‘22 shared, “Towards the middle and end of the year, my reason for staying home has become less of a need for safety and more of a desire for comfort. I have gotten comfortable (and I suppose, somewhat lazy) waking up later than I usually would and having more time to do my homework.” She added that, despite Agnes Irwin being open for the duration of the school year, “seeing the constant emails about new [COVID-19] cases at the school does sometimes make me feel as though I made the right choice in staying home.”
The experience for students who have completed their lessons via Zoom is also much different from the experience of those who are in person, with online students saying that connection is their biggest issue. According to Xingrui Yan ‘22, who recently returned to in-person learning for the fourth quarter, “Sometimes I came up with a comment or an answer that I really want[ed] to share with the class but didn’t get asked. I always felt frustrated for a little while.” Especially back in the fall, when students and teachers alike were still adjusting to hybrid learning via Zoom, the video and audio connection could be very unstable. Xingrui, along with many other at-home learners, “was really anxious during [those first] two weeks” of adjustment, but “thankfully the school and the teacher[s] addressed this issue quickly.” It especially makes an impact when teachers take the time to check in and pay attention to students on Zoom. Phoebe Smith ‘23 is thankful when teachers designate “Zoom spotters” within the class whose job it is to let the teacher know when she is raising her hand. Apart from academics, she adds that “I think the virtual students are often forgotten about… I think if Agnes Irwin/our class deans communicated with us more, that would improve our experience; sometimes we’re not in the loop about school events, schedule changes, etc., and I often have to ask my fellow classmates or the other online learners what’s going on because I don’t receive an email from school.” Sara Yamada ‘22 said she feels that the most important thing that Agnes Irwin needs to improve upon for its at-home learners is the school wifi, because, when she was online for the duration of the winter, “Classes cut out all the time and it was super annoying.” It is also difficult for online students to have to stare at a screen for so long in order to keep up with their work; Laila Lewis shared that working in her room all day can get tiring and mundane, and that things would be “improved if teachers occasionally provided asynchronous work (like last year) so that [she] could take a break if needed.”
What online students miss most about in person school is definitely social interaction with their friends, classmates, and the wider Agnes Irwin community. These things, unfortunately, the school “just can’t replicate” for online students, according to Sara. While in-person students enjoy social outside lunches with each other and special activities like the “Movement Moments” which were offered during the Impact Symposium, students at home do not get to participate in these events. Xingrui says she doesn’t “want to spend the rest of my junior year only in my bedroom. I think COVID will likely hang with us for some more time, so I need to go back to the ‘old normal’ as long as I follow the protocols.” Similarly, Laila says, “While I do enjoy comforts of home like sleeping in, I miss seeing my classmates and teachers and would appreciate the chance to spend less time online.” In the fourth quarter especially, more students have returned to campus than ever this year, and the students who have been in person since September are glad to have them back.
At the time of this writing, Agnes Irwin has not yet announced what the next school year will look like and whether or not at-home learning will be an option again. If it is, hopefully the school administrators will be sure to gather significant feedback from students who have spent the majority of the year at home, such as that which is quoted in this article. In the meanwhile, students should make sure to reach out to their at-home friends and do their part to ensure that the Agnes Irwin community remains close and connected. It is very fortunate that Agnes Irwin is able to provide flexible learning options to students and faculty this year, and we must all take advantage of our learning opportunities here.
Works Cited
Hanna, Maddie, and Kristen A. Graham. “Many private schools are planning to open in person as public schools are stuck online.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, www.inquirer.com/education/pennsylvania-archdiocese-philadelphia-private-schools-reopening-20200816.html. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
Hanna, Maddie, et al. “COVID-19 HAS UPENDED EDUCATION. HOW WILL SCHOOLS SOLVE FOR LEARNING LOSS?” The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Philadelphia Inquirer, www.inquirer.com/education/a/pennsylvania-education-students-pandemic-learning-loss-20210408.html. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
Lewis, Laila. Interview. 21 Apr. 2022.
Mezzacappa, Dale. “Nine COVID-19 outbreaks in 100-plus Philly private schools since the fall, health department says.” Whyy. Whyy, whyy.org/articles/nine-covid-19-outbreaks-in-100-plus-philly-private-schools-since-the-fall-health-department-says/. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
Reilly, Katie. “Public Schools Will Struggle Even More as Parents Move Kids to Private Ones During the Pandemic.” Time. Time, time.com/5885106/school-reopening-coronavirus/. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
Smith, Phoebe. Interview. 21 Apr. 2021.
Yamada, Sara. Interview. 21 Apr. 2021.
Yan, Xingrui. Interview. 21 Apr. 2021.
