The Hypothesis

Go behind the scenes of a PreK - 8th grade charter school in Santa Fe, New Mexico making decisions around whether to open school for in-person learning and how to do so amid a global pandemic. Set at Turquoise Trail Charter School, the state's oldest and fourth largest charter school, you'll meet teachers and administrators who are grappling with how to walk the fine line between public health and public policy during an historic moment in time. As a charter school, Turquoise Trail is able to make decisions both as a school and as a district and is directly accountable. Given that the school serves students across a wide range of ages, the tradeoffs and unintended consequences of decision making is even more complex. Younger students are more directly in need of in-person learning, given that they learn more through socialization, so the drive to get them in school sooner is urgent. Amid the complexity of site-based decision making in this context, the State of New Mexico's Public Education Department continues to issue guidelines that sometimes alter school opening timelines entirely. Along side the story of this school, topics such as the politics and sociology of schools will be explored in this context.

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The Hypothesis

Introduction to "The Hypothesis"

September 29, 2020 • Christopher Eide • Season 1 • Episode 1

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has caused schools to make decisions that they have never had to make before and to change the way in which students are educated. This podcast offers you access into a school that, like many schools across the world, is walking the fine line between public education and public health in an evolving context.

New Mexico has been among the most restrictive states in the country with regard to COVID-19, and is treating the opening of schools with an abundance of caution. This caution has led to increasing uncertainty around school opening, mounting guidelines, and tension between school leaders and the state.

In this introductory episode, you will get a brief overview of the podcast and episodes to come.

Presented by Turquoise Trail Charter School in Santa Fe, New Mexico.