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.
The Hypothesis
The Kids Are Coming Back!
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Protect the Pack Productions
On Monday, March 8, 2021, the New Mexico Secretary of Education announced that schools should resume full, in-person learning by April 5, 2021.
In this episode, Head Administrator Chris Eide records a short, early morning audio message to a friend detailing the confluence of factors that must be resolved in order for the school to successfully reopen as well as some of the most elusive challenges that he is anticipating.
We hope that you enjoy this candid moment amid an optimistic time.
Brought to you by Protect the Pack Productions at Turquoise Trail Charter Schools, Santa Fe, New Mexico.