We Are All in This Together

Dr. Tim Riff • Cahn Fellow 2021

The COVID epidemic had a deeply deleterious effect on the state of education worldwide. After an extended period of isolation and learning from home, students returned to school. It was only then that we were able to witness and assess the damage that had been done. Anxiety and depression spiked among students and staff, and we have since been diligently working on addressing learning loss.

The deterioration of the relationship between the school and community created an additional profound challenge for us. Political differences blossomed into open conflict over COVID protocols. As a result, many families left Chicago Public Schools, and the enrollment of our school dropped from 726 to 595. Over the course of this project, we have made significant progress in restoring that relationship, and that work continues.