# data[].attributes.headline
Principals Bear the Brunt of Parental Anger, Staff Fatigue as COVID Drags on

# data[].attributes.subject
Principals Bear the Brunt of Parental Anger, Staff Fatigue as COVID Drags on

# data[].attributes.body
This article written by Andrew Ujifusa addresses how parents are encouraging students to defy mask mandates in schools. One judge issued an injunction to prevent protests and rallies that “disrupt educational services” in response to the protests at a school in Vancouver. Principals are suffering from conflicts over controversial decisions such as mask mandates, quarantines, and vaccines. One instance included three men who were seeking to arrest a principal using zip ties at her school in Tucson, Arizona. Principles are now an easy target to others issues on the mask mandate regarding COVID-19. Principles are also dealing with teacher absences due to COVID-19, students quarantining and still being able to learn, and on top of that dealing with mask mandates and vaccine requirements from their state. With all of this going on, principles are still expected to function and provide a safe learning environment for students, but with all of these issues regarding COVID-19 how are they expected to do this? I think the main take away from this article is with the global pandemic still at large, what can principals do to deal with threats, teachers and students being affected by COVID-19, and dealing with mask mandates and vaccines.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Three men angry about COVID-19 rules seek to "arrest" a principal at her Tucson, Ariz., school using zip ties. As parents shout encouragement, students in Manchester, Mich., brush aside a school employee and enter a high school without masks in defiance of a local mandate. A judge issues an injunction to prevent protests and rallies that "disrupt educational services" following unrest at a Vancouver, Wash., school over a mask requirement.

The stress caused by the pandemic in a third consecutive school year has affected educators up and down the organizational chart. But principals are often bearing the brunt of conflicts over evolving and controversial decisions dealing with masks, quarantines, vaccines, and other highly charged issues.

From outside their school walls, they're an easy target of discontent that can disrupt their work. Inside, they face an overwhelming host of concerns covering everything from pandemic-driven teacher absences and jumbled schedules, to the impact of quarantines on student well-being and learning.

For many principals, the hope that this year would be dramatically less challenging is gone or rapidly fading.

Aaron Eyler, the principal of Matawan Regional High School, in Aberdeen, N.J., where an indoor universal masking rule and quarantine policies are in place, must help students who spent all of last year in remote learning adjust to the new mitigation measures. Simultaneously, students and staff who were in buildings last year have a different but necessary adjustment period of their own.

Such varied considerations can weigh heavily on school leaders.

"There are parents and guardians who are very frustrated when they find out about quarantine, when they find out about masking," Eyler said. "But it's an endless conversation, and something that is not going to be solved right now. It's probably not going to be solved in the next year."

Eyler said he's never felt physically in danger during encounters with parents. But the pandemic, and the associated confusing and frequently changing guidelines, have increased the frequency of conversations with frustrated parents.

Superintendents can support COVID-19 protocols, and school boards can adopt policies like universal masking or implement those mandated by the state or recommended by local health authorities. But the pandemic has emphasized a fundamental truth in schools that can be easily overlooked: Principals are the educators who must implement policies adopted by their district-level superiors.

"I know there's a lot of talk about how everyone in school is a leader, and leadership is distributed. It's true in some ways. But ultimately, if you're looking at the school and you have a complaint, you're thinking about the principal," said Paul Manna, a College of William and Mary professor who studies education policy and leadership.

Eyler said facing community concerns or even anger is nothing new. He views it as part of his job. He also sympathizes with frustrated parents; his own children had to go into quarantine several times last year, and his 7th grader missed weeks of in-person schooling. And he's unsure whether his message is resonating broadly among parents: "I don't know that they are buying it from me, to be honest with you."

Nevertheless, if parents must vent, Eyler would prefer to be the target.

"I would rather them yell at me than yell at my administrative team, yell at the teachers, yell at the nurse, yell at the main office people. I would rather them to be angry and yell at me because, to be realistic about it, if they're yelling at me that means that my team is able to do their job."

Schools are in the center of controversy

Schools, of course, have been caught up in or at the center of national political disputes throughout American history. And some principals are dealing with divisions separate from the pandemic, such as the ongoing furor about how teachers should address racism in society.

But policies like mask mandates-particularly in states where districts have opted to implement them or are mandating them in defiance of state prohibitions -are very local, very tangible, and visible. And they don't always come directly from distant federal and state authorities.

That's one of the reasons that the response to policies like universal masking may be much more personal, said Lance Fusarelli, an educational leadership and policy professor at NC State College of Education.

"I am sure that there were some principals that probably got some flak from parents about the common core and stuff like that," Fusarelli said. "But they weren't showing up with zip ties."

Annual turnover among principals is about 18 percent, per federal statistics. Yet whether the pandemic has and will trigger mass resignations remains unclear. A National Association of Secondary School Principals survey last year found 45 percent of principals said COVID-19 spurred them to consider leaving their jobs earlier than they had planned. Yet a RAND Corporation survey of superintendents this summer reported that the pandemic hasn't accelerated principal departures.

That doesn't mean principals aren't still feeling the pressure.

"School is hard business anyway, because you are dealing with people, and you are dealing with relationships," said Jason Leahy, the executive director of the Illinois Principals Association. "As we know as human beings, relationships can be messy at times. But in this environment, when tensions are high and people are not well, and they are hurting because we want to get back to a sense of normalcy that we had prior to the pandemic and really want to make that happen no matter what-this whole confluence of things that's happening right now drives up stress and tensions."

The Carmi-White County School District in rural Illinois was one of the few districts in that state to open all year for in-person schooling last year. Amy Dixon, who leads two school sites in the district, Lincoln and Jefferson Attendance centers, said there was general acceptance of COVID-19 mitigation measures like indoor masking in the 2020-21 school year.

But patience with such policies eventually wore thin, she said, and foreshadowed the anger at the mask mandate from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, for the 2021-22 school year. Some parents, she said, have sent their children to school without masks and have filmed the reaction of the principal.

Most parents, Dixon said, aren't creating such issues. But she's worried about the tangible and negative impact of the tense environment on students, as well as on new principals. And like many, she's concerned about the fatigue and exhaustion among staff.

"We definitely have some parents who are just really against the governor or the governor's mandate or whether or not the governor has the right to mandate and so forth. I just hate that our students are getting dragged into that," Dixon said. "I wish that the frustrations would be aired at our state capitol, through our representatives and legislators."

Tension mixed with confusion

Raul Gaston, the principal of Jefferson Middle School in Villa Park, Ill., said he and his staff watch closely for any possible conflicts, especially during student pick-up and drop-off times. He said his interactions with parents about the state's mask mandate have been minimal, citing one phone call with a concerned parent that was relatively civil.

Yet staff have shared their worries with him about postings on social media that they feared could make their way to the campus, and he's listened, encouraged them to continue reaching out to him about anxieties, and reported their concerns to the district.

"There's conflicting information out there that's not necessarily backed by CDC and by reputable places," Gaston said. "They are just kind of throwing that stuff out there and believe that it's true. So we're competing against that as well."

The shifting nature of the pandemic and responses to it add to the atmosphere of tension principals face within and outside their schools.

Chase Christensen, the principal of Torrington High School in Torrington, Wyo., said the hope in his community that this school year would represent a return to familiar routines painfully disintegrated after just a few days.

As of early September, roughly 10 percent of students were in quarantine, and the school board adopted a mask mandate after starting the year without one. Christensen said he already cancelled a football game, and the volleyball team had to enter quarantine, things that never happened last year and have added to the emotional deflation and whiplash at his school.

That kind of situation underscores how scheduling things and keeping them on the schedule, however difficult those things are to implement, can be very valuable to principals. But the current environment is one in which COVID exposure can empty classrooms in a flash and where safety protocols are in constant flux, said Meredith Honig, a professor at the University of Washington's college of education.

"Now they're dealing with situations where there's new levels of uncertainty around which staff are available. Will staff become ill or face other situations that affect their attendance? There's been a lot of uncertainty about which kids will actually return," Honig said.

And staffing shortages are not just prompted by COVID-19 infection among the teaching staff, but also by the quarantine rules meant to keep students safe.

"It's way underdiscussed," said Scott Crisp, the principal of Jackson Hole High School in Jackson, Wyo., where more than 10 staff members have children who are younger than 4. "Preschools are significantly impacted with the ripples of quarantines and positive tests. When that occurs, there is really no option for a lot of our [teachers'] families than to take the day off from school and be with their children. That's just the reality for families. The educational impact of that is difficult because we lose consistency in the classroom and coupled with shortages of substitute teachers, it has a domino effect on the education learning process. That is a very stressful piece."

Eyler, the New Jersey principal, agreed that the shifting COVID-19 protocols can raise tensions, in part because that causes confusion among parents. The frequency of the changes-though often dictated by evolving knowledge of COVID-19-can leave the impression that school districts are making it up as they go.

"I think the parents are very upset because it's almost like changing your grading procedures in the middle of the marking period," Eyler said. "No one would ever stand for that."

'A societal letdown'

Christensen, Eyler, and Gaston all expressed the sentiment in some form that this year is as hard, if not harder, for them to manage in schools than last year.

"I think it is a societal let-down," said Christensen, who's in his fourth year as the school principal. "There is kind of a feeling that, if everyone would just get vaccinated, they wouldn't be a problem. But people on the other side have their own feelings about it."

Christensen said the rumblings of discontent about masks and quarantines haven't amounted to much so far beyond a few people trying-but failing-to stir up outrage via Facebook: "Everybody's stayed pretty calm." And he's worked hard to ensure students treat staff with respect.

Yet he's keeping an eye on how local officials respond to such backlash. So far, his biggest concern isn't parental outrage, but the stress on his school's teachers. He's tried to cancel staff meetings whenever possible to give people some breathing room.

As for the public, making sure there are forums for frustrations is one strategy that can produce dividends even if it can highlight conflict in the short term.

"We are really focused on making sure that everybody has a voice and being able to have that communication, because if they don't communicate it, we don't know about it," said Gaston, the principal in Villa Park. "That's our number one line of defense."

Honig, of the University of Washington, also stressed that principals should pay close attention to concerns from people from traditionally marginalized communities about things like access to special education services during the pandemic.

"You could call those complaints. But you could also think about it as really good feedback," she said.

Eyler has tried to be creative. He's responded to some parents' concerns about masking students by setting up tables outside for students with special needs so that they can learn outdoors, weather permitting, and unmasked while still following New Jersey rules.

But he also doesn't want to shy away from the inevitable, difficult conversations.

"I do believe that when it comes down to the principalship we have an incredible responsibility to tell parents and guardians and families the truth about what is taking place," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Principals Bear the Brunt of Parental Anger, Staff Fatigue as COVID Drags On

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Three men angry about COVID-19 rules seek to "arrest" a principal at her Tucson, Ariz., school using zip ties. As parents shout encouragement, students in Manchester, Mich., brush aside a school employee and enter a high school without masks in defiance of a local mandate.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Late Work Policy Debate in the Midst of COVID-19

# data[].attributes.subject
The Late Work Policy Debate in the Midst of COVID-19

# data[].attributes.body
This article written by Suzy Winter addressing the late work policy is from The Education Room. Suzy informed us on her previous late work policy before COVID-19, which included emails, phone calls, and chats with her students in person asking why they didn't have their assignments done on time. If there was an extenuating circumstance she would work with them and offer them times to come in and work with her one on one to get the assignments done. However, the district has set policies that teachers are supposed to follow. Since COVID-19 she has kept her same policy with a few changes. The district instructed teachers to have a more lenient late work policy but Winter still encouraged her students to submit assignments on time. However she has learned that not everything needs to be graded and not everyone can work the same hours as they would normally be able to if they were in school. Winter extended her hours to all times of day to help students who are only able to access assignments at night. I agree that the late work policy needs to be changed and the district needs to be more understanding of students extenuating circumstances. I agree with Winter that all students should be given the opportunity to try to reach their full potential even if that takes extra time and extra reminders in and outside of the classroom. Especially in an ever changing world and with a global pandemic still at large.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1987, my husband and I moved back to our hometown to care for my parents. Long story short, my mom had cancer that kept showing up in different places and eventually she passed away a few weeks after scans revealed cancer had moved to her lungs. I had also returned to school to finish my degree during this time. Mom died the night before finals, so I had the experience of asking for extensions or grace for my final exams. All but one teacher allowed me to be excused from taking the tests due to my A average.

The one, demanded I still show up for the final or risk failing the semester because she had heard bogus excuses like this before. The exam was scheduled for the morning of the funeral, yet I did not want to fail, so I showed up already dressed in black. When I turned in the test to her, I stapled a copy of the obituary and funeral program to it because she needed proof.

How she treated me that day has always stuck in my head about how a teacher should NOT be with students who are grieving. At that point in my life, I did not plan on becoming a teacher. That would not come for another 14 years but when I did enter the classroom for the first time; this memory of being made to feel unworthy or less than came with me as well. I always wanted to be the teacher who gave the benefit of the doubt and second chances - especially to those trying their best just to survive outside my classroom.
Dreaded Late Work Policies
Pre-COVID, I did accept late work from my students with assigned penalties: 1st day - 11 points deduction, 2nd -21 point deduction, and 3rd - 31 point deduction as this was the district policy, and like it or not, we had to abide by it. However, I gave a million reminders of due dates whether they were posted clearly on the board, verbally, face to face, Twitter, Remind 101, emails to parents. In my mind, students had no excuse. Our district also had a policy for six-week projects that asked for them to be completed on or before the due date otherwise they were not accepted also. I am a rule follower, so I did just that. I had colleagues who no matter the excuse, chased students down all six weeks getting them to turn in missing work while their students continued to ignore them. The last week of a grading period, they had 30 or more students in their rooms before or after school completing the assignments that were weeks overdue. Teachers were exhausted.

At the time I felt it sent a message that the late work policy did not matter. During this time, I taught Pre-AP the majority of the classes, so sometimes those have a "better" work ethic- or so the myth goes with my colleagues. Yet I still held to my inner vow of being the teacher who gave the benefit of the doubt. I've heard my share of excuses over the years for sure. My Facebook memories even reminded me today of a status I posted lamenting about the parents that particular year begging me to magically fix their child's grade so they could be on the A/B honor roll.

Even with all of my efforts, I still had a good chunk of my students who became lazy and expected a handout because they always have had a teacher who does this because they feel the rules are guidelines or optional. Yet as harsh as this policy may sound, I rarely had push back and had compliance. I felt I held the standard, and students mostly met the challenge, even in my General Education sections did. Some began to see the benefit of turning work in on time. However, if your assignment was late, I always had a conversation with those students to see what was going on. I would ask questions such as: Did you not understand the assignment? Were you scared to start because it had to be just right? Is something going on outside of school I can help with?

I also called or emailed parents to get their side of what was happening with their child. If I heard stories of an unexpected crisis that kept them from completing an assignment, I did not deduct those points. If their parent said the child had played video games instead of doing their homework, I deducted the points. This is where I tried to be reasonable and show compassion, unlike my college professor.
Exceptions to the Rules
For those students going through a tough situation like a death in the family, medical emergencies, a fire destroying their home, divorce, moving, or homelessness, I tried to work with the family to help that child be successful. Many of my students with extenuating circumstances were given the opportunity to come to my classroom before school, homeroom, or after school. A few gave up their lunch (meaning I gave up mine as well) to do the work. They put in the effort to do their best and that's all I asked. For a few, this arrangement became their new normal for the year. One little girl last fall stayed with me every Thursday during her lunch to catch up on assignments because, after the death of her mom the previous Spring, she had to be in charge of the younger siblings in completing their assignments. For all of the students who came in during these times, I did not take the points off either even though they insisted I did to be fair. I always told them, the story of my college professor, and how I wanted to be different. For some of my students, grades did matter to them, but the relationship with them mattered more.

Sometimes students do not complete an assignment because they "didn't get it". Maybe their head was elsewhere when I went over the assignment in class, or they had to leave early. This is why I've always used video conferencing long before it became "popular" with not only my homebound students but all students. I took advantage of making videos of my lessons and uploading them to Google Classroom. For those who might not have understood while in class, they get the chance to hear the directions again online. I tried to eliminate any of their excuses as I could. However, the students who sat in my class day after day causing disruptions, not being on task, etc. who asked for extra credit because surprise, surprise, they were not making that Golden A in class just received a teacher stare. "What can I do to raise my grade higher Miss." they'd ask usually the day grades were due. "Um, how about build a time machine like the Tardis and go back in time and complete the assignments you owe me." would be my standard reply.
Late work and COVID
So what changed? COVID-19 came into the picture. Last Spring when we all went remote nationwide, our district asked us to be lenient on accepting late work. I still hounded my students with emails, texts, and phone calls. There were a few dealing with the virus first hand, but a few were playing Animal Crossing instead of doing the assigned work, which at the time we paired down assignments into bite-size chunks. I took pity on those who had parents working outside the home still while they had to manage siblings completing their assignments on top of their own.

My "classroom hours" went beyond the norm as I met with a few late into the evening hours when they finally had a chance to finish their own work. I'm sure this is the story of many of us even today. I bring this up because on one of the teacher forums I am part of, the question about accepting late work during the pandemic came up. This year is unlike other years. I imagine if I were in the classroom this year, I'd waive my late work policy, but I'd still be on top of students like I was in the Spring.

Whether it's a season or a year, districts need to first trust teachers. I probably would accept the late work this year, but here's the downside. It's that extra work and time we do not have. Teachers are already on the edge of burnout or just completely burned out and a shell of their former selves. So maybe districts should extend the deadline for us on when grades are due? Teachers need to give themselves grace and decide exactly what they will accept late. I've always heard from other veteran teachers "not everything has to be graded." So maybe that is still a valid argument for today.
What is our End of the Year Goal?
During this year of uncertainty, what is the end of the year goal for our students? Is it for them to score well on standardized tests? Or is it to learn the grade-level standards for that year with some amount of mastery?

We all know students may be taught a particular strand in their grade level, but that does not mean they learn it. Some skills are difficult or quickly taught before it becomes sticky in their brain. So, students will come to us with gaps. In 7th grade, you'd think every student would know what a conjunction was or the purpose of one right? Or even how to capitalize the pronoun, I? This is taught in 3rd grade in our state, so I'm sure it's not much different from others. It just means for me, when there are a handful of students sitting there clueless on these basic skills, I just need to reinforce and reteach. We are at a point in the academic history of our students that we need to accept that next year and the future years, there might be some reteaching going on to fill in those gaps created in 2020.

With all of this, teachers must decide what late work you are willing to accept. Maybe the work that truly measures a skill you want to be sure they have acquired. Take advantage of formative assessments through conferences and such without assigning "tests" all the time. When grading these assignments, or any assignments, use a teacher-friendly rubric and only assess what is on the rubric. As an English teacher, I have to force myself to grade this way because I want to mark EVERYTHING or fix EVERYTHING which takes up precious time I do not have.
Final Thought
This year should force schools across the nation to rethink policies around late work that they hold near and dear to their hearts because students are not the only ones missing from our classes this year. We have teachers also missing due to quarantine or even worse - death. Missing teachers still have to assess the learning of their students right? I do hope districts are not out there requiring a teacher in a hospital bed to grade student's work. The times have changed, so we need to change with them and it starts with extending grace to all concerned.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Late Work Policy Debate in the Midst of COVID-19 - The Educators Room

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 1987, my husband and I moved back to our hometown to care for my parents. Long story short, my mom had cancer that kept showing up in different places and eventually she passed away a few weeks after scans revealed cancer had moved to her lungs.