Former Lewisburg Area School District superintendent Dr. Mark DiRocco, in a 2016 On The Mark appearance. Dr. DiRocco is now executive director of the PA Association of School Administrators
All learning models have drawbacks; online is the safest method
HARRISBURG – In person education is ideal, but online learning might be required…Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, Dr. Mark DiRocco, is weighing in on the balancing act school districts are faced with during COVID-19. Dr. DiRocco is also the former superintendent of the Lewisburg Area School District and says the best learning environment is one that’s in-person, full-time, and collaborative with other kids and teachers. So, what should schools do this fall?
“That is the $64,000 question, isn’t it?” says Dr. DiRocco, “I think what schools really have to do is take a look at what’s going on in their local region, talk to their medical professionals, if they do have a department of health representative in their area, they certainly should be talking with those professionals. And, make the best decisions with the information that you have,” he said.
DiRocco says social distancing and other safety guidelines make in-person and hybrid options difficult for some districts, but even online programs have their drawbacks, “That is proven to be a pretty inadequate form of instruction over a long-term basis, but that is your highest safety venue where you’re really going to limit exposure to the virus. And, if there is a outbreak in the community, you’re not going to have, you know, four or five, or six-hundred kids in the building who could be spreading it to other students and other staff members.”
DiRocco says some kids do thrive in an online environment when they have a strong support system at home. He says one of the biggest concerns is eliminating both sports and arts programs, “You know, all those things we want our kids to have, they learn just as much of those important life skills and life traits in those environments as they do in a classroom. So year, they are very, very important.”
Just as you should use local date to determine to open schools or not, DiRocco says extra-curricular activities should also be regionally, using local data and being flexible as the pandemic and alternate learning options evolve. You can hear Dr. DiRocco’s full interview on the WKOK podcast page.
