Gordon State Hosts Statewide Conference on COVID’s Effects on Education
Gordon State College recently hosted a statewide virtual event as it worked with The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education to present its first Regional Summit of 2021, titled "Pathways To and Through Post-secondary in the COVID-19 Recovery."
More than 300 people viewed the event that covered topics that highlighted education’s role in the region’s economic development as everyone deals with a new, post-COVID normal.
Dr. Kirk A. Nooks, president of Gordon State College, moderated a panel composed of regional superintendents representing the K-12 education sector. Dr. Dana Rickman, president of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, moderated a similar panel of presidents representing the region’s colleges.
“Education is the essential driver of personal success and economic success for Georgia,” said Dr. Rickman.
Both panels spoke about the challenges and solutions they have experienced in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Post-secondary panelists discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on enrollment and retention and they also addressed the biggest obstacles students experience in earning a post-secondary credential.
The K-12 panel spent much of its time discussing the impact the pandemic has had on students’ post-high school plans and the efforts school districts are taking to keep their students on a path towards earning a postsecondary credential.
“I’m happy about the connection we’re making between education and inclusive economic recovery for the region,” Dr. Nooks said. “We’re all in the same storm, but we are experiencing it in different ways.”
Education leaders from around the region said that students struggle with the decision of what to do after they graduate high school. Many of them have opted to enter the workforce and, therefore, delay their post-secondary education plans as they support their families as they navigate the trials and tribulations associated with the pandemic. Students who do go on to college are beginning to do so as high school seniors who are dually enrolled in college.
The panel also discussed the importance of community partnerships and their role in helping K-12 and post-secondary students navigate the challenges COVID-19 presented. As workforce needs continue to shift, internships and externships are going to play a big role in education.
School districts are making investments in teaching students how to be more self-directed in order to be successful in the new gig economy that requires many workers to function without being managed. At the same time, K-12 schools are emphasizing the importance of students learning how to collaborate because effective collaboration is a skill that the modern workforce requires.
Addressing the “summer melt” was another topic the panel discussed. The “melt” occurs when students who had committed to attending a post-secondary institution after high school change their plans and enter the workforce or opt to take a gap year. The panel discussed ways to keep students engaged and in a communication loop throughout the summer.
Affording the cost of college was also a theme of the discussion. Several leaders expressed their concern that students struggle with high tuition and K-12 systems need to partner with post-secondary institutions to create awareness of financial aid and scholarship packages that are available to them as the cost of education is a roadblock to finishing a post-secondary program.
“Our students need to be able to not only start college, they also need to be able to finish,” said Dr. Morcease Beasley, superintendent of Clayton County Public Schools.
Following is a list of panel participants:
● Samantha M. Fuhrey, Superintendent, Newton County School System
● Dr. Morcease J. Beasley, Superintendent, Clayton County Public Schools
● Dr. Michael Duncan, Superintendent, Pike County Schools
● Dr. Tim Hynes, President, Clayton State University
● Dr. Alvetta Peterman Thomas, President, Southern Crescent Technical College
● Dr. Ivan H. Allen, President, Central Georgia Technical College
● Dr. Kirk A. Nooks, President, Gordon State College