Monthly QuotED: 9 Notable Quotes That Made Education Headlines in May, From Urban Riots to the Digital Divide — and Caring for School Pets During the Pandemic

QuotED is a roundup of the most notable quotes behind America’s top education headlines — taken from our weekly EduClips, which spotlights headlines from America’s 15 largest school districts. Read previous EduClips installments here.

“Thankfully a flute had her number.” —Alejandro Jaime Salazar, band director at Highland High School in San Antonio, on how he found the last of the missing members of his Mighty Owl Band. Educators had been searching for 4,000 students missing during the pandemic. (Read at The74Million.org)

“We ride that seesaw every day — is it a good idea? We’re not taking this lightly. We don’t want people to think we’re being irresponsible by making this choice. We’re trying to do what we feel is in the best interest of the students.” —Bonnie Lower, district superintendent in Willow Creek, Montana, where a small school opened in May to students and staff. (Read at USA Today)

“For many schools that serve predominantly black and brown low-income communities, moments like now are why we teach.” —Leslie-Bernard Joseph, chief executive officer at Coney Island Preparatory charter schools in Brooklyn, on teaching students about race and violence in the wake of the riots sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Read at Chalkbeat)

“They need to do whatever it takes to make sure that they can get learning into the homes of these kids. We haven’t been thinking creatively. If the Department of Health can set up tents in Central Park with hospital beds and air systems and drive-up testing sites, and we can’t find ways to promote internet access for our kids to get online for school, then we’ve failed.” —Nicol Turner-Lee, a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation. (Read at The 74Million.org)

“This is presenting very much like a common childhood illness, which it is not. This is a novel diagnosis that doesn’t exactly have a name, doesn’t exactly have a timeline, doesn’t exactly have a protocol. We didn’t learn about this in medical school.” —Dr. Katie Schafer, a general pediatrician who has a private practice in Birmingham, Michigan, on a new coronavirus-like strain that largely affects children. (Read at The New York Times)

“Schools are a mixing cauldron for disease. Kids interacting in close proximity is a really good environment for the transmission of respiratory viruses. Opening them early is not the strategy I would recommend.” —Jeffrey Shaman, one of the nation’s leading epidemiologists, who teaches at Columbia University. (Read at The74Million.org)

“When I am missing two-thirds of my kids each day, there is a ceiling to how well it can go. But I am proud of what we have done and how the school is responding. We’re making the most of a bad situation.” —Jonathan Faber, who teaches English and social studies to recent immigrants at Coolidge High in Washington, D.C. (Read at The Washington Post)

“Normally, we hear mostly from families who are struggling and who are in some level of dispute. But we have heard from a number of families saying, ‘This has really been a blessing for us.’” —Denise Stile Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc., on the surprising number of special needs students who have thrived educationally during the pandemic. (Read at The74Million.org)

“I worry about the two frogs the most. They have the most care involved.” —Mary Pfeifer, New York City teacher, in an email to parents, asking who would be willing to invite classroom pets into their homes during the pandemic. (Read at NPR)

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