COVID-19 hurt Manatee County’s most vulnerable students. There are ways to help

The abrupt transition to online learning was uncomfortable and often confusing for students throughout Florida, but for some families it was life-altering.

The School District of Manatee County has more than a dozen Title I schools, which serve “economically disadvantaged students,” a term used to describe children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

In day-to-day life, being “economically disadvantaged” can mean a host of things for students and their families, said Tami VanOverbeke, the principal of Manatee Elementary School.

“Where other people go home and have dinner with their families, some of my kids don’t,” she said. “They don’t know what that looks like. Guardians’ or parents’ main concern is not homework — it’s where’s my next meal coming from? Am I able to pay rent? Can I pay my utilities? Is someone going to break in? You know, they’re not in the safest neighborhoods.”

“They come to school with many, many more challenges and things on their mind, trauma experiences, than kids who are not in Title I schools,” she continued.

‘Some didn’t connect at all’

At Manatee Elementary, where 100 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, kids struggled to continue their education.

The school was still finalizing its data on Friday, but in fourth and fifth grades, fewer than 20 percent of students completed at least 75 percent of online assignments, according to the principal.

“Some didn’t connect at all,” she said. “Lots of kids didn’t do any assignments. Some kids only did i-Ready, which gets to my next point: some of my parents are essential employees.”

“They go to work all day. They didn’t have time to help their kids, which was really difficult for them and for us. Some of my staff members have their own kids, but they’re online all day, supporting the kids from Manatee Elementary, so they found it difficult to support their own kids online.”

VanOverbeke shared her experience during a virtual forum on Friday afternoon. Manatee Community Foundation hosted the event, “Vulnerable Students and Education During COVID-19.”

The pandemic forced students online in late March, shortly after they left for spring break, creating a logistical nightmare for local schools and their families. Before students could access their digital classrooms, teachers had to transfer all their lessons to an online format.

“It happened so quickly, there really wasn’t time to train staff for the online platform. Some teachers are very good at technology, and not all of them,” VanOverbeke said.

“Trying to do things on your own from home became difficult for some of them,” she continued. “Some staff responded very well. Many of them came into work in their rooms so they could get help.”

Teachers had about two weeks to make the leap from in-person to online learning, and their hard work only paid off for the students who had access to computers and internet access.

The school district installed WiFi devices at dozens of schools to provide internet access at parking lots and car loops. The district also installed devices on its school buses, creating a fleet of mobile hotspots in the county’s remote areas.

“We had tables set up outside, and we had families on blankets in the yard, because they used our internet and because I had so many teachers here, readily available to help kids,” VanOverbeke said.

Still, even with access to computers and the internet, many families struggled with virtual learning. More than half of the students at Manatee Elementary came from Spanish-speaking families this year.

“They found it hard to help their kids at home in English,” the principal said. “Everything was in English.”

And despite the efforts of school and district staff, VanOverbeke said she was unable to reach some families after school closed and classes went online.

How to help in the 2020-2021 school year

The school district will soon release a survey to parents and community organizations, welcoming feedback on three possible plans for the 2020-2021 school year: completely reopen schools, continue with online learning or rotate students between the two.

It was unclear what the upcoming school year would bring, but it was obvious that students would need the full support of their community, VanOverbeke said.

Some children require “interventions,” meaning extra help in small groups or one-on-one sessions, and many were unable to attend the scheduled help online. Students will need help after the loss of valuable learning time, and many would have needs beyond their education.

“They haven’t been out of their houses,” VanOverbeke said. “They haven’t been near people.”

The best way to help, she said, was to volunteer at local schools, providing students with the individual attention they need. The principal said she also needed donations to fund the extra learning hours.

“I need you here on a regular basis because many of them have attachment issues, and someone who says they’re going to come and doesn’t come, it’s really hard on my kids,” she said.

VanOverbeke — who can be reached at vanoverbeket@manateeschools.net — was joined by several others on Friday afternoon.

Kevin Chapman, director of strategic planning for the school district, said he would brainstorm ways to improve the digital classroom and families’ access to technology. There was a high likelihood that online learning would have a presence in the new year, even if it were only part time.

Chapman applauded the Manatee Education Foundation for its COVID-19 Relief Fund, found at mefinfo.org. He said the fundraising effort helped to pay for much-needed WiFi devices, adding to the hundreds of hotspots and thousands of laptops currently provided by the district.

Amanda Horne, who created the Dive Into Reading summer program with her husband, John, was in need of mentors. While this year’s program would be online, it was more important than ever to connect with students, Horne said.

She said the children would receive a backpack full of books, and that mentors would meet their students via Zoom, an online conferencing tool.

To learn more and sign up as a mentor, visit diveintoreading.net.

“This is such a different environment for all of us,” she said. “We’re flying by the seat of our pants, basically, but we really believe our children need that extra help, and they need to know that somebody else cares about them. They’re stuck in their homes.”

Soar in 4 is an organization that supports 4-year-olds as they navigate preschool, preparing them for success in elementary school and beyond. It often invites families to learn and play at free events, and while they may look different, the activities will continue.

Sheila Halpin, a volunteer coordinator, said there would be a drive-thru event from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on June 3, at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Families will receive take-home activities and learn from “Maybe Something Beautiful,” a book about the positive impact of art.

She also said the organization needed donations to overcome new challenges. To learn more or donate, visit soarin4.org.

“It’s actually going to be the most expensive Soar in 4 we’ve ever done,” Halpin said. “Not only demonstrating the materials, we’re providing materials for 250 households. We don’t typically do that.”

To overcome the hardships created by COVID-19, the community must come together, said Luz Corcuera, the executive director of UnidosNow.

Her organization aims to empower the Latino community through education and civic engagement. Under the pressures of COVID-19, her team advocated for families as they dealt with lost jobs, mounting bills and the shift to online learning.

UnidosNow updated its website, listing resources to help families during the pandemic, and many of its programs continued online. Corcuera said her organization needed support to continue its efforts, whether it be money or gently-used laptops and tablets.

To learn more or donate, visit unidosnow.org.

“It’s a very complex task and the only way we can afford to help anyone is by working together,” she said.

This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 5:01 AM.