The famous 12th century philosopher Maimonides tells us, “A person should always take care not to cast his thoughts backwards, for his eyes are placed on his face and not his back.” With this, Maimonides reminds us of the value of looking forward without dwelling too much on the past, or even the present. His words ring especially true in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

With more and more schools committed to virtual learning for the rest of the school year, our minds are all occupied with questions about how to create community when we’re not together, how to engage students in authentic learning when behind a device, and how to support teachers through a process that is new to everyone. While these are all important questions in achieving our present goal of minimizing interruption for student growth and learning, we also must  keep in mind the big-picture future of our schools.

Spring is generally the time planning for the next school year really gets started. It’s the time administrative meetings begin to focus on questions such as: What are our professional development goals for next year? How might we make parent communication more effective? Can we tweak the schedule to be more aligned with our learning philosophy? These and other questions are usually hot topics this time of year, and we should continue to consider them, even in the midst of world events. However, these shouldn’t be the only questions we are considering. 

COVID-19 has forced everyone out of routine. It has shifted thinking away from, “What have we always done?” to “How can we think creatively to accomplish our goals?” We have all been forced to re-examine aspects which have always been fundamental to our schools and to see them in new and different ways. 

Many of our schools have been considering some of these bigger questions for years, through the lens of how Jewish day schools can stay relevant in the 21st century, looking at shifting pedagogy, supporting teachers in risk-taking, and emphasizing the teaching and learning of future-ready skills. While change isn’t easy, it is especially hard when you try to do it gradually, while also maintaining the status quo. Enter coronavirus. COVID-19 has forced everyone to change in significant, swift, and unanticipated ways, disrupting all that we knew and forcing a whole new level of resilience, adaptability, and risk-taking.

With all of this ambiguity and disruption, we also have a wonderful opportunity to hit the “reset” button and truly examine what has been working and what hasn’t before rushing to put our schools back to a pre-coronavirus state. This is a great time to take on the mindset of an entrepreneurial educator, meaning:

• Rather than feeling threatened, view changes in the external environment as opportunities.

• Rather than feeling defensive, proactively seek new initiatives created by change and competition.

• Rather than relying on formal lines of authority, empower all staff and stakeholders to step up as needed.

• Rather than focusing on preserving the traditional education system, constantly consider what is best for students and families and how to support that goal.

 With this approach in mind, in addition to all of the usual questions we ask ourselves to prepare for next year, perhaps consider some of these as well:

• What are we currently learning about the value of community that can help strengthen our school and our students’ learning and growth?

• What are the benefits of virtual learning that should be integrated into our program? How can it help us personalize students’ learning experiences? How can it help us extend the walls of the classroom?

• How can we continue to connect with people outside of our school community (professional networks, resource sharing, etc.)? 

• What does “school” really mean if it isn’t tied to a physical building, set schedules, and standardized testing?

• What does it mean for a school to be future-ready?

At Einstein Academy, a new private school opening in Denver this August, we have been taking on the mindset of entrepreneurial educators and thinking about three distinct pieces:

• How are we supporting families and students for the duration of this school year?

• How can we be a resource for the community over the summer, whether or not summer camps open?

• How can we continue with our plans to open a brand new school in just a few months, while navigating everything else going on in the world —recognizing that we need to be prepared to open physically or virtually?

In essence, that means we are running three distinct operations at the same time, which is both slightly overwhelming and completely necessary. To focus only on our goal of opening a school in the fall would mean that we aren’t playing our part in supporting families and Jewish education during this challenging time. And, as a school that is built upon filling community needs and being responsive to the world around us, that is just not an option. Similarly, while schools generally do not take on responsibility for student growth and engagement over the summer, with all of the ambiguity families are facing right now, we feel we need to assure them that we are loyal partners, and we won’t abandon them for June and July. However, while these two priorities may be the most time-sensitive, we cannot focus solely upon them. Ultimately, we are opening a brand new school in less than five months and need to continue planning for that, so we need to find a balance 

The sun will rise tomorrow. Fall 2020 will arrive. We will witness a post COVID-19 world (maybe before or maybe after fall 2020). And we need to plan for all of it. We mustn’t find ourselves in a situation where we were so consumed with reflecting on the past and navigating the present that we forgot about the future. We cannot set ourselves up for failure by not being prepared and by not taking advantage of this opportunity, using our eyes to keep looking forward.

Dr. Sarah Levy and Mark Parmet are co-founders and co-heads of school of Einstein Academy, a Jewish day school scheduled to open in the Denver, Colorado area in the fall of 2020.