Pandemic Aftershock: Looking Back & Moving Forward
By Dr. Victor Simon
Superintendent
Gower SD 62
The Onset of Crisis
After a slow head shake and an audible and sustained exhale, I will tell you, like most school districts, we did our best to manage at the onset of the crisis. We worked harder than could have been previously imagined holding it all together and we continue to do so. And we tried — and still try — to remain calm, deliberate and rational every step of the way throughout this impossible challenge. As the sense of crisis may be waning, the pandemic continues to have a significant impact on schools, and we can expect the aftereffects to reverberate for some time. In many ways, the 2021-22 school year is actually proving to be more difficult than the last as increased political tension and the polarization of school-related issues may just be one crisis replacing another. But keep in mind, “crisis doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” This is true for individuals as well as organizations.