In this Google Meet, recorded in June 2021 after more than a year of virtual learning, we discuss the systemic failures that virtual schooling exposed and the ongoing communication breakdowns between students, teachers, and administration. The conversation sheds light on the emotional toll, the inequities in the system, and the persistent denial of institutional accountability.
Although these students’ voices—like those in November 2020—were ignored then, they now serve as invaluable primary sources that challenge the narrative of education during the pandemic. As the school system attempted to return to “normal,” students shared their frustrations with being forced to navigate an experiment that left many of them struggling.
My advocacy for students—based on the very principles my school had taught me—ultimately led to me being labeled a pariah and painfully treated as one. But we need to protect students, and we need to protect integrity.
Voices of the Unheard: June 2, 2021