csmonitor--2020-03-25--Daily for March 25, 2020

Daily for March 25, 2020

Times of crisis can bring out the worst in people , but they also , undoubtedly , draw out humanity ’ s best instincts too .
From residents of cities across Europe stepping onto their balconies each evening to applaud the country ’ s healthcare workers ; to perfume , alcohol , and clothing companies pivoting to produce hand sanitizers and face masks ; to simple , individual acts like buying a sick neighbor groceries or checking in on an elderly friend , people around the world are reacting to fear and uncertainty with solidarity and kindness .
As Fred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a boy and I would see scary things in the news , my mother would say to me , “ Look for the helpers .
You will always find people who are helping.
” We ’ ve asked Monitor reporters around the world to point out the helpers in their own communities .
They ’ ve vetted charities , from food banks to animal shelters , assisting hard-hit communities around the world .
We ’ ve included a description of the work each charity is doing , and how you can donate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of half-pints of chocolate milk when a Boston-area school suddenly shuts down ?
Call Food Link , a nonprofit started in 2012 and powered almost entirely by volunteers , with only five paid staff .
They salvage 1,500 pounds of food a day from grocery stores and redistribute it to people who need it , from low-income seniors to community college students .
Now , the crisis is testing their creativity as they try to figure out what to do with half-gallons of cream from a local ice cream shop and pre-made sandwiches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their regular donating stores have less to hand over due to increased consumer demand .
But their nearly 250 volunteers have risen to the occasion .
“ More volunteers have had to jump in in ways they didn ’ t before , ” says co-founder Julie Kremer , who is also unpaid .
“ It ’ s wonderful .
They ’ re so dedicated .
...
They come at the drop of a hat.
” Click here to donate to Food Link .
Cora Bailey can tell how her society is doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And right now , thing aren ’ t looking good .
Her organization , Community Led Animal Welfare ( CLAW ) , has taken in 60 surrendered dogs this week – four times the normal figure .
Their owners , who come mostly from South Africa ’ s working class , told her they lost their jobs as businesses closed and families told their gardeners , builders , and cleaners to stay home without pay amid the country ’ s growing coronavirus outbreak .
Operating from a cluster of decaying buildings in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CLAW is a catch-all charity for the shack settlements that surround it .
In addition to a free vet clinic and animal shelter , it provides emergency assistance ( including food , clothing , and medicine ) to local residents , and lately , hundreds of peanut butter and banana sandwiches daily to fill the stomachs of out-of-school kids with nowhere else to get a midday meal .
As South Africa ’ s economy continues to tumble , Ms. Bailey says it is poor communities like this one that will feel the effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all putting ourselves at risk to be here , but we can ’ t just close willy-nilly and abandon the people who count on us , ” she says .
Click here to donate to Community Led Animal Welfare .
Earthquakes , fires , drought – California has seen it all .
But nothing like the novel coronavirus , which has caused an unprecedented disruption in daily life here .
Residents across the state are now being told to shelter in place , and the governor expects public schools won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti never misses an opportunity to highlight a fund to help Angelenos get through the COVID-19 crisis .
The Mayor ’ s Fund provides support for families affected by the coronavirus ( child care , meals etc . )
, equipment for health response , and help for the homeless , such as sanitizing stations .
The city of San Francisco has a similar fund .
These , and other funds that are helping California communities cope with the outbreak and its vast fallout , can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 600 foundations , corporate funders , individual philanthropists , and government agencies in the state .
Click here to find funds in California .
Then click on `` response funds . ''
Mr. Riss , a retired bank employee , runs Relais Alimentaire , a local food bank in the northern French town of Bayeux .
He relies on donations of produce near its sell-by date from supermarkets .
But as panic-buying swept the town , those supermarkets had nothing left to sell , let alone give away .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the blue , heaven-sent , ” says Mr. Riss .
In Bayeux , like the rest of France , the government closed all schools indefinitely on Monday , leaving many with a week ’ s worth of food in their kitchens .
“ This is bad for the schools , but it ’ s good news for us , ” Mr. Riss says .
“ We feed about 300 people every week , and now we are supplying a homeless shelter which used only to provide breakfast .
But with the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals.
” The school food “ was a one-off , but it came just at the right time , ” Mr. Riss says .
With the canned goods and other nonperishables that Relais Alimentaire has in stock “ we are good for about two weeks , ” he says .
“ Then we ’ ll see.
” Click here to donate to Relais Alimentaire .
Seattle ’ s award-winning Recovery Café , founded in 2003 , has made its mark serving hundreds of thousands of meals and providing other critical services to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , addiction , or abuse .
Far more than a food kitchen , the café is an unconditionally welcoming community where every person contributes to others ’ healing .
Or , as founding director K. Killian Noe says simply : It is a place where people are “ both deeply known and deeply loved.
” Today , although the café ’ s interior is closed , its work continues , providing meals for pickup seven days a week .
Donations can be made here .
Solid Ground , another Seattle-area nonprofit , works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and helps more than 75,000 households a year with programs to address homelessness , hunger , and other needs .
Solid Ground , building on more than 40 years of experience , now operates 22 programs across King County and Washington state .
In the current crisis , Solid Ground has innovated to continue its work , for example by coordinating prepackaged food deliveries and providing school lunch pickup for families with children who need meals .
It is also providing transportation to additional shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness .
Click @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ground .
Few organizations understand the needs and vulnerabilities of the 70-plus million people around the world forced to flee their homes like the Oslo-based Norwegian Refugee Council .
That also makes the NRC one of the best at recognizing the challenges of stopping the spread of the coronavirus in cramped refugee camps , such as those in Syria , where water is limited and social distancing a dream .
To help fight the COVID-19 outbreak – and prevent camps especially in the Middle East from threatening the rest of the world through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2 million to 4 million the number of people it helps with water and sanitation , and deepen health and public awareness campaigns in places where such lifesaving information can be scarce .
Click here to donate to Norwegian Refugee Council .
Working to fight child poverty in Germany since 1995 , Die Arche ( “ The Ark ” ) is facing new challenges as families are thrust together like never before .
Across the country , school ’ s out because of COVID-19 , and 90 % of the adults the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are afraid the children will face major problems : Sexual violence , physical violence , nothing to eat , ” says press liaison Wolfgang Büscher .
“ I met a family yesterday , a single mother [ living ] in four rooms with 12 children suddenly home .
They have time , but no idea what to do with their kids.
” During normal times , the organization ’ s staff help about 4,500 kids daily with leisure activities and learning , but during the coronavirus crisis their focus has shifted toward delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SIM cards directly to the children .
“ So a child can call us directly if he ’ s experiencing violence , ” says Mr. Büscher .
Click here to donate to Die Arche .
The Central Texas Food Bank serves a 21-county area that ’ s about twice the size of Massachusetts .
Last year it provided food for about 50,000 people each week .
Since a state of emergency was declared in Texas over the coronavirus pandemic , CEO Derrick Chubbs says they ’ re already seeing a “ dramatic increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially for “ mobile pantries.
” Mr. Chubbs said a mobile pantry that typically serves 100 people recently served 400 .
To meet that growing need the CTFB is putting together emergency boxes of food that people can pick up at mobile locations to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 .
Risk of spread is also hampering the organization ’ s use of volunteers , with an average of 80 volunteers each shift last year now restricted to 10 .
Thus the best way people can help is with monetary donations ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online .
They can also volunteer online .
CTFB stocks its pantries with food from grocery stores , so if you live in Central Texas , Mr. Chubbs asks that if you ’ re not food insecure you purchase only the groceries you need .
Click here to donate to Central Texas Food Bank .
In Mexico , the culinary guide and website Culinaria Mexicana is rallying to help the food and hospitality industry face the repercussions of widespread closures and an expected quarantine .
It ’ s organizing lists of restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gastronomic bonds ” to support them .
That may be a donation of 500 or 1000 pesos ( $ 20 to $ 40 ) that the restaurants can use to pay their staff , pay rent , or keep the electricity on .
The restaurants , in turn , will offer perks .
For some , that means a party once the pandemic is under control and life returns to normal .
Others are promising cooking classes , or restaurant swag , like sweatshirts .
There is no central donation platform , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach out to locales directly .
Culinaria Mexicana is curating a list that ’ s updated daily .
Norma Listman , co-chef and founder of the Mexican-Indian fusion restaurant Masala y Maiz encourages people to donate or lend a hand to restaurants no matter where they are in the world .
“ Support the restaurant or the places that have marked something special to you .
Remember that restaurant , whether on vacation in Mexico or Italy , and support the place that gave you a memorable experience so that we can keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a list of restaurants in Mexico accepting gastronomic bonds .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , we ’ ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Global giving: Easing coronavirus fears with kindness Collapse
Times of crisis can bring out the worst in people, but they also, undoubtedly, draw out humanity’s best instincts too. From residents of cities across Europe stepping onto their balconies each evening to applaud the country’s healthcare workers; to perfume, alcohol, and clothing companies pivoting to produce hand sanitizers and face masks; to simple, individual acts like buying a sick neighbor groceries or checking in on an elderly friend, people around the world are reacting to fear and uncertainty with solidarity and kindness. As Fred Rogers famously said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
We’ve asked Monitor reporters around the world to point out the helpers in their own communities. They’ve vetted charities, from food banks to animal shelters, assisting hard-hit communities around the world. We’ve included a description of the work each charity is doing, and how you can donate.
Food Link, Boston
Recommended by: Christa Case Bryant
What do you do with hundreds of half-pints of chocolate milk when a Boston-area school suddenly shuts down? Call Food Link, a nonprofit started in 2012 and powered almost entirely by volunteers, with only five paid staff. They salvage 1,500 pounds of food a day from grocery stores and redistribute it to people who need it, from low-income seniors to community college students. Now, the crisis is testing their creativity as they try to figure out what to do with half-gallons of cream from a local ice cream shop and pre-made sandwiches from a closing school, while many of their regular donating stores have less to hand over due to increased consumer demand. But their nearly 250 volunteers have risen to the occasion. “More volunteers have had to jump in in ways they didn’t before,” says co-founder Julie Kremer, who is also unpaid. “It’s wonderful. They’re so dedicated. ... They come at the drop of a hat.”
Click here to donate to Food Link.
Community Led Animal Welfare, Johannesburg
Recommended by: Ryan Lenora Brown
Cora Bailey can tell how her society is doing by how it cares for its dogs. And right now, thing aren’t looking good. Her organization, Community Led Animal Welfare (CLAW), has taken in 60 surrendered dogs this week – four times the normal figure. Their owners, who come mostly from South Africa’s working class, told her they lost their jobs as businesses closed and families told their gardeners, builders, and cleaners to stay home without pay amid the country’s growing coronavirus outbreak.
Operating from a cluster of decaying buildings in the abandoned gold mining company town, CLAW is a catch-all charity for the shack settlements that surround it. In addition to a free vet clinic and animal shelter, it provides emergency assistance (including food, clothing, and medicine) to local residents, and lately, hundreds of peanut butter and banana sandwiches daily to fill the stomachs of out-of-school kids with nowhere else to get a midday meal. As South Africa’s economy continues to tumble, Ms. Bailey says it is poor communities like this one that will feel the effects most strongly. “We know we’re all putting ourselves at risk to be here, but we can’t just close willy-nilly and abandon the people who count on us,” she says.
Click here to donate to Community Led Animal Welfare.
California community funds, California
Recommended by: Francine Kiefer
Earthquakes, fires, drought – California has seen it all. But nothing like the novel coronavirus, which has caused an unprecedented disruption in daily life here. Residents across the state are now being told to shelter in place, and the governor expects public schools won’t reopen until fall.
Under these conditions, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti never misses an opportunity to highlight a fund to help Angelenos get through the COVID-19 crisis. The Mayor’s Fund provides support for families affected by the coronavirus (child care, meals etc.), equipment for health response, and help for the homeless, such as sanitizing stations. The city of San Francisco has a similar fund.
These, and other funds that are helping California communities cope with the outbreak and its vast fallout, can be found at Philanthropy California, an alliance of more than 600 foundations, corporate funders, individual philanthropists, and government agencies in the state.
Click here to find funds in California. Then click on "response funds."
Relais Alimentaire, Bayeux, France
Recommended by: Peter Ford
Michel Riss had a problem.
Mr. Riss, a retired bank employee, runs Relais Alimentaire, a local food bank in the northern French town of Bayeux. He relies on donations of produce near its sell-by date from supermarkets. But as panic-buying swept the town, those supermarkets had nothing left to sell, let alone give away.
Then a solution arrived, “a bolt from the blue, heaven-sent,” says Mr. Riss.
In Bayeux, like the rest of France, the government closed all schools indefinitely on Monday, leaving many with a week’s worth of food in their kitchens.
“This is bad for the schools, but it’s good news for us,” Mr. Riss says. “We feed about 300 people every week, and now we are supplying a homeless shelter which used only to provide breakfast. But with the new lockdown, they have to cook three meals.”
The school food “was a one-off, but it came just at the right time,” Mr. Riss says. With the canned goods and other nonperishables that Relais Alimentaire has in stock “we are good for about two weeks,” he says. “Then we’ll see.”
Click here to donate to Relais Alimentaire.
Recovery Cafe and Solid Ground, Seattle
Recommended by: Ann Scott Tyson
Seattle’s award-winning Recovery Café, founded in 2003, has made its mark serving hundreds of thousands of meals and providing other critical services to people recovering from trauma – such as homelessness, addiction, or abuse. Far more than a food kitchen, the café is an unconditionally welcoming community where every person contributes to others’ healing. Or, as founding director K. Killian Noe says simply: It is a place where people are “both deeply known and deeply loved.” Today, although the café’s interior is closed, its work continues, providing meals for pickup seven days a week. Donations can be made here.
Solid Ground, another Seattle-area nonprofit, works to end poverty and its root causes, and helps more than 75,000 households a year with programs to address homelessness, hunger, and other needs. Solid Ground, building on more than 40 years of experience, now operates 22 programs across King County and Washington state. In the current crisis, Solid Ground has innovated to continue its work, for example by coordinating prepackaged food deliveries and providing school lunch pickup for families with children who need meals. It is also providing transportation to additional shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness.
Click to donate to Recovery Cafe and Solid Ground.
Norwegian Refugee Council, global
Recommended by: Scott Peterson
Few organizations understand the needs and vulnerabilities of the 70-plus million people around the world forced to flee their homes like the Oslo-based Norwegian Refugee Council. That also makes the NRC one of the best at recognizing the challenges of stopping the spread of the coronavirus in cramped refugee camps, such as those in Syria, where water is limited and social distancing a dream.
To help fight the COVID-19 outbreak – and prevent camps especially in the Middle East from threatening the rest of the world through uncontrolled spread – NRC aims to double from 2 million to 4 million the number of people it helps with water and sanitation, and deepen health and public awareness campaigns in places where such lifesaving information can be scarce.
Click here to donate to Norwegian Refugee Council.
Die Arche, Germany
Recommended by: Lenora Chu
Working to fight child poverty in Germany since 1995, Die Arche (“The Ark”) is facing new challenges as families are thrust together like never before. Across the country, school’s out because of COVID-19, and 90% of the adults the charity assists are unemployed. “We are afraid the children will face major problems: Sexual violence, physical violence, nothing to eat,” says press liaison Wolfgang Büscher. “I met a family yesterday, a single mother [living] in four rooms with 12 children suddenly home. They have time, but no idea what to do with their kids.” During normal times, the organization’s staff help about 4,500 kids daily with leisure activities and learning, but during the coronavirus crisis their focus has shifted toward delivery of food as well as cellphones and SIM cards directly to the children. “So a child can call us directly if he’s experiencing violence,” says Mr. Büscher.
Click here to donate to Die Arche.
Central Texas Food Bank, Texas
Recommended by: Henry Gass
The Central Texas Food Bank serves a 21-county area that’s about twice the size of Massachusetts. Last year it provided food for about 50,000 people each week. Since a state of emergency was declared in Texas over the coronavirus pandemic, CEO Derrick Chubbs says they’re already seeing a “dramatic increase” in the need for their services, especially for “mobile pantries.” Mr. Chubbs said a mobile pantry that typically serves 100 people recently served 400. To meet that growing need the CTFB is putting together emergency boxes of food that people can pick up at mobile locations to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. Risk of spread is also hampering the organization’s use of volunteers, with an average of 80 volunteers each shift last year now restricted to 10. Thus the best way people can help is with monetary donations ($1 can supply four meals) online. They can also volunteer online. CTFB stocks its pantries with food from grocery stores, so if you live in Central Texas, Mr. Chubbs asks that if you’re not food insecure you purchase only the groceries you need.
Click here to donate to Central Texas Food Bank.
Bono Gastronómico, Mexico City
Recommended by: Whitney Eulich
In Mexico, the culinary guide and website Culinaria Mexicana is rallying to help the food and hospitality industry face the repercussions of widespread closures and an expected quarantine. It’s organizing lists of restaurants and bars and encouraging patrons to buy “gastronomic bonds” to support them. That may be a donation of 500 or 1000 pesos ($20 to $40) that the restaurants can use to pay their staff, pay rent, or keep the electricity on.
The restaurants, in turn, will offer perks. For some, that means a party once the pandemic is under control and life returns to normal. Others are promising cooking classes, or restaurant swag, like sweatshirts. There is no central donation platform, but those interested in helping are asked to reach out to locales directly. Culinaria Mexicana is curating a list that’s updated daily.
Norma Listman, co-chef and founder of the Mexican-Indian fusion restaurant Masala y Maiz encourages people to donate or lend a hand to restaurants no matter where they are in the world. “Support the restaurant or the places that have marked something special to you. Remember that restaurant, whether on vacation in Mexico or Italy, and support the place that gave you a memorable experience so that we can keep building those experiences.”
Click here to find a list of restaurants in Mexico accepting gastronomic bonds.
Editor’s note: As a public service, we’ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-23--Readers write: Informational comics, George Shultz, and more

Regarding the comic “ Thank goodness it ’ s Thursday ” by Eoin O ’ Carroll and Jacob Turcotte in the March 2 Monitor Weekly : An absolute delight !
I caught the visual references to the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Georges Seurat as I learned something about productive working hours .
I would love to see more of this combination of information and art .
Thank you , thank you .
Thank you for the charming comic “ Thank goodness it ’ s Thursday.
” What an entertaining way to read about an idea !
The drawings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ informative .
I hope we ’ ll see more !
Thank you for “ Saving the Amazon ” in the March 30 Monitor Weekly .
As a rancher in Wyoming who has participated in rotational grazing practices , I can only say that this is perhaps the most important alteration in agriculture across the world .
Influential ecologist and livestock farmer Allan Savory altered his view about the importance of domestic animals in the ecosystem .
But unfortunately , there are many environmentalists who fail to recognize that while human beings have contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ones who can impact it for good .
Animals do what they do .
Wild ones that are out of control because they can ’ t be managed have detrimental effects on the land as much as domesticated ones do .
Good management of areas where cattle , sheep , and horses live and thrive can often make the entire landscape more habitable for wildlife as well .
Once again – thank you for this article about Brazil .
More could be written about this issue as it pertains to the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I loved the cover story “ Saving the Amazon.
” It was so encouraging and enlightening .
And , while we ’ re “ talking , ” I ’ ll add that my husband , upon seeing the cover of the March 23 Monitor Weekly ( “ Keeping students in class instead of in court ” ) , exclaimed , “ It ’ s so nice to see news not about the coronavirus !
” Thank you for your cover story “ The world according to George Shultz ” in the March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undoubtedly the best secretary of state for whom I ever worked – not excluding Henry Kissinger , with his superior grasp of history – because of the moral and ethical dimensions that Mr. Shultz insisted on and modeled .
With his massive dignity and calm , commitment to service , and faith in what can be accomplished through respect for others , Mr. Shultz inspired in those who worked for him a desire to emulate as best we could his unshakable honesty , integrity , and honor .
Regarding “ How online learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US ” in the April 20 Monitor Weekly : Excellent article .
As a grandmother of five , I see how school has failed , or is currently failing , three of my grandchildren .
I think it ’ s time to shake things up in the school system .
It was pretty sad when I was a kid , and it ’ s gotten worse .
We have the technology .
Why not use it to “ grow ” our kids ?

Art references
Regarding the comic “Thank goodness it’s Thursday” by Eoin O’Carroll and Jacob Turcotte in the March 2 Monitor Weekly: An absolute delight! I caught the visual references to the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Georges Seurat as I learned something about productive working hours. I would love to see more of this combination of information and art. Thank you, thank you.
Cynthia Howland
Brunswick, Maine
Informational comics
Thank you for the charming comic “Thank goodness it’s Thursday.” What an entertaining way to read about an idea! The drawings are priceless, and the text is informative. I hope we’ll see more!
Jennifer Quinn
Gate City, Virginia
Livestock rotation
Thank you for “Saving the Amazon” in the March 30 Monitor Weekly. As a rancher in Wyoming who has participated in rotational grazing practices, I can only say that this is perhaps the most important alteration in agriculture across the world.
Influential ecologist and livestock farmer Allan Savory altered his view about the importance of domestic animals in the ecosystem. But unfortunately, there are many environmentalists who fail to recognize that while human beings have contributed to environmental problems, they are also the ones who can impact it for good.
Animals do what they do. Wild ones that are out of control because they can’t be managed have detrimental effects on the land as much as domesticated ones do. Good management of areas where cattle, sheep, and horses live and thrive can often make the entire landscape more habitable for wildlife as well.
Once again – thank you for this article about Brazil. More could be written about this issue as it pertains to the American West and the sustainable agricultural practices here.
Margaret Smith
Buffalo, Wyoming
Coronavirus content
I loved the cover story “Saving the Amazon.” It was so encouraging and enlightening. And, while we’re “talking,” I’ll add that my husband, upon seeing the cover of the March 23 Monitor Weekly (“Keeping students in class instead of in court”), exclaimed, “It’s so nice to see news not about the coronavirus!”
Jennifer Brothers Maxwell
Santa Clara, California
George Shultz’s legacy
Thank you for your cover story “The world according to George Shultz” in the March 9 Monitor Weekly. Mr. Shultz was undoubtedly the best secretary of state for whom I ever worked – not excluding Henry Kissinger, with his superior grasp of history – because of the moral and ethical dimensions that Mr. Shultz insisted on and modeled.
With his massive dignity and calm, commitment to service, and faith in what can be accomplished through respect for others, Mr. Shultz inspired in those who worked for him a desire to emulate as best we could his unshakable honesty, integrity, and honor.
Keith McCormick
Vienna, Virginia
Fixing schools
Regarding “How online learning may be more than a stopgap in the US” in the April 20 Monitor Weekly: Excellent article. As a grandmother of five, I see how school has failed, or is currently failing, three of my grandchildren. I think it’s time to shake things up in the school system. It was pretty sad when I was a kid, and it’s gotten worse. We have the technology. Why not use it to “grow” our kids?
Michelle Staples
Oshawa, Ontario


csmonitor--2020-05-07--Free movement or privacy? Pandemic forces new trade-offs.

“ If you do n't fight to protect the liberties , freedoms , and privileges afforded by the Constitution , ” says Margaret Hu , a law professor at Washington and Lee University , “ it ’ s very hard to claw them back once those rights are ceded to the government.
” Honed by previous epidemics , the high-tech responses to COVID-19 taken by South Korea and Taiwan , which combine mobile location services with surveillance cameras and cashless payment tracking , allow for freedom of movement , but only at the cost of some privacy regarding your whereabouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates , should give us pause .
“ We are making a hard choice between two undemocratic options , ” he says , referring to the seeming trade-offs between free movement and privacy .
In Seoul , Professor Sonn can enjoy crowded restaurants and cafes , but only if he brings his smartphone , which regularly alerts him about potential virus carriers in the area and shares his location data with two government agencies .
Jung Won Sonn , a professor who has lived in both London and Seoul during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the crisis .
In London , citizens are allowed to go out once per day , and police will readily disperse public gatherings .
When Jung Won Sonn flew from London to Seoul over Easter , he traded one freedom for another .
“ In the U.K. , you are allowed to go out just once a day , and if you go to the park and gather in a group of four or five people , police will approach you and disperse the crowd , ” says Professor Sonn , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Planning , University College London .
“ That ’ s not democracy.
” Now in Seoul , Professor Sonn enjoys freedom of movement , but he had to download a pair of smartphone apps that would keep the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety informed of his whereabouts .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
South Korea ’ s pandemic response has been honed through past exposure to SARS and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing is widespread , fast , and convenient .
Public health authorities have also marshaled the country ’ s sophisticated tech infrastructure – widespread GPS-enabled mobile phones , cashless payments , and closed-circuit video cameras – to monitor the population .
Along with Taiwan , which takes a similar approach , South Korea has drawn praise for containing the virus while avoiding strict lockdowns .
This system has also likely spared lives : South Korea , whose population is about 50 million , has reported about 240 deaths .
By contrast , Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen more than 26,000 deaths .
But this model comes with its own costs .
In Korea , those suspected of carrying the virus are expected to have their phones on them at all times so that authorities can locate them and inform anyone who may have been infected , a method called “ contact tracing.
” ( Authorities may also call at random during waking hours . )
And the locally broadcast text messages that share the age , gender , and location data of those who have tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to relax their lockdowns by emulating South Korea ’ s approach face a delicate balance between freedom of movement and freedom of privacy .
On one hand , stay-at-home orders inhibit citizens ’ rights to assemble and engage in commerce .
On the other , to lift those restrictions while monitoring the spread of the virus would require newly invasive forms of state surveillance .
“ We are making a hard choice between two undemocratic options , ” Professor Sonn says .
In the United States , much of the burden for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local governments , working under guidelines provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies .
Since the novel coronavirus pandemic has placed about 65 % of the U.S. population under lockdown , some states have organized armies of “ disease detectives.
” But the disparities between states remain vast , as the Monitor ’ s Simon Montlake reported last month .
Silicon Valley hopes to narrow that gap .
Apple and Google announced in an April 10 joint statement that “ in the coming months , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform.
” Germany and France initially rejected this system , seeking a more centralized approach called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing .
Germany and Italy eventually came around to Google and Apple ’ s approach , while France , Great Britain , and Spain are pursuing their own apps .
Advocates of centralizing data cite the scientific value of large datasets .
Critics worry that governments will use the data for other purposes .
“ Google and Apple got it right this time , ” notes Jovan Kurbalija , head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swiss initiative .
“ For the tech industry , COVID-19 also poses a unique opportunity to get out of the ‘ tech-lashing ’ phase of avoiding taxes and not dealing properly with users ’ data.
” He expects that Apple and Google ’ s approach , which protects data by leaving it on users ’ devices , will prevail because they already have billions of users worldwide .
What remains to be resolved , he says , is the extent to which the contact-tracing apps being developed in Europe and beyond will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be native to Android and iOS devices .
Contact tracing long predates the mobile phone .
The concept emerged in early modern Europe in an attempt to limit the spread of syphilis among sex workers .
Before the coronavirus pandemic , contact investigators have sought to limit STDs , tuberculosis , Ebola , and other perceived threats to public health .
Modern technology opens up new avenues for authorities to track and limit the spread of a disease , but it still faces challenges .
Contact tracing apps require usage by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population before they are useful .
This raises the question whether the voluntary approach favored in Europe will yield the same results as compulsory methods in Asia .
What ’ s more , Bluetooth technology is not flawless .
For example , the virus does not penetrate walls .
Bluetooth signals do , which may lead to a false positive .
Connectivity problems – familiar to anyone who uses a Bluetooth speaker – could return a false negative .
“ Beware of the false reassurance that an app can provide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oxford ’ s Digital Ethics Lab .
“ No bad news is just that .
...
It doesn ’ t mean everything is OK. Of all the weapons we have , this is probably the smallest and least important .
The app , if it is useful , is only useful within a much bigger strategy that is medical and social .
Concentrate on the wider strategy.
” Professor Floridi worries that governments could make the mistake of linking incentives – such as the right to socialize or work – to ensure enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , risks dividing the population into those who can afford a smartphone and have the digital skills to manage the app and those who don ’ t .
“ That would be a disaster , ” he says .
“ The privacy problem could be solved if we do the right thing .
It is the social justice that worries me.
” Digital contact tracing is no substitute for human health care workers and medical testing , cautions Margaret Hu , an associate professor at Washington and Lee University School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have widespread testing , and if you don ’ t have accurate testing , ” she says , “ are you , through this warning system , going to have a very large rate of false warnings or under-warnings ?
” And , Professor Hu notes , state powers enacted during extraordinary times have a way of being repurposed once the crisis passes .
“ Emergency state powers lend themselves to normalizing surveillance in day-to-day governance , ” she says .
“ If you don ’ t fight to protect the liberties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution , it ’ s very hard to claw them back once those rights are ceded to the government.
” If done right , digital contact tracing could be compatible with privacy rights , argues E. Glen Weyl , founder and chairman of the RadicalxChange Foundation , a nonprofit focused on improving democratic systems and market economies .
“ There are ways to implement that sort of thing that are not major problems for civil liberties , ” he says .
He describes a decentralized contact-tracing system similar to the one used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s location history is ever stored anywhere other than on their own private device .
This is not rocket science.
” Such a system would share only certain location data , which would be compiled into heat maps that could be used to locate potential outbreaks .
“ There is not a fundamental impediment here to doing it in a way that is consistent with American values , ” says Mr. Weyl .
Professor Sonn says that on the balance he thinks South Korea ’ s test-and-surveil approach is best , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most journalists are using this dichotomous framework of ‘ surveillance versus democracy ’ because it ’ s familiar , ” he says .
“ Once you get a framework , you tend to use it in new situations.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

Ann Scott Tyson,Dominique Soguel,Eoin O'Carroll

“If you don't fight to protect the liberties, freedoms, and privileges afforded by the Constitution,” says Margaret Hu, a law professor at Washington and Lee University, “it’s very hard to claw them back once those rights are ceded to the government.”
Honed by previous epidemics, the high-tech responses to COVID-19 taken by South Korea and Taiwan, which combine mobile location services with surveillance cameras and cashless payment tracking, allow for freedom of movement, but only at the cost of some privacy regarding your whereabouts. That cost, say some privacy advocates, should give us pause.
“We are making a hard choice between two undemocratic options,” he says, referring to the seeming trade-offs between free movement and privacy.
In times of crisis, protecting human rights often involves a delicate balancing act. In a pandemic, it can mean exchanging some of our privacy for freedom of movement.
In Seoul, Professor Sonn can enjoy crowded restaurants and cafes, but only if he brings his smartphone, which regularly alerts him about potential virus carriers in the area and shares his location data with two government agencies.
Jung Won Sonn, a professor who has lived in both London and Seoul during the coronavirus pandemic, contrasts the responses of each city to the crisis. In London, citizens are allowed to go out once per day, and police will readily disperse public gatherings.
When Jung Won Sonn flew from London to Seoul over Easter, he traded one freedom for another.
“In the U.K., you are allowed to go out just once a day, and if you go to the park and gather in a group of four or five people, police will approach you and disperse the crowd,” says Professor Sonn, an associate professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. “That’s not democracy.”
Now in Seoul, Professor Sonn enjoys freedom of movement, but he had to download a pair of smartphone apps that would keep the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety informed of his whereabouts.
Why We Wrote This In times of crisis, protecting human rights often involves a delicate balancing act. In a pandemic, it can mean exchanging some of our privacy for freedom of movement.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
South Korea’s pandemic response has been honed through past exposure to SARS and MERS outbreaks. For one thing, testing is widespread, fast, and convenient. Public health authorities have also marshaled the country’s sophisticated tech infrastructure – widespread GPS-enabled mobile phones, cashless payments, and closed-circuit video cameras – to monitor the population.
Along with Taiwan, which takes a similar approach, South Korea has drawn praise for containing the virus while avoiding strict lockdowns. This system has also likely spared lives: South Korea, whose population is about 50 million, has reported about 240 deaths. By contrast, Great Britain, population 65 million, has seen more than 26,000 deaths.
But this model comes with its own costs. In Korea, those suspected of carrying the virus are expected to have their phones on them at all times so that authorities can locate them and inform anyone who may have been infected, a method called “contact tracing.” (Authorities may also call at random during waking hours.) And the locally broadcast text messages that share the age, gender, and location data of those who have tested positive for the virus are fueling public shaming.
Countries seeking to relax their lockdowns by emulating South Korea’s approach face a delicate balance between freedom of movement and freedom of privacy. On one hand, stay-at-home orders inhibit citizens’ rights to assemble and engage in commerce. On the other, to lift those restrictions while monitoring the spread of the virus would require newly invasive forms of state surveillance.
“We are making a hard choice between two undemocratic options,” Professor Sonn says.
Who is mobilizing “disease detectives”?
In the United States, much of the burden for contact tracing has been carried by state and local governments, working under guidelines provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies. Since the novel coronavirus pandemic has placed about 65% of the U.S. population under lockdown, some states have organized armies of “disease detectives.” But the disparities between states remain vast, as the Monitor’s Simon Montlake reported last month.
Lindsay Whitehurst/AP View caption Hide caption A smartphone app built for the state of Utah displays coronavirus test sites April 28, 2020. The app tracks symptoms and shares location data for contact tracing, the process of determining who might have been exposed to the virus. The app is “a tool to help jog the memory of the person who is positive so we can more readily identify where they’ve been, who they’ve been in contact with, if they choose to allow that,” said Angela Dunn, Utah’s state epidemiologist.
Silicon Valley hopes to narrow that gap. Apple and Google announced in an April 10 joint statement that “in the coming months,” the companies would be developing an opt-in “Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform.”
Germany and France initially rejected this system, seeking a more centralized approach called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing. Germany and Italy eventually came around to Google and Apple’s approach, while France, Great Britain, and Spain are pursuing their own apps.
Advocates of centralizing data cite the scientific value of large datasets. Critics worry that governments will use the data for other purposes.
“Google and Apple got it right this time,” notes Jovan Kurbalija, head of the Geneva Internet Platform, a Swiss initiative. “For the tech industry, COVID-19 also poses a unique opportunity to get out of the ‘tech-lashing’ phase of avoiding taxes and not dealing properly with users’ data.”
He expects that Apple and Google’s approach, which protects data by leaving it on users’ devices, will prevail because they already have billions of users worldwide. What remains to be resolved, he says, is the extent to which the contact-tracing apps being developed in Europe and beyond will be compatible with the contact-tracing systems that are expected to be native to Android and iOS devices.
Does it work?
Contact tracing long predates the mobile phone. The concept emerged in early modern Europe in an attempt to limit the spread of syphilis among sex workers. Before the coronavirus pandemic, contact investigators have sought to limit STDs, tuberculosis, Ebola, and other perceived threats to public health.
Modern technology opens up new avenues for authorities to track and limit the spread of a disease, but it still faces challenges.
Contact tracing apps require usage by at least 40% to 60% of the population before they are useful. This raises the question whether the voluntary approach favored in Europe will yield the same results as compulsory methods in Asia.
MINDEF SINGAPORE/Reuters View caption Hide caption Singapore Armed Forces personnel conduct contact tracing in efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, in Singapore, January 28, 2020.
What’s more, Bluetooth technology is not flawless. For example, the virus does not penetrate walls. Bluetooth signals do, which may lead to a false positive. Connectivity problems – familiar to anyone who uses a Bluetooth speaker – could return a false negative.
“Beware of the false reassurance that an app can provide,” says Luciano Floridi, director of Oxford’s Digital Ethics Lab. “No bad news is just that. ... It doesn’t mean everything is OK. Of all the weapons we have, this is probably the smallest and least important. The app, if it is useful, is only useful within a much bigger strategy that is medical and social. Concentrate on the wider strategy.”
Professor Floridi worries that governments could make the mistake of linking incentives – such as the right to socialize or work – to ensure enough people download the apps. This, he says, risks dividing the population into those who can afford a smartphone and have the digital skills to manage the app and those who don’t.
“That would be a disaster,” he says. “The privacy problem could be solved if we do the right thing. It is the social justice that worries me.”
An invasion of privacy?
Digital contact tracing is no substitute for human health care workers and medical testing, cautions Margaret Hu, an associate professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law. “If you don’t have widespread testing, and if you don’t have accurate testing,” she says, “are you, through this warning system, going to have a very large rate of false warnings or under-warnings?”
And, Professor Hu notes, state powers enacted during extraordinary times have a way of being repurposed once the crisis passes. “Emergency state powers lend themselves to normalizing surveillance in day-to-day governance,” she says. “If you don’t fight to protect the liberties, freedoms, and privileges afforded by the Constitution, it’s very hard to claw them back once those rights are ceded to the government.”
If done right, digital contact tracing could be compatible with privacy rights, argues E. Glen Weyl, founder and chairman of the RadicalxChange Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving democratic systems and market economies.
“There are ways to implement that sort of thing that are not major problems for civil liberties,” he says. He describes a decentralized contact-tracing system similar to the one used in Taiwan. “No individual person’s location history is ever stored anywhere other than on their own private device. This is not rocket science.”
Such a system would share only certain location data, which would be compiled into heat maps that could be used to locate potential outbreaks. “There is not a fundamental impediment here to doing it in a way that is consistent with American values,” says Mr. Weyl.
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Professor Sonn says that on the balance he thinks South Korea’s test-and-surveil approach is best, but he cautions against binary thinking. “Most journalists are using this dichotomous framework of ‘surveillance versus democracy’ because it’s familiar,” he says. “Once you get a framework, you tend to use it in new situations.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-03-16--How to deal with the climate emergency? Ask your neighbor.

After taking part in a climate change panel in the English city of Leeds , Fatima Zainab was struck by the group ’ s dynamics , which contrasted starkly with the vituperative political debates she sees on social media .
“ When you put people in a room and they are facing each other , ” she says , “ the human element comes in.
” In Ireland , after the financial crash of 2008 , deliberative assemblies “ were a way to bring angry citizens into the room and save our democracy , ” says David Farrell , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ samples of citizens are discussing practical measures to tackle climate change .
But the simple fact of their discussion is also helping to deal with a different problem , advocates say – crumbling faith in democracy .
The Irish have been doing it for years .
When their politicians face a complex problem , they present it to a panel of citizens to hash out and find a common position .
It worked for same-sex marriage and abortion ; now the British and French governments are running “ deliberative democracy ” panels to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate emergency .
When she opened her invitation last August , Fatima Zainab felt excited and a little daunted .
The letter informed her that she had been chosen for a Citizens ’ Jury that would consider what Leeds should do about climate change .
Ms. Zainab , who lives with her parents , was about to start her first year at Leeds University .
“ I don ’ t know much about climate change .
I don ’ t have any strong opinions , ” she recalls thinking .
She was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leeds Climate Change Citizens ’ Jury that deliberated for nearly 30 hours over nine weeks last fall .
That put her at the crux of two key dangers threatening today ’ s world : global warming and weakening faith in democracy .
Some suggest these dangers can be fought in tandem by convening Athenian-style citizen forums , a process known as deliberative democracy .
“ Climate is an issue that brings people together , ” says Laurie Drake , a Canadian expert on such forums , arguing that climate doesn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deliberative democracy … offers a different way for trust to be created between the average citizen and government.
” Last March , Leeds municipal council declared a climate emergency .
Next , elected officials wanted to know what residents thought should be done to cut carbon emissions in this city of 800,000 in northern England .
To find out , the council sought an alternative forum for collegial debate .
The idea of citizens ’ juries or assemblies is to put a representative sample of citizens in a room where they hear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structured debate .
Citizens then reason from facts toward a common position .
By doing so , say proponents of this method , participants grapple with complex policy dilemmas that have become mired in a polarized political impasse .
“ The name of the game is not to get people to change their minds but to make sure that their view is better informed , ” says David Farrell , a politics professor at University College Dublin .
The need for corrective action seems acute now , as voters throw up their hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do engage in politics are distrustful of leaders who seem to reflect elite interests rather than respond to ordinary voters ’ demands .
Those same leaders fret about how to govern in an era of news cycles driven by social media and hyperbolic political tribalism .
Many countries have experimented with direct democracy ; it has proved especially useful in Ireland , where the method helped resolve two deep-seated and contentious issues .
In 2012 , politicians and citizens came together for a constitutional convention that recommended legalizing same-sex marriage .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended lifting a constitutional ban on abortion .
Both proposals were put to public referendums and passed by large majorities .
But Professor Farrell , who lobbied for these experiments , says the goal was much broader than policy change .
After the financial crash in 2008-09 , many in Ireland had lost faith in its representative political system .
Deliberative assemblies were “ a way to bring angry citizens into the room and save our democracy , ” he says .
Today angry citizens abound .
An exhaustive global study by Cambridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly all democracies have become increasingly dissatisfied with their political institutions .
Since the 1990s , the average share of dissatisfied voters in mature democracies has risen from one-third to one-half , with sharp recent upticks in the United States and the United Kingdom .
But climate is an issue that energizes voters , particularly younger voters , who have rallied to demand that politicians act .
Could the climate emergency , a global challenge that defies borders , become a galvanizing cause that , over time , helps to bind a fractured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliberative assemblies that channel public voices into decision-making provide a catalyst for change ?
“ A lot of countries and cities and communities are choosing to go down this ( citizens ’ assembly ) route , ” says Lorraine Whitmarsh , a professor of environmental psychology who directs the UK Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations at Cardiff University .
“ It ’ s a contentious issue and this is an ideal type of issue where you want that kind of debate .
You need to break down the kind of polarization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand of Extinction Rebellion , the civil disobedience group formed in the U.K. in 2018 , was that the British government should hold a national citizens ’ assembly on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions .
That demand is now a reality : Climate Assembly UK held its first meeting in late January .
The 110-member body , culled from a U.K.-wide invitation list of 30,000 , was due to make its recommendations in April on how the government can meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050 .
That deadline will now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic that forced organizers to postpone the last meeting in March .
The U.K. approach echoes a similar undertaking in France .
Its Citizens ’ Convention on the Climate , which has 150 members , launched last year ; President Emmanuel Macron has promised that its proposals will be put directly to the government or to a national referendum .
Spain may be next after its coalition government declared a climate emergency on Jan. 21 and said it also wanted to hold a citizens ’ assembly .
“ Politicians focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and our voters are increasingly concerned about climate change , ” says Rachel Reeves , a member of Parliament who chairs the House of Commons select committee on business , energy , and industrial strategy , which cosponsored the U.K. assembly .
“ It ’ s about bringing people together to try and find out what changes people are willing to make , individually and collectively as a country , to meet our ambitious ( climate ) targets , ” she says .
This surge of interest in deliberative bodies doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CIC , a nonprofit , who helped run the Leeds Climate Change Citizens ’ Jury and who is now working with authorities in nearby Lancaster on another climate jury .
Mr. Bryant has organized 35 juries across the U.K. on local issues ranging from natural gas fracking to alcohol licensing to hate crimes .
He sees them as a way to strengthen democracy at a time when trust in politicians is fraying .
“ People are just put off by party politics and the system that we have .
But they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around issues that affect them and their communities , ” he says .
In Britain , faith in democracy is at a nadir after the long Brexit stalemate .
In an annual survey , published last April by the independent research group Hansard Society , nearly half of respondents said they felt that they had no influence over national policy .
That was the highest level since the survey began in 2004 .
Members of the new national Climate Assembly may have such influence , but they may not .
When the assembly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Attenborough thanked them for “ deliberating carefully on behalf of all of us.
” But he also warned that it may prove hard to make MPs – who serve five-year terms – focus on climate change .
`` It is very difficult to persuade politicians that they should give money and time and attention and worry about an issue which is not going to come to a climax – and people wo n't know if it is successful or not successful – for 10 years hence , 15 years hence , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intrinsic to climate policymaking and has led some analysts to question whether democracies are up to the task .
Are voters ready to elect politicians who promise not more but less – less flying , less driving , less red meat – as necessary sacrifices , even if they may not live to see the rewards ?
“ The climate crisis is an issue that requires long-term thinking across the generations , yet electoral politics is geared toward responding to immediate grievances , ” wrote David Runciman , a politics and history professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
Citizens ’ assemblies could bridge that gap , Professor Runciman suggested .
But only if politicians are bound by their proposals so that their deliberations actually matter .
Ms. Reeves , the MP , says the climate assembly will help inform Parliament ’ s decisions , in particular by signaling what trade-offs voters are ready to make so as to reduce emissions .
“ We need to be confident that we are taking people with us , and that we ’ re hearing what they ’ ve got to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not always happened .
In 2018 , Parliament all but ignored recommendations made by a citizens ’ assembly on senior care that it had set up .
Even in Ireland , which is frequently held up as an exemplar of deliberative democracy , lawmakers did little to put a citizens ’ assembly ’ s proposals on climate change into effect .
Citizens ’ assemblies aren ’ t the only route to muster political will on climate .
The Netherlands has drawn up an ambitious carbon reduction plan after a year-long consultation known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , consumers , and politicians to create a consensual framework .
The model is uniquely Dutch , a legacy of centuries of cooperation to maintain dikes and canals .
“ We had to cooperate because the water made no difference between citizens , ” says Ed Nijpels , a former lawmaker who led the climate negotiations .
The climate polder hit speed bumps , however , when its initial report was criticized for burdening households with the cost of a clean-energy transition .
“ The moment these proposals began touching people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says Louise van Schaik , head of sustainability and climate change at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations .
This political backlash was quelled by proposals to shift more of the financial burden of the transition onto industry .
Last summer , the Netherlands ’ four-party coalition government approved an accord aimed at cutting emissions by 49 % in 2030 from 1990 levels .
Mr. Nijpels says that normal party politics would likely have scuppered a deal .
“ To be honest , I don ’ t think they could ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] .
It was the only way to get to this target of 49 % , ” he says .
In Leeds , Ms. Zainab and her fellow jurors found plenty of common ground at their weekly meetings , held in the open-plan offices of an engineering company .
They swapped stories of their lives and their interests , and friendships blossomed on the sidelines .
Each session lasted three hours .
Experts vetted by an independent panel briefed the jury and answered their questions .
One member didn ’ t believe there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health benefit of policies to cut road congestion and air pollution .
( Proponents say it ’ s important not to exclude skeptics from these bodies ; at Climate Assembly UK , 19 of the 110 participants identified themselves as “ not at all ” or “ not very ” concerned about climate change . )
Ms. Zainab was among the youngest jurors , and she deferred at first to older members .
“ They had louder voices , ” she says .
By the end , though , she was all-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker for the public launch of the jury ’ s final recommendations , which ranged from better bus services to more generous subsidies for home insulation and more government help for green startups .
One item had unanimous support : The city should take over privately-run bus routes and expand them , a move that – along with congestion charges and bike lanes – would help make private cars “ a last resort for transportation.
” That resonates with panel member Maxine Wood , an office administrator who bought her first car after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people drive is convenience .
There aren ’ t enough buses , ” she says .
Like Ms. Zainab , she was struck by the jury ’ s group dynamics , which contrasted starkly with the vituperative political debates she sees on social media .
“ When you put people in a room and they ’ re facing each other , the human element comes in , ” she says .
One issue highlighted the tradeoffs implicit in climate decisions and the messy nature of real-life politics : the planned expansion of Leeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million annual passenger capacity , and consequent rise in carbon emissions .
Many of the jurors used the airport , and discussion was heated .
But in the end they voted nearly unanimously to oppose the expansion .
This was largely symbolic , since the airport is private and already had planning permission to expand , so jurors also called on the municipal council to block a planned highway to the new terminal .
In December the council did so , deciding on a rail link instead .
But Daniel Corner , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let down by the compromise .
“ Trains aren ’ t as bad as cars , but it ’ s still putting people on planes that are churning out pollution , ” he says .
Still , he hopes that deliberative bodies like the one he served on offer a way forward .
“ If you get people from both sides of the political spectrum and put them in a room together and teach them on a subject ... we are all able to reach a compromise , ” he says .
Asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a handwritten groceries list .
“ I ’ m doing my shopping after this , ” he says .
He used to eat meat daily .
Now the only animal protein on the list is cod fillets .
Third in our Navigating Uncertainty series .

After taking part in a climate change panel in the English city of Leeds, Fatima Zainab was struck by the group’s dynamics, which contrasted starkly with the vituperative political debates she sees on social media. “When you put people in a room and they are facing each other,” she says, “the human element comes in.”
In Ireland, after the financial crash of 2008, deliberative assemblies “were a way to bring angry citizens into the room and save our democracy,” says David Farrell, a politics professor in Dublin.
The world faces a climate emergency and voters are increasingly disenchanted with their democracies. What if these two dilemmas could be addressed with one initiative? Part 3 of Navigating Uncertainty: The search for global bearings .
These representative samples of citizens are discussing practical measures to tackle climate change. But the simple fact of their discussion is also helping to deal with a different problem, advocates say – crumbling faith in democracy.
The Irish have been doing it for years. When their politicians face a complex problem, they present it to a panel of citizens to hash out and find a common position. It worked for same-sex marriage and abortion; now the British and French governments are running “deliberative democracy” panels to suggest how their countries might confront the climate emergency.
When she opened her invitation last August, Fatima Zainab felt excited and a little daunted. The letter informed her that she had been chosen for a Citizens’ Jury that would consider what Leeds should do about climate change.
Ms. Zainab, who lives with her parents, was about to start her first year at Leeds University. “I don’t know much about climate change. I don’t have any strong opinions,” she recalls thinking.
She was one of 21 people who served on the Leeds Climate Change Citizens’ Jury that deliberated for nearly 30 hours over nine weeks last fall. That put her at the crux of two key dangers threatening today’s world: global warming and weakening faith in democracy.
Why We Wrote This The world faces a climate emergency and voters are increasingly disenchanted with their democracies. What if these two dilemmas could be addressed with one initiative? Part 3 of Navigating Uncertainty: The search for global bearings.
Some suggest these dangers can be fought in tandem by convening Athenian-style citizen forums, a process known as deliberative democracy. “Climate is an issue that brings people together,” says Laurie Drake, a Canadian expert on such forums, arguing that climate doesn’t have to be a divisive problem. “Deliberative democracy … offers a different way for trust to be created between the average citizen and government.”
Last March, Leeds municipal council declared a climate emergency. Next, elected officials wanted to know what residents thought should be done to cut carbon emissions in this city of 800,000 in northern England.
Simon Montlake/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Fatima Zainab took part in a Citizens' Jury on climate change from September through November 2019 in Leeds, England. The UK is experimenting with deliberative forms of democracy that bring together voters in search of solutions to difficult policy questions.
To find out, the council sought an alternative forum for collegial debate. The idea of citizens’ juries or assemblies is to put a representative sample of citizens in a room where they hear a range of opinions as part of a structured debate. Citizens then reason from facts toward a common position. By doing so, say proponents of this method, participants grapple with complex policy dilemmas that have become mired in a polarized political impasse.
“The name of the game is not to get people to change their minds but to make sure that their view is better informed,” says David Farrell, a politics professor at University College Dublin.
Angry citizens, acute need
The need for corrective action seems acute now, as voters throw up their hands at corrosive, zero-sum politics. Those who do engage in politics are distrustful of leaders who seem to reflect elite interests rather than respond to ordinary voters’ demands. Those same leaders fret about how to govern in an era of news cycles driven by social media and hyperbolic political tribalism.
Many countries have experimented with direct democracy; it has proved especially useful in Ireland, where the method helped resolve two deep-seated and contentious issues.
In 2012, politicians and citizens came together for a constitutional convention that recommended legalizing same-sex marriage. In 2017, an Irish Citizens’ Assembly recommended lifting a constitutional ban on abortion. Both proposals were put to public referendums and passed by large majorities.
But Professor Farrell, who lobbied for these experiments, says the goal was much broader than policy change. After the financial crash in 2008-09, many in Ireland had lost faith in its representative political system. Deliberative assemblies were “a way to bring angry citizens into the room and save our democracy,” he says.
Today angry citizens abound. An exhaustive global study by Cambridge University in January found that voters in nearly all democracies have become increasingly dissatisfied with their political institutions. Since the 1990s, the average share of dissatisfied voters in mature democracies has risen from one-third to one-half, with sharp recent upticks in the United States and the United Kingdom.
SOURCE: 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer | Jacob Turcotte/Staff
But climate is an issue that energizes voters, particularly younger voters, who have rallied to demand that politicians act.
Could the climate emergency, a global challenge that defies borders, become a galvanizing cause that, over time, helps to bind a fractured democracy like the U.K.? And could deliberative assemblies that channel public voices into decision-making provide a catalyst for change?
“A lot of countries and cities and communities are choosing to go down this (citizens’ assembly) route,” says Lorraine Whitmarsh, a professor of environmental psychology who directs the UK Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations at Cardiff University.
“It’s a contentious issue and this is an ideal type of issue where you want that kind of debate. You need to break down the kind of polarization that is starting to emerge.”
Fabio De Paola/PA/AP View caption Hide caption Members of the citizens' assembly on climate change met on Jan. 25, 2020, on their first weekend of discussions in Birmingham, England. More than 100 members of the public took part in discussions over the next four weekends as part of the Climate Assembly UK.
Ask the people
One demand of Extinction Rebellion, the civil disobedience group formed in the U.K. in 2018, was that the British government should hold a national citizens’ assembly on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
That demand is now a reality: Climate Assembly UK held its first meeting in late January. The 110-member body, culled from a U.K.-wide invitation list of 30,000, was due to make its recommendations in April on how the government can meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050. That deadline will now be missed, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic that forced organizers to postpone the last meeting in March.
The U.K. approach echoes a similar undertaking in France. Its Citizens’ Convention on the Climate, which has 150 members, launched last year; President Emmanuel Macron has promised that its proposals will be put directly to the government or to a national referendum. Spain may be next after its coalition government declared a climate emergency on Jan. 21 and said it also wanted to hold a citizens’ assembly.
Yoan Valat/Reuters View caption Hide caption French President Emmanuel Macron attends the Citizens' Convention for Climate at the French Economic, Social, and Environmental Council in Paris, France, Jan. 10, 2020.
“Politicians focus on the issues that voters are concerned about, and our voters are increasingly concerned about climate change,” says Rachel Reeves, a member of Parliament who chairs the House of Commons select committee on business, energy, and industrial strategy, which cosponsored the U.K. assembly.
“It’s about bringing people together to try and find out what changes people are willing to make, individually and collectively as a country, to meet our ambitious (climate) targets,” she says.
This surge of interest in deliberative bodies doesn’t surprise Peter Bryant of Shared Future CIC, a nonprofit, who helped run the Leeds Climate Change Citizens’ Jury and who is now working with authorities in nearby Lancaster on another climate jury.
Mr. Bryant has organized 35 juries across the U.K. on local issues ranging from natural gas fracking to alcohol licensing to hate crimes. He sees them as a way to strengthen democracy at a time when trust in politicians is fraying.
“People are just put off by party politics and the system that we have. But they’re really interested in being involved in decision-making around issues that affect them and their communities,” he says.
In Britain, faith in democracy is at a nadir after the long Brexit stalemate. In an annual survey, published last April by the independent research group Hansard Society, nearly half of respondents said they felt that they had no influence over national policy. That was the highest level since the survey began in 2004.
Members of the new national Climate Assembly may have such influence, but they may not. When the assembly opened in Birmingham the filmmaker and environmentalist David Attenborough thanked them for “deliberating carefully on behalf of all of us.” But he also warned that it may prove hard to make MPs – who serve five-year terms – focus on climate change.
"It is very difficult to persuade politicians that they should give money and time and attention and worry about an issue which is not going to come to a climax – and people won't know if it is successful or not successful – for 10 years hence, 15 years hence," Mr. Attenborough said.
Bridge that gap!
This tension is intrinsic to climate policymaking and has led some analysts to question whether democracies are up to the task. Are voters ready to elect politicians who promise not more but less – less flying, less driving, less red meat – as necessary sacrifices, even if they may not live to see the rewards?
“The climate crisis is an issue that requires long-term thinking across the generations, yet electoral politics is geared toward responding to immediate grievances,” wrote David Runciman, a politics and history professor at Cambridge University, in Foreign Policy last year.
Citizens’ assemblies could bridge that gap, Professor Runciman suggested. But only if politicians are bound by their proposals so that their deliberations actually matter.
Ms. Reeves, the MP, says the climate assembly will help inform Parliament’s decisions, in particular by signaling what trade-offs voters are ready to make so as to reduce emissions. “We need to be confident that we are taking people with us, and that we’re hearing what they’ve got to say,” she says.
That has not always happened. In 2018, Parliament all but ignored recommendations made by a citizens’ assembly on senior care that it had set up. Even in Ireland, which is frequently held up as an exemplar of deliberative democracy, lawmakers did little to put a citizens’ assembly’s proposals on climate change into effect.
Simon Montlake/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Maxine Wood, an office administrator, was struck by the 'human element' that emerged in a Citizens' Jury in Leeds, England, in which she participated for three months in the fall of 2019.
The cooperative Dutch
Citizens’ assemblies aren’t the only route to muster political will on climate. The Netherlands has drawn up an ambitious carbon reduction plan after a year-long consultation known as a polder, which brought together industry, consumers, and politicians to create a consensual framework.
The model is uniquely Dutch, a legacy of centuries of cooperation to maintain dikes and canals. “We had to cooperate because the water made no difference between citizens,” says Ed Nijpels, a former lawmaker who led the climate negotiations.
The climate polder hit speed bumps, however, when its initial report was criticized for burdening households with the cost of a clean-energy transition. “The moment these proposals began touching people’s cars and houses they got scared,” says Louise van Schaik, head of sustainability and climate change at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations.
This political backlash was quelled by proposals to shift more of the financial burden of the transition onto industry. Last summer, the Netherlands’ four-party coalition government approved an accord aimed at cutting emissions by 49% in 2030 from 1990 levels.
Mr. Nijpels says that normal party politics would likely have scuppered a deal. “To be honest, I don’t think they could’ve done this without [the polder process]. It was the only way to get to this target of 49%,” he says.
Swapping stories, making recommendations
In Leeds, Ms. Zainab and her fellow jurors found plenty of common ground at their weekly meetings, held in the open-plan offices of an engineering company. They swapped stories of their lives and their interests, and friendships blossomed on the sidelines.
Each session lasted three hours. Experts vetted by an independent panel briefed the jury and answered their questions.
One member didn’t believe there was a climate emergency, but saw the health benefit of policies to cut road congestion and air pollution. (Proponents say it’s important not to exclude skeptics from these bodies; at Climate Assembly UK, 19 of the 110 participants identified themselves as “not at all” or “not very” concerned about climate change.)
Ms. Zainab was among the youngest jurors, and she deferred at first to older members. “They had louder voices,” she says. By the end, though, she was all-in, and was chosen as the first speaker for the public launch of the jury’s final recommendations, which ranged from better bus services to more generous subsidies for home insulation and more government help for green startups.
SOURCE: Pew Research Center | Jacob Turcotte/Staff
One item had unanimous support: The city should take over privately-run bus routes and expand them, a move that – along with congestion charges and bike lanes – would help make private cars “a last resort for transportation.”
That resonates with panel member Maxine Wood, an office administrator who bought her first car after having a baby. “The reason people drive is convenience. There aren’t enough buses,” she says.
Like Ms. Zainab, she was struck by the jury’s group dynamics, which contrasted starkly with the vituperative political debates she sees on social media. “When you put people in a room and they’re facing each other, the human element comes in,” she says.
An airport protest changes a diet
One issue highlighted the tradeoffs implicit in climate decisions and the messy nature of real-life politics: the planned expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport from 4 million to 7 million annual passenger capacity, and consequent rise in carbon emissions.
Many of the jurors used the airport, and discussion was heated. But in the end they voted nearly unanimously to oppose the expansion. This was largely symbolic, since the airport is private and already had planning permission to expand, so jurors also called on the municipal council to block a planned highway to the new terminal.
In December the council did so, deciding on a rail link instead. But Daniel Corner, a university student on the jury, felt let down by the compromise. “Trains aren’t as bad as cars, but it’s still putting people on planes that are churning out pollution,” he says.
Still, he hopes that deliberative bodies like the one he served on offer a way forward.
“If you get people from both sides of the political spectrum and put them in a room together and teach them on a subject ... we are all able to reach a compromise,” he says.
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Asked about his own behavior, he pulls out a handwritten groceries list. “I’m doing my shopping after this,” he says. He used to eat meat daily. Now the only animal protein on the list is cod fillets.
Third in our Navigating Uncertainty series.


csmonitor--2020-04-03--How online learning may be more than a stopgap in the US

“ There ’ s no way you can get through an experience like this without some sort of impact , ” says Vicki Zakrzewski , education director at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California , Berkeley .
“ I wonder if it won ’ t change how we view the purpose of education .
In the West it ’ s been about academics .
How to survive in a global marketplace .
This is making us step back and question what is important.
” The shortcomings of online learning and the advantages of in-person learning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there is a shared sense that innovation and creativity around the delivery of learning are being explored at this time – along with deeper thinking about motives .
It is but one of the impacts that the coronavirus pandemic is having – and may continue to have – on the education system .
With at least 55.1 million students out of school in the U.S. as of April 2 , the outcomes of prolonged absence from a classroom are increasingly being considered .
Over the past weeks , students and teachers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from Google classroom videos to Zoom lectures to virtual field trips .
Some see it as just scratching the surface of what can be accomplished using technology with teaching .
Jessica Calarco has been thinking a lot recently about the importance of school .
This isn ’ t just because the sociology professor has been learning firsthand , like so many millions of other parents around the country , how life works without school .
( For her , it involves new locks on the office door to keep her 5- and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes she is now teaching by Zoom . )
No , for Professor Calarco , the new life of trying to get a preschooler to do worksheets while a toddler runs amok in the background has brought up a host of concerns about what this unprecedented moment in American education might mean long term – particularly for disadvantaged students .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
Professor Calarco studies inequity in education .
Recently , she published a paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-income families .
So she worries about increasing educational disparity as tens of millions of students bring all of their work home , for an unknown length of time .
“ Homework-related inequalities become even more consequential now that schooling has basically all been pushed home , ” she says .
Professor Calarco is far from the only one thinking about the long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic ’ s impact on the education system .
As of April 2 , at least 55.1 million students were out of school in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been keeping a running tally of school closings .
At least 124,000 schools have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis , according to their count – nearly all of the 98,000 public and 34,000 private schools that exist in the country , according to the National Center for Education Statistics .
“ There ’ s no way you can get through an experience like this without some sort of impact , ” says Vicki Zakrzewski , education director at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California , Berkeley .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t change how we view the purpose of education .
In the West it ’ s been about academics .
How to survive in a global marketplace .
This is making us step back and question what is important.
” At this point , the predictions are theoretical .
As Michael Hansen , senior fellow and the director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution , says , a lot depends on whether schools and families treat this moment like an extended snow storm – a monthlong closure after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a fundamental shift .
But he and others say that , at the very least , the experience in online learning for millions of students will change the way schools approach virtual education .
“ There has been an overall resistance to technology [ in schools ] , ” Mr. Hansen says .
“ I do believe this will be something that will motivate more schools and districts and states to take the virtual learning environment and classroom much more seriously.
” Indeed , over the past weeks , students and teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education , from Google classroom videos to Zoom lectures to virtual field trips .
But as Jennifer Mathes , interim chief executive officer for the nonprofit Online Learning Consortium , says , many educators are just scratching the technological surface .
“ What we ’ re seeing right now doesn ’ t fully reflect what online can do , ” she says .
She expects that as educators continue teaching remotely – and even after they come back to the physical classroom – they will likely delve into a more concerted and sophisticated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I don ’ t think anyone ever saw something like this happening on this scale , ” she says .
“ But it could happen again .
We ’ re going to have to be prepared to shift into online learning and do it in a way that is effective.
” While Mr. Hansen says he doubts that the online classroom will replace much elementary education – just check out the memes posted by parents trying to work at home while managing their second graders ’ internet-based lessons – he sees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older grades .
High school , for instance , has long puzzled educational reformers , resisting the achievement gains enjoyed over the past decade by younger students .
Perhaps , he says , online learning could be used for innovation in these older grades .
“ I wouldn ’ t be surprised to see more and more states requiring one or two virtual classes in high school , ” he says .
But as Professor Calarco points out , there are issues with any large movement to online education .
There is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the Pew Research Center ’ s analysis of 2015 U.S. census data , nearly a third of lower income school-age children lack access to high-speed internet .
Those same children are least likely to have parents with the time and resources to give extra academic help , Professor Calarco says .
This is part of the reason why Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers , believes the pandemic will push schools in the opposite direction .
“ People thought , ‘ Online .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nope .
Now people are seeing all the negatives , ” she says .
“ What you ’ re seeing is the limitation of remote learning and online learning.
” In her view , the pandemic may well remind people of the importance of school .
Beyond academics , schools can serve communities as a source of food for lower income students , counseling , and the arts .
Teachers may also be able to do their jobs more creatively , she says .
The federal government has lifted requirements for standardized testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create the best curriculum possible for their students .
“ People are starting to appreciate again the bricks-and-mortar schools ; what they mean for socialization , relationship building , ” Ms. Weingarten says .
Claire Leheny , executive director of the Association of Independent Schools in New England , is also thinking about relationships .
“ How do you keep community at this moment ?
” she says .
“ What does community mean when we don ’ t congregate ?
How do you keep community in a virtual world ?
Our leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , is noticing a new sort of innovation and imagination within the education landscape .
School leaders , even at the most rigorous schools in the country , are recognizing that they simply won ’ t be able to teach 100 % of the intended curricular material – and some are starting to wonder whether that ’ s OK , whether the volume of content itself is less important than the underlying skills .
The traditional approach of “ synchronized learning , ” where students are learning together at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And teachers who have never taught virtually are experimenting with and creating innovative platforms – often doing so in amazing , new ways , she says .
“ People ask , ‘ What are the things we need to do to keep learning and curiosity alive , but not necessarily have to deliver curricular content in exactly the same way , or in the same volume or quantity , ’ ” she says .
“ This is a moment that demands learning by our educators … and I ’ ve got to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees it as inevitable that schools will have to grow and change from this pandemic .
So does Ms. Zakrzewski , from the Greater Good Science Center .
Her program recently launched the “ Greater Good in Education ” site , which shares research-based practices in social-emotional learning and character development , among other topics .
“ Kids eventually will be going back to school , ” she says .
“ There will be some processing that needs to happen with these children , and with the teachers .
What just happened ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not just about the academic tasks anymore .
This idea of shared humanity is coming out as a theme .
What kind of world do we want to live in ?
”

“There’s no way you can get through an experience like this without some sort of impact,” says Vicki Zakrzewski, education director at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. “I wonder if it won’t change how we view the purpose of education. In the West it’s been about academics. How to survive in a global marketplace. This is making us step back and question what is important.”
The shortcomings of online learning and the advantages of in-person learning, like socialization, are being raised. But there is a shared sense that innovation and creativity around the delivery of learning are being explored at this time – along with deeper thinking about motives.
What changes to the way children are educated might come after the current pandemic? While there are still shortcomings to address, some see innovation happening in online learning – and in how people think about the goal of education.
It is but one of the impacts that the coronavirus pandemic is having – and may continue to have – on the education system. With at least 55.1 million students out of school in the U.S. as of April 2, the outcomes of prolonged absence from a classroom are increasingly being considered.
Over the past weeks, students and teachers have jumped into all varieties of virtual education, from Google classroom videos to Zoom lectures to virtual field trips. Some see it as just scratching the surface of what can be accomplished using technology with teaching.
Jessica Calarco has been thinking a lot recently about the importance of school.
This isn’t just because the sociology professor has been learning firsthand, like so many millions of other parents around the country, how life works without school. (For her, it involves new locks on the office door to keep her 5- and 2-year old from interrupting the Indiana University classes she is now teaching by Zoom.)
No, for Professor Calarco, the new life of trying to get a preschooler to do worksheets while a toddler runs amok in the background has brought up a host of concerns about what this unprecedented moment in American education might mean long term – particularly for disadvantaged students.
Why We Wrote This What changes to the way children are educated might come after the current pandemic? While there are still shortcomings to address, some see innovation happening in online learning – and in how people think about the goal of education.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
Professor Calarco studies inequity in education. Recently, she published a paper on the difference in homework expectations for low-income families. So she worries about increasing educational disparity as tens of millions of students bring all of their work home, for an unknown length of time.
“Homework-related inequalities become even more consequential now that schooling has basically all been pushed home,” she says.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters View caption Hide caption Lydia Hassebroek, who attends Public School 34, conducts an experiment at her home in New York on March 23, 2020, the first day of remote school after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order closing public schools statewide due to concerns over the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Professor Calarco is far from the only one thinking about the long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the education system. As of April 2, at least 55.1 million students were out of school in the U.S., according to Education Week, which has been keeping a running tally of school closings. At least 124,000 schools have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis, according to their count – nearly all of the 98,000 public and 34,000 private schools that exist in the country, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“There’s no way you can get through an experience like this without some sort of impact,” says Vicki Zakrzewski, education director at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. “I wonder if it won’t change how we view the purpose of education. In the West it’s been about academics. How to survive in a global marketplace. This is making us step back and question what is important.”
At this point, the predictions are theoretical. As Michael Hansen, senior fellow and the director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, says, a lot depends on whether schools and families treat this moment like an extended snow storm – a monthlong closure after which everything goes back to normal – or a fundamental shift.
But he and others say that, at the very least, the experience in online learning for millions of students will change the way schools approach virtual education.
Emily Elconin/Reuters View caption Hide caption Molly Maguire uses chalk to calculate an addition problem in her driveway during a math exercise created by her mom, Hattie Maguire, as schools are closed to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Salem Township, Michigan, March 24, 2020.
“There has been an overall resistance to technology [in schools],” Mr. Hansen says. “I do believe this will be something that will motivate more schools and districts and states to take the virtual learning environment and classroom much more seriously.”
Indeed, over the past weeks, students and teachers have jumped into all varieties of virtual education, from Google classroom videos to Zoom lectures to virtual field trips. But as Jennifer Mathes, interim chief executive officer for the nonprofit Online Learning Consortium, says, many educators are just scratching the technological surface.
“What we’re seeing right now doesn’t fully reflect what online can do,” she says. She expects that as educators continue teaching remotely – and even after they come back to the physical classroom – they will likely delve into a more concerted and sophisticated exploration of how to embrace online learning.
“I don’t think anyone ever saw something like this happening on this scale,” she says. “But it could happen again. We’re going to have to be prepared to shift into online learning and do it in a way that is effective.”
While Mr. Hansen says he doubts that the online classroom will replace much elementary education – just check out the memes posted by parents trying to work at home while managing their second graders’ internet-based lessons – he sees a potential for virtual education to affect older grades. High school, for instance, has long puzzled educational reformers, resisting the achievement gains enjoyed over the past decade by younger students. Perhaps, he says, online learning could be used for innovation in these older grades.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more states requiring one or two virtual classes in high school,” he says.
Lindsey Wasson/Reuters View caption Hide caption Adison Pucci does squats at his home in Bothell, Washington, March 11, 2020, using an exercise video made by his middle school teachers as stepbrother Foxton Harding looks on. They are learning from home after the Northshore School District closed in-person classes due to coronavirus concerns.
But as Professor Calarco points out, there are issues with any large movement to online education. There is still a large digital divide in the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of 2015 U.S. census data, nearly a third of lower income school-age children lack access to high-speed internet. Those same children are least likely to have parents with the time and resources to give extra academic help, Professor Calarco says.
This is part of the reason why Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, believes the pandemic will push schools in the opposite direction.
“People thought, ‘Online. It’s going to replace teaching and learning.’ Nope. Now people are seeing all the negatives,” she says. “What you’re seeing is the limitation of remote learning and online learning.”
In her view, the pandemic may well remind people of the importance of school. Beyond academics, schools can serve communities as a source of food for lower income students, counseling, and the arts. Teachers may also be able to do their jobs more creatively, she says. The federal government has lifted requirements for standardized testing; teachers now have more independence to create the best curriculum possible for their students.
“People are starting to appreciate again the bricks-and-mortar schools; what they mean for socialization, relationship building,” Ms. Weingarten says.
Claire Leheny, executive director of the Association of Independent Schools in New England, is also thinking about relationships.
“How do you keep community at this moment?” she says. “What does community mean when we don’t congregate? How do you keep community in a virtual world? Our leaders are grappling with that.”
She, too, is noticing a new sort of innovation and imagination within the education landscape. School leaders, even at the most rigorous schools in the country, are recognizing that they simply won’t be able to teach 100% of the intended curricular material – and some are starting to wonder whether that’s OK, whether the volume of content itself is less important than the underlying skills. The traditional approach of “synchronized learning,” where students are learning together at the same time, is shifting to individual learning. And teachers who have never taught virtually are experimenting with and creating innovative platforms – often doing so in amazing, new ways, she says.
“People ask, ‘What are the things we need to do to keep learning and curiosity alive, but not necessarily have to deliver curricular content in exactly the same way, or in the same volume or quantity,’” she says. “This is a moment that demands learning by our educators … and I’ve got to say, educators like learning.”
Ms. Leheny sees it as inevitable that schools will have to grow and change from this pandemic. So does Ms. Zakrzewski, from the Greater Good Science Center. Her program recently launched the “Greater Good in Education” site, which shares research-based practices in social-emotional learning and character development, among other topics.
“Kids eventually will be going back to school,” she says. “There will be some processing that needs to happen with these children, and with the teachers. What just happened? What did we just live through? It’s not just about the academic tasks anymore. This idea of shared humanity is coming out as a theme. What kind of world do we want to live in?”