As our public schools are preparing to open to full in-person learning this week, it is perhaps a good time to reflect on what our keiki, community and educators have endured during this unprecedented time.

Educators had predicted that students would begin the 2020-2021 school year in the fall with a lower level of retention as compared with the usual “summer slide” that occurs during the summer vacation months, having been out of a traditional school rhythm since March 2020. This was unfortunately proven last year based on student achievement data, with elementary school students being the most affected.

Students who are the most vulnerable to school closures and disruptions in learning are identified by the Department of Education (DOE) as those who are economically disadvantaged, in special education, learning English as a second language, and students identified by the schools to be vulnerable for other reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Performance in English Language Arts and Math declined over the year in this population, with 22-25% of our most vulnerable elementary school keiki having failing grades by Quarter 4 in one or both subjects.

In a completely virtual environment, it was extremely challenging for teachers to assess students accurately. Prolonged social isolation impacted students’ ability to concentrate and learn. Research in digital versus hands-on paper media reveals that learning and comprehension is less sustained from digital sources, which in some cases has been the only option for learning and engaging during virtual classes.

Not attending school in the usual manner has also profoundly impacted the health of many children. More families than ever have experienced financial difficulties and food insecurity during the pandemic; this high level of stress has led to an increased risk of violence. Subtle signs and red flags of child abuse have undoubtedly been missed without day-to-day personal contact; school personnel had contributed to 20% of the cases reported to Hawaii Child Welfare Services in the prior year.

The disruption of a predictable, in-person school routine has also caused more anxiety in some children. The loss of confidentiality in students being able to communicate abuse concerns or behavioral health needs behind closed doors with school counselors has added to their ability to cope, and nationally, emergency department visits for pediatric mental health concerns have increased significantly. Children with chronic diseases who had benefited from school health care support being built into their medical care plan have now had to rely solely on family to manage their medications and schedule at home, which for some has led to a disruption in their prior disease control.

School closures during the pandemic have also brought some silver linings. Parents and teachers started communicating differently, with many families now more aware of the curricular details and daily effort that teachers expend to help their keiki remain engaged and motivated to learn. A renewed respect for educators will hopefully assist in recognizing their irreplaceable worth.

Some middle- and high-school students have preferred online learning during this time for various reasons, and have been more academically successful and productive. This experience has illustrated that teaching and learning are certainly not “one size fits all.”

As schools prepare for reopening, we must recognize and nurture the social-emotional needs of our children. We can recover and rebuild by supporting our teachers and schools in offering students intensive social emotional support, by emphasizing the importance of individualized assessment to determine areas of need, and by endorsing specialized curriculum designed to help students advance from their latitude of academic achievement following this prolonged disruption in their education.

Jennifer R. Di Rocco, D.O., M.Ed., is a pediatrician at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and an assistant professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii.