Broken Pipes Can be Repaired
Chris Walls, a college adviser for NC State's College Advising Corps, compares the work of teachers to that of plumbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Chris Walls, College Adviser for Washington County High School
The National College Attainment Network recently hosted a webinar titled, “Is the High School to College Pipeline Broken? The Data Says Yes.” The impact of the coronavirus has been dominating conversations all over the country with worries of health, economy and education. However in this webinar, various speakers highlighted strategies that have worked in their specific regions and the importance of college access networks, including the College Advising Corps.
The data presented from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center tells us that one in five college-bound students from the Class of 2020 never enrolled in college. Low-income schools, such as those served by the NC State College Advising Corps, were less likely with about one in three students not enrolling in the fall. In an uphill battle for the 2020-2021 school year we have been combatting the overall decline of students completing college-going processes such as FAFSA and college applications.
However, broken or leaky pipes can be repaired, whether it be with tape, a patch and clamp, or a new pipe altogether. There have been valiant efforts across the board from educators to fix this pipe. Teachers have adopted virtual learning by creating dual lesson plans and opening up more tutoring hours, oftentimes working more hours than ever. School boards have developed plans for safe instructional practices and to do my part, I have embraced tackling college access using wrenches, pipe putty, tape and a torch.
This time has opened so many channels to reach and serve students which have been very effective. Phone calls, social media, emails, video calls, infographics, safe event planning and more have been a working solution. Speaking with students and families over video call has been a welcomed addition to my outreach plan compared to last academic year. With this, I am able to still do a walkthrough of, say, a college application, while staying safe. As we consider what students have going on outside of school, I am beginning to understand that no two students will need the same assistance in the same way.
Though the data presented was disheartening to see, there is ALWAYS a way for circumstances to improve. We are all plumbers; teachers, career development coordinators, policy makers, guardians and college advisers alike. The pipes may be leaking a bit, but the plumbers, tools in hand, have arrived and are hard at work.
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