EPISODE SUMMARY

Dr. Carol Birks shares her experiences starting as superintendent at Pennsylvania's Chester Upland School District during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPISODE NOTES

Dr. Carol Birks’ start at Chester Upland School District didn’t go quite as planned. Like most entering superintendents, Birks had planned to spend her first months at the Pennsylvania district meeting and listening to her community.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed all of that. Instead of hitting the ground running in July 2020, Birks was forced to alter her entrance strategy. Instead of the standard transition, she found ways to meet people who couldn’t be physically present and navigate school reopening in an area with extremely high transmission rates.

In this episode, Birks shares how she made connections in spite of COVID-19, and how Chester Upland is now returning to the classroom.

Dr. Carol Birks (@drcarolbirks)

Chester Upland School District (@ChesterUplandSD)

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