College presidents, leaders of K-12 teacher and administrative groups, and state employees in education and public health convened Monday morning to discuss what reopening Connecticut's education system might look like. The Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group convened the virtual roundtable.

K-12 schools and colleges share some challenges but also have their unique struggles. Much of the discussion centered on fostering equity for groups of students who have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the need for flexibility.

Department of Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said educators are tasked with "reimagining education to make it better than it was before March 12, to address some of the issues and the gaps we had before COVID."

Mark Ojakian, president of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, said guidelines for reopening are not a one-size-fits-all approach, that "Southern Connecticut State University might have significantly different needs than Yale, which might have significantly different needs than Gateway Community College."

For example, former Yale University President Rick Levin said non-residential programs could open as early as June, particularly ones that involve vocational training where students are well-spaced.

Levin said the summer provides the opportunity for training faculty to "provide richer and better online experiences for our students," but that schools must be flexible. He said some are thinking about ending the semester on campus at Thanksgiving, and having students finish classes online and take exams from home between Thanksgiving and winter break.

State Epidemiologist Matthew Cartter also urged flexible thinking, saying, "We are going to continue to see transmission of this virus through the summer, and it's quite likely we will see a second wave of this pandemic as well, in the fall, so our plans need to be flexible enough to turn rapidly and adjust to that."

In response to a question from moderator Chris Soto about students and faculty with pre-existing health conditions, Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney said people may not be coming back to campus at the same time, and the question is how to make sure a blend of remote and face-to-face learning is "an excellent educational experience."

Berger-Sweeney said another challenge is pressure on financial aid, considering students will need more money to come to school and traditional revenue sources "are going to be under strain."

There's no right answer

Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, spoke of philanthropic help in addressing the "opportunity gap," such as Dalio Philanthropies helping pay for 60,000 laptops for needy students.

"What keeps us awake at night is being able to reach and engage every child, and we know that during this time, we've had a very difficult time doing that," Rabinowitz said, citing students with disabilities.

Beth Bye, commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Education, said that as a developmental psychologist she has concerns about childhood brain development now, with the normal school structure disrupted.

"I think we're in a situation where there's not always a right answer," Bye said. "There are often less worse answers."

Bob Rader, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, expressed concern about social-emotional learning and the impact on students and teachers "who have found this to be somewhat traumatic."

On a logistical level, both he and Don Williams, executive director of the Connecticut Education Association, said class sizes and the number of students on buses will have to be reduced to promote social distancing.

e.moser@theday.com