These priorities will serve to reinforce plans leaders have already made or give them ideas for new initiatives:

Make a comprehensive plan for the well-being of the whole community: Conduct regular non-academic check-ins with students to assess well-being and provide timley interventions; prioritize care for the highest-need community members.
Focus on equity, all the time: Activate or reactivate school- and district-level equity teams, and provide professional development that encourages educators to examine unconscious bias and systemic racism. Develop plans for changing these structures.
Lead boldly and intentionally for transition: Publicize efforts to rethink long-standing approaches to schooling, including staff roles, schedules, and curricula. Hold forums to gather community feedback about these initiatives.
Promote and practice self care, starting with the adults: Organize professional learning that focuses on self- and collective care, including concepts such as self-compassion, setting boundaries, self-regulating, and finding opportunities for connection and creativity. Provide similar opportunities for families and students.
Model moderation through 2020-21 and beyond: Demanding that teachers and students meet the same standards during COVID as in prior years really means they are being asked to exceed expectations as they learn in new ways, in different environments and with little contact with peers. Moderation means the educators must avoid excess or extremes as students and communities re-emerge from the pandemic.

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5 priorities for reopening with equity and mental health care