Starting a new school requires navigating many complex regulatory and financial frameworks, and building a strong team of people who can help your vision come to life. Often, the right team members have skills in finance, law, and management that are not directly related to education, but that can help your school develop its long-range vision. You should also ask the community for resources. Ask what local organizations have missions that align with your school and can offer resources or partnerships. What individuals in your community have the expertise to serve as mentors and advisors?
During the reopening process, NYC offers lessons in how to support safe and equitable school reopening. School reopening involves putting in place policies, procedures, and financing to enable safe school operations, ensure learning and recuperation of lost learning opportunities, and safeguard student health and well-being. This work is multilayered and requires the close collaboration of government officials, schools, families, and communities.
For example, prior to the December 2020 reopening, NYC required that every school and classroom use a protocol for virus testing, contact tracing, and daily reporting of teacher-student engagement. In addition, union and department leaders worked together to complete workplace risk assessments for educators during in-person instruction to identify potential exposure risks (see Edgerton, Naomi Ondrasek, Natalie Truong, and Desiree O’Neal, 2021; Learning Policy Institute research brief). These efforts helped keep schools open while meeting state requirements. Additionally, school reopening in NYC relied on a micro-cluster strategy with color-coded zones and focused on the needs of each school.