Think Out Loud

Schools, students face challenges with reopening

By Sage Van Wing (OPB)
April 28, 2021 4:29 p.m. Updated: April 29, 2021 4:36 p.m.

Broadcast: Wednesday, April 28

As Oregon schools open their doors, students are heading back to school in droves for hybrid instruction — with some time spent at school, in-person, and the rest of the time continuing to learn at home. Students heading back to physical classrooms have found the experience isn’t the same as they remembered before the pandemic. Bend La-Pine was the first large district in Oregon to go back to in-person instruction for all grades. Since the district went all-in two weeks ago, COVID-19 has surged in Deschutes County. Now case metrics threaten the reopening. But health officials say school-related transmission of the virus is low, and that spread is mostly happening outside of classrooms. OPB reporters Elizabeth Miller and Emily Cureton join us to talk about the challenges schools and students face as they approach the end of this school year.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Contact “Think Out Loud®”

If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Related Stories

A hiker carrying a backpack looks towards a dusty trail, mountains and blue sky.

Dream of ‘American Perimeter Trail’ still alive for Bend backpacker

Bend resident Rue McKenrick wants to create a hiking trail that connects the contiguous United States. He set out last year to hike the whole thing and made it about 10,000 miles before weather conditions and health problems forced him to come back to Bend. Now, he’s heading back to North Dakota to pick up where he left off.