The COVID-19 crisis, with all of its complexities, is revealing simplicities about education and life. There is nothing like a national crisis to distill what matters most, helping prioritize the paramount over the petty. Winston Churchill, a leader during a different time of global crisis,
observed,
"Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge."
As the scope and nature of the virus become clearer, life feels complex and unfamiliar. Stakeholders have shifted. School buildings have closed. Education delivery models have changed. As one article noted,
"We're All Homeschoolers Now." Free
online educational resources seem to have proliferated; at times, it may feel like there's
too much to navigate.
Yet, intense simplicities are emerging. Here's one: We share a common aim of helping one another. Never have I been prouder to be an American. Neighbors are helping neighbors. School buses are being repurposed to deliver food. Private businesses are redirecting resources to make protective gear. Face masks for first responders-it's an American rallying cry being answered, right now, by businesses and individuals in our state and nation.
Here's another simplicity: We all need community. Family and friends play a key role in keeping us safe and sane. Nothing takes the place of face-to-face interaction in our homes with those we love. While we are practicing social distancing, human touch with a responsible adult and a child is priceless. Online resources, while essential, can only do so much. The same is true of brick and mortar classrooms and even government.
A third simplicity: We all must take personal responsibility. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, have said repeatedly that personal responsibility, ultimately, will make the difference in slowing the spread of the virus.
This idea of personal responsibility applies to our children as well as to ourselves. Every child needs a responsible adult in order to flourish. Responsible adults are children's most basic first responders.
The notion that it takes a village to raise a child is important, of course. But what we're seeing more of now is how important it is for each child's responsible adult to work closely with the village. Generally, it's best when that responsible adult can be a parent. However, society is blessed when other adults step in for children if the parent isn't available-and also, during times of crisis, when families need extra help.
In this current moment of crisis, I want to highlight just a few of the ways North Carolina's schools are working to help students and families.
Schools are expanding learning opportunities. Charter school leader Andrew Harris, CEO at Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, is
reaching across school silos to help district schools and other charter schools implement remote learning protocols. Kristin Brackett, a kindergarten teacher at Pinnacle Classical Academy, is sharing story time with her students through a
YouTube channel.
Schools are reminding students about what really matters. In a
lighthearted video in which he juggles grocery bags and jumps on a pogo stick, Coach Scott Wolfe of Gray Stone Day School communicates a powerful message. Be patient, be kind, use your time wisely.
"This is not a month-long snow day," he says.
"Make yourself better today."
Schools are helping meet basic needs. In Southeast Raleigh, PAVE Charter is serving as a
food distribution site, providing breakfast and lunch to students from all over Wake County. Schools in
Brunswick County and elsewhere are also providing meals for students in need.
I am thankful for the ingenuity and generosity of our schools. And as a mother and grandmother myself, I applaud every parent, relative, friend or community member who is serving as the responsible adult in the life of a child. The simple truth is this: Children need support from responsible adults not just in moments of crisis, but all the time.
Lindalyn Kakadelis is the executive director of the
North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools.
The totals below were collected from ARCGIS & GOOGLE
*Data includes both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19.
-- Totals Updated November 4th, 2021 @ 11:10 am --
Worldwide
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
219,456,675 |
28,223 |
4,547,782 |
United States
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
46,220,296 |
140,250 |
750,077 |
India
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
34,321,025 |
25,226 |
459,652 |
Brazil
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
21,835,785 |
103,322 |
608,235 |
United Kingdom
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
9,171,660 |
138,053 |
141,181 |
Russia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
8,494,589 |
57,887 |
237,619 |
Turkey
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
8,121,196 |
97,663 |
71,298 |
France
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
7,002,389 |
104,395 |
115,418 |
Iran
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
5,954,962 |
71,461 |
126,763 |
Argentina
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
5,292,549 |
117,773 |
116,029 |
Spain
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
5,019,255 |
106,565 |
87,462 |
Colombia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
5,007,099 |
101,367 |
127,380 |
Italy
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
4,782,802 |
79,391 |
132,224 |
Germany
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
4,684,462 |
56,338 |
96,196 |
Indonesia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
4,246,174 |
15,909 |
143,481 |
Mexico
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
3,811,793 |
30,114 |
288,733 |
Ukraine
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
3,118,140 |
74,454 |
73,888 |
Poland
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
3,045,102 |
79,343 |
77,145 |
South Africa
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
2,922,735 |
49,728 |
89,220 |
Philippines
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
2,793,898 |
25,753 |
43,586 |
Malaysia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
2,486,630 |
75,956 |
29,091 |
Peru
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
2,203,310 |
68,572 |
200,326 |
Netherlands
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
2,156,582 |
123,579 |
18,474 |
Iraq
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
2,058,914 |
52,620 |
23,248 |
Thailand
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,935,442 |
29,109 |
19,394 |
Czechia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,783,227 |
166,751 |
30,840 |
Canada
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,726,767 |
45,466 |
29,080 |
Japan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,724,128 |
13,689 |
18,297 |
Chile
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,699,427 |
88,942 |
37,790 |
Romania
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,676,293 |
86,384 |
49,115 |
Bangladesh
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,570,238 |
9,326 |
27,880 |
Belgium
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,393,358 |
120,904 |
26,083 |
Israel
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,332,247 |
145,125 |
8,109 |
Pakistan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,275,158 |
5,819 |
28,496 |
Sweden
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,175,425 |
113,749 |
15,043 |
Serbia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,162,482 |
166,933 |
10,139 |
Portugal
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,092,666 |
106,325 |
18,180 |
Kazakhstan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
1,024,449 |
54,858 |
17,201 |
Cuba
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
953,750 |
85,083 |
8,250 |
Morocco
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
946,766 |
26,404 |
14,689 |
Vietnam
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
939,463 |
9,765 |
22,283 |
Switzerland
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
881,660 |
102,679 |
11,261 |
Hungary
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
879,092 |
89,953 |
30,994 |
Jordan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
868,493 |
81,553 |
11,077 |
Austria
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
847,408 |
95,187 |
11,400 |
Nepal
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
813,828 |
27,131 |
11,434 |
Greece
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
760,592 |
70,920 |
16,109 |
United Arab Emirates
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
740,136 |
74,834 |
2,137 |
Georgia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
732,965 |
196,850 |
10,185 |
Tunisia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
712,982 |
60,824 |
25,254 |
Lebanon
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
643,749 |
94,316 |
8,522 |
Bulgaria
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
619,284 |
88,469 |
24,589 |
Belarus
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
606,033 |
64,380 |
4,679 |
Guatemala
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
602,575 |
36,291 |
15,222 |
Costa Rica
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
561,432 |
110,999 |
7,111 |
Saudi Arabia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
548,760 |
16,037 |
8,799 |
Sri Lanka
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
542,793 |
24,895 |
13,791 |
Azerbaijan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
537,004 |
53,342 |
7,153 |
Ecuador
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
515,859 |
29,551 |
32,958 |
Bolivia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
514,679 |
44,872 |
18,936 |
Myanmar (Burma)
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
502,979 |
9,256 |
18,744 |
Slovakia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
493,277 |
90,404 |
13,112 |
Croatia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
476,832 |
116,978 |
9,332 |
Panama
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
473,005 |
112,118 |
7,320 |
Paraguay
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
461,184 |
64,477 |
16,256 |
Ireland
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
455,346 |
92,522 |
5,492 |
Lithuania
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
414,817 |
148,495 |
5,971 |
Kuwait
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
412,752 |
93,380 |
2,462 |
Venezuela
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
409,695 |
12,716 |
4,925 |
Uruguay
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
394,443 |
112,104 |
6,080 |
Denmark
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
393,199 |
67,528 |
2,717 |
Dominican Republic
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
384,208 |
37,092 |
4,144 |
Honduras
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
375,983 |
41,054 |
10,284 |
South Korea
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
373,120 |
7,206 |
2,916 |
Ethiopia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
366,097 |
3,711 |
6,494 |
Mongolia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
362,772 |
109,579 |
1,767 |
Libya
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
359,019 |
52,249 |
5,157 |
Slovenia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
341,699 |
163,175 |
4,784 |
Moldova
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
341,675 |
127,408 |
7,912 |
Palestine
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
335,709 |
67,456 |
3,669 |
Egypt
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
333,840 |
3,332 |
18,832 |
Armenia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
312,674 |
105,722 |
6,491 |
Oman
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
304,318 |
65,237 |
4,112 |
Bahrain
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
276,956 |
179,457 |
1,393 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
256,307 |
77,645 |
11,685 |
Kenya
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
253,512 |
5,330 |
5,282 |
Qatar
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
239,646 |
87,230 |
611 |
Latvia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
224,513 |
117,743 |
3,357 |
Nigeria
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
212,359 |
1,030 |
2,900 |
Norway
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
211,755 |
39,451 |
919 |
Zambia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
209,781 |
11,729 |
3,661 |
Singapore
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
207,975 |
36,464 |
442 |
Algeria
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
206,754 |
4,808 |
5,931 |
North Macedonia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
203,866 |
98,148 |
7,178 |
Estonia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
199,251 |
149,998 |
1,563 |
Botswana
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
187,281 |
80,074 |
2,407 |
Uzbekistan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
186,793 |
5,477 |
1,329 |
Albania
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
186,793 |
65,635 |
2,940 |
Kyrgyzstan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
181,499 |
27,780 |
2,676 |
Finland
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
160,948 |
29,117 |
1,176 |
Kosovo
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
160,809 |
89,554 |
2,978 |
Afghanistan
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
156,323 |
4,851 |
7,284 |
Mozambique
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
151,325 |
5,033 |
1,932 |
Montenegro
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
145,936 |
234,488 |
2,119 |
Zimbabwe
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
133,091 |
8,779 |
4,684 |
Ghana
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
130,287 |
4,303 |
1,182 |
Australia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
129,567 |
5,048 |
1,448 |
Namibia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
128,963 |
52,447 |
3,557 |
Uganda
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
126,321 |
3,135 |
3,219 |
Cyprus
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
124,973 |
142,680 |
576 |
Cambodia
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
118,787 |
7,770 |
2,807 |
El Salvador
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
113,422 |
17,487 |
3,654 |
Cameroon
Confirmed Cases |
Cases per 1M People |
Deaths |
104,348 |
3,931 |
1,731 |