It has been a tough year in schools. No one wants another. Gov. Baker has promised that, “School this fall will look a lot more like it did before the pandemic.” Business as usual and back to normal. But is that what we really want? Is that what all our students need? As educational leadership professors who regularly interact with students, parents, and teachers, we are increasingly concerned.

“Back to normal” ignores the unpleasant truth that “normal” didn’t always work.