Sam Houser Discusses Educational Impacts of Covid-19

Head of School Sam Houser served as a panelist during the webinar Coronavirus and Education in Aspen & America presented by Aspen Mastermind on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Panelists discussed topics such as the long-term educational and psychological effects of remote learning for students, obstacles schools are facing when trying to reopen, and what educators are learning from the pandemic.

“As an international boarding school, we are doing everything we can to ensure the equity of our education,” Sam said. “We decided to go with a model where we offer classes mostly online, but some in-person, on-campus programs also will take place. We felt this plan offered our students a fair opportunity to learn. I feel strongly, however, that there is no substitute for teachers and students to be together in the classroom.”

Other panelists included Suzy Zimet, MD, vice president Aspen School District Board of Education; Ben Mason, BA, M. Ed, Harvard, and founder of Mason Associates; and David Baugh, Aspen’s New Superintendent of Schools, honored last year as Pennsylvania’s Educator of the Year.

The Aspen Mastermind is a community of thought leaders from around the globe who meet to share insights on lifestyle, economic, health and wellness, travel, and current world issues.