Cirpjournal Featuring Interviews with Professors Baruch Fischhoff and Wändi Bruine De Bruin
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CIRPJournal Featuring interviews with professors Baruch Fischhoff and Wändi Bruine de Bruin WINTER 2021 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2 THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC CIRPJournal Table of Contents 7 Letter from the Publisher and 34 Redefining National Security Editor-in-Chief Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic Kiron K. Skinner Audrey Pederson and Eri Phinisee 39 The Impacts of COVID-19 on State Articles and Non-State Actors in the Middle East 8 Addressing Learning Disabilities in James C. Summers II and Chandler Remote Learning During the Stacy COVID-19 Pandemic Jackie Wu and Renée Nikolov Interviews 13 COVID-19 in US Prisons and Jails: A Public Health Emergency 44 Interview with Baruch Fischhoff Catherine Taipe and Dylan Pollak Interviewed by Bill Brink 19 The Impact of COVID-19 on the 48 Interview with Wändi Bruine de Public Sector Bruin Arjun Ramachandran and Simon Lee Interviewed by Bill Brink 24 Coronavirus Relief Bills: Accessibility and Sustainability M. Angelica Kim and Zofia Majewski 29 Economic Effects of COVID-19 in the United States and Pennsylvania Jivak Nischal and Omasan Richardson CIRP Journal EDITORS: Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Kiron K. Skinner Managing Editor: John J. Chin Associate Editors: Bill Brink Emily Half Abby Schachter Founding Editors: Yong-Gyun Choi Amanda Kennard Inyoung Song Audrey Williams Cover Artist: Yoshi Torralva Copyright © 2021 by the Center for International Relations and Politics, Carnegie Mellon University Posner Hall 386 5000 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 www.cmu.edu/ir ISSN: 2328-9295 4 CONTRIBUTORS: Minseo Angelica Simon Lee Zofia Majewski Renée Nikolov Kim Jivak Nischal Audrey Pederson Eri Phinisee Dylan Pollak Arjun Omasan Richardson Chandler Stacy James C. Summers II Ramachandran Catherine Taipe Jackie Wu 5 6 Letter from the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Dear Reader, This is the tenth edition of the CIRP Journal, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for International Relations and Politics (CIRP) and Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS). This is also the second issue to feature submissions that were commissioned from participants in the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP). Founded in 2014, the Washington Semester Program brings students to live, intern, and study in Washington, DC. In the fall of 2020, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our stu- dents were still able to fully participate in the full range of CMU/WSP learning, internship, and professional experiences. These students came into direct contact with political, business, and community leaders inside and outside the beltway and gained insights into the most pressing policy issues of the day, including the political, social, and economic implications of the CO- VID-19 pandemic. We are so excited to share those insights with you in this edition of the CIRP Journal. The articles reflect the breadth and depth of the disruption and destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, documenting massive effects as close as Pittsburgh and as far away as the Middle East. Let me also thank Baruch Fischhoff and Wändi Bruine de Bruin for agreeing to be interviewed by our associate editor and IPS communications specialist Bill Brink for this issue. Readers will no doubt find insights about the uncertainties and responses to the coronavirus pandemic from two world-renowned CMU-affiliated experts in decision science and risk management. We welcome your feedback and thank you for your consideration of these important conversa- tions. We pray for the day when we can study the COVID-19 pandemic as history. Until then, please get vaccinated as soon as possible, maintain social distance, and wear a mask where ap- propriate. Sincerely, Kiron K. Skinner Publisher and Editor-in-Chief 7 Addressing Learning Disabilities in Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic JACKIE WU AND RENÉE NIKOLOV he COVID-19 pandemic closed down more than half of public school buildings in the United States in the spring of 2020, affecting at least 50.8 million students.1 The transition Tfrom in-person instruction to remote learning has been difficult for students and teachers alike. However, young children with learning disabilities are especially vulnerable to having their educational needs overlooked during the pandemic, which could have negative effects in the long run and perhaps leave many of the most vulnerable children permanently behind in terms of education. According to the latest figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, there are over 2.3 million students with specific learning disabilities, making up 4.6 percent of total public school enrollment.2 So far, these students with learning disabilities are not getting the proper education they need during the pandemic.3 In this article we explain the nature and severity of remote learning issues that impact young students with learning disabilities. Providing all students with an equal opportunity to learn is important for an equitable society. Remote Learning for Young Children Remote learning structures for young students adopted by many schools during the COVID-19 pandemic vary by classroom, school, and district. Some districts enforce a fixed schedule with a combination of live virtual instruction and “independent work time” while other districts provide students pre-recorded videos and assignments and request that parents structure their children’s educational schedule.4 While some schools encourage students to use online programs to practice math and reading skills, other schools send their students worksheets and instructions to rely on Google Classroom to study. Some districts, like New York, send interactive learning kits to students’ homes in order to enable hands-on learning. Despite differences in how remote learning is executed across the United States, almost all remote learning plans rely on technology and virtual resources to conduct classroom activities. Students often use video chat software, such as Zoom or Skype, to interact with their 1 Stacey Decker, Holly Peele, Maya Riser-Kositsky, Hyon-Young Kim, and Emma Patti Harris, “The Coronavirus Spring: The Historic Closing of U.S. Schools,” Education Week, July 1, 2020, https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/the-coronavirus- spring-the-historic-closing-of.html. 2 “The NCES Fast Facts Tool Provides Quick Answers to Many Education Questions (National Center for Education Statistics),” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the US Department of Education, accessed December 3, 2020, https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=64. 3 Perry Stein and Valerie Strauss, “Special education students are not just falling behind in the pandemic — they’re losing key skills, parents say,” Washington Post, August 7, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/special-education-students-are- not-just-falling-behind--theyre-losing-key-skills-parents-say/2020/08/05/ec1b91ca-cffd-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html. 4 Jackie Mader, “Schedules for distance learning are all over the place (and it’s making parents crazy),” The Hechinger Report, last modified August 19, 2020, https://hechingerreport.org/schedules-for-distance-learning-are-all-over-the-place-and-its-making- parents-crazy/. Renée Nikolov is a junior at Carnegie Mellon University studying Interna- tional Relations and Politics as well as Behavioral Economics. During the Fall 2020 Washington Semester Program, she interned with Voice of Amer- ica’s social media team. She is a member of the Student Advisory Com- mittee in the Institute for Politics and Strategy and participates in many advocacy organizations on campus, including CMU Able. 8 Addressing Learning Disabilities in Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic peers and teachers.5 Teachers mainly post assignments online and provide feedback on student work through virtual portals, such as Schoology.6 Thus, young children in public education most often engage in remote learning on a computer. Many students, especially young children, are struggling to stay engaged with learning through a computer screen, while teachers experience a load of responsibilities and stress to adapt to teaching their students at a distance.7 In-Person Accommodations for Students with Learning Disabilities Students with learning disabilities who require accommodations in public schooling usually have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a child’s “special education experience” or a tailored 504 Plan that outlines how a child’s disability will be supported in a general classroom setting.8 Common accommodations include extra time on tests and assignments, reduction of distractions in the classroom, and breaks during classroom activities.9 Some 504 Plans or IEPs require a student to have an in-class aide to provide personalized attention and to help the student in strengthening specific skills, such as time management. Most IEPs include “related services” – e.g. social skills support groups, speech-language therapy, or occupational therapy – to supplement a child’s special education plan.10 By federal law, public schools must provide adequate educational support to all enrolled children with learning disabilities by meeting the demands of the child’s IEP or 504 Plan. Noncompliance with an IEP or 504 Plan may lead to termination of financial aid to the offending school or a Department of Justice investigation.11 Unless schools are completely closed, the COVID-19 pandemic has not excused schools from meeting the accommodations in students’ IEPs and 504 Plans in a remote setting, per the US Department of Education.12 How Schools Have Been Accommodating Students Remotely While some accommodations – like extended time on assignments and tests – easily transfer to a remote classroom environment, implementing accommodations that traditionally require in-person interaction in remote learning has been a considerable challenge for teachers 5 The Albert Team, “What is Remote Learning? What You Need to Know,” The Albert Blog (blog), Albert, November 24, 2020, https://www.albert.io/blog/what-is-remote-learning/. 6 Greenwich Public Schools, “Student Portals,” last accessed December 3, 2020, https://www.greenwichschools.org/departments/ information-technology/student-portals.