The COVID-19 Pandemic upended the status quo for families, communities, and industries around the world. P-20 education was no exception. Distance learning was instituted in unprecedented ways, and many teachers have yet to see their students face-to-face since March of 2020.  

Among the terrible consequences of the pandemic would be a failure to learn from it. Recognizing that, Illinois State Assistant Professors Dr. Linsay DeMartino and Dr. Gavin Weiser worked to preserve the stories, research data, and lessons learned through a COVID-19 special issue of Planning & Changing. The co-editors compiled an eight-article publication featuring 18 authors who work in P-12 schools and universities in the U.S. and abroad.

The COVID-19 special issue is open-source and is available at Education.IllinoisState.edu/Planning.

A special issue special event

Weiser, DeMartino, and the Planning & Changing staff are highlighting the outstanding work of the contributors through a virtual launch event. Over the course of an hour, the audience will hear commentary from the co-editors and authors of the issue.

The launch event will take place on Thursday, May 13 from 4-5 p.m. Registration is required and is free and open to the public.

“Having participated in a virtual launch party before, we feel that this event is an awesome way to not only spotlight the authors’ work, but learn a little more about the ways others are handling this extraordinary time in the history of education and the world,” Weiser said.

DeMartino added that she’s excited for this unique opportunity for outstanding scholars to share their dynamic research and stories.

“We received many submissions to this special issue despite the expedited timeline, and the work represents a wide range of scholars from across the world,” DeMartino said.

Contributing authors to the issue include:

  • Linsay DeMartino is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations at Illinois State University.
  • Gavin Weiser is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations at Illinois State University.
  • Jennifer Antoni is a school counselor at the City of Burlington School District in Burlington, New Jersey, and an adjunct assistant professor at Temple University in Philadelphia.
  • Jenna Cushing-Leubner is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
  • Trish Morita-Mullaney is an assistant professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
  • Michelle C. S. Greene is a visiting clinical assistant professor at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
  • Amy Stolpestad is the project director of English Learners in the Mainstream at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
  • Michelle Benegas is an assistant professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
  • Lisa Crosslin is a school principal/doctoral student at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
  • Lucy Bailey is the director of gender and women’s studies at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
  • Donna Sayman is an associate professor at Wichita State University.
  • Heidi Cornell is an assistant professor at Wichita State University.
  • Rosa Bahamondes Rivera is an assistant professor at the University of Chile in Santiago, Chile.
  • Erika Abarca Millán is a faculty member at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • Natasha Feinberg is an assistant professor at Rhode Island College in Providence.
  • Beth Pinheiro is an assistant professor at Rhode Island College in Providence.
  • Leslie Sevey is an associate professor at Rhode Island College in Providence.
  • Susan Zoll is an associate professor at Rhode Island College in Providence.