Drawing on over two decades of experience as a teacher and education administrator, Morgan Barth currently provides education leadership consultancy services to an array of educational organizations in Nashville, Tennessee. A proponent of in-person learning, Morgan Barth outlined his observations on some drawbacks of virtual learning in an op-ed published in August 2020 in The Tennessean, a local daily newspaper.

A father of then kindergarten twin daughters, he had first-hand experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. With local schools closed, Barth’s daughters and fellow learners had to spend six hours in front of laptops daily. As a result, they become overwrought while simultaneously lonelier. In addition, technical issues with glitches and bandwidth and the challenge of overseeing a class of 20 kindergartners further exacerbated the learning process. Meanwhile, students lacking internet access, laptops, or adequate supervision can stay excluded from education.

Also, virtual learning can be even more detrimental to young students and those with special needs, such as students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans. Both IEPs and 504 Plans denote plans or programs catering to elementary or secondary school students with identified disabilities. However, the first ensures they receive specialized instructions and services, while the latter relates to securing accommodations that will facilitate their access to education and academic success. Accessing education via computer screens hampers IEP and 504 Plan students from doing so in a meaningful and efficient way.