Melody Schopp, PhD serves as the Director of Education Industry Consulting at the SAS Institute, supporting the Education Practice to empower education leaders and states to use analytics to improve student outcomes. Following two decades of classroom experience, Schopp entered the South Dakota Department of Education, where she served in numerous director positions, including deputy secretary. She was appointed Secretary of Education by Governor Dennis Daugaard in 2010 and served seven years as part of his cabinet. Before joining SAS in 2020, Schopp spent three years as a national education consultant with various clients focused on improving academic and emotional opportunities for students. Schopp was privileged to serve in leadership positions for various national organizations. She was a board member and elected president of the Council of Chief State School Officers. Additionally, she was treasurer of the Education Commission of the States and on the board of directors of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). Schopp has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education, and a PhD from the University of Lincoln, Nebraska, in higher education and leadership.
A line in the sand was drawn in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools closed and all education-related stories focused on learning loss and other related events that happened after that date. As the discussion shifts to learning recovery, there is still a significant amount of
In March 2020, when nearly all schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most school leaders would never have anticipated the speed or length of school closures, nor the magnitude of its impact on students and educators. As state departments of education and local school districts continue to take measures
We recently passed the two-year anniversary of US school closures that transformed schooling for students, teachers and parents. The pandemic induced the largest remote learning experiment in history. But, lack of time to prepare for remote education and unequal internet and device access left many students unserved or underserved. It was
Whatever you choose to call it – learning loss, learning disruption, or unfinished learning – there is widespread agreement among educators, parents, and other caregivers focused on the needs of K-12 learners that COVID-19-related disruptions had a serious impact on their education. But dig a little deeper and the story
