Reopening Amid a Global Pandemic: Adapting Research, Prioritizing Collaboration, and Trust

Abstract

In this discussion essay, the authors examine the development and implementation of the mitigation policy and practices that shaped Cairo American College’s (CAC) reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic. An international school located in Cairo, Egypt, CAC was the first and only school in Egypt and much of the Middle East to reopen in August 2020. This essay discusses stakeholders, policies, and practices that shaped the reopening process from utilizing research and data from leading international health organizations to working within the local community and the Government of Egypt’s COVID-19 mandates. Successes and challenges of this process are discussed with a focus on the importance of research-to-practice in policy development as well as collaborating with international schools in the region and beyond as a comparative model for other schools. Ensuring trust and buy-in from parents, faculty, and staff was paramount to the successful implementation and continuation of the reopening process. Research played a foundational role in creating and maintaining this trust amid the lack of comparable school reopenings. Recommendations for a safe and effective reopening plan are provided along with the necessary role of all stakeholders for its success including leadership, teachers, and the community.

Citation

Galegher, E.L. and Bailey, C.D. (2022), "Reopening Amid a Global Pandemic: Adapting Research, Prioritizing Collaboration, and Trust", Wiseman, A.W. (Ed.) Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2021 (International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 42A), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 81-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-36792022000042A007