Amy Fast is a high school principal in the McMinnville School District in Oregon. She holds a Ed.D. degree. Previously, she’s been an elementary teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal. She is also an education commentator and author of the book, It’s the Mission, Not the Mandates.

After a brief overview of Amy’s career and a discussion of her book, we dug into the issues facing educators amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We covered planning for remote vs. in-person classes, the technology of remote classes, teacher concerns about in-person class safety, funding for cleaning, effectiveness of remote teaching, mental health issues, and long-term changes to education in the post-pandemic era. Parents with schoolchildren and educators will find this interview enormously helpful.

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My Background Mode interview with Dr. Amy Fast

• Amy on Twitter.


• Amy's book: It's the Mission, Not the Mandates: Defining the Purpose of Public Education

• Support TMO when you buy your Apple gear from Apple.


• The story of my Background Mode podcast.


• Inside TMO’s Background Mode podcast.


• TMO Background Mode Twitter feed.


• Archive of all Background Mode Shows.


• Background Mode at iTunes.


• Send your comments to observations@macobserver.com or marty@macobserver.com