Breathe and advocate for your children advises WKAR director of education

<p>During the pandemic, Robin has shifted her outreach methods from large scale, in-person events to personalized accessible experiences for parents and kids adjusting to the new reality of at home learning. <br> <br> “The pandemic has made families really concerned with whether this will be a lost year or not,” Pizzo says. “Families have to be very flexible and fluid. They have to be okay with not knowing what tomorrow is or what changes may occur in the future as soon as a week from now. And that uncomfortableness can be difficult for families. And you feel as though your children might not receive all of the best that they deserve and should have from the school system to educate them at home in cooperation with your school system and teachers. Families are really wrestling with what this year will look like. And one of my roles and responsibilities as director of education is to give them the confidence and the encouragement that they'll be okay and that they have the skills and the tools to help see their children through this very tumultuous, interesting, trying time.”<br> <br> Pizzo details how her role has changed during the pandemic. <br> <br> “We continue to move forward with our mission to inspire and to educate and to help support our families do the job that they are already doing and encourage them to stay relentless.”<br> <br> How has the pandemic shaped your perspective as a leader in education, and where do you see this all going? And what are some of the lasting changes in education? <br> <br> “It has caused me to feel like I need to continue to be a staunch advocate for inclusive and equitable resources and support for children and families at every level. Socioeconomically, we see that there are some disparities when you have limited access to broadband and wifi or resources within the home even for those children where home may not be the safest place to learn all day. I think that one thing that PBS and WKAR have always done is to provide a safe place for children to learn. When you