Angela Carr works as a Pastor for Laurel Branch Church of the Brethren and has worked in local school systems for nearly three decades, including Roanoke City, Floyd County and Montgomery County.
Inspired by former Floyd teacher Wanda Radford, Carr originally wanted to become a technology teacher, but life had other plans for her as she made the transition to Human Resources in 2016.
That role, alongside her current one as Licensure Coordinator in Roanoke City, allows Carr to support teachers as they support their students.
Carr said the COVID-19 pandemic is still impacting local school systems in a variety of ways.
“Within the different groups of people who were affected, the central office always looks at the students first,” Carr said. “The next impact was on the teachers because of the issues at home, and the loss of time and learning, and the expectations that come with being an arm of a state educational institution.”
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Students faced not only school shutdowns and returns to in-person instruction with strict rules, but also personal trauma from the pandemic and their individuals situations.
The way a student’s family dealt with COVID and how much support they had, played a huge role in how a student returned to school, Carr said. Some came back with behavioral issues after a lack of classroom discipline.
“If you are trying to discipline a student who was not accountable during the time they were in [virtual] school, the said student experienced a disruption in accountability which makes enforcing discipline more difficult,” Carr said.
Another challenge of COVID was a teacher shortage, which impacted Carr directly in her current role. The Virginia legislature is working on alternative routes for obtaining teaching licensure, such as career programs, grants and financial support.
Carr said current teachers are “beyond” burned out, which is why school systems are losing teachers and teachers are changing careers.
“Teachers are pouring into students, but they have nothing to give,” she said. The pandemic “amplified that balancing act that teachers have to do.”
Despite all of the negatives that came with COVID, Carr was able to name some “COVID Keepers,” some positive impacts and outcomes of having to live in pandemic times.
Schools had to “think creatively and expand their delivery.” Carr said, “Schools need to continue maintaining a positive, clean and supportive environment, and continue to offer different delivery methods.”
COVID taught us to slow down, discover wholeness and who we are. Carr said that the pandemic has changed us but not necessarily for the worst.
“I found balance when I stopped seeking balance and started seeking wholeness,” Carr said. “Culture is telling us to strive for balance, when we need to be seeking wholeness.”
Carr loves “loves to smell the city because it has the diversity that I crave,” then coming home to Floyd County, family and church family on the mountain.”
Carr said she is driven to manage both of her jobs with Roanoke City Schools and Laurel Branch Church of the Brethren by the opportunities they present for her to help others.
“In my full-time work, I am able to lighten the load of a teacher who is seeking out licensure or is having to work with the Virginia Department of Education to have to go through all of the red tape… Being able to help them focus on their career needs has been very motivating,” Carr said.
The ministry, she added, has been motivated by being able to walk with people through their issues and being able to listen, learn and grow.
“No matter what job you’re doing, you’re doing it for the Lord,” Carr said.
It was not difficult for Carr to stay motivated throughout the pandemic, she said. She was called back to work while everyone else was still quarantining.
“I was so busy there was no time to think about a pandemic,” Carr said. “COVID challenged me — not in a bad way — to think outside the box.”
