The COVID-19 pandemic completely upended education in Arizona. As we close out a school year marked by turmoil and uncertainty — and virtual learning — educators and officials are looking forward to next year for lessons learned.

Enter the Arizona Department of Education’s Ready for School Task Force. It’s bringing together a diverse and extensive group of educators from around the state this summer to get students back to school on the right foot next year, and maybe even find a few areas where the pandemic pushed them to get better.

Bill Lucas serves on that task force. He’s a school counselor at Agua Fria High School in Avondale where he said he had to adapt fast as everything changed overnight last spring.

The Show spoke with him to hear what adjustments he had to make.

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