The grim facts of how coronavirus affected the spring are well known by now: Schools and districts scrambled to train teachers in virtual learning and to provide educational materials, including computers and Internet access, to their students. Yet children and youth who already faced educational challenges in normal times possibly lost months of educational progress.
Will this school year be more of the same, or will we be able to start bridging the equity gaps that widened in the spring?
To be sure, many of the same profound difficulties remain. Many districts plan to keep their buildings closed for at least several more weeks, while others have opened to in-person instruction. An 91制片厂视频 Week survey of parents showed that Latino and Black families are far more likely to start the year in schools that are engaged in full-time remote learning. But Black and Latino families were also more likely to be poorly served by remote learning in the spring.
The 2020-21 school year doesn鈥檛 have to be a difficult retread of the previous months, especially for the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable students. 91制片厂视频 Week talked to dozens of educators and parents and combed through documents focused on how to infuse equity into learning plans for the coming year.
Many school officials say they鈥檝e absorbed the lessons of the previous school year and have used the time to prepare. They say they have better trained their teachers and have rolled out more technology to the students who need it.
Eighth in a series of eight installments.
These times are unprecedented. Through eight installments, 91制片厂视频 Week explores the steps administrators need to take to ensure the safety of students and faculty.
How We Go Back to School is supported in part by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Educators are also working on improving remote lesson accessibility for students with disabilities and English-language learners. They are looking for community support to help a potential surge in the numbers of students facing homelessness, buffeted by the economic as well as educational impact of the pandemic.
A common theme for schools for the new school year is enlisting authentic and deep connections with families, who will have to take charge of their child鈥檚 learning in a new way.
No one has suggested they鈥檝e found a perfect solution to ensuring equity for vulnerable students. But one positive outcome, experts say, is if schools are open to trying new ways of reaching children and supporting families. In that small way, the coronavirus crisis may have a glimmer of a silver lining, if it allows districts an opportunity to shake off failing policies and procedures in favor of trying something new for the students who need the best a school has to offer.
鈥擟hristina A. Samuels
NEXT STEPS FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY
There鈥檚 no question that the shift to remote learning was a blow to many students who were already vulnerable before the pandemic even started鈥攑articularly students of color and low-income children and youths. Yet, educators and experts say that the new school year doesn鈥檛 have to be a repeat of the spring, if educators are committed to focused work in accelerating learning, reaching out to families, supporting technology needs, and revising and evolving plans when necessary.
Deep Dive: Fighting for Fairness Amid a Pandemic
BUILDING PARENTS鈥� TRUST
Schools are banking on a lot of support from parents as they navigate the new school year, but parents say they have mixed views on how well they believe schools will safeguard their children鈥檚 health. A survey shows families from marginalized communities and lower-income families are much more likely to say that they have little trust in schools. Building authentic connections with parents is an essential first step to gaining trust, parents say.
Deep Dive: Do Parents Trust Schools? Where the Fault Lines Are During COVID-19
Downloadable: What Schools Can Do to Build Trust: Advice From Parents
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
When schools shut down this spring, many weren鈥檛 equipped to provide robust remote learning for students with disabilities and English-language learners. Experts say these student groups should be prioritized during remote learning for the 2020-21 school year. That could mean investing in assistive technology, getting those students in front of live teaching as much as possible, and ensuring that special educators and general educators have time to jointly plan ways to support students with disabilities who are in regular education classes.
Deep Dive: Bridging Distance for Learners With Special Needs
Downloadable: Key Back-to-School Questions for ELLs and Students With Disabilities
PRESSURES OF POVERTY
The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a profound effect on families, many of whom are facing job loss, evictions, and a general lack of financial stability鈥攁ll of which affects how prepared students will be for learning. School districts are already an important source of connecting families with the support they need, and they鈥檒l need to continue that work even more aggressively for the coming school year.
Deep Dive: Shielding Students From the Economic Storm
Downloadable Guide: A Guide for Serving Homeless Students
