The pandemic has shifted the role of educators, urging them to go beyond traditional boundaries, ensuring student well-being through new challenges in remote learning. Teachers have adapted to online tools, engaged with trauma-exposed students, and provided one-to-one tutoring and emotional support. Administrators have coordinated food distribution, coached teachers, communicated policy changes, checked student well-being, and supported families. Essential lessons learned emphasize prioritizing social-emotional care for students and staff. To address this, maintaining connections through weekly office hours, redesigning learning strategies, allowing flexible guidelines, and investing in professional learning and collaboration are crucial. The shift demands bold transformations in educational practices, requiring inclusive policy decisions that value educators' insights and experiences to serve communities equitably amidst the crisis.

English learners (ELs) face diverse challenges during the pandemic, with varied educational needs and health concerns. The forthcoming academic year will likely amplify the academic gap between EL and non-EL students due to limited access to distance learning. To address this, several policy recommendations are proposed. Universal basic income, health care, and tech access are vital for EL families, especially for those in low-income or undocumented situations. Distance learning must cater to ELs by providing devices, multilingual content, and non-tech learning options. Improved communication with EL families and leveraging their cultural assets are crucial. Extending learning time for ELs, promoting collaboration among teachers, and hiring bilingual family members as aides or tutors are recommended. Assessing returning students' academic status and monitoring funds allocated for ELs' needs are vital. These policy suggestions aim to address EL education challenges amidst the pandemic, stressing equity, resources, and inclusivity in education.

Amid the pandemic, California schools are undergoing extraordinary efforts to support students and families during the pandemic, but the forthcoming academic year poses unprecedented challenges. Without conventional metrics like grades and attendance data, educators face a monumental task amid reduced budgets, varied learning opportunities, and unequal access to resources among students. To aid teachers in this complex scenario, system leaders must shift their focus from traditional professional learning structures to include cognitive science and emotional learning. Creating safe, collaborative environments where teachers can self-reflect and learn collectively is crucial. As schools grapple with the crisis and opportunity gaps, a successful response necessitates prioritizing the learning experiences and insights of frontline educators, fostering conditions for meaningful collaborative learning, and focusing on the student experience. This approach centers on listening to both students and teachers, ensuring a sense of belonging, and promoting adult learning in collaborative spaces.

PACE Executive Director Heather Hough cautions that COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted California's education system, highlighting the state's low funding and the substantial financial shortfall necessary to meet educational objectives. Recent research indicates a need for an additional $26.5 billion annually in K–12 education to reach state achievement goals. Decades of underinvestment have left districts financially vulnerable, compounded by the economic challenges triggered by the crisis. The dependence on personal earnings for school funding could result in severe cuts, impacting critical student services and potentially leading to layoffs. School closures have underscored their role beyond education, serving as community hubs crucial for student well-being, safety, and essential services. The pandemic exacerbates existing inequalities in learning opportunities among California students. The urgent call is to recognize schools as central to communities and the state's well-being, emphasizing the necessity for significant post-crisis investments in public education as a priority for California's recovery.

The COVID-19 crisis abruptly shifted education online, prompting a swift transition often labeled as "emergency instructional triage." USC Rossier School of Education, drawing from their extensive online teaching experience, released a report addressing crucial aspects of this new teaching landscape. Tailored for teachers, administrators, and educators, it tackles pressing questions across six key areas, providing practical recommendations for engagement strategies, teaching students without reliable internet access, rethinking grading practices, accommodating special needs students, guiding student teachers, and preparing for potential future online teaching. The resource delves into engaging high school seniors, efficient feedback methods, and offers appendices with supplementary resources, Zoom instruction strategies, and guidelines for creating secure online classrooms. This comprehensive guide, crafted by seasoned faculty with expertise in virtual teaching and educational psychology, aims to support educators facing the challenges of remote instruction during this unprecedented time, emphasizing the need for accessible and engaging learning environments for all students.

COVID-19's closure of California's educational institutions has profoundly impacted learning, equity, and access. Efforts now concentrate on remote learning support, essential non-instructional services, and aiding students with special needs. PACE seeks to bolster these initiatives, gather best practices, and provide real-time research for informed decision-making. Anticipating challenges upon students' return, especially those facing trauma, PACE plans to focus on data collection, student support, system capacity, and resource allocation. This includes addressing learning loss, supporting vulnerable populations, fostering engagement, integrating services across agencies, and seeking adequate funding amid economic strains. PACE intends to employ diverse approaches—reviewing existing research, collecting new data, testing innovations, and analyzing policy options—to aid educators, policymakers, and the public in navigating this crisis and leveraging education for recovery

The 2020 PACE Annual Conference unveiled the latest PACE/USC Rossier Poll results, showcasing California voters' views on key education-related issues. Presenters emphasized the poll's value in understanding voter concerns. Key findings revealed growing pessimism about school quality, a preference for across-the-board teacher salary increases, and concerns about college affordability and fairness in admissions. Voters also stressed addressing gun violence in schools. The panel discussed the state budget, highlighting the need for enhanced higher education accessibility, increased teacher salaries, and a more nuanced approach to education funding. They debated the governor's budget's alignment with voter priorities, noting the need for more support in higher education and teacher salaries and a more effective approach to recruiting teachers.