The metaphor “summer slide” has been used for decades to describe the essential skills that children lose over the summer when they’re out of school. Though this term was popular before 2020, unfortunately it is now the least of many...
As parents fearful of coronavirus’s spread and frustrated with their schools’ forays into remote learning seek other options, they are increasingly turning to virtual for-profit charter schools. Numerous studies show that parents of color were more likely to keep their...
A report from a coalition of bipartisan education groups—including the California PTA, the California Teachers Association and Policy Analysis for California Education—has urged schools to use their COVID funding to support mental health programs this year. The report recommends school...
Canada’s literacy gap was an issue long before the pandemic. But as the health crisis continues to exacerbate existing economic and health challenges, while increasing levels of precarity, instability and inequality in many households, the need to address the problem...
A new study examines how the pandemic affected scholarly research and early education careers of those who were suddenly at a precipice of funding shortages or program cuts. The past year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a...
Literacy is about more than being able to read or not. It refers to how well people understand and use printed information to function in society and the economy. Research suggests the pandemic has not only increased inequities in literacy...
As we consider what we have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic about the new skills needed for future superintendent success, who will lead that debate on the future state of superintendent preparation? Will it be traditional universities and their education...
The term “learning loss” is too often used to describe the restorative restart needed in California’s most underserved communities for the 2021-2022 academic year. It is accurate that many students have experienced enormous disruptions in their lives and learning, but...
Last March according to the National Center for Education Statistics, just short of 40 percent of U.S. students were still learning entirely remotely. Roughly the same percentage were back attending full-time in-person learning (another 23 percent of students were enrolled...
The pandemic has already taken a hefty academic and emotional toll on students It’s hard to measure academic performance in a way that applies to all. But early in the pandemic, test scores for U.S. students hinted of educational blows...
With Fall fast approaching, parents and teachers alike are wondering if this school year will bring with it some normalcy. But with over three-quarters of school districts offering remote learning options, many are worried the pitfalls of the past year...
All 50 states closed schools to in-person instruction at some point during the 2019-2020 academic year, and the closures continued for more than a year in many districts throughout the country. Now, some students are returning to full-time, in-person instruction...
It felt like this fall would—at long last—be different. Last March according to the National Center for Education Statistics, just short of 40 percent of U.S. students were still learning entirely remotely. Roughly the same percentage were back attending full-time...
Researchers have found that students have lost ground due to school closures and remote educational learning. PACE, the Policy Analysis for California Education, found: “At the first anniversary of school closures due to COVID-19, nearly half of the K–12 students...
A year and a half into the Covid-19 pandemic, schools are reopening amid more uncertainty than ever. Just about the only thing districts know for sure is that last year’s lockdowns and online learning were a disaster for the emotional...
The past 18 months have presented unprecedented challenges for education. As schools gear up for the new academic year, decisions made now will shape the recovery from the pandemic. Collaboration between districts and teacher unions holds the potential to steer education into a stronger future. Although the pandemic strained some labor–management relationships, a California study found that many districts and unions worked collaboratively to address challenges during the crisis. As education moves forward, several key areas need attention: approaching problems collaboratively, prioritizing equity, smart allocation of resources, considering staffing needs, ensuring school safety, and potentially empowering school-level labor–management teams. These steps are vital for a robust recovery and the creation of an education system grounded in fairness and effective learning.
One of the major disruptions to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was the rapid shift from in-person K–12 education to virtual learning. While necessary for social distancing and slowing the spread of disease, there is a concern that...
The pandemic has touched many students with heightened stress, disruptions and remote learning hurdles, but experts say it may have the greatest impact on the youngest learners, those in the formative years of learning to read. Creating a language-rich environment on...
COVID-19 caused widespread disruption last school year, moving millions of children’s education online for all or part of the year. It also meant thousands of parents unable to navigate child care, work, and the rigors of remote school did not...
As most students in California return to the classroom, many educators and parents are concerned that a year or more of Zoom school means students may be lagging behind where they would have been if there had been no pandemic. Learning loss...
Strict school discipline increases the chances of adult arrests. The research confirms the school-to-prison pipeline, a term used to highlight the link between exclusionary school discipline and incarceration. Black and Hispanic individuals, who are more likely to be suspended or...
Distance learning and the coronavirus have taken an undeniable toll on students who have suffered from isolation, learning loss and trauma during the past year and a half. West Contra Costa Unified and many districts across California are planning a...
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been clear that not all students have been impacted by the switch to online learning in the same ways. The greatest impacts have fallen on young children, as well as English language learners and low-income...
As we reopen schools and return to classrooms with a new infusion of desperately needed funding, I hope we all realize that “back to normal” won’t work for all students. Let’s take advantage of this exciting opportunity to reimagine and...
California will require that all teachers and school staff be vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19, becoming the first state to impose such measures ahead of the new school year. The move comes as students return to classrooms around the...
