First look at ESSER priorities: Districts are placing their bets on what they know
A $189 billion infusion of federal COVID relief funding gives America’s school districts an unprecedented opportunity to invest in lasting improvements in public education and make their students whole after a year and a half of disruptions.
Now’s the time for states to invest in making online learning better
Many school districts have launched a full-court press to convince these families it’s safe to return to classrooms. But what should schools do about families who refuse to come back?
Most Students in Urban Districts Will Have Summer Learning Options, But Schools’ Plans May Miss the Mark
CRPE’s latest review found that 97 of 100 reviewed districts have now announced some form of summer school programming.
Will national wedge issues cripple local education leadership?
This fall, school and district leaders will encounter kids at vastly different levels of academic readiness and needs for mental health intervention, and parents and teachers with varying concerns over safety. Though many schools will follow similar strategies, the specific problems schools will face will lead them in different directions. This puts a premium on […]
What a diverse group of 20 school districts are doing right in their COVID-19 reopening plans
Districts across the country have devised new ways of supporting students, connecting with families and measuring progress despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Are smaller class sizes without the pitfalls possible? Pandemic pods make the case
Pandemic pods were borne by necessity as families faced urgent needs for childcare and remote learning support. But they also offer fresh solutions to an age-old education problem: how to dramatically lower class sizes without diluting teacher quality and falling into traps that have snared traditional class size reduction efforts. By leveraging pandemic innovations in […]
How 11 states are using emergency federal funds to make improvements in college and career access
The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER I and II) gave states $4.25 billion in discretionary federal dollars to support K–12 schools, higher education, and workforce initiatives. These were welcome resources, coming just as the pandemic accelerated unemployment and exacerbated declining college enrollment, hitting those from low-income backgrounds hardest. As of May 1, about $1.5 […]
Don’t risk innovation and family trust with a rush to in-person learning
After opposing in-person schooling for more than a year, teachers unions and some Democratic elected officials have flipped, and now want to end all online teaching and force everyone back to school whether they’re comfortable with it or not. Why the flip? Not so clear. Pandemic risks have declined but not disappeared. But the downsides […]
“Don’t leave me out”: Schools should use insights gained from the pandemic to strengthen partnerships with high school families
The need to better engage families became starkly apparent during a school year flipped on its head by a global pandemic. Yet there remains a possibility that the realities COVID-19 exposed can help forge a new social contract between schools and families, placing parents in partnership as co-educators with teachers. With that in mind, CRPE […]
Many kindergartners aren’t showing up as schools reopen in person. How some large urban districts are trying to re-engage families
While most schools are back in person this spring, they continue to grapple with lagging enrollment. Pre-K and kindergarten have been hit especially hard.