Politics, not science, driving many school opening plans
State and federal leaders must urgently issue clear and objective guidance to ensure school reopenings follow the science of the virus, not the politics of the moment.
Reversing institutionalized racism in public education
Institutional racism is insidious. It hides in plain sight in arrangements that look neutral but aren’t. As the Black Lives Matter movement is teaching us, practices can be racist and undermine equity even if well-intentioned people follow them. Even before the coronavirus shutdown that exposed inequities in access to remote learning, important aspects of our […]
Racial equity in education: A high priority for parents
The summer of 2020 has been one of pain and reckoning for the United States. With widespread protests and discussions happening in the wake of George Floyd’s death, there is reason for concern about children returning to school this fall, beyond the physical health factors. Students will likely carry anxiety, anger, fear, and other unresolved […]
Reinventing on the fly: How learning pods may hint at a new structure for public education
For years, developments at the margins of public education hinted at a new world, struggling to be born. Microschools, hybrid homeschools, and a la carte online courses offered an array of new learning experiences to families with the resources to access them. New institutions like Workspace Education and a growing proliferation of homeschooling collaboratives formed […]
Students experiencing homelessness are largely invisible in school reopening plans
The needs of students experiencing homelessness have been neglected in both the national dialogue on the impact of pandemic-related school closures and school districts’ plans for remote learning.
Leading states show how to set clear expectations for remote learning—more should follow their example
Last spring, fewer than half of the nation’s school districts expected teachers to deliver remote instruction, grade student work, and take attendance. Districts’ inaction appeared to be closely linked to states’ unclear expectations. As the pandemic spreads, districts across the country have announced they will open remotely, in some cases only weeks away from the […]
Rural school districts can be creative in solving the internet connectivity gap—but they need support
Gaps in access to the internet and instruction were evident in CRPE’s analysis of rural districts. However, rural districts also devised innovative strategies to help put materials and instruction in the hands of students.
Restoring public education post-COVID
The only survivable posture for a state or school district is to acknowledge uncertainty. That means preparing for multiple scenarios and avoiding long-term commitments to contracts, people, and facilities that might be needed now but not later.
We reviewed 86 districts’ reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year. Here’s some of what we found
Remote learning is no longer an unprecedented mode of delivery for most schools across America. For many students returning to class in the coming weeks, it will be back to school online.
States: It’s not too late to guide districts on teaching and learning
One striking finding of the CRPE and Public Impact review of state reopening plans is what’s not there: the primary purpose of schools, teaching and learning. During COVID-19, states are giving districts only minimal guidance and support about teaching and learning. Yet district and school leaders are already working around the clock to plan for […]