One Step Forward, One Step Back: Public Health Fears Keep America’s School Districts on a Reopening Treadmill
This brief gives an update on our nationally representative sample of school district reopening plans.
Can public education return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic?
Regardless of how long or short a time the current pandemic lasts, the “normal” in politics and schooling is unlikely to return anytime soon.
We reviewed the school reopening plans for 106 districts around the country. Here’s how they square with reality
Perhaps as to be expected, districts’ already lackluster plans for the start of school have been beset by execution challenges, confusing and tardy federal guidance, and barriers to student access.
What we learned from deep dives into six school systems’ COVID-19 response
For an analysis we published last week as part of the American School District Panel project, we looked closely at six districts and charter management organizations, hoping to understand why they took particular approaches to remote learning and how their experiences last spring affected their plans for the fall.
More districts should seize the opportunity to improve professional learning for teachers
Our nationwide scan found some promising efforts by school districts to support professional learning despite massive logistical hurdles and a tangle of red tape. But we also see significant missed opportunities to improve support for teachers.
What a diverse group of 20 school districts are doing right in their COVID-19 reopening plans
This summer, the Center on Reinventing Public Education partnered with the Collaborative for Student Success to convene experts in fields such as school system leadership, disaster response, public health and family engagement. They analyzed reopening plans in a diverse group of 20 school districts.
As many school districts reopen virtually, the opportunity gap widens for students living in poverty
As students and teachers begin the new school year, the opportunity gap for students living in poverty is likely to be wider than ever.
Tight or loose? It depends: District central offices in supporting school-based COVID-19 response
Our analysis of district responses nationwide in the spring found many districts that responded quickly used a “tight,” centralized response and strong leadership to set expectations and provide for the basic resource needs for all students.
How 18 top charter school networks are refining remote learning for the fall
Eighteen leading charter school organizations are strengthening curriculum offerings and modifying schedules — although their plans are less detailed than districts’ on remote learning improvements or lessons learned from the spring.
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.