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.
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.
More districts opt for virtual learning; Senate HEALS Act out of touch with public health reality

After reviewing the latest plans from 106 districts and 18 charter management organizations—which serve over 10 million students—it’s clear that although many districts had been planning to open in-person on a regular or hybrid/rotating schedule, their plans have changed.
More districts are going remote; will they avoid spring’s missteps?

As districts and states grapple with whether and how to bring students back into classrooms, academic planning is getting short shrift and vulnerable groups, such as students experiencing homelessness and English language learners, appear to be especially shortchanged in district planning.
First District Reopening Plans Illuminate Tradeoffs and Confusion In Politically Charged Environment

Last week, school reopening was thrust into the national and political spotlight as President Donald Trump polarized the issue and Betsy DeVos, his education secretary, threatened to divert federal funding from schools that do not open in-person. Districts and states have been slow to release much detail on what to expect in the fall, but […]
An Early Plan from a Must-Watch District: Reopening in Miami-Dade

The fifth-largest school district in the country was one of the earliest in the country to move instruction online, and by our account, it delivered one of the most robust plans.
The Wait for Fall Reopening Plans, and the First Details to Emerge

Parents, students, teachers, policymakers, and community members are all waiting for schools to release fall reopening plans. Four months into COVID-19, and just weeks out from the new school year, very few districts in our database report concrete expectations for the 2020-21 school year. CRPE has been watching for reopening plans for the 100 districts […]
Deficiencies in Spring and Summer Point to Where Districts Must Put Their Attention This Fall

School systems face a monumental challenge preparing for fall amid a public health and fiscal crisis. Vulnerable students can ill afford to repeat this spring, when the initial virus outbreaks and sudden closures caught schools unprepared. Gaps in spring and summer planning can point districts to the critical issues they must attend to in the […]
Too Many Schools Leave Learning to Chance During the Pandemic

We knew the sudden shift to remote learning would be hard. For the last two months CRPE followed a group of large, mostly urban school systems as they clarified their expectations for teaching students, tracking attendance, and monitoring learning. These districts are prominent in the national debate and serve nearly one of every six public […]
Districts Are Missing an Opportunity to Innovate as Most Take Traditional Approaches to Summer School

Note from the authors: We share our most recent COVID-19 findings during a critical moment, as the recurring impact of systemic violence against Black people devastates our communities and the nation. As we work to inform efforts to build a more equitable education system, we must acknowledge the pain wrought by these injustices. After three […]