LPI Blog

Adults—including teachers, principals, and family members—play important roles in supporting children’s social and emotional development. But to create the relationships and learning environments that promote students’ SEL, adults themselves need to feel empowered, supported, and valued. This is especially true in the post COVID-19 world, given the disruption to lives and routines caused by the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced childcare and preschool providers around the country to temporarily close their doors and financial burdens may force thousands of centers to shut down permanently. This could lead to the loss of as many as 450,000 child care slots, jeopardize efforts to reopen the economy, and undermine the development of our youngest learners.

School systems have implemented a variety of practices to support students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting disruption to traditional schooling. These include developmentally appropriate strategies for understanding and regulating emotions and practicing self-care, guiding families on how to create supportive home environments, and fostering an overarching commitment to creating connectedness across physical distance.

Community schools create opportunities for engaged and rigorous learning rooted in the assets and needs of students, families, and the larger community. As COVID-19 forced schools to close and shift to distance learning, teachers at two Los Angeles community schools adapted and created community-based learning projects that address issues currently affecting students’ lives.

All students benefit from opportunities to reflect on their learning and work. Around the country, schools are adopting portfolios, showcases, and other forms of performance assessment to help students build essential metacognitive skills. Given the disruption caused by COVID-19, these strategies can also be an effective way to bring closure and add meaning to a tumultuous school year.

The pandemic and resulting school closures have made clear the essential role schools play in the lives of students, families, and communities. Besides their core role of advancing learning, they have fed millions of children and families, provided computers and connectivity to those without, and—in many cases—enabled child care for essential workers. Pandemic-related state budget cuts will make federal stimulus funds critical to ensuring that school systems can continue to fill these vital functions.

Schools, districts, educators, and families are not equally empowered to switch to distance education in response to the pandemic. Educators, policymakers, and partners have taken on the essential work of bridging the technology gap, but tactical interventions alone are insufficient. Another challenge—and opportunity—brought on by the COVID-19 crisis is the need to shift to next-generation instructional models characterized by collaboration, student agency, and opportunities to learn in diverse settings.

Reductions in state revenue and corresponding cuts to state education budgets will mean significant cuts to teaching positions unless the federal government provides increased education funding to states. This blog explores the potential impact of state budget cuts on teaching positions. An accompanying interactive allows for a state-by-state analysis based on different funding scenarios.

How will state education funding be impacted by COVID-19 related declines in tax revenues? How can federal stimulus aid offset deep education cuts at the state level? This blog and related interactive explore the impact of the first stimulus package and scenarios for state budget cuts, and offers suggestions for education leaders facing challenging fiscal circumstances.

In this repost from Education Week, Andrew Ujifusa looks at a new state-by-state analysis by Michael Griffith on how state budget cuts and Congressional relief could manifest in education funding for students.