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More than 5 million children in the United States live in deep poverty, including nearly 1 in 5 Black children under the age of 5. These numbers will no doubt grow, given the explosion of the health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, school systems need a more robust, reliable, and valid measure of students experiencing deep poverty in order to align services and supports with student need.
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Cuts to school budgets as a result of the added costs and reduced revenue since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have not yet been as severe as originally predicted, but the evidence indicates that much more severe challenges lie ahead. This blog explains how COVID-19 has affected state education budgets—and explores the implications for public education funding this year and into the future.
Linda Darling-HammondAbby SchachnerAdam K. Edgerton Aneesha Badrinarayan Jessica CardichonPeter W. Cookson, Jr.Michael GriffithSarah KlevanAnna MaierMonica Martinez Hanna MelnickNatalie Truong Steve Wojcikiewicz
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The disruption to education caused by the pandemic presents an opportunity for policymakers and educators to seize the moment to reimagine schooling using safe, equitable, and student-centered approaches. This framework provides research, state and local examples, and policy recommendations for 10 key areas of education.
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The disruption to education presents an opportunity for policymakers and educator to seize the moment to reimagine schooling using safe, equitable, and student-centered approaches. A new, comprehensive framework by the Learning Policy Institute outlines how policymakers and education leaders can address the pressing question of how to reopen schools safely, effectively, and equitably to serve the needs of the whole child.
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As federal policymakers craft future COVID-19 relief packages, two key questions should guide their analysis: First, what will it take to make school districts whole—that is, make sure they have sufficient funding to cover the myriad of added costs and budget cuts associated with COVID-19? And, how can federal funds be used to address historic and current inequities in ways that put us on a path toward a more just educational future?
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Student poverty was a concern in the U.S. even before the COVID-19 pandemic, when 1 in 5 children already lived in low-income families. This study evaluates the shortcomings of commonly used child poverty measures, including the Free or Reduced-Price Lunch program, and proposes alternatives.
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As poverty rates grow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic a new study evaluates the shortcomings of commonly used child poverty measures and proposes alternatives.
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A community schools initiative, launched by the Los Angeles County Office of Education in September 2019, provides personnel, infrastructure, and funding support for 15 high schools throughout the county. The structures and relationships developed as a result of the initiative enabled schools’ rapid response to support students and families during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Those of us who work in education must acknowledge that our school systems have been complicit in perpetuating systemic racism, including through the criminalization and marginalization of Black children. Our goal in this moment must be to dismantle these discriminatory policies and replace them with approaches that honor the dignity of the lives of Black children as they do of all children.
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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.
