California Capitol. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters In summary Some California schools are reopening but most kids remain at home and adults are squabbling over when and if they can get back into the classroom.
District-by-district and school-by-school, some of California’s 6.1 million K-12 students are re-entering classrooms that have been shuttered for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most, however, remain locked out and trying, as best they can, to keep up with schoolwork via computer.
It’s no secret that children in relatively affluent homes are faring better. Their parents are more likely to work from home, thus more able to help their kids, and/or are hiring private tutors. However, most of California’s public school students — about 60%, in fact — are from poor families and/or are “English learners.”
They already trailed more privileged peers in educational attainment before COVID-19 reared its ugly head and often lack communication resources and support from parents who must leave home to earn their livings. Get a veteran journalist’s take on what’s going on in California with a weekly round-up of Dan’s column every Friday. The Public Policy Institute of California, using federal data, concludes in a new report “that […]