Public Education - Battery Powered

Kids walking in groups, backpacks fastened onto small backs; a yellow bus making its frequent stops; the ringing of bells signaling the start of another school day. These were some of the most familiar sights and sounds of mornings in neighborhoods across America. That was before the coronavirus pandemic.

Since March 2020, the vast majority of California’s ~6 million public school students have been learning in virtual settings due to the pandemic. The abrupt closures and quick pivot to an online platform have tested a resource-strained public education system that struggled to meet the needs of its diverse students even before COVID-19.

“Parents are not only seeing how flawed and glitch-riddled remote teaching is—they’re discovering that many of the problems of remote schooling are merely exacerbations of problems with in-person schooling.”

Erika Christakis, Early Childhood Educator and Author

This has taken a toll in many ways, beginning with unfinished learning. School districts across the state are seeing large drops in student enrollment, higher chronic absence rates, and spikes in the number of students receiving failing grades in high school. Meanwhile, in earlier grades, preliminary assessments are showing math scores in particular lagging behind prior years but language arts scores have dropped as well.

The impact is not restricted to academics. Students are experiencing an increase in mental health challenges including anxiety and depression, compounded with pandemic-related stressors such as family financial insecurity.

While all students are impacted, these effects have not been equitably shared. Low-income students, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, students with special needs, foster and unsheltered students, and English Language Learners have faced the greatest barriers when it comes to distance learning and suffered the heaviest impact of the pandemic.

COVID didn’t cause these challenges, but it did lay bare the gaps and inequities that exist in our education system.

“There is no question that many underserved students were already starting at a disadvantage when our schools made the shift to remote learning, and this prolonged public health crisis has only worsened those inequities."

Tony Thurmond, California Superintendant of Public Instruction

Prior to COVID, only half of California students met English language arts standards and only 40% were meeting math standards. Despite policies designed to allocate funds more equitably, there is still a tremendous difference in how districts are resourced and this falls along familiar income and racial lines. For example, nationally, school districts serving predominantly children of color receive $23 billion less than those serving white students, despite educating the same number of children. In California, predominantly nonwhite districts have 20% less funding on average than predominantly white districts.

Source: Education Week

With a ranking of 41st in the nation for education spending, California’s under investment is impacting all students, but it impacts low-income and students of color the most. One way this shows up is in test scores. Black and Latino students significantly trail white and Asian American students in meeting state standards; and only 39% of low-income students in California met grade level standards in English Language Arts compared to 70% of their peers in higher income households. But it’s not all about testing. Fewer resources mean low-income students are less likely to have access to art, music, and other programs that make school joyous.

These persistent challenges, coupled with a disrupted year due to the pandemic and an impending return to the classroom, have prompted parents, students, teachers, and administrators to think about not just HOW to return to school, but what kind of school to return to. This moment, as challenging as it is, presents an opportunity for districts and schools to work with parents and students to better respond to their needs and build back better.

At Battery Powered, we will explore:

How can we support California’s public school students as they return to the classroom?

We are proposing a strategy, grounded in equity, that centers the students who are furthest from opportunity and supports their social-emotional wellbeing and academic progress. We will focus on the following two areas, which are in reality, interdependent upon one another:

Wellbeing. Schools must create environments that foster the social-emotional health and wellbeing of students and educators as a foundation for academic success. All students should have access to programs and practices that create connections and build coping strategies, as well as a school climate that ignites engagement and fosters belonging. Ensuring the wellbeing of educators -- particularly teachers -- as they transition back to the classroom will also be critical.

Academics. Many elementary students have missed academic milestones such as reading at grade level by the third grade, a critical benchmark for success. High-quality literacy and math programs can accelerate learning, especially through small groups and tutoring. After-school programs and summer learning can also address learning loss. For high school students, targeted support for juniors and seniors who have fallen behind in credits can help them get back on track to graduate ready for college.

It is especially important for decision makers to listen to the experiences of those on the ground -- students, parents, and educators -- to inform policies and practices. By amplifying their voices and responding to unmet needs, we have the opportunity to identify and share solutions that are working for communities.