Closing the digital divide will require significant policy overhaul

Since schools closed last spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus, districts and county offices of education throughout California have stepped up and gotten creative to ensure students without access to devices or internet connectivity had what they needed to learn in an online […]

Parents still in need of support from schools as they do their best to keep their children on track

“What has COVID-19 taught us about the digital and opportunity divides in America’s schools?” Brookings Institution researchers asked of a panel of education officials during a Nov. 9 webinar. The answer — or at least one of them — is that family engagement is critical […]

COVID-19 Update: Schools can remain open under California’s new stay-at-home order

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a Dec. 3 press conference that, as a result of skyrocketing COVID-19 infection rates and hospital ICUs quickly approaching capacity limits, California will once again be implementing a stay-at-home order. Schools are unaffected by this new order and can continue […]

CSBA webinar shines a spotlight on current inequities and how to avoid future pitfalls

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, district and county office of education officials are increasingly forced to reckon with longstanding inequities related to the digital divide, and how to address student learning in the long-term. In a Nov. 19 CSBA webinar, “Equitable Support for California […]

Updated parent poll shows more parents dissatisfied with distance learning than in the spring

Parents are more dissatisfied with their child’s current distance learning experience than in the spring, according to a new parent poll released Oct. 15 by the Education Trust–West. Compared to a similar poll conducted by the organization in March, parents are far less likely to […]

Safely, collaboratively opening schools in Larkspur-Corte Madera

By Jill Sellers and Brett Geithman Amid the swirl of politicized rhetoric around the return to site-based instruction during the coronavirus pandemic, the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District began its journey back to in-person learning nearly simultaneous to our immediate roll out of distance learning in […]

New brief highlights do’s and don’ts of family engagement during pandemic

Open, regular communication and the development of routines will help families feel more prepared to handle extended COVID-19 school closures or the potential that districts must once again close their doors, according to a new brief from the EdResearch for Recovery Project. The report, “Engaging […]

Large donation of facemasks to be distributed to students in high-need communities

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced on Oct. 22 that the California Department of Education received 500,000 cloth facemasks donated by General Motors for students in need across the state. In a press conference announcing the donation, Thurmond said that allocation of the […]

Federal audit of disaster recovery funds finds LEA issues exacerbated by COVID-19

A new audit report from the U.S Government Accountability Office addressed to Congress examines how federal disaster recovery funds are being used in districts that received them, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated fund implementation and exacerbated issues connected to natural disasters. In a […]