After a challenging “pandemic school year,” educators have looked forward with optimism to full-time, in-person learning for 2021-22. For some (maybe even most) children, that may mean learning to learn all over again, and learning while still dealing with the fallout of the pandemic – ongoing food insecurity, economic insecurity, loss. Adding to the challenge is a widespread awareness that pre-pandemic educational disparities have now only increased. The absence of close personal connections to teachers, lack of a quiet place to study, poor internet access, and the complications of family circumstances, meant that for too many children, online learning last year just didn’t work. And then there were students who never registered.

pre-pandemic disparities have now only increased

Some reports suggest that at least 5,000 in DCPS alone simply “disappeared” – and this number doesn’t reflect those who registered but rarely logged on. The problem wasn’t simply local: research shows that virtually all the nation’s schoolchildren have fallen behind, with students of color having lost the most ground, particularly in math. Recovery from learning loss is, therefore, a major focus for school districts and nonprofits this year. So are basic needs – food, housing support, financial assistance – because many families are still recovering from the trauma of the last year. Non-academic enrichment programs, whether in sports, arts, or entrepreneurship, matter deeply because these should belong equally to all children, and too often, they do not. Of course, nonprofits are also addressing the impact of our public reckoning over race. Education programs are building into their work an awareness that school is a place where all children can be empowered to think critically, act with power, and strengthen their own voices as advocates for the kind of education they want.