Season after school is going to be different in 2020. This year, first-graders are mingling with fears of an even more intense pandemic, families being pushed to their limits, and economic catastrophe.
Schools across the country are already starting classes, an unqualified mess that includes shifts to distance education, optimistic resumes, and realistic openings. Hand sanitizer and laptops have replaced backpacks and lunch boxes as must-have items for the COVID-19 class.
Decisions made by districts and systems could affect parents, students, and communities for years to come. The effects of COVID-19 on schools reverberate far beyond health – affecting education, policy and tech. Elsewhere, approximately 56 million K – 12 students in the country seek practical ways to pursue distance learning. And teachers of students of all ages try to figure out how to teach at a distance without being too far away.
We take a week to dive into the fight, bringing you the perspectives of parents, teachers, students, nurses, bus drivers and others doing their best to work through this pandemic school year – even surrounded by the chaos of COVID.
