How distance learning reframed educational opportunities and inequities

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Content HOW DISTANCE LEARNING REFRAMED EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND INEQUITIES

by

Madison I. Bright

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND
JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)

August 2021

Copyright 2021 Madison I. Bright

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my committee chair Professor William Celis, for his expertise,
support and assistance throughout this project, as well as Dr. Diane Winston, for her thoughtful
contributions and guidance. Thank you to Dr. Brandon Martinez for overseeing this article and
its role in assessing the current educational landscape.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. iv
Introduction …….......................................................................................................................... 1
New Disparities Between Rich and Poor ................................................................................... 3
Hemet Unified School District’s Moves Towards Innovation ................................................. 5
What a Year of Distance Learning Has Looked Like for The Martinez Family ................. 10
Los Angeles Unified School District Faces Lawsuits in Response to Inequities ................... 13
Learning Lost To The Pandemic .............................................................................................. 16
Clark County School District’s Student Mental Health Crisis .............................................. 18
Building Ties With Students ..................................................................................................... 21
Returning To In-Person Teaching ............................................................................................ 24
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………….............................................................................................. 29

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ABSTRACT

Distance learning has impacted American K-12 public education in a number of ways.
The positive effects have been innovation with course material and flexible class schedules,
while the negatives include academic achievement gaps and mental health struggles. Disparities
in public education were prevalent before the pandemic; however, distance learning due COVID-
19 has exacerbated pre-existing educational inequities. After a year of distance learning with
many students returning to the classroom, the challenge of addressing learning loss is the next
obstacle to tackle. This article explores the experiences of students, parents and education
experts across the country to provide a larger picture of what this past year has been like in K-12
public schools. Looking at different approaches to distance learning and identifying the
successes and shortcomings, issues such as educational inequities point to where the current
public education system is lacking. From short-term victories of academic improvement to
lawsuits, this article gives insight into what worked and what needs to be addressed for students’
future success.

1

Introduction

After a day of school, mother and daughter stare into a familiar laptop webcam, their
smiling faces illuminated by the computer’s bright screen. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began
over a year ago in March 2020, 12-year-old Nevaeh Martinez has been distance learning at home
with her four siblings. While Nevaeh started the year out strong, it was difficult for her to stay
motivated in the spring (interview, Martinez, 2021).

She attended seventh grade at Rancho Viejo Middle School. It is a Title I school,
meaning it receives federal funds for technology, resources and student programs because it is in
a low-income community (U.S. Department of Education 2018). Hemet Unified School District,
located in Riverside County, California, adapted to distance learning faster than larger districts
such as Los Angeles Unified School District and introduced innovative engagement strategies,
class schedules and resources.

After a year of distance learning, the inadequacies of America’s K-12 public education
system have been exposed. Many factors determine what kind of experience students will have,
including their school district, socioeconomic status and their individual preferences surrounding
school. While Hemet Unified School District fared well during distance learning, driving
innovation and providing resources to families, some students excelled while others struggled to
maintain their momentum as the school year progressed. When the 2020 school year started,

2

Nevaeh was excelling. By spring, she grappled with staying on task and completing coursework,
she said.

Students in other districts battle the fallout of economic hardship and instability. Many
students in large urban districts, such as Los Angeles, attend schools that are underfunded and
disproportionately impacted by economic pitfalls perpetuated by the pandemic (Burke, 2020;
Romero, 2019). While more obvious now, these issues are not specific to distance learning, but
the past year has brought them to the surface.
Inequities and learning loss now raise concerns around widening achievement gaps.

In Nevada’s Clark County School District, students face mental health issues brought on
by hardships amplified by the pandemic. This district is also facing significant budget decreases
of 11.5 percent as a result of a reduced school support tax stemming from the COVID-19 state of
emergency.

In many ways, distance learning has emphasized public education inequities. But it has
also illustrated where improvements are needed. Teachers still worked to connect with students,
and there were positive student outcomes. Each student’s experience was unique to their
situation, but what has become clear for many students, is the need for a more equitable
education system. It is important to acknowledge the experiences of various students, parents,
school faculty and education experts, in rethinking how our public education system could be
improved.

3

New Disparities Between Rich and Poor

For decades, many public schools across the country operated with limited resources.
Disparities in access to equal educational opportunities and educational resources were pre-
existing issues before the pandemic. However, these inequalities came to the fore with the shift
to distance learning. School districts tried to meet these challenges. Los Angeles Unified School
District is dealing with a lawsuit from parents who claim its distance learning model does not
meet state educational requirements. It is California’s largest district with over 590,000 students
(California Department of Education, 2021).

After a year of distance learning in a system that has historically operated with disparities
between affluent and low-income districts, there may be a widening achievement gap if effective
educational policies are not put into place (Berliner and Biddle, 2002).

Pre-existing inequities include unequal access to college preparation courses, honors
courses and gifted learning programs (UNCF, 2021). Students of color are less likely to have
access to these educational resources when compared to white students.

According to the nonprofit organization, Economic Policy Institute, children’s
socioeconomic status is an effective determinant in their educational success (García and Weiss,

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2017). With rising income inequality, and magnified disparities brought on by the pandemic,
achievement gaps could have lasting impacts (Horowitz et al., 2020).

“The persistent achievement gaps that already existed prior to COVID-19 closures, such
as disparities across income levels and racial and ethnic groups, could worsen and cause long-
term effects on children’s educational outcomes, health, and the economic wellbeing of families
and communities,” according to a Center for Disease Control, guidance update (2020).

Learning loss is in fact concerning, and it is essential that the right parties be held
accountable.

While there are lawsuits filed in response to districts’ handling of COVID-19, much of
the responsibility falls on the American education system, including policy makers and
government officials (Taxin, 2020). Schools are working in a number of ways to address the
current issues highlighted by distance learning. This could be an opportunity to improve public
education or it could widen achievement gaps (García and Weiss, 2017). Ultimately, it will come
down to whether policy makers will step up for underserved students (García and Weiss, 2017).

“[The government] never took care of urban areas or the inequality issues... I think that
any policies that have to be looked at are, ‘How do we close the inequality gap, to make sure that
we can be more responsible about how we create public policy to serve people in this country,’”
said Dr. Gloria Santiago, New Jersey-based distinguished professor of public policy at Rutgers
University (interview, Dr. Gloria Santiago, 2021).

5

Hemet Unified School District’s Moves Towards Innovation

When given the option to return to a hybrid model on April 12, Crystal Martinez decided to
keep her children online, due to her youngest daughter’s asthma. She felt a delayed return would be
safest for her family. Advantages for students and schools during distance learning included
staying safe, and re-thinking the middle school and high school learning structure (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2021; Wexler, 2020).
Schools now offer students more independence with synchronous and asynchronous
alternating class periods (California Department of Education, 2020). In accordance with the CA
SB 98 Bill, California schools have adopted this learning model, which offers live instruction as
well as time for independent work where students can also meet with teachers one on one with
questions (Education Commission of the States, 2020). This innovative approach to class schedules
is closer to that of a higher education model.
This model allows students to alternate the days on which they attend live online classes.
For example, students may have science, math and history as synchronous live lessons on
designated days. In between these classes they work independently on assignments for their
asynchronous classes, while their teachers monitor their screens. The next day, the live lessons will
be swapped.
Using distance learning as a time to rethink the structure of education could result in a
more efficient educational experience, according to Dr. Brandon Martinez, a professor at USC

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Rossier School of Education who studies K-12 education and distance learning (interview, Dr.
Martinez, 2020).

“[Re-structuring classes] is probably one of the best moves, because instead of a teacher
having to lead a class of middle or high school students for a 50 to 55 minute period … you've
got this notion of an office hours approach,” Martinez said. “If students need help, they can get
one-on-one attention.”

This is the approach Hemet Unified has adopted.

Martinez hopes districts will incorporate the synchronous and asynchronous model when
school resumes in-person, which will get students used to a higher education model and
hopefully allow them to dig deeper in different subjects. This could be an advantageous time for
new ideas and innovation, he said.

“If school leaders really want to change the game, this is the opportunity,” Martinez
added. He believes this is a time for new ideas, and hopes COVID-19 will lead to a revamp of
the current antiquated structure.

Students who excelled academically in-person were on-track to maintain their levels of
achievement. However, some students who struggled during in-person classes are improving at a
distance, according to Martinez. It’s possible that they like having a choice about their classes

7

and school work and that they feel empowered, said Martinez. The new class structure of live
sessions and independent work time may also be a factor.

Without as many opportunities for misconduct, some students have used distance
learning as a time to improve academically.

“One girl would have been expelled if we did not have the shut down on March 13,”
reported Wendy Soto, special education teacher and intervention specialist at Hemet High
School (interview, Soto, 2020).

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Hemet High School sign reads “Wear a mask and keep social distance.” (Photo by Madison Bright.)

Soto taught at Rancho Viejo Middle School when the shutdown started. She has since
transferred to Hemet High School.

Not only are fewer students facing expulsion, but some are seeing their grades improve.

Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) is taking measures to ensure distance learning is as
academically effective as possible.
“I had a student that every day I would have to walk him back to class and he just didn’t
want to be in class. That same student now through online learning, has all A’s,” said Kim Jackson-
Williams, vice principal of Rancho Viejo Middle School (interview, Jackson-Williams, 2020).
HUSD has successfully leveraged reengagement teams to remediate students detached from
their education online and to help failing students get back on track. The schools’ teams support
students and their families in navigating the new learning environment and strive to get students to
log back on even after missing significant amounts of class.

9

Hemet High School marquee sign reads “Face Coverings Required.” (Photo by Madison Bright.)
HUSD is made up of exclusively Title I schools, which receive federal funds for
technology, resources and student programs. All of the students in the district receive free lunches
and, during the pandemic, continued receiving 10 free meals a week.
In addition to providing free lunches, Hemet Unified also provided students with
Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots. The district was one of 19 which were awarded part of a $10
million federal fund for the purchase of technology to aid distance learning (City News Service,
2020).

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During the shift to distance learning, having accessible Title I federal funds made for a
smoother transition. Given the district’s ability to adapt given the circumstances, and provide
students the resources needed for distance learning, this was an advantageous time for new ideas
and innovation.
“There's a lot of opportunity… for innovation, there's a lot of things that we could be
doing to improve... teaching, learning and supporting teachers,” said Dr. Santiago.

What a Year of Distance Learning Has Looked Like for The Martinez Family

During the fall 2020 semester, Nevaeh Martinez said she felt comfortable around her
writing teacher, despite the lack of face-to-face interaction. Nevaeh also found her
understanding of mathematics improved since taking her online pre-algebra class during the fall.
She believed it was because of her instructor’s teaching style and her classmates’ frequent
questions for clarification.

11

Nevaeh Martinez Distance Learning. (Photo courtesy of Crystal Martinez.)

“I feel like I’m learning a lot because in elementary school, I didn’t really do very good at
math... but for some reason it seems like now math is a lot easier. I’m passing most of my tests and
I actually get what they’re talking about and what they’re doing,” she said.

When it came to her other teachers, she said she would feel more confident speaking with
them in person than online.
As the year progressed, she had difficulty staying motivated and connecting with teachers.
“I’ve always usually been the shy one,” she said.
During spring 2021, she struggled with her math course and said students were less vocal
when it came to asking questions about new concepts

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“For my math class, nobody really asks questions, nobody really asks for help. But for our
history class, my teacher does talk a lot, though.” Nevaeh noted that “there was a lot more students
asking for help... and now there's not very many people that talk or turn on their cameras,” Nevaeh
said, in reference to the shifting classroom environment.
“Compared to fall 2019, student achievement this fall was similar in reading, on average,
but 5 to 10 percentile points lower in math,” according to a data analysis by the Northwest
Evaluation Association (Kuhfeld et al., 2020).
Nevaeh’s mother, Crystal Martinez, has also noticed the change in her daughter’s classes.
“It seems like a lot of kids have just checked out… I look on the screen and nobody has the
camera on, you don't hear any talking whatsoever,” said Crystal Martinez. “They're ready for the
school year to be over.”
Crystal Martinez said it’s been increasingly hard keeping her children motivated. She had
two of her children continue to learn from home.
“I think [Nevaeh’s] grades have gone down. It's been harder to keep her wanting to stay
focused and wanting to stay on track,” she said.
She said she’s reached out to Nevaeh’s counselor for advice.
“I think everybody is lost at this point,” said Martinez, adding that the counselor said “they
were going to try to do something to help the kids catch up.”

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However, her first grade son, Ayden Martinez, 7, has had a different experience, one that
has given her peace of mind. “His teacher’s been totally on it and involved and I've been really
surprised,” she said.
Los Angeles Unified School District Faces Lawsuits in Response to Inequities

While some students are improving academically, others may be falling through the cracks.
In 2020, lawsuits were filed in response to the way distance learning was handled in some places.
In response to claimed inequities, seven families filed a lawsuit in November of 2020
against Alameda County: Community Coalition and The Oakland REACH against the State of
California (Murphy, 2020; Superior Court Of The State Of California County Of Alameda,
2020). The lawsuit alleges that “the change in the delivery of education left many already-
underserved students functionally unable to attend school. The state continues to refuse to step
up and meet its constitutional obligation to ensure basic educational equality or indeed any
education at all” (Superior Court Of The State Of California County Of Alameda, 2020).

State departments of education and state legislatures are dealing with distance learning in a
number of different ways, said Dr. Morgan Polikoff, professor of education at the USC Rossier
School of Education (interview, Dr. Polikoff, 2020).

14

While the Hemet Unified School District was quick to offer students access to Wi-Fi and
Chromebooks, the second largest district in the nation, Los Angeles Unified School District
(LAUSD), fell short.

School districts are conducting distance learning differently, and LAUSD has a lot of
moving parts (Johnson, 2020). In September 2020, a lawsuit against the Los Angeles school
system was filed by nine parents, and backed by the organization Innovative Public Schools.
According to California Students United, “The suit is seeking a temporary restraining order
(TRO) against the district and the superintendent in order to force them to comply with its
obligations to provide full time in-person education in accordance with state law and the state
constitution” (California Students United

, 2021).

The parents allege that the district failed to meet state educational standards. They also
claim that LAUSD’s distance learning model disproportionately impacts Black and Latino
students.

According to the research-based non-profit, NWEA, effects of COVID-19 are likely to
exacerbate inequities experienced by disadvantaged groups such as students with disabilities,
students of color and English language learners (Kuhfeld et al., 2020).

Data from tests given to English language learners reveal that many of those students
may have lost a year, says Dr. Damian Betebenner, senior associate at the National Center for
Improvement of Educational Assessment, a research organization that partners with state and

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district education leaders (interview, Dr. Betebenner, 2021). This organization aims to improve
student learning through effective educational assessments and accountability practices.

“Many of these kids come from households where English isn't spoken, so they haven't
been going to school and interacting with other English speakers,” explained Betebenner.

Jennifer Perla, senior manager and researcher at Innovative Public Schools, a parent
support organization in California, said that when the shutdown began in March 2020, students
had little to no live instruction from their teachers (interview, Perla, 2021).

While fall instruction improved following the SB 98 bill with requirements for
synchronous and asynchronous time, Perla said there were not improvements that “helped
reverse the learning loss that they [students] experienced already.”

The students who suffered in virtual classrooms were already underserved. According to
Perla, the virtual shift “further exacerbated those inequities.”

LAUSD ensured students had access to devices and Wi-Fi, but Perla said there were still
gaps in access due to issues with the internet infrastructure.

Perla said that from her understanding, district officials were focused on the reopening of
schools, rather than on improving the quality of distance learning.

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“That's part of the lawsuit that parents brought up,” she said. “The quality of learning via
distance learning has just been horrible.”

Learning Lost To The Pandemic

Efforts are being made to help students recover what they lost during the year of online
classes. In March, funds from the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER), started becoming available to state educational agencies (Press
Office, 2021). A total of $122 billion was granted to K-12 schools.

Local education agencies must allocate at least 20 percent of the money provided by the
Department of Education’s American Rescue to address learning loss (Jordan, 2021).

After a year of distance learning, it will be essential to evaluate large-scale, statewide
assessments in order to understand how to effectively approach learning recovery, according to
the National Center for Improvement of Educational Assessment (Betebenner and Wenning,
2021).

There is now a search for data or evidence that helps in calculating where students are,
relative to where they would have been, had the pandemic not occurred, according to Dr.
Betebenner.

When it comes to measuring learning loss, complications are clouding conclusions.

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“Last year, the federal government allowed states to waive the administration of these
spring assessments because the pandemic started in March and it just would have been crazy,”
Betebenner said.

This resulted in incomplete student learning data. Now, the federal government will
require spring 2021 testing.

The road to learning recovery won’t be easy.

“It's not even clear in some states that all the students are going to test. So there's less
testing that's going on than there was previously.” said Betebenner “That leads to missing data
that we have to try to figure out,”.

Trying to get kids back to where they would have been might be a two- or three-year
project, said Betebenner. This will take communication with the public about what's happened
and information about the plan to address learning loss, he said.

“I have not seen that,” added Betebenner.

While the Biden administration has granted schools extra funds, having a plan of how to
allocate the money effectively will be key.

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“When you get a lot of money, you're probably just going to spend it on something that's
out there, as opposed to really dreaming of, ‘what could we come up with here that would really
change the outcomes for kids long-term,’” said Betebenner.

In some ways, COVID-19 leveled the playing field in terms of student achievement.
However, differences in recovery scenarios could result in growing achievement gaps.
“I just sort of see districts not having the tools necessary to understand what they need to
do. And I'm hoping states come in and other people come in to try to help clarify the magnitude
of this,” Betebenner said.

Clark County School District’s Student Mental Health Crisis

In addition to learning loss, some students in states hit the hardest by COVID-19 face
mental health challenges.

Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada is the fifth largest in the nation. Many
students are historically disadvantaged, and for them, economic and mental health issues are not
exclusive to COVID-19 and distance learning. However, these hardships have been heightened.

Most alarmingly, there has been a surge in student suicides since distance learning
started, pushing CCSD into a mental health crisis (Green, 2021).

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“It's important to look holistically at what's happening in Nevada,” said Juliana Urtubey,
a National Board Certified special education teacher in the Clark County School District and
Nevada’s 2021 Teacher of the Year (interview, Urtubey, 2021).

“Nevada is highly dependent on tourism, and our students' families are highly dependent
on those economies… When families are struggling kids are going to struggle too,” she said.

Since the shutdown in March of 2020, 19 students have committed suicide (KTNV Staff,
2021).

The district has measures in place to flag students that need help.

There also have been ongoing discussions around increasing mental health support
services for students.

“Something that we've been calling out for a long time in Nevada is that every school,
particularly Title I schools, should have a counselor and a psychologist to be able to support
students,” Urtubey said.

Enacting these changes comes down to available resources.
Rebecca Garcia, Nevada PTA President and mother of three students, said it is important
to recognize that a lot of these mental health challenges existed in the community before the
pandemic (interview, Garcia, 2021).

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“We have a really high percentage of children in poverty, already. Then you add the
pandemic and it just exacerbated it,” she said.

Youth suicide is not a new issue for Nevada. Suicide is the leading cause of death for
Nevada youth between the ages of 12 and 19 (Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention, 2020).

CCSD has invested in programs to ensure students who need help are able to receive it
(Appleton, 2020). The district has implemented the Lifeline and Panorama programs, which
consists of a survey provided to students, an organized process at the school level with a multi-
disciplinary leadership team, administrators, counselors, teachers and a social worker (Panorama
Education, 2021). Surveys that have been flagged due to concerns around mental health are
reviewed by the leadership team, who then respond accordingly.

Garcia’s son’s school was part of the pilot program of 12 schools. “If something flags for
kid, then they reach out and work through what types of services and support might be available
to them,” Garcia said.

Not long after the pilot program, CCSD chose to expand the program to the whole school
district. “My daughter in fourth grade took the survey not long ago, and she got flagged, because
she clicked the button of ‘I want to talk to an adult.’ So then her counselor reached out and had a
one on one session with her,” said Garcia

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Clark County has school organizational teams (SOT), that are mandated by law. Each
school has a team that consists of representatives, parents, teachers and support staff who meet
monthly to provide advice for their school’s operation plan.

“I chair the SOT at my son's Middle School, and the principal reported that the Lifeline
and Panorama programs were very helpful, and it worked really well to help identify student
needs,” Garcia said.

The district has also utilized the monitoring tool GoGuardian, which monitors student
searches and allows teachers to see student activities on school devices.

Building Ties With Students
Once schools adopted the synchronous and asynchronous model, teachers were able to
build relationships with students during live lessons and one on one meetings.

Urtubey, who teaches pre-kindergarten through fifth grade at Booker Elementary School,
works hard to accommodate the schedules of families and students to best understand their
needs.

“The main thing is… maximizing our time [in class] to be engaging, fun, and, you know,
really responsive to our students' needs… All of those things make up a big equation of how we
can build those relationships and get that trust going,” she said.

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She’s working with a counselor to roll out professional developments for teachers.

“If a teacher comes to us and says, ‘there's this situation with the student and their family,
how can we support that,’ we build a plan to support that child,” Urtubey explained.

Despite looming obstacles, there are positive aspects for some students.

A Clark County Durango High School 10th grade English teacher, Jessica
Drinkwine, said that for kids who work, the online model has helped their schedules (interview,
Drinkwine, 2021).

“I have one student who works… Her and her mom were homeless so she's been
working… I told her, ‘It's okay, if you have to do other things throughout the day, but come to
my class,’ and she's never missed,” said Drinkwine, adding that if school stayed in-person
through the pandemic, this student would miss significant amounts of school.

Drinkwine frequently checks in with her students and shares stress management tips.

“I think that when it comes to mental health, a lot of times I asked my kids simple
questions like, how's your day going? And just let them feel it out. You'd be surprised how much
they share,” she said.

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According to Drinkwine, wellness checks and counselor check-ins are also options if
students need extra help or if they may be experiencing questionable circumstances.

When it comes to instruction, Drinkwine is optimistic about the opportunities that require
schools to update curriculum.

“I don't think that teaching has gotten worse by any means… If anything, we've
revamped information that some teachers have been teaching for 25 years,” said Drinkwine.

Not only are lessons changing, but assignments are becoming a sign of the times.

“For the first time ever, a kid is making a TikTok to send to you about a novel they're
reading in class,” said Drinkwine.

Drinkwine said that with the synchronous and asynchronous model, she has had more
time for her students than before.

“I have office hours, essentially,” she said.
During asynchronous time, she is able to allow more one on one time with her students. One
student asked to go over their essay during asynchronous time, when other students were
working independently. In person, this would not be an option because 36 other students would
be in her classroom, she said.

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Now, she has the capability of working longer with students on their individual needs.

“Kids who usually struggle, who seek help, get more help than they've ever gotten
before,” she said, adding that most kids are able to have more time with their teachers, however,
it does not mean they all seek it.

Returning To In-Person Teaching
A
classroom during summer school at Rancho Viejo Middle School with a container of sanitizing wipes. (Photo by Melissa Bright.)

25

During spring 2021, CCSD provided the option for students to return to campus.

Rebecca Garcia, Nevada PTA President, jumped at the opportunity to get her kids back in
the classroom.

Her daughter, nine years old and in fourth grade, had difficulty with distance learning
because of her ADHD.

“Distance learning works well for kids who are independent and can track their
assignments and stay engaged without external influence, and that is not her in any stretch of the
imagination,” said Garcia.

The east Las Vegas-based mother knew as soon as the district offered an in-person return,
she would take it.

“East Las Vegas is exactly what you'd expect it to be, we are a lower income area that’s
heavily Hispanic... we've been one of the hardest hit by COVID,” said Garcia.

Garcia’s son adapted to the structure of virtual learning, but the missing social element
made the experience unideal.

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“My eighth grader… loves computers, he loves technology and he already was familiar
with all of those computer programs and academic programs before distance learning all started,”
she said.

An important aspect of students’ lives is their social opportunities, and kids found it
difficult to see their friends during the pandemic. Students are missing out on student to student
interaction without the moderation of an adult.

For Garcia’s son, the most challenging part of distance learning was the missing
exchanges with friends.

“He's really had a much easier transition, but he's my social kid, and not having that
interaction socially for a year was really tough for him,” said Garcia about her son.

Given the lack of social opportunity, Garcia’s son was eager to return.

“When return to schools were announced to my eighth grader he literally started a minute
by minute count,” she said.

CCSD was the last district in the state of Nevada to go back full time.

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“I don't think enough parents recognize the correlation between decades of underfunding
of public education,” said Garcia. She said that the lack of resources led to complications that
kept CCSD from returning earlier as other school districts in Nevada did.

“There wasn't proper ventilation… class sizes were too big, and then you also combine
that with the national teacher shortage (Sutcher et al., 2016). All of those things are preexisting
system issues, many of them driven by lack of funding,” she said.

The district’s 2020-2021 budget layout faces a $130 million decrease in funding (Goudie,
2020).

Even before the pandemic, Clark County School District faced a $68 million budget
deficit for the 2018-2019 school year, prompting the hashtag, #FundTheBase among Nevada
leaders and the community to end the cycle of budget cuts (Clark County School District, 2018).

While COVID has taken a toll on student learning, learning outcomes will come down to
the effectiveness of initiatives that address learning loss and educational inequities.

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Students back in the classroom during summer school at Rancho Viejo Middle School. (Photo by Melissa Bright.)

“Pandemic challenges really weren't just about what was happening in the midst of our
pandemic, it was what the systems looked like before the pandemic hit, and those systems with
resources were able to adapt much quicker than those without,” said Garcia.

These pre-existing inequities may determine who is able to adapt, and who will remain
behind.

“Ultimately, what may hurt low socioeconomic kids the most, isn't COVID, it's the
humans, that in a sense, always let them down,” said Betebenner.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Appleton, Aleksandra, “CCSD to Buy $761K Program to Monitor Mental Health Of Students,
Staff,” reviewjournal.com, 2020, https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/education/ccsd-to-buy-
761k-program-to-monitor-mental-health-of-students-staff-2216428/.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Bright, Madison Isabella (author)

Core Title How distance learning reframed educational opportunities and inequities

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism

Degree Conferral Date 2021-08

Publication Date 07/25/2021

Defense Date 07/22/2021

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag America's public school system,COVID-19,distance learning,inequalities,inequities,K-12 education,OAI-PMH Harvest

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Advisor Celis, William (committee chair), Martinez, Brandon (committee member), Winston, Diane (committee member)

Creator Email madisonisabellab@gmail.com,mibright@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC15622076

Unique identifier UC15622076

Legacy Identifier etd-BrightMadi-9873

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Bright, Madison Isabella

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email uscdl@usc.edu

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Distance learning has impacted American K-12 public education in a number of ways. The positive effects have been innovation with course material and flexible class schedules, while the negatives include academic achievement gaps and mental health struggles. Disparities in public education were prevalent before the pandemic; however, distance learning due COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing educational inequities. After a year of distance learning with many students returning to the classroom, the challenge of addressing learning loss is the next obstacle to tackle. This article explores the experiences of students, parents and education experts across the country to provide a larger picture of what this past year has been like in K-12 public schools. Looking at different approaches to distance learning and identifying the successes and shortcomings, issues such as educational inequities point to where the current public education system is lacking. From short-term victories of academic improvement to lawsuits, this article gives insight into what worked and what needs to be addressed for students’ future success.