Economic Tsunami Crashes into America’s Schools
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all states have ordered or recommended school buildings stay closed for the rest of the academic year, according to Education Week’s most recent count, and “schools are likely to stay shut for months,” according to the New York Times. Teachers are responding to the crisis by continuing their heroic efforts to ensure students are getting fed, staying engaged, and receiving ongoing instruction via remote learning in some form. Meanwhile, economists and policy leaders are warning that public schools are headed toward a financial crater unless governments at all levels come up with emergency funds for schools.
But instead of rushing to rescue schools from financial calamity, many government leaders—including U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos—are using the pandemic to advance their personal agendas, whether it’s to privatize public education or balance budgets on the backs of school kids.
Their proposals to privatize education and slash spending are the wrong way to respond to a pandemic.
Their proposals to privatize education and slash spending are the wrong way to respond to a pandemic.
The predicted shortfalls will compound harm that’s been done to a public education system already in financial trauma.
Public schools haven’t fully recovered from the beating they took as a result of the Great Recession, argues a new report from the Albert Shanker Institute, a research center affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers. The downturn in the nation’s economy that started in 2007 hit schools hardest in 2009 to 2011, after states had slashed education budgets and aid that came from the federal stimulus package had run out. The results were “fewer teachers and support staff, larger classes, and a narrower array of academic CONTINUE READING: Economic Tsunami Crashes into America’s Schools - LA Progressive
As fallout from COVID-19 continues to spread, states are battered by rising costs, declining revenues, and massive unemployment. In the last week alone, 3.8 million Americans filed unemployment claims, bringing the total number of unemployed to more than 30 million. The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities now projects $350 billion in state budget shortfalls in FY2021—an increase of $60 billion in just a week. School buildings housing more than 45 million students in 43 states and Washington, DC, have shut down, according to 
“People like to talk about opportunity all the time, but I always say without access, opportunity means nothing,” says Oklahoma drama and speech teacher 
Now more than ever, it is fitting that we celebrate educators—teachers and ESPs—and their unwavering fortitude, optimism, creativity, and love for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Alma Adams (D-NC) 
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
