Most parents are worried school closures will leave their students behind, survey finds

Source: EdSource

Four out of 5 parents of California public school students say that school closures from the coronavirus are making them feel stressed, and 9 out of 10 are worried their students will fall behind academically, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The survey of 1,200 parents statewide for the nonprofit student advocacy organization Education Trust-West also found that 44 percent of parents said that their child’s teacher had contacted them personally, and fewer than a quarter had been provided access to or contact with a school counselor.

“What we found is a tale of two crises. There’s the immediate crisis — keeping students safe, healthy, fed and housed; shutting schools down in an orderly way; getting information to parents. And then there’s California’s longstanding education equity crisis,” she said. Months-long school closures “will only exacerbate those gaps,” she said.

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Karla Fernandez

Communications Manager

Karla Fernandez (she/her/hers) joins Ed Trust–West as a Communications Manager with over 11 years of experience advancing social impact initiatives.

Karla started her career as a teacher at Chicago Public Schools and UIC College Prep. After teaching, Karla joined United Friends of the Children to support LA County’s youth in foster care as a college counselor. Through Leadership for Educational Equity, Karla also served as a Policy Advisor Fellow for the office of a Los Angeles Unified School Board Member. She solidified her interests in policy analysis and quantitative research during her time with the Price Center for Social Innovation, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the USC Presidential Working Group on Sustainability. Before joining The Education Trust–West, Karla was the Associate Director for the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative, a network of nonprofits advocating for communities in SELA.

Karla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, a Master of Public Policy from the USC Price School of Public Policy, and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Advocacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Karla is based out of southern California and is passionate about using data analysis, communications, and digital strategies for policy advocacy and social justice efforts.