Poll: California school closures due to coronavirus hit minorities, poor the hardest

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

This was also published on MSN News.

School closures across California have been hard on most students and parents, but the learning loss and lack of resources are worse for poor, Latino and African American families, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The survey of 1,200 parents across the state found that nearly 40% of low-income families lack internet access at home, compared to about 16% of households overall. And about half of low-income families lack devices at home to access distance learning.

“The poll just confirms that the closures exacerbate school inequity, especially for the most vulnerable students,” said Elisha Smith Arrilaga, executive director of the Education Trust-West, which conducted the poll. “Long-term closures are going to impact student learning and performance, but especially for students who are already most marginalized.”

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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.