Empire State Today

Despite the hopes and efforts of educators, remote learning in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has earned a failing grade.

A report from the Wall Street Journal outlined how problems began to arise nearly as soon as school districts closed their campuses in March. Teachers were immediately faced with trying to teach millions of students virtually with no plan, while ensuring that students had computers and Internet access. Educators lacked remote learning experience, parents were often not present to help, students consistently didn’t show up, and many districts did not require students to do the school work.

“We all know there’s no substitute for learning in a school setting, and many students are struggling and falling far behind where they should be,” Austin Beutner, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, said in a June 3 video briefing that was included in the WSJ report.

The report outlined ways administrators are looking ahead and trying to apply spring lessons as they return to the classroom, possibly by combining in-person and remote learning. In order to improve distance learning, students will require electronic devices and Internet access, which educators and school districts have struggled to provide. 

The NWEA, an Oregon-based nonprofit that helps educators tailor their instruction through research, says that minority and low-income students with limited access to technology and those more affected by the economic downturn will see greater learning losses.

Many parents were forced to supervise their children’s learning while juggling work and other responsibilities, but some experts note that parents’ issues are not the only problem. The report outlines the potential issue of tech-savvy students not using to use their electronic devices for educational purposes.  

“I think we have this assumption that since they spend all their time on their devices, it’s no big deal for them to learn remotely,” anella Hinds, a social-studies teacher at the 500-student High School for Public Service in the Flatbush neighborhood, told WSJ. “But being a digital consumer and a digital learner are two different things.”

The report found that nearly a quarter of American students do not have the tools necessary to succeed with remote learning. Some school districts, including those in Bibb County, Georgia, closed early due to issues presented by remote learning.