Covid-19 Forces School Closures

As a global pandemic necessitates school closures and social distancing, online learning takes center stage.

The inevitable spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, to the United States, has prompted state leaders to close schools, leaving at least half of all U.S. students in K-12 schools on a forced break for a month–or longer, as many states and cities have extended closures.

The Centers for Disease Control has issued guidance and recommendations for school leaders as confirmed cases of coronavirus spread across the nation and has noted that schools should plan for the possibility of extended closures and should put plans in place to disrupt learning as little as possible.

Suddenly, social media and networking platforms offered a flurry of resource- sharing, with educators posting ideas for everything from at-home math activities to fun STEM and art projects designed to keep children engaged while practicing social distancing. Districts scurried to assess students’ ability to learn at home, lending devices, or mobile hotspots–or both–to students in need.

Schools everywhere are pivoting in real time to create distance learning opportunities and to provide students, families, and caregivers the emotional and learning resources they need to keep kids engaged.“With our fully online capabilities and staff who can instantly work remotely, Smart Schools is one of the best places you can be to receive your high school education. We are here and available to continue providing tutoring, academic remediation/intervention, mentoring services, support IEP's and 504's, along with much more.” Says Jim Lee, founder and CEO of Smart Schools, a non-profit organization that educates middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults who haven't completed their high school diploma. As parents throughout the nation do their best to foster learning and wellbeing for their children, we all have a newfound appreciation for the pivotal role online education plays. Let’s carry this newly remembered insight forward into our post-COVID-19 world, remembering that students only thrive when teachers have the proper tools and resources. 

Almost all states and districts have already taken action. Among the earliest, Dr. Michelle Reid, superintendent of the Northshore School District in Washington, announced the decision to close all school sites beginning March 5 as district leaders monitor the situation and health department recommendations.

The district’s instructional staff worked with students and teachers to make sure they can use the district’s online learning platform, and the district has set up a site with classroom- to-cloud information to help students and parents/guardians. The district is loaning devices and internet hotspots to students without home access.

In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey closed K-12 school buildings for the rest of the year. Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelley did the same and convened a task force dedicated to creating plans for continuous learning.

The move to close schools for an undetermined period of time is unprecedented in recent decades, having major implications for education policy, and also sheds light on the persistent digital divide. For more information about online education and you can implement a digital platform in your school or district, contact Smart Schools.