Yesterday, the Center for Disease Control issued new guidance on reopening K-12 schools. In their guidelines, the CDC stressed the importance of in-person instruction for students' academic performance and emotional wellbeing, as well as the economic health of U.S. communities.
But with over 4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in America, serious concerns remain about the safety of students, teachers, school workers, and parents. Below, our experts discuss the difficult balancing act facing local leaders and provide analysis to help inform their decisions on schools.
In addition, we highlight notable recovery efforts across the United States, including California's use of idle restaurants to fight food insecurity. We close with helpful primers on two rampant issues during the pandemic: disinformation and misinformation.
Reopening schools
The difficult balancing act. If children go back to school they may contract or spread COVID-19. If they don't go back, they could fall behind academically and miss out on key social relationships from in-school learning. With no one-size-fits-all blueprint for reopening available, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Michael Yogman, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff discuss how to move forward.
Are we reopening preschools fairly? "As child-care and pre-K options cautiously reopen, let's learn in this moment how to implement entitlements that not only trumpet inspiring rhetoric, but more importantly ensure fair results for children," Bruce Fuller writes.
Schools must protect more than just students and teachers. The majority of public school employees (about 57%) are not full-time teachers, but can be just as important to students. Andre Perry and Annelies Goger call for measures to support and protect these valuable workers.
Improved school communication is needed. "Regardless of whether schools open in-person, online, or some combination, communication between districts and families will be essential." Morgan Polikoff shares findings from recent survey data on COVID-19-related school communications.
Michigan schools and the digital divide. To deliver equitable learning access and results to Michigan's students, the state must overcome a massive digital divide based on race, income, and geography, John Austin argues.
Recovery at the local level
A unique way to fight food insecurity. An innovative program in California is addressing the idle status of restaurants and the state's need for food relief at the same time. Here's how it was put into practice.
Driving recovery through racial equity. Dell Gines and Rodney Sampson provide a blueprint to help ensure that everyone in America is equitably positioned to prosper from technology-fueled growth, especially communities that have been hit disproportionately by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Turning mass layoffs into opportunities for quality jobs. In the past decades, the United States has decreased funding for programs that support adults in finding a new job. In a new research brief, Annelies Goger outlines key steps to help Americans who have lost their jobs in the pandemic connect to new and better employment opportunities during the recovery
Medical uncertainty in the hydroxychloroquine debate. The debate over hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 has become deeply politicized in America. With social media companies serving as important channels of health information, Smitha Khorana and Kellie Owens say that better systems must be developed for their platforms to reduce confusion and allow for open debate.
Debunking disinformation in the COVID-19 era. Jane Lytvynenko, a senior reporter at BuzzFeed News and a noted debunker of online hoaxes, joins the Lawfare Podcast to discuss how she analyzes and reports on misinformation and disinformation in the context of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 disinformation and Black communities. On the Lawfare podcast, Color of Change Senior Campaign Director Brandi Collins-Dexter speaks about the emergence and dissemination of coronavirus-related misinformation and disinformation among Black social media users in the United States.
What could go wrong with the 2020 elections? On July 28 at 2:00 PM EDT, Brookings will host a webinar examining potential problems in the 2020 U.S. elections, including the COVID-19 crisis, disinformation, and more.
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