Critical Components of a School District COVID Education Plan

An already unequal school system, riven by inequalities of race, class, and gender, is under extraordinary stress from the worst pandemic and the worst economic meltdown in over a century. The local context of every school is unique. But core principles of social, economic, and health justice can be achieved across the country, if we structure federal policy with ambitious public policy measures and pursue core objectives driven by democratic values.

Throughout this memo, we urge the maximum caution about reopening schools in anything resembling a conventional form, given the gravity of the COVID crisis right now, which is exacerbated by incompetent federal leadership. And we view this crisis as a moment when we must fundamentally rethink education policy, along the lines of Mr. Bowman’s proposed New Deal for Education. We cannot afford to spread COVID through unwise education policies or entrench already cruel inequalities in the education system.

Only massive federal investments will ensure that all schools benefit from best practices, and just wealthier schools and school districts. Two of the main mechanisms that we propose to achieve this are COVID Education Block Grants and COVID Capital Facilities Grants. Indeed, while schools are closed, or partly closed, to students, professionals can take the first steps toward comprehensive green retrofits, from the removal of all toxic materials to assessments of energy retrofit needs, thus beginning the process of a Green New Deal for Schools, making COVID Capital Grants a downpayment on a decade of physical transformation.