Committee to look at COVID-19 effects on student learning
June 15, 2020
A new committee has been created to take an in-depth look at the impact of COVID-19 on student learning in public schools and how solutions identified now can be used to support innovation moving forward. 
“This pandemic caused a shift in education that has been disruptive for our schools, our students, and their families,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who announced the committee April 29 in a news release. “Though our students, families, teachers, and classified staff have made an inspiring shift to distance learning, the changes to public education we’re experiencing during this pandemic are forcing a closer look at the persistent inequities that have faced our students for far too long. It also presents an opportunity to design long-term solutions. I want to start the conversation now and am grateful for all of those who have chosen to take part in this committee to support our students.”  The Loss of Learning Ad Hoc Committee is co-chaired by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and E. Toby Boyd, President of the California Teachers Association, and includes education leaders from Thurmond’s Closing the Achievement Gap work group, an initiative launched last year. The goal of the committee is to apply the lessons learned from schools’ transition to distance learning to strengthen student learning in the months and years ahead.  “I’m very concerned about the loss of learning currently being experienced by our K–12 students, especially those students who are already furthest behind,” said Assemblymember Weber. “While California has made a significant investment to ensure that our schools can continue to serve our students during closure, I fear that it will not be enough to make up for the instructional time our students are missing. During this period, we should be looking at how we will supplement that learning loss with bold new education strategies. I look forward to working with the committee to address this unprecedented challenge.”  CTA President Boyd also expressed that the pandemic has been hard on students, educators, families and communities. “When students physically return to school campuses, it needs to be planned and deliberate with public health at the forefront of all decision-making,” he said. “We want our students to be safe and ready to learn.”
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