The 2020-21 school year demanded something brand new—shaped by the needs of students, families and educators facing unprecedented challenges. In this crisis, existing inequities grew worse. They required targeted solutions and a reimagining of the status quo.
The best solutions were designed to help students and families least supported by the system. And those solutions proved widely beneficial. Universal meal programs designed to ensure food reached families experiencing homelessness and poverty also granted greater access to families who traditionally fall just outside of outdated free meal qualifications. Districts that suspended standard homework and grade models helped students who had to work or care for siblings and those experiencing mental health struggles. Schools that emphasized outreach to families who may not have access to public aid or home language resources—such as undocumented families—improved overall family engagement and communication.
These targeted solutions with broad benefits illustrate what many advocates call a “curb-cut effect”—a phenomenon rooted in decades of activism that has newfound relevance in the ongoing fight to center equity in our schools. (author abstract)
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