OPINION | COVID-19 Exposed America’s Endless Educational Inequities But Now It’s Time To Fix Them

Americans might as well admit that we really are fine with the concept of the haves and the have nots even during a pandemic. Whether it’s in our housing, financial, transportation, health or education systems, Black and Latinx families and those from low-income backgrounds are experiencing the coronavirus crisis in vastly different ways than any other racial demographic. Inequity is simply a part of the American story, but it shouldn’t be.

In normal times, inequities are easily seen, but their costs are masked. In times of crisis, particularly a global pandemic, those costs are gravely apparent. Today, they are on display in our education system. Rampant school closures have left district leaders, principals, and administrators scrambling to ensure their students have some form of educational continuity as well as access to food.