Parents Support School Choice, Remote Learning's Future

(from the 74 Million) While the Biden administration has promised to reopen all-remote public schools for face-to-face learning within the first 100 days, the threat of a new variant of the novel coronavirus may derail those plans. The unpredictability of public school plans appears to have increased parental support for public funds going toward private education. A recent Manhattan Institute poll found 71% of New Yorkers support education dollars following children so they can enroll in the public, charter or private school of their family’s choice. Support was even higher among families with children attending New York City public schools (81%), and Black and Hispanic respondents (72 and 84%, respectively).

At the same time, a different survey found that 1 in 5 school districts are considering, planning to adopt or have already adopted a fully online school in future years. One in 10 has adopted blended or hybrid instruction, or plans to. The reasons for continuing online instruction after COVID-19 are accommodating parent and student demand, meeting the diversity of students’ needs and maintaining student enrollment. But the plans face challenges: fall 2020 research by RAND indicated that teachers teaching virtually worked more hours during COVID-19 than during regular school, yet their students were less prepared for grade-level work, as well as less accountable for completing it.

More from the 74 Million on school choice and remote learning.