School closures due to COVID-19 have underscored just how much our children rely on educational institutions for stability, emotional and social growth, and in many cases to meet basic needs. Ninety-seven percent of California students started the 2020/2021 school year from home. For Mendocino County, that figure includes approximately 13,200 public school children.
Before the pandemic, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, English learners, students with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups such as homeless students, were less likely to have rigorous, engaging, and positive educational experiences at school and at higher risk for not having their basic needs met.
Data on the Healthy Mendocino website collected prior to COVID-19 indicates that across the board, Mendocino County students perform lower in Math and English than the California average student performance, although those numbers are slightly up from the last measurement period in 2017.
Education equity advocates are concerned that school closures will deepen existing inequities in the educational system and will push some children further behind. The reduced instruction time, the self-guided nature the work, lack of reliable internet access for under-served children and the absence of in-person connection with peers and mentors will potentially widen performance gaps within our educational system and negatively impact students’ mental and emotional health. Below are some challenges we face in achieving equitable education through distance learning methods and how some Mendocino County organizations are responding.
The Digital Divide
The most evident hurdle for equitable distance learning in Mendocino County is connectivity issues. Currently 15% of Mendocino County households lack a computer device and 21% of households do not have an internet subscription. According to data on the Healthy Mendocino website, in outlying areas those figures jump dramatically. Thirty-eight percent of Potter Valley households do not have access to computers or devices and 46% of Covelo households lack an internet subscription. State and local education officials have pushed through a series of solutions to increase connectivity for students, including a fund to collect donations for technology and computers. As of August 14th, the State has shipped nearly 73,000 computer devices and 100,000 hot spots to California school districts. Districts throughout Mendocino County have been able to increase the number of Chromebooks distributed to students from previous years and distribute internet hot spots to families without Wi-Fi. However, according to Edsource.org, California still needs $500 million to address students’ device needs in the state.
In order to address connectivity issues for students, Willits Unified School District has converted school buses into traveling Wi-Fi hotspots so students can access internet to complete school work and attend class. The buses will be parked at 4 high-traffic locations around the district and will be moved to accommodate student needs. The district is also working with local businesses to provide more opportunities for free Wi-Fi for the public. Ukiah Unified School District has invested in and distributed more than 600 individual internet hot spots in and around Ukiah and has applied for an elementary school waiver from the state that will enable them to provide limited in-person instruction on campus for students that have unreliable access to technology and/or special needs. Additionally, Fort Bragg Unified is offering assistance to any family with school-aged children that does not have reliable internet access.
To ensure long-term access to educational opportunities, economic viability and the health and safety of our communities, The Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County is working on a plan to bring affordable, universal broadband to all homes and businesses in the County. Widespread broadband will undoubtedly help to level the playing field for the remote learners and working professionals of the future, unlocking more opportunities particularly for residents in outlying and isolated areas.
Tutoring and Parenting Support
Even with the adequate tools, much of the success of distance learning hinges on the parents’ ability to provide help at home and create a routine for their children—a luxury many families do not have in normal times, let along during a pandemic. Communities in Mendocino and throughout the country are creating learning pods in which parents hire a tutor for the neighborhood kids so that parents can work. While this is a viable solution for some households, it is not an option for families that do not have the discretionary income to pay private tutors and rely on the consistent schedule of school to keep their jobs.
Thirty-five percent of Mendocino households are Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE). ALICE households represent working adults of all ages and races that are unable to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, child care, health care and transportation. Additionally, 24.8% of children in the county are living below the federal poverty line, a number that will likely increase, as the pandemic has also exacerbated existing economic injustices and income inequalities in our society. Many parents in ALICE households are essential workers and are unable to take time off work to assist their children in completing assignments.
Many childcare facilities can remain open and are receiving support to comply with health mandates. The state has provided a waiver for operation of child care facilities along with guidance to reopen and North Coast Opportunities (NCO) is granting funds to help childcare providers cover costs of sanitizing their facilities. A number of resources for subsidized childcare services for low-income families are available at Rural Communities Child Care so that working parents do not have to forfeit crucial income to stay home with their children.
However, subsidized child care programs are vastly underfunded and impacted throughout the country, leaving many families stuck in a cycle of poverty as they are unable to work while waiting for affordable child care vacancies. In Mendocino County alone, there are 100 families on the waiting list for subsidized programs and hundreds more that have given up looking for child care altogether. The pandemic is likely to exacerbate these numbers. Recent research says that nearly half of child care centers and 4.5 million child care slots could be permanently lost due to the pandemic, creating a huge ripple effect in the economy, as parents will be unable to get back to work. Additionally, day care closures are likely to disproportionately affect women, as mothers are typically the parent to leave the workforce to care for their children.[1]
Mendocino County Office of Education’s (MCOE) California State Preschool Programs (CSSP) began this year with distance learning in a new model called Family Preschool Collaborative. This model was created with an understanding that parents are already juggling work, economic hardships, supporting their other children with distance learning, and addressing their own needs. In addition to providing the young child with educational programming that strengthens her cognitive and emotional capabilities, the Family Preschool Collaborative aims to build the resilience of the family unit by connecting them to resources, offering parenting support, and providing activities that give the family an opportunity for unstructured play time together. According to MCOE, what a child needs most of all for learning is a safe, healthy and happy family.
Students with Disabilities
The challenges that parents and caregivers of students with disabilities endure in normal circumstances are exacerbated by distance learning. Without face-to-face teaching support, families are not only navigating new online platforms and technology issues, but they are also managing their child’s need for movement throughout the day, helping with self-regulation and focus skills, and doubling as educators—all the while working to create a sense of normalcy and predictable routines.
There are currently 1,700 children in Mendocino County served by the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), a program that supports special education students in achieving a high level of academic and functional performance. SELPA has launched Ask a SELPA Specialist and is offering one-on-one Zoom meetings and phone calls with parents of students with disabilities to support them in establishing routines, creating secondary transition activities at home, and helping their children complete their assignments. Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC), a non-profit that advocates for children and adults with developmental disabilities, recommends that struggling parents call a meeting with the school, MCOE and SELPA. RCRC service coordinators are available to elevate parents’ requests and concerns.
As is true for many students, students with disabilities receive, consume, and apply information differently in face-to-face settings versus online environments. General distance learning models are not designed for students with Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs)-- a curriculum tailored to an individual student with their goals and services in mind to help them be successful. IEPs are typically used for special education and English as Second Language (ESL) students. According to a recent KZYX report, Ukiah Unified --which serves 6,000 students, 80% of which are ESL, foster youth or qualify for free-or-reduced lunch – hopes the waiver with the state will allow them to hold small learning groups or one-on-one instruction on campus for students with IEPs who are disproportionately impacted by distance learning.
The Regional Center Board Client Benefit Fund has purchased 173 tablets for Mendocino County residents including RCRC clients that have access to Wi-Fi but no device. Mendocino and Humboldt County RCRC client advocates and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities are working together to create virtual curriculum for students with disabilities that will assist in their social and emotional development, such as art therapy and therapeutic recreation.
As we scale distance learning models for the long term, we must remember not all children are capable of learning online, especially since many of the online learning options do not take into account children who are hard of hearing, visually impaired, physically challenged, or have developmental delays. Districts like Anderson Valley School District have established learning continuity plans that establish performance measurements and address pupil learning loss. These plans include measurements and strategies tailored to the needs of special education, low-income, and foster and homeless youth.
Mental Health and Safety
According to a national Gallup poll taken in June, nearly 3 in 10 parents said their child is experiencing emotional or mental harm because of social distancing and school closures. The poll reported parents with less than a college degree (33%) are more likely than those with a college degree or higher (24%) to say their child's emotional or mental health is already suffering. There may be additional stressors for children whose parents have less educational attainment, as they are disproportionately affected by increased unemployment rates. Healthy Mendocino demographic data indicates that just 25% of adults over the age of 25 hold a college degree or higher in Mendocino County.
As districts around the county start school virtually, teachers and school faculty will need to focus on delivering new academic content online while also meeting students' social, emotional and safety needs. Ukiah High School’s counselors are meeting with youth virtually and have compiled a comprehensive toolkit that offers resiliency-building and age-appropriate mental health hygiene practices, resources, and engaging at-home activities to help students keep their minds off the pandemic. Anderson Valley Unified is implementing a Multi-Tier System of Support (MTSS) structure in which teachers spend a portion of class time checking in with students, facilitating extracurricular meeting groups, and discussing activities that promote positive relationships. Additionally, Anderson Valley K-6 teachers will present the Second Step Program -- a holistic approach to supportive communities for every child through social-emotional learning--to develop empathy, impulse control and conflict management skills each week.
School acts as a haven for children that are raised in unsafe or unstable homes. As we shelter-in-place, reports of domestic abuse rise locally and nationally. Children from unsafe or unstable homes are at an increased risk of abuse and the social, emotional and behavioral issues associated with exposure to toxic stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which are being amplified by increased family adversity during COVID. In fact, the pandemic's indirect social and economic impact on family stress may linger for months or years.
Normally, professionals within the school setting act as an extra set of eyes on children to identify mental and behavioral health issues and signs of abuse early on, and work with community organizations to implement interventions or make referrals. Without in-person interactions with students, it may be easier for signs of depression, anxiety, stress and abuse to go unnoticed.
A support system for parents is key to building family resiliency and protecting the well-being of students and children amidst this stressful situation. Triple P Mendocino, a program of First 5 Mendocino that focuses on supporting families struggling with child behavior and/or mental health issues to reduce ACEs and promote family resiliency, continues to offer its courses through Zoom throughout the pandemic. Additionally, Mendocino County Youth Project is continuing to offer counseling service to struggling youth. Adults can refer a child through their secure online referral form or by calling 707-463-HELP.
Keeping Kids Fed
The closing of schools raises an ethical dilemma for educational institutions around the country: while it helps to slow the spread of infection, it cuts millions of children off basic needs support such as food, and in some cases, shelter during the day. In Mendocino County 30% children are projected to be food insecure and 65% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Children who are food insecure are more likely to be hospitalized and may be at higher risk for developing chronic diseases such as obesity because of a lower quality diet, anemia and asthma. In addition, food-insecure children may also be at higher risk for behavioral and social issues including fighting, hyperactivity, anxiety and bullying. According to Feeding America, the Coronavirus crisis is likely to reverse the improvements that have occurred over the past decade as millions of people become newly at risk for food insecurity.
Since the schools closed in March, school districts’ efforts to ensure students are adequately fed have been continual, providing free food pickup for their students throughout the summer and into the 2020-2021 school year.
Other Mendocino County organizations are stepping in to fill the basic needs of families. The Fort Bragg Food Bank has partnered with the Mendocino Coast Children’s Fund and the James G. Cummings Foundation to distribute nutritious food boxes for children on Wednesday afternoons. Family Resource Centers (FRCs) have commonly filled the role of basic needs support in rural, isolated areas. Due to the cancellation of all in-person programming and events and the growing need in the community, FRCs have been ramping up this type of assistance. When COVID hit, Action Network in Point Arena and Gualala as well as Healthy Start in Laytonville stepped in to pass out snack packs, produce, activity bags, and diapers. With the onset of school, they are now supplying backpacks of free school supplies to families.
An Equity Check
COVID-19 is our equity check, reminding us of who we could be if we wanted to address equity. During this fragile time, collaborations and partnerships like the ones we’re seeing across Mendocino County are crucial to addressing education inequities, mitigating the long-term impact this stressful period will have on our youth and children, and preventing further widening of the divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots". As communities across the country race to fill the gaps in education and protect the well-being of our young ones, particularly the most vulnerable children and youth, we must also be looking forward. What lessons have we learned to take with us to shape a more just system?
[1] Updated September 10, 2020
More Education Equity Resources:
MCOE Distance Learning Resources for Families, Educators and Early Childhood Education
Distance Learning Startup for Educators toolkit
Rural Communities Child Care—childcare for children up to age 12
Resources for workers without childcare and are unable to work
10 Questions for Equity Advocates to Ask About Distance Learning
Author:
Molly Rosenthal
Resource Date:
September 1, 2020
Resource Type:
Topics:
