Education Policy, Business and Technology

Pandemic Exposes Equity, Access Gaps in Distance Learning

Governing: It’s a May afternoon, and for the sixth graders at Acequia Madre Elementary School in Santa Fe, N.M., it’s time to present their projects on ancient civilizations. One student explains to his classmates how cats were revered in ancient Egypt, displaying a replica of a tomb made out of a cardboard box, complete with a prowling feline represented by a matchbox-sized toy robot.

Like most K-12 schools across the nation, Acequia Madre is now empty, closed since March 13 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Student presentations, like each day’s morning circle time and afternoon check-ins, are being conducted over Google Meet. In between, students work on online reading and math lessons, along with home music, art, and outdoor activities shared by the school’s pullout teachers.

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