BACKGROUND
With its disproportionate devastation of communities of color, the Covid-19 pandemic has further exposed injustices that continue to challenge American society. Specifically, while the move to online learning in March, 2020 has been difficult for all children, it has had an especially harmful impact on our most vulnerable students: Black, Brown and low-income.
MCPS’s own data makes clear that while thousands of students were able to engage and take advantage of online learning opportunities when our schools suddenly closed, thousands more were not. And the vast majority of students whose education simply stopped--those who rarely, if ever, logged on to the online learning resources----were from minority and low-income families. Many students with learning differences in need of specialized supports also suffered academically, because they found online learning to be practically inaccessible and because the accommodations they received in brick-and-mortar schools were no longer available.
On June 9th, the JCRC sent a letter to the Montgomery County Board of Education urging its members to take the COVID crisis into account when finalizing MCPS' operating budget for the coming year. For more information on this topic, view a recording of the JCRC's webinar, Academic Costs Of The Pandemic On Our most Vulnerable MCPS Students, read the Black and Brown Coalition For Educational Equity and Excellence's Recommendations for Recovery, or read this article from the NY Times.
Education outreach is a significant priority for the JCRC. We work to combat school-based antisemitism and other expressions of bias and hatred, promote mutual respect and cultural awareness among students, and ensure that all students have an equitable opportunity to flourish academically and socially. In line with that goal, the JCRC is proud to be a member of the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, a grass-roots initiative co-founded in 2019 by Identity, Inc. and the NAACP Parent’s Council to address inequities in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Take Action Now!
The Montgomery County Board of Education meets this Thursday, June 11th. Complete the form below to send Members of the Board an email asking that they support a robust COVID-19 recovery plan that prioritizes the children who have suffered the greatest academic losses in this crisis.