How COVID-19 is changing K-12 schools, with Richard Barth (EP.07)

As August slides into September, the absence of a national strategy on school reopening has left thousands of families to struggle alone with the decision about whether and how to send their kids back to school. In every state, school districts are fending for themselves to develop a plan that balances sometimes conflicting risks to public health, economic security, and emotional wellbeing.

Here to elucidate the challenges and considerations demanded of such a decision is Richard Barth, CEO of the KIPP Foundation, the largest network of public charter schools in the country. Founded in 1994, KIPP today serves over 100,000 predominantly underprivileged students across 255 schools, 88% of whom qualify for federal free or reduced-price lunch; 95%, from Black or Latinx families. When COVID-19 hit, the KIPP Foundation lept into action: reaching out to its 28,000 alumni, enrolling teachers in digital learning courses, launching a virtual mental health program, standing up local food banks, and providing vital human services in students' communities. Every community presented unique challenges, yet what distinguished KIPP's response was its commitment to engaging deeply with the families that it serves and to ensuring that both its messaging and its policies were community driven. 

If you're interested in learning how a nationwide K-12 public school network has mobilized to respond to COVID-19; how it’s deciding which of its schools should and should not open; why it has prioritized investments in community resilience; and how racial and socioeconomic inequities have looked in practice for students and families, this episode is for you. And if you enjoy it, follow it up in two weeks, with our episode on colleges and universities.

Until then, learn more about KIPP here. See the state-by-state progress on school reopenings here. 

And learn more about Civic Rx here.