The Pandemic's Effect on Student Socialization

In 1848, Horace Mann expounded the potential of education to be the ‘great equalizer’ across socio-economic divisions. This piece of optimism is important to me as a special education attorney dedicated to bridging the gaps in meaningful achievement between children with and without disabilities.

I recently reviewed Working Paper 28264, found at https://www.nber.org/papers/w28264 , titled When the Great Equalizer Shuts Down: Schools, Peers, and Parents in Pandemic Times. The research specifically looked at the disruptive effects of losing social ties at school for secondary students in grades 9 to 12. Not surprisingly, when considering parental time investments, which are impacted by a number of socio-economic factors, the research shows that lower-income children are more disadvantaged by school closures than their most affluent peers.

The authors of the report expressed policy implications aligned with —

• prioritizing the availability of in-person learning;

• “expanded in-school support once the pandemic is under control;

• “targeted services to disadvantaged groups”;

• “additional schooling provided at a later time to make up for some of the learning losses during the pandemic;”

• “shortening the summer break in 2021”; and

• “extending school throughout the summer at least for the more vulnerable groups of children”'.

Interestingly, the breadth of our special education laws permit these types of recommendations to be implemented — when required for a child with a disability to make progress.

For more information about your child’s special education rights during the pandemic, book a virtual consultation on my website, https://www.MSRLegal.ORG/Book-Your-Consultation. Also, follow @MSRLegalConsulting on Instagram where I post updates on the evolving landscape of special education in the wake of Covid-19.

Happy MLK Day,

Oroma

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