A report from the LA Unified School District estimates that at least 30% of youth were absent at the start of the pandemic.
Latino communities have higher rates of absence in online education.
Photo: Aurelia Ventura / La Opinion
More than 50,000 Latino and African American students did not regularly participate in the virtual classroom system established by the Los Angeles School District (LAUSD) before the pandemic of COVID-19, according to a report presented this Thursday.
Participation of low-income Latino and African American students in online classes is 10% to 20% lower than that of white and Asian students, indicates the report that analyzed the period between March 16 -when schools closed because of the coronavirus- and May 22.
While we want our kids to be able to get back to their classrooms, schools should only open for in-person learning when it is safe for students, families, teachers and staff. I support @LASchools’ decision to begin the fall semester with distance learning. https://t.co/pRFTOlu6ya
– MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) July 14, 2020
For Latino students, representing nearly 75% of the 206,000 middle and high school students, the maximum rate of weekly participation it was 67% for middle school and 71% for high school.
That is to say, 33% of Latino middle school youth were absent, like 29% of high school.
The most worrying scenario is faced by students who are learning English, those with learning difficulties and those without permanent housing or are in the foster home system. Participation rates in virtual classes were even lower, with a weekly average of 57%.
The concern is at the national level
The report coincides with the results of a national survey presented this Thursday by Latino Decisions which shows that 83% of Latino parents are concerned that their children will have to start the next school year 2020-21 online and without classroom classes.
Despite the obstacles, Latinos support online programming for their kids. Distance learning is the only way to provide safe learning environments for teachers and children, but much work needs to be done to support them. @AP_OD_National https://t.co/jMt43fBBpW pic.twitter.com/AaxNhHjJQe
– Latino Decisions (@LatinoDecisions) July 16, 2020
He 65% of families reported that they have difficulties helping their children with virtual schooling because they are “not familiar” with the issues of classes and assignments.
The first report of LAUSD held two weeks after school closes from the coronavirus pandemic last March found that a third of high school students had recorded absences. While 12% had been totally absent.
Back then, the LAUSD superintendent, Austin Beutner, said that “it was unacceptable” that contact with about 15,000 young people would have been lost or that many were not receiving the education they should have.
