The winter storms have caused more problems than just broken pipes and water damage. Some Texas school districts were hoping to return to in-person instruction, but have had to delay reopening again. Education expert Jean Burk with College Prep Genius says the COVID disrupted school year may cause more of a setback than Hurricane Harvey was in 2017.
“There were over a hundred schools that were closed down for a really long time. They did a five year study, [and] at the end of it, about a third of the kids still were a year behind. So, we need to look at that and say wait a minute, we don’t want any of our kids to be struggling in the next few years,” Burk said.
Burk urges parents need to think hard about their children's future. With no school last week, and classes cut back this week, many parents are worried their children will fall behind on their education even further.
“Parents need to either demand their kids are back in school, or they do a mass exodus from the school system, and we’re already seeing about 40 percent of families choosing to completely home school. So we need to make a stand because nobody else is going to do it for us.”
One question raised in some Texas school districts: Should educators be planning for more summer school in 2021?