The Poor Get Left Behind with the Educational Shakeup

Jonathan Butcher of RedefinED hopes to draw attention to deeper questions about educational options while we have this unique moment in history that has upset traditional notions of how education should happen.

He says,

“Homeschooling’s moment has arrived.

“Surveys and media reports demonstrate a surge of interest in learning at home. Now is a critical time to consider how this once-marginalized option may hold answers to recurring questions about the roles played by generational poverty, access to human capital, and parent choice in education – and when it does not.” https://www.redefinedonline.org/2020/06/homeschoolings-moment/

Butcher is legitimately concerned about those for whom homeschooling and distance learning are impractical–largely the poor.

I took note of a report from the libertarian Cato Institute that said that 53 private schools, including 43 Catholic schools, have closed permanently since mid-March. While some of the closures were in well-to-do areas, some of these schools served poorer, inner-city populations, and they likely provided scholarships or discounted tuition to the poor. These closures leave everyone with fewer options, but that harm is mostly to the poor.

Cathy Duffy
June 9, 2020