This video is part of our Kite & Key Shorts series—easy to understand...but hard to forget.
The coronavirus has reshaped education in the U.S.
Many of America’s schools have struggled with remote learning and reopening. As a result, they have lost over 1.4 million students since the pandemic began.i
Enrollment went down in all 50 states.
Some of that decrease is due to parents who opted their kids out of kindergarten during the pandemic.ii But it’s also because many parents are seeking alternative forms of schooling.
In 2020-21, charter school enrollment increased in nearly every state that offers the option.
Nationwide, charters gained almost 240,000 students.iii
Oklahoma saw a nearly 78% increase in charter enrollment, the highest in the country.iv
But not all families leaving traditional public schools are turning to charters.
The number of American households homeschooling doubled between the 2019 and 2020 school years.v
Black and Hispanic households took up homeschooling at a greater rate than white households.vi
The pandemic has also changed public opinion.
Recent polling shows record support for alternatives to traditional public schools.vii
The world won’t stay in quarantine forever, but the coronavirus may have changed American education for good.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- American public schools have lost over 1.4 million students since the pandemic began.
- In the 2020-21 school year, charter school enrollment increased in nearly every state that offers the option.
- The number of American households homeschooling doubled between the 2019 and 2020 school years.
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