One is thriving after switching from online public school to in-person private education. The other is struggling, stuck in her virtual classroom.
The lives of these two girls, Ella Pierick and Afiya Harris, encapsulate the growing divide in U.S. education as more affluent parents flee public schools.
In Connecticut, enrollment fell 3%. Colorado reported a similar decline, with the steepest losses in one of its wealthiest counties. Chicago’s rosters dipped 4.1%, the most in 20 years.
Parents with means are instead homeschooling; joining with other families to hire teachers in so-called pandemic pods; or signing up for private schools. Poor and minority children often have no choice but to attend inferior virtual classrooms, and some are just giving up entirely.
Affluent families ditch public schools, widening U.S. inequality https://t.co/eox2j7ujxg via @business
— David Wainer (@david_wainer) December 21, 2020