Virtual schools are expected to stick around even after the pandemic is over. YPulse’s Education report found that 59% of students are attending school online, while 69% of parents have children attending school online—and some families want to stick with it even in a post-COVID future. While school districts in the U.S. launched temporary “stand-alone digital-only programs” last year, many of them are racing to make them permanent. Some experts worry that digital learning might hinder students’ academic progress and impact their mental health, but a subset of families claim it has actually eased their kids’ anxieties. Several hundred of the country’s 13K school districts have established virtual schools for this academic year, with some reporting that they plan to enroll thousands of students into their online programs. Meanwhile, schools are trying to come up with ways to better address challenges that remote learners will continue to face. (NYTimes, The Washington Post)
