ILLUSTRATIONBYASHLEYDREYFUS6
Districtsshouldofferincentivesforteacherstodeveloponline
coursesandmentorfellowteachers.Suchinvestmentscan
continuetopayoffevenasnormalityresumes,byallowing
teacherstosupplementin-personclasseswithhigh-quality
virtualcourseworkthatstudentscanusetocatchup.
Remotelearninghasbeenanordealformanystudents—
andformanyparentsaswell.It cannotcomeclosetoreplacing
in-school instruction, least of all for the youngest children,
who need the kind of training in social skills (for example,
how to deal with distraction, work with others, wait your turn)
that only a schoolroom setting can provide. Let’s be clear: The
sooner children return to the classroom, the better.
Still, for the time being, millions will need to keep learn-
ing from home. For as long as that lasts, it’s essential to
make this second-best education as good as it can be. <BW>
For more commentary, go to bloomberg.com/opinion◼ BLOOMBERG OPINION October 12, 2020
Theshifttoremotelearningduringthepandemichasseriously
harmedAmerica’sschoolchildren.Theendofin-person
instructionlastspringreducedexpectedlearninggainsby
anestimated50%inmathandalmostone-thirdinreading,
accordingtoNWEA,aneducationalresearchgroup.Withthe
vastmajorityofschoolsinurbandistrictsstillclosed,low-
incomestudentsarelosinggroundtheymightnevermakeup.
Thisunderscorestheneedtoreopenschoolsasquickly
aspossible.That,inturn,willrequirenewfundstopayfor
safetymeasuresandcarefullimitsonactivitiesthatmight
spreadthevirus.Evenif reopeningmovesasquicklyaspru-
denceallows,however,schoolswillneedtorelyfora while
yetonsomedegreeofremotelearning.It’svitaltoensurethat
thiskindofinstructionis aseffectiveaspossible.
There’sbeensomeprogress.Sincethestartofthepan-
demic,schooldistrictshaveincreasedthenumberofhours
studentsworkingathomespendinlivevideoclasses—a
markedimprovementonthechaosoflastspring,when
teachersstruggledtoadapttoonlineinstruction.Incities
suchasChicagoandLosAngeles,whichinitiallydidn’tmake
synchronouslearningmandatory,schoolsarenowrequired
toprovideseveralhoursofliveclassesforall students,
dependingongrade.
Forremoteclassestowork,studentsneedcomputers
andaccesstobroadbandathome.Washingtoncanhelp
byallowingschoolstousefundsfromthefederalgovern-
ment’sE-rateprogramtosubsidizeresidentialinternet
connections, as the latest Democratic stimulus bill would
do. School officials should work with providers to identify
and connect households that lack reliable service. Cities like
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are showing what can be done to
get students online.
But getting students online is just the start. The most suc-
cessful transitions to remote learning have other things in
common: a consistent class schedule, tools to track atten-
dance, regular assessments, and online assignments that
are collected and graded. And younger students need new,
simpler lessons focused on basic skills.
Parents should also get more help. Schools should assign
advisers to meet with them virtually, solicit feedback, and
ask about student needs. During regular school hours, ded-
icated support lines should be open so parents can quickly
resolve any glitches.
All this will cost money. In addition to buying new tech-
nology, school districts need to give teachers digital training.Online Schooling
Isn’t Ideal,
But It Needn’t
Be a Disaster
JPMorganandCitigroupkickoffthe third-quarter earnings
season on Oct. 13, followed by Bank of America and
Goldman Sachs the next day. Market volatility has helped
the banks generate big trading gains this year.▶ The U.S. Senate
Committee on the
Judiciary opens its
confirmation hearing for
Supreme Court nominee
Amy Coney Barrett on
Oct. 12, seeking to seat
her before the election.▶ Bank Indonesia
unveils its interest rate
decision on Oct. 13.
The central bank has
been one of the more
aggressive in Asia,
cutting rates four times
so far this year.▶ A Bonhams auction on
Oct. 11 includes two royal
vehicles: a 1959 BMW
507 first owned by King
Constantine II of Greece
and a 1955 Aston Martin
DB2/4 ordered by King
Baudouin of Belgium.▶ The Milken Institute
Global Conference,
starting on Oct. 12,
is being held virtually
for the first time; it
brings together leaders
from politics, finance,
and academia.▶ In her annual policy
address on Oct. 14, Hong
Kong Chief Executive
Carrie Lam will discuss
the economy and public
health. The speech
will likely draw pro-
democracy protests.▶ The second of three
U.S. presidential debates
is slated for Oct.
in Miami. The first
Trump-Biden encounter
was criticized as overly
acrimonious, chaotic,
and possibly infectious.◼ AGENDA
▶ A Profitable Crisis