Huge numbers of American schoolchildren are behind in school. Yet the vast majority of parents think their own child is performing at grade level. The disconnect is not new, but after the COVID-19 school closures, the stakes for children have in many ways never been greater. Opportunities to catch up are available in some places, thanks to federal pandemic aid, but will likely dry up in the coming years. A 2022 survey of 1,400 public school parents around the country by Learning Heroes, a nonprofit, showed 92% believed their children were performing at grade level. But in a federal survey, school officials said half of all U.S. students started this school year behind grade level in at least one subject.
Looking at the most recent Report Card for the Warm Springs K-8 Academy, for the 2021-2022 school year, English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science test results were all below the state average.
Attendance was also lower than the state average. Tony Cortazar who works with families on attendance issues at the K8 says “Kids are coming in late every day – some kids consistently and some here and then. I understand weather and transportation issues can be a barrier especially this time of year. But this is a problem especially for some of our younger kids K through 3rd grade. They start off their day with reading. If they get there 10 or 15 minutes late – then they still need another 10 or 15 minutes to get and eat their breakfast. By the time they get into the swing of things – they may have missed the whole lesson and that puts them behind academically.”
Being late and leaving school early – does impact learning with kids missing critical lessons.
Families who need help getting their students to school on time can reach out to Tony Cortazar for assistance – just contact the school office.
