Alberto Carvalho, who took over as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District just two weeks ago, wasted little time in setting ambitious goals for his new administration. In a unveiled last week, he said he would focus on academic recovery and consider shifting funds from the district鈥檚 expensive COVID testing program to pay for it. 

He also wants to reduce class sizes, expand early learning and streamline hiring to address staff shortages. The agenda, which he discussed during a virtual welcome reception Thursday, came after an already jam-packed two weeks in which he attended his first school board meeting, met with each one of the district鈥檚 union presidents and taught two biology classes. 

The nation is watching whether the success Carvalho had as the 14-year superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools will follow him to the nation鈥檚 second-largest school district. In December, the school board to hire the award-winning leader, with board Vice President Nick Melvoin calling him 鈥渢he right person to lead L.A. Unified students out of this pandemic into a better future.鈥�

On Friday, he spoke to 蜜桃影视 about his plan to live up to those high expectations. 鈥淚’m very optimistic about the possibility in Los Angeles,鈥� he told 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Linda Jacobson. 鈥淚f I wasn鈥檛, I wouldn’t be here. I chose L.A. as much as L.A. chose me. I have never failed. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve erred. I’ve tripped. I’ve fallen, but failure is not in my DNA.鈥� 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

蜜桃影视: Talk a little bit about declining enrollment, which fell by in Los Angeles this year. What鈥檚 on your agenda for getting families to come back and attracting new families?

Alberto Carvalho: That’s not unique to L.A., nor New York or Chicago 鈥� or most urban centers across America. Affordability has been significantly diminished and wages have not kept pace. That has forced families to move, and when the family moves, they don’t leave the kid behind. There has been significant internal mobility that has shifted membership in and out at the school system. 

Then there is this third arena that really concerns me 鈥� families and students that have completely disappeared. Calls have been met with disconnected phone lines and knocks at the door. The neighbor does not know. We are beginning to learn anecdotally that some of these families may have had a fragile immigration status. They made decisions as a result of prior immigration protocols and obviously have not returned. It’s a complex issue. Other parents have pulled students from the public school system and moved to their second home because they could afford a second home and pay for private tuition.

Now the solution: In L.A., if you want choice, you have magnets and you have charters. Then there are district-affiliated charters and independent schools. Whoever decided to restrict choice on the basis of those parameters? There are single-gender schools, career academies. Choice does not need to conform to magnet or charter. Where are the programs in L.A. where we see long waiting lists of parents? Why aren’t we expanding more of those programs to where the demand is?

You鈥檙e talking about more of those programs in neighborhood schools?

Correct. Have we done an analysis about the amount of time a child is on the bus to get to that one program that really motivates him or her 鈥� that great engineering program, fine arts, performing arts, cybersecurity, robotics, STEAM, STEM, dual language, dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, whatever?

I can fill an entire wall with a repertoire of options for parents. Why aren’t we offering all of that? L.A. Unified is a much bigger district than Miami. L.A. Unified has about 300 magnet programs. Miami-Dade offers 1,100 choice options. We have work to do. If we don’t do that, we will continue to bleed out students because parents are living in a reality where they have an entitlement to choice. If we don’t do that, it is tantamount to burying our head in the sand as a tsunami of choice washes over us. I choose to ride the top of it. I think it’s better for kids, it鈥檚 better for communities, and that is one of the key elements of reenergizing interest in our public school system.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on masking, saying schools can drop mandates when COVID-19 risk is medium or low. Any reaction?

We learned that the state of California and the CDC are relaxing protocols with one significant exception 鈥� . But conditions have improved significantly in our community as a function of good weather, but also because of the insistence on vaccination, on masking, on testing. We are waiting now on additional data from the county but also guidance from Sacramento specific to school protocols. One of the elements that we are carefully analyzing right now is the possibility of relaxing testing protocols particularly at the secondary level. It鈥檚 a very costly proposition. The frequency and cadence is churning through financial resources.

Do we need to continue to invest at this level? We have an opportunity to reinvest those dollars in educational programs, in tutorial, acceleration and social-emotional programs.

Is that something you think the union would oppose?

We will need to have an open dialogue with the bargaining units. I will not surprise our collective bargaining representatives. But if we are a science-driven district, we follow the science not only when things are getting bad; we also need to follow the science as conditions improve.

Many parents say that they want , especially small-group and one-on-one tutoring. Why was that not spelled out in your 100-day plan?

It was. When I speak about an augmentation of educational opportunities, before and afterschool programming, that is inclusive of tutorial services. When I speak about the concept of year-round schooling opportunities, I’m not singularly speaking about schools being open. I’m speaking about before- and afterschool tutorial services that can be provided by the school system, but also by private entities, not-for-profit entities. When I talk about maximizing these educational opportunities, that’s exactly what I’m describing. It was not ignored. It is actually very much part of the strategy moving forward.

I think when parents hear terms like expanded learning opportunities and afterschool, they just think of large groups. They don鈥檛 think that means the high-dosage models that have received a lot of attention.

It鈥檚 both and. 

I was struck by how David Turner [manager of ] challenged you on the issue of school police. He said he was disappointed to see the under your tenure in Miami. What is your position on that, considering the Los Angeles district took a last year on redirecting funding from school police officers to improving school climate and the achievement of Black students?

I have inherited a policy position that has reduced the budget and implemented a different methodology of protective actions around schools. Rather than the presence of a school resource officer on campus, it’s more of a mobile unit that provides someone support for safe passage to and from school and is able to rapidly respond to emergencies. That is a decision made by the board, supported by a significant sector of this community. 

Now that we’ve moved in that direction, have we stood up the appropriate personnel, with the appropriate training in schools from a prevention perspective? Have we identified restorative justice practices, been effective at avoiding, preventing and or resolving and managing a crisis that would have otherwise been addressed by a police officer? We鈥檙e not there yet.

My concern is that [police] have been removed, and the element that will in a more systemic and more preventive way benefit our kids has not fully been fleshed out. That, too, is part of the 100-day plan.

Alicia Montgomery, executive director of the , watched your presentation and reviewed the plan. She mentioned to me that the school system鈥檚 six local districts and all the smaller communities of schools each have their own goals and objectives. She said she has been struck in the past by the 鈥渟heer resistance to consistency across the district.鈥� You talked a lot about alignment in your plan. Where would you like to see a more universal approach and where should there be room for autonomy?

I’m a huge believer in the concept of earned autonomy, implementing a model that strikes the appropriate balance, that sweet spot. The board’s equity-driven agenda should be ubiquitous. That requires clear communication, continuous monitoring of student performance, attendance data, critical incidents of absenteeism and a universal guarantee of the appropriate resources. That cannot be left singularly in the hands of local leaders. That said, there is room on the other side of the balance for leadership that works best closer to the school. I do have some concerns where it’s working well versus where it’s not working well.

Can you give an example?

I would rather not. There are many different areas in Los Angeles where local leadership has navigated this balance fairly well. In other areas, it is not as clear to me that the coherence is where it needs to be. 

Your plan mentions creating a collective bargaining strategy, and I know some would like to see a lot more transparency in negotiations with the union. Should that be a more open process?

I’m a huge believer in transparency, so let’s begin there. There is no way that we’re going to maximize opportunities for students through the existing collaboration with labor partners. [We need to be] developing and executing a sound, reasonable strategy that’s based on compensation philosophies that support recruitment and retention of a highly qualified workforce. That’s huge for me. It’s needed for the school system right now. We’re having a difficult time recruiting teachers. Fifty percent of teachers across the country are leaving the profession before retirement. That is shocking and that’s the first time that has happened in the history of our country.

The typical negotiation process begins with management declaring that there is no money and labor providing a list of demands. Sometimes lost in that chasm is the answer to the simple question: What do the kids need and can we rally around a common set of goals? 

I’ve been here about a week now and I’ve had conversations with every single labor president, and I did that in advance of the 100-day plan because I don’t believe in surprises. This work is too complex, too difficult and too important, particularly as we continue to navigate the tail end of this pandemic. That’s going to be my approach to the labor negotiation process that we are rapidly going into.

The U.S. Department of Education recently that they are responsible for providing students with disabilities the services they did not receive during remote learning. Are you evaluating what the district is required to do and have a plan for providing those services?

During the pandemic, students with disabilities were among the most impacted, the most fragile communities of students, and have lost the most ground. We need to start from that perspective. By what means shall we accelerate and where have we fallen short in terms of providing the best educational environments? Where do we need to increase inclusion rates across the district? Where must we contemplate additional improvements for parents of students with disabilities who have maintained them in a virtual environment? Are there opportunities for us to speak with the parents and demonstrate that perhaps the option they selected is not adequately addressing the needs of their children?

This is an ongoing process with the federal government. I am aware of the issue and I’m currently engaged in discussions with federal entities regarding this topic. At the end of the day, this is a fragile community of students and I think we recognize two years into this pandemic some of the detrimental impacts that these students have suffered.

How often will you teach? Do you want to run your own school like you did in Miami?

I have now taught two high school biology classes since I’ve arrived. That’s as much fun as anybody in my position can ask for. I need to remain connected to what happens in schools, at a leadership level, in a supportive role. But if I am to remain real, I need to have access to students through meaningful instructional opportunities. That’s what sustains me. This can be a difficult role, and I don’t know how to do it from the comfort of the ivory tower, or the safety of backstage. I need to be on the edge of that stage, feeling the warmth and the social interaction from students and schools. I’m going to be very active and engaged with school principals, with teachers and in the classroom. It’s actually a topic of negotiation and conversation with my own team, how we make that feasible on a very regular basis.

Finally, when the news hit that you were coming to Los Angeles, I spoke to a long-time parent advocate who said even the most talented leaders have been driven away from this job. I know you said you’re here for the long haul, but what is your reaction to that statement?

Why would anybody want to do this? Because we cannot abandon two elements of America 鈥� the importance of public education and the viability of cities and urban education, where the needs are heightened. Are there easier ways of impacting children? You can go be a superintendent of a very affluent, small district where you don’t have that diversity, you don’t have kids who are children of immigrants. 

I think we need to paint a picture of hope. I’m very optimistic about the possibility in Los Angeles. If I wasn鈥檛, I wouldn’t be here. I chose L.A. as much as L.A. chose me. I have never failed. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve erred. I’ve tripped. I’ve fallen, but failure is not in my DNA. When we decide to accept failure for ourselves, we are condemning kids to the same fate, and that’s not me.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday it would be possible for federal relief funds to cover salaries if the governor follows through on withholding pay from superintendents and board members who require students to wear masks.

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鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at a range of options,鈥� she said, adding that any action the administration takes could impact the 鈥渉andful of states that are putting in place measures that make it more difficult for 鈥� leaders in the education field to protect students and their communities.鈥�

But DeSantis shot back, saying it would be inappropriate for the administration to intervene.

鈥淚 think that they really believe government should rule over the parents’ decisions,鈥� he said during a . 鈥淭he parents are in the best position to know what’s best for their kids.鈥�

DeSantis, the White House and school officials in districts such as Broward County and Miami-Dade are taking firmer stands on the issue as the state鈥檚 COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations .

Florida鈥檚 brinkmanship on masks comes as districts across the country are feeling the impact of the more aggressive Delta variant and the pandemic once again is interfering with what parents and officials hoped would be a typical back-to-school season. Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona even raised the possibility of a return to remote learning.

鈥淸If] the community spread gets to a certain level, it may be best to have students learning from home,鈥� he said during a Friday town hall in Boston with the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e going to do everything in our power not to go there. The kids suffered enough.鈥�

Some Florida district leaders say they鈥檙e not intimidated by the governor鈥檚 threats and argue they have a duty to require masks temporarily.

鈥淚 have a moral responsibility to be my brother鈥檚 and sister鈥檚 keeper, even if it means my salary is taken away,鈥� Rosalind Osgood, chair of the Broward County school board, said Tuesday during a special meeting where members voted to keep the mask mandate in place. 鈥淚 wonder if the governor has visited the ICU lately.鈥�

The vote came after more than an hour of passionate arguments from parents and staff members on both sides of the issue.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really lucky that we have such a simple way to protect each other 鈥� by wearing a simple cloth mask over our face,鈥� one mother, with her kindergarten daughter on her hip, told the board. 鈥淵ou have an entire community behind you.鈥�

Another mother said the board is infringing on her right to make decisions that affect her child.

鈥淢y child does not want to wear a mask,鈥� she told the board. 鈥淚f the masks were working, why is my child having to be quarantined from exposure so many times?鈥�

Meanwhile officials in Miami-Dade County Public Schools are still weighing their decision on mask rules, and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he鈥檒l listen to the advice of health experts.

鈥淎t no point shall I allow my decision to be influenced by a threat to my paycheck; a small price to pay considering the gravity of this issue and the potential impact to the health and well-being of our students and dedicated employees,鈥� he said in a statement.

鈥楰eep schools open鈥�

Florida is one of eight states not allowing local flexibility regarding mask mandates, according to Burbio鈥檚 . Those who disagree with the governor鈥檚 position have taken different approaches to the issue.

Some are maintaining that they still have a mask mandate in place, but are allowing parents to opt out. In , it鈥檚 sufficient for parents to make the request. But in Alachua County, which includes Gainesville, a doctor鈥檚 note is required.

鈥淚’ve been called a monster, child-abuser, communist, fascist, idiot and other names not fit to print. I’ve been threatened with legal action, protests, militia 鈥榚nforcement鈥� and worse,鈥� Alachua Superintendent Carlee Simon wrote in Monday about her decision to require masks for the first two weeks of school, which began Tuesday. 鈥淐ertainly we鈥檙e concerned about the threat of lost funding, but it shouldn鈥檛 come to that. After all, we want what DeSantis wants: to keep schools open and our kids in the classroom.鈥�

Simon noted that the state its Hope Scholarship voucher program to include those who prefer a school requiring masks. The program previously only applied to students who have been bullied, harassed or assaulted, allowing them to transfer to another private or public school. Broward County board members said that new rule only hurts public schools if more families opt to go private.

Some parents think DeSantis is making the right call.

鈥淭he silver lining of COVID is that it doesn鈥檛 impact kids,鈥� said Bill Gilles, who has two children in the St. Johns County School District, which includes St. Augustine. The district is complying with the governor鈥檚 order.

Children represent less than 10 percent of COVID-19 cases internationally, according to the .

Gilles said he and his wife were more accepting of masks last school year before vaccines were available. But now, young people more likely to become infected are the 鈥渂ar crowd and not the school-age crowd,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t just doesn鈥檛 justify putting burdens on kids.鈥�

According to the state health department鈥檚 data, are 14 percent among children under 12 and 20 percent for 12- to 19-year-olds. About 1 in every 100,000 children in Florida, 17 and under, has been hospitalized for COVID-19, which is roughly double the last peak at .56 per 100,000 in January, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But DeSantis said in his comments Tuesday that RSV, a common respiratory infection, is contributing to increased hospitalization rates.

In June, the CDC noted that RSV cases were and that the state has a longer season of the infection than others.

鈥楾he worsening situation鈥�

Nationally, the majority of states are leaving the decision about masks up to local officials, and for some parents in districts where masks aren鈥檛 mandated, that鈥檚 a problem.

鈥淥ur preference is for our kids to be in person, but for everyone to wear a mask,鈥� said Alan Seelinger, a parent of three children in Georgia鈥檚 Cobb County School District. Unlike other metro Atlanta districts, Cobb does not require masks and is no longer taking students鈥� temperatures or asking about COVID-19 symptoms.

A week into the new school year, however, nearly 1,500 cases have across the metro area.

鈥淚t is regrettable that this pandemic was ever politicized, so we simply ask that you employ a data- and science-driven approach in light of the worsening situation we are seeing today,鈥� the Seelingers wrote in their letter to the board last week, sharing a Bible verse about looking out 鈥渇or the interests of others.鈥�

Seelinger, who has two children who still aren鈥檛 old enough for vaccines, would like to see the district renew the option for virtual learning. While the district still allows remote learning, parents had to make the choice at the end of last school year.

Parents in the county who want masks at the district office on Thursday.

鈥淜ids have a right to a safe school, and right now Cobb schools aren鈥檛 safe,鈥� Seelinger said.

Opinions about masks largely fall along partisan lines, with more than three-fourths of Democrats in a recent saying they鈥檒l put on a mask in public all or most of the time, compared to less than 40 percent of Republicans.

In California, one of nine states currently with a mask mandate for schools, the issue surfaced in a recent debate among leading Republican candidates vying to unseat Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a September recall election. All four candidates participating in the debate mask mandates.

The Delta variant, however, has been enough to change some Republican鈥檚 minds. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said he regrets signing a law in April banning mask mandates. He has tried to change the legislation, but lawmakers have declined to revisit the issue. On Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the law, to require masks.

鈥淚 can only hope in my heart this is what happens to Gov DeSantis,鈥� Broward County board member Nora Rupert said Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Education plans to make the needs of students with disabilities a higher priority when schools fully reopen in the fall, Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten said Tuesday during a virtual summit focusing on equity.

The department is preparing a document, coming later this summer, that 鈥渨ill address some of the most pressing needs and the concerns elevated by families, advocates and educators to provide clarity and direction and attention to this community,鈥� Marten said during the event.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, districts across the country have faced lawsuits and angry parents complaining that students with disabilities missed many of the services they were entitled to receive while schools were closed.

But some districts prioritized students with disabilities in reopening efforts. Rosemarie Eller, school board president in the White Plains Public Schools in New York 鈥� one of several educators featured during the panel discussions 鈥� described how her district held in-person school for students with disabilities as much as possible this year to 鈥渕aintain the continuity of their educational experience.鈥� Leaders held 鈥渃offee talks鈥� with parents so they could become better acquainted with administrators and develop trust.

Denise Stile Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, called Marten鈥檚 announcement 鈥渨elcome news.鈥� The advocacy group, she said, has asked the department to provide schools with information on how to ensure students receive a under the law even if a parent continues to opt for remote learning.

The two-hour event, expected to be one in a series focused on equity, comes as educators continue to confront the uneven impact of the pandemic and school closures on students. Recent test results , for example, show a sharp decline in Algebra I scores among on Black, Hispanic and low-income students, and hospitals have seen an increase in girls needing . Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, however, said in recorded remarks that he wants equity to be more than a 鈥減assing buzzword.鈥� He鈥檚 drawing attention to students that have long felt marginalized in public schools, and last week of a conversation with his transgender cousin.

鈥淎 lot of times, school for these kids, it鈥檚 an escape for them,鈥� said Alex Cardona. 鈥淎nd having to escape to somewhere that鈥檚 also unsupportive just doesn鈥檛 help anyone.鈥�

In the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, a district prominently featured during the event, counselors and other student service professionals are trained to understand the needs of LGBTQ students and know where they can refer students and their families for support, explained Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. The district has a central office specialist who leads that work.

鈥淚t is 100 percent our responsibility to see our students, to recognize them, to value them,鈥� added Olivia Carter, a counselor at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the 2021 School Counselor of the Year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our responsibility to humanize students.鈥�

That includes helping students come to school with clean clothes, said Alejandro Diasgranados, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at Alton Elementary in Washington, D.C. and led efforts to provide an on-site laundry facility for students to reduce absenteeism. He agreed with Marten that the condition of school facilities is an important equity issue.

鈥淢y students have seen the differences between our school and more affluent schools across town 鈥� things like other schools have turf fields and schools without bars on windows,鈥� said Diasgranados, one of four finalists for 2021 Teacher of the Year.

President Joe Biden has proposed spending $100 million for K-12 school construction and upgrades as part of his infrastructure plan, but if the administration reaches with Republicans, that plan is unlikely to be included.

Diasgranados said he is especially focused on recruiting more educators of color.

鈥淭eacher diversity is teacher quality,鈥� he said, but added that in addition to providing mentorships, it鈥檚 important that black educators aren鈥檛 鈥渇orced into disciplinary roles,鈥� which can contribute to high turnover.

The event included student performances and one student panelist. Rina Stanghellini, part of the White Plains district, said it鈥檚 important for students to see reflections of their culture in the curriculum in the early grades.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get to read books about Asian American characters in culture by Asian American authors until I got to high school,鈥� she said.

Shantel Meek, who leads the Children鈥檚 Equity Project at Arizona State University, said following the summit that the speakers could have given more attention to early-childhood education. While Miami-Dade officials talked about how the district uses Title I funds to expand the state鈥檚 half-day pre-K program to a full day, Meek said equity issues in K-12, such as facilities, mental health services and workforce diversity, apply to the early years as well.

鈥淥ften early ed gets seen as an equity intervention in itself, when in reality it is a system of its own with many of the same challenges as K-12,鈥� she said.

Some parents noted that this was the second virtual summit the secretary has held without representation from parents. The reopening event the department held in March included student voices, but not those of parents.

鈥淎ll this discussion about reforming education needs to be meaningful and include parents in the consultation process,鈥� said Eileen Chollet, a parent whose daughter attends Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia.

In what could be a bellwether for schools across the U.S., young students in the nation鈥檚 fourth-largest school district are doing poorly on basic academics, recent data suggest, a key sign that pandemic schooling is taking a bracing toll.

Officials with Florida鈥檚 earlier this month reported that 43 percent of students who took January diagnostic tests in grades pre-K-3 tested below grade level in reading. And 54 percent tested below grade level in math.

Students in both at-home and in-person settings took the online tests.

The district educates some 334,000 students, more than nearly every district in the U.S., with the exception of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

An assessment expert said the Miami-Dade findings will likely be repeated nationwide as districts assess students more fully, and may actually underplay the extent of the crisis.

鈥淭he national trends are pointing in a direction at least as severe as what’s happening in Miami-Dade, and likely more severe,鈥� said Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates, a Massachusetts-based firm whose tests are used in schools in the district and elsewhere nationwide. 鈥淭hese numbers from Miami-Dade are deeply troublesome, but the national picture, I think, is much more troublesome.鈥�

The Miami-Dade findings are the latest to emerge in large districts nationwide since the school year began. Elsewhere, districts and advocacy groups have rung similar alarms. In Los Angeles, the group in late March issued a report that said the city鈥檚 children are in 鈥渁n unprecedented educational crisis.鈥� In Fairfax County, Virginia鈥檚 largest school district, officials in November said the percentage of middle- and high-school students earning F鈥檚 in at least two classes in the first quarter last fall.

Nationwide, the consulting firm McKinsey that U.S. students by this fall may have lost as much as a year of learning.

Miami-Dade school board member Mari Tere Rojas, who requested the testing data, noted that the problem is worse among older students, the Miami Herald . While just 15 percent of pre-K students tested behind grade level in reading and 13 percent in math, among third-graders the data showed that 27 percent were behind in reading and 40 percent in math.

that among third-graders nationally who took Curriculum Associates鈥� iReady tests last winter, 41 percent were below grade level in reading and 68 percent in math.

Among these students, another 22 percent were two or more grade levels below where they should be to do grade-level reading work, while 18 percent were two or more grade levels below in math.

About 8 million students take the iReady tests, according to the company鈥檚 .

The district is already moving to limit the damage from the past year or more of disruption. Lissette Alves, Miami-Dade鈥檚 assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, told the school board on May 12 that students identified as performing below grade level in reading based on a September assessment are already receiving more help, which can amount to an extra 30 minutes of daily reading or, in worse cases, an additional hour of intensive reading instruction.

They鈥檙e also planning to scale up an intensive reading and math summer school program for more than 65,000 students, with plans to use federal Covid relief funds to get students tutors and other kinds of extra help.

Miami parent Kimberli Nelson said her son Maddox, a first-grader at George Washington Carver Elementary School in Coral Gables, Fla., is 鈥渄oing well with school from an academic perspective. But he pretty much just learned to sit quietly and draw pictures all day.鈥�

Nelson said her son, who has been identified as gifted, had more difficulties with the 鈥減sychological element鈥� of school disruption. To fight isolation, she said, 鈥淲e had to just break out鈥� and visit friends.

Nelson, a Black parent who grew up in Chicago, said the pandemic has been doubly hard for poor students, as well as students of color. Many of these students, she said, have parents who are essential workers and can鈥檛 supervise their at-home learning. 鈥淲e’re having two pandemics, based upon race and poverty.鈥�

The new achievement data were first reported by the Herald. Miami-Dade officials have said that one of their biggest concerns revolves around the estimated 10,000 students who for school 鈥� as well as 10,300 online-only students identified as at risk of failing.

In January, the district sent letters to at-risk students, urging them to return to in-person school. Of 5,400 contacted, about 3,600 have returned to classrooms.

The district did not respond to a request for comment. In March, Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told the school board that about 500 students remained missing, the Herald at the time. Most of these, he said, are English-language learners whose parents moved and whose phones were disconnected.

Nelson said she has worked with a community center and neighborhood afterschool program known as to support families and, in some cases, find students who couldn鈥檛 otherwise be located.

She credited the center鈥檚 longtime director, Sylvia Jordan, with tracking down many neighborhood kids. 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 find them, Miss Sylvia can,鈥� Nelson recalled telling district officials. 鈥淪ome of our kids were going after school 鈥� they just weren’t going to school.鈥�

In the district, the new achievement findings have been greeted with a mixed reception.

Board member Rojas called the data 鈥渁larming,鈥� but Carvalho said he and his staff are approaching them with 鈥渢repidation鈥� and 鈥渄oubt,鈥� since students learning from home may have had parental help on the tests 鈥� those in school, he said, may not have had the same assistance.

鈥淚t is data that we鈥檙e not going to take to the bank as we have in the past,鈥� he told board members.

But Curriculum Associates鈥� Huff said she doesn鈥檛 suspect 鈥渨idespread cheating鈥� from students who took iReady tests at home. Even if students got help from family members, she said, she doubts there was intention to cheat.

鈥淚 think it was very innocent helping, because adults, older siblings, or others in the home did not realize that these young students 鈥� first, second, third graders 鈥� that they were taking a test that needed to happen independently. And if they had known that, they likely would not have helped 鈥� just like a parent would never help their child try to pass an eye test.鈥�

So-called 鈥淐ovid learning loss鈥� has obsessed educators and researchers for the better part of a year, but Huff said the term doesn鈥檛 accurately describe what鈥檚 happening to students. She prefers the term 鈥�.鈥�

鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 more accurate because a lot of what has happened is just less instructional time,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tudents have not had the opportunity to learn. They didn鈥檛 have learning to lose. They were just not finished doing the learning that we would expect, given the circumstances of the past year.鈥�