In Focus: Equity in Education

In Focus: A New Series From the Aspen Institute

In this installment of In Focus, an Aspen Institute multimedia project exploring society’s greatest challenges, we share how this unprecedented disruption has shifted the way we look at everything, from the challenges parents face when they become their child’s sole teacher, to the benefits of universal child care. 

Generation Hope Scholar Yoslin Amaya Hernandez and her sons.

When most people picture a college student, they don’t imagine a mom who writes class papers from the sidelines of her kid’s soccer practice. Yet, almost a quarter of undergraduate students are parents, and with schools and child cares closing or going remote, they've also become at-home teachers. Yoslin Amaya Hernandez, a Parent Advisor with Ascend’s Postsecondary Success for Parents Initiative, shares her life as a mom, student, and part-time worker—and her anxieties about the upcoming school year.
 

For many Native American youth living on reservations across the US, schools offer a reprieve from the trauma of poverty. Dr. Billie Jo Kipp, a child psychologist and the associate director of research and evaluation at the Institute’s Center for Native American Youth, advocates for stronger mental health services and school structures to improve the lives of native youth. Watch her series of videos on the impact of the pandemic on these communities—and their incredible resilience.
 

For families with two or more children, caregiving costs can exceed rent. Americans lose at least $32 billion each year due to lack of child care and paid leave. A report from the Financial Security Program looks at the true cost of caregiving and its impact on families and communities across the country.
 

Though it’s a challenge in the best of times, the pandemic has made it clear that increasing support for child care is an urgent priority. Despite the well-documented benefits, the country has made a relatively meager investment in affordable, accessible, quality care. Experts at the Economic Opportunities Program lay out reasons why it is the time to change that: it would transform the lives of millions of parents, boost our economy, and set up a new generation for success.
 

Will colleges and universities go back to normal when the crisis clears? College Excellence Program’s Executive Director Josh Wyner thinks not—and he doesn’t think they should. Instead, he encourages schools to use this moment to do three important things that will improve student learning.
 

More than 40 million Americans have outstanding student loan balances, and the current total debt is more than $1.5 trillion. While the economy has rebounded slightly and federal student loan payment deferrals have been extended to January 1, the conversation remains relevant as ever as policymakers plan how to support households recovering from the economic impacts of COVID-19. A Financial Security Program conversation explores the possibility that cancelling that debt might not just be good for borrowers—it could be good for us all.
 

Rural students face a variety of barriers, from limited broadband access to higher levels of poverty, and these disparities have only been amplified by COVID-19. The Community Strategies Group and RootEd Alliance President Noa Meyer checked in with experts and practitioners to learn what the immediate needs are, and to find ways to ensure rural communities emerge from the pandemic more prosperous, resilient, and ready for the future.
 

In Focus is a new multimedia series from the Aspen Institute that brings clear, diverse perspectives to the challenges shaping our society during a historic period of change and uncertainty. This series unites the Aspen Institute’s leading policy experts with our networks that span grassroots organizers, CEOs, student activists, and national lawmakers. Together, we’re showcasing new ideas, untold stories, and bringing the issues behind the headlines into focus.

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