Superintendents in some states can carry budget surpluses over to the next school year or shift unspent dollars among different accounts. And state and federal waivers are giving districts yet more leeway.
Equity is driving many schools toward pass/fail, "floor grades" and other grading methods to ensure online learning doesn't derail students' academic progress during coronavirus closures.
"Zoom bombing" is a growing cybersecurity concern as hackers infiltrate online classes to heckle teachers while displaying pornography and racist images.
Mobile WiFi hotspots, also known as MiFis, are in short supply as equity-minded superintendents work to ensure all students have access to the internet to participate fully in online learning.
School leaders navigating coronavirus closures have shifted online learning on-the-fly to help students and teachers face numerous challenges, including access and illness.
Equity problems that plague K-12 education under normal conditions have only been worsened by the shift to online and remote learning, and the transition may leave some students farther behind come fall, experts say.
Students who use smartphones for online education will fall behind and may be worse off than students without a broadband internet connection, one expert says.
