New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first NYC public school closures on March 12, adding to the many K-12 schools across the country that are closing or moving to online education to help control the spread of the coronavirus. Equity is a large concern in school closures for those students who depend on subsidized breakfasts and lunches and also may not have a supportive environment outside of school.
 
Jamila Michener is an assistant professor of government at Cornell University and an expert on poverty and racial inequality. She says during times of public health crisis the consequences of inequalities surface and it’s going to be a huge challenge to support K-12 students facing school closures at home and also in their communities. 

Image credit: Feliphe Schiarolli on Unsplash