The pandemic has highlighted the ongoing inequalities that have existed in America for decades. The Achievement Gap is being widened with school closures. Low-income students of color are among the hardest hit, resulting in long-term economic costs for local and national communities.

The families of disadvantaged students suffer higher rates of infection and they often have parents who are essential workers and thus unable to work from home. Furthermore, children in poverty and children of color often have less access to remote learning, lower quality remote instruction, less conducive learning environments, less home support, and lower engagement. Their families simply cannot afford to give constant parental academic supervision nor pay for outside academic assistance. These disproportionate learning losses for low-income students of color are compounding existing achievement gaps, leading many students to drop out.