The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected K-12 education in 2020. To protect students and staff, as well as to flatten the infection
curve, parents, teachers, and policy makers endorsed and implemented a
modified version of homeschooling in the spring in the US and across the
globe. Teachers used some form of paper mailings and electronic
technology (eg, video conferencing, emailing) to deliver content to
students, while parents assumed a coteaching responsibility. Most
parents, schools, and teachers were unprepared and untrained to handle
the complexities inherent to educating as well as the demands of the
technology needed to support these efforts. Although teachers deserve
high praise for their rapid response, the educational outcomes were
unsatisfying, families were burdened, and most are hesitant to repeat
the same format. As government officials attempt to plan for the fall,
the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement supporting the
return to traditional school as soon as possible to preserve education
and socialization while limiting the exacerbation of existing
educational disparities for high-risk populations.