Education
The New York City Department of Education is the largest public education system in the country. This section features Communities Speak survey data that seeks to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education institutions, learners, and their families.
Fall 2022
Limited Access to Technology for Educational Purposes
By Borough
By Racial Identity
In Fall 2022, respondents were asked whether households have the technology they need (computers, internet, or wifi service) for their child’s educational purposes. 23% of Black/African American, Hispanic, and Asian respondents reported not having access, compared to just 6% of white identifying households. This data tells us that BIPOC households were much less likely to have the technology required for their child’s education than their white counterparts.
Dissatisfaction with Child's Public Schooling
In Fall 2022, respondents were asked whether they changed their children's schools since before the pandemic (March 2020), almost one third of respondents (32%) reported changing their child’s school during or after the pandemic. This trend was most common among white and Black/African American respondents living in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Respondents living above the poverty line were twice as likely to change their child’s school than those living below the poverty line. Respondents were also asked households with children why they changed their children's schools. Black/African American households reported moving their child to a different school predominantly because the school was “not meeting their child's emotional needs", whereas, white, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian households reported moving their child to a different school predominantly because the school was “not meeting their child's academic needs."
Households with Children reported dissatisfaction with their child’s school.
BIPOC* respondents reported higher rates of dissatisfaction than their white counterparts.
*BIPOC is an umbrella concept used to distinguish respondents of the Communities Speak survey who identify as Black, African American, Indigenous American/First Nations, Asian, Latinx or Hispanic, and/or as Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
Spring 2022
Parents Worried about their Child Contracting COVID-19 in School
In Spring 2022, respondents were asked for the concerns they had about their child attending school.
COVID-19 remained a significant concern among all parents, but was more of a concern for public school parents. 60.5% of charter public school parents, and 55.8% of district public school parents reported concerns about their child contracting COVID-19 in school, compared to 43.7% of private school parents.
Parents with Social Concerns about their Child Returning to School
In Spring 2022, respondents with children were asked for their concerns about their child returning to school in person. 35% of Asian parents expressed concerns about their child feeling comfortable around other children when they returned to the school building.
Parental Concerns about Classroom Size
In Spring 2022, respondents were asked what their concerns about their child returning to school was. 25% charter public school parents and 23.5% of district public school parents expressed concerns about classroom size, compared to 14.6% of private school parents.
