“As students return to classrooms, educators need to have time and take time for building strong relationships because it will make learning so much better in the long term. Our students are living through a pandemic and are going to need social and emotional supports. We need principals, the school board and the state to help teachers make this a priority.”
– Shelly Gupton, CTA Board Member and Elk Grove educator
COVID-19 has been hard on all students, especially Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), English learners, students with disabilities and other marginalized children and youth. CTA is part of a wide-ranging coalition of 39 research, education and community organizations endorsing a restorative restart for students returning to public schools, as outlined in Reimagine and Rebuild: Restarting School with Equity at the Center. The brief outlines steps schools and districts can take now to support the social-emotional and academic needs of students while laying the groundwork for longer term systemic transformation.
