Please find the full op-ed originally posted on the Education Post website in May 2021. 

Karega Rausch is the president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. Naomi N. Shelton is the chief executive officer of the National Charter Collaborative.

Talk of an education “recovery” to address student “learning loss” is here, often with focus on  expanded summer learning programs, high-dose tutoring, and expanded after-care programming. 

These supports are needed and stand to help students most affected by the last year. But they are not enough to create the excellent, equitable, and culturally affirming schools that families and students want. 

Parents and families, forced to do more than ever last year, have diverse interests, aspirations, and needs for their children. They want a wide and dynamic array of schools, and educators and policymakers must respond accordingly…