> Add in the challenge of remote learning
Why? Are K-12 keeping on with remote classes now in the USA?
> not to mention smartphone access prevalently available
Also why? Has there been a change in policy about bag and equipment checks?
I would argue that unlike "remote work," where the COVID shift made it clear "hey most of us can just work from home" - the K12 "hack fix" most schools implemented was barely sufficient to get through the year or so that students were forced to stay home. I suspect that most standard public schools would do better to drop this offering altogether and leave it to 3rd party online schools, if such a thing exists and can get enough traction to stay alive.
I think most students didn't do well with it, but there are some students that thrived.
If there's enough of such students in a district's boundaries, I think it makes sense to accomidate them within the district, rather than push them out. It will allow easier movement to/from a classroom setting, and feels more likely to provide continuity than a 3rd party offering. Then again, school districts cut things all the time.
I'd agree, but also note that plenty of remote jobs were and still are ad hoc. The difference is adults have more agency to improve their own situation even if their work doesn't make any concessions to the nature of fully remote work; children have very little agency over their schooling.
Public schools are also really limited by the tech they buy, price sensitive, regular staff aren't up to date on tech, and they don't pay their IT teams much.
It makes it hard for them to adjust fast.
The purpose built school from home programs are often far better run / budgeted IT wise. I was at my son's high school and the school from home kids were there for an in person day borrowing the lab for some in person time / activities and etc.
Calculators and exams are still used after K-12, ~1/20 K-12 students are still taught remotely online in the US in 2023 (it'd be curious to see if that grows or shrinks with time), not all K-12 have instituted bag and equipment checks, the ones that have haven't all done it to the same level, and it may or may not be enough to cover enough of the cases to mitigate impact enough.
>Are K-12 keeping on with remote classes now in the USA?
After COVID many school districts in the US that weren't offering online only school are now. Suddenly they had the capacity to do it as it was forced on them with COVID, so maintain it for students who want it is as easy as anything else.